Along the Delaware

When money is tight, it is a good thing to have family you can vacation with, especially if they live in a nice place. After spending a fair portion of our savings on AC repairs, plumbing emergencies, electricians and vet bills, we were glad we could invite ourselves to my brother's house. Our accommodations were in an 1830's field stone farmhouse, complete with pool, stables, gardens and included an excellent cook staff (my brother), plus they took dogs as well. His house is in a small town along the Delaware River in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Right across the river is New Jersey, and if you think you know what Jersey looks like, make sure you have visited this area before you form your opinion. Both sides of the river are unexpectedly wild, lush and green, dotted with small riverside towns that are full of unusual shops, galleries, B&B's and great places to eat. All of it looks like a photo shoot for Town and Country magazine.

On the first morning I woke up to heavy fog, and the photographer in me made quick haste to the river. The ominous looking power plant once belched pollutants, but now the area is remarkably clean.

The Delaware Canal at Indian Rocks

Nockamixon Cliffs

Frenchtown, New Jersey

Near Kintnersville, Pennsylvania

One of the bridges that links Pennsylvania to New Jersey is the Riegelsville Bridge. It is a beautiful piece of engineering, and that drew me to it, but when I began walking across, I noticed equally remarkable constuctions. Nearly every available space was covered with spider webs, built by enterprising arachnids taking advantage of the natural flyway above the river to snag a meal.

The bridge was built in 1904 by John A. Roebling's Sons, Co. You might know that John Augustus Roebling was the man who designed the Brooklyn Bridge, and in a few posts I will share my photos from that incredible landmark. We headed to Manhattan for a few days during our vacation, but it is going to take me a while to sort through all the pictures. It will also take me a while to read the posts my fellow bloggers put up while I was vacationing - I had 377 unread posts on my Google subscription list waiting for me when I got home. So please don't think I have skipped over something wonderful you posted.