Oh, the views...

Hello from Jim Thorpe! It’s Friday and you know what that means. I do want to hint that I’m hoping to write a blog post soon about a certain train and Pocono Mountain loving girlie who’s making a big move. 👀

Anyway, for this PFY post, I want to talk about another location in Jim Thorpe that I adore. It’s briefly mentioned in Pining For You, but it’s a beautiful spot in town where you can relax, meditate, or do my favorite thing—read in nature. Yep, that’s me up there reading the mysterious book from the library. It’s an interesting read, btw, I’ll write another blog post about it once I finish. It’s slow going though because I’ve been grading TONS of speeches for my classes.

Kemmerer Park is named after Mahlon Kemmerer, a 19^th century businessman, who helped drive the area’s economic growth during the height of Pennsylvania’s anthracite coal industry. Mahlon built a mansion in the area, just below the Packer Mansions. However, after his death, years later, with his children moving away, the estate fell into disrepair. The family decided to demolish the mansion. In its place, the family donated the land to the town for a park, and what a beautiful park it is! There are paved pathways, a tennis court, playground, benches, pavilion, and gorgeous views.

In Pining For You, Everett and Nicole take a walk in Kemmerer Park during their multi-chapter first date. I mean, they were already doing it up big, why not throw a walk in a park in there too? It’s important for both character development and the story because Everett, who is an arborist, points out some of the flora, demonstrating his enthusiasm for his work and knowledge. Nicole is intrigued and drawn closer to him because of his passion. A lifelong learner, Nicole is always thirsty to discover new things that make the world beautiful. At this point in the date, she already knows there’s something other-worldly and kinetic happening between them. It’s unnerving, beautiful, and edges on imaginary. She pinches herself to remind herself that it’s real. I’ve often wondered if I should have expanded on that excursion in more detail, but, like I said, the first date is already multiple chapters.

As for me, since it’s spring, I like to walk the paths and admire the foliage. Check out that picture on the right. Beautiful, isn’t it? I took that shot two weeks ago. Anyway, I think it’s warm enough today for me to go sit and read for a bit. I know I say this all the time, but if you find yourself in Jim Thorpe, please take a stroll to Kemmerer Park and enjoy the beauty.

Until next time…