I belong to a group called the Veteran Speakers Retreat, about 50 of us old geezers who get together once a year and tell lies about how great the speaking business is. Of late, we’ve been meeting at Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse in Boiling Springs located in central Pennsylvania.

Allenberry Resort and Inn is world famous. It sits in a “Dirty Dancing” style setting along the Yellow Breeches Creek in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania.

In America the unusual often becomes ordinary, but every now and then one finds an enterprise so rare that it stands out from the crowd. Allenberry is such a place. Allenberry is located in the Cumberland Valley near the quaint village of Boiling Springs - named from the underground springs that feed the lake and "boil" in the winter months. Allenberry was transformed from a private estate into a year round resort and playhouse by its founder, the late Charles A. B. Heinze.

Allenberry Playhouse, which is the feature attraction for the resort, opened its doors in 1949 and it has blossomed for over a half century. Many of the acting greats like John Travolta, star of Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Urban Cowboy, Pulp Fiction and other movies. Roy Scheider got his start here and went on to star in Klute, The French Connection, Jaws and many other films. Academy Award Winner Shirley Jones was in more than twenty feature films but earned her fame in The Partridge Family. Norman Fell began at Allenberry and later earned fame as Mr. Roper in television’s Three’s Company.

The list goes on and on for those who got their start in the setting and it continues to launch acting careers today from the 420-seat venue.

Catch-and-release fly-fishermen flock to the shores of the Yellow Breeches Creek that adjoins the property. In all the years I’ve been visiting this place, I’m yet to see a fish caught. Not sure whether they are just lousy fishermen or if this is a fish-less-creek, but it is fun to watch them cast just the same. Never has so much money been invested for so little return. I do know this… God adds a day to your life for every day you go fishing.

Nearby attractions such as Intercourse, PA, home of the Amish, and Hershey, PA, home of those addictive M&M’s make side trips nice to experience.

You can also enjoy the battlefields of Gettysburg, Boyd’s Bears (a place to spend tons of money on grandchildren) or even the huge Bass Pro Shops venue in Harrisburg, a place to spend even more money on the aforementioned fly fishing. Harrisburg is the capitol of Pennsylvania.

Penn State University is a hop-and-a-skip up the road if you want to drop in on my main man, Joe-Pa.

But the focal point is Allenberry Playhouse. Last year we caught “The King and I” and this year we enjoyed “Mid Life! – The Crisis Musical.” This place is a cash cow. Bus loads of seniors arrive for daily martinets, filling the venue during the day. Attendees also get to drop a few bucks over at the food venue, Fairfield Hall, home of the world’s greatest cinnamon buns (with or without raisins).

Bus loads of children pile in all day on the weekends for children shows such as Snow White. I admit… I felt a bit sorry for Allenberry when I first arrived here. I thought to myself, how can these poor folks make a decent living off the rental of all the converted barns? And then I did the math on the mega-bucks that flow through the theater from children martinets to Murder Mystery weekends to feature shows nightly. This place is a cash cow.

And speaking of the accommodations, Christine and I stayed in the Stone Lodge again this year, which is a converted barn. This historical limestone lodge dates back to 1812. It was originally a stone barn and it now houses 15 charming guest rooms. The Stone Lodge, like most Allenberry buildings, was constructed by Amish craftsmen.

Other cottages and lodges line the rolling hills down to nearby Yellow Breeches Creek, some overlooking tennis courts or the outdoor dancing pavilion, just like the Dirty Dancing setting.

Each night I am reminded of another favorite movie “My Cousin Vinny” as a nearby train rumbles by several times a night. I lay there in my bed chuckling and wondering when my glass of water is going to crash to the floor. If you get a chance, take a trip to central Pennsylvania and enjoy a play at Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse.