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

. 

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! 

Springtime (Finally!)

Today is the day! One of my favorite places has opened for business for the year. Perfect Pots Container Gardens is my 'go to' place for the perennials that I plant around the Inn. Yes, I could easily go to HD or the 'L' place or another big-box store. But those places aren't likely to have the quality and service that I've come to enjoy at Perfect Pots. There's even a place where you can bring your own pots, baskets or containers and fill them right there! What a cool idea! The owner, Laura Lapp provides an area with tools, soil, gloves and additives (fertilizer and insect control if you need it). Bring your empty containers, buy just the right amount of plants and take home beautiful, healthy works of art! 

My Happy Place

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!

Mud Sales - They're not just for Spring any More!

I've told you about Mud Sales before. However, as the years have gone by, Mud Sales have gotten more and more popular and therefore are not just in the springtime any more. There are so many here in Lancaster County, that they've spread far and wide into the summer and fall, in which case, I suppose they could then technically be called 'Dust Sales', but that doesn't have nearly the appeal, now does it?

Here's a good list. Probably more to be added. List courtesy of Discover Lancaster. 

February 28 - Strasburg Spring Consignment & Mud Sale
Strasburg Fire Co., 46 W. Main Street, Strasburg, PA 17572, 717-687-7232

March 6 - Bart Township Auction & Mud Sale
Bart Township Fire Co., 11 Furnace Rd, Quarryville, PA 17566, 717-786-3348

March 13 – 14 - Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction
Gordonville Fire Co., Old Leacock Road, Gordonville, PA 17566, 717-768-3869

March 14 - Penryn Volunteer Fire Co. Sale
Penryn Volunteer Fire Company, 1441 North Penryn Road, Manheim, PA 17545

March 21 - Bart Township Building Materials and Craft Sale
Bart Township Fire Company, 11 Furnace Rd, Quarryville, PA

March 21 - Airville Fire Co. Spring Consignment & Quilt Auction
Airville Volunteer Fire Co., 3576 Delta Road (Rt. 74), Airville, PA 17302 (York County), 717-862-3806

March 27 – 28 - Gap Fire Company Sale
Gap Fire Company, 802 Pequea Avenue, Gap, PA 17527, 717-442-9549

March 28 - West Earl Fire Company Annual Quilt & Consignment Auction
West Earl Fire Company, 14 School Lane Ave, Brownstown, PA 17508, 717-989-5986

April 4 - Robert Fulton Sale
Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Co., 2271 Robert Fulton Hwy. (Routes 272 & 222), Peach Bottom, PA 17563, 717-548-8995

April 11 – Rawlinsville Sale
Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Co., 33 Martic Heights Drive, Holtwood, PA 17532, 717-284-3023

May 16 - Weaverland Valley Sale
Weaverland Valley Volunteer Fire Co., Terre Hill Community Park, 210 Lancaster Avenue, Terre Hill, PA 17528, 717-445-5072

May 9 - Honey Brook Fire Company Quilt Sale & Consignment Auction
Honey Brook Fire Company, Romano 4H Center, 1841 Horseshoe Pike, Honey Brook, PA 19344, 610-273-2688

June 26 - Lancaster County Carriage and Antique Auction
Bird-in-Hand Volunteer Fire Company – Location: Across from the Bird-in-Hand Family Restaurant on Route 340, Bird-in-Hand, PA 17505, 717-392-0112

June 27 - Refton Fire Company Sale
Refton Volunteer Fire Co., 99 Church Street, Refton, PA 17568, 717-786-9462

August 7 – 8 - Gap Relief Auction
Benefits Mennonite Central Committee, Solanco Fairgrounds, 172 S. Lime Street, Quarryville, PA 17566

August 29 – Kinzer Fire Co. Mud Sale
Kinzer Volunteer Fire Co., 3521 Lincoln Hwy. East (Rt. 30), Kinzers, PA 17535, 717-442-4121

August 29 – Bareville Fire Company Consignment Auction
Bareville Volunteer Fire Company, 211 East Main Street, Leola, PA 17540, 717-656-7554

October 24 – Cochranville Fire Company Mud Sale
Cochranville Volunteer Fire Company, 3135 Limestone Road, Cochranville, PA 19330