Lehigh Valley InSite

Becky's Drive-In

We could write a book on all the daytime activities there are to do in Lehigh Valley. Well, we kinda did.

After all, riding the Talon roller coaster at Dorney Park wouldn’t be as much fun without the daylight allowing you to see for miles. Watching an IronPigs game without the lights on probably wouldn’t make for the best father/son bonding experience.

MoviesatMillFeatured

Photo courtesy of Alice Kwiatkowski

The Fourth Annual “Movies at the Mill” film event in Easton, held on September 22,  followed a different script this year with heavy rain blanketing a portion of the event, but its last act was as successful as ever.

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.

Things To Do on Super Sunday

This list is not intended for the sole use of people who don’t care about football. I also dedicate it to all of my friends who are Eagles or Jets fans, who can’t root for either side.

1. Go Skiing It is winter and although your backyard may not have snow the mountains do. Both Bear Creek and Blue Mountain are ready for you to hit the slopes.

Ribbon Cutting at Haydenfilms Institute

Last night I was delighted to attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony at Haydenfilms Institute in Breinigsville. I sat down with Hayden a week or so ago at the suggestion of Frank Facchiano from the Chamber. In his words “we are of a kindred spirit”. Frank was right.

There are two things bigger than Hayden Craddolph (the guy is like 6’8”!)… his smile, and his enthusiasm for film making in Lehigh Valley. What sets his institute apart is the “focus on student and independent content rather than commercialization.” Ok, I stole that quote from their vision statement.

Captain America's Shield

Thanks to weather.com, I know now that Saturday’s temperature was 11 degrees over the average high and only 3 degrees off the record high, in Allentown anyway.

So, I’ll let you in on how I beat the midday heat, and let me tell you that I wasn’t alone…

civic night

I think the last time I was at The Civic Theatre in Lehigh Valley was during elementary school to see a Christmas play or something. I wonder a lot of things about myself back then. Why did Pokemon seem so cool? Did anyone who told me they believed I could play in the NBA actually mean it? Who thought showing The Ring to an easily-traumatized coward was a good idea? And now I can add another question to that list: How did I not realize how awesome The Civic Theater is?

I went with my film major friend Pat to a screening of Terrance Malick’s The Tree Of Life, which included a “talk-back” with one of my favorite professors from Muhlenberg College afterwards.

Melt Staircase

The Granchio Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Lemon Garnish may well be the single most delicious thing I have ever eaten. I partook in this culinary delight at Melt, one of the premiere restaurants at Lehigh Valley’s Promenade Shops in Saucon Valley. The best part? It was only the appetizer.

In addition to the delicious food, the atmosphere is equally impressive. Their website describes it as “warm” and “soothing,” and they actually deliver on that with soft lighting and subtly striking decor. They have this really cool chandelier (pictured), and these neat luminous vases flanking the granite staircase. I wish I could have explored the place a bit more, just to find out what other sights there were to be seen. Oh, and the bathrooms are amazing. If you go to Melt, do not miss the bathrooms. I’ll just leave it at that.

Becky's Drive-In

For the past month or so, I’ve been overly excited to see the movie Bridesmaids. Friday night, May 13th, Bridesmaids hit the theatres. Finally!

I found a friend, Emily, who was interested in seeing this hilarious movie with me and we planned our ‘date night’ to Becky’s Drive-in (one of two drive-ins in the Valley, bet ya didn’t know that). It was Emily’s first time at Becky’s, I helped to build her excitement by telling her about how they have two screens, both of which feature two movies a night for only $8 (per person). “Only 8 bucks! We’d have to pay $10 at the theater for only ONE movie!” Emily said.

SteelStacks

What do you get when you combine a lot of history with a bit of new architecture in Lehigh Valley? A whole lotta awesomeness! This is the way I would describe the new ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks which sits on the Bethlehem Steel property that shut down in 1995. It’s built right in front of the steel stacks making for a dramatic backdrop, especially at night when they’re illuminated with colored lights.

For me, the location is one of the best parts. Not only have they converted one of the largest industrial brownfields in the nation, but my grandfather used to operate a crane at Bethlehem Steel for years, so just being on the site where he worked gives it an eerie, yet comforting feeling. I remember when I was a little girl he used to take us for a ride to the SouthSide to pick up his paycheck. We were always in awe over the grand inspiring views of the site.