Driving around

Since it is Sunday, I took a Sunday drive.

I went to Historic Schaefferstown and on to Lititz .... fabulous old churches and buildings.

Schaefferstown was founded in June 1758 by Alexander Schaeffer, a German immigrant. The historic site has a farm that dates from 1758; the Gemberling-Rex House, one of the town's original buildings; and the Thomas R. Brendle Museum, which was built in 1909.

Saw this across from the Pretzel Bakery

Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery - This operation has been owned and operated by Sturgis family since it was established in 1861. It's the country's first commercial pretzel bakery. Originally Julius Sturgis was a bread baker, but, legend has it, that one night a hobo got off the train that ran behind the bakery in search of food. Julius fed him, and he in turn gave Julius a pretzel recipe as thanks for the meal. Julius's great-great grandson now manages the bakery. The house on the property was built in 1784 by Peter Kreiter; it's one of the town's original buildings.



Kaufman's Distillery Bridge - This is one of nine bridges built by James C. Carpenter. The 96-foot-long, single-span, Burr-arch-truss structure was rebuilt in 1874 by Elias McMellen. It's name came from Kaufman's Distillery, which was one of the more than 130 distilleries in the area in the late 1800s. It's also known as Sporting Hill Bridge or Big Chiques #1 Bridge.







Schenck's Mill Bridge - Built in 1847 by Charles Melhorn, this double Burr-arch-truss covered bridge is Lancaster County's third oldest such span that's still open to traffic. In 1855, the 96-foot-long bridge was rebuilt because of flood damage from Big Chiques Creek

Bube's Brewery-  Bube's Brewery made German-style lagers that were popular in the 1850s. Alois Bube was a major player in the lager world, but he died suddenly at the age of 57 in 1908. His wealth allowed the brewery to stay open until prohibition. In 2001, it was bought and restarted, brewing according to the processes used by Alois back in the day. The catacombs, which are 43 feet under street level, provide an unchanging climate that's perfect for the brewing process. A restaurant and tavern now occupy the original bottling plant, which is also the departure-point for area ghost tours.

"The Power of the Printing Press" - Both eye-catching and educational, this painting is part of the Murals of York series. Completed in 1999 by muralist Alan Wylie, it depicts a Revolutionary War-era printing press and documents. After the British occupied Philadelphia in 1777, the Continental Congress relocated to York, bringing with them a printing press so they could continue to provide news of the war to the public.







Haines Shoe House - Built in 1948, the shoe house was an advertising tool used by Mahlon N. Haines, who owned more than 40 shoe stores at one time. It's made from a wood frame with cement stucco and measures 48 feet in length.

This was the side of a barn .... I thought it was interesting

Still looking for some tree color ... I have started to see some changes in the colors ... some reds and yellows, but you really have to look for the change .... nothing like the pictures you see, but pretty.

Firemen's Memorial - Erected in 1900, this memorial features a large granite base that supports a statue of a fireman carrying a child; it's painted in natural colors. It commemorates the firemen lost in service from the York Volunteer Fire Department. It's an example of the type of statues common around the turn of the century, many of which were made of zinc.