A 1,000 Pound Butter Sculpture and a Carlisle, Pennsylvania Thrifting Haven
Plus the podcast I'm listening to about people with Too Much Money
Hello! I’m coming at you from the other side of a never-ending four (4) day weekend and a two hour snow delay, both care of my girls’ school. As much as I was ready to jump back into work today, though, I admit — after a two-year snowless streak in Philadelphia — it was pure delight to see the city covered in fresh powder. (Before it changed to ice, that is, and I had to traverse the sidewalks like Leslie Knope on the skating rink in season 4 of Parks & Rec to ensure I didn’t bite it. Gloria Estefan’s Get on Your Feet is still stuck in my head.)
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned we were heading to Carlisle, PA, the town where I went to college, for an overnight visit to see friends. We were planning to stop in Lancaster on the way, but instead, we learned our trip coincided with the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, about 20 minutes from Carlisle, and couldn’t miss the chance to see a 1,000-pound butter sculpture. That, along with the cotton candy made from PA maple syrup, fried pickles, goat sloppy joes, and PA Dairymen's milkshakes (a show staple since the 1950s) made it well worth the stop. I promised to report back on Carlisle, though, so here’s a handful of other things we loved this weekend:
The Carlisle Antique Mall - Four floors chocked full of previously-loved pieces that range from sophisticated antiques to humble thrift shop treasures like 70s-era Elvis mugs, a Snoopy phone, and Harry Potter-themed knitwear. Benny scored a 90s New York City sweatshirt embroidered with a Statue of Liberty and I picked up a sunshine yellow reverse weave Champion sweatshirt and a German-made ashtray someone must have nicked from the Intercontinental New York. (Downtown Carlisle is home to several other excellent thrift shops, too, including Miss Ruth’s Time Bomb and C Luv Thrift.)
Hamilton Restaurant - Started by Greek immigrants in the 1930s, Hamilton is known for its beloved Hot-chee Dog, which they’ve sold since opening, topped with cheese, chili, onions, and mustard. It’s basically the official food of Carlisle.
Massey’s and Leo’s - Not one but two stellar spots for ice cream, which I’m not not saying is the reason I chose Dickinson College. Massey’s (opened in the 40s!) sells top-notch frozen custard creations, and Leo’s is made-from-scratch ice cream (using milk from their dairy farm!) in flavors like Peanut Butter Ripple and Habanero Cornbread.
Whistlestop Bookshop - What’s not to love about a small-town indie bookstore? Exactly nothing.
Central Wedge Cheese Shop - Spotlighting PA-made farmstead cheeses, which you can buy as a board or box, or by the wedge.
Read on for a few things I’m listening to, reading, and watching this week, and a quick thank you for the kind messages about last week’s One Great Trip newsletter, highlighting Lydia Hirt’s pickleball-fueled visit to Costa Rica! Stay tuned for upcoming OGTs featuring a photographer’s guide to San Miguel de Allende and an author’s guide to Coastal Maine (among others!) and send me an email if you’d like to be featured: regan@saltete.com.
Listening: Too Much Money
A podcast by my friend Jo Piazza and Doree Shafrir about some (unhinged) things rich people do with their wealth. Particularly favorite bonkers episodes: the $59 million wedding (and Marie Antoinette-themed bachelorette party) and the billionaire injecting his body with his son’s blood on a quest to live forever. As one does.
Jo is the podcast queen, with hits including Under the Influence (where she recently discussed how Instagram censored her post about Glynnis MacNicol’s forthcoming book I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself because the cover features a naked butt … from an oil painting that hangs in the Louvre.) And She Wants More, a masterfully-reported, 8-episode delve into female infidelity that left me with a much different opinion than when I started the series. The New Yorker’s Rachel Syme called it “addictive and absorbing—current-affairs reportage at its finest.”
Next up from Jo: A true crime-ish podcast about the murder of her great-great-grandmother in Sicily, a companion to the book The Sicilian Inheritance, coming out in April. (Kirkus just gave the book a starred review, and Jo is giving out free lifetime subscriptions to her Substack when you preorder a copy!)
Reading: What Really Happened to Jessica Savitch?
For Marie Claire, writer and podcaster Justine Harman (O.C. Swingers, Fallen Angel) wrote about the pioneering anchorwoman, including one disastrous broadcast and the rumors and reputation-crushing smears that followed in the 40 years since her untimely death. Harman draws a vivid picture of a woman who made the Icarian mistake of having “too much ambition,” with insights from a host of people who knew Savitch. As illuminating as the story was, I still want to know more about her.
Watching: Rewatching The Bear, Ted Lasso, and Parks & Rec
The Bear, because my husband Eric hadn’t seen it and was tired of me talking about how much he’d love it. (Side note, did you see Jeremy Allen White’s Calvin Klein ad? A chef’s kiss throwback to the 90s-era campaigns that I’m extremely here for.)
Ted Lasso, because we’re gearing up to see Roy Kent do standup at the Met in Philly next week.
Parks & Rec, because it’s the show I quote most (see above), and I had to watch the Farmers Market episode in preparation for visiting the PA Farm Show. #ChardBodies
Inquiring minds want to know: did you get anything at the cheese shop?