Jim Thorpe, PA — knot so loud

My little family took a camping trip up to rural Pennsylvania to a small town called Jim Thorpe, tucked in the Lehigh Gorge Valley. I grew up on the border of NY/PA so I was missing those mountains during the change of. the foliage! Jim Thorpe also made many of “best” or “must see” lists from Town & Country, Expedia, Country Living, USA Today, National Geographic, etc. I was intrigued by the description that Jim Thorpe was a Victorian style town/European village. It’s even been nicknamed as “Switzerland of America”.

Driving into Jim Thorpe, you immediately see the beauty of the buildings! Many historical buildings were colorful and had a lot of detailing! The downtown was very walkable with many shops, restaurants and businesses to check out. Many of the historical buildings had been converted such as an old fire station that was turned into a bar, an Irish pub went into an old hotel, etc. Jim Thorpe is also full of history which you can see bits everywhere in the buildings, the names of businesses, the museums and more. I noticed the name Mauch Chunk everywhere in downtown which I had found out at the library was the old town name. Jim Thorpe was a Native American athlete so they renamed the town in his memory in 1953.

*Many beautiful buildings on the Main Street in Jim Thorpe like this one!*

*Saw many trolleys giving people tours around Jim Thorpe!*

*A hotel in downtown Jim Thorpe, very New Orleans.*

The town of Jim Thorpe focused mainly on the railroad and also mining. There was a museum with history of mining in Jim Thorpe. One of the biggest attraction is the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railroad. While we were visiting, we saw steam locomotive trains circa 1900’s offering train rides. The train was even dog friendly!! Unfortunately my dog doesn’t like loud noises (horn, clacking of wheels, etc) so it wouldn’t have been a fun ride for us. I was really bummed! I only can imagine how gorgeous it would’ve been with the foliage. Out front of the train station in Josiah White Park, there is a gorgeous gazebo which gave me the Star Hollows (Gilmore Girls) vibes!

*I loved the uniforms of train employees!*

*Gazebo near the train station gave me Star Hollows vibes, am I right?! (Gilmore Girls)*

*The view of the train station from the gazebo.*

I was drawn to all of Victorian homes around Jim Thorpe. Two well known landmarks were the Asa Packer Mansion and Harry Packer Mansion. Both mansions had the Italianate style. Asa Packer was the founder of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. And guess what?! Packer is connected to Mystic! How?? He was born here in Mystic, Connecticut in 1805. He moved away at the age of 17 to work, which he ended up in Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. Harry Packer Mansion was perched next to Asa Packer Mansion overlooking the town of Jim Thorpe. Harry Packer, the son of Asa was gifted the home as a wedding gift. The Harry Packer Mansion also inspired Disney to model for the movie ‘Haunted Mansion’. The Asa Packer Mansion is opened for tours and Harry Packer Mansion is a bed and breakfast but offers weekend tours (Murder Mystery events). I was obsessed with the beauty of the porch at Asa Packer Mansion, and the views of the railroad, mountains and downtown Jim Thorpe were amazing!

*Harry Packer Mansion with Asa Packer Mansion in the background.*

*The stunning view of Jim Thorpe from Asa Packer Mansion.*

There were plenty of shops, restaurants and businesses in downtown! Some of the favorites were:

Nature’s Trail - the best collection of Jim Thorpe ornaments!

Sellers Books - I’m a sucker for any bookshops! This was a cute small bookshop but great selection of the newest (and old) books.

*My pup isn’t thrilled that mammy found another bookshop to explore!*

Curiosities Coffee and Ice House - the interiors! I loved the gothic touches and purple wallpaper. We grabbed some delicious blueberry lemonade.

Rainbow’s End - an old fashioned candy shop with all the candies from our childhood days! A fun shop to reminisce.

Dimmick Memorial Library - I almost passed up on going inside the library. Boy, am I glad that I stepped into Dimmick. This Victorian library interiors blew me out of the water! I could spend all day in every nook and on the balcony!

*Loved how they incorporated the books in Halloween decor!*

Jingle Bells Christmas Shoppe - a shoppe with everything Christmas. It was fun poking around this shop. I loved how they incorporated Christmas in their exterior fall decor!

Muggles’ Mug - calling all Harry Potter fans, this is a must see. The best part? It’s dog friendly! My pup got a puppuccino (pumpkin, whipped cream and milk bones!). We (the muggles) enjoyed a delicious pumpkin pie latte.

*Patiently waiting outside of Muggles’ Mug.*

The Molly Maguire's Pub & Steakhouse - we enjoyed lunch outside since we had our pup. Good food and friendly service! The owners are even from Dublin, Ireland!

There were many more that we wanted to see but were closed. If you plan a day in Jim Thorpe, check with the hours of places you want to see. Many of them had unusual hours. As I mentioned earlier, there was a converted firehouse into a bar… Marion Hose Bar that I hoped to visit. They had a huge outdoor patio offering bar bites and drinks. Also in downtown, there was a vintage bookshop and an Irish goods shop that were closed when we visited. We still enjoyed strolling around downtown for the day.

*Marion Hose Bar - the converted firehouse.*

Jim Thorpe would be a wonderful weekend getaway if you’re ever in Poconos Region/Eastern Pennsylvania. Stay tuned for next blog: camping in Jim Thorpe.

*The oldest and unchanged house from earliest history of Jim Thorpe (then Mauch Chunk).*

*Molly Maguire also was executed in Jim Thorpe.*

*Enjoyed the Halloween decor on some homes like this one.*

*Historic Race Street - more shops and businesses on this street which was right off the Main Street (Broadway).*