The Poconos

Phil has been jonesing for some country time, so we decided to high tail it out of the city. We jumped in the car, and head due west towards San Francisco on route 80. Woo hoo... California here we... Okay, we didn't quite make it that far, and ended up stopping a little over an hour into the drive just over the border of Jersey in the Pocono region of Pennsylvania... 2850 miles short of the west coast. Maybe next time! Now for those of you who grew up in the NY Metro area, I'm sure you remember the very cheesy commercials in the late 70s and 80s for the beautiful Mt. Airy lodge, and other romantic gettaways in the fabulous Pocono region offering quiet nights out of the city basking in the warm glow of a fire place while soaking in Champagne glass tubs... oh yeah, good times!

Yeah, we weren't quite sure what time had done to bring the region into this millenium, but we decided to brave it nonetheless!

We had our trusty guide book in hand, but decided to wing it a little once we crossed over the Delaware River. There are signs everywhere for the various attractions, so it isn't too difficult to find something to do. Now the first thing we realized as we drove out that morning, was that we left our beloved camera at home in Queens! D'oh... Yes, Phil and I have major memory issues sometimes! It's a wonder we are able to dress ourselves sometimes. Thankfully though, we weren't completely at a loss. We had a box full of goodies in the trunk that our friend Jace wanted us to drop off at the Salvation Army. As fate would have it, I hadn't had a chance to donate it yet and we noticed there was a little camera bag in the mix of things. It was an old school simple Olympus 35mm camera. It was kind of poetic in some way... and in the spirit of the Poconos I grew up to know and love, we set out to capture the memories with technology that matched the day!

Parts of the Poconos are really quite charming, and there are some great little communities scattered throughout if you take the time to explore it. We started up route 402 / 209 N towards Milford. We stopped at a cute little drive up breakfast hut and treated ourselves to a breakfast sandwich, a coffee for Phil, and Diet Coke for me to give ourselves a little boost for the long day ahead. While eating, we decided the first thing we'd do is have an outdoor adventure, and followed the many many.... many Billboards (did I mention there were a lot of them? you can't miss this place!) to the Bushkill Falls... The Niagra of Pennsylvania! =) It turned out to be the Jellystone National Park with its own Yogi Bear-like character greeting folks in the parking lot! As cheesy as it sounds though, it was actually a very pleasant surprise and something we absolutely recommend doing. It is popular, so on the main trails you are apt to get a little crowding, but the longer hikes around to view the smaller falls are more private and a good work out. You start right at the top of the main 100 foot falls, and have some choices as you go. We decided to walk up the Bushkill Creek to head of an stunning ragged rock gorge. We were really thrilled to have stumbled on the place! The walkways over and around the main creek and falls are very rustic and impressive natural wood bridges that hug the rock walls and cross the creek in various places, and at several points carry you over the 2 largest falls! We decided to keep the main falls as the last site, so took a detour up the mountain to the Bridesmaid's and Bridal Veil Falls. The walk is moderate at first, but flattens out quickly and takes you through a quiet expanse of deciduous forest offering the occasional view of the Delaware Water Gap in the distance to the east. The trail loops around follows the Pond Run Creek past a the aforementioned falls. These are a couple of gorgeous horsetail type falls, worth the hike. The path is well appointed and takes you down a rather steep set of man-made stairs to each of the splash pools. The Bridesmaid's falls splash into a cool rocky cove that you can walk into and right up to the base of the falls!


After the Bridal Veil Falls, the trail follows the creek down a gradual grade past mountain laureal and assorted ferns. The nature enthusiast will love it. Little Pond Run Creek merges with the larger Bushkill Creek and the trail turns back towards the main falls following the same kind of boardwalk and bridge system that took us through the more tranquil laurel glen. This path courses through a rocky pass thate takes you literally over the top of lower gorge falls and onward to the large gorge where the 100 foot main falls can be seen in all their glory. There are trails that take you around either side of the gorge, offering great views along the way and in a few months, a new path looks set to open that will bring you a even closer.

After the falls, we set out on a loop through the center of the Poconos Region heaing up through the Delaware State Forest past Peck's Pond to Lake Wallenpaupuck, a large reservoir with private camps and residences along the shores. It is a beautiful lake, but there is little access for public viewing and enjoyment, so we moved on.

We drove back south through the small town of Tobyhanna to Mount Pocono. We stopped there to feed ourselves at a Steak House and enjoyed a private dinner on their outdoor deck in our very own Gazebo! I say private because we were basically the only people there! We were hoping it wasn't because the locals knew something that we didn't... the food was reasonable though and our bowels remained unscathed the following day, so I would give it the green light for any of you passing through...

After eating we decided to head back to Jersey, by way of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg. The pair of cities, for you non-NYC Metro folks is something in the way of a college town, as East Stroudsburg University is the center piece of the town that bears its name. It was a nice enough school and Stroudsburg had more to offer than I thought, with seemingly nice restaurants and shops nestled on quaint side streets off of Main. Apparently they've done a lot in the last decade or so to restore a lot of the old history buildings. I'm not saying I'd rush to settle here, but if the spirit moves you to head into Pocono land, on a sunny weekend day, it is worth a stroll around.

Our last stop on the way home was Lake Hopatcong. It is New Jersey's largest lake, and a place I have actually never visited, even though it is only an hour west of where I live! I should say though, for a lot of Bergen County folks this is actually the rule, and NW / SW New Jersey is an entirely different world! It is actually rural, (yes, we're not all smoke stacks and industry!) and well that just doesn't compute for a lot of my brethren!! Thankfully Mr. Zipkin has been channeling his inner country boy, and has been itching for a patch of green outside of the city, so he was more than happy to see what it was all about. I have to say, we were both pleasantly surprised. It is actually a pretty charming little lake community. Of course, I should qualify that statement a little, as one day does not a decision make! and our pit stop at Tiny's Tavern on the way out of town could be an indication of a more... um... how shall we say... WT element.

Yes, Tiny's was definitely something else. It was something in the way of a sports bar, with a handfull of locals cozying up to the bar. The bartender was a little taken aback by the two of us, and I'm not sure if that was because she was getting a gay vibe, or if the color of Phil's souvenier T-shirt from Bushkill falls was blinding her! (I love you baby!) The walls were covered in plain worn and warping wood paneling. The occasional neon beer sign and Nasacar poster scattered the otherwise plain walls. There were cafeteria style tables wrapping around the main bar, and a dart board on the back wall. The restrooms were at the back, and you could tell about 10 feet before you got to them that you might be in for bit of a treat.... and that is all I'm going to say about that!

After a pint, we hit the road and made our way back to the Enchanted Forest...