By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Have you ever been to a restaurant that everyone should know about? Or taken a vacation you thought others would love?

John and Helen Blaker have done just that, and they get to share their thoughts about their travels with the rest of the world.

The couple, who live at Ann’s Choice in Warminster, have been reviewing  restaurants  and writing exotic travel logs for local newspapers for more than 50 years.

“It just started as a neighborhood column,” Helen Blaker says. When the couple began, they wrote for local newspapers in their hometown in  Montgomery County, Md.

“She’s the real writer,”  her husband says with a smile. “She used to be the editor for her school’s paper.”

“But it has kind of snowballed over the years,” she admits. Currently, the Blakers are writing travel stories for the international Connections magazine and reviewing local restaurants for Juniata News, the newspaper at Juniata College in nearby Huntingdon.

‘Something for everyone’
The couple’s local column is “Adventures in Entertainment.” “And we’ve had quite a few adventures,” John Blaker says.

Their personal favorite night out is going to dinner theaters. “You don’t need to be a theater connoisseur to enjoy dinner theater,” Helen Blaker says. “There’s always fresh material that the general public will enjoy—there’s something for everyone.”

She recommends joining the mailing list for local dinner theaters to get the most recent updates about the newest shows coming to town.

Tips of the trade
The Blakers say it is rare that they have a bad night out. But how to avoid a  bad dining experience? Listen to word of mouth reviews, they say. “Go to the places that your friends recommend. Ask the locals. They know best. People are always delighted to share their favorite places,” Helen Blaker adds.