Longview Center for Agriculture

The Longview Center for Agriculture is a regional hub for reconnecting the land, the community, and food. The center consists of 90 acres of certified organic farmland, which includes an organic fruit orchard and an on-site Farmer's Market.

The center hosts many events like the weekly Lost Arts Workshop. They also serve as a connection point for farm-based education in the area's elementary schools.

The on-site farmer's market provides the community with local foods grown on site or at nearby farms. They carry products that are local and humanely raised and that support independent small farms. They clearly have
a commitment to the community!

The Longview Center for Agriculture is a great place to take children to explore their senses. Children are encouraged to get down and dirty and explore all that the farm has to offer from picking flowers, tomatoes, and even apples.

Currently, blackberries are in season and ripe for the picking! It will be hard for you not to leave with a ton of blackberries. Make sure you bring a container or bag to collect them in {and plenty of wipes!}.

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 The Longview Center for Agriculture is located 3125 Stump Hall Road in Collegeville, Pennsylvania.

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Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast | Review by The Turnip Farmer

When I was a child, some of my fondest memories were the winter holidays spent with my Mommom. I remember walking into her house and it was always so warm. The heat from the oven filled the entire house.
It was that kind of warm that comes with the best naps when you have the perfect amount of blankets and the pillows are just the right firmness (and possibly a slight glaze of drool on them when you awake). And her house always smelled so good. She was always baking something and the holidays were the height of baking season, of course. I remember walking through the front door and craning my neck to get a peek into the kitchen (that we weren’t allowed to be in) to see what had been whipped up, sugared, buttered, glazed and frosted. Holiday dinner at Mommom’s house had the very feeling that is evoked from viewing Norman Rockwell’s painting ‘Freedom from want’.

My Mommom has been gone for many years now and I’ve longed to experience that warmth and those scents again. It was never replicated until I crossed the threshold of the Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast in Philadelphia. I’m a sucker for a Vi ctorian home and was impressed beyond words with the beauty of this home. But it was the welcome, the warmth and oh my goodness the smell of fresh baking that drew me back
to my childhood. I wanted to run right into the kitchen and sneakily drag my finger through the big bowl of icing that I just knew was in there!

The Cornerstone is a fully restored Victorian mansion that was first constructed in 1865. It’s located within walking distance of University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, Philadelphia Museum of Art, restaurants, and shops. First time in Philly and not sure where to go? Just ask one of the Inn Keepers, Dennis. He is a veritable encyclopedia of all things wonderful (and not so wonderful) in Philadelphia. When asked what he
would recommend for dinner, he rattled off a list as long as my arm and the history of most of the eateries. 

Most of the seven rooms at Cornerstone only accommodate two guests each. The Continental (where both Stephanie's, Jenni and I stayed) sleeps four. This suite was amazing. It included a sitting room and two
spacious bedrooms with an adjoining bathroom that included the biggest tub I have ever seen in my life. Like every well laid out bathroom, the double sink and vanity were separate from the facilities. Very handy when you have four women staying in one suite!

But each room is just as spacious and elegant as the next. Every room is beautifully decorated and includes wi-fi and satellite TV offering over 100 channels. Stained glass, Tiffany-style lamps, decadent wallpapers (including a faux tin-stamp paper!), needlepoint and antique black and white family portraits decorate the entire house.

If you ask about those photos you will be delighted with tales of the Bartelme family.

My favorite part of our visit was definitely the full service breakfast on Sunday morning.

Liz put together an outstanding breakfast of a blueberry casserole, ham, fruit and hot-cross buns. Additionally it was an opportunity to talk to the owners and the other guests at Cornerstone that I enjoyed
most. Dennis and Liz are such wonderful hosts and not only fed us but kept us entertained throughout breakfast. They even humored all of my silly questions about their decor and photos and history of their
inn.

The only thing that would have made this visit more perfect would have been some warm, Spring weather. Apparently Mother Nature has not yet gotten the memo that it is in fact Spring! I really would have enjoyed having a sit on the the lovely wrap-around porch. I guess I’ll just have to go back some time!

Dennis, Liz, Jules and Chris, thank you, from the bottom of my heart for hosting our group. I went in fully expecting to enjoy our visit and was delighted to have it bring back happy childhood memories. It was a perfect reminder of how I’d love to have guests feel in my home. And that is what made this visit so perfect - I didn’t feel as if I was in a hotel - I felt like I was home.

This is my personal review of Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast. All comments written here are 100% my own. Cornerstone hosted our visit gratis in return for an honest review of their establishment. I am so pleased to be able to report that we had a lovely and positive experience at their inn. You can also find Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast on Facebook. If you ever stop in, tell ‘em the Turnip Farmer sent you!

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Franklin Fountain | Review by A Grande Life

There are only three words to describe Franklin Fountain.

OH

MY

GOD!

I'm not kidding folks, they are really that good.

Franklin Fountain opened the summer of 2004 and since then has been serving homemade ice cream to the masses. They aim to serve an experience steeped in ideals, drizzled with drollery, and sprinkled with the forgotten flavors of the American past. It really is like stepping back to an era of soda shops!

I admit, when I first found out we were getting the opportunity to stop by the Franklin Fountain, I had no idea what it was. A quick google search promptly showed me what I had been missing these past 7 years! Pictures upon pictures of delicious sundaes and ice cream really hooked this pregnant momma in!

The only bad thing about the whole visit was deciding on what to get?! There are just too many choices.

We finally all decided to try something different so we could sample! We tried..

...the Stock Market Crunch...

...Mt. Vesuvius...

...Homemade Hot Fudge.

As soon as we were served our choices, it got very, very quiet. To say we enjoyed our sundaes is understatement!

The next time you are in Philly, you have to add this to your must do list! We ran into a couple on their way to Baltimore who hopped off 95 just to stop in for the ice cream! It's really that good. Franklin Fountain is open 7 days a week, 11-Midnight!

Thanks so much to our host, Grant, for our delicious treat!

***

Disclaimer: We were invited to taste the best ice cream in Philadelphia by Franklin Fountain. The opinions are 100% mine. Just ask my happy belly!

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Posted in: a grande life,franklin fountain,philadelphia

Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast | Review by A Grande Life

This weekend was amazing! I had so much fun roaming the streets of Philadelphia with my partners in crime {Jenni, Kelly, and Steph}. More on our adventures later, first I have to show where we stayed...GORGEOUS!

The minute Jenni and I walked in the door of Cornerstone Bed & Breakfast, I knew this was the perfect place for us. The aroma of homemade hot cross buns greeted us! They sure know how to lure in the pregnant lady.

I just loved everything about this Victorian stone mansion. The owners, Chris, Jules, Liz, and Dennis, have meticulously taken care of this little gem in the city. Their attention to detail is evident. They also make you feel like you are home from the minute you walk in the door. The Cornerstone has such a homey and loving vibe!

Our room, I mean suite, was on the top floor of the house. I felt like we were having a big 'ole slumber party up there! The room was immaculate. The pride and care that the owners and staff of Cornerstone really shows.

Just look at this tub! I really wanted to take a soak in it but I was afraid that I wouldn't have been able to get out!

Jenni and I stayed in this cute yellow room! I just loved the picket fence headboard.

The Continental Suite would be perfect for a family stay or a girls' weekend of your own! You will not be disappointed. How could you be disappointed when you are served a wonderful, homemade breakfast in the morning!

Thank you so much to our wonderful hosts! I for see another trip to Cornerstone in my future!

***

Disclaimer: The wonderful owners of Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast provided us with a one night stay in their Continental Suite. The opinions are 100% mine! Check them out and you'll see why we thought they were so fabulous!

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Posted in: a grande life,cornerstone,philadelphia

Liberty Bell | Review by The Turnip Farmer

More to come about our trip to the birthplace of America...

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Posted in: liberty bell,philadelphia,turnip farmer

Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast | Review by Goober Monkey

I have so much to talk about Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast that I’m going to break it up into several posts throughout the week!  And so many wonderful pictures to share (I’ll also borrow some of Kelly’s pictures when she gets them uploaded because her camera is far superior to my own little one).

Before we checked into Cornerstone, Kelly and I stayed at another hotel in Philadelphia.  I stayed alone my first night in Philly and Kelly joined me on Friday.  And we both left with basically the same thought: Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast blew away a national hotel chain.  There is just really no comparison of the two.







To start, let me tell you about one of the things that Kelly and I talked about after checking out of Cornerstone this morning: the level of quality.  At the national chain hotel we stayed at, it was perfectly obvious that the rooms were just not taken care of.  The shower in our room was pathetic at best.  The first night I stayed, my shower actually caused a major leak in the lobby!  Who knew.  Well, it caused a service worker to bang on my door at about 10:30 p.m. in a strange town, and I was honestly scared senseless. 

I’ve watched far too many horror movies.  Even after he fixed the drain, the shower itself barely had a flow of water coming out of the head.  It was seriously like trying to take a shower in a water fountain.  And with my height, I had to lean waaaay back to even wash my hair.

The room was dingy, the walls were thin, it was just…well, to be quite frank, gross.
But at Cornerstone?  It was breathtaking.







The owners restored a gorgeous 1870′s mansion into such wonderful condition.  Like I posted back when we checked in, we were met at the door by the lovely Dennis and the wonderful aroma of hot cross buns being baked in the kitchen.  HEAVENLY (and they were are delicious as they smelled!).  Dennis took us to our room (we stayed in the continental suite) and Kelly and I were in absolute awe at the attention to detail this family has put into the bed and breakfast.

This lamp was stunning; I meant to ask if this was a real Tiffany lamp. I’ll have to email Chris and family to find out for sure!

At Cornerstone, they truly have taken the time and care to keep the bed and breakfast impeccable.  At no time did we feel like anything was run down, out of order, falling apart, etc. Even with Steph and Jenni in the adjoining bedroom in the suite, it didn’t seem like they were right on top of us (unlike the national chain hotel where we had to call security about 11:30 p.m. to complain about noise levels).  We also felt like we were welcomed very warmly into their family.  Dennis very happily gave us recommendations on where to go for food and sight seeing (sorry we didn’t get a chance to try out White Wolf per your recommendation, Dennis…I’ll hit it next time I’m there!).  And we felt safe and comfortable while there.  At no time did I feel nervous to walk out of my room downstairs to get a cup of hot chamomile tea alone (something I would not have dared done my first night at the national hotel chain).

Room after room of rich colors, gorgeous fresh flowers, hardwood floors, breathtaking stained glass windows…it was truly a sight to see.

Our suite that we stayed in was absolutely immaculate.  Located on the third floor of the bed and breakfast, it had a sitting room with a television and guest refrigerator, two separate bedrooms, a bathroom with double sinks and a separate room with the toilet, shower and tub.  The beds were neatly made, the bathroom was luxurious.  Beautiful tile floors and walls with an over sized bathtub with jets.  A walk-in shower with glass that I swear sparkles more than mine does at home.

Please forgive the fact that I am only able to show the double sinks in the bathroom at the moment.  I’m currently blogging from about 30,000 feet over Virginia and I’m having trouble uploading pictures.  But a double sink for 4 girls was very appreciated! And the caretakers at Cornerstone have thought of everything.  Q-tips, cotton balls, cups for rinsing your mouth out were all there within arm’s reach.  No need to pack little toiletries while staying here.  Also, the shower had an interesting item I had never seen before; a wall container that held shampoo, conditioner, and body soap!  It was fantastic to be able to use their items versus having to take mine out (for future reference, I wouldn’t even bother packing my own shampoo or conditioner, theirs was terrific!) and worry about them getting my bags all wet after repacking them.

The suite is a perfect room not only for a girl’s weekend, but if you’re a family of 4 staying in the Philly area.

The room Kelly and I stayed in had a queen bed, Jenni and Steph had a double bed.  Also very perfect for children!  The bright, cheery yellow in their bedroom with the adorable picket fence bed would certainly make my kids smile.  And the lovely flowers and cool but inviting textures in our bedroom would make any adult feel right at home.

I do have better pictures of our bed.  I took this shot the moment we unloaded our items in the room.  Kelly was talking to her husband while peeking out the window.  She was sitting on a beautiful wood chest underneath the window!

I cannot say enough nice things about the suite at Cornerstone.  I have at least ten more posts to do this week on their bed and breakfast (and so many more pictures! stupid inflight internet!), so please check back throughout the week to see more!

Are you interested in staying at Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast while visiting Philadelphia?  Even if you’re a Philly local, Cornerstone is truly worth staying at for a “home away from home” visit.  Please visit their website at www.cornerstonebandb.com and check their availability.  If you have any questions about my stay, please feel free to contact me.  If you decide to stay with Cornerstone, please tell them Goober Monkey sent you!

This is my honest and personal review of Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast.  All comments written here are 100% my own.  I was given a free night’s stay and was not compensated in any other way.  I am already planning a weekend trip back to Philly with my family specifically to stay at Cornerstone!  Again, a special thank you to Chris and family for allowing us to stay with them!

From left to right: Steph (A Grande Life), Jenni (Jenni From the Blog) , Steph (Adventures of Goober Grape and Monkey Man) and Kelly (The Turnip Farmer).

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Posted in: cornerstone,goobermonkey,philadelphia