(Dillsburg) -- For most children, summertime in Central Pennsylvania means sunshine and freedom. But for those living with the loss of a parent or sibling, it's hard to be as carefree since the pain doesn't stop when school is out. The inaugural gathering of Camp Koala is hoping to change that.
(Gettysburg) -- An estimated 35,000 motorcycle riders are expected to flood the Gettysburg area today through Friday for the eighth annual Bike Week. The event will cap off a busy two weeks for Adams County's tourism industry. The down economy hasn't stopped visitors from flocking to the borough. Last month, it was for the Gettysburg Festival, and last week it was to mark the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg as well as the annual reenactments of the three-day clash. Norris Flowers, president of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, says he feels like the region is well-positioned if people decide to limit how far they go this year.
Flowers says his group's research shows about 60 percent of people who travel to Gettysburg are return visitors, so the challenge is to find ways to keep them coming back time and time again. He adds hotel tax revenues from January through May are up more than nine percent from the same period last year.
Ah, Quebec!  It's not quite Paris, Avignon or Nancy, but it is a little bit of French culture, language, and cuisine just a day's drive away from Harrisburg. I have to admit, though, that the scenery is the best from Harrisburg into Upstate New York. The 2-hour or so drive from Montreal to Quebec City was nothing to write home or even blog about. It's mostly commercial and industrial territory, and the roads significantly worsen as soon as you cross the border from New York. For some reason, I imagined there'd be quaint little towns nestled in valleys as you'd find driving in France, but that was not to be. Just the strip malls, auto repair shops and the like. Yet once you actually drive into Quebec City and into the gates of its old town, disappointment turns to delight at the cobblestone streets, hanging baskets of begonias and petunias, and ornate wrought iron balconies like those in my hometown of New Orleans.
In the summer, when our region is tomato lucious and raspberry wonderful, we eat what's fresh-picked with abandon. It's the season to eat with our hands: corn on the cob, slices of melon and baskets of blueberries. We savor peaches and let the juice run down our chins, rivulets from wrist to elbows. We shuck peas and eat them raw, the fresh greenness both crisp and sweet. Packed with flavor, there's no need to dress up produce that comes straight from the farm.
Recently, most have had to rediscover the joy of a budget. Hardly a day goes by where our economy doesn't make headline news. What I've discovered, however, is that budgets don't change our standards. And, in the grocery store, I'm all about finding the affordable gold standard. Meet the black summer truffle. Aromatic, and full of flavor, this little guy packs a wallop of culinary options at less than $300 per pound. In fact, at that price, it seems to be one of the most affordable and versatile ingredients I've added to my grocery list in a long while.
(Dillsburg) -- For most children, summertime in Central Pennsylvania means sunshine and freedom. But for those living with the loss of a parent or sibling, it's hard to be as carefree since the pain doesn't stop when school is out. The inaugural gathering of Camp Koala is hoping to change that.
(Gettysburg) -- An estimated 35,000 motorcycle riders are expected to flood the Gettysburg area today through Friday for the eighth annual Bike Week. The event will cap off a busy two weeks for Adams County's tourism industry. The down economy hasn't stopped visitors from flocking to the borough. Last month, it was for the Gettysburg Festival, and last week it was to mark the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg as well as the annual reenactments of the three-day clash. Norris Flowers, president of the Gettysburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, says he feels like the region is well-positioned if people decide to limit how far they go this year.
Ah, Quebec!  It's not quite Paris, Avignon or Nancy, but it is a little bit of French culture, language, and cuisine just a day's drive away from Harrisburg. I have to admit, though, that the scenery is the best from Harrisburg into Upstate New York. The 2-hour or so drive from Montreal to Quebec City was nothing to write home or even blog about. It's mostly commercial and industrial territory, and the roads significantly worsen as soon as you cross the border from New York. For some reason, I imagined there'd be quaint little towns nestled in valleys as you'd find driving in France, but that was not to be. Just the strip malls, auto repair shops and the like. Yet once you actually drive into Quebec City and into the gates of its old town, disappointment turns to delight at the cobblestone streets, hanging baskets of begonias and petunias, and ornate wrought iron balconies like those in my hometown of New Orleans.
In the summer, when our region is tomato lucious and raspberry wonderful, we eat what's fresh-picked with abandon. It's the season to eat with our hands: corn on the cob, slices of melon and baskets of blueberries. We savor peaches and let the juice run down our chins, rivulets from wrist to elbows. We shuck peas and eat them raw, the fresh greenness both crisp and sweet. Packed with flavor, there's no need to dress up produce that comes straight from the farm.
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