suggestions for tours, buggy rides, pa dutch restaurants,etc

I%26#39;ll be visiting the Lancaster County area later this month (most likely a weekday).

I am looking for suggestions for things to do. I%26#39;d like to tour an Amish farm/house/grounds, ride in a buggy ride, and eat close to authentic PA Dutch cuisine. And I%26#39;d like to have the best priced attractions for the best quality, since I don%26#39;t want to spend an arm and a leg.

Restaurant: (which is best?)

Harvest View

Good N Plenty

Plain and Fancy

Family Cupboard

Miller%26#39;s Smorgsbord

Shady Maple

Buggy:

Aaron and Jessica

Ed%26#39;s

Abe%26#39;s

AAA

Tours/Attractions/Etc:

the Outhouse

Wildbur Chocolate Museum

Amish Farm and House

Amish Experience

Cherry Crest Farm

Ephrata Cloister

Lancaster Cultural Museum

Landis Valley Museum

Mascot Roller Mills

Anything you would recommend (on this list or not), anything to avoid?

suggestions for tours, buggy rides, pa dutch restaurants,etc

I think that Shady Maple would be the best of the ones you listed here. I live in Lancaster, but have never taken a buggy ride. I know that others have posted re: buggy rides, you could check that out. As far as the attractions, I would think all would be good, but it would depend in the area you may be staying.

suggestions for tours, buggy rides, pa dutch restaurants,etc

Go with Shady Maple. Buggy Rides????We once did a quick tour on the wagon ride out of KitchenKettle Village. It was much cheaper, and gave a nice informative tour. The Amish Farm and House was nice, because it was very informative. The Strasburg Railroad is also a nice attraction, if you like trains...Just as nice is just riding around the back roads, checking out the farms, browsing the beautiful shops in intercourse and bird in hand.

I would recommend the Landis Valley Museum. While it is not an ';Amish'; attraction, it gives you a good background in the German settlers in the area. The Wilbur Chocolate Museum is very small - their many purpose is to sell you chocolate (it is VERY good chocolate though). If you do go to Lititz for Wilbur Chocolate, there is Sturgis Pretzel where you can learn how to roll pretzels. If you have kids, they would enjoy Cherry Crest Farm. The Strasburg Railroad is an enjoyable also.

Abe%26#39;s buggy rides are the most authentic Amish buggy ride in Lancaster County! Some ';Amish'; buggy ride business aren%26#39;t really Amish at all. The man just dresses up as Amish. Those buggys that aren%26#39;t Amish are also usually larger than the traditional Amish buggy so they can fit more people in at once (thus, raking up the bucks). The Amish community is very upset with these false advertisers.

There is a false advertisement in one of the common maps (I think it was the AAA map, but I%26#39;m not sure). The man advertises his buggy ride and uses the word ';magic';. Amish people would never use the word ';magic'; in a positive way. Plus, just the fact that there is a picture of his ';Amish'; family is false. True Amish would not have their picture advertised.

Go with Abe%26#39;s. You won%26#39;t be disappointed.

Dienners country BBQ 2855 Lincoln Hwy E Ronks, PA Phone: (717) 687-9571 is very good and about half the price of Miller/plain %26amp; fancy ($8 dinner) Owned by a Mennonite family they employ local Amish %26amp; Mennonite, you will also see them eating there too.

I agree the AAA buggy rides, in Intercourse behind the Kitchen Kettle are very good, second location in Strasburg by Red Caboose Motel, also owned by a local Mennonite family, very friendly.

Dienners is our first choice after eating there several times during our visit to Lancaster county. They serve a buffet at VERY reasonable prices or you can order off the menu. The buffet is well-stocked with delicious food and includes dessert.

For handquilted items, jams, jellies, and wood craft items go to Lapp%26#39;s Quilts and Crafts at 206 North Star Rd. Ronks, PA. It is in a walk-out basement in the country. They don%26#39;t have a phone and aren%26#39;t open on Sunday, but worth the drive just to see everything. A good excuse to see the Amish countryside.

Mittmott, why are you suggesting Shady Maple after you wrote in April about how upset you were, about the way your party was treated and the expensive food?

Of the restaurants you list, I guess Shady Maple is the best, but I do think it can be overpriced and overrated. I have found the food to be hit or miss. They do have a very large selection compared to others however.

As others have said, Dienner%26#39;s is supposedly very good, though I have yet to try it. We also enjoy Willow Valley and Bird in Hand restaurants, but they definitely cater to the tourists.

Cherry Crest Farm is a nice attraction. There is a corn maze there which is a fun challenge. Are there children coming? If so, they will LOVE this place. You can incorporate it with the Strasburg Railroad mentioned by another poster. The Landis Valley Museum is a very nice farm museum as well. If you enjoy touring historical homes, our 15ht president James Buchanan%26#39;s home, Wheatland, is in downtown Lancaster. It%26#39;s worth a look if time permits.

Enjoy your trip.

As far as restaurants, we like Shady Maple and Dieners. Dieners is located next the Dutch Haven and in front of The Outhouse. We have not taken a buggy ride yet but a friend told me Ed%26#39;s is a good tour. You go through Amish farms along the back roads of the farms.He avoids the highways. As far as attractions, I suggest you go to www.padutchcountry.com. That%26#39;s the official web site for the area. It offers a lot of suggestions, also you can contact the visitors center and they will help. That%26#39;s what they are there for. If you want real Amish shops try Kaufmans Market on Route 340 or Centerville Bulk on Centerville Road just outside of Intercourse. It%26#39;s the road that is along Kitchen Kettle Village. Stay to the right at the fork and you will find Centerville Bulk. Best of luck and enjoy. When you go into any attraction or restaurant you will see all types of brochures for things to do . Be sure to get the Free Map of Amish Farnlands, (yellow map). It will be a big help.

When you get home, send out a report. God Bless and have a safe trip.

popc.

Without a doubt, don%26#39;t bypass dienners for any of the above, unless you are having a late dinner. they close at 6 pm, but you would be doing an injustice to yourself to even try and compare the other places to dienners. Dienners is the real thing, the others are tourist traps.

Sorry about 2 posts. Cherry Crest farm is great if you have kids, if not go for the amish farm and house, or the amish experience. both are informative. Don%26#39;t miss a few hours of shopping in Intercourse on rt 340. Beautiful gift shops, that smell so wonderful when you go in and filled with quilts and primitives....I don%26#39;t think a buggy ride is worthwhile, they aren%26#39;t cheap. Another nice thing is the strasburg railroad, with a nice 45 minute ride through amish farms, and right past cherry crest farm.