Martin Guitar

http://www.mguitar.com/
The Martin Guitar tour is rated among America's best factory tours, and as a visitor you can observe the actual construction of guitars. The factory tour is your opportunity to not only see a guitar being made, but to talk with the folks who actually make these famous guitars.

When you visit Martin Guitar, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy several areas.

In the Factory Tour, "a company representative will guide you through a fascinating blend of old world craftsmanship and modern technology. You will see how quality acoustic guitars and fretted instrument strings are made." Tours last approximately one hour and are scheduled at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except during holiday periods. Tours leave promptly, so we recommend that you arrive in plenty of time. Group tours are available. To schedule a 10 a.m. morning group tour, please call (610) 759-2837 for reservations.

The 1833 Shop offers a wide selection of Martin memorabilia, books and accessories for the guitar enthusiast. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., weekdays. The shop is located within the main Martin factory at 510 Sycamore Street, north of Nazareth. Call (610) 759-2837.

The Martin Museum contains a small but priceless collection of unusual and vintage Martin Guitars. The Martin Museum is located within the main factory adjacent to the 1833 Shop.

The Guitarmaker's Connection is a luthier supply shop, specializing in acoustic guitar tonewoods, kits, parts, tools, glues, tuning machines, finishing supplies, pickups, instrument construction/repair books and accessories. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., weekdays. The shop is located at 10 W. North Street (the old Martin factory building), one block north of the Nazareth circle. Call (610) 759-2064.

The Martin Guitar factory is exciting and informative for the whole family. Check their web site for more details.

Peddler's Village is an 18th-century style attraction featuring 75 quality specialty shops and restaurants, a 66-room luxury inn, year round festivals and craft competitions, plus an antique operating carousel, all set on 42 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds and winding brick pathways. The Village is a sought-after spot for dining, shopping, entertainment, family day trips, picnics, and memorable visits, with something to offer any season of the year.

You can plan to spend the entire day at Peddler's Village, or you can combine the trip with a visit to New Hope. As the New Hope PA Website explains:

New Hope is a charming little village nestled along the Delaware River and Delaware Canal that conjures up visions of a by-gone era. Located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, this sophisticated little gem of a town represents different things to different people. To some, New Hope is the place to visit art galleries. To others, it's a place to spend enchanting romantic weekends, cuddled up by the fire at one of the many beautifully restored inns, or walking down by the riverside. New Hope's natural beauty has always been mesmerizing.

New Hope has always been a place to escape the humdrum routine into a magical fantasy experience. Performing arts are more alive and progressive in New Hope than in most cities, five, even ten times its size. It's an easy trip from New York, Philadelphia and most parts of New Jersey, perfect for dining in one of our many nationally renowned restaurants, or taking in a show or concert at one of the many theatres in the area. Day trips to New Hope are easy to fill with things to do - ferry rides, visits to historic sites, carriage rides, mule barge rides, and of course, shopping. New Hope is a Shoppers Paradise with over 100 shops, offering local crafts, as well as, beautiful items from around the world.

The streets of New Hope are few (only four: Main Street, North and South, Bridge Street, Ferry Street and Mechanic Street), plus quaint little alley-ways and side streets where visitors can wander along the cobblestone walks, finding many surprising nooks and crannies. Throughout the year, the many active New Hope associations and groups provide events. For instance, the town will become "The Enchanted Christmas Village" with the glow of white lights and streets lined with candles. New Hope believes in serving up its holidays the old-fashioned way, with plenty of charm and history.

New Hope's history is an important part of its attraction. It is just a few miles from Washington's Crossing. It was here that Washington crossed the Delaware to fight the Battle of Trenton in the American Revolution. There are important historic sites in and around New Hope attached to this private historic event. William Penn owned the original parcel of land that eventually became New Hope and signed it over in 1681 to another owner. It changed hands several times until the American Revolution. After the war, Benjamin Parry began operating two mills here, which burned down in 1790. When they were rebuilt they were called the "New Hope Mills", offering new hope to all of the town.

Today New Hope continues the tradition of bringing the world a positive "new hope" by preserving its own unique tradition of offering its visitors an experience you cannot find anywhere else... a fantasy, an escape into the arts, a page turned back in history. http://www.newhopepa.com/info-1.htm

You can't go wrong with either of these locations. They will make for a very enjoyable and memorable trip. Plan on spending at least an entire day, or maybe two. There's plenty to see and do.

New York City

http://www.nycvisit.com/home/index.cfm

What can you say about New York that hasn't been said already? It's very easy to get to New York City from Bethlehem. It's really easy to get to the city from Bethlehem. Buses leave several times a day (see bus information below) and the price is very reasonable. It takes about an hour and a half to get to the city. We've included details on how to get tickets and how to get to the bus. What you do in New York City is up to you. There are plenty of NYC web sites and plenty of things to do in the city.

When you get to the city, check out the latest information in The New York Times, the New York magazine, and Time Out New York.

If you're interested in museums, there's the Metropolitan, the Guggenheim, The American Folk Art Museum, and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. There's the Museum of Television and Radio, the New York Historical Society, and the Cloisters, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the South Street Seaport Museum.

June would be a good time to experience the outdoors. Why not try Central Park (Conservatory Garden), The Union Square Greenmarket, or the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge? You may also wish to visit the site of the World Trade Center.

Exceptional shopping, world-class restaurants, and the best in theater are all waiting for you in New York City.

You've got two choices for bus lines running to New York City from Bethlehem. Trans-Bridge Lines http://www.transbridgebus.com/ offers service from the South Bethlehem Bus Terminal at Adams and Mechanic Street. The bus terminal is a 4 minute ride or an easy 20 minute walk from the hotel. The cost from South Bethlehem to New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal is only $27.20, round trip! Children are half-price. See their web site for details. This is the easy and comfortable way to get to NYC.

Your other option for a bus is Bieber Tourways http://www.biebertours.com . They offer convenient round trip service from Hellertown for only $28.00 (half-price for children ages 2 to 11). You'll ride in comfort to the New York City Port Authority Bus Terminal in downtown Manhattan. The Hellertown stop is a fair site farther from the hotel than the South Bethlehem Bus Terminal. To get to the bus stop in Hellertown, you'll need to take a taxi unless you can team up with someone who's rented a car, or you can talk the Hotel shuttle service into taking you there. Hellertown is about a fifteen minute drive from the hotel.

Of course, you can always sign up for the Monday, June 16 guided tour bus trip to NYC. This is the best and most convenient way to see the city if you haven't been there before. And you'll be able to meet new people on the bus, too. Be sure to check http://hesca.org/bethlehem/events.htm for details on this tour.

Lehigh Valley is home to nine family-owned wineries that produce a wide variety of award winning wines. Within the group of wineries you will find many fine wines, pleasant conversation, and beautiful surroundings. Visitors will find the variation in wines is extensive, from commonly know varietals to some unique to the region.

You may sample and purchase wine in the Lehigh Valley by visiting the wineries of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. You can contact the individual wineries for information relating to their special events. There are many things you will find to do and see along the way that are unique to this region. Special festivals, functions, and tasting are all part of the wine experience.

This trip is not for the kids, and you'll need to rent a car unless you bring your own to the conference. From the reviews we've heard, the wines are tasty and the tour is a blast. You might consider bringing along a designated driver.

The Victorian village of Jim Thorpe, named in honor of the famous athlete, was originally known as Mauch Chunk. Because of its location in a deep valley, it has been called the Switzerland of America. The town features beautiful scenery, quaint shops, great food, and phenomenal architecture. A restored railroad allows visitors to take a ride through the area. The Inn at Jim Thorpe has been painstakingly restored to its Victorian opulence. While you're here, be sure to visit the magnificent Harry Packer Mansion. The mansion was used as the model for the haunted mansion in Disney World. You're sure to enjoy exploring this quaint little village and you'll enjoy learning about its rich history.

You'll need to either have your own car or rent a car if you're planning on visiting Jim Thorpe.

Pennsylvania qualifies for the title of Covered Bridge Capitol of the World. And the Lehigh Valley has quite a selection of these bridges for you to visit. You can pick up a brochure on a self guided driving tour of the Covered Bridges of Lehigh County. Call the Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-747-0561 for information.

This is another trip that you'll need to either have your own car or rent a car. A taxi is out of question for this exploration.

If you’d like to know how Mack heavy-duty trucks are made, you’ve come to the right place! The Macungie Assembly Operations in Macungie, Pennsylvania, which produces the Mack line of vocational and construction trucks, is open to the public through pre-arranged tours. The tour is one and one-half (1-1/2) miles of walking!

Reservations and a minimum group size of five (5) are required. Tours are available Tuesday and Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Adults are responsible for the supervision and control of children. Specific ratios of adults to children are required.
Minimum age required for a plant tour is 7 (seven) years. Carriages/strollers are not permitted. The tour is free of charge.

The Wheels of Time exhibit of Mack trucks with models from 1907 to 1973 can be experienced at the Mack Museum, located at 997 Postal Road, Allentown, PA 18103. In addition to trucks, the Museum features many interesting pieces of memorabilia, and more than 80,000 photographs! Museum tours are available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday only from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Be sure to check the web site and call before you go to the plant. They sometimes have shutdowns and if you can get in then, you won't see much.

You don't need to leave Bethlehem to find interesting and exciting things to see and do. Bethlehem just oozes history. There are museums (1810 Goundie House, Moravian Museum, Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts), the Burnside Plantation, the 1751 Old Chapel, and the Colonial Industrial Quarter.

For the kids, you'll also find the Children's Theatre of Bethlehem, The Discovery Center of Science and Technology, and HistoryWorks!

In downtown Bethlehem, within a block or two of the hotel, you'll find boutiques, sports shops, gift shops, restaurants, cafes, chocolate stores, crystal stores, a cigar outlet, a spa, jewelry stores, a wine shop, toy stores, book stores, art galleries, and so much more. You can easily spend days browsing through the wide variety of shops and savoring the specialties at the many fine restaurants, delis, and specialty shops.

Check out the two web sites shown above, and then start exploring the rest of the Bethlehem sites on the web. You'll find more than enough to keep you entertained.

I'm not sure how many race car drivers we have in the crowd, but if you're interested in racing, you'll enjoy visiting Nazareth Speedway. If you want to see the NASCAR Busch Series, you'll have to come to town a month before the conference - May 17 - 18, 2003.

They don't appear to have their summer 2003 schedule of events posted yet, but looking at last June's events, there's plenty of action to catch. How about signing up for a two day Racing School? You'll get to drive a real race car. If race cars aren't your thing, last June they had the WZZO Lawnmower Race. Now that's got to be a spectacular event!! And there are usually time trials scheduled at the track, too.

If racing is your thing, then keep an eye on the Nazareth Speedway's web site for June activities.

Alright, maybe car racing isn't your thing. How about bicycle racing? You're up close to the action and excitement at the internationally acclaimed Lehigh Valley Velodrome. Every Friday night they have international racing. If Friday isn't good, then perhaps Tuesday Mid-Atlantic Series Racing or Saturday Local Series Racing might work for you. If you haven't experienced bicycle racing, you're bound to enjoy this opportunity to see professional racing at its best.

Prices are unbelievably reasonable ($6 general admission). You'll need a car to get from the hotel to the velodrome. It'll take you about 30 minutes to get there.

Well, if auto racing and bicycle racing don't replace your divot, how about golfing. The Lehigh Valley Golf Packages web site provides you with a good overview of the local golf public golf courses. There are enough courses to allow you to golf at several different ones each day, but we know you'll be attending conference sessions, and not golfing, so that's not an issue, right?

You say that there aren't enough golf courses in the area for you. Well check out the list of local courses at http://1stop4golf.com/GolfCourses.asp. That's fifty courses for you to choose from. Some are private, so you'll have to manage an invitation from someone, but you shouldn't have trouble finding members in the area that are willing to invite you along.

Whitewater Rafting and
Paintball Adventures

• Pocono Whitewater Rafting http://www.whitewaterrafting.com/
• Jim Thorpe River Adventures http://www.jtraft.com/
• Whitewater Challengers http://www.whitewaterchallengers.com/

We won't know how white the whitewater rafting will be until we see how wet of a spring we have. But you'll still have fun on the Delaware river, even if the rapids aren't all that fast. And for those of you not anxious to fly out of a rubber raft, you can always just go tubing on the Delaware.

You have your choice of vendors when it comes to whitewater adventures. I've only ever been on the Jim Thorpe River Adventures, and it was lots of fun. A bus picks you up at the end of the trip and brings you back to where you started.

If rafting isn't your bag, how about paintball? Pocono Whitewater Rafting offers fast-paced, exciting Skirmish Paintball Adventures! They have 46 award winning paintball fields on 700 acres of top-notch terrain! They rent and sell paintball equipment and more. The kids (and adults) will enjoy this one.

You'll need a car to get to any of these adventures. Check their web sites for directions, prices, and other important information.

We've got two popular caves in the area, Lost River Caverns in Hellertown, and Crystal Cave in Kutztown. If you enjoy viewing the underground wonders, you'll enjoy these two caves. Lost Cave (as Lost River Caverns is know to the locals) also has a fine collection of antique firearms for those who are interested in that, along with a great collection of jewelry tools and supplies. I highly recommend it for the whole family.

Once again, a car is required to get to either of the caves.

As a final suggestion for you shopping fanatics (and we know you're out there), we have some huge shopping malls in the local area. If you're interested in the outlet shopping, then here are some that we're sure you'll find worthwhile. Better bring an extra suitcase just for the bargains you'll find.

• The Crossings http://www.thecrossings.com/ - located about 35 minutes from Bethlehem in the Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania
• Reading Outlet Center http://www.outletsonline.com/roc - ROC is about an hour from Bethlehem
• Franklin Mills Mall http://www.franklin-mills-mall.com/ - this one's located near Philadelphia, about and hour and a half away