Around the Lake

Falling for Our Area Around the Lake

By E. Muller

We all know October and November mark pumpkin season, but did you know pumpkins originate in Central America and Mexico? Today these bright orange beauties grow on every continent with the exception of Antarctica. A member of the gourd family, they’ve been cultivated by indigenous North American people for thousands of years. The word ‘pumpkin’ seems to come from the French word ‘popon’, which changed to ‘pompions’, and eventually into the word we now use. Another fun fact: the word ‘pumpkin’ was first used in 1664, along with these other food-related words: celery, champagne, greenhouse, shallot and yucca. Three cheers for pumpkin season! Head over to Ritter’s Farm in Lake Ariel for fresh produce, baked goods, honey, cheeses, eggs, and now Amish-made doughnuts and cider. Ritter’s is located at 991 Hamlin Highway; if you’d like to call ahead their number is 570 689 4105. Get out and enjoy the Pocono Foliage Express and other fall foliage rides like the Pumpkin Patch Express, the Glen Eyre Limited, the Blue Moon Express and other rail rides on the Stourbridge Line in Honesdale. Many of the rides last well over two hours, and all feature climate-controlled cars and bathroom facilities on board. Rides like the Pumpkin Patch Express are kid-friendly, too, with activities geared toward little ones. See the fall foliage in our area like you’ve never seen it while relaxing on the historic train. Call 570 470 2697 or visit thestourbridgeline.net to learn more. Jim Thorpe is a nearby beautiful little gem of a town nestled in the Lehigh Valley. In addition to shopping and dining at the local eateries, you might want to look into biking along the D & L rail trail. The trail is 25 miles long (mostly downhill) and takes about three to five hours to complete. You may go at your own pace, stop and enjoy a picnic-style meal while taking in the beauty of the river, waterfalls, and brightly colored trees. Bicycles are available for rent. Call 570 325 8430 or go to PoconoBiking.com for more information. The town’s Fall foliage Festival will be celebrated on weekends from October 9th through October 24th at the Josiah White Park. There will be lots of things to do for the youngsters in your group, live music, crafts and artisan demos, ghost tours, and restaurant and shop specials, too. For details, call 570 325 3673. A damp, chilly Pennsylvania day is a great time to tap into your creativity. The Art Factory of White Mills offers various classes from pottery to pours to paint n’ sip. Pre-registration is required for classes. They have a large, beautiful gallery featuring everything from handmade wooden bowls to photography and jewelry. Check them out at theartfactoryofwhitemills.com or give them a call at 570 251 1181. From September to October third, Hawley will host its Hawley Harvest Hoedown. Bring friends and family and enjoy fall activities such as hayrides, games, arts and crafts, live music and the popular Fall Crawl. Visit restaurants and shops and see what kind of specials are going on, too! Go to visithawleypa.com, take a look at their Facebook page, or call 570 226 4064 for details. Honesdale’s Harvest and Heritage Days takes place from October 9th at 11:00 am to October 10th until 5:00 pm. You will find hayrides, ghost walks, exhibits, artisans and live music for you to enjoy in the downtown area. Call 570 253 5492 or check out visithonesdalepa.com for information. For the first two weekends in October (10/1 -10/3 and 10/8 – 10/10), take a ride to Bethlehem for their Oktoberfest celebration. The event brings fun for all ages and a few days to enjoy German food, beer, music, dancing, shopping, games and komisch (comical) Dachsund races. Call 610 332 1300 or google discoverlehighvalley.com or steelstacks.org to learn more. Once you’re in Bethlehem, you might want to visit its historic Moravian district and museum, the Burnside Plantation or the 1810 Goundie House. historicbethlehem.org is the place to go for details. For something completely different, check out the scenic chair lift rides offered at Blue Mountain Resort in Palmerton on weekends through October 31st. The chair lifts hold up to four people and offer a stunning view of gorgeous autumn colors. Once you reach the top, you may want to stop at the Slopeside Pub and Grill for a bite to eat. Segway tours and other activities are also available! Call 610 826 7700 to learn more. On October 9th at 7:00 pm, Lakeland Orchard will be hosting its Halloween Light Show in Scott Township. The show provides fun for all ages with a haunted castle, trick-or-treaters, ghosts, ghouls and goblins covering half a mile with over 50,000 lights. After taking in the sights, stop at their retail tent or grab some cider and a burger. Lakeland Orchard is located at 1649 Lakeland Drive; their number is 570 254 6038 and their website is lakelandorchard.com.

Attention all film buffs! From October 15 – 17, Milford will host its annual Black Bear Film Festival. The festival strives to support independent film makers, as well as showing some of the classics. There will be free events and films, specials offered throughout the town, and a gala night on the 15th. All of Milford participates in this much-anticipated event. Some happenings do cost money and/or require tickets, so if you’re planning to go, call 570 832 4858 or check in by going to blackbearfilm.com. Go with the flow and visit Bethel Woods Art Center which is about an hour away in Bethel NY. Their Peace, Love and Pumpkins display is a delightful walk through trails of hand-carved jack o’lanterns and art featuring iconic Woodstock figures as well as animals, sea creatures and mythical beasts. Peace, Love and Pumpkins takes place from October 15th through the 31st, 6:30 pm to 10 pm. If you can’t make it to the pumpkin event, try their Peace, Love and Lights celebration. This is a two-mile drive-through light display featuring ‘Groovy Way’, ‘Holidays around the World’, ‘Enchanted Forest’ and more. Peace, Love and Lights takes place from November 19th through January 2nd, 5 – 10 pm. Come early to either event and walk the grounds or visit the museum, which is really fun and educational and has a great gift shop. The number to call is 845 583 2000 or check their website, bethelwoodscenter. New Yoga & Meditation Studio org. It’s outta sight! Please see our website If you have small children, or if you’re for classes and scheduling a kid at heart, visit Honesdale during their Winter Wonderland weekend, November 26th at 6 pm to November 27th at 5 pm. The Santa parade kicks things off followed by the tree-lighting ceremony at 7 pm. The whole town of Honesdale (where lived Richard B. Smith, writer of the song ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’) comes alive during the celebration with shop and restaurant specials. www.alternativecurenepa.com

Whatever you do, have a wonderful fall season! 1007 Main Street, Newfoundland PA (570) 390-0120