PET FRIENDLY Pennsylvania Dutch Country

Take a step back in time, without cell phones, without laptops, without the constant demand to go faster, faster, faster. Pennsylvania Dutch country offers you the opportunity to see life as it used to be. And you can take that trip with your best buddy, taking in the beautiful countryside together, with its rolling hills and hex-signed barns, and chowing down on tasty country food.

And there's plenty to do. Kick your trip off with a horse-drawn carriage ride. Abe's Buggy Rides in Intercourse welcomes you and your pet; just be sure to keep him on a leash.

For crafts and living history, nothing beats going to the Kutztown Folk Festival in July. There you'll see a reenactment of a Mennonite wedding and an old-fashioned cake walk; you can check out the Quilt Barn, with more than 2,500 local quilts on display; watch over 200 craftspeople demonstrate everything from painting hex signs to carving duck decoys; and partake in the annual ox roast, as well as indulge in everything from chicken pot pie to funnel cakes. Your pet is welcome to the festival on leash.

If you're visiting in September, be sure to get yourself over to the Whoopie Pie Festival in Strasburg at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn. Activities include a Whoopie Pie Treasure Hunt, a Whoopie Yell Off, and, naturally, a Whoopie Pie Eating Contest. Your pet is welcome on leash.