Pocono Talk

There are plenty of places to shop in the Poconos but by far the largest and I’m assuming most visited is The Crossings Premium Outlets in Tannersville.  Its location right off of Interstate 80 makes for easy access, especially if you are not familiar with the area.  On weekends it definitely gets a bit crowded and backed up – both at the Outlets themselves and also on 80, a large contributing factor is the scores of tourists literally coming in by loads of buses to shop.  If you’re looking to avoid the crowds I’d definitely recommend going during the week to avoid the weekend crowds.

Crowds or not the Crossings are a great place to visit for a couple of reasons:

1) The beautiful location in the Poconos:  Although its right off of 80 its still surrounded by beautiful views of the Poconos.  Because its all outside you are able to take advantage of the views and weather without feeling like you’re stuck in the mall and wasting a nice day.

2) Store Options: There are over 100 outlet stores available so no matter what you’re looking for you are bound to find something that interests you.  There are great deals available and its a great place to shop during the holidays as you can get great deals and can usually find something for everyone on your list!

3) Its close to other attractions: About 10 minutes up the road is Camelback(skiing in the winter, waterpark in the summer) and during the spring/summer/fall you can drive up to Big Pocono State Park for the best views of the Poconos.  On a clear day not only can you see the Poconos – but parts of New York and New Jersey as well!  There’s also plenty of places to stay overnight nearby if you’re looking for longer then just a day trip.

I’m not much of a shopper myself, but even if you’re just looking to kill some time on a rainy day the Crossings and surrounding area offer plenty of ways to keep you occupied!

Current Available stores at the Crossings:

Adidas
Aeropostale
Alfred Dunner     (570) 619-7110
Ann Taylor Factory Store     (570) 688-9605
Anne Klein     (570) 688-9292
Banana Republic Factory Store     (570) 629-0518
Bass     (570) 629-3653
BCBG Max Azria     (570) 629-6760
Big Dog Sportswear     (570) 620-2040
Brooks Brothers Factory Store     (570) 629-0771
Burberry     (570) 629-8870
California Sunshine Swimwear     (570) 619-6500
Calvin Klein     (570) 629-0211
Casual Male XL     (570) 620-2785
Chico’s     (570) 619-7050
Coldwater Creek     (570) 629-2176
Converse      (570) 620-1166
Dana Buchman     (570) 619-8641
DKNY Jeans     (570) 629-5488
Dressbarn     (570) 620-1153
Dressbarn Woman     (570) 620-3090
Ecko Unltd     (570) 629-8620
Eddie Bauer Outlet     (570) 629-2240
Ellen Tracy     (570) 619-8641
Gap Outlet     (570) 619-6530
Geoffrey Beene     (570) 629-5669
Greg Norman     (570) 620-1506
Guess     (570) 619-7065
Harleyville USA     (570) 620-2187
Izod     (570) 629-3550
J.Crew     (570) 620-2090
Jockey     (570) 620-2125
Jones New York     (570) 620-9540
Jones New York Sport     (570) 620-1161
Kasper     (570) 688-9833
L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex     (570) 629-3933
Liz Claiborne     (570) 620-9810
Maidenform     (570) 620-9291
Motherhood Maternity     (570) 620-0308
Nautica     (570) 620-0901
Nike Factory Store     (570) 688-9457
PacSun     (570) 629-9600
Perry Ellis     (570) 688-9100
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store     (570) 620-9688
Puma     (570) 629-6370
Reebok     (570) 620-0870
Rue21     (570) 619-0180
Timberland     (570) 620-1772
Tommy Hilfiger     (570) 620-1178
Under Armour     (570) 629-3610
Van Heusen     (570) 629-3675
Woolrich     (570) 620-0771
Zumiez      (570) 629-3576

Carter’s     (570) 629-3802
The Children’s Place Outlet     (570) 629-6686
Gymboree Outlet     (570) 619-5240
Hartstrings     (570) 629-1105
KB Toy Outlet     (570) 629-9566
Kids Supercenter     (570) 629-0508
OshKosh B’Gosh     (570) 620-2042
OshKosh B’Gosh Warehouse Sale      Now Open
Polo Ralph Lauren Children     (570) 629-5184
Stride Rite Keds Sperry     (570) 688-9330

Coach     (570) 688-9155
Samsonite Company Store     (570) 620-9296

Claire’s Accessories     (570) 619-8896
Coach     (570) 688-9155
Fossil     (570) 620-1965
Gold Toe     (570) 629-0108
Movado Company Store     (570) 688-9999
Sunglass Hut     (570) 620-0114
Time Factory Watch Outlet     (570) 629-8463
Totes/Sunglass World     (570) 629-4010
Ultra Diamonds     (570) 619-4275

Corningware Corelle Revere     (570) 620-2670
Kitchen Collection     (570) 629-3995
Le Gourmet Chef     (570) 619-6400
Pfaltzgraff     (570) 629-4072
Waterford Wedgwood     (570) 619-7030

Book Cellar     (570) 620-0511
Bose     (570) 619-4108
The Cosmetics Company Store     (570) 629-3303
Designer Fragrance Outlet     (570) 620-1688
Harry & David     (570) 620-9566
KB Toy Outlet     (570) 629-9566
Pepperidge Farm     (570) 629-1867
Perfumania     (570) 620-6040
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory     (570) 688-4058
Vitamin World     (570) 629-7970
Yankee Candle     (570) 619-4245

American Eatery     (570) 619-7812
Au Bon Pain Bakery Cafe’     (570) 688-0646
Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels     (570) 629-4740
Just Desserts     (570) 629-5120
Magic Wok     (570) 620-9321
Mr. Deli     (570) 629-5120
Romano’s Pizzeria     (570) 620-2600
Sugar Mountain Candy Factory     (570) 620-2461
Treat Zone    Now Open

Panera Bread
Today we had lunch catered from Panera Bread in Stroudsburg which is part of the new set of stores located on Route 611.  If you haven’t driven by recently the new shopping center consists of Panera Bread, Best Buy, Borders, Old Navy, Petsmart and…I forget the other one :\

Anyway, lunch was terrific – it was a meal for 5 but could easily feed 10 people – their sandwiches are huge and made with fresh bread, the salad was extremely fresh, the unsweetened ice tea was a great drink choice(I know personally I’m trying to shy away from soda), and they provided all cups, plates, utensils, etc.  I have had their bagels before(which were great) and didn’t know about all of the other food options they had so I was happy to have a new local place with healthy and fresh food.  They also have a wide variety of other food options including soups, cookies, frozen coffee drinks & smoothies, pizza and more.  If you’re looking for a new place to try I definitely give Panera Bread a thumbs up.  You can visit their website at http://www.panerabread.com or just http://www.panera.com for locations, menus, information on catering and more.

Another Shopping Center to mention
If you haven’t been down 611 in a long time you might be shocked to see that the truck stop(crossroads) is gone and across the street a new shopping center with a Lowes, Kohls(I think), Red Robin, Longhorn Steakhouse and Chilis has gone in.  I can’t find anything to confim this so don’t quote me on it…but a little birdie tells me that an Olive Garden and Red Lobster will be going in soon down the road soon enough as well.

Personally if I could pick and choose what goes in I’d love to see a Wegmans, an Outback Steakhouse, a Papa Johns and an Olive Garden…but that’s just wishful thinking   We do already have plenty of eateries in the area and you can reach any of those by either heading up to Scranton or down to Allentown/Easton.  With the way things are getting built up now adays I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few or all of them pop up soon enough.

 One last place to mention…a Texas Roadhouse went in by the Stroud Mall not to long ago – so there’s something else to check out!

Blog Talk Radio
An interesting additional source of Pocono information should be available soon via a blog radio show from one of our affiliates PoconoPreview.com.   Some information from their site:

Pocono Preview has an outdoor eco-tourism theme. Summer or Winter, people can enjoy waterparks, hiking, biking, rivers, lakes, golf and snow skiing – and, of course, the places to stay and play – resorts, including the Mount Airy casino.  Since the Internet is the basis of BlogTalkRadio, I thought I would invite people who are internet marketers to talk about their online business experiences. I like world music, so there has to be a soundtrack. Mine has a message, as well as a beat.

Guests will include promoters of festivals and concerts, owners of attractions and eco-tourism activities, from the water parks to the rivers and lakes.

So if you’d like to listen to information about the Poconos and hear from people in the area it might be interesting to tune in.

Pocono Gear
If you’re ever in the need of Pocono gear – shirts, hats, etc. there is a site called pagood.com that offers a variety of both Pocono and PA items.  I was contacted by the site owner a few weeks ago so I figured I’d drop a line…you never know what people are looking for!  If you have an interesting Pocono site, product, etc. let me know and I’ll be sure to post something about it! 

Comments
We greatly appreciate comments on posts as we love getting feedback – just an FYI though they are thrown into moderation so we manually approve them first to avoid spam messages being posted.  Most of the spam is innocent enough but I’d rather not risk more risque comments being posted so I hope you guys can understand the delay on approval.

Easter Events
The Pocono Record has a list up of Easter Events that are happening this weekend.  I’ve copied the information below but be sure to check out PoconoRecord.com for the most up to date details including a list of places to go out to eat.

Jackson Township egg hunt
The Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Company will host an Easter egg hunt for the children of Jackson Township, ages 12 and under at 2 p.m. sharp Saturday. Pictures with the Easter Bunny will follow the hunt. For information, call Marie at (570) 629-5532.
 
Knights of Columbus egg hunt
The Father DeNisco Council of the Knights of Columbus will host an annual Easter egg hunt, rain or shine, at 2 p.m. Saturday on the council home grounds, 1680 W. Bangor Road, Bangor.  All children of the Slate Belt area are welcome and will receive a chocolate bunny. For information, call (610) 863-9883.

Egg hunt in Milford
Dingman Township Parks and Recreation Commission is hosting an Easter egg hunt on Saturday at the Ann Street Park in Milford. Admission is free. Bring baskets.  Hunt begins promptly at 10:30 a.m. for children ages 3 and under, 10:45 a.m. for children ages 4 to 6, and 11 a.m. for children ages 7 to 10.  Pictures with the Easter Bunny will be available. For information, call (570)296-8455.
 
Easter egg hunt at Pocono Lutheran Village
Pocono Lutheran Village, a Diakon Lutheran Senior Living Community, will host a free community Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday on the great lawn at Pocono Lutheran Village, 329 E. Brown St., East Stroudsburg. The event is free and will be held rain or shine. Children should bring their own baskets and dress appropriately for the weather. The Easter Bunny will lead the hunt and be available for photos and to meet with children. There will be refreshments, face painting and also prizes for children who find lucky eggs. Students from nearby East Stroudsburg University will assist during the event. For information, call Betsi Olmstead at (570) 426-4012.
 
Orienteering ‘Eggs’travaganza at PEEC
Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry will host its fourth annual Orienteering ‘Eggs’travaganza from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. During this family-oriented event, children age 9 and up will learn to navigate PEEC’s orienteering course with a map and compass, and find rewards all along the way. Children 8 years and under, accompanied by their parents, will navigate around PEEC’s campus using a map and will find plenty of surprises along the way. Crafts and egg dyeing will be available before or after your adventure, and ‘egg’cellent refreshments will also be available for a nominal fee. Spaces are limited, so pre-registration is recommended. Cost is $5 per person and free for children 3 years and under. PEEC is inside Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, off Route 209 near mile marker eight in Lehman Township. For information and registration, call (570) 828-2319, e-mail peec@peec.org or visit www.peec.org.

Easter Eggstravaganza at Salvation Army
The Salvation Army will host an Easter Eggstravaganza noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Salvation Army, 226 Washington St., East Stroudsburg. Featured: Gospel presentation; a free Easter egg hunt for children 12 and under with prize baskets for each age group; and carnival-type games for 10 to 25 cents each with tickets for prizes. Hotdogs, drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. For information, call Jayne at (570) 421-3050, ext. 19.

I haven’t kept up too much over the past few months but hope to get back into some sort of steady blogging because I do enjoy being able to share our view of the Poconos with you, the reader

Here are some pictures from an ice storm from this past winter, not to out of the ordinary I just love to go outside once its settled and look around at how the ice has effected all of the trees and surroundings.  This winter has been unusual, but living in the Poconos I’m not sure that there is ever a ‘typical’ winter that you can expect.  We get our waves of highs and lows – there was one point this winter it literally went from 6 degrees one day to 60 the next!  Its never fun to get a bunch of snow then have it all melt and be left with a muddy mucky mess during what should be a completely winter time.

Its now the beginning of March and we’ve had a series of flooding, high winds and power outages but I can’t say that differs too much from what we’ve seen going on in other parts of the country.  What I can say is typical from my experiences of the Pocono winters is that just when you think winter is over another snowstorm or two catches you offguard.  I have learned to wait until about the end of April to be sure we’re not going to see any additional snow falls or freezing so I know its safe to start planning spring planting and trips.

While the snow was piling high this winter we made a trip over to the Monroe County SPCA and adopted a dog who we managed to find at just the right time and has been a perfect addition to our home.  There are plenty of other shelters in the area and I encourage you that if you’re looking for an animal to consider adopting one that is in need.  Its not just cats and dogs – but rabbits, guinea pigs and more!  Although the Monroe County SPCA is a “low kill” shelter, there are animals there and at other shelters that are always in need.

In other news Bill Clinton is in Stroudsburg today at Stroudsburg High School to campaign for his wife.  If anything the Poconos never have a shortage of happenings and things to do!