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07.16 | theburg | 15 with six well-appointed rooms on the upper floors and 16 rooms surrounding a courtyard in the adjoining motel. "Some interesting stories have surfaced in the hotel," manager Dale Walize said. "Some say it's haunted. Our staff claims to have experienced the 'Lady in Red' on the second floor. ey have named her Scarlet. Others report to have seen a male ghost on the third floor they call Mr. Wilson." ere have been three groups of ghost hunters who have toured the hotel. "I'm not sure about these claims of ghosts, but I know that, if the spirits are here, they're friendly," Walize said. For a lovely walk in town, turn left from the front door of the hotel and stroll two blocks to the river, then turn right on Water Street. You can follow St. Louis Street to see the mansions of the local barons, who ran numerous banks in the 19th century. We elected to eat at Elizabeth's Bistro and were glad we did. e wine list is extensive and includes some tasty selections from Fero Winery. "John, Liz's husband, is a wine geek," manager Ron Ott said. "He will sample the wine, talk to the vintner, then buy several bottles for Melissa, the chef, and Liz to determine how it fits with our menu of seasonal, regional and ethnic food." e atmosphere is friendly, the staff efficient, and the food excellent. Together with the homemade breads and tasty wine, we had an outstanding meal. WhIrLWIND YeAr After Lewisburg, we took a short drive over to Shade Mountain Winery. Karl and Carolyn Zimmerman turned their farm into a winery in 1999. e tasting room is located in an 18th-century bank barn and has a deck overlooking the vineyard. "We are located on Route 104, a scenic alternative to Routes 11/15 and 322," said daughter Jenny Zimmerman. "is enables us to attract many new customers who travel to Penn State and other getaway spots located north and west of here." ey are partnering with the Rusty Rail, a new brewery and restaurant in Mifflinburg, a nearby historic town that made a name for itself as a center for buggy production in the 19th century. At the Rusty Rail, you can eat a good meal and enjoy Shade Mountain wine, in addition to the brewery's craft beer. You can even view several beautifully restored buggies, as the massive building started life as a coach factory. We left Shade Mountain and headed south on Route 104 until it joined Route 11/15. en it was just a short ride along the Susquehanna River until we reached the Winery at Hunters Valley. Driving up the lane to the winery, we were treated to a stunning view of the Susquehanna River Valley and Millersburg. At this point in our journey, we paused to soak up the spectacular scenery. e Williams family has owned the winery for what son Jamie describes as "one whirlwind year," having bought it from founders Bill and Darlene Kvaternik. "We offer 22 wines and are expanding the list each month," he said. "We connect with our customers by attending festivals and other events." ey are active locally by helping with fundraising for nonprofits. Jamie believes that the winery is part of the community, so feel a responsibility to help make life a little better in their area. "We do get traffic from our local historical places," Jamie said. "e Landis House in Newport and the Millersburg Ferry are two of the ones most often mentioned by customers." After relaxing at the winery, I recommend taking the Millersburg Ferry across the Susquehanna River. e ferry, on the National Register of Historic Places, is a wooden, double stern-wheel paddleboat and is believed to be the only one operating in the country. In Millersburg, visit the Ned Smith Center and see the art displayed in two galleries. Ned Smith, a famed naturalist and artist, was born in Millersburg in 1919 and drew and painted wildlife nearly his entire life. In addition to viewing his work, you can explore trails and see the work of other artists. e center also has an outdoor amphitheater for plays and other entertainment. StILL groWINg Our final stop took us a few miles downriver to Armstrong Valley Winery, which is outside of Halifax. e winery sits on the oldest farm in the area, established in 1769 by Robert Armstrong. Owners Jake Gruver and Dean Miller bought the property in 2005, and, at first, didn't intend to open a winery. " "at was kind of an afterthought," said Miller. Five years later, they are still growing. ey're building a new processing room and expanding the downstairs tasting room to gain more space. ey participate in festivals that are within an hour's drive and host parties, weddings and other community events. "ese events are an indirect method of building customers," Miller said. "We never imagined the response and support we would receive from our community. It's been wonderful." And so ended a long day visiting wineries north of Harrisburg. Yes, I tasted some amazing local product, but perhaps more importantly, found something I didn't expect. ese wineries are building cooperative relationships with towns and attractions around them, creating an opportunity for wine tourists to come, have a drink and stay awhile. goINg there Armstrong Valley Vineyard and Winery 212 Rutter Rd., Halifax 717-896-7700 armstrongvalleywinery.com Elizabeth's: An American Bistro 412 Market St., Lewisburg 570-523-8088 elizabethsbistro.com Fero Vineyards & Winery 965 JPM Rd., Lewisburg 570-568-0846 ferovineyardsandwinery.com e Lewisburg Hotel 136 Market St., Lewisburg 570-523-7800 lewisburghotel.com Millersburg Ferry 333-339 River St., Millersburg 717-692-2442 millersburgferry.org Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg 717-692-3699 nedsmithcenter.org Northumberland County Historical Society 1150 N. Front St., Sunbury 570-286-4083 northumberlandcountyhistoricalsociety.org Rusty Rail Brewing Co. 5 N. 8 St. #1, Mifflinburg 570-966-7878 rustyrailbrewing.com Shade Mountain Winery 16140 PA-104, Middleburg 570-837-3644 shademountainwinery.com Spyglass Ridge Winery 105 Carroll Rd. Sunbury 570-286-9911 spyglasswinery.com e Winery at Hunters Valley 3 Orchard Rd, Liverpool 717-444-7211 huntersvalleywines.com spyglass ridge Winery

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