Amish country PA
Taking 3 day trip to Amish area in PA early Sept. Any suggestions for lodging, must see etc? Thinking of staying near Kettle village-2 adults. Anyone been to Sight & Sound for a show? Is it worth the price of tickets? All suggestions welcome.
blueseasWe stayed at the Fulton Steamboat Inn. The place was very nice and extremely clean. It was in dirving distance of everything.
sher 
GC Sight and Sound is definitely worth the price of tickets!
Great acting, great facility! I don't think you will be disappointed.
American Music Theater also has some wonderful shows that come out.
You may want to check the listing to see who is there when you will be in the area.
Have fun!
Stay on 340..............its centrally located...........stay off of rt. 30 traffic is horrible.....
I can't help you with lodging as I am stasying with a friend. (here now).American Music Theater is GREAT! Reasonable priced and big shows. ZZ Top playing in a couple of weeks. Check them out while you are here. Lots of outlets and shopping, Amish Tours. (altho I opted out). Many things to do around here. I am actually liking it alot!
Christine I agree with Christine, traffic is very bad on rt. 30, however some of the best out-let malls are on rt. 30, along with the American Music Theater. But once off 30, you will find many quaint towns and villages. Kettle Village is fun to walk through and has a friendly Amish tour guide with buggy. Don't miss Bird-in-hand Market for all kinds of wonderfully fresh fruts,
vegetables, cold cuts, etc and many other home made items along with Amish made bakery goods.
LOL Take note many of these are closed on Sundays! We just found this out!!!!
rt. 30 is heavy traffic but if you have a GPS we found back roads to avoid it.......Having so much fun I really dont want to come home.
Route 30 is definitely a mad house. My mom actually lives in Lancaster and she tries to avoid going down there. However that is where a lot of the main tourist attractions are and a lot of fun shopping and other unique attractions. Like Christine said, Sundays a lot of the small shops are closed although the tourist shopping is open. Kettle Village is a great place to go with cute little shops to buy stuff from. There are a few places where you can rent a scooter and they will give you a map so you can take a tour. There is a really fun and unique hotel called the Caboose Motel in Strasburg (I think it is) you stay in a train caboose (no it does not move) They have all different styles and sizes to accommodate how many people you are with. Keep in mind that sometimes just driving you will find several Amish houses where you just drive up the driveway and they sell amazing food and other products. The Amish farm behind my mom's house sells produce, milk, and eggs. I know that another down the road sells the most amazing quilts. There is enough to do for a weekend just down by Rt.30 alone. Have fun! It is a beautiful area to visit.
sunshinenj My parents stay at a B&B called Frogtown Acres. The owners are super friendly and the place is quite charming. Both Sight & Sound and American Music Theater are worth the price of the ticket. Amazing shows at both venues. We are heading out to Intercourse PA and Kitchen Kettle tomorrow actually. A stop at Shady Maple smorgasbord is a must for us on every trip.
Route 30 isn't just crowded, it's also where most of the overly touristy places are. Strassburg railroad though is a great destination, very worthwhile. I'm completely prejudiced about Lititz with Sturgis Pretzel, Wilbur Chocolate, and the Mueller House - and definitely recommend Mannheim when it comes to markets. Don't forget Wheatland for history buffs as well as Landis Valley, with Ephrata Cloister and Hans Herr House glimpses into the faith of the area.
Find one of the "covered bridges" maps and just go out to never-never-land. We did once and besides nice country side all of a sudden came across 40+ Amish on bicycles coming in the other direction. Down the road we discovered a large picnic at their schoolhouse. A small unobstructed window into life.
Definitely go to the Shady Maple Smorgasborg........beware not open on Sundays. LOL....GC we did Manhiem Friday and LOVED it! Today my friend just took me exploring and found wonderful covered bridges...........of course my camera died after the 3rd one. (dam batteries) Like I just told my husband I would love to move out here. Whats unfortunate about this place isi though the farms a disappearing fast. My friend was in a farmland area and now its a developed homes. Sooner or later all we be gone except for the Amish Farmers.
I am definitley coming back...............
OMG!! Shady Maple is the one destination I always go to . LOVE LOVE the food selection there
The Strasburg Railroad Musuem is great if you like looking out old full size trains. You can even take a ride on the train through the Amish country.
Magpie We were just told that it is even closed on Saturdays. It is owned by a family of Menonites. (sp?) . We know it is definitely closed on Sundays. We went and tried. Went on Friday and it was delish!!!
you must stay at Old homstead Suites!! Its a bed n breakfast and it is amazing!! My wife and i just stayed there. there our many different style rooms you can shoose from. Sight n sound is also an amzing show. I also suggest taking a buggy ride! have fun!!
JonnyBGood 
Just Got back yesterday from here. Try:
Hershey Farm- Great Breakfast and great lodging - Strasburg
Iron Horse Inn - Drinks, Dinner (a few Ghosts) Strasburg
Plain and Fancy - Family Style Dinners
Revere Tavern - Very Haunted spirits and spirits that are drinkable.
John C 
Shady Maple is open on Saturday.....but for quality I just can't recommend them. Tables are close together, very noisy, cold food, lines to get in....just not one of our favorites.
For family style I also recommend Plain & Fancy.
For every day American food, I'm prejudiced, but the General Sutter Inn, Lititz.
Side Note - On the other side of Kutztown right on the way to Lancaster was a place called the Inn at Moselem Springs. It closed but if you were ever there you would never forget it.
Gen'l Sutter.....ah yes....love the small bar! Just wait til you see what lurks in the basement mens room LOL! We just did an investigation there. Haunted scale 0f 1-10 I give it an 8
John C - That's not quite the resting place I have seen her in before. And even if the whole place is haunted, I wouldn't give that designation to her. She has a bit more of shall we say, a "plastic" appearance than "haunted"... ;-)
Oh....she's not the haunted attraction! You need to go to the 2nd floor room 2G for the "amusement park" so to speak! The "Lady of the Mens Room" looks very comfy don't ya think!
The Willow Valley Inn.....Great place (pricey$) Had great food, but past 3 chef changes...it went downhill a little.
Best for food, and especially breakfast with smorgasboard... Bird In Hand Family Restaurant on Rt. 340 Old Philladelphia Pike.. They also have a Motel...Clean and close to Kitchen Kettle Village... Plenty of shoppes and things for shopping.
Make sure you get the jelly and jam samplers at the KK Village jelly and Jam Place.
Also across from there on 340 and intersection...is Jake and Amos's Canned foods and etc.
Don't forget the Market on 340 also. All local folk with their wares and foods. Stock up on the oatmeal and dried fruits and nuts.
Don't forget...most the area is alcohol free. Its a dry town.
Mixed drinks etc. would have to go tpo Downtown Lancaster
The eatery's in the surounding area's within the county are dry. There is one place on 30W
the Italian Eatery just before Dutch Wonderland... they have Beer and wine.
We stay at the Fulton Steamboat... and they have a bar in the hotel. Clean..in Strassburg on 860 cr.Rt 30.
Then there is Millers smorgasboard on 30 ...
there are many places to see and eats..Fuggetaboutit...Ho Ho Ho! They got eats.
Sight and Sound is great! Show and dinner...make reservations on line, and pick your section and seating now.
You will be lucky to get a hotel in a month. Lots of luck!
We have been there like 30 times. Busy! But peace at night. Need 6 eyes when driving on rt. 30 in the business areas and attractions. It's like 3 miles of our Mountain ave. with 45 MPH speed and all tourists looking with head up (I will say sand).
Wine = Nissley Winery Outlet Center...in Reading Glass at the mall on rt 30. Cr 860.
Inside Reading Glass Great wine. ....
Fall is the best time to go. Great if you go after the kids go back to school.
embryodad 
We never have trouble getting great rooms at the last minute. The Bird in Hand Complex is very good, they also own tthe Mill Creek Inn on Route 896 in Smoketown. We called last Wednesday and got a room (under $100) for Friday with no problem. My only problem with Bird in Hand Restaurant is the food seems to cool quickly at the buffet. We have been going to Hershey Farm is Strasburg for excellent breakfasts.
Too great places for drinks in Strasburg are the Iron Horse Inn on Main Street (Great Prime Rib on Fridays and they take the Restaurant dot com coupons) and the Fireside Tavern at the Clarion Hotel Complex on Historic Drive. We've stayed at the hoel itself and being brand new we had no complaints.
Been to the steamboat once for drinks, it was a strange evening indeed. I ordered a beer and Mrs C got wine. The Tab (which was placed in a shot glass in front of us) said $1.92!
Second Round and the Tab still said $1.92. After 1 more round, we asked the bartender to gives us the bill, and it was still $1.92!! We asked him if the bill was correct and he just said "have a great night!" Why we've never gone back is the biggest mystery LOL!
The Bird in Hand Farmers Market is excellent, but if you wish to really get good bargains, try some of the smaller markets. Strasburg has it's Farm Market on the front lawn of the municipal building (follow the signs) every Saturday and just off Route 23 in New Holland every Saturday is a small market. Talking to the Amish farmers just makes the trip complete.
Oh.... and if you visit on a Saturday (and one other day during the week, not sure which one) you can take a tour of the farm that was the filming site for the movie "Witness" The tours leave at 4:30 pm and only allow 14 people to attend. The Strasburg Ghost walks are also very entertaining!
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