The NASBUS

How bad have you got it?  Maybe the question is really, "Are you ready for the NASBUS?"

Waiting Patiently

These idled ski lift chairs at Tanglewood wait silently for another winter and a new owner.  

Tanglewood's Achilles Hill

A Tanglewood Ski Slope

This picture of a Tanglewood ski slope was taken from the top of the slope!  I'm no downhill racer, but this 415' vertical drop does not exactly inspire the extreme athlete in me.  It could even be too tame for all but the greenest of beginners.  I have to wonder if the limited challenges provided by the Tanglewood slopes are an achilles hill that had a role to play in the ski resorts demise.  Just about a twenty minute drive away, and only five or ten minutes driving from downtown Scranton, Snow Mountain offers vertical drops of over 1,000' with black diamond slopes for more advanced skiers.

Tough Times for Tanglewood

Looking north at Tanglewood Ski Area

  This view looking north from Tanglewood Ski Area shows  something very rare in Northeastern Pennsylvania this spring:  blue skies.  Ironically, there are no blue skies for Tanglewood.  It has been defunct and for sale since last fall.  Tanglewood Ski Area is located in Tafton, a few miles east of Scranton.  Elevation drops at this ski resort are not exactly dramatic, but the slopes are okay for beginners and family fun.  A notable feature of Tanglewood Ski Area is the inverted ski lodge.  That's a fancy way of saying the lodge is at the top of the ski runs rather than the bottom.  Inverted ski lodges are not so unusual at ski resorts with modest elevations.  


  For anyone with deep pockets and fond memories of Dean Jones and the Disney flick The Snowball Express, Tanglewood Ski Area is still for sale and waiting to make your dreams come true.  

Scranton Softball

Warming Up Before the Game  

Scranton Softball

Softball is quite popular in Scranton and Northeast Pennsylvania.

Hockey Time

Scranton is a very generous city.  Not only does The Electric City share its minor league baseball team with The Diamond City, it also shares its minor league hockey team.  The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are affiliated with the NHL's Pittsburg Penguins.  I went to a game once and found myself watching a scene from the Paul Newman classic "Slapshot" as the fists were flying.   The Hanson brothers would have been right at home on that ice.

PNC Field

Scranton is not a major city, so it does not get a major league baseball team.  In  fact, it does not get its own minor league team.  Scranton shares its baseball team with Wilkes-Barre, the Diamond City, which makes up the southern half of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area.  The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees are a minor league affiliate of the New York Yankees, but their fans are definitely major league with substantial enthusiasm and dedication to their team.