By Lauren Heine • The Cardinal Contributing Writer
The walkability of picturesque New Hope makes it easy to spend a whole day exploring. And we’ve planned the perfect summer day for you.
Morning:
Start your day off with coffee and a croissant or pastry from C’est La Vie French Bakery. Grab a seat with your breakfast, read the paper, and watch the fog dissipate on the Delaware River.
Next, lace up your sneaks and walk the bridge to Lambertville. Take a picture with one foot in each state and watch the turtles swim below. Combine your love of nature and fitness and walk or bike part (or all if your coffee was particularly effective) of the nearly 60-mile Delaware Canal Tow Path. Need a bike? Rent one from New Hope Cyclery.
With over 15 galleries and even more eclectic shops, the New Hope Visitors Center on Mechanic Street is a great place to plan your day. Shoppers get your arms ready as you’ll be carrying home vintage clothing, books, jewelry, home décor, collectibles, hot sauce, tarot cards, crystals, records, and even comic books.
For those with young children (one to seven years old) prepurchase tickets online to the Bucks County Children’s Museum to discover and play before the crowd arrives. Then hop on board the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad for a 45-minute ride through the countryside with rides starting at 11 am.
Afternoon:
Get all the fixings for a healthy and delicious picnic at family-owned Soulberry Market from their ready-to-go case or order fresh salads, warm bowls, and pressed juices. Take your picnic to Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, a five-minute drive south of town, where you can explore the trails and climb to the top of Bowman’s Hill Tower (combo tickets from $10-15). If a picnic isn’t your thing but you’ve worked up an appetite with all those trails and stairs, Bowman’s Tavern has a crowd-pleasing menu.
If you prefer to stay in town there are many casual lunch options like pizza, burgers, vegan, Mexican, Indian, pubs, and breweries. Fuel up then hit up the shops you couldn’t squeeze in before lunch. Don’t forget a selfie with the town mascot Boomer at the south end of Main Street.
Evening:
Adults 21 and over can enjoy the New Hope and Ivyland railroad too. Relax with wine and cheese on The Grape Vine Express from 5-6 pm. Experience prohibition on The Speakeasy Train from 7-8:30 pm.
You can’t go wrong with the myriad of inviting dining options for dinner. Check out a place you couldn’t get into at lunch. But if you’re in the mood to splurge try Old Stone or Stella. No dinner would be complete without something sweet from Moo Hope Ice Cream, Clusters Popcorn, Nina’s Waffles, or The Last Temptation.
Tap into the spiritual world with a psychic reading or reserve a spot on the walking Ghost Tour offered on Saturday evenings at 8 pm.
Stay up late with New Hope! Catch a show at the Bucks County Playhouse. Grab a drink and discover live music at a local bar each with unique vibes. And if you’re exhausted from your fun-packed day, sleep in at one of the bed and breakfasts or inns.
C’est La Vie French Bakery, and Carriage House are all staples.
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