Rhymes With Laundry: Lancaster County

Last Saturday, I spent the day with friends in Lancaster County, PA (aka Amish country!). We could NOT have asked for a more perfect Saturday! The scenery was breath-taking, the food was amazing, and the company was the BEST!

We started out our day in Lancaster at Central Market: the oldest, continuously-running farmers market in the U.S. The produce was beautiful, delicious, and cheap! The jam was yummy and most plentiful.

(photo collages by my iPhone)

We then carried on to Intercourse, PA (Hee hee. I know you just giggled, too!)

We made SURE to stop at Immergut Pretzels. I'd received high recommendations from my roommate and from the Internet, and we were NOT disappointed! The pretzels were so, so good!

Possibly the best shot of Camille I've ever taken on my iPhone.

And then I got this adorable candid shot of Camille & April on April's camera. :)

We walked up the street to take a tour of the Intercourse Pretzel Factory. We learned that 70% of the pretzels made in the U.S. are made within 100 miles of Intercourse, and that 80% of those are eaten within that same distance. (Apparently, Pennsylvanians love pretzels?)

(photo by Andrea on April's camera)

We learned how to twist our own pretzels! And I loved all the colorful, vintage pretzel containers!

After becoming certified pretzel-makers (we even got stickers to prove it!), we perused the goods at "Dolly Bodacious," a cute little vintage/thrift shop next door.

photo by April

Cute girls browsing books. (I almost bought this book! It was hysterical!)

Photobomb by Andrea (photo by my iPhone)

I LOVED these vintage hankies! But I didn't buy one, because I don't know how I'd use it? (photo by my iPhone)

Just practicing my duck face, nbd. (PS not really!) (photo by April)

(self-timer photo on April's camera)

(walking shot! taken by Camille on April's camera)

Then, as if our trip hadn't revolved enough yet around food, we went to... Kitchen Kettle Village! I also had this place on high recommendation from Whitney, who described it as an "Amish Costco," where you could sample delicious spreads, jams, cheeses, etc. to your heart's content! And man, oh, MAN, was I content here! I left with obscene amounts of jam (don't worry, some of it is for gifts!), and some Amish butter cheese. :D

Heh heh! (photo by Brynn, on April's camera)

(photo by April)

Sample ALL the jams! (photo by my iPhone)

The sign behind us said Girls' Day Out. (And if the bad quality isn't a giveaway... yep. iPhone.)

The only part of our trip that did NOT involve food was our visit to the Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge (which is, apparently, the longest single-span covered bridge in the U.S.). I hadn't heard of covered bridges before doing research or this trip, but it was so beautiful at this bridge, and it was the perfect place or a min photo sesh.

(photo by April)

Covered bridge = dance party, duh. (photo by my iPhone)

Covered bridge also = photo shoot, double-duh! PS I have no idea how I kept a straight face. (photo by April)

(boot shot by Camille on April's camera)

(by April)

(photo by friendly passers-by on April's camera)

Jump! (iPhone)

The last part of our excursion was most definitely a highlight. We got to have dinner in a real Amish home! Our hostess was Amanda, and we got to meet her son, Daniel, and her beautiful grand-daughters (ages 3, 5, and 7). We have no photos from dinner (we didn't want to be rude), but it was a really neat experience; one that I'd definitely love to repeat!

On our drive to Amanda's home, we stopped to take photos of some of the scenery, which was spectacular.