November 2008 Archives

Go HERE(above) for an authentic shopping experience.
Not HERE (right).
For more, see this story in today's York Daily Record/Sunday News. Or type "Lancaster" and "Gettysburg" in the search bar of this blog to see related posts.

While I was waiting in line -- or maybe while we were stuck in traffic -- it occurred to me that Black Friday is kind of like one big party.

Instead of primping, we peruse sales fliers.

Instead of alcohol, we get drunk with the rush of bargain hunting -- and some make rather ugly drunks.

The live entertainment is the madness and chaos all around us.

Yet we all do it anyway. Because it's what Americans do after devoting a day to eating -- we devote a day to shopping. It's consumerism at its best.

If I were writing a U.S. guidebook for international visitors, I'd list the occasion alongside Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.

It's certainly something worth seeing.

Maybe it was the food coma yesterday, but this year's Black Friday ads didn't seem like much of anything special. The regular old stuff at the regular old prices, just jazzed up marketing to make you think you're getting a better deal.

Or maybe I just have less money to spend.

Anyway, I spotted a couple of things I wanted to give as gifts at decent prices, so out I went.

Not at midnight. Or 4 a.m., like the hardcore bargain shoppers. (I like my sleep more than nearly any discount.)

By the time I rolled into one department store at the late hour of 10:30 a.m., the one item I was in search of was sold out.

Sold out? At 10:30?

It wasn't even anything I would have anticipated being much in demand. (I cannot specify the item for fear that the recipient may read this post.)

My God.

Today, I eat turkey.

Tomorrow, I shop.

Once the last bit of cranberry sauce has slid down my throat and I've had my fill of family, I'll dig into the Thanksgiving Day newspaper sales inserts to plan my itinerary for THE DAY.

Black Friday shopping alternately entices and repulses me, depending on the year and my mood.

This year, I'm game.

I just have to figure out what I'm in search of and where I can get it at the best price.

Check back tomorrow to see how I fared. (And whether my friend/shopping companion is still my friend!)

Mad Elf beer from Harrisburg's Troeg's Brewery was recently ranked among the 50 Best Christmas Beers in the book "Christmas Beers: The Cheeriest, Tastiest and Most Unusual Holiday Brews" by Don Russell, beer columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News.

First reaction: It's sad that "beer columnist" may well be among the most stable jobs in the world of journalism these days.

Second reaction: I'm betting a lot of people will buy this for someone on their Christmas list.

Anyway, if you're a die-hard beer lover, you may want to pony up $75 for a ticket and make the trip to Philly on Sunday, Dec. 7 to meet Russell at a Winter Warmers Tasting at West Philadelphia's Armory (3205 Lancaster Ave).

In addition to tastings, he'll offer instruction on Christmas beers and feed you festive food. Learn more at www.joesixpack.net.

The Lancaster-York Heritage Region recently published an updated version of the 2003 Growing Traditions Discovery Guide, a free, regional guide to local farm products.

It includes 150 listings of historic downtown markets, farm markets, roadside stands, country markets, wineries and other agricultural experiences. Look for it in the coming weeks at the York and Lancaster visitors bureaus and wherever else you see displays of local tourist information (Memorial Hall at the York Expo Center comes to mind).

If you can't get out to grab a hard copy, you can also check it out online at www.growingtraditions.org. The online version offers direct links to Web sites of the places listed.

I spotted this sign at Susie's sandwich stand inside the Bird-in-Hand Farmer's Market last week. I was in Lancaster County for the day, searching out the most authentic experiences for tourists who are so done with the commercialized Amish stuff.

What fun signs have you come across lately? Snap a picture and send it to me!

I remembered Zimmerman's country store in Intercourse from a visit a couple years ago, so I wanted to go back. I thought it was neat how they sold everything from groceries and hardware to lanterns and bonnets.
Walking around the place, though, I was confused. It was just a supermarket now. The girl at the register told me they recently expanded the hardware and dry goods section into its own store.
When I stepped outside with a six-pack of birch beer in tow -- I couldn't resist -- I noticed the modern-looking Zimmerman's True Value Hardware store set back from the road with a large parking lot and a long rail for hitching horses and buggies.
Inside, it looked like any hardware store -- except for the aisle stocked with straw hats and the largest selection of lamp oil and kerosene lamps I've ever seen.

Yes, I snapped this picture on the road during my day exploring Lancaster County.

I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist. And my eyes were still on the road, unlike those texting-and-driving folks.

Read my upcoming stories about tourism in Gettysburg and Lancaster County (to appear in Sunday's paper), and you'll see that one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to visit a place and find that the reality doesn't match the image they've been sold by the destination's marketing folks.

Word of mouth is powerful. So are advertising campaigns. But if someone comes to Lancaster County, they want to see rolling farmland and silos and Amish kids speeding down country lanes on scooters or quaint shops like this image I caught in my rearview mirror.

If all they see is the kitsch and commercialization and chain operations along Route 30, do you think they'll want to come back? (Unless they're really into outlet shopping.)

I was pretty surprised when I saw this group of tourists posing for photos with their Amish buggy driver (far left)

I thought the Amish didn't allow people to take their picture?

Menno is the Amish driver pictured here with tourists Bob and Deb Reynolds of Rising Sun, Md., Pat Hahn of Reisterstown, Md. and Cindy Grabowski of Phoenix. (He didn't give me his last name.) He said if you work in the tourist trade, it's pretty rude to deny a picture to the folks who are paying for your goods or services.

And so here he is, photographed and on the Internet. Wow.

I wanted to find out where York County residents find peace and escape the chaos of modern life.

Sue Herman of Spring Grove responded with this remedy:

If your life is anything like mine lately, there aren't enough hours in the day, enough money in the bank account or energy to spare.

And the holidays -- with all their family demands and gift-giving stresses -- are just around the corner.

I'm looking for a bit of a break. A peaceful retreat where I can go to unwind, relax, rejuvenate and basically escape the insanity of life. And I'll bet I'm not the only one.

A woman who used to work here once suggested I write a story about places of peace in and around York County -- where local folks prefer to go when they need to get away from it all.

Surprise, surprise, I was a little too busy then to pursue the story idea. But I think its time has come. And so, I'm asking you, faithful readers of this blog, to help me out and offer some suggestions. Where do you go when you're in search of peace? Why there? What makes that place so wonderful?

Is is a park or lake? A church? A bookstore or library? Someplace totally unlikely? Please post a comment and share, or send me an e-mail.

If you're more interested in seeing this than thiswhen you go to Lancaster County, keep an eye on this blog over the next week or two. I'll be sharing some tips on how to get the most authentic experience when visiting tourist attractions on both sides of York County. I'll have photos, live audio and plenty of links and resources.

If you'll have out-of-town relatives in the area for the upcoming holiday, I'll give you a game plan for a couple of day trips to keep you away from the dinner table and TV set -- and far, far away from any shopping malls.

Unless, of course, you want to join in Black Friday madness -- in which case, I can point you to some places where you can search out bargains while strengthening your ability to withstand crowds of people you'll be glad aren't staying at your house for the weekend.

Stay tuned.... and feel free to chime in with your thoughts, opinions and suggestions!

I spent several hours in and around Gettysburg today doing reporting for an upcoming story about area tourism.

I drove a bit of the National Military Park auto tour, and was pretty impressed. Even though the chilly, rainy day kept me from wandering around on foot, I could still imagine the troops walking over this landscape in 1863. It felt like sacred ground.

Well, until I finished the loop near East Cemetery Hill and was exiting onto Baltimore Pike. That's when I saw this:

Almost.....

I was in Lancaster County today doing reporting for an upcoming story about tourism in the area. As I rounded a curve near the town of Intercourse, I came upon this message.

I'm thinking the writer isn't so much making a statement about life in Amish country as he or she is referring to the recent success of Philadelphia sports teams.

Still, the thought is nice...

Here are a couple more pictures from my weekend hike my hike a few weekends ago at Colonel Denning State Park.

If you haven't yet gotten your annual dose of color, you had better do it soon. I was out this past weekend and noticed that the leaves are disappearing fast!

You knew it was only a matter of time.

Now that Barack Obama is officially our country's next president, the places he has links to are working to capitalize on their piece of the story. Anyone who listened to him during the campaign knows his father is from Kenya, his mom from Kansas. That he was born in Hawaii, raised in Indonesia and went to school in Los Angeles, Boston and New York City. Now, he and his family live in Chicago.

If you want to include some Obama sightseeing in your next trip, here's a story that will tell you what you need to know before you go.

Chicago especially is hyping up the places Obama and his family frequent.

What do you think about this?

If you've had your fill of gift cards, electronics and kitchen gadgets, head to the alumni hall of York College's student union building between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday for a sale of global fair trade merchandise provided by Ten Thousand Villages.

Handcrafted items ranging from folk art to ceramics, textiles, baskets, jewelry and musical instruments will be on sale. In addition, sample cookies from around the world, provided by the chefs of Chartwells Dining Service, York College's food service provider.

I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for this stuff. It's so unique and I know that every penny I spend is going to support artisans in other countries.

For details, call 815-1916.

YDR food writer Nicki Lefever and her husband, Nate, contemplated going on another cruise for their October vacation, but decided a camping trip was in order instead. Below is her report:

This entry comes straight from the vacation of YDR photographer Bil Bowden, who is biking the Greater Niagara Circle Route in Ontario. That includes alongside the Welland Canal and above the Niagrara River to the falls.

"Nancy Peterson and I did the loop trail, which is entirely paved and the Welland Canal part, anyway, is nearly flat. We pedaled along with the Blacky, a ship made in China that was on its maiden voyage," Bil writes

"We're headed to Pelee Island Friday, taking the ferry over, and biking. As you can see, the weather was terrific, and there's still plenty of color. Wanted to take advantage of the fair weather, since this is, of course, the Buffalo area."

His travel tips: October/November is a wonderful time to travel It's still comfortable enough to travel outdoors, but without the crowds. Niagara Falls was empty of tourists (not that we spent much time around all the souvenirs anyway).

Many motels have dropped their prices, and gas prices are dropping like a rock. In Ohio, we're looking at 2.19. And the U.S. dollar is finally worth more than the Canadian dollar again.

To see more of Bil's photos, visit his blog, Bil's Eye View.