Mister Ed's Elephant Museum Re Grand Opening!

I am proud to announce Mister Ed's Elephant Museum is now open for buisness. This past weekend marked the grand reopening of the elephant museum/candy shop just outside of Gettysburg, PA. Mister Ed wanted to thank his loyal customers with a celebration that made my daughter's week. As I mentioned in my last blog, Mister Ed's suffered from a horrible fire that ruined most of his elephant collection. With the help of elephant lovers and the local community, they refurbished a lot of elephants that were savable. Although he lost a lot of his wonderful collection, people brought a sample of their own collections to help restock the musuem. Included is one of my own collection that I gave to Bridget. I love the big stuff animal elephants from Ringling Bros. & Barnum Bailey Circus. I was traveling with the greatest show on earth when I found out I was going to have Bridget. My first toy I bought for my then unborn daughter was a Ringling elephant. I turned over my whole collection when she got a little older. She asked if we will be able to donate a elephant for Mister Ed and of course I thought it was a great idea. It was lots of fun trying to find our elephant which we located on top of a shelf with other larger elephants.

                  

 Mister Ed also loved his customer letters, notes and cards expressing their sadness over the fire and their hope for the future Mister Ed's. There is a binder with all the letters he received on display. You can also find our letter in there with the many other elephant fans. We were also surprised to see our giant card we made for Mister Ed during his private opening for all the helpers and donators earlier this past winter. It's the small signs of appreciation like this that is not wasted on me or my daughter.





                    

                   
Now as you move through the museum area you will notice there are tons of elephants! If you are a regular vistior here you will notice a different elephant with every visit. What I like to do is take pictures of random elephants and you can either develop them or keep them in your digital camera. Then on your next visit give the pictures to your children and let them go on a elephant hunt. When they find the spot give them a treat of candy from the gift shop. It's loads of fun and the kids get to see different spots of each area. If your kids are anything like my Bridget they will gravitate to their favortie spot as soon as they get there. Here are some pictures of elephants inside the museum area to get you started.

                          
     
               
After visitng the museum, sign their guest book and donate to their charity of choice, The Elephant Conservatory. Then it's off to the gift shop. There are lots of goodies here and still lots of fun elephant stuff around to spot. My favorite gift items are the Mister Ed related tee shirts and magnets. As you can see in some of our pictures, Bridget loves her Mister Ed's shirt and yes we have a magnet on our fridge.
                 

A must for us is the peanuts that are roasted right there at the museum/store. You can also try a sample of fudge and before you ask, no there is no favorite. They are all great! Also don't forget to look up while sampling the fudge for the new mosiac that was made from the old broken elephants that were damaged in the fire. I think it's great that a tradgey can become a dream then turned into reality. Many people would have given up after a fire like that but Mister Ed and his staff are amazing. Everyone is so nice and helpful. You can see how everyone loves their boss, Mister Ed. Not only the employees but also the guest arriving all have stories about the influnence he and his elephants have made in their lives. It's nice to see good people doing good things for others.
              

Every cranny of the shop has something relating to elephants or Mister Ed's life. I honestly don't know how Mister Ed meets all these big celebrities but I sure do like looking at his photos on the walls. There are autographs and pictures of Ed in productions at the Totem Pole Playhouse that is down the road on Route 30. He also made a apperance in the movie Route 30 which also showcased the museum before the fire. There is a sequel coming out soon as well with Mister Ed in it. Even the bathrooms are displays for memorblia here and people go to the restroom even if they arn't in need of one.

                             

There is great fun for everyone. Here is Bridget at the fun house mirror in the stuff animals zoo area. It's tradition for us to take pictures of our silly selfs in the mirrors. I love acting like a kid again while viewing myself with a tall head and rounded feet.



Outside there was a party going on for the grand opening. What's a party without some cupcakes? What kind of cupcakes do you serve at a grand opening for a elephant museum? Elephant ones! All the mini cupcakes were frosted with images of elephants and even some with Mister Ed himself on them. I felt bad eating that cupcake but after tasting it I had no regrets. There was also drinks and popcorn for everyone as a way to show thanks for his loyal guest.
            

Another party favorite is face painting. All the face painters volunteered their time to decorate the guest with elephants and whimsical art. The clowns there talked about bringing her mother to Mister Ed's for the first time and seeing her mom rummage through the candies picking out her favorites. I thought it was a nice touch and they did a great job. Check out Bridget's new art. She was so sad to wash it away.



Mister Ed loved her elephants on her arm and beautiful flowers.








Local musician Shanna Rae was delightful. I would describe her as a very cool chick that knows how to sing and feel. Her music and songs were touching to hear and she even had a special song for Mister Ed that she wrote for him. Bridget laid back in a lawn chair, ate her cupcake and popcorn, and listened to the music. It was very relaxing and a nice way to spend the day.



A quick good bye to Mister Ed!

  We had a great time at Mister Ed's Elephant Museum and Candy Emporium. If your in the Gettysburg area just head west on Route 30. There are other stops along the way that are interesting that includes the Round Barn produce market and a few wineries that are worth the stop. The best stop of course is Mister Ed's who is up and running every day from 10am to 6pm. GPS the location: 6019 Chambersburg Road Orrtanna, PA 17353. Let me know how your Mister Ed experience was for your family. Don't forget to say hello to Miss Ellie outside!
                            

What's Up This Weekend?

Happy June everyone! June is already proving to be a great month. The sun is shining and the birds are singing while I write to you today. This weekend will be a great weekend to get out and do something with the whole family. There are some exciting things happening this weekend that you should check out.

Mister Ed's Elephant Museum is located in Orrtanna, PA. This is a short drive from Gettysburg, PA and it's worth the trip. We discovered this Pennsylvania treasure last year. A man named Ed Gotwalt received a elephant as a wedding gift many years ago. While on honeymoon he found that elephants were everywhere and he picked up a few more. Ever since he has been collecting elephants. He had so many he decided to open up a roadside attraction where he would display his elephants in a museum for free and sell roasted peanuts, candy and fudge. It grew over the years and he had thousands of elephants. Bridget favorite elephant sits outside the museum , her name is Ellie and she is the only talking elephant that I personally know. She is pictured to the left talking with Bridget on one of our many visits. Two days after our visit Mister Ed's Elephant Museum was involved in a fire and he lost most of his buisness that has been family owned since 1975. It was a sad event to witness but God sure does work miracles through our tragedies. People came from everywhere to donate a elephant or their time to help clean up the few remaining elephants. Now Mister Ed's is back up and running for all to visit. Their Grand Re-Opening is this weekend. There is suppose to be entertainment, clowns and of course lots of elephants to see each day. They celebration sounds to be kicking in around noon but get to the area early. Don't forget to pick up a bag of peanuts! They are the best I ever tasted. Congratulations to Mister Ed and his team. We are looking forward to many more visits in the future.


Mister Ed and Bridget at a Opening Party for the New and Improved Mister Ed's Elephant Museum.

Although this is our choice this weekend. There are many other events going on around the area. Check it all out!

The Hot Rods are in town! York Expo Center is filled to the gills with awesome Hot Rods from all over the eastern part of the US. People come from everywhere to showcase their "babies" and talk with other hot rod enthuisest. Even if you know squat about cars like me you will enjoy seeing these cars cruise up and down Route 30 in York. They usually drive the strip for the fans every year. Our first year living in the York area we were stunned when we drove down Route 30 and saw many people in their lawn chairs on the side of the road just watching the traffic for hot rods. The following year we joined them. It was awesome and you get to meet some fun people too.

If your in the Harrisburg area head to HACC Campus for the Central Penn Parent's Family Favorite Festival. The festival runs from 10am to 4pm and the event is FREE! We went last year and had a great time. Bridget was able to paint a real car, walk a tortoise and create some projects at the different vendor stands. Steven Courtney, our amazing friend and rockin kid singer, will be performing again this year as well as Sight & Sound Theater. They did a amazing job last year with their interactive show of Joseph which is appearing now at the Millenium Theater in Lancaster. This is a must see! There is a princess parade and a pirate parade this year too. There is lots of stuff to do but be aware that the campus is out in the sun. Grab the sunscreen parents! You may also bring in water for the gang so don't forget it. The parking is free but it fills up fast and early. You might have a little walk if you get there too late. There is a lot to see so grab a schedule first and map out your day. You will need comfy shoes to walk the campus. There are amazing food demostrations there as well with free grub. This is indoors and gives you a much needed break from the heat and sun. Check it out. This event is AWESOME! We wanted to go again but decided to wait a year before heading back. I am postive you will have a blast here.


Bridget is jamming out with Steven Courtney and the band at Family Favorite Festival 2010.

Something else I read about sounds very interesting and great for the kids. Saturday marks the 18th Annual International  Children's Festival at Ten Thousand Villages in Ephrata, PA. I never heard of this event yet but it does sound great. They ask you bring a 12ct. Color Pencil with you to donate as admission for the Mennonite Central Committee to send around the world for kids in need. The event is held from 10am to 3pm. The activites for the day include creating a Chilean rainstick, making a tiny Guatemalan doll, and dressing up in Pakistani clothing. There will be henna artist and music  from around the world. This sounds educational yet fun! Wish it was a different day so we could take Bridget.  This does sound like a outdoor event so once again bring the sunscreen and have fun!

Once again I am reminding you that this weekend is the big Grand Opening of The Turkey Hill Experience I mentioned earlier in my blog. It is awesome and well worth the trip but be aware of the high cost. I will be checking back in on The Experience in the future to see if the price will come down. Check out my review in my blog archive.

With all this going on I am sure you will find something amazing to do with the kids this weekend. I find that the more I do with Bridget the more she appreciates the wonderful state we live in. She is always on the go with us and we do keep busy. Enjoy this weekend with your family and I will blog back next week about our adventures at Mister Ed's and Gettysburg. 
                         

The Great PA Flavorfest 2011

Welcome to FlavorFest!

Last Saturday we attended the Great PA Flavorfest at the Renaissance Fairgrounds in Manheim, PA. The weather was HOT this day and the crowds were found sitting in the shade rather then at the tasting tables but nonetheless we had a mission. We are not big wine drinkers but we do like a nice glass on a special occasion. Last year we tasted wine from lots of PA wineries and fell in love with two companies that are way too far away for us to visit. We didn't get enough bottles to last the whole year and were hanging on to the last bottle like it was gold. Well we broke open that bottle when we decided to go to Flavorfest again this year. So of course we were prepared a little more this trip around.



Our Last Bottle



The wineries are spread out across the whole fairgrounds which is HUGE! Unlike the MD Renaissance Faire they have paved walkways, which takes away from the Renaissance but not festivals such as this one. The hills are also horrible. They are too steep and you will feel like passing out once you climb up the steep "mountain" to your next destination. There isn't a lot of shade either and when you find a bit of heaven under a tree there are swarms of people there taking up all the room.

 If you plan on attending a event here be prepared. Bring your walking shoes! Flip flops were not a wise chose for me. Bring you sunblock! You will burn under the hot rays with little shade to go around. Bring a empty bag! If you plan on purchasing only one bottle at each table you will be stuck without a carrier. Bring a bag and there will be no problems. If you plan on buying lots of wine then they provide carriers and even have a wine pickup on the way out. They send your purchase to the exit so you don't have to lug around a case while you explore the rest of the wineries. Bring your lunch! There are food places available to purchase your lunch but prices are high and the food is up the biggest hill there. I avoid the hill like the plague. Most of all bring your wallet! Even though this is a free event we want our local businesses to thrive. The bottles run around $10-$18 at most places but there are some wines that are exceptional and run around $20-$25 a bottle. These are amazing prices for such amazing wines. Here's another tip. If your a wine fanatic you might want to bring a pen and pad to write down which wine was your favorites. There are so many there and you are drinking so much wine you will get confused.



Wine Check Pick Up station as you leave.



I told you cheese was good for me.


Now yes they is a lot of wine drinking going one, it is a wine festival, but they also have some activities for the kiddies too. Set up in the children's garden are different stations to attend. All activities were either food related or Pennsylvania related. First Bridget created Noodle Art by gluing her dry noodles to paper to make a design. She made a noodle angel! Very creative. Next stop was the Hex Sign Craft where kids got to create their own hex signs using crayons on paper plates. They had examples of PA hex signs there for you to copy or get a idea of your own. Bridget didn't get the hex sign thing but did draw a beautiful picture. The other craft was more for a older child and I ended up doing the activity while Bridget relaxed. It was Rainbow Food Pyramids. We all done these in camp, the two Popsicle sticks making a X then yarn to wrap around each stick making a cool design. Bridget got it but got bored fast. There was tee shirts that you got to use fresh produce and paint to print designs on for a fee of $5 in which we didn't do. Where do you keep the shirt until it dries? Others left if there but that means you had to hike back to the area before leaving. Not for us. They also had face painting for $5 and over sized chess and checker pieces to play a game. The only entertainment for the kids was a guy on stilts making balloon animals that popped 5 minutes later due to the heat. It only took us a little time to do each activity but it made Bridget happy and she got to take home a souvenir.
                               

After the kids have their fun you can trek around to each stand for wine tasting. I tried so many wines I lost count and it was the first time in a long time I did something adult like. Thank you FlavorFest! The best wine still was my favorites from last year.

Franklin Hill Vineyards are family owned and operated for 27 years. The winery is located at the foothills of the Pocono Mountains with a view of the Delaware River Valley. They have free tours on scheduled days as well. Sounds nice right? I wouldn't know because we never travel that far ourselves, yet. They did tell me they ship though so check them out online. If your in the area here is where they are located and their hours:

Open: Mon-Sat 11-5, Sun 12-4
7833 Franklin Hill Road, Bangor, PA 18013
I recommend the Mango, Strawberry Kiwi and Blueberry wines that are featured in the photo above. Also the Sir Walter's Red is amazing, I just ran out of money.

Schokoladenkirshwein is like drinking a glass of chocolate covered cherries. So yummy! Also it's tradition I started on my birthday to celebrate with a glass of mimosas. The Sparkling Peach Wine is perfect for such a drink. I think the thing that sold me on this winery is the staff. They were all so nice. Having a child with me at a wine fair gets on the nerves of those at other fairs but here they interacted with her and even kept her busy so I could taste a chose which wine I wanted to buy. They are very sweet people here and I love helping a company where the employees love their job. It says a lot for their business. Wilcox is located at 1867 Mefferts Run Rd. Wilcox, PA 15870 and they are opened daily. They also sell at shops in Dubois, State College and Pittsburgh, PA. You can check them out online to for order information.

We can't visit any event in PA without a trip to the Alpaca's. Yes they are beginning to be the most popular pet to have when you got the room for them. They use their fur to make anything from hats to little dolls. Their fur is super soft and everyone loves petting them.They are not too friendly but they are not mean either. Most kids just chase them until they get tired and give up. Bridget loved the animals, as always. No fear in my kid when it comes to animals. Here she is feeding a alpaca.
                   

We see some wacky stuff around but this one took the cake and I had to share. Mad Toms Wreck Room is most likely the stupidest thing I have ever witness. You pay for a breakable item such as bottles, plates, and statues and then you can smash it against the wall in the back of the hut with the big bullseye on it. People are constantly doing this as well. They are making a fortune off of these silly people that think it's awesome to break stuff. That worries me. "You Buy It You Break It" is there slogan. I curious to see how many of my readers would do such a thing. Are you a sucker too? I'm not! The worst part is the sound it makes when something breaks. It's unexpected and when you are at a wine festival with millions of glass wine bottles around you it doesn't sound good. Thank Mad Toms Wreck Room for making my brain hurt.

A trip to the fairgrounds won't be complete without a trip to the pirate ship. This is a huge permanent structure for the pirate village. Bridget just loves seeing the treasure boxes and skeleton bones lying around the ship. There are also little spots throughout the faire that will amaze the kids, such as the lion that makes us roar or the wishing well where you get to ring a bell when you make a wish. Other artisans are opened during this festival but not many. Most of the craft vendors are from outside sources and set up tents. There isn't as many food vendors there this year and I only got to sample some hummus and nuts. That was a bit disappointing. Maybe I just didn't see the food from where we were traveling. I do know that I missed out on the food demonstrations that day because we arrived 2 hours before they closed. It is something to check out if you get there from the morning.
                          
                    

Another big attraction of this event is the live bands. There are different bands playing throughout the day here on multiple stages. They are nice low key music like folk or smooth rock. Nothing to get you a headache which is nice. Not too many people sit around for the bands as much as they enjoy the sound from the winery booths.  Now mind you that this picture was taken at the end of a hot day right before the festival ended but the band still rocked it for a handful of people.

Other then the heat and loads of walking, we had a great time. I was worried that Bridget would loose interest fast since it was so many grown up things to do but she was great and said she had a lot of fun. If you didn't get to make it to the FlavorFest this year mark you calendars now for next year's. The festival is always on the Memorial Day weekend. You can't miss it. I think I will go and have a glass of wine now.