Lehigh Valley InSite

SteelHawks

This past Saturday night I witnessed Stabler Area come alive with the sound of thunder stix as the Lehigh Valley Steel Hawks had their home debut against the Richmond Revolution. I had great seats near the 5 yard line, which allowed me to view the fast-paced and high scoring action up close. But it’s not just about football.

I’d compare it to the Ironpigs, this is a family atmosphere (a loud one). They have on field contests of spin the bat races and musical chairs. During some of the pregame, two coaches got pies in their faces and at halftime there was a field goal kicking contest, for those of you thinking that it’d be easy, their goal posts aren’t as wide as you’ve come to see in the NFL or college football.

Allentown Muni Golf Image

The weather finally broke for a day this past Saturday in Lehigh Valley and my golfing buddies everywhere were ringing each other up to play Allentown Municipal Golf Course.  Slash contacted me… I contacted Bird… Jackie reached out to Bob “O”… Before anyone knew it we had 16 guys ready to play on Saturday morning.  Friday night was like Christmas Eve… didn’t sleep all that much in anticipation of the following morning’s round.  Showing up early enough to get good and loose on the range, which took much more time than it did at the end of last season… a year older… hopefully a year wiser in many respects.

Even though you may think the ski and snowboard season is quickly coming to an end, each year there is one classic event in Lehigh Valley that is not to be missed: pond skimming. My son turned me on to my first Pond Skimming Competition at Blue Mountain Ski Area about two years ago, and now I can’t wait to see it each year.

There are usually a couple hundred people registered, from kids as young as seven to full-grown adults, and there are plenty of spectators too (even a dog or two). The competition is usually sponsored by a local business and they have a semi-professional commentator.

Fermentation Tanks 1

Some people might go so far as to say I’m a beer snob, but I prefer to think of it as appreciating the finer things in life. I try to purchase my beer from local breweries whenever possible, because there’s a certain sense of pride knowing that a great beer came from not too far away. I brew at home, so I enjoy inventive breweries, micro brews and those that think outside the box…so naturally I’m a big fan of Weyerbacher in Easton, one of the prime examples in Lehigh Valley. I’ve been a fan of their beer for a few years now and recently took the brewery tour with my dad and brother.

Our tour guide, John, was knowledgeable and passionate about beer. Their brewing operation is relatively small for a company with their stellar reputation. Their output isn’t great in terms of quantity, but they certainly make up for it in terms of quality. Weyerbacher seems to not want to settle with being normal, and that’s a-ok with me and my fellow beer enthusiasts! John went through the different steps, showed us their new-ish bottling line (can you believe they were hand bottling up until 4 years ago?) and brought us back around to my favorite spot…the bar!

View from Southside windows of ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks

A few of us from Discover Lehigh Valley recently went on a hardhat tour of the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. It was impressive, to say the very least. The massive 4-story performing arts center will be the anchor for the SteelStacks campus, bringing musical and cinematic performances to Lehigh Valley every day of the year.

The list of functions that this space will allow is incredible. Aside from the musical, cinematic and theatrical elements (many of which are FREE), the ArtsQuest Center will offer an Alehouse Cinema (yes, you can enjoy cocktails, beer or wine while watching a movie in stadium style seating), al fresco dining, areas for business/conference meetings and free space for local non profits and community groups to offer programming.

Stay & Play Golf Image

Each year around this time Discover Lehigh Valley heads out to the two North Coast Golf Shows in the Mid-Atlantic area to promote its Lehigh Valley Stay & Play Golf Packages. My personal experience at this year’s shows at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ and at the Greater Oaks, PA Expo Center reinforced the fact that Lehigh Valley has a ton to offer when it comes to golf. While golfers of all ages attended both shows, it’s my recollection that the Greater Oaks, PA golf show really impressed as far as overall attendance and in the amount of Lehigh Valley information we handed out.

Drinky's Red Bull Rail Jam

Valentine’s Weekend in Lehigh Valley’s Easton was a success from what I could see. They had multiple events taking place on Saturday, 2/12; 2nd Annual Snowflakes for Easton Snow Day, two events at State Theatre, and a Rail Jam.

I happened to be there for the Drinky’s First Annual Red Bull Rail Jam because my son was one of the snowboard competitors, and I was amazed at the crowds that were in Centre Square! It was bitter cold with winds ripping through the town and there were even a few real snowflakes coming down, which made the event seem more authentic. I mean, who would think Center Square in Easton would be home to a “ski slope” with rails? Well, Jack Frost/Big Boulder helped by setting the stage and the city helped by trucking in the snow. Overall I would say the spectators weren’t disappointed, unless they got there late and couldn’t get close enough to see the competition or they couldn’t find a parking spot in the city.

Burgers and More Exterior

A couple of weeks ago Erin and I decided we wanted to go ice skating for our date night.  As you have seen in my previous blog posts, most of our evenings involve visiting one of Lehigh Valley’s many restaurants.  This Friday night was no different.

After some back and fourth, we decided to go to Burgers And More By Emeril at the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem.  We both decided to try February’s featured burger, which was an 8-ounce burger marinated in a peppercorn sauce topped with grilled onions and blue cheese.  The burger and onion rings were an excellent choice.

Glasbern

Within each of you is a power, a Cosmic Force, everything bears a relationship to every other thing and to the Infinite Spirit. We are all part of the one great Universal Whole.

Wow, I sound like Shirley Maclaine! Ok, let me begin … last year we attended the SnowBlast Winter Festival in Emmaus, we had a great time and we purchased a couple of raffle tickets. My husband picked the numbers based on his favorite football team, and the last numbers were jersey numbers of two of his favorite players.

2008 Emmaus SnowBlast Winter Festival - ice carving

Let’s face it, this winter in Lehigh Valley has been perfect for Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Blue Mountain Ski Area and for those with plow attachments on their pickup trucks. Unfortunately, I don’t ski, and my little convertible can barely make it out of my ice covered driveway. I officially have cabin fever.

Luckily there are plenty of local indoor attractions to keep even the most active families busy. Lehigh Valley Grand Prix and Lehigh Valley Laser Tag are perfect examples. I wish they were around when my son was a “tween”.