Cool little place to visit if you're looking for history while visiting Bethlehem. We came by on…read moreCommunity Day, so everything was free and there were tours and demonstrations going on. The barn tour was interesting, as was seeing how they used to use horses to power a machine that separated the wheat for bread. The house tour was informative. There were 4 ladies in period dress making some typical food and drinks from early Moravian times. I only wish we could've sampled them! It was torture watching them eat and drink it while we just sat there. The highlight of the plantation though, for me, wasn't any of that. It was the garden. Now, it wasn't in bloom, but the diagram they had of it and the looks had me literally drooling. They had details about what was planted everywhere, and it was everything from potatoes to leeks to gooseberries and rhubarb. Wowza. I REALLY wished I could've been there during the summer! Check it out!

Very pleasant grounds, small but beautiful gardens, and lots of signage explaining the history of…read morethe site. Would be a nice place to drop a blanket and have a picnic lunch!

Such a great little place to explore. Municipal parking is only $8.00 overnight! This means if you…read morego in the morning and want to go back at night, your parking is paid for all day-such an incentive. Lots of shops and eateries. Loved the little square by the train station where there was seating and food trucks. Visitor center had A LOT of information and pamphlets.

I'm not sure I'd ever heard of this town until visiting NEPA. It was once called Mauch Chunk until…read moreits name change in the 1950s, it's named for a former NFL football star. In its early days, it was a company town; coal, of course, since this area of Pennsylvania has a history in coal. Jim Thorpe the human seems like he was pretty interesting--he was a Native American athlete, earning Olympic medals in addition to playing both baseball and football. But what's odd is that he never had a connection to Mauch Chunk when he was alive, though it is now his resting place. Apparently his wife made a deal with the town, which was seeking a way to court tourism, when the originally planned site for his burial fell through. The town has since established a bustling downtown area with lots of shops and some restaurants. The Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway is a major attraction as well. There's some other historical markers in town and there are some truly lovely vistas. However, parking is a beast. I don't know what I did to so quickly get a spot; I found one in about five minutes. My friend, on the other hand, drove around for at least 50 minutes before she found a spot. We were just about to make another plan and go somewhere else when they finally reopened the parking to at the train station. Apparently, once the lot is full they won't re-open it to parking unless there are 100 spaces open. And apparently my friend wasn't the only one who called the train station asking if there was parking elsewhere, because the employee told her that there were other people calling and she'd get them to open the lot. Having said all that, my friend did say that she'd never seen it like this. We went on a holiday, so that definitely had something to do with the parking situation, but of course I can't speak to how it usually is. I do know that along Broadway there's quite a few spaces that are compact only, and at least a couple that are just for the bank. So your mileage may vary as far as parking goes. And there is a charge for parking; you send a code to a text number and pay online through the link provided.

First some history from the Internet about the site…read more "Coplay Cement Company Kilns, also known as the Saylor Park Industrial Museum, is an open-air historic site located at Coplay, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. The nine kilns were built in 1892-1893, and used for the production of Portland cement. They are constructed of locally produced red brick, and are known as Schoefer vertical kilns. They were shut down in 1904. The Coplay Cement Company donated the kilns and surrounding land to Lehigh County in 1975, for a cement industry museum. It is operated as a partnership between the County of Lehigh, which owns and maintains the site, and the Lehigh County Historical Society, which provides educational services. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Saylor Cement Museum honors David Saylor (1827-1884), the father of the American Portland cement industry, and the people who built this industry into one of the most important in the Lehigh Valley and the nation. Lehigh County was a natural spot for cement production. Cement is made from rocks containing lime, silica, and alumina; Lehigh County limestone "cement rock" contains all three ingredients. In 1866 David O. Saylor helped found Coplay Cement Company. In 1871, he received the first American patent for Portland cement, which is much stronger than the natural cement that had previously been produced in this country. Saylor's Portland cement built bridges, docks, jetties, roads, aqueducts, subways, and skyscrapers. By 1900 the Lehigh Valley made 72% of Portland cement produced in this country. The first kiln at the Coplay Cement Company was a dome kiln. Dome kilns were inefficient; they had to shut down often. In 1893 Coplay Cement built Mill B, containing the Schoefer kilns standing today. Originally enclosed in a large building, Schoefer kilns could run continuously. Soon, however, the even more efficient rotary kilns came into use. Mill B's outdated Schoefer kilns shut down in 1904, and Coplay Cement later used Mill B's buildings for storage." The four main things at Saylor Park would the remnants of the kilns, the playground, the community pool and it's a spot where you can pick up the Ironton Rail Trail. The key to this site at this point in time is trying to save the kilns. Lehigh County is trying to obtain the money needed to save the old furnaces which appear to be the last Aalborg style kilns left in the world. The current work being done at the site is due to a $200,000 federal grant with Lehigh County kicking in an equal amount to finish the work on Kiln #1. While nice, a full restoration of all the kilns is estimated at somewhere around $5 million dollars which is money that right now does not exist. Hopefully over time some type of public-private partnership can be formed to get the rest of the work done but in the meantime the site can be enjoyed at a distance and the Rail Trail that cuts thru the park is a fantastic repurposing of an old rail line that would never have been used again. If you go: The outdoor historic site, playground and Rail Trail are open daily year-round from sunrise to sunset and the Coplay Community Pool is open seasonally. Plenty of free parking is on site.

This place is fantastic. Has a park and a bike trail that goes on for ever and a day. The old kilns…read moreor so fantastic. I felt like I was standing back in time. I recommend this place for anyone who want to get out and live. The history and modern meets here

We love visiting Eckley and have been here multiple times. Just to visit and for events. Today was…read moretheir first ever Hooch Wagon Brew Fest. We purchased two tickets for a little over $80 with fees. We arrived at opening at checked in, showed our ID's and were given wrist bands. The woman at the table started to hand us small plastic cup. We said we were supposed to receive actual glasses. The other lady said there wasn't anything 'special' on our tickets to receive the small tasting glass. Not sure why there would be when you read what they posted. Another lady scanned our tickets - again. According to all of the Eckley posts (photo attached) you were to receive a tasting glass as long as you purchased tickets ahead of time, which we did. Finally after back and forth between 4 different women we were given the small glass. It was a hastle and didn't need to be. The two older women didn't want to give them to us, but eventually did with hesitation. That was definitely not a good start to the event. We feel that everyone going should receive the small glass, especially when paying over $40 per ticket. There were probably a dozen breweries/wineries. Two food trucks and one table selling cookies. We were familiar with most of the breweries and were surprised there weren't more involved. We have a lot of great local-ish breweries. I understand it's their first time having this event. We would attend again if there's not the hastle with the glass and if there are more vendors there.

Nice, relatively small museum with an informative video describing the era. The "open" buildings…read morehave a clear front door that is locked. I was not on a guided tour as they were not available when I visited so that experience may be different. The photo I uploaded was from my iPhone placed against one of the windows. It came out great considering I couldn't see anything but the plates from outside looking in. There is a cellphone tour you can take to describe the buildings in the patch.

Nice spot to go to and relax for the day. There is a jungle gym for the kids, a nice beach area,…read moreand lake that you can go kayaking and fishing in. There are public grills to cook out on and the scenery is beautiful. I would definitely come back the next time I am here in the summer/spring months. You need a beach pass to use the amenities so be warned and the lake isn't so deep so the fishing wasn't too plentiful today.

We rented a cabin In the community and enjoyed the beach! A Lovely man made beach with lifeguards…read moreon duty. Roped off areas in the water to swim and a dock. Clean beach. No glass bottles. You need to wear your beach badge. Covered area with picnic tables. Opposite side of the beach is the boat launch (kayaks and canoes). A little bridge nearby to fish off of too. Our group fished the lake off of kayaks and had no luck at all. Signs state catch and release only except trout within legal size limit. Has a playground next to the beach for kids! Tons of swings and jungle gym. Everything was so clean. We will definitely be back if we rent again!

Blakeslee is a very welcoming town. A local even shared that their population has grown over the…read moreyears to a whopping, more than 73% since the early 1990s! Currently, Blakeslee's population is about 4,800. There is a mall plaza, including a huge grocery store called Ahart's Market. They sell most of the things you'd find in your local supermarket including organic fruits. There is Wawa (it's an upscale 7 Eleven) open 24 hours. There are also several good comfort food places to eat in Blakeslee. One that comes to mind that I ate at was "Chat-N-Chew." Our waiter "kinda" knew I was probably from California especially when I asked, "Could I have a side of fresh fruit instead of English muffin?" Hahahah... He responded and said, "There is no healthy eats here, just fats and gritz!" I just love him!! Here's the best part though.... Blakeslee is not far from Lake Harmony where you will enjoy cycling, hiking, fishing, nature, and indoor water slides to snow skiing. While UBER was scarce in the area, we did managed to meet "Jess," who drove us to the airport (about a half hour drive to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport). Jess was born and raised here in Blakeslee. She works part time for UBER when she is not helping launch technology startups. BTW, according to Jess, there are AirBNB here so do check them out on your vacation at Blakeslee. Oh in case you might be wondering, "So what brought you to Blakeslee?" Work actually, and I feel fortunate to have had this fantastic time during my short stay. Cheers! .

As a college Students at East Stroudsburg University I was recruited as an 11B infantry soldier…read more While I originally joined to help me pay for college, the experience was like none other. The pride and the respect, given and earned, change my life. I learned so much more than shooting a rifle. The experience allowed me to communicate, listen, live on my own, deal with others in a respectful way and honor and sever our wonderful country. I was very prepared before I went in to basic training, so I actually enjoyed it. I wanted to make sure I was prepared so I trained doing push ups and sit ups as well as running. This was enough to allow me to succeed. The members became great friend. I miss them all. Enjoy the Photos below, as they are from my experience in 1982-86.

This is a hidden gem in Pocono Pines. The library serves Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock Townships, and…read moreyou can use their resources and borrow anything if you are a resident of anywhere in Monroe County. They offer so many free programs like Music on the Patio, adult tap, yoga, watercolor classes, programs about health and about the history of the area. So many programs, and all free. The exterior of the library is delightful with a Story Walk, a patio and picnic tables with umbrellas to enjoy. Come and visit!

This is the library closest to my mother's house, and I've visited it often through the years…read more Somewhere in their archives they have me listed as a library card holder, though it's been a long time since I checked out a book here on my own account. My mother visits the library once a month and checks out any new audiobooks they might have. Thanks to her and a few other book-on-cd true believers, this small library has a sizable collection. I enjoy going with her to help her find books she might have missed, and to check out the community bulletin boards and Friends of the Library book sale shelves. This library is staffed largely with volunteers. They are generally happy to pause for a moment to help you find what you need, or to help you figure out any issues with your account. I've also asked them for help with local knowledge, and I'm guessing they are a wonderful resource for the families that vacation in the area. The library has a decent selection of children and adult books, as well as movies, audiobooks, and a bank of computers for Internet access. They also have an agreement with the Overdrive system, which gives you the ability to download ebooks directly to your digital device. The best part of a digital loan is that there are no late fees. When your loan period is over the book simply disappears. It's a great system! And all of this is housed in a modern, inviting building. Go visit your local library, and happy reading!