BIH close to Lancaster? Good for fall foliage?

Is Bird In Hand close to Lancaster? What activities are fun in the fall?

BIH close to Lancaster? Good for fall foliage?

I%26#39;m not sure what you mean by %26#39;close to Lancaster%26#39;. Bird In Hand is in Lancaster County. If you mean is it close to Lancaster city, it%26#39;s about 15-35 mins depending on traffic (which isn%26#39;t as heavy in the fall, but can still get bad). If you mean is it close to other Amish Country areas, then it%26#39;s 5-20 mins depending on where else you want to go.

As for activities...are you bringing children? What are you looking for? Theater, shopping, family activities, etc? If you give some more info, you%26#39;ll get lots of responses! :)

BIH close to Lancaster? Good for fall foliage?

My husband and I are thinking about going for our anniversary weekend- October 21st. No kids. Looking for nice views of the foliage and some leisurely activites. Shopping (not outlets), maybe a farmers market, possibly hiking, etc. What would you recommend in the area?

For non-outlet shopping, I%26#39;d try Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse for PA Dutch shopping, www.kitchenkettle.com or downtown Lancaster for more funky, diverse shopping, www.downtownlancaster.com

For Farmer%26#39;s Markets, there%26#39;s the Bird In Hand market, birdinhandfarmersmarket.com, downtown%26#39;s Central Market, cityoflancasterpa.com/lancastercity/鈥?/a> and downtown%26#39;s Eastern Market, which is rather small, but still nice, www.historiceastside.org/eastern/news.html

As for fall foliage in Lancaster, maybe someone else can help you here. I%26#39;ve never thought of Lancaster as a great place to see the foliage, as it%26#39;s mostly farms and fields, not trees and forests. The southern end of the county might afford some nice views, but there isn%26#39;t much else down there. Try Muddy Run Park, Chickies Rock or Tucquan Glen for foliage and hiking. Otherwise, we generally go to one of the nearby state parks for hiking. Pinchot Lake in York County, or French Creek in Berks/Chester counties...both about 45 mins away.

Have fun if you do come!! And have a happy anniversary!

My wife bought tickets to go on a ride with the US Hot Air Balloon Team last year. We launched in early October from the grounds around The Netherlands Inn %26amp; Spa just south of Strasburg and spent an hour floating towards Gap. What a breathtaking view!! The foliage had not even begun to change, but it was still a beautiful ride. Strasburg is a quaint village to walk through, gaze at the historic old houses and shop at the General Store and Creamry. The Strasburg Railroad offers you a 1 hour ride on a steam engine with wine %26amp; cheese in a restored dining car (extra cost - Saturdays in Oct.). While you%26#39;re in BIH don%26#39;t forget to visit the Old Village Store and the bakery across from the Farmer%26#39;s Market. If you enjoy entertainment there%26#39;s the Dutch Apple Diner Theatre, Sight %26amp; Sound Millenium Theatre, American Music Theatre and Living Water%26#39;s Theatre all within a 1/2 hour drive from BIH. There is some upscale shopping in the Village of Ephrata (NW of Lancaster City). Take a look at www.800PaDutch.com for more info and coupons. I also highly recommend visiting Kitchen Kettle Village and the other stores in Intercourse.

Steve

A hot air ballon ride through Lancaster county farmlands would make a fabulous present for nearly all ages.

Perhaps the best time of year is in late Sept %26amp; Oct, not just because of the foliage but also the crisp, slightly misty but clear mornings.

I would think for an anniversary you may want to check out Lititz. It is a quaint town with lots of shops to stroll through. There is the Wilburs factory and Pretzel factory to tour ( You could walk to both) I would recoment staying at the General Sutter Inn is on the corner and also has a great restaurant. Not a setting like the Netherlands(country).But, I think it is a great venue. Also there is a neat place in Leola.called Leola Village Inn and Suites. They have a restaurant called Mazzi%26#39;s they both have website. Ephrata has Doneckers. On Fridays you would be a short drive to the Green Dragon ( An unique farmers market) They also have a website. In the fall you always see lots of hot air baloons in the sky.

Please be aware most of Lancaster County is farmland, not tree covered. (that is, the areas that are not already paved over or covered with housing developments) Some areas in southern county have more tree land, and the drive to Hershey (through Northwestern Lanc Co) Will take you through forested areas. If you like walking there is an easy trail near Mount Gretna that leads to an observation tower on the top of Governor Dick ( a ';mountain';) that is kind of neat.

There is a wonderful inn in Intercourse near Bird in Hand. I believe it was changed to Intercourse Suites or something. We had an indivual apartment with a fireplace, whirlpool, and it just had a lovely atmosphere. There is a main house but the suites are inthe back. That is just a few miles down the road from BIH. It is right across the street from Kitchen Kettle Village with shops. There is a lot of dining in the area.

Enjoy!

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