Minutes from Route 80 lies the tiny village of Shawnee on Delaware, Pennsylvania.  It’s hard to believe that the scenery can change so drastically in 2.8 miles…While the trucks keep rumbling East and West, you can get off the ramp and drive along River Road to the quiet village that sits smack dab on The Delaware River.  Shawnee (as the locals call it) boasts a General Store with the all-important swinging screen door that screeches as it swing shut behind you.  The floors are old wood, the counters have seen generations of locals as well as visitors and it’s where you want to hang out if you want to know what’s going on in the village.
Long after the Lenni Lanape Indians moved out, long after C.C. Worthington built his golf course, private hunt club and resort, this village became the hallowed ground of the famous musician and bandleader, Fred Waring.  He renamed the resort “Shawnee Inn” and along came his Hollywood contemporaries, his famous golf friends, as well as a US President or two….Ed Sullivan, Eddie Fisher, Jackie Gleason, Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Paul Runyan, Ike Eisenhower to name a few.

Fast forward 50+ years…Fred Waring is gone, altho his influence remains.  The village has retained it’s charm.  The old Shawnee Playhouse, where “The Pennsylvanians” used to record their radio shows, has summer stock that entertains hundreds of people a year.  Two art studios grace the center of the village along with old historic homes and babbling steams.  The village boasts 5 bed and breakfasts as well as 27 holes of golf–most of which are on an island in the Delaware River. People on Segways can be seen touring the tiny streets and golf island while they view the houses and the nesting bald eagles with their enormous babies.  People come from miles away to float down The Delaware in the vehicle of their choice–be it tube, raft, canoe or kayak.  Hikers abound in the 70,000 acres of National Parkland that holds miles of trails, fabulous waterfalls and abundant wildlife.  Winter holds a special allure for intrepid hikers and folks who enjoy cross country and downhill skiing.  It’s a little slice of year ’round paradise.

But don’t get lost in the reverie of the flora and fauna….Shawnee on Delaware is minutes from great restaurants, a short drive to The Crossings Outlet Mall, several exciting water parks, a casino and some great nightlife.  We’ve got it all.

This blog post is from Cindy & Gordon Way of the Gatehouse Country Inn, Shawnee on Delaware, PA.