Food scene
Local and nearby restaurants
Upscale farm to table restaurant nearby. Chef owned and operated. Sunday brunch is a treat.
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Curious Goods
7705 Bake Oven RdUpscale farm to table restaurant nearby. Chef owned and operated. Sunday brunch is a treat.
Local distillery making apple jack, rum, gin, rye, vodka. Specialty cocktails, food and live music. Open Thursday to Sunday. Check out the Sunday brunch!
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Eight Oaks Farm Distillery
7189 PA-309Local distillery making apple jack, rum, gin, rye, vodka. Specialty cocktails, food and live music. Open Thursday to Sunday. Check out the Sunday brunch!
Great place for locally grow organic produce, freshly baked sour dough bread and local crafts. Deli sandwiches, limited breakfast sandwiches. Locally produced Kombucha.
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Wanamakers General Store
8888 Kings HwyGreat place for locally grow organic produce, freshly baked sour dough bread and local crafts. Deli sandwiches, limited breakfast sandwiches. Locally produced Kombucha.
New Tripoli Hotel
6799 Madison StIf you want a beer and a cheese steak and fries, this is the place.
Craft beers and casual menu. My favorite dish is polenta with cheese and wild mushrooms topped with fresh broccoli.
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Kutztown Tavern
272 W Main StCraft beers and casual menu. My favorite dish is polenta with cheese and wild mushrooms topped with fresh broccoli.
Craft beers and delicious menu with some vegetarian offerings. Open Thursday through Sunday.
1787 Brewing Company
43 S Fourth StCraft beers and delicious menu with some vegetarian offerings. Open Thursday through Sunday.
Local diner for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The ice cream is great! Open Thursday to Sunday.
Katie's Family Restaurant
6397 PA-309Local diner for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The ice cream is great! Open Thursday to Sunday.
Local CSA open to public on Saturdays. Brick oven baked sour dough bread, pizza, baked goods, lamb, beef, eggs, and whole milk. Veggies!
Willow Haven Farm
7686 Herber RdLocal CSA open to public on Saturdays. Brick oven baked sour dough bread, pizza, baked goods, lamb, beef, eggs, and whole milk. Veggies!
Local vineyard 3 miles from The Shanty. Wine tastings.
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Blue Mountain Vineyards
7627 Grape Vine DrLocal vineyard 3 miles from The Shanty. Wine tastings.
Funky diner that is an old wooden Art Deco diner. You’ve never seen anything like it! Menu offerings are staggeringly large and artery clogging, but maybe one visit won’t hurt? It’s very small so go early to avoid waiting for a seat.
Letterman's Diner
242 W Main StFunky diner that is an old wooden Art Deco diner. You’ve never seen anything like it! Menu offerings are staggeringly large and artery clogging, but maybe one visit won’t hurt? It’s very small so go early to avoid waiting for a seat.
Great menu, great views from the large windows and you can watch skiers ski down the mountain. Outside dining.
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Slopeside Pub & Grill
1660 Blue Mountain DrGreat menu, great views from the large windows and you can watch skiers ski down the mountain. Outside dining.
Delicious Thai food 20 minutes from the Shanty. It’s BYOB and a wine and spirit store is two doors away.
Thai Avenue Restaurant
4791 Tilghman StDelicious Thai food 20 minutes from the Shanty. It’s BYOB and a wine and spirit store is two doors away.
C.J. Hummels Restaurant
28 Willow StLocal favorite for lunch and dinner. 18 minute drive from the Shanty.
Weathered Vineyards
7670 Carpet RdFriday night live music, wine and a food truck for a light meal.
Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes. The sushi is great. Singapore Noodles are my favorite.
China House II
4515 PA-309Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes. The sushi is great. Singapore Noodles are my favorite.
Open Thursday through Monday. Less than 10 minutes from the Shanty. In warm months there is great seating out back. The Appalachian Trail crosses at the east end of its parking lot. If you start and end your hike here, you can have a beer afterwards!
Thunderhead Lodge
2520 West Penn PikeOpen Thursday through Monday. Less than 10 minutes from the Shanty. In warm months there is great seating out back. The Appalachian Trail crosses at the east end of its parking lot. If you start and end your hike here, you can have a beer afterwards!
Sightseeing
Known as the Switzerland of Pennsylvania, it was the setting for the Sean Connery movie The Molly Maguires. Historic. Lots of restaurants. Museums. Steam railroad. Hiking. Asa Packer Mansion.
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Jim Thorpe
Known as the Switzerland of Pennsylvania, it was the setting for the Sean Connery movie The Molly Maguires. Historic. Lots of restaurants. Museums. Steam railroad. Hiking. Asa Packer Mansion.
Ontelaunee Park
7344 Kings HwyHistoric pioneer village. Playground, picnic area, walking path.
If you like history, take a short ride from Kempton to Wanamakers on this old railroad. You can disembark in Wanamakers, have lunch there and get the train back on the next trip. Sundays. $12 for adults. Trips at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.
WK&S Railroad
42 Community Center DrIf you like history, take a short ride from Kempton to Wanamakers on this old railroad. You can disembark in Wanamakers, have lunch there and get the train back on the next trip. Sundays. $12 for adults. Trips at 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.
This is one of the stops on the covered bridge tour of the Lehigh Valley. You can find the self-guided tour brochure at https://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/things-to-do/tours/covered-bridge-tour/
There are seven covered bridges. Five of them are open to traffic and two are pedestrian traffic only. It will take you several hours and the tour is about 50 miles long. Many places for a picnic lunch and the scenery is beautiful. K
Il-Park tal-Ponti Mkejjfa
2465 Wehr Mill RdThis is one of the stops on the covered bridge tour of the Lehigh Valley. You can find the self-guided tour brochure at https://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/things-to-do/tours/covered-bridge-tour/
There are seven covered bridges. Five of them are open to traffic and two are pedestrian traffic only. It will take you several hours and the tour is about 50 miles long. Many places for a picnic lunch and the scenery is beautiful. K
Allentown has a wonderful art museum. Recently a painting, part of the museum's collection since 1961, thought to be painted by a student of Rembrandt, was discovered to actually be a Rembrandt. The painting, Portrait of a Young Woman, has been restored and has been displayed since June, 2020. The library from the Francis W. Little House by architect Frank Lloyd Wright is a favorite of locals. There are three floors of collections of textiles, fine art, sculpture, photography, paintings and decorative arts, as well as a nice gift shop and cafe. Admission is free on Sundays from 12 - 4 p.m. and the third Thursday of each month after 5 pm. Otherwise, admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.
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Allentown Art Museum
31 N 5th StAllentown has a wonderful art museum. Recently a painting, part of the museum's collection since 1961, thought to be painted by a student of Rembrandt, was discovered to actually be a Rembrandt. The painting, Portrait of a Young Woman, has been restored and has been displayed since June, 2020. The library from the Francis W. Little House by architect Frank Lloyd Wright is a favorite of locals. There are three floors of collections of textiles, fine art, sculpture, photography, paintings and decorative arts, as well as a nice gift shop and cafe. Admission is free on Sundays from 12 - 4 p.m. and the third Thursday of each month after 5 pm. Otherwise, admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors and students.
Neighborhoods
Kutztown University is here. Good selection of restaurants, independent book store, coffee shop, clothes shopping, natural foods store, Pennsylvania Dutch Cultural Center, home of the annual Kutztown Folk Festival at end of June, Kutztown University Concert Series, and a craft brewery.
Kutztown
Kutztown University is here. Good selection of restaurants, independent book store, coffee shop, clothes shopping, natural foods store, Pennsylvania Dutch Cultural Center, home of the annual Kutztown Folk Festival at end of June, Kutztown University Concert Series, and a craft brewery.
Activities and Sports
A beautiful lake for fishing, kayaking and canoeing, picnicking, walking. Three different launches. Ask me for directions.
There’s a 4.5 mile loop trail to take you around the whole lake. Parts of the trail might be wet. Lots of long grass, so wear long pants and use bug spray! Picnic sites available. Public restrooms. No running water.
Fishing is very good, catch and release only. A superb muskelunge fishery! Ice fishing can be terrific, too.
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Leaser Lake Park
A beautiful lake for fishing, kayaking and canoeing, picnicking, walking. Three different launches. Ask me for directions.
There’s a 4.5 mile loop trail to take you around the whole lake. Parts of the trail might be wet. Lots of long grass, so wear long pants and use bug spray! Picnic sites available. Public restrooms. No running water.
Fishing is very good, catch and release only. A superb muskelunge fishery! Ice fishing can be terrific, too.
Raptor sanctuary. Hiking trails. Lookout. Bird watching. $10 fee payable at the Visitor Center. Visitor Center has some nice displays, classes, demonstrations and a gift shop with books, clothing, mugs, cute stuffed animals.
https://www.hawkmountain.org
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Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
1700 Hawk Mountain RdRaptor sanctuary. Hiking trails. Lookout. Bird watching. $10 fee payable at the Visitor Center. Visitor Center has some nice displays, classes, demonstrations and a gift shop with books, clothing, mugs, cute stuffed animals.
https://www.hawkmountain.org
Nature displays, gardens, hiking and walking paths. Located on the Lehigh River very near to where the Appalachian Trail crosses.
https://lgnc.org
Lehigh Gap Nature Center
8844 Paint Mill RdNature displays, gardens, hiking and walking paths. Located on the Lehigh River very near to where the Appalachian Trail crosses.
https://lgnc.org
Links style 18-hole golf course 5 minutes from The Shanty. Also has a 9-hole par 3 course, a practice range and restaurant. Wedding venue. Historic buildings incorporated in the course include a one-room school house.
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Olde Homestead Golf Club
6598 PA-309Links style 18-hole golf course 5 minutes from The Shanty. Also has a 9-hole par 3 course, a practice range and restaurant. Wedding venue. Historic buildings incorporated in the course include a one-room school house.
Challenging hike to the highest peak nearby. You'll be rewarded with fantastic views.
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Pinnacle Trail Head, AT access
400 Reservoir RdChallenging hike to the highest peak nearby. You'll be rewarded with fantastic views.
From the website: "The Valley Preferred Cycling Center is the premiere velodrome in the United States – offering thrilling professional and amateur track racing as well as robust community programming designed to get more people on bikes in a safe and fun setting. We host the cycling community year round – from weekly group rides to cyclocross races and gravel races!" For information on training and weekend racing, check out the website. About a 30 minute drive from The Shanty.
http://thevelodrome.com
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Valley Preferred Cycling Center
1151 Mosser RdFrom the website: "The Valley Preferred Cycling Center is the premiere velodrome in the United States – offering thrilling professional and amateur track racing as well as robust community programming designed to get more people on bikes in a safe and fun setting. We host the cycling community year round – from weekly group rides to cyclocross races and gravel races!" For information on training and weekend racing, check out the website. About a 30 minute drive from The Shanty.
http://thevelodrome.com
Saturday and Sunday rentals for kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes. http://leaserlake.com. Text or call Jamie at 484-221-1522.
Leaser Lake Boats, Bikes & Bait
Saturday and Sunday rentals for kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes. http://leaserlake.com. Text or call Jamie at 484-221-1522.
From All Trails: "Bake Oven Knob via Appalachian Trail is a 0.8 mile out and back trail located near Germansville, Pennsylvania that features a great forest setting. The trail is rated as moderate and is primarily used for hiking, walking, trail running, and nature trips. "
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Bake Oven Knob
Appalachian National Scenic TrailFrom All Trails: "Bake Oven Knob via Appalachian Trail is a 0.8 mile out and back trail located near Germansville, Pennsylvania that features a great forest setting. The trail is rated as moderate and is primarily used for hiking, walking, trail running, and nature trips. "
I have never visited Tuscarora State Park, but several guests have gone swimming there this summer and had a wonderful time. It is in Barnesville and is a 30 minute drive from The Shanty. You can hike, swim, fish or picnic at the park.
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Tuscarora State Park
687 Tuscarora Park RdI have never visited Tuscarora State Park, but several guests have gone swimming there this summer and had a wonderful time. It is in Barnesville and is a 30 minute drive from The Shanty. You can hike, swim, fish or picnic at the park.
The border trail is 9 miles of steep trails and if you’re in shape it’s a fantastic hike. There are flatter and shorter trails and you might see some bison!
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Trexler Nature Preserve
4935 Orchard RdThe border trail is 9 miles of steep trails and if you’re in shape it’s a fantastic hike. There are flatter and shorter trails and you might see some bison!
Antiquing
Several fun antique and collectible establishments to browse and enjoy the memories from your childhood.
New Ringgold
Several fun antique and collectible establishments to browse and enjoy the memories from your childhood.
Lots of antique booths to browse. Also Pennsylvania Dutch eateries, local butcher shops, coffee, baked goods, fresh veggies and fruit.
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Renninger's Antique and Farmers' Market
740 Noble StLots of antique booths to browse. Also Pennsylvania Dutch eateries, local butcher shops, coffee, baked goods, fresh veggies and fruit.
Fleetwood Antique Mall
14129 Kutztown RdLarge, well organized and expansive. Fun to explore. Good prices.
Closest place to The Shanty for antique hunting. 7 minutes away. Household items, furniture, toys, collectibles.
Snyder’s Second Chances
6185 PA-309Closest place to The Shanty for antique hunting. 7 minutes away. Household items, furniture, toys, collectibles.