Back To The Time Tunnel!

    If  today's Blog sounds familiar it's because it has
been reworked from a piece I wrote in August of
2011. I returned to the place that inspired that blog
and, with the addition of photos, thought I'd take
you back for a visit too. Here we go................
  I entered the 'Time Tunnel' yesterday and came out in
Eurana Park in the small Carbon County town of
Weatherly.
    The wife and I had hit the road for a top down ride
in our Miata. We drove through Bear Creek, circled
Penn Lake, checked out the white water rafters at
Rockport, then headed straight for what you could
call Norman Rockwell Country!
    You'll find it at Eurana Park.
     I first visited many many years ago with my Mom and
Dad. We boarded a self-propelled railroad car in
Hazleton and rode the rails to Weatherly. We got off at
the Railroad Station (which is now the Borough
Building and Police Headquarters) and took a taxi up
the steep streets of town to the park.
     Passenger rail service is long gone from the
community. But Weatherly has kept up and improved the
park over the years. Still is retains the look and charm
of the kind of town park you might have seen in small
town New England around the early 1900's.
     That look includes a Band Shell. You know. A shell
shaped stage designed to direct sounds out towards
the audience. It's like the 'Hollywood Bowl' on a
smaller....OK.....much smaller....scale!
    The stage and the seats were all empty.
    Today (Sunday) they will likely be filled with people
 who come to hear a Band Concert.
     There's a swimming pool...sort of. It's actually a
large spring fed pond,much larger than your usual
pool, that's maintained, treated, and protected by
a staff of summer workers.
      I can remember a time when it may have been
'treated' a bit too much. My oldest daughter was
 just a kid at the time. She went into the pool blond.
      A bit later in the day her hair was a unique
shade of green!
     There are a couple of pavilions where we've
gathered for some family Birthday parties over the
years. There are plenty of tables. Plenty of seats.
Plenty of trash containers. Unfortunately, there are
no grills!
     Cooking hot dogs and hamburgers over a match
never works out very well.
     But the park has a small refreshment
stand. So you can grab some grub there for your
picnic. We settled for some soft ice cream.
      There's another small building in the park that
had changing rooms for the pool downstairs and
a basketball court above. I've only been inside a
couple of times. I don't think the basketball court
could handle much more than the ten people
playing! But, last I heard, they will still be running
a league there long after the sounds of summer
were gone from the park.
       An outdoor court is part of the park too as
well as a baseball field.
       It's the kind of recreational and community
gathering place you'd expect to find in a far
bigger city. I consider it a 'treasure' and, from
the looks of things, Weatherly does too!
      As I said in another recent Blog, you can't
live in the past. But it's a great place to visit!!
      If you enjoy 'time travel' you might want to
put Eurana Park on your 'Places To Visit List'
for next summer.
     Just leave the charcoal at home. There's
no place to burn it!
      Hope you Blonds stay that way after
swimming and that all your NEWS is good!