A New Addition to Daily Vacation!

Sometimes when I travel outside of the Greater Philadelphia Area, I come across places to visit that I wish were closer so that I could tell you all about them.  Well, I decided to go ahead and write about them anyway.  Who knows - you may find yourself in the area of one of these places someday.

 

So, with that, we are excited to add yet another page to the Daily Vacation blog: Not So Local Destinations.  To kick off this new page, I decided to write about a fantastic used bookstore I recently came across in Northern New Jersey called Broad Street Books.  Enjoy!

 

http://dailyvacationblog.blogspot.com/2013/10/not-so-local-destination-broad-street.html

 

Not So Local Destination: Broad Street Books

Nestled in the center of Branchville, NJ within a beautiful historic building, the Broad Street Books used book shop breaths life and culture into a small town.  The building itself was built in 1914 as the "First National Bank of Branchville", and the original bank vault (sans door) can still be found inside.  From 1958 to 1973, the building was boarded up and used as a telephone switching station.  At that point, it changed hands between various lawyers before winding up in the possession of the DiStefanos, the current owners.  The building was even used as a filming location for the movie "The Poker Club." With a lot of time, effort, and love poured into the project, the DiStefanos have transformed the beautiful building into a peaceful book shop while maintaining the original historical architechture.

Just passing by Broad Street Books, one can't help but notice the beauty of the building.  A cart of books on sale remains out front on the sidewalk during open hours, while chairs and a table under a tree out front beckon to people to stop and sit and read awhile.  The front lobby of the building is breath-taking with its high ceiling and winding staircase up to a second floor balcony.

Inside the shop one can find books in just about any subject and genre, often discovering harder to find volumes among the shelves.  Each section in the store is clearly marked, but you will still find yourself browsing the whole store.  One of our favorite sections was "Local Authors" where you can find novels, short stories, and non-fiction works by residents of Branchville and the neighboring towns such as Keri L. Rand, the author of My Song and J.P. Grider, author of The Honor Trilogy.  One can definitely go a little crazy picking out books to purchase, but fortunately the prices all range from only $5 to $10 - and some of the children's books are even cheaper!

If there is a more specific book or cd that you are looking for, or if you simply do not live in the area, you can browse Broad Street Books' huge selection of items for sale on their online inventory.  The store in Branchville is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm from Monday thru Saturday.  Follow Broad Street Books on Facebook for store updates.

Broad Street Books
1 Mill Street • Branchville, NJ 07826

Phone : 862-268-5184

Broadstreetbooks@earthlink.net

www.broad-street-books.com/
 

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Autumn Fun Local Destinations!

The harvest season is at its peak and people are traveling all over to visit farms for some pumpkins, mazes, apple cider doughnuts, and festive fun.  To help make sure that you don't miss out, here are a few places in Greater Philadelphia that Daily Vacation recommends:



Gloucester County, New Jersey:

 

Duffields Farm in Sewell

 

Weekdays-

Haybale maze, pumpkins, farm animals,

farmers market, scarecrow museum

Weekends-

Corn maze, face painting, hayrides,

u-pick pumpkins, pony rides, live entertainment

 

 

Maugeri Farms in Swedesboro

 

Weekdays -

Farmers Market

Weekends -

Haybale maze, treasure hunt,

pumpkin decorating, hayrides, u-pick pumpkins

 

 

Creamy Acres in Mullica Hill

 

Weekdays and Weekends -

Farm animals, kiddie corn maze,

pumpkin picking, hayrides, farmers market

 

 

 

 

 

Delaware County, Pennsylvania:

 

Arasapha Farm in Glen Mills

 

Weekends -

U-pick pumpkins, corn maze. petting zoo, haybale maze

 

 

Linvilla Orchards in Media

 

Weekdays and Weekends -

Farmers market, Pumpkinland store, hayrides,

bonfires, farm animals, face painting, pony rides,

train rides, live entertainment, U-pick apples, apple sling

 

 

 

 

 

Local Destination: Brandywine Zoo

Located in the middle of the 180 acres that make up Brandywine Park in Wilmington, DE, the Brandywine Zoo has been Delaware's only zoo since 1905.  Here visitors will discover animals from all over North and South America, as well as temperate Asia.  The zoo is open 365 days a year from 10:00am to 4:00pm.  From May to September, admission is $5 for children from 3-17 and Seniors and $7 for adults.  From October to April, admission is $3 for children from 3-17 and Seniors and $5 for adults.  Members of the Brandywine Zoo (as well as members of the Philadelphia Zoo) and children under 3 are FREE.  Annual memberships for the Brandywine Zoo start at $35.  Parking is FREE.

This zoo is on the smaller side, but it certainly makes up for it with the quality of animals, the extensive amount of information available about the animals, and the jam-packed calendar of events with something for everyone.  When we first arrived at the Brandywine Zoo (after being overjoyed to discover that our Philadelphia Zoo membership got us in for free!), we came to the Andean Condor exhibit where we saw what looked to be a giant fake bird sitting right next to the front of the enclosure with its wings spread.  And then it moved!  Definitely real!  Another of our favorites was the Amur Tiger.  Apparently in heat, the poor girl was stalking the enclosure and making wild sounds, giving us all a great show.  We was also delighted to discover a Capybara back near the picnic area.  And of course, we can't fail to mention the little pygmy goats in the petting zoo enclosure.  There were also llamas, otters, tropical birds, leopards, and much more.  The zoo website has a full list and description of each of the over 150 animals.

 

Each exhibit in the Brandywine Zoo is displayed with all kinds of facts and eduational information about the animals inside.  The zoo also offers FREE audio tours with a separate audio tour for adults and kids and FREE tours and talks from the zookeepers.  They also host educational programs, discovery tours, and summer camps for all ages. 

The Brandywine Zoo's calendar is full of events all year round for every age and interest.  For kids there are camps during the summer and school holidays, Breakfast with Santa in December, and both the TodZOOlers and Pre-K Program and Baby and Me.    For everyone, there is the Art in the Ark Program, Boo at the Zoo in October, a New Year's Eve Celebration, ZooFiesta, and much more.  Continue to check the Calendar of Events for seasonal programs and events.  You can also follow the Brandywine Zoo on Facebook for event announcements.

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More Photos from Daily Vacationer.

A Walk on the Wild Side

#DVZooTour

Brandywine Zoo

Calendar of Events

Zoo Membership

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The Brandywine Zoo

1001 North Park Drive

Brandywine Park

Wilmington, Delaware 19802

www.brandywinezoo.org

Phone: (302) 571-7747

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Local Destination: The Scott Arboretum

Since 1929, the Scott Arboretum has been thrilling visitors with its 300 acres of breath-taking gardens, landscapes, and art which include over 4,000 different kinds of plants.  The Arboretum is uniquely located on the grounds of the private institution of Swarthmore College, and it was orginally built as a living memorial to Arthur Hoyt Scott from the class of 1895.  The Arboretum is supported in part by the membership group, the Associates of the Scott Arboretum, keeping admission free to the public.

Visitors are welcome the hours from dawn to dusk daily all year round.  Parking is available to the public at the Wister Education Center and Greenhouse off of College Ave.  After you have parked,  make sure you make a stop into the sustainable-designed Wister Center or the Arboretum Offices and pick up some maps and information to help you find your way.  We highly recommend the Intro Tour brochure for its comprehensive map for visitors who are not familiar with the campus.

At this point you can step outside and head literally right into the Arboretum.  The entire campus is included, so don't worry if you feel a little lost sometimes.  Swarthmore College is a handicapped accessible institution, so the Arboretum can be navigated with a wheelchair or stroller.  If you do manage to get yourself lost (as we did many times), just stop any of the friendly looking people (students, staff, gardeners, joggers, dog walkers, etc) for help, and you will soon be on your way again.

The Arboretum is home to 15 separate gardens and 10 permanent installations of art.  All of them are beautiful in their own ways, but four locations really stuck out to me personally during my visit.  One of the first places we stopped was the Dean Bond Rose Garden up the road from the Wister Center, drawn by the iron gates at its entrance.  Another area we really loved was the Magill Walk.  Leading to Parrish Hall, Magill Walk is hard to miss, flanked by giant oak trees.  Everytime we thought we were really, really lost, we would come around a tree or building and spot those rows of oaks and suddenly know exactly where we were on the map.  Near the tennis courts, we came across a giant tree stump that I just had to stop and take a picture of.  After consulting the Art in the Garden brochure we had picked up with everything else we could find in the Wister Center, we discovered the stump was actually a 350 year old Bender Oak and a temporary exhibit carved by local artist, Marty Long (temporary because it is natural and will eventually "return to the soil" as the brochure says).

Our hands-down, number one location at the Arboretum was the Scott Outdoor Amphitheater.  Located near the Lang Performing Arts Center, it is an incredible marriage of nature and structure.  The air seems to stand still and the trees take on an ancient mystical quality - as if Puck (A Midsummer Night's Dream) or Bilbo Baggins (The Hobbit) were going to step out from the woods at any moment.  Really. Go see for youserlf.

The Arboretum hosts various events throughout the year including free programs, lectures, and tours, festivals and holiday celebrations, excursions, and special events. Visit their website for a the full calendar and event descriptions.  Membership to the Arboretum is also available for discounts on events and classes, as well as a discount at certain local gardens and nurseries.

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Scott Arboretum

Calendar of Events

Membership

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Did You Know...? The Newest Page on Daily Vacation

Daily Vacation is excited to announce the development of a new page on the blog website!  I discover a lot of tidbits and information that don't seem to belong on any of the pages that I already have.  Even though they get posted and shared on the Daily Vacation Facebook Page, I wanted to put them some place more permanent, so readers and followers would be able to find them all year long.



 

Did You Know . . . ? is designed to call attention to information on both the local and national scale that might be useful to readers.  Check it out and enjoy!

 

Be sure to post any Did You Know . . .? type tidbits you come across

on our Facebook Page,so we can add them to the list!

Local Destination: Duffields Farm Market

 

If you are looking for some seasonal fun on the farm (no matter what the season), then look no further than Duffield's Farm Market in Sewell, NJ.  Located on the corner of Greentree and Chapel Heights, Duffield's is a beautiful farm with one of the best year-round farmer's markets we have ever been to.  The market itself is open every Monday-Saturday (closed on Sundays) from 9:00am-7:00pm and sells fresh fruits and vegetables all year long as well as locally grown fresh produce seasonal.  Inside the market is also a deli with an amazing variety of meats and salads and a phenomenal bakery located in the back. You can watch the fresh apple cider doughnuts being made right in front of you, and for only 75 cents per doughnut, you're going to have to try one!

Duffields hosts a huge variety of activities and events right outside the market all year long. You can Pick Your Own fruits and vegetables depending on the season.  Hayrides go out in Spring the two weeks before Easter, all during the Apple and Pumpkin Harvest from August to November, and then again in December for the holidays.  Near the Chapel Heights entrance to the property, visitors can view and feed a variety of farm animals (feed can be purchased in the Farm Market for 50 cents).  Duffields also hosts a full Calendar of Events all year long including their amazing PumpkinLand Festival from Sept 20th-Oct 31st.  Check their website to see what is going on in the current month.  You can also follow them on Facebook for more up to the minute event announcements.

Duffields Farm Market is a great place to host a birthday party (in the Spring or Fall) or a destination for an educational school trip.  Their birthday packages usually sell out quickly, so book your reservation well in advance.  School trip packages include hands on activities and are designed to meet NJ core curriculum standards.

Greentree and Chapel Heights Rd

Sewell, NJ 08080

(856)5897090

www.duffieldsfarm.org

(Visit the Links Page to see what is in season)