Pocono Mountains Travel Guide - 2008-2009 - (Page 22) JIM THORPE AREA BY JANET FUSCO WHEN THE ONCE-STRUGGLING TOWN OF MAUCH CHUNK needed JIM THORPE AREA � some momentum to help revive business during the 1930s, officials opted to rename it after Jim Thorpe, the Olympic gold medalist and professional athlete. The change helped enliven it to become a thriving area that’s also rich with scenery and history. - Photo by Russ Schleipman � � � Jim Thorpe’s TIME TO EXPLORE THE JIM THORPE AREA 8 a.m. Start your day off with a great breakfast in an authentic train car diner 10 a.m. Tour the historic Victorian town of Jim Thorpe 1 p.m. Have lunch at an outdoor � Asa Packer Mansion � Biking historic downtown AREA OVERVIEW Anchored by the town of Jim Thorpe, any guest to this region should begin at Old Mauch Chunk Landing, an orientation center of the Delaware & Lehigh National and State Heritage Corridor. Once the site of the historic Central Railroad of New Jersey Station, this building is now home to one of the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau’s Tourist Information Centers. Other key cities and towns worth exploring include Lehighton, Palmerton, Weatherly and White Haven. HISTORY AND HERITAGE The historical lifeblood of the region is coal and a visit to the No. 9 Mine & Museum in Lansford is a must. Here you can hop on board a working rail cart and view into one of America’s oldest and deepest coal mines. Follow the Delaware & Lehigh Trail to “experience where America was built.” Visitors to Jim Thorpe can also tour the Old Jail Museum and learn exactly who the infamous Molly Maguires were. CULTURAL ASSETS Coal brought great wealth to the region, evident in the Victorian mansions that still stand 22 POCONO MOUNTAINS VACATION GUIDE café on Broadway today. Tour the Asa Packer Mansion as 2:30 p.m. Go mountain biking well as the beautifully along the Lehigh Gorge Trail restored Mauch Chunk Opera House. Head to Penn’s Peak for some headliner entertainment or stroll along Historic Stone Row. SEASONAL NOTES Every season is special in Carbon County. But for mountain-biking enthusiasts and fans of fall foliage, autumn is a sure bet. Three major ski areas provide fun-filled winter snowsports. FUN FOR FAMILIES The whole family will go “whoohoo” for the choo-choo. Take in the entire region via the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. FOR NATURE LOVERS Hike in state parks such as Hickory Run and Lehigh Gorge and boat at Beltzville State Park or at Mauch Chunk Lake, raft the Lehigh River or mountain bike the 25-mile Lehigh Gorge Trail.
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