I decided that my next trip would be to tour parts of Pennsylvania, as I have a lot of relatives there that I had not seen in many years. I stayed with some relatives in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.
First, we toured the Pocono Mountains. They are about 1 hour and 45 minutes up the Pennsylvania Turnpike from where we were. They're a resort area for the mid-Atlantic states. It was raining most of the time, but we still had fun. We went to see their new mountian house, located in Pocono Lake (PA), about 20 miles west of Camelback Ski Area. It was a nice house that they designed themselves and had built.
We also went to a place called Buskhill Falls. It calls itself the Niagara of Pennsylvania, as it has many waterfalls. It is a nice place with good hiking also. Also, we participated in a 3 mile walk to raise money for the Greater Hazleton Health Alliance, a health care provider in that area. I finished 2nd in my class (age 30-39) and received a Silver medallion for my efforts.
The next stop was Hazelton. The trip there was to see some relatives (it is only 30 miles away, as I would have been flogged if I was that close and didn't stop in to say "Hi". That was a fun visit, as they had no idea that I was even in the area. It has been at least 16 years that I had been there. Then, we went back to Philadelphia.
My next touring area was the city of Philadelphia itself, which is self titled "the Birthplace of America". There is a lot of American History to learn about. It is there the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written and signed and, basically that America was set up. I toured the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross house, Franklin Court, Fireman's Hall, The Bourse (the country's first Stock Exchange), and also walked down Elfreth's Alley (the oldest, continually occupied residential street in the nation). I also took a ferry ride on the Riverlink Ferry. It goes across the Delaware River over to Camden, New Jersey. I didn't get off in NJ, just came back to the PA side. The roundtrip fare is only $5.
The main transportation company in the Philadelphia area is called SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. It has busses, a subway, trollies, regional rail system, and something called PHLASH. PHLASH (800 4 PHLASH) is a very convienent way to get around. It is a fleet of purple vans and mini-busses that cover the main tourist areas and you can ride it all day for $3.
Next, we went to Longwood Gardens, a historical old farm with a nice house to tour, and beautiful gardens and fountains to see. It is in Kennett Square, PA.
We also took a day trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, a mini Vegas like place on the Atlantic Ocean, about 1 1/2 hours away. They run bus tours out of Philadelphia, wheras you pay $18 and they transport you there (and back) on a bus, then they refund $15 when you get there for you to gamble with. For non-gamblers like myself, it's a nice day trip. Atlantic City has a nice boardwalk right on the beach and a lot of shops. There are also full casinos (with restaurants and rooms). Even though I don't gamble, we went through looking at most of the casinos. The ones that impressed me were Bally's Wild Wild West, Donald Trump's Taj Mahal and the Showboat. They are all very different, but have their own charm. We ate lunch at the buffet at Caesar's Palace ($10.95 plus tax). It was an excellent lunch buffet.
I decided that my next trip would be to tour parts of Pennsylvania, as I have a lot of relatives there that I had not seen in many years. I stayed with some relatives in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.
First, we toured the Pocono Mountains. They are about 1 hour and 45 minutes up the Pennsylvania Turnpike from where we were. They're a resort area for the mid-Atlantic states. It was raining most of the time, but we still had fun. We went to see their new mountian house, located in Pocono Lake (PA), about 20 miles west of Camelback Ski Area. It was a nice house that they designed themselves and had built.
We also went to a place called Buskhill Falls. It calls itself the Niagara of Pennsylvania, as it has many waterfalls. It is a nice place with good hiking also. Also, we participated in a 3 mile walk to raise money for the Greater Hazleton Health Alliance, a health care provider in that area. I finished 2nd in my class (age 30-39) and received a Silver medallion for my efforts.
The next stop was Hazelton. The trip there was to see some relatives (it is only 30 miles away, as I would have been flogged if I was that close and didn't stop in to say "Hi". That was a fun visit, as they had no idea that I was even in the area. It has been at least 16 years that I had been there. Then, we went back to Philadelphia.
My next touring area was the city of Philadelphia itself, which is self titled "the Birthplace of America". There is a lot of American History to learn about. It is there the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were written and signed and, basically that America was set up. I toured the Liberty Bell, the Betsy Ross house, Franklin Court, Fireman's Hall, The Bourse (the country's first Stock Exchange), and also walked down Elfreth's Alley (the oldest, continually occupied residential street in the nation). I also took a ferry ride on the Riverlink Ferry. It goes across the Delaware River over to Camden, New Jersey. I didn't get off in NJ, just came back to the PA side. The roundtrip fare is only $5.
The main transportation company in the Philadelphia area is called SEPTA (South Eastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. It has busses, a subway, trollies, regional rail system, and something called PHLASH. PHLASH (800 4 PHLASH) is a very convienent way to get around. It is a fleet of purple vans and mini-busses that cover the main tourist areas and you can ride it all day for $3.
Next, we went to Longwood Gardens, a historical old farm with a nice house to tour, and beautiful gardens and fountains to see. It is in Kennett Square, PA.
We also took a day trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey, a mini Vegas like place on the Atlantic Ocean, about 1 1/2 hours away. They run bus tours out of Philadelphia, wheras you pay $18 and they transport you there (and back) on a bus, then they refund $15 when you get there for you to gamble with. For non-gamblers like myself, it's a nice day trip. Atlantic City has a nice boardwalk right on the beach and a lot of shops. There are also full casinos (with restaurants and rooms). Even though I don't gamble, we went through looking at most of the casinos. The ones that impressed me were Bally's Wild Wild West, Donald Trump's Taj Mahal and the Showboat. They are all very different, but have their own charm. We ate lunch at the buffet at Caesar's Palace ($10.95 plus tax). It was an excellent lunch buffet.
