Sometimes the best vacations are the short ones. We recently spent a few days in Pennsylvania, where we stepped back into early American history at the Zimmerman Center and later slowed down to enjoy the blooms and butterflies at Hershey Gardens.

A few weeks ago, we explored York County, Pennsylvania, and visited the Zimmerman Center for Heritage in Wrightsville. It’s the site of a historic home built around 1750 and a lovely riverside park. The history here is fascinating!

The Susquehannock had settlements on the land as late as 1676. Even though they lived on the land, England’s King Charles I granted it to the second Lord Baltimore in 1632 through a Maryland charter—placing its northern border at the fortieth degree latitude. But Pennsylvania’s charter had a somewhat vague southern boundary. Pennsylvanians believed their border should sit at 39° 36' latitude instead.

This disagreement created a huge problem when European settlers moved into the area in the early 1700s. Land grants overlapped, causing confusion and conflict—eventually leading to "Cresap’s War." By 1724, a royal proclamation prohibited both colonies from granting new settlement titles until the border was resolved (though this was mostly ignored).

The Zimmerman Center property sat right in this contested area. In 1730, Lord Baltimore granted the land to Thomas Cresap, who built a fort, operated a ferry, and collected taxes for Maryland. But because settlers already lived on this land under Pennsylvania claims, Cresap harassed them into paying Maryland taxes too. Needless to say, he wasn’t popular. Skirmishes broke out, and Cresap was eventually arrested in 1736. After two years in prison, he left the area. Finally, in 1767, a British court determined the boundary to be 15 miles south—today’s Mason-Dixon Line. The property officially became part of Pennsylvania.

The stone house was built around 1750. Over the years, it changed owners but became best known as the Dritt Mansion, named after Jacob Dritt. Dritt lived there from 1783 to 1817, operating a ferry, farming, milling, and even selling wine and liquor. He and his wife, Maria Elizabeth, had eleven children. Sadly, he drowned in the river in 1817, but the family kept the home until 1851.

The house remained a farm through the 1930s, and a residence after that. Then, in the late 1990s, John and Kathryn Zimmerman restored and renovated it. They donated it to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area in 2007, where it still serves as a cultural and historical site today.

The home blends English and German architectural styles, with four original fireplaces and a vaulted basement. Excavations have uncovered over 10,000 artifacts, some of which are on display. Visitors can walk through the main floor, explore the Native Lands County Park trails, or take a guided 30–45 minute tour on Tuesdays ($6 fee).

We visited on a Sunday, so we toured just the first floor. The highlight was the permanent Visions of the Susquehanna art exhibit, curated by York County artist Rob Evans. The docent also showed us a short video about the area’s history, which really tied everything together.

If you schedule a tour, walk the trails, and bring a picnic, you could easily spend half a day here. We stayed for just over an hour before moving on to our next stop.

Milton S. Hershey, the candy maker we all know, used the proceeds from selling his caramel company in 1900 to buy 30 acres in his hometown of Derry, Pennsylvania. By 1905, he had built the world’s largest chocolate factory. (I’m sure most of us have enjoyed at least one of his famous milk chocolate bars!)

Unlike other company towns of the time, which often had cramped row houses and few amenities, Hershey envisioned something different. He built a true community—homes with electricity, central heating, and indoor plumbing—as well as a recreational park that grew into today’s Hersheypark.

Hershey also loved flowers. In 1936, he was asked to sponsor a national rosarium in Washington, D.C. Instead, he created a 3.5-acre rose garden in Hershey in 1937. By 1942, it had expanded into 23 acres of botanical gardens.

The gardens are a family favorite for us, especially for my mom, who loves visiting. The original rose garden is breathtaking when in bloom, but my personal favorite is the Japanese Garden—recently renovated and beautifully serene. And, of course, the Butterfly Atrium is always a crowd-pleaser, with colorful butterflies floating around (and sometimes landing on you!).

You can easily spend a few hours here. Tickets are $17.50 for adults (ages 13–61), $16.50 for seniors, $13.50 for kids (ages 3–12), and free for little ones under 2.

Since this was a busy family mini-vacation, we hopped around quite a bit. Here are some favorites:

Breakfast
🍳Hallanshire Family Restaurant, Hallam
🥞The Hershey Bistro, Hershey

Dinner
🍴 The First Post, York
🍝A Touch of Italy, Hallam

I loved stepping back into the early history along the Susquehanna River and then slowing down to enjoy the beauty of Hershey Gardens. It was a nice reminder that even a short trip can be refreshing when it mixes learning, nature, and time together.

Next week I’ll be back with a recent trip to a New York Mansion that had an art museum built and attached to it. Can you guess where?

‘til next week, happy exploring!
Kathleen

Check out Beehiiv. Click below for free 30-day trial + 20% OFF for 3 months.

To help you plan your trips, we link to stays and tours. Some of these links are affiliate links, meaning that if you book a trip or sign-up through these links, we may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. (For example, the link above to check out Beehiiv is an affiliate link.)