Travels
Discovering Bucks County
By The Gremotraveler
Suburb or countryside, Bucks County is Pennsylvania's historic riverside oasis
north of bustling Philadelphia. Bucks County was one of the three original
counties in Pennsylvania and named by William Penn in 1682 after
Buckinghamshire, England. William Penn's family originated from Buckinghamshire
and Pennsbury Manor, located within Pennsylvania's Bucks County was his US home.
Today, it is one of the most affluent regions in the United States and home to
several foodie haunts for locals and visitors.
The region is full of history and a good starting point for your visit is
certainly the township of New Hope. Located along the Delaware River, New Hope
is clearly where the hippies from South Street relocated after gentrification of
the famous Philadelphia avenue took off in the 1980s. The quiet Main Street is
lined with antique shops, gourmet food artisans, and craftspeople. If you are
staying the night, The Mansion Inn is a perfect little B&B with a central
location for exploring Bucks County. Small, yet sophisticated, the inn is a four
star property with a lovely restaurant and garden terrace. And the rates? A very
reasonable $180-250/night USD, given the history of the building and its central
location. The restaurant is also a perfect location for a quiet summer dinner or
lunch on the beautiful patio. For lunch, try the baked brie with
strawberry-rhubarb compote as a starter. For a main, the Ahi tuna is a good
choice or the fresh chicken Waldorf salad, served as a tower atop their homemade
pita wedges. Little hint, the taste you will be raving about in the salad is
nutmeg, native to the region.
If you are starting a morning of exploring or simply looking for that little
boost of caffeine mid-afternoon, a trip to The Organic Coffee Bar (115 Main
Street) is a must. They offer freshly brewed fair-trade coffee to the locals and
tourists all year long. They make a great Americano with beans they import from
a fair trade roaster based in the Carolinas. The story of the owners of this
great little shop is as interesting as the assortment of coffee blends they
purvey. Rev. Edward J. Hower of the Church of Universal Light, a "church" of
healers and like-minded individuals, along with his wife Vanessa and their
friend John opened the shop in 2006. The trio met at Mercedes Benz where they
all worked for about nine years. Then, one day, they decided to cash in their
retirement plans and open an organic coffee bar in the heart of New Hope. Never
regretting it one bit, their decision to start a new life in this quaint town is
not unique. Everywhere you look, the shop owners, barkeeps and restaurateurs
have picked up their lives with a "new hope" of finding peace and fulfillment in
this idyllic town and county.
One simply needs to look across the street to see a similar story about starting
fresh. The recently opened Cupteavity is owned by two lovely new residents from
Belarus. They settled in New Hope and opened their unique tea house and retail
store in the heart of the village. The shop offers over 60 varieties of teas for
you to try on site as part of a tea tasting or take home with you. They create
their own unique blends and if you must try one or two, the Ice Wine or Maple
Green blends are certainly worth the trip. If you are new to tea, you may be
surprised that all of their tea is loose leaf. Don't fret, they also sell a
variety of tea accessories including tea pots and individual serving filters.
While New Hope is a great starting point, the entire Bucks County region offers
great adventures for foodies. Just south of New Hope is Washington Crossing
where in December 1776 it became the setting for General George Washington and
his troops as they prepared to cross the Delaware. The famous crossing and
storming of Trenton, New Jersey occurred on Christmas Day. Washington and the
Continental Army surprised the Hessians at what was considered to be a turning
point in the American War of Independence (or Revolution, depending on your
point of view). The town of Washington Crossing and nearby Washington Crossing
Historic Park were named after this historic event. The event also gave name to
one of the new wineries in the region, Crossing Vineyards.
Established in 2000 by the Carroll family, the vineyard is dedicated to creating
premium wines using the finest Pennsylvania grapes. They have 15 active acres
and are located less than a mile from Washington Crossing along Wrightstown
Road. While Pennsylvania would not make it to the list of most sommelier's
natural list of Chardonnay producing regions, it certainly deserves some
respect. In fact, their 2005 Crossing Vineyards Chardonnay won gold at the 2006
Starwine International Wine Competition. It is a crisp and refreshing wine with
hints of apple, suiting given the abundance of apple farms in the county. It is
certainly a pleasant surprise while conducting a tasting.
As you head south, you pass more fruit orchards and farm houses on your way to
Newtown, one of the many suburban settlements William Penn established in the
1680s as part of a rural farming community network to support bustling
Philadelphia. Today, Newtown is a great gateway town for exploring the Bucks
County region. If you are starting your tour from Philadelphia, the SEPTA
transit system provides a bus service into Newtown from their rail station to
the south of the county.
While in Newtown, check out State Street and its great collection of shops,
restaurants, and boutiques. The area is stunning and reflective of the typical
small-town American charm one comes to expect from the US Northeast. In 1969,
Newtown's entire central business district running along State Street, was
listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Whether it's a weekend getaway or a full life change decision, Bucks County is a
great place to explore. While you may want to call your realtor back home and
say "sell", be forewarned, average house prices in the county were $850,000 USD
last year. If this is a little out of your price range for a weekend retreat, a
cup of organic coffee, a date square, and a few hours of relaxing and people
watching will run you a reasonable $3.50 USD. This makes Bucks County a great
foodie getaway on any budget.
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