Although just in our 30s, Kevin and I are avid fans of gardens as well as gardening (although we lack any serious space). Friends raved about their recent visit to Winterthur and several travel articles made me curious to see Longwood Gardens so I plotted a May visit to these two gardens.
About 2.5 hours from our home, we drove up on a Saturday morning with plans to visit Winterthur in the later morning and early afternoon and then head to the hotel and see Longwood Gardens on Sunday.
Although in the 60s, the skies were a gloomy gray, but luckily, we didn't encounter any rain. Winterthur allows picnics so we packed our lunch and ended up having a lovely meal among the blooming azaleas. They offer a garden tour tram, which is operated by a friendly and informative driver. It's good to take because it allows you get oriented with the 1,000 acre garden and the different sections of it. The general admission price gives you a chance to tour the building, which from the outside is not really impressive. Henry Francis du Pont, who really made Winterthur what it is today, was interested in gardening, breeding cattle, and collecting early American furniture. He actually purchased entire rooms of homes that were being torn down and installed them in his spaces at Winterthur. I have to say, I'm not a big antique furniture person so I didn't find the house tour that interesting and the gardens were good, but not amazing. Still, it's worth a visit.
We headed to our hotel, the Inn at Montchanin Village to relax and allow me to get a massage at the hotel's spa facility. This hotel used to be housing for families who were employed at the Gunpowder Company. The housing has been carefully restored and converted into a series of hotel rooms. Besides taking advantage of the spa, we made dinner easy and walked to the hotel's restaurant Krazy Kat. The food and service were excellent. I had squash blossoms, which you rarely see on menus.
The next morning, we enjoyed a great diner-style breakfast at Lucky's Coffee Shop and took a small walk on a river trail in Brandywine Creek State Park. We then headed over to Longwood Gardens just 10 minutes away in Kenwood, Pennsylvania for a 10:30 timed entry.
If you like gardens, you'll love Longwood. Unlike Winterthur, the gardens are the focus and they are impressive. Pierce du Pont, like Henry Frances du Pont, had a clear vision of his gardens becoming public space for all to enjoy. The glass conversatory is one of the largest I think I've ever visited and filled with rooms that delight and surprise. The Italian Water garden is lovely and I was quite fond of all the formal, flower garden walk.
Despite the cloudy conditions (which you really can't plan for), the weekend was really lovely and relaxing.
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| The Quarry Garden at Winterthur. |
Although in the 60s, the skies were a gloomy gray, but luckily, we didn't encounter any rain. Winterthur allows picnics so we packed our lunch and ended up having a lovely meal among the blooming azaleas. They offer a garden tour tram, which is operated by a friendly and informative driver. It's good to take because it allows you get oriented with the 1,000 acre garden and the different sections of it. The general admission price gives you a chance to tour the building, which from the outside is not really impressive. Henry Francis du Pont, who really made Winterthur what it is today, was interested in gardening, breeding cattle, and collecting early American furniture. He actually purchased entire rooms of homes that were being torn down and installed them in his spaces at Winterthur. I have to say, I'm not a big antique furniture person so I didn't find the house tour that interesting and the gardens were good, but not amazing. Still, it's worth a visit.
We headed to our hotel, the Inn at Montchanin Village to relax and allow me to get a massage at the hotel's spa facility. This hotel used to be housing for families who were employed at the Gunpowder Company. The housing has been carefully restored and converted into a series of hotel rooms. Besides taking advantage of the spa, we made dinner easy and walked to the hotel's restaurant Krazy Kat. The food and service were excellent. I had squash blossoms, which you rarely see on menus.
The next morning, we enjoyed a great diner-style breakfast at Lucky's Coffee Shop and took a small walk on a river trail in Brandywine Creek State Park. We then headed over to Longwood Gardens just 10 minutes away in Kenwood, Pennsylvania for a 10:30 timed entry.
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| The amazing and expansive conservatory at Longwood. |
Despite the cloudy conditions (which you really can't plan for), the weekend was really lovely and relaxing.
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