Pocono Passage -- Part V: Settling In at the Settlers Inn (by Him)

In Honesdale, we picked up US Rt. 6, the 'Grand Army of the Republic Highway.'  Venerable Rt. 6 had been a main artery in the pre-interstate highway system, and was once the longest highway in America, running from Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, to Long Beach, California (although its western terminus is now in Bishop, CA).  "We could take this road all the way home to Marion," the Admiral observed.  But I had other plans for our return leg (more on that in a subsequent post).  A few miles south of Honesdale, we drove by the Alpine Wurst and Meat House, which features German foods (like pickled herring), but it was closed.  "Awwww, too bad," moaned the Admiral.

Finally we arrived in Hawley (pop. 1200), our destination.  This small town sits at the northern end of Lake Wallenpaupack, the third largest lake in Pennsylvania.  Over a dozen miles long, and with more than fifty miles of shoreline, this reservoir (created in 1926) is a major summer recreational destination in the Poconos.  We were happy we came to visit in January.

Downtown Hawley

The history of Hawley, like that of neighboring Honesdale, was also tied to coal, the canal, and the railroad.  Founded in 1827, it is named after Irad Hawley, first President of the Pennsylvania Coal Company.  In the 1850s, the company built its own gravity railroad from its anthracite mines near Pittson and Scranton to the D&H Canal at the port of Hawley.  In the decades that followed, several manufacturing facilities were also established here, including the Bellemonte Silk Mill (the largest bluestone building in the world) and a cut glassware factory.

The Settlers Inn

Our destination, on the bank of the Lackawaxen River opposite the old gravity railroad train station, was The Settlers Inn at Bingham Park.  This lovingly restored Bed & Breakfast is housed in an old building that dates to the year of the town's establishment.  Styled in the tradition of English Arts and Crafts hospitality, it features an acclaimed full-service farm-to-table restaurant locally sourced in Wayne County, and a small tavern offering complimentary wine tastings each evening beside a large fireplace.

Fireplace Lounge at the Settlers Inn

When my parents checked in a few hours later (having left home later and traveled by a different route), we met in the tavern and sampled three different complimentary wines.  The restaurant was crowded with New Year's Day diners, only a few of whom lodged at the Inn, and we couldn't get a table until after 7:00pm.  But it was well worth the wait, and we later dined in style.  Menu entrees divided into four groups: Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire.

I jumped at the opportunity to have lamb (which the Admiral does not allow me to cook at home): a grilled rack and braised shoulder with red wine paint, sautéed winter greens, and gouda (which the Dutch will tell you is pronounced "How-da," not "Go-da") mashed potatoes.  She opted for the toasted Fregula pasta in spaghetti squash, winter farm greens, cooked in lemon basil oil with a light white wine and garlic sauce.  My dad was happy to have baked onion soup (his favorite), while my mom had a delicious Blooming Grove smoked trout appetizer served with a creamy horseradish sauce, chopped red onions, and capers.  Still reeling from the pickled herring of the previous evening, the Admiral declined to sample the trout (or the lamb, of course).

My parents' room (#102)

After dinner, the Admiral and her mother-in-law found a Scrabble board and set up in the Fireplace Lounge.  They used to play Words-with-Friends a lot, and are both fierce Scrabble competitors.  I stopped playing with either of them a few years ago, after it became apparent they were using bogus words that the Words-with-Friends app would accept but which you would never find in a real English dictionary.

The Senior Rufs pulled off a win, when late in the game my father played "COAX" and grabbed a shitload of points...

Bruised and battered, we retired to our room and had a soak in the large whirlpool tub -- after all, you can't spell Pocono-getaway without J-A-C-U-Z-Z-I.  That's a Triple Word Score in my book, and helped to make this the Best GroupOn deal the Admiral has ever found!

Next time: Lakeshore and Skytop....