Philadelphia Hershey Harrisburg Washington DC Maryland and
the Brandywine Valley
Philadelphia Among the many sights to take in when visiting
the first capital of the United States: The Liberty Bell Center which houses
the American Revolution’s defining symbol, the site of the meetings of Congress
and the Constitutional Convention at the City Tavern in the Old City as well as
Carpenters Hall. In Declaration House, visitors can see where Thomas Jefferson
drafted the Declaration of Independence and Independence Hall where it was
eventually signed.
Where History is Still Being Made
The Arts in 1805 an art collector, believing Philadelphia the best place for the
encouragement of artistic taste, offered the city numerous paintings,
sculptures, engravings and other art work. To accept the gift the city formed
the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the oldest art school and museum in the
United States. The Philadelphia Museum of Art was founded in 1876 to
maintain the art exhibits from the Centennial Exposition. It holds over 225,000
pieces of artwork including work by van Gogh, Picasso, and Marcel Duchamp.
Nearby is the Rodin Museum, founded in 1929, with the largest collection of
Rodin works outside of France.
Philadelphia has more public art
than any other American city
The inclusion of
decorative art in city structures goes back to the 19th century. In 1872,
the Fairmount Park Art Association became the first private association in the
United States dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning. With more
murals than any other U.S. city, the Mural Arts Program has funded over 2,300
murals created by professional, staff and volunteer artists.
Food the
city’s culinary tradition was shaped by several ethnic groups. Cheese stake and
soft pretzels are well known icons of the city. The 1970s saw a restaurant
renaissance that is continuing into the 21st century. Other Philadelphia food
traditions include:
The hoagie a sandwich made of meat and cheese with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions
Pepper Pot, a soup of tripe, meat and vegetables dating from the Revolutionary War
era
Snapper Soup a thick brown turtle soup served with sherry.
Sustainability In the city of Philadelphia, the waterfront is now a 6-mile walking and biking destination. Trail features include streetscape improvements along
the entire waterfront trail, a bi-directional bikeway, pedestrian walkway
and rain gardens that collect the first inch of storm water, relieving the city
sewer system during major weather events, as well as benches, bike racks,
decorative street pavers and innovative solar trail lighting. Center City
offers a thriving culture and entertainment scene as well as contemporary arts
museum with training programs and study tours for students, aspiring artists and family traveling.
Hershey
Harrisburg and the Susquehanna River Valley
The Susquehanna River is 464 miles
(747 km) long and is the longest river on the US East Coast. With its
watershed, it is the 16th-largest river in the United States, and the longest
river in the continental United States without commercial boat traffic today.
In the Canal Era, navigation improvements were made to enhance the river for
barge shipping of bulk goods by water on the Pennsylvania Canal.
Harrisburg, the Capital of Pennsylvania, was inhabited by
Native Americans as early as 3000 BC. Known as Peixtin, the area was an
important trading post for Native American traders, as trails leading from the
Delaware to the Ohio Rivers, and from the Potomac to the Upper Susquehanna
intersected there.
Hershey is a
year-round, world class travel destination with an amusement park, exclusive
resorts and family attractions. In 1906, Milton Hershey opened Hershey Park as
a place where his chocolate factory’s workers and their families could relax
and be entertained. Surrounded by some of America’s most productive dairy
farms, the world’s first modern chocolate factory and model town is a real
community.
The
Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania opened its doors in June 2003, with over 100
cars, motorcycles plus memorabilia, collectibles, and special exhibits.
Preserving America’s Antique
Automobiles
Vehicles of all types 25 years or older are
welcome in the AACA. In 1993, the AACA
started a nonprofit organization to further preserve these antique automobiles
and educate the public.
The Wineries and Breweries of the Hershey
Harrisburg Region invite guests to go beyond just tasting the wines. Learn
more about the process and walk away with a deeper appreciation of wine making
and Pennsylvania’s agricultural heritage. Experience the rich tastes of each
winery’s blends, ciders and specialty collections. The region is also home to
many small batch brewers who are following their dreams and creating
trendy, welcoming spaces for beer-lovers to appreciate their favorite brews.
Washington DC and Maryland
The Washington, DC
area, both in the US capital city and its suburban communities, has a unique
local economy driven by government spending that has also fueled the
development of downtown and neighborhood construction. This in turn has spawned
a demand for nightlife and weekend amenities for both a highly educated and
environmentally conscious local population and out of town visitors.
Washington, DC
Historic sites and museums The National Mall is a large, open park area in the center of the city.
Located in the center of the Mall are the Washington Monument and the Jefferson
Pier. Also, located on the mall are the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II
Memorial at the east end of the Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Veterans
Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Located directly south of the
mall, the Tidal Basin features rows of Japanese Cherry Blossoms blossom trees
that were presented as gifts from the nation of Japan. The FDR Memorial and
Jefferson Memorial are located around the Tidal Basin.
The U Street Corridor in Northwest D.C., known as "Washington's Black Broadway", is
home to institutions like Bohemian Caverns and the Lincoln Theatre. Other jazz
venues feature modern blues such as Madam's Organ in Adams Morgan and Blues
Alley in Georgetown. D.C.
Potomac River Trails
The Lower Potomac,
Anacostia, Patuxent and Wicomico rivers are among the major waterways in the
region, but hundreds of smaller streams, creeks and rivers abound providing
numerous opportunities for recreational boating.
Anacostia River Watershed 176 square mile area of land encompasses most
of the eastern half of the District of Columbia and large portions of Prince
George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland. The Anacostia has 13 major
tributary creeks and streams - many with their own sub-watershed citizen
advocacy groups; it starts near Bladensburg, MD, and runs for 8.5 miles before
meeting the Potomac River at Hains Point in Washington, DC.
Anacostia River Trails and Port Towns The word Anacostia is derived from the
Nacotchtank Indian word anaquash; it means village trading center. In
the 18th century the port at Bladensburg, Maryland, was 40 feet deep and served
as a major center for colonial shipping fleets. Today, at Bladensburg
Waterfront Park, site of the old port, the water often measures 3 feet deep or
less. In the 18th century, the Anacostia River flowed through 2,500 acres of
tidal wetlands. Today, less than 150 acres of wetland remain.
Annapolis Hammond-Harwood House an 18th
Century Arts & Architecture Museum in Annapolis, Maryland. The gentleman planter Matthias
Hammond began work in 1774 with renowned architect William Buckland on plans
for a new, elegant townhouse in the most fashionable area of Annapolis.
An Anglo-Palladian Mansion Featuring Woodcarving and Plasterwork
Reading and Writing History Designed to give high school students a hands-on lesson about Colonial
American history. The program is divided up into three mini-sessions each with
its own goals: a colonial house tour, an introduction to history resources, and
a session of hands-on group study. The program covers topics which include
common and indentured laborers, slave life, the life of craftsmen, gentry
activities and leisure time, decorative arts, and architecture. Other topics
may be added on request.
Historic Ships in Baltimore
half-day programs provide an immersive
hands-on historic experience with a twenty-first century applicability that
encourages team-work, problem solving, and learning. Each program provides
introductory ship tours, after which students focus on two of areas of the ship
and begin to develop a more specialized vocabulary and skill set. At the
end of their 2 ½-hour program, learning is reinforced in a written exercise and
assessment. Assessment results are forwarded to the teacher. Each
program provides a uniquely different approach toward reading, listening,
development and reinforcement, involve hands-on activities and are fun,
including a live-firing of one of the USS Constellation’s cannons.
The Brandywine Valley
Development &
Conservancy Issues In the 1960s, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania in the
historic Brandywine Valley, faced a possible massive industrial development
that would impact a largely rural community. Also, development plans in
floodplain areas threatened to devastate water supplies for numerous
communities in southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. In 1971, the
Conservancy opened a museum in the renovated Hoffman’s Mill,
a former gristmill built in 1864, part of the Conservancy’s first preservation
efforts. It contains an unparalleled collection of American art with
emphasis on the art of the Brandywine region, illustration, still life and
landscape painting, and the work of the Wyeth family.
