Lititz and Intercourse, PA

My first stop was Wilbur Chocolates in Lititz Pennsylvania. Of course they had FREE chocolate samples, and that kept me there for quite a while. Smart. They had every variety and chocolate type that you could imagine. And I could watch the demonstration as they made it. So, after spending way too much money on chocolate, which will keep me in good supply, I headed over to Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery. I took a tour to learn more about the original pretzel making process. It was fun, as we all received a handful of dough, and learned how to make our own pretzel. They talked about how the recipe evolved and how by accident hard crunchy pretzels were discovered, after accidentally leaving them in the oven to over bake. We all received samples to eat, and I purchased a bag of hot cheddar cheese pretzels. I continued a walk through the town, and visited several little shops, enjoyed a cup of iced coffee, and took some time to watch the world go by. But I am still adjusting to a slower pace, and taking my time to do literally nothing. I feel as if somehow my day must be filled with something to see and do, rather than just to be. Eventually I headed on over to the town of Intercourse Pennsylvania. Yes, I think it is quite the tourist attraction, and I was surprised by the amount of traffic in this town. I went to the touristy place called The Kettle Kitchen, which was a collection of more shops. It was Saturday, so they had some live music, as young men performed and played the Beatle's songs. They were convincing. At the end of the day I asked about an Amish buggy ride and asked if I could take JoJo in his little bag. They said yes, of course, and I was able to hitch the last one hour ride through the back roads of this community. We also drove through a covered bridge and stopped at a farmers market where I bought some zucchini nut bread. And it was absolutely delicious. Our tour guide was in fact a real Amish man who did these tours, every Saturday, during the summer, with his buggy and two horses. It was interesting hearing feedback from this man regarding tourism and how busy the community has come. He didn't say anything negative, but it is a delicate balance between preserving their lifestyle, and commercialism. At the same time there are economic benefits. It was an enjoyable, but long day, and I wound up at the Cracker Barrel for the evening. Not my favorite place to stay, but it was ok. Of course, I'd much rather stay at a friend's house.

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