Road Trips or Philadelphia Weekend

If you haven't been to the American Helicopter Museum in West Chester, I recommend it and you can pay for a helicopter ride. Near there is QVC Studio Park and they offer tours almost daily. I've done the tour and its fascinating, especially if you've ever shopped QVC! Also in Main Line area Chanticleer (gardens). You can look it up online. You cn also take a trolley tour of Phila. that I belive leaves from the Penn's Landing area. Whatever you do this summer, have fun!

Try Lancaster County. A day should include the town of Lititz, old town settled by the Moravians. Stop by the Pretzel House and make your own pretzels during the tour, visit Wilbur chocolate and see the museum and buy some great chocolates, walk throught the Lititz Springs Park next to Wilbur for a relaxing few moments - and that is a great place to celebrate your 4th of July when they light up the stream with candles in the evening after a day's worth of entertainment and finish off the night with fireworks. Lititz' Main street is full of neat little shops. On Saturdays you can go into Lancaster to the Farmer's Market - lots of yummy treats. Take a tour of the quilt museum while in Lancaster. There is lots more to do in all the small towns in the county and I didn't even mention the outlet shopping on Route 30!!

I know your daughter is older but... there is a website called gocitykids.com It has listings for everything to do in the area. I check it every sunday for our trips. We have been to alot of neat places with our kids. I hope you like what it has to offer.

Since you are in Philadelphia, you know that there's plenty to do in town. I'm just outside of the city and often take the train in to see shows, visit museums, go out to eat, etc. Maybe the two of you would enjoy a day in New Hope. It's quaint and historic, plenty of great food and restaurants. You could probably find a local performance in the New Hope area and enjoy some theatre or dance. And if you're into doing something different, maybe you can take a tubing trip down the Delaware. There are several outfitters on the river who will arrange the details. Of course, there's always the shore. You can certainly go swimming there. Haddonfield, NJ is an interesting town to visit, as well.

I remember touring some historical homes in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia years ago...Maybe someone else can recommend them to you? Also, if you haven't been there, definately go to Cape May, NJ....Old Victorian Homes you can tour, bus tours w/ Cape May history, Ghost tours. After you see what you like, you both can go sit on the beach and take a swim. The Cape May Zoo is free (donations recommended), shaded, quiet... best kept secret.

There's SO much to do! Day trips to Doylestown (several museums, a nice place to walk around); Woodmere Art Museum and walking around in Chestnut Hill; some of the historical homes in Montomery & other counties, such as Hope Lodge, Pennsbury Manor, Peter Wentz Farmstead; walks through towns like Skippack; a visit to Zern's; factory tours like QVC, Herrs, Utz, and several pretzel ones in the Lancaster area; Lancaster; Hershey (include the cave just beyond the city); Gettysburg (with its new museum); York County (with a lot of factory tours); Lake Wallenpaupack area in the Poconos, and Route 6; Baltimore &/or Havre de Grace; Annapolis; Poughkeepsie (Culinary Institute, Vanderbilt Mansion, Roosevelt Mansion); and so on. So much to see and do! I would go on the Pa. Visitors' Bureau website and download or request information. Ditto re NJ, DE & MD, all areas for weekend road trips. I'd also get the AAA books and maps for these areas. VERY helpful. http://www.ushistory.org/ has some info, incl. re Hope Lodge.