I’ve been writing about all the activities in the Brandywine Valley and in nearby Philadelphia, which is only a short 30 minute drive from Hamanassett.  Today I’ll tell you about a really neat trip that is about an hour’s drive east of us.   My husband and I made the drive over to Strasburg, Pa. about 6 months ago to go through the train museum and it was fascinating.   This article is compliments of  Gregory Coin who writes for Wilmington Tourisn Examiner.

Great day trip: Strasburg, Pennsylvania IS Traintown USA!

Learning in Motion educational program at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

Photo: Photo from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania

If you or your family like trains, Strasburg, Pennsylvania needs to be your very next whistle stop – and it’s less than hour drive from Hamanassett in Lancaster County!  Just follow Route 1 south from Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast and then take Route 41 north, and turn left on Route 741/Strasburg Road.  There is a huge clock tower by this intersection.   (If you get to Route 30, you’ve gone too far!).

It all starts with the massive Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, a world-class transportation museum with everything you (or anyone else on earth) ever wanted to know about trains. The museum houses well over a hundred vintage locomotives and rail cars dating back to the early 19th century. There’s a wonderful education center in a late Victorian period freight station on “Platform One” of Rolling Stock Hall, as well. There’s a huge model train layout. And don’t miss the exhibit of trains in classic movies, or the watercolor paintings and photographs of trains. You can even hear songs about trains – lots of them! And last but certainly not least, their Museum Store is fabulous. If it’s about trains, they’ve got it.  Just up the road from the train museum are two huge antique malls. 

Once you’ve immersed yourself in railroad history at the Museum, the next step is surely a ride on the historic Strasburg Railroad right across the street. Take the whole family through Amish Country on a coal-burning steam train. Ride the the minature Cagney Steam Train; operate a hand-powered Pump Car or watch the kids “steer” the pint-sized Cranky Car. And be sure to visit the Strasburg Railroad Shops, including the Thomas™ Toy Store. Plan ahead so you can enjoy lunch or dinner onboard or the Railroad’s popular Wine & Cheese Train. For a less “moving” experience grab a bite at their Trackside Café.

Don’t you just love all of the train lingo in Strasburg? Your next stop — especially if your party includes children — should be the Choo Choo Barn. It’s Lancaster County captured in miniature, featuring more than 140 animated figures and vehicles and 18 operating trains. From the baseball game to the circus, from the zoo to the operating quarry, from the Amish barn-raising to Dutch Wonderland and the Strasburg Rail Road, it’s a truly comprehensive overview of the region. They guarantee you’ve never seen anything like the Choo Choo Barn and I bet they’re right! Admission is just $6 for adults (13 and up) and $4 for kids but Choo Choo Barn is closed from January 5 to March 6, so you better hurry!

Now that you’ve experienced the hustle and bustle of the locomotive world, you might want to end your day with a calmer form of transportation. Consider a uniquely relaxing journey through Amish County in an authentic Amish buggy. Ed’s Buggy Rides offers a three-mile tour through the back roads of Lancaster County where Amish families work and play on some of Pennsylvania’s most picturesque landscapes. You’ll even visit an actual working Amish farm where you can purchase the real thing in Amish foods and craftwork.

Of course, no visit to Strasburg would be complete without dinner at the – what else – Iron Horse Inn. The Hotel Strasburg and Conestoga Transportation Waiting Room, as it was originally known, has been serving up great food and fine spirits for more than 100 years. In the spring, summer and fall you can dine on their porch to the unique “clip clop” pulse of horse drawn Amish buggies on Main Street.

And just in case you don’t have an entire day, you can drive south from Hamanassett 30 minutes into  Wilmington, De. which has it’s own steam-powered attractions, the Wilmington & Western Railroad and the Marshall Steam Car Museum at Auburn Heights.

June 5, 2010 – January 2, 2011 Cleopatra – The Search for the Last Queen of Eqypt

The world of Cleopatra, which has been lost to the sea and sand for nearly 2,000 years, surfaces in this new exhibition, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, making its world premiere at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Organized by National Geographic and Arts and Exhibitions International, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM), the exhibition features never before seen artifacts, and takes visitors inside the present-day search for Cleopatra, which extends from the sands of Egypt to the depths of the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria.  For more information check out the information on Hamanassett’s Activity Page – Not To Be Missed.

What a great way to ease into fall.  Get ready for an evening of oohs and aahs as Longwood Gardens presents spectacular fireworks and fountains shows guaranteed to make your summer memorable.   There are only two left this season so don’t wait.  Come for a visit at Hamanassett Bed and Breakfast which is only a 15-20 minute drive from the gardens.  The last two shows promise to be memorable.  Ausut 14, 2010 will feature The Beatles.  Relive the British Invation and celebrate one of the most popular groups of all time.

September 5 is the Gershwin Gala.  Enjoy the unforgettable works of George Gershwin come to life including selections from An American in Paris, Porgy & Bess, and Rhapsody in Blue.   If you haven’t been to the Brandywine Valley or haven’t been recently, there are a multitude of attractions for you to enjoy in addition to Longwood Gardens.  There is Winterthur, a DuPont Country Estate, the Brandywine River Museum (home of 3 generations of Wyeths plus other celebrated Brandywine Valley artists) the Barnes Museum, Hagley and lots of antique shops.  All are within a 15-40 minute drive from Hamanassett.

Sophie, daughter of E. I. du Pont, was raised at Hagley and wrote and sketched about her life there from 1823, when she was thirteen years old, to 1833, when she was a woman of twenty-three.  What is known of her comes from her writings and her childhood collections, which share young Sophie’s love of the natural world around her.  Sophie, along with her brothers and her sisters, was encouraged to appreciate the world of nature around her and to seize every opportunity to increase her knowledge of it.  From this passion, instilled in the children by their father, the entire du Pont family started the tradition of the May Day walk.

“On those rare afternoons when her Papa was home and had finished work for the day, he and her Mama took the children to walk by the riverbank – identifying and talking about the plants, rocks, and trees as they went.  The first of May was one of the most exciting days of the year, when family tradition decreed a search for the flowers of spring, and all the inhabitants took part in the expedition,” notes Hagley Director Geoff Halfpenny.

In keeping with this tradion, members and visitors are invited to join them on the first Hagley May Day Walk to celebrate spring.  The walk is free to members, $5 for not-yet members.  Hagley is a short 25 minute drive from Hamanassett,  our Brandywine Valley Bed and Breakfast.   For more information call 302-658-2400

So often when we answer the phone this is the first question we hear.  Our heart sinks a little because we know we are not the least expensive bed and breakfast in the area.  In fact, we are one of the higher priced but for a reason.   So we try to find out what is bringing them to the area, what are they looking for in a room.  We quote our room rate and then tell them about our wonderful breakfasts (New York Times stated, “”The elaborate breakfasts are a highlight.”).  If you could even find a restaurant that serves breakfast like ours in the Brandywine Valley (and you won’t!) it would cost you at least $20.00 plus tax and gratuity.  Ours is part of the room rate.  We mention all our special amenities, our fresh baked cookies we put out each afternoon, complimentary port and sherry, free safe off street parking, free WIFI, free guest pantry with snacks and drinks, the list goes on and on.  But if someone is looking at just the bottom line, this long list somehow doesn’t seem to influence them.  Not when they have called a hotel and been quoted a rate $30-50 less per night.

Problem with the hotel quotes, is they aren’t telling the guest about all the hidden costs.  We innkeepers are well aware of how hotels are going the way of airlines and charging for everything.  Want bottled water”  Thank you, that will be $8.00.    Want to use your computer in your room?  Another $10-15 a day.   And check your bill when you check out.  Last time I was in a hotel (for a Professional Association of International Innkeepers conference) an additional $8.00 per day had been added to the bill for the exercise room.  Not only did I not use it, I didn’t even know that had one.  After some arguements with the desk clerk I was able to get 4 days of hidden fees taken off my bill.

To the rescue is Marti Mayne of Maynely Marketing (www.maynelymarketing.com) who recently did a comparison and wrote an article for Examiner.com entitled “Those pesky hotel fees:  a comparison of Boson hotels and B and Bs.”  In her article she quotes David Wilkening, a leading writer for www.Travelmole.com who warned travelers to expect more fees when visiting hotels this year.  In his article he stated that hoteliers will become more aggressive in collecting fees and surcharges this year. I found the amount of fees collected by hotels staggering — one billion dollars in collected fees and surcharges by US hotel companies last year and he is predicting an increase over that in 2010.

Based on this Marti did some comparison shopping between B&Bs and hotels in the Boston area.  Her results show that clearly B&Bs are a far better value.   Marti stated,  ”The B&B savings add up to as much as $150 per day. Add on the extras from Boston’s B&Bs like complimentary snacks and beverages (which will run you upwards of $10-$15 from a hotel mini-bar), complimentary DVDs and movie libraries and it translates into a savings of as much as $175 per day. Consider that most people take a two-day getaway to Boston, and we’re looking at a $325 savings by staying at a B&B.  Clearly for today’s thrifty traveler, more than a $300 savings makes the B&B choice a winner. ”  Certainly the Boston area is more expensive than our beautiful Brandywine Valley, but the value of a B&B over a hotel is still the same.   To see Marti’s complete article, go to http://www.examiner.com/x-18652-Boston-Bed–Breakfast-Examiner~y2010m3d21-Those-pesky-hotel-fees-a-comparison-of-Boston-hotels-and-B-and-Bs?cid=examiner-email.  She even has a succinct box with comparisons of hotels vs. B&Bs for those of you who are accustomed to reading USAToday.  And next time y’all are thinking of getting away, hope you’ll think of the Brandywine Valley which is just 30 minutes from Philadelphia and a pleasant hour drive from Lancaster County and Amish Country.

Looking for something new to do in the spring?  On Saturday, May 1, 2010 Chester Heights Historical Society will celebrate its first annual Country Fair with fun, food, historical displays, a live auction and much, much more.  There will be local artists, local produce, colonial demonstrations by the Bethel Township Historical Society, and a visit by the Plankhouse Crew Pirates from Marcus Hook.  Chester Heights will be celebrating their rich history  as well as exploring the historical significance of the areas of  Wawa, Logtown, and the surrounding communities of Aston, Bethel, Concord and Marcus Hook. 

The day will kick off at 11:00 am with a live auction by the 4th generation auctioneers, Wilson’s Auctioneers.  Visitors can tour the Chester Heights Camp Meeting grounds, which dates back to 1870 and is on the National Register for Historic Places.   This is a treat because the Campground is only open for during a few times a year.   There will be historical displays featuring Friends of Old Saint Thomas, Pennsylvania’s first parish founded in the 1720s and Logtown Revolutionary War history.  Many other historical sites in Chester Heights will be represented or available for tours.

You can look forward to old fashion food items and local cuisine as well as local artists and artisans.    So much to see and do in such a small burrough.   Rain date is May 8, 2010.  Plan your visit early or if you are local mark your calendar for a fun day.