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Hillside Farm Bed and Breakfast is a
Pennsylvania farm home in a peaceful Amish Country rural
setting featuring an old farmhouse (circa 1863), barn and
other outbuildings.
It was once a dairy farm and is still
surrounded by one of the largest areas of farmland left of
Lancaster County, which guarantees a healthy measure of rest
and relaxation. Just a half mile down the road is one of the
many Amish farms that dot the area plus a one-room
schoolhouse.
The farm has seen a variety of functions
from dairy farm to fruit orchards to tenant apartments, but it
is best known by local folks as the Davis Farm. Raymond Davis
operated a local milk dairy in the 1920's, through the 1930's,
and into the 1940's. It is this period that forms the theme
for Hillside Farm Bed and Breakfast. Built prior to 1863, the
farmhouse is a two-and-a-half-story brick building with a
standard design of four main rooms on each floor. Through the
years, that design has been modified and now the second floor
features cozy bedrooms, each with a spectacularly tranquil
view of the surrounding farmland. In fact, all the neighbors
are still in the dairy business. Hillside Farm is located in
the middle of the largest section of open farmland in the
township.
There are a variety of lodging
accommodations from which to choose. The main inn has three
guest rooms with private baths and one suite. The Meadowview
Room, named for a local dairy, has a queen canopy bed
and private bath with shower stall. The Sylvan View
Room, named for another local dairy, has a queen bed
and a private bath with tub and shower. Also available is The
Loft on the third floor, which features four twin beds
that can be made into kings, a rollaway bed (if needed), a
private bath with shower stall, and satellite television with
VCR. The Davis Suite has a bath with tub and
shower, a bedroom with queen bed, and a sitting room with
loveseat, electric stove/fireplace, refrigerator, electric tea
kettle, and satellite television with VCR.
The Chicken Coop cottage,
which is attached to the back of the barn, was finished in
1999. It features a two-person hot tub surrounded by windows
overlooking the meadow, where horses graze. A gas fireplace
provides a romantic atmosphere beside the king bed with a
handmade quilt. The sitting area has a loveseat and
comfortable chair from which to enjoy the satellite television
with VCR and DVD/CD player. Movies and music CDs are provided.
The dining area has a small kitchen table and chairs, wet bar
with sink, microwave, coffee maker, and refrigerator. The
large bath has one large sink, toilet, and two-person shower.
A small deck outside has two Amish rockers from which to enjoy
the view. In 2003, The Stable cottage was
opened, with the same amenities as the Chicken Coop.
A full, country all-you-can-eat breakfast
is served family-style every morning. Guests in the Country
Cottages may choose to have their breakfast brought out to
them or dine with other guests in the Inn. Be sure to bring
your appetite. Snacks are served all afternoon and evening.
Situated well off the main road, the
two-acre grounds are convenient yet secluded enough for a "get
away" retreat. The back of the house overlooks Chickies
Creek with a view of the mill dam and an old generator house.
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On warm evenings, you can sit on the porch
under the trees and listen to the owls, bullfrogs, and cows.
Enjoy a glass of lemonade and watch the rabbits, squirrels,
and woodchucks play in the yard. Occasionally, if the wind is
right, a train whistle will drift in from the distance. So
rural, there is not even a phone in the bedroom to disturb the
peace. So, wake up to the songs of the birds with the creek
for background music and decide which direction your day will
go. Rest, just be lazy, or relax and do whatever you choose.
On the other hand, if "going and doing"
are your relaxation, you will be close to it all. Lancaster
County has many attractions: surely something for everyone. To
name a few, there are touring opportunities at Amish and
Pennsylvania Dutch attractions, biking on a local bike trail,
hiking along trails that crisscross the area, visiting local
wineries that offer tasting tours, swimming in the public pool
or tubing down the Conestoga Creek. Some nearby points of
interest you may take to are the Hershey Chocolate World, the
Hershey Amusement Park, antiques, the Appalachian Trail,
Harrisburg (the State Capital), Gettysburg Battlefield,
Longwood Gardens, and Strasburg Railroad.
This is just a sample of the vast
selections of activities for those who are so inclined. Of
course, you can indulge in old-fashioned favorites from time
to time like spinning yarns, swapping tales, shooting the
breeze, or that all-time great... watching the grass grow.
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