One stop on your itinerary should include a trip to Longwood Gardens and Brandywine River Museum. Both are within ten minutes of each other. You could easily spend anywhere from a half to a whole day just exploring these two places. Longwood Gardens is located in historic Brandywine Valley of southeastern Pennsylvania (PA) and northern Delaware (DE).

Pierre S. du Pont developed Longwood Gardens (sometimes called DuPont Gardens) back in 1906. Today, with hundreds of employees and volunteers keeping Longwood beautiful, it's a delight. Over 1,000 acres of indoor and outdoor gardens with over 11,000 different varieties of plants, breathtaking fountains, and lots of events will captivate you. Longwood is so popular that it attracts over 900,000 visitors annually from all over world. There's everything from kid's programs to concerts and gardening demos. Their world-renowned fireworks displays will make you cheer and clap with delight.

Longwood has more fountains than any other garden in United States. Their fountains have been compared to stately water displays in Europe. This should come as no surprise because Pierre du Pont was amazingly passionate about fountains and water. He created 3 totally different fountain gardens and included an assortment of smaller water displays. Some of these fountains have been either restored and even enlarged on to expand on his original designs. The folks must be doing something right because more and more people come to visit these historic fountain shows.

Innovative ideas, a Tropical Rain Forest, and a unique display of wildlife has earned World Famous Topeka Zoological Park national recognition. The Zoological Park has something exciting to see for kid in all of us. An especially entertaining stop is Gorilla Encounter where you can view gorillas from a glass-enclosed area while they roam outdoors. A stroll around grounds is filled with interesting animal exhibits and splendors of nature. For more information on Topeka visit World 66, where you write travel guides.

The Birthplace Of The Civil War

History books rarely mention that for citizens of Kansas and Missouri, Civil War started in mid 1850's. The Wakarusa War, also known as Border War took place near Lawrence, Kansas, when abolitionists clashed with pro-slavery "bushwhackers" of Missouri. These battles later earned Kansas nickname, "Bleeding Kansas."

We walked down streets of Lawrence and paused for a moment to imagine town's citizens caught off-guard by William Quantrill's Raid on August 21, 1863. The attack claimed lives of 180 unarmed men and boys and left city in ruins. The city of Lawrence today is a tribute to perseverance of its citizens who survived battle. Find out more about Lawrence's history like Quantrill's Raid on a self-guided tour around town. Call Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau for details or speak to staff at your hotel.

The Perfect Getaway For Romance & Culture

The city of Lawrence is located 30 minutes from Kansas City. Its historic background and hometown spirit make it a remarkably different small town with a big city flavor. To find that unusual gift for a friend or loved one look no further than Downtown Lawrence where you'll find extraordinary shopping along tree-lined Massachusetts Street and Mass Street.