Train ride, foliage draw crowds to Jim Thorpe
It’s all about the fall foliage in Jim Thorpe.
Because of a dry summer, the leaves started changing colors earlier this year, some noticeable in early September.
With October comes the four-weekend Fall Foliage Festival in Jim Thorpe.
There are vendors with a variety of foods.
Crystal View Carriages offers horse-drawn carriage rides.
The Jim Thorpe Trolley takes riders on a hop-on, hop-off tour around both sides of the borough. And local businesses add extra hours of operation.
But the biggest draw is the train.
In 2005, with the completion of a railroad bridge across the Lehigh River in Jim Thorpe, Reading & Northern Railroad started its sister company, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. The trains take passengers into the Lehigh Gorge State Park, where the autumn colors become more vibrant each week.
Two men who work on the trains shared their experiences.
Darrell Matz has been involved in the railroad industry most of his life, including years with the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway.
“The first railroad I worked for was the Pennsylvania Railroad out in Columbus, Ohio,” Matz said. “I’ve always lived in the Reading area. It was always kind of a natural decision for me to work on the railroads. I worked for the Reading and Northern Railroad for the past 31 years.”
For Ed Coll, trains are a relatively new experience.
“I’m the rookie,” Coll said. “I’ve been working here for about four months. I was more of a plane guy. My buddies worked here and that’s why I got this job. It was something I wanted to do during my retirement.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano stopped in Jim Thorpe on Saturday en route to an event in the Lehigh Valley.
The Fall Foliage Festival continues Oct. 15-16, and 22-23. Parking is available on Susquehanna Street (Route 209) and Broadway, in the Carbon County parking lot at the train station; Immaculate Conception Church Lot, 178 West Broadway; Sam Miller Baseball Field, North Avenue (Shuttle service to downtown Jim Thorpe will be included in your parking fee); Highland Beverage, 140 Susquehanna Street; and the Old YMCA Lot, 69 Broadway.