A visit to Wertz Candy Shop

It was snowing as I drove down the one-way street in downtown Lebanon, PA. I managed to parallel park the car (on the left side of the street no less), squish through a foot of slushy snow, plug the meter, and headed for Wertz Candy Shop. I opened the door and was instantly transported back to childhood. This closet-sized shop held treats of every kind, from the beautiful upscale almonds to sugar plums to caramel corn popping in the big stainless drum.
There’s everything you can imagine and more – in barrels at your feet, piled on top of counters, high on the shelves around the perimeter of the shop and beautifully displayed in old-fashioned glass cases. One can only imagine all the faces of the children that have peered through those glass cases in the last 70 years.

And then there’s the chocolate – there were the usual creams, nuts, truffles and turtles. But there are also blobs, molasses coconut strips and chocolate covered bacon with sea salt. You just never know what Bill will come up with. This family has fun with chocolate and was recently featured on “Dirty Jobs” with Mike Rowe.

It was quite a hopping place while I was there – people were buying all sorts of candy tucked into every corner of this shop – some people were from far-away places like Spokane and others were from town – like the Chief of Police. That’s when I suddenly remembered that parking meter which had probably expired….the Chief gave me a token, I put it in the meter for the next car and left Lebanon, munching happily on opera fudge.

Oh, you say you’ve never heard of opera fudge? Well, you can learn about that and so much more on our Chocolate Covered Romance Tour February 27 and 28 at The Artist's Inn. We’ll spend the day traveling around tasting chocolate with Lancaster County Tours. For details see www.artistinn.com/ChocolateCoveredRomance.htm.

“Have You Ever Seen An Amish Wedding Presents Room”?

Mary asked us this question as she led the way through her kitchen, dining room, then past the sewing machines where she was making aprons, and into a long room at the back of the house.

Here were tables laden with cooking utensils, a round clothespin contraption, plates….even a propane lamp/table. These, she explained, were her daughter’s gifts from her wedding in November. It was now late January and her daughter and new husband were still living at Mary’s, waiting to set up house when they move in the spring.

As we walked toward the rear of the room, the groom’s corner was even more interesting, boasting lots of tools and a great-looking grill. Some of these were given the day of the wedding; other gifts had been “collected” as the happy couple traveled to their friends and relatives for dinner visits.

Mary will be part of our Amish Tour on March 28. This excursion will focus on a behind-the-scenes look at local Amish businesses, and explore the Amish way of life – mostly from a yummy culinary point of view!

As we drove home from Mary’s house, chomping on home-made potato chips, I realized that in all the years that I’ve lived here and heard about Amish weddings, I’d never before seen a room full of their presents!

Participants in our upcoming Lancaster County Tour of the Amish will be able to walk around the farms, meet several different families and visit in their homes. We’ll learn how the Amish utilize fruits and vegetables in their family recipes, hear about their traditions and why they love the land. (You’ll even be able to ask Mary about what it’s like to have two of your children married in the same month!)

For more information, call us or visit our website at www.artistinn.com/amishtour.htm. Our tour group will consist of The Artist’s Inn and the guests from The Harvest Moon Bed and Breakfast. The cost is $100/person and will cover lunch, dinner, all demonstrations and tours and transportation. Hurry! Seating is limited; reservations are required. Reserve online or phone us at 888-999-4479.

Our thanks to Dr. Charles Carroll, a recent guest, who snapped the picture below.