Archive for June 2025
A Hike On The West Rim Trail At The Historic Skytop Lodge In The Poconos
A month ago I never heard of Skytop Lodge. Well I know about it now after spending my first stay t at this historic and beautiful environmentally friendly lodge. I first heard about Skytop Lodge when I learned the Wilkes Barre Law and Library Association, of which I’ve been a member for 42 years, was…
Read MoreFinally A Sunny May Afternoon And A Hike At The Susquehanna Wetlands
It’s has been a cool and rainy month of May here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Last Friday we finally got a break in the clouds and some sunshine. I took advantage of the rare May sunshine this year and drove to the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County. The access gate was finally open and…
Read MoreRain, A Gala Celebration And Hikes To Goose Pond. A Great Weekend At Skytop Lodge
I only spent two days at the historic and beautiful Skytop Lodge. But, despite some heavy rains and cold winds , they were a wonderful two days. I enjoyed the ambiance of the elegant lodge and grounds, the many hiking trail in the pristine wilderness surrounding the lodge and the gala diner dance celebrating the…
Read MoreA Birthday, A Bear, Birds And Snakes At Egypt Meadows And Bruce Lake In The Promised Land State Park
After leaving the Skytop Lodge, and enjoying a birthday breakfast with a friend at the Tom’s Country Kitchen Diner in Mountian Home, I drove to the nearby Promised Land State Park. I was staying the night at the quaint and comfortable Rex Hotel. I stayed here last Summer and I love this place. There…
Read MoreA Couple Of June Hikes On The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
June is here already. The calendar says it is still Spring but, to me, June usually feels more like Summer. It did this past week when we finally got some warm weather with sunshine and temperatures in the 80’s. It has been a mostly cool,wet and cloudy Spring here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I took advantage…
Read MoreThe Periodical Cicadas Are Back! I Found Them On My First Hike In State Game Lands 52 In Berks County.
I was expecting to see some cicadas this year here in Pennsylvania. Well, I do every Summer. The annual or dog day cicada nymphs emerge every year in mid Summer from their 2 year life underground where they were feeding on roots. The crawl form the soil and molt into their adult phase. The…
Read MoreThe Mountain Laurel Is Starting To Bloom. A Hike To The Tank Hollow Overlook In Carbon County.
June is my favorite month for a lot of reasons. One of them is mountain laurel, Pennsylvania’s State Flower. This evergreen member of the heath family, which includes azaleas, blueberries, cranberries, huckleberries and rhododendrons, covers the mountains of Pennsylvania with its white to pinkish flowers in early to mid June. The exact time and intensity…
Read MoreThe Mountain Laurel Is Ready To Put On A Great Show This Year At The Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails
After visiting State Game Lands 41 in Carbon County on Tuesday I knew it was going to be a good year for the mountain laurel. Mountain laurel is our state flower and is related to huckleberries, blueberries, azaleas, cranberries and rhododendrons. Mountain laurel blooms from early to mid June here in Northeastern Pennsylvania depending on…
Read MoreSigns Of The Approaching Summer On A Walk In The Susquehanna Wetlands
It was over two weeks since I last visited the Susquehanna Wetlands in Salem Township, Luzerne County. And two weeks is a long time in late Spring. The Susquehanna Wetlands and Riverlands are my favorite places to hike and explore nature. In Spring the wetlands awaken and it seems every day a new flower blooms,…
Read MoreIt’s Hard To Believe, My Last Hike This Spring In The Susquehanna Wetlands
I haven’t done a lot of hiking in the Susquehanna Wetlands and Riverlands this Spring. And Spring is almost over. I usually am there at least once a week. However, I did a lot of traveling this year and we had a lot of rain here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I was here last Thursday and…
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