New Freedom, Pennsylvania is about 40 minutes away from Westminster, MD and offers a smorgasboard of activities.
Activities
The Northern Central Railway of York offers several options for everyone. Bikers can ride the train to split their journey between the rails and the trail and beer enthusiasts can enjoy brewery tours. They also offer rail tours through several villages with some of them offering a meal. They have enough activities to fill a whole weekend.
American Rail Bikes offers a unique way to travel the railroad. You can travel the 7 mile round trip Howard Tunnel Excursion on the Northern Central Railroad. You will ride through scenic farm land, pass by colonial stone houses, over river bridges, and through villages. The highlight of this excursion is the Howard Tunnel. Built in 1838 it is the 2nd oldest railroad tunnel in the USA.
New Freedom Heritage Museum celebrates the heritage, history and culture of New Freedom, Pennsylvania. They host the New Freedom Fest (an old-time “festival of small town life”), free outdoor movies in their Freedom Green Community Park, and a monthly speaker series.
Where to Eat and Drink
Vortex Brewery offers some really unique flavors of beers and seltzers. They taste so good that even if you don’t drink beer or seltzer, you’ll quite enjoy the taste. They offer live music, trivia, music bingo, and more. Definitely worth a visit.
Gunpowder Falls Brewery offers several German-style lager beers. That’s their focus. If you love German lager, this is definitely the place for you. According to their website, they stick to brewing classic lager beer styles following the German Purity Law (Reinheitsgebot) dating from 1516 using just four ingredients – water, malt, hops, and yeast. Indulge in some of the German foods like Flammkuchen (a grilled flatbread), German Nachos and Schwarzwald Salad.
Seven Sports Bar & Grille offers some unique menu items including Barramundi Tropico (fillet of Australian sea bass dusted with Cajun seasonings and pan-seared), the Big Truck Peach Bum IPA (summer style hazy, made with Amarillo and Citra hops, fresh peach, and hints of apricot and pineapple), and the unstuffed Mushroom Quinoa, to name a few. Be sure to swing by and try them.
Where to Stay
Glen Rock Mill Inn is right along the York County Heritage Rail Trail, near the Pennsylvania wine country, and the Mason-Dixon wine trail. It is near farmer’s markets and breakfast is included with your stay on weekends. They offer Wi-Fi and many rooms offer flat-screen tvs. Please note that they don’t have elevators. The whole place offers old world charm and maintains much of the original walls and finishes.
Jackson House Bed and Breakfast is located on the Heritage Rail Trail and near several wineries. It offers six guest rooms with breakfast offered each morning in a large stone dining room. Breakfast includes Crustless Quiche, Stuffed Sausage Rolls, Blueberry Waffles with ice cream, along with a variety of side items. In addition, they serve fresh fruit and juice every morning, plus an endless cup of coffee or tea.
