In Pennsylvania, it\'s typical for old farmhouses to grow over the years. It was true of ours. In this view, the original (1816) portion is at the right. The recessed portion to the left of that was built, we think, in the 1880s. Next comes the portion nearest the camera, which was built in 1942. Last, set partially behind the 1942 section, is our 2000 addition.
This was taken in Trafalgar Square in London in July 2009, during a fabulous two-week exchange.
...but also thinking about a summer home exchange!
The best thing about the living room may be that our wireless signal doesn\'t penetrate its stone walls very well. With modernity at bay, it\'s a great place to read, nap or talk.
This is our daughters\' favorite place to spread out with messy school assignments. Needless to say, it doesn\'t often look like this. But it will when you visit.
The kitchen was completely rebuilt in 2000. Everything works!
The washer and dryer are behind the double doors.
This is one of three full baths. And the pedestal sink comes with its own story. (Ask!)
This is the room where the TV, DVD player, stereo and Nintendo live.
Bedrooms are upstairs. Living room is straight ahead.
Child\'s bedroom #1 is a mirror image of this, except that Child #1 is way less neat.
Basically, Mark lives here.
Our daughters begged and pleaded for an air hockey table which, once acquired, they used for several weeks.
Visitors should feel NO obligation to use the treadmill. (After all, you\'re on vacation.)
Mark built the arbor about 10 years ago and planted the climbing ampelopsis which now covers it. We\'re still working on the clematis.
In summer, this area swarms with fireflies.
Built in 2008, the rear porch is already our favorite summer-time spot. It looks out over the rear garden and comes equipped with a ceiling fan and high-intensity lights so you can use it 24/7 if you like. It\'s a great spot to relax in the early evening with a glass of wine.
Located 2-3 miles from our house, Chanticleer (www.chanticleergarden.org) was described by the Washington Post as \". . . one of the most interesting and edgy public gardens in America.\" The sensibility is on the offbeat, not just pretty flowers.\r\n\r\n\r\nAND...if gardening is really your thing, the Philadelphia area has a lot to see. Some of our more famous gardens are described here: http://www.greaterphiladelphiagardens.org.\r\n
Gettysburg is about two hours west. Even without a re-enactment http://www.gettysburgreenactment.com) going on, there is plenty to see at the national battlefield park and a small town whose main industry is founded on a four-day battle in 1863.
This image is about a century old, but the station (where you can catch a train to Philadelphia) has barely changed at all.
This is one of two cars available to be included in our exchange. It seats seven comfortably.
This is one of two vehicles available for exchange. It seats four comfortably and, with better gas mileage, is the better choice for small groups.
Our home can accommodate
8
People in our exchange party
4
# of previous exchanges
0
Children in our party
yes
Bedrooms
3
Bathrooms
3
Nearest Large City
Philadelphia
Nearest Major Airport
Philadelphia
Home Exchange
The Home
Three-bedroom home on 3/4 acre bordered by woods. Built in 1816, with subsequent additions in 1880, 1942 and 2000. Thoroughly up to date.
Large, modern eat-in kitchen (installed 2000), formal dining room, formal living room, informal family room (where the big TV lives), playroom (air hockey table), washer/dryer, third-floor office and three complete baths -- one on the first floor and two on the second. We have a wireless router, so you can use your laptop or our desktop.
In addition to the bedrooms, there are two fold-out couches (beds) -- both queen-size -- in the family room and ground-level playroom. You could sleep up to 10 people if your group is large -- more if you squeeze the children two to a bed.
Outside is a covered porch and flagstone patio with a gas barbecue grill for outdoor dining overlooking the garden. Basketball net, garden seating, gazebo with swing, four bicycles.
I own this property.
HOME TYPE:
Single Family
The Neighborhood
Wayne is an older suburb, convenient to Philadelphia, on what has historically been called "The Main Line. " We're approximately 1.5 miles from the center of the village, which has a number of restaurants (http://www.inwayne.com/restaurants.htm) and shops (http://www.inwayne.com/shopping.htm).
Wayne is also:
*Two miles from the King of Prussia Mall (http://www.kingofprussiamall.com) which features more than 400 stores, restaurants. It's one of the largest malls on the East Coast, attracting tour buses from surrounding states.
*Five miles from Valley Forge National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/vafo) , where Gen. Washington's army camped during the winter of 1777-78, during the Revolutionary War.
*Eight miles from the 19-mile Perkiomen bike trail (http://www.montcopa.org/parks/perkiomentrail/Perkiomen. htm) which follows a former railroad line along a creek, past historic sites and through parkland.
*Fifteen miles from the Brandywine River Museum (http://www.brandywinemuseum.org), best known as a repository of the work of artist Andrew Wyeth.
*About one hour from Lancaster County (http://www.800padutch.com) , home of the Germanic "Pennsylvania Dutch" or Amish people, famed for their 18th Century customs. (Watch for horse-drawn buggies on the highways! )
*About three hours from Gettysburg (http://www.gettysburg.com) where a bloody 1863 battle marked the turning point of the U. S. Civil War.
*1.5-2 hours from a variety of New Jersey beaches.
Philadelphia (a 40-minute train ride) is a major U. S. city best known as the seat of the country's first government. It offers major museums, chief among them the Philadelphia Museum of Art (http://www.philamuseum.org/main.asp) , Independence National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/inde) and the National Constitution Center (www.constitutioncenter.org). If you're at all interested in early U. S. history, this is the city to visit.
For more details about what's available in Philadelphia, go here: http://www.gophila. com.
ATTRACTIONS:
Restaurants
Shopping
Galleries/Museums
Theaters
Forests
Mountains
Tennis
Biking
Hiking
Other Information
amenities:
Computer
Garden
Internet Access
Washer/Dryer
Fireplace
Patio/Outdoor Dining
TV/Cable
Stereo/HiFi
CONDITIONS:
No Smoking
Auto OK
Child OK
Auto Possible
Plant Care
No Pets
The Dates
We have children, so are usually restricted to school holidays.
The Destination
Got a proposal for 2010? Please contact us. We had a great 2009 exchange with a family from England and, perhaps, have the British Isles out of our systems for a while. Next? Maybe Greece, the Caribbean, Paris, or some place we haven't even thought of.
We welcome offers from anywhere, but you should know that we prefer destinations with lots of sights and activities. Mostly, that means big cities with museums, theater, shopping, historic sites. We've visited Rome, Venice, Florence, London, Quebec (city) and loved those places. But we got bored in Nova Scotia and on Prince Edward Island.
Day trips or long weekends in rural or scenic areas are great. But if you're "only an hour" from the nearest big city, that means we'll be traveling two hours a day to get where we really want to be. In that case, we're likely to decline your exchange offer. (But we'll always decline nicely, so don't hesitate to ask.)
The People
We include Mark, a writer; Cynthia, an attorney, and daughters Abigail, 19 and a college freshman, and Rachel, 12.
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