Nice to meet you, Jim Thorpe
The town of Jim Thorpe, PA is a quaint little place in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The town was founded in 1818 as Mauch Chunk, eventually becoming a railroad and coal-shipping area. In the early 1950s, it was renamed Jim Thorpe after the first Native American to win a gold medal in the Olympics for the United States (this is the extent of my knowledge and interest in sports).
Everyone I know who’s been to Jim Thorpe loves it. While it’s only 90 minutes from my current home of Harrisburg and my former home in Philadelphia, I had never been there.
The forecast called for 100 degrees today. Maybe we thought it would be cooler in the mountains. It wasn’t. I was melting, but I loved Jim Thorpe.
Lunch
Our first stop was the Stone Row Pub and Eatery on Race Street. Our meal was absolutely delicious and, if you go to Stone Row, don’t forget dessert.
Stone Row is in a row of shops along Race Street, including The Country Cottage. Country Cottage sells adorable tchotchkes and gifts. They also make their own pickles on the premises.
National Historic Landmark
At the end of Race Street is St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. Completed in 1869, St. Mark’s became a National Historic Landmark in 1987. You can take a look around inside for free and or take a short guided tour ($5 for adults, free for children).
Switzerland of America
The town of Jim Thorpe has been called the “Switzerland of America”. This is due to its scenery, the mountains and range of architecture styles from the 19th century.
Gardens, bright colors and a strict attention to detail were everywhere in Jim Thorpe. There are plenty of restaurants, bars and shops all over town. It reminds me a lot of New Hope in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Ask a Conductor
We headed down to the Visitor Center on Lehigh Avenue. The center is adjacent to the train station that serves the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
One of the conductors was standing near the train eating ice cream. I asked to take his photo since he looked so proper in his uniform. He was really enthusiastic and proud of Jim Thorpe and happy to talk about the town and its history. He shared lots of knowledge, trivia and site-seeing suggestions. Many of his recommendations included a good bit of walking. We’ll file these for next time, because it was just way too hot.
Point of View
We did follow the conductor’s recommendation to visit “Free 100 Mile View” on top of the mountain. Only a 10 minute drive from town, you can enjoy 100 mile views of the area. Sites include Jim Thorpe, Lehigh Gorge State Park and Blue Mountain Ski Area. Put ‘Flagstaff Road’ in your GPS and follow the signs for “Free 100 Mile View”. If the weather isn’t great, keep in mind there are steep hills and dirt roads as part of the short drive.
Final Thoughts
The town of Jim Thorpe, PA was absolutely lovely. Jim Thorpe is a 90 minute drive from Central Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia region and two hours west of New York City. It’s definitely worth a day trip or even a few days. I’m sure it gets crowded when the weather is more pleasant, but I’m willing to go back and chance it.
