What Other Places are Near Meadowbrooke to Visit?
One frequently asked question I get in the retail store is what else is there to see near Meadowbrooke Gourds. Well, I never really knew exactly what was around us to visit so I decided to find out. I looked online, googled a lot and made a list of bookstores, wineries, antique stores, produce stands and butcher shops that looked interesting. Well I couldn’t in good conscious suggest these places without visiting them so I volunteered myself and my sister, Denise to check out the list.
Love of Books
Okay, most of you know that we are off the beaten path so we went hunting for more stores or attractions just like us. We started our “drive-about” in the morning with our first stop being Corner Store Christian Bookstore located at 1004 Doubling Gap Road, Newville. This store is located in an old farmhouse with lots of history. We were lucky enough to meet the owner, Neva, who was very familiar with the history since two of her siblings were actually born there. At one time, a General Store and the local Post Office were located in the rooms you walk into first. There were eight rooms in total to roam through and each are filled with jewelry, cards for every occasion, devotionals, bibles, new and used books and wonderful gifts and home decor. Honestly, you could find something there for everyone on your gift list.
Nature Enthusiasts
Our next stop was the Newville trail entrance (23 McFarland Street, Newville) along the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail. For those that like nature and a little bit of history this is a great place to visit. This is an 11 mile beautiful trail that you can walk or ride on that stretches from Newville to Shippensburg. The trail entrance has public bathrooms, shaded picnic tables to eat a packed lunch at and a nice playground for kids to play on. I haven’t walked it yet, but now that I’ve found it, I definitely will be back to do so.
Bargin Buyers
Stop #3 was BB’s Grocery Outlet (20 Quigley Road, Newburg). The sign on the building said Bents, Bumps and Bunches of Bargains. It was like a grocery store but everything in it was what we would call an “oops”. Dents in the cans, some without labels (supper would be a surprise that night) and some things were a wee bit outdated. They have a full refrigeration and freezer section that you walk into (you don’t stay long in the freezer section) and the prices were great. This is a wonderful place for you bargain shoppers. By this time it is around noon and we were starting to get hungry so we decided to head to Dutch Girl Goodies based purely on the word Goodies.
Homemade Treats and Sandwiches
When we first walked into Dutch Girl Goodies (10 Brown Road, Shippensburg), the first thing that catches your eye are all the homemade treats. They had many kinds of Whoopie Pies, lots of pies and cakes, cookies and bread that was still warm when I picked it up. They also had a deli filled with meats and cheeses and they had made to order sandwiches. We both got a sandwich and a container of their homemade macaroni salad and of course we couldn’t pass up a snack or two. Everything was delicious and very inexpensive. Nothing taste as good as homemade.
Fresh Produce
Recently, a lady from Tennessee visited Meadowbrooke and when she was leaving, she asked where she could get a fresh tomato. She didn’t want ones that were sprayed with all kinds of chemicals or one from the grocery store. I sent her to Newville Produce Farm (379 Greenspring Road, Newville) who grows and sells all their fresh produce from tomatoes to fruits and vegetables at their stand. They also grow beautiful annual and perennial flowers in their greenhouses. A great place to pick up in season produce.
Antiques
We accidentally stumbled on a place called The Bargain Barn Thriftique (2547 Ritter Highway, Carlisle) during our detour. This store is of course in a big barn that is over 100 years old which is really neat in itself. There are two sides, the one is more of a consignment shop with old and new products while the other side is all antiques and is ran by a very friendly lady named Eileen. There are several sections to mosey through and search for treasures.
We also stopped at Lutz’s Antiques (1233 Ritner Highway, Carlisle). This place surprised me with how big it is when you get inside. This is a definite stop for those that like antiques. Two floors and several rooms filled with old toys, furniture, glassware and metal lawn ornaments. We spent a bit of time here browsing through the things of old. A true find!
Butcher Shop
We visited The Country Butcher Shop next. The Butcher Shop locate at 286 McAllister Church Road, Carlisle has been in business for 53 years and is family owned. They do their own butchering and pride themselves on providing quality meats and meat products They also carry staples like milk, bread and eggs and local made cookies and fudge. A great place to pick up fresh quality meat for supper.
Winery
Our last stop was at Hat Creek Winery (1800 Newville Road, Carlisle) serving Juniata Valley Wines. They have a cozy room set aside where they hold events such as Thirsty Thursday and on the weekends they provide live music to listen to while enjoying a glass of wine. They are open during the week for wine tasting and buying bottles of your favorites but I’m looking forward to taking in a weekend show or week night event. Which ever you choose, you’ll find unique setting to enjoy very good wine.
I was really surprised by all the really neat places we found. All these places are within 20 minutes of our retail store and since I did visit each one, I can assure you they are all places I will definitely go back too. If you get a chance, come and spend a day exploring not only Meadowbrooke but all the really cool hidden gems that are so close to us.