More Lancaster

The clip-clop soundtrack of horses pulling buggies along Camargo Road is one of my favorite things about the place we chose to stay.

Breakfast this morning was a marvelous feast at Rachel’s Cafe and Creperie in Lancaster City. We walked off some of the carbs by leaving the car where we’d parked it and appreciating the unique architecture of the city more intentionally on foot as we found our way to Central Market. Established in 1730, Central Market is the oldest Farmer’s Market in America. It had a distinct Reading Terminal Market vibe. Discovered some great shops along King Street where among other treasures, I found an entire claw foot tub filled with bar soap. (Apparently they heard I was coming.)

Two Ephrata antique shops and another farm market later, we drove south through Leola so I could stick half of my body out of the sunroof of my car, (simultaneously embarrassing my husband and capturing brief video footage of our drive through an historic covered bridge).

There is so much corn in the fields (and now in our house rental’s refrigerator), but also plenty of tobacco. We saw several tobacco fields being harvested, many plants cut, sun-bleached and drying in the fields, and loads more hanging from the rafters in old pine wood barns. I love spotting for the telltale vertical barn boards slanted out like bicycle kickstands to encourage the breezy circulation required for the air-curing of the leaves. You can spy the crops draped carefully in the eaves through all the open windows. I wonder whose job it is to race through the barn slamming boards, doors, and windows when unexpected summertime storms approach.

Being longtime fans of Lapp’s original farm ice cream, we were fairly certain there was nothing better. But this afternoon, we were proven wrong. Down on the Farm Creamery in Strasburg is the real deal. With two serious Shelly taste testers, their chocolate peanut butter and salted caramel slid with a creamy confidence into our top ice cream brand spot. 

From a little stand alongside a friendly blonde horse, we bought ourselves a $3 bright green horseshoe (the precise color of an inchworm) to mount on our home red brick alongside the existing crescent shaped moon who greets our front porch arrivals with a weary expression of resignation. Maybe it will bring Grumpy Moonface (and the rest of us) a little bit of luck. Can’t hurt.

Got an Irene update from friend, Madelyn who is feeding her today. (Furry petulant child above.)

Made a haul in the form of long-sleeved 5T-6 tops (and some pants that will no doubt require a growth spurt) at a consignment shop in Quarryville. Mimis of sweet Virginia kindergartners are driven to extreme sports like this. Shopping for pink items is important business with bonus points for girl power and unicorn embellishments. And Mimi(s) have to be quick because Pa(s) are languishing and toe-tapping out in the car….

Tonight will mark the scrappiest agenda item for our weekend. Before we attend our favorite annual juried artisan show at Long’s Park in the morning, we will rub shoulders tonight with the Lancaster County rednecks. You will find us at the Buck Motorsport Complex for their annual Labor Day Demolition Derby. We’ll be the two aging redheads in the stands. One will have binoculars. The other will have snacks. We sprang for the deluxe seats with backrests. 😝

Because life is all about balance.