More great places you may not have thought to visit, all within an easy drive!
Route 611 and Almshouse Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 (map it)
The historic, circa 1732, Barn at Neshaminy Manor Center, is 2 miles south of Doylestown at the intersection of Rt 611 & Almshouse Rd. It has been a community center since the Youth Services Agency restored it from 1994 to 1996. The upper floors contain an adventure ropes course, extensive indoor rock climbing, game room, and music rooms. Downstairs is an extensive Nature Center with interactive animal exhibits open to the public. YSA has collaborated with Bucks 4-H, Bucks Co. Parks & Recreation Dept, most all area school districts, Scouts, and other organizations to provide high interest education and community service programs (at this site in the last 15 years). Both the Barn Adventure Center upstairs and the Barn Nature Center downstairs are open daily. Please call ahead to schedule tours and events. Visit website >
3620 Sterner Mill Road, Quakertown, PA 18951 (map it)
Greenshire Gardens create spaces for solace and meditation, where you can stroll, relax and leave the business of the world for a few precious moments. As a living monument to the vision for a peaceful life and a peaceful world, Greenshire created a Peace Garden, featuring a seven-sided limestone peace pole; on each side is sculpted 'May Peace Prevail on Earth' in seven different languages. Other gardens and outdoor spaces include: an organic vegetable garden, natural stone amphitheater, heart garden, nature trails, freestyle labyrinth, memorial garden with fountain, triangular meditation garden, butterfly garden, sacred stone circle and crape myrtle garden. Visit website >
River Road, Lebanon Township, NJ 08618 (map it)
Ken Lockwood Gorge is between Califon and High Bridge in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It was purchased in 1948 by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife and has been referred to as "the most picturesque in the state." The 2.5-mile stretch of the Raritan River's South Branch comprises the central feature of this 260-acre Wildlife Management Area. Steep, hilly woodlands host a plethora of flora and fauna including both game and non-game varieties, including a diverse population of birds and mammals. Ken Lockwood Gorge is best known as a trout fishing destination. The New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife has designated the area as a "Trout Conservation Area". The limits are different from most other sections of the Raritan River, and fishing with bait is prohibited. The gorge is named after Kenneth Lockwood, an outdoor journalist and conservationist. Visit website >
786 Church Rd, Wayne, PA 19087 (map it)
Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America. The garden is a study of textures and forms, where foliage trumps flowers, the gardeners lead the design, and even the drinking fountains are sculptural. It is a garden of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home. The Tennis Court, Ruin, Gravel Garden, and Pond Garden focus on hardy perennials, both woody and herbaceous. The Tennis Court builds on the idea of foliar display introduced in the Teacup. The Ruin is a folly, built on the foundation of Adolph Rosengarten, Jr.'s home. It is meant to look as if the house fell into disrepair. The Gravel Garden is hot and dry, a touch of the Mediterranean in Pennsylvania. The Pond area is exuberantly floriferous. Visit website >
85 South Walnut Street, Boyertown, PA 19512 (map it)
The mission of the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is to collect and preserve vehicles built in Pennsylvania. Contained in our collection are examples of motorized, horse-drawn, and man-powered road transportation - from wagons and trucks to bicycles and cars. Many of the manufacturers' names may be unfamiliar, but all were made right in our own backyards here in Pennsylvania. In addition to dozens of road vehicles, the Boyertown Museum also counts related literature and memorabilia amongst its collections. Also popular is our Fegely's Reading Diner exhibit, a pristine example of 1938 roadside architecture. Visiting the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles is a truly unique experience because the Museum buildings themselves are historic. The main gallery of the Boyertown Museum is in the former main factory building of the Boyertown Auto Body Works. Visit website >