We have wrapped up three lovely weeks in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania in the Pocono Mountains. Busy with work, and somewhat stymied by pandemic closures, we didn't have a chance to enjoy some outings we hope to return to at a future date: the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway, the Asa Packer Mansion, the No. 9 Coal Mine, the Mauch Chunk Museum, the Old Jail/Molly Maguires Museum, the Myst Gastropub, and whitewater rafting on the Lehigh River.
We did enjoy several outings on our e-bikes! Some were practical, to drop off recycling, mail a package, or shop for groceries, and supported our decision not to tow a car but instead to rely on our e-bikes for errands. Doug's Oyama, with its powerful motor, made short work of even the steepest Pocono hills. My Blix Vika+, more of an around-town bike, had to be coddled up the higher hills (low gear and forceful peddling on power assist level 4) or the motor would over-lug and cut out.
We also took an Uber (okay, the Uber) to a further away MoneyGram location (arranging scholarship payments for students our church supports at the University of Belize). Our Uber driver had brochures and lots of local information to share with us, as did the manager of a pet store we biked to on another day. I'm finally having a chance to chat with people, and it makes me so happy! We also had a lovely chat with a couple at the campground, Joe and Kathy. He is in his second career as a mountain bike instructor (and had enjoyed bombing down a steep and narrow trail during a thunderstorm the day before our chat!) and she is retired and enjoying being an accomplished cook. This is an example of the interesting and friendly RV community that I had looked forward to being part of, and that the pandemic had put out of reach for a while.
We also enjoyed some scenic bicycling. The Delaware and Lehigh Trail in eastern Pennsylvania runs for 140 miles from just north of Philadelphia to just outside Wilkes-Barre, following historical canal and railroad routes. We bicycled several miles of it in the Lehigh River Gorge area, north and south of the town of Jim Thorpe. The canal, active in the early to mid-1800's, used dozens of locks to facilitate economical transportation of coal on barges.
We also bicycled to the nearby Mauch Chunk Lake. While COVID-19 restrictions limited the swimming beach to county residents, we enjoyed the view at the boating area. This shorter ride also gave us a chance to test out the dog backpack we had purchased for Hershey months before - not a backpack for him to wear, but for him to ride in!
Of course, our household life continued as well - there were tires to air up, a wasp nest to root out of a door liner, laundry to be done, and meals to cook:
We arrived in New York, north of New York City, this weekend. We will be helping our younger daughter move her stored dorm room belongings into her off-campus apartment. And also doing more cycling!
Comments