The Tawsty Flower Bed & Breakfast

Bacon Dressing...:)

by PA2AKgirl

When we had the VT meeting in Intercourse, it occurred to me that such things like bacon dressing and "chow" are definitely local PA Dutch, Amish or Mennonite items. There's all sorts of things they can or pickle and while I don't care for bacon dressing, I do like the sweet corn relish, all of the fruit butters (peach, apple, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blueberry--in particular), the spicy pickled cauliflower and some other things. You can buy these things numerous places in central PA.

R.B Winter State Park/Halfway Dam

by PA2AKgirl

This place is about 17 miles from Lewisburg, I think. it's one of those places that I've been to so often that I don't even think of the distance. It's a state park and pretty decent...there's lots of trails, concessions, cabins, tent sites, things to do all year long. It's in the mountains (well, considering Lewisburg in like 50' above sea level and this is 1500'...we call that a mountain in Pennsylvania!!) which are really hills divided by ridges. It's beautiful in the winter, but geez, it gets cold. And in the summer, when you can swim in the lake, the water is terribly cold. I don't know why that place doesn't warm up! There's a FUN playground, meant for children, but it's still fun. Fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, cross country skiing, all in the area.

R. B. Winter State Park
17215 Buffalo Road
Mifflinburg, PA 17844-9656

Check out the website for directions...it's well marked from Lewisburg, though.

2.20.04
i just added this tip a couple days ago, but I decided it needed a picture and that I needed to get out of here for awhile. It was a wonderful drive--there was no one up there except a few snowmobilers and maintenance crews. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get on the trails, out to the dam or on a lot of the roads. Not sure what the maintenance crew is doing b/c they sure aren't plowing roads. Anyway, it was still beautiful and quiet, just what I was looking for. I'll add better pictures in the spring.

The Birthplace of Greatness

by PA2AKgirl

"(By that, I mean the birthplace of ME!!! haha!)"

Okay, let's get a couple things straight right away...
1--I am not Amish

2--I DO NOT CONSIDER LEWISBURG, PA TO BE ONE OF THE GREAT HIDDEN DESTINATIONS OF THE WORLD

But, I do consider it to be a great stopover for some other destinations. Or to be part of a package, say, if you were going to do all of Central Pennsylvania in a week or something. That would be a great idea, by the way, especially if you are into hiking and other outdoor activities.

Now, there is a lot to do and if you decided to visit. For example, the architecture is beautiful--very victorian. The town is strict when it comes to building or rennovating within the borough. The houses and shops have maintained their appeal throughout the years. My favorite part of the town are the churches...they definitely monopolize the "skyline".

Lewisburg is consistently listed as "one of the top small towns in America" I think it's usually #10 out of 100 or something. I think that's because there's not too much in the way of actual industrial employment here. The main employers we do have are a hospital, Bucknell University and the federal penitentary (and that is well removed from the town). So, getting a job here pretty much means security--they aren't going to fall on hard times.
The town is very safe too--you can walk on the street any hour of the night and not feel threatened. Also, because Lewisburg caters mainly to Bucknell kids and their families, there are a lot of artsy shops, nice botiques, cozy cafes and restaurants.

So, if you are up in Williamsport (about 25 minutes north) for the Little League World Series, heading to Penn State (about 1 hour west) for a football game or driving from NYC to Pittsburgh on I-80, Lewisburg is a convenient place to drop by.