Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley — just one hour from Philadelphia and two
hours from New York — is a 730 sq. mile region clustered around
Allentown, Easton and Bethlehem. Its colonial roots go back to 1741 Moravian
Church settlers. The Moravian Book Shop, founded in 1745, claims the
distinction of being the oldest bookshop in the world.
Lehigh Valley Roots
Church members originally organized themselves as a commune. As
population increased, the structure gave way but the communal spirit
remained.
Other German-speaking immigrants felt welcome. One of them, Christian
Martin, founded a company in 1833 that went on to produce the iconic
Martin guitars. Other industries started in early colonial days. In
1899, Bethlehem Steel’s birth of pushed local industry into high gear.
Steel barons presided over a general taste for the good life.
Moravian
Book Shop PHOTO ANG CAGGIANO
:
Fast forward to 1984, when Bethlehem launched Musikfest — an annual
10-day, 15-stage, 500-performance event, attracting over a million
people. One of the country’s largest free music festivals, it has
endowed the area with a skilled, experienced, savvy arts management
corps and an arts-friendly community.
Lehigh Valley is said to be rich in paranormal phenomena ( a/k/a
ghosts). For example, researchers (and some folks who take the haunted
Bethlehem tours) have encountered the ghost of Sarah, an eight-year-old
girl.
Bethlehem Steel ceased production in 1995. Its old site is now
home to Steel Stacks, a new 10-acre arts complex. Also reclining on
former Betlehem Steel land is the Sands Casino. Opened in 2009, it is
owned by noted electoral big spender Sheldon Adelson. While the specter
of the shuttered industrial giant haunts the region by rattling the
chains of rue, it also provides energy for the 21st Century Lehigh
Valley.
Let’s take a tour of the region.
Things to do
Colonial Industrial Quarter
The Colonial Industrial Quarter buildings (seen top of page) are quiet testimony to the
roots pf industry set up by early settlers. You can see the 1761
Tannery, 1764 Springhouse, reconstructed 1750 Smithy, Miller's House,
Industrial Quarter Ruins, (including the Dye House), 1762 Waterworks,
and the new kid on the block — the 1869 Luckenbach Mill. The waterworks
(a National Historic Landmark) was the first publicly owned and operated
pumped water system on the continent. The Smithy is an actual operating
blacksmith shop, complete with, anvil, hammer, fire, blacksmith, and
gift shop. See a smithy video. It’s clearly a Smithy production. There are
daily tours of the Colonial Industrial Quarter. And there are special
events throughout the year. For more information, click
here.
Lehigh Valley zoo
What’s the point of having beaucoup bucks if you can't go out and shoot
things once in a while? Thus, in 1906, local Lehigh Valley industrialist
Gen. William Trexler created a wildlife game preserve, stocked with
bison and elk. He realized the Great American Buffalo was going
bye-bye. He retained the game preserve; but changed its mission. Voila!
The Lehigh Valley zoo.
The zoo, including its 29-acre children's zoo, is part of the 1100 acre
wildlife preserve. It has 275 residents, hailing from 70 species
(African penguins to zebras).
Otter Madness
"I like the otters," a woman told her friend.
"Yeah," the friend replied. "The otters are cool."
In fact, a random sampling of zoo visitors confirmed that otters are
indeed cool. Otters are a tad blasé about their hipster status. After
all, they have a house and pool. An amphitheater runs around their
mansion. They use it as a moat that allows an appreciative audience to
laugh, gasp and marvel as the otters swim, eat and generally cavort.
Otters are special. They have two fur coats. The outer keeps the inner
dry. They have valves that keep water out of their ears. They are
playful. Classic science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon posited that
otters will succeed homo sapiens as dominant civilized species. Cheerful
thought? Maybe. Meanwhile, let's just watch the otters swim and swim and
swim. Do beware of their teeth.
Penguin Pavilion
Not far from the otters are those other zoo
divas, the African Penguins (above). These crowd-pleasing birds waddle and swim
their way into the zoo-goers’ hearts. Their home is called the Jaindl
Penguin Pavilion. Their 60,000-gallon, 58-foot-wide, four-foot-deep pool
opened to the public in December 2008. It's downright inspiring to watch
these ungainly birds leap into their pool and swim at Olympic
record-breaking speeds of 6–7 km an hour.
Also
a must see at the zoo is a two toed sloth (left). Why? It's simply adorable.
Among other animals on view are alpaca, bobcat and, west African crowned
crane, emu, red kangaroo, laughing kookaburra, Mexican gray wolf,
African spurred tortoise, boa constrictor, and a leopard gecko.
Lehigh Valley zoo has both a core mission to "save species from
extinction," and a general educational mission. Of course, the two are
related. The teaching side sneaks up on you because the zoo is so much
dang fun. The yearly
calendar is
crowded with events that run from April through the end of November,
such as Potter Tober Fest, Party For The Planet and Mother's Day at the
zoo.
And, oh yes, as you make your way through the largest preserve on
your way to and from the zoo you just might see a bison or two and a
grazing elk watching you but they've been warned not to feed you.
5150 Game Preserve Road, P.O. Box 519, Schnecksville, PA 18078 The for
more information call 610-799-4171 or click
here
The Crayola experience
Take your kids and your own inner kid into this indoor Crayola theme
park, located in Easton. The experience includes a 15-minute tour
through a Crayola mini factory. (The actual factory, a few blocks away,
does not offer tours.)
The Making of a Crayola
For our visit, the affable Brandon Patruno
demonstrated the various steps that go into the making of a crayon. He
wore the staff uniform, tie-dyed shirt with the words "color crew"
emblazoned on the back. Crayon ingredients include paraffin wax, and
clay (for that silky smooth texture). As he poured the makings into the
mold, he noted that the Crayola scent is one of the top 20 aromas most
recognized by American adults.
The finished crayon soon was ready for the labeling machine. (Crayola
made hand-wrapped labels prior to 1943.)
While you're there, no doubt you'll see the world's largest crayon. It's
a 1500 pound, 15 inch circumference, 15 foot long blue thingy. It's made
from 123,000 crayons, sent in by children from all over the country.
(Traveler presumes they were asked to.)
More Crayola Stuff
A
happy bounty of simple projects engages the mind, eye, heart, soul and
imagination. These include coloring an item (tote bag, place mats,
T-shirt) with fabric markers, making cut out puzzles, painting with
melted wax, and the chalk walk (trying out new Crayola chalks). And
there are a couple of wild, weird electronic surprises. When you're
finished, you'll want to walk over to the fantastical Crayola store.
(Who knew there were so many different things you could do with color?)
For more information call 866-875-5263 , or click
here
Martin Guitar Company
The C.F. Martin guitar company, located in Nazareth, is a shrine
for fanciers of the stringed instrument and its history and its impact
on culture through the ages. Founded in 1833 by Christian Frederick
Martin, a German émigré, this family-owned company (the current CEO is
Christian Frederick Martin IV) has been an integral
part of the many varieties of music. The roster of famous Martin guitar owners includes
Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Eddie Vedder, Kurt
Cobain, Bob Dylan, Chris Martin and Gene Autry. You can tour the factory
and see guitars being made.
Birthing of Guitars and the Butterfly Effectt
Walking through the Martin factory feels like a flirtation with the
butterfly effect. Hundreds of guitars-to-be are lined up in various
stages of completion — open, vulnerable, without even the protection of
a cocoon, they endure the curiosity of passersby. And their wood veneers
are so tactile. Stay between the yellow lines. Do not touch the pieces
of guitar. It's a combo of globalism, sustainability, acoustical theory,
tradition, low-tech, high tech all tied up with taut steel strings. You
get to see various of the 300 odd steps it takes to make a single guitar
— cutting, bending, gluing, drying, fittings, customizing, assembling.
All this and robot lasers.
See and Play
Extra treats await tour takers. the 1833 Shop is a source of Martin
guitar memorabilia. Its adjoining pickin’ parlor is a bit of heaven for
would be guitar heroes and heroines. You get to play and play with
high-end and limited-edition instruments. The Martin Guitar Museum tells
the company story and in the process some of the guitar story.
Using
instruments (170 of them), tools, accessories, photographs, documents
and info panels, the museum highlights changes in the guitar, musical
taste and trends, and notable performers. For more information about
Martin Guitars company and tours, click
here.
Steel Stacks
The retired Bethelehem Steel blast furnaces, an industrial Stonehenge,
are the backdrop for Steel Stacks, a 10-acre arts campus. In front of
them is the Levitt Pavillion, an outdoor space with grass lawn, plenty
of seating and a venue for public concerts, especially in the summer
months. It also holds the PNC Plaza and the Air Products Town Square
(corporate sponsorship and naming rights are big here). At night, on
various occasions, the smokestacks shoot dazzling blue flames into the
sky.
Umbrella organization Steel Stacks believes in using arts and altruism
to reinvigorate the region. Its leaders feel the mission of serving the
region with arts and culture is a major economic development tool. To
Lehigh Valley's forward thinkers the "creative class" is the workforce of
tomorrow.
ArtsQuest Center
Steel Stacks presents a panoply of public events, and it's a great site
for some plain old-fashioned hanging out. A significant part of the
Steel Stacks project is the four-story ArtsQuest Center. This beehive
of music, dance, visual art, cinema, dining, education, events and PBS
is a year-round go-to resource for the community and the greater Lehigh
Valley area. Contained therein are:
Musikfest Café presented by Yuengling, this is an intimate performance
venue. ArtsQuest brags (and rightly so) that no seat is more than 60
feet from the stage. It's floor-to-ceiling windows offer a privileged
view of the smokestacks outside.
Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas A two-screen movie house that specializes
in independent flicks
Mike & Ike Bistro offer such menu items and salads, sandwiches, pizza,
pasta, desserts.
Fowler Blast Furnace Room is a space suitable for conferences, concerts,
meeting and workshop.
Sands Deck, this is outdoor covered terrace that serves as a place to
repair for food and beverage after show and sometimes doubles as a
premium skybox, depending upon the event.
Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons, is yet another performance venue,
as well as a place to sit, schmooze, and enjoy refreshments. Musical
emphasis is on local talent.
Lee & Stella Yee Family Connect Zone, is a multimedia community and
meeting space. (Tip: Xbox games can be rented for $5/ hour Loft.
and the
Alvin H. Butz Gallery.
Musikfest
PHOTO MATT SMITH
And then there's Musikfest, which is centered in the Steel Stacks
complex (with other performance sites around town). This ambitious event
presents over 500 performances during its 10-day multi-genre tenure. In
past years, audiences enjoyed such top acts Alice Cooper, The Beach
Boys, Tony Bennett, Boston, Carpe Diem String Quartet, Ray Charles,
George Clinton, Dixie Chicks, Duran Duran, Earth, Wind & Fire, Here Come
The Mummies, B.B. King, Seamus Kennedy, Ludacris, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Hootie
& the Blowfish, Red Baraat, James Nyoraku Schlefer, Stone Temple Pilots,
George Thorogood. and Carrie Underwood. Musikfest 2013 takes place
in August. More
info?
Farmers’ Markets
Mm-mm! Farmers Markets! Who can resist their fresh and folksy, eccentric
and comforting country temptations?
There are loads of farmer's markets in the Lehigh Valley - some are
quite small, open once or maybe twice a week, with fewer than 20
vendors, give or take. Last time we checked, the one in Campus Square
was only open 11 am-3pm on Thursdays from May through the end of
October. (Traveler had late September strawberries and they were sweet.)
If you've
ever been to the Reading Market in Philadelphia, you already know how
seriously wondrous a farmer's market can be.
There's a whacking great one in Allentown, so if you're short on time
and want to see the big show, make a beeline for that.
Step inside and you'll find yourself surrounded—and instantly lost—amid
aisles and aisles of zillions of independent little shops and stands all
under one vast, yet quiet, yet circus-like, folksy, deeply eccentric
country roof. You'll dash past huge, Dali-like, twisting gourds that
seem to lunge for you, big flirty Betty Boop berries that chirp, “Buy
me!”, sincere gluten-free bagels, shoo-fly pies, pepper hash, big
barrels of snapping new green pickles, fancy-schmancy beribboned gift
jams, sauces, and a vacuum-cleaner repair shop.
There's a barber or two
as well. And scented potpourri, lavender sachets, exotic spice markets,
herbal teas, hot meals, pizza, empanadas, donuts, and delicious dishes
to sample you probably never thought of. Why are we dashing? We're in a
mad pash for the fresh-made-today Amish peach ice cream.
Bring your little rolly-rolly suitcase with you. Pumpkins and jams on
the bottom, fruits and pickle-bags on the top. Peach cone in your hand.
Back to town with you.
Other fun num-nums in the area:
AND THEN A FINGER IN THE DARK
Do you ever wish you could get into a time machine and escape for an
hour or so? Keep your spirits up by having a ghostly encounter.
Paranormal aficionados find Many Strange Things to tell stories about in
Lehigh Valley. Don't think you have to wait for Halloween for a fit of
fun between the sheets, either - ghost-hunting is a popular year-round
tourist magnet round these parts. If ghosts pull your chain, start to
explore
here
A word here about ghosts. If you don't want any
part of them, you probably won't run into them. Let's face it, hardly
anybody runs into a ghost. So don't let an aversion to the astral keep
you from enjoying Bethlehem.
Remember those worthy paragons of rectitude, the
Moravians; plenty of those upright, uptight vibes are constantly running
all over town and throughout the buildings.
That's why there's a sort of soft, sad, sensible
feeling to historic and lovely Bethlehem, PA. You came here to have a
calming, civilised sensible time, right? Moravians weren't 'fraid of no
ghosts. Be consoled, and remember: the best way to keep ghosts out of
your way is to firmly not believe in them.
Bethlehem's legendary The Sun Inn, also on Main
Street, is said to have its share of ghosties. The limestone building,
built in 1758 and restored in 1982, is considered a splendid example of
Moravian architecture, complete with mansard tile roof.
Illustrious visitors have included George
Washington (he got around), John Adams, John Hancock and Benjamin
Harrison. It has period furniture, period décor, and, according to some,
period ghosts. The Atlantic Paranormal Sociaty (a/k/aSyFy
channel’s”Ghost Hunters”) seem to believe so, too.
You can dine at the Sun Inn sometimes - we did -
in desultory disappointment. Have your feast around the corner instead
at McCarthy's Tea Room - delicious, welcoming, and hearty, and do the
Sun Inn's ghost tour, later in the evening.
So in we go. Into the lovely old building's small entryway with
guestbook and stairs going up and down, wandering a bit through softly
lit bedrooms and guestrooms, then cross over to a room where we sit down
in rows of chairs for a familiarisation film. What to expect: something,
perhaps, or nothing. Be patient.
Sometimes they'll talk to you. Sometimes you'll
see something. Sense something. We will have two knowledgable and
experienced ghost-finding guides who bring ghost-finding gadgets. They are endlessly good-humoured,
soft-spoken, creative, unshy, and patient with both tourists and
spirits.
Now our group is divided into two groups — One to
the attic, one to the cellar. Our group guide starts leading us to the
cellar, suddenly changes her mind, turns, and races up the stairs to the
attic. This feels exactly right.
We sit in a circle of old chairs under big old
beams in the rather beautiful and spacious attic, which is used for
storing boxes of dining room crockery and a miscellany of items old and
current. Lights switched off. Various gadgets tried. Nada. visiting him
and him
A story about a little girl ghost who is said to
appear in the attic sometimes. Zip. But it is invigourating to be
sitting in this very, very old attic in the dark, waiting for evidence
of the paranormal. And someone's got a feeling that there's an old shy
ghost, a soldier who isn't feeling very well, resting, hiding way way
back in the corner behind us, behind the boxes.
We go and have a look. Nothing, but definitely a
vibe. Civil War? Revolutionary War? Who can tell?
'Interesting,' the guide smiles. We are now off
to the cellar, which is not a nice place, cramped and dull, and with a
rather nasty vibe, (well, this is where servants would have slaved long
hours) and despite all devices and entreaties, and flashing lights and
tape recorders, absolutely nothing happens.
Ghost hunting paraphernalia in the Sun Inn
Up to the dining room to meet with the other group, just coming down
from their attic experience. More lights, more recordings, more spoken
invitations to ghosts to make themselves known. Alas, to no avail.
So out into the night we all go, spilling out
onto Main Street, back to the hotel, some disappointed— especially the
skeptics— still most are a little excited, stirred up, all enchanted to
spend part of an evening in such a gracious bit of historic
architecture, and many looking forward to a drink.
At the bar, a woman in the other group, the group
that went up to the attic while we were in the cellar, a woman with a
big gorgeous head of red hair, clutched her friend's arm and blurted
out: 'I screamed so bad'.
'She did,' said her friend.
'What happened?'
'I was up in the attic. Sitting under the centre
beam, to the right of the door. It was pitch dark. Nothing moved. No
sound, no creaks, nothing. Nobody joking around. And a finger poked me
in the back. I screamed. They turned on the light. Nothing there.
'It came from behind.''
Funny. That was exactly where the shy soldier
vibe had been lurking.
| Ghostsis? What ghosts?
Where To Stay
Hotel Bethlehem
Yes, please, you'll like staying here.
Conveniently smack on Main Street, the HB is historic and impressive,
sweetly staid, quiet and deeply comfortable. If you're coming to town to
meet people, they'll be impressed you're staying here. It's an
old-fashioned place with most of the old-time virtues: spacious rooms
with good views, solid walls, piano players downstairs and jazz brunch
on Sundays. And their mashed potatoes with the skins mixed in are totes
amazeballs.
Gorgeous high arched windows in the lobby and the restaurant lift this
gracious space onto another level. And the level of service at the hotel
is pleasingly, to a high standard.
Traveler arrived on a day when a convention of 150 or so guests arrived,
changed its plans, and asked the hotel folks—at 4 o'clock in the
afternoon—if they could rustle up dinner for 150 people at 7 that
evening in the Grand Ballroom. The hotel could, and they did, to rave
reviews. A dedicated staff? A miracle.
Traveler stayed in Room 729 and loved the two windows with lovely views,
complete with atmospheric, far-off trains tooting in the distance;
spiffing pinstripe wallpaper; maple Early American style furniture,
dresser and desk coffee table’ and old-school wingback chair — a hint of
a 1920s feel, tweaked with a flat screen TV and free internet
connections.
One night it rained, and the wind howled across the valley, as it must
have done for hundreds of years. Though it was the middle of the night,
the sound and force of all this whooshing was oddly soothing and
timeless. Thinking about the early settlers, all they suffered and put
up with and invented and built and did for us, was a gentle lead-in to
later - and quite accidentally - discovering more about the awesome,
brave, liberal, opened-minded, sexually repressed, kind and uptight,
bottled-up early settlers of the unique, poignant little town of
Bethlehem, PA.
Amenities include plump duvets, softest high thread-count sheets,
excellent pillows (courtesy of Pacific Coast Feather in Seattle, fave of
so many hotel chains and the guests who love them), L-shaped loos with
black marble floors, pale marble walls, Vanities with tryptych mirrors,
magnifying makeup mirrors, huge marble step-in showers with good fat
shower heads.
We wish Hotel Bethlehem had: a light in the spacious closet to help you
find your clothes in your open suitcase on the luggage rack; a few hooks
in the bathroom for used towels; beauty goos and soaps with a bit of
zip.(Hotel bath stuff is a whole semiotic study in itself: the rich
demand L'Occitaine, Caswell Massey, Crabtree & Evelyn, etc. Most hotels
don't need to “position” themselves down to the little bar of soap to
succeed - why would they? The lush milled French soap thing is only for
the fiercely competitive, luxury market. You're here to get away from
all that, right? But still . . .)
On the third floor there's a nice little fitness room with shiny
machines, good views and a TV on. The only trouble was it blared Fox
News all day long.
Sadly, Hotel Bethlehem lacks a swimming pool, a whirlpool (make do with
the fine and steamy hot shower), or MSNBC TV.
This last omission is annoying - and, perhaps, telling? You're a coin's throw (OK,
within influence buying distance, then, of a casino owned and operated
by the notorious Sheldon Adelson, and a pity that half of the U.S.
population may not feel entirely at ease spending money here.) For more
information about the hotel, click here. To learn of latest Hotel
Bethlehem deals or packages, click
here
View from room 729, Bethlehem Hotel
For a list of other hotels in the region, click
here.
Where To Eat
Vegan Treats
Let's start with dessert. You may be meandering
around Bethlehem, and stumble across an oasis called Vegan Treats. "How
interesting," you might think. And then, in an act of solidarity, you
order a cupcake or cookie. You bite in. Brace yourself for the wow that
erupts when confection and tongue collide. Perhaps this is when you'll
discover that this modest little bakery supplies sweets and treats to
upscale vegetarian and vegan establishments in Washington, DC,
Baltimore, New York city, and points in between.
Chef/owner Danielle Kolya has a devoted clientele
that includes many celebrities. She creates goodies that range from red
velvet cream. "cheese" cupcakes to mini whoopee pies to chocolate cakes
to buns to French pastries and more. In September 2012, Departures
magazine named Vegan Treats "one of the world's 10 best bakeries." For
more information, call 610.861.7660 or click
here.
Brew Works
There is a Brew Works in Allentown and one in Bethlehem. Launched by the Fegley
family on 15 April, 1998 offers artisanal beer and a veg-friendly
though not necessarily heart friendly menu. Food items include . Meze
Hummus Assortment (beer infused garlic hummus, black bean hummus, black
olive tapenade and Belgian ale marinated tomatoes); BREWschetta (French
baguette garlic toast, Belgian ale soaked tomatoes, garlic, onions,
basil, roasted red peppers and Parmesan); Bavarian Pretzels; Loaded
Nachos; and Mayfair Pasta (fettuccine with asparagus, baby spinach,
mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes in white wine and butter). To be sure, a
goodly assortment of specialty brews are on tap (seven year-round
"flagship" beers and various seasonal offerings). For more information, click
here.
Granny
McCarthy's Tea Room and Celtic Restaurant
First there was Donegal square, a retail store that specialized in
items imported from Ireland and Scotland. It opened in 1985. In 1996
owner Neville Gardner moved to a new space where he launched the
restaurant which specializes in family recipes (his family). While you
might get an amazing butternut squash and Apple soup or a "punjab
paddy" (an egg-topped Potato cake and tikka masala sauce), vegetarian
choices are few. There is a lovely afternoon tea service. For more
information, click here.
The Edge Restaurant, Bar and Grill calls itself, upscale and up-tempo
its menu shows Asian and French influences – – but limited vegetarian
options (Asian pear salad, baby greens salad, and Jasmine rice bowl).
For more information, click
here
The Lehigh Valley offers much. It combines a peek
in the rearview mirror and a look at the emerging landscape. It's
seasoned with strong industrial icons and a a big dollop of
cultural vibrancy.
For more information about the area, click
here. .