haunted christmas walking tours!

I stumbled into a Christmas ghost tour this morning in Historic Bethlehem. This is what happens when you slow down to look at all the nativities in the Moravian Book Stores window.

The walks have been running all month on weekends. I'm going to try and go Friday night. This is certainly on the docket for a group walking adventure next year.

From the website ...
"Ghosts of Christmas Winter Walking Tours 

scary Ghost Stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago…

Join us for a spirited look into the ghosts of Christmas past…Long past? Well, Bethlehem’s past…

Our new winter version of our popular Historic Haunts Ghost Tours will give you chills, and not just from the cold! You’ll hear tales of early Moravian Christmases, learn some local legends, and discover why we are known as Christmas City, U.S.A. Spend an hour with a costumed tour guide and a candle to light your way, while you visit the beautiful Historic District of Downtown Bethlehem and find out if the buildings hold more than just history. Many visitors have experienced Bethlehem’s past in a very vivid manor, and perhaps you will, too on our Ghosts of Christmas walking tour!"

Lydia and I did one during the day a couple years ago. It's interesting, fun, and doesn't burn more than about 5 calories. But you get to use a candle. How cool is that?

Now they need to make one for the south side. I bet that dead steel mill holds a lot of stories ...

fall walking festival

Today Bonnie and I headed to Penn State for the bi-annual fall walking festival. We arrived at about 9:30 and were walking by 10.

The first walk was a 10K. It started at the host hotel—a Super 8—and wove thru town to the University. The hills were plentiful and the street signs lacking. At one point we became off course but quickly corrected ourselves.

The campus is huge. It makes Lafayette and Lehigh look like a grade school. Probably three miles was on campus. I have never been on a closed campus with that many buses.

On the way back to the hotel we walked past a farmer's market. I had wondered why so many students had flowers. What astounded me is that 75% of the farmers were Mennonite/Amish. In North Central Pennsylvania. South Central would be a totally different story.

Then it was off to Boalsburg for a 5K. Boalsburg is the birthplace of Memorial Day.

The walk began at the Pennsylvania Military Museum. Then we headed across the street to visited the "ladies" in the cemetery. Crossing the street was a half mile away! Then we were off to see Chris Columbus and a mansion, but alas, they were closed for the season. Next we walked the original highway, then back the new one. The final section of the trail took us into town. We bagged it and looked at the military museum property. Lots of tanks. Lots of cannons. Lots of memorials like Gettysburg. We couldn't go in the museum because we didn't bring money.

After checking in at the Super 8, and turning on the computer, I discovered I earned a new fit bit badge. I'm now flying high in a hot air balloon after climbing the equivalent of two thousand stairs.

Tomorrow, two more walks. Then the long drive home. We are not staying for day three.

and the carillon played

Yesterday we drove to Valley Forge to do an 11K Volkssport walk.

I've been to Valley Forge before. I don't remember it being so ... sparse. Lots of fields and woods. Few historic buildings. I kept thinking how did Washington command his troops—everything is so spread out. I pity the poor courier that had to ride back and forth to get from place to place.

I guess I am spoiled by Gettysburg where there is a tombstone every 5 feet.

We followed the Multi-Use Trail or the MUT around the park, and then down to Washington's Headquarters. About 2/3rds of the way to Washington's HQ we passed the Washington Memorial Chapel. It was a huge church. With a carillon. Megan had just finished changing the baby when the carillon began to play. Timing is everything. I have never heard one in it's natural setting. Just off the Cast In Bronze truck. It is even more beautiful when the sound dissipates into the air and falls downward. (If you are near Valley Forge, free concerts, Weds. at 7, I think in July and August.)

After coming back from Washington's HQ, we followed the MUT to the history trail. It was nice to walk in gravel. It was a nice break from macadam.

After returning to the MUT, we headed thru the arch and back to the parking lot.

There were a lot of hills on the walk. We discovered that the fitbit might not be as accurate as we thought. Our steps were similar. Our distance was similar. But our stairs (it measures inclines and can't tell difference between a stair and a hill) Megan had about 70 flights of stairs (stairs/hills) Bonnie had nearly 50. I had the fewest. We walked exactly the same route. Megs thought it might be pushing the stroller. But that makes no sense to me.

monocacy trail

We were scheduled to walk the Parkway at 9 this morning. At 8:25 Lyd arrived with the dog. At the same time the phone rang. It was Bonnie. "I overslept. I'm not walking today." So instead of walking in Allentown we stayed in Bethlehem.

First stop, Hotel B. We had to refill the Volkssport box with start cards. That's usually a very popular walk, but with the south Bethlehem walk and the new Allentown walk, it's getting minimal traffic.

We headed down to the historic district and up Conastoga Street to the trail head. It's so humid, we were soaked. Then headed out the trail to the Burnside Plantation where we visited the gardens and the police horses. When we reached Paint Mill Road, we crossed the railroad track, and used the track at the old 24/7 fitness center, then turned around, retraced our steps, and headed back to the hotel. With a stop at the Millers garden.

When we returned home we took the dog for a long walk, bumping our total to almost 4 miles.

Tomorrow I have to head out early. My sister is coming at 10.

we found it!

About a month ago, Lydia and I went looking for a secret park. We couldn't find it. Today we did.

It's the estate of Bethlehem's first mayor, Archibold Johnson. His family willed it to the township, and the house has fallen into disrepair. A conservancy has been formed to restore it. Apparantly it was in good shape when they received it. It is close to ruins now.

The last time we were they we drove right past the road. It looks liek someone elses driveway, not the entrance to a park. But it is. Once you past the house there is the entrance to the estate.

There is a small lot and a port-o-potty. There are three small trails. The red, which makes the large loop around the house, the yellow which loops the rim of the property and goes down to the railroad and creek. And the green, which comes off the yellow and is ecology oriented.

Lydia and I did the yellow and it's about 1.5 miles. It has markers marking key elements. There are also a lot of property line markers. And keep-out because it's unsafe markers.

But it was fun. It was an adventure. Best of all, Lydia should be able to walk Adonis there. There was few people at the secret park.

When we returned home, we took Adonis out for his half mile. So that makes what? Five miles today.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

trykes for tots 10K

The Trykes for Tots 10K is one of the few races in the valley that offer a 10K option for walkers. We've done it several years.

It takes place on the Iron Rail Trail and the Whitehall Parkway and raises money for tricycles for differently-abled children. The cool part is they give out and fit the bikes after the adult race. Then the children have a 1 mile fun run / walk / ride. This year Pretzel City Sports left the clock on for the children. When they called for the children's race to begin, they were still fitting bikes. So they had two! The children could run both if they wanted too. While they were racing we waited for a free massage. Wonderbar.

No escort this year until about mile 6. He brought us water because the mile 4 water station closed early. We left him in our dust. However, w did not beat last year's times. Oh well. We still came in in 1:44

My camera was "exhausted" again, so Bonnie took pictures on her phone.It was my turn to have closed eyes.

I came home to a dead mouse in the downstairs bathroom. Anyone who knows me know that I have a low tolerance for dead animals. My brother Henry used to come by and clean them up. Sadly, I had to call Bonnie to come rescue me.

Friday I walked with Betsy in Bethlehem. She was setting up a Girl Scout event at the Luckenbach Mill. So we started at the mill, crossed Sand Island and walked the D&L to the Minsi Trail Bridge. Then we climbed the stairs and came back Market and Church street, with a detour into Nisky Hill Cemetary.

Thursday, I walked back and forth to the dentist. When did dentist start doing full oral exams? In addition to my teeth she checked my tongue, my pallet, my jaw, the whole works.

Wednesday was National Walking Day. I walked across campus and back. It's my 15 hour day and squeezing in a 15 minute walk is the best I could do.

Tuesday, Bonnie and I walked in her neighborhood. Just under three miles.

All in all, a good week. I think I was over 10K steps all but one day.

rail to trails opening day!

Of course rail trails are open all year, but they are not used very hard in the winter. Unless you're nuts, like us. Today was the official spring kickoff for 2014. The Rail to Trail Conservancy encourages us to use this hashtag: #RTCOpeningDay. Not quite sure what it does, but there you go.

Earlier in the week I sent out an email with our walks for the weekend. There are now six people on the email list. Lydia, Bonnie and I walked.

Today we headed to the Saucon Rail Trail. We parked at the Water Street Park in Hellertown and headed east toward Coopersburg. We didn't go that far. Actually, we only went a mile and a half, then turned around and headed back. We also did the loop around the lake at the Grist Mill, and took the scenic route past the Heller Homestead.


Our total was about 3.5 miles. It started to drizzle on the way back. A few minutes later it was pouring! Our timing was nothing, if not impeccable.

Wednesday Is National Walking Day. I thought it was Tuesday. Clearly I need to read a calendar. Since that is my 15 hour day, I'll have to go out on College Hill at lunch time.

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I never mentioned that back on January 29 I received my 2K badge on FitBit.

no disk in the camera.

Oops. We took a lovely picture today at Burnside with the police horses grazing in the background. We knew it was lovely, we saw the preview. When I returned home, I went to remove the disk, and no disk. It was still in the computer. Poop. This one is from last year. Very generic, but nice.

We had a lovely day anyway. And Bonnie will be happy I didn't post a picture. She hates having her pix taken.

We left my place and headed downtown. We parked under the hill to hill bridge and headed up Conastoga to the Monocacy Way trailhead. It's right next to the Union Blvd entrance of Rte 378. When we arrived at Burnside there was a private party scheduled. But we walked thru anyway. The police horses were out grazing in the pasture.

When you come out of Burnside you cross Eaton Avenue and continued. Instead, we headed toward the Compost Center and the Wawa. Then down 8th avenue all the way to Lehigh, back Lehigh to Conastoga.

The walk wasn't quite four miles, so we walked past the car, then turned around and came back to make it 4 miles.

The pony express finally brought Lydia's fridge, so next weekend she'll be walking again. I hope. The next Half is about 6 weeks away.

my first volkssport trail tested today!

Today Pat, Dave Brown (the guy who walked to Kansas), Bonnie and I trail tested my Volkssport walk thru south Bethlehem. They liked it. A nice mix of history, industry, revitalization, mansions, and no scary neighborhoods.

I was thrilled. The 10K came in at 6 miles, rather than 6.2, but they said that was okay.

The walk starts at the Comfort Suites and heads up Brodhead to Memorial Drive.  It goes thru Lehigh's campus, and then thru Taylor Stadium to Zollner. Now for these walks you need to do a 5 K and a 10K. So after leaving Zollener, the group would head straight down to the Greenway. The 10K heads back out Packer to Vine, down Vine to Morton, and Back to New. This convoluted route circumvents the stars that go down to New.

Then we headed down New and picked up the Green way. The 10K takes the Greenway all the way to the the Casino. The 5K heads down Sands Boulevard. We cross Daly at the Skatepark and head onto casino property. You pretty much just follow the sidewalks around the casino, and then the outlet mall. As you pass the doors to the Outlet Mall, there is a crosswalk to head towards ArtsQuest. When the High Line is done, we'll walk there. Right now you just walk thru the ruins, then Arts Quest out First Street. Take Webster to Columbia and Columbia to 2nd Street.

When you reach the Steelworkers Memorial, the 5K people head back to the Comfort Suites. The 10K continues on 2nd, heads up the bridge ramp, double crosses the street and heads up Brighton to Uncas. Then down Third, down Wyandotte to 4th, down 4th to Brodhead and back to the Comfort Suites.

Afterwards Pat and Dave went into the Comfort Suites to talk about having a walk box there. They said yes. Now we just need to have it approved by the board and the AVA.

If it's approved, I'll need to rework the northside route and add something more interesting than crossing the Fahy Bridge. Maybe the Monocacy Creek trail to Burnside? Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers? the Armory? I'll think of something.

todays paper

You can tell it's spring. Everywhere you look — television, radio, papers, magazines, companies — are all trying you to get fit and outside.

Last week I discovered the Passport to Health. Today I opened the paper and saw this:

(Yes, I will be the last person on earth reading a paper.) It even has a QR code. But then I have a stupid phone, so it's useless.

I went to the website and this is the featured trail of the week. So far, it's really the only one on the site. There is an index of walks, but none of the pages have been made public yet. My guess is this will roll out very slowly all spring.

Many we've walked. Some we haven't. The D&L is there. But we haven't done all the sections. The Appalachian is there too. But Pa.'s part is ROCKY. So beware. Rodale park is there also. And the state parks. And the Water Gap. Gorgeous in fall. Crowed too. Oh and the Historic Bethlehem Trail.

Where haven't we been? The Daniel Boone Homestead (Birdsboro), Hawk Mtn (Kempton), Jim Thorpe, the Game Preserve,  Peace Valley (Doylestown), Schuykill Trail (Hamburg) and my favorite name— the Gravity Trail in Reading. As you can see these, and some others on the list require a drive. Maybe up towards an hour drive. But that's okay.

I went to the Reading Trails site—who knew— and found the listing for the gravity trail. It is described as "the newest trail in the City of Reading. The trail goes from Mount Penn to the county-owned Antietam Lake. This moderate to strenuous trail explores the Mt. Penn Gravity Railroad historic sites and Antietam Lake. You can start the hike from Neversink Mountain or any of the city-owned parks such as Pendora, Mineral Spring, or Egelman Park." I'm downloading the map now. My favorite word is strenuous. It looks like it is four miles, so that's an 8 mile round trip. But it looks like it is out and back, so we could turn at any point. Oh, and the best part? It's near the Pagoda!

Tomorrow I walk with Betsy, and have my last shift at the homeless shelter.  Winter's over and they are back on their own. It seems time. They appear to be getting on each others nerves. By this time they know what buttons to push. 

Tomorrow the "Walk to Jerusalem" group is also having their symbolic finish the last mile together walk. But because of my commitment at the shelter, I won't be going. It's a 3 in Lehighton. No way to make it back in time.

Saturday I think Bonnie and Lydia and I will walk. I received a email from the Liberty Bell Wanderers that they are doing Doylestown walk tomorrow. Maybe we can do that. It isn't too far.

Sunday we're taking a break. Though I will have Z all day. We might just take a walk and look at the neighborhood. Experience America on foot. She returns to Yemen in May.

ironton rail trail spur

I live in a city. A small city, but still a city. All the Christmas snow is pretty much gone. Or so I thought.

For the first official walk of the new year, I choose the spur trail of the Ironton Rail Trail. The IRT is a paved loop. The spur is straight and about two miles. I think it's the part that was actually the railroad tracks.

Bonnie was early and we headed off to pick up Lyd in the boonies.  (AKA bumfucknowhere) Her address is Northampton, but she's out in farm country. The closer we got to her house the more snow was on the ground. Ut oh.

Lyd got in the car, we waved hi to the dog, and headed to the IRT. We had hoped not to park at the first lot in the Whitehall Parkway, but couldn't find any others, so we parked there. It was plowed. There's a barn covered with hex signs, and tiles with hex signs. I took too many pics.

Thank goodness most of the snow on that trail from that lot had melted.

After walking a bit we arrived on the IRT. It was snow covered with ruts. It didn't look horrible so we headed out, walking in single file, often in the ruts.

When we reached Egypt (the town, not the country) the trail was totally snow covered. We walked on it for a bit, but the road was running parallel, so we moved out into the street.  (Facing traffic of course.)

When we arrived at the Troxell Steckel House the trail bent to the left. We left the trail and walked up to the house. It wasn't open, but we could around the grounds. One day we'll come back when it's open.  The counties website says "this colonial stone farmhouse is an excellent example of German medieval style architecture brought to eastern Pennsylvania by German settlers." It was built in 1756 and is on the historic register.

I really like the inlaid stone sign. Can't read a word of it. Maybe I'll ask when we go again.

We continued on the trail until it ended, turned around and came back. We walked past our entrance point and headed toward MacArthur Road. The trail got worse and worse. It was clear that this section was plowed and it was icy. We tried to double back, and hit dead ends. We ended up going back on the main trail, the way we came.

We walked about 4 miles in 1.5 hours. Clearly we need to get ice grips for days like this. I think I might have a pair up in my camping stuff. Unless I gave them away.

We drove back to Lyds, and dropped her off. And headed toward my house. Bonnie had an appointment and time was running short. I had her drop me off at New Bethany and walked home.

Tomorrow we're meeting at Planet Fitness and doing the East Allentown triangle we planned to do last week.

slate heritage trail

Lydia likes to come here for walking—she can leave Adonis with Pat. Pat loves Adonis. It's a win-win. But I feel guilty making her schlep to south Bethlehem, two times a week. And on a long holiday weekend three.

So yesterday I suggested with do the Nor-Bath trail. It's 5.5 miles one way, so I knew that wouldn't work. I needed to measure. So I went to traillink.com to get the map. Great site if you're doing rail-trails. I blew up the map and saw something in small type. Northampton has a entrance to the D&L Canal path. Cool. Northampton to Slatington is 11 miles. But I know they have markers every mile, so figuring out distance would be no problem.

I placed the link on her FB page and asked if she'd rather do that. It gave me a choice of 35 pictures. I picket the covered bridge. I didn't remember seeing that in the description. How would you take mules and a boat over a covered bridge?

So I went back to trail link to check it out. There is a Slate Historic Trail that branches off the D&L. That's the one we—Lydia, Sharon, and Lyd's friend Dawn—did. It's 3 miles long, perfect if you are training for a 10K. And it's paved.

It took us awhile. We read all the signs, climbed on the slate, and generally were pretty touristy. I now really know why they call it the slate belt! The benches on the trail were slate. The comfort stations at the lot, and the covered bridge were slate bricks. (Inside and out. Really rugged. With sliding barn style doors on the stalls. And signs carved into the slate.) Not to mention the cliffs of slate on either side of us.

It took a little longer to get to Slatington from Northampton than I thought. But it was worth the ride. We are now interested in new sections of the D&L both from Slatington and Northampton, and I really want to go further north. Maybe one day I'll finish it!

Tomorrow is the 10K. Going to try and download a stopwatch app on the iPod so I don't have to fuss with a watch. Though if it rains, I'm leaving it at home.

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Update: It's downloaded and appears to work. Looks pretty dummy proof. Perfect for me.

i get easily distracted

I take a lot of photos while walking. Things that catch my fancy. I get easily distracted.

The flag was painted on the side of the State Theatre. I took this last week. It was for a veteran's benefit concert

 This is a garden store sign, in an alley in Easton

Today, on the new section of the Greenway. Looks like a railroad office of some sort.

 Morning glories in the weeds.

The Walnut Street Pony Bridge

 Good idea, even without an ordinance

 Grist mill stone. There were three or four

 This is concete, so I'm gussing it was in the building. Too bad it cracked in half.

 Locks on the street gates to trail. Clearly the fire department has a key.

 waterfalls, clearly man made, in the Saucon Creek

 This old railroad signal on the Saucon Rail Trail is cool. Paint it multiple colors and it would be sculpture.

Barn ruins at homstead. Who built barns out of stone?

hellertown rail trail

Actually it's part of the Saucon rail trail, but this part is in Hellertown.

I parked at Water Street park, and noticed some signs for the Heller Homestead. Hmmm I thought. Always drive by, never stop. Maybe today.

When I arrived at the trail I noticed something had changed. The last time I walked it last fall it was large stones that hurt your feet and knees. Now it is a sandy gravel surface. Much nicer. However, I had on my Birks and the gravel kept getting in between my shoes and my feet! Ouch.

The Lower Saucon section is about 1.5 miles one-way. Then if you include the Upper Saucon section it's a total of about 5 miles one-way. When finished the Coopersburg section will be an additional mile and a half. When the Greenway connects it will be paradise.

I just did Lower Saucon.

At the first crossing I noticed old buildings. It was the Wagner Grist Mill. As I walked over I saw the little metal bridge. I went there first. It was the Walnut Street Pony Bridge from 1860. It's about the size of one house and straddles the creek. It's actually a little park with athletic fields and two algee covered ponds.

I returned to the trail and continued walking to the Upper Saucon section, turned around and came back. Then instead of going to the lot, I went to the Heller Homestead where I not only discovered cool buildings—2 house, a root cellar and barn ruins—but another two trails!

I'll have to explore those another day. The roomie called to find out what was taking me so long. She thinks I'm eight.

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Update— Mid-afternoon Lydia stopped by with the dog and wanted to walk. We took the dog for a half mile, brought him home, and then did another mile and a half. At the hottest part of a 95 degree day. Probably not smart.