ABC 27 News
November 21, 2007

Whitaker Center is welcoming the holiday season with it’s first annual model train display.

“A gift of a train for a child is almost a dream come true,” said Whitaker Center’s Steve Bishop. “There’s a natural connection between the holidays and trains.”

The exhibit, on loan from the Strasburg Rail Road, has different themes including a childrens favorite, Thomas the Tank engine, and a holiday favorite, The Polar Express.

“In the film ‘Polar Express,’ there’s a tree and we’ve imitated that design,” Bishop said, “and the train resembles the train that transport kids to the North Pole.”

In addition to checking out the locomotives and Christmas trees that are all decked out, children can use their imagination and build their own model train tracks.

Kids can also climb on board the Whitaker Express and take a ride through a winter wonderland.

“It’s a little model steam engine,” Bishop said. “Parents and kids can ride along. It holds up to 18 people and travels 4 miles an hour.”

It’s a chance for families to spend time together and enjoy the magic of the holiday season.

Windsor-Hights Herald
October 2007

A Tale of Many Cities
Visitors spending a long weekend in Pennsylvania Dutch Country have their choice of several charming hamlets. The village of Bird-In-Hand offers the cozy Bird-In-Hand Village Inn & Suites, a grouping of 24 quaint, country style guest rooms spread over four brick buildings; the oldest, built in 1734, holds court on the National Register of Historic Places. Just across the road, a farmers market beckons with aisle after aisle of fresh meats and produce, unique jarred goodies, candies, jewelry, clothing and souvenirs.

The nearby city of Lancaster, the county’s hub, boasts rows of antique shops, art galleries, restaurants, outdoor cafes and the region’s most popular farmers market. Vacationing families should check out Dutch Wonderland, an amusement park featuring more than 30 rides, games and coasters for kids. History buffs can stop by the Landis Valley Museum, the largest authentic Pennsylvania Dutch Country Living History Village, where 19th – century German life, customs and artifacts unfold before you. And if you’re in the mood for an old-fashioned constitutional stroll around the manicured grounds, it’s a real treat on a sunny fall day.

If you’re looking for some upscale charm, spend an afternoon in Lititz, Lancaster County’s own version of New Hope, PA. With its trendy shops and chic restaurants, it promises visitors a little cosmopolitan-meets-old-country charm. Feeling twisted? Stop into the historic Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, America’s first commercial bakery.

Seasonal Availability
Pennsylvania Dutch Country shines during late autumn, when barns, silos, covered bridges and farmland compose the panorama.
Soak it all in with a horse-and-buggy ride; while you’ll cover limited ground, Amish buggy drivers reveal their deep sense of regional pride and knowledge of the countryside.

Another don’t-miss option? The Ride to Paradise on an old-time train departs from Strasburg Rail Road – America’s oldest short-line railroad – and takes guests on a 45-minute jaunt through several miles of farmland. On the return trip, passengers can disembark at a scenic spot to enjoy picnics, hayrides, apple cider, as well as the Amazing Maize Maze in the aptly named township of Paradise. Then, hop another returning train and, upon arriving at the station, visit the Choo Choo Barn and National Toy Train Museum.

By Liz - Liz’s Point Blog
Lou & Liz in the Morning - WJLK - FM
94.3 The Point

November 5, 2007

I’ve taken the trip to Lancaster plenty of times…..a very kid-friendly vacation. And I’ve gotten so many listeners requesting details when I mention it on the air that I thought I’d give you a quick overview in case you haven’t yet taken your children to Lancaster County, PA.

My boys adore every detail of our trip. I must say that it almost rivals Disney for younger kids. So let me make a couple of recommendations: Try for at least three days if you’re doing it between Memorial Day and Labor Day to get in all the major attractions. My boys’ favorites: The Strasburg Railroad and Train Museum….two separate attractions. Go for a ride on a steam train through the Amish farmland…..Thomas The Train even stops by on occasion!

My kids will spend three to six hours at the train museum across the street climbing onto the real trains and playing with the toy train displays. There are also two other toy train museums within blocks of the big train museum. You can stay in a real train hotel (the Red Caboose) and eat in a train restaurant. Our favorite hotel is Willow Valley Family Resort, where the boys will swim ’till 11pm every night in the indoor kiddie water park and five pools. They also love the numerous buffets around the county, especially Miller’s and the one at Willow Valley, where they can eat all they want without having to wait. There are also some wonderful family-style restaurants like Good And Plenty.

Dutch Wonderland is a fantastic kiddie amusement park for the little ones. That’ll take up a whole day, too. Then there are the numerous Amish farms where you can get horse and buggy rides through covered bridges and interactive life-on-the-farm activities. You can even stay at some of these farms and get up to feed the chickens and milk the cows, then eat Amish meals with the family you’re staying with. I love the smell of a farm, the beautiful rolling hills, and the feel of being someplace so different than the Jersey Shore without having to get on a plane. The boys just beg to go back time and time again.

By Tom Knapp
Intelligencer Journal
November 5, 2007

LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. - The history of warfare is linked indelibly to transportation.

From aircraft and naval vessels to jeeps and motorbikes, the military always has had to find better ways to get where it needs to go. That’s where the histories of trains and troops overlap.

“Railroads really were the key to transportation for all the conflicts from the Civil War on up to the war in Iraq,” David W. Dunn, director of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, said Sunday.

“Trains & Troops” was a two-day event in Strasburg that celebrated those joint histories with an array of memorabilia, much of it exhibited by uniformed re-enactors who knew the stories behind each item on display.

Richard Gabryszewski Jr. of Baltimore was decked out in the drab fatigues of a Korean War soldier. He and his father, Richard Sr., manned an exhibit showing the evolution of the American soldier through the 20th century.

“It’s a love and a passion for me,” said Gabryszewski Jr., who’s working on a master’s degree in military history at the University of Maryland.

“We usually focus on World War II,” he said, “but for this, we thought we’d show the transition … of the GI from 1900 to 2003.”

A centerpiece of the Gabryszewskis’ collection was a World War II-era poster showing a muscular Uncle Sam standing tall in a rail yard, promoting the use of rail “from troop trains in the U.S. to armored trains prowling Europe.”

“Some of this stuff people might not know about. Some of it they might remember,” Gabryszewski said. “I love modern trains, so this is a beautiful blend of my interests.”

All of the exhibits, including a wide variety of military jeeps, were set up among the massive engines, carriers and passenger cars that make up the Railroad Museum’s permanent collection.

Although the primary focus of the event was World War II, there also was plenty to examine from the Civil War right on up through the Gulf War.

Tim Kress of Hanover centered his exhibit on a Korean War jeep, which he had restored with his uncle, a Korean War veteran.

“Korean War re-enactors are few and far between,” Kress said. “Everybody seems to do Civil War, Vietnam or World War II.”

But Kress, himself an eight-year U.S. Army veteran, said he grew up on his uncle’s stories, which led to his interest in the era.

With a degree in secondary education, a specialty in American history and a collection 15 years in the making, Kress enjoys sharing his knowledge with others.

“I like for the kids to touch, feel and smell,” he said. “You can get a kid’s attention a lot quicker pulling up in this than you can trying to tell him a story out of a book.”

Even transportation on the home front was affected by war. Sunday’s exhibits included gas ration cards from World War II, along with charts to aid in the identification of airplanes passing overhead and posters requesting civilians to conserve rubber tires and cut down on unnecessary travel.

It all got good reviews from the people who passed through the exhibit hall; Dunn said the weekend crowd exceeded 2,000 guests.

For 7-year-old Noah Workman, who came from Landenberg with his dad, Ralph Workman, and his Cub Scout pack, the best part of the day was “the army stuff — the helmets and the trucks and everything.”

Ruth Bryant brought her family from Hummelstown, both to support her parents, who were working a World War II home-front memorabilia table, and to help her daughters learn more about U.S. history.

“This is fun,” said 8-year-old Maeve Bryant. “I liked going on the trains the most.”

Her mom said Maeve and 3-year-old Tess also had great fun looking at antique typewriters — they couldn’t figure out how to plug them in — and the women’s fashions from World War II.

“This is interesting,” Wayne Carson, who drove in from Plainsboro, N.J., said Sunday. “We’ve been here for this before, and I enjoy the history.”