It is a beautiful October morning. The sun is shining and it is a great day for a drive up to The Sugar Shack for a little taste of a variety of locally made fruit syrups over ice cream.
Our destination today, Sunday, October 14, 2012:
Vinewood Acres Sugar Shack®
7904 Route 5
Westfield, NY 14787
Open 1-4 daily. Other times by chance or appt. Call (716) 326-3351 to schedule appt.
Call to place an order - 888-563-4324
Email: Sugrshak@Fairpoint.net
http://www.sugarshack1.com
The Cackle is getting together for yet another adventure, and at the last minute, we invite Brooke along as well. We left mom's house just about 11:45am hoping to make our 1:00pm appointment with Gail Black, owner and proprietor of Vinewood Acres Sugar Shack, and author of "Asses and Angels", a book about Gail's childhood experiences and the ups and downs she faced as a lone woman trying to purchase and run her own fruit farm.
I met Gail at a local fair where she set up shop to sell her wares; the most wonderful fruit syrups you ever want to taste! Of course, she also makes and sells delicious pure maple syrup. Gail is quite a character, I must say. She would fit into the Cackle just like family! Having promised her that I would bring "The Cackle" out to see her at her farm later in the year, I did not want to disappoint.
Hoping to catch a little Fall foliage on digital film, we set out in an easterly direction on Route 5, paralleling Lake Erie. Glimpses of the sun dancing off the blue-green waves appeared periodically to our left as the brilliantly colored leaves opened a path to the North for one spectacular view after another.We pass by a lighthouse and pier that look interesting. We will stop on the way back.
We finally arrive at The Sugar Shack. There is a nice gift shop where Gail is selling her fruit and maple syrups along with other various knick knacks. Her friend, Bruce is also there in the store along with her faithful spaniel, Wannago. Bruce offered to take us on a tour of the farm that sits on the bluffs of Lake Erie as he regales us with the history as he knows it. He shows us the blue sap tubing snaking between the maple trees that disappears down the hill to the processing shed where the sap will be boiled down into maple syrup. He will not take us down the steep hill to the shack due to the treacherous, root-ridden path leading to it as well as the steep incline.
We wander across the top of the bluff to the west and stop near a pond on the property. He tells us about the acreage, and the trials that Gail had to go through to get a loan from the bank due to the fact that "women just don't own farms". Gail went back to the bank repeatedly to make her case and repeatedly got turned down. She finally resorted to going into the bank in her dirtiest, smelliest clothing and sitting in the waiting area until the bank manager finally relented and gave her a loan. She was now the proud owner of a small farm. We ended the tour back in the shop.
Gail is expecting us and breaks out the ice cream and fruit syrups from the 'fridge behind the counter. She gives each one of us a small 2oz. portion cup with a smidge of vanilla ice cream in it and a small white plastic spoon and instructs us to take a tiny bit of ice cream on the tip of the spoon and she will pour some fruit syrup into the spoon, the flavor of our choosing. Gail warns us that this is all the ice cream that we will get so use it wisely, after all, she only said a tasting! Even when Carolyn pouted (and she knows how to pout), Gail stood firm, pouting back with what equated to a 'tough luck!'. Has mother met her match? Gasp!
With 21 different flavors available, it is hard to choose a favorite: blueberry, elderberry, currant raspberry, peach and wild mint pear, just to name a few. I purchase the wild mint pear and the wild currant raspberry...yum! I also pick up a copy of Gail's book and she autographed it right there at the counter as she rung up my purchases. We each pick up one or two of our favorite flavors as well as a copy of the book and even a few trinkets. Mom buys a hummingbird that she likes.
We left the farm in search of a certain little barn that was featured in a story that Gail told us about her piloting lessons. It seems that it is a much harder thing to do, this piloting of aircraft, than one would imagine. One tiny mistake, and you have put a plane through someone's barn. The barn was repaired and it is still standing today. We find the barn, take a few pictures and turn around to head back to Route 5.
We start heading back west on Route 5. When we come to the Westfield Village Pier near Barcelona, NY. There is a small beach to the east of the pier and a lighthouse to the west. between the pier and the beach sits a large boat. It is a cool photo op, which we take advantage of. A walk along the beach under the bluffs reveals a couple of waterfalls and a large tree worn smooth by the water. More great photo ops. After a bit of exploring, we leave the pier and pause at the lighthouse long enough to snap a few pictures before heading west once again.
Everyone is hungry so we stop at a KFC on Buffalo Road (Route 20) in Harborcreek for some nourishment. I had to practically sit on the girls to make them behave! After all that sugar, they were a little wound up. That poor restaurant will never be the same. Herding them back into the vehicle, replete with good food, I head for home. Yep, we survived another day trip together.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Friday, May 20, 2011
Sharon - Hermitage PA Spring 2011 Trip
Spring was promising an appearance, the date was quickly set for Saturday, May 14th. Sharon and Hermitage were the destinations agreed upon, but what to do? The Cackle was all invited along, but alas, we were shy 2 that day. So the four of us set out on our adventure at around 8:30 that morning after first gathering at my house.
First stop in Sharon:
Reyer's Shoes Store
40 South Water Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146-1366
(724) 981-2200
In case you have never been, Reyer's is a giant shoe store that boasts all the hard-to-find sizes for those with special needs feet. There are many styles of shoes available also. This is not a discount store, but it is the destination if you are looking for something special. This was the second time in the past month that I had been here. The last time, I had found a pair of wine-colored heels that I fell in love with, but was in sticker-shock and did not purchase them at that time. I also had not stopped thinking about them since that day, so I wandered into the Rack Room and there they were, taunting me. The Rack Room is the back room area that holds the last pair or two of a style of shoe that used to be on the main sales floor. It is the area where you skim the rack under the sign corresponding to your shoes size, and if you are lucky, you find a pair of shoes that you like. Don't let this fool you, the prices can still be quite high in this area.
I had not even tried these shoes on the last time because $75.00 was more than I have even thought about paying for a pair of heels. OK, I have to do this. I mean, the fact that they were still there waiting for me must mean that I was meant to have them...doesn't it? I thought that rationale worked for me at the time. To my dismay, the size 9s did NOT fit. So much for that idea. No, wait...the VERY helpful sales lady scrounged the shelves and found a size 10! Try these on, she cajoled. They will be too big, I replied. Let me get a toe pad insert, she countered. And so, with the insert to take up the slack in the heel, the shoes were a fit! Score!
Next I went searching for a summer shoe to wear with my clam diggers. All my shoes seem to be black, and that was just not cutting it for me. A nice, light, white shoe with a closed toe. That would do just fine. Now I love the fact that there are plenty of sales clerks to assist you in finding just the right shoe, but they are shrewd. They are intimately trained and highly skilled in selling you on a particular shoe. They have tricks up their sleeves that you have never seen before. Slight of hand, slight of mind...no one knows for sure, but my nice, light, white shoe turned into a neutral, tan Merrill Mary Jane skimmer! Poof! I am assured that I WILL love them and that I will be back for some Merrill clogs in the VERY NEAR future. You don't suppose that these clerks are also skillful in the art of subliminal mind control, do you? Merrill...Merrill...Merrill....er
Michele found a very classy heel in the Rack Room as well. She vowed to wear them to work on Monday. I wonder how they felt after being on them for 8 hours? Hope all is well. The rest of the Cackle found some really nice New Balance sneakers. And we were off to our next stop...The Winner.
The Winner
32 West State Street
Sharon, PA 16146-1396
(724) 981-1152
Now, The Winner can be seen clearly from the parking lot of Reyer's Shoe Store. We pull out of the lot, go through one intersection, and pull into a parking lot behind the building next door to The Winner. We enter from the back door, down the long, desolate hallway, like victims in a B-rated horror film. Beautiful, antique chandeliers hang at intervals from the ceiling, mere whispers of decadence past. Into the stairwell and through the double doors, the main floor opens with its elaborate displays of womens apparel. Gone are all the ball gowns of last month, the last of which are relegated to a comparatively small corner area. In their place, delightful Spring and Summer outfits. Medium and short length Summer dresses, linen skirt and jacket sets, and a cute 1930's style (throwback) dress.
The stairs will take you to a lower floor, while the elevator will take you to a third floor where the bridal and trousseau areas are housed. The larger sizes are downstairs, so off we go. No one was looking for anything in particular, but most had never been here before, so it was an experience. I, however, with my very keen eye, discovered some really cute pant suits I simply MUST try on. They are normally $120.00 on sale for $29.00. This is just too good a deal to pass up! I had been looking for this type of pant suit since I found one at Peebles two years ago. I try on a couple sizes, find one that fits nicely, and scour the rack for different styles in the same size. In all, I walked away with $480.00 worth of merchandise for a mere $116.00. Not a bad haul. I feel a little guilty being the only one to have purchased anything here, but everyone else got a free fashion show on a comfy couch, so all was not lost. Purchases in hand, we are off again.
OK, now we need to decide where to go next. What was anyone interested in? The entire trip was not planned, just the general area and I had a few suggested destinations in the area. Kraynak's for Aunt Mary, Shenango Valley Mall and Bonworth for Mom (who could not make the trip), Pat Catan's for anyone interested, and Daffin's for Auntie Ann. Well, noone had any interest in Pat Catan's this time around, so the next closest stop is:
Daffin's Candies
496 East State Street
Sharon, PA 16146-1899
(724) 342-2892
The first thing to catch a person's eye when entering Daffin's is the whole side wall lined with baskets of every variety bulk hard candy you could imagine. Grabbing a bag, I dove in. Licorice candies, honey filled candies, fruit slices, honeycomb peanuts, anise, every fruit flavor, shiny wrappers, colored wrappers, striped wrappers. plain wrappers...grab another bag. Meltaway mints, Black Cows, caramel creams, mint chocolate, wintergreen, spearmint, peppermint, butter mints, rootbeer barrels, peanut butter balls, and saltwater taffy! Whew, now turn around and look at the rest of the store. Time to get a basket.
Wow, they are more than just candy. Cards and pictures, knick-knacks of various shapes and sizes. Kind of reminds me of a Hallmark store. The huge chocolate display is in the back room conveniently located near the saltwater taffy. Let's go take a peak. A body is overcome by the aroma of chocolate as one enters the back room. Everything in the display area is carved or shaped using chocolate. Can you imagine the ooey gooey mess that would make when the air conditioner fails on the hottest day of the year? I image that the workers don't want to so much as look at a piece of chocolate at home after having to smell it all day long. Their kids are probably the only ones on the block to have Easter baskets filled with nothing but marshmallow peeps and jelly beans. On the up-side, now that the peeps come in a multitude of colors, it would make for a rainbow-like display.
The wall opposite the hard candy is lined with chocolates. There is even a section for sugar-free chocolates! Dark, milk, white, truffle with a variety of fillings, turtles, meltaways...the list goes on and on. There are shelves nearby containing some of your more common pre-packaged bulk candies: sour patch kids, raspberries, blueberries, string licorice (I like those, put one in the basket), nonparils (pick up a pack for Brooke), chewy Spree (one of those for Lance), yogurt-covered grahams (bought), yogurt-covered animal crackers (bought), and raspberry yogurt-covered pretzels (bought). Since I am trying to eat healthier, these should be just the ticket...right? Forget the healthy, I found the biscotti! Anise almond, my favorite! We need to get out of here...seriously...right...now. I flee to the checkout and bust out the door.
Next in line (notice that these are all conveniently located just down the street from each other):
Kraynak's Nursery and Garden Center
2525 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148-2795
(724) 347-4511
We arrive at Kraynak's. I have never been here before, but I always hear about this huge year-round Christmas store. To my surprise, it looks more like a toy store. Rows and rows of toys and games, stuffed animal and puppets, model car and planes. I am not shopping for any of these things, but we browse the aisles. Hey look, they carry the Folkmanis puppets that Hidden Treasures used to carry! There are very well made (read that: expensive) puppets and cute as a button. Can I just say that NO store ever needs this many aisles of stuffed plushies! If there were ever a bomb threat in that store dive for the middle (around aisle 4) as nothing could penetrate those walls of fluff!
As we near the back of the store we start to see yard flags and gardening supplies. There are some really nice double shepard's hooks for about $30.00. The green houses are off the back of the building. Table after table of plants and flowers. Hanging baskets are buy one, get one 50% off. A very nice variety. Aunt Mary is picking out impatients; one, two, three...get a flat. The begonia baskets are beautiful, but I am seriously considering this gorgeous basket of Wandering Jew. I buy a Venus Flytrap for Lance instead. Out the door and on to the Mall.
Shenango Valley Mall
3303 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148-3302
(724) 346-4556
We really need to eat something substantial now. We figure that we can just grab something to eat in the mall. Bonworth first. Look for a shirt Mom would like...all of them...no...this one, or this one....I like this one. Oh look, another pair of clam diggers for me! I need a shirt to go with...this one and this one look good. Go try them on. After all, I cannot ruin my streak of having bought something in every place we visited today, can I? I'll take them! Ooo, and Auntie Ann found a shirt for Mom. In the meantime, Michele scouted out eateries only to discover that there were NONE (I repeat..NONE) in the mall. What? What kind of mall is this anyhow? Not one restaurant? How uncivilized! I guess we will go back across the street to Bob Evans. Hey, didn't we eat there on last year's trip? Why yes, yes we did. Bob Evans it is.
With full bellies, we start heading in the direction of home. Michele asks if there is anything of photographic interest on the way home. Wait, I was ill-prepared for such a question. I have no noted points-of-interest on the route home. Everyone is in agreement that we do not want to see I79 all the way home, so I suggest that we see what Sandy Lake contains. Agreed. So I exited at Sandy Lake and turned right...Sandy Lake 3 miles. We drive and look, but can't seem to spot this body of water we assume the town was named after. Maybe it dried up. Maybe it wasn't really a lake, but more like a puddle. Did we miss it? We are in the center of town now, if that's what you want to call it. Maybe it is on the other side of town...keep going. Hmmm.
Ok, there's a sign that says that Franklin is this way, why don't we just keep going to see what we can see? Lots of trees, birds, winding roads. This is kind of nice. Still no lake. Cruising down 62...
What's that? Something caught our eye...a smallish sign reading "Bobbi's Specialties" as we drove past. After conferring with Michele, we turned around to see what Bobbi had that was so special. Pull into the parking area and the sign says open til 5:30...it's 5:29. Michele ventures inside to see if they will let us wander around, yep, come on in. We shouldn't have bothered. Half the "shop" was subpar auction riff raff and the other was more than gently used garbage. My streak was broken, I bought nothing. Thanks for letting us look. Auntie Ann got a yellow shirt. Oh look, they have a Facebook page.
We continue on our way. In and out of Franklin and on to Titusville on our way to Mill Village. I really need ice cream now. There's Dave's Place at 408 and 77 near Townville, let's go! Dave's Place has good food and really reasonable prices. Most importantly, there is ice cream!
Dave's Place
30601 Pennsylvania 77
Townville, PA
(814) 967-3846
A small twist in a regular cone, please. A perfect ending to a great day!
First stop in Sharon:
Reyer's Shoes Store
40 South Water Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146-1366
(724) 981-2200
In case you have never been, Reyer's is a giant shoe store that boasts all the hard-to-find sizes for those with special needs feet. There are many styles of shoes available also. This is not a discount store, but it is the destination if you are looking for something special. This was the second time in the past month that I had been here. The last time, I had found a pair of wine-colored heels that I fell in love with, but was in sticker-shock and did not purchase them at that time. I also had not stopped thinking about them since that day, so I wandered into the Rack Room and there they were, taunting me. The Rack Room is the back room area that holds the last pair or two of a style of shoe that used to be on the main sales floor. It is the area where you skim the rack under the sign corresponding to your shoes size, and if you are lucky, you find a pair of shoes that you like. Don't let this fool you, the prices can still be quite high in this area.
I had not even tried these shoes on the last time because $75.00 was more than I have even thought about paying for a pair of heels. OK, I have to do this. I mean, the fact that they were still there waiting for me must mean that I was meant to have them...doesn't it? I thought that rationale worked for me at the time. To my dismay, the size 9s did NOT fit. So much for that idea. No, wait...the VERY helpful sales lady scrounged the shelves and found a size 10! Try these on, she cajoled. They will be too big, I replied. Let me get a toe pad insert, she countered. And so, with the insert to take up the slack in the heel, the shoes were a fit! Score!
Next I went searching for a summer shoe to wear with my clam diggers. All my shoes seem to be black, and that was just not cutting it for me. A nice, light, white shoe with a closed toe. That would do just fine. Now I love the fact that there are plenty of sales clerks to assist you in finding just the right shoe, but they are shrewd. They are intimately trained and highly skilled in selling you on a particular shoe. They have tricks up their sleeves that you have never seen before. Slight of hand, slight of mind...no one knows for sure, but my nice, light, white shoe turned into a neutral, tan Merrill Mary Jane skimmer! Poof! I am assured that I WILL love them and that I will be back for some Merrill clogs in the VERY NEAR future. You don't suppose that these clerks are also skillful in the art of subliminal mind control, do you? Merrill...Merrill...Merrill....er
Michele found a very classy heel in the Rack Room as well. She vowed to wear them to work on Monday. I wonder how they felt after being on them for 8 hours? Hope all is well. The rest of the Cackle found some really nice New Balance sneakers. And we were off to our next stop...The Winner.
The Winner
32 West State Street
Sharon, PA 16146-1396
(724) 981-1152
Now, The Winner can be seen clearly from the parking lot of Reyer's Shoe Store. We pull out of the lot, go through one intersection, and pull into a parking lot behind the building next door to The Winner. We enter from the back door, down the long, desolate hallway, like victims in a B-rated horror film. Beautiful, antique chandeliers hang at intervals from the ceiling, mere whispers of decadence past. Into the stairwell and through the double doors, the main floor opens with its elaborate displays of womens apparel. Gone are all the ball gowns of last month, the last of which are relegated to a comparatively small corner area. In their place, delightful Spring and Summer outfits. Medium and short length Summer dresses, linen skirt and jacket sets, and a cute 1930's style (throwback) dress.
The stairs will take you to a lower floor, while the elevator will take you to a third floor where the bridal and trousseau areas are housed. The larger sizes are downstairs, so off we go. No one was looking for anything in particular, but most had never been here before, so it was an experience. I, however, with my very keen eye, discovered some really cute pant suits I simply MUST try on. They are normally $120.00 on sale for $29.00. This is just too good a deal to pass up! I had been looking for this type of pant suit since I found one at Peebles two years ago. I try on a couple sizes, find one that fits nicely, and scour the rack for different styles in the same size. In all, I walked away with $480.00 worth of merchandise for a mere $116.00. Not a bad haul. I feel a little guilty being the only one to have purchased anything here, but everyone else got a free fashion show on a comfy couch, so all was not lost. Purchases in hand, we are off again.
OK, now we need to decide where to go next. What was anyone interested in? The entire trip was not planned, just the general area and I had a few suggested destinations in the area. Kraynak's for Aunt Mary, Shenango Valley Mall and Bonworth for Mom (who could not make the trip), Pat Catan's for anyone interested, and Daffin's for Auntie Ann. Well, noone had any interest in Pat Catan's this time around, so the next closest stop is:
Daffin's Candies
496 East State Street
Sharon, PA 16146-1899
(724) 342-2892
The first thing to catch a person's eye when entering Daffin's is the whole side wall lined with baskets of every variety bulk hard candy you could imagine. Grabbing a bag, I dove in. Licorice candies, honey filled candies, fruit slices, honeycomb peanuts, anise, every fruit flavor, shiny wrappers, colored wrappers, striped wrappers. plain wrappers...grab another bag. Meltaway mints, Black Cows, caramel creams, mint chocolate, wintergreen, spearmint, peppermint, butter mints, rootbeer barrels, peanut butter balls, and saltwater taffy! Whew, now turn around and look at the rest of the store. Time to get a basket.
Wow, they are more than just candy. Cards and pictures, knick-knacks of various shapes and sizes. Kind of reminds me of a Hallmark store. The huge chocolate display is in the back room conveniently located near the saltwater taffy. Let's go take a peak. A body is overcome by the aroma of chocolate as one enters the back room. Everything in the display area is carved or shaped using chocolate. Can you imagine the ooey gooey mess that would make when the air conditioner fails on the hottest day of the year? I image that the workers don't want to so much as look at a piece of chocolate at home after having to smell it all day long. Their kids are probably the only ones on the block to have Easter baskets filled with nothing but marshmallow peeps and jelly beans. On the up-side, now that the peeps come in a multitude of colors, it would make for a rainbow-like display.
The wall opposite the hard candy is lined with chocolates. There is even a section for sugar-free chocolates! Dark, milk, white, truffle with a variety of fillings, turtles, meltaways...the list goes on and on. There are shelves nearby containing some of your more common pre-packaged bulk candies: sour patch kids, raspberries, blueberries, string licorice (I like those, put one in the basket), nonparils (pick up a pack for Brooke), chewy Spree (one of those for Lance), yogurt-covered grahams (bought), yogurt-covered animal crackers (bought), and raspberry yogurt-covered pretzels (bought). Since I am trying to eat healthier, these should be just the ticket...right? Forget the healthy, I found the biscotti! Anise almond, my favorite! We need to get out of here...seriously...right...now. I flee to the checkout and bust out the door.
Next in line (notice that these are all conveniently located just down the street from each other):
Kraynak's Nursery and Garden Center
2525 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148-2795
(724) 347-4511
We arrive at Kraynak's. I have never been here before, but I always hear about this huge year-round Christmas store. To my surprise, it looks more like a toy store. Rows and rows of toys and games, stuffed animal and puppets, model car and planes. I am not shopping for any of these things, but we browse the aisles. Hey look, they carry the Folkmanis puppets that Hidden Treasures used to carry! There are very well made (read that: expensive) puppets and cute as a button. Can I just say that NO store ever needs this many aisles of stuffed plushies! If there were ever a bomb threat in that store dive for the middle (around aisle 4) as nothing could penetrate those walls of fluff!
As we near the back of the store we start to see yard flags and gardening supplies. There are some really nice double shepard's hooks for about $30.00. The green houses are off the back of the building. Table after table of plants and flowers. Hanging baskets are buy one, get one 50% off. A very nice variety. Aunt Mary is picking out impatients; one, two, three...get a flat. The begonia baskets are beautiful, but I am seriously considering this gorgeous basket of Wandering Jew. I buy a Venus Flytrap for Lance instead. Out the door and on to the Mall.
Shenango Valley Mall
3303 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148-3302
(724) 346-4556
We really need to eat something substantial now. We figure that we can just grab something to eat in the mall. Bonworth first. Look for a shirt Mom would like...all of them...no...this one, or this one....I like this one. Oh look, another pair of clam diggers for me! I need a shirt to go with...this one and this one look good. Go try them on. After all, I cannot ruin my streak of having bought something in every place we visited today, can I? I'll take them! Ooo, and Auntie Ann found a shirt for Mom. In the meantime, Michele scouted out eateries only to discover that there were NONE (I repeat..NONE) in the mall. What? What kind of mall is this anyhow? Not one restaurant? How uncivilized! I guess we will go back across the street to Bob Evans. Hey, didn't we eat there on last year's trip? Why yes, yes we did. Bob Evans it is.
With full bellies, we start heading in the direction of home. Michele asks if there is anything of photographic interest on the way home. Wait, I was ill-prepared for such a question. I have no noted points-of-interest on the route home. Everyone is in agreement that we do not want to see I79 all the way home, so I suggest that we see what Sandy Lake contains. Agreed. So I exited at Sandy Lake and turned right...Sandy Lake 3 miles. We drive and look, but can't seem to spot this body of water we assume the town was named after. Maybe it dried up. Maybe it wasn't really a lake, but more like a puddle. Did we miss it? We are in the center of town now, if that's what you want to call it. Maybe it is on the other side of town...keep going. Hmmm.
Ok, there's a sign that says that Franklin is this way, why don't we just keep going to see what we can see? Lots of trees, birds, winding roads. This is kind of nice. Still no lake. Cruising down 62...
What's that? Something caught our eye...a smallish sign reading "Bobbi's Specialties" as we drove past. After conferring with Michele, we turned around to see what Bobbi had that was so special. Pull into the parking area and the sign says open til 5:30...it's 5:29. Michele ventures inside to see if they will let us wander around, yep, come on in. We shouldn't have bothered. Half the "shop" was subpar auction riff raff and the other was more than gently used garbage. My streak was broken, I bought nothing. Thanks for letting us look. Auntie Ann got a yellow shirt. Oh look, they have a Facebook page.
We continue on our way. In and out of Franklin and on to Titusville on our way to Mill Village. I really need ice cream now. There's Dave's Place at 408 and 77 near Townville, let's go! Dave's Place has good food and really reasonable prices. Most importantly, there is ice cream!
Dave's Place
30601 Pennsylvania 77
Townville, PA
(814) 967-3846
A small twist in a regular cone, please. A perfect ending to a great day!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Volant, PA Day Trip
Well, The Cackle got together and headed out of Erie (or rather Edinboro) at about 8:00 AM last Saturday headed to Volant, PA. If you are a shopper and have never been, you are in for a treat. Volant, PA is located just west of Grove City and is about an hour and 20 minutes drive out of Erie. It is a unique village of quaint shops and restaurants located on Route 208 with an old-fashioned main street nestled in the rolling hills of scenic western Pennsylvania Amish country.
OUR DESTINATION
Volant is located on Neshannock Creek and the Volant Mill, built in 1812, sits in the heart of the borough. After having closed its doors in the early 1960s, the mill reopened as a country gift and antique store in 1984. Bolstered by the success of that venture, other shops soon opened along Main Street. Today, there are many shops of all varieties in this once sleepy little town. You can check out the shops and events on their website: http://www.volantshops.com/
OUR TRIP
We stopped at Eat 'N Park in Grove City for breakfast and coffee before heading over to Volant. The very nice waitress was probably glad to see our very rambunctious backs! Our trip coincided with Volant's Spring Garden Party / Tea Party. Along with the traveling tea party, they had a master gardener and columnist come in to answer questions in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful, and we all had a great time browsing. The shops are converted older homes and the architecture was a delight to see. We arrived at 10:30 AM and shopped until about 3 PM. We did not get to go in all the shops, because we were strolling leisurely through. We may have to schedule another trip to see the rest of the shops we did not get to see. I am hearing that the dumpling house offers must-have blueberry dumplings, but I did not get to verify this information on this trip.
After leaving Volant, we headed over to Bruno's Fine Jewelry store (1015 Leesburg Station Road, Springfield Falls, PA 16137 - 800-559-5290). The property was purchased about 3 years ago and the building sits above the newly rediscovered ruins of a 19th century iron furnace. Bruno's is famous for turning the slag found at the site of the iron furnace ruins into "Iron Master's Gems". These hand-carved pieces of slag are set in gold and are truly works of art. There is a path outside the store leading to the creek and the iron furnace ruins. We were invited to venture down and take pictures of the Springfield Falls waterfall that the iron furnace ruins sits at the bottom of. As long as we did not disturb the archeological dig, we were welcome to get a closer look.
Before leaving the area, we popped around the corner and ventured down Falls Road just a bit and parked near the spring house. Local residents go here to fill their empty water bottles with fresh spring water. Across the street, is Pennsylvania Game Lands, on which Springfield Falls resides. Everyone is welcome to hike (and hunt in season) this land. We ventured to the top of the falls, which is only a short distance off the road, and snapped a few more pictures. We filled our water bottles at the spring house and headed out to Hermitage.
What's in Hermitage? Well, Bonworth, of course. And Mom needed a fix! (Me too...lol) We stopped at the Shenango Valley Mall and shopped a bit at Bonworth. By now, everyone was hungry again, so we ate dinner at Bob Evans, then swooped into Pat Catan's before heading home.
And a good time was had by all!
ADDITIONAL POINTS OF INTEREST IN THE AREA
In addition to the Main Street shops, there are a few other attractions in the area.
The Barns
"The Barns" sit just outside of downtown Volant on Route 168 (Anderson's In the Barns, 4666 Pennsylvania 168, Volant, PA 16156 - 724-533-2600), and have a variety of area rugs and country gifts.
Cheese House
There is a cheese house (Rts 18 & 208, New Wilmington , PA 16142 - 724-946-8558) that sells "more than just cheese". They offer a variety of foods and crafts.
Iron Bridge Inn
I am told that the Iron Bridge Inn (1438 Perry Highway, Mercer, PA 16137 - 724-748-3626) is famous for their prime rib, and if you are in the neighborhood, you should stop in and try it. I am definitely putting that on my To Do list!
OUR DESTINATION
Volant is located on Neshannock Creek and the Volant Mill, built in 1812, sits in the heart of the borough. After having closed its doors in the early 1960s, the mill reopened as a country gift and antique store in 1984. Bolstered by the success of that venture, other shops soon opened along Main Street. Today, there are many shops of all varieties in this once sleepy little town. You can check out the shops and events on their website: http://www.volantshops.com/
OUR TRIP
We stopped at Eat 'N Park in Grove City for breakfast and coffee before heading over to Volant. The very nice waitress was probably glad to see our very rambunctious backs! Our trip coincided with Volant's Spring Garden Party / Tea Party. Along with the traveling tea party, they had a master gardener and columnist come in to answer questions in the afternoon. The weather was beautiful, and we all had a great time browsing. The shops are converted older homes and the architecture was a delight to see. We arrived at 10:30 AM and shopped until about 3 PM. We did not get to go in all the shops, because we were strolling leisurely through. We may have to schedule another trip to see the rest of the shops we did not get to see. I am hearing that the dumpling house offers must-have blueberry dumplings, but I did not get to verify this information on this trip.
After leaving Volant, we headed over to Bruno's Fine Jewelry store (1015 Leesburg Station Road, Springfield Falls, PA 16137 - 800-559-5290). The property was purchased about 3 years ago and the building sits above the newly rediscovered ruins of a 19th century iron furnace. Bruno's is famous for turning the slag found at the site of the iron furnace ruins into "Iron Master's Gems". These hand-carved pieces of slag are set in gold and are truly works of art. There is a path outside the store leading to the creek and the iron furnace ruins. We were invited to venture down and take pictures of the Springfield Falls waterfall that the iron furnace ruins sits at the bottom of. As long as we did not disturb the archeological dig, we were welcome to get a closer look.
Before leaving the area, we popped around the corner and ventured down Falls Road just a bit and parked near the spring house. Local residents go here to fill their empty water bottles with fresh spring water. Across the street, is Pennsylvania Game Lands, on which Springfield Falls resides. Everyone is welcome to hike (and hunt in season) this land. We ventured to the top of the falls, which is only a short distance off the road, and snapped a few more pictures. We filled our water bottles at the spring house and headed out to Hermitage.
What's in Hermitage? Well, Bonworth, of course. And Mom needed a fix! (Me too...lol) We stopped at the Shenango Valley Mall and shopped a bit at Bonworth. By now, everyone was hungry again, so we ate dinner at Bob Evans, then swooped into Pat Catan's before heading home.
And a good time was had by all!
ADDITIONAL POINTS OF INTEREST IN THE AREA
In addition to the Main Street shops, there are a few other attractions in the area.
The Barns
"The Barns" sit just outside of downtown Volant on Route 168 (Anderson's In the Barns, 4666 Pennsylvania 168, Volant, PA 16156 - 724-533-2600), and have a variety of area rugs and country gifts.
Cheese House
There is a cheese house (Rts 18 & 208, New Wilmington , PA 16142 - 724-946-8558) that sells "more than just cheese". They offer a variety of foods and crafts.
Iron Bridge Inn
I am told that the Iron Bridge Inn (1438 Perry Highway, Mercer, PA 16137 - 724-748-3626) is famous for their prime rib, and if you are in the neighborhood, you should stop in and try it. I am definitely putting that on my To Do list!
Welcome!
First, let me tell you a little about me and why I started this blog.
I declared the year 2010 to be "The Year of Day Trips". I started planning the first outing in February, hoping that it would somehow usher Spring in earlier than usual. After another hard Erie winter, I really needed to "Think Spring" or go insane. Since I am an avid amateur photographer, I am always on the look out for new and interesting places and subjects, so day trips would be a perfect way to discover new things.
I started this blog to document these day trips. My hope is that someone else will find this information useful in planning their own day trips in and around Erie, Pa.
Well, who better to share these trip with than friends and family? So the first planned outing was Volant, PA with my mother, 2 aunts, my sister and a cousin. They have now been collectively dubbed "The Cackle" (more on that later). This group is a really a lot of fun. We are a little bit crazy, maybe a little bit loud, and ALWAYS a hoot!
I declared the year 2010 to be "The Year of Day Trips". I started planning the first outing in February, hoping that it would somehow usher Spring in earlier than usual. After another hard Erie winter, I really needed to "Think Spring" or go insane. Since I am an avid amateur photographer, I am always on the look out for new and interesting places and subjects, so day trips would be a perfect way to discover new things.
I started this blog to document these day trips. My hope is that someone else will find this information useful in planning their own day trips in and around Erie, Pa.
Well, who better to share these trip with than friends and family? So the first planned outing was Volant, PA with my mother, 2 aunts, my sister and a cousin. They have now been collectively dubbed "The Cackle" (more on that later). This group is a really a lot of fun. We are a little bit crazy, maybe a little bit loud, and ALWAYS a hoot!
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