Free Summer Concerts at Long's Park!

Tonight we attended a free outdoor concert at Long's Park in Lancaster. This was the fourth in a series of 13 free summer concerts that takes place every Sunday night at 7:30 PM during June, July, and August each year.  The featured stars tonight were the Grascals,  the award-winning country bluegrass group who took home three 2011 Bluegrass Music Awards including Instrumental Group of the Year. They have recently played with Vince Gill at the Grand Ole Opry, as well as Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and Hank Williams Jr. The group consists of a 3-time mandolin player of the year, a 4-time banjo player of the year, as well as legendary fiddle and guitar players. Their names aren't well known outside country music circles, but the music they performed tonight made it clear that we were listening to country musicians among the best in the world.

The season's most anticipated event will occur next Sunday. The concert on July 3rd will be the third Lancaster performance by the U.S. Army's "Band of the Nation's Capital". This concert draws about 35,000 spectators annually! The evening always concludes with Tchaikovsky's stirring "1812 Overture", with about 20 real Civil War cannons exploding on cue during the last movement. And if that wasn't enough to awaken your senses, there's a huge fireworks display after the concert.  It's truly an event not to be missed, and we will certainly be there again this year!

To see details of all of this summer's concerts, simply click this link to Long's Park. We would be pleased to have you stay with us here at the Apple Bin Inn as you enjoy the many exciting activities throughout Lancaster County this summer. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

The "Turkey Hill Experience"... What a Fun Place!

Today we had the privilege of enjoying a preview tour of the "Turkey Hill Experience" that will open on June 4th. Turkey Hill Dairy was named for the hill overlooking the Susquehanna River where it was first located, and has been producing milk, ice cream, and iced tea products in Lancaster County since 1931. This new attraction highlights both the past and the present, in a 26,000 sq. ft. renovated factory that is now a modern museum. There are nine exhibit areas that allow visitors to see how the dairy works, how ice cream is made, how different teas are selected from around the world, and the history of the Turkey Hill Dairy. This is all accomplished through fascinating historical displays and interactive exhibits that kids of all ages will enjoy. You can even create your own ice cream flavor, packaging design, and TV commercial, which can be emailed to your home to impress your family and friends! There's also a delightful cafe that offers many flavors of Turkey Hill ice cream, iced tea, and lemonade. They're located just 15 minutes west of Lancaster, right off Rt. 30 in Columbia. We recommend that you add this to your itinerary of fun things to do in Lancaster County. And we hope to see you soon at the Apple Bin Inn!

Flowers are Blooming Like Crazy!



It's late Spring, the weather is finally getting consistently warm, and the flowers are obviously happy about it!  Annuals and perennials alike are showing their glorious colors and shapes, and the effect they have on everyone's spirit is quite amazing!  After the long winter, and a cold damp early Spring, it's so invigorating to see the splashes of color popping all over our property.  A freshly mowed lawn adds to the serenity, and the frolicking bunnies and squirrels make everything just about perfect.  We hope everyone is enjoying this rejuvenating time of year... and if you'd like to see all of these wondrous colors up close, just come to the Apple Bin Inn for a relaxing getaway in beautiful Lancaster County!  See you soon!!

By the way... if anyone can tell us the name of the unknown variety at the bottom of this post, please add a comment and let us know ~ Thanks!




Pink Geranium

 

Double Knockout Roses



Picasso Ivy Geranium




Purple Lanai

 


Nasturtium - the edible flower

  

White Peony (smells fantastic!)



Rhododendron


 



Who knows what this is???



It's Baseball Season in Lancaster County!

For sports fans like us, summer means one thing... baseball season!  And one of the best ways to enjoy a professional baseball game is to come to a minor league ballpark... with its clean, wholesome, and family-friendly atmosphere, well-behaved smaller crowds, prices that won't empty your wallet, and just plain fun! So while you're visiting Lancaster County, we highly recommend you enjoy an evening of Lancaster Barnstormers baseball at Clipper Magazine Stadium. You'll be amazed that ticket prices range from just $5 to $12, and believe it or not, stadium parking is free... try getting that at a big league ballpark!  There's a wonderful variety of food and drink concessions that are also reasonably priced, and there's even a great kids' play area for the youngsters.  For most games, if your child wears their Little League jersey, you can even sit on the grass beyond the outfield fences for free, and maybe even catch a home run ball!  So come on over to Lancaster County this summer, enjoy a fun getaway at the Apple Bin Inn (just 10 minutes from the stadium), and celebrate our national pastime.  

As the umpire says... "PLAY BALL!" 

Clipper Magazine Stadium ~ Home of the Lancaster Barnstormers

A Special Recipe for Mother's Day!

As Mother's Day arrives this weekend, it's once again time to think about that person we too often take for granted... Mom!  So why not turn the tables this weekend and cook her a special breakfast... ideally served in bed, with a rose bud and an extra hug!  
And we have just the recipe that will warm her heart and bring a loving smile to her face... our scrumptious Apple Cheddar Quiche.  Based on a recipe from Captain Schoonmaker's B&B in High Falls, NY, it has become a favorite of our guests here at the Apple Bin Inn, and we know your Mom will feel pampered when you serve it to her!

 

Apple Cheddar Quiche at the Apple Bin Inn

Ingredients:

1 unbaked pie crust                                                    

2 large apples                                                             
¼ cup sugar                                                                
Cinnamon to taste

6 eggs  

1 cup Half & Half

1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese           

-  Preheat oven to 350^o F. 

-  Peel, core, and slice apples.  Sauté in butter.  Halfway through, add cinnamon and sugar,

and continue cooking until apples are fork tender.

-  Place unbaked pie crust in quiche pan.

-  Place cooked apples on the bottom. Cover with cheese.  Beat eggs and Half & Half together and pour over apples and cheese.  Swirl any syrup left from the apples over the top before baking (you can also save a few apple slices to place on top). 

-  Bake 40 to 50 minutes until filling is set.  Cut like pie, and serve with sausage or bacon.  

Complete her plate with a sprig of mint leaves or grapes.

Accompany with a small bowl of fresh strawberries with french vanilla yogurt and brown sugar,

along with orange juice, and coffee or tea, and Mom will smile for days! 

Warm wishes for a Happy Mother's Day,

from our family to yours!

Have You Stayed in the Cortland Suite Lately?

Here at the Apple Bin Inn, we try to make some nice changes to our guest rooms almost every year.  It's our way of surprising our returning guests with a little something new (besides our graying hair!).  This spring, the Cortland Suite is showing off its cherry Pennsylvania House canopy bed, with a new pillow-top mattress.  After searching Lancaster County antique shops and consignment stores for the perfect thing, we heard about this wonderful old bed for sale... just outside of Hartford, Connecticut!   So after a couple of phone calls to negotiate the price, it was time for a little road trip... of course we made sure to include stops at some interesting antique shops and quaint restaurants along the way!  We returned home a couple of days later, all excited to see how the bed would look in its new home.  After putting it all together, adding a few extra support slats, and draping the new canopy, it was time to take this photo for our website.  And best of all, later this week we have some guests coming who have stayed in the Cortland Suite on past visits.  We look forward to their reactions :-)

 

The Apple Bin Inn is Truly Global !

Perhaps the greatest thing about being innkeepers is meeting people from all over the world and sharing stories about our families, customs, traditions, jobs, hobbies, and yes even politics.  During our 8 years at the Apple Bin Inn, we have hosted guests from 45 U.S. states... and last week we achieved our own milestone of welcoming visitors from 50 foreign countries!  Our 5 most frequent are Australia, Canada, England, Germany, and France, and rounding out our top 10 are Italy, Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, and Ireland.  And last year we completed our list of "All 7 Continents" when we had a guest who actually lives much of the year in Antarctica (he told us the only inhabitants who live there longer than him are the penguins)!  Our son, Dylan, also enjoys meeting our international guests, and these experiences certainly enhance his 3-year participation in his high school's "Model United Nations" organization.

Okay... for the curious among you, here's our full list of 50 visiting countries, listed alphabetically... Antarctica, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Scotland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Virgin Islands, and Wales.

We hope to keep the list of states and countries growing, so if you live anywhere on Earth, we look forward to welcoming you to Lancaster County and the Apple Bin Inn!