Philadelphia and the Delaware River Valley

River Walk and Bike Trails Food Wine Ale and Neighborhood Preservation

The Delaware River Valley is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia, the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center. 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 signed.

Greater Philadelphia Transportation

The region’s excellent road and rail network make it the perfect location for a vacation or business trip to the Middle Atlantic States. Philadelphia International is a major airline hub with daily connections to North American destinations and from major European cities.

The River and the Environment

The Delaware River is comprised of 36 tributaries and flows 330 miles from New York to Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to the Atlantic Ocean. It extends from the Catskill and Pocono mountain springs and streams flowing down to the Delaware Water Gap where steep slopes give way to gently rolling hills and sweeping valleys. Then, it stretches 134 miles from the Trenton falls to the mouth of the Delaware Bay read 

 Food Wine Ale Walk and Bike Trails

The Philadelphia Culinary Tradition was shaped by several ethnic groups. Cheese steaks and soft pretzels are well known icons of this city and the 1970s saw a restaurant renaissance that is continuing into the 21st century. Food traditions include Pepper Pot, a soup of tripe, meat and vegetables from the Revolutionary War era and Snapper Soup a thick brown turtle soup served with sherry. Cheesesteaks, hoagies and roast pork sandwiches have helped Philadelphia become America’s sandwich city.

Neighborhood and Community Preservation

Lehigh Valley Historic Towns and Boroughs Allentown Bethlehem Easton Nazareth Hazleton Jim Thorpe Wilkes-Barre. A thriving town with roots in the iron industry, by 1829 Allentown expanded from a small Pennsylvania Dutch village of farmers and tradesmen to a center of commerce.

The Lehigh Valley Gave Birth to America’s Industrial Revolution

Colonial & Industrial Revolution Heritage Museum

Bucks County is one of the three original counties created by William Penn in 1682. Bristol is the oldest town in Bucks County and the third oldest in Pennsylvania. It is the southern terminus of the D&L Trail characterized by coal yards, shipyards, warehouses and textile mills.

Chestnut Hill a beautiful award-winning neighborhood tucked into the northwest corner of Philadelphia. Renowned for its gardens, art and architecture, parks, shopping and dining, it is a lovely place to live or visit with many diverse, culturally enriching experiences.

historic districts preservation and pirates

Delaware County and River Towns Marcus Hook’s historical significance comes from its identity as a maritime town. Originally a Lenape settlement, it became a New Sweden trading post in the 1640s with shipbuilding and fishing as early industries. The Hook was also a haven for pirates in the early 18^th century and its market provided a place to sell plundered goods and re-supply for their next voyage.

 

 

The Main Streets of the Brandywine Valley

Wayne Lansdowne Historic Districts the Downtown Wayne district includes approximately 100 properties roughly bounded by Louella Ct., West Ave., and S. Wayne Ave. Amongst the buildings is the Anthony Wayne Theatre designed in Italian Renaissance style and built around 1864 read

Chester County was established by William Penn in 1682, one of the first three counties in Pennsylvania; West Chester is the county seat. Other historic towns include Kennett Square, Oxford and Phoenixville. Each has its own unique agricultural, revolutionary and industrial histories.

New Castle and Wilmington Delaware founded by the Swedes and Finns in 1638, later acquired by the Dutch in 1655 and the British in 1739, Wilmington was the last stop to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Today it offers a rich performing arts scene, great museums. local wineries and breweries.

Texas Small Towns near Dallas and Fort Worth

American Historic Small Towns Itineraries

Archer City Ennis Possum Kingdom Rainbow and Turkey

Archer City is located south of Wichita Falls that is the birthplace of Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. The town boasts a rare bookstore owned and operated by the author as well as the Royal Theater, featured in the book and film The Last Picture Show.

Ennis is south of Dallas and is renowned for its motorsport events and its Czech heritage; the world record drag racing speed of 333.95 mph was set on its drag strip, and the National Polka Festival is held here every year. The town’s most beautiful attraction is its gorgeous wildflower display each spring.

Possum Kingdom is a lake community West of Dallas/Fort Worth. The lake offers beautiful camping and water sports. In the evening, be on the lookout for possums.

Reduce Transit Times and Travel Cost on Your Next Trip

Rainbow is southwest of Dallas/Fort Worth. A rainbow spread across the sky when area residents gathered to name their community in the late 19^th Century; hence, the name. Today, Rainbow is known for the fields of wildflowers that bloom there in springtime.

Turkey is northwest of Fort Worth in the Texas Panhandle. The town was the home of Bob Wills, famed swing musician, and hosts celebrations every spring, featuring a parade, a fiddling contest, cook-offs, and dancing. The old-timey general store Lacy Dry Goods has been in business since 1927.

American Westward Expansion

The Oregon California Mormon and Bozeman Trails

River Valley Trails played an important role in the westward expansion of the United States, providing the route for several major emigrant trails, including the Oregon, California, Mormon and Bozeman Trails. The French were the first Europeans to reach the Platte. At Casper, Wyoming the trails left the North Platte valley and followed the Sweetwater River valley and other river valleys going further west.

The Platte River originates in the state of Nebraska and is about 310 miles - 500 km - long. Measured to its farthest source via its tributary the North Platte River, it flows for over 1,050 miles - 1,690 km. The Platte is a tributary of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. 

The North Platte River is approximately 716 miles - 1,152 km – long, across Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. It is navigable over most of its length at high water by canoes, kayaks and rafts. In Colorado and Wyoming, the river is narrower and much swifter flowing than it is in Nebraska, where it becomes a slow, shallow stream. The upper reaches of the river in the Rockies in Colorado and Wyoming are popular for recreation rafting and fishing. 

Casper Wyoming was established in 1860. Near what is now Casper was the location of several ferries that offered passage across the North Platte River during the summer Trail season starting about 1847. The wagon trails following the south side of the Platte/North Platte River ferried or waded in low water years across the South Platte River in several places to stay on the south side of the North Platte River where the trails were located. Those who went to Denver followed the South Platte River trail into Colorado. Historically, the North Platte River used to be up to a mile wide (1.6 km) in many places as evidenced by the old streambed and written records. 

The South Platte River is one of the two principal tributaries of the Platte River located in the eastern flank of the Colorado Rockies, Nebraska and southeastern Wyoming near Cheyenne. The river forms southwest of Denver in the South Park grassland basin and is a major source of drinking water for the Denver area, flowing north through central Denver. The highly industrial Denver Valley is also a major railroad route. North of Denver it is joined by Clear Creek which descends from the mountains to the west in a canyon that was the cradle of the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush.

The South Platte is the Principal Source of Water for Eastern Colorado

History originally called the Rio Chato, and before the city of Denver was founded, many travelers came to the South Platte River to escape the arid Great Plains. 

Fly Fishing a Gold Medal Western trout river on the Eastern Slope of Colorado, the river is well known for its brown and rainbow trout.

the best way to travel is in the company of people who live and work in the places you visit.

Your Connection to the Oregon California Mormon and Bozeman Trails