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Travel magazine praises Lebanon's land



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Written by News Team

Sunday, 07 May 2006

The image of Lebanon County as a less-crowded alternative to Lancaster County got a big boost this week from one of the world's leading travel magazines. "The Lancaster County alternative, this nearby stretch of land has it all, except the crowds," said a headline in the May/June issue of National Geographic Traveler, which claims about 1 million readers. A 21/2-page article, by freelance writer Sally Eckhoff, follows. For Dennis Grumbine, head of the Lebanon County Tourist Promotion Agency, the article was a windfall. The agency's $90,000 budget would not allow buying advertising in a magazine like Traveler, he said. "I think it's great we got this kind of recognition," Grumbine said. Sheila Buckmaster, a senior editor at the magazine, said the article was pitched to her by Eckhoff, who is based in upstate New York. "One of our goals is to let readers know about places that remain authentic," she said. "We look for destinations of character, beautiful countryside and a distinctive way of life," she said. Lebanon County fit the bill, Buckmaster said. Eckhoff's article describes a trip north on Route 501 through Lebanon County's Amish country. She comments on the scenery, including a boy who "piloted four mules abreast" and a large mule who "seemed to be peering at something in the distance, almost as if he were watching his winning Lotto numbers come up on a TV screen." She then had lunch at a "diner called Kum Esse in dreamy Myerstown -- which looks like it hasn't changed since the 1950s, maybe longer -- I was certain things are close to perfect as they are," Eckhoff wrote. "How cool was that?" said Myerstown Borough Manager Robin Hemperly, a 30-year resident of the town. She said the community has worked hard to maintain just that image. "We take that as a compliment," she said. Eckhoff briefly touched on other highlights, such as the Lebanon Expo Center, Lebanon Farmers Market, which she called a "ham and sausage heaven," moonlight rides on the Union Canal and canoe trips down Swatara Creek. It was a brief overview, acknowledged Buckmaster. "It was just supposed to give a tease and a taste," she said. Eckhoff did warn travelers about one part of the county. "For lodging ... beware of wandering south of the fairgrounds on Rocherty Road, because the next thing you know you'll be close to the turnpike, which is handy only if you crave crummy truckstop coffee or a room in a chain hotel." Eckhoff advises visitors to head for the Swatara Creek Inn on Jonestown Road in East Hanover Twp. or the 1825 Inn, "with its perfect old-timey porch," in Palmyra. She also calls the Lantern Lodge in Myerstown "one of the county's best appointed inns." For Will McQueen, who has owned the 1825 Inn for just over a year, a mention in a national magazine was welcome, if unexpected. He said he vaguely recalls telling someone she could use the inn for an article but said he forgot about it. The inn, on Lingle Avenue, was called the Hen-Apple before McQueen bought it in March 2005. Part of Grumbine's job is to get travel writers and editors to pay attention to the county. As far as he knows, this is the first time someone has.

Last Updated ( Monday, 08 May 2006 )

 

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