{"id":166,"date":"2012-10-22T00:00:59","date_gmt":"2012-10-22T04:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=166"},"modified":"2025-08-21T09:12:50","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T13:12:50","slug":"brandywine-vineyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/166\/brandywine-vineyards\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Things to Do in the Brandywine Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Brandywine Valley’s unsullied green hillsides appear out the window within two hours of leaving New York City. It is a countryside not taken for granted with its centuries old trees, stone cottages, and small, unpaved dirt roads. No new commercial developments will wake you up here with their screeching cranes.<\/p>\n

Before pumpkins and candy apple red leaves are replaced with bread bowls and snowballs, consider strolling through vineyards, historic towns, and world famous gardens in the Brandywine Valley<\/strong> for your next quick getaway.<\/p>\n

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The valley is a living museum, worth visiting as much for its deep historical roots as for its diverse acres of wineries. The Brandywine Valley Wine Trail<\/strong> website is a great resource that keeps tabs on a wide variety of year round events on the vineyards, like yoga classes, bon fires and outdoor movies, and ugly sweater parties. You can always find deals and half-off tasting specials going on around the valley.<\/p>\n

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If you don’t opt for a vineyard passport, you’ll want to sample the family-owned and operated Va La Vineyards<\/strong><\/a>. Wine is casked on premises and for $10, you can taste three vinos accompanied by locally produced snacks, ranging from artisan cheese to coins of dark chocolate.<\/p>\n

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For those seeking a taste of local culture, explore nearby Brandywine River Museum<\/strong><\/a>, a four-story 19th century gristmill that hugs the river and holds thousands of landscapes, stills, and portraits by 19th and 20th century American artists, all part of the Wyeth family art collection.<\/p>\n

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How to get there: <\/strong>You can take the Amtrak Northeast regional train or the high-speed Acela from Penn Station to the Wilmington, DE station and arrive in 1 hour and 26 minutes. The roundtrip Acela ticket costs $118. The station is a 33-minute drive to Kennett House. Budget<\/a> has a rental car location at the station.<\/em> While it is possible to get to the area via public transportation, it will be difficult to visit all the destinations without a car. Use our hybrid rental car guide<\/a> to leave directly from Manhattan.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n