PGN Bucks County Special Section

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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New Hope and Doylestown: the twin stars of Bucks County

By Scott A. Drake scott@epgn.com New Hope is the number-one destination for people who drive to Bucks County for more reasons than I can fit in here. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and it’s a perfectly situated slice of a town that offers many options.

Going up for the entire day to shop, stroll, eat and enjoy this charming town is commonplace, but I’m here to tell you that if you really want to get away, go for the weekend like we did recently.

Now I’m not going to suggest you try to do everything written here in one weekend, because that’s counter to any relaxation strategy, but I will offer you many options.

Let’s start with the B&Bs, because you’re going to need a place to stay and motels are mostly in the other parts of the county. Besides, a romantic and invigorating weekend starts with a handsome bed and breakfast.

There are more than 20 B&Bs in the town and surrounding area so there’s some research to do to decide where you want to stay, depending on whether you’re here to carry on, carry out, shop, drop or roll.

The Wishing Well Guesthouse (144 Old York Road; wishingwellguesthouse.com) is a fabulous historic old stone house that was originally a farmhouse, as many in the area were. The house is filled with antiques, book nooks, a cozy common area and a well-windowed dining area for breakfast. Or dine out back with the birds and wildlife.

Behind the house is an ample yard for relaxing or eating and there is a stepped slope down to a gazebo by Acquetong Creek. It’s a peaceful spot for getting away from the hubbub of the outside world to read, nap or listen to the water and wildlife.

With only six rooms, this place fills up quickly so make your reservation as far in advance as possible. You are sure to be quickly enamored with staffer Jason when you check in, and he makes some of the best scrammies around (with cream cheese and heavy cream, if I remember rightly), not to mention he has many, many entertaining stories to share.

The Wishing Well just happens to be about 300 yards behind The Raven (385 W. Bridge St.; theravennewhope.com), which

is not a B&B of course, but for those who are going to hang out at the bar, use the pool and play, it’s another option. Its recently remodeled rooms and the addition of the New Hope Cottages behind the main building make it a great option for someone who expects to find it all here.

The Raven is also opening its newly renovated restaurant, Poe Bistro Lounge, over New Hope Celebrates weekend. (See “The Raven introduces Poe.”) If you want to be in the heart of things while being secluded, check into Porches on the Towpath B&B (20 Fisher’s

bring the total count to 10 rooms.

Small town, big choices New Hope is Main Street, Bridge Street and Mechanic Street, plus a couple of side roads, several small walkways and the canal towpath. Main Street runs along the river. Bridge Street crosses the river. Pretty simple.

What isn’t so simple is managing to absorb it all. For a small town, there’s a lot to take in here.

Galleries, eateries, craft shops, clothing stores, collectables, you name it. There’s even Mystikal

BEHIND THE WISHING WELL GUESTHOUSE (TOP) AND A READY-FOR-BRUNCH KARLA’S Photos: Scott A. Drake

Alley; porchesnewhope.com), which fronts the historic Delaware Canal. The canal towpath is popular for walkers and cyclists and allows you access to the rest of town through the back door, as it were.

Porches was originally a granary built in the 1830s and now is home to the peaceful, comfortable B&B that has sitting areas inside and out with views of the canal. The main house has six rooms, but the other buildings on the property with private quarters

Tymes (127 S. Main St.) for the wiccan in the group, where we got some uniquely scented incense and pondered a possible card reading.

We became big fans of Curious Goods (17 W. Ferry St.) not only for the wild array of vintage items, but the staff and location are both terrific. And though we went in just to look, we found something inexpensive we just had to have. Stop by in the morning and they have complimentary coffee and cookies,

while in the afternoon the wine flows and you can sit out back along the creek with a glass and enjoy a mini-escape.

The creek and canal are two of the most interesting and least-utilized conduits of New Hope. Step off the street and get a completely different perspective from water level, as it were. For one thing, it can be a faster route across town to walk the canal than Main Street. For another, you will find small artist studios, flower gardens, a restaurant or two and a few other surprises that you can’t find without getting off the beaten concrete path.

One regular stop every time we visit New Hope is Olive-n-Grape (11A W. Bridge St.; olivengrape.com) because we can sample the newest varieties of olive oils and balsamic vinegars and grab some ideas for cookouts.

Yes, you can sample these in a couple spots in Philadelphia, but we like to bring something home every trip and this is practical. I created a barbeque sauce masterpiece recently with their cherry balsamic vinegar, which they now hold in reserve in the back so you have to ask for it.

Nearby is the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (newhoperailroad.com). If you hadn’t heard the train whistle before this, you’re either not listening or it’s still morning. The first excursion is at noon (and it’s the safest bet for a non-children car possibility FYI). Fortunately, they serve beverages of various alcohol contents also.

While an afternoon train trip is a nice way to get some breeze and off the feet, there’s a couple of other entertaining trips you might want to think about. There is a dinner train five times a year and four murder-mystery dinner train trips that could make you want to ride old number 40 one weekend evening. Reservations are required.

If you are ready for refreshment before or after the train ride, you can head across the tracks to Triumph Brewery (400 Union Sq.; www.triumphbrewing. com) for a craft brew or two.

Outdoor seating in the milder weather or air-conditioning tables inside for the hotter days, offer a respite from the crowds and cars.

Live bands speckle the calendar, but on the weekends you’re almost sure to get some free entertainment while you’re there.

Grab a menu and snack on an

app. Cheers!

Days of wine and song Speaking of libations, Bucks County is home to dozens of wineries. If that seems like a lot for one county, think about this: There’s just about as many on the Jersey side. Why is that? Check out a topographical map and you’ll find that this area is almost identical to another high wineproducing valley on the other coast. Yes, our humble Bucks County produces the same, and frequently better, quality wines that you would find coming from Napa Valley.

So a winery trip is mandatory while you’re here; you could go to several in a day, in fact. New Hope Winery (newhopewinery. com) is on the fringes of town on the road to Doylestown. It’s a huge barn-like building full of wine and related products and they have entertainment several nights a week.

Check out the wine rack selection and the hand-crafted bottle holders in the gift shop. With plenty to taste and goods to go along with your new case of wine, this makes a nice last stop before hitting the road home.

Just 15 minutes north of PAGE 18 New Hope is

SANDCASTLE WINERY OWNER JOSEPH MAXIAN (TOP) AND AGING BARRELS FOR APPROXIMATELY 30,000 BOTTLES OF WINE

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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TABLE ART AT THE BLUE MOOSE CAFE (ABOVE) AND THE CONVERTED SANCTUARY, NOW DINING ROOM, OF BUCKS from page 16

Sandcastle Winery (755 River Road, Erwinna; sandcastlewinery.com), with spectacular views and the peacefulness of a French vineyard. The tour offers everything from the vines to the fermentation tanks, the aging barrels and of course a private tasting.

The tour tasting is done upstairs from the main room,

where the other hundreds are vying for a spot at the counter while you get personal service sipping the 12-15 wines produced on site. Owner Joseph Maxian guides you through the varieties and the proper way to taste for maximum enjoyment.

Additionally, as you take notes, you will learn how to pair fruits,

chocolate and other foods with the different wines in a friendly and entertaining way. Put this stop down as a must-do!

Must have sustenance!

On a diet? This isn’t the town for that. There is a kaleidoscope of restaurants to choose from, and

GIANT RAINBOW FLAG ON THE CORNER OF BRIDGE AND MAIN STREETS DURING NEW HOPE CELEBRATES PRIDE 2013

something for every desire and budget. My only disappointment this trip was that my favorite outdoor eatery, Wildflowers, is no longer open.

For sheer glamour and an exceptional experience, Marsha Brown (15 S. Main St.; marshabrownrestaurant.com)

seems to be at the top of everyone’s list. Marsha Brown is near the intersection of Bridge and Main streets. The atmosphere here is almost reverent, maybe because until about 10 years ago, it was a Methodist Church.

The service is also outstanding.

Russell not only took good care

And there’s more!

Bucks County isn’t just New Hope, as hard as that is to fathom. It has a vast assortment of county and state parks for nearly every outdoors option and a number of museums and other historic sites.

You likely have passed Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve and Bowman’s Hill Tower on River Road (PA Route 32) on your way in and out of New Hope. This recreational area is awesomely beautiful and allows a quiet getaway along the paths and walkways for an hour or more.

The tower stands 125 feet tall and, from the top on a clear day, you can see a radius of about 15 miles.

One of the most unique spots in the entire state is Ringing Rocks Park, a place that makes for an unusual afternoon date outdoors exploring. The park is named for — drum roll — the rocks, because some of them ring when struck with a hammer.

Not making this up! In fact, there is another field of rocks in Bucks that has the same feature. The phenomenon cannot be explained with metallurgical study, X-

rays or alien theories. And who cares why — it’s just entertaining. The park is also home to the highest waterfall in Bucks County, worth a walk down the other path.

Of course, there is always the option in nice weather of tubing down the Delaware and walking or biking the Delaware Canal, but why not hit Northern Bucks and spend a day at the largest park in the county: Nockamixon State Park, halfway between Doylestown and Bethlehem. The lake offers fishing, boating, sailing and windsurfing and the park has miles of

trails for hiking and biking. Add a pool, a disc golf course, nearby horse rentals for riding and some cabins and this can be a memorable weekend all by itself.

For cultural spots, Doylestown has the trifecta with Mercer Museum, Fonthill Castle and Moravian Tile Works — three distinctly different places to explore all tied together by one man: Henry Mercer.

Briefly, without spoiling the visit and the tours, Fonthill was Mercer’s selfdesigned home, lavishly and artistically decorated with tile and similar ornamentation — all of which came from across his lawn at the tile works. Using centuries-old techniques, the still-individually handcrafted tiles are gorgeous and authentic to

Mercer’s originals. Tours of both places are worth every cent. The photos you see here from Fonthill were taken with special permission. Cameras are not usually permitted.

Not too far away is the Mercer Museum. Mercer was a collector of tools and he considered everything a tool: A clock is a tool to tell time, a boat is a tool to get across water, etc. The eclecticness of this place seems mind-boggling but there is an order to it. Make sure you check out some of the old dentist, barber and cooking tools to appreciate not living 100 years ago.

Across the street from the Mercer is the Michener Museum, named for longtime Doylestown resident author James Michener. This multi-purpose gallery has a small sculpture garden in addition to the indoor galleries, one of which regularly features photography exhibits. The two together make an interesting juxtaposition of new and old that many will enjoy. ■

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of us, but also made us feel like welcome returnees even though it was our first visit.

The food is outrageously good and priced accordingly. The Louisiana-style menu offers traditional spicy foods and plenty of seafood options. We highly recommend the lobster/shrimp bisque and the crab cakes for starters, though the coconut shrimp looked delish also. My Creole-style filet was so tender the knife was superfluous, and the pan-seared salmon over shrimp with Romano grits was heavenly.

Another great dining spot is Karla’s (5 West Mechanic St.; karlasnewhope.com). We ate dinner there seated along the windows looking out onto Mechanic Street.

The lunch menu sounds just as tasty and we’re already planning brunch there before the New Hope Celebrates Pride parade May 17, because that menu looks fine and partly because this past trip we brunched at Blue Moose Café (cafebluemoose.com), a couple of doors up at 9 W. Mechanic St. Don’t get me wrong — the Blue Moose brunch was super-good! It’s a light-hearted space with vibrant colors and a folksy décor. The Mechanic Street Scrammy with bacon, onion, peppers, pepper jack cheese and tomatoes was irresistible, as was the brownie with port-wine-soaked cherries for a brunch dessert. There’s also the Skylar’s Egg Sammy with Cajun aioli, eggs, avocado, cheddar and spring greens.

The owner’s sister makes all the baked goods on premises and she has come up with a remarkable scone-like cinnamon roll that begs to be devoured. I must add also that the owner, her younger brother, is 22 years old and this is his eighth year cooking and fourth year owning this place. Yes, he started at 14 out of his parents’ home doing monthly dinners because of his love of food.

You really must experience Blue Moose for its lively atmosphere, great grub and to be part of Skylar’s career. This guy is going to be very successful.

Remember to tap the ATM before you go, cash only.

So many places to eat, so little space. There are so many other spots to grab a slice or a cone or a taco or chocolate as you stroll, I’ll leave the rest of them for you to find. Mangia!

On a diet? This isn’t the town for that. There is a kaleidoscope of restaurants to choose from, and something for every desire and budget.

There’s still a hundred other things to mention about New Hope, like the ghost tours and walking the bridge over to Lambertville, N.J., to go antiquing and Bucks County Playhouse, but some of the fun of exploring is uncovering something maybe everyone doesn’t know about. The beauty of New Hope and the area is that whether you’re here to shop or browse or just hang out, there’s always an interesting place to wander through, a cleverly tucked-away studio to accidentally find and secret spots in, behind and on top of various buildings to stop and enjoy a moment with your honey. ■

The Raven introduces Poe The long wait for the reopening of the restaurant at The Raven is over!

Poe Bistro Lounge (theravennewhope. com/poebistrolounge/), with its new look and updated Contemporary American menu, brings a fresh feel to this longtime favorite dinner spot. The Raven’s award-winning restaurant reopened May 15, completing the most extensive transformation since opening 35 years ago.

General manager Armando Martinez said the most exciting part of this rebirth is the return of chef Ed Jankowski, who helmed the restaurant through its prior glory years between 1992-2004. Owner Scott DeWitt brought back former owner Robert Ebert, who owned the establishment at that time, to assist as project consultant.

Jankowski has designed a menu to reflect the appeal of current traditional fare while crafting his unique flavor

styling into them. The menu stretches typical American cuisine boundaries with offerings of grilled polenta, fried mac and spinach and chiles rellenos.

Hearty dishes like wild-mushroom ragout and shrimp cassoulet are also available, as well as an assortment of lighter-fare sandwiches and salads.

The reasonably to moderately priced entrees, small plates and sides are crafted to offer something across the spectrum of personal taste. Consistency in excellence is of course the most important ingredient in all dishes.

Walk-ins are always welcome but reservations are strongly urged as seating is limited to 100, which includes the patio and outdoor dining at the gardens. Dress attire is much like that of the rest of the resort, lounge, bar and pool — casual, elegant or even a little whimsical.

Dining at The Raven’s Poe Bistro Lounge will be ordinary nevermore.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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New Hope Pride bridges gaps

By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com New Hope Celebrates is crossing bridges to celebrate the LGBT community at this year’s annual Pride parade and festival.

New Hope Celebrates Pride kicked off last week and continues through May 18, culminating in Saturday’s Pride parade at noon.

For the first time, the parade will begin across the bridge in Lambertville, N.J., in front of the Lambertville Station & Inn, and participants will cross over the New Hope-Lambertville Bridge into town.

NHC president Sharon Fronabarger said local sponsors of the Pride festivi-

Mayor Larry Keller and state legislators will join the marriage float as it crosses into Pennsylvania.

Fronabarger said the changing environment in Pennsylvania and in the country influenced NHC to make marriage equality front and center as this year’s theme.

“We’ve seen over the past year or so a real push for other states throughout the United States and in countries around the world to move toward greater marriage equality,” she said. “We are the only state in the Northeast that does not have marriage equality and it has become such a major topic in the news and, especially when our sister state right across the bridge now has it, it seemed like a no-

ties encouraged the NHC team to involve Lambertville more in the celebration.

“We took that to heart and started thinking through the logistics and talked with the joint mayors and found out that it would be the 200th anniversary of the bridge, so we figured it would be perfect,” she said.

Fronabarger assured that, although the bridge will celebrate two centuries, it is still in sound structure to carry the parade over the state line.

The bridge will also serve as a stage for a wedding. Charles Young and Fred Blank, together for 35 years, will be married in Lambertville, where marriage equality is legal, before the parade makes its way to New Hope, where it is not.

Young said his own battle overcoming cancer illuminated the need for legal recognition of his relationship with Blank.

“Pension, Social Security, our home without the burden of unjust taxes; I couldn’t think of a better reason for anyone to marry the most important person in their life, gay or straight,” he said. “We have been waiting 35 years to get married, preferably in Pennsylvania. Our hope is that in the near future the LGBT community will not be treated as marriage refugees. Thankfully, common sense can be found in New Jersey.”

Lambertville Mayor David DelVecchio will officiate the wedding and New Hope

brainer.”

Keller, along with Victoria Lace, will serve as emcees for the parade.

Keller received some bad press last year after he declined to officiate weddings of same-sex couples who’d received marriage licenses from Montgomery County Clerk D. Bruce Hanes.

But Fronabarger said Keller is, and long has been, supportive of the LGBT community.

“Larry is and always will been an ally to the community,” she said. “He’s always been a supporter of the community and has been our emcee every year. He is a part of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry and he was one of the first mayors to sign up for that.”

Forty groups will take part in the parade, 20 of which are floats, and 55 vendors are expected for the vendor fair and block party, held at the Bucks County Playhouse parking lot following the parade.

Fronabarger said Pride is a time when the town’s true diversity comes out.

“New Hope Pride and parade have to be one of the days in New Hope where everybody comes out,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what race, age, gender, sexual orientation — it is one of our most diverse days in town and a great way to highlight what an awesome town New Hope is.”

For more information, visit www.newhopecelebrates.com. ■

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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Six things you might not know about Bucks County * The New Hope-Lambertville Bridge celebrates 200 years this year. The original structure was a covered wooden bridge and the first across the Delaware River. * Bucks County has 12 covered bridges, 10 of which were built between 1870-74. * PARX Casino in lower Bucks County is the largest casino in the state. * M. Night Shyamalan’s movie “Signs” was filmed in Bucks County. * Notables who were born or lived in Bucks County include activist Abbie Hoffman, author Pearl S. Buck, Oscar Award winner Oscar Hammerstein III, singer Alecia Moore (P!nk), Jamie Moyer of the Phillies and writer Dorothy Parker. * The Michener Museum in Doylestown was named for author James Michener, who was born there.

Michener’s first book, “Tales of the South Pacific,” won him a Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was the basis for the musical “South Pacific.” ■

Philadelphia Gay Pride

Our Pride Issue is our largest issue of the year, with a readership of 50,000, plus an additional 8,000 distributed at Gay Pride June 8 at Penn’s Landing.

Issue date: June 6 Ad deadline: May 30

Reserve your space today— greg@epgn.com 215-625-8501 ext. 201

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Discover diverse history in Bucks County

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com

Mile: Mercer Museum, Fonthill Castle and Moravian Pottery & Tile Works, the concrete castles built by Henry Chapman While Philadelphia is considered one of Mercer that now house his expansive and the nation’s most historically significant cit- quirky collection of Americana ephemera.

With the warmer weather finally upon ies, our neighbors to the North boast their us, a taste of Bucks County history can also own fair share of history.

Bucks County’s most-known claim to include outdoor ventures — such as a tour historical fame is as the site of George of the county’s still-standing 12 covered Washington’s 1776 river crossing, but bridges or a stroll through Delaware Canal the more-than-300-year-old area, span- State Park, the only fully intact 19th-cenning more than 600 square miles, is home tury canal in the nation.

“There’s truly a historical attraction in to a wealth of diverse historical offerings, Bucks County to suit every taste and interest,” Lawlor said.

And many visitors supplement their dose of history with some entertainment, traveling the Bucks County Wine Trail or taking in the shops, restaurants and bars scattered throughout the numerous main-street corridors.

Lawlor said tourism officials see a mix of both day trippers and weekenders checking out Bucks County’s historical sites.

WASHINGTON CROSSING HISTORIC PARK For those who want to crash for VISITOR CENTER the weekend, even overnight accommodations can be steeped in history designed to engage visitors all along the — at the Inn and Barley Sheaf Farm, an original component of Penn’s Land Grant, history-buff gamut.

“You can go from touring the site that lit- or at New Hope’s Logan Inn, a venue that erally turned the tide of the Revolutionary dates to 1727 and is among the country’s War (Washington Crossing Historic Park) five oldest inns. to a 44-room concrete castle with more than 6,000 books (Fonthill Castle),” said Visit Bucks County communications manager Jessica Lawlor. “Some of our historical attractions are very large and wellknown, while there are so many other smaller gems, just waiting to be discovered by visitors.”

Bucks County’s historical attractions can even be enjoyed by non-history enthusiasts, Lawlor said.

“History is more than MERCER MUSEUM IN DOYLESTOWN what you might read in a textbook and in Bucks While visitors to Bucks County may County, you can really see history come to life through reenactments, demonstrations, be able to feel transported back in time, Lawlor noted the area is a progressive one, festivals and events,” she said.

Washington Crossing hosts an annual rife with LGBT culture, especially in LGBT Christmas Day reenactment of its namesake, hub New Hope.

“With its history deeply rooted in the while Pennsbury Manor, the reconstructed home of William Penn whose living-history LGBT community, New Hope became a museum is celebrating its 75th anniversary, popular hangout for performers, musicians hosts demonstrations of 17th-century life and actors when ‘discovered’ in the 1940s.

This vibrant town is now a melting pot of on Sundays.

And Bucks County’s historical sites diverse artists, quirky shops, a robust thehighlight the area’s wealth of cultural con- ater scene and a celebrated destination for tributions — such as Nobel and Pulitzer LGBT travelers. Of course, many people Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck’s are familiar with New Hope as the LGBT farmhouse, which is home to her type- foundation of Bucks County, but all are writer among other artifacts, or the Mercer welcome throughout the county.” ■

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

Scott A. Drake Photography 267-736-6743

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

Bringing the family to Bucks County

By Angela Thomas angela@epgn.com While Bucks County is brimming with quaint date spots, opportunities also abound for a staycation with the little ones. Check out this guide to some of the area’s hottest spots for tots.

Giggleberry Fair at Peddler’s Village Nestled in Bucks County’s Peddler’s Village shopping district, Giggleberry Fair provides a chance for children and adults to join in family fun.

Open seven days a week, Giggleberry Fair features a host of hands-on activities for kids to play and learn and, with its grand carousel and extensive arcade, is a great spot for birthday parties.

Giggleberry Mountain serves as Bucks County’s largest indoor obstacle course.

The three-story, six-level course provides a challenging environment for children of all ages.

Looking for a place to take the toddlers?

Giggleberry Discovers is geared toward children 6 and younger.

The game room provides a diverse selection of arcade amusements and, for food after all that fun, the Painted Pony offers a selection of kid-friendly meals.

For more information, visit www.peddlersvillage.com/kids.

Bucks County Children’s Museum The seed for Bucks County Children’s Museum was planted in 2003 and the venture came to fruition eight years later in the center of New Hope.

“It came out of passion for education and the love that I have for the county,” said president Kelly Krumenacker. “I wanted to provide appropriate and meaningful activities for kids.”

It took Krumenacker several years to pull together a team and shop the project around before the doors officially opened in 2011 at 500 Union Square Drive.

The museum features many hands-on

experiences for kids, including the Factory Works, where children can build their own K’Nex racecars and race their creations.

“We have a lot of giggles coming out of that area,” she said. “They love crashing their cars.”

The museum allows children to learn skills and use their imagination in the Town Square, where they can dress up as the police officers, firefighters and chefs; stock shelves and sort produce in a general store; and serve up ice cream for their parents or guardians.

The museum also hosts a Museum Explore Day for Children with Autism, which closes down the museum to the public so children with special needs can explore and play without feeling constricted by the public.

“It is just a great time for them to explore the museum and for parents to have a great time meeting other parents,” Krumenacker said. “It is a wonderful thing to see happen and it builds community.”

The museum is gearing up for an expansion. Krumenacker said the museum will double its size and will feature a new exhibit called Airways to Waterways, where children can experiment with air pressure and learn about the canal system in New Hope.

The new expanded museum will also feature a large programming room. The grand opening is expected next month.

For more information, visit www.buckskids.org.

New Hope & Ivyland Railroad Although New Hope may be unreachable

by SEPTA, you can still hear the horn of a train in the town.

New Hope & Ivyland Railroad, 32 W. Bridge St., was incorporated in 1962 originally as Steam Trains, Inc., and in 1990, the Bucks County Railroad Preservation & Restoration Corporation restored the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad for $2 million.

The freight-train service is a fun way for tourists to experience an old-fashioned train ride from New Hope to Lahaska.

NHRR senior director of marketing

NEW HOPE AND IVYLAND RAILROAD FREIGHT TRAIN Photo: Scott A. Drake

Tricia Falcone said the 45-minute excursion on the old-fashioned train is a big draw for kids and families.

“We have red-cap conductors who narrate the trip. It makes it fun for the kids,” she said. “They talk about the history of the train and the kids are drawn to it because they make a connection with the train.”

Falcone said NHRR has added two new events for kids. Starting June 10 and running until the end of August, NHRR will host a Song and Story Hour inwhich storytellers and musicians will read books and sing songs during the trip.

NHRR will also host Wild Flower Experience starting after Memorial Day. In the open-air car, families will be given a pack of wild flower seeds with each ticket purchase. Children will be able to throw the seeds overboard, and families will be given a return-trip ticket to see their seeds come to life.

For more information on NHRR, visit www.newhoperailroad.com.

Sesame Place Opened in 1980, the theme park based on the famous TV series features water attrac-

tions, rides and shows for kids of all ages — and this year is introducing a new section of the park.

Sesame Place will open Cookie’s Monster Land this spring, which will feature five new rides, a net climb and a soft play area.

Cookie’s Monster World is replacing Elmo’s World, which opened in 2006.

“We are always looking to revamp the park and invigorate things because our guests come back year after year and we want them to experience different things,” said Dana Ryan, associate manager of public relations at Sesame Place.

The attractions range from water-based adventures to high-flying rocket ships to travels 40 feet into the air in a spinning cookie jar.

Kids of all ages can toss and tumble in Monster Clubhouse, the three-storey net climb. For toddlers, the Mini Monster Clubhouse is a safe bet, featuring a soft play area where youngsters can climb, crawl and play the day away.

With all that playtime, families are sure to get hungry and can head down to Cookie’s Sometimes Anytime Food Market.

For more information on Sesame Place, visit www.sesameplace.com. ■

Out and about in New Hope May 16 LGBT History Exhibit presented by Retro-Scope Through May 18 at New Hope Arts Inc., 2 Stockton Ave. Comedian Vickie Shaw 7:30-10 p.m. at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St.

Varla Jean Merman at the Rrazz Room 8-9 p.m., Lower York Road Girls Night Out with Christine Havrilla 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. at Triumph Brewing Company, 400 Union Square Drive

May 17 New Hope Celebrates 11th Annual Pride Parade 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Lambertville and New Hope Rock the Block Party and Vendor Fair 1-6 p.m. at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St.

“Hairspray” Sing-a-Long 8-10:30 p.m. at Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St. NHC annual Saturday Night Dance Party 9:30 p.m.-2 a.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St.

May 18 Pride Brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Raven’s new Poe Bistro Lounge, 385 W. Bridge St. Ladies 2000 Pride Party 3-7 p.m. at Havana, 105 S. Main St.

NHC Annual T-Dance 4-10:30 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St.

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Day in the Life Of ...

By Jen Colletta jen@epgn.com With the hand-shaking and chit-chatting Alex Fraser does in just a short trip down Main Street in New Hope, you’d think he was campaigning for public office. But Fraser has actually spent the last several months canvassing the quaint twists and turns of the bucolic Bucks County town campaigning for another cause: the Bucks County Playhouse.

Fraser began his tenure as the producing director of the iconic playhouse in January.

On a spring day during PGN’s visit, Fraser’s day was packed: meetings, calls, visits, all with the goal of helping to restore the splendor of the playhouse’s glory days.

Fraser and fellow out theater aficionado Robyn Goodman were brought on to helm the organization after Jed Bernstein left

to take the reins of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Bernstein reopened the theater in 2012 after it had been closed for two years, following a downturn.

“People just love to tell me how horrible it was,” Fraser said. “They say it was rundown and the quality of the productions was variable back then. So what I’m doing now is building bridges with anyone I can find who will sit and listen about what we’re doing with the playhouse.”

First up this day was a phone chat with Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor Marsha Mason, who’s directing “Chapter Two” starting next week at the playhouse.

In his corner office across Main Street from the playhouse — surrounded by cast photos of playhouse productions and oversized calendars with each show time listed — Fraser jovially chatted up Mason about her participation in the playhouse’s 75thanniversary gala, held May 3, securing her commitment to introduce Broadway legend Betty Buckley to the stage. After sharing some laughs about Mason’s and Buckley’s roles in keeping the bus ride down from New York entertaining, Fraser jetted off for a conference call with Goodman, playhouse executive director, and casting consultants to weed through candidates for “Deathtrap,” opening in June.

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

23

a producing director: Alex Fraser Going part by part, and actor by actor, Fraser and his colleagues went back and forth on the pros and cons of each — name recognition, acting chops, if each was believable in the role — until they solidified a list of top prospects.

As per the usual, Fraser was fashionably late to the call.

“I’m always late,” he laughed. “It drives everybody crazy. In New York, it’s less of a problem because everybody’s late but in Pennsylvania, I’m finding, nobody’s late.

Everybody’s on time, or even 15 minutes early.”

Fraser is splitting his time between New York and Pennsylvania, staying with friends in Newtown until he and his partner go house-hunting.

Fraser, who’s spent the last several decades in New York, said Bucks County has taken some getting used to.

“It’s definitely more laidback than New York. It’s been a little adjustment, but a good, healthy adjustment,” he said. “I’m from the South where people seem nice but they don’t necessarily mean it. But here, people are actually really nice. And interesting, and smart and curious and accepting. There’s a homogenous feeling here.”

Fraser was born in St. Louis but moved to Memphis as a baby. His father, who hailed from Philadelphia, grew up in New York City and the family would visit Fraser’s aunt as a child — prompting his lifelong love of the Big Apple.

“From the time I was 6, I started asking my father, ‘You left here? Why?’ I knew from that age that I would one day live in New York City.”

That path began to take shape in high school.

“Like a lot of gay kids, I had a tough time in high school and didn’t have a lot of friends. My sister had an old boyfriend who directed plays and came up to me and asked me to come audition,” Fraser said.

“Anybody who asked me to do anything, I just said yes. So I auditioned ... and didn’t get cast. And that was my first real lesson of ‘welcome to the theater.’”

But Fraser worked on props for the show and said he fell in love with the theater.

Also in high school, he began to recognize his own budding LGBT identity; while self-acceptance wasn’t challenging, finding positive reflections of himself in 1970s society was.

“My best friend told me he was fooling around with another guy and I was upset and told him it was wrong and everything that had been repeated to me. But I took about two days to think about it, and suddenly I was like, ‘Oh, I’m like that too.’ It was almost like a relief, things just made total sense. But once I had that realization, it was like, ‘OK, I’m going to get married, have children and sneak around and have sex with guys’ because I thought that was just what you did,” he said, noting his perceptions began to shift after participating in a summer-stock theater program. “There

FRASER (SECOND FROM RIGHT) WITH CHRISTIAN JACOB (FROM LEFT), ROBYN GOODMAN AND BETTY BUCKLEY AT THE PLAYHOUSE’S MAY 3 75TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

were suddenly all these gay guys, and the musical director and choreographer were boyfriends and they had apartments in New York. I went to a gay bar for the first time and suddenly saw there was like this own society and social world where everyone was accepted. It all just clicked.”

Influenced by the popular notion that a theater degree was “silly,” Fraser went on to study journalism in college, transferring to

New York University as a junior. After college, he was drawn back to the theater scene with a job offer in casting.

“It was frustrating, having wanted to be an actor so recently and then to be in this position talking to actors and watching their desperation at wanting but not getting the job. For every one actor who gets cast, there are 300 who don’t.”

PAGE 24 Fraser left casting

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FRASER from page 23

for the fundraising side of theater and for years bounced between commercial theater — where he served as producer or general manager of dozens of Broadway, Off-Broadway and touring productions — and nonprofit theater ventures, such as executive director of Second Stage Theater, founded by Goodman, for five years. He has worked with such theater names as Andrew Lloyd Webber and in 2011 won a Tony Award for the revival of “The Normal Heart.”

For four years, Fraser was a producer for Daryl Roth Productions, where he worked on the development of “Kinky Boots” and then opened his own consulting business, working with producer Bob Boyett and running business affairs for the new Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills.

Last year, during a Bucks County visit, his partner mentioned his willingness to move to the area and, coincidentally, two months later, a friend mentioned the opening at Bucks County Playhouse.

“We were talking about work and she said, ‘Well, would you consider running another theater company?’ And I asked why and she told me the whole story about Jeb and the playhouse and the work he’d done to renovate it and that they were now looking for somebody and I said yes. No question. Boom.”

Fraser enlisted Goodman as a potential partner and, after a series of interviews and meetings, the pair was hired, starting Jan. 1.

Fraser said he and Goodman are both committed to using the playhouse to help develop new productions from promising writers.

“New work is risky. But this is a very, very smart community and we’re really encouraged by what we’re learning about people’s appetites for new work,” he said.

“We keep saying that we want to look to history to be inspired for the future. The history of the area is amazing; so many artists, writers, directors — people like Hammerstein — came down here to be inspired. We want to provide a place where writers can come and work on a new show.”

The playhouse recently launched adult-education programs focused

on playwriting and storytelling and Fraser said they’re also planning to revive a summer-apprentice program for youth, adding it could be especially valuable for LGBT youth.

The organization launched a new subscription service earlier this year with a goal of 500 initial subscriptions — and so far have accrued more than 1,500.

“We’re working to make sure we’re really communicating who we are, making sure everything we do is consistent,” Fraser said.

“We’re meeting people and figuring out how we can work with them, getting groups to come in.

We want people to know they can trust the playhouse again because we are working hard to do really good stuff.”

To that end, his position requires little deskwork. While he’s grate-

ful for the time enmeshed in the community, he said finding opportunities to do the obligatory paperwork is challenging.

“It’s not a lot of sitting at a desk, which I love, but the only problem is finding time to work,” he said. “There are times I need to sit at my desk and get some work done but I’m out meeting people, so I need to budget my time in a different way. I haven’t quite figured it out yet but I will.”

On PGN’s visit, Fraser spent his morning meeting with a state lawmaker about introducing a rail line to New Hope and his afternoon visiting with New Hope Celebrates president Sharon F r o n a b a rg e r, w h o walked him, literally, through plans for this weekend’s Pride festivities, which will include a vendor fair in the playhouse lot. Afterwards, Fraser popped into the playhouse during the matinee performance of “Hummingbird’s Tour,” checking in with boxoffice staff and catching a few minutes of the show, which Culture for a Cause Production rented the playhouse to premiere, from the box seats.

In all his interactions, the playhouse was the focus — from small talk with lunch waitstaff to

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“I want to engage with the community, and I want people who perform at the playhouse to engage with the community. It’s a real dialogue,” he said, noting that it’s a community that will become his permanent residence when he and his partner begin looking for a house in the area later this spring. “What better thing than to be in a place surrounded by these wonderful, smart people, and you’re just 90 minutes from Broadway? It’s the perfect place.

I see it becoming home.” ■

AC ul t ure rts

PGN BUCKS COUNTY

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

PAGE 51

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Page 57 Page 55 Page 52 Page 58 Page 54 Page 60 Page 53 Page 61

WORKING THE ROOM: COMEDIAN JUDY GOLD (FROM LEFT), SINGER RHONDA ROSS WITH BAND AND RRAZZ ROOM OWNERS RORY PAULL AND ROBERT KOTONLY Photos: Daniel T. Gramkee, dtgramkeephotography.com

Famed San Francisco venue sets up shop in New Hope

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com New Hope proves that the shows must go on in 2014 with the opening of The Rrazz Room, the cabaret room formerly known as Harlan’s at the Nevermore.

The space was dormant for a while as the hotel was bought and upgraded into a Ramada. Enter Rrazz Room owners Robert Kotonly and Rory Paull, who were looking to open a new incarnation of the venue of the same name that they ran for more than a decade in San Francisco.

Kotonly, who knows quite a bit about the history of that particular piece of entertainment real estate, said the Rrazz Room definitely fills the void for intimate performance spaces in New Hope left by the closing of the cabaret rooms that came before it.

“For the longest time there was a place called Odette’s,” he said. “They closed many years ago because of flooding. When they closed, it was a shame because they had been around for so long. Then a year or so after that Bob Egan opened a club at the Nevermore Hotel. That’s the room we have

now. It lasted a couple of years. For some reason it didn’t take off. The history of live entertainment in New Hope was there.

Once Odette’s was gone I don’t think there was a club to pick up that slack. I believe that the Rrazz Room will become that just based upon the variety of talent that we’re bringing in. I think it’s really important to have a diversified schedule. We really look for something for every taste. We’re not the conventional cabaret. We always try to push the envelope a little bit.”

Kotonly said he and Paull have the same vision for their new home in New Hope as

they did when they were running the club in San Francisco.

“When I went into running a club for the first time 10 years ago in San Francisco, I liked the concept of an intimate performance space,” he said. “But sometimes it wasn’t enough artistically to keep my interest. I have very eclectic tastes when it comes to talent. If I asked myself if I have more than one need for entertainment, then I’m sure other people do. I love R&B music and jazz and that was one of the things that I really wanted to put into the programming.

You’re going to see that we’re PAGE 50

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Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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RRAZZ ROOM OWNER ROBERT KOTONLY (FROM LEFT) WITH PERFORMERS JOY BEHAR AND JUDY GOLD AND CO-OWNER RORY PAULL season where historic snowfalls and frigid RRAZZ from page 49 temperatures forced many to reconsider going to be bringing more of that kind of whether or not they wanted to venture out thing in because that is really our passion.” for a night on the town.

Kotonly added that the professional “We didn’t just open in any winter; we relationships he and Paull developed with opened in the worst winter this area has had cabaret singers, jazz and R&B groups and in a long time,” Kotonly said. “It was a little comedians while operating in San Francisco discouraging. When you run a club or any mean they can attract performers to New type of venture, you get to know the area Hope who normally wouldn’t be too famil- better with each and every month that goes iar with the small town. by. I’m getting better at programming just “Had I not had the history with these because I know what it has been like workartists and managers and people who like ing these last couple of months.” working with us, it would be a little hard to Kotonly also said that being somewhat convince them to come out to a destination removed from the main streets of New that isn’t a major city,” Kotonly said. “But Hope and on the fringes of the town has once they get here, these artists are saying, some drawbacks — as well as some advan‘Oh my God, this is beautiful.’ There aren’t tages, including a solution to New Hope’s a whole lot of places that give you the very often-frustrating parking problem. warm feeling that you get in New Hope.

“The bad thing is, the tourists, when they And it’s a gorgeous area.” come in for the weekend, they don’t think Judging from the Rrazz Room’s upcom- to go outside that strip where the [Bucks ing summer schedule, which includes County] Playhouse and all those restaurants appearances and performances by TV and are,” he said. “Even when I used to come to Broadway star Linda Lavin, comedy legend New Hope before I had a business here, one Dick Gregory, international comedian Pam of the things that was difficult was parking.

Ann, Pia Zadora and Deana Martin per- We’re on a major road and we have our own forming a tribute to her famous father and parking lot. We are appealing to residents Rat Pack member Dean Martin, the club is of the area, not just day-trippers. It’s more well on its way to delivering on its prom- convenient for them to have a parking lot ise to bring a dazzling and eclectic array of here than to struggle to find a spot.” ■ shows to New Hope.

But the opening of the Rrazz Room hasn’t For more information, including a full list happened without some bumps in the pic- of shows coming to the Rrazz Room, 6426 turesque roads of New Hope.

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By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Pop/R&B singer Dario is making his first visit to New Hope to perform May 17 at the town’s Rock the Block Pride street fair with co-headliner Kristine W, and again later that evening at The Raven.

Dario said that performing at the Pride event is important for him because the LGBT community has been supportive of his career from the beginning.

“The LGBT community has been one of my biggest fan bases,” he said. “When I started 10 years ago, my song ‘Be,’ some-

body at a Pride in Arizona picked it up. From there, it ended up picking up steam. It’s very important for me to perform at Pride because they are the ones that gave me the career that I have right now. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be on TV, radio or magazine covers. I owe most of my career to the LGBT community.”

Since the Arizona native debuted, he has been making music, documenting his struggles to break into the music industry with his own reality series “Dario Undiscovered” and toured with the likes of Destiny’s Child and K-Ci & JoJo. Dario’s upcoming Pride performance comes on the heels of his latest LP, “Evolution,” which was released late last month.

Dario said he was surprised about how well the new album has been received.

“We’re really excited because it hit number-three in digital sales,” he said. “It was mind-blowing, to say it mildly. The response we have been getting is amazing. I’m really happy that everybody is liking it.”

Dario also credits the success of this latest batch of songs to his stepping up his game as a vocalist.

“The producer on this album has really pushed me to sing with all my might,” he said. “I think before, on all my other albums, I wasn’t pushing myself as a singer.

For this record, when we went into it, he said; ‘Dario, you are not singing with all of your lungs. You’re not singing with everything you’ve got. You’re holding back.’ This album took seven months to record. All the other albums took two or three months. He would not let me put out a release date or finish a song until I really sang it. I remember listening to it afterwards when it was finished and I thought, Holy shit, this is a good record.” ■ Dario performs May 17 at the Rock the Block Party outside Bucks County Playhouse, 70 S. Main St., during New Hope Celebrates, 1-6 p.m., and 10 p.m. at The Raven, 385 W. Bridge St. For more information and a full list of events, visit www.darioonline.com or www.newhopecelebrates.com.

PHOTO OF DANIELLE WADE BY CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN

Pop singer Dario to perform at New Hope Pride celebration

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Family Portrait

Philadelphia Gay News www.epgn.com May 16-22, 2014

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Suzi Nash

Sharon Fronabarger: Finding her home as the unofficial mayor of New Hope According to Sharon Fronabarger, president of New Hope Celebrates, the town has experienced its troubles over the last few years — floods, hurricanes and crazy snowstorms, to start with — but it has emerged on the other side, even better than ever.

There’s a new spirit of cooperation between New Hope and its sister city Lambertville.

The chamber of commerce has some new blood and has been taking a renewed interest in New Hope and supporting the local businesses in new and innovative ways.

Lambertville is hosting a “NiteFare” June 12 with more than a dozen gourmet food trucks and 15 restaurants joining forces for an exciting food festival, and from June 2022, New Hope celebrates its history with the “Liberty” Canal Festival, complete with a three-day Revolutionary War-era reenactment, colonial-period crafts, 18th-century music, Revolutionary War lifestyle exhibitions and a colonial treasure hunt for the children. If you don’t want to wait that long, you can witness the new spirit firsthand this weekend as, for the first time, New Hope Celebrates opens its annual parade on the Jersey side and takes it into New Hope for the exuberant celebration. Speaking of traveling from place to place (nice segue), this week we spoke to Fronabarger about her life as a world traveler and why she chose to put down roots in our area.

PGN: I understand you’re a world traveler.

SF: Yes, I’m a Navy brat so I’ve lived all over the world. I arrived in Pennsylvania 20-something years ago. I’ve lived in such places as Virginia Beach; Mount Laurel, N.J.; Athens, Greece; Morocco; San Diego; and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — before it was a prison.

PGN: How did you end up here?

SF: I went to college at what was then Trenton State College — it’s now the College of New Jersey — and during my senior year I started working at Bloomberg Financial Markets. After I graduated high school, my parents — because of whatever Navy gene or job they have that causes them to move so much — moved to Kuwait but I stayed in the area since I already had a job here. My sister is four years younger and had just graduated middle school so she went to high school overseas. At Trenton State, I was introduced to New Hope and I just loved this area. I’ve traveled around quite a bit but this is such an amazing area of the world. We have the wonderful river that travels through our two towns of New Hope and Lambertville.

It’s beautifully scenic with so many outdoor things to do, not to mention the awesome town that we have. I landed here and have not regretted it one bit.

PGN: Did you get to visit your family much in Kuwait?

SF: Yes, I actually ended up getting trapped there when Iraq invaded Kuwait the first summer I visited. We were stuck there for two weeks under Iraqi control. I was the first person to get out of there with first-hand photos of the invasion. Let’s just say I was happy. With what I received for them from United Press International, I was able to turn a negative into a positive.

PGN: Were both of your parents in the military?

SF: No, just my dad. But he’d retired and started working for a private contractor at that time. Between escaping and going back, they were in Kuwait for several years. They’ve now since moved to the much-safer Annapolis, Md., area.

PGN: Describe for me what that “Uh oh.

We’re being invaded!” moment was like.

SF: It was quite interesting, which I can now say being a few years out from it. But let me try to take us back. I clearly remember the day prior to the invasion. We had no clue something was about to go down.

We were out shopping and touring with some embassy friends and there was no indication even in the local media of any remote trouble brewing. That evening, we were home and the same embassy friends called us. We’d had plans for the next day and they said, “We’re going to have to cancel the plans, something’s happening.

We’re not sure what yet, we’ll get back to you.” Fast forward to six o’clock in the morning and my parents were waking me up by saying, “The country was invaded last night and we need to get a plan together.” I was still trying to wake up and thinking, Wow, this is an unusual way to start the day, so we ran to the grocery store around the corner and stocked up on food and supplies and made sure everything was charged up. Though this was 20-plus years ago and it was more a landline world than an electronic world, so we didn’t have iPads and Facebook and everything to keep abreast of what was going on. We actually called friends back home and kept on the line with them for several days. We didn’t hang up until the phone went dead. From that point on, we had no communication outside of Kuwait because the Iraqis took over the TV and radio stations. And it was all, what I guess you would say was, propaganda. It was also in Arabic, which I’m not fluent in, so we really had no idea what was going on. It was a scary time.

PGN: I’m sure!

SF: Since we were stuck there, I went up on the roof and took pictures of the helicopters flying over and the tanks rolling through and everything else. There were bullets flying past and lots of noise. In retrospect, I’m not sure I’d do that today.

The situation really caused the family to

bond quite closely together. It was just us and after a few weeks it became clear that this wasn’t just a passing incident.

We got together with some other folks and devised a plan to get out of the country. We heard about some people who had been successful using a specific compass point and we followed their trail. There were 22 people in our caravan. We didn’t take much —only what we could fit in an away bag — and headed out through the desert.

There were no roads. We drove straight through the desert. Mind you, we were not in Jeeps, we were in regular cars. I think ours was a Mitsubishi Gallant or something. I don’t know if you’ve ever driven a car over sand, but it’s quite difficult. You sort of hydroplane because it’s so soft and you have to keep going or else it’s really easy to get stuck. I was holding my breath I was so nervous about whether or not we were going to make it. This was the stuff from movie plots and we were living it!

PGN: Where did you end up?

SF: We crossed the border in Saudi Arabia and had to stay there for three days because, at the time of the invasion, we were being processed for permanent visas so that we would have a quicker

trip through the immigration line (going back and forth to the U.S.), so the Kuwaiti government had our passports. So here we were trying to get into Saudi Arabia with no passports ... [laughs] and they don’t really like that. Eventually they let us through and gave us a police escort to the U.S. embassy in Riyadh. We were able to leave three days later after our new passports were processed. It’s funny. I think I’ve blocked some of this from my mind until just now. I don’t think I’ve really told

many of my friends about this. People are going to be surprised!

PGN: We have such a narrow view of the world from here. What was it like before the invasion?

SF: It’s interesting because it’s far enough away from Mecca that you don’t have everybody wearing the traditional Islamic wardrobe. It’s a mix between traditional and Westernized clothing. You’d see plenty of people in jeans and long-sleeve shirts.

Even though it was hot, everyone was still respectful of the culture and tried to remain somewhat covered. You wouldn’t see any of us running around in shorts or T-shirts. A lot of it was very much like the U.S.: fast-food restaurants, the same stores you might find going down Market Street. The main difference was the color of everything: It’s very, very, very brown and beige. The landscape is all sand and the colors reflect that. There’s not a lot of bright color other than the water, which is beautiful.

PGN: Did you find much anti-American sentiment?

SF: I will say we did not run into any of that. Even right after the invasion when we

were stocking up at the stores, everybody was very nice. The majority of people we met were very welcoming and kind. There was a language barrier with some people but English is the second language there so almost everybody knew English and we knew enough Arabic to get by and at least have a general conversation. Don’t quiz me on it now, though; I wouldn’t do so well!

PGN: Unfortunately, not many of us here would.

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New Hope restaurants: the great outdoors

By Larry Nichols larry@epgn.com Normally we shy away from outdoor dining whenever possible because the hustle and bustle of foot traffic in Philly isn’t really conducive to a relaxed dining experience.

That’s not an issue in New Hope, where the bucolic splendor of the surroundings, friendly foot traffic and spaces well equipped for the task at hand make dining outdoors the preferred choice for most who visit the restaurants along their afternoon and evening strolls.

Nikolas, 10 W. Ferry St., the new Mediterranean restaurant located at the Logan Inn, is quickly becoming a favorite among locals and visitors alike and it’s easy to see why. Their outdoor space is elegant and stylish. New Hope, pretty as it is, is never going to pass for Greece, but this is as close as it is going to get.

The dishes we tried were stunning to look at and tasted even better than they looked. The chef’s special the day we visited was a grilled Greek cheese ($10), wedges of cheese dressed with lemon and olive oil and accompanied by a well-composed eggplant salad for a wonderfully light and summery dish. They would be wise to permanently add this dish to the menu. Another favorite was the seared octopus ($16), which was perfectly cooked

a visual flare for people at nearby tables to constantly point and ask, “What is that?”

You might want to leave room for the crazy number of different mojitos and martinis Havana has on its menu, so keep it simple.

The Havana Homemade HAVANA’S TUNA TARTARE and had the added brightness and complex flavors of mango, a balsamic reduction and a nice tomato salad.

Down the street a ways is Havana, 105 S. Main St., a place more suited for letting one’s hair down and experiencing some live entertainment. To that end, Havana’s menu boasts an arsenal of Caribbean and American comfort dishes with enough of

Guacamole ($9) is bright, abundantly plentiful and hits all the right spots. Other dishes begging to be tried, and enjoyed, include the massive sesame onion rings ($14.50), the Ahi tuna tartare tostada ($16) and the excellent Cuban Panini ($12).

The colorful cantina atmosphere of Havana is almost the polar opposite of the calm vibe at Nikolas, but both eateries were equally enjoyable and should be visited if you happen to be enjoying a day in New Hope. ■

If you go Nikolas

10 W. Ferry St. 215-862-2300 www.nikolasnewhope.com Lunch: Daily: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Dinner: Sun.-Thur.: 5-9 p m.

Fri.-Sat.: 5-10 p.m.

Brunch: Sat.-Sun.:10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Havana

NIKOLAS’ GRILLED GREEK CHEESE

105 S. Main St. 215-862-5501 www.havananewhope.com Daily: Noon-2 a.m.