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The end of summer can be hard, especially for those of us that have spent the past 3 months lounging by the beach, traveling the country, or simply just relaxing at home with family and friends. But, fear not. The end of summer just means the beginning of cooler weather, Fair month, and a lineup of great activities here at the 1777 Americana Inn Bed and Breakfast and the Black Forest Brewery! This weeks blog is all about getting you out of the “end of summer” funk and get you looking forward to the Fall time bliss that awaits you in Lancaster County. Let’s first start off with, Fairs. If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll have read all about the Berks and Lancaster fairs that revitalize the communities around the B&B in the fall. There are countless street fairs, country festivals, and local organizations that showcase the best Lancaster eats, drinks, and rides that are… Read More

About 6 years ago, my husband and I took a trip to Cape May, New Jersey. While strolling the downtown area we came across a tiny shop in the bottom of a beautiful old Victorian mansion.  I walked into this shop and I felt like I was walking into my mecca, it was filled with olive oils, vinegars, salts, sugars, dips, and gourmet foods...it was my paradise. This shop known as the Cape May Tasting Room was the first olive oil store I had ever been to and my taste buds were delighted. Since our trip to Cape May, I have drug my husband in and out of every olive oil shop I could find, including a very pleasant trip to Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar Taproom in downtown Lancaster. While at the Summer 2016 Fig Launch, I met Micaela Ferrari, a staff member at Seasons and she kindly invited me to the shop for an extended tasting and as we all know, I never turn down a foodie experience! Inside… Read More

This summer has been HOT. So hot that I feel it is my solemn duty to report how we can beat the heat. So besides jumping into a large body of cold water, what better way is there to cool off than with ICE CREAM!  Ice cream - the quintessential frozen treat of the summer, the master of sugary ceremonies, the rewarding dessert at the end (beginning or middle) of a long hot summer day, ice cream is definitely the answer and this week I made it my plan to find the best frozen treats around Ephrata. Let’s start closer to Berks County, a short ride from the 1777 Americana down 272 to Adamstown, you’ll find a place that Guy Fieri would only describe as a trip to “Flavortown”- Boehringer’s Drive-In. Boehringer’s has been a Berks and Lancaster seasonal fan favorite for over 70 years and it’s staple counter service and outdoor seating make it a true summertime memory for many people.… Read More

So last week I got to tell you all about my zip lining adventures at Refreshing Mountain, but I didn't want to overload the blog with awesomeness so I saved the second portion of my day for this week. If you follow my weekly escapades around the Ephrata area, you'll know that Refreshing Mountain is a Christian adventure retreat camp only 10 minutes from the 1777 Americana Inn B&B, if you don't follow our blogs, well now you know. I was graciously allowed to come and experience one of their two zip-lining and adventure courses designed to promote team building and wholesome family fun. What I didn't expect was to be guided by such a self-aware, genuine, and enthusiastic naturist who shared my interest for animals and education. In a previous life, before my blogging and event coordinating passions came about, I was a marine biologist. I wasn't just any marine biologist, I was a marine… Read More

Three years ago I was blessed to marry my best friend and go on amazing honeymoon with him to the Caribbean islands. While there we snorkeled, walked the pristine beaches, and decided to zip-line through the jungle of the Dominican Republic. We thought, why not… we’re here and when are we going to get to zip-line through a jungle again. Well my husband had other thoughts as we stood 800 feet above the ground about to jump off a tiny platform and hurl through the jungle at an incredible speed, his thoughts were more like “there is no way on earth I am stepping off this tiny little platform to my untimely death”, but he did and we made it and it was incredible. The scenery, the speed, the thrill, the waterfalls, needless to say we made a lifelong memory that day. So, naturally when I found out (most recently) that there was this incredible thrill seeking adventure right in our Lancaster… Read More

In a couple weeks, you will be able to look forward to  blog completely dedicated to the adrenaline rushing adventurous experience at Refreshing Mountain, but for now I would love the opportunity to talk a little about the quiet adventures you can have in and around Ephrata! Quiet adventures, seems like a bit of an oxymoron in my eyes,  but sometimes a quiet adventure is all a couple needs to enjoy a weekend away. I've done the quiet adventure thing with my husband, more often than not it's a simple walk down the beach on a summer morning or a hike around the campgrounds that doesn't result in a full sweat, but what quiet adventures does our quaint little town of Ephrata have to offer? My first suggestion for a nice leisurely afternoon adventure would be to walk the Linear Park Trail, renamed in 2013 as the Major Richard D. Winters Memorial Trail. My first experience with this trail… Read More

It’s a Thursday in April, there is not anything special about this particular Thursday, it was not exceptionally sunny nor did it snow. It wasn’t a blistering 90 degrees nor was it an unseasonably cold day, but despite its overall normalcy you would have thought by the droves of people heading into the Sight & Sound Theater that the Queen of England herself had arrived in Lancaster. It has been many years since I stepped foot in front of the Lion and Lamb statue that has become an iconic staple of the Lancaster area, but the feeling as I was pushed and prodded into the theater remained the same, that of complete excitement. Sight and Sound Theater, a production company that specializes in bringing the stories of the Bible to life, has been outfitted with a 2000 seat theater and 300-foot stage since I had last been to see a show (Noah circa 1996). The massive exterior looks like something… Read More

Over the past few months, I have had the great opportunity to discover quite a number of what I'm appropriately calling" Cool New Things".  While others may not think them so "cool" I feel it my obligation to at least share my latest finds with the few of you who like the new and old, the fascinating and the weird, and the thrill of creativity. Find #1 - Allegro Vineyard ( Brogue, PA) By now, if you've been following the blogs or know me, you have probably surmised that I am a bit of a wino. I don't pretend to be a great sommelier or even a wine enthusiast, I simply love to experience new wines of all regions, flavors, colors, and styles. Recently, I had the pleasure of helping to choose the new wines for Black Forest Brewery's summer wine selection. This terrible task I was assigned landed me in the heart of York county at Allegro Vineyards (the oldest commercial vineyard in Pennsylvania).… Read More

In continuing with my theme of promoting the small quaint town in which the 1777 Americana Inn Bed and Breakfast resides, this piece is dedicated to the ever uniquely named, Main Street. Before we begin our stroll down the large sloped hill of Ephrata, might I just take a minute to give you a quick fact, as of 2010 there were approximately 10,466 streets called Main Street in the U.S.A. In fact, people have actually done studies on what classifies a main street to be named "Main Street." In reviewing these articles and studies, there are several points (of which you could already assume) the collectors of this information make: Number 1: The street is in fact the only street of the town, thus appropriately entitled Main Street. Number 2: The town may be of larger size, but the center of town where the shopping, entertainment, and political gatherings are the main hub of activity, again… Read More

I know I have written all about my favorite food places in Lancaster, including the now famed "cheese tour" but I don't think I've quite devoted enough time to talking about the wonders that lie within the town of Ephrata itself. A passerby may think Ephrata has lost some of it’s charm, after the closing of the famed Donecker’s complex, but if you look closely you will find there is still plenty of magic in this suburban town. And what a better place to find magic than at a market named after a mythical beast- The Green Dragon. Located less than 2 miles away from the 1777 Americana Inn Bed and Breakfast, the Green Dragon Farmers Market & Auction has been a long standing staple to the Lancaster communities. Every time I pass by the market (which I for the longest time could have sworn was located  off of 422 in Amity- it is not) I am filled with nostalgia. My mom often speaks about… Read More