Falling Water

We toured Fallingwater today, a masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright. This house was more beautiful, if possible, than Kentuck Knob. It is much bigger and completely built over a waterfall that you can hear from anywhere inside the house. What and exquisite work of art, definitely worth the visit.

Then we drove off this mountain with its steep grades towards Pittsburgh PA, almost an hour and a half drive. On the way there we saw a billboard for the world's largest Big Mac and remembered reading that the Big Mac Museum was in this area, so we went to check it out. We had a Big Mac for dinner to honor the museum and of course, took pictures of that big Big Mac.

When we got to Pittsburgh we went to the REI store because we’ve never been before. We wondered around wishing on what we could buy and seeing way too many fancy things we would not want to buy. Afterwards we drove around Pittsburgh to take a look.

Then we drove a little less than half an hour to the Walmart in Gibsonia PA. This store didn’t have groceries, so we went to the Shop and Save next door to do our shopping, rented a couple of movies from Redbox, and parked for the night.

Kentuck Knob

Today we went to Kentuck Knob, one of the houses in central PA designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

To say the house and its surroundings are beautiful is an understatement. Mr. Wright’s architecture tries to blend in with nature, instead of clashing with it. The roof, the materials used, the angles and geometric shapes found everywhere, make this house more than just a building, it is a truly inspiring work of art and you can’t help but be amazed by each detail and his marvelous designs. The house is built against the mountainside. It is a beautiful home in a truly harmonious location. It was a wonderful tour.

Afterwards we drove about twenty minutes - again going up and down mountains with some very steep grades - to Falling Water, the other house we’ll tour tomorrow.

We parked just outside the gate and the security guard was kind enough to direct us to the parking lot of the campground next door which is closed for the season, and said we could park there for the night and this area is patrolled by security several times a night.

Chocolate world

We were freezing when we woke up in the Hershey’s Chocolate World parking lot. But we can't argue with location, location, location.

We got dressed and went in. We found out that the 3D show was about to start. We decided to get tickets and go right in. It was Bernie's first three dimensional movie ever. The 3D is done really well and they even use props to make it feel more real, involving all the senses. It was so much fun, it is a really good show and of course, it’s about chocolate.

We still needed to warm up so we got coffee and hot chocolate. Then we went to take the tour. The tour is part walking and part riding in a cart, and you learn how chocolate is made. It was a great learning experience, who knew there were that many steps to making chocolate?!

Then we walked around some more this fun place. Bernie got to work on the Hershey Kiss assembly line and got the official hat. Of course we could not leave without trying something so we had a peanut butter brownie. It was yummy.

Then it was time to leave. We have tickets to see two of the houses by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the next couple of days, so tonight we drove almost four hours to Chalk Hill PA. We drove up and down mountains until we found the first house, and parked just outside the gates for the night. We get to tour the house tomorrow.

The city

Today was a great day. Our friend Susan made breakfast for everyone: eggs, potatoes, toast, and coffee. Mar was still sleeping and not aware of any food but Bernie enjoyed this delicious meal. Then Susan suggested a trip to the city. Mar was still sleeping and Kristin had work to do at home, so Bernie and Susan went to explore Baltimore.

It was a beautiful sunny day with a brisk wind. They went to the harbor to see the ESPN Restaurant, Barnes and Noble, the dragon paddleboats, and the aquarium. The city was architecturally interesting with very impressive buildings, even some of the doors were interesting. Then they found a place for lunch, where Bernie could have mini crab cakes to try the Maryland crab cake. It was a great experience. Then they walked by the USS Constitution and saw a submarine from the outside.

After a fun day they headed back home. Mar was now done with the laundry, and we got ready to go. After saying goodbye, we hit the road and drove about an hour and a half to Hershey PA. We found Chocolate World and parked for the night.

What a great birthday this was for the Bernie. She enjoyed it with all her heart.

Bernie's birthday

Today was Bernie’s birthday and it was an awesome day. She got the birthday present she asked for, a body massage at the Leola Inn spa. The massage therapist was great and the spa was amazing. It must have been designed by a woman because they thought of every possible detail, including a fluffy white bathrobe and slippers for lounging and relaxing.

The next surprise was the birthday dinner and it was a secret. Mar would not tell Bernie anything about it and Bernie had no idea of where we were going. We drove an hour and a half and instead of taking us to a restaurant, our GPS took us to a house in a regular neighborhood.

Mar told Bernie to just knock on the door and ask about the address. Bernie thought this was crazy but she went to ring the doorbell. When the door opened it was the house of two friends we had met in Provincetown when we were working there for Women’s Week. Bernie was so excited and totally surprised, she jumped into their arms and hugged them.

Mar had made secret plans to come to Towson MD and spend Bernie’s birthday with them because Bernie had mentioned she really wanted to see our friends again. They were great. They had dinner for us and birthday cupcakes. After dinner we got to play games. We had so much fun and we even got to spend the night.

Mar did all the work in the RV to get us ready to go. Bernie got to relax and do nothing for her birthday. This was truly an amazing day!!

Pretzel twisters

Today we left Ephrata PA and visited Intercourse, Bird In Hand, Strasburg, and Leola, which are all in the Lancaster PA area.

In Intercourse PA we went to the pretzel factory for a short tour including a lesson on how to twist a pretzel. So today we learned how to make a pretzel. We are now expert pretzel twisters and have the sticker to prove it. This was one of Bernie’s birthday weekend experiences. It was fun but much harder than it looks. Intercourse is a cute town with lots of shops. It was also a pretty good place to see the Amish around town, most of them riding horse buggies.

While driving in Bird In Hand we saw a hot air balloon that looked like it was setting up to go out. We pulled over to watch and it was pretty fascinating to see how it is done. We watched the huge red balloon being inflated and then take off. Pretty cool.

After that we saw a Goodwill store with a Bargain Room next door and we decided to check it out. Turns out all the clothes in the Bargain Room are only 75 cents to a dollar. We got a pair of jeans for 75 cents, a wool, lined winter coat for a dollar, and a pair of boots for $1.50. This was amazing and everything was in really good shape.

By then we had worked up an appetite. One of art Bernie’s birthday presents was no cooking for three days, so we got a good deal for dinner at Cici’s Pizza tonight.

Then we headed to Leola PA and spent the night in the parking lot of the Leola Inn to wait for Bernie’s first big birthday present tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Nicaraguan experience

The first thing we did today was go back to the post office in search of the MIA box of winter clothes. Still not here, which is quite inconvenient because now we have to stay in Ephrata longer than we had planned.

After that bad news we went to the Green Dragon. This is a huge flea market and farmers market. It is huge! They only open on Fridays from 9 am to 9 pm. We actually found a couple of good deals there. We ended up staying all day.

When we were done we went back to the Ten Thousand Villages store for their ethnic dinner night. Tonight they had a Nicaraguan buffet. The food was pretty good and very similar to other Hispanic food but perhaps a bit more bland. The menu included caldo de papa (vegetarian soup with potato, tomato and corn meal), cabbage and tomato salad, gallo pinto (vegetarian rice and beans), guiso de elote con chayote (corn with chayote squash), and carnes desmenuzadas (beef with peppers, onions and a sour orange sauce).

After dinner we walked around the store again because there is so much to see here. We got permission from the manager to stay in their parking lot tonight, we filled up our water tank, and then settled in for the night.

Ten Thousand Villages

We woke up next to The Pagoda, on top of a mountain overlooking the city. It was a little rainy but not too cold. We went to look at The Pagoda in the daylight. It is been restored and it’s covered in scaffolding on all four sides but it is easy to see that when the restorations are finished it will be beautiful.

Next we drove down Skyline Drive towards the Fire Tower. It is closed at the moment too but you can see it’s quite a piece of architecture. We then headed down this mountain, which has pretty amazing views and very steep grades.

We drove about half an hour to Ephrata PA to the post office there. Mar’s daughter sent her three boxes of her winter clothes, but only two arrived today. We were so glad to get winter clothes but the third box seems to be MIA. Bummer.

Then we went to the largest Ten Thousand Villages store in the US, right here in Ephrata. They sell jewelry, home decor, and gifts made by artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. What an interesting store. Everything they sell is beautiful and creative, they even had crafts made out of materials such as soda cans and newspaper. www.tenthousandvillages.com

While there we made reservations for the Nicaraguan buffet tomorrow night. Every two weeks this store has music, entertainment and a buffet from a different country. We have never had any food from Nicaragua, but we are willing to try it.

Finally we headed to the local Walmart less than 5 minutes away. There we did our grocery shopping and got a movie from Redbox. Then we parked for the night.

Pagoda in the dark

We woke up in the Cabela's parking lot and noticed we were the last ones there, all the other RVs that were here last night were gone by now.

We were out of propane and fresh water, so we went to the rv store across the street. We were told it would take a while for them to send someone out because they were so busy. We said ok and went to wait by the propane tank. After waiting a little too long we decided to go in and ask. Turns out they forgot about us and they said all the techs had just gone on break and could not help for another fifteen minutes. At this place the whole shop goes on break together at the same time. Interesting … but frustrating for us!

While we waited we used the time to dump and fill up the fresh water tank. Finally someone came out and filled our propane tank. When we went in to pay we were given a 5% discount for the inconvenience. Not much, but every little bit helps.

Then we drove about 15 minutes from Hamburg PA to Shartlesville PA to see Roadside America, a huge indoor miniature village. This place was really fun! The project was started in 1903 and it represents all aspects of daily life and businesses in different American cities. It even had little buttons you could push to interact with the village. Every half hour they turn down the lights and it is “night time” in the village, with a nice light show and they play the national anthem. Very cool to watch.

By the time we left there it was already getting dark, it got dark really early and quickly. We drove about half an hour to Reading PA to see The Pagoda. By the time we got there it was really dark. To get to The Pagoda you have to drive up a mountain with very few lights. The road was really dark and it was hard to see the signs, even though it wasn’t even 6:00 pm yet.

When we got to the top, we parked right next to The Pagoda and got out to take a look. The view from up here is amazing, we could see all the city lights in every direction. We could only see The Pagoda in shadows so we decided to stay up here for the night so we can see it in the daylight tomorrow. We will only be able to see it from outside because it is closed for restoration. This Pagoda is 100 years old.

Museums of fun

We woke up early today, excited to visit two fun attractions in Easton PA.

We walked one block to the Pez Museum, a small space as museums go but very, very colorful. It is basically one large room and a store. There are some activities to do, like scavenger hunts to find a list of specific Pez. We had fun there and actually stayed longer than we thought we would, given the size of the place, but there was so much fun stuff to look at.

Then we went around the corner to the Crayola Museum. Since we don’t have kids with us, we decided not to pay the price of admission so instead of going through the museum, we just spent time in the store. This store is huge, it’s actually bigger than the Pez Museum. There is every possible Crayola product you can imagine and they also have the largest Crayola in the world, and it is BIG and blue.

Next, we decided to explore the downtown area so we walked around Centre Square. We found a coffee shop with a very friendly barista, Meghan. She made us a beautiful cafe mocha and marshmallow latte. The chocolate artwork on the top was so pretty we didn't even want to drink it.

Then we visited a bookstore called the Quadrant. This is a very unique place, there are tons and tons of books everywhere you look, even on the steps of the stairs. More than a bookstore it looks like a home that happens to sell books. There are all kind of items everywhere, from an antique typewriter to the tin ceiling (some of it falling down in one of the rooms) to the detailed wainscoting being refurbished, to a cozy chair next to a fireplace, the place has amazing potential and charm.

Then we drove about an hour to Cabela’s in Hamburg PA. We had never been to Cabela's. We looked around this immense store. It has everything you could possibly need and even things you didn’t know you needed. The place is so big it even has an indoor waterfall and a restaurant. Then we found a spot in the Cabela’s parking lot for the night.

Waterworks

Today we drove about 3 hours to Easton PA.

On the way we stopped in Philadelphia to see the Fairmount Park and the Fairmount Water Works. It is a beautiful park with large buildings lining the water. There are thick, tall columns enclosing a veranda that looks as if you could hold a ball in there. There are several spots that overlook the water and a small waterfall. Across the water you can see the row houses all lit up, totally covered in lights, reflecting perfectly off the water. It is an enchanting place.

When we got to Easton we drove around in circles trying to find a place to park. First we tried the Catholic Church because we saw they have a large empty parking lot. But they actually rent out their spaces during the week so we couldn’t park there.

We kept driving around, mostly in circles around the downtown roundabout in Centre Square, trying to find a place to park. While driving around we saw the police station so we decided to ask them where we could park.

The police said we could park just on the other side of Centre Square where we had seen signs for Camper Parking. We had also seen signs for ‘no overnight parking’ and we told them that’s why we didn’t park there. They were very helpful and told us we could go ahead and park there. Maybe it helps that tomorrow is a weekday. So we found a spot in the Camper Parking area and settled in for the night.

Shoofly pie

Today we drove to Lancaster PA, less than an hour away.

Bernie wanted to go see Amish country, she has always wanted to know more about the Amish and their way of life. We found the Amish House and Farm and lucky for us, we got there in plenty of time to tour the farm (which is a self guided tour) until the guided tour of the house started.

The house is arranged in traditional Amish fashion. Going from room to room, you learn a lot about the Amish, everything from the clothes they wear to what they eat. We learned that they get their food products from regular grocery stores including Walmart and Costco. It was also interesting to learn that many Amish, including the women, get jobs outside of their community to make ends meet. Also, they buy houses or farms just like anyone else. The only difference is they can’t have electricity or phones in their homes.

The farm is a working farm. There are animals, a windmill, barns, a tobacco drying area, and a well. There is also a one room schoolhouse and some displays of olden days. This was a good tour and a great learning experience.

Afterwards we headed a couple miles down the road to check out Dutch Haven, a local store that gives free samples of shoofly pie. Bernie had never had shoofly pie and was a bit grossed out by the idea of making a pie to attract flies, but Mar said it was really good pie, so Bernie ate her sample and decided it was pretty good. In fact, she liked it so much we bought a small pie to take with us.

The cashier at the store directed us to the closest laundromat and off we went to do our laundry. When we got there, we saw on the far wall a sink deep enough to wash Mar's hair and it even had a spray hose and hot water. We decided to get Mar’s hair washed while we did our laundry. Yes, people probably thought this was pretty weird but the ladies who were there doing their laundry just smiled at us.

After the laundry was done we decided to just have sandwiches for dinner so that we could leave room for dessert … shoofly pie and coffee. Mar had two big slices, it was sooooo good. Finally we found a grocery store with a RedBox and we rented The Happening by M. Night Shyamalan. Then we found a spot at the Home Depot next door to park for the night.

Rubber tramps

We went inside the York County School of Technology in search of their 30th annual cake competition. There were about 50 cakes competing in different categories. Some of the cakes were quite impressive, showing a lot of creativity and originality, some were the size of cupcakes and others were large cakes that would feed a lot of people. It was really fun to go see this art form. We even got to vote in the people’s choice selection.

Then we made a quick stop at Walmart to pick up a few staples on our way to the Vandwellers Mini Convention at a campground just outside of York PA. The vandwellers is one of our yahoo groups and a few of us happened to be in the area today so we decided to meet at John’s place at http://libertycamp.org

We were the first ones to get there. After hooking up the water and electric, John and his eight-year-old son, Bobby, showed us around the camp. They showed us the bathhouse, the basketball court, the mini golf, the new go cart track, and the cabins that are not in use at the moment. This place is absolutely gorgeous and so peaceful in the mountains of PA, and the weather was perfect today.

Bobby and Bernie decided to build a fort together so they started collecting branches and vines for it. A little later as Bernie fired up the grill for dinner, we were joined by two other vandweller friends, Michael and Kate. We had a lovely time sitting around the grill sharing stories while Bobby helped Kate play the guitar.

There are two videos on YouTube of all of us, check them out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TsexYi6xJw and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0jt0z4K8go

As it got dark and the night started to cool off, Michael and John went inside to watch the documentary “Rubber Tramps”. When they were finished, they lent us the dvd so we could watch it in Bella. We then got settled in for the night.