Best One Tank Trips
Getting away from it all doesn't necessarily mean a trek to Bermuda, the Bahamas or Borneo. It can be an odyssey on a single tank of gas. Here are some suggestions:
The Daniel Boone Homestead
Off route 422 near Birdsboro, PA
A pleasant country drive into nearby Berks County reveals the birthplace of the 18th century frontiersman and pioneer Daniel Boone. The sprawling, carefully tended grounds and buildings offer a glimpse of settler life in America and the drive that sent Boone on a quest to open up the American wilderness. Frequent events focus on frontier life, food, music, clothing, farming and even a bit of flintlock musketry.
Chesapeake City, Maryland
Just off route 213 at the C&D Canal
Chesapeake City has a split personality. It's divided neatly in two by a historic canal that links the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. But the bulk of the restaurants, B&B's and nightlife is on the southern shore.
You'll find famous Maryland steamed crabs, year round at the Tap Room in rustic surroundings, where the focus is on spice covered crabs and fries washed down by tankards of beer. Shop in the boutiques and enjoy fine dining at the Bayard House right on the canal with a view of passing freighters and pleasure craft. Top off the evening in a Country- Western scene at the wildly popular Chesapeake Inn.
Dover Air Force Base Museum
Off US Route 113/DE Route 1
Dover, DE
A giant Galaxy cargo carrier roars overhead as the music of World War Two drifts across a 40's era Army Air Corps Hangar. The centerpiece of a unique collection of meticulously restored military aircraft is the fabled Flying Fortress.
The dramatic history of the American Airmen is a story told here in aircraft and artifacts that span more than 75 years. Its living history told through the actual aircraft, films and the narratives of volunteers who flew the historic planes in both combat and support missions.
Shady Maple Farms
Off route 322 near Ephrata, PA
With crisp weather and changing colors, a drive through Lancaster County is as relaxing as it gets.
In the rolling countryside near Ephrata, on one hand there are silos and fields as far as the eye can see - on the other horse drawn buggies are sharing modern parking lot space with SUV's.
A pair of meandering stops are the massive Flower and Craft Warehouse and the nearby Smorgasbord restaurant, a part of the sprawling food and furniture complex called, Shady Maple. Between them you'll find craftware to keep an artisan busy for a lifetime - while the Smorgasbord offers enough tempting dishes to feed a pet bear. And for licorice lovers - the very best. Shady Maple may also be the tchotchke capitol of Pennsylvania - that's knick knacks in some circles.
Spring Mountain
Off route 29 near Schwenksville, PA
It takes a leap of faith to plunge from a tall tree platform at the summit of a popular ski mountain in nearby Montgomery county.
It's called a canopy tour, with trees acting as a canopy for an adrenalin rush while soaring as much as 40 feet off the ground at Spring Mountain. You're tethered to what is called, for obvious reasons, a zip line.
Riders soar off like Tarzan and Jane through the trees. But this new rage emphasizes safety and exhilaration.
Tours are from 1-1/2 hours to half a day. Best call ahead for a solo or group reservation. Phone 888-305-5044.
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Off route 1
If you're searching for a refreshing glass from the grape at its source, it can be found in a splendid setting in Wyeth country. You can make a day or a weekend of an easy ramble that takes in the Brandywine battlefield amid the aura of George Washington, The Brandywine River Museum with those larger than life Wyeth paintings and the Chadds Ford Winery where Vintner Lee Miller notes they still stomp the grapes with foot power.
So, after a day at the museum and the battlefield, tour the wine presses, tanks and barrels, enjoy a tasting or a glass at sunset on the patio.
