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Discover all that the nearby Pocono Mountains have to offer this season by taking your chances and entering to win.  Don't miss out on your chance to win 1 of 3 great Pocono Mountains Vacations and 1 of 6 Grand Prizes of a Super Fan Experience at Pocono Raceway!

You could soon be on your way to experience all of the fun, excitement, and beauty the Pocono Mountains has to offer. Our 3 great vacations are, Family Adventure where you can enjoy a fun and memorable family adventure discovering a host of exciting attractions and recreational activities, Outdoor Escape which gives you the opportunity to hike, bike, climb or raft your way through 2,400 square miles of scenic landscapes, and Golf Getaway where you can tee it up and challenge your skills at one of the more than 35 great courses found in the Pocono Mountains.

Pocono Raceway's unique 2.5-mile tri-oval track has challenged NASCAR's best since the first Cup Series race was held there in 1974.  Become a part of NASCAR history at Pocono by entering for a chance to win, two (2) Pocono Club tickets to the 8/2/09 NASCAR race, and a ride with a NASCAR driver in an Army Hummer from driver introductions to the driver's car prior to the start of the race.  Each Grand Prize winner will be paired with one of five past winners of Pocono races or the Fan Choice driver.  If their paired driver is the leader at the end of Lap #75, that Super Fan will win a Pocono Mountains Weekend Vacation package.  If none of the paired drivers are leading the race at the end of Lap #75, the paired driver leading or closest to the lead at the end of Lap #175 will win the Pocono Mountains Weekend Vacation package.  See Official Rules for complete details.

Last Sunday was one of those "so beautiful you want to bottle it and save it forever" days in the Pocono Mountains. So, my friend and I headed to Lehigh Gorge State Park for a day of mountain biking along the Lehigh River. He had bikes so we unloaded them about 11:00 a.m. at the Rockport Access Area, put on our helmets, and headed up the trail toward White Haven. We are both in pretty good shape but the trail is 8.6 miles one way and I hadn't been biking in years, so I wasn't quite sure how long I'd last.

It is a really smooth ride (the last mile up to White Haven is a bit rougher surface) with a very gradual incline on the way up. We stopped once to look at the canal locks, but otherwise kept peddling. It took about an hour to get to White Haven where we rewarded ourselves with lunch at Antonio's Pizzeria. It's right in the shopping plaza adjacent to the trail. We split a medium stromboli and still had leftovers! The ride back was slightly downhill all the way which made it nice and easy on the quad muscles and a great way to soak in the sunshine, the natural scents, and soothing sound of gentle river rapids.  Somewhere along the way back I was a carefree 14 years old again standing on my pedals and trying hands free (but not thank goodness simultaneously).  

Not having a bike shouldn't stop you. There are a number of Lehigh River Gorge area outfitters who will provide bikes, helmets, transportation, and advise you on the perfect trail options for your ability level.  

Do you have a favorite Pocono biking trail to share?

Our thanks to everyone who took the time to join us for Pocono Mountains Tourism Day on May 15^th.  We hope the day provided you with a great networking opportunity and lots of useful information. Congratulations to all of our Pocono Mountains Tourism Achievement Award winners and thanks to the staff of The Inn at Pocono Manor and our sponsors, Brides Magazine, Miles Media Group, Impaqt, and Right Reason Technologies.
 

We would love to hear your comments and suggestions for the future from those of you who did attend the event.