THINGS TO DO

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The downtown area is laid out in a basic grid pattern with easy-to-remember street names based on presidents and foliage. A walk around town provides a chance to see both old and new. You can head up and down the wonderful hilly streets of Scranton (which remind me of San Francisco) to the Chamber of Commerce, the County Courthouse and City Hall. Municipal buildings are always great for picking up useful bits of local lore, as well as maps and brochures.

Admiring architecture is easy to do in Scranton. Head towards Monroe Avenue and visit the Lackawanna Historical Society. They can provide more details on walking tours and give you the scoop on building history. While on Monroe Avenue, snoop around the University of Scranton. Founded in 1888, the Jesuit school has a nice campus.

Check out the Scranton Times and tower on the corner of Spruce Street and Penn Avenue. Around the block, on Lackawanna Avenue, is Quint's Army & Navy Store. It's old, but it has great supplies for outdoor adventures. Head south on Lackawanna and you'll come to the Mall at Steamtown.

If you're not up for shopping, try the wonderful Steamtown National Historic Site right next to the mall. There, you can check out a fantastic collection of steam locomotives and catch a tour of railroad history. If you're into history or would like to be, Scranton provides a great crash course.

After taking a ride on an antique train and learning about railroads, you can change means of transportation and get the scoop on electric trolleys, a Scranton first. Stop in the Electric City Trolley Museum, part of the Steamtown National Historic Site. With their new trolley excursion feature you can take a scenic ride to the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces, Wednesday through Sunday.

The Everhart Museum, in Nay Aug Park, is also worth a visit. What was once a natural history collection with an ornithological bent, is now a full-blown museum with 20th Century American art, decorative art and folk art collections. The building is a good 15 blocks down Mulberry Street from city center, but you can rest up in the park once you get there.

Houdini lives in Scranton! Well, at least his memory lives on at the Houdini Museum on Main Avenue. Supposedly, it's the only museum in the world devoted to the famous escape artist. Take in a tour or magic show. The museum is a couple miles north of downtown, but if you believe in magic, it'll be worth the cab ride.

Ride a COLT bus (the Taylor/McDade route, which can be caught on Wyoming Avenue in front of "The Globe" building) the few miles up to McDade Park and take a journey into the earth. The Lackawanna Coal Mine tour is unique and cool, literally. Bring a sweater otherwise you'll have to wear an unappealing loaner jacket to keep warm. You can also tour the Anthracite Museum or just hang out in the park and have a picnic. Take a tour of the Iron Furnaces (part of the Anthracite Museum complex) while you're at it—it was good enough for Vice President Al Gore during his 2000 election campaign.

For more activities than you can shake a stick at, take a taxi up to Montage Mountain and spend some time on the slopes. Fresh air and ample activities will guarantee a great night's sleep. Night skiing, snow boarding, snow tubing and ice-skating are there for you during cold weather. In the summer, Montage Mountain is alive with concerts and shows. A new amphitheater is guaranteed to draw big names and lively events. They also have a waterpark and batting cages for use in the warmer months.

For baseball fans, a new stadium houses the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Red Barons, Philadelphia Phillies affiliates. The newish team has lots of spunk and is fun to watch. The Lackawanna County Stadium is on Montage Mountain Road.

LODGING

Downtown Scranton offers several lodging options. The Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel is an elegant landmark. Old and new marry nicely at this once bustling train station. It's also remarkable enough to have made the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Prices begin at $99/night.

The Red Barn Village Bed & Breakfast is a truly unique accommodation set in the country side twenty minutes from Scranton

There is also Hotel Jermyn and the Howard Johnson Inn, both a couple blocks from the bus station. Less fancy, but still nice and convenient to downtown.

If you're traveling to Montage Mountain, there are a handful of motels, hotels and inns to accommodate all wallet sizes. The Hampton Inn and Comfort Suites are just a couple. Both have rates starting well below $100.

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DINING

Scranton has several restaurants where you can gorge yourself. Even if you're not staying at the Lackawanna Station Hotel, visit Carmen's or the martini bar, Trax. For excellent seafood and cute ship-style dÈcor, dine at Cooper's Seafood Restaurant on North Washington Avenue. They have made a great name for themselves in the world of seafood. Just because Scranton is landlocked, doesn't mean they can't serve fish well.

For a true treat, visit Scranton's Coney Island Lunch. It's been around since 1923 and serves homemade chili sauce and rice pudding. Take a bite out of Texas with real burgers and wieners. It's right on Lackawanna Avenue.

Pubs and dives-of-the-like are numerous. Good food and drink are part of the tradition in Scranton. Big servings and cholesterol-enhancing foods are also a given. Chick's Diner is The Only diner, it's the real deal. Kelly's Pub and Eatery raves about their wings. Both are across Roaring Brook and the train tracks, a bit south of downtown. Whistles, on Franklin Avenue, is a restaurant that may be better as a bar, but is notable nonetheless.

Some new establishments have drawn younger crowds looking for a good time. The Banshee, a fresh face on the Scranton scene, serves traditional Irish food on Penn Avenue.

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NIGHTLIFE

Sometimes it's just too cold to go outside. But if you can brave the chilly nights or if you're visiting during the warmer months, Scranton can be lots of fun. Labor Day Weekend ensures a block party loaded with fresh Italian food and excellent people watching.

Until then, there is Tink's complex of bars and dance floors. You name it, they have it and they've had it for a long time. Tink's, located on Linden Street, is almost an antique. W.T. Hackett's Brewery, on North Washington Avenue, is another fun place—they make their own beer. For some more history, boogie down at Flashbacks. Wear your bell-bottoms and feathered hair and prepare for some classic disco. Another Penn Avenue newcomer is Metro Lounge. Whatever they do, they try to do it in chic city style.

If you'd rather catch a movie, the United Artists Steamtown on Lackawanna Avenue, has all the latest hits.

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TRANSPORTATION

BUS:

A Greyhound ride in to Scranton is scenic. The station is at 23 Lackawanna Avenue, just a few blocks from the Lackawanna River and the Steamtown National Historic Site.

Travel Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes to 3 hours, 50 minutes, depending on layovers.

Schedule: Buses usually leave twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

Call 800-229-9424 for more information.

CAR:

If you're driving, take I-80 west out of the city and into Pennsylvania. Take I-380 through the mountains (hills) towards I-81. Follow the signs and you can get to Montage Mountain (Exit 51), downtown (Exit 53) via the Central Scranton Expressway, or to McDade Park (Exit 57B).

Travel Time: Around 2 1/2 hours.

CAR RENTAL:

Enterprise Rent A Car is at 1231 Wyoming Ave. 570-348-2040.

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

BUS:

COLT (County of Lackawanna Transit System) has various routes. The most useful for visitors would be the Taylor/McDade route to McDade Park, which can be caught near Lackawanna and Wyoming Avenues. The bus only runs till 5pm on weekdays.

Call 570-346-2061 for information.

TAXI:

Public Service Taxi Company 570-344-5000.

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TRAVEL TIPS

Always check the forecast before leaving for Scranton. Weather can be severe on both ends of the climate spectrum. Hot summers and cold winters mean heavy sweaters or shorts.

LINKS

VisitPA.com

MAP

For a detailed map of Scranton, please click here.