Horrific Tragedy Descends On Beautiful, Rich Destination
By Bonnie Walling
Travel Trade News Edition, NY
October 16, 2006

The recent horrific events at the Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania is a heartbreaking tragedy in one of the country’s most beautiful and richest travel destinations, the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, now in one of its busiest tourism months, with the fall foliage season reaching its peak.

The region attracts 8.3 million visitors each year and, according to Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau spokesperson Cara O’Donnell, “August and October are our busiest months.”

Tourism is the second largest industry in Pennsylvania, outpaced only by agriculture. Consumers spend $1.2 billion each year there, of which a large percentage comes from people on overnight motorcoach tours alone — more than 11,000 motorcoaches visit Lancaster County each year, spending an average of $11,000 for each group.

Agents Are Vital
A number of tour companies offer motorcoach tours of the Amish Country. Agents who are booking large groups can contact the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau’s groups department, which acts as a liason with properties.

When guests visit the Pennsylvania Dutch Country, they want to get a first-hand glimpse of the lives of the Amish, and many attractions are available that allow them to do just that…

Strasburg Rail Road

The Strasburg Rail Road offers guests a 45-minute ride between Strasburg and Paradise aboard a steam train restored to look as it did in 1915. Trains depart hourly during the morning and afternoon from Feb. 18 through Dec. 31.

The 45-minute trip passes through Amish farmland and also gives passengers views of local sites such as Cherry Crest Farm, which operates a corn maze called “The Amazing Maize Maze” during the summer and fall and Carpenter’s Crossing Graveyard, a burial site dating back to 1712. The railroad also operates a picnic area along the route, equipped with a children’s playground — guests can opt to get off, have their lunch and then board another train.

In addition to standard “coach” seating, the railroad offers deluxe cars with personal service, as well as a “dining car” where guests can have a meal while riding. Special dinners with entertainment and “murder mystery dinners” are available.

The railroad also offers special themed trips — through November, they are offering the Wine and Cheese Train, during which a $25 ticket buys guests transport in a first class car and complimentary wine, cheese and crackers.

Other themes include special Christmas and Easter train rides and “A Day Out With Thomas,” during which children can ride a train pulled by a replica of Thomas the Tank Engine. For more information, visit www.strasburgrailroad.com.

A short drive down the road and around the corner is another haven for train lovers, the National Toy Train Museum. Operated by the Train Collectors Association, the facility contains a collection of trains and accessories dating from the mid-1800s to the present. Guests enter through a section of glass cases showcasing the oldest trains — including some models of “real trains” that blew out actual steam and would be considered dangerous by today’s standards.

The larger room of the museum contains five large train layouts, each showcasing one of the major “gauges,” or size category of toy trains. These displays are interactive. Guests can push buttons to operate not only the trains themselves, but also other parts of the displays. In one, they can make a fire engine go into and out of the station, while in another, they can flash the headlights of cars in the parking lot of a 1950s-style diner.

The final large display consists of HO trains — the most popular gauge, according to the association — that run through tableau demonstrating each of the four seasons, including a Christmas scene. For more information, visit www.nttmuseum.org. For more information on tourism to the Pennsylvania Dutch region, visit www.padutchcountry.com…

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