[Previous entry: "Foxwoods Resort and Casino, Mashuntucket, CT"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Atlantic City, Mount Vernon, New York City"]

10/03/2004 Archived Entry: "Mystery Tour to Coal Country"

Last Wednesday I drove for a company "Mystery Tour" to visit the coal region in eastern Pennsylvania. Mystery tours are great -- you can't make a wrong turn, because you're the only one who knows where you're headed! It's also fun to tease the group, and listen to them speculate about where they're headed. This was the second mystery tour I've done; the first one was a four day trip to the Amish and Swiss areas of Ohio in the spring.

Our first stop was the No. 9 Coal Mine in Lansford, PA. We rode "man cars," the tiny railroad cars that took the miners into the mines, several hundred yards into the mine. Following the tour of the mine and the museum there, we visited a Greek Catholic church in Shenandoah, PA, complete with a wonderful meal served by the ladies of the church. We also visited a kielbasy manufacturer, and then my favorite stop of the day, Jerry's Classic Cars and Collectibles museum in Pottsville, PA (photos above right and at left). The museum not only included about a dozen and a half restored cars mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, but also lots of memorabilia from that same time period, beautifully displayed throughout the museum. As you can see from the photo, there isn't a lot of parking -- I was able to pull the coach off the road right next to the museum (directed by Jerry, himself), but then had to back out onto the street when we left -- Jerry stood in the middle of the street to stop traffic and direct me out. A great stop, though, if you're ever in Pottsville!