Last week, I spotlighted several fun places that make for easy day trip. This week, with more insights from the USA Today Network and our amazing News Journal, I’m looking just over the horizon to Pennsylvania.
All of these lovely places are within a few hours drive from Wilmington, and they offer a diverse array of experiences for folks looking for lovely architecture, museums and culture, and scenic landscapes.
LITITZ in Lancaster County, has a beautiful downtown for a reason – it was the first community in Pennsylvania to designate a historic district. Many of the stone, brick and log buildings are still just barely distinguishable from their origins and they make up a lively and walkable area near the Lititz Springs Park and the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, established in 1861 as the first commercial bakery in America. If you’re making it an overnight, check out the Hotel Rock Lititz.
Bristol in Bucks County is known for its Bristol Riverside Theatre and the Bristol Amish Market – a great destination for antique shopping, produce and baked goods. It’s also close to the Silver Lake Nature Center, a vast expanse of preserved land that’s beautiful every season of the year.
State College in Centre County draws tens of thousands every year for sports, arts, concerts, and performances at the Bryce Jordan Center, the Palmer Art Museum and those drawn to small towns with lots of great culture.
Kennett Square in Chester County is loved for Longwood Gardens and its scenic vistas, including those in the Anson B. Nixon Park, with its ponds and picnic areas. It’s a very tiny area tied to its connections to the Dupont family and features several wonderful restaurants, including (in adjacent Centreville) the legendary and historic Buckley’s Tavern, a beautiful circa 1817 home that became an inn for stagecoach travelers and one of the area’s best places for romantic ambiance and upscale comfort food.
Marietta, on the Susquehanna River has an historic district that’s listed on the National Register, with the Old Town Hall Museum, dating back to the middle of the 19th Century and the Railroad House Inn, an elegant hotel with a renowned restaurant. There are lovely views of the Susquehanna from Riverfront Park, and antique and home goods shoppers will love Homestead Furnishings & Gifts.
Ohiopyle in Fayette County, with its 20,000-acre Ohiopyle State Park features the Youghiogheny River, Ohiopyle Falls and a mecca for hiking, boating, rafting and rock climbing. But you don’t have to be a local or an expert to experience the rigors or beauty of nature if you book excursions from Laurel Highlands River tours.
Mount Joy in Lancaster County will be especially beautiful in May with spring in full force because of its wide expanses of farms and green spaces. Cove Outlook Park is a great place to experience the outdoors, and the Grandview Vineyard is a must for wine lovers. Downtown Mount Joy is also filled with great restaurants and breweries, such as Twisted Bine Beer Co. and YAH Brew Retro Bar.
Strasburg is another lovely Lancaster County destination known as Train Town USA due to its railroad heritage. Visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania to see more than 100 antique railcars and engines, and take your grandkids to the Choo Choo Barn for miniature trains. If you’re overnighting, consider the Carriage House at Strasburg.
Gettysburg in Adams County is one of the nation’s premier historic places, and features the Gettysburg National Military Park and the Gettysburg Museum of History, where you can learn all about the battle of Gettysburg and its decisive role in the Civil War. The historical elements are somber, but the town is lovely and includes the Majestic Theater. There are also plenty of hotels and B & Bs.
Phoenixville, about 30 miles from Philadelphia, has a sweet downtown, the Colonial Theatre, which dates back to the early 1900s, and the Black Rock Sanctuary, a 119-acre nature habitat.
Last on the list – and a place that will make you the most favorite grandparent on the planet – is Hershey, near Harrisburg. In addition to the Hershey’s Chocolate World, there’s Hershey Park, for rides and family entertainment and ZooAmerica for wildlife lovers.