Travel Diaries: Lancaster, PA

Hey friends! So this post is very much overdue…we traveled to Lancaster, PA for a weekend at the very end of October. I’m just now getting to share about our time there, which was short, but such a great experience. We are all hoping to go back someday and explore some more. Lancaster is a beautiful part of the country, and it’s definitely like a little world in itself.

Lancaster has so much to offer, and it almost felt a little overwhelming to figure out what we wanted to do while we were there. My friend, who has visited Lancaster previously, kindly put together a great list of ideas, which was so helpful in deciding what to hit this time! At the end of this post, I’ll share some of the places we didn’t get to but would love to try whenever we go next.

To start with, we rented the cutest Airbnb— half of a house sitting on a main road, and the perfect size for our family of five. It boasts a kitchen, dining area, living room, and three bedrooms (one bathroom) upstairs. It also has a great deck outside and a fire pit, but we didn’t get to use them because it was so cold out.

I loved how the hosts had decorated the house, and my favorite part was sitting on the front porch and watching the buggies go by. From early in the morning, we could hear the “clip-clop” of horses’ hooves as they swung past the house.

Our main reason for visiting Lancaster was to attend our first Sight and Sound performance. For those not familiar, Sight and Sound puts on professional theater shows of familiar Bible stories—in dramatized, musical style. We got to see Noah, and it was truly an incredible experience. When you first walk in, you notice the gorgeous painting in the cupola overhead, and smell the tantalizing scent of their famous roasted almonds. (They are delicious—you have to try some if you ever go!)

We were able to get seats pretty close to the front, which was so fun because we could see the expressions on the actors’ faces throughout the show. It’s an interactive experience (using live animals!), and at various points the actors will make use of the aisles, which helps you feel like you’re immersed in the story.

I would recommend buying your tickets well ahead of time, since the shows do sell out of the best seats pretty quickly. I believe we got ours about 6-7 months ahead. This year, Sight and Sound will be premiering Joshua, a new show! There’s also a theater location in Branson, Missouri, and they are performing David one final year.

If you aren’t able to go down and visit in person, or if you want to experience more, Sight and Sound sells DVDs of most of their shows. To date, my favorite are Esther and David. There’s also Sight and Sound TV, from which you can stream various shows on demand.

On Saturday, we had the whole day to explore! First off, we visited a little Amish general store just down the street from where we were staying. I’m guessing that such shops are scattered throughout the area—and it was a fun little way to experience some of the real culture, versus the tourist-geared attractions.

Next, we visited our other “must-go-to.” We ladies were eager to visit The Main Street Exchange while we were there. It’s a Christian boutique offering modest, stylish clothing and accessories. We could have spent hours in there (my dad and brother were very patient waiting on us lol). So many lovely, quality clothing items! The store associates were all so friendly and kind, and it was really a unique, high-end shopping experience. They offer dresses, tops, a large variety of denim skirts, and seasonal clothing. Plus, they have a great discount room as well! Check out their online store here (I’ve ordered online several times, and they are great to deal with).

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Our next stop was Kitchen Kettle Village—a bit of a tourist trap, but definitely a fun visit. I would describe it as a cross between a county fair and a large-scale craft show. There are a couple of restaurants, so we ate lunch there (delicious but over-priced). The shops offer home decor, leather, art, souvenirs, soap, clothing, jewelry, and more! Plus, there is a classic car collection on the grounds that my dad and brother really enjoyed (they do charge admission). While we enjoyed browsing, we all agreed that we would probably not go back there next time.

Fox Meadows Creamery was our final stop that day. They have two locations, one of which was not far from Kitchen Kettle Village. First of all, a moment for how big and classy this place felt. They offer lunch foods, milkshakes, pretzels, coffee drinks, and of course, their famous, house-made ice cream in a myriad of flavors. If you don’t feel like eating any ice cream then, you can buy a container of your choice to take home with you. The portions were generously sized too!

At the end of the day, we headed back to our Airbnb to watch the sunset, eat our leftovers for dinner, and relax for the evening.

It was time to head out on Sunday. No one wanted to leave, so we meandered our way through the countryside in search of covered bridges. We enjoyed the scenery as we drove through the rolling farmland.

As promised, here are the some of the things we did not get to this time but would love to try on future visits.

Lititz (a small town that offers a chocolate factory and lots of little shops to browse).

Once Mine Boutique (a thrift store specializing in modest clothing that’s in very nice shape).

Cocalico Creek (home decor store)

New Holland Coffee Co. (Multiple locations.) The same owners also run Botanical Creperie.

Agape Cafe and Grille.

Shady Maple (my friend recommends the gift shop there; they also offer a buffet).

Well, there you have it! What a fun, unique little trip! I’m so grateful we were able to go, and would love to visit again someday. If you’ve ever visited Lancaster, feel free to share your favorite spots there in the comments below.