Best Kept Secrets Tour

Sure, Lancaster County is ALL about the shopping. There's the outlet malls, the Amish 'stuff' stores, but there's one kind of shopping that's been kept secret for years. Where do the locals go? Where do they find the best stuff?

It's your lucky day! I'm going to tell you about the Best Kept Secrets Christmas Tour. This 'tour' is set up like a home or garden tour where each stop is a unique, It takes place December 3rd thru the 12th.

How to get the Best Night's Sleep EVER!

It is not uncommon, when guests sit down for their first breakfast in the dining room, for them to comment to us or other guests about the sheets that we use. The immediately want to know where they can purchase them for their own bed at home. They also have other questions like, "what is the thread count", and "do they wrinkle". 

I'm happy to report that you CAN purchase these sheets for your very own home! Just go to www.comphy.com and click on 'For Home'. 

To answer your other questions - Since the sheets are microfiber (and recyclable!), there is technically no 'thread count'. However, they have the feel of a 600-tc sheet. They do not wrinkle when removed from the dryer and folded or put on the bed in a timely manner. I must admit that mine probably spend a little more time in the laundry basket than they should, but still look great. We do touch up the pillow cases, but this takes minimal time. They also release almost any stain and are guaranteed for 300 washes. How's that for durability?!

The company also has blankets (we use those, too), pillows, duvets, towels and comforters. Because they wash so well and dry quickly, this saves us a lot of time in the laundry room. 

So, now you know how you can get the wonderful sleep at home that you've enjoyed here at the Australian Walkabout Inn

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2015 U.S. Women's Open

July is fast approaching. Do you have your reservations for the 2015 Women's Open? The LPGA is taking over Lancaster County for about a week from July 6-12 and all eyes in the women's golf world will be on the action happening at the Lancaster Country Club.  According to Barry Deach, champion director of the 2015 Open, the county could see as many as 100,000 visitors over the week-long period.

One-hundred thousand visitors means a lot of people looking for overnight accommodations. The Australian Walkabout Inn still has rooms available for the week. We are less than 20 minutes from shuttle parking that will take you to the Open. As a side note, Bob is volunteering at the Open, so he'll have an interesting perspective to share with guests. 

While you're at the Open, make sure you take some time to enjoy all of the plantings around the area. They're done by my friend, Laura Lapp of Perfect Pots Container Gardens.

We usually serve breakfast around 9am, but if you want to get an earlier start, just make arrangements with us beforehand. We're happy to accommodate schedules. 

After a day walking the course and following all the favorites, you'll be able to come back to the Inn, relax with a hot tub soak or maybe a massage!  We can then guide you to some out of the way places to have a nice dinner. 

Make your reservations soon. Fore! 

So, it's February. Now what?

Ok, so you've resigned yourself to the fact that winter is probably going to last forever at this point. You're tired of getting zapped with static every time you touch your car door, or your TV remote or your cat. Valentine's Day is still another week away, so what to do?
You go to the Lancaster Roots & Blues Festival, of course! Friday, February 6th and Saturday the 7th in Downtown Lancaster is THE place to be. Multiple venues, dozens of artists, food, culture, art...it's ALL there and all the venues are close enough to each other to walk. Park once, enjoy the evening.
Best of all, tickets are actually affordable! There is nothing like this event anywhere close.
To complete the weekend, you'll want to stay somewhere really NICE, and close to downtown. So, of course, you'll want to book a room at the Australian Walkabout Inn B&B.  Use the promo code 'convention' for special savings.
See you soon.

AQS Quilt Week

"The Quilters are coming! The Quilters are coming!" this is a familiar phrase we've heard in Lancaster every spring for the past 5 years. The AQS Quilt Show hosts its annual show here in Lancaster and the influx of quilters (both men and women) is just amazing.
Most just want a one-way ticket directly from their hotels to the Convention Center -do not pass 'go', do not collect $200. However, the smart ones, the ones that really want to make an event out of the whole thing, are the ones that choose to stay at a Bed & Breakfast. These are the visitors who know that there's so much more to Lancaster than the floor of the Convention Center, the shuttle and their sterile hotel room. These are the visitors who take time to enjoy all that Lancaster County has to offer above and beyond the main reason for their visit.
We hope you're one of those visitors. Come and stay with us!

Beer Near Here

I'll bet you didn't know that in the state of Pennsylvania, there are more than 100 breweries, providing some 60,000 jobs. That's not only a huge economic impact, but it provides beer-lovers with a lot of choices. I'll also venture to say that you have no idea which county in Pennsylvania has the most breweries. Well, you can probably guess... Lancaster.

How fortunate for us and our guests! The furthest away is probably  Stoudt's in Adamstown or Union Barrel Works in Reamstown. One of our favorites is more local, Lancaster Brewing Company (I'm partial to the Strawberry Wheat) 

In addition, there's Appalachian Brewing in Lititz; Iron Hill and Spring House (Taproom in Lancaster and Brewing Company in Conestoga);  Bube's in Mount Joy;  Rumspringa Brewing Company in Intercourse; JoBoy's and Swashbuckler Brewing Company in Manheim (at the PA Renaissance Faire) and St. Boniface Craft Brewing in Ephrata .

For beer-lovers, this should keep you occupied for at least a week!

Mountains of Towels!!

Hi! It's Joey again. Today I'm helping Lynne fold towels. It's Monday, so there is lots and lots (and LOTS) of laundry!

The 'fold' is very important. There's a lot to think about. Separate types of towels - hand towels, bath sheets, spa towels, washcloths, makeup washcloths and bath mats. Each of these things has a specific area where it has to go on the shelf. If it's not folded properly, it won't fit on the shelves and it's not fun having to run all around the inn looking for things when they're not where they should be!

Now, this shelf might not look too organized, but in this space, everything has it's place! In this picture, I'm sitting in the basket that holds the washcloths and the bathrobe ties. These items go in a basket because they tend to get too messy sitting on the shelf outside of the basket.

Our innsitter, Anne of Two Hearts Innsitting is very impressed with our linen storage!

Next week...sheets!

Remote-ly Overwhelmed

Hi! I'm Joey. I'm the little kangaroo who usually lives in the Barossa Suite here at the Walkabout Inn. Lately, though, I've been out and about...getting into things like mischievous inn mascots are prone to do. Today I went around and counted all the remote controls. There are 13. And over 2 dozen batteries (AA and AAA) are needed to keep them operating in perfect order.

Keeping up with the technology of innkeeping is hard work. There are 5 televisions and 5 accompanying DVD players and 4 cable converter boxes. Not only do these things attract dust like magnets, but it seems that they all have different settings and quirks that you have to know in order to make them do what they're intended to do when they need to do it.

Just one more item on the 'to do' list of innkeeping. I'm hoping that you'll join me as I see what else there is around here to get into.

It's THAT Time of Year Once Again!!

Well, Thanksgiving is over and (most of) the halls are decked here at the Australian Walkabout Inn B&B. This year was a bit different in that we weren’t met with our usual early-November lull in guests thanks to Sight & Sound’s running Jonah through to the end of the year.

Speaking of the end of the year…that brings a NEW Year. Back by popular demand is our BOGO. Stay with us one night in January or February 2013 and add week-night for only $20.13! Of course, holiday weekends are excluded and some other restrictions apply, but you really can’t beat this deal!

But wait!!! There’s lots going on in Lancaster before the end of the year– too much to fully appreciate in just one day. You’re going to need two or three, at least.  And where else to lay your head after a busy day full of fun things to do? Well, the Australian Walkabout Inn, of course! Currently, we’re offering 25% off a consecutive 3-night stay.

            First of all – Shopping!! Outlets, including Rockvale and Tanger. Not to mention Park City Center, Kitchen Kettle Village, the shops in Downtown Lancaster and a myriad of other choices, both commercial and Amish. Don’t forget to get a little something for yourself!

            Next, we have theater! I’ve already mentioned Sight & Sound, but there’s also The Fulton, with a fabulous production of Singing in the Rain, but they’re also doing A Christmas Carol (my personal favorite) on December 1, 8, 15, 22 and 27. The American Music Theater has its original Christmas show, Home for the Holidays, that’s not to be missed. Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre is currently running a production of A Swingin’ Christmas. And, don’t forget Rainbow Dinner Theatre’s offering of Christmas In Paradise. Of course, all of these places also offer gift certificates, so you can pick up gifts for someone special while having a good time yourself.

            Historic offerings this time of year? Just a few…how about Wheatland Yuletide, Historic Poole Forge, or Country Christmas Village?

            If you’re interested in trains, we have just the ‘ticket’! All Aboard Railroad at Landis Valley is a 800+ square foot display of American Flyer Trains. The Columbia Historic Preservation Society offers a model train layout of over 1000 square feet depicting Columbia from the 1920’s to the 1950’s (eight trains running at a time at this display!) For life-sized trains, you can visit the Strasburg Railroad for their ‘Night Before Christmas Train’ on Friday, December 14^th.

            After all that excitement, you’re going to get hungry and you deserve to treat yourself to someplace special. Some of our favorite places to have dinner include – The Brasserie, The Greenfield Restaurant, Fenz, John J. Jefferies, Checker’s Bistro, Ciro’s, Lancaster Brewing Company or Carr’s. Here again, gift certificates are available – perfect for stocking stuffers!

            So, there you have it! Just the little extra push you need to schedule that much-needed getaway to Lancaster! See you soon. 

The Big Lancaster Meltdown!

Well, the big snows here in Lancaster County, PA are over (hopefully) and the temps will be reaching almost 40 this week, so that means things are going to start thawing out. In fact, while I was writing this, a huge bunch of snow slid off my roof and disconnected my cable! So, where there is melting snow, there is mud; and where there is mud, that means it must be time for the Amish Mud Sales!

What are Mud Sales, you might ask. No, they're not retailing dirt and water mixtures. Wikipedia doesn't even define the term. The words are used to describe annual auctions or sales at local fire companies (though some churches and communities host them, too). They're so popular that they're held outdoors, often in the thawing fields - hence the term Mud Sale. And with all the snow melting, there's sure to be plenty of mud, so bring your boots!!

No matter which one you decide to attend, we'll be here to make your stay in Lancaster a memorable one! Book your stay at the Australian Walkabout Inn. We'll be happy to provide a restful place for you to relax after a long day at the sales.

Here's a list of some local sales that you might want to put on your itinerary:

Feb 25-26 Rawlinsville Farm Equipment & Auction 8:30am

Rawlinsville Fire Company

33 Martic Heights Dr. Holtwood 717-284-3943

Feb 26th - Farm equipment

Feb 27th - Antiques, antique tractors, etc.

Feb 27 Strasburg Spring Consignment & Mud Sale 8am

Strasburg Frie Co. #1

46 W. Main St. Strasburg 717-687-7232

Furniture, antiques, quilts, crafts, livestock, homemade goodies

March 6 45th Annual Bart Township Auction/Mud Sale (This is a BIG one!) 8:30am

Bart Fire Co.

11 Furnace Rd. Quarryville 717-786-3348

Antiques, quilts, furniture, equipment, hay & straw, livestock, tools, crafts, food

March 13 Gordonville Spring Mud Sale 8:30am

Gordonville Fire Co.

Old Leacock Rd 717-768-3869

Quilts, antiques, collectibles, furniture, farm equipment, livestock

March 20 4th Annyal Penryn Fire Co. Mud Sale 8:30 am

Penryn Fire Co #1

1441 N. Penryn Rd. Penryn, 717-665-4767

Wood crafts, furniture, antiques, quilts, crafts, farm equipment

March 27 Gap Annual Spring Mud Sale 8am

Gap Fire Company

802 Pequea Ave. Gap 717-442-8100

Carriages, buggies, wagons, furniture, quilts, crafts, dry goods, groceries

April 3 Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Company Mud Sale 7am

Robert Fulton Fire Company

2271 Robert Fulton Hwy. Peach Bottom 717-548-8995

Crafts, plants, tools, antiques, furniture, food, livestock

An even more comprehensive listing can be found here.