Browsing Category: "Adams County"
Adams County Wool: Alpaca Farming
It seems that there are several alpaca farms in Adams County Pennsylvania. They’ve been showing them off at the Pennsylvania Farm Show this week in Harrisburg.
Alpacas have been in the U.S. for only about 20 years. Originally from Peru, Chile, and Bolivia, their wool is softer than that of the llama and for that reason it was once the wool of royalty. It is difficult to mass manufacture clothing made from alpaca wool because there aren’t enough alpacas in the United States to justify it. So alpaca products are made by small farmers, several of which reside right here in Adams County Pennsylvania.
Pasa Ligero Alpacas is located in East Berlin. Owned by Kim Pongpat, it is home to 15 alpacas and growing.
Quarry Critters Alpaca Ranch is located in Littlestown.
Alpacas of Gettysburg specializes in suri alpacas, the breed with the highest quality wool. Alpacaholic Acres is located York Springs Pennsylvania. Almost Alpaca Ranch is in Mohrsville. Cloverleaf Alpacas is situated in Mount Joy Pennsylvania.
In all, there are probably 30 alpaca farms in Adams County Pennsylvania. Most of them likely raise anywhere from five to 25 alpacas. The owners are friendly people who don’t mind showing off their alpacas and even offer products for sale. Why not check out one of these alpaca farms while in your Gettysburg?
10 Things To Do In Gettysburg (Besides Visit The Battlefield)
Visitors to Gettysburg, Pa. often don’t realize the many great things you can do here without visiting the battlefield. Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t see the bloodiest ground on the face of the earth. I’m just saying don’t stop there and stay. Here are 10 other wonderful things to do while in town:
- Ski Liberty – Just a couple of miles out of town and slopes for the entire family.
- Visit the National Apple Museum - Located in Biglerville, just a stone’s throw away from Gettysburg. A must see for the whole family using a pre-Civil War built barn as a museum to honor the nation’s fruit.
- Eisenhower Farm – Actually located in Gettysburg and one of the favorite sites among visitors to Gettysburg.
- Take a ghost tour – I think Gettysburg has more ghost tours than we have ghosts. Really. It’s not hard to find a ghost tour in Gettysburg any time of the year. And it’s something you’ve got to do at least once.
- Eastern Museum Of Motor Racing - Located in York Springs, Pennsylvania near the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds, this museum houses vintage racing cars and memorabilia of one of America’s favorite sports.
- Go on a scenic train ride - For 75 minutes, or three hours if you prefer, you can take a train tour through Adams County and see the beautiful landscapes from a different perspective.
- Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival – Like music? Like Bluegrass music? Then you can enjoy great Bluegrass music twice a year at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Takes place between Gettysburg and Fairfield in the spring and fall each year.
- Golf - The Links at Gettysburg is an 18-hole golf course carved out of indigenous red rock formations and meandering streams.
- Visit Washington D.C. - The nation’s capital is just a two-hour drive away.
- Ride a Harley – Every year, thousands of bike riders descend upon Gettysburg for Bike Week. You can join them.
There are lots more things to do in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Don’t wait for an invitation. Plan your next trip now.
Gettysburg Tourists: What’s Your Favorite Place To Visit?
I thought it was time to ask visitors and local residents of Gettysburg Pennsylvania where you favorite places to visit are. Leave a comment on this post and tell us where you like to go in the Gettysburg / Adams County area. Be specific. Don’t just say “the battlefield”, for instance. Instead, give a specific site on the battlefield such as Culp’s Hill or Cemetery Ridge. Or better yet, think of someplace other than the battlefield that you like to visit.
Tell us your favorite sites to see in Gettysburg and the surrounding area. Yes, feel free to mention York, Hanover, Harrisburg, Carlisle, Lancaster, or anywhere within a reasonable driving distance.
Murals And Artwork By Lise’ – Adams County’s Christian Artist
Just before Christmas, while driving along Kralltown Road in Adams County, I saw a wooden, hand-painted sign next to a mailbox as I was driving back home from a consulting gig. The sign read something of the nature (I can’t recall the exact words) “Children’s Books, Illustrated By Local Artist.” I promptly pulled into the driveway to see these local artist illustrated childrens books. I’m glad I did.
The artist is a down-to-earth, very sweet Christian woman by the name of Lise’ (pronounced Lisa) Miller. I must say that I was very impressed with her work. Though I didn’t purchase any of the childrens books at the time, they are something that I would highly recommend.
But Lise’ doesn’t just illustrate childrens books. She also paints murals and artwork by custom order. And her work is fabulous! You can get a glimpse of her beautiful artwork in her online gallery. But be forewarned; as captivating as her digital prints are, they do not do justice to her live artwork. You’ve got to see it for yourself.
I’d encourage you to pay her website a visit and contact Lise’ through her contact form. Whether you are a native of Adams County, Pa. or a visitor, I’m sure she would love to share her artwork with you as she did with me. And according to her, simply sharing the gift is enough for her to complete her joy.
Gettysburg Pennsylvania Will Be On Fire For New Year’s Eve
Gettysburg Pennsylvania will be on fire this New Year’s Eve as entertainment on the square will include alternative country music, rock and roll, and pyrotechnics.
The show starts at 9 p.m. with DJ Denny white hitting the microphone. Class rock band Audacity will perform at 9:30 p.m. and Booker Lee and the County Fair, the country rock band notorious for their refined tastes, will go on at 10:15 p.m. From 10 to midnight, children and adults alike will be entertained by a stilt walker, a strolling magician, and balloon art.
But the real show will be the fire works – not fireworks. Pyrotechnoitics, a fire performance group, will hit the stage at 10 p.m. and again at 11:15 p.m. to indulge fantastic feats of fire eating, fire breathing, poi spinning, and other wild acts that involve flaming flames.
The countdown to midnight will begin at 11:30 p.m. with local radio personality Fred Snyder. There will be a funny hat contest and a vocalist as well.
Culminating in the bringing in of the new year will be a fireworks (yes, fireworks) show sponsored by the Adams County National Bank. Local residents and out of town visitors are welcome to attend. There will only be one New Year’s Eve 2008. Be a part of it in Gettysburg Pennsylvania.
Does Your York Or Adams County Pennsylvania Business Recycle?
An online acquaintance of mine is working on building a national database of local businesses that pay for post-consumer recyclables. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your business added to that database?
Well, you can.
If you want to be included in this database and you are a small business in Adams County or York County Pennsylvania trying to make a difference in the environment then I encourage you to contact RecycleBills.
I can think of no other worthy project to get behind right now if your business is green or thinking about turning green. If environmental concerns are on your mind and you are into recycling then get in contact with this organization and submit your business to be included in the database today.
York Motorist Arrested, Charged With Homicide By Vehicle
Public safety is a major concern no matter where you go, but in Adams County we take it seriously. A York man was charged with homicide by vehicle for running over a police officer on a motorcycle. Investigators determined that the motorists, Earl Matthew Wright, or York, had been driving too fast for road conditions and that including passing an official parade of emergency vehicles with their lights flashing.
The incident took place on Sept. 14 on Pa. 234 in Tyrone Township.
This ought to be a lesson to motorists everywhere. Slow down. If you are a visitor from out of town, be sure to slow down on the roads and especially with driving on rural roads. Enjoy the views, but don’t take unnecessary risks. Be cognizant of other drivers and respectful of public safety. You’d expect the same from us if we were in your neighborhood. Wouldn’t you?
Liberty Mountain Opens For Skiing Today
The slopes opened at 8 a.m. this morning on Liberty Mountain, Adams County’s own ski resort. LIberty Mountain is located in Carroll Valley Resort, which is just 8 miles southwest of Gettysburg near the Catoctin Mountains. The skiing here depends on how cold it gets and when. This year we were lucky enough to get the cold sooner rather than later and area residents and visitors are the benefactors as ski season opens sooner than it has in a while.
Ski Liberty is offering great rates through December 23 for early bird skiiers. If you are from out of town and would like to ski at Liberty Mountain then now is the optimal time.
Liberty Mountain has 16 ski trails from beginner level to extremely difficult and also features a free style course and a family fun zone. In addition to skiing there is snow tubing, snowboarding, and ski lessons available on the mountain. Visitors to the mountain will also be glad to know there is lodging and a tavern on premises.
The folks runing Gettysburg’s ski resort have the snow machines blowing as we speak. Feel free to call the snow phone at 717-642-9000 for more information.
The Tears Of Gettysburg
What are The Tears of Gettysburg? A new movie? Nope. A historic fiction novel? Not even close. The actual tears of ghosts that roam around the historic battlefield? Unh-uh.
The Tears of Gettysburg the name of a wine that is produced right here in Adams County Pennsylvania.
The Adams County Winery has won nine awards for this locally grown, fermented, and produced fine wine. The winerly is located in Orrtanna, but the wine is sold at shops in Gettysburg and Carlisle. Before you leave the Gettysburg area, be sure to check out Tears of Gettysburg. If you like sweet wine then you’ll love this two-grape blend.
Hunting Season Has Begun And I’m Glad School Is In Session
In Dallas, Texas, where I’m from, we don’t take holidays for hunting season. Sure, there may be a few kids that skip school to go hunting with Dad, but I wasn’t one of them.
Like Texans, Pennsylvanians love to hunt. Any opportunity to play with guns is a welcome event.
Every year my father-in-law brings my wife and I a deer that he gets from a friend of his who never misses an chance to shoot a white tail or one of Buck’s younger cousins. Kudos for him because I love my wife’s venison spaghetti. But the price I have to pay to eat real meat is killer.
On Monday morning, I awoke just like I do every day at 6 a.m. to start work and make sure my six-year-old grandson, who lives with us, was up at 7 a.m. to eat breakfast and get dressed for school and I took him to the bus stop. But for some reason the bus was late that day. I didn’t know why and couldn’t figure it out so I decided to just drive him to school. When we got to school the parking lot was empty and that had me alarmed. What, no school?
So we went inside to see what was amiss only to be told by one of the office staff that school was out for two days due to the opening of hunting season. Hunting season? I thought. Is that a National holiday now?
Well, it’s not a National holiday, but evidently it is a Pennsylvania state holiday. I’m guessing. Or it could just be an Adams County holiday. Whatever it is, it’s important enough to Pennsylvania locals to give every student in the school system two days off whether they shoot wildlife for sport or not. And besides my six-year-old, his five-year-old sister and one-year-old brother both live with us. So we’ve had three kids home all day long for the past six days – two days for Thanksgiving, two days for the weekend, and two days for hunting season. Geez, I’m so glad school is back in session. And it makes me wonder why, if Pennsylvanians love hunting so much, why don’t they offer licenses to shoot six-year-olds?
