Forbidden Drive

One of Center City Philadelphia's cons is that unadulterated nature is a train ride away (as opposed to at the end of the street as it was in Hobart). But this is where 20 minutes on the R8 will take you -- Forbidden Drive, a creekside trail through Fairmount Park's woods. It meanders alongside Wissahickon Creek and takes a few hours to walk, with such interesting pit stops as Revolutionary War landmarks, a covered bridge and the historic Valley Green Inn with its resident flock of geese out front. We'll try to lure G out for a hike so as to take some photos that show the trail in all its autumnal glory (H not being known for her ability to photograph landscapes). But for now, here's Elliott hiking the trail with his friend Rika.