The Brandywine Valley of PA
There is so much to see and do in this region of Pennsylvania but if you are passing through with an RV or looking for a camping experience and want to get a taste for the region, then do it. We would like to come back and see the entire area at leisure and give a full report. Until then, this is a brief look at our visit through the KOA and the countryside surrounding Coatesville.
Coatesville PA
The Coatesville area is a nice place to explore and is near West Chester and Downingtown. It is north of Kennett Square which was one of the places we stopped at on the way. The attraction here is the countryside to me though downtown West Chester most likely (didn’t visit) is well worth a visit. We unfortunately we had just enough time to explore the back roads surrounding the town which has the Lincoln Highway going right through it so it should be easy to find.
KOA West Chester
Located conveniently to Philadelphia and the Brandywine Valley, this KOA campground is perfect if you have a vehicle and can travel to the wonderful scenic countryside. Another option is to get to the railway station in Thorndale and catch a SEPTA or AMTRAK train into Philadelphia (the Paoli line) for a great urban experience or hop off at another destination and explore! Chester County’s towns have very good public transport though the campground is in the countryside.
The KOA has camping cabins and all the amenities you’d expect at a KOA. The store was well equipped with all sorts of things and the pool looked inviting. The campground was really hilly and gave you the feeling of being in the middle of nature.
Countryside of the Brandywine Valley
This is the area that shines around here in my opinion. You can roam the back roads of this region and just take in the sights. There’s small bridges, little creeks, historic homes, small towns, old mills, fields and fields of corn, farmhouses, stone houses, hills, flowers, and just magical scenery.
It is wonderful to drive over the hilly small roads in the area. It seems that around every corner there is something historic and something interesting. We stopped at one local market in one of the smaller towns (pretty much a cross roads) and found some incredible food.
The Route 82, Doe Run Drive, is a scenic road that takes you through most of what we saw including the Triple Fresh Market which was at a junction that was just shy of a village. It connects Unionville with Coatesville. Alternatively, the Strasburg Road is another great road through the countryside. The KOA is located off Embryville Road/Route 162 and that is also a pleasant back road – don’t miss the Embryville Mill which is on this road.
This is the type of area that you would like to get lost in knowing that you could find your way to wherever you need to be all in good time. It is the idyllic Pennsylvania that I completely forgot existed. I was happy to be reminded of it.
RV Road Trip Note:
This is part of the series of blog posts on a fourteen day road trip from St. Petersburg, Florida to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania with stops along the way north and south with no real planned itinerary. We did this trip in our 30 foot class A motorhome in late July/early August with two bicycles strapped to the back. We traveled to Coatesville, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia from Assateague Island in Maryland. We drove through Delaware and made a stop in New Castle, Delaware as well as Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
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