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by Tracee Sioux & Jeremy
Thornton
 Formerly known
as Mauch Chunk, this mountain village was once one of the richest towns in America,
built on coal mining and railroads. Set in the beautiful western Pocono Mountains,
its rich culture, European feel, and natural scenery led to its nickname "the Switzerland
of America," and it has been a tourist destination since the mid-1800s. Now, almost
200 years later, this very walkable Victorian village offers a rich history and
a wealth of activities for the outdoors enthusiast.
Who was Jim Thorpe? One
would logically assume the name was derived from a town hero. A Native American
icon and one of the most popular sports figures of the first half of the 20th century,
Jim Thorpe was an Olympic gold medalist, professional baseball and football star,
and the first president of the National Football League. In the mid-1900s, the town
of Mauch Chunk became impoverished as the mining industry declined, and in an act
of desperation for tourism dollars, changed its name to honor him.
 In actuality, Jim Thorpe had never
been in the town. But when no other place would erect a suitable memorial to this
American hero, the town council negotiated with his family to exhume his body, move
his grave and erect a monument in his honor. In 1954, a fitting tribute to America?s
greatest athlete was dedicated, the town changed its name, and the name Mauch Chunk
slipped away into history.
Incidentally, the town
didn't gain the reknown it had hoped for with the name change. It wasn't until the
mid-'80s that the Chamber of Commerce became proactive about changing the town's
image, and started drawing tourists to the town's unique attractions and history.
Once run down, the same Main St. façade is now charming and quaint and being snatched
up by artists and shop owners, and the residential areas surrounding the beautiful
downtown are home to new transplants and generations of locals, as well as second
homes for many urbanites.
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THINGS
TO DO
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See more info
on activities and businesses
Home to America's first
railroad and rollercoaster (the Switchback—now a great walking
& biking trail), Jim Thorpe thrives on history, folklore, and legendary gossip.
You will undoubtedly
run into residents like amateur historian Mike Gillespie, spinning charming tales
of the town in yesteryear. Pick up more information at the tourist info center inside
the beautiful old train station downtown.
Go
up Race Street and then back down Broadway. Notable gift
shops include the Country Cottage, Everything
Nice, Horizons, and Nature's
Trail. Ethnic shops, including Flights
of Fancy (S. American art) and the Treasure
Shop (Irish imports) offer an international flavor.
And antiques are big here: about a dozen shops feature old-time
artifacts: Anne's Early Attic, Opera
Square Antiques and HomeSpun are
more traditional, while old stuff gets artistic at places
like Natural Impressions and Rosemary
Remembrances.
While
you?re walking around there are several places to buy a
cup of coffee or snack, and if you need your daily dose
of NY Times (or other paper), stop by Dugan's
store. Ambling through the narrow streets, you will also
notice a concentration of artists? studios and galleries—Jim
Thorpe has attracted many artistic folk, some of whom are
well-known. (Note that Friday to Sunday are the best days
to find everything open, as Tuesday seems to be the locals'
day off.)
Several historic sites in town offer glimpses into the past, especially the famous
Old Jail Museum (left), where the Molly Maguires were hanged in
1877. See the mysterious hand print on the wall from 10 am to 4:30 pm daily (May
- Oct). Learn about the multi-millionaire, entrepreneur and philanthropist Asa Packer
and his lasting legacy at the astonishingly unchanged Asa Packer Mansion,
built in 1861 and open 11 am to 4:15 pm, seven days a week, May through November.
The Mauch Chunk Museum features a great collection of local history,
including a lot of info on Jim Thorpe (the man) and a model of the Switchback railroad.
See one of the world's
largest model train displays in the Hooven Mercantile Company Building.
Also visit the gift shop in the same building, open "til we run out of people,"
according to the storeowner. At the Train Station on weekends (May - Dec), hop a
train ride into the scenic Lehigh Gorge on one-hour excursion trains.
Adult tickets are $11, kids' are $8.
For the adventurous,
go hiking or try mountain biking with Blue Mountain Sports, located
across from the bus stop in town. Rentals start at $27 per day and a shuttle service
to the spectacular Lehigh River Gorge is available, as are maps
for other adventures. Lehigh Gorge Outpost is just down the street,
where you can sign up to go mountain biking or rafting with Pocono Whitewater
Adventures, who also provide bikes and a shuttle service.
There are many attractions
accessible by car as well. Go for a wine tasting tour at nearby wineries. One winery
of note is the Big Creek Vineyard and Winery that also operates
a small store in Jim Thorpe on Race Street. The wine is delicious, and the overall-wearing
proprietor is friendly and full of information about the town.
March
through October, go mountain biking or whitewater rafting
with Jim Thorpe River Adventures, or
Pocono Whitewater on the East side of town. Bikes can
be rented for $25 a day, and a shuttle service is provided
with advance reservations. Whitewater rafting rates start
at $39/person.
Other activities accessible
by car include the No. 9 Mine and Museum, a coal mine tour in nearby
Lansford, just 15 minutes from Jim Thorpe. Tour the historic coal mine, where you
will travel 1600 feet deep into the side of the mountain in a mine car. (Wear a
jacket—it gets chilly down there!)
Play paintball on award-winning
fields at Skirmish Paintball. Rates start at $29/person, and half-price
weekends are offered in the winter. Their center is just 10 minutes from town.
In the winter, visit
the Blue Mountain Ski Area or Jack Frost and
Big Boulder for downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling,
tubing, paintball and a BMX park.
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LODGING
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 The
Inn at Jim Thorpe (left), a New Orleans-style hotel,
offers gracious accommodations and a number of special summer
and ski packages. Rates start at $79 per night.
Asa Packer built the Harry Packer Mansion for
his son. It is now a bed and breakfast and it features murder mystery weekends and
Victorian balls starting at $125 per night.
Some of the other accommodations in town include the
unique bed & breakfast offerings of Hill Home Forge,
The Manor, Suites on Broadway,
The
Parsonage Bed & Breakfast and the Gilded Cupid.
A little more independent are the rooming-house-style Hotel Switzerland
and Broadway House, with old-hotel feels to them. A bit more economical
is the comfy Mary?s Guesthouse, a fully-equipped and hostel-ish
house for travelers and adventurers, who may also be interested in the camping cabins
at Jim Thorpe Camping Resort or Mauch Chunk Lake Park.
From tent camping to
a jacuzzi suite, and everything in between: whatever your tastes, whatever your
budget, Jim Thorpe has lodging options for you.
See more info on lodging
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DINING
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For dinner, try
Antonio's or JT's Steak & Ale. Satisfy your sweet
tooth at Rainbow's End and stop in for a bite to eat while you
check your e-mail at Through the Looking Glass, a cybercafé.
For
a bite of history, stop into the upscale Black Bread
Café on Race Street or the Emerald
restaurant inside the Inn at Jim Thorpe.
A bit more casual are Gallo's at Flagstaff
and Roadie's at Penn?s Peak, both just
outside of town (and both featuring amazing views). Vegetarians
have their own stop, Café Origins, and
there?s even a vintage 1950s diner for nostalgia and down-home
cookin'.
See more info on dining
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NIGHTLIFE
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For
music lovers, Jim Thorpe has more to offer than most larger
towns! Check out Penn's Peak, which boasts
a restaurant as well as a variety of concerts, from '70s
and '80s rock and pop bands to up-and-coming country artists
and frequent big-name acts, too.
For
you classical music lovers, enjoy a quarterly performance
by the Bach and Handel Chorale at St.
Mark's Church on Race St. Also, the Mauch
Chunk Opera House on Broadway frequently hosts
singer-songwriters, folk and bluegrass bands, and ethnic
music, in addition to theater, dance, and even some comedy.
Gallo's
Pub often has music or karaoke on weekends, and
JT?s Steak & Ale offers entertainment
some Saturdays along with a nice draught, just like its
partner pub Molly Maguires. If you?re in
the mood for a little more sophisticated atmosphere, try
the martini bar upstairs at the Black Bread Café.
See more info on nightlife
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TRANSPORTATION
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BUS:
You can depart from Port
Authority, NYC to Jim Thorpe on Susquehanna Trailways. The bus drops you
right in town, across from the Navigation Building and Blue Mountain Sports.
Travel time: 2-1/2
hours.
As always, be sure to
contact Susquehanna Trailways at 800-692-6314 to confirm schedules.
CAR:
Take I-80 West to Pennsylvania
Turnpike Northeast Extension (Rte. 476) NE Extension south to Exit 74 - Mahoning
Valley. Take Rte. 209 South 6 miles to Jim Thorpe.
From Staten Island or
central New Jersey, take I-78 West to PA Turnpike Northeast Extension at Allentown
(Rte. 476). Follow NE Extension north to Exit 74 - Mahoning Valley. Take Rte. 209
6 miles South to Jim Thorpe. (Follow 209 carefully, as it turns after long bridge
2 miles from turnpike.)
Travel time: 2
hours by car.
See more info on transportation
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TRAVEL
TIPS
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Packing extras:
Camera, extra film, mountain bike, skis.
Locals advise against
using MapQuest to get here: "It will get you lost!"
Many businesses are closed
on Tuesdays. Friday - Sunday are the best days to find everything open.
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WEATHER
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