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Relax in an historic area where time stops, where neighbors wave hello as they pass by and shopkeepers greet you with a smile. Explore historic homes preserved to their original glory and marvel at the perfection of life in simpler times. Spend a relaxing day exploring the wonders of each village as you wander down tree-lined streets. Make yourself at home and enjoy life in our friendly towns and villages.
DAY ONE - GETTYSBURG
Adams County offers a great deal more than Historic Gettysburg and the National Military Park. Quaint towns and villages pepper the countryside offering visitors a look into the history of early America and the simplistic life still experienced by many locals.
You may wish to start your Adams County adventure in Abbottstown. Located along the historic Lincoln highway, Abbottstown is located on the route west taken by the Conestogas leaving Lancaster. This colonial town is the oldest town in Adams County. While visiting, take in a meal at the Altland House. A country inn with exquisite cuisine and a historic atmosphere, the Altland House was a favorite of President Eisenhower.
The next small town along Route 30 is New Oxford, an antique connoisseur's playground. Known as the Antique Capital of Central Pennsylvania's, New Oxford is home to over 500 dealers. Brick sidewalks, tree-lined streets and 18th and 19th century Victorian and Colonial homes boast New Oxford's historical heritage. Incorporated as a borough in 1874, this quaint little town was once a popular stopping place for wagons and stages on their way to and from Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Located along Route 194, just off Route 30, is the Early American town of East Berlin. Established in 1764, 52 of the original East Berlin structures shown on an 1856 map are still standing. In 1985, East Berlin was designated a Pennsylvania Historic Site and a National Historic District significant architecturally as an 18th Century Pennsylvania German community. Some of the 19th Century buildings feature an Italianate-inspired exterior window and door treatment. This was popular only in East Berlin and is not seen in other nearby towns. Along King Street you will find a log home constructed in the 18th Century and later covered with German siding. You will also see the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church built in 1888, and a twenty-eight room Queen Anne style house built in 1897 with an elaborate Victorian barn/carriage house. The Studebaker Homestead, a log house built in 1790 and covered with original siding, still stands on King Street as well. This family was relatives of the Studebaker Automobile family. US Representative Thaddeus Stevens' sandstone house, from c. 1780, can also be seen in East Berlin.
The best way to see the towns and villages of Adams County is a driving tour. The Gettysburg CVB offers two tours; the Scenic Valley Tour and the Historic Conewago Tour, free to visitors at their information center located a block off the Lincoln Square at 102 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg.
DAY TWO - YORK
Experience all that York County has to offer with a scenic driving tour. Travel along the Heritage Rail Trail, extending more than 21 miles through scenic York County. Stops might include the Howard Tunnel, the oldest operating railroad tunnel in the country, or Hanover Junction, a recently restored train station and Civil War Museum.
You might also choose to follow, Route 30 - the Lincoln Highway, the nation's first coast-to-coast highway.
From the historic downtown district, to the beautiful rolling hills of the countryside, there's a lot to see in York County!
DAY THREE LANCASTER
Dotting the patchwork countryside of Lancaster County are many towns and villages, each with its own personality. All have played an important part in preserving the rich history and in maintaining a way of life from simpler times. Lose yourself in the homespun charm of Lititz. The epitome of small town America with tree-lined streets and eclectic architecture, it boasts a downtown bursting with boutiques and antique shops.
Meander down Elizabethtown's wide sidewalks lined with restaurants, shops and quaint B & B's. The town started as a trading post. Today, it continues to thrive as a bustling commercial center.
As you find your way from town to town, wind your way through some of Lancaster's 29 covered bridges. Many have endured for over a century - some closer to two. Today they remain an idyllic place for couples to steal a kiss or share a private moment.
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