Place is beautiful with a wonderful Museum as well. My girlfriend and I spent some time here on our…read morelast trip. Park is huge with lots of running trails and lakes. Beautiful nature and trees to get surrounded and lost. Tickets are only $10.00 for a tour of the museum. Nice historical artifacts of the world and art. Delaware historical scenery and sculptures too. Weather was moderate at the time we were here. I love it. I will be back again.

We came on a free Sunday with family to enjoy the nice weather and learn a little history. Tickets…read moreare usually $10 to tour the museum. Even though it was a free day, both tour guides took time to introduce us to the house and answer any questions we had. It took us just shy of an hour to go through, but we could've spent longer if we had read every piece of material and took in every photo in the collection. The grounds and surrounding park were also beautiful and well maintained. There was ample free parking. A nice way to spend the day!

I'm going to need to file this under my "D'Oh! I should have gone here long ago" folder. You see, I…read moregrew up nearby this place. Have seen the signs thousands of times along Earlington Road. NMT has friends who live a block away. Yet I have never, ever been there. This changed when dear friend PhillyGal, up from Virginia for a visit, suggested we go to see the house decorated and the trains. Sure, I know right where it is but have never been there. Yes, really. The Grange estate is interesting in that it's nestled along a slope ending in Darby Creek, tucked at the back of a 1950s single home development and bordered on one side by US1- City Ave. Back in the 1970s there was talk about the estate being purchased by a developer, whose plans were to knock it down and build houses. The neighborhood rallied, got Haverford Township involved, saving it literally at the last moment. The Grange is a historic estate, with it's origins dating back before the Revolutionary War, and it's owner during the war was John Gross, who financed uniforms for the Revolutionaries. George Washington dined there several times, and The Marquis de Lafayette was a close friend who stayed there. The estate was named after The Marquis' "La Grange" estate in France. We learn all of this, and more, from a quite knowledgable and animated tour guide, who also shared that she was the last of the 1970s group who lobbied to save the Grange and convinced Haverford Township to buy the property & preserve it. She told us how they were ready to chain themselves to the gates if needed. Now she volunteers, showing us interesting things and sharing how life was lived in this house. Next to the 'main house' is a barn, substantial in size, and within it for the holidays model train enthusiasts set up quite elaborate railways for all to enjoy. I was impressed. The main house, barn and trails are wall well maintained, the landscaping lush even in December. There is a caretaker who lives in part of the house full time and their work definitely contributes. As this is owned by Haverford Township, there is no admission fee and no fee to do a self-guided tour. They ask $5 donation to the Friends of The Grange for a guide led. It's a bargain. The house when we visited was decorated beautifully for the holidays, with different themes in each room, including a pretty mind-boggling "Santa" room. Note: when you go, there is a small-fish parking lot and there is some street parking in the neighborhood. It's an easy walk from SEPTA buses and The Norristown High Speed Line, so that's a good way to go. The Grange is definitely one of those 'hidden gems' that not only tells us stories about its inhabitants, but also about the role some of the 'lesser known' supporters of the Revolution played in the securing of our freedoms. It's well worth the time to go spend some time there.

Cute little place to walk your dogs. They have some running water and a windmill, some old…read morecottages, and a cute small trail. There's some water in case your dog likes to take a dip.

Battery Park is a public park in New Castle. It has a walking path/trail that leads around the edge…read moreof the park along the Delaware River. It's a nice place to stretch your legs during a day of exploring New Castle, especially if it's a pretty day. But the views can be a little industrial, and I wouldn't say it's a must see if you have a day to explore New Castle.

I really liked this park. Close to downtown. Ran along the water, which was very pretty. My only…read morenegative comment is that there is no path from the parking lot to get to the path on the water, you just had to walk over grass and uneven ground, which is difficult with a stroller or if you have difficulties walking.

A 2 1/2 hour sailing trip on the Delaware on Labor Day afternoon sounded wonderful, peaceful and…read morecalming. I imagined sails unfurled taking us in the replica sailing vessel under the Delaware Memorial Bridge towards Philadelphia or perhaps southward towards the merge with the ocean. Two and one half hours sailing ... 150 minutes of sails billowing perhaps music playing and history being shared. Casual entertainment on the Delaware. We pulled out of New Castle under the ships motors at 3pm and were back unloading at 5pm. By my calculations that was exactly TWO HOURS not the promised 2 1/2 hours and no sailor, the seas were not rough nor the skies stormy. Two hours ... shortchanged by 30 full minutes of "sailing" time. Oh wait, we actually did not sail but several of us were called to duty to pull up the sails only to watch them billow for a couple of minutes before they were brought back down. And, those of us who helped really had to put our muscles and our backs to work to pull those sails upwards. We we're motorized for these 2 hours and actually we sat almost still for about 15 minutes. We never reached the Delaware Memorial Bridge (we headed north for this trip) and actually we did not cover much of the Delaware River on this 2-hour experience. The ship itself is awesome but perhaps some music or entertainment other than having to help the amazing volunteer crew with the sails would have made the cost/trip more worthwhile. We were handed a sheet with a scavenger hunt hinting that we and our shipmates should start searching for the answers but they never provided the answers to the scavenger hunt and there were no winners nor losers. It was as if it was an afterthought. The history narration was interesting but most on board either missed the announcement or couldn't find the docent providing us with insight on the Kalmar Nyckel. The extremely excessively large American flag kept hitting people on the foredeck wrapping itself around them, which was not a pleasant experience (You would think by now they would have purchased a smaller flag ). I felt worse for people with children because there was no energy in this TWO HOUR cruise ... it was calm and peaceful and I burned a few calories pulling ropes. Yelp asks ... "What could improve?" ... MUSIC, MORE INTERACTION by crew leaders, being truthful about how long the trip is, actually using the sails to move the boat, and travelling up or down more of the Delaware, which might lead the trip to last the advertised 2 1/2 hours.

We visited the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum and Shipyard yesterday, and it exceeded my pretty…read morehigh expectations. We are visiting Sweden later this month on vacation, and (somehow - I don't remember how), I learned about the Kalmar Nyckel and thought: "Now that is the perfect thing to do leading out to our vacation in Sweden!" So off we went. We booked a sail on the boat - 9:30 a.m. on their opening day of the season. We arrived a few minutes before 9:00 to check in (as instructed when we purchased the tickets). That was great, because the Foundation's building is also home to a surprisingly great museum. The museum is on the upper floor of the building, and you can learn about navigation, sailing, the original Kalmar Nyckel, the replica of the Kalmar Nyckel, the colony of New Sweden (founded just a few minutes walk away from where you stand), and more. I knew nothing about the Kalmar Nyckel (had never even heard of it) and almost nothing about the colony of New Sweden. I got so much out of my visit. The Kalmar Nyckel was built in 1625 and eventually came to be owned by the Swedish city of Kalmar. When Sweden decided to establish a trading colony in the New World, the Kalmar Nyckel was one of two vessels selected to make the journey. The colony of New Sweden was founded in what is now Wilmington when the Kalmar Nyckel and the ship that accompanied it landed at the rocks just next to where the Kalmar Nyckel is docked now in 1638. The ship was sunk in 1652 off the coast of Scotland, but it made three more journeys to New Sweden and so was instrumental in the founding of the colony. In 1986, a group of Wilmington citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, which designed, built, and launched the replica that you can see or sail on if you visit. After learning as much as we could in half an hour, we boarded the Kalmar Nyckel with around 50 others (lots of children and families) and went out for a sail on the Christina River on the ship. The ship is beautiful, and I spent a lot of time taking in the details (see my many pictures). The sail was lots of fun. The staff volunteers were amazing, answering lots of questions and providing lots of information throughout (there was a pirate story for the kids and a history talk for everyone during our 1 1/2 hour sail). There are opportunities to help the volunteer staff pull some ropes (sorry I can't provide technical language for what we did; not a sailor!). Important info: The Kalmar's sailing season is May-October, but it docks at some other East Coast locations throughout the season. So definitely take a look at their schedule on the website to ensure you're visiting on a day you can see and sail on the Kalmar! This was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot and had tons of fun. And it just felt so unique to this region and to Wilmington. Where else can you go for a sail on a 17th century replica of a Swedish vessel?! Definitely an activity to add to your to do list if you live in or are planning a visit to Wilmington. I was really glad we made this day trip up for our sail.

This spring, I've been enjoying the weekend events at the Colonial PA Plantation in Ridley Creek…read moreState Park. We have a Tyler Arboretum membership, which has reciprocity (free admission) with the plantation! I make my reservation free online (selecting member status) and give my name at the gate, and in we go, for a lot of fun! The animals are always present and at the forefront of many activities. We saw the ox pulling a plow to till the field, the sheep being shorn, the mother pig just gave birth to 6 piglets, and the yard birds have been boisterous and competing for attention every time we visit them. We've also seen flax get broken down for the starts of linen making, water get pulled from the well, cooking demonstrations in the kitchen, rifle and period military demonstrations, live music, wool cleaning and spinning, a house tour, and garden planting. There is still so much more coming up in the summer and fall months. It is an interesting mix of visitors I've seen there, everyone from babies, to school children, teens, college kids, even retirees, all come with curiosity for the history and fun events here. Some of the volunteers will be more in character than others, speaking to you as though they're really of the colonial era. I like when they're more instructorial and simply want to teach what they're doing, or how things were, and truly hope to impart an experience that will light a spark in you to connect you with the past. My toddler is still too young to understand the present let alone the past, but I know I am stimulating him, and giving him bits of memories that will help him put pieces together more quickly when the time comes to "get" history. Everyone we've dealt with at the plantation has been really kind and eager to give us a hands-on experience. We got to pat animals we wouldn't be able to pat at the zoo, even feel the brass caps on the ox's horns, and rub the sheep's faces. Volunteers have pointed out so many interesting tips and observations, like how modern medicine has allowed the ox to tower above humans and weigh significantly more than one would have in Colonial times (for example, era paintings depicted farmers leaning elbows on their oxen at shoulder height, whereas today it would take a stepladder to recreate that pose). Also, they have an ancient breed of sheep there, who still shed their fleece, rather than needing it shorn. These same sheep are a lot more skittish and wild, despite having been raised there from lambhood, with much love and care by the humans. Interesting how the nature of this super old breed overcomes their nurture, even despite the influence of the other sheep who are a fully domesticated breed, docile and reliant on humans as the day is long. Anyway, activities and conversations at the plantation are always what you make of them. Stay for as little or as much time as you wish, but there is a wealth of info and fun to be had if you relax and stay awhile.

Fun! And they have a 1/2 day camp (good for Stay at home moms who need a few hours of freedom)…read more Still exploring this.

While this preserve is technically members only, it is also a national landmark, as the site of a…read moreRevolutionary War battle. Luckily, anyone may visit with a pass from many local libraries. The preserve is maintained by Brandywine Conservancy, so if you obtain the free visitor's pass for Brandywine Museum and Conservancy at the library, you may access any of their preserves and/or the museum (and the trails on the museum grounds). Birmingham Hill Preserve is largely a wide open field, once the battlefield. It's hallowed ground, and it felt hallowed to me. There are paths mowed in the field, nice and wide, to keep you from the longer tick grass. Birmingham Friends (Quaker) Meeting is just across the street (with their cemetery right there next to the parking lot of the preserve), so it is another historic site nearby. Didactics explain info about the battle, and the positions of the armies. I am not a huge history buff, so while this was interesting to me, I didn't have time to read them while chasing and holding the interest of a toddler, but I imagine that if you have detailed background knowledge about the battle, it would come alive and be a great stop on a tour of Washington's path. They offer dog waste stations and have posted rules about dogs needing to be leashed in the preserve, however their website states that dogs are not allowed at this preserve out of respect for the fallen during the Battle of Brandywine, Sept 11, 1777. I felt okay about taking my leashed dogs around the perimeter walk, but I felt a little uncomfortable walking them through the battlefield itself.

Always a really uplifting experience to walk around this arboretum…read more Awesomely, you can download tours from their podcasting link (http://www.scottarboretum.org/special/podcasting.html), which makes it really enriching. The arboretum is all over campus, but my favorite part is Crum Woods, located at the back of campus, behind some dorms. I always approach it a certain way, and like to head through the outdoor amphitheater (where graduation is held) as the start of my trek, but the official Arboretum Office is located off Cedar Ln (which is off of College Ave). You can download a map of the woods trails online, and that also shows a portion of campus. If you find the amphitheater, keep going into the forest from there, and you'll pick up the trails of Crum Woods. Dogs are welcome on leash, and when picked up after. The woods trails wind up and down hills, through different patches of vegetation (woods, field, etc.), and you'll see the nearby Septa rail line (formerly the "R3") traversing the landscape. While the specimens on campus are beautifully groomed, much of the arboretum (though certainly well cared for and maintained), is not all manicured like Morris Arboretum, or Longwood, or Chanticleer. It is left more natural, which I find really pleasant, but for those affected, please note, this does make a good portion of the arboretum inaccessible for handicapped people. And, even for those who are able-bodied, I do recommend sneakers, for sure, and some comfortable walking clothes. Your body will thank you, especially on a hot day. I think a lot of people enjoy this place for different sentimental reasons. An ex-boyfriend of mine would go there every Thanksgiving with his family to take a walk after the big meal. I have family who are "Swattie" alums, who seem to just see it as part of campus; a trip down memory lane. Some people like to exercise there, etc. It's weird, the different people I have been there with, all have such different reasons to like the place. My special tie to this arboretum is my grandfather. My grandfather was extremely into horticulture in his retirement, creating his own local orchard, to develop new holly hybrids, which he got to name and all (sorry I don't know the correct horticultural terminology for producing a hybrid). He had a good relationship with local horticulturalists, and in the 70s the Scott people and he did some sample trading (as the family story goes, I believe my grandfather got a Magnolia cutting, and they got a Franklinium cutting), so there may be some of his trees in the arboretum today. So this place always reminds me of my grandfather, and the time I spent with him in his orchard. The Scott Arboretum is really special to me for this reason.

Hidden away on the gorgeous campus of Swarthmore College is this mecca for both novice and…read moreexperienced gardeners. Even if you're not a gardener it's a beautiful place to just wander the 300 acres of trails and enjoy a beautiful day surrounded by nature. Did I mention it's free! The mission of the Arboretum is to display plants suited for home gardens in this area. It's open every day and once again it's free.

The museum has a great selection of historic pieces and historic planes, a good mix of civil and…read moremilitary planes, and lots of funny looking planes. The museum is not very big and probably takes 30 minutes to see everything.

Came here with kids, not remembering that we'd visited before. Is a nice, educational space where…read moreyou can learn about the physics and history of helicopter flight. There are a couple simulators and a whole bunch of helicopters you can climb into. Our kids also enjoyed the toy room, stepping outside to watch helicopters and planes at the nearby airport take off and land, and building our own paper helicopters to fly up in this fan. We'll be back!