Extreme Amish Country Adventure!

First Stop: Stoudtburg Antiques Mall.

Adamstown is the self-proclaimed "Antiques Capital of the World." Start here to get lost in the aisles of antiques. There is also a public restroom available which open to those wanting to check out the surrounding area known as the "Stoudtburg Village."

A rather unique "concept town." All the shops are done in the style of Old World architecture and the stores double as the actual homes of the store owners!
Be sure to check out the Toy Robot Museum, the Village Sweet Shoppe, and the Vito Vino Wine shop.

Now on to Ephrata, PA. Just a few minutes from Adamstown.
Ephrata is one of the hidden gems of Lancaster County, nice and quaint.

Visit the grounds of the Ephrata Cloister. Learn about the fascinating history of this religious community founded in 1732.

the local toy shop of Ephrata, downtown. Fun selection! It has a bubble-maker from the roof top to enhance your fun.

Evening is coming and it's time for dinner. Head towards downtown Lititz for food, about 20 minutes away from Ephrata.

Dining at the Chocolate Cafe is highly recommended. Features a creative menu with local flavor, wonderful teas, and of course, chocolate!

Day 2:
The "Extreme" portion of the trip begins today!
Start out early towards Ashland, about 70 miles out from Ephrata (or 90 minutes driving). Ashland is the home to the larger-than-life sculpture replica of "Whistler's Mother." A true Mom-u-ment! located on Hoffman Blvd.

About 5 minutes from Ashland is the notorious Centralia. It is a true American ghost town. Several decades ago, a mine fire started burning beneath the town and will continue to rage for the next 300 years. Most of the town has since left, but a few families remain. We went in the winter...seeing clouds of smoke drifting from the snow covered ground is quite eerie. Proceed to Centralia with caution. Read more about it at Roadsideamerica.com or Wikipedia

After the extreme travel to Centralia, prepare for extreme chocolate immersion at Hershey, an hour's drive south from Centralia.

Fun for all. Be sure to take the free interactive "factory tour" ride.

For a fun evening out, head to Mount Joy. Mount Joy is only 4 miles from Elizabethtown and 11 miles from Hershey.

Go to the famous Bube's Brewery. www.bubesbrewery.com/
Sunday nights feature Karaoke. Also try to make it to the interactive themed dinners in the Catacombs, the lower level of the brewery. Not to be missed!

There is no food court at the Tanger Outlet Center. I recommend stopping at Tony Wang's, less than a mile away.

Spend a few hours shopping and browsing at the Tanger Outlets. Estimate about a 2 hour drive back to BWI.