Today Pam and I met at Housenick Park. Okay, she went to Camel's Hump originally, but we were close. It was an easy fix. I first came to this park in May of 2014. It was a hidden jewel.
The estate of Bethlehem's first mayor, Archibald Johnson, his daughter willed it to Bethlehem Township, and the house and property had fallen into disrepair. A conservancy has been formed to restore it. Apparently it was in good shape when they received it. I thought it was very deteriorated. But we could walk all the paths and stairs. The lot held maybe two cars.
By 2017 we went the house and grounds were in further disrepair But there was now a huge parking lot. And a children's garden and a port-o potty. In 2019 a fence grew around the house and it was totally inaccessible. The stairs were crumbling. The tennis courts had returned to nature. But a bird blind appeared. There was scuttlebutt in the paper about saving it. Someone figured out that mansions were really money makers when it comes to weddings and things.
We checked out the children's garden in the parking lot then headed down a path I had never been on before. It was smooth and new and fairly long. Eventually it joined up with the path that takes you down to the creek and we followed the creek path. Pam had never seen the ruins before, so she was interested in them.
When we hit the next path we could turn and go to the house or to the bird blind. We went to the bird blind and back. And then headed up toward the house. The stairs were nearly gone. As we went up the path I was shocked. The fence was gone. The boarded up windows were gone. It looked like a house and it was beautiful. Almost every window had working shutters. And we could peek in the windows. They were working inside as well. Lovely tile work on the sun porch and a heck of a fireplace in the front room.
After checking out the house we went back to the car.
In the cooler in the car I had some exotic fruit. Azar's Market (aka the Arab store) posted a pic of quenapas or Spanish limes. I thought they'd make a interesting tasting. When I finally got there it turns out they are the size of an olive. You open them and pop out the orange fruit and suck it off the seed. It's sweet and sour. I found them in the citrus section.
Next to them were the spiky orange balls. I was smitten. I bought some of them as well. They are called rambutan. You cut these open as well and pop out the white ball. It too has a seed. But this is more a fruit that you can bite off. They are about the size of sweet gum balls. They were so yummy. I could eat a whole box of them. They had a melon flavor, but a radish flavor as well.
On the other side were the dragon fruit in both pink and yellow. I have never had fresh dragon fruit and OMG was it good. I had some Tupperware in the car so Pam took the remainer home for her husband and adult child to try. I stopped at Azar's and bought another dragon fruit and more rambutan. I was just about done shopping and Pam appeared in the aisle. She came for some as well.
After returning home, I took my walk with Pat.
Miles/Steps: 2.5 miles. Maybe a bit more
Weather: high 70s, sunny
Wildlife: Three fox playing on the road. 1 doe.
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