Seniors Discover Bristol

Seniors traveling through Pennsylvania find Bristol Township 23 miles northeast of Center City Philadelphia, opposite Burlington, New Jersey on the beautiful Delaware River. The population is around 55,421.

The Harriman Historic District in Bristol is one area senior visitors enjoy. Bristol was first incorporated in 1720 but, after 1834 became very important to the development of the American Industrial Revolution as the terminus city of the Delaware Canal.

Bristol was platted in 1697, and like so many cities in the UK, named after Bristol, England. It was originally used as a port and dock. Bristol is rich in history, boasting many historic and restored houses.

From its earliest days Bristol was a center of textile mills, foundries, and milling. By the 1880s Bristol was home to many factories, including companies manufacturing wall paper and carpet.

 Seniors Check out Bristol Riverside Theatre

Attractions that interest senior visitors include the Bristol Riverside Theatre, and the Margaret R. Grundy Library and Museum.  I know that my wife and I would enjoy The Bristol Riverside Theatre. TripAdvisor puts the Theatre at top of their list for Must See in Bristol. Facebook notes that Mill Street Market Place is a great place to shop.

In the summer Bristol features many festivals and free concerts: cultural festivals like Celtic Day, Puerto-Rican Day, African-American Day, and Italian Day, with a Doo-Wop Concert.

Seniors can also find an Antique Car Show, an Arts & Crafts Festival, and a Fall Auto Show, they will enjoy. All held at the Bristol Lions Park, Bristol Wharf and in the Historic Mill Street Shopping District along side the Delaware River.

Seniors Like Bristol Historic District

Today, Radcliff Street that parallels the River is part of the Bristol Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places. Anchored by the Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Museum and the King George II Inn, this street tells the colorful story of Bristol with its old buildings.

Senior visitors are invited to take a self-guided walking tour to learn about the colorful local history that reflects the greater changes that were happening in the fledgling nation.

Mill Street, which saw a decline with the rise of shopping centers and malls in the suburbs, is seeing a return of retail and dining establishments. The Bath Mineral Springs at Bristol were recommended by Dr. Benjamin Rush and Benjamin Franklin as an important health retreat.

The famed canal between Bristol and Easton was built for the transportation of anthracite coal and stimulated economic growth for the community between 1827 and 1931. One of the Bristol’s parks is located at the lagoon of this former canal, near the former Grundy Woolen Mill and its iconic clock tower. Seniors, set your GPS for Bristol and enjoy quality time in a quality town. -jeb

Seniors Head For Moon

 Well, not really, but close…it’s called Moon Township and in the state of Pennsylvania. It lies along the Ohio River in Allegheny County with a population that runs right at 25,000.  Senior travelers will find Moon, as many call it, 12 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Moon Township’s Mooncrest Neighborhood was developed in 1943 as a housing development for workers who contributed to war production efforts during World War II.

Wonder, like me, about the name Moon? Well, it is said that the origin of its name is unknown, however, historians suggest it was derived from a crescent-shaped bend in the river. Local lore tells of a waning crescent moon that descended to plow furrows in farmer’s fields with its sharp cusp, but killed many excited witnesses who cursed and praised the moon’s early morning activities. So take your pick.

As a significant example of war production housing and residential planning design, Moon Township declared the Mooncrest Neighborhood a local Historic District in 2005. I probably picked up Moon Township reading that in 2007 it was given several honors as one of the country’s best places to live.

Seniors Find Another ‘Best’ Community

Business Week ranked Moon one of five best affordable suburbs in the North East. Moon also was included in the 2007 “Best Places To Raise Your Family” published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Moon was nominated as a runner up in the list of top Pittsburgh suburbs to raise a family in 2013.

Moon Township has evolved significantly since its beginnings as a farm-based community. This oldest township in Allegheny County, founded in 1788, had a total area of 143 square miles. Some reports indicate that it would take one man on horseback two days to travel from one end of the community to the other.

Moon Park is the township’s largest community park and the local favourite. A favorite dining spot in Moon is Hyeholde Restaurant, a castle-like eatery that evokes thoughts of a fairy tale. Materials like stone, slate and stained glass as well as a large collection of antiques adorn the interior. In winter, senior visitors can claim the inglenook next to a roaring fire or a balcony seat overlooking the soaring Great Hall. I would want to have at least one evening dinner with my wife in this place.

 Seniors Enjoy Active Community

Robert Morris University is located in Moon Township. The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce is headquartered on Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township. Established in 1904, the Airport Area Chamber of Commerce provides services to more than 1,000 businesses in 31 communities surrounding the Pittsburgh International Airport.

Senior travelers, when you are in the Pittsburg area, check into Moon. This active community is awaiting your arrival. -jeb

Seniors Visit The Flagship City

 Erie, which seniors locate in northwestern Pennsylvania, is named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore. Erie is the state’s fourth-largest city, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown, with a population of 102,000. It certainly has a bunch of nicknames, like The Flagship City, The Gem City, The Bay City, The Lake City.

FYI: Erie is known as the Flagship City because of its status as the home port of Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship Niagara. The city is called the Gem City because of the “sparkling” lake. I discovered that Erie was named for the Eriez tribe, who spoke an Iroquois language and in their language “Erie” means “raccoon.” 

Fishing is BIG in Erie. Many charter boat companies take senior visitors to the best fishing spots on Lake Erie, or of course, you can fish from the shore.

Victorian Princess Cruise Lines provide more luxurious ways to get out and enjoy a boat ride on the Lake. Lake Erie was chosen as one of the top-20 family-fishing spots in the nation by Field & Stream.

Senior Visitors Spend Time at Presque Isle State Park

Erie’s Metropolitan Area consists of approximately 280,000 residents. This Visit Erie website has it all lined up for your visit, including access to a helpful online Adventure Guide.

Once teeming with heavy industry, Erie’s manufacturing sector remains prominent in the local economy. Millions visit Erie for recreation as well as a plethora of attractions like the casino and horse racetrack named for the state park.

Nestled between the shores of Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay is Erie’s top attraction – Presque Isle State Park. With sandy beaches and endless outdoor recreation, Presque Isle (French for “almost an island”) is a National Natural Landmark and one of Pennsylvania’s top vacation destinations.

Welcoming over 4 million visitors annually especially during the summer months, the Park has 7 miles of beaches, world-class sunsets and plentiful outdoor recreation.

 Seniors Find Cultural And Historical Attractions In Erie

Erie offers senior visitors cultural and historical attractions: AA baseball, OHL hockey, NBA D-League Basketball, cross-country and downhill skiing, golf, theater, shopping, wineries, amusement parks, a casino and more.

Lake Erie is the world’s 13th-largest natural lake and home port of the U.S. Brig Niagara, the flagship of Commodore Perry. The Niagara was vital to the Commodore’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812 and is now a floating maritime museum.

Erie is home to the oldest land lighthouse on the Great Lakes. If the weather’s rough, you can still enjoy the water at the indoor Splash Lagoon Waterpark. Senior travelers, set your sites on Erie along Lake Erie, the warmest of the Great Lakes, and plan to spend some quality time enjoying the many amenities the city has to offer. -jeb

Seniors Explore Historic Lewisburg

This senior enjoys collecting the names of neat cities almost daily from a wide selection of resources. While when it comes time to write a blog on a particular city, I may not remember why it is on my travel bucket list, but I can usually surmise why as soon as I start to explore the city, just as it was for Lewisburg.

Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, 60 miles north of Harrisburg on the beautiful Susquehanna River. Historically it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region.

Today it  is home to Bucknell University and is near the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary. Its 19th-century downtown was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Borough of Lewisburg is what some historians have classified as a “Pennsylvania Town”, a distinct town layout developed in Colonial Pennsylvania.

Seniors Stroll The Downtown Historical District

Senior visitors, plan to stroll around the downtown historical district where you will find specialty shops, bistros, pubs, and restaurants to suit all palates. The historic district has numerous buildings and homes with a Victorian architectural style from times gone by.

Lewisburg’s Historic District was created in 1985. The district encompasses most of the Borough and a large portion of the Bucknell University campus. The District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, consists of 871 contributing historic buildings, structures and sites.

Downtown Lewisburg features six blocks of beautiful, historic, commercial and residential architecture. The Campus Theatre and the Lewisburg Hotel are two stand-out examples. The Theater, located in the heart of downtown Lewisburg, is one of the few remaining single screen Art Deco movie palaces in the country.

Seniors Enjoy Strolling Through The Community

My wife would want to visit the three historic museums: Packwood House, Silfer House and the Engle House. Each is stuffed with history and authenticity. Then she and I would take a stroll through the attractive campus of Bucknell University that is a huge part of the community.

Founded in 1784 by Ludwig Derr, the area was then called Derrstown. Much has been considered regarding ‘how’ the name changed from Derrstown to Lewisburg. The most likely is that Derr’s first name “Ludwig” translated into English as “Louis” but, being of German descent, it was spelled “Lewis”.

Later, after Derr’s death, the traditional germanic “burg” was appended to his first name to create Lewisburg.  I have one video to share with you on Lewisburg. I turned down the sound and enlarged by screen and enjoyed the many views of a fascinating town bursting with old-time charm. I hope that you enjoy the scenes of the borough as well. -jeb

Seniors Enjoy Mushroom Capital

Kennett Square (pop.  6,000) is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania that senior travelers will find along Hwy 1. The name comes from “Kennet”, England, and “Square” from the original land grant from William Penn of one square mile.

Known as the Mushroom Capital of the World, mushroom farming in the region produces over a million pounds of mushrooms a week. That would be reason enough for yours truly to spend quality time with my wife, (a “portabello hound”), in Historic Kennett Square learning all about the various kinds of mushrooms. This past New Year’s Eve, they dropped an 800 pound stainless steel mushroom from a crane in lieu of a ball.

Kennett Square hosts an annual Mushroom Festival on the weekend after Labor Day. I learned that over 65% of the mushrooms consumed in the United States are grown on site.  Over 100,000 visitors come from all over the country take part in this “Small Town America” Festival.

Seniors Find A Revitalized Town

Historic Kennett Square is a downtown revitalization model developed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1980.

Kennett Square’s founder is credited with introducing mushroom growing to the area. He grew carnations, a popular local commodity around 1885, and wanted to make use of the wasted space under the elevated beds. He imported spawn from Europe and started experimenting with mushroom cultivation. It all went uphill from there.

My botanical friends and I would head to Longwood Gardens that consists of over 1,000 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square. It is one of the premier botanical gardens in the country.

It is open year-round so senior visitors can enjoy exotic plants and horticulture, events and performances, seasonal and themed attractions, as well as take part in educational lectures, courses, and workshops. It is one classy place. I am confident that my botanist brother Steve knew of this famous garden.

 Seniors Visit A Mushroom Farm

TripAdvisor suggests that after the gardens, senior visitors check out Galer Estate Vineyard and Winery on Folley Hill Road. The Anson B. Nixon Park is a another hidden gem nestled just north of town where a free summer concert series is held on Wednesday evenings. On 106 acres, the Park was carved out of the historic woodlands of the late 18th through early 20th century Chambers Estate.

The natural setting includes two ponds, meandering streams, woodlands including a beech grove with specimens dating back over 250 years, and three miles of walking trails. Bring along your hiking boots and toss in your clubs for a round or two at the Kennett Square Golf & Country Club.

Hike on over to the Phillips Mushroom Farms, the largest grower of specialty mushrooms in the US. Bring a cooler and pick up several kinds of quality mushrooms. That’s what I call a “practical edible souvenir.”  Senior travelers, enjoy Kennett Square. -jeb

Seniors Visit Historic Haverford

Haverford township is a home rule township in Delaware County, ten miles west of Philadelphia, in southeastern Pennsylvania and is officially known as The Township of Haverford. Haverford is named after the town of Haverfordwest in Wales. Senior travelers, welcome to Haverford Township.

The population runs close to 50,000 and contains portions of the communities of Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Ardmore, Drexel Hill, and Wynnewood. The unincorporated “town” of Havertown lies wholly within Haverford Township.

Haverford College founded in 1833, is a private, well-respected  coeducational liberal arts college. All 1,187 students are undergraduates and nearly all reside on campus.

I love their mascot, a Black Squirrel. You don’t see many of them in the wild anymore. This former Master Gardener would want to visit the 216 acre Haverford College Arboretum.

The College is renown for its academic rigor, honor code, and beautiful arboretum campus. Haverford students are admitted to medical school, law school, and other professional schools at rates that are significantly higher than the national average. Haverford College’s ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #12.

 Seniors Check Out The Quadrangle

Home for many senior citizens is called the Quadrangle, that first began as an elegant English-country mansion called The Linden House, once home to a prominent local family.

The grounds feature walking trails, a six-hole golf course, a putting green, a greenhouse, tennis courts, and a community garden. Sounds to me like a great place to spend senior years.

TripAdvisor feels that visitors might want to check out Saxby’s Haverford restaurant and pep up with some of their famed cappuccino. They are also quite high on the White Dog Cafe. The Haverford School for Boys is a nonsectarian college prep day school for boys, grades K-12.

I would want to visit several historical sites in Haverford including the Lawrence Cabin. I’d stop to take a few photos of the 1797 Federal School made of local stone and still standing strong. Then I’d load another memory chip into my camera and shoot a few shots of the many beautiful mansions in town.

 Haverford A Host City For Golf Tournaments

Haverford has been the host city for a total of 6 men’s Major Championships and 11 men’s and women’s US Amateur Championships. Seniors, toss in your clubs and see how you fare on the fairways. Try your luck at the Marion Golf Club or the private Llanerch Country Club that has hosted numerous championships.

CityTownInfo notes that back in 1681 the township was established by Welsh Quakers on land bought by William Penn. In the early years, farming was important for the community.

The Nitre Hall Powder Mills provided gunpowder for the War of 1812. The access of Philadelphia by steam and electric railroads substantially increased the township’s population.

Seniors, plan to stop in Haverford and get to know some of the locals and look around. -jeb

Seniors Drop by Bala Cynwyd

Another city with an interesting name. Bala Cynwyd. Seniors, let’s go there and do a bit of exploring. Bala Cynwyd is a contiguous suburb of Philadelphia and explains the many business offices on site.

Bala Cynwyd lies in the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania, and was settled in the 1680s by Welsh Quaker settlers, who named it after the Welsh town of Bala and the Welsh village of Cynwyd. “Cynwyd”, pronounced “kinwid” is often pronounced locally as”kinwood”.

Cynwyd is on a hillside, though its main street is flat. It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd. Hang around town very long and you will certainly see dragons. The dragon has been recognized as the emblem of Wales for more than one thousand years. The town of has many scenic spots… which is one reason seniors come for a visit.

Senior Art Aficionados Seek The Barnes

Bala and Cynwyd are commonly treated as a single community since the US Post Office was constructed to service both towns (The “Bala Cynwyd” Branch). Bala Cynwyd is home of the Barnes Foundation, established by Albert C. Barnes in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.”

The Barnes holds one of the finest collections of Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings. It is a popular stop for senior visitors who appreciate fine art. Most of us have heard of Kobe Bryant, an NBA Basketball player. He attended Bala Cynwyd Middle School and Lower Merion High School. General Alexander Haig called Bala Cynwyd home as well.

Seniors Appreciate Welsh Heritage

The Welsh Tract, also called the Welsh Barony, was a portion of Pennsylvania settled largely by Welsh-speaking Quakers. It covers 40,000 acres to the west of Philadelphia. The original settlers, led by John Roberts, negotiated with William Penn in 1684 to constitute the Tract as a separate county whose local government would use the Welsh language, since many of the settlers spoke no English.

Comprised primarily of residential houses and apartments Bala Cynwyd is also home to two commercial corridors, several parks, including the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, and numerous historic landmarks. These neighborhoods include some of Lower Merion Township’s oldest and finest stone mansions, constructed from 1880 into the 1920s.

And leave it to TripAdvisor to come up with some great places for seniors seeking good food.  They also put in a plug for Tudor House B&B on Bryn Mawr Avenue. So set your GPS for Bala Cynwyd and spent some quality time enjoying the amenities of the village. -jeb

 

Seniors Choose Chester For Historic Visit

Senior travelers will find that Chester, a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, with a population of around 34,000, is located on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.

Being on the eastern seaboard, Chester is loaded with history. Originally settled in 1644 by the Swedish as “Upland”, the name was changed to Chester in 1682. Chester is the oldest City in Pennsylvania.

In 1681, William Penn acquired the colonial settlement as a safe haven for Quakers. One year later he landed on the ship Welcome and renamed the settlement Chester, after the city in England.

Seniors Find Historically Prosperous City

For the first two hundred years of its history, Chester was prosperous and wealthy manufacturing community with industries concentrating on machinery, metal manufacturing, locomotive, shipbuilding, and textiles. These strong industries, paired with the city’s proximity to the Delaware River and major railways generated jobs and fueled a steady population growth.

John Bullock, Ye Olde (and very humble) Webmaster, has a great page that describes Old Chester in detail.  He notes that during much of its early history, Chester was a sleepy little village along the banks of the Delaware River.

This changed dramatically with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution during the 1850′s.  During those years industry boomed as did the population in order to feed the manpower needs of the new industries.

In 1850 Chester’s population numbered 1,667 but by 1860 it nearly tripled to 4,631.  Much of the city’s housing as well as other structures still standing was built during this period of explosive growth and through the early years of the 20th century.

 Seniors Enjoy Historic Places

Of particular interest to this senior, is the fact that since 1996, Chester has received 1.36 billion dollars in public and private investment. That’s a good chunk of change and with these funds, the city has restored its park system, improved and expanded housing, brought in new businesses and has generated many new job opportunities.

Chester has five nationally registered historic places that senior visitors find interesting. Chester County counts 113 historic places and senior visitors enjoy just traveling from one township to another taking in the old buildings and sites.

If you ask Chester residents what they envision for a proposed Arts and Culture District in their downtown, they’ll be the first to tell you that it’s got to be “Chester Made, through and through.”  Watch the video on this page and learn about the Chester Made initiative.

As you are driving across Pennsylvania, plan to stop by Chester.   -jeb

Today Seniors Visit Rural Pennsylvania

This senior loves rural Pennsylvania. Having spent a summer with my young family out in Lancaster County, I learned a lot about life in the area. I was doing a workshop for language teachers at Millersville University, in Millersville PA, near Lancaster.

This is  Pennsylvania Dutch Country with many Amish families that live without electricity, and many of our modern conveniences. Senior visitors will find horses and black buggies on many of the roads throughout Lancaster County, home to the second largest Amish settlement in the world.

Senior visitors will get a glimpse of farm life as it was in the early 1800s. Visit markets and farm stores for homemade shoofly pie and fresh produce, or shop for a handmade Amish quilt. The many colorful restaurants throughout the area serve Amish food “family-style” that is always tasty and plentiful.

 Seniors Find One Of Oldest Inland Towns

Lancaster is one of the oldest inland towns in the United States. With a population of 60,000, Lancaster ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania’s cities. On looking up the history of Lancaster, I learned that it was originally called Hickory Town. It was later renamed after the English city of Lancaster by native John Wright.

Originally settled in the early 18th century, the city was founded by James Hamilton with development from Centre Square that makes it easily navigable for senior visitors. The town symbol is a red rose from the House of Lancaster.

Many of Lancaster attractions provide insights into the area’s rich history and offer senior visitors interesting things to see and do. President James Buchanan’s elegant home, Wheatland, is historic but contrasts sharply to the simpler Pennsylvania Dutch heritage sites in Lancaster.

Seniors Visit City With Rich History

Lancaster is situated right in the center of Lancaster County, and senior visitors discover that its seven square miles are packed with art, museums, historical attractions, restaurants and cafes, theaters, shops and boutiques.

‘A great deal of the city’s charm stems from the stories, architecture, and traditions rooted in its rich history. Lancaster City is a place where historic preservation and a cutting-edge arts scene live and thrive side by side. A city of neighborhoods that are safe and welcoming, a city that encourages entrepreneurship and investment; a city that values the cultural, ethnic, and diverse lifestyles of its residents and guests.’

Spend a few days in Lancaster and you will find that you will never be short on exciting attractions and events. Your visit will prove to be memorable. -jeb

Seniors Go Exploring in Conshohocken

By now you know, this senior loves to go exploring in cities with names like Conshohocken. It caught my eye this AM in the news. A train crashed into a parked car and it made news headlines.

The borough of Conshohocken, “Conshy” to the locals, is a former mill-town and now, thanks to a thriving tech industry, has become known as “Silicon Valley Forge.”

The borough is 1.03 square miles in area and is home to over 7,800 people. Located about 15 miles from Center City Philadelphia, the borough represents one of America’s most successful transformations from a mill town to a modern center of office and hotel services and water front residential living.

The Lenape Indians called this area “Pleasant Valley”. In 1880 the place was given its present name, having been previously known as Masterson’s Ford, and two years later a bridge was constructed across the Schuylkill at this point.  Its sister community of West Conshohocken is located just across the Schuylkill River.

 Seniors Learn Interesting History

The settlement of Conshohocken dates back to the days of William Penn, who purchased the land in this section from the Indians in 1683.

 So what attracts senior visitors to Conshohocken? One fun attraction would be the Edwards-Freeman Nut Company where a visit can take you back to the penny-candy stores of your childhood. Remember those?

The Conshohocken Brewing Company invites senior visitors to their Tap Room for some sampling. Several top-rated restaurants like Stone Rose, Blackfish and Fayette Street Grille provide great cuisine for the locals and visitors alike.

According to TripAdvisor, don’t miss Flanigan’s Boathouse and The Old Guard House Inn.  I discovered over 15 colleges that ring around the borough.

A Borough On The Move

Not long ago officials broke ground for a new Conshohocken borough office and police station, so it is “a borough on the move.” Facebook  has lots to say about Conshohocken that includes a link on the Rick Sutcliffe Park. Sutcliffe, nicknamed “The Red Baron” for his red hair and beard, is a former major league baseball pitcher.

In 1940, a New York Times columnist noted lightheartedly that “Some of the residents of Conshy are concerned because Kitty Foyle’s father, in Christopher Morley’s novel “Kitty Foyle” , uses the name of their town as a swear word. Others saw it as good advertisement.

Bring some walking boots and take a hike with folks who find the Schuylkill River Trail a prime hiking trail experience.  Plan to spend a few days just exploring. -jeb