For Lockharts, must-do holiday happiness always included Christmas brunch in the Hotel Du Pont's magnificent Green Room, a Lockhart tradition since 1969 (almost 50 years!). Wilmington, DE is a bit of a drive & the steep price might seem off-putting, but trust us - the unforgettable experience & forever memories are worth the time & money!
If you can't wangle reservations this Christmas season, splurge & go in the depths of the winter when you need something truly special to brighten your days.
After brunch, do as we did & meander your way up Rt. 52 (Kennett Pike), turning right onto Montchanin Road - aka the Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, a glorious ride all the way up to West Chester.
Don't mess up like I have in the past - when Rt 100 crosses Adams Dam Road, turn LEFT. If you continue straight, the road becomes Thompsons Bridge Road (Rt 92), a mistake I've made more times than I care to admit!
So many happy memories of wandering up Rt 100 - with Mom & Dad & Mim, with Mom & Mim & Margaret, with Mom & my John, with just my sweet Keet. A great ramble at any time of year, I love it best in the snow.
At Rt 1 (Baltimore Pike), turn left then almost immediately right, back onto Rt. 100, which parallels the Brandywine. Up up up - if you go across the Brandywine, you've made a wrong turn! - until you pass Brandywine Picnic Park on your left, where Rt 100 blends into Rt 52, which parallels Plum Run. Heads up, when you go past Young's Garage on your right - you're getting close to a perfect place to stretch your legs.
Baldwin Book Barn, a mecca for lovers of "antiquarian, rare & fine books." We can never resist a stop - just the building itself is worth a visit, built in 1822 & filled with cozy corners, welcoming nooks, friendly folks & filled with books, maps & prints.
You're homeward bound, with pre-Revolutionary War West Chester just minutes up the road - Rt. 52 to Market Street, taking a right onto Rt 3. Now comes decision time - take the fast route home, heading north on Rt 202, or opt to continue your meander?
We'd meander! Rt 3 to East Strasburg Road, with lovely stretches of fields & gently rolling hills, which as Goshen Road intersects with Rt. 252, where you turn left, heading north once again. You can tag up with Rt. 202, head right along Lancaster Ave/Rt 30, or plot out your own back roads return.
Farewell, Brandywine Valley - may your holidays be as merry & bright as you've made mine through the years!
post script - John & I always make one last stop. If it's not a Sunday, it would be at Reader's Forum, a fabulously funky book store in Wayne that I've been enjoying since what feels like forever. The owner can be a bit of a grump, but that adds to the charm!
Alas, they're closed on Sundays, so off we'll go to the Barnes & Noble in Devon, just off Rt. 202, which we arrive at via back roads & return home along country lanes rather than the huge mega lane highway! Or, if we are doing the zip zip route home, it would be B&N in Plymouth Meeting, our favorite now that B&N/Jenkintown is only a wistful memory!
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