Some apps are a solution looking for a problem. FourSquare is an app that addresses a problem you’re probably pretty familiar with. Recent convo with my sister:

• Where should we go?
• Dunno. Where do you wanna go?
• I dunno… wait – there is a place I want to try. It’s on that street, you know, just past the train trestle…
• No. I don’t know that street.

I could continue trying to describe how to get to “that place, you know” without remembering any street names or even the name of the establishment.

Or I could look it up on the Restaurants list I saved to Foursquare and text her a link to the venue including directions.

See you there at 8.

Curate Local Lists

Sometimes you don’t just need directions, but the destination too. Which is where I found myself last weekend, on a sunny Saturday facing two kids and their expectant “what are we going to do today?” queries.

And something different. Not the zoo again.

Fine.

I pulled up Brandywine Valley Outdoor Fun and looked down the list of parks, farms, museums, and other outdoor family fun spots in the beautiful Brandywine Valley (northern DE and southeastern PA).

Sorting the list in order of distance from my current location helped find a destination that was a little farther afield than our normal stomping grounds.

Soon enough we were headed about an hour south to check out Abbott’s Mill.

This circa 1790 water powered mill uses an ingenious system of bucket elevators, screws, conveyors, and diverters to process corn and flour with minimal handling. Once a month they run the mill and we got to see it in action!

You might have your own fun places, restaurants, and even bucket list travel destinations you’d like to try, floating around in your head.

Save them to Foursquare so your ideas are handy and shareable. Helpful extras are the tips and photos left by others. Happy exploring!

Note: I tried Pinterest maps and the similar app CityMaps, but found Foursquare to be the easiest to use with the best features.

Brandywine Valley Outdoor Fun

Curated by Samantha Sand. Explore the map below or see them all.