Why do they call it the Dog Days of Summer?

One quick look on Wikipedia succinctly answers this question. These days, usually between July 1 and September 1 in the Northern Hemisphere, are the hottest, most sultry days of summer. So named by the Romans who believed that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was somehow responsible for the hot weather.

Well, it's a good thing that those ol' Romans were so superstitious. These days, the Dog Days are utilized as an perfectly legitimate reason to celebrate just about anything...department stores, grocery stores and factory outlets use it as a reason to have sales; car dealerships mark down vehicles to clear out for the next year's models. And this year, we here at the Australian Walkabout Inn Bed & Breakfast in Lancaster, PA are using it as a theme for our Buy 2 Nights, Get the 3rd Night FREE special!! Book here NOW!

So, what's there to do in Lancaster for 3 days in the middle of the summer, you might ask. Plenty! Museums - Music - Dinner and a Movie - First Friday Downtown - Spend some time in the Park - Maybe you like Gardens? - Dinner Theatres? - or Music in the Vineyards?

Is shopping your thing? Good Food Outlet Store; Rockvale Outlets; Tanger Outlet Center; Wilton Armetale Factory Store just to name a few. We have hot air balloon rides, Zip Lines; Trail rides; hiking; scooter rentals; biking and pretzel twisting! And you Must, MUst, MUST do a Red Rose Segway tour of the downtown area!!! We've got coupons here for you for many of these activities, so they're not only a lot of fun, they're a great deal, too!!

These are but a few of the activities here in Lancaster County. I could go on for paragraphs! Check out our visitors' bureau website for itinerary ideas!! We hope you come and stay at least 3 days with us. There's so much to do here in Lancaster, not only during the Dog Days of Summer, but year round!

Springtime in Lancaster County

Well spring is officially here, at least that's what my calendar says. Although the nights have been quite chilly lately, the days have been warm and sunny. The leaves on the trees are bursting with all-encompassing color and my porch is green!

Actually, my front porch is painted red, but all the pollen in the air makes it look a sickly shade of green even if I hose it off each day. But that's alright, the pollen is a sign that summer is on the way! I love the change in seasons and I'm one of those people fortunate enough NOT to have to deal with seasonal allergies.

We lived in South Florida for 4 years. At first, I was quite excited to be in a place where it's summer all the time. But it got old really fast. I missed the change in seasons - the leaves changing color in the fall, spring crocuses and daffodils. After about 2 years, I even missed snow and I didn't think that was even possible! I grew up in Northwestern Pennsylvania where winters can be long and harsh thanks to that lake-effect snow.

The thing I missed most was my ritual of spring planting! When I was a kid, my grandmother had two greenhouses. She grew and sold all kinds of plants, especially geraniums. I still think of her when I smell those plants. Now, as an innkeeper, I take great pride and joy making the grounds look fabulous! And, since Grandma's green thumb seems to have found its way to my hand, things around The Australian Walkabout Inn look pretty good, even if I do say so myself.

I'm now fortunate enough to live in one of the most fertile places in the country...well, in regards to the soil, that is. And, we have the most wonderful greenhouses around with good prices, spectacular selection and friendly, helpful people.

When you're looking for bountiful plants, trees and shrubs, you'll find them here in Lancaster County. Ask me about my favorite places. 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.

The Quilters are Coming!!!

...and the railroad enthusiasts and the volleyball players...and the barbershop quartets...


Earlier this year, Lancaster welcomed the opening of our long-awaited Convention Center. While it's still working out the kinks of trying to service a whole new market of visitors and convention-goers, I believe it's going to be a good thing for Lancaster County tourism. Do the math - some of these conventions host thousands of people. The AQS Quilt Show and Contest , for example, is supposed to draw 17,000 people to the area. The Convention Center has only 300 rooms. So, as an innkeeper with a B&B only about 10 minutes from downtown, I'm wondering how I can get a piece of that pie.


Granted, the AQS quilt convention is one week out of the year, but these people will most likely come early, stay longer and come back if they feel welcome here. So another member of our Bed & Breakfast Association and I met with the organizers of the convention. We were not able to make any appreciable headway with any of our suggestions (a LONG story...for another blog, maybe) , but it did give us a new outlook on how these things are organized. We're still trying to get a meeting with people at the convention center, and that will eventually materialize. But in the meantime, each B&B will be encouraged to do what they can to make themselves attractive to the convention-goers.


Location is certainly a big factor when considering lodging options during a convention. Sure, you can stay right at the hotel (if you're one of the lucky 300), but then you don't get to experience all of what Lancaster County has to offer - Amish culture, superb shopping, great food, beautiful countryside. And staying at the convention hotel will not only set you back over $150 a night, but in addition, you'll have to pay for parking ($14/night), breakfast ($20+pp), and oh, don't touch that bottle of water in your room or it will show up on your bill at check-out.


On the other hand, stay at a local B&B and you'll get a special convention rate , but of course breakfast is included, parking is free and so is the bottled water you'll find in your room! So, when you're attending a convention at our beautiful, new convention center downtown, don't be afraid to think a little 'out of the box' and reserve a room at one of Lancaster's finest - a bed & breakfast!

A Little Marriage TLC

If you didn't know who Jon & Kate Gosselin were, you probably do by now. Their names and faces have been showing up all over national television, magazines & tabloids and even in our local newspaper. It's a shame that what once was a great show about a very unusual family has now turned into something that should more appropriately be called 'Jon & Kate Set a Court Date'.


Our 10 y/o daughter loves this show. About a year ago, she begged me to send an e-mail to invite Jon & Kate to stay at our B&B . At the time they were still living in Lancaster County, but have since moved to Berks County, about an hour from us. As crazy as I thought the idea was, I did send that e-mail. Of course, to no one's surprise (except our daughter's), we never heard anything from them.


So what does this have to do with the B&B industry in Lancaster County? Well, for one thing, I like to think that as an innkeeper, I provide that much-needed retreat from the world. Bob & I are big proponents of the philosophy that 'happy couples make effective parents; and effective parents make well-adjusted kids'. It's really a trickle-down effect. If parents put a priority on working on their marriage, then they'll be more satisfied people in general. After all, you're going to be spending a lot of time with this person you've chosen to marry. Problem is that many parents do nothing to grow and support their marriage relationship for the 18 or 20 years while raising the kids. When the kids leave the nest, the couple looks at each other and says, 'who are you?' and then realize that they've grown into two different people. I guess with Jon & Kate, the time it took them to get to that point must have accelerated by a factor of 8.


While supporting our children physically, socially and emotionally during their formative years is very important, neglecting the marriage relationship during this time is most likely not going to lead to a desirable result. That's why it's important for couples to get away from the kids for a little while. Now, I'm not suggesting a mandatory yearly 3-week vacation in Tahiti while the kids are parked at grandma & grandpa's. It need not be that elaborate, lengthy or expensive, and this is where we come in. A lot of Bed & Breakfast properties do not accept children and this is one of the reasons why. We're trying to create an atmosphere where adults can come to get away from all the kid-centered aspects of their lives.


It's interesting that, even at 10 years old, our daughter gets this! She understands that while mom & dad love her very much, they still need time to themselves. Prior to owning our B&B, we were never able to really have a 'date night' on any kind of regular basis. And we still don't, but every year around our anniversary (20 years this week), we would make sure that we took at least a long weekend to reconnect. Our daughter looks forward to this time, too. She stays with cousins, aunts & uncles and grandparents and gets a little spoiled (it takes me a few days to get her back to reality when she comes home). We're fortunate to have a great support system not too far away.


Do you have relatives you can count on to take the kids for a night or two? Maybe some good friends? We have friends who do not live close to family, so they 'swap' kids with another couple on a routine basis so each couple can take some time to be together. Again, it's not an elaborate vacation, but just a few days away, without the kids, to reconnect as a couple. They return feeling, refreshed and ready to be the best parents they can be.


So, it's really too bad that Jon & Kate ignored our invitation. I'm not suggesting that one night at a B&B would have solved all of their problems or prevented them from ending up where they are today. I do believe, however, that an attitude and desire to grow a strong marriage will help when encountering the inevitable challenges along the way. I sure hope you'll put your marriage first.

Classic Memories

Just the other day, I got an e-mail from one of our local theaters announcing a new show called Rocketmen. It features the music of Billy Joel and Elton John and is at the American Music Theatre from April 17th to June 6th.

Now, I'm going to be showing my age here, but I grew up with this music. Not only that, but I could probably sing Elton John lyrics before I could walk. Ok, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but when I was a kid, my parents had an 8-track player and Elton John was one of my mother's favorite artists. There was a time that I could recite for you not only all the lyrics of all the songs on each tape, but I could tell you what order they came in and between which songs the tracks changed. That was a sound like no other! That big 'click' in between tracks. Sometimes it occurred right in the middle of a song. By the time I was 4 or 5, I could operate the thing. I wonder if my parents marveled at the technology that was available to me at that age that they didn't have. Sort of the same way I marvel at our 10-year-old with her i-pod (only on a much larger physical scale).

I find myself quite surprised at the memories that certain sounds hold for me, especially music. There were two places that we would go on vacation on a yearly basis - my uncle's mountain lodge cabin in Northern Pennsylvania and we'd rent a cottage in Conneaut Lake, Ohio. It seems, as I remember, anyway, that there was always music playing in the background. And it was GOOD music; Classic music. Notice I didn't say classical music. My husband finds it quite amusing that the only exposure I had to classical music as a child was whatever I heard on the Looney Tunes cartoons. There's a lot more to that story, but that's another blog for another day.

When I think of the music of Elton John and Billy Joel, I can hardly imagine anything in the music stores these days ever being considered as classic as that! Music 'artists' of today come and go so quickly - but Elton's first album was in the late 60's and he's still going stronger than the Energizer Bunny! Wonder if he has a pink bunny-eared costume. Classic music of the 60's and 70's was much like the cars of that same time. When I was in high school in the 80's, every guy I knew was trying to restore or purchase a muscle car. They just don't make cars like that anymore. I really don't believe that someone 20 years from now is going to want to own a 2009 Ford anything, but the 1965 Mustang is a completely different story!

So, if you're a friend or fan of the "Classic" anything - cars, music, or food - you can find it here in Lancaster. Come re-live some of your classic memories or create some new ones! Of course you're going to want to stay at a 'classic' bed & breakfast, so don't forget to make your reservations. We're here to help make your stay a memorable one.

I Get by with a little Help from my Friends!

Looking back on the past 18 months of innkeeping, I can't help but wonder about all the little (and not so little) things that have helped us get where we are. We're #3 on the current Trip Advisor listing for popular B&B's in Lancaster; we're doing pretty well with occupancy while keeping up with some much-needed renovations; reviews also look good on I Love Inns and Bedandbreakfast.com. I usually fall into bed at night quite satisfied with the accomplishments of the day.

Yet there's more to innkeeping than all positive reviews, the improvement projects and the guests. Yes, it's true that I wouldn't be an innkeeper with out an inn or without guests (who wouldn't come if the reviews weren't good). One of the most important 'little things' is my association with other innkeepers - near and far. Just a couple of months after we took over the B&B, we were invited by some neighborly innkeepers to join the local bed and breakfast association. We were already members of PAII, but had learned that Pennsylvania does not have a state association specifically for bed & breakfasts.

I cannot tell you how vaulable the association with these local, fellow innkeepers has been! They're a wonderful group of people. Each has his or her special gifts and talents; each property is unique in its own way; each inn and innkeeper has something valuable to offer. If you were in a room with these people, someone would have to tell you that they were competitors and sometimes I think they forget that they are. The cooperation, for the most part (well, we all have our opinions!), is second to none. In fact, right now we're working on a sort of round-table discussion of sorts to brainstorm ideas for helping each other out given the current economic condidtions, i.e. determining what special skills and talents each of us has that might be of some assistance to another. For instance, we have a tile saw that we purchased last year in anticipation of renovating our bathrooms. Bob is pretty adept at using it. So, we would offer our talents and tools to help someone else out who needs a small repair.

Our association organizes all kinds of opportunities for fellowship and continuing education. We have retreats, dinners and let's not forget our monthly meeting! Any excuse to have potluck! We've developed close friendships with several other innkeepers. As I mentioned previously, we're new to this game and it's only through my association with these other innkeepers that I've learned of some of the other wonderful things that have taken place in the association. There was an innkeeper undergoing treatment for cancer. Well, the others stepped up and provided breakfasts so that the ill innkeeper did not have to close her doors! When one member experienced the death of a close family member, the association sent flowers. Other examples include get well cards; congratulation kudos; and two of our members were even nominated by the rest of the group for awards given out by our local visitor's bureau. There was no one who sulked that they themselves weren't nominated or recognized, but everyone gathered round our awarded fellow members to share in their joy!

So, thank you, Authentic Bed & Breakfasts of Lancaster County! We consider ourselves very fortunate and blessed to be a part of the family!