I’m not going to oversell the section of the Delaware River that runs between Easton in the north to New Hope in the south. I’m not going to say it’s my favorite place to visit, my favorite place to see, my favorite place to drive from town to town. But I will say it is the one area that when I return home, I always visit. It’s a place where time seems to slow down if not completely stand still. An escape to nature with all the city life dining and attraction comforts. A place close to the city but still relatively immune to crowds - at least on weekdays. The day trippers and weekenders have discovered New Hope and Lambertville but so far haven’t seemed to have venture farther upriver to Frenchtown and Riegelsville. This is the first time bringing my daughter to my happy place and one can only hope that she has as much of an appreciation for this area as I do, recognizes how wonderful it is to have a place like this in our extended backyard, and that there’s few negative changes in the decades to come.
I think this area is the preeminent outdoor escape in the Philadelphia area. It’s a reason to live in Bucks and Montgomery over Delaware and Chester counties - to be able to dart up here for an after work dinner or quick weekend breakfast before the crowds arrive. Apologies to the Chaddsford and Kennet Square corridor but there’s more to do along the Delaware and the nature feels more accessible through the drives along the river and places to get out. Another reason to not live west of the Blue Route.
I think this area is the preeminent outdoor escape in the Philadelphia area. It’s a reason to live in Bucks and Montgomery over Delaware and Chester counties - to be able to dart up here for an after work dinner or quick weekend breakfast before the crowds arrive. Apologies to the Chaddsford and Kennet Square corridor but there’s more to do along the Delaware and the nature feels more accessible through the drives along the river and places to get out. Another reason to not live west of the Blue Route.
On this trip we were trying to avoid crowds so it was a quick drive through New Hope, which on a late Thursday afternoon already seemed to be buzzing with pedestrians. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad and we even found street parking in Lambertville. I prefer New Hope's dining and bar scene over Lambertville, but I do find the New Jersey sister-city a bit easier to walk around. We picked up a coffee. Roared at a few lions. Checked out the Lambertville commercial scene then continued north up to Stockton.
There's not much to Stockton...and that's sort of the point. Once you head north from either New Hope or Lambertville the setting becomes a bit quieter, a bit more serene. And my hope is that the quietness and serenity never changes. Fewer visitors means places I liked, such as the Stockton Marketplace, may not stay open for long. It's a shame because it was a good spot. On this trip we did a quick drive through the town center before checking out the Prallsville Mills area on the north side of time. The Mills is more of a photo opportunity, a way to see nature with an historical backdrop, rather than an actual learning experience. Heading back down into Stockon we (or I) grabbed a beer at Odd Bird brewing. Good pilsner. They have a smoked Helles lager...and yeah, it has a smoke taste to it. Well done. There's not much more to Stockton - I wish there was a restaurant or two. Or a coffee shop. But they may go the same route as the former Stockton Marketplace.
We wouldn't have eaten in Stockton as it was because I wanted to check out Dilly's, a roadside stand in appearance harkening back to prior eras but serves up a great hamburger and fries. Combine that with the warm weather and it's a fun, nostalgic dining experience.
I've driven past the Black Bass Hotel multiple times. I've had dinner here. I've walked across the foot bridge to Bull's Island. I've made multiple mental notes to spend a night at the hotel. October 2023 was finally the time to spend the night. After checking into the hotel we walked back and forth across the foot bridge. Phenomenal views up and down the Delaware. I could spend all morning here drinking a coffee. Remarkable serene. Few other people around. A wonderful and natural recharge.
So apparently, Grover Cleveland spent many a night at the Black Bass Hotel. People have been coming to this area for recharges for over a century. When booking a stay at the hotel, you can book a night in the Grover Cleveland room...so that's what we did. The only disappoint is that Grover Cleveland must not have been a fan of water views as the room is on the River Road side. A bit of a bummer but an excuse to spend another night at the Black Bass Hotel next year and book a riverside room.
Moving Google Maps around and I found a place called Dharma Bums. Cool spot. Began following their Instagram to see what upcoming events they'll host in the space upstairs. Limited, vegetarian menu but impressive beer list - I'm finding Tonewood Brewing everywhere these days.
The next morning, I finally made it into the Lumberville General Store for a coffee followed with a morning walk across the footbridge. Fall mornings along this part of the Delaware at the best. The gray skies. The fog rising off the river. Nature at its finest.
From here it was a twenty-minute drive to Frenchtown for breakfast. I'm sure that if you ask people who visit this area, you'll get different answers for which town visitors like best. For me, it's Frenchtown. I think it's the Goldilocks of the river towns. Not too big. Not too small. Good restaurants. A couple of coffee shops. A bookstore. Nice river views. Not too crowded. Not deserted. That perfect mix of everything. We stopped at one of my all-time favorite breakfast places, the Frenchtown Cafe, which is in a new, less "charmy" location (a tractor trailer came around the turn into town too fast early one morning and drove into the building, destroying it) but my oh my, the breakfasts are still some of the best around.
From here it was a twenty-minute drive to Frenchtown for breakfast. I'm sure that if you ask people who visit this area, you'll get different answers for which town visitors like best. For me, it's Frenchtown. I think it's the Goldilocks of the river towns. Not too big. Not too small. Good restaurants. A couple of coffee shops. A bookstore. Nice river views. Not too crowded. Not deserted. That perfect mix of everything. We stopped at one of my all-time favorite breakfast places, the Frenchtown Cafe, which is in a new, less "charmy" location (a tractor trailer came around the turn into town too fast early one morning and drove into the building, destroying it) but my oh my, the breakfasts are still some of the best around.
With this being a 24-hour, overnight trip instead of the typical half-day trip, I needed to find a few more towns with a few more stops to spread out the trip. Enter Clinton, NJ. Per Google Maps, the town looked nice in the photos, there was some sort of a mill, and what looked like a quaint shopping street. The drive from Frenchtown to Clinton was reminiscent of drives through the Lancaster, PA area - rolling green hills dotted with a few farms, the only thing missing was the Amish.
Is there a better entrance into a small town than Clinton's entrance across a single-lane bridge past an old mill? If there is, I haven't seen it. Beyond the initial approach didn't disappoint either. The town had a similar Goldilocks feel as Frenchtown albeit replace the Delaware with the Raritan River and direct connection with a major interstate (I-78). The town can support a cobbler - if that's not a sign of a good small town, I don't know what is.
Is there a better entrance into a small town than Clinton's entrance across a single-lane bridge past an old mill? If there is, I haven't seen it. Beyond the initial approach didn't disappoint either. The town had a similar Goldilocks feel as Frenchtown albeit replace the Delaware with the Raritan River and direct connection with a major interstate (I-78). The town can support a cobbler - if that's not a sign of a good small town, I don't know what is.
We skipped a coffee shop in Clinton in favor of Scout's in High Bridge, NJ, which aside from being a New Jersey Train terminus, doesn't have much going on beyond the coffee shop, although a microbrewery is opening soon. Of the four cappuccino's I had on this trip, Scout's was the best. A cappuccino should be 90/10 coffee/foamed milk. If I wanted a latte, I'd order a latte. Scout's was the only cappuccino that was truly a cappucino.
It was another beautiful winding drive past orange and yellow trees on our way back into Pennsylvania. It frustrates me when places are near water but don't have any restaurants with water views. Philadelphia has two rivers and I can count on one hand the number of restaurants with water views. This part of the Delaware is lined with restaurants with water views - just need to pick one. This time around we went with The Narrows. The pork tacos did not disappoint.
And one more river town. This time Milford, NJ and Descendants Brewing, the oldest microbrewery in New Jersey.
And let's throw in a stop at Sand Castle Winery on the way home. The winery sits up on a hill. Is there a better view with a pinot noir in hand in all of Bucks County in the Fall? It may have only been twenty-four hours since we left home but this was an energizing trip and felt great to get away.