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  • Draped across over 950 square miles of southern Pennsylvania is Lancaster County,

  • a charming region with a creative city,

  • historic townships, and clusters of small communities

  • which lead traditional, technology free lives.

  • Stitched together with the threads of tradition and creativity,

  • Lancaster County is a patchwork quilt of rolling countryside,

  • small farming villages and its captivating city of the same name.

  • This rural corner of Pennsylvania is well known for its population of Amish,

  • Mennonite and other communities known asplain people”.

  • The groupings are committed to a life of simplicity and humility,

  • forgoing the trappings of modern technology.

  • In the 1720s, these minority communities fled persecution in Europe

  • and began a new life in this remote region,

  • which soon became known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country.

  • The best way to explore these rolling fields and quaint villages is by car,

  • and the first stop on your Lancaster County road trip

  • is the small farming community of Ronks.

  • Call into the Amish Village to ease into Dutch Pennsylvania's gentle way of life.

  • Explore the village's traditional barn,

  • a fine example Amish fellowship and camaraderie,

  • then wander the rest of the 12-acre community

  • and witness this simple yet joyful culture.

  • Ronks is also home to the Cherry Crest Adventure Farm,

  • where local farmers delight in demonstrating their heritage

  • through what they callagri-tainment.”

  • Say hello to friendly barnyard animals and roam through the Amazing Maize Maze,

  • a 5-acre labyrinth of corn crops.

  • To experience Lancaster County's theatrical gifts,

  • catch a show at the nearby Sight and Sound Theatres,

  • which has long been reimagining the greatest bible stories on stage.

  • Hit the road for the short drive to the town of Intercourse,

  • home to Kitchen Kettle Village.

  • Starting life as a family jelly making business in 1954,

  • the village serves up some of the tastiest flavors Lancaster County has to offer.

  • Learn more about the area's farming and trade history in Strasburg,

  • Lancaster's most historic town.

  • Strasburg began as a village along the Great Conestoga Road,

  • which was once the main thoroughfare between Philadelphia and the west.

  • Known as Train Town USA,

  • be sure to visit some of the world's most iconic locomotives

  • at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

  • and the Strasburg Railroad while you're in here.

  • Once you've explored Strasburg,

  • make tracks and pull up a chair to a hearty meal at Good 'n Plenty,

  • which has been serving traditional Amish fare since 1969.

  • When your belly's full,

  • treat yourself to a musical feast at the American Music Theatre,

  • which hosts touring shows, celebrity concerts and original productions.

  • For a change of pace, spend an afternoon at Dutch Wonderland,

  • where the kids can get their fill of old school adrenalin.

  • As you venture throughout the county's rolling hills and farmlands,

  • you'll cross many covered bridges.

  • In years gone by, these became known askissing bridges,”

  • for the brief moment of privacy they gave starry-eyed couples

  • out on their evening strolls.

  • Once you've explored the rural byways and villages of Lancaster County,

  • make yourself at home in Lancaster City.

  • This is a city that proudly honors and preserves its history.

  • Discover the first chapter of historic dwellings in Lancaster County,

  • and step inside a Native American longhouse,

  • built in the traditional style of Pennsylvania's first nations.

  • Then, call into three-hundred-year-old Hans Herr house,

  • the oldest surviving homestead in Lancaster county.

  • Finally, explore Rock Ford Plantation, the illustrious estate of Edward Hand,

  • a general in the Revolutionary War.

  • Appart from its many historic homes,

  • Lancaster City has long cultivated an intense passion for art.

  • You'll feel it in the lovingly curated exhibits of the city's many galleries

  • the dazzling lights and performances of Fulton Theatre

  • and the art boutiques lining the streets of Gallery Row.

  • The city's love of tradition and creation was born in Central Market,

  • the oldest farmers' market in the USA.

  • Savor homemade pickles, creamy cheeses and crusty sourdoughs,

  • whose recipes have been passed through the generations

  • since the market first opened in 1730.

  • Welcome to Lancaster,

  • a county where life's wholesome pleasures are cultivated in tradition,

  • community and its bountiful soils.

  • So wander across these bridges into simpler times,

  • and you'll soon understand why there's just no point changing things to keep up,

  • when life is already this good.

Draped across over 950 square miles of southern Pennsylvania is Lancaster County,

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