If you're an equestrian or simply a horse enthusiast, stop by…read more The grounds are peaceful for a walk (we were there for almost an hour), and shutterbugs have lots to take photos of. If you're lucky enough to own a horse, you're able to board them there for a monthly fee. Otherwise there are pony rentals and rides (for little kids, for sure), and riding lessons available. Find Hidden Valley Horse Farm at Ridley Creek State Park.

Hidden Valley Horse Farm has been located inside Ridley Creek State Park since 1999. It is the…read morefirst thing you see on your left as you enter the main park entrance. The set up utilizes some horse facilities from the Jeffords estate. Horse culture at this location dates back to the turn of the 19th C. and has links to Samuel Riddle, breeder of Man O' War and other famed racehorses. Boarding is available here with beautiful paddocks. There are 40 acres of pasture for grazing. There is a brand new enclosed ring that was built about a year ago. Also a heated tack room, and washing area (outside). We notice that horses are always blanketed when it is cold out, and they always look lively and content. In addition to boarding, they offer beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons, horse education ("hands-on"), pony rides, and parties. Often people host birthday parties at the nearby park picnic area with playground, and enjoy pony rides as part of the party. To visit and exercise your horse, there is a separate horse trail adjacent to the horse farm, just across Gradyville Road. North of Gradyville Rd the trail is roughly a figure 8 shape, & is the longest trail overall (4.7mi) for the park, and the only one equestrian-accessible. This is the widest unpaved park trail, since it is for horses. Note that walkers & dogs also use this trail, and populate it more than horses. A large northern section of the trail abuts Edgmont Country Club golf course, & the green's activities can be observed from the trail.

A hidden gem in Delco. Nestled on a hill just off Wawa road you'd never know it was here. This is…read morean alpaca farm but there are also pigs, turkeys, ducks and other baby birds. Today I was there for "farm day " which was a chance to view the animals on a beautiful fall day and shop at vendors lined up along the path. These vendors seemed to be picked for their close to nature wares which included natural soap and scrubs, the lady Who Made cork handbags, A man and woman who made beer bottle openers out of half horseshoes, and the lady who made homemade dog treats. I was thrilled to purchase 2 handmade items from Annabelle's Wish stand. Annabelle's Wish helps children and family struggling with rare neurological disorders. All of these items are brand new and donated so I got 2 items for a steal and the $31 went directly to help the kids. Made my week! Www.Annabelleswish.org

I was there YESTERDAY for "Farm Day" (Dee M. and I must have just missed each other) and our 12…read moreyear old had a marvelous time feeding alpacas, pigs and emus, and petting bunny rabbits. A terrific place!

OMG! This is THEE place to go for those late-summer sunflower pictures! My daughter, who is 13,…read moreloves sunflowers so much and they were so nice at Sugartown Strawberries! Also, their fresh produce is really amazing. The strawberries my sister brought me from them last May (we live in Baltimore, so we only go when we visit my sister), were like the kind I've gotten from California when I lived out west. Juicy, plump, you can sloppily eat up half a pound before you realize you need to save some for the strawberry shortcake dessert you promised your family and friends who are coming to dinner, LOL! This is a great place to bring out of town visitors who want to enjoy a truly delightful Pennsylvania farm. It's less than two hours from Baltimore, so definitely worth the trip if you live in the DMV. May they plant long and prosper!

This is a very product forward little farm, so don't expect a ton of activities here to entertain…read morekids or large groups of people. They have a lovely large field of sunflowers, and honestly I would encourage anyone to come here more for the sunflowers rather than the pumpkins and autumnal goods. They have a mid sized collection of pumpkins for sale, but not many different varieties. It's a pretty little farm, but very bare bones when compared with competitors.

This place was a fun visit for me, my sister and my daughter…read more The farm had so many things to do for kids and their families, including; go carts, apple shooters, sling shots, and free hay rides/wagon rides. The wagon rides take you out to the pumpkin patch where you can pick pumpkins with your family. The prices aren't too bad, so you can have an enjoyable time and not kill your pocket. The farm has a store as well where you can buy apples, apple cider, donuts and apple pie. When I came with my sister and daughter, we ended up buying the apple cider donuts, and the apple pie to take home. They also take orders for Thanksgiving dinner turkeys. We were going to place an order for our fmily's dinner but they were expensive. I would return to this farm because it was a fun time to spend with my sister and daughter.

This place is great to visit in the fall. The have go karts, apple shooters and free hay rides to…read moreand from their pumpkin patch. Prices are reasonable. In the store front you can purchase apple cider, apple cider dounts and other fall favorites like apple pie. You can also preorder a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving-which I did. The price is a little steep but its worth it for a farm fresh bird. I ordered an XL for around $125.00. I will visit next year and years to come.

It's a cute little farm, but for $20 a kid to get into their fall festivities I don't feel like you…read moreget a whole lot. Many of the attractions inside still cost an additional fee, such as the corn maze. Otherwise I did like most of their offerings. The hayride was enjoyable and had great views, plus no hay to get stuck to you. The corn maze was also fun and not overly large or difficult (which is great when you have a toddler). This is probably a steal if you're not going with any kids, since adults get in free. If you are bringing kids, especially a lot of them, I would suggest going elsewhere.

We had a great time getting our Christmas tree here this year. We went the first weekend in…read moreDecember and they still had a great selection of cut your own trees in the field. You take a wagon out to the field and they provide a saw. Then once you've made your selection and cut it down, the attendant will tag your tree and load it into the wagon for you. When we got back they shook and netted the tree for us and tied it onto the car. They also had a selection of precut trees if you prefer. They had a concession stand with apple cider donuts, hot chocolate etc and a fire pit for roasting marshmallows. Great experience!

I had a really fun visit to Trotter Hill. They are located in Glen Mills, in the more rural-feeling…read morepart of the area, with a super scenic drive to get there. Pam is the owner, and she is very friendly and professional. I emailed her ahead to reserve a private tour for $25, and we arranged a time. The visit is 45min, and at 10am when we went, you get to feed the alpacas, pet them (if they let you; they can be skittish), and learn about their species. Pam is good about answering tons of questions, and explaining her herd's personalities, and how life on the farm works. She also shows you some of their shorn fleece, so you can feel how soft and long it is. She explains the process of her shearers, who come from Australia, and the milling that is done in Peru (as there is no processing plant in the US). She also has alpaca hair wares for sale, such as shoe insoles, socks, yarn, dryer balls, etc. Pam was extremely patient with my toddler, who was very hyper about being in the barnyard with a herd of alpacas, and Pam's two adorable dogs. She gave tips on how to feed them, and how to best help my son attract the alpacas to nibble from his hands. I felt very safe allowing my son to be near the animals, because Pam was clear that they can sometimes kick if you get too close to their back sides, but the kick is normally not very hard. I made sure to keep my son in front or to their sides as much as I could. The animals were very tame and probably more afraid of my toddler than interested in ever trying to kick. Yet, at the same time, they were so curious to come into the barn with us when Pam was showing us her loom and other processing equipment. They are such gentle and sweet animals. Toward the end of our time, Pam hosed down the herd, who were super hot in May sun, with a year's worth of fleece on them. They will soon be shorn, but until then, they love the cool water, and went nuts trying to get hosed off. One was kicking her front paw like a show pony; it was hilarious and cute! Pam sells her alpaca products at local farmer's markets (more info on her website), but is open for pre-scheduled private tours, and also alpaca walks. Farm visits are open to every age, but limited to a group size of eight people. Currently they schedule private visits only once a day on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays at 10:00am. Visitors get to interact with the alpacas in the barnyard. Visit time is 45 minutes for $25 (group of 5 or fewer), or $40 for 5-8 people. The alpaca walks require visitors to be at least 15 years old.

We had a great visit at Trotter Hill Alpacas. We went up in the morning and got to feed the alpacas…read moreby hand, hang out with them, and learn all about their individual personalities and preferences. The owner of the farm is so knowledgeable and willing to answer any and all questions. We will be back to go on an Alpaca Hike in the spring after all the pregnant mommas have their babies and are hiking again!

I initially went to Wolff's on a recommendation from a friend - now it is a staple and my place to…read morego for super fresh produce. The house looks small from the road but they have tons of parking and inside Wolff's is huge. They typically have ample amounts of very fresh produce. My favorites in the Summer are the yellow peaches, silver queen corn and Brandywine heirloom tomatoes (grown in NJ). The Brandywine tomatoes are so good with Hellman's, on toasted Rockin Dave's grain bread with nice thick apple smoked bacon and crisp iceberg lettuce. It's the ultimate BLT! Wolff's always has perfectly ripe tomatoes and the silver queen in season is simply phenomenal as well. They have husk on and freshly shucked (bagged) white silver queen and bi-color (yellow/white) corn piled high on the table in season. The silver queen is so sweet and tender. I gently boil it, cut it off the cob then add plenty of good butter and Old Bay Seasoning to make my "Chesapeake corn" - a Summertime treat! Wolfs also has all sorts of holiday decorations, foods, treats, crafts and gifts for sale as well as a really well-stocked plant nursery. They have fresh flowers galore and the prices are reasonable for the quality you get. The service is always great and helpful as well. These folks rock heavily!

They're the only place that had Venus fly traps when I was looking for them. Some of them were dead…read morebut it's all good lol Venus fly traps are not that easy to keep alive. Check it out :)

Hildacy Preserve is one of now 20 (and growing) preserve properties maintained by the Natural Lands…read morepreservation organization. Hildacy is 55 acres located in Media, near the Springton Lake Reservoir. The address for Hildacy is also where the admin offices for Natural Lands are located, but note that the preserve is its own separate entity. The entrance is well marked, and a lot easier to find than I thought it would be. Their parking lot is nice and new, with ample spaces, and didactic info all over to help you get your bearings. Dog poo stations and trash cans are very obvious, and super helpful! Yes, bring dogs, but keep them leashed, and clean up! This place used to be a farm for race horses and German Shepherds, so the dog spirit is all over! I got a great feeling at Hildacy. The meadow is the walk we did on our first visit. They removed a non-native species (70 paulownia trees, which are native to China) which created this huge meadow, now planted with tall grasses that look like golden waves in the wind, very neat to watch! I would have liked to see at least ONE of the paulownia trees. I understand the biopolitical cause of the native plant movement, and as an allergy sufferer, I notice the impact of recent developments near me, with their crazy influx of landscaped fruit trees, all bearing flowers (to look pretty), and TONS of pollen in the spring. This is NOT NORMAL, I get it. At the same time, could not just one tree be left as a nod to the history of the property? A tree, and a panel to explain, would be all I need to understand what it was like when Hilda and Cyril Fox lived here. IDK, maybe they'd have wanted it this way? Again, it's my historical accuracy thing, about honoring a property as it was when lived in by the benefactors. We had a nice sunny day when visiting, and had the property almost completely to ourselves, except for a couple who had a male dog, the same breed and coloring as ours, and they both had the same name! They had a fun meeting in the meadow! Note that there was controlled HUNTING going on in the preserve when we visited per posted signs (see my pics). We neither saw nor heard any trace of hunting while there, except for a hunting stand tied up against a tree near the meadow. We did notice that deer had conveniently retreated to the residential lawns bordering the property. Jerks! Speaking of Hildacy's neighbors, there is an amazing huge old stone structure (house? barn? harn?) adjacent to the meadow. It is private property bordering the preserve, so look, don't enter, but it is worth a gawk just the same because it was so cool! As always with a Natural Lands preserve, this place is FREE!!!!! Visit for a minute, visit for a day, you pay nothing but time breathing fresh air, so go check it out!

Went to the spring car show. This is my 3 rd year going. They get lots of old and classic cars and…read morethey do a flea market as well. They have a pizza truck that serves very good personal pies. The car show gets a few hundred cars. If you want to enter your car it's $20 cash at the gate. They give you a small tin plaque and a registration card for your window. Since my car isn't winning any awards I don't stay till 3 pm to await the judges choices. My car is nice, but not prize winning nice but that's ok. It's a fun few hours. It got too hot by noon to stay longer. Weather in early May is tricky. Highly recommend checking out the car show. The general store on the grounds is huge. Bought lots of stuff to take home.

Linvilla orchards is an amazing place to bring family and kids of all ages. They have so many…read moredifferent activities like fruit picking, animal zoo, pet feeding, children playground, all for free. There's also a beer garden for adults that opens around noon. There's also a a market that sells freshly grown fruits, vegetables and local made goods. There's also a garden and gift shop selling a lot of the local artisan products. Lots of parking available around the main entrance area. We went early in the morning around 10am. We spent most of the first few hours walking around the zoo that had a huge chicken range, duck pond, cow, goats, sheep and horses. There are vending machine to buy corns to feed the animals. We had to get our own quarters as the coin exchange machine was broken. Around the noon we head to the Linvilla Grill. They had some good pizza and chicken tenders. There were few outdoor benched to dine. Price was little steep. The freshly squeezed lemonade was outrageous. They make the whole thing by grinding lemon right in front and put it in a huge plastic 32 oz jar. It is so worth for $8. We also bought some peaches and cooking sauces from the market. Cash is preferred, for credit card they charge fee at the market checkout.