lmch

I'll be visiting the Brandywine area in December. Is anyone familiar with the nearby Inn at Montchanin and/or Krazy Kats Restaurant in DE?

detraveler

I live in the area and have a few friends how have stayed at the Inn. I have not stayed there. It seems to be one of the 2 best places to stay in the area. The other is the Hotel duPont which is in Wilminton. If you are looking for luxury outside of town, the Inn at Monchanin is a good place to stay. In December make sure you get a room with a fireplace.

I have eaten at Krazy Kats on numerous occasions and would recommend it. There are not many good fine dining restaurants in the general area but that is one of them.

itsv

we stayed at the inn in may 2003 and enjoyed our stay. try to get a two story room (living room, fireplace and small kitchen downstairs and bedroom upstairs with large bath). Very comfortable bed and great sheets (so great that we went to their store and splurged and bought a pair.) Krazy Kats was an ejoyable meal. Try to eat at the cafe at Longwood Gardens, nice setting and good food for lunch. have fun, v.

lmch

Thank you for your responses ... i'm a little frustrated with the info (web/brochure) from the Inn. They are very GENERAL and vague in their room descriptions. I know we'll have a "Deluxe" room (as opposed to House, Standard or Suite), but I have no way of knowing what that means.

I agree -- there don't seem to be a lot of great restaurants in the area, but I'm more than satisfied with Krazy Kats as a choice!

We do plan to spend the latter part of Day 2 at Longwood, and will try the Terrace Restaurant for sure -- they don't accept reservations during the Christmas season, but waiting around in Longwood Gardens can't be so bad!

elle

Had an excellent meal at Krazy Kat's recently--best gelato this side of Italy!

You'll also be at the "back door" of another du Pont estate, Winterthur. They have a very nice Christmas tour of the mansion that is worth checking out (in addition to Longwood's floral displays.)

johncharles

Another who has enjoyed the Inn at Montchanin and Krazy Kats. Being able to walk to Krazy Kats is a great advantage of the Inn.

As you probably know from their brochure, the Inn is actually a renovated collection of 19th century laborers homes, which makes it a rather unique environment. Since it's not a large inn and rather expensive, and the units, I think, are widely varied from each other, I wouldn't hesitate to call them and ask in detail about the room you have reserved and others you might switch to.

We also enjoyed the Terrace at Longwood. See the fountain show there if you can. Winterthur is also well worth a tour of the interior and a visit to the grounds. Enjoy seeing the many other large estates and picturesque grounds you will notice as you drive in this area. I think you'll find the whole Brandywine Valley a very pleasant and interesting place to visit and perhaps not as well known outside the Mid-Atlantic region as it deserves.

Rumrita1

As another poster stated, many of the rooms are converted workers cottages - and are similar to townhouses with a a living area downstairs and bedroom upstairs. My father (6'3") had to be careful coming down the staris so as not to bang his head - otherwise had an enjoyable visit.

Another highlight of the area is the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, PA (near Longwood Gardens) which features paintings by N.C., Andrew and Jamie Wyeth. Also nearby is a Simon Pearce glassblowing facility, where you can view the glass blowing and then head upstairs for a lovely lunch or dinner overlooking the Brandywine river.