If you're on the East Coast in October and looking for a great weekend get-away, come to New Hope/Lambertville and see Bebe Neuwirth, Malcolm Gets,

Tyne Daly and James Earl Jones at the newly renovated Bucks County Playhouse. Combine it with a Groupon dinner listed below and you have the makings of a wonderful experience. http://www.bcptheater.org/

A BIG FYI to all visiting Bucks County. Just purchased a great Groupon deal for the Sandbar on Main Street in New Hope, Pa. $114 worth of food for a party of four for $45. There is also a Groupon for a party of two which will cost you $25 for $57 worth of food. The deal is on now, 9/4/12 and ends Saturday. Go to: www.groupon.com and look for Philadelphia or Central Jersey deals.

http://www.lambertvillestation.com/default.aspx?pg=dining_station

If you find yourself in the northern Philadelphia suburb of Bucks County this Labor Day Weekend, be sure to visit the Delaware River towns of New Hope and Lambertville for a history filled day, with

a special focus on the American Revolution. There are great shops, the best leather store in the country in New Hope and restaurants galore in both towns. Lambertville, NJ and New Hope,Pa. are directly across the river from each other. And everything is within walking distance. Parking is at a premium on the New Hope side, so I recommend you park in Lambertville. If you're going to have a bite at one of the restaurants anyway, park at Lambertville Station. They will charge you $20 for parking, but the $20 will be refunded to you when you dine inside the station. Lambertville Station is located directly across the river from New Hope on Bridge St. After exploring the two towns and having lunch, drive either south on the Pennsylvania side via River Road/Route 31 to Washington's Crossing and explore the village used as a staging ground for George Washington's famous crossing and the Battle Of Trenton. Or travel north via River Road through picturesque river villages. One such village will be Lumberville where you will see the famous Black Bass Hotel. The hotel dates back to the early 1700's and was recently lovingly restore by the Thompson family. The original owner of the Black Bass remained loyal to the crown during the American Revolution and refused entry to General George Washington when looking for accommodations for the night. One of the few places in America where we know George Washington did not sleep. The Black Bass bar also features the original pewter bar from Maxime's of Paris. Continuing north you will pass through the next village of Point Pleasant, home to River Country, where you can rent a kyak, canoe or tube for a leisurely float down the Delaware. If your looking for a small treasure to take home with you, Point Pleasant's FP Kolbe housed in a wonderful 19th Century hotel features endless rooms of furnishings, curios, candles, and thousands of garden statues and fountains. Point Pleasant is also the home of the national famous gardening catalogue store Kinsman's Garden. Their shop is in the old Point Pleasant Firehouse. So if you're looking for one of a kind items to enhance your garden, this is always a good stop. If you continue north on River Road and cross the bridge over to New Jersey you will find yourself in Frenchtown, where they will be holding their annual River Festival this Labor Day Weekend. More great shops and restaurants, with street musicians and unique street vendors. So come on out and enjoy the best the the area has to offer on what promises to be a great holiday weekend.

HITTING THE MISSISSIPPI BLUES TRAIL

Da Palace Juke Joint along the historic Mississippi Blues Trail

This spring included a road trip through some of the more beautiful parts of the south, including a cruise down the Mississippi Blues Trail. The old highway is still dotted with juke joints and classic barbecue stops, and we took full advantage of the latter. Make sure you make your way to Yazoo City for the pulled pork sandwich at award-winning Ubon's restaurant.http://ubons.net/http://www.msbluestrail.org/

GETTYSBURG ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

There is no better way to honor our servicemen and women than by visiting Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. And to do that on Memorial Day Weekend simply added to our visit to these hallowed grounds. The battlefield, which covers thousands of acres, is best explored via one of the many tour operators. You can also purchase a CD guide that will enhance your tour in your own car. The new visitors center offers a multi-media experience that we recommend as your first stop.  Loaded with artifacts and historic photographs that put you in the thick of the battle.  We stayed at the Quality Inn which was adjacent to the battlefield and within walking distance of restaurants for all budgets. If you want to treat yourself walk down to the Dobbin House, Gettysburg's oldest home built in the 18th Century.http://www.dobbinhouse.com/

VISIT THE BILTMORE ESTATE

We just complete a fantastic visit to Asheville, North Carolina with a special focus on Biltmore Estate, the largest private residence in North America built by the Vanderbilt family.  We recommend following Route 81 through the Shenandoah Valley.  It seems as though every other exit offers antique malls with all kind of well priced collectables. In Asheville we recommend staying at the Homewood Suites.  We arrived on a rainy night and were thrilled that the hotel offered a delicious complimentary dinner with wine and beer (unlimited !) Monday thru Thursday (we arrived on a Monday night). A full breakfast is also included seven days a week. www.hotels.com had rates from $152 to $183 a night. The hotel website offers the same rate,but booking through hotels.com will give you credits towards a free night at any hotel in the future.