Sunday, October 12, 2014

ADAMSTOWN: Trying to recreate Bavaria in Lancaster County

On Saturday morning we headed north to Adamstown, Lancaster County. We'd been eager to check out a high-concept development there that a friend had told us about: it was supposed to be a recreation of a old Bavarian village, with shops on the first floor and living spaces on the second and third.
The concept, unfortunately, hadn't translated into reality. Although people clearly lived there -- there were Halloween decorations, planters and outdoor BBQs -- maybe two shops and a beer hall-style bar were open; the rest had "closed" signs or "for sale" signs. Only one shop actually had a display in the window so you could see what was being sold (Asian-style antiques). The cupcake shop and the candy shop were shuttered. Even the sales office, Heidelberg Custom Builders, was closed (the sign read "New homes integrating European inspired designs. Quaint shoppes. Olde World charm").
The streets are paved with cobblestones, and there's a big arch and a clock tower. The only sounds were a fountain in the plaza and oom-pah music being played over a speaker.
I especially liked the sign on one shop door: "Closing early to release 7 monarch butterflies for their migration to Mexico."
It was a pleasant drive up and back; we got to see lots of little Lancaster County towns like Terre Hill, Bowmansville, Goodville, and Churchtown.

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