This was ANOTHER Friendship Tours, Peter Pan adventure. My local senior Center offers a variety of Travel Opportunities with Friendship Tours throughout the year. So I’m on the road with Friendship again.
I’ve been to Pennsylvania many, many times. Never to the Sight and Sound Theater, never on a horse drawn buggy ride through the Amish Countryside and never have I experienced a “Chalk Talk”
Much to my chagrin, I am calling this trip my “Shop Til You Drop Adventure.” I am NOT a shopper. Arrrggghhh! Yes, there is a “Gift Shop” at every stop. Arrrggghhh! ! Yes, it began …..
Day 1 with lunch at Cracker Barrel. Never before had I contemplated the “SHOPPING appeal” at a Cracker Barrel. I always thought the only reason people stopped at Cracker Barrel was for the gourmet food and exquisite cuisine! Apparently, time needs to be allowed for SHOPPING!
Next stop for SHOPPING is the Reihl Farm and Quilt shop! I spent most of my time not “SHOPPING”, visiting.
Check in Holiday Inn, Lancaster for 2 nights (not recommended).
Family Style dinner at Plain and Fancy Farm Restaurant with time allowed for SHOPPING in the Gift Shop!
Day 2
First activity of the day and was the ride on the Amish All Around Buggy Covered Bridge Ride on a back country road (60 minutes). In no way did it compare to the Mackinac Island Horse drawn Coach rides. Sharing the roads with motorized vehicles was more nerve wracking than relaxing.
The scenery was beautiful.
Uniformity and neatness was ever evident n the area and especially on the farms.
Yes, this is a neatly stacked pile of manure. Quite impressive if you ask me.
Next stop Kitchen Kettle Village for a little lunch (on our own) and SHOPPING! 
My favorite part of the shopping experience was sitting in the courtyard listening to the One Man Band. 
Onto the first real highlight of the trip. The sight and sound theater to see NOAH!
This was a phenomenal experience. I had expectations that it was going to be memorable, but to what degree I was not prepared for. I knew it was live theater. I knew there would be live animals. I did not expect the 180 degree submersion into the time and life of Noah. I heard God speak to Noah. I watched Noah’s struggle to accomplish Gods request. I was on the Ark with Noah and all the animals and I was brought to tears with the heartfelt message. It’s an, on the edge of your seat, performance from beginning to end. WOW! WOW! WOW!
Dinner was at the Hershey Farm Restaurant, almost next door to the Theatre, for a delicious seasonal Smorgasbord.
Day 3
What is a “Chalk Talk”? I had no preconceived notion. The Friendship Tour description “Engage your senses through music, storytelling and the amazing Chalk Artistry of a former Old Order Mennonite woman, Elva Hurst.” Yes, time will be allowed for SHOPPING in the gift shop. Arrrggghhh!
The moment I stepped off the Coach and saw the Entrance to Elva’s World, my senses were alerted that this performance was going to be special.
WOW! WOW! WOW! If you’ve ever watched Bob Ross draw, add chalk, music and storytelling and you have Elva. I wish I could watch Elva bring life to a story everyday! I’m looking forward to watching her story unfold on the big screen in 2026.
Blank Canvas to completion approximately 30 minutes.
Twice in two days I have experienced two of the most artistically created performance of heartfelt emotions imaginable.
Even the SHOPPING experience put a smile on my face. Elva’s daughters art work.
Our last SHOPPING experience, The Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market. Homemade at its best!
Another amazing adventure! Even with all the “SHOPPING”