Winter Weekend in Rochester

Thank you to Visit Rochester for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own.

Located in the north west region of New York state, Rochester is approximately a 5 hour drive from Westchester County or a one hour flight from NYC.  We recently enjoyed a winter weekend in Rochester and can say there’s plenty to do! Even though it’s the fourth largest city in the state, Rochester has different neighborhoods that give it a small-town feel. Be sure to check out our Instagram page to see lots more pictures from our visit!

WHERE TO STAY:

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester University & Medical Center (30 Celebration Drive, Rochester, NY 14620). As the name suggests, this hotel is located next to the Medical Center and Rochester University. Almost all major attractions are less than a 15 minute drive away. Located in College Town, there are many restaurants and shops within walking distance.  

The rooms are typical for a mainstream hotel and either have a King bed or 2 Queens. There are a couple of one bedroom suites that have a King bed and a small separate living room area with a pullout couch. Our room had two queen beds with a mini fridge, microwave and Keurig. The hotel has a pool and fitness center onsite.  If you like Italian food, Grappa restaurant is located on the hotel ground floor. Parking at the hotel is free, even though you’re technically in the middle of a large city.

WHAT TO DO IN ROCHESTER:

Winters in Rochester can be cold and snowy. If you are not a fan of either, don’t despair! The city is full of fun indoor and outdoor places that are worth visiting in the winter.

The George Eastman Museum
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607

The George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum. It is located on George Eastman’s estate and visitors can tour both the museum and his mansion. Eastman invented the Kodak camera, helping to make photography more accessible to the public. The museum collection has more than 400,000 photographs and photography-related objects. There are always three photography exhibits on display in the museum and currently you can view Joshua Rashaad McFadden: I Believe I’ll Run On (through June 19, 2022), James Tylor: From an Untouched Landscape (through June 5, 2022) and Selections from the Collection. There are also digitized films from the George Eastman collection playing in the Multipurpose Hall (through March 27, 2022) and an exhibit of George Eastman in 1922 in the historic mansion.

From mid-February to the beginning of March, Dutch Connection takes place. Eastman loved flowers and, during this annual event, the mansion is decorated with the kinds of flowers that he enjoyed. The colorful display includes different varieties of tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and more.

High Falls

There are not many cities that have a waterfall running through its center. This 96-foot waterfall is one of three that spills from the Genesee River. The pedestrian bridge, Pont de Rennes bridge, provides the perfect viewing platform of the falls and makes it easy for cyclists and pedestrians to access different parts of the city.

Mendon Ponds Park 
Wild Wings Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center
Fairy Trail and Birdsong Trail
27 Pond Road
Honeoye Falls, NY 14472

Mendon Ponds Park is Monroe County’s largest park, consisting of 2,500 acres.  Rochester gets a lot of snow in the winter and you can take advantage of it at this park.  There are two designated sledding hills, more than 20 miles of groomed cross country skiing trails and snowshoe rentals. These are available for $5/an hour at the Wild Wings, Inc. shop.  Every visit to Rochester should include a stop at the Wild Wings, Inc. Bird of Prey Facility and Nature Center.  Meet rescued animals and birds of prey that, due to a variety of injuries, would not be able to survive out in the wild.

Make sure you leave time for a walk down the Fairy Trail! Look high and low for two dozen fairy houses, located both up on tree branches and down on tree stumps. They are colorful, inspirational and add a bit of whimsy and fun to the great outdoors!

Bring a bag of birdseed with you (or buy a bag for $1 and support the Wild Wings, Inc. facility) and head to Birdsong Trail.  The birds, including black-capped chickadees, nuthatches and titmice, will fly down and eat the birdseed right out of your hand! This was such an unexpected and fun experience!

If you happen to visit in January, you can experience the park’s annual Winterfest, an all-day festival filled with fun activities and learning opportunities.

Memorial Art Gallery (MAG)
500 University Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607

The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is the University of Rochester’s art museum. The MAG holds a collection of over 12,000 objects in their permanent collection. They also host many temporary exhibitions, concerts and family-friendly programs.  

The collection spans over 5,000 years and you can see everything from an Egyptian mummy and Greek pottery to works by Monet, Cezanne and they even have a Kusama. There is a small sculpture park on the grounds of the museum worth checking out as well.

Current temporary exhibits include Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem (through August 14, 2022) and Chitra Ganesh: Sultana’s Dream (through June 5, 2022). 

Radio Social
20 Carlson Road
Rochester, NY 14610

Radio Social is a great attraction to visit with teens.  This entertainment venue has 34 bowling lanes, indoor games including shuffleboard and ping pong, and video games. There are two eateries: Ophira, a sit-down Middle Eastern restaurant located at the entrance of the space, and Shortwave, a counter-service-only snack bar. There are also two bar areas.  

Every bowling lane has either a high top table with stools or sofas. Food can be ordered and delivered right to your lane. We visited on a Saturday evening and the place was hopping! This is a popular place for locals to celebrate birthdays, as there were several taking place during our visit. Lanes are rented by the hour and start at $39.95. Friday and Saturdays have a higher rate of $45.95/hour. If you want to rent a lane during your visit, I highly recommend making a reservation since, as I mentioned, this is a very popular venue!

We had dinner while we bowled and were impressed with the food we tried here. We enjoyed the “Just” brick oven pizza with tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil and the veggie burger, made with black beans, poblano and feta.  The seasonal veggie, olive oil and fresh herb hummus served with cucumber and pita was tasty as well.  My son enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger which is topped with a tomato shallot jam and aged cheddar. The curly fries are served with a black garlic mayo and spicy ketchup for dipping. This is not your typical bowling alley food! 

Rochester Museum and Science Center and Strasenburgh Planetarium
657 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607

The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a great museum for kids of all ages.  Their current temporary exhibition is Expedition: Dinosaur, which is on display through May 1, 2022.  The RMSC holds three floors of hands-on science with exhibits on energy, sound, illumination, Native Peoples of the Americas, and lots more! I personally found the Fight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad and Objectively Racist: How Objects and Images Perpetuate Racism particularly enlightening. While the museum was filled with younger kids, I enjoyed that my older teens were knowledgeable about the science behind many of the exhibits, as they have or are learning about the concepts.

The Strasenburgh Planetarium, adjacent to the museum has three different shows, including its newest, “Dinosaurs at Dusk”.  This approximately 45 minute show compliments the museum’s current Dinosaur exhibit.  Young dinosaur fans will enjoy seeing this movie on a big screen. Please note: it’s a movie about a father and daughter who travel through time to see dinosaurs.  It is not a planetarium show focused on stars and space. 

Strong Museum of Play
One Manhattan Square
Rochester, NY 14607

If you have young kids, the Strong Museum of Play is a must-visit when in Rochester. This is a one-of-a-kind museum with 100,000 square feet of interactive exhibits focused on toys and play. Kids can visit Sesame Street, shop at the Wegman’s Super Kids Market, visit the Toy Hall of Fame and more. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a temporary exhibit through April 24, 2022.

Our family had fun in Pinball Playfields, where we got to play all kinds of different pinball machines. Pinball games and video games cost 25 cents per play. While there is plenty to see and do with a general admission, there are also attractions available for an additional cost. These include the butterfly garden, the Skyline climb, a train ride and a ride on the carousel.

Be warned, we visited during the winter break when schools were closed. Even though we arrived early, it was packed! In our opinion, children between the ages of 4 and 10 will likely have the most fun and enjoyment at this museum.

Visit Colleges

Having two teenagers, we’ve recently been visiting colleges on our travels.  Rochester is home to several colleges including the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).   The University of Rochester is minutes away from the Hilton Garden Inn Rochester/University & Medical Center.  We took a drive through the campus to get a cursory glimpse of the school.  However, you can schedule a visit to Rochester around an official college visit and tour.

WHERE TO EAT IN ROCHESTER:

A visit to Rochester is not complete without sampling it’s most iconic dish, the garbage plate. Trademarked by the historic restaurant where it originated called Nick Tahou Hots in 1992, almost every restaurant offers some variation. Garbage plate traditionally begin with a layer of either French fries or home fries, and either macaroni salad or baked beans. This layer is then topped with a protein which often is either hot dogs or hamburgers. However, some restaurants offer ground meat, sausage, chicken or even fried fish.

A city like Rochester is full of restaurants. From burgers and fast food to vegan restaurants and fine dining, there is something for everyone. You can dine at a different restaurant every day and still not visit them all. Below are the restaurants that we visited and can recommend.

Genesee Brew House
25 Cataract Street
Rochester, NY 14605

The Genesee Brew House was established in 2012. However, the brewery itself dates back to 1878. The Brew House sits adjacent to the Genesee River and from the balcony or rooftop, offers spectacular views of High Falls. The first floor of the Brew House has a gift shop, a collection of brewery memorabilia and the Pilot Brewery.

The second floor of the brewery has a large bar and both indoor and outdoor seating. Whenever we are at a brewery, my husband has to sample a flight! The brewery had 14 brews on tap for him to choose from. We also enjoyed dinner here. The menu has some interesting items like Buffalo Chicken Pierogis and Potato Chip Tenders appetizers. My son enjoyed the ChicKing sandwich, which he devoured. However, my daughter and husband are vegetarians and I’m a pescatarian.

The three of us shared Bavarian pretzels, the Blush Beer Raviolis and a Goat Cheese Burger, minus the bacon. We were impressed that we could order any of their three burgers and substitute an Impossible burger for the beef patty. Although the menu had a limited selection of items that we could eat, everything we ordered was really good!

Jines Restaurant
658 Park Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607

Jines is a family-owned restaurant that has been operating since 1971. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We visited for breakfast and were impressed with their offerings. They have an extensive omelette menu and serve eight variations of eggs Benedict!

The Wild Mushroom and Crumbled Blue Cheese was delicious, as was the Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Tomato Omelette. My kids enjoyed the Belgian waffle with strawberries and the bagel with lox and cream cheese. If eggs aren’t your thing, Jines serves a variety of different waffles and pancakes, cereal, pastries, bagels and more.

Open Face
George Eastman House
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607

If you are visiting the George Eastman House, I recommend stopping by Open Face, the museum’s onsite café for lunch or a snack. The restaurant offers a variety of beverages, including a Tea Pharmacy that serves 18 different varieties. We were impressed with the selection of sandwiches on the menu and liked that there is an option to do a tasting and sample two different sandwich halves. We sampled three sandwiches, the Toasted Brie (with warm apricot preserves and tart cherry butter), the open-faced Corn Mash and the Chickpea, and can highly recommend all three! Many of the sandwiches are vegetarian and can be made vegan for an additional charge.

The Red Fern
283 Oxford Street
Rochester, NY 14607

The Red Fern is located in the Neighborhood of the Arts. It is a 100% vegan restaurant and bakery and also has gluten-free and allergy-friendly food options. As vegetarians, and former vegans, we love being able to go into a restaurant and know that we can order anything on the menu. And they have a dessert case filled with vegan treats! The restaurant and dining space is small, so I highly recommend making reservations or ordering takeout. We ended up doing takeout on our visit since the dining room wait list was long!

We had to try the Compost Plate, The Red Fern’s version of the Garbage Plate, that I described above. Their version has a layer of macaroni salad and sweet potatoes topped with a spicy ‘meat’ sauce and choice of protein (we chose Italian ‘sausage’) and served with field greens and focaccia toast. It may not look appetizing, but this was one of my favorite dishes! We also shared a Steak Bomb sandwich and ABLT sandwich. We couldn’t leave without sampling a dessert and tried the cherry chocolate brownie.

Rochester Public Market
280 N. Union Street
Rochester, NY 14609

The Rochester Public Market has been a city staple since 1905.  It operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, all year long. We arrived at the market on a Saturday morning around 8:15 AM to get some breakfast. It was snowing and freezing cold when we arrived. While there are many food options at the Market, we started at the closest to our parked car. The Flour City Bread Company uses only organic grains and flours in their bread.  Their selection is vast and, besides bread, they sell bagels, pretzels, hamburger or hotdog rolls, croissants, granola, danish and more.  We chose to share a pretzel, chocolate croissant, potato focaccia and blueberry cronut.  It was very difficult deciding on what to get and everything we tried was so good!  

We then went next door to Best Coffee at The Market for some hot beverages.  The kids enjoyed hot cocoas while I had a regular coffee and my husband ordered an Americano.  This place was packed at 8:30 AM!  They roast their coffee beans onsite, which is done right inside the entrance.  You can also buy bags of their roasted beans. 

Despite the frigid cold weather, there were many outdoor vendors set up. Most were farms selling produce.  However, we also saw syrup, eggs and other goods being sold. There was also one food vendor braving the cold, selling empanadas, burritos and other Mexican dishes from inside a small food cart.  

We made a stop at Juan and Maria’s Empanadas.  This family business is housed in an indoor/ outdoor pavilion and has been operating for 21 years! We shared a cheese empanada and a vegetable breakfast empanada. They were both so good!  Don’t forget to grab some sauces to enjoy with your empanadas. The Spanish mayo and the green & gold sauces were our favorite.  

After warming up with our empanadas, we went into the indoor public market in building B.  Here, vendors are selling everything from produce and seafood to freshly pressed juices, baked items and vegan food items. You can spend hours at this market, enjoying a meal and snacks and shopping from the vendors.  

Simply Crepes
7 Schoen Place
Pittsford, NY 14534

Simply Crepes has three locations in the upstate New York area. The restaurant serves separate breakfast and lunch/dinner menus. We visited for breakfast and ordered a mix of sweet and savory items. Since it’s part of the restaurant’s name, of course we had to sample the crepes! I ordered savory with the Vegetarian Scramble Crepe, while my daughter ordered the Nutella Fruit Crepe. Nutella, fresh strawberries, chocolate sauce and whipped cream are served inside the crepe, along with a side of vanilla bean ice cream. Yes, she had ice cream for breakfast!

My husband went with the Rumchata Banana French Toast (French toast with burnt sugar custard, bananas and Rumchata caramel) and my son ordered the Maple Sausage Stackers (two crepes piled with scrambled eggs, maple sausage, cheddar and topped with an apple wood bacon cream). The restaurant serves a lot more than crepes and it is all amazing!

There is so much to see, eat and do on a winter weekend in Rochester. This is only a sampling of some of the fun and delicious bites you can enjoy in this great city in New York. As you plan your next winter weekend getaway, consider visiting Rochester!

7 Fall Weekend Getaways

Now that school has started, it’s not as easy to go away with the kids. Plus, COVID is making travel even more difficult. Fortunately, there are many fall weekend getaways close to Westchester County that are perfect for both families or couples looking to rest, recharge and have some fun! I am sharing 7 weekend getaways that we think families will enjoy.

Corning – This is the furthest destination that we are sharing, but it’s definitely doable for a weekend visit. There are some unique experiences to enjoy in the area including the Corning Museum of Glass, Watkins Glen State Park and more.

Crystal Spring ResortThis is the only New Jersey weekend destination that we have traveled to so far, but it’s a good one! Your family may never want to leave the biosphere pool. They offer both complimentary activities and those that have an additional cost. There are several onsite restaurants to choose from.

Emerson Resort – The Emerson Resort is located in the Catskills and is perfectly situated for some fall foliage viewing. This resort is also dog friendly if you want to bring your pet with you. Here you can find the world’s largest kaleidoscope. They offer several onsite activities and also have a spa. The Catskill Rail Explorers and plenty of fall hikes will keep you busy when you’re not enjoying the resort.

Kalahari Resort – If you don’t want to have to worry about the weather, take a visit to Kalahari. You can enjoy the indoor water park, arcade, mini golf and more. With several onsite restaurants, you won’t have to leave the resort. And if the weather is nice, they also have an outdoor treetop adventure course.

Lancaster, Pennsylvania – Only three hours from most of Westchester County, Lancaster, Pennsylvania is a great weekend getaway. Experience “Pennsylvania Dutch Country” for an educational and fun experience.

Pine Ridge Dude Ranch – Pine Ridge Dude Ranch is great if your family enjoys horseback riding. This is an all-inclusive dude ranch experience with both outdoor and indoor activities to keep the family occupied.

Villa Roma Resort – Villa Roma Resort offers a variety of activities for families with kids of all ages including go karts, a bowling alley, a zip line and more. Dinner and breakfast are included in the price of your stay.

Catskills Getaway to the Emerson Resort & Spa

The kids are back in school and busy schedules are the new norm. So when the kids had a couple of days off from school, we decided to enjoy some fall family fun at the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper, NY. The Emerson is an easy drive from northern Westchester County, less than two hours away.

The Emerson is conveniently situated for visiting the nearby towns of Phoenicia and Woodstock to the East or Belleayre and Hunter Mountain to the West. However, if you’re looking to simply enjoy some rest and relaxation, it’s perfect for that as well!

The History of the Emerson Resort and Spa

The Emerson Resort is located in Ulster County, in the Eastern part of the Catskills, and borders the Esopus Creek. Once you arrive at the resort, you will quickly discover who it was named after. Every room has books of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poems, and quotes from these poems decorate the walls of the Resort.

The Resort sits on what was originally an 1840 dairy farm owned by the Riseley family. Part of the original building was transported onto the current property. Over a century later, it was developed into tourist destination Clinton Corners, which included a variety of shops, a restaurant and the World’s Largest Kaleidoscope. After a move and various renovations, it is now the Emerson Resort & Spa as we know it.

The Rooms

There are two different lodging options when visiting the Emerson Resort. You can stay in the Lodge buildings, which are more rustic, Adirondack-style rooms.

The second lodging option is the Inn, which features more contemporary, Catskill chic type accommodations. We stayed in room 502 of the Inn which was perfect for our family of four. This Royal Suite room has two queen beds.

I enjoyed a soak in the large whirlpool tub and we all enjoyed the waterfall shower with adjustable side sprays. Although we did question the window looking into the bedroom! Luckily, the blinds close for privacy.

During the afternoon, our balcony was a perfect place to enjoy some reading time, while listening to the tranquil sounds of the Esopus Creek. And in the morning, my husband and I enjoyed our coffee with a beautiful view!

Fall evenings in the Catskills can get chilly. We enjoyed sitting nearby our room’s gas fireplace in the evening. On the second night, we enjoyed a family game night in front of the fireplace as well. The kids really enjoyed the complimentary snacks (peanut trail mix and granola bars) and water available in the room. The water came in handy on our outings. It’s important to know that there is no cell phone service in the area. Thank goodness the Emerson has complementary wi-fi!

Amenities

The Emerson Resort is very family-friendly . Although it is a resort and spa, we noticed many families with children visiting. For dog owners, the Resort is also pet-friendly! It was fun seeing guests walking the property with their dogs.

The spa at The Emerson Resort is spread over 6,000 square feet and is only for adults. Reservations are recommended prior to arrival if you wish to enjoy a massage, facial or one of the other treatments they offer. All overnight adult guests can enjoy the fitness room, sauna, steam room and outdoor salt water hot tub. The entrance to the spa is one of the few decorative pieces that remains after a major renovation in 2016. The hand-carved imported doorway was too fantastic to change .

The day of our arrival we enjoyed participating in a kaleidoscope making class. While you can purchase the same kits in the gift shop, it was nice to be guided through the process. After making our kaleidoscopes, our instructor, Jonas had us walk around the property to look for objects in nature that we could add to the kaleidoscope. It was fun to see how the different items looked while viewed through our kaleidoscopes. If you aren’t interested in making a kaleidoscope, the Resort also offers watercolor postcard painting or design your own t-shirt classes ($20 per shirt). Check the schedule to see which days the classes are offered.

The Catskills are truly beautiful. The Emerson really wants guests to explore and take in all the beauty of their surroundings. The grounds of the Emerson include 1.2 miles of trails and a small pond. There are several cruiser bicycles available (adults sized only, they do not have children’s bikes) and you can get helmets from the front desk. If you are interested in doing some bird watching around the property, you can also borrow binoculars at the front desk.

Twice a day, guided nature walks depart from the lobby. We enjoyed participating in one of these walks that takes you down to the Esopus Creek and along the property. The creek’s water comes from the mountain and leads to the Ashokan Reservoir. Weather permitting, swimming is allowed in the creek. The Emerson has partnered with the Ashokan Watershed and offers fresh water snorkeling on select dates during the summer! The resort even had its moment of fame as the recent movie The Dead Don’t Die, starring Bill Murray and Adam Driver, was partly filmed on the property!

In the warmer months guests can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities. There are outdoor games including volleyball, horseshoes and corn hole. There’s a playground for younger kids and even a dog park for all of the four-legged visitors. And, of course, there’s a pool open during the summer.

All guests are invited to enjoy the Family Room in the Black Bear building at the lodge. We walked over one evening and enjoyed several games of intense and competitive family ping pong. There are also several fire pits throughout the property and s’mores kits are available for purchase at the front desk for guests to enjoy.

The World’s Largest Kaleidoscope

The Emerson Resort is probably most well known for housing the World’s Largest Kaleidoscope. The Kaleidoscope sits in the former silo of the Riseley Farm. It has a 50-foot virtual sphere that can reflect 254 images, which creates an illusion of over 3,000 images! Overnight guests are able to view a complimentary showing of Star Dust, a 10 minute experience that will dazzle your senses. Seating is available, but we all enjoyed laying down on the floor to view the show.

There are a variety of shops in the Emerson, including a toy shop, housewares and souvenir and clothing shops. However, you must take a visit through the Kaleidostore. There are a couple of fun, interactive exhibits to see. But the showstopper is the large collection of kaleidoscopes for sale at the Kaleidobar. Children are asked not to touch these and even I was afraid to touch some (most?) of them. There’s a kaleidoscope that costs $1,850! They are truly works of art!

The Food

The Emerson Resort has two restaurants onsite. Ralph’s Cafe is open from 9 AM to 5 PM (except Sundays when it’s open until 6 PM). Here you can pick up pastries, soup, sandwiches, salads and more. There is seating both inside and out where you can enjoy your food, or you can take it to go.

Woodnotes Grille is the sit down restaurant that serves breakfast and dinner. Locally sourced ingredients are used to create delicious meals in what they like to call “Catskill Creative Cooking.”

We enjoyed dinner there one evening and some of the highlight dishes included this Black Angus Beef Brisket with Parmesan Twice Baked Potatoes and Wilted Swiss Chard…

…as well as the Pan Seared Beaverkill Trout with Lyonnaise potatoes and French beans. Most entrees are priced between $22-$26.

We enjoyed breakfast one morning at Woodnotes as well. The restaurant serves everything from Eggs Benedict and House Made Corned Beef Hash to Quinoa Granola and Avocado Toast.

Our second morning, we stopped at Ralph’s Cafe. Overnight guests can enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea each day of their stay. We purchased a variety of breakfast goodies to share before we headed out that morning. Everything is reasonably priced, including breakfast sandwiches.

We had a great stay at the Emerson Resort & Spa. Our weekend had a mix of relaxation, fun and exploration. With an eleven and thirteen year-old, there was enough to see and do during our stay to make it an enjoyable visit for the entire family. If you are looking for a quick weekend getaway to the Catskills, we highly recommend a visit to the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper!

The Details:
Emerson Resort & Spa
5340 Route 28
Mount Tremper, NY 12457
(845) 688-2828

Room Prices: Rates start at $224/night, depending on date and room type

*Be sure to check out the Emerson website for specials and packages.

*This is a dog friendly resort! You can bring your pet with you!

*There is a full service spa onsite as well as fitness classes (for a fee).

(Thank you to the Emerson Resort & Spa for hosting NY Foodie Family. As always, all opinions are our own.)

1

A Weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Lancaster County Pennsylvania, a.k.a. “Pennsylvania Dutch Country” is a fun, family destination.  With a large Amish community, visiting here is both an educational and fun experience.  Only 3 hours from most of Westchester County, Lancaster makes a perfect weekend getaway.  Read on to see all the fun that can be had in two days.  You can check out the links to read more detailed posts about each attraction. When planning your visit, it is important to note that many attractions in Lancaster are closed on Sundays. Two days didn’t give us enough time to see and do everything, but that’s only the more reason for us to return soon!

Stay: at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn.  This Inn is a great lodging choice for families, with several different types of sleeping accommodations.  This is not a chain hotel and is situated on 23 acres that includes a pool, two playgrounds and even some farm animals.  The property is spacious with walking paths and a pond.  There is also a restaurant, garden shop and large gift shop onsite as well.

Eat: The Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn has a restaurant on the property that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Breakfast at the Smorgasbord is complimentary with an overnight stay and the front desk offers discount coupons if you choose to dine at the restaurant for lunch or dinner.  We had a dinner and breakfast here and were highly satisfied with both.  The buffet offers a plentiful variety of delicious options including fresh baked goods and desserts.

We also had a delicious meal at Federal Taphouse in Lancaster.  This is a great restaurant for beer lovers, as they have 100 beers on tap.  The menu is very family-friendly with wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches tacos and more.  We tried the Sweet Corn Pizza with creamed spinach, sweet corn, bacon, house tomato jam and ricotta salata.  Yes, it was as delicious as it looks and sounds. We then rounded out our meal with a variety of appetizers with a house made soft pretzel with beer cheese fondue, stuffed meatballs and poutine.  It was a carb-filled feast!

Visit:  The Amish Farm and House for an educational and fun experience.  On the guided house tour you will learn about the Amish history and heritage.  You can take a bus tour that will drive you through the Amish countryside. Make sure to leave time to enjoy the 15-acre farm.  My kids could have spent all day here feeding the goats and visiting the different farm animals.  They also had a great time riding the scooters and enjoying the newest attraction, Tractor Trails, where they pedaled cars around a track.  The gift shop sells a variety of handmade Amish goods and on the weekends.  (located approximately five minutes from the Hershey Farm Inn).

A foodie tour of Kitchen Kettle Village in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

Kitchen Kettle Village – Kitchen Kettle Village is made for foodies! We had such a delicious time visiting all the different shops and eating our way through the village.  There’s a reason why nearly a million people visit each year.  There is something for everyone here, with 40 different shops selling everything from jams and fudge to quilts and Christmas ornaments.  (located approximately 12 minutes from the Hershey Farm Inn).

Lancaster Science Factory – If you need a place for the kids to burn off some energy, this is the place.  With over 60 different hands-on exhibits, kids will (and adults!) will have a great time at the Lancaster Science Factory.  While smaller than many other children’s science museums that we have visited, the exhibits held the interest of my two tweens for quite some time. (approximately 15 minutes from the Hershey Farm Inn).

Turkey Hill Experience – Although not in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Turkey Hill Experience is not to be missed.  As fans of Turkey Hill ice cream, this attraction was a family favorite.  We got to create our own ice cream flavor in the Taste Lab and learn about tea in the Tea Discovery.  In the actual Experience, we had endless samples of teas and ice cream (approximately 25 minutes away from the Hershey Farm Inn).

(Thank you to Discover Lancaster and the above attractions for hosting NY Foodie Family.  As always, all opinions are our own.)

You may also enjoy:

2 Day Philadelphia Itinerary with Kids


A Weekend in Cooperstown

A Tasty Good Time at the Turkey Hill Experience

(Thank you to the Turkey Hill Experience for hosting us.  As always, all opinions are our own.)

If you’ve perused my Instagram feed, you realize that my family loves ice cream.  Turkey Hill is one of our favorite brands and we especially love their Double Dunker and All Natural Mint Chocolate Chip.  But honestly, all the flavors are delicious!  So, on our recent trip to Lancaster County, I knew we had to make a stop at the Turkey Hill Experience.

Located in Columbia, Pennsylvania, the Turkey Hill Experience is about a twenty-five minute drive from the heart of Lancaster.  No ice cream or iced tea is actually made on premise.  Instead, as the name suggests, this attraction is a fun-filled, interactive “experience.”

The Experience is housed in a beautiful, large brick building that was a former silk mill. You know you are at the right place when you see the giant cow greeting you.  There are a couple of different admission tickets.  Our family enjoyed the Triple Scoop – which includes the Experience, the Taste Lab and the Tea Discovery.  It is important to note that the Taste Lab and Tea Discovery both require additional admission and a reservation time.

The Experience, located on the second floor, is self-guided.  Visitors get to learn how Turkey Hill ice cream is made; from quality assurance, to packaging and freezing.  In product development, guests can create their own virtual ice cream. Since the terminals can get backed up, we created our ice cream flavor as a family.  Further into the experience you will arrive at a different area to design the carton for your ice cream.

Finally, if you choose, you get to star in a commercial.  You stand in front of a green screen and read the provided script.  A commercial is then created, starring you (or, in our case, one of our children!). You can get it e-mailed to you so you have it as a keepsake of your visit.

Of course, you have to sample all of Turkey Hill’s iced teas and lemonades.  Unlimited samples are available, mostly of their different iced teas flavors.

There are lots of interactive exhibits throughout the Experience for visitors to engage with.  How well do you know Turkey Hill ice cream flavors?  You get to test your knowledge in this exhibit!  There are also great photo opportunities and even a small ball pit for children six and younger.

I highly recommend adding the Taste Lab to your Experience.  This was hands down our family’s favorite part of the visit!  During the 45 minute session you learn more about Turkey Hill ice cream.  You are then guided through the process of creating your own flavor.

Starting with a pint of vanilla ice cream, you get to add a flavor extract, inclusions and a variegate (what they call the syrups and sauces such as fudge, caramel, peanut butter, marshmallow, etc.).  There are some tough decisions to be made.  I mean, look at this wall of inclusions!

These were our delicious creations after we added our inclusions, but before we added the variegates and did the final mix.

After our delicious ice cream making adventure, we explored more of the Experience.  There are several exhibits about Turkey Hill’s other main product: Iced Tea.

We also got to learn more about tea in Tea Discovery.  During our thirty minute session we learned about and sampled six different teas.  Honestly, I don’t think you’re missing out if you don’t participate in a tea tasting.  Most of the teas we sampled were unsweetened and my kids didn’t enjoy them.  For tea connoisseurs, do not expect freshly brewed tea leaves.  However, you will get a short introduction to the history of tea and learn about different aromas and flavors of teas.

We were stuffed early on since we each devoured almost a pint of ice cream at the Taste Lab!  So we didn’t go to the ice cream sample room until the end of our visit.  The day’s flavors included vanilla, Dutch chocolate, chocolate mint chip, fruit rainbow, chocolate peanut butter, orange cream swirl, salted caramel and Graham Slam.  You get one sample at a time, but can go up as many times as you’d like.

You can’t miss the giant gift shop at the Turkey Hill Experience!  It literally takes up most of the main floor.  They sell everything from ice cream scoops and bowls to t-shirts and flavored lip balm.

If you have family of ice cream lovers, then the Turkey Hill Experience is for you!  This is such a tasty and fun attraction that the whole family will enjoy!

The Details:
Turkey Hill Experience
301 Linden Street
Columbia, PA 17512

Hours:  Please check the website for details.  Hours vary by month and day.

Admission:  Varies depending on what activities you’d like to participate in.  The Experience only starts at $9.95/adults, $9.50/kids 4-12 and senior citizens, Free/military and kids 3and under  Taste Lab; $5.45/person, Tea Discovery $3.45/person

Parking:  Free

Tips:

*Plan to spend around three hours at the Experience if participating in both the Taste Lab and Tea Discovery.  The recommended times are 60-90 minutes at the Experience, 45 minutes at the Taste Lab and 30 minutes at the Tea Discovery.

*Try to arrive closer to opening on weekends.  We arrived at opening and there was plenty of parking.  By the time we left around 12:30 the Experience was filled with a lot more people and the parking lot was full.

*If you know what day you will be visiting the Experience you can purchase your tickets online and reserve your time for the Taste Lab and/or Tea Discovery.