Lehigh Valley InSite

Jordan Parkway in the Sun

Winter has officially ended. Wait, did it ever really begin this year in Lehigh Valley? The region definitely had a very mild winter which was a blessing for some and a curse for others. The curse came to the ski areas located to the north and south of Lehigh Valley. Blue Mountain Ski Area in Palmerton was able to remain open through this past weekend which was pretty amazing and goes to show that you really don’t need the natural stuff to fall in order to ski, tube or board. Bear Creek Mountain Resort in Macungie was able to stay open to the week prior, which again made those winter sport enthusiasts happy campers.

I, on the other hand, do not really enjoy the cold winters. Sure, I love to see the snow fall, but I’d be happy doing that from my front bow window at home. I’m definitely excited that today is the first day of spring and temperatures this week in Lehigh Valley are going to be amazing.

Cedar Beach Park

Back in August when I moved to West End Allentown, I knew it was a nice area with a lot to offer. Come to find out, there was much more than I initially realized. On any  given day you can find something, anything, to do.

1. Food, food, food. Beer, beer, beer. There are several great bars/restaurants in the West End. Jack Callaghan’s Ale House, The Tavern on Liberty & Stooge’s Bar & Grille are just a few in walking distance from my place, but the list goes on and on.

Joe's Home Made Pierogies

It’s hard to believe another summer has come and gone in Lehigh Valley. But before I said goodbye, there was one last event I had to visit; The 2011 Great Allentown Fair. While The Great Allentown Fair is known for their Grandstand Entertainment, I have compiled a list of my Top 5 highlights of The Great Allentown Fair.

1.  The Farm to Table Cooking Series- The highlights included presentations by chefs at The Farmhouse Restaurant, Mountainside Restaurant and Bake Oven Inn.

Mom_tattoo

Four days from now, thousands of Lehigh Valley kids (including those who think their dirty soccer uniforms automatically jump out of duffel bags, walk to the laundry room and re-appear without the blueberry slushy stains) will celebrate Mother’s Day.

I have 21 years experience on the mom side, and way more from the kid perspective, so here’s some advice …

Courtesy of onepocket dot org

If money weren’t an issue (meaning, if I didn’t have to work), I’d spend my days writing New York Times bestsellers and my nights shooting pool around Lehigh Valley.

I love to play pool. In November, a coworker and I went to Indy for a conference and, of course, we had to find a place where we could shoot pool. That made me think, wouldn’t a list of places to shoot pool in Lehigh Valley be a fantastic resource for visitors and locals alike? So here are some of the places I’ve played at in the past six months:

Tax deduction

As any good accountant would tell you, this time of year is your last chance to rack up some tax deductions. Luckily, there are plenty of worthwhile Lehigh Valley non-profit organizations that I like to support through membership.

Here are some of my favorites:

Courtesy of trail running blog dot com

Lehigh Valley is an ideal place for runners. A number of trails criss-cross the region, offering everything from solitude to spectacular vistas. With Runner’s World magazine published right here in Emmaus, it’s no surprise that Lehigh Valley boasts a strong running community ranging from Olympic hopefuls to weekend warriors.

In the past 10 years, I’ve logged nearly 13,000 miles on countless roads, trails and paths nationwide. Luckily, most of those miles have been in Lehigh Valley, where I’ve found three trails to be among my all-time favorites.

New-year-resolution-cartoon-1

It was about this time last year when I started coming up with my “Things do in Lehigh Valley” lists. These three lists (Top 5 Plays, Top 5 Restaurants, Top 5 Overall) were my New Year’s resolutions for 2009. Since the year is almost over, I’ve decided to take a look at how I did.

Lehigh Valley Theater: Top 5 Plays for 2009: I was three for five in this category (although one of the plays I planned to attend was actually canceled, so I was actually three for four). Here are my reviews of the performances I saw at three fantastic venues throughout Lehigh Valley:

Hyatt place logo

Last Friday I had the pleasure of touring the newly opened Hyatt Place in Historic Bethlehem. As a former hotelier, I of course had to see every nook and cranny. Wow, what a cool concept!

As I walked in the door Ben Romanoff, the manager, introduced himself. I mentioned this was my first time in the new property and he immediately offered a tour, beaming from ear to ear like a proud new parent.

Courtesy of tortilla flat dot com

With the Mexican chain On The Border about to open in Allentown’s new Airport Square Center, I thought it would be an ideal time to review existing options for Mexican food in the city.

La Mexicana Grill, 7th & Gordon Streets Plain but non-cliche decor, outstanding food. During a recent visit I had a torta, the traditional Mexican sandwich with lettuce, pico de gallo and avocado slices. Half featured marinated sirloin steak (surprisingly tender) and on the other half, chorizo (just enough kick.) At $4.50, it’s probably one of the best sandwich deals in town.