World City Guide

Excursions

For a Half Day

Valley Forge: Valley Forge National Historical Park (tel: (610) 783 1077; website: www.valleyforge.org) is one of the most revered shrines of the American Revolution. George Washington’s Revolutionary army camped here during the bitter winter of 1777-78. The site contains original 18th-century buildings – including Washington’s headquarters and a memorial chapel. Located 28km (18 miles) northwest of Philadelphia, on Route 23 and North Gulph Road, it is open daily 0900-1700. Nearby is the Wharton Esherick Museum, on Horseshoe Trail Road (tel: (610) 644 5822; website: www.levins.com/esherick.html). Known as the ‘Dean of American Craftsmen’, this eccentric artist is best known for his sculpted furniture, displayed in his studio-home, along with his paintings, ceramics and woodcuts. By appointment only. The enormous King of Prussia Mall is also located at Valley Forge.

For a Whole Day

Pennsylvania Dutch Country: Approximately 103km (64 miles) west of Philadelphia along US-30 are the rolling hills and quaint villages known as Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Here, Amish and Mennonites live an old-fashioned lifestyle without electricity, cars or modern conveniences. They are known for quilts and Shaker-style furniture, plus delicious foods like shoofly pie, funnel cakes, dumplings and homemade root beer. It is important not to photograph the Amish and, since there are slow-moving horse-drawn buggies, to drive carefully on the back roads.

The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau, 501 Greenfield Road (tel: (800) PA-DUTCH (723 8824); website: www.padutchcountry.com), sells an in-car audio guide for self-guided tours of the area. Highlights include the Central Market, Penn Square; the Heritage Center of Lancaster County, 13 West King Street (tel: (717) 299 6440; website: www.lancasterheritage.com), a decorative arts museum featuring furniture, silverware and quilts; the Amish Homestead, 2034 Route 30 East (tel: (717) 768 8400; website: www.amishexperience.com), a mid-18th century farm; and the surrounding towns of Bird-in-Hand, Intercourse and Strasburg.

Bucks County: For quite sometime, the old farmhouses and covered bridges that dot the lush countryside have attracted art colonies, summer theatre, country inns and even wineries. Authors Pearl S Buck and James Michener (there is a museum in Michener’s honour at Doylestown) as well as lyricist Oscar Hammerstein have called it home. Stone houses, narrow alleys, boutiques and galleries have made the charming town of New Hope, a tourist favourite. For further information, contact the Bucks County Convention and Visitors Bureau (tel: (800) 836 BUCKS (28257) or (215) 639 0300; website: www.buckscountycvb.org).