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Brandywine Valley By Nancy and Richard Woodworth Mention the Brandywine Valley and most people think of gardens, house museums and art, probably in that order. And with good reason, for the region is unsurpassed on the East Coast in its extraordinary combination of the three. This is an area of unusual visual appeal, especially during spring when the gardens burst into bloom, and in summer, when the renowned mansions and art museums are at their crowded height. But the area straddling the Delaware-Pennsylvania border from Wilmington to West Chester is more than a treat for the eyes and more than a seasonal tourist destination. It's a feast for all the senses. Experiencing a Brandywine Christmas is like coming upon an oasis of color and sensation in the midst of a stark Andrew Wyeth landscape. Simply incredible are the museum treasures within half a dozen miles of each other in this valley that the du Ponts and the Wyeths have made famous. All the museums put on their best holiday spread, and Yuletide at Winterthur is the year's highlight for food lovers, who get to see and smell the feasts recreated from yesteryear. The bucolic landscape outside inspired many an artist, among them Howard Pyle, father of modern American illustration. Most famous of his students in classes at Chadds Ford was N.C. Wyeth, who settled his family along the Brandywine River early in the 20th century and launched three generations of artistic talent here. Andrew Wyeth was born in Chadds Ford and still is said to go out on foot daily to seek inspiration for his work. The works of America's foremost family of artists are the cornerstone of the famed Brandywine River Museum. The Brandywine winds past forests, meadows and hillsides in a rural, almost Vermont-like strip through encroaching exurbia. Side by side with pastoral landscapes that are the backdrops of Wyeth paintings lie the du Pont estates, substantial tract houses, shopping areas and office parks of the Philadelphia-Wilmington corridor. Busy U.S. Route 1 traverses the area's midsection and crosses the Brandywine, as did the British at the Battle of the Brandywine, at Chadds Ford. Strangely for such a touristy area, this region long lagged in providing country inns and good restaurants in which travelers could rest their weary bones and sate their appetites between expeditions to the valley's attractions. The situation is much improved lately, however. Most visitors are aware of the valley's museums and gardens. But they may not know the treats they offer those with special interests in food (locally grown mushrooms are a specialty), wine (the area has two wineries), history (the Brandywine Battlefield), decorating and gardening. And they probably are not aware of the newer inns and fine dining opportunities away from the tourist attractions. Material excerpted from Inn Spots & Special Places / Mid-Atlantic, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth, copyright 2003, and from Getaways for Gourmets in the Northeast, by Nancy and Richard Woodworth. Copyright 2003. Wood Pond Press E-mail feedback to: Home
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