Things to do around Philadelphia with a car

Take a day trip to http://www.visitnewhope.com/. It's an artsy type of place with fun little shops and a trip there is a rite of passage for Philly drivers. Take a day trip to Lahaska, PA and see http://www.peddlersvillage.com/ for some quaint shopping and dining. It's almost a requirement that a Philly person visit Camden-By-The-Sea http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/! Just a straight one hour shot down the AC expressway. Enjoy an oasis away from the city in lovely http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/nockamixon/ in historic Quakertown, PA. Honor those who served with a visit to the http://www.wingsoffreedommuseum.org/ in Horsham, PA. Make sure to see the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_F2Y_Sea_Dart, one of only four examples of the this jet-powered sea plane fighter in existence today.

The Fairmount Park System in Philadelphia offers a variety of locales for hiking and enjoying the sometimes hidden beauty of our fair city. Take for instance Valley Green or Forbidden Drive. Both are accessible by car and offer simple hikes in a lovely surrounding. The http://www.mercermuseum.org is in Doylestown and is fun for an afternoon trip.

Try lovely Phoenixville, PA, the revived steel town with a cool downtown. Check out the amazing handmade objects at the Diving Cat, grab a bite at the Black Lab, then catch some music at the Steel City Coffee House or at the Colonial Theater where the movie The Blob was filmed. Special fun this December for the Firebird Festival where they build a 30-ft wooden Phoenix then set it on fire.

I would definitely head to http://doylestownalive.com/index.htm. It's an easy drive (also an easy train ride). The downtown area is lovely, and there's the http://www.mercermuseum.org/ (as well as the Fonthill) and the http://www.michenermuseum.org/ across the street. Continue just a little further towards New Jersey to http://www.visitnewhope.com/. Another nice little town and a good arts scene. Maybe see what the show is at the http://www.bcptheater.org/. Then cross the river into http://www.lambertville.org/ for more arts, antiques shops, and beautiful views. Weekends are good (while it's still warm) because there are a lot of outdoor markets and flea markets like the http://gnflea.com/.

Wouldn't want to forget the First State. For example, http://www.dogfish.com/community/tours/index.htm in Milton, Delaware. Nearby you can explore Lewes, or http://destateparks.com/camping/cape-henlopen/index.asp near the beach (except for the rain one time, I had a great time camping there). Otherwise, yet more votes for Wissahickon Park, Longwood Gardens, Doylestown, and New Hope.

Definitely Brandywine and the country around West Chester - it's Wyeth country. Go to the http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/ and then everything you see will look like paintings. http://www.tylerarboretum.org/ and http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/ridleycreek/ are also beautiful and have many walking trails etc. Tyler has a Butterfly House too. I will also add my vote to Longwood Gardens, Winterthur and Valley Forge, and enthusiastically recommend Fonthill/Mercer Museum. That place haunts my dreams sometimes, in a good way. It's unbelievably atmospheric and I remember they used to do special events in the evenings as the autumn/holiday season wore on. Go in the day definitely, but it has its own special magic at night. Just http://mserfass.smugmug.com/Architecture/Stone-Concrete-Castles-and/Fonthill-Castle-Interior/! And thank you, I am now thoroughly nostalgic for PA. Sigh.

If you like gardens or relaxing and sitting in gardens, http://www.chanticleergarden.org/ is in https://www.google.com/maps/place/786+Church+Rd,+Wayne,+PA+19087/@40.0301341,-75.3907355,11z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c694d5768d50b7:0xb1a20f94f737a9bb. I think that it is one of the best gardens I've ever seen. And, while this may sound silly, they have a lot of nice chairs to sit in and enjoy the gardens. Head out there with a book or two, or the Sunday paper and spend some time. Or just take a walk around. I've always wanted to go to the Mercer Museum or Fonthill, but never quite managed to get there. If either of you are runners, http://www.nps.gov/vafo/index.htm has a really nice five mile trail through the park that is a lot of fun to run - I haven't run there in years, so it may be more crowded now, so YMMV (well, no, your mileage would still be five miles but ...).

Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill

http://www.renningers.net/index.php/main-locations/kutztown/kutztown-home! Also Hershey, PA is pretty close and a fun day trip