Recommendations in Hershey/Lancaster/Elizabethtown PA area?

Each of the three cities are at least 20 minutes apart in different directions depending what part you go to. I can't think of much in Elizabethtown but if you head down 283 to rt 30 you can head into the Amish country tourist areas. You can go to the Plain and Fancy Farm, Paradise, Kitchen Kettle Village in Intercourse and you can take a buggy ride in Smoketown. You can eat in one of those dutchy places like Good & Plenty also in Smoketown. Smoketown is just off Rt 30 and you head towards Paradise and Intercourse. In Lancaster City you can visit Wheatland, James Buchanan's home. The national clock and watch museum is in Lancaster County in Columbia.

In Hershey you can visit Chocolate World and see the chocolate making process on a ride. You can visit the Hershey Museum which is interesting. They have an apostles clock that moves in a little show.

What colleges are you visiting and how much time do you have? Maybe I can offer better suggestions.

We spent a wonderful Saturday in Lancaster a few years ago. One thing we really enjoyed was the Central Market.

I hope to make it to Troegs soon. I often enjoy a Perpetual IPA.

But Mad Elf........that's another story! One Christmas season a few years ago I had two of them and let's just say I don't remember a whole lot after that. SaveSave

They have locations in Harrisburg, Lititz, Collegeville, Gettysburg and Mechanicsburg. I can only speak of the one in Harrisburg since we go to that one all the time and the food is worth the trip. Where you're seated at it over looks the whole brewery so you can see them making the beer. Also if you check your local Walmart they started selling ABC root beer. And yes it's a restaurant...they have live bands on the top floor some nights if that's your thing or you can just eat on the main floor. The beer selections is really impressive and I'm not a beer drinker (DH is) he recommends trying their beer tasting if your into beer. As for the food like a mentioned above the pretzels and mustard is really good...the mustard they make in house with beer. Crab cakes are amazing, burgers are great.

themillinhershey.com

I ate there last month and it was so good!!!

One of my favorite restaurants in Lancaster County is in Elizabethtown - TJ Rockwells.  I highly recommend it.  Their onion rings are so good.

TJ Rockwells

If you want more traditional Lancaster County food, Shady Maple is the place to go.  It's run by Mennonites, not Amish.  Expect long lines but the smorg is huge and has great food.  It's about an hour drive from E-town.

Shady Maple Smorgasbord

Shady Maple also has a huge grocery store in the complex and as somebody mentioned there is a gift shop in the lower level of the smorg.

If you are looking for some lighter fare for lunch, we have a chain of restaurants called Isaac's.  They have really good sandwiches.  All sandwiches are named after birds.  They are a bit pricey but the sandwiches are really good.  There is one in Hershey and several in the Lancaster area.

Isaac's

Since you are going to be in the area on a Friday, you could check out the Green Dragon Farmer's Market in Ephrata.  It's a huge market.  Lots of food options, too.

Green Dragon Farmer's Market

Thank you! We buy the applachian root beer at our local Giant Foods. Since DH doesn't like beer, I bought him a beer caddy and turned it into a root beer caddy for his Applachian...LOL.  we will have to make the trip one of these weekends. I will check out the Lititz location. That is a bit closer to us, but if not I'm willing to drive to Harrisburg.