And God Created Mini-Golf

About twelve years or so ago, we visited Lancaster and Strasburg, PA, where we toured an Amish farm, rode the awesome Strasburg Railroad, and failed to defeat the Cherry Crest Farm Corn Maze (we won't mention the PA Dutch food). This week we returned to work in Lancaster for the week and really looked forward to revisiting some of those amazing experiences. But the number one item on our list: Village Greens Mini-Golf!

Village Greens is nestled right in the heart of Amish farmland (mostly corn) and is hands-down the most beautiful course we've ever played. It truly is in God's Country.

This place is so breathtaking we really didn't care who won (I won the first game, but Marsha won the second). It's also the hardest (and longest) course we've ever played, but again, it's hard to care.

The two courses are very different. The first one, Orange, is more like traditional mini-golf. There are 18 holes, little buildings, a covered bridge, a cave, and moving ramps. But again, the design of each hole is made to match the natural beauty of the surroundings.

The Gold course, which is much more challenging and for adults only, has 23 holes and the obstacles are built from the natural surroundings themselves. These holes are much longer, there's a river and little bridges that run between them, and the course goes way off into the woods. It's no wonder that this place has won so many awards.

The clubhouse has a little cafe that serves hotdogs and burgers. They were actually pretty tasty. For our second trip there and our last night in Lancaster, it was a great ending to our trip before heading off to the hustle and bustle of NYC.

18 Holes of Brotherly Love

We're spending another week working in Pennsylvania, so naturally we planned to fit in some extra travel the weekend before and the weekend after. First stop, Philadelphia, where we visited Madison 's favorite restaurant, Amada, yet again. Amazing as always.

But our first stop was something else we'd been wanting to do again for years: play mini-golf in Franklin Square. This is one of our favorite courses for the simple reason that each hole is a miniature recreation of a famous Philly landmark.

It's one of the few courses where we're so enamoured with the surroundings that we temper our usual "play for blood" level of competition (I won).

The park also has a carousel (wish they had a brass ring, too) and a little grill. Perfect spot for a relaxing time in the historic area. But the best part is the mini-golf. I'm ready for another 18 holes!