The Jim Thorpe Memorial is located on the far side of town, directly off Route 903. Parking is…read morelocated alongside the memorial on a gravel strip. Located here are his grave, two statues, a sculpture with information boards, and an additional piece yet to be revealed. The area is quaint and quiet for the most part. Of the statues, one commemorates his participation in Football, with the other commemorating his participation in amateur athletics. The sculpture with the information boards was deigned by Kenrick N. Higa, but built by students at the local vocational tech school. Information boards surrounding the sculpture provide detailed information about Thorpe and have been kept updated. Two minor concerns I would mention is the grave could use better sealing around it, and some of the concrete sidewalks are starting to wear. Is the Jim Thorpe Memorial worth checking out if traveling though the area? Yes, it's worth stopping by. On the other hand, if you are making a special trip here, you need to plan other activities around the area as a stop here will only take around 15-30 minutes.

This is a great memorial to Jim Thorpe, located in this town which has decided to name itself after…read morehim even though Jim Thorpe never lived or even visited here. His remains, and a giant memorial stone, sit in the center, and are surrounded by statues of him as a football player and a triathlete. The statue of him playing baseball is still under construction, still under construction but if it's as nice as the other two, it will be a great addition. We spent at least 30 minutes here and I learned a lot about Jim Thorpe. I especially liked the section that discussed his twin brother and the thunder and lightning sculpture. I came away from this memorial with great respect for Jim Thorpe and utter disgust for his third wife who would sell his remains to this town to make a quick buck against his family's wishes. I'm also pretty disgusted with a town and it's people who would pull a stunt like this just to get a little extra tourism. Jim Thorpe seems to have been a philanthropic and kind person who worked hard and genuinely cared about other people. It's sad to think that he will spend eternity in a strange place so a few people could make some quick cash off of all he achieved.

Very pleasant grounds, small but beautiful gardens, and lots of signage explaining the history of…read morethe site. Would be a nice place to drop a blanket and have a picnic lunch!

We came here on Community Day in April and I guess coming to a place like this so early in the…read moreSpring, one needs to remind thyself about potential as opposed to what you're actually seeing. Let me explain. They've got a large garden that naturally in April is nothing more than rocks and dirt so you have to imagine what it would look like later on in the year. On the gate they do have a breakdown of what was planted in days of yore but again, you need to use your imagination. There is also a small corncrib next to a few old rusty wheelbarrows that are falling apart. There is the main house on the grounds, the Burnside house, that is sparsely furnished at best and I have read that at certain times of the year you can fully tour it but on Community Day they have tables and chairs on the ground floor for kids arts and crafts, so no tours. The main barn has three parts. The main upstairs part has a collection of older farm equipment along with some pictures of when the building was moved to the site where it currently stands. (No, it's not original to the property by a long shot) The downstairs on the left has a high horsepower wheel that is very interesting and along the lines of what you would see at Mount Vernon in the sixteen sided barn. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oQ6ihOWS5o&feature=c4-overview&list=UUDCmdiGOSAMKYdpe_bybK3w The bottom right houses the stables where the City of Bethlehem keeps their horses for the police's mounted patrol. http://bethlehemmpu.wordpress.com/ The officer on duty that day was great with answering questions from both adults and children about their work with the horses. An unfortunate example of a real turnoff were the women in the Summer Kitchen. They were making some kind of soup/stew that day and several people, myself included, were asking questions and by-in-large they kept giving everyone the Sgt. Schultz answer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVG1q49yPaY That was a real drag but it also wasn't surprising since they seemed more interested in doing what they were doing as opposed to being bothered by the public. This year was the 3rd annual Community Day and to be honest even though I live only about a 1/2 mile from where this takes place I really hadn't heard about it because they poorly promote it. Based on the number of people that we saw I can tell that I'm not the only one who falls into that boat. Maybe next year we'll come back and the women in the Summer Kitchen won't be so grouchy or maybe we'll try to take part in some kind of activity/event there this summer that will show this place off when things are fully cooking. But in the meantime I can't go more than three stars along with giving this place a grade of incomplete.

Built in 1861, this Victorian Italianate architecture-style home was constructed over a span of two…read moreyears at a total cost of $14,000 dollars. The Asa Packer Mansion listed as a National Historic Landmark was the home of philanthropist, railroad magnate, and founder of Lehigh University, Asa Packer, from Oct. 16, 1861, to Oct. 29, 1912. Located in Jim Thorpe, this building is recognized by a red-ribbed tin roof and a central cupola proudly atop Packer Hill with the commanding stunning views of the surrounding Pocono Mountains, where my partner, his aunt and I came for a tour today. Tickets were easily available and reasonably priced for the 1pm tour, which covered the entirety of the first and second floors. Our tour guide was a young lady (she mentioned she is a senior in high school) who obviously loves her job and is personally interested in the history of the mansion and family. From the furniture, woodwork, and stained glass to the artwork, she spoke about the history or significance. The mansion is not a restoration where pictures and video are prohibited inside. An amazing walk back in time, for which we can recommend this place.

This was absolutely the highlight of our day in Jim Thorpe! Such a stunning home with amazing…read morehistory and it's incredibly well preserved. Our tour guide was very passionate about the subject and brought the story of the home to life. We learned so much about Asa Packer and his family as well as his contributions to the town itself. I highly recommend visiting the mansion. It's very affordable and you won't regret it. The setting is very scenic as it's set atop a gorgeous hill overlooking the region. Bonus points if you have the opportunity to visit during the fall season. You'll be surrounded by the most beautiful foliage. But very important to note, accessing the museum means walking up the hill and some stairs. It's a short walk but could be taxing for some. Very much worth your efforts though!

Blakeslee is a very welcoming town. A local even shared that their population has grown over the…read moreyears to a whopping, more than 73% since the early 1990s! Currently, Blakeslee's population is about 4,800. There is a mall plaza, including a huge grocery store called Ahart's Market. They sell most of the things you'd find in your local supermarket including organic fruits. There is Wawa (it's an upscale 7 Eleven) open 24 hours. There are also several good comfort food places to eat in Blakeslee. One that comes to mind that I ate at was "Chat-N-Chew." Our waiter "kinda" knew I was probably from California especially when I asked, "Could I have a side of fresh fruit instead of English muffin?" Hahahah... He responded and said, "There is no healthy eats here, just fats and gritz!" I just love him!! Here's the best part though.... Blakeslee is not far from Lake Harmony where you will enjoy cycling, hiking, fishing, nature, and indoor water slides to snow skiing. While UBER was scarce in the area, we did managed to meet "Jess," who drove us to the airport (about a half hour drive to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport). Jess was born and raised here in Blakeslee. She works part time for UBER when she is not helping launch technology startups. BTW, according to Jess, there are AirBNB here so do check them out on your vacation at Blakeslee. Oh in case you might be wondering, "So what brought you to Blakeslee?" Work actually, and I feel fortunate to have had this fantastic time during my short stay. Cheers! .

What a unique opportunity to visit a factory from times past being used in the present! I had some…read moretime to spare passing thru Bethlehem, and google recommended for me to stop-by at this one-of-kind spot. It was a bit of a maze to find the parking lot (thankfully, FREE), but after that I had a quiet afternoon enjoying the SteelStacks. One of the suggestions I got was to enjoy the walkway --- which is an elevated path along the side of the ol' steel factory. It's odd to walk by a factory that in its glory days had 100's of workers, to now being visited by tourist in a solace stroll. In any case, it's always great to see the birthing place of the steel that has given us so many iconic US landmarks, i.e., like the Chrysler Building and the Golden Gate Bridge. See - bet you didn't know that! If you're ever around this area, take in this one-of-a-kind location, it needs to experienced to be believed.

Exceptional walking experience, great visual appeal. There's lots to do. I walked on the elevated…read morestructures so much to see. Nice places to sit and have an outdoor lunch and indoor restrooms as well

Largest salad bar in the area. People come from all around for the Spaghetti Suppers which are the…read morefirst Fridays of the month (excluding summer) all proceeds from the social quarter goes to the all volunteer fire company

This is an amazing place to have a time trip to history and to get to know about life at a farm…read morehouse. Lovely place to visit with family, friends or alone. The atmosphere is peaceful and you feel like stepping into a different world, forgetting all the daily hurdles and just enjoying the moment. The staff who works there is really talented on telling about the life at the farm couple of hundreds of years ago, and they tell you some insightful stories and examples of the past. You are also encouraged to ask many questions from the staff and it is great to hear about all the details of everything. There are several farm buildings to visit which you also get to tour, and many animals who you also might get to pet. The farm store is also amazing, selling many interesting items and some crafts from the local artists which are not over priced. Remember to reserve plenty of time (2-3 hrs) and take some picnic items with if needed (there's good spots for a picnic) and a curious mind for a great visit at the historic farm!

As a jaded New Yorker, who's become even more so during the pandemic, Quiet Valley, was just what…read morethe doctor ordered. This 250 year old farm, was last operational in the 1950s. It's now owned by a historical society and largely volunteer run. This is the kind of place that several generations of locals come to volunteer. If I lived nearby, I'd gladly volunteer and would love to lead a tour:-) The farm is quaint, cozy and affordable. It was $12 for adults for their 1.5 hour+ tour and Christmas presentation. $6 for children under 12. The crackling fire wood, the wet leaves crunching under your feet, and the friendly, welcome of the volunteers, who are excellent and clearly love this place, all made my experience five star. This historic farm is two hours from NYC, but worlds away, in a good way. I did a day trip but nearby affordable hotels abound. At the end of the tour, we were lead to their dining room, with a choice of hot cocoa or hot apple cider and two surprise (mine were snickerdoodle and molasses) cookies or a homemade Bavarian style pretzel. Free parking and I learned about the events they offer including farm to table in the summer and spooky nights during Halloween, to name a few. They cook with all the vegetables they grow and serve them at an outdoor meal. Check them out with your friends and family. You'll be glad you did.

Cute little hole in the wall library. Nice employees. Great community fun with the kids too. Saw a…read moreclown for story time when I was leaving. Lol. Definitely will be returning to this library.