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THINGS
TO DO
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Trans-Bridge
Lines runs buses from New York City to various destinations
in Bucks County, including Doylestown
and New Hope.
In both cases the downtown area is manageable on foot.
The majority of Bucks County, however, would require a
car to explore fully.
NORTH
OF NEW HOPE:
 Experience
the Delaware River in all its glory with Bucks County
River Country. Located in Point Pleasant, on Route
32 (River Road), Bucks County River Country offers
inner tubes, kayaks or canoes for rent. We recommend floating
leisurely down the river by tube.
The trip is 2-1/2 hours of pure bliss. Soak up the sun
as baby dragonflies use your knees as landing pads!
SOUTH
OF NEW HOPE:
South of New Hope on Route 32, you'll find Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve, where over 100 acres and 1000 indigenous plants await your arrival. Established in 1934, the preserve displays native plants in an entitrely natural setting. Stop by the visitor's center to pick up a trail map before walking the well-marked trails through both the wooded and meadow areas. The wildflower preserve is located on Route 32, two and a half miles south of New Hope, next to Washington Crossing Historic Park.
Like
much of eastern Pennsylvania, Bucks County traces its
heritage to the early 18th century. Spread out over 500
hundred acres, the Washington Crossing Historic Park
commemorates the site from which General George Washington
led the Continental Army across the Delaware River on
Christmas night, 1776, on their way to victory over the
Hessian troops quartered in Trenton.
 In
the southeastern corner of the county, Morrisville's Pennsbury
Manor (left) is
open for tours Tuesday through Sunday. Once the country
home of William Penn, the reconstructed 17th century plantation
consists of a manor house and gardens. In nearby Fallsington,
take a guided tour of the 300 hundred year-old Historic
Fallsington Village. Tours run daily between May and
October, or by appointment between November and April.
Of
course, a trip to Bucks County wouldn't be complete without
taking the kids to Sesame Place, the nation's only
theme park based on Sesame Street, in Langhorne!
WEST
OF NEW HOPE:
Serious
shoppers will want to make a stop on Route 202 at Peddler's
Village in Lahaska on the way to Doylestown. Situated
on forty grassy acres, Peddler's Village is home to over
seventy shops and restaurants. The planned Victorian village
has a distinctly gingerbread feel and is landscaped with
gardens and brick walking paths. Parking is readily available
in multiple lots and clearly marked. At Black Eyed
Susan, browse the cottage-inspired collection of home
furnishings before strolling over to the Chaddsford
Wine Shop and Tasting Room. Just across Route 202
from Peddler's Village, trawl for deals at Penn's Purchase
Factory Outlet Stores. The country-themed outdoor
shopping mall is home to over forty national chains selling
at discount prices.
Anglers
should contact the Delaware River Fly Fishing Guide
Service in Warrington. The guide service offers full-
and half-day guided fishing trips, as well as two- and
three-day packages.
DOYLESTOWN:
Follow
Route 202 to Doylestown, a Colonial stage coach stop and
a crossroads for traffic in 18th century Pennsylvania.
Doylestown's 250-year-old Victorian architecture and commitment
to preservation helped land the town a designation as
one of the "Dozen Distinctive Locations" award from the
National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2001.
 Three
of Doylestown's most famous attractions are the result
of one man. Henry Mercer, an archeologist, explorer and
collector, was born in Bucks County in 1856 and resided
in Doylestown until his death in 1930.
In 1910 his interest in the craft of tile-making led him
to found a tile-works, which is still in operation today.
His eclectic style and wide range of interests is evident
in the tile themes, but nowhere more so than at Fonthill,
a concrete mansion he began building in 1908 and completed
two years later. Modeled to look like a castle, the mansion
is now open for tours and provides a peek into the amazing
life of Henry Mercer.
Adjacent to the grounds of Fonthill, Mercer's
Moravian Pottery and Tile Works has been designated
a National Historic Landmark. The working museum is open
daily and tiles are available for sale.
Two blocks off of Main Street on S. Pine Street, the Mercer
Museum redefines the phrase "chock-full." Constructed
in 1916 and holding a National Historic Landmark designation,
the museum houses folk art, furnishings, tools and other
Mercer collections. From the whaleboat suspended from
the ceiling to its 1,500 pieces of fire-fighting equipment,
a single tour of the Mercer Museum will hardly
scratch the surface of what is housed inside.
Further
along Pine Street, the James A. Michener Art Museum
is home to a large collection of 18th- and 19th-century
American art and sculpture. The museum, a renovated prison,
hosts a diverse range of changing exhibits. Past exhibits
have ranged from a collection of works by Walker Evans
and James Agee to "Stylish Hats! 200 Years of Sartorial
Sculpture."
If
it's shopping you're after, look no further than Doylestown's
Main Street. Transbridge Buses from NYC stop at
the Shell Station on Main Street and SEPTA trains
from Philadelphia drop at the train station on Bridge
Street. The business center is concentrated primarily
along Main Street and State Street, and the majority of
shops, antique stores and restaurants can be found within
an easy walk of their intersection. Start
your search for treasures at the intersection of Main
Street and Court Street and walk down Main until you hit
State Street a few blocks away. If you are visiting Doylestown
in October, join the town as they celebrate thier annual
Oktoberfest.
NORTH
OF DOYLESTOWN:
 North
of Doylestown off of Route 313, the slightly more recent
Pearl S. Buck House can be toured between March
and December. The farmhouse, built in 1835, was home to
the Nobel Prize-winning author for almost forty years.
Now a National Historic Landmark, the house is decorated
with 19th-century Asian and American works collected by
the author.
 For
outdoor recreation, head farther north on Route 313 to
the town of Quakertown and Nockamixon State Park. At almost
5,300 acres, Nockamixon is the largest park with the biggest
lake in the county. With the 1,450-acre lake as its centerpiece,
Nockamixon is an extremely popular boating, hiking and
biking destination. Bikes can be rented at Freeman's
Bicycle Shop in Ottsville, off of Route 611 on the
eastern tip of the park.
Horseback
riding enthusiasts should contact Haycock Stables
on the Old Bethlehem Road in Perkasie, just off Route
313 West. Haycock offers guided trail rides in Nockamixon
State Park, as well as instruction at their stables in
Perkasie.
For more on activities in the area, see our
New Hope profile.
See more info
on these activities and businesses
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