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Gardens at Longwood

Photo courtesy of Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau

In 1877, marauding Brits forced George Washington to retreat from the Brandywine Valley. When this marauding Brit visited, however, the only battles fought were over what to listen to on Sirius. 

During the two-hour drive from the city, the novelty of a convertible made the miles fly by, even through acres of industrial parks and urban blight. Eventually, the countryside opens up:  Steep wooded banks give way to glorious open valleys.

Just off Route 1, Hamanasset B&B (Indian Springs Dr, Chester Heights, PA; 610-459-3000) is a pretty, child-free  mansion brimming with antiques and low-key hospitality (it serves a huge breakfast and a perfect Pimm’s No. 1 Cup). Sadly, you can’t hole up here for the weekend:  It doesn’t do dinner. Buckley’s Tavern (5812 Kennett Pike, Centreville, DE; 302-656-9776) fills the gap nicely with crab cakes and juicy pork chops.

Overloaded with things to do, we began at The Brandywine River Museum (U.S. Rte 1 at Creek Rd, Chadds Ford, PA; 610-388-2700), which houses the art of the Wyeth clan. Meanwhile, palatial DuPont family homes dot the landscape, lounging in immaculately groomed gardens—Winterthur (winterthur.org) and Longwood (longwoodgardens.org) are equally spectacular.

Ultimately, we ditched the map and explored the sides of the river; we rolled over quaint covered bridges, past Amish produce stands and through timeless Pennsylvania villages like West Chester (stop at the Iron Horse Brewery) and Kennett Square (the Half Moon Pub has a pretty rooftop garden).

That night we stopped at the 18th-century General Warren Inne (Old Lancaster Hwy, Malvern, PA; 610-296-3637), where we feasted on snapper soup (it comes with a little jug of sherry) and prime beef tournedos alongside a crowd who can trace  their lineage back to the Mayflower.

Speaking of the old world, if you’ve never tried scrapple—a local, artery-hardening delicacy made with pork scraps, cornmeal, pepper and sage—then stop at Hank’s Place (intersection of Rtes 1 and 100, Chadds Ford, PA; 610-388-7061) for a breakfast treat. You won’t need to eat again until you hit NYC for dinner.

THE TAB

Two nights, two people
Chrysler Sebring convertible
hertz.com

Car Rental $439
(with gas)

Hotels 360
+ Meals 275
TOTAL $1,074

Travel time 2hrs 10mins

Choose a getaway:

• New Hampshire: Wide empty space and cozy inns make a perfect pair.
• Cape Cod: Sand dunes and salty air await.
• The Brandywine Valley: Pork-inflected delicacies and palatial mansions are just two hours away.
• The Adirondacks: Fresh-baked pies, quiet lakes and old-school ski jumps.
• Vermont: Journey to a Green Mountain high.