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If you know me personally, you know I am extremely passionate about food. I am generally a very light-hearted person but when it comes to meal time, I am all business.  If I could, I would probably spend the entire day eating, which is why Saturday's 6^th Annual Local Flavor Harvest Lake Stroll at Skytop Lodge is the perfect day for me!

Walk the stunning lake at Skytop Lodge while sampling the best of the local harvest from executive chefs at Andrew Moore's Stone Bar Inn, Skytop Lodge and The Frogtown Inn & 6 Acres Restaurant. These chefs will be presenting eight different stations full of palate pleasers such as Apple Cider French Onion Soup to Cedar Board Roasted Wild Salmon to Grilled Blue Tomato Filet and much more. My mouth is already watering from just talking about it! Each station is also paired with the perfect wines and do not forget about my favorite course... dessert. The Warm Apple and Cranberry Cobbler is sure to be a home run (Sorry for the baseball reference, I am still coping with the Phillies' loss). 

And do not feel any guilt about indulging in this delicious feast! Not only are you burning calories as you walk the lake, a donation of $25 from each ticket will go to the United Way of Monroe County to help local children and families. So head to Skytop Lodge on Saturday and indulge!

It's the beginning of November, and I find myself thinking about snow.  More specifically, I'm thinking about terrain parks, half pipes and chairlifts.  I'm thinking about fresh powder, lift tickets and heavy jackets.  Basically, I'm thinking about snowboarding.

I rescued my neglected Burton snowboard from under my bed, where it lay covered in dust.  A simple tightening of the binding screws will suffice to get the board in riding shape.  I might also wax it down if I find the time.  Most ski resorts plan to open around Thanksgiving.  Of course, the weather is unpredictable and you never know what the winter season will bring.  But rest assured there will ample time to hit the slopes. 

Last year our ski resorts saw record numbers in both visitors and length of the season.  So will it be Shawnee, Camelback, Blue Mountain, Jack Frost, Big Boulder, Alpine, Ski Big Bear or Tanglwood?  Each has something a little different to offer.  Maybe you want to try them all.  These resorts are so close to each other, I actually boarded down all eight of them in one day last year.  All eight!

Be sure to visit www.poconoski.com because people come from far and wide to experience what we have in our own backyard.  Our ski resorts produce every type of trail you could imagine, year after year.  November just started but I can't help but think ahead.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my goggles. 

Coming up with new blog ideas is not as easy as I thought it was going to be.  I'm sitting here wondering what exciting things did I do last week that I can share with everyone.  Hmmm...  I organized my kitchen cabinets Saturday morning and enjoyed  a wonderful dinner in NYC on Sunday evening, but that certainly doesn't qualify for a Pocono Mountains Socialista Blog, but it did get me thinking about all the great restaurants we have right here in our neighborhood.  From fast food to chains to gourmet restaurants, you can find just about anything you want in the Pocono Mountains.

Last week, I went to our new Olive Garden for the first time and was pleased that I did not have to wait to be seated.  I chose the mushroom ravioli in a light cream sauce as my entrée and finished the evening off with a nice hot cup of coffee.  Then, I skipped across the parking lot to pick up some new reading material from Borders.  I also had dinner at one of our hidden gems in East Stroudsburg.  Ichiban Oriental Restaurant (570) 420-0440, located in the Big K plaza is delightful.  Their sushi creations are truly works or art and their Chinese dishes are the best around (in my opinion). 

One of my all time favorite places to eat is Andrew Moore's Stone Bar Inn located in Snydersville.  The last time I dined there I started the evening with a delightful bottle of wine that complimented my mouth-watering crab cakes perfectly.  For special occasions, be sure to make a reservation and ask if the Chef's table is available.  It's a one of a kind experience dinning in the heart of the kitchen watching the masters at work.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

During the week, one of our favorite places to order lunch from is Moe's Southwest Grill .  There's just something great about picking up the phone ordering a tasty burrito (maybe 6 -8 burritos depending on how many of my co-workers are craving Moe's that day) and having it delivered right to your office with no mess and no fuss!  I can even claim to know the owners personally!  Check out their website and you just may see a familiar face...  Mine!  Give Karen a call, order some of their lip smacking cuisine and tell her Staci sent you!

I guarantee this is one of many blogs to come on dining establishments in the tranquil Pocono Mountains.  Next week I will tell you all about The Lounge at the Comfort Inn in Bartonsville.  Ciao for now...

According to the calendar, Veteran's Day will be observed on Wednesday, November 11. But, Mount Airy Casino Resort together with Rolling Thunder, a non-profit veterans organization, will be celebrating and saluting America's Veterans all weekend long.

The events will begin on Friday, November 6 at Mount Airy Casino Resort, located on Woodland Road in Mount Pocono, with "Red Shirt Friday." If you don't already have one of these special shirts that show support for our troops, they will be available to purchase at the Resort. The proceeds will go to benefit local Veteran charities. Join the National movement and wear RED on Fridays.

Be sure to Flash Back in time to the Vietnam era at 9 p.m. on Friday as Professor Louie and the Cromatrix bring back memories with The Spirit of Woodstock! Admission is $15.00. This is sure to be a show that you won't want to miss.

On Saturday, feel the roar and rumble of the dozens of Rolling Thunder motorcycles as they provide a military escort for disabled veterans from VA hospitals in order for them to take part in this wonderful event being held in their honor.

Saturday's headline attraction, Country Music Star Aaron Tippin will be on stage for two performances at 6 p.m. and again at 9 p.m. He is sure to remind us of how great it is to be an American as he performs his hit, "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly." Mount Airy will be providing one hundred tickets for the Tippin concerts so that disabled veterans will be able to attend at no cost.

Served up on Sunday will be a pancake breakfast at 9 a.m. - noon. Again, the proceeds will benefit veteran organizations.

In addition to all that I have mentioned, there will be military memorabilia displays both inside and outside including a Vietnam era helicopter and tank.

I have barely touched the surface of what will be taking place at Mount Airy this weekend, so please visit www.mountairycasino.com for more details as well as directions.

A special note to the Veterans of Monroe County, Monroe County Transportation and Pony Express who will be offering round trip service from your home to Mount Airy and home again. This service will be provided 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. For more information, please call 570.839.6282 x326.

Come on out this weekend and join the great folks at Mount Airy Casino Resort as they honor and salute our Veterans. I hope to see you there!

When I was asked to blog about a haunted site in the Pocono Mountains this week I knew hands down which one I would choose, The Inn at Buck Hill.

Originally built in 1901 in the middle of the gorgeous Buck Hill Falls community, the Inn consisted of 18 rooms. During the height of its popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, it grew to over 400 rooms and was named one of the top ten convention centers in the United States. It was a luxurious place to be and be seen. However, due to its popularity, several sites claim that 73 deaths, including many suicides and murders, took place in the Inn from its opening until its close in 1991.

While the Inn was still in operation, some visitors claim they would hear strange noises, witness ghosts, see things move by themselves and other paranormal activities. I cannot attest to these stories because one, I am too much of a chicken to venture anywhere near the Inn and two, it is illegal to trespass on the property.

However, one of my best friends lives in this community and I often pass the Inn at night. To me, the Inn is extremely creepy during the day, but it takes on a whole new sight in the nighttime. In some of the rooms of the Inn, there must be mirrors because every time I pass, I always see a light shine back at me. I am hoping that this is the reflection of my headlight. Otherwise, for my sanity, I am going to convince myself that it is.

Although the grandiose Inn has gorgeous architecture and historical beauty, there is something about the abandoned building that really makes my skin crawl. Drive past it and see for yourself but remember it is illegal to trespass on the property. Many people have tried this feat and have either been arrested or charged with a hefty fine.

Also, if you are in the market to buy, the property is for sale to anyone looking to restore the building into a hotel, luxury condominiums and/or townhomes. I just have one request of the future owner, please rid it of all the ghosts first.

Happy Halloween everyone and enjoy your weekend!

Zane Grey is mostly recognized for dramatizing the early American West.  He has become known as the "Father of the Western Novel".  His books often adorned the top seller list, and he grossed over $37 million in his lifetime.  The author began his writing career on the Lackawaxen River in the Pocono Mountains, simply detailing his fishing trips.  Throughout his life, he traveled great distances in search of giant fish, even owning many fishing records along the way.  Grey later moved out to California, but he always had a place in his heart for his home along the Lackawaxen.  Some say, he resides there to this day.

Visitors have claimed to see Zane in his house (now a museum), sitting at his writing chair.  Others report feeling a "presence" around them, as if being watched.  The apparition appears to mean no harm, and thus poses no threat to visitors.  Grey would talk about his love for the home, and how we never should have left it.  Perhaps he's making good on that statement.   

Ironically, while staying in his home in Lackawaxen, Grey wrote about the presence of ghosts to his wife.  He said, "Oh, Dolly, the rooms are haunted.  Those are our spirits there..." he continued, "For the first time I went into the room where my mother died.  Something strange came over me there..."  Now, almost 100 years later, the questions of paranormal activity turn to Zane himself. 

*Source:  Pocono Ghosts, Legends and Lore. Reading, Pa.: Exeter House Books, 1991. Print.

How do you explain things that go bump in the night or that eerie feeling you sometimes get that makes all the hair on the back of your neck stand up?  Or those mysterious flashes you catch in your peripheral vision making you believe that you are not alone?  What about those times you're walking to your car in the dark or getting the mail from the mailbox and you know something is lurking out there waiting to pounce on you.  Your heart starts to pound and the blood races through your veins.  You can't help but quicken your pace, hold your breath, slam the door and lock it before breathing again.   Are these manifestations made up in our sub-conscious minds or are they signs from the world of the paranormal? 

October is a scary month for many reasons. One, it gets cold which is scary for me because I hate to be cold.  Two, the leaves fall off the trees leaving us with tree carcasses where once beautiful landscaping stood. And three, October brings us witches, ghost, goblins and stories from the dark side. 

Ghost stories have been a significant part of our Pocono Mountains history.  Books have been written about the haunting of our resorts, the unexplained whispering heard in the bogs and forests and the mysterious disappearance of entire families.  Folk lore or non-fiction, we may never know  if these stories are true, but if you are looking for a scary treat this Halloween join the Pocono Paranormal Research Team at Skytop Lodge for the resorts Spoo-Tacular event this weekend.   According to John Hotchkiss of the Pocono Paranormal Research team, there are certain areas of Skytop that are definitely HAUNTED.

Why not pack your bags and spend a few nights listening for the voices from beyond, searching for the ghosts of guests past or making your own haunting memories.  This is a perfect weekend for a "trip-and-treat" to the Pocono Mountains! 

Give me your ideas for next week's blog!  Ciao for now!

Having lived in the Pocono Mountains my entire life, I have heard many legends and lore of the area's alleged hauntings. These stories have always fascinated me and with Halloween just around the corner, I thought that it might be fun to visit a few of the places which are said to have resident ghosts.

So... my friend and I decided to have a ghoul's night out. We had a "spooktacular" time and began our evening at the Legendary Tannersville Inn, located on Route 611 in Tannersville, for early dinner. (The Inn's food is delicious.) This old Inn dates back to 1847 and as the story goes, at least one of the original guests has yet to check out! According to the Inn's general manager, a young colonial boy was hit by a stagecoach and carried into the Inn. A short time later, the boy's life on this earth expired inside the Inn. We were told that someone staying in one of the rooms awoke to a boy dressed in colonial clothing standing at the foot of the bed. The same child has also been sighted in the restaurant/bar area. The hotel part of the Inn is no longer in operation but when it was it had 13 rooms. How creepy is that?

Our evening continued at The Hotel of Horror in Saylorsburg, a popular choice for today's terror of excitement! A once upscale inn and restaurant, which is said to have been haunted for as far back as I can remember, is open for guests, if you dare. It will frighten even the bravest of souls. The actors have been spooked by spooks.  Many spirits are believed to reside here. It may have been my imagination but as I was finding my way down one of the stairways, I felt a cold spot. The chill went right through me. Oh and did you see my photo... after life is present! Make an advance reservation and get your "fast pass" to discover what lies beneath those blood-soaked walls.

One would think that my appetite for the paranormal would have been satisfied, at least until next Halloween but, there was one more place that I had to visit, Memorytown located on Grange Road in Mount Pocono. Memorytown is of special interest to me as it was the estate of my great-great grandparents. The property became a popular resort. The bar and restaurant remain open to the public and although accommodations are no longer offered, it is believed that three guests have stayed on. One of which is known as the "Lady in Gray", a fair skinned older woman all dressed in gray that appears to be sewing. Could this be my great-grandma?

There are many places in our four-county, Pocono Mountains region that are believed to have paranormal activity. Is it possible that no matter where you may be this Halloween season that you may not be alone even if you think you are? HAPPY HAUNTINGS!!!

I'm a self proclaimed scaredy-cat.  I'm also a glutton for punishment.  I get scared so easily, yet I insist on doing things that scare me.   Where is the logic in that?  For example, I hate watching scary movies.  So what do I do?  I watch them...all alone...at night.  Another thing that freaks me out, but I HAVE to do it is to drive down Route 191 past the intersection of Route 715.  I guess I better explain...

On the corner of Route 715 and 191 stands what is left of the creepy old Henryville House.  Although most of it has been demolished, there are still a few buildings left on the property, as well as a big eerie gap where this once prominent resort stood.  Prior to it being torn down, my husband and I would slow down when we drove by so we could get a good look at it, hoping to see something out of the ordinary.  We never did see anything but stories involving death, suicide, ghostly sites and frightening noises are synonymous with the Henryville House.

According to many locals, the property was active with supernatural occurrences.  Legend has it that the hotel was haunted by several adult male and female ghosts, as well as a few children.  It has been said that many tragic events occurred while the hotel was still in business. One of the stories is about a hotel maid who ended her life by hanging herself.  I have heard the stories about what sounds like children laughing and playing in the abandoned building, and was told that if you bring lollipops and teddy bears to the building you would see these particular items move on their own.

I don't know if the property is haunted but it most certainly is spooky to look at and it gives off a very creepy vibe.  If you happen to be driving in that area, take a look.  But beware it is private property, trespassing is not allowed.  Maybe someone should tell that to the ghosts! 

I would absolutely love to know about more scary places and stories.  If you have them, be sure to share them!  Until next time, have a safe and happy Halloween!

Let me start off my blog by letting everyone in on a secret… I am a huge scardey-cat. Yes, I am 22 years old and I still refuse to watch scary movies because I will get nightmares. And with Halloween around the corner, you won’t find me at any Haunted Houses. However, there is slightly spooky experience (at least to me) in the Pocono Mountains that I thoroughly do enjoy, the Old Jail Museum.

This Jim Thorpe former county jail was actually operating until 1995 and is full of history. Most famous is the story of the Molly Maguires where the seven Irish coal miners were hung here in the 1880s. It is said one of the seven placed his dirty handprint on the wall to proclaim his innocence. After years of washing, painting and even re-plastering the wall, it is still clearly visible. Trust me, I’ve seen it with my eyes and it is clear as day.

During the cell tour I am usually ok, but the dungeon makes my heart beat out of my chest. I think my record of staying down in this area may be a whopping two minutes! You walk down a stairwell into a dark, open room with two dim lights on the wall. This is the area where they used to house prisoners who misbehaved and their shackles can even still be seen on the walls. Be sure to ask the tour guides about some great ghost stories they have experienced down here.

The haunted stories the tour guides tell is probably the best part of the entire trip. Many of the guides have had their own personal sightings or spine-shivering stories they have heard from touring patrons. All of them give me the goose bumps!

The Old Jail Museum is such a great addition to Jim Thorpe because it is a piece of history. Its purpose is not purely for entertainment, but to educate the community and visitors of what actually went on in the jail during its operation.

Although the Jail’s normal operating hours are from Memorial Day through Labor Day, be sure to stop by the jail during their Halloween tours this Saturday and next from 6:30-9:00 p.m. However you won’t see me there, scardey-cats keep to the daytime tours.

Have a great weekend!