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| Dingmans Falls in the Pocono Mountains Delaware River Gorge |
Ben's place in New York is less than a two-hour drive from Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains. At this time of year his days off are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. We were able to coordinate his schedule with ours so that he could join us for our two-night stay in Pennsylvania. We booked our stay in the small community of White Haven that was centrally located for exploring the Pocono's.
Ben had spent a little time in the Pocono's previously, but for Beth and I this was our first visit and it certainly didn't disappoint. After checking in at the hotel and getting a quick bite to eat at the White Haven Family Diner we were off to explore the area.
We spent the afternoon in the small town of Jim Thorpe, which is frequently referred to a Pennsylvania's most charming small town. Rural Pennsylvania is full of small, charming towns, and while we haven't seen all of them, it was easy to see why Jim Thorpe stands out. The town is located along the Lehigh River. The historic downtown is full of shops, restaurants and boutique hotels. It was a Tuesday afternoon and while it was busy, it certainly wasn't overcrowded (I've read it can be really crowded on weekends). Below are a few photos from around the town:
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| North Street is Jim Thorpe's "Main Street" |
In addition to roaming the historic district, we enjoyed taking a ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway which rambled along the river's edge. Between the railroad tracks and the river is the Lehigh Gorge Trail, a multiuse use trail that runs for over 20 miles and connects to a larger corridor of trails that is more than 160 miles in length.
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
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| The one hour train ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway was great! |
Jim Thorpe is a very interesting town to visit. Equally interesting is how the town got its name.
The original name of the town was Mauch Chuak, which means "Bear Place" in the Munsee-Lenape Native American Language. It was one of the first "coal boom" towns in the United States.
Jim Thorpe (the person) was born in 1887 in Oklahoma and was a member of the Sac and Fox Nation. In 1912 he won two gold medals (pentathlon and decathlon) for the United States in the summer Olympic games which were held in Stockholm, Sweden. He also played professional football, baseball and basketball. He is often referred to as the greatest all-around athlete of all time! In addition to his athletic achievements, he was also an actor who appeared in over 70 films.
Although there were a lot of highs, he also faced numerous lows. He was stripped of his two gold medals because he had violated his "amateur status" by playing two years of semi-professional baseball prior to the Olympics (the medals were reinstated 30 years after his death). Additionally, there were numerous bad business decisions and health issues along the way. He passed away in 1953 at the age of sixty five.
After his death and unbeknown to the rest of the Thorpe family, his third wife made a "deal" with the officials of Mauch Chuak, Pa. which was looking for a way to increase tourism. They essentially purchased his remains, erected a monument and renamed the town, Jim Thorpe. Thorpe had no prior connection either directly or indirectly to the area, and yet he is buried there, and the town is named after him. A strange but true story!
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| Jim Thorpe's Grave |
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| Ben checking out some of Thorpe's Olympic accomplishments |
On our second day in the Pocono's, we enjoyed exploring the town of Stroudsburg, Dingman Falls and hiking a bit in George W. Childs Park. It was a great day, made even better that Ben was able to enjoy it with us!
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| Old Engine Works Market Place in Stroudsburg. If you can't find it in there either you don't need it or it doesn't exist! |
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| Downtown Stroudsburg |
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| Dingmans Falls |
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| George W. Childs Park had several small but really nice waterfalls |
