December 2021 - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
On Wednesday, December 12th, we were off to Pennsylvania. We flew to Baltimore in the morning, picked up our rental car, and drove for about two hours to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit Nina. Our family of four has done this plenty of times before. We knew what this travel day would be like. But this time, one thing was different. Matthew was coming along! And I could hardly wait to share this special place of mine with him.
Once we were close to Lancaster, Matthew said, “if you dropped me here blindfolded and then asked me where I was, I would definitely be able to tell you Pennsylvania.” HA. Maybe it was the rolling countryside and farmland. We crossed the Marysville Bridge close to golden hour and enjoyed the stunning view of the mighty Susquehanna River. When we reached Lancaster, we went to Neffsville Flower Shop and selected a centerpiece for Nina’s dining room table. Side note - the refreshing scents in a flower shop can revive your senses. I loved looking through the refrigerators and selecting my favorite arrangement for Nina.
I love Nina and Granda’s house…the house where my dad and Aunt Abby grew up. I forgot just how much I loved every inch of the place. I forgot how much it felt like a second home. It hit me when I arrived. The scent, the fun memories of holidays and vacations past. My parents really did such a good job of prioritizing family. I have always loved and cherished time with my grandparents.
Nina greeted us at the front door, and she was in great spirits. Cheerful, a disposition she has always chosen to show toward me and Katherine Day, and now Matthew, too. By the time we arrived, it was dark. We all gathered in Nina’s living room, the piano room, as I’ve come to know it. And caught up under dim, sunset-feeling light. It was a warm and cozy welcome for this holiday trip.
I was so happy as Matthew looked at all of the bookshelves filled with family photographs, nostalgic memorabilia, and collected items from travels and antique shows visited. How can a place not feel like your second home when bookshelves and side tables are covered with childhood photos of you and your family? Both sets of my grandparent’s homes have always made me feel loved and free. Both exude the true essence of home. These were the thoughts going through my head. And I was glad to be back.
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The two parts of the trip I’ll harp on here are:
- Lancaster Central Market
- Karen Anderer Fine Art
LANCASTER CENTRAL MARKET
On our first full day in Lancaster, we worked out and then got ready for our first stop of the day: the Market! Typically, the Market is only open on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, but it was open on Thursday to accommodate the holiday crowd. I loved walking booth to booth, vendor to vendor, and seeing some old familiar favorites, as well as discovering new stands. We picked up a cold brew (for Matthew), a latte (for me), and a kombucha (for Katherine Day) and snacked on Hammond’s Old Fashioned pretzels as we toured around. Matthew found Long’s Bloody Mary Mix (delicious on Christmas morning!), and we ordered some breakfast sandwiches. The prices at market are incredibly reasonable, which makes it even more of a treat.
The next day, we picked up two salmon Gravad Laks (grav’d-lox - thin sliced smoked salmon piled onto buttered French baguette drizzled with “fox sauce,” lemon chip, and a fresh sprig of dill) from a Scandinavian vendor. There’s plenty of delicious delicacies at market - don’t miss the Lebanon Bologna, sweet lebanon bologna sticks, cookies and pastries, and fresh produce if you’re planning on cooking.
KAREN ANDERER FINE ART
Matthew, Katherine Day, and I walked into Karen Anderer Fine Art Gallery where we picked out our favorite artists she represents: Irene Gates, Trevor Mikula, and René Romero Schuler (Katherine Day’s Favorite). Art galleries are always a place I go for inspiration!
Here are my recommendations for shopping, dining, and exploring in Lancaster, Pennsylvania:
To eat: The Horse Inn, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Captain Gus’s Steak Shop, Double C, The Exchange Roof, Luca , Lombardo’s Restaurant, The Pressroom Restaurant
To stay: Lancaster Mariott at Penn Square or Lancaster Arts Hotel
To visit: Lancaster Central Market, Franklin & Marshall College, Buchanan Park
To shop: Central Market, FoxDuck (Graphic Tees and Silk Screen Printing), Pappagallo Lancaster (Women’s shopping), David Lyall Home & Design, Heritage Center Print Shop (Home of the .918 club), Fillings, Ellicott & Co
Art Galleries: Karen Anderer Fine Art featuring Irene Gates (Irene Gates at Karen Anderer Fine Art, Trevor Mikula (here), and René Romero Schuler (Katherine Day’s Favorite)