York Town Square

Neat place No. 1: The cafe in New Freedom can be the endpoint for an afternoon out. Or a starting point. Here’s one option. Park on the York County’s rail trail in Railroad, just outside Shrewsbury, and walk the couple of miles to New Freedom. Get some refreshment at this cafe, captured here in a photo from VeloPhoto York. Browse in the museum, also in this restored train station. Maybe walk over to Bonkey’s in the old New Freedom Theater for some ice cream. And then shed the calories by hoofing it back to Railroad. A little exercise. A little eating. A little history. And an opportunity to spend some time in a couple of York County towns energized by the rail trail.  Also of interest: Discover these 17 neat places in your own York County, Pa., backyard. Actually, make that 18.

More in this series of unsung places around York County that will heighten your sense of discovery.

Check out 4 more, plus one from the region, below:

2. This York Rotary-sponsored floating garden in York’s Kiwanis Lake captures the legacy of these two civic groups. You just don’t see such a sight – a floating island – like this around York County every day, especially one that combines beauty with a goal of aiding the environment. The island becomes an isthmus during storms, as a photo in this link shows. And learn about this project: Rotary goes afloat… .

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3. This quiet place rests on the grounds of Bermudian Church of the Brethren in Washington Township. It’s on church property, and the congregation is generous with access to this wonderful place that overlooks Bermudian Creek. Just walk back past the cemetery, and you’ll come to this outdoor chapel.

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4. Remember shopping for shoes in a York County downtown on a Saturday? You can still do that in Hanover. Clarks Shoes beckons people to browse and offers an added benefit of a visit: A case exhibit detailing the history of Hanover Shoes. Some shopping. Some nostalgia. Some history.

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5. A recent Neat Places to Visit post featured Red Lion’s Fairmount Park as a place to spend time. It’s just a short walk from there to a rebuilding, rebounding Red Lion downtown. The Red Brick Bakery and Tearoom is one of the attractions there. ‘Folks come in for a scone, a slice of quiche, or afternoon tea,’ a York Daily Record story said. ‘And the four-course Chef’s Table dinners have also proved popular.’

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6. Any tour of Neat Places to Visit should include discovery of an unsung site in another southcentral Pennsylvania town. Here’s one: A cozy coffeehouse, eatery and bookstore in downtown Lancaster. It specializes in the Inklings – J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams and others literary luminaries who liked to hang out together. The Rabbit and the Dragonfly offers a new chapter of discovery.

Also of interest:

– York makes this fall getaways list.
– Other lists of neat York County places to explore and enjoy.