By Jimmy Langan
Staff Writer
We all deserve the upcoming semester break no matter whether you are a student, faculty, or staff. Our semester will be over December 16 and you will have until January 12 to relieve all of your stress. Keep in mind that a vacation maybe the best remedy to your stress that is created by finals week. Pennsylvania’s Jim Thorpe, New Jersey’s Cape May, and New York’s Niagara Falls all are great destinations for you to get away during your break with close proximity to our Marywood campus.
Mapquest.com puts Pennsylvania’s Jim Thorpe about fifty- nine miles away from Marywood and says to give yourself about one hour and eight minutes of driving time.
Jim Thorpe offers a great variety of shopping. You can visit such shops as Big Creek Vineyard, Irish Treasure Shop, Every- thing Nice, and Tattoo Island just to name a few.
Christmas is a great time of the year to visit Jim Thorpe. This beautiful Victorian town is covered in white lights and red bows with amazing gingerbread and window decorating contests. Jim Thorpe also has a live en- tertainment facility called Penns Peak, Mauch Chunk opera house, train rides through the Lehigh Gorge, and much history to be learned in the town. You can find out more about Jim Thorpe through the website www.jimthorpepa.com.
Well, maybe you’re looking to get out of state on your well deserved break or maybe even you call New Jersey home? If so, New Jersey’s Cape May is on Mapquest.com at about 220 miles away from our campus, which is about a three hour and fifty-five minute drive.
Cape May has a beautiful fully restored lighthouse from 1859. After going up 199 steps to the top of the light house, you will receive a heavenly view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Cape May’s Washington St. Mall will definitely hold your attention. This strip of unique shops and restaurants is said to be similar to Disney World’s Main St and will surely keep you busy for hours.
Regardless of how you plan out your Cape May vacation, you cannot miss out on the top attraction, which is the Emlen Physick Estate. This gorgeous Victorian style house turned into a museum will cost only $15 for a 45 minute history tour of the estate which ends in Twinings Tearoom inside of the carriage house, where you will be served lunch and tea.
As for me, I chose a Jacuzzi Suite at the Hampton on our New York side of Niagara Falls for my New Years Eve.
Four Jacuzzi Suites came to $1,160. GPS says Niagara is about four and half hours away. I believe the distance requires a rental vehicle if you don’t have a reliable car to work with. I am traveling with a party of eight so I researched and found a Cadil- lac Escalade on www.playerscar- rental.com for $365 a day. As for the hotel stay, there are plenty of other places to room without the jacuzzi suite price tag. I’d check out Hotels.com, Orbitz.com, Travelocity.com, or Priceline.com to try to find a good deal. Plus if you have AAA membership, you may be able to get a discount on your room.
You can find me dining New Years night at the romantic Falls View restaurant atop of the 18th floor at the Hilton, a great place with a famous view. Un- fortunately, the famous boat ride around the breath-taking falls called the Maid of the Mist, will be closed during the winter due to the weather restrictions, so you’ll have to wait until Spring if you want to get up close. You can trust me that there is still plenty to do around the area, even during the winter time. Shops, museums, and historic tours are just some of the things that you could enjoy on your trip.Most attractions and night life are on the Canadian side of the falls, so make sure that you have the right documents in line. The United States has recently passed a new law of leaving our country and going to our neighbor Canada, so a passport will be needed if you decide to cross the border. A passport can be attained at your local courthouse’s prothonotary office for $100.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy your winter break!