The New Year at a Lancaster County B&B

Blink and you might miss it. Traveling down Route 23, just past Shady Maple Smorgasbord is the small community of Churchtown, PA. Rolling hills cradle the town at the county’s eastern edge, where churches rise quietly along the main street. The keystone church being the Church of Bangor, formally a Church of England church, fashioned from dark, weathered red and green stones. If you have the pleasure of driving through this small town, you’ll see across from Bangor Episcopal is a beautiful B&B known as the Inn at Twin Linden. (above photo credit: The Inn at Twin Linden)
The cold winter day welcomed me, well pushed me, into the warm embrace of the Twin Linden. Walking in those double doors, I knew breakfast was going to be a special treat. Kyra Scalea, the owner of the Twin Linden along with her husband Mike, knows how to host. If Martha had a rival, I swear it would be Kyra. The Inn, still decked out in its Christmas attire, was glittering. Warm reds, plaids, and greenery ran up the walls like ivy and the smell of coffee and sugar filled the air. The table was already full of guests about to dig into a first course. I was late! I looked at the clock, no, other’s were likely early – knowing Kyra had something special in store.

“For me when I was twelve years old, I’ve always wanted to have a bed and breakfast.” Kyra’s eyes light up, drawing me into her story. Knowing Kyra for quite some time now, it’s always exhilarating to see her get excited about an idea. For her, a B&B was part of a long term plan that got realized sooner than expected. Kyra and Mike Scalea found their way into the Bed and Breakfast business just a few years ago and are going into their fifth season with a calendar full of things to delight and surprise their guests. Behind her walks Anna Lapp, their longtime assistant who also happens to be an Amish mom with six children. “She and I go shopping together!” Kyra remarks about Anna while discussing how the B&B experience has opened up her world.
“We have been able to meet incredible people that we never would have crossed paths with otherwise. People who I admire so much.” I ask her if she has any stories about guests gone by and she interjects, “So many! We could write a book on little vignettes of guests.” Before my eyes, the innkeeper turns into a storyteller, carrying me from the beginning to the end of so many souls that have slept in these rooms. Weddings have been attended, rainy runs in a summer storm, and finally a plan to walk the Camino de Santiago inspired by a set of sisters who visited fresh off the pilgrimage.

Breakfast is three courses plus. Winter bounty fresh from Lancaster PA is brought plate by plate. Salty thick cut bacon, egg souffle provided by the Inn’s coop, yogurt with Amish made granola and much more. The other guests and I could barely finish the spread – although a hearty attempt was made by all. Sitting next to me were Charlie and Sue, who have made it a tradition to come to the Inn, not once a year – but once a month. It’s something special to hear someone’s experience of Lancaster from the outside. They describe things with a sort of magic that time has worn off for some of us who have grown up here. But seeing that magic in someone else kindles something inside of yourself. The Scaleas get to see that magic every day, and add a little something to it all their own.
“I love that we have dinners here once a month,” Kyra reflects on her favorite event for guests and locals alike. “Once a month, we have farm to table dinners with fancy chefs who come in – and they are wonderful. We have a huge long table out in the meadow and have a gourmet meal done for these folks who come back. We can showcase the talents of the community, our local people, and these chefs. The chefs come in and meet with the farmers and some of our local Amish families help make things with these dinners. It’s six courses, and everything is local and seasonal. Maureen, from Terrain and Table, who decorates the tables. It’s unbelievable.”

And it really is unbelievable, over the past 4 years, this experience has been curated, tried, and perfected. These farm to table dinners offer visitors an unforgettable experience of true Lancaster County culinary expertise, all while surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside the county offers. Open to guests of the Inn and the general public, it’s a must-do for anyone in the county. The woman at the center of it all dishes about what drives her, “It boils down to one word, Service. I’ve always known I wanted to live my life in service to others. Here I get to do it every day. To make people smile with their first cup of coffee. To serve our guests in the way that they need is really tremendous.”

Sneaking a final bite of the smoky cured bacon on my plate, I finally admit that this brunch has defeated me. I will not be a part of the clean plate club today. Anna clears the dishes and our conversation turns to what’s just around the corner. A new year. What does 2026 have in store for the Twin Linden? Our gracious hostess fills me in on what’s to come, “We hope to show more of the bounty of this place. We’re going to be using all of our own stuff, herbs, berries, and more. We have so many new places we can send our guests: The Blue Door Merc and Perk, there’s Urban Southern…There is so much more to Churchtown than you would know. And because it’s not a digital community, you won’t find it online. You have to come here to experience it.”

That quiet invitation is what Lancaster offers so well. You can scroll past its beauty online, and even catch a glimpse of its Bed and Breakfast Culture through B&B Bestie, but to understand why people fall in love with this enchanting place, you have to come here to experience it. The Inn at Twin Linden delivers that experience in a way few places can. So when you’re traveling down Route 23 and the road carries you to Churchtown…Don’t blink.