Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Autumn’s colors beckon visitors to the roads of the Philadelphia region for relaxed days of dining, shopping and outdoor exploration. With Center City as the starting point, visitors can hop in the car and spend four days exploring each of the city’s distinct and lush countryside regions: Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. To book overnight accommodations, including the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, now available year-round, visit www.gophila.com.

Roaming By The River In Bucks County:
One of America’s most noted drives for leaf-peeping, Route 32, or River Road, clings to the Delaware River along the eastern border of Bucks County while paving the way for stops at antique shops, art galleries, major historic sites and upscale restaurants.

To begin your journey, take I-95 North out of Philadelphia to Exit #51 (Yardley), where you will follow signs to Route 32 (River Road) North. Your first stop will be at Washington Crossing Historic Park, where General George Washington and his troops made their famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. Here, you’ll have the advantage of admiring leaves on both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey sides of the river. If you’re driving through on a Sunday, indulge in a decadent brunch at Washington Crossing Inn. If not, preserve your appetite for lunch: You’ll have plenty of options up a ways in New Hope, after walking through glorious Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve (north on Route 32 approximately five minutes), a treat for nature lovers any time of year. Make a left out of Bowman’s Hill and proceed up River Road until you hit New Hope. You can’t miss it—it’s a cute and carnival-like village that bursts with art galleries and boutiques comfortably situated next to shops geared toward mystics and motorcycle riders. Eat an early lunch at four-diamond The Mansion Inn or on the patio at swanky 90 Main, then spend a while window shopping and people-watching in town. When you’re once again ready to surround yourself with autumn-colored trees, water and eclectic riverfront homes, get back on River Road going north and soak in the sights until you reach Lumberville, where you’ll want to enjoy some tea or toss back a pint at Black Bass Hotel, a 250-year-old inn, tavern and fine dining establishment (with a water view) that’s chock full of memorabilia of the British royal class. Once you’re finished here, keep going north on River Road (don’t forget to admire the scenery). When you get to Erwinna, feel free to detour off the path to drive under the adorable covered bridges scattered in that vicinity, or keep navigating toward Ringing Rocks Park, seven acres of rocks that literally ring like bells when you gently hit them. The park is located in a 120-acre forest that will be resplendent when the leaves are at their peak. Alas, it’s time to turn around and head back toward food and shelter in Erwinna. EverMay On-The-Delaware is a Victorian-style inn that dates to the 1700s and is equipped with modern appointments and a highly rated restaurant that overlooks the tree-filled lawn. For the more ambitious, New Hope awaits at the end of less than an hour’s drive and is internationally renowned for its B&B’s and inns (Hotel du Village, Logan Inn, Inn at Stoney Hill) and nightlife (Marsha Brown, Havana, Triumph Brewing Company). Before leaving town in the morning, get your last submersion in fall colors by taking a ride on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad or let mules pull you on a barge run by The Delaware River Canal Boat Company.

Ride ’n Park In Chester County:
It’s hard to beat the vistas of horse and wine country when they’re ensconced in the brilliant yellows, oranges and reds of fall. But in Chester County, it gets even better than that. With its generous helping of lively towns and pre-19th century wood and stone structures added to the visual beauty, Chester County has all the makings of an idyllic fall drive and overnight stay.

Begin from Philadelphia on I-95 South, to Route 322 West, to Route 1 South, into Kennett Square, the mushroom capital of the world. Visit The Mushroom Cap to learn about the mushroom industry, or just grab coffee and some breakfast at Sinclair's Sunrise Café & Tea Room or Cozy Mornings Café & Bakery before setting out for the open road. But first, don’t leave Kennett without packing a cooler full of treats from Talula’s Table, a new shop just voted “Best Gourmet Shop” in the Greater Philadelphia region by Philadelphia magazine. Once you have your provisions, meander north on Route 82 through Coatesville, a newly re-energized former steel stronghold. Get out to stretch your legs in the Lukens Historic District along the Brandywine River or continue northbound on Route 82, where you can admire the trees, farmland and deer that are sure to make an appearance. Eat your picnic lunch by the lake at Hibernia County Park, decked out in its fall colors, or detour farther north to French Creek State Park, site of Hopewell Village National Historic Site. Here you’ll find Hopewell Furnace, a preserved “iron plantation” that tells the story of America’s early industrialization efforts. Make your way back to the intersection of Routes 82/345 and Route 401 East: You’re on your way to Ludwig’s Corner, where several Underground Railroad routes are said to have crossed. Turn southbound onto Route 100, which leads to multi-hued hiking trails at Marsh Creek State Park, or bypass the park and drive straight to West Chester, the post-Colonial and current seat of county government. Shopping opportunities abound in this bustling, yet quaint downtown, from Pee-Dee-Bee Handbags, where you can custom design your own purse, to Ricky’s Candy, Cones & Chaos, a guaranteed sugar explosion for the kids, to Plain Jane Boutique for all of your cosmetic and accessories needs. Or, you may want to check into your hotel (try these historic B&B’s: Faunbrook, 1800 Tory Inne, Snug Hollow Farm) and relax before dinner at Gilmore’s Restaurant, a bring-your-own-bottle (BYOB) hotspot; Spence Café, home to fine seafood; or Teca, where international cuisine is served with a side of post-dinner dancing. Tomorrow, cruise down Route 842 West, then Route 82 South and Route 926 East for a visit to the magnificent Longwood Gardens, one of the world’s most renowned public gardens.

Delaware County: A Brilliantly Painted Canvas:
For this scenic drive, you’ll be following a popular bicycling route westward through leafy suburban neighborhoods and picturesque seats of higher learning to the gently sloping countryside that famed Brandywine School painter Andrew Wyeth employs as his artistic muse. After tasting from some of Pennsylvania’s sweetest grape-growing vines, you’ll return eastward to dine and doze in charming Media.

Although you’re driving, you can start out by following the Boundless Philadelphia bike map (Delaware County Route), downloadable at www.boundlessphiladelphia.com, west out of the city along Whitby Avenue. Once you cross the Delaware County line, continue along the series of meandering, hilly roads shown on the map. After approximately seven miles and a quick jaunt up Route 476, you’ll arrive at Swarthmore College, home of The Scott Arboretum. Use this leg-stretching opportunity to get out of the car and explore the arboretum, which bursts with an explosion of color in the fall, or simply drive through the 357-acre campus to admire the rolling lawns, creek, wooded hills and hiking trails. Hop back on Route 476 South to rejoin the bike trail until you come to Knowlton Road. Follow Knowlton Road to Linvilla Orchards, a farming fantasyland that hosts an assortment of fall festivals, apple and pumpkin picking and hayrides. Here, you can take part in one of these special events or just hit the farm market to pick up fresh fruit, vegetables, honey, milk, cheese, bread, pies and fudge—all grown or made right on the premises. But hold on, it’s not time to eat yet! There are picnicking opportunities galore at nearby Rose Tree Park and Ridley Creek State Park, which houses Tyler Arboretum, home to 650 acres of horticultural collections, ideal for viewing this time of year. After lunch, you’re on your way to what Philadelphians call “Wyeth Country,” a picture perfect landscape portrayed in many of N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth’s paintings. Perched on a small cliff overlooking the wooded Brandywine Creek, the Brandywine River Museum displays hundreds of their works at any given time. You can purchase lunch inside the museum and eat beside the creek. Until late November, the museum sponsors tours of the N.C. Wyeth House and Studio, as well as the nearby Kuerner Farm. Wine lovers will want to stop at Chaddsford Winery, just up Route 1, for a self-guided tour and tasting at Pennsylvania’s largest winery before heading back to civilization for dinner and an overnight stay in Media, one of America’s most recognized small towns. Check into Hamanassett, a B&B and carriage house that dates to the 19^th century, or Sweetwater Farm in nearby Glen Mills, and then stroll State Street (lined with Victorian mansions) on your way to dinner at local micro-chain Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, the landmark D’Ignazio’s Towne House Bar & Restaurant or Cajun Brodeur’s On State Street. And be sure to leave time in the morning for shopping at Kreutz Creek Winery, Turning Point Gallery and 80-year-old B. Gross Menswear.

Montgomery County’s Colorful History:
Montgomery County is home to a cornucopia of well-preserved and decoratively foliated historic mansions and farmsteads; inns and battlefields that can proudly claim “Washington slept here;” and an intricate pattern of scenic, fall-friendly roads just made for a Sunday drive.

Eat breakfast in the city (see www.gophila.com for tasty options near your starting point) before heading out of town on a scenic route that begins on Kelly Drive, to Lincoln Drive, to Emlen Street. Cross Allens Lane to Cresheim Valley Drive, then pick up Lincoln Drive again to make a right onto Willow Grove Avenue. Follow straight until the intersection of Route 73 and Willow Grove Avenue, where you’ll make a left onto Church Road/Route 73. Follow Route 73 for about five to seven minutes until you get to Fort Washington State Park, where you can digest that morning meal on the observation deck—located on or near the spot where General George Washington built his fort during a 1777 encampment—while gazing at the magnificent colors found in the park’s 493-acres of forest. From there, take a quick drive on Route 73 to The Highlands Mansion & Gardens, a Georgian mansion dating back to 1796. Here, formal gardens are surrounded by grandiose trees. Proceed onto colorful and tree-lined Route 73 West to Peter Wentz Farmstead, a preserved historic farm where Washington stayed while planning the battle of Germantown. At this point, you’re probably getting hungry, and luckily, Skippack Village is just five minutes away. In this shopping village where stores are tucked into restored original 18th- and 19th-century buildings, you can choose from 14 restaurants, then do some shopping for “dessert.” Continue west on camera-worthy Route 73 until you reach Schwenksville. For those craving still more history, there’s Pennypacker Mills, the Victorian country estate of Governor Samuel W. Pennypacker. For adventure-seekers, become one with the tree cover during a tree-canopy high-wire tour at Spring Mountain. If you’re up for more driving, take an excursion farther north on Route 73, then 29, to Upper Perkiomen Valley County Park, where wooded hills provide brilliantly hued and sweeping vistas of two bodies of water. When you’re ready to leave, follow Perkiomenville and Fagleysville Roads south to Ridge Pike until you reach Trooper, where you will take Park Avenue going south to conclude the leaf-peeping part of your day in an extremely appropriate place: Mill Grove, home of the late naturalist John James Audubon, who lent the Audubon Society its name. (Another option is to skip Upper Perkiomen Valley County Park, and just head straight to Mill Grove.) After such a long day feasting your eyes on nature’s beauty, you’ll be ready to check into your hotel. The Crowne Plaza Valley Forge and the Valley Forge Suites Hotel are both nearby, as are dining options such as Chadwicks’s Restaurant & Bar, Creed’s Seafood & Steaks and Peppers Italian Restaurant and Bar. Get a good night’s rest because you’ll want to spend time tomorrow driving, walking or biking through Valley Forge National Historical Park, where fall colors are blazing.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Contact(s):

• Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789