Our first stop was a return visit to 1825 Inn in Palmyra, PA-- "Will, you know how much we love your place!!" I feel like he's my brother! Do I look surprised here? (Can you say 'deer caught in the headlights?') My DH took this photo.
We arrived in a drizzle (like last year) and got settled in (Will McQueen,the innkeeper, is SO gracious) and while we booked the same room as last time, my mom found that she LOVED her 'Hearts and Flowers' room. We found a nice restaurant for dinner, Fenucci's, and settled in for the evening to play cards-Hand and Foot.
Mom and I got up early and took a mile walk and got excited to see the large turtle at the side of the road, until we realized he was dead...
Poor turtle...
Since it turned into great weather, we took mom to Chocolate Ave in Heshey, PA. Did you know the road leading to the center of Hershey is chocolate? It looks as though it's 'dusted' with cocoa powder (and it smells like chocolate!) Mom was laughing at the street lights... every other one is a Hershey's Kiss 'wrapped' in foil with a 'tag'.
We checked out Chocolate world (although Lee & I looked like we were 'melting' as we waited for mom to figure out where things are on her camera (she likes her other Polaroid instant model-can't get used to this one) AND take the picture! Helllloooooo.....LOL
We of course, bought chocolate. Just glad it's not a Godiva factory...!! It was nice to go back to the Inn later and check out what 'goodies' Will had cooked up for us. He always has something good cooking/baking to put out on the buffet.
That evening, Mom & I hung out in her room and watched '28 Days', while Lee watched another movie on the living room TV. We thought ours was such a weird movie and we laughed and laughed at it so, but we laughed harder when Will asked us the next morning at breakfast, what were we watching last night?.... He was underneath us, in the kitchen preparing our breakfast for the morning, and heard us laughing ...What a HOOT!- Glad mom is 80! Can't throw the elderly out for too much noise!!
The garage that we saw last year at the Inn, then being pulled apart, was now a beautiful 'back-to-back' cottage (two 2-room suites with jacuzzis, I believe, since they were booked and we didn't check them out in person- online only).
His flowers were absolutely gorgeous as you can see (can you tell I like flowers yet?).
This candelabra was hanging along the path to the gazebo, out back.
The only thing I wish we had done is taken a photo of Will! Oh, well, we'll have to go back.Your breakfasts were worth it... wonderful cheese quiche, homemade cinn/raisin bread and choc (Hershey?)/raspberry bread....hmmm.
We left there and headed for Lititz to Wilbur Chocolate Co. (do you see a theme going here??) This sewing basket 
(Hey, I noticed it because I'm a quilter, okay?) was WAY too beautiful to eat and yes, it was ALL made from chocolate!! They were also making choc-covered Marshmallow treat on a stick! What a fun job that must be.... and YES, we brought some home.
On our way to lunch at "Spill the Beans", a cute little cafe on streets that literally drop from the sidewalk, that drops from the side of the buildings, we saw quaint Giant Allium against a slate grey fence.
Here are some other Amish shots... 
Here is Aaron who took us in a buggy ride and told us about the Amish way of life...took us through a farm on laundry day...
The next place we stayed at was pretty awful. It was in Blue Ball and we won't even give out the name... It had a funny smell in the house (Lee said smoke or paint or combination of both), the bathroom ceiling had a pitch that I hit my head on after lifting the lid of the toilet to turn and sit....I laughed until my sides hurt!--Then kept laughing because I could hear my mom and hubby wondering WHAT on earth was I laughing so hard about!--which made me laugh more!! the vision of what the male species would look like 'leaning' to use the facilities was even funnier in my mind. LOL ... the breakfast was 'ok'... two strips of bacon and three pancakes, juice, fruit and whatever 'drink' (tea, coffee, hot chocolate) that you 'chose' the night beforeplaced at your mug. Granted it was the cheapest (no pun intended) of the three places, and we were all in one room, but I'll never go back. the only beautiful thing I could say to them, was that they had BEAUTIFUL flowers!! 
We traveled to Intercourse, Soudersburg, Akron and on to our third and last place. Now you must understand that I KNEW I'd spend some time in fabric shops and my DH would not ever deny me that, but it's just not his thing. And he might start resenting the fact that we are stopping at so many...so, I'd planned to make the last B&B a place that had a 'Hot Rod Update!'
Since Lee is working on one right now, he'd be able to check out someone else who actually WORKS on them and inhale the air in someone else's garage.(Isn't that thoughtful of me?) We got to Bella Vista B&B in Akron, PA after stopping for lunch at the Akron Restaurant and as we pulled around the driveway (horseshoed around the back), we saw the 'hot rod' in the barn and the door was open.
Well, I just went right towards the barn and introduced myself to the gentleman in the barn (Jeff, the innkeeper) and the car created it's own conversation for the guys that lasted for quite a while (mission accomplished, dontcha think?)
Mom & I left Lee and Jeff still talking, and went to 'check in' with Jeff's wife, Sarah (very nice lady)
and we hoisted all the luggage up the THREE flights of stairs (remember, mom is 80!, so I did most of the 'lugging'). I gotta say tho, after 3 days there, I could take those stairs and not be winded at the top anymore! Wooo Hoooo!
Our room...
Now, I say that it's the 3rd floor, but you have to understand, the next few photos are...Leaving our room to first landing (halfway to 2nd floor) going at least 10 stairs down,
(no need for the settee yet- remember, I'm going down now), turn corner and walk about 8 steps down to 2nd floor landing.
another settee...
Leaving 2nd landing to continue 
down about 6 steps to landing midway between 1st and 2nd floors. Turn corner and down the rest to the beautiful foyer.
YEAH! Try doing that all day. You start to think ahead about what you need in your room, before you leave it to go down to the sitting rooms/porch/outside, etc.
On Friday we went to an outdoor flea market -Green Dragon-(that was also in buildings- this is good since it rained...), saw some beef jerky bones (I guess)
and the butcher shop inside the buildings there.
outside veg/fruit vendors...
(Back at the B&B, we met a couple who stayed at our last B&B the previous year and they had the same breakfast every day...the same as ours was. They also thought yuck! Sorry, Blue Ball, you won't ever see us again. We've been spoiled by places so much better. )
We had wonderful breakfasts with Jeff and Sarah, along with great conversations, and one night while mom & I were working on hand-work on Lee's tee-shirt quilt (of course I brought something to work on, ladies-- great excuse to work on it- and mom helped!--) we had a great visit with Sarah. It was as though we were old friends. I definitely will miss them. And to think they have the B&B on the market to sell!! (I hope we can get together with them even if they don't own it next year). They made it feel as though it was our own home. (Sarah, it's your job to count those stairs and email me with the number. I'll figure out how many stairs I'd climbed later. Thanks.
All and all, we had a great time.... and Jeff, if you want to see our antique cars, I'll link you there. Anyone who's still reading this, and you want to see more of our vacation photos, here's the link. I'll keep loading them as I can, so check back for more.
1 comment:
OOOO I want to go to PA!! sounds like you all had a blast and I especially love the picture of the ATM that makes me laugh!!
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