Pennsylvania

         We reached our first campground in Pennsylvania on April 22, and this campground was special because aside from being an RV campground, it was also a working farm.  There were alpacas, turkeys, horses, sheep, peacocks, chickens, a donkey, a cow, and goats (as well as a duck and cat).  

        Quick side note: when we were in North Carolina I bought a Canon camera and had it shipped to the campground.  I really enjoy photography and hope to be a professional photographer in the future.  This was my first actual camera and I was really looking forward to learning how to use it. Here's a few shots from the first photo shoot I did with the camera: 

        Now, back to Pennsylvania!

        We were only a half-hour from Gettysburg National Military Park and went there a couple days out of our stay.  Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; is important because it is the site of one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.  For three days, Confederate and Union troops fought in the farmland and streets of Gettysburg.  We did a lot of activities in Gettysburg and learned a lot about the iconic battle that served as the turning point of the Civil War.  Besides the National Monument, we went to downtown Gettysburg for more history and some shopping and food. 

The Pennsylvania monument!!

The North Carolina monument is one of the most iconic monuments out of 1328 different monuments all across the Gettysburg battlefield.

One of the rooms in the David Wills house.  This was the home that Lincoln spent the night in before his Gettysurg Address.  Something I didn't even realize before coming to Gettysburg was that Lincoln wasn't the main speaker the day of his address; he was only supposed to say "a few appropriate remarks" after the main speaker finished.  But now, sixty years later, Lincoln's "few appropriate remarks" are one of the best known speeches in our country's history. 

The actual bedroom Lincoln slept in when he stayed at the Wills house.  Some of the furniture in the room today was there when Lincoln stayed.  

We went to Cottage Creperie for lunch one day and the crepes were delish!  The atmosphere of the shop was also very positive and the owner was very nice.  The crepe above is Mia's s'mores crepe. 

My veggie delight crepe.  Be sure to stop in the Cottage Creperie if you're ever in Gettysburg!

Mom got the vegan caprese.

        Another day we went to Baltimore, Maryland.  Baltimore was actually one of my favorite things we did while at this campground, I really enjoyed it.  We saw a lot of cool and pretty stuff and the people were friendly.  The weather was also very nice, which is always a plus. 😊  We started our day out by seeing the Washington Monument, which actually was there before the Washington Monument in D.C. was built.  We then went to the George Peabody Library and Baltimore Basilica, which were beautiful.  We had lunch at Gangster Vegan Organics in Cross Street Market, which I definitely recommend, it has delicious plant-based healthy food.  Cross Street Market is an indoor market with a lot of food and dessert stalls, so there are options for everyone.  After lunch we went to Fells Point, one of the oldest parts of the city.  Fells Point has cobblestone streets, shops, and restaurants and is definitely something to check out when you are in Baltimore. 

Sherwood Gardens is a quiet neighborhood garden perfect for a picnic or a flower walk

The Baltimore Basilica is beautiful, with a simple and clean style.  It is the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States. 

The George Peabody library is a MUST if you are in Baltimore

Fells Point 

        On May 1 we moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  This has been one of my favorite destinations we have traveled to while RVing, it is a must see.  Lancaster, aka Amish country, is like another country--a country where horse-drawn buggies drive alongside cars, where people in bonnets, long skirts, and beards mingle in the shops, and where green farmland and animals are frequent.  In Lancaster, fresh produce, honey, jam, pickles, and bakery items are sold in markets; English words are adorned with Dutch accents; and the best pretzels ever (and I mean, EVER) can be found in any of the multiple markets.  In case you can't tell, I LOVE LANCASTER.  Here are some of my favorite things to do in Lancaster: 

        1. Central Market.  This market is the oldest continually operated farmer's market in Lancaster and is housed in a big red brick building.  It's open on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, and we absolutely loved it here.  Mom and I were in heaven here, it was such an authentic experience like I've never had before.  

YUM!!

        2. Kitchen Kettle Village.  This is an assortment of fun shops and restaurants with lots of charm.  We got to watch fudge be made right before our eyes, eat shoofly pie (across the street at Corner Coffee Shop) and whoopie pies (Lancaster's known for these desserts), and buy souvenirs from the village.  It's among one of the most popular things to do in Lancaster. 

The pumpkin whoopie pie was my favorite 

Shoofly pie is worth a try, but it wasn't my favorite dessert. It has a very unique taste.

Oil and vinegar shop

Pepper Lane Fudge and Sweets makes the fudge right in their shop and has been in Kitchen Kettle Village for over 50 years.

Chocolate peanut butter whoopie pies

        3. The Pottery Works in Downtown Lancaster.  This is a fun, colorful, and unique experience.  The Pottery Works sells dozens and dozens of different pieces of pottery from cups, plates, bowls, and jewelry boxes to ornaments, knick knacks, and salt and pepper shakers.  Once you choose your item, you get to choose from the many paints (including sparkly and exploding paint) and hand-paint your item in the shop.  I chose a hedgehog mug and Mia painted a bowl for her morning cereal.  

My mug!!

Mia's bowl!!

4. Hershey Chocolate World isn't technically in Lancaster, but it is definitely a popular attraction, and we had a good time here.  We rode the free trolley, which mimicked going through the factory, showing us the steps that go into making Hershey's chocolate.  We also did the Stuff Your Own Reese's experience, which is where you can fill a Reese's chocolate cup shell with your own choice of add-ons and peanut butter.  We chose brownie chunks, Reese's pieces, and pretzel bits (Yum!).  After we finished at Hershey's Chocolate World, we went to the beautiful Hershey hotel. 

The tops of the lightposts in the town of Hershey are topped with Hershey's kisses! 

Mixing our toppings with the peanut butter

On the ride

This chocolate sculpture weighs 1000 pounds!

Milton Hershey, who founded Hershey's Chocolate 

The line to the ride has a timeline telling about the history of Hershey's Chocolate company, with fun facts sprinkled throughout

Photo courtesy of Mia 

Hershey hotel

The second floor lobby of the hotel was so lovely

The hotel gardens had pretty tulips in different colors

        5. An Amish horse and buggy ride is the perfect way to see the Amish countryside from a buggy, the way the Amish do!  On our buggy ride we got to go through a covered bridge, which was neat.  I loved the sound of the horses' hooves on the wooden floor of the bridge. Our driver was very nice and told us about the farms in the area, and even shared about his own family.  Amish usually have large families, and our driver told us he had 37 grandchildren and a few great-grandchildren.  On our tour we passed a shop owned by one of his children, and he told us about how sometimes, when his grandson saw him driving past, he would run out and wave to his grandpa. 

      

        Some other stuff we did in the Lancaster area was visit the small towns of Bird In Hand, Ronks, and Lititz.  We went to the huge Green Dragon Farmers Market in Ephrata one day and I got a couple of Amish books by Beverly Lewis. 🕮😊

Wilbur Chocolate Factory has been producing chocolate since 1884, and it's located right in Lititz, Pennsylvania!

Julius Sturgis' Pretzel Bakery in Lititz is the oldest in America. 

At the Lititz train station

The miniature horse farm in Ronks

This miniature horse foal was SO CUTE. His name was Legacy and he was less than a month old. 

Adorable baby goat

Barn kittens sleeping together

Eating flavored honey straws at Green Dragon Farmers Market

My Julius Sturgis pretzel 

These beautiful flowers were in the garden where we ate our pretzels in Lititz. 

        We went to Wilmington, Delaware one day, so we could check another state off of our United States map.  We started our day out at Brandywine Creek State Park which was a pretty trail through the forest that led you to a river.  Then we went to Bellevue State Park for a picnic lunch and to see the gardens and former DuPont family mansion.  We saw some beautiful flowers, my favorites were the purple irises.  That afternoon we went on the Wilmington Riverwalk, which was a nice stroll lined with restaurants and little attractions like ornate birdhouses, a garden with a little waterfall, and historic plaques.  For dinner we ate at Drop Squad Kitchen, which had some of the best vegan food I have ever tasted.  We got tacos, home fries, and chicken and waffles and it was all amazing. They also make a lot of their stuff in-house, including their "chicken." I would definitely go back there.  

Brandywine Creek State Park 

Bellevue Hall

The purple irises I loved

        

        On Mother's Day we went biking in Columbia, Pennsylvania.  We biked about 18 miles in total and it was such a pretty trail.  We went through a long rock bridge, lush green forest, rye fields, and all the way to the White Cliffs of Conoy.  

The rock bridge

A mural of the river we biked along

White Cliffs of Conoy

Wrightsville Bridge (not the bridge we biked through, but it was pretty so we drove over it in our truck.)

        I also got to spend my sixteenth birthday in Lancaster.  Thank you to everyone who sent me cards, I loved opening and reading them all, it made me feel so happy and loved.  This is the second birthday I have celebrated in my RV, and let me just say that RV birthdays are awesome.  My last birthday I spent in Yellowstone (see my post Spring Arrives), and now this one I got to spend in Pennsylvania Amish Country! 

Shopping! 🛍

Covered bridge

More shopping!

        We left Pennsylvania the day after my birthday and headed to New Jersey (I'll be blogging about NJ next, so stay tuned for that post!).  I was a little sad to leave Amish Country, I enjoyed it so much.  But I was also excited to move on and have more fun travels in the Northeast!