Dear Anthony Bourdain,
My friends and I hail from the great land of Amish Country. There’s truly only one county in the U.S. that has rightfully earned this name for exploiting the religious sect known as the Amish, and that’s Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I was born and raised here, and short of moving away for about a year, the rolling hills of South Central Pennsylvania are in my blood.
Some parts of Lancaster County offer the obligatory tourist traps of any good town, but Lancaster County also has some other gems. In downtown Lancaster City, there is a great renaissance happening.
Downtown is home to the Lancaster Central Market (http://www.centralmarketlancaster.com/) which is the oldest continuously operated Farmer’s Market in the United States. Many local vendors sell fresh meats, jams/jellies, pastries, and crafts here every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. It’s a great meeting place for the locals. At the market, you can pick up Scrapple or Puddin’ (think leftovers of the meat processing industry) which are a local favorites fried and served with ketchup or good ole molasses. Red Beet Eggs (hard boiled eggs that sit in red beets to catch the flavor) and Whoopie Pies (glorified Moon pie that comes in Pumpkin, Red Velvet, Chocolate Chip, and the standard, chocolate with white filling) are standards in any Lancaster County household; and just so you know, Whoopie Pies are like nothing you have ever had. Ever.
Don’t forget the famous Shenk’s Cup Cheese which is only for the strong stomachs of this world (http://www.shenks.com/prodnav/Cheese_CupCheese_vw_133.asp). Lancaster is also home to the famous Turkey Hill Dairy (http://www.turkeyhill.com/) which frankly, has the best iced tea anywhere. Most construction workers around here take a gallon of T-Hill tea with them to work instead of a jug of water. Yes, I’m serious.
There are many amazing restaurants downtown that offer fresh, local cuisine, as well as great surroundings. Effie Ophelia (http://www.effieophelia.com/), Characters Pub,which offers local angus burgers, and the classic Belvedere Inn (http://www.belvedereinn.biz/) are just a few of the excellent local restaurants.
Haven’t gotten enough to eat? Did I mention we’re home to 3 of the biggest smorgasbords around? Willow Valley (http://www.willowvalley.com/restaurants-bakery.asp), Miller’s (http://www.millerssmorgasbord.com/) and Shady Maple (http://www.shady-maple.com/smorgasbord) all offer terrific food, and lots of it, with a local flair.
Just so you know, I grew up taking sleigh rides with the local Amish kids, and I’m sure I can hook us up with a traditional home-cooked Amish meal. Of course, your cameras can’t capture their faces because of their religious beliefs, but the food will be well worth the trip, hands down.
Enough with the food. You’re going to need some actual entertainment to look into while you’re here. For that, the best place to start is the tourist traps. Rather than type out the entire list of great Amish buggy rides, a working Amish farm and other types of Amish fun, just visit http://www.padutchcountry.com/things_to_do/amish.asp for your pick of Amish festivities to partake in while you’re here.
If you plan to visit over a weekend, try one of the first weekends of the month. Downtown Lancaster has First Friday events the first Friday of every month in which the art galleries and local businesses all stay open late. It’s a great way to connect with the community of Lancaster, and to get a sense for the talent that lies within this religious land.
Nearby are also some great nature parks, such as the Pinnacle Overlook which is a grew viewing point of the impressive Susquehanna River. Three Mile Island, home of the 1979 nuclear accident is just 40 minutes away, as is Hershey, Pennsylvania, land of Hershey’s Chocolate.
Lancaster County is an amazing place full of conservative values, gastronomic delights, and a powerful, strong community. I hope you’ll let me and some friends show you around town for an episode of No Reservations.

Please direct message me if you'd like a tourguide!