Brigita McKelvie - Lehigh Valley, PA, Residential, Rural & Horse Properties

The weekend has rolled around and you are looking for something to do. Well, don't fret! There are many things you can do in and around the Lehigh Valley, PA.

If you enjoy amusement parks, Dorney Park in Allentown is the place. Not only does it have many rides, it also has a water park to cool off in on those hot summer days.

If skiing is your enjoyment in the winter, there are many ski resorts to choose from. One of the closest ones is Blue Mountain Ski Resort. It not only offers ski slopes, but also tubing and snowboarding.

The Lehigh Valley offers many fairs during the summer months. Every township and town practically has one sometime during the summer. The largest one is the Great Allentown Fair. This fair is held at the end of summer, during the week leading into Labor Day Weekend. In addition to the many rides and exhibits, you can find big name entertainers perform concerts held at the fair.

If music is your main interest, Musikfest is the place for you. It offers music from everywhere you can imagine and different types. Something for everyone, from polkas, to square dancing, to Native American dances and music.

If you prefer getting back to nature and away from the crowds, Lehigh Valley has that, too. Jacobsburg State Park offers hiking, biking and horseback riding trails. (Sorry, no horse leases here. You need your own horse to ride the trails.) You can also fish and hunt in Jacobsburg. There is also hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

If you are into history and art, there are many museums to visit in the area.

Agriculture your interest? The Steam Engine and Tractor show is another interesting place to visit. You can check out the many different types of historic steam engines and tractors on display. Or how about visiting the 4H shows and fairs? The kids will love that.

Enjoy farm fresh produce and meats? Check out the Farmer's Market at the Allentown Fairgrounds or the local farmer's markets you can find all over Northampton and Lehigh Counties. If you want, you can also find places that sell fresh raw milk.

Is shopping your thing? The Lehigh Valley offers a variety of stores. Christkindlmarkt offers many hand made crafts during the Christmas shopping season.

How about a baseball game? The Lehigh Valley even has their own minor league baseball team "The Iron Pigs"

So, as you can see, the list is never ending. I can go on and on with the many things you can do in the Lehigh Valley. Whatever your taste, I'm sure you will find something to do that you and your family can enjoy.

As some of you may know, I volunteer with the Lehigh Valley Animal Response Team (LVCART). We have been in the organizational stage for about a year now and we are just about ready to go live.

When disaster strikes, there are many organizaations that come to aid humans. But, there are people that will not evacuate because they do not wish to leave their beloved pets behind. This is where the LVCART comes into play. LVCART will respond to any emergency situation affecting animals.

Awareness of animal response teams was raised back in 1998 when Hurricane Floyd hit. The need was there not only for pets, but also for livestock. During that period, millions of animals lost their lives and thousands of others were separated from their owners. In 2004, Pennsylvania started it's state group. The LVCART was founded in 2007 to respond to animal emergencies in Lehigh and Northampton Counties.

Last year, LVCART raised nearly $5,000 and received many donations of pet supplies, medical necessities and a trailer for it's equipment. Even Senator Lisa Boscola has confirmed that she will support the LVCART grant application for $5,000. The volunteers consist of many different backgrounds, including veterinarians, technicians, real estate agents, like myself, housewives and mothers, etc.

LVCART can always use more volunteers for both small and large animals. Training classes are offered for those who wish to earn credentials to be a part of the team. If you are interested in either volunteering and/or donating items or funds, then contact LVCART at 610-442-0128 or e-mail lehighvalleycart@aol.com

If you love animals and want to help, won't you come out and join us?

Hey, all you horse enthusiasts, young and old. Even though the Nazareth and Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania is growing, there are still plenty of activities for the horse lover.

First of all, if you want to take riding lessons, there are plenty of lesson barns in the Lehigh Valley. Some even offer boarding for your horse and even the possibility if leasing a horse, if you are unable to afford one. You can also compete your horse in the competitions held in the area.

The area offers many clubs and organizations for the young and old to join. For the youth, you have numerous 4H Clubs and a couple of US Pony Clubs. Here, the youth learn many aspects about horses, such as safety, caring and nutrition of the horse, equipment, etc. and occassional riding clinics. Lots of fun. For the adults, you have the Lehigh Valley Horse Council, a number of eventing and dressage organizations. Lots of fun for the adult horse person who wants to learn and participate in the horsey stuff.

If you are a pleasure rider, the Lehigh Valley offers numerous trails you can ride. One of them is located 10 minutes outside of Nazareth. It is Jacobsburg State Park It includes miles of horseback riding trails through woods, fields and even through streams. Whatever your level of riding, Jacobsburg has the trail for you. The park offers plenty of trailer parking.

About 45 minutes south from the Lehigh Valley, in Bucks County, is the Bucks County Horse Park. The Horse Park offers, trails, shows, polo matches, and lots more.

If you have a handicap, and you enjoy horses, don't fret. The Lehigh Valley has a few places that has Handicapped Riding programs.

Now, if all you want to do is find a home with some property to keep your horse(s), you can find that here, too. Homes can be found with eough land to house horses and other farm animals.

As you can see, the Nazareth and Lehigh Valley areas have much to offer to the "horse crazy" people of all types.

Nazareth, PA has an excellent school system in place. Many different programs are offered in the schools.

At the elementary level, if your child is a over achiever, they have what is called the "Gifted Program". This is a program that allows children that are bored with the regular classes, and are above average, to get together and do extra curricular activities. They are taken out of their classes about twice a week and do creative projects to keep their minds active. On the other hand, if the child needs extra help to keep up with the class, it is available. The teachers work with each student as individuals.

At the middle school and high shool levels, there are many activities and clubs available to the students. There seems to be something for every type of interest. The High School has a great band and orchestra. The orchestra performs with the drama club, when the spring musical is put on. The musical has several performances and is usually a sell out. The band plays at the school football games and competes with other schools. The band usually places within the top 3 at these competitions. Other extracurricular activities are: Art Club, different Athletic teams, science club, cheerleading, religious clubs, ski club, etc. There's practically a club for every type of interest.

Not only are there clubs and activities involved with schools, there are also outside clubs for the youth. There are many different 4H clubs (4H is not just agriculture. It offers also different craft projects, shooting sports, etc.), scouting, environmental and agricultural activities, horse clubs, etc.

Nazareth is located in the Lehigh Valley. The Lehigh Valley offers many schools for higher education. Once the children graduate from HS, they can opt to attend any of the many local colleges and universities in the area. They are Lehigh University, Desales University, Lafayette College, Moravian College, Cedar Crest College, Kutztown University, branches of Penn State, Muhlenberg College. (I think I named them all.) There are also Community Colleges in the area, Northampton County Community College and Lehigh-Carbon Community College, which offer excellent courses.

My children went through the Nazareth School System and received an excellent education. They also attended the local colleges, which prove to also give a great education in their majors. So, all in all, Nazareth and the Lehigh Valley has many good eduactional opportunities to offer.

Welcome to the historic town of Nazareth, PA! Let me give you a brief tour of our quaint little town.

As you walk down the streets of Nazareth, you see so much history.

Strolling down Main St., you see Nazareth Furniture, which used to be the old Nazareth Hotel

Across the street from Nazareth Furniture, you see one of our banks. When you enter, it has kept it's old world charm. It feels like you have gone back in time.

Continue north on Main Street and you will come upon the circle. In the circle you will find a memorial to the local war veterans and our cannon,

surrounded by some more historic buildings in the business district.

As you continue your stroll through Nazareth, you see many historic homes along the way.

A few blocks from downtown Nazareth, you will come across the Whitfield House and the Gray Cottage. The Whitfield House is a museum with many photos are artifacts explaining the history of Nazareth and the Moravians settling into this area back in the 1700's.

So ends our tour for today of Nazareth, PA. As you can see, Nazareth is full of history and this is only some of it. There is much, much more history to see. Just think, a small town with history that is close to major routes, shopping malls, within commuting distance to New York and Philadelphia, and also has an excellent school system.

Hope you enjoyed your tour. When you come up to Nazareth, PA, make sure you see me and I can show you around to see some other sites.