Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County (Third in a Series)

I saw these cute folk craft signs on the street corners in town one day last fall. They advertised “Folk Art on the Farm”. My friend Kathy noticed them as well and we were intrigued. So off we went to follow them. We travelled north on Route 897, just outside of Terre Hill and only about five minutes from The Artist's Inn. In no time at all, we found where the signs led.

To a barn behind a house, filled to the brim with all things painted - snowmen, signs, and trees.

Berries in the Meadow is the name of a local business run by The Chapman Family. In the back of their house sits a barn that is magically transformed – depending on the season. We first saw it just before Christmas, so naturally I purchased several gifts.

I particularly liked the old objects that were painted - like a child's hand-painted ice skate stuffed with pine decorations. Yep, you'll now be able to find that amoung my Christmas collection.

Lancaster County just seems to bring out the creative side in folks - often using old items for their craft. Ah yes, there are usually yummy treats at the open houses.

I loved the bright colors and cheery sayings.

The second time we visited was in the spring and I purchased stuff for me. Their next show is this coming Labor Day weekend, so if you are in town, make sure you stop in. If you aren't in town, call us at 888-999-4479 or visit www.artistinncom/reservations.htm and we can help with that situation! I can't wait to add to my fall collection.

Their motto is “Put a Little Happy in Your Life” and I’m hoping these pictures will help you do just that – in case you can’t make it to The Chapmans in person. To keep track of them, you may want to follow their blog: http://www.berriesinthemeadowart.blogspot.com/ or visit their online store at http://www.berriesinthemeadow.etsy.com/

Go Play Outside...on The Susquehanna

“Rowing, Rowing, Rowing on the River!”

It has been a long hot summer in Lancaster County. When my nephew Jesse visited us, we decided that a cool way to spend an afternoon would be on the river. I had long wanted to go kayaking at Shank’s Mare.

Getting there was easy. It’s located in a historic building that was once a general store – right on

the banks of the Susquehanna. We each opted for our own kayak – a decision I thought about later since I could have sat in the back while Jesse (a football player and senior in high school) would have paddled me around! Instead, I struggled to keep up with him after two hours of rowing.

This part of the Susquehanna is dammed and the water is calm. Except for the occasional speedboat pulling a water-skier or a jet ski going by, we pretty much had the river to ourselves. We explored a small offshoot of the river that led to a stream, crossed the river at the 1 ½ mile point, paddled out to an island and saw about 10 great blue heron sunning themselves on an old tree branch. And when we got tired, it was so relaxing to dip a hand in the cool water, lie back in the kayak, and watch the treetops and clouds pass by. If you get disoriented, just head to the pretty little white church that is across from Shank’s Mare.

Sometime we hope to get back and try one of their tours and explore the river even more.

We highly recommend this for a morning, afternoon or evening excursion – it’s only about 40 minutes from The Artist’s Inn. Even better, we have discount coupons for 10% off rentals.

Here are my tips if you go:

1) Wear old tennis shoes – the launch area has a lot of rocks.
2) Wear a hat – there’s very little shade!
3) Bring a bottle of water – being around all that water made me thirsty!
4) Be careful that you apply sunscreen everywhere. (I thought that our kayak would be the kind you slip your feet into but they were open – so for about two weeks I sported the reddest ankles this side of the Susquehanna).
5) Take your camera in a waterproof bag. I didn’t trust that we wouldn’t capsize, so I left my camera in the car, and didn’t get any pictures while on the water. But the kayaks are very stable, and next time I’ll take my camera along.
6) Lastly, have fun! Shank’s Mare’s motto is “Go Play Outside”. Who could argue with that?

Here's a picture of Bruce and Jess posing by the "sign".

From Fallen Tree to Dr. Seuss in Lancaster County

A nasty storm rolled through Lancaster County in late June. Terre Hill was right in the path. We lost a White Cedar tree behind the Olde Stone Cottage. I hate to lose trees, for they enhance the quality of our property and lives. Trees provide homes for birds, shade the yard and help clean our air.

As is common after every storm – winter or summer, we walk through town and talk with neighbors – seeing how everyone fared and assessing the damage. As we looked at the large broken limb, a name came to mind – Dean Fox (717-355-2566). Dean has been chain saw carving all sorts of creatures for our town park at our Terre Hill Days celebration each year. That would be a great tribute to our fallen tree.

The first job was to tear down the part of the tree that we couldn’t use. We called Jerry Ink in Terre Hill (717-445-7577)– he does a terrific job of putting the limbs down exactly where he wants them.

It is quite a show to watch him work - climbing all over the tree. In fact, the event drew a few spectators.

Unfortunately, we discovered that the tree, although healthy at the top, was rotted from the base up to 6 ft. – which is the part that Dean would need to carve. So Dean took what he could use for other projects and we went home disappointed. The rest of the tree was ground up for mulch. As you may know, cedar makes great mulch, because it doesn’t attract insects and smells nice when warmed by the sun.

Dean offered to carve a felled Red Cedar tree for us that had been drying at his house for two years. We agreed.

There was only one choice for subject matter.

As an inn that hosts four cats and seems to attract most of the neighborhood strays, it was only fitting that Dean carve a 6 ft tall Cat-in-the-Hat – our tribute to one of America’s most beloved poets, Dr. Seuss.

Thank you, Dean, for doing such a great job. We love it so much that we were inspired to write:

Come and meet our newest cat,
He’s six feet tall and wears a hat,
He does not shed or use his claws,
He stands and smiles with two gloved paws.
He’ll gladly pose for photographs,
To show your friends and share some laughs.

Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County - Second in a Series

Just 5 miles from The Artist’s Inn is the quaint outdoor antique and collectibles market of Shupp’s Grove. Tucked away in a shady corner of Lancaster County, Shupp’s Grove attracts antique dealers and buyers from near and far. It is the oldest outdoor antiques market around – that’s saying something since Adamstown is known as the Antiques Capital of the USA.

In fact, if you’re a fan of the Antiques Roadshow, you may find it interesting that Leslie and Leigh Keno got their start at Shupp’s when their dad was a dealer – we once saw a picture taken of them with 70’s hairstyles.

Admission is free, parking is free, fun is free. And, if you find what you didn't know you were looking for, well, that's when the free ends but the fun continues.
I really liked these outdoor "sculptures",


while Bruce finds it hard to pass up a Barrister bookcase.


And you just never know when you'll need another doorstop.
Or WWII ammunition?



Over the years, we’ve purchased all kinds of things – Christmas gifts, an old buggy seat that we use as coffee table for the Carriage House, antique linens,


furniture, even an old plunger to hold extra rolls of toilet paper at the Olde Stone Cottage.

You just never know what you’ll find!


Do not miss a stop at the bath house. There are not many places that have restrooms this nice. Fresh flowers and a real fireplace in the fall – that’s my kind of restroom!

Shupp’s also has several places to stop for a bite to eat and build up more energy for shopping.

If you look on their website, you can find the listing of special themed weekends. Dealers ranks swell during the three Antiques Extravaganzas – the last full weekends of April, June and September.

So, if you enjoy the romance of the woods, the thrill of the hunt and the euphoria of “the big find”, make sure you head to Shupp’s Grove. But hurry, they are only open April through October.

Wheelin’ Round Lancaster

Recently I saw Lancaster in a whole new way. Yes, I have been in the city many times and have taken several tours. But this was on two wheels – no, not those two wheels, these were side by side......as on a segway. Here's the view from the top:

Talk about fun. It reminded me of my days of downhill skiing – and what a difference a little weight distribution can mean. I used to call them “ski legs” – coming home from a week of skiing out west and then trying to negotiate the cubicles at work with the same speed. This is much the same, weaving around obstacles on the sidewalks. I was also reminded of my dad on my first driving lesson in his boat of a big Chevy – we had gone to a nearby mall. It was Sunday and, back in the day, there was no shopping then, so there were no other cars in the parking lot. My Dad’s car was his pride and joy and I was very nervous about driving it. It had a bench seat and I had it pushed completely forward so that I could reach the gas petal, forcing his knees almost to his chest. I remember him saying to treat the gas pedal as though it were an eggshell. We crept around the parking lot at 5 mph until a pop can appeared in front of the car. Gripping the steering wheel but not wanting to panic and swerve, I tried to straddle the can. Bad ideas as I had no idea where the tires where, and it was crushed underneath. So ended my driving lessons with Dad. Let’s just say I owe a big “Thank You” to Larry Connors – wherever you are – my boyfriend at the time who showed much patience in teaching me how to drive. Ah, but I digress...on this day I was trying to learn to “glide”. And it was much less complicated than learning to drive.

Terri and Bob Stauffer are the Chief Gliding Instructors with Red Rose Segway Tours and they do a great job of “training” you on the wonderful gadgets before you leave their office. With the slightest lean toward your toes, you go forward. And that’s when the fun begins.

Lynne (Australian Walkabout) and I had a personal tour of Lancaster. And we saw things that we never noticed before...because we weren’t in a car. We had plenty of water stops and chances to take some pictures.

We learned all sorts of interesting facts. Lancaster was a “first” for many things – Hamilton Watch Company produced the first watch here, Milton Hershey opened his first chocolate factory and Woolworth’s had their first Five and Dime Store. We discovered new places and heard a few stories. And everywhere we went, heads turned. People yelled out of car windows, waved from park benches and motioned for us to “pass” them on the sidewalk. Seems that the segways just put people in a good mood.

It was the first day of the Keys for the City. Chicago has its cows, Cleveland has its guitars, and Lancaster has placed pianos around the city.
They wait in bright colors, welcoming folks to play them. Two girls were playing chopsticks as we glided through the square, and a guy on the next block was playing some piece of classical music – the name of which I would finally remember hours later. If you haven’t seen them yet, that is reason enough for a visit.

So, the next time you get the urge to improve your mood, go downtown Lancaster and hop on a segway. Terri and Bob make it fun. And if you stay at either Lynne’s (Australian Walkabout) or my B&B, The Artist’s Inn, you’ll be able to take advantage of our coupon – saving you $10 per person.

Great Places to Shop in Lancaster County (First in a Series)

Do You Yearn For An Urn?

The time had come to do something about our front yard. Years ago, Main Street in Terre Hill had been lined with huge oak trees. Their branches reached for each other across the street and met in the middle, creating a canopy that shaded sidewalks and cooled front porches. But when the electric and phone companies started trimming them, the trees began dying off. All that remained of the two that were in front of the inn was a tangle of roots and rotting stumps. Our ivy did a fair job of covering up the uneven ground.

So we replaced the sidewalk and had the rest of the old stumps ground out. But it looked so empty. That’s when I remembered Hoover’s Farm Market.

Located on Route 23 between Goodville and Churchtown (a mere five miles from the inn), they make concrete statues and urns.

It's where I purchased my beloved three-foot bunny for the back gardens of The Artist's Inn. He has survived several years – in fact this winter’s snow covered almost all of him.
My mom and I stopped at Hoover’s and I quickly found what I wanted-two beautiful large urns to replace the trees. She insisted that I get them. In fact, she paid for them too. Now you know where I learned my shopping philosophy: “If you see something and fall in love with it, you just need to buy it.”

There’s a wide selection of urns from which to choose – along with nursery plants, fresh vegetables and home-baked goods –

even "outhouses" - so it’s worth a stop whether you need statuary or not.

There is one drawback.....Hoover’s offers no delivery on urns.

Time to call some good friends for help. Good friends like Bob and Lynne. They own an inn, the Australian Walkabout. They also own a pick-up truck. And so we invited them to dinner.....

Getting the urns in the truck was easy - Hoover's had a contraption - sort of a cross between a backhoe and a forklift. Now came the moment of truth - unloading the urns without breaking them - or any other body part.

And so Bob and Bruce wrestled with the urns. (Funny, but neighbors seem to disappear from their front porches when a project like this gets underway.)

No job would be complete without a cheerleader, though I suspect that Taylor was more excited about the ice cream at dinner than the urns.

Lynne stood by with refreshments for moral support.

I was busy taking pictures.

The flowers are planted and now we just wait for the ivy to fill in. So if this gets you yearning for an urn, you’ll know to head to Hoover’s.

One of Lancaster County’s best secrets: great little shops that offer so much – they aren’t found on any tourist map and rarely do advertising. But the locals know about these jewels throughout Lancaster County. I’ll introduce you to some of my absolute favorites in this blog.....so stay tuned – after all, there’s always some shopping to do!