Spring Break Road Trip (Part 1)

Last year we had to wait until the last minute to book our spring break--my husband was waiting on some scheduling news, and we didn't want to commit to flights or hotels--so we figured that once we knew our plans, we would make a driving trip with whatever time we had. The only thing we had to do was end up on Easter Sunday in Talbot County, Maryland, as that was where my husband's first show Alternate Route was being filmed. So with that in mind, and 8 free days before that, we created an itinerary that is a pretty awesome road trip, if I do say so myself. While I will give each stop a post a day, here's the rough idea (in case you find yourself in a similar situation this spring break)-NYC to the Homestead Resort in Virginia, to Richmond, to Colonial Williamsburg, to Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, to Talbot County in Maryland, and then DC, to home.

Somewhere deep in Pennsylvania (near Carlisle) we spotted this military museum, the US Army Heritage and Education Center, and took the exit. It was a great place to run around--it has a huge outdoor museum, reinforce some history lessons, and as you can see, it's right on the highway.

We rolled in to the Homestead at around 7:30pm. What a lovely drive it was though--the Shenandoah Mountains are so pretty--and once we got to the hotel, we forgot about the long drive pretty much immediately.

We had dinner at Sam Snead's Tavern, which is not exactly on property, but in the little village of Hot Springs, just a 5 minute walk from the Homestead. They had a great charcuterie plate--we went crazy for their local pickles. The tavern has great character--lots of old school golf paraphenalia everywhere, a roaring fire, and hearty classics.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 5)

We left Bedford Springs bright and early. What, sleep in, just because we're away from our kid for the weekend? Are you kidding? We had too many places we had to hit, and we had a 6pm deadline to be back in Brooklyn. First great stop, about an hour east of Bedford Springs, was the Fayetteville Antique Mall.

We also stopped in Adamstown, which was an antique row like I've never seen. Renningers was so nicely curated that it seemed more the flea market in Paris. Totally worth a day trip if you're looking for something(s) specific.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 4)

 I'd never heard of Altoona before. We drove the 30 minutes-ish to get there from Bedford Springs, because some people said it had a great antique center. (Yes, we are a bit sick. Collectors or Hoarders is the name of the reality show we should star in. No, we don't have a store. Yes, we do have a barn, and a storage unit, and we do purge occasionally. No, we aren't rich.) They were right, there was some good antiquing there. But even better, there was an amazing hot dog joint, that Obama went he was campaigning.  And we discovered that it is also home to the Boyer Candy Company, home of the Mallo cup. I'd  never had one before, and it was awesome. We liked the dark chocolate ones the best.

You could buy discount bags of reject candies at the Boyer factory store. We restrained ourselves, barely.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 3)

Bedford Springs is really small, but it has some nice landmarks, especially since it's on the Lincoln Highway. We especially like Founders Crossing, the big antique market in town. 

Road Food Find

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a bit of a food snob. That doesn't mean fancy food. Yes, I do love me some kind of organic sustainable local whatever, but I am really happy with a homemade piece of pie at a local diner even if it's made with Crisco. Now have any of you ever had the Roy Rogers fried fish sandwich? I never did until this trip to Pennsylvania, where we found ourselves starving, with only a mega-gas station in the vicinity. It was one of the most delicious fish sandwiches. Perfect soft bun. Great tartar sauce. Fish that seemed real (they say it is Icelandic premium cod). And the best part, no stomach ache after. See, I tried to like Popeye's Chicken, and it was good going down, but the stomach ache afterwards made me not a convert.

I-95 Food Tip

I love collecting tips for places to eat off of major highways. That's when we really need ideas the most-- a good stop can really make the day. Well that and a nice bathroom, and a park with a great playground. In another life, I'd have my own chain of highway gas station/rest stops with a great 24 hour diner (think Farmer's Diner in Vermont), big grassy area that isn't for dogs but for kids to run, a playground, smart to-go food, and an espresso bar. Until that happens, I'll just post when I find something that sounds worth a stop. South of DC off of I 95 , in the town of Occoquan VA, is Mom's Apple Pie Company .  I read about it in Southern Living , and that's where the pictures here come from. Fruit comes from their own farms, and they also make their own breads and cookies in addition to the amazing looking pies. And there's a 400 acre park right there too--the Occoquan Regional Park.

(photos from Jennifer Davick for Southern Living)

Lancaster PA

On our way to Bedford Springs, we broke for lunch in Lancaster.  It was a nice mid-point for us, and I had always wanted to go to the Lancaster Central Market there.  Apparently it's the oldest one in the country (although I feel like I've heard that claim from others), and it's in a nice town that has some great antiquing. The market was good, not great.  It had some fantastic pancake and johnny cake mixes for super cheap ($2.75 for a bag), and great jams, and delicious local yogurts.  But it didn't have alot of options for lunch, so we just cobbled together something from the different stands.  Across the way is the Heritage Center Museum, which has a very cool section for kids, with Amish wooden toys they can play with. Head to North Queen and Walnut Streets if you're into scoring some cool finds in junk shops and antique stores.

Below: Heritage Center Museum

On The Road Trip: Three Bears Inn

We left Binghamton yesterday morning, and about a half an hour outside of town, we were already hungry.  We stopped in at this diner in Marathon, NY, and had a great breakfast.  The pancakes were made with New Hope Mills flour, and the syrup is true maple.  It's been there since 1799, and is a classic upstate NY joint. 

(all pictures from matthew hranek )