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Home Travel Heart Happy Getaways
Heart Happy Getaways PDF Print E-mail
Written by MaryAnn Miano   

    Taking care of heart health means proper nutrition, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle. Taking care of our romantic heart also promotes health. Good emotions are good for the heart and can help keep coronary heart disease at bay. Let Valentine’s Day be your motivation for a weekend vacation to lighten your heart.Image


Mid-winter blues are in full swing. Warm, sunny beaches may not be feasible destinations. There is a way to have a respite in the middle of these cold, dreary days, a way to run away from it all and be spontaneous without going too far. So grab your honey, pack your warm clothing, hop in the car, and capture two enchanting history filled towns not far from home.  

    Within a two-hour drive from Monmouth County lies a quaint, scenic village in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, known as Jim Thorpe. Dubbed “America’s Little Switzerland,” the town nestles in the hillside amidst three mountains with the Lehigh River running through its center and is one of the prettiest in Pennsylvania. Originally a coal town and settled in 1815 as Mauch Chunk (Bear Mountain), it changed its name to Jim Thorpe in 1954.
    For your quiet getaway, you will find several bed & breakfast establishments in the area. For a truly romantic experience, try The Inn at Jim Thorpe. Dave Drury, the innkeeper and his staff are dedicated to creating a wonderful experience for guests. Admire the ornate, New Orleans grand balcony-inspired Victorian building, which is more like vacationing in the South than in the Pocono Mountains.  The quaint charm and rustic atmosphere are delightful.
    Filled with antique furnishings, the warm and cozy rooms are inviting. The hotel offers wonderful packages such as ski packages, Murder Mystery Dinner Show Weekends, Emerald Fling, Romantic Couples, Girls Night Out weekends and a unique Valentine’s Package. The Valentine’s Package includes a special dinner Saturday night, a full body massage, and a bottle of wine for your room. The Inn features its own Emerald Restaurant and Molly Maguire’s Pub.
    Take a short stroll up Broadway on Saturday nights to The Mauch Chunk Opera House, an historic venue with live shows. If you are inclined to travel to Jim Thorpe for Valentine’s Day weekend, there will be a Billy Joel tribute. After the show, walk over to Race Street and The Black Bread Café’s Martini Bar and Upstairs Lounge for more live entertainment. Through the Looking Glass, opposite the Opera House, features open mike nights. 
    For those who ski, you can reach the Blue Mountain or Jack Frost Mountain within a 20-25 minute drive from town. If you are more inclined to participate in “retail therapy,” you can easily while away the hours shopping in the historic district of Broadway. Take a look inside The Gem Shop. Filled with the latest designs in costume jewelry, it was an effort to walk out with only a single pair of sparkle-filled earrings and a beautiful necklace. Soapathecary carries an interesting assortment of biodegradable body products, manicures, pedicures, and hair styling, so be sure to pamper yourself!
    With church bells ringing, you can meander along Broadway for clothing shops, art galleries, and places to dine, such as Antonio’s Pizzeria or vegetarian Café Origins. Visit Carbon County’s 1893 Courthouse with an hourly chiming clock tower or discover an old-fashioned 5 and 10. Step into the lovely terra-cotta cottage style Dimmick Memorial Library for quiet time. 
    Behind Broadway is a narrow street called Race Street. You will find “Stone Row,” 16 row houses built in 1848 by Asa Packer, a wealthy industrialist who founded the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Dine in the upscale Black Bread Café, featuring Northern Italian Cuisine. Spend some time at the Big Creek Vineyard wine shop for some wine tasting from their vineyard located in Kresgeville, PA. The Country Cottage is also located along Race Street, where you will find homemade pickles and jams, antiques, and knick-knacks.
    Some of the historic sites’ tours are closed in winter, but it is worth the walk up a hill to gawk at the Asa Packer Mansion and get a fantastic view of the town. Right next to this mansion is the huge and spooky Harry Packer Mansion. Disney modeled their Haunted House attraction after Harry Packer’s. Today the Mansion is used as a Bed & Breakfast and is most noted for their Murder Mystery Weekends

    If you are willing to drive a bit further than Pennsylvania, head north to a colder to Vermont. where peace and tranquility await you in a secluded town known as Arlington. Within a four-hour drive lay the snow-topped mountain range of the Green Mountains. The often snow covered ground muffles the sound of the few cars on the main roads, offering you perfect solitude. 
    Arlington stands alongside the Batten Kill River. It has been home to numerous artists and writers. Poet Robert Frost and composer Carl Ruggles lived in an old schoolhouse there. The town was also home to the famous Norman Rockwell. He used many of the townspeople as models for his illustrations. See the Arlington Gallery displaying more than 500 of his illustrations. Rockwell has said of Vermont, “Who is there, I wonder, who doesn’t want to escape from the speed and rudeness of today’s living…and run back into the hills where nature goes along in its own ageless, inimitable way to refresh us…within and without.” 
    Arlington and the surrounding towns are dotted with many bed & breakfasts from the luxurious to the rustic, but one outstanding century-old inn, called The West Mountain Inn   makes it the ideal spot for your romantic mini-vacation. Tucked in the heart of Arlington’s country lanes, deep woods, and high mountainsides, the remoteness offers the retreat you crave. The Inn is very hospitable and welcomes you to its antique filled guest rooms. As a note of interest, the actor Michael J. Fox married Tracy Pollan in a private ceremony at the West Mountain Inn in 1988. 
Amie Emmons, owner and innkeeper says, “I think what romantic couples really enjoy about visiting the Inn is the peace and relaxation that comes from our wonderful setting and warm atmosphere. We have some very romantic guest rooms with fireplaces and canopy beds, but often couples will spend time just hanging out in our living room with a good bottle of wine! Aside from sleigh rides, couples often enjoy snowshoeing on our trails, snowmobiling nearby, shopping in Manchester or visiting one of the local museums and galleries.”
    The West Mountain Inn offers terrific gourmet fare. Enjoy a full country breakfast or a scrumptious 5-course dinner in their romantically warm and cozy wood-paneled dining area. The food is amazing--New England cuisine has never been tastier when prepared by their chefs.  
Over 150 hiking and cross country ski trails are on the property, but if you prefer to remain indoors, spacious common rooms, game rooms, and a pub are all provided in the main house. You can cuddle with a book or your soul mate near the crackling fireplace or engage in conversation with other guests for a relaxing evening. Lazily gaze at the picturesque view overlooking the mountains and valley.
Nearby are the Stratton and Bromley Mountains for skiers. Shopping abounds in Manchester Center with a sprawl of excellent outlets for big-name retailers including Armani, Brooks Brothers, Cole Haan, Timberland, Dior, Anne Klein, to name  a few. In Bennington, you can find over 120 antique dealers, a movie theater, and the1940’s style Blue Benn Diner. Excellent pancakes with interesting flavor combinations have made the diner famous. 
    Once you have experienced the breathtaking views, beautiful scenery, and crisp mountain air, chances are you will want to linger with your special someone in this corner of Vermont for a long time.  Keep your heart healthy this winter--with warm people, a toasty fire, sizzling conversation, and some “hot nights” in these nearby locales.

 


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