doylestown volkssport walk

Today Bonnie and I did the Doylestown Volkssport walk. We arrived at the Bucks County Y about 15 minutes late. Google maps failed me. It said to take 202 and then get off State Street. But the highways have been refigured and State Street has it's own exit. If we would have taken State Street, we would have been 5 minutes early!

We checked in and headed out on the 10K. There are several areas on this route that just go around a block—right, right, right or left, left, left—we skipped those and took about 1K off the route. Those ring-a-round the blocks were for several special programs.

(For the special programs you need to pass Masonic Lodges, flags, movie theatres, whatever Some Volkssporters love them. We've never really gotten into them. We do three—Pa. counties, 50 states, and cities A-Z. None have a end date. We recently also picked up Border Crossings for when a walk goes from one state to the next. There's one in Philly/Trenton, there's also one in Kentucky on the new pedestrian bridge. We're doing the Pa./NY one next weekend. We have 10 years to do 15. We just might make it.)

Bonnie has never been to most of the places we passed today—the Michner Museum, Fonthill or the Tileworks. One day we will need to go back and tour them.

Tomorrow Lydia and I are doing the Canal Path from Allentown toward Bethlehem.

tile, tile, everywhere.

Today we were in Doylestown walking with the Liberty Bell Wanderers. I've never walked outside of the downtown area before. There is tile in every corner of the borough. Clearly the Mercer legacy continues. I choose to post this one from Freedom Park to post because it's Memorial Day weekend. The stairs say "walk to freedom".

There was only about ten walkers at the start—the YMCA of Bucks County. (A really nice Y.) One was Carol, who organizes the trips.  It turns out that this is the first walk we took since sending in our starter books at Christmas time. As the man was stamping, he said, where's your event book? I didn't have one. Must order one tonight. They will have them next week at the walk in Bala Cynwyd, but I doubt if we'll go that far. Though I bet that's a pretty walk.

We got our instructions and headed out. Lots of twists and turns. It took a lot of reading, and I managed to read AND stayed upright.

Finally we arrived at the Michener Art Museum. When I saw the mule from Miles of Mules, I realized I hadn't been there since 2000. Long time.  At the end of the road from the museum, we found and walked a community labyrinth. Well, I walked it. Lydia took pixs. She thought I was nuts. Then she took a pix of the entire group walking thru it. Quite a site. Eight people walking a labyrinth.

Then we wove thru downtown, including the farmers market. I had no money with me, so of course they had a lot of kale. Three different kinds. Lyd bought some dog cookies for the spoiled boy.

After that, we got a little lost, spied the rest of the group, and walked together to Fonthill Castle. Have you every been there? The castle consists of forty-four rooms: 10 bathrooms, 5 bedrooms, 18 fireplaces, an Otis elevator and 21 chimneys and air vents. And nearly every square inch is filled with Mercer tile. It's been a long time since I was inside.

We headed down to the Moravian Tile Works, and then came back past the castle, to the Doylestown Cemetery, and arround it. Grave of note—W. Atlee Burpee of the Burpee Seed Company.

While walking, I talked to Carol about have to make trails and what you need to do to get them sanctioned. I'd walk more often with the Wanderers (it's 3 bucks a walk, if you want credit) if most walks weren't Philly and it's 'burbs. (There is a Bethlehem, and two Allentown walks.)

After the cemetery, we left the other behind and finished the course, Then headed home. We had a spoiled dog to walk!

Tomorrow we'll be doing one of our challenge walks. Either the passport walk in Bangor or Jacobsburg. Or perhaps a leg of the D&L.