Today Monica and I took a drive through the beautiful rolling countryside of Buck’s County just north of Philadelphia. Mon had covered bridges in mind as there are a few in the area. So off we went fully prepared to “get lost” on the back roads.
Before we left Chestnut Hill, however, there was a church nearby our apartment that I was anxious to see… First Presbyterian Church in Germantown. We got there early and waited for the doors to open at 9am. We were welcomed inside by the very kind and cheerful receptionist, Ruth, who gave us a personal tour through the sanctuary. And there they were… several Tiffany windows that nicely shows off Tiffany’s method of layering the glass to produce a 3-D effect. The nativity window is particularly stunning although my camera couldn’t capture it without light wash. There are other non-Tiffany windows here as well, not to diminish them in any way. Also in the church are several murals by renowned artist Violet Oakley, the first American woman to receive a public mural commission in 1902. See Gallery/World Windows for all the photos of this church.
Next we headed northwest for Doylestown, supposedly a 30 minutes drive from our apartment. Well, this is where the “getting lost” began. Two hours later we found it (humph). Talk about runnung around in circles. Nevertheless, the drive through the farmlands was lovely. Dandelions in full bloom!
Continuing on, we happened upon Crossing Winery very near to the historic site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River. Monica had packed a beautiful lunch for later which begged for a bottle of cold Pinot Grigio and this winery had just the thing.
We carried on toward the historic crossing site where in December 1776, Washington and his men pushed across the ice-jammed river to take Trenton, New Jersey during the American Revolution (War of Independence). The site today is a national historic park with interpretive center, museum of artifacts, original dwellings that have been restored, and beautiful promenade along the river. Quite moving. Such history!
From there, we set off to get lost again looking for more bridges. We found a couple of them by accident as our GPS didn’t quite understand what we wanted. The drive through the wooded hills and valley was nothing short of spectacular. We saw the all the following trees in full bloom: Dogwood, Myrtle, Crabapple, Cherry, Lilac and Redbud and hugh rhododendrons almost ready to bloom. Traffic was very light and we were in cruising mode with windows down.
By 2:30, we were starving and looking for a suitable picnic spot when we happened upon Stover State Park on Tohickon Creek (feeds into the Delaware River). Monica spread lunch out on a picnic table and we enjoyed ham and cheese sandwiches, pasta salad, grapes and a glass of wine. I had just a small glass… Mon had the rest 🙂 As we ate, we watched woodpeckers flit among the trees, saw fishermen wading down the creek, and enjoyed the mild and calm peacefulness of this park. Very beautiful.
After lunch, we strolled the creek for a bit to enjoy the scenery and then carried on. There was one final stop into the town of New Hope where we walked across the Bridge over the Delaware, crossing the New Jersey/Pensylvania state line (the river is the border) to visit the town of Lambertville, NJ. We browsed some antique shops and then strolled back to New Hope to carry on home.
Here are the photo highlights of day 5 – Buck’s County PA
nellyglass studio 
4 replies on “5 – Buck’s County PA”
Loving following your adventures. What a beautiful day you had for sightseeing. And equally beautiful photos!
Thanks Mae. We are having a blast.
Not only were the windows in the Germantown church Spectacular, I was very impressed with Ruth’s story of what an integral part the church plays in the community.
Germantown was at one time noted as an upscale neighbourhood for Philadelphians, however it was obvious that has changed dramatically over the years.
The Church now offers an InnerCity Crisis centre as well as several programs for low income families and underprivileged children including a food bank, regular AA meetings, Music and after school programs…all managed by volunteers!
An exemplary model of what a Church should be in my opinion!
Yes, the windows are very beautiful. What stunning photos. Thanks Mon for sharing Ruth’s story of the community outreach of the church. I agree that it is a fantastic model of what a church should be. Setting a wonderful example to families.