The “Land of Love”- The Poconos

The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania

I had always heard about The Poconos and the resorts there with the heart-shaped tubs and champagne glass jacuzzis. It was at the top of my Bucket List for many years. I didn’t realize how beautiful the scenery would be!

The Pocono Mountains or “The Poconos” as they are commonly called, are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. This area is a popular recreational area, with skiing, hiking, boating, and fishing. The location is great, it’s only about a 2-hour drive for people who live in New York or Pennsylvania. It’s about an 8-hour drive for us from our home in North Carolina but it was well worth it!

Mt Pocono Overlook – Nicholas A Tonelli / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)

How the Poconos became the “Land of Love”

During World War II, many GI’s took their leaves with their girlfriends and wives in the Pocono Mountains. This area took on a romantic appeal for them and many returned after the war on their honeymoons or vacations. In 1945, Rudolf Von Hoevenberg opened lodging in the area which consisted of some cabins and the main lodge, called The Farm on the Hill, this was the first honeymoon resort of the Pocono Mountains. Many other resorts sprung up in the 1940s and 1950s. In 1963, after a story in Life Magazine, it was labeled the “Honeymoon Capital of the World”.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, “Honeymooners” had started choosing other locations and some of the resorts were forced to close.

A New Century, a fresh new look

In 2005, the Great Wolf Lodge opened in Scotrun, Pennsylvania, which renewed people’s interest in the Poconos. Several of the resorts started renovating and couples(and families) started coming back to the area. Several more indoor waterparks have opened as well as new resorts. The small towns in this area are quaint and charming, with small shops, antique stores, and great restaurants!

Our time in The Poconos

We stayed at Paradise Stream in Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania. There were others to choose from but frankly, I found savings on Groupon and I wanted to take advantage of that. Mt. Pocono is about an 8-hour drive from our home in North Carolina. The drive through Pennsylvania is quite beautiful, very green, with rolling hills and mountains. We arrived late in the afternoon and quickly checked in.

NOTE: the taxes and fees are quite high as well as a daily resort fee(please read the small print). At least this is my experience booking through Groupon.

It was worth it for us, we were so happy to finally be there! There are several room options at Paradise Stream; Cupid’s Suite, Diana’s Oasis Suite, Garden of Eden Apple Suite, Champagne Tower Suite, and, the one we chose, Lakeside Villa Suite. Our room was on Lake Eden and was more like a small cottage.

We had a deck with a table and chairs, overlooking the lake, which was very relaxing and had great views of the lake!

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Road Trip to Niagara Falls

4 Comments / Travel / Cathy

A couple of years ago we took a road trip to Niagara Falls. I was surprised at how close it is to our home in North Carolina! It is only about a 10 1/2 hour drive(681 miles). We took 2 days to get there. The first day we drove North through West Virginia into Pennsylvania. We spent one night in Washington, Pennsylvania(418 miles).

Washington, PA

Washington, PA is located in the Greater Pittsburgh Region in the southwestern part of the state. The population is about 14,000. We didn’t spend much time there, just had dinner and found our hotel. Here are some points of interest;

Pennyslvania Trolley Museum
LeMoyne House, museum and history
Bradford House Museum
Duncan Miller Glass Museum
The Washington Winery

The next day, we bypassed Pittsburgh, headed toward Erie, Pennsylvania, and then to Buffalo, New York, and Niagara Falls.

Erie, PA

Erie, PA gets its name from Great Lake Erie. It is located on the shores of Lake Erie and has a population of about 97,000. We didn’t spend much time here but we did see many things that would be fun to explore! At the top of the list is Presque Isle State Park, where you can find beaches, lagoons, a lighthouse, and more! Here is a list of other fun things to do in Erie;

Erie Zoo
Erie Art Museum
Erie Maritime Museum
Erie Land Lighthouse
Lake Erie Arboretum
Bicentennial Tower
Waldameer & Water World

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo was the last city we went through before we hit the Canadian border. I had heard good things about Buffalo but had never been there. It looks like an amazing city! I love the architecture of the buildings. Buffalo is the second-largest city in the state of New York, with a population of nearly 257,000. It sits on Great Lake Erie. I would love to go back someday and spend some time there! We hit the Canadian border at Buffalo. It only took minutes to cross the border.

Crossing into Canada

It’s a little bit strange and intimidating waiting in line to enter Canada. They asked us a few questions, I wonder if they ever turn anyone away? After we crossed the border, it was about a 30–minute drive to the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario. We checked in to the Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls. It was a very nice hotel and reasonably priced(I had gotten a good deal on Groupon). Our view was of the city, the hotel is on Fallsview Blvd. Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Falls, Ontario

Fallsview Blvd is a main street and tourist area in Niagara Falls. The location had easy access to many attractions and fine hotels.

Niagara Falls Adventure Theatre
Legends of Niagara 3D/4D Movie
Niagara Falls Fun Zone
Fallsview Casino Resort
Embassy Suites Hotel
Marriotts’
Wyndham Garden
Holiday Inn
Skylon Tower with “Yellow Bug Elevator”
Falls Incline Railway

The Skylon Tower has 2 levels of revolving dining and an observation deck which are 775 feet above the falls. Ride to the top aboard their exterior glass-enclosed “Yellow Bug Elevators” in just 52 seconds.

Falls Incline Railway

We didn’t waste much time walking down the street to see Niagara Falls. We found that, for a small fee, the Falls Incline Railway will take you from the Fallsview Tourist Area down to the Falls and the Table Rock Welcome Centre,

At the bottom of the incline railway, it is a small walk to Table Rock Welcome Centre. The Welcome Centre has lots of good information about the Falls as well as gift shops and dining options. You can purchase tickets there to some of Niagara Falls attractions;

Niagara’s Fury
Journey Behind the Falls

We did not take part in either of these Adventures but I wish we had!

I’m sure most of you have heard of the Niagara Falls Maid of the Mist boat tour. These boats are packed with people! Here are a few photos;

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Bat Attack! A Cautionary Tale

22 Comments / Life / Cathy

What is a cautionary tale? A cautionary tale is a tale told in folklore, to warn its hearer of a danger.

This is an unusual story. I think it falls under the category of “Adventures”, although it is not one that we chose. One evening last fall, Terry and I were relaxing in our Family room watching TV when all of a sudden I saw something coming down the hallway! What is that? It looked like something flying toward me. There WAS something flying toward me, it was a Bat!

So many questions! How did it get into our house? why is it flying around our Family room? How do we catch it? Will it land in my hair? Will it bite us? Immediately, our dog, Poppie(an Eskimo Dog), became alert and started chasing the bat around in circles, from the Family room through the kitchen and into the Living room. Around and Around they went. At one point, the bat landed on the floor and I thought Poppie had him, but he took flight again! I sat in my chair with my head covered under a blanket. My husband got a broom and tried to get the bat to go out the front door. Eventually, Poppie cornered him and that was that! We had only intended on chasing the bat out the door but we could not control our dog at that point, the bat was dead. It turned out to be a good thing.

RABIES

We put the bat in a plastic bag out on our front porch. We intended to just throw it away, but then it hit me! Maybe it could have rabies! I don’t know why I had that thought, maybe because it had been in our house and that our dog had come in contact with it. Anyway, the next morning we contacted the County Health Department. They came out and took the bat for testing. It didn’t take long to receive the call that it did indeed have RABIES! We received many calls from various departments. They wanted to make sure our dog was up to date on his rabies shots. They asked us all kinds of questions, it was suggested that we take our dog for a booster and that we might want to get the series of rabies shots ourselves. WHAT? Rabies shots! My mind went to the “olden days”, doesn’t that mean like 15 shots in the stomach! WHAT?

We took Poppie the next day for his booster shot, the County wanted to quarantine him at their facility for 30 days, but since he was up to date on his shots, they agreed that we could just watch him at home. We were supposed to watch him at home for 6 weeks! He never developed any symptoms, YAY! I guess that having a rabid bat in your house was a big deal in our County. The local TV News channel came to our house for an interview, and all our neighbors were asking us questions. We were celebrities!

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The Best of Largo, Florida

54 Comments / Travel / Cathy

Florida is a beautiful place with lots of things to see and do! Did I mention there are miles and miles of beautiful beaches! My son and daughter-in-law live in Largo, Florida, which is near the gulf coast and about 23 miles west of Tampa. It has a population of about 85,000 and was first incorporated in 1905. It’s the third-largest city in Pinellas County. You will find hiking trails, beautiful parks, and lakes, and great restaurants!

Best Beaches

Going to the beach is one of our favorite things to do near Largo. Indian Rocks Beach is close by, about 5 miles from the city of Largo, and one of the best places to find seashells. You can find free parking if you get there early in the day. Sand Key Park is in Clearwater and is about 7 miles from Largo. It’s a great beach with fine white sand and parking is only $5/daily, they also have beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. We have seen a lot of exotic birds at Sand Key and one day we saw a group of stingrays!

Fun Facts: A group of Stingrays is called a Fever, a group of Dolphins is called a Pod, and a group of Egrets is called a Congregation.

Besides chillin’ on the beach or gathering seashells, my husband enjoys metal detecting. I know it sounds like an “old person” thing, but it’s really fun and we have walked for miles and miles hunting for treasures. We always find something; coins, keys, nails, rings, and even a metal matchbox car!

If you are interested in metal detecting, it’s important to have good equipment, this is the metal detector I bought for my husband.

Best Parks

The city of Largo has a great Park System! Here are just a few:

Largo Central Park
Largo Central Park Nature Preserve
John S. Taylor Park
George C. McGough Nature Park(The Narrows)
John R. Bonner Nature Park
Eagle Lark Park

Largo Central Park

Largo Central Park is a 70-acre park located in the heart of Largo at 101 Central Park Drive. The park includes;

8 Picnic pavilions
Restroom facilities
Playground
Largo Central Railroad
Carousel

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