Australian Walkabout Inn
837 Village Road
PO Box 294
Lampeter, Pennsylvania 17537
717-464-0707
Australian Walkabout Inn Home Page

April 1999

Welcome to www.weloveourlife.com. This is our page dedicated to our experiences while staying at The Australian Walkabout Inn.

Accommodations

The Australian Walkabout Inn is a Mennonite farmhouse built in 1922 in Lampeter, a small sleepy suburb of Lancaster. There are 22 rooms and suites, some with fireplaces and whirlpools. We opted for the Outback Fantasy Suite. It was, literally, outback, in a converted garage. Our suite consisted of two rooms and a bathroom with a shower. One room contained the bed and a gas fireplace. Our memories of that room are that it was crammed with dark, multi-color fabric. There was a cable tv and vcr on a pedestal that we turned to face the adjoining room, which contained the hot tub.

This is an actual hot tub, where the water stays in the tub (the innkeeper's wife reminded him of this fact when we checked in; they were characters). There were pithe helmets and the room was decorated like a rainforest, including a (fake, we think) parrot. Of course, anyone renting this room must don the helmets when adventuring into the hot tub. The innkeeper's wife dropped off some Austrlian-themed videos for us to watch while we were in the hot tub.

Inn Amenities

This is simply a bed and breakfast, not a large fancy inn. There are gardens outside for sitting and relaxing. There is a dining room in the main house where breakfast is served. We opted to have the innkeeper's wife deliver our breakfast to our suite the following morning.

Inn Food

The food was decidedly Australian. (Good, if you are a fan of Australian food.) We nibbled on ours and picked up bagels on the way home.

Inn Bar/Lounge

There is no bar or lounge area. We brought our own champagne for the hot tub.

Inn People/Service

The innkeepers are Richard Mason (a native Australian) and his American wife, Maggie. They are extremely friendly and talkative. They told us their most famous guest was F. Murray Abraham, who stayed at their inn while he was in the area (they will be happy to show you his picture). They told us he was fond of Honey Brown beer and they kept him well-lubricated during his stay. There are no phones in the rooms; they will be happy to help you make a reservation at any nearby restaurant and provide you with a local map. They also have local menus available to aid in choosing restaurants. They would have been happy to spend hours talking with us, but we were seeking peace and quiet, and retreated to our suite.

Area/Attractions

	Lampeter is right outside of Lancaster (the city), located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This area is famous for its Amish people (with their simple way of life) and also for outlet shopping. Since we both grew up in rural Pennsylvania areas, the Amish are nothing new to us. We try to be respectful and let them live in peace.
	The Strasburg Railroad is nearby and we stopped for lunch at The Dining Car.

We went to Lancaster to visit a couple local wineries. These wineries are quiet, charming, and provide another picture of life in Lancaster County:

Twin Brook Winery - 5697 Strasburg Road, Gap, PA 17527, (717) 442-4915

Twin Brook Winery is a small winery housed in a beautiful barn. They are open every day of the week except in January through March when they are closed on Monday. We like Twin Brook wines because this winery is one of the few in Pennsylvania we feel makes a truly fine dry white wine. We are partial to their Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, and their red wines weren't bad either. We make a point of going out to Twin Brook (about 60 minutes west of Philadelphia) a couple times a year to pick up a case of wine. They will be happy to let you taste any bottle they have available (at no cost).

Lancaster County Winery - Rawlinsville Road, Willow Street, PA (717) 462-3555

Note that Willow Street is the name of a town 4 miles south of Lancaster (Rawlinsville is the road on which it is located). Call ahead for hours of business and directions. This winery is also housed in a barn. They will be happy to let you taste any bottle they have available (at no cost). Although we like white wines, we were partial to their reds, especially a red they kept refrigerated (believe it or not).

Dining

The Olde Greenfield Inn - 595 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, PA 717-393-0668
Olde Greenfield Home Page
This restaurant was wonderful, a very surprising find. We ate dinner here on a Saturday night (reservations are a must). We arrived early and had a couple drinks at the bar first. There was live entertainment (acoustic guitar). Patrons of this restaurant tend to dress up. The restaurant is a 1780 stone Pennsylvania farmhouse with some modern additions. On the inside, the restaurant has many intimate areas and the decor is upscale, yet comfortable. The bar is fashioned after a summer garden/gazebo. The service is very good, and they allow you to take your time with your meal, which is a gourmand's delight. Keith had a tasty Chicken & Cashew Salad and the Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry as his entree. He loved it, said the beef was just spicy enough. Lori had a tasty seafood appetizer and the Seafood Crepe au Gratin (sans mushrooms). The crepe melted in her mouth. We very much enjoyed our dining experience at the Olde Greenfield Inn and would highly recommend it.

Nightlife

C'mon - this is Lancaster, a very religious area. You don't go here for the nightlife, although there are some bars with live music in downtown Lancaster. We were there to relax.

Weather

Lancaster is located an hour west of Philadelphia, and the weather is much the same (with a bit more snow in the winter). Summer is high season, and families with children tend to visit Dutch Wonderland. We prefer the spring and fall - a bit quieter and more scenic (and not as hot), but still very nice.

Tips/Suggestions

This is a religious area, so most places are closed on Sundays. Call ahead to verify stores, restaurants, etc. are open if you are visiting on a Sunday.