By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers
YORK AND THE HOGS — As today’s title suggests, there are five parts to today’s blog, beginning with our discovering an interesting area to visit when you’re traveling in the Northeast. The place is York County, Pennsylvania, between Harrisburg and Baltimore. It proudly calls itself
Another "Hog" owner arrives at the factory. No photos are allowed in the production plant.
“The Factory Tour Capital of the World.”
Before going further about all that’s available in that area, I’ll start out by saying that the only tour we took was the Harley-Davidson motorcycle factory. Realize that technology is not high in Monique’s sphere of interests and I’ve never longed to straddle a “Hog,” but whattaplace!
The robots that paint and form parts are magnificent. The workforce’s devotion to producing a precision product is inspirational. Everything on every motorcycle that goes through the stations is checked and rechecked all along the assembly lines.
Most of the process is done by men and women because almost every bike is different.
Large and small, various colors and models, some with ultimate accessories, others lean and mean – robots can’t be programmed to cope with the variety. [And unlike Ozzie Nelson when the Nelsons went through the U.S. Mint in the 1960s, I didn’t ask for a free sample.]
When we were staying near York, we carefully chose which factories to tour and then only got to Harley-Davidson, partially because we were there at the beginning of the week when most aren’t open for visitors. There is a newspaper called “Made in America Tours★Events, which lists 13 factories that give tours, plus 8 museums and other attractions, and 2 wineries. It’s a something-for-everyone kind of place Access information at www.factorytours.org.
FROM HORSEPOWER TO HORSE-DRAWN BUGGIES — Driving carefully along Route 340 outside of Lancaster just up the road from York, I was transported into a different view of the world. Seeing the Amish in their buggies and on mule-drawn farm equipment really changes one’s perspective. Watching a DVD about their history and lives drove it home even more.
Family first, community second, money to meet the mortgage on the farm third. Most Amish families in the Eastern Pennsylvania region live off the 
land. The wife almost never works outside the home, although some do supplement the household income with crafts. The man works the farm with all the children pitching in. If he absolutely must, he works as a skilled laborer, but he comes home to the family at night and does the farm chores with the children pulling their own weight. It’s just how things are done there.
This is not meant to imply they aren’t financially successful. As you cruise along the roads among the Amish communities, you’ll see large, immaculate farms, an indication that they manage their land and lives well.
Most abide by the Amish custom of not having electricity, but they do use
Drive slowly. These horse-drawn buggies are common along the roads.
petroleum products to power some equipment. There are no televisions or entertainment media in the home, no computers, no telephones. As a one-day visitor, my impression is they are happy people, enjoying inner-contentment over convenience.
There are lots of interesting shops that sell homemade and American-made crafts and furniture along the 340 as it winds through towns like Bird in Hand, Smoketown and Intercourse. Also, RV parks are available along the way.
PARK WARNING – Patapsco Valley State Park in Maryland is a typical wooded campground, but watch out! There is an
This low tunnel is on one of the two Patapsco entrance roads.
11’1” tunnel at one of the two entrances and the sign is somewhat obscured by bushes. A ranger told me several high rigs have become convertibles there. A second hazard is going through the narrow gate where campers put in the entry code. And third is the narrow roadway which curves through the campsite area. It’s a suitable park for truck campers and pop-ups, but motorhomes, high fifth wheels and long trailers, beware!
THE CAMPGROUND GUIDE – Well, goll’leeee, as Jim Nabors used to say. I have been swamped with folks taking me up on the offer. As I said in my cover-letter, “I can’t tell you how overwhelming and gratifying the number of responses has been. It far exceeded expectations. We thank all of you who took us up on the offer, and especially those who took the time to tell us about how you RV. A surprising number of requests came with messages from those soon to start out for the first time or new RVers.”
I’ll respond to some of the individual comments as time allows. Meanwhile, if you didn’t ask for the list of different types of camping opportunities but are interested, you’re still welcome to receive a free copy by emailing us at [email protected]. I’ll get it out to you as soon as our touring schedule allows.
MAIL FORWARDING — Speaking of Lancaster, PA, that brings up a maze that we encountered in getting our General Delivery mail. We use a mail-forwarding service in South Dakota. Last week we had mail sent to the address in Sykesville, Maryland, listed on the U.S.P.S. website. It arrived and was promptly returned to sender. It wasn’t the right post office address on the website; matter of fact, I learned that the post office hadn’t been at that address since the ‘60s.
I then called the postal service’s 800 number to get the local phone number in Lancaster to confirm the right post office, but with only one person on duty, it hung up on me three times without being answered. I was forced to trust the website that said the downtown office received General Delivery.
Lancaster is a city with historic old narrow streets. We squeezed into town and found a loading-zone parking place, only to learn the envelope had not arrived, and that was the wrong station to use. The right one didn’t have it, so we waited another day and did get it at the downtown post office after hiking many blocks to avoid parking in the center of town.
We’ve had this same problem a couple of times in the past, but there are compromises that must be made. The lessons here is don’t trust the U.S. Postal Service website. If you use General Delivery to receive forwarded mail, go beyond due-diligence to confirm where to send it. Try to have it sent to small towns. If you plan to stay in one place for a few weeks or longer, pay for a post office mailbox.
It will make your travels much less stressful.
From the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
Because of the numerous Spam comments on this site, the comments section has been deactivated. Please email us at [email protected] and I will pass along your comments. Learn about Alaska and see travel photos at ontopoftheworld.bz (and much more to come when time allows).
© All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved