Road Trip Kutztown,PA

Longing to visit caves. Quick internet research finds two interesting caves in our vicinity. Final decision between visiting Indian Cave and Crystal Cave was based on hours we going to spend on the road, so Crystal Cave won. Also checked to find out What else to do in Kutztown PA with hope not to see a warning- to Leave... I found farmers and antique market and Wineries, which put me on shame to be too judgmental to places in the middle of nowhere (in my humble opinion).

Crystal Cave site promised us that we would enjoy our visit to the most popular natural attraction of Pennsylvania. 

Info from Wikipedia: Just for you to know what Im talking about, I’m too lazy to write about it and pretending that I remember anything from the tour.

“ Crystal Cave is a cave near Kutztown in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. It was found by William Merkel and John Gehret in 1871. Greenwich Township farmer Samuel D. F. Kohler bought 47 acres (190,000 m2) of land, including the cave, for $5,000 in 1872. The next year he began charging 25 cents admission. The cave was used, at one time, for crop storage and dances were held in the largest room.

Some rock formations in Crystal Cave are a half-million years old. The lowest point, Devil's Den, is 155 feet (47 m) below the Earth's surface and in it live thirty to forty North American brown bats. The highest point in the cave is 65 feet (20 m) below the Earth's surface, in an area that is called "Lookout Point", for it gives a view of two-thirds of the cave. The cave remains at 52 °F (11 °C), 54 °F (12 °C), and 56 °F (13 °C) in different areas all year round. From the main entrance of the cave to the back of the cave, it measures 500 feet (150 m) long. One rock formation is called "The Upside-down Ice Cream Cone", for the different-colored calcite deposits that look like vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream, along with moss and plant life that looks like mint ice cream. Also, there is an enormous drop rock that separates a room in two creating a natural bridge.”

But of course, after the visit, I would’ve called all those formations differently, X-rated differently. No, little girl, this is not vanilla ice cream.... and no, it doesn’t look like a finger! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 

Seriously, that upside cone look like elephant dropping. Also those erected stalagmites... fingers? It would be the last thing in my mind to call it- fingers... Dirty mind? Well... haha what can I do? I'm just saying it, but admit it, You were thinking it! Btw even Crystal Cave site called those as odd shape probably out of politeness because there is nothing odd about those shapes... All girls in the group became very cheerful and let me assure you it’s not because of an ice cream cone looking formations. 

There was a moment when guide turns off the light to let us appreciate those who discovered this Cave first, everything around became pitch black! I was thinking - ok, give a minute when eyes get used to it - you’ll start to see something - nope, not even your own finger. It was really scary to imagine to be left out without light. 

On the way back home we drove through very cute Kutztown, visited the market where we bought products from Amish farms: Strawberries, tomatoes- the real deal, and also Vineyards... Is there anything better than Winery? I don’t think so.

We choose To visit Foligno Estate Vineyard and Winery. Italian style villa offered us wine pairing with mouth watering food. At the moment we thought we are not in Pennsylvania, maybe Napa Valley, it truly reminds us Napa

Order aged Chardonnay and we loved it, also ordered fried calamari even our guts was telling not to order Fried calamari in the middle of Pennsylvania. Guts were right. Calamari was awful. #trustyourguts 

I think I should rate my experience, it would make more sense I guess..

So here we go:

Crystal Cave - it’s really cool 10/10

http://www.crystalcavepa.com/

Farm Market - They were about to close, so we didn't see all of it. 6/10

https://renningers.net/index.php/main-locations/kutztown/kutztown-home

Folino Vineyard- place is great, food -not really. 8/10

http://www.folinoestate.com/

Video Sidenotes are coming soon...

#summertime #roadtrip #bonvivantians #crystalcave #cave