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    Best Kept Secrets Tour

    5.0 (1 review)
    Closed 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    4 years ago

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    Centralia - "Stay out of the woods, there is more there than you think"

    Centralia

    4.0(45 reviews)
    44.1 mi

    Probably one of the oddest and most unique places I have visited. The lore around Centralia is…read morestuff of legends. Many a show and documentary about abandoned places will mention this town. Even so far as a video game and movie using the premise. The history part of this. Centralia started out as Native American land sold to settlers around 1749. Reading Road was being developed and came through this area causing the land to be surveyed and ultimately developed. A few land swaps later and with the discovery of anthracite coal nearby a village started to pop up. Mining started in 1856 and continued for decades, up until the 1960s. While mining declined, and the population of the town, Centralia continued on. There are differing accounts on when and how the mine caught fire, but most people agree it was during the town dump clean up prior to the Memorial Day celebrations in 1962. Long story short, the fire department set the dump on fire to clean it up and this caught a coal seam as well. Over the years the signs that there was a problem went unnoticed until about 1979. At a gas station where they found the tank holding the gasoline was extremely hot. In 1981 a 12-year-old boy fell into a sinkhole because of the fire. In 1983 the U.S. Congress offered a buyout and nearly all the residence moved out, 500 structures were demolished. By 1990 only 63 people remained. In 1992, eminent domain came into play, condemning the remaining buildings. Legal suits followed, failed, by 2010 only five homes remained. Side note: nearby Byrnesville was also abandoned due to the underground mine fire. The fire continues to this day. Those five people remained after another lawsuit. Claiming the fire had moved on from underneath the town and the air quality had improved to levels o other nearby towns. My visit here was kind of quick. In order to get here I put in the only church left, otherwise I would have bypassed this area completely. But I am persistent and I knew I would find the area. It is interesting, and what an understatement that is. Knowing what happened here, that this used to be a vibrant small town like so many others in the area. Full of shops, houses, government buildings, and schools. But when you drive through here on the broken grid that once ferried numerous vehicles it feels different, you just get this feeling of unease. Not because there is only five houses, one church, a municipal building, and a handful of cemeteries. But because all movies about abandoned places tell you to get gone. But not me, I decided why not just keep going on the grid. That is until I came upon a dead end street (no pun intended there). This dead end literally lead into the woods. See the pictures attached to this, the one where it says "Stay out of the woods, there is more there than you think." That made the hair on the back of neck stand up. While I tried to turn around on the road I felt like I was being watched. Maybe it was subconscious but I made my way back towards the main roads. With that, let's segway into the next topic. Be aware of your surroundings. Not just for your own safety, but because there are still people living here. Also, there might be other vehicles on the broken street grid. Besides the broken street grid there are several reminders that a full town existed here. The cemeteries obviously, but the remnants of sidewalks, fences and retaining walls. You can obviously see where the school once stood as it is kind of obvious with that retaining wall taking up a whole block. On the outskirts you can see where the highway ended. Like I said, if you did not know that a town once existed here, you would fly by the area in your vehicle as if nothing mattered. You might even think to yourself that this would be a nice place for a town.

    Abandoned town and tourist attraction are not words that usually go together but that's what has…read morebeen going on for the past few decades in the town formally known as Centralia. For the people that don't know the history I'm not going to go over it because I assume if you're looking at a listing for this place you probably have some idea of the backstory and if not, there are more than enough websites, blogs and videos out there that explain what has gone on here over the past 60 years. If you go, understand that this is not a destination stop because there is not a lot to see. Maybe a brief stop on the way to/from somewhere else like Knoebels, Yuengling or the Pioneer Coal Mine for example. What are you going to see? It's basically the three cemeteries and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church (Mass is Sunday at 11am - if you attempt to worship there you will be welcomed but they also very much know who is an outsider and who is a regular) and not much else. The few houses that remain are occupied by the last of the remaining residents. IME, no, they don't want to be bothered and no they don't want to talk with the tourists. Lots of dumped garbage and overgrown weeds/foliage. On weekends there will always be other people driving/walking/dirt biking/ATVing/off-roading the same as you looking for ?? whatever people come to Centralia for. The main prior "attraction" of the Graffiti Highway has been mostly covered over with dirt mounds for a few years yet when we were walking around during our visit we ran into two other groups near Odd Fellows Cemetery that had no idea and were looking to ATV on it. Good luck with that. I've seen other sites and reviews referencing that at this point in time there is no more smoke to be seen and that's not true in the least. Before coming here we stopped at the Pioneer Coal Mine in Ashland and our guide said that's an urban legend that is told to dissuade visitors. He told us that if you come during winter or on cold days you will definitely see smoke somewhere if you spend a few minutes driving around. Sure enough as we were driving down Big Mine Run Road we saw a few plumes of smoke coming up from the hillside not terribly far from the back of Odd Fellows. There is no goon squad up there telling people they can't wander around but at the same time I think the legend obviously is greater than the reality. It's worth a visit to say that you've been and that you've seen it but I think it's best to just leave well enough alone and have your expectations in check or else you might be disappointed that whatever you think is here, isn't really here.

    Photos
    Centralia - Former borehole for a ventilation pipe located on the site of where a home once stood (December 2022). Photo by Julius von Brunk.

    Former borehole for a ventilation pipe located on the site of where a home once stood (December 2022). Photo by Julius von Brunk.

    Centralia
    Centralia

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    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Big pretzel outside

    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

    4.2(157 reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $

    This is a nice activity to check out if you're in the area. The tour takes about 30 minutes and…read moreincludes a history of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory. They even give you a piece of pretzel dough so you can learn how pretzels were made back in the day. The presentation room can get pretty warm since the ovens are running. I was surprised to learn that you don't get to eat the pretzel you make--they only give you a pretzel-shaped bag as a keepsake. If you want fresh pretzels, you can buy them in the gift shop afterward. There's a small parking lot on the side as well as street parking. Overall, it's a good experience and a fun way to spend some time if you're nearby.

    If your a pretzel lover & find yourself in Litiz,PA , be sure to check this place out…read more The staff were very accomadating, when I had to change tour from July 3, to July 4 later tour in the day. Charlie, our tour guide made the history of pretzel & Sturgis family interactive, fun well learning history of oldest pretzel bakery. My favorite part of the tour was viewing the old style kitchen and oven. I love how the bakery stayed within the family. For me, visiting there production factory of other well known pretzels, felt like a piece of puzzle; into pretzel history. The tour itself $6, 1/2 hour long, 150 year old bakery, where the soft pretzel are still made. The decor,pretzel tree, and products were sold, with soft pretzels, made in house , and option to get cheese on the side. Side note: The location in Reading, PA , connected to bakery , has a catalog, to order pretzels, pretzel tins etc.. A must visit for Lancaster PA, on everyone list.

    Photos
    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - Original oven, flipping the pretzel

    Original oven, flipping the pretzel

    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
    Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery

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    Big Mine Run Geyser

    Big Mine Run Geyser

    4.0(4 reviews)
    42.6 mi

    Visited this neat geyser on the side of the road on my way to Hershey park. Not much in the area as…read moreit's located in the side of the road/across from someone's house. There is a space to pull over on the side of the road. Didn't smell too much like sulphur until up close

    Let's clear one myth out of the way. This is not an actual geyser. I mean sure it's called that,…read morebut in reality it's not. I think overall though, the name works better than calling it a man made air ventilation hole that excess ground water now escapes from under high pressure from a long vacant mine. Why Big Mine Run? Was the mine big? Did it have the runs? I don't know but it could also simply be the name of the street it's located on so over time the name just stuck. Either way this geyser serves a purpose as without it the underground water would have nowhere to escape to except into local homeowners basements. If you're coming, know that now, in summer, is not the best time. Ideally you're looking for early to mid-spring when there has been a good combination of snow melt and some recent rain. During our visit in April the water was a solid 6-7 feet in the air. After a long dry spell you may not get much past some gurgling. Speaking of air, note that it does indeed stink by the geyser. That luscious sexy rotten egg scent is Sulphur from all of the mineral runoff. It's not bad then every so often the water will surge a bit and like Old Aunt Dinah Flo after $40 of Taco Bell, Wham!, it stinks. One last obvious one is that at the end of the day this is not a tourist attraction. This is not a place to leave garbage just like there is no parking here for a reason and that reason is I'm pretty sure the geyser is on private property. If you take a look on Google or Trip Advisor that of course doesn't mean anything to a lot of dipshits out there. Be decent. Pull over, stay in the car and take your pictures/video and leave it at that. Obviously this is not a destination stop by itself. This is at best a 5-10 minute junket which can easily be coupled with a visit to Centralia, Knoebels, Yuengling or the Pioneer Coal Mine. But if you love a good roadside oddity/curiosity and are in the area, this one is a must see and is worth the brief detour.

    Photos
    Big Mine Run Geyser
    Big Mine Run Geyser
    Big Mine Run Geyser

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    CJ Ephrata Pizza

    CJ Ephrata Pizza

    4.1(20 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    I ordered an empanada and was delightfully pleased to see that it was fried made-to-order. Tasty…read moreand crispy, this is my go to snack in downtown Ephrata. I appreciate the kind service and clean ambiance. Support local businesses! They work hard to make good food!

    Tried to order a pizza to go over the phone. A young boy was trying to take my order but had no…read moreclue what was on a veggie pizza. After several tried to explain, I finally said thank you but no thank you. I'll go elsewhere. There was an older voice in the background who could have answered. But allowed the young man to keep trying to get the order correct. I again said thank you but no thank you. I'm going elsewhere. After terminating the call within two minutes this pizza shop called me back and the older guy who was in the background started to talk very indignant towards me. I told him why I was going elsewhere and he said you never call here again. That they were professionals and You are not welcome here. Didn't know what that has to do with pizza or not order but? That's fine. I can't say bad or good things about the food they serve because I've never tried it. However, if the owner gets upset and indignant towards potential customers one must wonder how professional they really are. To call back a potential customer and speak the way he did. Well, you decide if you want to do business with them. Perhaps that is why I rarely see any one doing food business with them. Just saying.

    Photos
    CJ Ephrata Pizza - Spanish rice, beans, salad with fried chicken. Sweet plantains and fried pork bites

    Spanish rice, beans, salad with fried chicken. Sweet plantains and fried pork bites

    CJ Ephrata Pizza - Shrimp tacos

    Shrimp tacos

    CJ Ephrata Pizza - Best food and best service! Hardest working business owners out there!

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    Best food and best service! Hardest working business owners out there!

    Weathered Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar - Best local experience ever

    Weathered Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar

    4.1(13 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    We were in Lancaster on a last minute trip when we found this gem. We have been to a number of…read moreother wine tasting establishments in the area, but this place sets the bar. If you are in Lancaster, you have to take the time to visit the tasting room. Weathered Vineyards just has great vibe; Matt our host was amazing, the customers engaged with each other, and the space is just super cool. They have live music on Fri & Sat so that's a bonus. If you are traveling anywhere near Ephrata PA, put this on your hit list.

    This place needs some fine-tuning in the hospitality department.  My fiancée and I met up with a…read morefriend here for an evening of drinks and shared appetizers (Mediterranean, served Friday and Saturday evenings).  The location of this place is great and shares the property with a B&B.  Therefore, you can order drinks and food and enjoy them wherever you want on the property. As we were catching up with a friend we hadn't seen in a while, we sat for several hours outside.  During this time we ordered more than $100 in wine and food and were among a small handful of visitors that evening.  There was conflicting information about what time the place closed; their website and social media had contradicting times.  Regardless, one of the servers/food-runners, a young gentleman, helped us close out our check at which time we asked when they close.  He informed us they'd be closing the kitchen and drink sales within the hour, but continued saying we could stay as long as we'd like since we were sitting outside.  Fast-forward about an hour an older gentleman, who was the bartender and I'm assuming the owner, came up to our group and said in an annoyed voice, "You needed to be out of here an hour ago.  So, you need to get going."  He then stood there and stared at us while we gathered our belongings, made our way to our cars, and drove away. Had it not been for this negative experience I would have gladly returned as everything else about this place is pretty great.  Management should make sure their hours on their website and social media match, and, most importantly, get their staff on the same page about the policy for visitors outside who aren't staying on the property.

    Photos
    Weathered Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar - Wine bar is amazing

    Wine bar is amazing

    Weathered Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar - The variety of wine is great.

    The variety of wine is great.

    Weathered Vineyards Tasting Room & Wine Bar - The building is a part of experience.

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    The building is a part of experience.

    Brickerville House Family Restaurant - Brickerville Omelette

    Brickerville House Family Restaurant

    3.9(206 reviews)
    8.1 mi
    $$

    We always enjoy our visits to the Brickerville House. It's cozy and staff is friendly. I LOVE what…read morethey have done with the recently upgraded menu offerings. Their cocktails are stellar and I have loved trying the seasonal specials. Their burgers are top-notch and we all enjoy the Wisconsin cheese curds. My most recent visit I ordered the fish tacos and I was impressed with every component of that dish. As far as cocktails, I've tried the blackberry bramble, which is deep and flavorful; raspberry lemon drop that is bright and mildly sweet; and had the cherry cheesecake from the winter menu and enjoyed the fresh flavor with a rich finish. The beer list is also very good with offerings from Dewey Beach, Troeg's, and other craft breweries. I feel Brickerville House is consistenly a great value for your money. It's a comfortable place to meet friends and it's also good for kids.

    It pains me to give this place 3 stars. Our waitress was the sweetest the food was really good. We…read morewere in town for the Easter holiday weekend. Came here on a Monday just after 10:30am and they honored our breakfast order. The lunch menu starts promptly at 11am so this was really nice of them. The place is so cute! It's got a country/hipster vibe. I was pleasantly surprised that they had a bar! :) My one issue with breakfast was that I asked for butter and was given butter packets. We came here thinking we were having fresh Amish butter, nope! - What a disappointment! Ugh. The reason why I'm giving this place 3 stars is because of the weird smell. Walking in I thought maybe we walked in right after a gassy person but as we walked through the restaurant to the back the smell was still consistent. We got to the table and the smell seemed to go away or at least we got used to it. At one point I had to use the bathroom and while walking around to find it, the smell hit me first. I was able to smell my way there. Once walking out I was sick. My husband also had to use the e bathroom but the smell was too strong for him so we went stopped elsewhere. The place has a smell that's a mixture of plug-ins and poop. It's the weirdest thing. I'm not sure if they were having sewer issues today or what happened. It seemed like they were definitely aware of the issue because the smell of several plug-ins or air fresheners was obvious. I'd like to give this place another try since the ambiance, food, and staff were all great but the odor is a dealbreaker for me. I guess I'd have to go back & see if this issue gets resolved, if not, I would not stay a second time.

    Photos
    Brickerville House Family Restaurant
    Brickerville House Family Restaurant
    Brickerville House Family Restaurant - Old building dining room

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    Old building dining room

    Best Kept Secrets Tour - shopping - Updated May 2026

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