Lehigh Valley InSite

Historic Hotel Bethlehem has Great Hospitality

All last week Discover Lehigh Valley hosted the Mid-Atlantic Tourism Public Relations Alliance (MATPRA) Media Marketplace. I personally had a blast showing off Lehigh Valley to this group of travel writers and representatives from other Mid-Atlantic destination marketing organizations. There are so many stories to tell…here is just one.

The participants arrived on Tuesday the 18th which happened to be the worst weather day in a long time. Torrential downpours came in waves all day long. We were even under a tornado watch! One by one our guests checked in, all with harrowing tales of their journeys and happy to have arrived safely at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Some stayed in the beautiful Hyatt Place around the corner.

Historic Haunted Bethlehem

You’ll visit Bethlehem’s busiest night club. You’ll walk by the theater where vaudeville was king. You’ll hear about the curse of the Hope Diamond and the final resting place of the Last of The Mohicans.

And that’s just the historical side.

Roosevelt's 21st in Bethlehem is one of
the best places to catch NFL Football action!

I think it’s safe to say that fall is pretty much here. People are returning from their beach vacation, throwing on their jerseys and heading for a television. It’s a prime time for sports seeing as its baseball season and the start of football season.

Now, I myself am more of a tennis match or college basketball kind of girl, I’m not the biggest football person, but I have heard things like “there are games on Thursdays now.” This leads me to believe that football lovers can now watch games on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, AND Thursday.

Allentown 250th Celebration Headquarters

A lot of history can be found in a bag. Or, in this case, on one.

Those same bags stores send you home with and you probably throw away as soon as you take out your new bracelet, or button down shirt. Those crinkly, thin paper bags that have the store logo on the front of them. It’s surprising how something so innocuous can provide a peek into a city’s history.

Meeting the animals

The Great Allentown Fair has always been one of my favorite Lehigh Valley events. Weather it be the exhibits, music or great food, the Allentown Fair never seems to disappoint.

The 2012 fair was special for me because I got to share the day with my niece Sammy (4 years old) and nephew Andrew (2 years old).

Hug the ones you love extra hard tonight

These blogs are supposed to be about all the wonderful places Lehigh Valley has to offer.

Today I ask that you bear with me, as this blog is going to be about the passing of a wonderful, kind-hearted, father, son, cousin, nephew, and friend. Yesterday, I had the unfortunate challenge of seeing my friend, Fred Hossler, laid to rest.

Miguel's

I spent my twenties in the hotel business which meant I worked very long hours, strange shifts and my days off typically weren’t two in a row.

These days I’m lucky to have weekends off. Since my alarm wakes me at 6 a.m. weekdays I feel cheated if I don’t sleep in until at least nine on my days off.

Summer's Not Over

It may appear to most, that summer is over. There are no more Friday nights under the lights at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, there will be no more baseball at Coca-Cola Park, school has started, Musikfest and the Great Allentown Fair are in the rear view mirror and the weather for the week is rather wet.

Don’t fret, Lehigh Valley. There is still a little summer left to salvage. Summer’s official end is September 21st and I now submit to you the top 5 things to do in the waning days of summer.

Otters at the Lehigh Valley Zoo

The first question friends and family had when I told them that we were taking the kids to the Lehigh Valley Zoo was, “Where?”

Now, I’m making sure they all know about one of the valley’s truly hidden treasures.

The Green Pepper

Recently the weather in Lehigh Valley has been perfect for outdoor dining and Tuesday was no exception. So when my wife suggested we meet up with some friends for dinner, my first thought was The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

The four of us discussed several options including The Pita Pit, Pandini’s and White Orchids. After several minutes of discussion, we decided we were in the mood for something new and were going to try The Green Pepper.