Note from Joan: I asked one of the coolest people I know in the newsroom, Matt Kinnear - one of our assistant sports editors - to guest-blog for me today. Hopefully, this will be the first in a series of posts by various people who have completely different "York experiences" than I do!
Memorial Day weekend marks the passing of what has been the biggest year of my life -- getting a new job, moving out of state and living by myself for the first time, buying my first new car, getting my first promotion -- and my first year in York.
I'm from just down the road in Baltimore (Bawld-amore), so I'm not a complete stranger to the area. But I have been the butt of many jokes (from Joan) about my crazy pronunciations -- Weis (Weese), Lancaster (Lann-cas-ter).
And it's a blessing and a curse being from so close. I've spent far too many of my days off back in Baltimore, and far too few exploring York. During a recent trip to Seven Valleys, I realized there's a whole lot to this county I've yet to see.
So I'm making it my mission to see what's outside of my Springettsbury Township apartment and see what's out there. More importantly, I'm making it my mission to meet some more York County people.
What are some must-sees and must-dos?
I've visited Brown's Orchards, and I've subsequently revisited many times to load up on sugar cake cookies. But in terms of York County staples, that's pretty much it.
So what should I do next? Which parks/trails are best? Where can I meet some other people in their mid-20s?
I'm a complete Baltimore apologist, but York is my new home and I intend to make the most of it. So give me some suggestions, and I'll be sure to take my camera out and drop by the blog some other time.
We just found out that Ski Roundtop has a fantastic ropes course! It's in the greatest woodsy location - zip line, rock wall, large pond for kayaking...and they are going to open more zip lines and other activities at the slope side. They have paintball, too if you're into that...and by the way - Pinchot Park is right here, too. So much to do in one tiny area of York County.
If you venture out into the wilderness of northern York Co. stop by the blacksmith shop on Butter Rd. in Dover any second Sat. thru October. The Greater Dover Historical Society's resident smith will be working the forge those days. If you're a photographer the grounds around the blacksmith shop should be very pretty by mid-summer, thanks to GDHS' landscape committee.
As a transplant myself, I've had to make an effort to find new places. I've love the different county parks I've visited. I think my favorite is Nixon Park, but Spring Valley Park is really pretty, too. Also, there are plenty of country roads that are perfect for windows-down summer drives -- especially near the river.