Thursday, March 15, 2012

Lehigh Valley Destination Guide 6

The Lehigh Valley Region The Lehigh Valley, discover over half-a-million residents as well as the state of Pennsylvania鈥檚 third largest metropolitan area, can be described as diverse region found in the eastern part of the state, 60 minutes north of Philadelphia and one-and-one-half hour west of recent York City. Proceed the natural appeal of the best Appalachian Valley, with plenty of natural attractions with a strong economic base, the location provides residents and visitors loads of attractions and opportunities. Other places three major cities and surrounding areas 鈥?Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton 鈥?all rich in background culture offer residents an affordable living environment, great neighborhoods, excellent schools and universities, numerous parks, quality restaurants, cultural and indoor/outdoor recreational choices, plus a varied variety of professions. Businesses driving the area鈥檚 economy are lead by Agere Systems, Binney & Smith (Crayola and Silly Putty), Just Born (candies), and Mack Trucks. Lehigh University (Bethlehem) and Lafayette University (Easton) and Cedar Crest College (Allentown), Moravian College (Bethlehem), Muhlenberg College (Allentown), and Penn State Lehigh Valley (Fogelsville) supply a helpful educational opportunities for Lehigh residents and students from external from the area. Visitors to the room have a very wide array of accommodation, dining, and shopping options and also events including the Mayfair Arts Festival, Pennsylvania German Festival, Lehigh Valley Blues Fest, Bethlehem鈥檚 Musikfest, and then the Great Allentown Fair. Attractions have the Crayola Factory, web sites and buildings of Historic Bethlehem, numerous museums 鈥搃ncluding the Allentown Art Museum, the Liberty Bell Museum, the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, the Easton Museum of PEZ Dispensers, and then the Mack Truck Museum. Additionally, the Lehigh Valley merely short drive from Crystal Cave, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, the Trexler Nature Preserve, and less than a single hour within the skiing and aquatic events of this Pocono Mountains. If you plan a visit to the neighborhood, most visitors are offered in the summer months time. The milder weather seasons of spring and fall are, in addition pleasant times to attend. No matter what at the time you visit, the people within the Lehigh Valley will invite thus to their cities to have and enjoy the many attractions and activities Lehigh Valley has to offer. Lehigh Valley Travel Air: Must book a flight ticket to or from the Lehigh Valley? Find the best flights and lowest prices here: Book Flights go back the Lehigh Valley Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), located three miles northeast of Allentown at 3311 Airport Road in Hanover Township, may be the commercial airport for your Lehigh Valley area. The only terminal airport is predominantly served by regional airlines offering service on over 35 daily flights to the eastern and mid-western National and Toronto with additional service feeder flights to larger cities for other destinations. Airlines offering departing and arriving service at Lehigh Valley Air port include Air Canada with non-stop flights to Toronto; Allegiant Air with flights to Orlando/Sanford and St. Petersburg/Tampa; Continental Express offering non-stop flights to Cleveland and bus plan to Newark Airport; Delta Connection servicing Atlanta, Boston, and Cincinnati; Northwest Airlines flying to Detroit, United Express (Skywest) provides flights to Chicago and Washington Dulles; and US Airways services Charlotte and Philadelphia. Airport Services: Lehigh Valley Airport terminal offers its passengers and guests numerous services including assistance if you have disabilities; Automated teller machines (on the lower level), support information volunteers on-duty for the airport; free luggage carts; a self-service USPS postal center including Airborne Express, Federal Express, and Airborne Express drop-off boxes; a no cost cellular phone waiting area for all obtaining arriving passengers; two food facilities - The L.A. Cafe and Subway; including a Hudson News gift shop and newsstand. There isn't any on-site hotel or gym facilities in the airport. Airport Transportation: There are multiple transportation choices for getting between Lehigh Valley International Airport and also the city and surrounding communities. Bus: LANTA (Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority) buses serve Lehigh Valley Airport. The one-way fare is $2.50. Shuttle Van/Shared Ride: Several limousine services serve ABE for both individual and group needs. One of the providers are A&A Limousine, Adamo Limousine, Elite Limousine & Coach, and Pocono Limousine Service. Taxi: Taxi service is available from Quick Service Taxi. Fares to Lehigh and Bethlehem could be approximately $15-$20 per cab. Train: You don't have direct train or light-rail service to Lehigh Airport terminal. Rental-car: Need to rent an auto in the Lehigh Valley? The perfect deals from top vendors are here: Rent a motorcar from the Lehigh Valley Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and Thrifty all operate at Leigh Airport terminal. Alternate Airports: Subject to your origination point or destination, it may possibly be far more convenient or cost efficient to make another airport for Lehigh Valley. Due to close proximity to Philadelphia and New york city, Philadelphia Air port (PHL) 鈥?65 miles south - as well as three San francisco area airports 鈥?John F. Kennedy Air port (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty Air port (EWR) 鈥?90 miles east - could very well be viable alternative airports. Train: The nearest train service available from Amtrak is due to Philadelphia (with Trenton, Nj-new jersey as a general second option), approximately 65 miles south of Lehigh Valley. Amtrak鈥檚 Acela Express (Boston-Washington DC), Cardinal (Nyc City-Chicago), Carolinian (California City-Charlotte), Crescent (Nyc City-New Orleans), Keystone (Los angeles City-Harrisburg, PA), Palmetto (Texas City-Savannah), Pennsylvanian (San francisco City-Pittsburgh), Regional Service (Boston-Newport News), Regional Service-Springfield (Springfield, MA-Washington DC), Silver Meteor (Ny City-Miami), Silver Star (Ny City-Tampa), and Vermonter (St. Albans, VT-Washington DC) all service Philadelphia out of your 30th Street Station, 2955 Market Street, around the city center. Bus: The Lehigh Valley area is served by several bus lines including Greyhound, Trans-Bridge Lines, and Biber Tourways, The Allentown bus terminal is at 325 West Hamilton Street; the South Bethlehem terminal is Adams & Mechanic Street; Bethlehem鈥檚 terminal is 2012 Industrial Drive; and therefore the Easton terminal is a 35 South 3rd Street. Car: US Highway 22 is the main east-west thoroughfare running from Newark, Nj to Cincinnati, Ohio. I-476 routes north-south, and merely west of Allentown, from Scranton to Chester, PA. I-78 travels from Harrisburg, PA, through Allentown, to The big apple. Some sample driving distances to/fm the Lehigh Valley (Allentown): Philadelphia 65 miles, Scranton 77 miles, New york 93 miles, Atlantic City 125 miles, Washington DC 191 miles, Pittsburgh 284 miles, Boston 309 miles, Cincinnati 553 miles, Chicago 731 miles, Atlanta 797 miles, Miami 1,251 miles, Dallas 1,461 miles, Denver 1,719 miles, and Seattle 2, 792 miles. Active Lehigh Valley: Just about the most convenient strategy of transportation inside Lehigh Valley is as simple as bus and automobile. LANTA (Lehigh and Northampton Transit Authority) provides extensive bus service. Those not wishing to travel by bus and without their own individual automobile ought to rent a motorized vehicle. There is not any light-rail service in the market. Taxi service is out there Lehigh Valley Lodging Need expensive hotels in the Lehigh Valley? Find most of the top names for the top value here: Book an accommodation with the Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley provides a a number of accommodation options from full service lodgings such as Historic Hotel Bethlehem as well as Crown Plaza Allentown to somewhat of a variety of popular chain properties which include the Residence Inn by Marriott Allentown Bethlehem and also the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites Allentown (closest hotel into the main gate at Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom) to Bed and Breakfast Inns. Other Allentown properties of mention include Best Western Inn and Suites Allentown , Allentown Comfort Suites, Allentown Hampton Inn, Days Inn & Conference Center, Howard Johnson Inn & Suites, Red Roof Inn, and Wingate by Windham. In Bethlehem, and also the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Hampton Inn & Suites Bethlehem, and Residence Inn by Marriott are very options. Bethlehem in addition has three high-end Bed & Breakfast Inns. The Morningstar Inn and Sayre Mansion Inn are generally located within downtown Bethlehem although Wydnor Hall Inn is merely south of Lehigh University. In the event your accommodation needs will be in Easton, try the coziness Inn, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, or use the Quality Inn. Should you prefer a B&B, The Lafayette Inn has 18 well-appointed rooms which is located close to Lafayette College and just one mile for Easton鈥檚 city center. If you'd like for your quick getaway, and would prefer to stay by your airport, hotel options are the Four Points Sheraton Lehigh Valley Airport Hotel & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn-Allentown Airport, the Scottish Inn Airport, additionally, the Staybridge Suites Allentown-Airport. The properties mentioned are just a sample substantial choices available to you in the Lehigh Valley area. Don't forget to check our hotel booking page for properties for the dates you will end up visiting Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, or any of the other great communities inside Lehigh Valley. Lehigh Valley Restaurants The Lehigh Valley cuisine scene offers diverse dining options covering lots of menu choices from barbeque chicken to sushi, steak or fusion. Each city has share of fantastic restaurant options with Bethlehem鈥檚 Broad Street 鈥淩estaurant Row鈥?leading the area鈥檚 inspiring variety of eateries. Allentown restaurants of note include Grille 3501, at 3501 Broadway; Hunan Springs, 4939 Hamilton Boulevard, promising a 鈥淶en Like Atmosphere with great Asian Food鈥? Ichiban Steakhouse, 1914 Catasauqua Road; the King George Inn, built over the French and Indian War and discovered at 3141 Hamilton Boulevard, creates a relaxed dining atmosphere; Mediterranean Rim with Latin American influences is definitely the menu style at Mangos Coastal Cuisine, 3750 Hamilton Boulevard; Morgan鈥檚, 3079 Willow Street, is regarded as the Allentown鈥檚 most incredible restaurants and a varied menu; Youell's Oyster House at 23rd and Walnut Streets specializes in Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat dishes. Bethlehem鈥檚 鈥淩estaurant Row鈥?includes great restaurants including Apollo Grill at 85 West Broad Street; Billy鈥檚 Downtown Diner at 10 East Broad Street; the cosmopolitan Edge Restaurant, 74 West Broad Street, serves a French and Asian inspired menu; plus the annual 鈥淏est of one's Valley鈥?excellent Starfish Brasserie at 51 West Broad Street provides an inspired seafood menu. In Easton, Dinky鈥檚 on Centre Square serves tapas inside a lounge setting; the River Grille, 243 Northampton Street, includes a menu as stylish since its design; Sogo at 237 Northampton Street gives a Chinese, Japanese, and Thai influenced menu; along with the top-of-the-line Vintage Restaurant and Bar within the Club at Morgan Hill (green) would be the best in Lehigh Valley fine dining. Lehigh Valley Shopping Antiques shops, free galleries, specialty shops, and shopping centers are aspect of the Lehigh Valley shopping scene. The downtown instances Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton all offer their own personal specialty shops and great shopping environments together with the area has the benefit of several large malls. Cottage Crafters Craft and Antique Mall, in Allentown鈥檚 Tilghman Square Mall at 4636 Broadway, certainly is the Lehigh Valley's largest craft and antique mall, with more than 400 crafters and antique dealers. In Easton, at 60 Centre Square, Julie's Emporium Antiques over the Square may be a 5,000 sq . ft . antique mall. Truck enthusiasts will cherish exploring the Mack Shop, 2100 Mack Boulevard in Allentown. The Mack (Truck) Shop offers collectibles, artwork, books, ladies, kids, and men鈥檚 apparel, golf gear, novelties and much more. Allentown Fairgrounds Farmers Market, at 17th & Chew Streets in Allentown, has over 65 merchants offering baked goods, candy, deli foods, flowers, fresh meats, gourmet shops, poultry, produce, seafood, and snacks. The Farmers Market can also have several restaurants. The number one shopping center around the Lehigh Valley stands out as the indoor/outdoor Lehigh Valley Mall, at Route 22 and Route 145 North in Whitehall. Lehigh Valley Mall is anchored by Boscov鈥檚, JCPenny, and Macy鈥檚 and also the place to find Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle, American Greetings, Barnes & Noble, Gap Kids/Baby Gap, Hollister, J. Crew, Kay Jewelers, and Williams-Sonoma among other shops. Just across the street in the Lehigh Valley Mall is Whitehall Mall which, as well as the surrounding MacArthur Road stores, offers residents of Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton and then the entire Lehigh Valley area additional shopping options including retail stops Circuit City, Banana Republic, Filene鈥檚 Basement, Eddie Bauer, Nike, Nine West, and Old Navy. The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, 2845 Center Valley Parkway in Center Valley what seven miles southeast of Allentown, is definitely the region鈥檚 first in support of Lifestyle Center. The Promenade incorporates a unique blend of favorite fashion stores, one-of-a-kind boutiques, together with a great choice of restaurants in a outdoor setting. The merchant mix includes Barnes & Noble, Brooks Brothers, Douglas Cosmetics, L.L. Bean, Nautica, Old Navy, Sage, and also Fresh Market. Outlet shoppers want to head 40 miles north to your Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville. Crossings Premium Outlets, enclosed by factor about the Pocono Mountains, has 100 outlets including Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, BCBG, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chico鈥檚, Coach, Gap Outlet even more. Lehigh Valley Events Throughout every season Lehigh Valley is host to varied civic and privately sponsored cultural, music, and sports entertainment. Major concerts and performances are held within the Stabler Arena within the Lehigh University campus in Bethlehem. Other major and smaller acts, alongside stage productions, appear from the Stage Theatre Center with the Arts in Easton. The Allentown Symphony performs around the 1200-seat Allentown Symphony Hall, a premier performing arts facility in Lehigh Valley. The Civic Theatre, in Allentown, presents film, arts education and stage performances. Stage performances may also be occuring at the Pennsylvania Playhouse in Bethlehem and the Repertory Dance Theatre performs along the Allentown Symphony Hall. The Zoellner Arts Center 鈥?around the Bethlehem campus of Lehigh University - provides a different high-quality performing arts events. Penn鈥檚 Peak, in Penn Forest Township, and 35 miles north of Allentown, offers big-name concerts across the summer at its 1,800 seat center. Annual events with the Lehigh Valley include the Mayfair Arts Festival with 200 free performing and visual arts events over 5 days in May; the summer-long Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in Center Valley; SportsFest is an action-packed celebration of sports, located in the week of July in Allentown, featuring around 25 competitive events; the Pennsylvania German Festival is mostly a nine-day celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch life and lore, kept in Kutztown. Held annually in Whitehall during July, the Lehigh Valley Blues Fest brings national blues artists with the Lehigh Valley; Bethlehem鈥檚 Musikfest, where more than 300 performers from nationally and around the globe perform on the 10 night period, occurs each August; and also Great Allentown Fair held along at the Allentown Fairgrounds at the end of August-early September is finally over 150 years of and features countless farm and home exhibits amidst the rush and excitement of rides, games, variety acts, international food as well as a few of the biggest stars in show business. Also in September, Bethlehem has got the Celtic Fest, a celebration on the region's Celtic heritage. Sports during the Valley are highlighted by minor league baseball and collegiate action. The Lehigh Valley IronPigs , an AAA minor affiliate from the Philadelphia Phillies will begin play along at the completely new Coca-Cola Park in Allentown in 2008. A strong rivalry exists amongst the Lehigh University (Bethlehem) Mountain Hawks together with the Lafayette University (Easton) Leopards. Both schools field teams around the NCAA Division I level. Professional football arrives to the space each July and August whenever the American footbal Philadelphia Eagles hold their annual pre-season training camp, at Lehigh University. Lehigh Valley Attractions Bushkill Park: 2100 Bushkill Park Drive, Easton - Bushkill Park has served town since 1902 for a family entertainment center and amusement park The Crayola Factory: 30 Centre Square, Easton - The Crayola Factory, without the need of the particular production line, is known as a family hands-on discovery center not only provides live demonstrations about how Crayola crayons and markers are made but has over a dozen hands-on art activities for guests to create mementos with their visit. Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom: 3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown 鈥?This popular amusement park and waterpark hosts six world-class roller coasters, like the 200 foot tall Steel Force. Historic Bethlehem: Walk the streets of Historic Bethlehem and you鈥檒l feel transported to a new wasted time place. A sample sizeable number of attractions and sites in Bethlehem are highlighted below: 1750/1761 Smithy: 425 Main Street, Bethlehem - This reconstructed workshop includes the bellows, forge, anvil, and fire searched by Historic Bethlehem鈥檚 resident blacksmiths. 1810 Goundie House: 501 Main Street, Bethlehem 鈥?The Goundie House was discover John Sebastian Goundie, Bethlehem鈥檚 town brewer and community leader. The house is furnished to recreate the way looked during the early 1800鈥檚. Burnside Plantation: 1461 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem 鈥?Originally established in 1748, this historic 鈥渇arm-in-the-city鈥?contains a restored 1748/1818 farmhouse, two 1840s bank barns, an excellent horse-power wheel, large kitchen garden and orchard, together with a corn crib and wagon shed. Colonial Industrial Quarter: 459 Old York Road, Bethlehem 鈥?Claimed as America鈥檚 first industrial park, the Quarter includes the Luckenbach Mill, a tannery internal 1771, and then the 1762-era National Landmark Waterworks pump house. The Luckenbach Mill currently houses the administrative offices of Historic Bethlehem Partnership Museums: Allentown Art Museum: 31 North Fifth Street, Allentown 鈥?The Museum's array of over 13,000 artwork affords the possiblity to experience more than nearly 2,000 several years of cultural heritage in a accessible and visitor-friendly environment. Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum: 432 West Walnut Street, Allentown鈥?The Heritage Museum includes galleries, a library and historical archives of your Lehigh Valley area. Liberty Bell Museum: 622 West Hamilton Street, Allentown 鈥?The freedom Bell Museum exhibits add a full-size replica of the Liberty Bell; hidden belonging to the British within this historic church throughout the Revolutionary War. Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts: 459 Old York Road Bethlehem 鈥?The Kemerer was founded by local collector Annie S. Kemerer and includes exquisite Bohemian glass, cast-iron toys, dolls, fine needlework, landscape paintings, and tall case clocks. Moravian Museum of Bethlehem: 66 West Church Street Bethlehem - Bethlehem鈥檚 oldest building together with a National Historic Landmark, served as home, school, church, and workspace over the Moravian community鈥檚 earliest days. The complex comes with the 1752 Apothecary (drug store) and also 1758 Nain-Schober House. America on Wheels 5 North Front Street, Allentown 鈥?This new America on Wheels museum tells the tale of one's expansion of over-the-road transportation aimed at three main themes: America鈥檚 romance with mobility, the roll-out of truck transportation, and racing. Easton Museum of PEZ Dispensers: 15-19 Bank Street, Easton 鈥?The museum has on display approximately 1,500 PEZ dispensers including Charlie Brown, Elton John NFL PEZ, Santa Claus, Alien, as well as other superheroes. Mack Truck Museum: 997 Postal Road, Allentown 鈥?The museum chronicles the history belonging to the Mack truck with exhibits and 80,000 photos. National Canal Museum: 30 Centre Square, Easton - The nation's Canal Museum is definitely the only museum in the uk focused on telling the plot of America鈥檚 historic towpath canals. The museum features four galleries filled with hands-on exhibits that educate and entertain parents and children alike. Daytrips Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Twenty-five miles west of Allentown at 1700 Hawk Mountain Road, Kempton - Scenic Hawk Mountain Sanctuary offers visitors a highly skilled, year-round nature exposure to mountaintop vistas, 8 miles of hiking trails, and the thrilling autumnal raptor migration. The Sanctuary is open year-round. Claussville Schoolhouse:Just 13 miles west of Allentown at 2917 Route 100, Claussville, the Claussville Schoolhouse, originally included 1893, is about to check precisely as it did inside the 1920鈥檚. Crystal Cave: Located in the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch Country and 18 miles west of Allentown at 963 Crystal Cave Road in Kutztown, Crystal Cave is regarded as popular natural attraction in Pennsylvania. Tours take you 125 feet underground to view the water-formed caves and rock formation through the ages. Trexler Nature Preserve: Only 15 miles north of Allentown, at 5150 Game Preserve Road in Schnecksville, the Trexler Nature Preserve has over 50 varieties of native and uncommon animals and birds. Also around the Preserve can be a petting zoo and also Lehigh Valley Zoo. The preserve is open 365 days per annum. Lehigh Valley Media Newsprint: An important daily newspapers towards the Lehigh Valley area are definitely the Allentown based The Morning Call together with the smaller Easton based Express-Times . Pulse Weekly can be a regional alternative arts and entertainment paper; published every Wednesday. Local Television Stations: Lehigh Valley is an element within the Philadelphia media market and contains merely a small number of a local stations. The vicinity is within collection of many New york stations. The neighborhood network TV stations for your Lehigh Valley area include: WLVT 39 (PBS), WBPH 60 (FamilyNet 鈥?religious), and WFMZ 69 (independent news). The local network Tv producers in the Philadelphia area are: KYW 3 (CBS), WPVI 6 (ABC), WCAU 10 (NBC), WHYY 12 (PBS), WPHL 17 (MyNetwork), WNJS 23 (PBS), WTXF 29 (FOX), WYBE 35 (Independent), and WPSG 57 (CW). Lehigh Valley Weather The Lehigh Valley is known for a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Spring is mild and funky to warm as summer time approaches, summers are hot and humid, fall is mild, crisp and sunny, and winter could be very cold. Mild spring daytime high temperatures have the low-50s all things considered of March towards the high-70s noisy . June; evenings have the upper-30s to upper-50s. July could be the hottest month in summer with daytimes averaging while in the mid-80s; cooling to low-60s through the night. As autumn nears, September temperatures usually peak inside mid-70s; by November Lehigh Valley highs fall for the low-50s. Autumn evenings is going to be cool at the outset of the time of year plus the low-30s as winter approaches. Winter day will often be above freezing, playing with the 30s; nights will normally be below freezing. January stands out as the coldest month of year. Precipitation comes all through the year together with the heaviest rains of 4 or longer inches within the months of May through September. A lot of months will spot precipitation that could reach over three inches. Snowfall frequently occurs November through February. For Approaches to Any Travel Needs Visit www.LehighValleyFlights.com Related Articles - Lehigh, Valley, |, Lehigh, Valley, Travel, Guide, Lehigh, Valley, Destination, Guide, |, Lehigh, Valley, Airport, |, Lehigh, Valley, Information, |, Lehigh, Valley, Travel, Email this into a Friend! Receive Articles exactly like it direct to your email box!Subscribe without charge today!