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.

History the river has played an important role throughout American history. In the 18^th century, William Penn’s negotiations with the Lenape led to settlements in the lands between the Delaware and Susquehanna rivers and, in late colonial times, anthracite coal was transported. During the American Revolution, an expedition came downriver from its headwaters; the upper portion navigable by damming the river's source at Lake Otsego, allowing the lake's level to rise and then destroying the dam and flooding the river for miles downstream.

Bridges Ferries Canals and Dams prior to the Port Deposit Bridge opening in 1818, the river formed a barrier between the northern and southern states. The earliest dams were constructed to support ferry operations in low water. Its many rapids meant that commercial traffic could only navigate down the river in the high waters of the spring thaws. Two different canal systems were constructed on the lower Susquehanna to bypass the rapids. The Port Deposit Canal was completed in 1802, followed by the larger Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal. Later, bridges replaced ferries, and railroads replaced canals.

200 Bridges and Two Ferries cross the Susquehanna. Canals are preserved as Historic Parks

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. Surrounded by some of America’s most productive dairy farms, the world’s first modern chocolate factory and model town is a real community.

City Island is a 63-acre tourism and recreational destination containing archaeological treasures of the Susquehannocks and Iroquois tribes which established seasonal settlements here. The island was a stopping off-point for Union soldiers during the Civil War; they crossed over it by way of the Camelback Bridge to defend Harrisburg from the threat of invasion by the Confederate Army. Today, City Island is a tourist and sports venue for the Harrisburg Senators Baseball Stadium, the City Islanders Soccer Stadium, the Pride of the Susquehanna, City Island Railroad, and the City Island Stables.

Millersburg Borough nestled along the Susquehanna River, is quaint community radiating out from a Victorian Market Square Park featuring a Gazebo dating back to 1891. Millersburg evolved along with the introduction new forms of transportation; travel back to the 17^th century and visit the Wiconisco Canal in MYO Park and a restored 1898 passenger rail station on West Center Street. The National Historic Register's Millersburg Ferry System traces its roots to 1817.

Pride of the Susquehanna River Boat is one of the last remaining authentic paddle-wheel riverboats in America. Since her construction and launch in 1988, "The Pride" has carried almost a million passengers who have enjoyed themed cruises and River School Educational Trips.

Mechanicsburg Pennsylvania

American Historic Small-Town Itineraries

Located in a rich agricultural region known as the Cumberland Valley in South Central Pennsylvania,

Mechanicsburg was named for a settlement of mechanics who made and repaired Conestoga wagons in the early 19^th century. Its continued growth as transport hub resulted from its designation as a water station where workers could restock the locomotive's wood and pump water.

Mechanicsburg and Trains

Grain and feed companies, lumber yards and numerous factories were built alongside the railroad tracks. Archives show that, at one time, there were twenty-five trains chugging through the town daily carrying travelers, mail, coal, feathers, fruit, and newspapers. During the Civil War, the railroad was an invaluable method of transporting troops and supplies. Today, up to six trains travel through each day.

Present-day Mechanicsburg is Centered on a 100-acres (40 ha) tract Purchased from William Penn

The town went by several different names:

Drytown because of the extreme scarcity of water during the winter and summer.

Pinchgut a German word signifying a small village with only a few people.

Staufferstown, in honor of Henry Stauffer, the owner of much of the land in the center of town.

On June 28, 1863, Confederate troops raided Mechanicsburg, and two days later, met with Union forces just east of town. This was the northernmost engagement of the Civil War. Following the Skirmish of Sporting Hill, the Confederate forces retreated south into the town of Gettysburg.

The Oldest Building in Mechanicsburg is the Frankeberger Tavern. One of Mechanicsburg's first residents was George Frankeberger, who in 1801 applied for a license to open his newly built log home for the convenience of travelers between Harrisburg and Carlisle.

The Mechanicsburg Museum is a cluster of historic buildings from the 1800s where visitors can learn about Cumberland Valley history. The two-story Freight Station Museum & Museum Store was once used for freight shipments and deliveries. It now houses a modern museum space and gift shop.

The Cumberland Valley Beer Trail tour and taste a pint at Cumberland Valley pubs; Valley breweries and restaurants welcome locals and visitors to sample their unique flavors of craft brews.

US Mid-Atlantic Destinations

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 18^th 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.

Traveling in America's Mid-Atlantic Region Local Food Transit Water Resources Environment

Philadelphia Hershey Harrisburg Washington DC Maryland and the Brandywine Valley

A seven night, eight day program for families, schools and theme groups

Cultural Heritage and Local Museums give meaning and purpose to the objects on display in museums and art galleries as they disclose the historical and archaeological heritage of a community, leverage conservation and the rediscovery of cultural heritage through the arts, history, archeology, literature and architecture, preserve biodiversity and rediscover cultures associated with agricultural, coastal and river communities.

Local Food Wineries and Breweries There are several fascinating examples throughout America of a resurgence in farming that cater to an ever increasing demand for local, quality and sustainable food, wine and ale consumption in both urban and suburban communities, fueled in part by downtown development and neighborhood construction. This, in turn, has spawned a demand for nightlife and weekend amenities for local citizens and out of town visitors. Experience uniquely local atmospheres in American communities where many historical and sustainable attractions are also present.

Preserving and Divulging the Cultural Heritage of American Communities 

Communities and Local Public Transport Initiatives In recent years, efficient and affordable public transit - in the form of bus rapid transit, subways, elevated and other rail services and trolley cars – for urban, suburban and intercity service have been debated, studied and in some instances implemented. Our itineraries include major US cities with established commuter and regional service as well as communities that are implementing new transit programs. An opportunity to meet with local planners and managers and travel efficiently, safely and affordably as you visit the United States.

Water Resources Management and the Environment Visit and study the efforts of communities that are in the forefront of water resources management and other environmentally sustainable practices in coastal and river waterfront development in small towns and large cities as well as agricultural communities. Local officials and nonprofit stewards of the environment, among others, will explain their policies, programs and best management practices in wastewater and watershed management, land conservancy issues, LEED certifications, recycling, rainwater collection and energy efficient systems.  

Connect with Tema

To Visit the Mid Atlantic States

Local Knowledge – Global Reach

tema@arezza.net |skype arezza1

tema@arezza.net | skype arezza1