Because I keep telling everyone what a magical place Mount Gretna is, I thought I’d gratuitously throw in a bunch of pictures I took on my latest visits (bracketing my week at home). On top of the fact that it sits on a mountain under shady pine, maple, oak and birch trees, and has a lake on the edge of town (much like Ashfield), the cottages and byways are full of whimsy and wonder. Just a sampling of what you will see there:

Bixler’s cottage, the grande dame of Chautauqua homes:

Even the cottage names are whimsical:

I had to omit the best one—Quiturbelliaken—because the signboard hadn’t been put back up for the summer.

And this is where the annual Mount Gretna Art Festival takes place in August. On par with Paradise City, it features over 250 juried artists and artisans—and there’s an equally big non-juried craft show just a block away.