Christmas at Lily's

Just imagine a simple vacation with very little planning; no more long hours searching online for a unique restaurant and then something to do after dinner.  Planning a visit to Lancaster Pennsylvania just got easier with dinner and a movie or concert specials at Lily’s on Main in Ephrata.  Then after your evening entertainment, head over to the Adamstown Inns & Cottages, a luxury bed and breakfast, where you will feel the warm hospitality when you enter the Victorian home.  Now that’s what I call a simple romantic weekend getaway!

Lily’s is a local favorite that specialized in American cuisine with a twist of artistic flare.  The atmosphere is warm and the menu is reasonably priced.  Recent guest of the Amethyst Inn rave about this ephrata restaurant and there is even a couple who eats there every night for dinner with they visit Adamstown!

Ephrata Main Theatre has many events happening throughout the month of December.  There are even great specials to take advantage of:  Free popcorn on Mondays, free movie on Tuesdays if you eat dinner at Lily’s on Main, and every other day of he week 10% off dinner with purchase of movie tickets.  There are a number of events planned for December, even some to celebrate the holidays!  The Holiday Extravaganza on Friday December 3rd includes a dinner buffet and both folk and classical music.

Be sure to order your tickets today for this festive celebration, and take my advice about this pre-planned relaxing getaway.  Everyone deserves a mini vacation every once in a while, especially to take your mind off the Holiday bustle.  Let Adamstown Inns & Cottages, a Lancaster PA Bed and Breakfast, make your reservations and prepare a relaxing room for  you.

Autumn in Lancaster, PA

As the leaves continue to change colors and drop, I’m reminded of the simple joys of Fall:
the variety of colors, chrysanthemums, and cooler weather. Adamstown Inns and Cottages has not disappointed with their gardens and porches filled with fall colors! Not only will you enjoy the flowers at this Lancaster Pa bed and breakfast, but make sure you save time for a side trip to Longwood Gardens.
Until November 21, Longwood Gardens is showcasing Autumn Colors in both their indoor and outdoor gardens. Walking around outside you’ll observe asters, orchids, berries, and a Japanese Maple that is in full bloom. The rose garden is beautiful and there is Swiss Chard in the Idea Garden. You’ll want to hurry though, since many of the outdoor gardens are at their peak before the first frost of the season.

The indoor conser-
vatory has a breath-
taking array of
chrysan-
themums, orchids, roses, and fruit trees. A giant water lily display will amaze you, and the largest thousand bloom chrysanthemum is a spectacular view. The pruning and meticulous care needed to achieve a large amount of uniform blooms is mind-boggling, so be sure to ask for more information about the Thousand Bloom!

The East Conservatory Plaza construction is finally complete, so there’s a new area to explore! The plaza features design elements based on the conservation of natural resources, with natural lighting and insulation of earth.

Longwood Gardens is just an hour away from Adamstown Inns & Cottages and a definite must see! Plan your romantic weekend getaway to this Lancaster County bed breakfast today, and let us know if there’s anything we can do to ensure a pleasant stay!

Lancaster Pa Holiday Vacations

Have you ever thought about spending time at a bed breakfast during the holiday season? Most people don’t because they are consumed with shopping, baking cookies, and trying not to spend all their money. Now with October coming to a close, it means that the holiday season is just around the corner; even my grandmother has been pestering me about a Christmas list for awhile now! Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are busy times that are often focused around family gatherings. Ever thought of switching up the holiday routine and perhaps renting a luxury vacation rental for a few days? Adamstown Inns & Cottages, a Lancaster Pennsylvania bed and breakfast has the perfect accommodations for your family that should lessen your stress and help you to enjoy every one's company.

Perhaps you’re lucky and have an aunt who enjoys preparing for the holidays and makes 10 pounds of mashed potatoes and 10 different kinds of pies. Or maybe no one in your family was blessed with the homemaker gene, so you all draw straws to see who will get stuck hosting Thanksgiving each year. If you’re looking for a way out of preparing for house guests or don’t want to be stuck at your cousins who served beanie weanies for the main course one year, then perhaps your family needs a new holiday plan.

The Adamstown Vacation Home can comfortably sleep 12 guests and has a spacious living room and kitchen where everyone can help with the dinner prep. (Your cousin can even make her beanie weenies, but only as a side dish!) If you have a smaller family, or need more space you can expand into the Firefly and Dragonfly Cottages. You could even decide to have a progressive dinner and proceed to each house for a different course; how’s that for a new holiday plan? Oh, and if you just adore your family but really don’t want to spend so much time with them, rent a room at the Amethyst Inn, just up the street, for a romantic getaway.

Spending time at a luxury bed and breakfast, whether it’s on Christmas, or a week before or after should cut down on the holiday dress and even provide opportunities to family outings at Longwood Gardens or the National Christmas Center in Lancaster, Pa. If your family doesn’t like change, then keep in mind that you can have a family reunion any time of the year and Adamstown Inns & Cottages is anxiously preparing for your stay!

Lancaster PA Renaissance Faire

With Summer coming to an end and school starting up, it marks the beginning of cooler days, the anticipation of autumn, the beginning of the PA Renaissance Faire, and perhaps the last chance to get away before schedules start to get hectic. Why not book a weekend stay at the Amethyst Inn (Adamstown, Pennsylvania) for a fun weekend away, or you could rent the Adamstown Vacation home for your entire family! Lancaster County, Pa is the place to be for fall fun!

The Renaissance Faire, in Western Lancaster County, is fun for everyone, and an experience that you won’t soon forget. When I think of the faire, I remember my friends dressing up in medieval garments, watching the mud wrestlers, gnawing on a turkey leg for dinner, and the anticipation throughout the day that led up to the final joust. While they still have many of the same activities, the events and themes are different every year, and sometimes even change with themed weekends.

The scenario this year is titled the “Thirty Year Love Affair”. It encompasses the celebration of the end of the Spanish Armada, the dawn of the Golden Age and the 30th birthday of the Good Shire of Mount Hope. The merriment and festivities will be abundant, as the anticipation of the Human Chess Match and the Ultimate Joust will prove who the Queen’s favorite is.

In addition to the shows and games, there will be demonstrations from merchants: glass blowing, woodcarving, and archery. You’ll also run into jesters and jugglers, and even parades of pirates! Make sure you attend some of the shows, the human chess match and the final joust, so that you stay up to date with the events of the day!

After visiting the medieval era, you’ll enter the Victorian era when you visit the Amethyst Inn and appreciate the decor and quiet setting. You’ll also be thankful to have your own private (and clean) bathroom and room in which to relax. The breakfasts won’t be as exotic as a turkey leg, but will be both delicious and filling! You won’t want to miss this season of the PA Renaissance Faire and remember that they are open on Labor Day too!

Amish Country in Lancaster, PA

While you’re vacationing in Adamstown at a luxury Lancaster Pa bed and breakfast, the Amethyst Inn, you’ll find yourself so close to Amish Country, PA that you won’t be able to resist a visit! From buggy rides, to visiting an Amish village, to seeing an Amish film, you’ll experience a fun day while learning about the customs and beliefs of this close community.

A buggy ride will give you first hand experience of how the PA Amish travel throughout their community. With the wind in your hair, you’ll get to learn why buggies are gray and why some buggies have electric lights on them.

If you’d prefer to learn more about the Amish beliefs and customs before your buggy ride, the Amish Village is a great place to visit! You will receive a guided tour through an 1840s farm house that is furnished as a Lancaster County Old Order Amish house. This setting will allow you to ask plenty of questions and prove to be very educational. Children love this trip as there is a farm and a working water wheel!

The Amish Farm and House is a similar attraction that is filled with history and takes you back in time to learn about blacksmiths, tobacco stripping, quilting, wood carving, the school house, and the farm. You’ll have many of your questions answered by the knowledgeable guides and learn the “whys” to many of the Amish traditions. 


Another way to tour the Amish in PA is to have the Amish Experience. With a variety of options, you’ll be able to choose the tour that fits you best. You can visit the Amish Country Homestead and learn about clothing, living without electricity, and the schoolroom. Or you can visit in person with the Amish during milking time, learn about a unique handcraft, and have an informal chat in their home. If it’s a rainy day, or just too hot to be outside, but you still want to learn about the Amish Pennsylvania Dutch, you’re in luck! The Amish Experience also has a theatre which shows a 40 minute film of the history and the Amish today.
When you’ve finished all your tours and have all your questions answered, you’ll want to stop at one of the many Pennsylvania Dutch restaurants and smorgasbords to taste the local favorites. Then after a long day on your feet head back to the Adamstown Inns & Cottages, a Lancaster Pennsylvania bed and breakfast, to soak in a jacuzzi tub and get a restful nights sleep before a delicious breakfast the next morning and your next adventure.