Sensational 24-Hour Trip

How Cliche!

Fountains, and flowers, and trees, oh my! Such was my expression as I meandered through two former Du Pont estates that blew my senses away – Longwood Gardens and Winterthur. If I had only one word to describe my 24 hours in Brandywine Valley where Southern Chester County, PA meets Northern Delaware, it would be “OhMyGod!” And, to make this trip all the more memorable, I spent it with my very sense savvy mother, Elaine, and my sister, Ellen. It was a fabulous all-girls’ getaway, but this excursion is equally suited for singles, couples, and families alike.

Learning about each of these glorious Du Pont estates and their wealthy heirs is like a history lesson in alphabet soup as each prominent member of the Du Pont family was often referred to by just his first and middle initials. There was P.S.; H.F.; A.I; S.F., H.A.; E.I., and on it goes. It kind of makes you want to sing “Old McDuPont Had a Farm, E.I., E.I. O.” But seriously folks, the Du Pont family gave us much to be thankful for…magnificent country estates, ornate gardens, fine collections of American antiques, and a legacy of industrial heritage.

While I’m going to share the highlights of this particular sense savvy trip, the main point I want to convey is that sensational vacations await you within a short distance from your home. At just 100 miles from my house, this getaway qualifies as a “staycation” for me. I’ve traveled quite a bit domestically and abroad, and these attractions stand up to some of the most beautiful places on Earth that I’ve seen. While I really hope that you can visit Longwood and Winterthur, my purpose is to inspire you to take advantage of the sensory delights that await you at local arboretums, museums, parks, and natural preserves just over the river and through the woods from your home.

Day 1 (half day) – Longwood Gardens:

We arrived at Longwood Gardens at noon, and departed the grounds at 10:30pm through the gift shop with a hole burning in our wallet and the doors slamming behind us. You could easily spend a couple of days at Longwood’s 1,000+ acres, but all you really need to soak up its spectacular sights is a half a day and a whole lot of stamina. This is just a snip-it of the Sense Savvy stuff you’ll encounter at Longwood:

1. Head out toward the Northeast corner of the property to hike the 1-mile loop around the Meadow where you’ll be greeted by a great open sky, wildflowers, and field-dwelling creatures of all kinds, especially butterflies and birds.

Treehugging at Lookout Loft

2. Next, make your way to the Lookout Loft, one of Longwood’s three fantastic Treehouses, also known as Nature’s Castles. The allure of the grand Loft is its open rooftops, girthy tree-trunk pillars, and beehive centerpiece. Put your ear up to the Lucite hive, and feel yourself vibrate along with the buzzy melody.

3. Take a stroll down the rolling hill to the Italian Water Garden, and you’ll think you’ve just arrived in Florence. The running waters could lull you into a trance, but the striking beauty of the sculptures will shock you back to consciousness.

4. Drift away from “Italy”, and make your way up the Hillside Garden to the Eye of Water, an extraordinary circular fountain which appears to “cry” gallons of tears its “eyeball”. You have to you to see it to believe it.

Ellen, Me, and Mom in the Idea Garden

5. While each garden is magnificent, my personal favorite is the Idea Garden, which is dressed up each season in Mother Nature’s palette. This summer offered bold and vibrant splashes of colorful flowers as well as a delicious-looking vegetable garden that Peter Rabbit would be proud of.

6. Rest for a moment with your Ideas, then venture into the Conservatory - a mini-Universe unto itself. Amongst the many greenhouse environments, you’ll travel to a rainforest, trek through an arid desert, daydream in an orchid-lovers paradise, and voyage into a two-story hall of distinct and towering palm trees – you’ll think you’ve dropped on to the set of Jurassic Park.

7. Making the Conservatory extra Sense Savvy throughout this fall is the exhibit “Making Scents – The Art and Passion of Fragrance”. Prior to your tour, pick up your Scent Seekers journal from the gift shop, and throughout the Conservatory, look for 10 scent adventures where you’ll “meet” a professional from a different time and place. Learn how they used their nose everyday – Explorer, Pharaoh, Rose Rustler, Perfumer, Chemist, Biologist, and more! Sniffing along the way, evoke your own memories of place, emotion, food and taste.

8. Once you’ve earned your Certified Nose, depart the Conservatory out to the Waterlily Display. Prepare yourself to be tickled pink by colorful poufs of flora sprouting from the pond in between the pads. And, if can stay at Longwood beyond sunset, go back to the pond again to delight in the night-blooming tropical water lilies. It is so cool!  See the picture at the end of the blog.

Chorizo Slider w/ Tomato Gazpacho

9. After hours of trekking, you’ll undoubtedly work up an appetite deserving of the fabulous fare at 1906 Restaurant on the Longwood grounds. Be sure to call ahead for a reservation, especially if they’re featuring a special dining experience like the one we had. In conjunction with the Making Scents exhibit, Longwood has created Fragrant Fridays, in which you can see, touch, taste, learn and smell everything about one popular fragrance each month through November 2010. Our Friday featured “Spice”, and our dinner menu was entitled “Full-Bodied Flavors” designed by Chef Thomas McMullen. We indulged in a delectable six-course meal, perfectly paired with wines from the Benziger Family Winery. Erinn Benziger Weiswasser, the eldest of the third generation to work at the winery, introduced each wine along with each dish, which included the appetizer pictured above, Tea Smoked Diver Sea Scallops; Frisee, Chanterelle & Corn Salad with Huitlacoche Vinaigrette; and Harissa Scented Kobe Sirloin Steak. I admit that I had to look up several of the ingredients in the dictionary, only to find out that “huitlacoche” is corn fungus. And guess what…it was the tastiest fungus I’ve ever had! But then again, after six glasses of wine, any fungus will taste good!

10. Last, but not least, run off your meal on the way to the Musical Illuminated Fountain Show held on summer weekend evenings at the Main Fountain Garden, featuring classical, patriotic, and popular music. The theme of our evening was “A Night at the Movies”, and for thirty fabulous minutes, we enjoyed vivid jets of colorful water dancing through the air to the soundtracks of Superman, The Empire Strikes Back, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Star Wars.  And, that was the perfect end to the most perfect day as my sister and I felt like Superheroes for taking our mother on such a tremendous trip.

Night-blooming Water Lily

Stay tuned for the second have of our Sensational 24-hour Trip...Day 2 at Winterthur…coming soon!