You know how sometimes you want to tell a story but there are so many crucial things you want to be sure are heard that you're stammering everything? So please forgive my stammering effort to explain how fantastic Swiss Woods Cottage -- and more accurately how fantastic the PEOPLE are.
First - simply - if you want the most PEACEFUL, idyllic, relaxing escape for your hard-earned vacation time, Swiss Woods is your escape.
We drove in from Philly on the South route along the 30, then the 772 up to Lititz - it was such an incredible picturesque drive in to the area to begin our stay ! And Lititz, which you must visit during your stay, was that perfect little town that seems as though some sage old man has crafted it into his model train set, embellished its every detail and then found a way to transform it into a living breathing little town square and lampposts and teeny police station with the patrol car perpetually parked at the curb..
We arrived late at night, disappearing into a forest side road and feeling like we had stepped out of the world as my phone's gps stuttered and failed a little way into the path. Then we saw the sign and headed up the isolated drive where the picture-perfect cottage appeared in a quiet clearing.
Immediately upon entering, we were struck by how much the place felt like a homey cabin we had happened upon that welcomed all visitors to sit by the fireplace, listen to the peaceful, quiet music, and enjoy one of the many little handcrafted baked treats that sat by the guestbook.
We met the delightful, warm friendly proprietor, Debbie who quickly invited us to enjoy any of the lovely aspects of the cabin, explained what to expect in the morning, showed us to our room, and gave us our space to relax.
The room was, basically, perfect! It was obvious that although it had an old cottage charm they take great care to provide everything to make the room comfortable and convenient. It was very clean, spacious, and yet cozy - the bathroom was equally so.
They provided cable television with a DVD player, a perfectly suitable closet and dresser.
In addition, one of those delights that we would never expect but turned out to be absolutely wonderful was a door directly out to the front of the cabin in addition to the one leading to the interior of the larger cabin. Coming back from a busy day of sightseeing and shopping and being able to go directly from our car to our private room was wonderful!
In the morning breakfast was served in the family style and we got to meet a couple of newlyweds and enjoy breakfast together. The breakfast was AMAZING. Debbie and her assistants are amazing chefs, serving interesting, varied and DELICIOUS food, sweet, savory, and comforty. She makes an effort to change it up day to day, and makes it very obvious that you can eat as much as you like and she will bring more with a smile!
As we closed out our meal, Wernor, Debbie's husband, made interesting conversation with the four of us about the cabin, and all of the areas he maintains for the guests that we could enjoy, as well as offering his thoughts for enjoying our time in Lancaster to the fullest. We were so grateful for his wise suggestions! Normally we have just a few 'must-sees' surrounded by a 'let's see what we see' approach, but Wernor's advice helped us see some of the most beautiful of the very beautiful countryside while also being able to see the terrific covered bridges, dairy, with the most fantastic ice-CREAM ever, and get shopping in too.
The next day, our last, was just as wonderful and tremendously relaxed, but if you've read this far I must implore you: give yourself the time to explore the serene, gorgeous, and quiet land around Swiss Woods. Wernor has taken great care to make trails through the wooded landscape with little spots for pausing and deeply breathing it all in. We took a blissful stroll before we left, but were very saddened to realize just how much care has been given to making a peaceful escape right beside our cabin only when we were pressed for time..
Please, reward the meticulous efforts and gracious, enjoyable company of Debbie and Wernor and reward yourself with the most peaceful of escapes by staying at Swiss Woods.. read more