Fun Stuff!

Hello Friends!

We have some fun stuff coming up in our area, so if you will be in PA, check it out! Hawk Mountain is doing their "Wild About Winter" Day on January 15th, 2011, from 11 am to 3 pm, and there is fun stuff for the whole family. Check out their link:

www.hawkmountain.org/events.php

Also, lots going in Jim Thorpe with their White Sale Days. Check out their link:

www.jimthorpe.org


Finally, Blue Mountain is in full operation, and enjoying all of this recent snowfall! Skiers and Snowboarders and the happy Snowtubers need to check out our monthly specials on our special page. Here's the link:

www.abhouse.net/season-specials.html


So, there is something for everyone, and the vineyards have their Passports for sale now, and they sell out QUICK, so don't miss out on their great offerings! Check out:

www.lehighvalleywinetrail.com Go to their "Events" Page.

Hope this gives you all a chock full of fun stuff to look forward to in these chilly winter months!

Lehigh Valley Zoo

Labor Day has come and gone, and now the kids are all back in school, and all of the wonderful Autumn events are gearing up...Autumn happens to be my favorite time of year, but then, all of the seasons have their beauty, and I'm looking forward to all the crisp days and cool evenings that are soon to be here!

We went to the Lehigh Valley Zoo recently, and here's a cute picture from there (I happen to adore penguins)...the kids had alot of fun, and was a really enjoyable and interesting afternoon.

It is about 15 miles away, but for those of us that reside in rural Pennsylvania, that's just a "hop, skip and a jump." Heck, the "corner" store is five miles down the road, so this trip was "nuthin"

Anyway, visit our website to see all of the upcoming fun events in our "neighborhood," and enjoy this beautiful weather!

Lunch at Madeline's

Madeline's Restaurant in Orwigsburg, PA

Yesterday, Mark and I ate at a wonderful restaurant in Orwigsburg, basically a stone's throw from Hawk Mountain.  It was Madeline's, and we were very impressed from the country setting, spacious and elegant accommodations, and mostly, their food was wonderful!

We had a party of 6, and we were meeting in central Orwigsburg, and sadly, although we drive through Orwigsburg quite a bit, we never stopped and dined there.  So, as the "locals" (our party was coming from Philadelphia), it was up to us to pick the meeting place.  There were quite a few restaurants, and not wanting to pick a "dud" I went and read some reviews (yes friends, they really are important!), and the good reviews, coupled with what I had heard about the place, plus it's location, brought us over there.

The outside is spacious with a lovely wrap around porch that is large enough to handle quite a number of people, and with it's awnings, and umbrellas, you won't be roasted while you are eating.  They even had fans set up to combat the humidity!

Since we were dressed and going on to another location, and my daughter was concerned about her hair "frizzing" due to the high humidity, we opted to eat inside in the air conditioning.  We were shown to their four season room by a pleasant hostess, which was elegantly appointed, and gave us the experience to that of eating on a cool and pleasant porch, yet still enclosed and refreshed,  with all of the views.

We started our lunch with unsweetened iced tea with lemon, and lots of ice water.  Our party arrived, and the waitresses were discreet in giving us time to chat, yet not be intrusive, nor just forget about us completely.  They would pop in occasionally to fill our glasses, and then, after we had all sufficiently settled in, they took our order.

I had an absolutely wonderful lunch which consisted of a bowl of turkey and rice soup, in a nice, flavorful, light base of fresh tomato, and a delicious fresh spinach salad, garnished with croutons, hardboiled egg, and bacon, with a side of balsamic vinaigrette.  It was perfect for a light lunch, for a hot day.  Mark had a grilled chicken breast sandwich topped with provolone, lettuce and tomato, with a dijonaise sauce on the side, and an order of large, beer battered onion rings.  Noelle had a cheeseburger, with the onion rings, and all in all, the lunch was A+. 

The food was all fresh and made to order, with generous servings, friendly, competent staff, and clean, elegant accommodations.  If you are ever in Orwigsburg, or are planning a day of birding at Hawk Mountain, be sure to stop in at Madeline's...you will definitely enjoy the fine country food after a day of fine country air!

Bake Oven Knob

Top of the trail, Bake Oven Knob, Lehigh Furnace, Pennsylvania

Hello friends!  As avid hikers, Mark and I are grateful to have the Appalachian trail literally right down the street from our inn.  We took an early morning hike up to Bake Oven Knob, where the views are absolutely stunning.  If you love hiking, this is a trail you can't miss. 

To find out about the most scenic route, we suggest checking out: http://www.trails.com/    This website can give you some really good information about the topography, the length of the trail, historic landmarks along the way, and some interesting tidbits and advice from folks who have already hiked through.

I am looking forward to doing the entire trail to the Lehigh Gap...I understand it is a little bit of a challenge, at 9.5 miles, and this we enjoy very much. 

See you on the trail!!