I took two separate day trips to Smicksburg PA with a friend this October. Smicksburg is a country village in Indiana County with all kinds of craft and gift shops. (It even has a  US Post Office.) It is not far from Punxatawny Pa (home of the famous groundhog, Punxatawny Phil) to give you a geographic landmark.

The area is home to about 300 or so Amish families so it is not unusual to see horses and Amish buggies going by. Besides the craft and antique shops, we stopped by an apple orchard (excellent apple cider and apples) on the first trip. I bought so many apples that I was cooking with apples for a whole week!

The second trip included a visit to  an Amish farm so I could get my quilt repaired. We also visited a spinning studio and yarn shop (Silverbrook Fiber Arts and Sheepskin) in nearby Marchand PA where “spin-ins” as I call them, are held once a month or so.

If you want a day away from the city, consider a day trip to Smicksburg.

The photos above give a sampling of the many sights of Smicksburg PA. For more information go to: www.smicksburgh.net