September 2008 Archives

Lancaster's Eden Resort is a popular place for out-of-town guests to stay while visiting historic downtown Lancaster, shopping at the outlets or touring the surrounding farmlands and peeking at the Amish.

It's also frequently used for weddings and other celebrations.

Usually, folks seeking lodging or a reception site start their search online, so the new online tour feature that recently debuted on its Web site is probably going to be a big boon for the complex.

I liked the 360-views of the grand ballroom and courtyard and spent several minutes "walking" my way through the main entrance, lobby and restaurant. While it's certainly not as good as an in-person visit, I'd say it's the next best thing.

Do you know of any other places around here that are using this new Motion VR software for online tours?

I'm curious to hear what my fellow international travelers thought about the remarks by presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain during this evening's debate, especially regarding foreign policy and the perception of America in the rest of the world.

Post your thoughts in the comments and let's get a debate of our own going!

Lori Brose of Glen Rock spent 14 days in Alaska in July and caught this 120-lb halibut during a fishing trip out of the town of Homer. She rented an RV at the Anchorage airport an found it to be a good way to see the state. "Summer is a good time to go, as the salmon are coming into the streams and the bears come for the salmon."

Her travel tips: Alaska is a very large state, so allow yourself time to see as much as possible. Pack a little of everything because the weather ranges from 40 degrees and rainy to 85 degrees and sunny.

Sunday, I visited American architect Frank Lloyd Wright's renowned Fallingwater in western PA.

The place, designed and built for the Kauffman family (of the now-defunct Kauffman's Department Stores) of Pittsburgh in the 1930s still leaves visitors in awe. It's a beautiful example of integrating manmade structures and nature and living in harmony with one's environment.

This weekend, friends and I rented a cottage near Ohiopyle State Park so we could do some things we discovered during our July camping trip there.

The ropes course at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort's adventure center was our first adventure. I can tell you firsthand that it's not for the faint of heart!

"No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow."
--Lin Yutang

A couple of weekends ago, I tagged along with a group of local mushroom hunters for a story. I was amazed how much variety they found in a little more than an hour in the woods near Safe Harbor Park in Lancaster County.

I thought I'd share a couple extra photos here that didn't make it into the story. If you're interested in learning more about wild mushrooms, check out the group.

This week, a representative from the National Park Service came to York County to designate the Susquehanna River Water Trail -- a 103-mile portion of water from Sunbury to the Maryland border -- a national recreational trail.

The designation highlights the significance of the river as a recreational resource that improves the quality of life in the region.

I don't know about you, but anytime I'm in my kayak in the middle of the river -- far from cell phones and computers and highways -- my quality of life skyrockets.

I've been a bad blogger. This photo shows why -- I'm buying a house. And as anyone who has bought a house knows, it's a time-consuming process.

You have to set up your mortgage and insurance, get a home inspection, weed out years of accumulated junk, arrange for utility transfers and address changes.

I'm all for new adventures, but I must say this is among my scariest adventures to date.

The recent success of native York County artist Jeff Koons -- he has a solo exhibit in the Palace of Versailles through December -- inspired us to create our own Koons-ish masterpiece here in the YDR newsroom. Check it out here.

I'm thinking about putting it up on eBay to see if I can get $2.5 million. I mean, that's nothing compared to the $23.6 million Koons got for "Hanging Heart" last November, but hey, it sure beats a reporter's salary.

Create and upload your masterpiece here.

I spotted this sign on the desk of our Sunday editor, Scott Blanchard. It was given to him by niche publications editor Kara Eberle, who spotted it during a family trip to Cape May this summer and couldn't resist buying it.

In case you can't read the tiny words in the logo, the motto is "E Pluribus Smart Assimus."

What cool signs have you spotted lately? Snap a picture and send it to me!

The annual revelry at the York Fairgrounds each September is the ultimate in backyard traveling. Yeah, it'll cost you $12 till you get in and park. And you can easily blow more than dozen bucks on food.

But seriously, where else can you see fire-eating midgets, listen to music made on trash bins and eat a fried PBJ? If that's not local culture for you, I don't know what is. I'm of the opinion that every York County resident should check it out at least once.

For more, see our York Fair blog or plan your visit according to the schedule of events. Hurry up though -- the fun ends Sunday!

The gilded royal French palace of Versailles is showcasing works by controversial contemporary artist (and Dover native) Jeff Koons.

We're talking a statue of Michael Jackson and Bubbles near Louis the XIV. Some kind of oversized sculpted animal in the gardens.

Some folks say it's a good sign -- that the traditional bastions of French culture are loosening up. Others were so outraged they staged a protest. Check out the story here and post a comment -- what do you think of our York County native's latest?

Deb Beaverson took this photo from the Glacier Gardens above Juneau, Alaska, in July. Beaverson was on a 12-day cruise with her sister Janet Smith of West Manchester Township.

Their travel trip: Be sure to dress in layers, and be prepared for rain. Southeast Alaska is a temperate rain forest.

It's Friday.
The Friday after Labor Day.
The Friday before an anticipated rainy weekend.

Considering all that, I don't expect you'll be interested in digesting anything too lengthy on a blog today. So, I've decided to start a new feature on here where every now and then, when we're all feeling a little tired and worn out, we can be reminded of the joys of travel, adventure and exploration in all their many wonderous forms.

It's called quotable.

Here's a double dose for this first entry:

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." - Mark Twain

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." - St. Augustine

What would YOU say? Leave a comment and share your quote.

Doris King of Windsor Township stands in front of the Mayflower II in Plymouth, Mass., during a trip through New England earlier this summer. She said the Mayflower II, an exact replica of the original ship, was much smaller than she had imagined.

'It truly drives home the fact that these people suffered many hardships in order to realize their dreams of a new way of life," she wrote.

King spent two days in Plymouth and found the town charming. "We roamed the streets until late at night. The local people were exceptionally friendly."

Sharon Pichler of Spring Garden Township sent in this photo of her daughter Ellen Pichler, 19, a junior at Mount Saint Mary's University, in front of Big Ben and Westminster Palace during a trip to England in July.

Ellen traveled with her mother, Sharon, and her older sister, Kate Slaugh-Sanford. They visited London, Exeter, Powderham Castle and the coastal towns of Torquay, Dawlish and Paignton.

Her travel tip: If you plan to travel to more than one area of the country, purchase a British Rail pass. The United Kingdom has an excellent rail system and the pass allows you to hop on and off most all the trains in the England. But you must purchase it here in the States. It is not for sale in England.

A new guidebook published for the 250th anniversary of the historic Forbes Trail highlights several York County attractions.

The trail follows the path that George Washington and British General John Forbes took from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to capture Fort Duquesne and set the state for the birth of a nation.

The trail, which generally follows the path of Route 30, includes local attractions such as Samuel S. Lewis State Park, the Haines Shoe House, York Colonial Complex, and John Wright Store and Restaurant, among others.

Some might say he was never here to begin with, that it's all a figment of people's imagination.

But shhhh!

Don't tell that to the folks who will gather in Jeannette (near Pittsburgh) at the end of the month for the East Coast Bigfoot Conference.

From Sept. 26 to 28, the public is invited to attend this event, organized to educate and inform the public about sightings, research and investigations.

Still not convinced?