Bucks County Adventures for Kids: Volume III

By Carl LaVO and Dashiell Cosdon

Bucks County Adventures for Kids - Volume III 

Authors Dashiell Cosdon and his grandfather Carl LaVO take kids, parents and grandparents on 25 unforgettable adventures the entire family can enjoy in historic and beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The two authors have chosen top attractions for day trips after many years exploring every corner of the county since Dashiell and sister Margaux were toddlers. Bucks is a rarity as a cradle of democracy. We visit where George Washington and the Continental Army made their famous crossing of the Delaware River in 1776. We explore two castles – one where a horse-drawn carriage and whaling boat hang from the ceiling, and another with 44 rooms, 32 stairwells and a rooftop “Room of Winds.” We’ll experience musical tones of Ringing Rocks, sit inside the cockpit of a jet, walk old Indian trails, hold butterflies, explore a river cavern, stand on a lookout over a grand canyon, pass through 14 covered “kissing” bridges, and enjoy the state’s one-of-a-kind wildflower sanctuary. This third volume in the family’s Bucks County Adventures series offers maps, directions, sources for more information and dazzling photography to embroider your own memorable adventures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Outskirts Press
• Release date: Jul 16, 2023
• ISBN: 9781977271754

Carl LaVO

Grandpa Carl as the family guide writes a weekly history column for the Bucks County Courier Times and The Intelligencer newspapers plus USA Today network. A University of Florida graduate, he’s an experienced scuba diver and early in his career led pioneering explorations of more than 50 water-filled caverns and springs to depths of 200 feet in Florida and Georgia. He’s the author of seven books and numerous articles for national and regional magazines.

Book preview

WELCOME AND COME WITH US!

Hello, my name is Dashiell Cosdon and my grandfather is Carl LaVO. Some of my earliest memories are me and my family including sister Margaux going on adventures with my grandpop.

From watching planes take flight to going into old abandoned houses he always had a fun adventure to lead us on. Some of my favorite places he has taken us to are Ringing Rocks, Pennsbury Manor and Lost River Caverns and Campgrounds.

Since a young age he has brought the thrill of adventure into my heart and it will stay there with me forever.

Through the writing of this book, my grandfather and I hope to bring the thrill and excitement of adventure to many people, as it has to us.

-- July 4, 2023

Dashiell leads the way as Margaux and grandpop Carl follow.

Margaux celebrates her birthday at Fonthill Castle.

NO. 1: VISIT A 44-ROOM CASTLE

Henry Chapman Mercer had a fascination with the fantastic, and achieved his childhood dream by building a bizarre, medieval castle in Doylestown 100 years ago. You almost expect to see a dragon puffing smoke outside Fonthill, said one visitor.

Grandpa Carl, Dashiell, Margaux and the family have toured Henry’s 5-story home several times, imagining what it must be like to linger overnight.

Fonthill has 44 rooms and 32 stairwells, some leading to dead-ends. Twenty-one chimneys and two dumb-waiter shafts create eerie moans on windy nights. Arched and curved rooms have descriptive names including the rooftop Room of Winds.

More than 200 windows emphasize natural light during the day and a ghostly sense at night.

To the shock of Doylestown folks one night in 1910, Mercer lit a great bonfire atop his concrete castle to prove it would never burn down.

Mercer was an eccentric Harvard-educated archeologist to be sure.

On his 80-acre estate, he lived a hermit-like existence with his dogs and left us this amazing castle and grounds that are an incredible experience never