The Philadelphia Flower Show is a grown-up gardener’s paradise, and it can be a wonderland of discovery and delight for children as well. The larger-than-life displays offer a unique setting in which to engage youngsters in the beauty of the natural world and ignite a lifelong passion for its precious plant life. The theme for [...]

Now, as the snow melts and the maple trees turn tumescent, it’s sugar-harvesting time.
Miles of plastic tubing may have replaced the traditional buckets, but the end result remains just as sweet.
Mary Lee Zechman, known as “The Maple Lady” in Lancaster County, recalls the intense labor needed to collect when the sap was running in the [...]

Last night I braved a snowstorm to have dinner at Mimi’s in Huntingdon (To be honest, I was just chauffeured by someone else who was more confident in driving in the snow.) Huntingdon is a little bit out of the way from my home base of Hollidaysburg, but for a special night out at [...]

It’s time for the overwhelming visual cacophony that is the Philadelphia Flower Show, with displays that suspend disbelief in a combination Cirque du Soleil-Mummers Parade riot of color and structure.
This grandmommy of all flower shows, now in its 182nd year, offers a globe-trotting theme “Passport to the World.” The show opens Feb. 28 and runs [...]

In the last week, a good portion of Pennsylvania has seen a significant amount of snowfall. While the snow can be pretty, it can also mean that you become stuck in your own home for days at a time while waiting to be plowed out. And, while the first couple of hours can be fun, [...]

Just off I-78 on Hamilton Boulevard is Hunan Springs, the fanciest Chinese restaurant I’ve ever been to and home to what I consider to be the best Asian food in Lehigh Valley.
Aside from the variety, quality and presentation of the food, what really sets Hunan Springs apart is the atmosphere. The building is a huge old farmhouse [...]

Pretty soon it’ll be two years that I’ve been working in downtown Allentown at the corner of 9th and Hamilton Streets. And due to the fact that I can’t seem to wake up early enough to make myself lunch before work, I’ve been to most of the downtown restaurants between 8th and 11th Streets, all [...]

It’s kinda sad to admit it, but the holidays are definitely over (despite the fact that many of my neighbors still have their Christmas trees and outdoor lights up). And you know what that means – the wintertime blahs are s-l-o-w-l-y starting to creep in. If you ask me, there just aren’t enough “distractions” this [...]

I grew up in a rural area surrounded by farms, but I am several generations removed from any personal agricultural heritage. That, however, has not stopped me from making a trek to the Pennsylvania Farm Show a family tradition. Shepherding our two kids through the animals, exhibits, tractors, food and crowds can be daunting, but [...]

On Christmas Eve, I got off work at noon so mom and I met up for lunch at Boston’s Gourmet Pizza on Rte. 100 just off I-78/Rte. 22. I know, I know, Boston’s is a chain restaurant. But just because it’s a chain doesn’t mean it doesn’t have some of the best pizza in Lehigh Valley (it’s [...]