Life in York Makes a Happy Family
Guest blogger, Adam Nugent recalls the many different ways that York is the perfect place to help him make his entire family happy.
Then he gets the stink eye from his special lady friend as he comes to the painful realization that he just said that out loud. So as dads are often forced to do, he accepts the challenge.
He starts looking through the 20,726 photos he and his wife stored up over the last few years. He swipes through the pages of short road trips to Bethany Beach, DE and to Annapolis, MD, and he laughs at the kids’ first day at the bus stop. He taps on the museums in D.C., the flights from BWI, and the Rhinos roaming around in the Philadelphia Zoo.
Whoa! He stops for a couple seconds on a hometown photo; that one of his favorite lady on a dinner date night out after the York City Boutique Week Fashion Show. He smiles, remembering that it was one super-hot dress and that she wore it like it was made just for her by a crazy-good local designer… because it was: Arthur & Daughters.
He shuffles past the scenic York County lakes, trees, and trails, and he admires the familiar sights behind his sometimes smiling, sometimes serious, sometimes goofy-faced family.
Gearing up for his little writing assignment this dad has a new perspective. He remembers that time in York,
…when the cowboys robbed the train at Steam Into History
…when the fabulous new York Academy school was built.
…when the kids got bear pancakes at Mezzogiorno inside Central Market York
…at the Thanksgiving Day YMCA Turkey Trot 5K
…eating the best blueberry muffin in the world at The Copper Crust Co.
…when the aliens touched down at DiDi & Smiling John’s barber shop.
…when 10,000 neighbors watched fireworks together and we rode a hot air balloon inside the stadium during July4York
…buying skate deck art and smashing cars at Decked Out Skate Deck Auction & Art Show to benefit the awesome Reid Menzer Memorial Skate Park.
…camping, canoeing, and beaching it all in one day at Gifford Pinchot State Park
…summer fun at the Penn Park and Fairmount Park splash parks
…getting a root beer at Mudhook Brewing Company
…welding that 30-pound trophy at Working Class for the YYP Foot Rally
…when ice sculptures lined the downtown streets at FestivICE
…watching the kids play on the big league York Revolution field at PeoplesBank Park
…finding that cool little golf course, Little Creek Golf Course
…at the park enjoying What The Food Trucks with basketball, bands, and 40 food trucks
…painting on the walls of ruins… legally, at Ruins Park
…finding Action Church, the one that felt like family
…when the helicopter dropped candy for the kids in the York City Little League
…getting ice cream on our noses at Cornerstone Ice Cream Shop
…enjoying the kids’ Christmas Eve recital at St. John’s Episcopal Church
…riding our bikes for miles on the Rail Trail County Park
…hosting the whole family on a snowy Christmas at Light Up York
…finding that perfectly funny Mother’s Day gift at the Olde York Street Fair.
…when Kimman’s gave away cupcakes.
…swimming at the Graham Aquatic Center pool on Memorial Day.
.…when they painted downtown windows for the York Halloween Parade.
…sitting on the stoop eating pistachio gelato from Esaan Thai Restaurant
…exploring renowned artist, Wayne White’s Exhibit at Marketview Arts
…sipping hot chocolate from Green Bean Roasting Company on a snow day.
…snow tubing at Heritage Hills Avalanche Express.
…swimming in balloons on New Year’s Eve in Downtown York
…when the next-door neighbors became best friends.
We’re dads. We don’t learn very quickly. If we’ve retained anything from this little dive into the family photo collection, it should be these couple of things… First, never doubt the woman you love. But before you master that one, you can be certain that raising your family in York will make ALL of you happy.