The Pocono region of Pennsylvania is known as a ski, casino, and honeymoon haven (the heart shaped tub was originated in the Poconos), and even more so as a place of mountains, lakes, rivers, and woodlands of scenic beauty. Take the roads less traveled; allow yourself to wander and explore. There is discovery around every bend in the road.
Delaware Water Gap
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area follows the shores of the Delaware River. That means that part of it is in Pennsylvania while the rest is in New Jersey. This national recreation area has many fine natural features to enjoy from the forest-covered mountains to low lying rivers, with the main highlight being the Delaware Water Gap. The Gap is so picturesque, as it cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge. There are many trails to select from, easy to challenging, including a portion of the Appalachian Trail. Follow Dingmans Creek Trail to Dingmans Falls. It is an easy hike along a boardwalk style path.
Dingmans Falls can be found at 224 Dingmans Falls Road, Dingmans Ferry, PA.
Bushkill Falls
Known as the Niagara of Pennsylvania, Bushkill Falls, also located in the Delaware Water Gap area, is actually a group of eight waterfalls, hidden in the Pocono Mountains woods. But you can find it easily if you follow the system of hiking trails and bridges which lead to the falls.
Location: 138 Bushkill Falls Trail, Bushkill, PA 1.
Roebling Aqueduct Suspension Bridge
Lackawaxen, north along the Delaware River, is famous for a manmade wonder, the
Roebling Aqueduct Suspension Bridge. As the name suggests, this bridge was designed by the famous John Roebling whose masterpiece is the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The Roebling Aqueduct Suspension Bridge was his first suspension bridge. It was made in 1847 and is the oldest wire suspended bridge in the USA. Its first use was as a waterway over Delaware, not a road! The bridge carried the Delaware and Hudson Canal high above the river so that the barge traffic could move freely. Today it has been converted to a one lane bridge which you can drive across, and you should.
Grey Towers National Historic Site
Milford is home to Grey Towers National Historic Site, formerly the estate of Gifford Pinchot, who was governor of Pennsylvania and first director of the United States Forest Service. Pinchot was part of the early movement for preserving large undeveloped stretches of the USA. The mansion was designed by the famed architect Richard Morris Hunt. He also designed Marble House and the Breakers, in Newport RI, and Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. The grounds are open daily from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through October. Guided tours home and gardens start every hour on the hour from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; there is a fee except when stated on their calendar of events.
Location: 151 Grey Towers Drive, Milford PA
Dorflinger Glass Museum
White Mills is the home of Dorflinger Glass Museum. Starting in the 1860s, Christian Dorflinger began making outstanding cut lead crystal here. The antique Dorflinger glass is eagerly collected and has been in many notable homes, including the White House. The Dorflinger Glass Museum is recognized as having the largest display of Dorflinger glass in the nation, with more than a thousand pieces on display. While there, you can also enjoy the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Refuge.
Location: 37 Suydam Dr, White Mills, PA 18431
Holley Ross Pottery
LaAnna, Pennsylvania, is home to the Holley Ross Pottery and its beautiful swinging bridge. It is a tiny town on Route 191 between Cresco and Newfoundland, a route that is often mentioned as one of the most beautiful drives in the Pocono Mountains. The Pottery features many great pieces of Fiesta ware, weeping gold pottery, and Polish pottery, as well as a nice selection of gifts, magnets, and stuffed animals, for sale. The Pottery is open May 1st through mid-December. There is a beautiful park on their property, featuring a walking trail, swinging bridge, and picnic area.
Location: 167 Route 191, LaAnna, Pennsylvania.
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm
Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm is a living history museum dedicated to preserving the 19th-century farm life of Pennsylvania German agricultural heritage. There are 114 acres of gorgeous pastures, woodlands, and streams. Quiet Valley has every farm animal that would have been there in the 1800s: geese, cows, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, ducks, sheep, a mule and Clydesdale draft horses. The buildings include the original farmhouse, a cabin, spring house, ice house, smokehouse, an 1850s bank barn, a dry house, as well as various other smaller barns. Quiet Valley is open seasonally, so plan ahead before you go. The address is, 347 Quiet Valley Rd, Stroudsburg, PA.
While in Stroudsburg visit The Olde Engine Works Flea-tique, a nice place to find the unusual and one of a kind vintage item from yesteryear.
Location: 62 N 3rd St, Stroudsburg, PA,
Jim Thorpe
© andykazie / Big Stock Photo
Jim Thorpe is named for the famous athlete whose hometown this is. Highlights of the town include the Jim Thorpe Memorial, located on Route 903, the Asa Packer Mansion, on Packer Hill Avenue, and the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway at, 1 Susquehanna Dr, Jim Thorpe, PA
Great Outdoors
Wallenpaupack Boat Tours & Rentals gets you out on the water for a different view of the Poconos. Visit The Settlers Inn in Hawley, PA on the banks of Lake Wallenpaupack. The Lodge at Woodloch, also in Hawley is a resort on more than 400 acres of land for hiking, bicycling, snow-shoeing, and bird-watching, or one of the myriad activities in the 15-acre lake (including stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, and fishing). The TREE restaurant offers several areas for spa cuisine dining.
Seven Tubs Natural Area
Wilkes-Barre has a not to be missed natural wonder, the Seven Tubs Natural Area, a series of
seven bowls or tubs carved out of soft rock by a waterfall. Take the trail up the hill alongside the waterfalls and tubs to the top, which offers a glimpse of the mountains. Then hike back down the mountain alongside the stream with many small waterfalls which takes you back to the tubs. It’s a loop trail that takes me about an hour, including stops.
Location; 900 Bear Creek Blvd, Wilkes-Barre PA. While in Wilkes-Barre, dine at Le Manhattan Bistro.
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