Evening star., 1938-08-28
By Blanche Sytret
McKuiehf.

MCA U1SHI.
r T ALL depends on how much time
you want to spend on the road
whether you complete this 500-
i mile-circle tour. rich in natural
beauty and history, or limit your trip
to Pennsylvania picturesque play
ground and motorists Utopia-the
region including the famed Delaware
Water Gap and Pocono Mountains
This wooded playground area in
Eastern Pennsylvania, 1900 feet above
sea level. offers 800 square miles of
Incompatible scenic beauty and every
Imaginable vacation JOY. 1t is year.
round resort. well known to many
Washingtonians.
Here rolling hills terminate in tow
ering mountains. streams of crystal
clear water wind their singing way,
finally reaching the sea, sapphire
blue lakes nestle in secluded and un-
expected places. waterfalls splash
and foam over dizzy heights, the
columbine, laurel, rhododendron, wild
honeysuckle and other wild noun
tain flowers cover the hillsides with
gorgeous bloom in season, and the
majestic hembck tthe official State
tree spruce and pine lift their tops
in towering grandeur in endless Wis
tas
All this and much more lie only
225 miles from Washington. over a
broad highway of the fnest-type
surface-nice for three to five day
trip.
IF YOU have a week or more, why
not consider a drive through Lam
caster. Reading and Bethlehem to
the Poconos. and from there to Scran-
ton and Wilkes-Barre, then follow the
North Branch of the Susquehanna
all the way to Sunbury. where the
Eusquehanna trail is reached, and
thence home via Harrisburg and
York?
A good route is as follows: Route
through Baltimore until New Como
wingo. Md, Is reached. Then follow
222 through Lancaster, Reading, Al
kntown and Bethlehem. From here
highway II will take you into Strouds-
burg and the Poconos. Northwest of
the Poconos lies Scranton, reached
over GIL. At Scranton follow route II
to 6unbury. unless you wish to visit
wilkes Barre. In that case, II at
Pittston and take 800 to Wilkes
Barre and back again on IL.
At sunbury take either the east
or west Susquehanna trails on home.
Since you are passing through
some of the most important cities in
Pennsylvania you may be interested
in some advance data about them.
7 ANCASTER is on the Conestoga
River, in the most fertile region
OF the State. 1t is a great tobacco,
grain and cattle center, the local
Etockyards being the largest east of
Chicago. There are more than 800
industrial plants here, among them the
home Of the Hamilton watch. anA the
home of the Armstrong Cork Co.,
makers of linoleum.
At the time Of the Revolution. Ian
caster was the largest inland city OF
the l3 original Colonies. and for one
day was the Capital Of the Nation
The Conestoga wagon. or prairie
schooner, was invented and manufac-
tured in Lancaster.
OF great historic interest in this old
city, is Wheatland, home OF President
Buchanan, only citizen Of Pennsyl-
vania to become President Of the
United States. His home is open to
visitors.
Twenty miles south of Lancaster
near Quarryville. is the Fulton House,
birthplace Of Robert Fulton.
The tourist will find many things
Of interest while motoring through
Lancaster County. For instance. one
should not miss the old stone and red
brick churches. The covered bridges
The symbols on the barns. which are
supposed to bring fertility to the farms
and keep the cattle free of disease.
The various religious sects of the
county. too, offer interesting studies
For example. in this one county alone
the Mennonites, the Amish and the
Dunkards are to be found still adher-
ing strictly to their customs Of dress
and manner Of living. You may catch
glimpses Of the Mennonite women in
their black or white caps and the men
with their long boards and clergymen's
attire, and the old-fashioned horse.
drawn rigs.
The Amish wear large, broad.
brimmed felt hats, bright green or law
ender shirts and unusual coats. The
Dunkards dress even more simply.
ON THE way from Lancaster t<
Reading the motorist passes
Ephrata, famous for its Cloisters, or
those strange old monastic building
of the early 18th century, which
furnish An interesting episode in the
history of the past as well as that OF
the present.
OF these quaint buildings. only the
Sisters House, called the Saron, and
the saal, the church proper, remain,
and in reality there is only one build
ing, for the church is connected with
the Saron by a low and narrow pas
sage.
Casing on this primitive building
with its old clapboard walls, high.
pitched roof and small dormer win.
dows. the visitor is fascinated. for here
Is something Of great antiquity, remi.