Two tours highlight the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers

MOST OF PHILADELPHIA'S historic sightseeing trails are well-worn, the sights well known. But Philadelphians and tourists alike often overlook two of the city's most important historic trails - the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers.

This spring, two tours aim to reconnect participants with the rivers and to offer a unique view of familiar historic sites as well as lesser-known landmarks.

Last month, Philadelphia Horticulture Society and Philadelphia Green launched "RiverTalk," a cell-phone tour of 20 attractions along the central Delaware riverfront.

Participants can walk (it will take about 90 minutes), bike, boat or drive along the route that extends from Allegheny Avenue to just past Snyder Avenue.

Joe Walker, Fishtown native, actor and host of the modern-music online review show "Breakfast at Sulimay's," narrates the tour.

"It's as modern as the day," Walker said of "RiverTalk."

"The river for me has an innate charm, and it's such an asset to the city."

Walker, 86, remembers swimming with friends in the river when it was "girls day" at the public pool. At a press event for "RiverTalk," Walker recounted skinny-dipping at the end of Spring Garden Street, a point he and comrades called "B-A-B" or "Bare-ass Beach."

He hopes the project will help others develop fond memories of the river.

Decades of industry followed by decades of blight have kept many people from the river, said Joan Reilly, senior director of Philadelphia Green. Recent public-private partnerships, a shared vision and the land's beauty, though, have brought people back.

Reilly hopes "RiverTalk" will help bring even more people to this "world-class riverfront."

RiverTalk: A 60- to 90-minute audio tour of the Central Delaware riverfront, starting at Penn Treaty Park, 1341 N. Delaware Ave. Bring your own feet, bike, boat or car; audio is available for free at 215-399-0616 and a downloadable brochure is available at rivertalk.org.

Across town, Schuylkill Banks and the Schuylkill River Development Corp. promote the city by sharing the beauty of the lower Schuylkill River and Bartram's Garden, the nation's oldest botanical garden.

Schuylkill Banks and SRDC partner with Bartram's Garden to bring guests on boat tours from the Walnut Street Dock to the gardens.

"It's a fun experience and a chance to view the city, the skyline and the river from a totally different perspective," said Daniel Gray, of SRDC. "It's a great way to get people down to the river in general but also to Bartram's Garden."

Once at the garden, guests walk from the river through the 15-acre meadow to the rest of the estate where, for the all-inclusive ticket price, they can tour the Bartram home and garden.

Gray noted that the tour approaches the estate in the same way colonial counterparts approached when the river served as the primary entrance.

Connecting visitors with the estate's riverfront is a major motivation behind the tours, said Stephanie Phillips, director of development at Bartram's Garden.

"When you're in Bartram's Garden, it's hard to believe you're actually in the city," she said.

From the river, though, guests get a unique view of refineries and the city skyline, providing what Phillips calls an interesting juxtaposition between city and nature.

The river tours to Bartram's Garden run on select Sundays through October.

Cruise Bartram's Garden: 2 1/2-hour round-trip boat ride and tour of Bartram's Garden, departs from the Walnut Street Bridge, 25th and Walnut streets; $25 adults, $20 children 12 and under; cruises scheduled for July 18, Aug. 1, Sept. 5 and 19, Oct. 3 and 17 at 1 p.m. Tickets and info: schuylkillbankstours.tix.com.

If cruising to Bartram's Garden seems too tame, you can paddle your way there in a kayak. This is for advanced paddlers only (moderate to heavy exertion level). The tour starts at Walnut Street Dock at 11 a.m. and includes a boxed lunch and self-guided tour of the gardens. Expect the tour to last three to four hours.

Hidden River Outfitters, which runs the tours, has a number of other specialty tours, including romantic moonlight ones. The evening begins with a kayak lesson and then an hour on the water, traveling between the Walnut Street Dock and Fairmount Water Works.

Hidden River Outfitters Kayak Tours, Walnut Street Dock, through September. Basic tour, $40; advanced tour to Bartram's Garden, $75; moonlight tour, $50; kayak and dine, $80. Tickets and schedule at www.schuylkillbanks.org.

Spirit of Philadelphia: Lunch, dinner, moonlight and theme cruises on the Delaware River, departing from Penn's Landing. Prices range from approximately $30-$75. Full schedule, ticketing and information available at spiritcruises.com/Philadelphia or 866-455-3866.

Philly Tours-Dinner Cruise: Three-hour dinner, dance and entertainment cruise along the Delaware River departs from Penn's Landing. 6 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets start at $84; phillytours.us or 888-478-1479.

Ride the Ducks: 70-minute sightseeing tour of historic landmarks and the Delaware River aboard the amphibious duck boats. Departs from Independence Hall. Adults $27, seniors $25, students $23, ages 3-12 $17, children 2 and under free. Ticketing and information at phillyducks.com or 215-351-9989.