Let's bring this one up to the current…read more Since my last ramblings on Mariton, thankfully, very little has changed with one exception. That exception would be for the past two years the sanctuary is closed on Mondays for maintenance. Also, and admittedly this is technicality, the hours for the preserve are not set in stone like the Yelp listing indicates but since there isn't an option for sunrise to sunset, whatever. For every time I've come here and checked in, I probably forgot to check in and least twice as many times. Point being I've been here a good bit over the past six years and I've seen basically every trail, some a lot more than others and thankfully nothing with this has changed. If you're looking for paved, groomed or manicured grounds you're not going to find that here. Everything is kept up with by the caretakers but it's also overall in a fairly au natural state which means random rocks, tree roots, mud, leaves all over the place as it should be. Aside from some Spring and Fall weekend afternoons, there are never more than one or two cars here and more often than not there is no one. In twenty plus visits maybe I've seen other people on one of the trails two or three times. Aside from some squirrels and birds over at the bird blind feeders, I've never seen any wildlife here although you would think this would be a hot spot for deer, fox, racoons, etc. Although no trails here are terribly long, there is some variety between the mostly flat Chimney Rock, Woods and parts of the Main Trail to the River Lookout and Turnpike Trails which comparatively have far more incline. Overall still a great spot especially in late Fall/Winter to go out and turn up the quiet in the middle of nowhere.

Just went there for the second weekend in a row (mid April). I enjoyed the trails. Good peaceful…read moreplace to walk around. Grab a paper map and ask your kids to navigate to different areas of the sanctuary. There is an app for this place but that's cheating. Alot of interesting placards that tell the history and make you appreciate the diversity. My BIG reason to come review this place is a small bird blind they have there. Two Saturday afternoons in a row and I consistently had hours of photographing a dozen different bird types. If you want to dabble in bird photography this is a GREAT place to start. Just sit there quietly and they come to you! I know of few other bird blinds so well visited by so many birds.

St. Michael's Cemetery…read more I remember this cemetery with found memories. As a kid we use to go here to drink our 40oz malt liquor then walk down 4th street drunk and raising hell. As I got older I remember taking my wife there to make love under the stars on a hot summer night. Nowadays I use this place to find relaxation as I walk through the cemetery and contemplate life and ponder death. It's just a beautiful spot.

Nice trail along one side of the creek. My only suggestion would be for them to put up a visual map…read moreof the trail because we made the mistake of going from one end, down to the bridge and didn't realize the the trail abruptly ends (we were left in a situation where we had to turn back or continue on to an area that was without a sidewalk and maybe may not have been as safe possibly - we thought maybe the sidewalk might pick back up so we continued on and thankfully we're safe though we had to walk in the road a little due to a bit of a muddy situation). I hope they will possibly make the trail a loop around the creek to the bridge and the Silk center one day if that's possible to make the trek a bit nicer and safer. Also - I imagine that putting up a sound barrier might be very cost prohibitive so walkers should be aware that there's a section that goes close to the highway and is fairly noisy. Overall, I enjoyed my day & seeing the art installations and would recommend it as a place for others to visit.

Easy paved trail along the creek. It's part of the two rivers trailway and features interesting art…read moreexhibits. Shaded by trees and is a pleasant walk. It's not a loop so you'll backtrack. Only downside is the busy highway so it's loud.

Finegan funeral home handled the arrangements for my mother. After the funeral they inserted…read morethemselves into a family dispute and allowed and assisted a family member in shutting down my moms obituary so that I can no longer post on her page, I have proof from Legacy.com they were contacted and helped to have the obituary shut down. If this was their family member I am sure they would be unhappy. There business is to perform funeral services not get involved in family disputes.

We go back a long way .. Met years ago at Barney Steaks ... In my time of need John Finegan and his…read morefamily has been here for me . I'm old school . I have one barber , one bank , one dentist and one funeral parlor .. Not in that order per say .. I was just there and made a prearrangement . I feel better that is all done ..

It took me a little while to post this review, but this was definitely an enjoyable part of my trip…read moreto Pennsylvania last year. The garden has so many different features to enjoy. To begin with I've never seen so many unique trees in my life. Trees growing at odd angles. Trees with leaves that seemingly I've never seen before. Trees that have the appearance of having been there for hundreds of years. Then there are the rose bushes. Rose bushes as big as Cadillacs. Rose bushes that clearly have been cared for by loving handlers. I used to have roses on my property and I know how fussy they can be. The path around the small lake is a joy to walk, and very well paved. I would love to visit here again someday.

Free entry, beautiful park. Lots of places to picnic, read a book or just enjoy the sun…read more There are a lot of different varieties of trees but none of them are identified. I saw a few that I could not identify by eye or app that looked rare to me. It would be nice if some of the the rarer specimens were tagged. Also felt like some of the trees were in need of an arborist. There is quite the monoculture going on along the creek bed, poison hemlock I believe. It's such an enjoyable spot but there is so much more potential that I see. A few areas seem in disrepair, stairways to entry in one of the buildings on site. Hopefully they can save the building and make the walkways a little safer. Ideally an arborist would give some of the trees some attention and maybe some conservationist could do something about the hemlock. Totally worth the trip though. Ample parking.

"Haines Mill, an example of the Lehigh Valley's agricultural heritage, is at the west end of Cedar…read moreCreek Park. It is a grist mill that dates back to the US colonial times. The mill uses water power to grind crop grains into flour. The original mill was built around 1760. The mill that stands now was built around 1850 and was reconstructed in 1909 after a fire gutted the interior of the building and operated until 1956. Lehigh County purchased the mill in 1972 for preservation. Two years later, it opened as a museum. In 1981, Haines Mill was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Today, the mill is owned by Lehigh County and operated by the Lehigh County Historical Society. Visitors can watch the mill operate as it did when it was a commercial facility." The above is from Lehigh County's website and in a very brief way explains the history of the site and the building. The mill is open for public tours from 1 to 4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays from May to September. Tours are given by volunteers from the Lehigh County Historical Society with Lehigh County picking up the bills for any maintenance and upkeep. The tour that we had lasted a little over an hour and a lot of that has to do with no one else being on the tour and I would imagine that no one else was going to be touring the mill that day. While interesting, this is a bit off the beaten path and off of most people's radar. The tour covers the first two floors of the building and a lot of what is there looks very much in tact as if with a little TLC it could be operated with very little effort. I read on line reviews from another site that if you ask the volunteer will per se turn the mill on so that you can see the belts/pulleys operate but the person who we had seemingly had very little knowledge of the site and no idea how to operate anything. Overall this is local D-List history and it's worth it I suppose because it's free and if you're a local your tax dollars support the upkeep so you might as well see what the hell is going on.

Definitely a great spot for a solo walk, group walk, or to bring the pups for a walk or swim. I was…read moresolo this time, but i will definitely be back with my pups. Well kept trails for sure, and there is a picnic spot as well. A great chill space.

What a wonderful outdoor space for everyone! Both…read morechallenging and easy walking/hiking as well as dedicated horseback riding and Viking trails. It also has wonderful picnic areas, wading and swimming for families and pets. My favorite park in the area and I Enjoy walking the trails at least weekly.

Love this trail, so peaceful and a great walk whether it is during the summer or winter. Just make…read moresure to bundle up! I like walking my dog here and he surely loves it.

The natural jewel of Allentown! So appreciating the work of the wildland conservatory restoring the…read moreriparian zones. Eliminating the erosion and encouraging more wildlife . The reduction of mowing and over grooming has created a more natural space that is a joy to behold! Many people complain that they want it back to where it was -over groomed and mowed -however, we know better these days and people need to be immersed in nature in its true form and wildlife needs a safe place to thrive Only complaint is the litter left behind. Particularly by the fisherman. Empty hook bags, Styrofoam, worm, cups, and long dangerous strands of fishing line endangering wildlife. The labor hours saved from the former excess mowing & maintenance can be used to provide extra trash cans and have them emptied regularly