Central Market, Shopping

In our travels we have  missed many interesting places known to locals.  Many sites and places are very famous, and you can miss them. One such place is Lancaster Central Market, originally a Farmers market, and over the years has become a GIANT SUPER MARKET of individual booths. Fresh veggies, meats, flowers, novelties, jellies, some hats, souvenirs and baked goods.

Also, and I think more important, a place of entertainment, news, fellowship and excitement.  A place of slow shopping and even some hustle and bustle associated by me, to holidays. Lancaster has grown to a city of approx 60,000 with the county population near a half million. Tourism is second in the county’s industry bringing in close to $2 billion a year. Agriculture is the #1 industry of this thriving city.

BUT the Market is not the place of tourists, unless you are with friends, Central Market is a place for old friends.  You see hugs, handshakes  and backslapping. Smiles between the concession booth owners and regular customers. It is a festive atmosphere.

I don’t hear names real well, but I believe this was TJ & son. He was a Rugby Coach for some of Dan and Joan’s grandkids

Can you say variety? A Grass-fed Meats sign, Dan brought to my attention.

Joan was raised here and shopped weekly with her mom until her mom’s passing. Here, Lancaster is not a city, inside the building this is still ‘small town and friends’.  Something that has been lost in most places.

In the hour we were there, they met about 6 friends shopping.

Dan bought two home grown melons, one was for us! (Thanks Dan I am eating on it along with some pecan/chocolate candy). Central Market is something you must experience, it is hard to pass along the feeling.

Oh yes, of course we ran into Miesse’s Chocolate:

And fresh flowers to add to the beauty of the place, even ‘wheat Grass’ (the bright green stuff here).

Just outside A building (center city), once a clothing/drygoods store, was gutted a high rise added and it became a downtown Hotel, leaving the outside with the intricate masonry work and coping.

And to add to the atmosphere, outside were several musicians playing for ‘tips’. These two were a couple of kids.

There was much more to the day, but that is another entry. We cannot say enough about our friends Dan & Joan, without them we would have missed some great points of Lancaster. Yes, Dan was a good boss and a very good friend. Their family is one it would take several entries to cover. I have talked about Tracy, but you need to know about Mike, Cullie & Lynn.  Each fantastic in their own right!

Thanks for going to the Market with us.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

When you decide something with an open heart, you usually make the right decision.

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1954 Hudson Jet, I was reminded of this one when I passed a 1954 Chevy today and wasn’t fast enough on the camera-draw!