Easy Getaway: Bethlehem PA

One weekend we decided to take a detour on our way to Binghamton, NY and went through Bethlehem, in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania. I had read about this restaurant there called Bolete, and figured the only way to experience it, was to spend the night, because the last thing we wanted to do was eat a meal, and then drive a couple of hours. We made a booking at the restaurant, found a hotel to stay in, and hit the road. Other than being excited for Bolete, we had no expectations.

Bolete was amazing. It's in a 200 year old stone former stagecoach inn, and it's owned by a husband and wife team, Lee and Erin. He's the chef, she runs the front of the house. They are so kind and gracious, and made us feel at home immediately. But it was pretty clear that everyone there felt a part of their family. (Maybe the fact that they live upstairs has something to do with it?!) The food, the drink, everything was really stellar. They source everything from farms in the area, and have very close connections with all of the farmers--it was super exciting to see that the Lehigh Valley has so many great farms growing and raising responsibly. After dinner, we drove to the Hotel Bethlehem, and checked in.

Andy Warhol Museum

I'm going to do a whole post about Pittsburgh—where to stay, eat, what to do—but sometimes I think you just need one reason to go to a place, before you need to figure out all the details. So here's the one reason to make it to Pittsburgh: the Andy Warhol Museum. Let me first start out by saying that it wasn't the reason we came to Pittsburgh, and it wasn't something I was just dying to go to. It was epic--something like 5 or 6 floors which take you through his entire life, and wow, so well done. On the kid side of things, there's probably one of the best kid activity rooms I've ever seen in a museum. They call it The Factory, and you get to choose between several projects (see sign below to get a sense of the range). There's also a really cute cafe. One thing to be aware of if you're there with your kids is that there are some exhibits that are a little adult in nature--but you could just ask at the front desk what to steer clear of...Note: No one is allowed to take pictures within the main part of the museum, so I could only show here the cafe, the public entrance area, and The Factory. You'll have to trust me that the exhibition areas are epic.

Pennsylvania Dutch Country

So the last post I wrote was primarily for a friend who wanted ideas about how to best get to a wedding upstate. Well, a couple of weeks ago I was en route to Bedford, PA, and found some gems along Interstate 78. They are totally worth seeking out, if you're anywhere in the vicinity.

Deitrich's Meats: Wow. An amazing shop where you can pick up all things Pennsylvanian (well, in the food world), and get yourself some very good meat products. Bring a cooler. It's just 4 minutes off the highway.

Roadside America: I never thought I'd care about a miniature village. We drove past this place, but something told me to turn back and go in. We even hesitated when we saw that it was $6 each. But we sucked it up and did it, and wow, it was epic. This is one guy's dream, and he spent over 30 years building it. Totally inspiring, and so fun for kids. They can press buttons and make things move inside the village.

We Love Pennsylvania (Part 5)

We left Bedford Springs bright and early. What, sleep in, just because we're away from our kid for the weekend? Are you kidding? We had too many places we had to hit, and we had a 6pm deadline to be back in Brooklyn. First great stop, about an hour east of Bedford Springs, was the Fayetteville Antique Mall.

We also stopped in Adamstown, which was an antique row like I've never seen. Renningers was so nicely curated that it seemed more the flea market in Paris. Totally worth a day trip if you're looking for something(s) specific.