I took a “mental health” day to get out with my camera and take some pictures. I had intended to head out to Valley Forge to walk a portion of the park before meeting a friend for lunch, but the all of Southeastern Pennsylvania seems to be under construction. What should have been a little over an hour trip took over two hours as all my normal routes through the city were detoured. As I was looking to walk away from added stress, I decided to scrap my Valley Forge plans ¹. Instead, I opted to park in Wayne, PA and walk the streets I used to wander as a college student back in the 90’s. It has changed.

When I was at Eastern College ² we were pleased to have a Taco Bell, Blockbuster, and Acme Supermarket within walking distance. Now all three are gone ³, and have been replaced with a Panera, Chipotle, Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, and a Five Guys. It’s like a college eatery a couple of blocks from campus, and I’m rather jealous.

The main part of Downtown Wayne has also seen a significant transition. The town is has become a bit of a dining destination, and even the old Roy Rogers is now a French Bakery. Most of these restaurants are probably a bit beyond the budget for most college students, but a few seemed to be “college friendly.” I was a bit bummed to see the pizza shop which had the best cheesesteak Stromboli I’ve ever eaten had been converted into a French restaurant.

On my tour I headed down to the shopping center just off campus, and then looped back down to the Lancaster County Farmer’s Market about a mile away. I worked there at the Deli and Cheese Counter S. Clyde Weaver, and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had earning money. The people were great, and I got to learn a lot about cheese ⁴. It was nice to see how little the Market had changed. It’s been upgraded and fit to contemporary trends a bit, but the feel of the place was as it had always been. There was even a former co-worker still working at the counter and we got to chat for a bit. I need to get back there soon to do some shopping, I’ve never found a cheese selection as good as that market anywhere. I’m glad it’s still going strong.

My day culminated when I met a friend of mine for lunch. We were joined by Eastern’s Chaplain, Joe Modica, and bumped into some other old friends as we dined. It was a good way to close out my day away.