Magic in the Brandywine

Chilly days and seasonal events add to the charm of this valley in northern Delaware.

As winter lays its frosty hand on Delaware's Brandywine Valley, it paints a landscape of exquisite beauty. Bereft of their verdant cover, the hills swell gently, rolling across the countryside like plump pillows cradling the bones of sleeping trees.

Quiet roads weave over and around the hills, leading to lovely places made even more so by nature and the trappings of the season. Their names roll off the tongue like poetry-Nemours, Brandywine, Longwood, and Winterthur. Most bear the history of the du Pont family name, and all lie within an easy drive of downtown Wilmington.

Brandywine Byways

State 52 wends its way out of Wilmington, headed toward the Pennsylvania line. Along the way, State 141 branches off toward Nemours Mansion and Gardens, as well as the Hagley Museum.

Continue on State 52, though, and 6 miles out of Wilmington you pass Winterthur, An American Country Estate. Within minutes the road runs through the charming town of Centreville. A dozen miles from Wilmington, it slips into Pennsylvania and leads to U.S. 1 and Longwood Gardens.

Dressed for the Season

Four of the area's former du Pont family estates add sparkle to the holidays. Nemours, a 102-room mansion filled with antiques, exudes elegance. Designed in the style of a French chateau, it sits amid 300 acres of formal gardens and natural woodlands. Tours are by reservation and fill quickly when the home is decorated for the holidays, this year November 11 through December 27; 1-800-651-6912.

Hagley Museum includes the original DuPont powder works and Eleutherian Mills, the first du Pont home in America. Holiday tours of the home, November 28 through January 1, 2004, feature decorations from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Winterthur, a legend among museum homes, features 200 years of American antiques in a 9-story country house that boasts 175 rooms and 60 acres of landscaped gardens. Between November 8 and January 4, 2004, don't miss the Yuletide tour. For unique holiday gifts, browse the two gift shops.

Of all the du Pont estates, Longwood Gardens truly brings the season to life. Autumn goes out in a burst of color during the Chrysanthemum Festival, October 25 through November 23. The Christmas celebration follows, November 27 through January 4, 2004. If you can't spend the entire day, plan an afternoon visit; the lighted fountain shows between 5 and 9 p.m. are spectacular. Holiday concerts, strolling singers, and carillon music spice the air, while seasonal displays fill the Conservatory and lights sparkle in the trees outside. KAREN LINGO

For more information: Contact the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-489-6664 or www.visitwilmingtonde.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Nov 2003
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