This 65 foot span over Valley Creek in Valley Forge Historic Park, Malvern, PA, was first built in…read more1851, but flood, fire and 21st Century traffic has required rebuilding on several occasions. At only 10' wide, attention to driving is demanded as it is easy to pinball off the side burr truss, taking part of the white pine structure with you. As was so often the case in the 18th-19th Centuries, these flowing streams were often dammed and used to power mills for flour needed for survival. Those early pre-industrial buildings are gone but for a few stone foundations visible with a little close looking along the creek edge. Walking along the trail that follows the watercourse all you can hear is the creek's exuberant laughter as it scours the rocky bottom as it has for a few thousand years. Who is the bridge named for? Some historians say it is for Philander Knox who bought a farm nearby at the turn of the 20th Century. He served as a two term U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania, and before that Secretary of State in the Taft administration, and Attorney General for Theodore Roosevelt. Others say the proper Knox was Henry, a general during the Revolution who camped near here during the dark days of our War of Independence when we were losing to the British and the Redcoats occupied Philadelphia. He was also President Washington's first Secretary of War. Both had impressive credentials. Either way, it is a beautiful spot to visit on a humid weekend afternoon before afternoon thunderstorms force you to seek shelter.

Another adventure with my mother. This weeks flavor is locating and visiting 'Covered Bridges, if…read morethey still exist'. Well my they do and there are quite a few in the area. Today we visited two in Chester County that are about 10 miles apart. When driving that's a breeze! The first Covered Bridge was Bartram's Covered Bridge in Newtown Square, PA and this bridge, Knox Covered Bridge in Malvern, PA. This bridge is actually functional, we drove over and through which caused great excitement and happiness for my mother. The other bridge was protected and not in use. It was a little scary as the bridge begins on a curvy road and once you are over and through more curves. This bridge is far off any main roads or highways so you would probably have to make a special trip to enjoy its splendor.

Tucked away on a grassy lot just off South Gulph Road near US 202/ DeKalb Pike sits the historic…read moreKing of Prussia Inn. Built before the USA was established, it was an important inn for people traveling to Philadelphia, which was about a day's ride away by horseback. Originally Berry's Tavern, its believed to have been renamed the King of Prussia Inn during the revolutionary war as a way to attract business from the Hessian soldiers fighting with the British Army against the Revolutionary American soldiers who were encamped in nearby Valley Forge. Eventually the area around the inn also became known as King of Prussia. The Inn was situated on a major travel route that became US-202. As the area grew, the Inn was in danger of demolition as 202 was widened. It spent approximately 45 years marooned on a patch of land surrounded by freeway. By 1975 the vacant, fenced and boarded up Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places. By 1998 it was again in jeopardy of demolition as more road improvements were planned for 202. A plan was hatched to move the Inn to land nearby donated by PECO Electric, and by August 2000 it was moved to its' current location. It now serves as headquarters for the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, the Women's Golf Association of Philadelphia and a couple small businesses. The Chamber of Commerce meeting room is available for local clubs and nonprofits to hold meetings by reservation. FDC and I visited on a sunny afternoon, not expecting to see the interior. As it happens there was a group renting the room later, the organizer was there setting up and she allowed us to come inside and see part of the building. I'm so happy that this place was saved and moved to a place where it can continue to be a meeting place and a piece of history for future generations to enjoy.

PROS: this was a nice building that shows how Washington lived for 6 months while fighting the…read morebrits. 80% of the house is original while the tour guides are nice CONS: the place is filled with cockroaches and no room is labels for what it was OVERALL: I would come back here and if you haven't been here before you should come by

What a cool hidden gem in Valley Forge National Park! I took a tour of this museum in November…read more2025. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and intriguing as he guided us around the property and inside the home/studio. Esherick was extremely talented and it was incredible to see his stunning creations. Tips: The tour is inside and outside so dress accordingly. There are steps inside the building. Booking ahead is required and tour group counts are limited.

Visiting the Wharton Esherick Museum in Malvern had been on my to do list for a while, but the…read moretours sell out, and I've missed out on visiting a couple of times! Last week, I planned a last minute day trip to the Philadelphia area and noticed that they had exactly four tickets still open on tours for the rest of the month and they were for the upcoming Saturday at 11am. It was a sign, and I jumped on buying those tickets. How to explain the Wharton Esherick Museum?! Wharton Esherick was an American artist and designer (he's best known for his modernist wood furniture), and - while not a trained architect - he designed this house and studio compound (of four separate buildings) in Malvern to live and work in. By the time he was adding a workshop to the compound in 1955, building codes had made their way into law and Esherick got help from none other than Louis Kahn to help design that building. So what will you see if you visit? Just an incredible home and studio. Esherick was not into straight lines or right angles or wasting perfectly good wood, so the house and studio is an amazing sight: that staircase! the wood floor in the dining room! the concrete extension painted in colors that blend into the natural surroundings! the art and furniture pieces of Esherick's shown throughout the house! It's a hard place to describe, but our tour guide did a marvelous job of teaching us about Esherick and the buildings during our tour, while sharing some woodworking facts and passion, too! Reservations for the tours are required, and they do sell out. Regularly. There's an exhibit on Esherick at the Brandywine right now, and that might be generating more interest than usual in seeing his home and studio - or maybe tours of this amazing place are always this popular?! We did the Experiencing Esherick Tour, which takes you into the home and studio building and lasts about an hour. They offer some specialized tours of more limited days as well - I will definitely be visiting again for the architecture tour which takes you into at least one additional building you don't see on the general tour! The house? Fascinating. Our tour guide? Lovely. The grounds? Beautiful even in December. And a lovely little gift shop in Esherick's old garage where you can do some holiday shopping? Bonus. What's not to love about the Wharton Esherick Museum? I know I'll be returning to bring friends and family to this wonderful place in the future.

PROS: very nice collection of log cabins that are replicas of what Washington's secret service…read morestayed in. Inside them has some relics of what the soldiers and secret service had CONS: these are replicas and not originals OVERALL: if you drive by and want to see some relics or even get a perspective of what the secret service lived in, then you should stop by

Beautiful historical landmark that reminds me of New York city's archway. Amazing carvings on the…read morearch and nice cobble stone road around it. Street right next to it allows you to drive by, park, and look at it

I twice toured Duportail House when I was looking to plan an event. It's a charming, historic venue…read morenestled in a quiet neighborhood, and everyone I encountered there was friendly and helpful. I especially loved that there are so many options for where to hold an event - several rooms in the house itself, the charming porch out front, and the cool barn next to the house. I didn't know that the barn was on the property but I really liked its rustic vibe. (Though I could imagine in the fall the giant trees around it raining down nuts and other seasonal tree bits!) I also like that there's a hotel nearby for out of town guests. I mostly worked with Kate, who was very responsive over email and is obviously an expert in her field. She helped me realize that there's something to be said for the personal touch you get when working with a staff dedicated to one venue, rather than some of the big event companies who can make you feel like just another number. Ultimately I decided to go with the city vibe so picked a different boutique venue in Philadelphia proper, but I'd definitely recommend checking out Duportail, especially if you're mostly having a local gathering.

We were invited to a wedding here on June 8, 2013. Beautiful day so the ceremony was outside next…read moreto the barn. Gorgeous landscaping and seating for all. TAlulas table was the caterer so the food was wonderful. Start with some passed appetizers and a taco bar. Yummy! Salmon and beef with fingerling potatoes. So delicious! Duportail house has some small rooms but they squeezed us in nicely. The front room is left for dancing and boy did we! The bride had Ben and Jerry's there with hot fudge sundaes! What a treat! If the size works go for it!!