Hudson Model Railroad Club

Here are a few photos of the Model Railroad layout of the HMRC located in Hudson, Pa. It is in the Polish Club on Gibbon St., 2nd floor. I have always been fascinated by these layouts but especially when I was young. Still, as an adult, I enjoy seeing these layouts and I am amazed at the patience and time involved in these layouts, not to mention how much money it takes to set up a layout like this. If you would like more information and directions for this layout the contact numbers are: 570-561-9157, 570-388-2619 or 570-698-6742.

Click On any Photo to Enlarge Image.

Five Guys

I had to include this place as one of the food stops in the Scranton area.

Located just north of Scranton @ 735 Scranton/Carbondale Highway in Dickson City, Siniawa Plaza II. You can call them @570-941-0113 or Fax @570-941-0577.

Forget about all the fast food joints around because this one beats them all, hands down. They always have fresh ground beef (never frozen). Their burgers are grilled and juicy. All the following toppings are free, Mayo, relish, onions, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup, mustard, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, bar-b-q sauce, and hot sauce. It's up to you which suits your taste. Their fries are the best also. You can order them Five Guys style, or Cajun.

They also offer smaller burgers for the kids as well as hot dogs and grilled cheese. They also have peanuts to snack on while you wait for your order. The fries are cooked in pure peanut oil so if you are allergic to peanuts then this is not the place to visit.

For everyone else this is a great hamburger place and you will not be disappointed.

They have been voted #1 by many dining magazines and local radio stations.

The Hours are 11am -10pm, 7 days a week.

Rickett's Glen State Park

This Park is located

approximately 20 miles west of Wilkes Barre, Pa. on Pa route 118. The park is 13,050 acres and Lake Jean which is located in the park is 245 acres. There is hiking, camping, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, cross country skiing, and ice fishing.

There is the Glens Natural Area, called Falls Trail which has 24 waterfalls. The highest is 94 feet tall and is called Ganoga Falls. The creek that feeds these waterfalls is Kitchen Creek. Many of the trees in this park are 500 years old, and some fallen trees were discovered to be 900 years old.

This park is one of 21 chosen by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Parks for it's "twenty must-see Pennsylvania State Parks" list. This Park is a registered National Natural Landmark.

There are no hotels or shopping centers in the area so come prepared if you plan on an extended stay here. The nearest city is Wilkes Barre. For serious campers and outdoor people this is a great park because of all the activities available and the miles of trails to explore.

Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza

This Arena was originally called The Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Center, then The First Union Arena at Casey Plaza. It is located at 255 Highland Park Blvd. in Wilkes Barre Township, Pa. It is easy to find once you get to Wilkes Barre on I-81. Just take the Highland Park Blvd. exit and there you are, you can't miss it because it will probably be the first thing you notice once you exit I-81.

There are 8,000 permanent seats and a capacity of almost 10,000 for concerts.

The primary tenants are The Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins and The Wilkes Barre/Scranton Pioneers of the af2 Arena Football League. The Penguins (AHL) are a minor league affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins.

Many concerts have been here including, Elton John, Neil Diamond, and The Eagles, plus many more and many more are planned for the future. There are Luxury Suites available and information for those suites can be obtained @ 570-970-7600 ext. 1106. Club seats are also available @ 570-970-7600 ext. 2102. Visit Ticketmaster for single game tickets for the Penguins or Pioneers. For general information on upcoming events or tickets call 570-693-4100. There plenty of hotels, restuarants, and shopping nearby.

Dagwood's Deli & Subs

I Decided to add this place to my site because everyone has to stop for food whether on vacation or not. This is a great sub and deli shop located at 418 Market St. in Kingston, Pa. It is just west of downtown Wilkes Barre. They have a wide selection of hot and cold subs, hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and wraps. They also have soups and deserts. The reason I mention this place is because the prices are reasonable and the portions are big. If you plan to be in the area this place is worth stopping at and the staff are very friendly. I will continue to add food stops in the future that are what I consider worthy of mention on my site.

Mount Airy Casino Resort

This is one of two casinos that have opened in Northeastern Pennsylvania recently. The other one is Mohegan Sun located in Wilkes Barre, Pa. I will add that one to my site at a later time because it is still under Construction.
Mount Airy Casino Resort (shown here) features 2523 gaming machines, 4 restaurants, 188 room hotel, golf, shops, spa, and a swimming pool. 25 of the hotel rooms are suites and 163 are luxury suites. This Casino is located at 44 Woodland Rd. in Mount Pocono, Pa. For information, and driving directions go to: http://www.mtairyresort.com/.
This Casino is definitely worth checking out because of the scenery surrounding the resort, the activities available, and the activities near the resort. There are a wide variety of slot machines as well. I hope everyone plans to include this stop in their travel plans because it is worth the stop. There are plenty of activities for the whole family nearby which I will post at a later date.

Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour

Click on any photo to enlarge image.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour is Located In McDade Park. The Park has many activities for everyone and there is no admission fee to the park. For information about the park and the available activities call: 1-570-963-6764.

This coal mine originally opened in 1860 as an anthracite coal mine. (Anthracite=Hard Coal) Now visitors can take a tour of the mine and go 300 feet below the surface. The mine is a constant 50 degrees year round. Parking is free.

Scranton was once called the "Anthracite Capital of the World". The largest vein of anthracite coal in the world is under the Lackawanna Valley. There is still millions of tons of coal in the ground. Many mines used mules to pull the coal cars in and out of the mines and most mining companies valued the mules over that of mine laborers. Around 1964, the Government passed laws as to the use of animals in mines. Approx. 15'000 children under 16 years of age worked as miners, most worked 10 hours a day. Some mines used children as young as 12 years old and sometimes even as young as 7. Many died in mines. Many anthracite coal regions of Pa. have had mine fires through the years and one is still burning under the town of Centralia, Pa. This fire could be extinguished by being strip mined but some residents won't accept the Government buyout. Call for mine tour information @ 1-570-963-mine.

There is also the Heritage Anthracite museum at McDade Park and information about the museum is @ 1-800-238-7245, or 570-963-6463.

The coal mine industry has a lot of history which is very interesting and I believe everyone should take this tour or another similar tour and you will learn things that will open your eyes to what hard and dangerous lives coal miners and their famalies had. I hope everyone finds this industry as interesting as I have and plan to visit this mine in the future.

Steamtown Railroad Site

Click on photos to enlarge image.
Here are a few photos of the Steamtown Railroad Museum which is located in Downtown Scranton Pa. and the address is Lackawanna Ave. and Cliff st.
You can get visitor Information by calling 570-340-5200 Or Train ride information and reservations @ 570-340-5204. Also you can visit their website @ www.nps.gov/steal. They have a locomotive repair shop. There are also Restored Freight and Passenger cars. Short train rides are available through December 29th. There is also a trolley car museum. This is a great stop for the whole family while visiting this area of Pa.
This is just one of many examples of the many things to fo in this area and every few days I will add other sites to see.

Scranton Cultural Center

This building is the Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple located at 420 N. Washington Ave. in downtown Scranton. There are many shows and performances at this location and to find out shows and times you can contact them at 570-346-7369.

The main reason I mention this building is because of the architecture and the amazing carvings on the building shown here in these photos. Originally built as the Masonic Temple and Scottish Rite Cathedral. The Architect was Raymond M. Hood and it was built in the late 1920's. Sections of this building have been restored and other sections are currently being restored.