Two of the last four weekends have found me heading west from Bethlehem to the hills and valleys of Michaux State Forest near Carlisle, PA for bike gigs. Iron Cross kicked off PA’s unofficial bike month with the largest mass start cyclocross race in the world shown here navigating the Death Spiral; yours truly rode shotgun.

Actually I drove lead vehicle and tried to keep everyone on the 60 mile course rather than scattered about the woods. Iron Cross hits up some pavement and trails in Michaux, but is mostly about the fire roads. These gravel roads are well maintained and great for just crusin’ through the woods by bike, car, foot, horse or even Segway especially during the leaf show Mother Nature puts on this time of year in the PA forests. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are around Pittsburgh and looking for a great place for a baby shower gift, child’s birthday party or even a little something for yourself, visit The Picket Fence in Shadyside.  This quaint boutique is filled with children’s toys and apparel, gifts for the home, women’s clothing and accessories, and gifts for a special occasion.

I paid a visit to the boutique today for the Neighbor Teaze Trunk Show and purchased a great gift for one of my close friends. The Picket Fence is a boutique you can’t go in without purchasing something for yourself or for someone special.  Next time you are around Shadyside, make sure you stop in.

I like to think I have an appreciation for all types of artwork, but my favorite has to be photography. This is one of the reasons I am a fan of Dakota Ridge, a fine art photography gallery located in the northern Lehigh Valley locale of Jim Thorpe.

Dakota Ridge is run by photographer Dan Hugos, a friendly man who you’ll meet when you first set foot in 9 West Broadway Street, located right across the street from the Mauch Chunk Opera House. He’ll gladly let you peruse the various gallery rooms in which the works displayed without a word – the whole purpose behind Dakota Ridge is to provide a location where people can appreciate the art of photography which isn’t easy to do if you have someone talking you ear off. But after you’ve looked, if you want to talk about photography or the picturesque town of Jim Thorpe, he’ll be glad to chew the fat for a while. Read the rest of this entry »

Chunky Susquehanna River smallmouth bass

Fall can be one of the best times to be on the water casting away for those eager fish trying to fatten up before the long winter. I recently had the pleasure of fishing with a “band of anglers” from the Harrisburg area. Six anglers total converged on Shamokin, Pennsylvania for some  fall fishing in the balmy waters of the Susquehanna River.

We converged on local fast food place at 6:30 a.m., downed some coffee while plotting our strategy to land some of those chunky Susquehanna River smallmouth bass. We also hoped to get a bonus Walleye or two for our efforts. It was very apparent that these fellas were some serious anglers…like myself. I drove about 1.5 hours to arrive on site and many of the others had at least a 1 hour drive. Now that’s dedication! Of course as we drank our morning “go juice” and talked strategy, we also managed to tell a few tall tails about our past fishing adventures. Read the rest of this entry »

Small details characterize Zagar's Magic Gardens Creation

Philadelphia’s South Street is a well known destination for visitors interested in exploring a hip, urban, funky spot at any hour of the day. One of our favorite destinations is Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a fantastical creation by an iconic artistic figure in the Philadelphia community, Isaiah Zagar. Click here to view our photos taken during recent visit to the garden. Zagar’s works can be found throughout the city and beyond.

Many of the mirrored mosaic murals can be seen strolling South Street and the narrow allies of the Bella Vista neighborhood. The murals are intricate reflections of his artistic influences and vision designed to reflect beauty in chaos. Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, the house that Zagar built, is open for all to explore every day of the week for a small fee to support the non-profit organization that has been founded to preserve his works and sponsor community artistic educational activities.

My friend and I were in Gettysburg a few weeks ago looking for some place to enjoy dinner. Someone told us that The Dobbin House (http://www.dobbinhouse.com/) was the best fine dining establishment in town and since we were looking for something unique to Gettysburg, we ventured out to find it.

We were pleasantly surprised to drive up to a beautiful and large stone home. We walked into the rustic yet cozy room where the host took our name and we enjoyed the colonial ambiance while waiting for a table. Decorated in 18th century style with period-dressed wait staff, we were seated in a corner of the second floor. Even at 9:00 pm, the House was full of diners – some seated in wing back chairs at their table, and some dining under what looked like the curtains of a canopy bed. Read the rest of this entry »

The residents of Downingtown ( Chester County)  have a heightened sense of  things that “go bump in the night” dating back hundred of years involving historical figures, battles and the underground railroad. Hundreds of ghost stories have been passed down throughout the years and paranormal groups, such as Downingtown Area Paranormal Investigators (DAPI) have come together to investigate and explain these supernatural stories.

This weekend the ghosts of Downingtown will have a chance to to come alive as The Downingtown Area Paranormal Investigators and The Downingtown Historical Parks Comission invite you to the First Downingtown Ghost Tour. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re an art or history lover, consider checking out downtown Milton the next time you’re in Central PA’s Susquehanna River Valley. In the early spring and late summer of 2009, The Improved Milton Experience (TIME) unveiled two brand new, professionally painted art murals — but what makes them really special is the subject matter.

The first one, which focuses on Milton’s transportation history, has images of railroads, trolleys, barges and early airplanes, as well as images of the coal and logging industries.  It even features a few real people (Miltonians, as they’re affectionately called) like Mary Strine who is a very young-at-heart centenarian. The mural also features the artist’s lovable dog, Kensey. Read the rest of this entry »

I know tons of people who’s favorite holiday of the year is Halloween – it’s fun to get dressed up in costumes, and take your kids out to get tons of free candy – or to go trick-or-treating yourself!

Well, fall is in the air, and that means a lot of things, but one in particular – Halloween is coming! So I’d like to share with you a few traditions that our family has taken on and some great things to do at Halloween in Lancaster County! Here are my top 5:

1. Nobody does SCARY Halloween like Jason’s Woods. They’ve been around for about 25 years, and have a bunch of different attractions with tons of special effects. Now I’m not much for being scared out of my skin, so when we go, I hang out at the fabulous pre-show entertainment. They’ve got live bands, DJ’s, magic shows and a bunch of other performances – just check out their website to see what’s happening! Read the rest of this entry »

Two of my favorite back road stores to visit in Lancaster County are Country Housewares Store near New Holland and Miller’s Natural Foods in Bird-in-Hand. Both are Amish owned and operated.

I’ve been visiting Miller’s Natural Foods since the early 1980s. My uncle frequently bought antiques from a man named Eli Miller on Miller Lane in Bird-in-Hand and would bring them home to NC. So, we started visiting Eli’s antique shop that he ran from a  building on his farm. His son, Christ, had opened a health food store on the property in 1968 and had since built a store beside Eli’s place. He sold all types of vitamins, supplements, medicinals and herbals, and organic foods. The first time I ever heard of organic and natural foods was when shopping at Miller’s. Read the rest of this entry »