Two girls- age 60 will be spending the day in the area on Friday November 21. we like to shop, eat, tour. any ideas for the area to spend a fun day??

Honestly, I don't know Carlisle that well. But if you have a car, you might head over to Gettysburg, which is about 25 miles away.

WE would be looking for quaint shops, a nice lunch, theater, etc. WE would like to head east, not west, such as Hershey, PA.

There is a nice panini cafe (Casa Mani Caffe) at the corner of Pitts and High streets that has great sandwiches (and gelato!!!!).

Actually, G'burg is south, and it does seem to fit what you're looking for. Sorry, don't know much about Hershey, other than the resort and park. There are numerous outlet stores in that area, but I wouldn't classify them as "quaint."

Carlisle itself has a nice flavor. It has Dickinson College. And the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks. The latter is where the fast-track LtCol and Colonels go to get their strategic training. The grounds are beautiful, but open touring was a casualty of 9/11.

Lemoyne (a bit northeast) has the West Shore Farmer's Market on Friday and Saturday. Great eats! They have a web site, as well.

I think Hershey is a bit overrated. Gettysburg does have a certain quaintness, though the historic presence can be a bit overwhelming at times.

I (a male) live in Harrisburg, so I'm familiar with the area. YMMV.

The Allenberry Playhouse is nearby and very highly respected. G-Burg is an easy drive and has a nice downtown, restaurants and nearby outlets. I would probably recommend Lancaster. It's 1 hour east on expressways. The Christmas show at the American Music Theater has started and is very good.

That is funny. WE live in the Lancaster area. So we have the best right here. I need to be in Carlisle for a few days of babysitting and the friend was going to join me there. Still hoping for some out of the way , little known treasures in that general area. Thanks.

maribethp - A few miles south of Carlisle is the quaint little town of Boiling Springs. I'm not sure what kind of shopping they have to offer, but it's certainly worth the short car ride down to check out the town. Boiling Springs is also home to the Allenberry Playhouse, as cheapbutnice2 mentioned.

http://www.boilingsprings.org/

We ate at the Market Cross Pub in Carlisle, located at 113 N. Hanover Street. We only had sandwiches and beer, but it was decent food.

http://www.marketcrosspub.com/

Robyn >-