Bethlehem, PA

Bethlehem is about a 20 minute drive southwest of Nazareth, and definitely a lot larger.  I have been here a couple of times for different reasons and the city actually has fun activities.  Depending on when you go, there are many different things to do.  Over break my friends and I wanted to go ice skating and the closest place is Bethlehem.  There are actually 2 rinks; one indoors and the other outside.  They’re both pretty fun, yet become crowded fast because they are the only 2 in the area.  In addition to ice skating rinks, there are also 2 indoor trampoline parks: Sky Zone and Freefall.  Both are a little expensive for a short time to enjoy, but trust me, jumping around for an hour gets pretty tiring.

However if it is summer time, there are more outdoor activities.   Just north of Bethlehem is Dutch Springs, a recreation area with a bunch of things to do.  It is most known for having multiple inflatable floating obstacle course and slides on the lake.  These can be so much fun, but it also becomes crowded and lines for the inflatables become long.  There is also one of the large inflatables that someone sits on the edge of and then another person jumps down on the other side to send the person flying in the air.  There is also an area for scuba diving and kayaking.  If you’re done in the water, there is also a rock climbing wall to finish before you leave.  My friends and I used to go to Dutch Springs when we were a little younger, but not so much now.

One major location that becomes so popular the first week in August is Steel Stacks during Musikfest.  This is a 10day festival that brings smaller to larger bands or singers to Bethlehem.  Some concerts do cost money, but most smaller ones are free.  It also supports local vendors and entrepreneurs that make their crafts. This event draws out so many people and spreads very wide.  Undoubtedly, many businesses thrive during this time and many people are willing to spend a lot (the humongous amounts of beer being sold also helps them decide to spend more).  This is a great event that supports the community and brings people together.

There are other places in Bethlehem that I haven’t mentioned, like some museums, but this blog is more about what my friends and I or people around my age would do here.