Great Ethnic Restaurants Abound in Lancaster County!

Sure, Lancaster County is famous for wonderful "comfort food" restaurants like Good 'n Plenty, Plain & Fancy, and Shady Maple.  But many visitors aren't aware of the assortment of great ethnic restaurants in our beautiful corner of Pennsylvania. 

One of our favorites, and less than a mile from the Apple Bin Inn, is Wasabi Japanese Restaurant.  It's not a tepanyaki style (where they cook at your table and throw shrimp into their hats).  Rather it's a truly authentic Japanese eatery, with some of the best food this side of Tokyo (where I traveled about 30 times during my previous corporate life).  Their sushi bar is not large, but the selection and quality are excellent, and it's fun to watch the sushi chefs create their masterpieces.  Plus they've recently added some scrumptious Thai dishes to their menu.  So come give Wasabi a try.  You'll be very glad you did! 

And speaking of Thai food, another great place is Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant, right across the street from Rockvale Square outlets on Rt. 30.  Their delicious Thai cuisine, including many delightful vegetarian dishes, will keep you smiling all through dinner.

If Mexican food is your passion, then you should definitely plan a dinner at El Serrano.  Not only will you feel like you're in the heart of Mexico, but they also offer an array of Peruvian dishes that are quite unique.  There's also a fantastic tapas restaurant, called Culturas, on the property.  If you've never tried tapas (meaning "small plate"), then your taste buds are in for a real treat, as you and your friends sample a variety of mouth-watering Latin American foods!

If you have a taste for Indian cuisine, there's no better place than Taj Mahal.  Their authentic Indian fare, with unmistakable aromas and flavors, will awaken your senses and take you to the other side of the world.  And don't worry... even if you don't like your food too spicy, they will season each order to your individual taste.  We have frequent guests at the Apple Bin Inn who consider Taj Mahal a required stop during every visit to Lancaster County.

We'll introduce you to more of Lancaster's amazing variety of fine restaurants in upcoming blog posts, but for now... Let's eat!

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm ~ What a Treat!

We made our annual visit to Cherry Crest Adventure Farm today with some guests from Virginia who were traveling with their 5 year old granddaughter.  Our son, Dylan, has been working at Cherry Crest for 3 summers, and we have been going to their world famous Corn Maze every year since 2003.  This year's maze theme is "Once Upon A Time... A Corny Tale".  As expected, the 5-acre maze kept us challenged and smiling, as we searched for map pieces and fun activities hidden throughout the maze.  We made our way out in about 45 minutes... a little faster than we historically are able to do it.  We then spent time enjoying many of the 50 other fun activities in the park, from the petting zoo area, to the hillside slide, to the bouncing pillows, to the farm tractor tour... with periodic stops for some mouth-watering snacks, like their amazing roasted corn on the cob, and a stop at their newly renovated fudge and candy shop - YUM!  This is the height of low-tech fun... a true agricultural amusement park for kids of all ages.  Why not plan a visit, along with your stay at the Apple Bin Inn.  We'll tell them to keep the tractor warmed up for you!

Update ~ Independence Day Concert at Long's Park...

A follow-up to our previous post...  We attended the July 3rd concert at Long's Park, and all I can say is "Wow!" Not only was the U.S. Army Band as wonderful as ever, but the cannons seemed louder than last year (if that's possible), and the fireworks show lasted 40 minutes, with a 5 minute finale that was the brightest I've ever seen! The last time I was this awed by a fireworks display (and I'm really dating myself now) was in New York Harbor when the tall ships came in for the 1976 Bicentennial.

The estimated attendance at this concert was 35,000 people... reportedly the largest non-athletic event in Pennsylvania each year!  So if you missed this Long's Park concert, you should definitely put it on your calendar for next year!  And don't forget, these free concerts happen every Sunday at 7:30 PM, June through August, with a wide variety of musical performances.  The Apple Bin Inn is just 15 minutes from the concert amphitheater, so come spend the weekend with us, and enjoy all that Lancaster County has to offer :-)

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