Why is the Hans Herr House significant and who the hell was Hans Herr?…read more The house itself is significant as it is the last remaining structure that is still standing from the original group of Mennonites who came to the Lancaster County area to escape religious persecution from their native Switzerland. The house is also significant in that it is the oldest structure in Lancaster County and likely the oldest remaining Mennonite meetinghouse in the Western Hemisphere. The original group traveled from Switzerland to Germany to escape religious persecution then after a governmental regime change they were forced from Germany to England where they met with William Penn who allowed them to colonize a portion of what is current day Lancaster County or when they arrived in 1711, the extreme most western frontier of Pennsylvania. One interesting piece of information is that the house did not belong to Hans Herr as it was built by his son Christian which is why his initials are over the doorway along with the inscribing mark of 1719. On the tour you are told why the name remained(s) Hans Herr House versus Christian Herr House but honestly I forget why. Maybe something just deferential from Christian towards his father or because of his father's status with the original group that came to the area or maybe everyone just liked the flow of the name more so it's based on tradition? The tour itself is around 40-45 minutes and it starts in the building which houses the gift shop and you are given a brief overview of the Anabaptist faith, the Mennonites who are direct descendants of the faith and a map which shows the route the initial settlers took from Switzerland to Pennsylvania. After that you are taken over to the house where you see the three rooms which make up the first floor (kitchen, bedroom and all purpose dining room-meeting room-family room) and the second floor which is where the eight children slept and finally the basement which is accessed from a side entrance outside of the house. You learn that the key to the home's design is that they didn't believe in wasting any space so every inch served a purpose such as not having hallways so as soon as you walk in the front door you're right in the kitchen. One thing worth noting, if you are someone who is hardcore hung up on only visiting historical places if they have lots of original items then this place might not be for you. There is not a whole lot original to the house that you can see with the exception of a piece of the ceiling insulation on the first floor (rye straw + manure + ??), the wooden crossbeam over the kitchen fireplace and the steps which go from the second floor to the third floor attic (obviously you can't use them). Past that I think most everything else was changed out in the 19th century when the house was still used as a residence or in the early 70's when the initial renovation occurred to make things into a tourist destination. If you want more original take a look at the bibles on display in the gift shop which are original to Hans and Christian. I wouldn't call the Hans Herr House a must see, but it's interesting enough and the tour is the right length to keep everyone interested along with being located close enough to most of Lancaster County's tourist elements. If you go: The 1719 Hans Herr House is open April 1 through November 30, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Forty-five minute Herr House tours are offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. This is not the tour information for their reproduction Native American Longhouse. That tour is offered at 10 a.m., 12 noon and 2 p.m and has an entirely different focus. Prices are currently Adults: $8, Children 7-12: $4 and Children 6 and under: free with a slight discount if you choose to tour both structures. There are also several special events that happen throughout the year and that information is available on their website.

I visited the 1719 Museum this past Saturday and really enjoyed the experience…read more The guided tour starts with a short film about the property that provides some great context for the rest of the tour. Then you leave the visitor center and walk over to the first structure of tour, which is a full-sized reproduction of a Native American longhouse. Longhouses (large multi-generational family homes made of logs, saplings, and tree bark) were once ubiquitous in Pennsylvania, including along the Susquehanna River. At the time the Hans Herr home was built, south-central Pennsylvania was home to several Indigenous tribes, including the Shenks Ferry, Conoy, Lenape, Mohawk, Nanticoke, Seneca, Shawnee, and Susquehannock peoples. The 1719 Museum collaborated with the Circle Legacy Center and members of the local indigenous community to build the longhouse reproduction in order to share the history of and honor Pennsylvania's native communities and educate visitors to the area. With your guide, you walk into the longhouse, where you sit down while the guide explains quite extensively about the Native communities in the area, the longhouse and its architecture, and the relationships between the indigenous people and the Mennonite people who made homes in the area. After the longhouse, the guide walks you over to the Hans Herr House. It was built in 1719 and is a 2-story, rectangular sandstone Germanic-style dwelling. It is the oldest dwelling in Lancaster County and the oldest Mennonite meetinghouse in America. The guide walks you through various rooms in the house and shares information about the Herr family as well as the larger Mennonite community in early Pennsylvania history. Our guide was Cindy, and she was incredible. I learned so much about the Native, Indigenous and Mennonite communities of 18th century Pennsylvania (and - in the case of the Native peoples - a much earlier history of their lives in Pennsylvania). She really educated us on a broad range of topics, while keeping the tour fun (I love fun education)! She made my tour extra special. If you're spending some time exploring Lancaster Counter, the 1719 Museum should definitely make your itinerary! In one place, you can learn a little bit about Pennsylvania's Native and Mennonite communities, and it's just a special place!

Don't go out of your way to see this small dam under I-83 in Harrisburg. If you're walking along…read morethe riverfront, it's worth a brief stop and go. Not as many homeless people here anymore since they cleared out the encampment and are beginning construction on the highway expansion. Always be aware of your surroundings and lock your car if parking nearby.

Not a lighthouse. Very disappointed. I knew there wasn't…read moreany water in this area but was hoping for a lighthouse structure and not a clock.

I saw this lighthouse on the cover of "Lighthouse Keeping", and thought, "It's just another…read morelighthouse". Boy, was I wrong! From the fabulous views of the bay, all the way down the massive spiral staircase, you can smell the history, that is the Gap Lighthouse. The gift shop was well stocked with lighthouse memorabilia. Kids' toys, snacks, and museum quality sculptures and paintings. There is even a washroom attendant! It is centrally located in the city of Gap, and with hardly any traffic, it is a breeze to walk just about anywhere! One thing that was missing, was an Inn at the lighthouse. Maybe "Inn" the future??

This marker in downtown Harrisburg remembers an important American. War correspondent, lawyer and…read moreCivil War soldier. The marker reads, "Journalist, educator, lawyer. Born here, 1834. Taught in Liberia, 1857-61. Recruited Black soldiers in Civil War; noted as war correspondent. In Europe for freedmen's aid; was admitted to the English bar in 1870. Held major posts in Louisiana, 1873-83. Died nearby, 1892." At the age of 16, Chester attended Akron College, an African-American academy in Pittsburgh. In 1853, he moved to Monrovia Liberia where he attended Alexander High School and then returned to the United States in 1854 where he enrolled at Thetford Academy in Vermont. He later returned to Liberia where he taught school to Africans of former American slaves. During the Civil War, Chester served as a recruiter of black troops and raised the 54th and 55th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. After the war ended, he toured Europe and settled in London, becoming England's first African-American barrister. [Review 12127 overall, 1911 of 2019.]

This was the final date night of the season and so I purchased tickets for this event. The ticket…read morewas just to utilize the garden so that you can bring your own picnic, lawn chairs and or blanket. They do offer a charcuterie board for $25. They state on their site tables are available as first come. I was able to get a table that seated 6! I was somewhat disappointed that for a date night event there were no bistro tables. The table I found was so filthy and the pavers were full of debris. Had I known it was gonna be so dirty I would have brought cleaning supply and swept the area! The ambiance wasn't romantic for this date night as a lady's birthday party celebration was going on a few feet from us. Though the site stated a live musical artist would be present, he was so far off we couldn't hear him. Due to the birthday party celebration it was difficult to hear when he came closer but thank goodness for my playlist on pandora! When I purchased the ticket for the date night it showed a fee of $10 which is what I paid. But when my date arrived, after myself, he was told I had only paid for one ticket. Am I so stupid to have not known that a date night ticket wasn't for a couple?? This was so confusing but thankfully we had a $10 to pay his date night ticket. Sincerely, I wouldn't purchase any tickets to come to another event here. My garden is small but nicer and definitely cleaner tables and walkways. We tried making the best of it and enjoyed the Greek smorgasbord I packed for us.

This venue has exquisite landscaping and gorgeous gardens. The House has a timeless elegance that…read moreis so unique. Our music group: Vivace Live String Quartet performed for their Music on the Lawn series and we enjoyed every minute of the atmosphere! Plus- their staff is a great team to work with: thoughtful, eager to help, and friendly. Can't wait to go back!

Recently attended a fundraiser event for the Christiana Library at this location. The event was a…read morePrincess Ball for little girls. While it was a colaboration between the library and the event space, no neither can take full credit, the two worked together effortlessly to make this event memoriable. Easy to find on Lincoln Highway in the Gap, the grounds, barns, and outdoor spaces were beautiful and well maintained. The inside of the barn was refurbished, modern, comfortable and a beautiful backdrop for any event. The grounds weren't quite in full bloom but were well maintained and the perfect scenery for pictures. The parking, although on the small size, was paved and ample. Another outbuilding where a storybook reading was held is normally used as a bride's quarters for getting ready pre-wedding. That room was elegant and furnished with luxurious french provincial type furnishings, gold guilded mirrors and was very grand. At our event, carriage rides were offered around the property. I had the pleasure of chatting with a relative of the owner, who relayed the property's history to me, which was very interesting. While the home is a private residence, there's still many venues on the property for different kinds of events. Definately a place to consider for large baby shower, party, reception, or wedding.

Literally this place is amazing. Not only is this place beautiful but the staff is so kind and…read moreaccommodating. Jess the owner was so awesome! Patti was the one who told us how to do everything and she is so nice and kind. The bar service was off the chain, Roaming Libations Mobile Bar was literally amazing. They were so kind and awesome

It is worth going here just to see the beautiful countryside just a bit off the beaten path. You…read morecan drive your car over the bridge. There is a small parking area for one car on the south side and you can pull over on the shoulder on the southbound side once you are on the north side of the bridge (there is a slight drop off so better to do this with a Jeep, truck or a 4WD vehicle with some ground clearance). Two or three cars were parked there on the spring day, with people fishing in the creek. This beautiful bridge was built in 1849 at a cost of $700 along Hammer Creek when thousands of people were rushing to find gold in the California Hills. The bridge was later rebuilt in 1887 by John Bowman for $1744.

I knew better than to drink that coffee before we left to go to Lancaster. And yes, I DID pee…read morebefore we left, but it was no use. Remember when your mom used to tell you to do that? As if it's a one and done thing. Sometimes I can use the bathroom ten minutes after I used the bathroom. This is life. So when I saw the sign that there was a Welcome Center coming up, I told Jeremy to pull in. We travel a lot and rest stops/welcome centers can be hit or miss for me because of the wheelchair. I was prepared for the place to be packed, since it was a Saturday during the summer, but it wasn't crazy at all. I mean, the 16-wheeler parking was a little outrageous. At one point we thought a truck was going to block us in, and since my ramp comes out the back, that I wouldn't be able to exit the van at all. But the driver moved - whether he heard Jeremy yelling, "Are you kidding me?!" or not I cannot tell you. TWO attendants saw us coming and unlocked the family/accessible bathroom before we had fully entered the building. I'm glad that I didn't have to search someone out. Though it is a pity that these types of bathrooms are ever locked. Makes me wonder what goes on in these bathrooms that they have to be locked. I probably don't wanna know. The bathroom was wonderfully accessible. Even the light switch was lowered so people using wheelchairs should be able to use it. It's been a long time since I have been so impressed by a bathroom. We didn't explore any more of the Welcome Center, as we were meeting up with two other vehicles full of friends at Shady Maple, and didn't want to be late. I am grateful for the attentive service and clean, accessible bathroom.

This was a very welcomed sight on one of my recent work trips. You never feel so happy to see a…read morerest stop until you need a rest stop. Plus, it's less chaotic than having to get off the highway at an exit and go through all that traffic. This is your typical, no frills, welcome center/rest stop. A great place to use the facilities for yourself and four-legged friends if they accompany you. Standard rest stop building with bathrooms, vending and some light literature. If you smoke, there are designated areas outside for that. Accompanying the rest stop building there is a welcome center building that is only open during certain hours with more information on things to do while visiting, revisiting, or coming home to Pennsylvania. During daylight hours this place appears to be fully staffed by people, I cannot speak to hour it is after hours. Easy on and off to the highway to make your pitstop.