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Day Trip Guide To The Perkiomen Valley

The Philadelphia suburbs are rich in day-trip getaways to unique towns, villages and topographical regions. One that is bursting with restaurants, passive and active outdoor recreation plus scenic beauty is Montgomery County's Perkiomen Valley. From Collegeville to East Greenville. Along the meandering Perkiomen Creek we find fishing, ziplining, skiing, golf, ice skating, ice fishing, hiking, biking, eateries and sipperies. You get the idea. Let's take the tour. -- Jay Lloyd

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

PERKIOMEN TRAIL

The Perkiomen Valley follows its namesake creek from roughly Collegeville to East Greenville through central Montgomery County. Where once trains carried summer getaway seekers to cottages and a hotel along the creek banks, a wonderfully populated, maintained recreational trail guides visitors to favorite pasttimes from one end of the valley to another. You'll find parking at key points to take a jog, a bike ride, stop for a picnic, cast a fishing line - even trailer a horse. Here are some of the focal points and their off trail attractions. Use this interactive map to follow along.

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COLLEGEVILLE

The home of Ursinus College is an ideal starting point. There's plenty of parking near the trailhead and the best cluster of bars and eateries in the valley. Here's what you can see and do.

BERMAN MUSEUM

The modern design of the museum on the grounds of Ursinus College is often in contrast to collections of traditional and experimental art. The exhibits change frequently, inviting repeat visits. Museum admission is free and there's free parking on campus or take a short walk from the trail.

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

POWERHOUSE AUCTION AND FLEA MARKET

The Powerhouse indoor and outdoor flea market only operates on Sunday but houses a diverse collection of vendors, displaying collectables, vintage clothing and a dazzling variety of tchotchkes. Leave some extra time. You'll need it.

DINING AND SIPPING

Breakfast at the Collegeville Diner is a bustling affair with all the usual suspects on the menu and a packed house of locals and visitors. Here are my favorite lunch and dinner stops. For mid-scale Italian and a lively bar DaVinci's borders the trail. If Sushi is your craving, Bonjung is open for lunch and dinner during the week, dinner on weekends. Fine dining BYOB resides at Chow Bistro. Duck, crab cakes, rack of lamb are personal temptations. Pizza for the kids? Try the Pizza Stop. There's beer to go with.

CENTRAL PERKIOMEN VALLEY

Head for the village of Spring Mount and park near the trail or at a destination. The area is scenic and active.

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

SPRING MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES

If you learned to ski near home, you probably learned at Spring Mountain. Now it's a four season attraction with Zip-Line canopy tours that soar over the slopes. It has become the center of activity in the Central Perkiomen Valley.

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

DINING AND SIPPING

The top spot for evening fun and fantasy is the Tiki Bar at the base of Spring Mountain. They sell you the meat, fin and shell fish, they provide the tools and communal grill. You do the cooking while sipping at the Carib themed bar. Or take your appetite  inside at the bar and dining room of the nearby Woodside Lodge. Find unique variety from comfy food to Internationally inspired creative cooking.

UPPER PERKIOMEN VALLEY

Follow the trail to a pristine setting and a world of active and passive outdoor activity.

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

GREEN LANE PARK

As fall approaches, Green Lane Park is alive with picnickers, lake fishing and boaters who bring their own kayaks and canoes or rent one there. There's riding on horse friendly trails or jogging and walking on scenic pathways. But when winter rolls in and temps drop, ice fishing and ice skating on the frozen reservoir take over the landscape.

GOLF: MACOBY RUN

Macoby Run is a scenic 18-hole public course with reasonable rates and a combination of challenging and forgiving holes. As a true duffer, I really enjoy the leisurely pace and local oriented attitude. The Wetland Bar and Restaurant serves breakfast through dinner. See below.

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(credit: Jay Lloyd)

DINING AND SIPPING

My favorite nearby stop is an Austrian bistro with a nod to Italian kin. It's the Carriage House on route 29. The menu ranges from schnitzel to strudel with a waltz among a variety of pastas. There's a cozy vintage bar and a lively local crowd. Open for lunch and dinner. If the weather is nice enjoy the outdoor beer garden. The Wetlands Bar and Restaurant at Macoby Run Golf Course offers a conversation friendly sippery with a golfing buzz and menu that ranges from hearty breakfasts to burger and basket heavy lunch and dinner chomps. But you'll also find creative dinner specials that lean on familiar comfy favorites.

NOTE: Any one of the featured activity stops can consume an entire day. Since all should be taken at a relaxed pace, plan on either return visits or an overnight stay at Woodside Lodge near Spring Mountain or the Hotel Fiesole at Skippack Village.

Enjoy!

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