Summer is just around the corner and I am so grateful!
June is the month known for bringing us perfect days and I hope it proves to be true this year. After a long cold winter and a colder-than-usual spring, I'm ready to get outside and enjoy some sunshine in our beautiful corner of the mountains of east central Pennsylvania.
Summer in Schuylkill County is a wonderful time, a beautiful time and I intend to make the most of it. There's plenty of prose about the "idle days of summer" but I find summer to be anything but idle. In fact, there's so much to do, I know I'll never get it all in!
Outdoor enjoyment abounds in Schuylkill County and summer's lush mountain views and cool evergreen forests invite trekkers, campers, kayakers, bird watchers and nature lovers of all ages. Our three beautiful state parks, one county park and many private campgrounds are the best to be found anywhere.
Why not take a break and go camping for a few days or explore the Appalachian Trail? June 7 is National Trail Day, a celebration of trails that has been going strong since 1993. It grew from an impetus to have all Americans be able to go out their front doors and within 15 minutes, be on trails that wind through their cities or towns and bring them back without retracing steps.
Sounds nice, right? But it's a whole lot more than just nice folks. A whole lot more. Keep in mind that trails do not just magically appear for our enjoyment. It takes many hours of planning, labor and negotiating to develop them.
National Trails Day, the only nationwide celebration of trails, increases awareness about trails and celebrates the hard work and support of many people and partners - including volunteers, land agencies and outdoor-minded businesses just to name a few. Plan to take some time to introduce people to the many joys and benefits of trails.
America's 200,000 miles of trails allow us access to the natural world for recreation, education, exploration, solitude, inspiration and much more. Trails take us to good physical and mental health by providing us with a chance to breathe fresh air, get our hearts pumping and escape from our stresses. Get on our website at www.schuylkill.org and access the Schuylkill County Trail Directory available online for you to plan your own excursions. Our friends at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park are conducting a National Trails Day Hike at 10 a.m. June 7, too.
Now maybe getting into the water is more to your liking? Our county provides a number of streams and lakes for fishing and our state parks offer great boating and swimming. June 7 marks the beginning of the Schuylkill Sojourn. The Sojourn is a 112-mile guided canoe or kayak trip that takes a week down our beautiful Schuylkill River.
Beginning at Island Park in Schuylkill Haven (once known as the Irish Flats) and ending at Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, participants register for as many days as they can or for the entire trip. Go to www.schuylkillriver.org for more information.
One of the things that the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area does extremely well is connect history and nature. If you do the Sojourn, even for one or two days, you will learn how critical the river was to the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution and many other facets of our national and local history.
We all know that Schuylkill County is rich with history and culture: anthracite mining history, industrial revolution history, national war history, brewing history, native American history and ethnic and cultural heritage, right? When was the last time you explored our history? Shared it with a friend or relative? Consider making time to do just that and visit the good folks at the Schuylkill County Historical Society this month.
These fine people have been discovering, procuring, cultivating and preserving our local history since 1903. They've got a veritable treasure trove of artifacts, exhibits and knowledge to share with you. While I'm waxing history, Jerry's Classic Cars & Collectibles Museum celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
The museum features more than 20,000 items of interest - from classic cars to memorabilia, displayed in vignettes that include a drive-in theater, soda fountain, bandstand, millinery and barbershop, auto parts store, appliance center, library, coal region style bar room. I can go on and on. You're bound to be intrigued no matter your age or interest so make it a plan to visit!
June marks outdoor concert season also. Before my time with you runs out, I must talk concerts. Tamaqua begins its Summer Concert Series in June with a concert by Jay Smar on June 6 and with Steve Brosky and Jimmy Meyer on June 19. This popular series is free and open to the public. Concerts are 6 to 8 p.m. on the platform of the 1874 Railroad Station and run varying Thursdays from June through September.
You can reserve a table on the platform and enjoy a delicious dinner and drinks or just bring your lawn chair or blanket for a relaxing evening of free musical entertainment.
Heisler's Dairy Bar in the pastoral Lewistown Valley begins its A Night in the Country Concert Series June 7 with Jay Smar. Additional concerts in June include Ann Marie Calabrese on June 13 and The New Individuals on June 21.
Finally, festivals are on the horizon! Tamaqua's Summerfest on June 15 has something for everyone of any age, including plenty of delicious food, games, horse and carriage rides, crafts and historical re-enactments.
Hope Hill Lavender Farm will again delight us with their Lavender Festival on June 21. The festival features information sessions on growing and using lavender, distillation, bees, farm tours, arts and crafts vendors, delicious food from Brickhouse Grill and other local vendors, live music by Tommy Dee, beer and wine tastings, lavender products and plants and much more.
As I close this, I realize I've barely scratched the surface of the many happenings in Schuylkill County in June and I do apologize. There is always so much to do and see that I can't possibly come close to covering it all each month.
As always, I urge you to go to www.schuylkill.org under events and check out our calendar frequently and remember to enjoy summer in your own backyard!
(Gargano is executive director of Schuylkill County Visitors Bureau)