The Delaware Valley is the metropolitan area centered on the city of Philadelphia, the region's major commercial, cultural, and industrial center. The term is derived from the Delaware River, which flows through the area.  The Delaware Valley is composed of several counties in southeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey, one county in northern Delaware and one county in northeastern Maryland. The area has a population of nearly 6 million people fifth largest metro area of the United States. The region’s international airport is a major airline hub and has daily flights to major European cities while it’s excellent road and rail network make it the perfect location for a vacation or business trip to the Middle Atlantic States.

Philadelphia – where America began!

History was made here. Among the many sights to take in when visiting the first capital of the United States: the Liberty Bell Center which houses the American Revolution’s defining symbol, the site of the meetings of Congress and the Constitutional Convention at the City Tavern in the Old City as well as Carpenters Hall where delegates met in 1774 to speak out against the King. In Declaration House, visitors can see where Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence and Independence Hall where it was eventually signed.

Places to Visit. A culturally rich and diverse city, Philadelphia is home to museums covering everything from natural sciences to African American history, science, archaeology and anthropology. Children will enjoy a day at the "Please Touch" Museum. Explore Christ Church Burial Ground. Dating from 1695, the cemetery is the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin. For a sightseeing tour with a difference, take a splash in the Delaware River and Ride the Ducks. There are also several wonderful gardens and arboretums to visit here. A visit to the Battleship USS New Jersey is worth a trip. Do not miss a trip to Valley Forge National Historic Park, site of the famous battle of 1777/78. For children: "Once upon a Nation" tour to this historic area.

Delaware County was created on September 26, 1789 and is named for the Delaware River. Its county seat, since 1851, is Media. This diamond- or kite -shaped county has a total area of 191 square miles (494 km²).

Itineraries in Delaware County - If you are visiting us for the first time consider  3 or 7 night itineraries that  will help you explore the arts, culture, history and nature in this territory. Here are some suggestions organized  by themes:

Art and History - American Helicopter Museum – one of the few helicopter museums in the country –also an education center. Call for dates of air tours, and more. Brandywine River Museum – Explore this Historic Grist Mill showcasing the art and studios of 3 generations of Wyeths and other top American artists. Brandywine Battlefield – home of one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War. See Washington’s Headquarters, Troop encampments and more. PA Veterans Museum and Trolley Ride through Downtown Media – see hundreds of artifacts, uniforms and living history replicas from every war. John Chads House – 1725 farmer’s home for whom Chadds Ford was named! Barns Brinton House – Early tavern authentically restored as a living history museum.

Chester City is the site of the original ‘Penn’s Landing’ when he came from England to claim his land grant for “Pennsylvania”. The  1724 Chester City Courthouse  is an amazing structure and home of many of our nation’s greatest debates and court sessions. It is the oldest building in continuous use in the United States. Call for visitation times. Next door is The Delaware County Historical Society Museum, Research Library and Archives – a unique place, not to be missed. Dozens of unusual artifacts including an Abraham Lincoln Campaign Banner. Just around the corner in Upland is the Caleb Pusey House & Landingford Plantation – the 1683 home of William Penn’s miller plus an 18th century log house and 19th century schoolhouse museum.

On to Norwood,  Broomall and Newtown Square. The Morton Morton House is a restored, nationally registered Georgian-style farmhouse built in 1750 by the grandson of the Swedish settler Morton Mortonsen, and cousin of John Morton, an original signer of the Declaration of Independence. The 1696 Thomas Massey House is in Broomall, and is a late 17th century English vernacular farmhouse built by a former indentured servant. In nearby Newtown Square is the 1842 Octagonal School House – one room, 18th century stone schoolhouse, period furnishings. The 1711 Newtown Square Friends Meeting House and the 1860 Bartram Bridge is the last remaining covered bridge in Delaware County. It spans the Crum Creek and connects with Chester County. Built by Ferdinand Wood.

Food & Wine - Wineries: Chaddsford award-winning vineyard. Shopping - Explore the quaint town of West Chester bursting at the seams with restaurants, gift shops, art galleries, and cheerful bars and pubs. The Shops at Brinton Lakes are upscale stores for kids and adults. Olde Ridge Village is a quaint village of specialty stores for beading, scrapbooking, beer and wine making.

Sports & Outdoors - US Hot Air Balloon Team For year-round pleasure and adventure take a hot air balloon ride – flights daily. Sailing on the Delaware River. In the winter visit IceWorks – four skating rinks plus game rooms, pro shop, restaurants – with public skating times, hockey tournaments to watch and more! It is also the training center for recent Olympic and World Medal winning figure skaters! Professional men’s and women’s soccer matches at state of the art PPL Stadium. Family canoe, kayak or tubing trip on the historic Brandywine River.
Entertainment -  Harrah's – enjoy slots (with other games to come), plus horse racing, four fabulous restaurants and a variety of musical and comedy shows throughout the year. The Media Theater, Upper Darby Performing Arts Center, People’s Light and Theater, Hedgerow Theater, Darlington Arts Center or take in a musical show at Rose Tree Park during its Free Summer Concert Programs. The Players Club of Swarthmore, 300 seat community theater producing 7 shows a season. People’s Light and Theatre Company – Professional theatre producing a mix of classics, contemporary works and world premiers plus a TARGET Family Discovery Series for the whole family. Or…catch a movie at the historic Anthony Wayne Theater in the heart of the downtown Wayne Shopping District.

Garden Tours - Nemours Mansion & Gardens – Just received a dazzling renovation by world class architects, gardeners, engineers and craftsmen, restoring this premier North American estate to its turn of the century magnificence…a stunning place of history, elegance, rare antiquities and blissful gardens. Longwood Gardens – A half day is barely enough time to explore 1,050 acres and 20 indoor gardens featuring exquisite flowers, ancient trees, opulent architecture, fountains, exotics and more. Hours are 9 to 5, but the garden often stays open later to feature early evening music and lighted fountain entertainment (skating shows in the winter). Tyler Arboretum – See collections of native, ornamental, and rare trees, plus natural areas and restored buildings…20 miles of hiking trails. Lots of activities, hikes and events are planned for ages 3 to adulthood. Call us for a list of happenings during your visit. Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College with 110 acres of 5,000 different ornamental plants and walking trails on one of the most prestigious campuses in the state. The surrounding town is also unique, full of interesting small retail stores for browsing.

Chanticleer – You will adore this 35 acre pleasure garden featuring courtyards of tropicals and perennials, a vegetable garden, woodlands, water garden and ruins garden. It is the last remaining Main Line Estate that is still open to the public. It was also named one of North America’s Most Beautiful Secret Gardens by National Geographic Traveler Magazine in 2006. Linvilla Orchards – One of the oldest farms in the county featuring 300 acres of recreation and education.  Here you can pick your own fruit and vegetables! Plus farm animals, hayrides, country store and more. Ridley Creek State Park, a 2,606-acre (1,055 ha) park offers  many recreational activities, such as a 5-mile (8 km) paved multi-use trail, a formal garden,  a wheelchair accessible fishing platform, 12 miles (19 km) of hiking trails. These trails pass through a variety of habitats and is open to jogging, bicycling and walking. The park also features a 4.7-mile (7.6 km) equestrian trail. Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation, a living museum on the 112 acre farm which recreates daily life on a pre-Revolutionary farm. Children will also enjoy Sesame Place, a theme park based on the TV show with 14 acres of rides and attractions.

Your Delaware County, Pennsylvania travel plan -  itineraries available year round

                                           A Week with Family and Friends

Gather friends and family for an experience of a lifetime in a real American residence.
A 7 nights and 8 days stay includes the following services:

·     Transfers from/to the airport or train station 
·     Accommodations in apartments, farmhouses, or villas for 7 nights
·     7 breakfasts - served at the property or by stocking the refrigerator in your apartment
·     6 lunches and food/wine tastings at different locations while on excursions 
·     7 dinners at restaurants and/or at your property - emphasis on local cuisine.  
·     4 land excursions - approximately 5 hours each, personalized to meet your preferences

Car and driver service for all excursions  ·   Applicable taxes included   ·     Tips not included 
Prices for shorter/longer stays quoted on request 
Airline tickets and other transportation services quoted separately, where applicable

For reservations and a personalized itinerary for your family and friends in Delaware County, Pennsylvania please contact us by email or call 610-624-1424 (240) 724-2504

Contact Lenses Contacts America offers discount contact lenses available at low prices straight to the public. Point, click and save.

      Arts, Culture, Cuisine, History and Music in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley

Arts - Before the American Revolution, the upper class increasingly began to support the arts, particularly through a demand for portrait paintings which made Philadelphia attractive to artists. In 1805 an art collector, believing Philadelphia the best place for the encouragement of artistic taste, offered the city numerous paintings, sculptures, engravings and other art work. To accept the gift the city formed the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.

The Academy, the oldest art school and museum in the United States, helped establish many artists. The city's major art museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art was founded in 1876 to maintain the art exhibits from the Centennial Exposition. It holds over 225,000 pieces of artwork including work by van Gogh, Picasso, and Marcel Duchamp. Nearby is the Rodin Museum, founded in 1929, with the largest collection of Rodin works outside of France.

Philadelphia has more public art than any other American city. The inclusion of decorative art in city structures goes back to the 19th century. In 1872, the Fairmount Park Art Association was created, the first private association in the United States dedicated to integrating public art and urban planning. The city has more murals than any other U.S. city. The Mural Arts Program has funded more than 2,300 murals created by professional, staff and volunteer artists.

Culture - Philadelphia’s culture goes back to 1682 when the city was founded by William Penn. Originally inhabited by the Lenape, Philadelphia was envisioned as a place where people could live without fear of persecution because of their religion; as a result, many came to find refuge within the city. As Philadelphia grew into a major political and economic center of the United States, many different groups of religions and ethnicities flocked to the city. The city's cultural prominence has risen and fallen since its founding with contributions in art, music, television, architecture and food.

Philadelphia has thriving non-profits in all areas of community service. Organizations like Philly Fellows, started in 2005, have been focusing efforts on "building capacity in the non-profit sector." Philadelphia also has important faith-based organizations.

Fairs and events - Philadelphia holds many annual festivals and events. One of the most famous is the Mummers Parade. The first modern version of the parade was held in 1901 and is held every year on New Year’s Day. Since 1993 every summer around the 4th of July holiday, the multi-day Welcome America event celebrates Philadelphia as the nation's birthplace. Three major annual shows in Philadelphia are the Flower Show in March, the Philadelphia International Auto Show in February and the Philadelphia Antiques Show in April. Festivals include the Folk Festival and Unity Day an event celebrating unity between people and families. Pride Fest events promote gay and lesbian rights. In September, the 16-day Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe highlights experimental art, performances and exhibits throughout the city.

Cuisine - The city’s culinary tradition was shaped by mixture of ethnicities, available foodstuffs and history. Certain foods have become iconic to the city. Invented in Philadelphia in the 1930s, the cheese stake is a well known icon of the city, and soft pretzels have become a part of Philadelphia culture. The 1970s saw a restaurant renaissance that is continuing into the 21st century. Philadelphia's large immigrant population has contributed to a large mixture of tastes to mingle and develop. Many types of foods have been created in or near Philadelphia or have strong associations with the city. The hoagie is another sandwich that is said to have been invented in Philadelphia. Declared the official sandwich of Philadelphia in 1992, the hoagie is a sandwich made of meat and cheese with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions on an Italian roll. Philadelphia Pepper Pot, a soup of tripe, meat, vegetables, is claimed to have been created during the Revolutionary War. Snapper Soup, a thick brown turtle soup served with sherry, is a Philadelphia delicacy, generally found in area bars and seafood restaurants. In many places, it is served with oyster crackers and horseradish.

A food associated with Philadelphia but not invented here is Water ice or Italian Ice. The city’s proximity and interactions with the Pennsylvania Dutch has made food such as the scrapple also associated with the city.

Food Markets - Towards the end of the 19th century the large number of Italian immigrants in South Philadelphia led to the creation of the Italian Market which runs along part of 9th Street, and includes numerous types of food vendors along with other shops. Another market, the Reading Terminal Market, opened in 1892; it has over 80 merchants and is a popular tourist attraction.

History - The history of Philadelphia goes back to 1682 and the city’s founding. It grew from a few hundred inhabitants in 1683 to over 2,500 in 1701.

19th Century - In the years following the Civil War, Philadelphia's population continued to grow from 565,529 in 1860 to 674,022 in 1870. By 1876 the city's population stood at 817,000. A large portion of the growth came from immigrants, still mostly German and Irish. By the 1880s immigration from Russia, Eastern Europe, and Italy started rivaling immigration from Western Europe. Much of the immigration from Russia and Eastern Europe were Jews. In 1881 there were around 5,000 Jews in the city and by 1905 there were around 100,000. Philadelphia's Italian population grew from around 300 in 1870 to around 18,000 in 1900, with the majority settling in South Philadelphia. Along with foreign immigration, domestic immigration from African Americans gave Philadelphia the largest African American population of a Northern US city. While immigrants moved into the city Philadelphia's rich emptied out. During the 1880s much of Philadelphia's upper class moved into the growing suburbs west of the city. One of the biggest projects of the time was the Centennial Exposition. The Exposition was held in Fairmount Park and exhibits included Alexander Graham Bell's telephone and the Corliss Steam Engine. The Exposition began on May 10, 1876 and when the fair ended on November 10 over nine million people had visited the fair. Another project was the construction of a new city hall; the building was completed in 1884 and was the tallest building in Philadelphia until the 1980s.

Early 20th Century -  Philadelphia continued to grow with immigrants coming from Eastern Europe and Italy and African Americans from the South. Foreign immigration was briefly interrupted by World War I. Philadelphia began to modernize with the ever more frequent construction of steel and concrete skyscrapers, the wiring of old buildings for electricity and the city's first radio stations. Other projects included the city's first subway constructed in 1907 and the opening of the Philadelphia Art Musem in 1928. 

Depression and World War II - In the three years after the stock market crash, fifty Philadelphia banks closed. By 1934, 1,600 of 3,400 savings and loan associations had shut down. The beginning of World War II in Europe and the threat of the U.S. becoming involved helped bring Philadelphia out of the Depression as new jobs appeared in defense-related industries. 
Reform and decline -  After World War II ended Philadelphia was experiencing a serious housing shortage. After a population peak of over two million residents in 1950 the city's population declined while the suburban neighboring counties grew. Philadelphia lost five percent of its population in the 1950s, three percent in the 1960s and more than thirteen percent in the 1970s. Manufacturing and other major Philadelphia businesses were also leaving or shutting down. 

Into the 21st century - Revitalization of parts of Philadelphia continued in the 1990s. In 1993 a new convention center was opened creating a hotel boom with seventeen hotels opening between 1998 and 2000 and the city began promoting its historic sites, festivals, and entertainment to attract tourists. In 2005 National Geopgraphic Traveler named Philadelphia America's Next Great City citing its recent revitalization and general cityscape. Tourism is one of the city's main industries, pushing it to become the 10th most visited city in the US.

Music - The city is home to a vibrant and well-documented musical heritage, stretching back to colonial times. Innovations in classical, opera, R&B, jazz and soul have earned the music of Philadelphia national and international renown. It's diverse population has also given it a reputation for styles ranging from dancehall to Irish traditional music, as well as a thriving classical and folk music scene.

The city has played an equally prominent role in developing popular music. In the early years of rock and roll, a number of South Philadelphia-born popular vocalists made Philadelphia and popular music virtually synonymous. This led to the airing of the popular rock and roll dance show American Bandstand, from Philadelphia in front of a national audience.

Performing Arts - The city's most senior venue is the famed Academy of Music. Established in 1857, the Academy is the longest continuously operating opera house in the United States that is still being used for its original purpose. At the very center of Philadelphia's musical life, the Academy is home to many internationally recognized performance ensembles. The Academy also presents touring artists and musical theatre of the highest caliber.

The most recent edition to the city's list of venues is the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, home of the internationally renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, which opened in 2001. In addition, the Tower Theatre just outside of Philadelphia serves as a destination for many top touring acts.

For information, reservations and to request a personalized travel plan for your Philadelphia vacation please contact us at: info@restacumme.com  or call (610) 624-1424 (240) 724-2504