Nice spot to come and get a picnic going. Only issue is, they close the grounds and the opening and…read moreclosing times are erratic. Even though the sign stated, sunrise to sunset. However, it is a nice landmark to visit.

A little landmark, known mostly for the large mural of a dragon on the wall…read more The firefighters here are often sitting outside playing cards or saying hi to the locals. Also known as the local "dragon fighters".

We were stuck in an elevator. Philadelphia Fire Dept. Engine 20 was there in minutes. The…read moreresponders were fast, safe and professional. Thanks!

This place was amazing! Spent a good hour and a half to 2 here. The tour guides are the best part…read more When we walked in they all introduced themselves and were all very friendly. We were even offered water for free. Also the tour is free too!! They work off donations but don't pressure you or anything. They have nice events coming up too for the holidays just look at their website! I highly recommend this!

Our tour guide George was so knowledgeable, patient, and interesting. This museum is a gem, an well…read moreworth a visit. The other docents were just as welcoming and we had a most delightful visit-- and learned a lot. I am not a Civil War buff, but I found this museum utterly fascinating!

We stopped here as one in our party is a blacksmith hobbyist. Historic iron furnace remains of the…read moreremnants of Berks County's industrial past, the Joanna Furnace is a restored 18th-century iron works and blast furnace. If you go there when there is not an event or demo, there is not much there in terms of explanations . The site is not accessible by wheelchair as it is either grass or gravel. Rustic and beautiful but not very enlightening in its current state.

Constructed to facilitate the movement of people and goods between Baltimore and Philadelphia in…read morethe 19th Century, this was the first large public works project undertaken by the National government, after several attempts to do so met with failure in private hands. When completed in 1829, it saved over 300 miles of water transportation between the two major east coast centers. It is 450 feet wide and 35 feet deep; accommodating most large ocean going ships. 40% of ships leaving the Port of Baltimore use the canal. Originally designed with 4 locks to deal with water level differences between the Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers eventually assumed control over it, and redesigned the length to be water level throughout. These days, it is still in use. Chesapeake City on the western edge of the C&D, has settled into an attractive backwater community with old town center focused on the canal. Several marinas, small hotels and excellent restaurants overlook this National Historic landmark. There are trails along its banks in both Maryland and Delaware named for recent politicians. For us it was a quiet stop on the way to Annapolis. Learning about the old C&D was an unexpected pleasure, very worthwhile to those who love American history mixed with pleasant road trips through the more hidden jewels of our nation.

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.

The Upper Roxborough Reservoir is an abandoned watershed project that covers over 30 acres of land…read morewhich includes two basins: one contains the reservoir, the other a natural wetland ecosystem that is also a migratory bird flyover observaton point. It is located between Port Royal and Summit Avenues and Lare and Eva Streets in Andorra, at the highest point in the area. The lusciously wild 30 acres is fenced in, but there are always access points. The Reservoir is pretty awesome for 3 reasons: 1. Ice Hockey-- until relatively recently the winters used to be a lot colder and the reservoir would freeze over. Kids and Teens from all over Roxborough, Manayunk and Andorra would flock to the reservoir and play ice hockey all day. People ice skated, too, but the ice was usually pretty bumpy and not great for cruising. I also don't think i can remember a time when someone (often me) didn't get too close to the edges of the thin spots and plunge into the 8" or so of brackish water underneath. It was always a challenge to get back UP onto the ice, and i can remember crunching step after step through ice that wasn't thick enough to support the force of me pulling myself up. But that's part of what makes it fun. Even though it seems like the PWD is more vigilant about keeping the fences secured, it's still possible to get in (see the pictures). I recommend dropping your gear over the fence if the access point turns out to be far away from the ramp to the largest section of the reservoir with water. And if you do go, just be careful-- it really is wild land; the reservoir might not be deep, but it's full of trees and vines and roots and rocks and if you fall and hit your head you could drown in 2" of water, you know... 2. The Toad Detour-- So, hundreds of toads apparently populate the woods (where the Schuylkill Valley Nature Center is) and backyards of houses all around the Upper Roxborough Reservoir. Each year, more than a hundred die as they attempt to migrate to the wetlands next to the reservoir (their breeding grounds). Recently, the SChuylkill Center successfully established a volunteer project called the Toad Detour, in which tons of volunteers police the roads to help the toads cross the streets safely (why play frogger when you can do it for real?). Ironically, today was the last day of the annual migration, but if you are interested, the toadlets start the journey back to the woods around May 20. Here is the site for people who'd like to help out, or anyone who just wants to take the Toad Walk tour: http://www.toaddetour.com/ 3. Running/Jogging/Walking-- since the Schuylkill Center got involved with the Reservoir, they have been aggressively landscaping it to improve its appearance. There is a great mostly paved path that circles the fence enclosing the reservoir and wetland basins and, if you can overlook the rusty metal, the view can be staggering. There is even a spot with a gorgeous picnic bench surrounded by daffodils for leisure strollers with ambitions. I don't recommend that ladies, or anyone really, do this alone. You are really cutoff from anywhere and anyone as the path circles away from Port Royal...Think of this path as nature-lite: if you don't really want to be in the woods, but you like the idea of looking at them while you run laps over staring at the lines on a track, this is the place for you...

I remember walking around this reservoir as a child with my parents and grandparents wonderful…read morememories. So i guess people still walk around it today? Love the photos thanks!!

Came here through a 52 Philly Firsts event and it was such a cool little piece of history…read more Germantown Mennonite Historic Trust is a small, quaint historic church that feels very preserved and authentic. Inside there are simple wooden pews at the front, enough seating for a small group. Everything is wood. Plain, sturdy, and a little creaky in that charming historic way. The room has this natural echo when someone speaks, which makes sense since spaces like this were built for sermons and gatherings before microphones existed. Outside there's a small cemetery with thin, old headstones that really give that "step back in time" feeling. Walking through it makes you realize just how long this place has been part of the neighborhood. The people hosting were incredibly kind and clearly passionate about sharing the history. This site is connected to the 1688 Germantown protest against slavery, which is considered the first formal protest of slavery in the American colonies. Hearing about it in the actual place where that history happened was really powerful. In the back they also have a spot where visitors can sign their names onto a list of abolitionists, which was a thoughtful and symbolic touch. Overall just a great experience. Small, meaningful, and a reminder that there are pieces of important history right in your own backyard.