Ready for the Holidays!

As those of you who have visited Lancaster County in November and December already know, this is a great place to be for the holidays!  Shopping at the outlet malls, Tanger and Rockvale Square, is always fun, but "Black Friday" weekend is totally over the top.  Tanger's festivities start at midnight on Thanksgiving night and continue all weekend ~ with extra sales, deals, coupons, and more.  Rockvale has similar events, and together they make for a really cool overnight of holiday shopping.

Just a couple of miles from the Apple Bin Inn is a great candy and chocolate maker, Evans Candy, who is only open from October until Easter.  Since holidays are their prime time, they really do it up right.  Their chocolates are some of the best we've had, and they make hundreds of specialty candy items in every conceivable shape and size.  Our favorites include "mojeskas", which are homemade marshmallow and caramel dipped in chocolate... heavenly!

Of course the holidays aren't just about shopping.  So if you'd like to get in the Christmas mood in the most memory-evoking way, you definitely should visit the National Christmas Center.  This amazing museum's curator and historian, Jim Morrison, looks strikingly like that jolly old soul with the big white beard and the red suit.  And his museum is such an uplifting collection of Christmas history, nostalgia, storybook lands, international displays, toy railroad mountains, and just plain fun, that you'll leave with a renewed spirit, and a better understanding of how Christmas has touched the lives of families across the generations.  We won't spoil all the surprises by telling you everything... you'll just have to see this place for yourself.  And the best part is, they're open all year 'round! 

Well that's it for today.  We'll be adding much more about Lancaster County in the coming weeks and months, so please become a "follower" of our blog, and we'll talk again soon :-)