On my quest for (relatively) local points of interest to explore, I looked up some interesting places I had never heard about before. Planning a day trip, I set out to visit two locations that had things I love: food, crafts, and beautiful architecture.

The first stop was the Lancaster Central Market. Located in the heart of downtown Lancaster’s Penn Square, this historic market is something to experience at least once.

This market was the oldest municipally-owned market in the country until 2005, and it is huge! I never knew this place existed, which is surprising considering it has everything I love inside! It took forever to weave back and forth around rows of stalls selling everything from fresh flowers, hot sandwiches and food items, snacks and bakery items, coffee, smoothies, candles, Amish quilts, and many other amazing treasures.

After some fresh juice, delicious donuts, a hot sandwich, and a few Amish-made gifts later…it was time to head back to the car. This area of downtown is very walkable, and if I had more time, I would have liked to walk around the downtown a bit more. It is a busy city, so parking the car in the garage and walking on foot is the way to go if you explore the area.

Next up was the city of Reading (pronounced “redding”). Here, high up on a hill overlooking the city sits a pagoda of all things! Who knew?

Built in 1908, this historic building sits atop Mount Penn and is the symbol of the city. This seven-story wooden building was first constructed to serve as a luxury resort hotel. Only a few years later, when that plan was abandoned in 1911, the pagoda was donated to the city of Reading and has remained an icon ever since.

Boasting 30-mile panoramic views of the area below, this is a great place to spend some time relaxing. Plenty of parking spots sit just outside the walking area so visitors can easily explore the area down below the building as well.

If you are ever in the area of Reading or Lancaster, Pennsylvania, come check out these points of interest!