Issues: November 2008 Archives
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.
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.
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?
After downing my free chicken sandwich at Chick Fil-A, I started wondering how many calories folks might consume with all the free food and drink available today.
So I swung by the new -- as in, it opened three weeks ago -- Golds Gym in Shrewsbury to check out their free seven-day VIP membership offer for anyone who stops in before next Tuesday with either an "I Voted" sticker or their word that they voted.
Yes, there is such a thing as a free lunch.
Well, today at least. At the Shrewsbury Chick-Fil-A.
Ira Keech, 71, of Weiglestown said people at his polling place told him that Starbucks was giving away free coffee, so he stopped in the one at the West Manchester Township Target to check it out.
He had never sampled Starbucks coffee before, but was pleasantly surprised. "I ilke strong coffee, so this is pretty good," he said.
Keech liked the idea of businesses giving free samples for voters on election day. "It will give them buisness later."
Finally, coffee!
Now that I have some caffeine in me, thanks to the folks at the Starbucks inside the West Manchester Township Target store, I can work better.
The ladies behind the counter said they were brewing regular coffee every 10 minutes to keep up with demand. There were four people in front of me in line when I stopped in around noon.
The employees said if you don't have a sticker proving you voted, you can either show them your voter registration card or simply tell them you cast your ballot and they'd give you some joe. They work on the honor system.
Now, it's off to Shrewsbury in search of lunch at Chick-Fil-A.
First stop for something free and I walked out empty handed.
I explained to the nice lady at the Maple Donuts on Loucks Road that my polling place doesn't give out stickers, but she said she still couldn't give me my free coffee and donut.
I was pretty bummed. I even mentioned what I heard about it maybe being against the law to offer free stuff for voting and so don't they have to give whatever they're giving out free to all customers who request it on election day?
I definitely have to find out more about that. In the meantime, I'm going to Starbucks. I need coffee.
P.S. A co-worker kindly gave me an extra "I Voted" sticker he got just in case I run into more problems. I think he's afraid of what I'll be like if I come back from another place without coffee.
I just got back from voting.
It took a good 15 minutes at my new polling place (I moved a month ago). A poll worker told me they already had 177 people through before I arrived at 10 a.m. She said it was the most she can ever recall. I actually had to wait in line. I've never done that before.
Anyway, now I'm off to see how much free stuff I can scarf up for doing my civic duty.
I'm kind of bummed they didn't have "I Voted" stickers at my new polling place.
I've heard that many of the businesses giving things away for free to voters have to go on the honor system though or give their free stuff to all customers. Apparently there's a law against offering people stuff to vote or not vote. So I should be good.
Anyway, I'm off to Maple Donuts for free coffee and a donut. Check back shortly for an update.
Tomorrow, I'm going to vote.
Then I'm going to travel around York County to see how much free stuff I can get for doing my civic duty.
I'll be blogging and posting updates and photos as I go, so check back here tomorrow. Also, if you know of someplace giving away free stuff for voters -- or if you go out to get something free for voting -- post a comment and tell the rest of us!
