Malerie Yolen-Cohen
Contributor, The Huffington Post
Publisher, GetawayMavens.com; Northeast getaway expert
1. Rosie the Riveter no doubt wore a 1940’s Willson Saf-T-Bra, built from what appear to be two small hard hats coupled together. You can see this bizarre contraption at Goggle Works (not to be confused with Google) in Reading PA, a protective goggle manufacturing plant repurposed as a vibrant Arts Center, complete with working artists in their studios and classrooms for those who wish to perfect glassblowing, wood-working or even digital arts. But Reading, a RR Stop on the Monopoly Board, has other strange and wonderful sites, including a gleaming Asian pagoda that serves as a beacon to visitors.
2. Little Boyertown PA might not be able to handle all the worldwide train fans who are sure to swarm here once word spreads. Thousands already have. The tourist train, Colebrookdale Railroad Secret Valley Line, inaugurated in 2014, was spearheaded by Lawyer and Historic Preservationist, Nathaniel Guest, and was dedicated as one of the country’s “Preserve America Stewards” by first lady Michelle Obama less than a year after it was unveiled. Pullman cars from the 1800’s have been meticulously and lushly restored, down to plush leather seating, Maxfield Parish stained glass window, Tiffany-style light, drapes, mosaic tile floors, and other Victorian adornments. Oak columns in
the upscale Bar Car came from a theater in Rochester, with other train car appointments either replicated or sourced to represent the period. The 1¾ hour, eight-mile Colebrookdale Railroad ride from Boyertown to Pottstown, with its deep cuts and tight curves, crossing tall timber trestles and rushing creeks, is one of the most stunning you'll ever experience. Read about Boyertown's other delights for the visitors.