Day 344 - Kennett Square, PA

(Click any photo to enlarge.)

Please join me on the last day, September 2, for a celebration photo walk!  Registration details are here.

It wasn't even windy in
Kennett Square today!

Colorful mushrooms abound

When one thinks of Kennett Square, one may think of mushrooms.  At least, that is what I had always heard, that Kennett Square was the place where mushrooms are grown.  Walking around Kennett Square today, it was hard to avoid mushrooms, but there is also more.

My friend Joan and I are on a four night vacation to the Chadds Ford area of the Brandywine Valley, staying in a lovely B&B called Pennsbury Inn.  We went right to the visitor center upon arrival, and when the guide there said that the Kennett Square historic district was right down the road, I knew that was where I had to do my walk today.

Wooden mushroom collection

Mirror Reflection

All I had previously known about Kennett Square was the mushrooms.  But because of its strong Quaker traditions, Kennett Square was also a key player in the Underground Railroad, earning it the nickname of the "hotbed of abolition."

We parked in one of the public garages, then walked in the downtown area.  Fiberglass painted mushrooms were everywhere, as were lamppost signs advertising the upcoming mushroom festival on the first weekend in September.  Because the area is also surrounded by agriculture, there are lots of wineries.  We stopped into one of the tasting rooms downtown featuring Flickerwood wines.

Sports Mural

After our tasting, we ventured into the Mushroom Cap, a store featuring foods made with mushrooms and anything related to mushrooms, with the big exception that fresh mushrooms are not sold there.  They had a mushroom museum in the rear, showing how mushroom farming is done in the area.  While we are here, we will definitely have to indulge in some mushroom delicacies featured at the local restaurants.

Harriet leads the way

At a bookstore, we chatted to the volunteers running the place.  Upon learning that we had had lunch at Hank's Place, they said the Wyeths often frequented the restaurant for breakfast.  No wonder there were so many Wyeth prints hanging on the walls in there!

You know how this one ends.

We ended our walk at the Mexican ice cream store called Michoacana, where quite a few people were gathered outside, working on their cones.  They had some unusual flavors, like corn, cantalope, and rice pudding, all made right there in the store.  We settled on toasted coconut with chocolate chips.  It was rich and delicious!

We'll be visiting lots of the great attractions here in the Brandywine Valley.  I'll let you know who has the best mushroom soup.

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

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Forward me by email any receipt for an online donation made to the Red Cross for disaster relief, and I will send you a 5x7 print of your choice from any of my daily photo walks or from my website.  Offer good until September 2, 2013.

Visit my web site: camscamerashots.zenfolio.com
Follow me on Twitter: @camscamerashots
Email:  cam.miller@comcast.net

Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use whatever camera is easy and convenient for walking comfortably; always have a backup camera at the ready in case of mishaps (I use the Nikon Coolpix P7700)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so