Dating America: Pennsylvania Impressions

Gifford Pinchot State Park in southern PA seems an unlikely place for us to begin the first leg of our American tour. If it weren't for a new interest in the Civil War, we'd have bypassed PA altogether. GPSP is between Harrisburg and Gettysburg, two places we'd never contemplated until we visited Antietam and Harper's Ferry last April. Our previous knowledge of PA was singular at best: the annual car show in Carlisle, cannoli at Reading Terminal Market, Ben Franklin, the Liberty Bell and the Constitutional Convention, Andrew Carnegie, snow, farms, industry and rust.

Driving up from our super secret cousin's place in Alexandria we happened upon the Dutch Markets at Shrewsbury near York. For us food and food shopping are significant elements of travel. If the food is good (and especially local), troubles are diminished, frustrations are soothed and irritations usually forgotten. We judge a place by its food, wine and beer, restaurants and markets. And, we think it's one of the best deciding factors about whether we'd return to an area for either vacation or an extended stay.

Pellew chatted up David who had a most terrific accent and suggested we try Amish butter cheese. Assuming we weren't from PA, he asked us if we were moving to the area. We told him PA wasn't technically wasn't on our list of states we were considering and it was our first stop, more of an impromptu blind date. We're fairly sure he said one day he'd like to do what we're doing, but we were dually mesmerized by his accent.

Market finds: blueberries, half a cherry pie with a gorgeous lattice crust, bread, PA Dutch version of chocolate whoopie pie, country ham, Amish butter cheese, a variety of pepper and onion, apple, garlic and sage sausages, 2007 Saintsbury Pinot Noir and three other wines now forgotten. (Items in bold are big yums).