I remember the first time I took my wife, Aura, to Gatlinburg, Tennessee she mentioned that she had a region that was kind of like it back home. She’s from New Jersey, not too far from the Poconos, and while there are certainly some differences, she always said she wanted to take me there because she knew how much I loved the Smoky Mountains. On Memorial Day weekend, we had a trip to Bethlehem planned for Bobfest at the Musikfest Café. Bethlehem is only about an hour or so away from a popular little getaway hub named Jim Thorpe. When we realized we’d be so close, we knew we’d have to squeeze in a quick trip before the show. Thankfully, we had a good tour guide, our friend Jess, who lives in the area and made sure we maximized our stroll through town.
We rolled into town from the south side, driving down the hill from Lehighton. Jess swore it offered the best views of the mountains – who am I to argue with her? It was breathtaking. The road hugged the mountain. One side was rock and trees, but the other was open air, distant mountains, and the Lehigh River at the bottom of the decline. Between the sights and the cooler temperatures for that time of year (I had to wear a hoodie! And, I’m a fat guy!), I would’ve been content driving in with the windows down at 10MPH just to soak it all in. Once the town came into view, I noticed how quaint it was – it made it feel like a veritable oasis in the mountains more than a vacation hub.
That’s more my speed, anyway. Who needs tourist attractions when you can simply stand by the river and listen to the leaves blow in the wind and the rushing river? What is it with the masculine urge to just stand by a river, anyway? I digress. We pulled into town, saw the famous clock tower and the train, both of which caught my attention right off the bat. We parked in the lot by the river and followed the trail back into town. That’s when I couldn’t help myself – I told Aura and Jess, “I gotta go down to the water.” I did….a moment’s peace….worth it.
After getting myself some of that fresh mountain air, we walked into town. We scoped out an antique store or two, Jess treated us to a walk through the Dimmick Memorial Library, and we ventured up Broadway until we hit The Mauch Chunk Opera House. Obviously, we didn’t have time for a show, but it looked like a beautiful venue. We found a solid hippy store and did a lap before we settled in for lunch.
Let me tell you – Notch Eight Craft House far exceeded my expectations for a lunch spot in a sleepy vacation pocket in the mountains. They had a solid beer list chock full of local brews. Usually, I like to drink what the locals drink. But, on this trip, the temptation to try the Campfire Old Fashioned proved to be too great. Bourbon, smoked maple syrup, black walnut bitters, and roasted marshmallows…who could blame me? It was a fantastic cocktail, one that was sweet enough to enjoy, but potent enough to savor slowly.
A round of appetizers was the move for us. We opted to order a few items and just graze for an hour or so. We ordered a quesadilla that I can’t even remember what was in it (the perks of writing a travel blog five weeks after your trip), turkey burnt end egg rolls, Nashville hot bao, and currywurst fries. Props to Notch Eight for getting the “Nashville hot” flavor just right. Being from Nashville, I’ve developed a motto to live by: “never get ‘Nashville hot’ away from Nashville.” At the same time, my curiosity gets the better of me and I have to know. Notch Eight nailed it, and I’m glad we tried it. It was such a good lunch – my personal favorite was the currywurst fries, though. Nice spice, a little heat, sausage…fries…I mean, hell…I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.
We finished our meal and noticed we were pressing on our time limit of “generally speaking, a couple of hours.” So, we began our trek back down Broadway and to the car to head to Bethlehem for the show. We dipped into a book store, another hippy/witchy store, a cute clothing boutique, and of course, the Jim Thorpe Visitors Center (I had to learn more about the history of the place – it’s low key my favorite (or “the most boring,” depending on who you ask) part of any vacation I take). From a shopping and dining standpoint, there was a little bit of everything to offer. It was only a fleeting afternoon, but I felt myself longing for a couple of days there just to get a better feel for it. I wanted time to slow down, and Jim Thorpe felt like a town where things slow down.
It strikes me as the type of place that’s perfect for a weekend getaway. I’m not sure if it’ll hold your attention for an entire week unless you’re the outdoorsy type…and to be fair, I’m told there’s an entire half of Jim Thorpe that we didn’t have time to explore. But, it’s so peaceful. It’s a place where nature shines. I’m already thinking of ways we can work in a trip during the fall to hop on that train and see the leaves all throughout the mountains.
Photos from Jim Thorpe, PA
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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