by: Skylar Soko – PR PoconoOutdoors.com
When I found out my family had planned a bike trip on the Lehigh Gorge Trail, I was really excited as it was a combination of two of my favorite things–a Poconos Outdoor Adventure and family time.
When the shuttle arrived to pick us up at the designated spot, I was really excited and ready to get on the trail. I was hoping the ride to the top of the trail wouldn’t take too long. I was surprised at how quickly Tom, the owner of Pocono Bike Rental/our shuttle driver for the day, loaded all 6 of our bikes. On the way, the conversation in the shuttle was so fun and lively that I couldn’t believe how quickly the ride went! Tom was very knowledgeable about the town and trail, and gave us great ideas for our day. We laughed, shared stories, and by the end of the ride, I felt like I had made a new friend.
As for the Lehigh Gorge Trail, it was very well maintained and the scenery was beautiful. We even got to stop at a waterfall, which was awesome. A huge plus was the slight downgrade the trail had, making the ride super easy and relaxed. I liked interacting with the white water rafters–I think we added to each others experience! And some of the people in our group said they saw a rattlesnake.
The second best part of the Poconos Outdoor Adventure, after the actual bike ride of course, was the food. I was delightfully surprised by the options Jim Thorpe had to offer. Prior to the bike ride, I had some time to kill and got to explore the town by myself for a little. I was walking Broadway, when a bright purple storefront caught my attention; it was Purple Green Juice Bar and Cafe. To my delight, it was all plant based and had tons of smoothie options. It couldn’t have been more perfect, as I was looking for some pre bike ride fuel. After talking with the friendly workers, I decided on the mint matcha cacao smoothie. The best part was that they happily poured it into my stainless steel water bottle, as I am trying to cut out as much single use plastic as possible.
A smoothie before hand for just me was easy. Dinner was gonna be a little tougher. We have lots of different eaters in my family, meat lovers, vegetarians, and myself who follows a vegan diet. So for a restaurant to truly make the whole group happy, it had it check all of our boxes. We ended up going with what Tom had recommended for us, Stone Row Pub and Eatery. There couldn’t have been a restaurant better suited for us. There were plenty of options, great service, atmosphere, and mostly locally sourced food (which was a plus for me because this is something I focus on in my own lifestyle!) Did we enjoy the food? Let’s just say 10 hungry bikers entered the eatery, and 10 happy bikers with full tummies left! Also, side note, I HIGHLY recommend the sunflower seed hummus and samosas.
Overall, I would say that my Poconos Outdoor Adventure experience was a 10/10. I was so pleased with everything Jim Thorpe had to offer and how amazing Pocono Bike Rentals made our Lehigh Gorge Trail experience. I can’t wait to do it again.
To check out Skylar Soko’s website and social media pages including her popular healthy lifestyle YouTube Channel where you can see her video about her Poconos Outdoor Adventure Experience go to:
- YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdhLOR-79ASKj1IHht5LXw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enlightenedappetite/
- Website: https://www.enlightenedappetite.com/