Day Tripper Goes to Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area

Two confessions right off the bat—I am a history geek, through and through, so I love historic areas. And two, venturing to the Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area would be a long day trip.

But if you are ambitious, you could make a trip out there and back in one day—we’ve actually done it ourselves.

Better yet, stay at one of the awesome bed and breakfasts like the Shearer Elegance Inn, where we lodged, and make it an overnight or even weekend trip.

What is there to see and do? Well, a lot.

Located about five hours from the greater Pittsburgh area, this region is located along the Schuylkill River corridor and includes the Philadelphia area. We preferred focusing this trip on the natural beauty of the river, the new heritage interpretive center and the historical sites outside of the big city. We will save Philadelphia for another trip.

The Schuylkill River area has a wealth of history and considers itself a leader in three revolutions—the American, industrial and the environmental.

The new interpretive center has a small, new museum with interactive displays that are perfect for a quick overview of the area and definitely worth a stop. Located in Pottstown, it is also the place where you start the wonderful biking and kayaking tour that my husband and I were able to take part in, offered through the Heritage Center.

A group of 17 rode about five miles on the bikes that are part of the “Bike Pottstown” program, a project that allows people to “rent” bikes for free.

Riding along the beautiful Schuylkill River Trail, the bike ride and trail is worth the trip alone. The trail is well-maintained and perfect for bikers (and runners and walkers) of all ages and skills.

The bike ride ended in the small historic village of Morlatton Village where a guide gave us a brief tour of the area and explained the history of early settlers and the restored buildings.

After lunch, we paddled our way back to the Heritage Center along the Schuylkill River. Talk about a relaxing day combining history and natural beauty! It was perfect.

Next, we visited nearby Manatawny Creek Winery, five miles away in Douglassville. As luck would have it, we happened upon the winery during one of their festivals, an event that draws hundreds for good food, music and wine, of course. Great fun.

For dinner in nearby Phoenixville, an up-and-coming town, at the Black Lab Bistro, we were able to sit on the sidewalk and enjoy delicious crab cakes while watching the small town sites. It was casual enough that we were still in our biking/kayaking clothes.

As I mentioned earlier, we stayed at the historic Shearer Elegance bed and breakfast, a beautiful, large home built by the Brownback family.

According to Sue Tator, innkeeper and hostess, the family made their fortune in dairy and butter. Later bought by the Shearer family, the home was turned into a B & B with seven rooms. Some are suites and all have their own bathroom, a plus when staying in a bed and breakfast.

The woodwork in the home is amazing. Each room features a different type of wood—mahogany, maple, pine and more—and has built-in closets and shelves, trim and windowsills. I was even taking photos of the built-in medicine cabinet in our bathroom.

Tator’s breakfasts were amazing and she graciously accommodated my vegetarian diet.

A visit to Valley Forge National Historical Park rounded out the historical aspect of the trip.

For the heart of the American Revolutionary War, stop in the interpretive center and take in the free movie before you set out to tour the camps. There is a free narrative guide for use with your cell phone which explains the various stops along the trail. You could easily spend a whole day or more at the park.

There are so many other sites to take in at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area including shopping at the huge and well-known King of Prussia Mall, the homestead of John Audubon, exploring the coal industry history, Hopewell Furnace, Yuengling Brewery, the Daniel Boone Homestead, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary,  and so much more. Including, of course, Philadelphia.

There is history, natural resources and cultural activities—everything a heritage area is supposed to provide.  

We will return to the area for sure, whether for another weekend trip—or a Day Tripper.