From Anthracite to Adventure

Near the end of West Broadway Street in Jim Thorpe, PA the Mauch Chunk Creek flows freely and visbly underneath an old stone factory from the 1800s - now an eclectic restaurant called Flow. It is a working example of a local farm to table enterprise, and the food is varied and delectable!

I took off to Jim Thorpe to hear some music - the Ryan Montbleau Band to be precise - and ended up loving the area, its complex and tumultous history, muliple recreational possiblities, the beauty of the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains, and the independent shops and cafes that lined the town.

I treated myself at Flow Bar + Restaurant to the Blind Moose Cabernet Sauvignon and for dinner chose the pan fried planko pork with strawberry asparagus salad and local rhubarb chutney. They also served homemade bread with a red wine butter. It couldn't have been any better if I had my own table in a private nook of the restaurant overlooking the flowing waters of Mauch Chunk Creek - but it was! Because I did! The food was delicious and the ambience was warm and comfortable - especially for someone dining alone.
Jim Thorpe was bustling this weekend, likely because of the damn release and the triathalon on Sunday, and lodging was hard to come by. I was fortunate to find a cozy room just outside of town at the Canal Side Guest House, an 1820s house on the Lehigh Canal. After an amazing show by the Ryan Montbleau Band at the Mauch Chunk Opera House, I went back to the guest house and slept soundly until daybreak when I woke and prepared to head out in search of some bike trails.

The Jim Thorpe area is the perfect hub for multiple outdoor pursuits, including biking, hiking, and boating. I spent three hours pedaling on the Lehigh Gorge Trail, stopping occassionally to watch as the rafters and kayakers floated down the Lehigh River. The day was incredibly hot and even I took off my shoes and waded into the river to cool down.

Later I went to a little cafe called Through the Looking Glass, where I had a Cheshire Cat pizza for lunch, then took a tour of the Carbon County Jail in town (where the Molly Maguires were hanged in 1877), and wandered around looking in gift shops and marveling at architechture.

By 5pm the shops were all closed and the hot humid day had taken it's toll. I was ready to go home. 574 miles, 24 hours, and 2 tanks of gas was all it took for me to explore a little bit of the history, culture, and activity of the old coal mining town of Mauch Chunk. Well worth with.