We stopped at Farley's for lunch while taking care of some business downtown. What attracted us to Farley's was the fact that it has been mentioned on the television show "The Office". The first thing that our Grandpa noticed about the menu was that the food was a little over priced, especially for lunch. We thought of getting up and leaving but did not since we already ordered drinks. My husband has a buffalo chicken sandwich, I had the buffalo chicken salad, and grandpa and my sister-in-law had a burger with fries. The best part out of all of our meals was the french fries, that by the way was NOT included with either burger and had to be ordered as an appetizer. All in all I would not avoid going to Farley's but it is nothing special to write a postcard about.

We went to Scranton to visit family for the Christmas holiday. We drove through Ney Ag park and went to the Steamtown Mall. Scranton is a neat little city with lots of things to do. I can't wait to go back when it's warmer and do other activities.

Cooper's Seafood was featured on the tv show "The Office". After seeing Cooper's featured I had to eat there. There are 2 locations we ate at the one located in Scranton. They have a neat gift shop and lots of cool decorations on the wall and even a train that goes throughout the entire building. The food was excellent and they have 100s of choices of beer. Local beer, American beer, and imported beer. The wine list was pretty good, too. I ordered the haddock and it even came on a plate shaped like a fish. It's a cool little restaurant worth checking out.

It was getting pretty late by the time I arrived in Scranton--fortunately the city stays pretty lively late into the night.

I started my tour right in the heart of town at a very impressive plaza with war memorials (of course, always war memorials), a big monument to Cristopher Columbus (?)  and a series of plaques honoring the great "achievers" of Scranton.  Scranton likes to call itself the "Capital" of the old coal mine industry and boasts of having the first functional electric streetcar in the country.

I wander around a small but vibrant comercial district... up across a stream to a dark and abandoned area that's clearly not pedestrian friendly--so I head back into the heart of town past numerous churches that again point to this region's East European heritage.  Some seemingly odd combinations in the church names ("Catholic Byzantine Church"? "Ukranian Greek Orthodox Church"?)

...On past a semi-abandoned University Campus (that's right, it is summertime)... and then back to the Courthouse Plaza where a group of skateboarders were still hard at play....

...Five Cities, five faces of the old coal mining world... a very satisfying day...

We started off this Black Friday by putting up Christmas decorations for Grandma's home.  Actually, we started the day with Alfredo's pizza.  Nothing beats pizza for breakfast.  After making it look Christmassy, we drove to Alternative Eating to check it out. 

Alternative Eating sells 100% gluten-free products.  They cater to those with Celiac disease, an incurable digestive disorder that prevents the body from digesting wheat, barley, rye and oats.  It was impressive to see the amount of gluten-free products being sold.  They have gluten-free pastas, gluten-free sausages and frozen gluten-free cakes 

We then left to drive around Scranton and neighboring cities heading towards the Poconos.  The plan was to look at some windmills.  The ride was very scenic with the trees covered in red leaves.  We drove up, down and around mountains. 

We passed Honesdale with its small town shops lining the central street.  We decided to go to a gluten-free store there.  Not all items at that store were gluten-free.   The store didn't look very nice.  More like a trashy corner store.  Alternative Eating is at a higher standard compared to this other place 

After spying on the competition, we moved on.  There was a hotel off the highway that we stopped at to purchase pastries of some sort.  I headed straight for the restroom.  The decor was really nice and the colors blended so well.  I just had to take pictures.  Unfortunately, the cool trash can was covered by the door of the stall.

We returned home as it was nearing dinner time.  Dinner was at Cooper's Seafood House.  They no longer had alligator bites on their menu.  What a disappointment.  My husband ordered the Bayou Shrimp appetizer, "Ten Gulf shrimp sautéed in a rich sauce of beer, butter and Cajun spices...Served with a loaf of warm bread."  My entree was the Fresh Atlantic Salmon served char-grilled with rice.  It was a huge portion that I had enough for breakfast the following morning

We stopped at the gift shop on our way out, as usual.  They sell a variety of interesting items.  You can also purchase soups and chowders from their refrigerator there.  At the entrance was a sign that read " Unattended Children Will Be Given Espresso And A Puppy."

When we walked back to the parking lot, Bigfoot aka Sasquatch was waiting for us.  I thought it was a bit too cold to be standing out there unclothed 

After a day of decorating, driving around and eating, we slept well and ready for our New York outing on a holiday weekend.
 

Located in Scranton's west side is this specialty store, Alternative Eating. This store offers a healthy diet for those with Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an incurable digestive disorder that prevents the body from digesting wheat, barley, rye and oats. Symptoms include diarrhea, bloating, and vomiting. There is no cure for Celiac disease but Alternative Eating sells 100% gluten free products to help celiacs enjoy a tasty, healthy meal. At Alternative Eating, you can find cereal, soups and cake mixes. There are freezers filled with ready made doughnuts, cakes and quiches. All of which are gluten-free. They also have organic tea and coffee. I can honestly say the latter is excellent. This store has become very popular with residents of New Jersey and New York who stop by when they are passing through or near Scranton. If you happen to be in the area and are in need of gluten-free products for yourself or another, then you must stop here where you will be greeted by a friendly, helpful staff.

I left for the airport well before the rest of the east coast awoke, before dawn.  The cops were already pulling people over. 

The Wilmington International Airport (ILM) is small, but then the "Port City" is small.  There were not too many restaurants inside and there was one vendor past security selling the usual magazines and refreshments.  An announcement was made 15 minutes prior to boarding.  My flight to Atlanta, Georgia was delayed by order of ATL control tower.  Great, holiday travel begins as expected 

So, we left  Wilmington 30 minutes late but arrived in Atlanta 10 minutes past the original arrival time.  Well, why can't they always fly fast?

I was on Delta Airlines, can't be too picky when it comes to reward tickets.  They served drinks and cookies.  Biscoff, sweet, caramelized, cinnamon flavored cookies made in Belgium?  Another good thing out of Belgium.  I just might have to visit someday 

This was my first visit to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).   My gate was changed so I headed to a concourse different from what was originally listed.  Well, I can't really say that the crowd was more or less.  It seemed just like any other international airport on any given day.  One thing for sure, there were soldiers everywhere running to catch their flight or waiting to board.  Many families will have one more thing to be thankful for before the day ends.

I boarded my plane to head for Cincinnati, Ohio.  My ticket had me sitting in first class.  No complaints here.  Two soldiers got a free upgrade to relax in the VIP section.  I had to stow my bag in the overhead compartment and stupid me, I left my camera in my bag.  There was actually a point when I looked out the window and it looked like snow.  There was nothing but flat clouds just below the wing.  Ugh! 

It was a smooth flight and landing at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).  Here is another small airport.  There were not too many travelers here.  My gate had changed but it was still in the same wing.

Right on time, we boarded for Scranton, Pennsylvania.  We had to walk out to our plane, just like at ILM and ATL.  I'm glad I had on 3 layers of clothing and that doesn't include my coat and scarf wrapped around every inch of my neck.  Brrr, Old Man Winter approaches 

There was another serving of Biscoff.  I may have to hunt these down when I get home.  As we neared Scranton, the view from the plane was beautiful.  The trees were clothed in leaves of yellow, orange or red.  The weather had been pleasant with sudden snow fall that dissipated just a few days after so the trees were still covered with leaves, so I've been told. 

We finally arrived at Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton International Airport (AVP).  The pilot's landing was not as smooth on this flight but I've had worse 

As we deplaned, I headed straight for the door with my mouth watering for a turkey feast.  I had no checked-in luggage which made the trip feel pretty easy and stress-free.  No lost or delayed luggage, which can be such an inconvenience and frustration.

My husband picked me up and we head for the city.  The streets were pretty much deserted which meant there was no one to get between me and my pizza!  Oh, and turkey too 

We eventually arrived at Grandma's and the turkey was still cooking.  Fine with me, I had a slice of pizza while I waited.  Bailey kept jumping on the couch and sitting next to me or on me with her hair sticking all over my clothes.  That darn Beagle.

Dinner was finally served.  The menu was turkey, stuffing, gluten-free stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberries, mushrooms with onions, black olives and some sort of sweet potato, apple with cinnamon dish.  The latter was excellent 

The day ended with Boggle.  The Queen of Boggle strikes again.  I can spot those 4 letter words right off the bat 

Safe flight, yummy Biscoff, Scranton pizza, turkey and more, Boggle, and the great company of family in Scranton.

A few pics taken during my 5 days in the Scranton Pennsylvania area 

As I was going through my photos, I realized that I had captured so many US flags.  They can be found on private properties, businesses, and roadside, everywhere.    It’s a nice sight after all the anti-war, anti-American sentiments you see on TV nowadays 

I just purchase my ticket for 6 days in the "Hershey State"

Originally, I was going to drive up to Camden NC near the VA border and have some flip food with some relatives.  But at the last minute, like a few hours ago, my husband and I decided that I fly up to Pennsylvania to spend Thanksgiving with him.  It surprised me that he wants to spend the holidays together. What has come over him 

I leave home on Turkey Day and return on Tuesday.  It's been too long since I’ve been on a plane. It's been too long since I've had Scranton pizza.  I've never been to Italy or Chicago or had pizza in New York so I wouldn't know if those are better.  I personally think that Scranton pizza is the best with their biscuit like crust and the real tomatoes they use.  Oh, the best lasagna was from Scranton.  And it was even better with a Heineken draft.  A house converted to a restaurant in Old Forge.  Well, it looked like a house.  Rude servers, but excellent food 

On our previous visits to the Scranton area, we ate at Cooper's Seafood House, toured a mine shaft, rode a steam engine at Steamtown, and had pizza and more pizza.  Once we went to NYC for an overnight stay where we watched a show at the Blue Note, ate way too much corned beef at Stage Deli and had meat overload at Churrascaria Plataforma 

We shall see what awaits on this trip.  Some snow would be nice.  I doubt if I can make it to NYC.  Too bad I'll miss the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Miracle on 34th Street is such a great movie, the original with Maureen O'Hara.  I'd like a miracle of my own 

I've never flown by air on a holiday.  Hopefully it will not be so crowded so I can nap.  Hopefully I don't get airsick.  Those are unpleasant.  8 more days and counting 

We usually have lunch here when we are in town. My husband's aunts live in the area and it's one of their favorite restaurants. It has such a friendly, lively atmosphere with good food and good drinks. We always start with a tasty appetizer of Alligator Sausages. Their entrée consist of various seafood specials, pasta and meat dishes. Their Children's Menu has a long list starting from Root Beer Floats to a Worms 'N Dirt Dessert. They offer a free lobster dinner for birthday celebrants of all ages. They have specialty drinks such as a Sour Apple Martini and Long Island Iced Tea. There is an extensive bottled beer list of 300 beers and a seasonal bottled beer. The draft beer list constantly changes. Stop by when you're in town. It's always nice to just sit at the bar and drink Lindeman's Frambois Lambic, a Belgian wheat ale brewed with fresh raspberries, while watching a train model that goes around inside the restaurant. Another Cooper's Seafood House is located in Pittston PA.

more to come on this awesome CLUB!!!

This has to be the best texas style weiner dogs EVER!!! when i do make it home i atleast eat here 3 or 4 times and cant get enough of it. I was raised on this place since i was a kid. the original owner died and someone else has taken it over. it still is good but you cant beat the "original" coney island hot dogs!!!! i recommend if your ever driving through NEPA that you stop at this place. Ill be adding directions as soon as i can.