Home Care In Kintnersville, PA

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One of the most famous natural oddities in Pennsylvania is Bucks County’s Ringing Rocks. The rocks in this boulder field in eastern PA make a metallic ringing sound when you strike them with a hammer; a sound that delights visitors of all ages.

However, I recently discovered that there are more ringing rocks beyond those found in Ringing Rocks County Park. In fact, there is an even larger field located just a few miles to the southwest in Bucks County’s State Game Lands 157 (as well as a smaller one located in Ringing Rocks Park in Pottstown).

So, during a recent visit to Bucks County to revisit the more famous Ringing Rocks, I decided to scout out this lesser-known field.

State Game Lands 157 is located in Upper Bucks County, just north of Nockamixon State Park. Hidden amongst its 2,000 acres is a large, but disjointed boulder field where the rocks ring like a bell. This field extends for half a mile, making it much larger in total size than its more famous cousin.

No one knows exactly why these rocks ring, though it’s thought to have something to do with their composition, their density, and vibrations against each other (if you remove a rock from the field, it will no longer ring).

Stony Garden has been known since at least the late 1800s. In fact, in 1890, a local musician collected rocks from throughout this field and gave a musical performance with an accompanying brass band.

Anxious to check out this site, I headed for a state game lands parking area just off of Stony Garden Road. From this parking lot, I headed into the woods on a very narrow and overgrown path. (Full directions at the bottom of this article.)

The trail to Stony Garden is only about a third of a mile long, and the trail can be broken into three parts. The first is a very narrow and windy hike along an overgrown trail with tall grass. The second part is rocky and marshy and ends with a wet crossing of a wide stream. The final half of the trail is fairly flat and dry, though you do have to climb around some rocks to get to the boulder field.

While this trail is relatively short and flat, it does offer some challenges climbing over rocks and crossing the stream, so it should be treated with caution.

After hiking on the trail, it peters out just as Stony Garden comes into view on your left. While this clearing isn’t overly large, it’s possibly more impressive than the boulder field at Ringing Rocks County Park as the field here looks deeper and contains larger boulders.

Once you climb into the field, pull out your hammer (You did bring a hammer right?), and start hitting away on the rocks. While not all of them make a ringing sound, most do.

To be honest, I thought that, overall, the quality of the metallic ringing sound was much better and much more consistent at Stony Garden than it was at Ringing Rocks.

After exploring this large open field that is part of Stony Garden, it is possible to hike through State Game Lands 157 to other rock fields. However, I would recommend against this unless you have a handheld GPS as it would be quite easy to get turned around in this area due to the lack of trail markings.

Once you are done exploring the area, head back along the same trail that you came in on to return to your car.

Overall, Stony Garden in Bucks County’s State Game Lands 157 is a lot of fun to explore. While there are often other people at nearby Ringing Rocks County Park, you are likely to have this boulder field all to yourself. The fact that it makes even better sounds than the more popular field makes this a must-visit for anyone looking for a unique outdoor attraction in Pennsylvania.

How to Get to Stony Garden in Bucks County

Stony Garden is located in State Game Lands 157 in Upper Bucks County, PA, less than a 20-minute drive from Ringing Rocks County Park.

To reach this boulder field, park at the state game lands parking area off of Stony Garden Road at the following coordinates: 40.509625, -75.241053. Note that the turn off also serves as a driveway for a private home, so make sure you park in the public parking lot.

From the parking area, there is a trail that leads off through the field at the back corner of the parking lot. There are no markings at the trailhead, but at the time of my visit in early November 2018, there was a large log laying over the entrance to the trail.

From here, the trail is overgrown and unmarked, but not difficult to follow. About halfway to Stony Garden, you will have to cross a fairly wide, but shallow creek. It is likely impossible to cross this stream without getting your feet wet, so make sure you come prepared.

After crossing the stream, pick up the trail as it skirts on the edge of private property. After a couple of minutes of hiking, you’ll see a clearing and the main boulder field of Stony Garden just off to your left.

The easiest-to-access portion of Stony Garden can be found at the following coordinates: 40.506683, -75.236601.

When you visit, make sure to bring a hammer with you to hit the rocks with. Otherwise, you can’t really enjoy what makes this field so strange.

Note: This hike is located in state game lands and one that is especially popular for hunting. If you opt to visit Stony Garden, I highly recommend checking out if there is any hunting season occurring. I also recommend wearing blaze orange to make sure that you can be seen while on state game lands.

If you’d rather hike in area’s where hunting is not allowed, here are a few of my top suggestions.

Looking for more places to visit in the area? Check out the covered bridges of Bucks County, ride the New Hope and Ivyland Railroad, or make the drive up to Columcille Megalith Park.

The Economic Policy Institute broke down how much it costs families to live in each county in America. See the details for Bucks County.

|Updated Thu, Mar 22, 2018 at 2:49 pm ET

Bucks County is one of the priciest places to live in Pennsylvania, according to the Economic Policy Institute. The organization recently released its 2018 family budget calculator that estimates how costly it is to live in each of America’s 3,142 counties and 611 metro areas.

The group estimates a family of two adults and two children in Bucks County would need to earn a combined $99,846 per year — or $8,321 a month — to live comfortably.

Here’s how the group breaks down that number:

Housing: $1,316 per monthFood: $817 per monthChild Care: $1,757 per monthTransportation: $1,246 per monthHealth Care: $1,100Other Necessities: $860 per monthTaxes: $1,224 per month

Bucks County's family budget is higher than the average across the Philadelphia metro area, where the same sized family would need to earn $92,163 to “attain a modest yet adequate standard of living,” the organization said.

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Nearby, Montgomery County's family budget, at $8,337 a month, was a tad higher than in Bucks County. It was less in Philadelphia County, at $7,075. Over the Delaware River in Mercer County, N.J., the budget was also slightly less, at $7,848.

The family budget calculator accounts for geographic differences in cost of living, but does not include many expenses associated with a middle-class lifestyle, including student loan payments or saving for college or retirement.

“Our Family Budget Calculator goes beyond traditional measures like the poverty line to paint a detailed picture of what families need to get by,” EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould said in a release. “The latest update provides even greater detail on how costs vary throughout the country. It is above all else a tool for policymakers to advocate for ways to raise wages and make their communities more affordable.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, San Francisco ranked first in the nation as the most expensive metro area with a basic budget of $148,439 a year for a two-parent, two-child household. On the flipside, that same household would only need to earn $58,906 to live comfortably in Brownsville, Texas, the least expensive metro area in the country.

The group noted that many low-wage workers don’t make enough money to adequately provide for their family’s basic needs. Even after adjusting for higher state and city minimum wages, the group said, there is “nowhere in the country” where a minimum-wage worker would earns enough.

“It’s clear from our analysis that, even in less-expensive areas, many families will struggle to meet their basic needs,” said research assistant Zane Mokhiber. “The good news is we have many different ways to remedy this, from a higher minimum wage to ambitious child care reform. Policymakers should draw on a range of tools to help people meet the needs laid out in the Family Budget Calculator.”

Click here to go to to the calculator. You can change the number of adults and children to see exactly what your household needs to earn to live comfortably in your county.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report

Image of Revere Road in Lower Makefield via Google Maps

Impractical Jokers star, James Murray, and his beautiful fiancé, or shall I say wife, Melissa Davies, celebrated their wedding day September 26, 2020. According to people, they celebrated their big day at the Lake House Inn in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Murray posted a picture of himself and his wife on their wedding day on instagram.

Lake House Inn is right on Lake Nockamixon, which is absolutely beautiful. If you’ve never been there I highly suggest checking it out. There are a ton of houses to rent for a little vacation with tons to do! I’m sure you’re wondering why they chose to get married in Bucks County? Well ,Melyssa Davies is actually from Bucks County She graduated from Pennsbury High School, located in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania in 2013.

One thing that is so interesting is how similar the stories are in planning their engagement versus their wedding day. His initial plans for popping the “big question” was to ask her in Turks and Caicos because that is where he first said "I love you." "Unfortunately, this was during hurricane season so you can imagine why that was cancelled.

With all of the COVID-19 restrictions they were worried of how this would go, but they had an amazing time. They invited only close family and friends. Murray told people, "We had four different weddings being planned simultaneously, depending on how everything worked.”

They do still plan on going on their honeymoon, where they plan on spending it in the Maldives! That is such a dream come true. You can read more about their honeymoon and details of their wedding here.

Love is so beautiful and I am so excited for the newlyweds!

https://popcrush.com/celebrity-couples-secretly-married/

AT HOME ON THE HILL

Published Sep 13, 2023

Keith Gonzales and Lee Kline hoped to downsize into a new home on a piece of land surrounded by nature. In 2021, they found the perfect lot — 15 acres at the top of a hill in Durham Township, Upper Bucks County. They quickly sold their home in Tinicum Township and hired Rotelle Studio(e) Custom Builders, eager to build the house of their dreams. But they had no idea how complicated the process would be.

“Building on a hill changes everything,” said Kline, restoration director at the Criterion Collection, a home-video restoration and distribution company. “There are different permits, different people involved, different everything. If we had known then what we know now, we might not have built.”

The first challenge was constructing an 850-foot driveway from the street to the top of the hill. The process would disturb 2½ acres of land, which required an additional National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit, provided by the Environmental Protection Agency and Bucks County Conservation District, a requirement designed to protect water quality.

They also needed a driveway approval from PennDot and the electrical installation from Met-Ed. Just getting started on the driveway — necessary before construction on the house could begin — was a long, arduous, and expensive process. But the couple persevered.

“We’re surrounded by farms and rural scenery,” said Gonzales, who has worked for several major clothing brands. “We really wanted to take advantage of the fantastic views and peace and tranquility.”

The couple wanted a modern home design, with lots of contemporary finishes and clean lines, which proved especially challenging during the pandemic.

“We found that sourcing some of the product presented us with long lead times,” said Maddie LaGueux, design coordinator for Rotelle Studio(e), based in Chester County. “Luckily, we managed to find suppliers that could accommodate our requests.”

While the building process took a year and a half to complete, the pair is thrilled with the result. Both Gonzales and Kline often commute to New York City for work, and appreciate coming home to their calm retreat, and Wyatt, their 3-year-old Pomeranian/Husky mix.

They installed Blue Star appliances, including a range top separate from the oven.

“As I’m getting older, I didn’t want to keep bending down to open the oven anymore, so we put it on the wall,” said Kline.

Instead of creating a formal dining room, they used that space for a cozy den where they watch TV on an oversize sectional couch. Light streams in from four large windows. They avoided putting a television in the living room, instead enjoying their fireplace while listening to music.

The couple spend most of their free time on the covered back patio, complete with a large comfortable Room & Board couch, dining table, and fans, with a plan to install heat lamps for year-round use. They appreciate the stunning view, which changes with each season.

A built-in pool was important to Kline, an avid swimmer. They took advantage of the size of the lot by installing the pool on the far side of the driveway, so when the pool is closed after the season, it doesn’t detract from the view.

Beyond the visual beauty, Gonzales and Kline enjoy their Durham Township community. The neighbors have been welcoming and they feel very safe. They get their meat from a nearby farmer.

“This is our place in nature that allows us to recharge, reset, and relax,” said Gonzales.

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at [email protected].

More of your Havens

$3M grant to help fund new center; county-wide partnership effort aims to improve crisis care for county residents.

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Plans for a new, freestanding behavioral health crisis center are underway in Bucks County through a partnership between the Lenape Valley Foundation, the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., Bucks County's Office of Behavioral Health/Developmental Programs and Doylestown Health.

Anticipated to open late in 2024, the center will serve individuals of all ages experiencing a behavioral health crisis, including but not limited to mental health, drug and alcohol, intellectual disabilities, and those at risk for or involved in the forensic system.

Plans for the center include integrated care across clinical disciplines, separate lobbies and rooms for children and adults, accommodations for accompanying family members, and space for individuals awaiting longer-term placement.

The project was recently awarded a $3 million grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), adding to more than $10 million in funding already dedicated to supporting the project.

“This new center will vastly improve the quality of care for children and adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis,” said Sharon Curran, the chief executive officer of Lenape Valley, a nonprofit behavioral health organization that helps more than 14,000 people each year. “The clinical teams working at this center will provide comprehensive stabilization in a state-of-the-art environment. Everyone in this partnership effort is diligently exploring and pursuing various ways to make certain that the diverse needs of the community can be met within this facility.”

The center is proposed to be built on the grounds of Doylestown Hospital, adjacent to Lenape Valley Foundation’s existing outpatient facility.

“This collaboration brings together local behavioral health and medical providers to create a facility that would be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania. Doylestown Health’s 100-year commitment to serve the needs of our community supports this walk-in center concept that brings all the crisis components together under one roof,” said Jim Brexler, president and CEO of Doylestown Health.

In addition to the grant recently awarded to the Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission, Inc., by DDAP, the project has also secured funding from Bucks County, the Pennsylvania Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, and Bucks County’s Opioid Settlement Advisory Committee. Funding continues to be pursued to support the multi-million-dollar center.

“We are thrilled for this grant to arrive and to help make the Stabilization Unit a reality. This unit will allow those with opioid, substance use, and co-occurring issues to receive the assessment and placement assistance they so desperately need, and all in a warm, supportive, professional environment,” said Diane Ellis-Marseglia, vice chair of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

The public is invited to attend a virtual listening session on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. or March 10 at 12:30 p.m. to learn more about the project and to provide input into the services and facility. To register, visit https://www.lenapevf.org/listeningsession.

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