# Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio



## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

OK, here's where I need you'alls advice. We're thinking about a motor home trip from Kentucky through W. Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Since we're not very experienced travelers does anyone have any recommendations for a route that would give for a pleasant sightseeing drive (and if you know campgrounds that would be great). We are planning on taking a vehicle along to do the local touring. Kinda of long Sunday afternoon drive with sleepovers . Would like to go to a hay auction just to see what they are like. See some of the Amish farming, even though we have that here but from pictures I think that will be a totally different world. I know there are tons of historical places but there aren't any that we're specifically wanting to visit; if we close might make a tour but so many things are more "touristy" than our preference. And those toll roads . . . take them or avoid like the plague?

Thanks,

Shelia


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Intercourse Pennsylvania it's very Amishy. If you get a Lancaster County depending on what day you get there I can tell you which auction will be held.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

endrow said:


> Intercourse Pennsylvania it's very Amishy. If you get a Lancaster County depending on what day you get there I can tell you which auction will be held.


So Lancaster County would be the best area for hay auctions?

Shelia


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

RockyHill said:


> So Lancaster County would be the best area for hay auctions?
> 
> Shelia


Yes, there are several along Rt 30.

Just get on 30 between York and Lancaster. Drive east through Lancaster to about Kinzers and you'll get to see a lot. It is touristy, though. Theres a hay auction on 30 right at the border of Lancaster & Chester county.

If you want a short break from hay and farming attractions and you travel about 15 miles further east, visit Longwood Gardens. I go there 3-4 times a week. They are in the middle of a 50 million dollar rebuild, and although summer is over, the fall foliage is awesome.

Longwood https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CAFB_enUS615US615&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=longwood%20gardens

Then take a trip south about 5 miles down to Winterthur https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CAFB_enUS615US615&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=winterthur

I live between both of these attractions-they are really beautiful.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> Yes, there are several along Rt 30.
> 
> Just get on 30 between York and Lancaster. Drive east through Lancaster to about Kinzers and you'll get to see a lot. It is touristy, though. Theres a hay auction on 30 right at the border of Lancaster & Chester county.
> 
> ...


thanks! I've not heard about those places WOW, Longwood really got my attention.

Shelia


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

RockyHill said:


> thanks! I've not heard about those places WOW, Longwood really got my attention.
> 
> Shelia


You'll love Longwood. I promise.

All the DuPont robber barron estates are in my area.

Longwood (Pierre Dupont)

Oberod (Jane DuPont-Lunger)

Granogue (Irenee DuPont, Jr)

Winterthur (Henry DuPont)

Nemours Mansion (Alfred Dupont)

You can tour 3 of them. The other 2 you can see from the road.

3 of them still have huge working farms.  One is 1,000 acres (big farm for my area).

The area also boasts a LOT of revolutionary war sites and museums. Brandywine River Museum, Hagley Museum, to name a few.

Homes that you never imagined could exist in the US.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

If you want a good place to eat Shady Maple is the best . Hershey Chocolate World is very interesting too.


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

I know you said there wasn't any historical places you especially wanted to see but I highly recommend Gettysburg, there is just something about the place, I chill runs up my spine when I think about my visit there, just an awe inspiring place...

On a another note take care while driving in Ohio do not go over the speed limit come to complete stops, use your turn signals, another words cross all the t's and dot all the i's the Ohio State Troopers are a royal pain and target out of state vehicles. I was once going east Highway 30 in a company pick-up truck going 3 miles over the posted speed limit and got pulled over as other cars with Ohio plates sped past me, trooper told me the reason he pulled me over was because I was traveling 3 miles over the speed limit and issued me a "warning citation" So take care in Ohio


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

farmerbrown said:


> If you want a good place to eat Shady Maple is the best . Hershey Chocolate World is very interesting too.


Thanks. I'll google for Shady Maple. Would like to see some of the chocolate factories for obvious reasons.

Shelia


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Thorim said:


> I know you said there wasn't any historical places you especially wanted to see but I highly recommend Gettysburg, there is just something about the place, I chill runs up my spine when I think about my visit there, just an awe inspiring place...
> 
> On a another note take care while driving in Ohio do not go over the speed limit come to complete stops, use your turn signals, another words cross all the t's and dot all the i's the Ohio State Troopers are a royal pain and target out of state vehicles. I was once going east Highway 30 in a company pick-up truck going 3 miles over the posted speed limit and got pulled over as other cars with Ohio plates sped past me, trooper told me the reason he pulled me over was because I was traveling 3 miles over the speed limit and issued me a "warning citation" So take care in Ohio


Just about everyone we've talked to have recommended Gettysburg for sure.

Glad to know about following the Ohio traffic laws to the "t". I usually keep an eye on the GPS speed and remind Jeff, which most of the time he appreciates 

Shelia


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Shelia, Jeff Have a great time and safe travels!


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

New Holland Pennsylvania on a Monday morning is the best bet for real live auction, all are on the same grounds the hay sale starts at 10 a.m. hogs are sold in the early morning, horses start to sell at 9 a.m. along with sheep and goats in the lower Barn also calves and cattle are sold all afternoon. If you can be at Fulton Street at New Holland Pa. on a Monday it is quite an operation . There was also a huge Produce Auction right up the street in Leola Pennsylvania. Midway between the two auctions is the New Holland plant and you can tour that to see hay equipment being built. You can do all that in New Holland Pennsylvania and then you can turn around 6 miles down Route 23 and go to the world famous Smorgasbord at Shady Maple


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

RockyHill said:


> Thanks. I'll google for Shady Maple. Would like to see some of the chocolate factories for obvious reasons.
> 
> Shelia


The chocolate plant in Lititz just closed. They still have the retail store, but the plant is done. Hershey is still a decent place to stop. Hershey is an example of what a big business man can do for the community. Milton Hershey built the amusement park for his workers. He even started the Milton Hershey School. Its a boarding school for under privileged kids. Its a true example of what big business can do for workers/community. Now a days big corporate CEOs just use all the money to buy mansions and extravagant things...


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Although we have been away from the PA- MD area for almost a decade, would agree with the comments posted about what to see in PA. Also if you have the time in Gettysburg see the electric map to get an overview of the battle, then go west on Buford Ave. a little ways out of town and get a personal guided tour over the entire battlefield with more in-depth coverage and you have a one-on-one conversation with the guide. As a family plug, a not to distant cousin fired the first shot of the battle and that is where the guided tours start.


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## PaCustomBaler (Nov 29, 2010)

Rocky Hill...some Lancaster hay auctions would be great to see and Shady Maple is a must. We used to take our hired hands there every year for company Xmas party.

My wife and I live about 15 minutes outside of Gettysburg...we'd love to show you around if you're in the area. Her family farms some of the ground on the battlefield, maybe 500 acres. Most of it is hay ground, for feed hay and for mulch hay. Plenty of great places to see and places to eat at. We'll give you some of local connections to keep you away for the touristy junk. As for WV, some of the prettiest scenery you'll see is in Washington/Jefferson national forest...I do some sheep shearing in Seneca Rocks, WV...absolutely gorgeous and takes you back.

If you're coming across lower half of PA from OH, I'd recommend the turnpike. I did the other ways before and although it is scenic, it's a goat path.

Cheers


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

FCF said:


> Although we have been away from the PA- MD area for almost a decade, would agree with the comments posted about what to see in PA. Also if you have the time in Gettysburg see the electric map to get an overview of the battle, then go west on Buford Ave. a little ways out of town and get a personal guided tour over the entire battlefield with more in-depth coverage and you have a one-on-one conversation with the guide. As a family plug, a not to distant cousin fired the first shot of the battle and that is where the guided tours start.


Thanks. Nice to know the connection to the first shot.

Shelia


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

PaCustomBaler said:


> Rocky Hill...some Lancaster hay auctions would be great to see and Shady Maple is a must. We used to take our hired hands there every year for company Xmas party.
> 
> My wife and I live about 15 minutes outside of Gettysburg...we'd love to show you around if you're in the area. Her family farms some of the ground on the battlefield, maybe 500 acres. Most of it is hay ground, for feed hay and for mulch hay. Plenty of great places to see and places to eat at. We'll give you some of local connections to keep you away for the touristy junk. As for WV, some of the prettiest scenery you'll see is in Washington/Jefferson national forest...I do some sheep shearing in Seneca Rocks, WV...absolutely gorgeous and takes you back.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I wrote down your phone # from your website; we may be calling you when we get a little closer with our plans.

Shelia


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

If coming through Ohio, Holmes county fits the bill. Large Amish population and hay and livestock auctions three days a week. Last I heard, over 7 million tourists a year coming here. I would suggest the Mt. Hope auction. They have a website. Big sale, normally 150 plus loads through fall and winter. Other tourist hotspots include Berlin, Kidron,Farmerstown, and Charm. Also several camping areas.


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

OhioHay said:


> If coming through Ohio, Holmes county fits the bill. Large Amish population and hay and livestock auctions three days a week. Last I heard, over 7 million tourists a year coming here. I would suggest the Mt. Hope auction. They have a website. Big sale, normally 150 plus loads through fall and winter. Other tourist hotspots include Berlin, Kidron,Farmerstown, and Charm. Also several camping areas.


I think we'll miss Ohio this time, it sounds like we need to plan a trip there.

Thanks, Shelia


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

PaMike said:


> The chocolate plant in Lititz just closed. They still have the retail store, but the plant is done. Hershey is still a decent place to stop. Hershey is an example of what a big business man can do for the community. Milton Hershey built the amusement park for his workers. He even started the Milton Hershey School. Its a boarding school for under privileged kids. Its a true example of what big business can do for workers/community. Now a days big corporate CEOs just use all the money to buy mansions and extravagant things...


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

PaMike said:


> The chocolate plant in Lititz just closed. They still have the retail store, but the plant is done. Hershey is still a decent place to stop. Hershey is an example of what a big business man can do for the community. Milton Hershey built the amusement park for his workers. He even started the Milton Hershey School. Its a boarding school for under privileged kids. Its a true example of what big business can do for workers/community. Now a days big corporate CEOs just use all the money to buy mansions and extravagant things...


We went out for a Sunday drive and went by a place with bobcats, thought might have been in your neighbornood.

Really enjoyed the Chocolate lab at Hersherys.

Shelia


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

We had a great trip!

My trip routing through Tennessee to get to Pennsylvania worked (going "across" West Virginia mountains was my motivation for that; did come home "down" WV successfully  )

Lancaster County is beautiful, we couldn't imagine how so much land could all look so good. Still don't know where the bad neighborhoods are there.

Glad to get to go to a hay auction; until Hay Talk had never heard of such.

Jeff has been wanting to go on a steam powered train ride so the Strasburg Railroad took care of that. I got tickets for the Shop Tour too. Thought it would be more of a "Jeff" thing than for me but I really enjoyed it.

I got my "want to do" at Hershey and Jeff went along with the apron/hairnet part so I/we could make our own candy bar 

Stopped at one place that had some of the richest ice cream on the face of the earth -- one scoop was enough for me and that has never happened before.

Took the New Holland factory tour, another enjoyable time (even if they don't do much green paint)

Survived the turnpike and tunnels. Jeff did not enjoy the one tunnel with apparently construction on the other direction so had oncoming traffic. If the transportation department offers are refund for having to share the tunnel they can just go ahead and send ours 

Took one of the Amish countryside tours; driver was telling that one Amish farmer was "cutting grass" but it was a grain drill behind the team so totally lost credibility there.

Our timing didn't work to get to Gettysburg  hopefully next trip.

Shelia


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Good to hear your trip went well. You skipped the great Northwest of Pennsylvania lol not much here just nice veiws


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Bgriffin856 said:


> Good to hear your trip went well. You skipped the great Northwest of Pennsylvania lol not much here just nice veiws


Before we ran out of time, we were thinking about going further north but found out that "time" is as much of a problem while travelling as at home working


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