John Callahan

Bethlehem native, Moravian College alum, former Bethlehem City Councilman and current mayor of Bethlehem

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is the various parades and festivals that happen in downtown Bethlehem.

“I’m especially fond of the Halloween Parade at the end of October. I always sit at the corner of Main and Market streets looking south. You’ll see scores of kids and families standing four and five people deep on both sides of Main Street with the historic Moravian buildings and South Mountain in the background as a perfect, colorful fall backdrop. The famous Liberty High School Grenadier band marches down Main Street as the bagpipes play and it makes for a perfect setting on a perfect day in downtown Bethlehem.”

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Michaela Conlin

Allentown native, Parkland graduate and current star on the hit Fox show “Bones”

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is the 19th Street [Civic] Theatre.

“The 19th Street Theatre isn’t exactly a discovery, but it is definitely one of my favorite places in Allentown. They have a wonderful independent film selection – I’m always surprised and excited by the films that come through there.

The theater itself has been putting out some of the best productions in the area for years. Arts and culture are absolutely vital to any community. The 19th Street Theatre’s fiercely independent spirit should be celebrated and enjoyed. I feel fortunate to have had this theater to duck into when I was growing up.”

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Don Cunningham

Son of a Bethlehem steelworker, youngest elected Mayor of Bethlehem, front man of local band Don Cunningham and his Cabinet and current Lehigh County Executive

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is a running trail.

“One of my favorite places to run is the Ironton Rail Trail, a 9.2-mile stretch that starts in North Whitehall and ends under MacArthur Road. The scenery is amazing and it seems like there’s always something new to see. The trail winds past old cement kilns from the late 1880s, the Coplay Creek and picturesque neighborhoods that remind you of a simpler time. Near the Coplay Creek, you can pick up a 5.5-mile loop that runs through the Whitehall Parkway. It’s as flat as a pancake and the trail is soft on your knees. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoor beauty of Lehigh Valley and get some exercise. Just being on the trail relieves stress and reminds me of how lucky I am to live in this amazing place.”

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Keith Dorney

Macungie native, star student-athlete at Emmaus High School, College Football Hall of Fame inductee and former player for the Detroit Lions

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is ‘Macungie Mountain’ even though, technically, isn’t really a mountain.

“According to the U.S. Geological Survey, to qualify as a mountain, it would have to stand 2,000 feet above sea level. ‘Macungie Mountain’ stands just over 500 feet. Not even close. But that’s what everyone I ever knew in town called it. ‘Macungie Hill’ just doesn’t sound right.

This was my playground growing up forty-odd years ago. Through my backyard, underneath the walnut tree, across Chestnut Street, through the baseball diamond adjacent to the firehouse, across the little-used Cotton Street, and there it was, looming in front of me like Everest, challenging, beckoning, calling to me.

Oak, beech, maple, pine, and willows spill down off the hillside and down both sides of the creek. Adjacent the water lie vast meadows, which are alive with life and surprises in the spring and summer. Autumn brings a thousand colors, winter a still and stately calm.

You can enjoy the smells, sounds, and solitude of my old haunts, thanks in part to the generosity of Frederick Kalmbach, a German immigrant who like me cherished(s) Macungie. He donated his beloved property out of his devotion to keep wild, unspoiled surroundings that ‘reveal the omnipotence of our Creator,’ as Mr. Kalmbach put it himself. Then there are the many friends of the park, the volunteers, who have carried out his wishes so thoughtfully.

The fruit of their labor is known as Kalmbach Memorial Park. Enjoy the maintained walking and hiking paths. Take in an educational program at the circa 1850 restored barn. Enjoy the beauty and solitude seven days a week from sunrise to sunset.

So get up, go outside, get your bearings, and head toward ‘Macungie Mountain.’ You can’t miss it.”

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Larry Holmes

Easton resident for over 50 years and former Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World seven years in a row, “The Easton Assassin”

My favorite discovery in Lehigh Valley is simple – it’s where I met my wife!

“I met my wife Diane while she was in high school. You see, my brother Bob and Diane’s sister, Wanda, were dating at the time and whenever they would have a party or get together, we’d tag along and that’s how we met. Bob and Wanda wound up getting married, and I’ve been married to Diane for 30 years now. We’ve lived here in Easton the entire time. No personal accolades or Heavyweight Championship belt can top that.”

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Pat Kelly

Graduate of Catasauqua High School, former Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays and current general manager for the South Australia ABL team

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is two-part, depending on the season.

“I’m from North Catasauqua, and as kids we’d ride our bikes and head off to the Catasauqua pool in summertime. It was a fantastic meeting place for kids and we would hang out at the high dive. I don’t know how exactly how high it was, probably only 15 or 20 feet, but we’d all jump off and try some crazy stuff. I remember cracking my teeth trying to do a “double gainer.” My knee hit my chin and I broke my two front teeth. It was pretty embarrassing. I must have been 14 years old trying to impress one of the cheerleaders who was on the side of the pool and it didn’t go very well when I came out with a bloody mouth. She was a varsity cheerleader and I was trying my best to get her attention, went off the high-dive headfirst and wrecked my smile. Oh well, I didn’t have a chance with that girl anyway.

In winter, we have a place called the “three dips” at Catasauqua playground – probably the best inner tubing area in Lehigh Valley for thrills, spills and broken bones. It’s still there and if there is ever a good snow you should tell anybody who enjoys inner tubing or sledding to head down to the “three dips.” There are all different kinds of slopes and you can really get airborne. You can call it thrilling, but it’s also scary as hell!

We made our own fun back then and Lehigh Valley is where I’ve collected some of my favorite memories.”

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Carson Kressley

Born and raised in Claussville, graduate of Northwestern Lehigh High School, designer for Ralph Lauren, “fashion savant” of Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and founder of the PERFECT clothing line

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery involves the two things I love the most – horses and shopping. In that order!

“So for the horse part, I was so lucky to grow up next door to my grandparents legendary Kressley’s Pony Farm in rural Orefield. When I was five or six years old I thought everybody had a couple hundred ponies roaming the farm fields next to their homes.

Discovering horses and riding took me to the wandering dirt roads and trails of Northwestern Lehigh County on both the family farm near New Tripoli and Blue Gate Farm, where I started to ride competitively. Winning a world championship title this past year at the World’s Championship Horse Show in Louisville, KY, is a long way from the Valley but that’s where I got my start and I cannot think of a better place to have grown up!

Now for the shopping part. I haven’t lived in the Valley for a long time, but some of my fondest memories growing up were the once weekly shopping trips to the big city of Allentown.

It was there with my Mom that a four-year-old budding fashionista discovered the retail joys of the Allentown Farmers Market (where I could always charm the Amish sales ladies into free tastes of yummy Lebanon Bologna, honey or fresh made cheese), the bustling lunch counter at Woolworths at Crest Plaza Shopping Center, and the motherload, Hess’s downtown Allentown flagship.

That store was a treasure trove and it was run by true merchants that employed designs and featured merchandise that would have made you think you were at Bloomingdale’s or Neiman Marcus! It’s gone too, but it planted the seed that made me the stylish shopper I am today. Thanks, Hess’s!”

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Matt Millen

Born in Hokendauqua, student athlete at Whitehall High School, All-American defensive tackle at Penn State, former linebacker for the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins and ex-President/CEO of the Detroit Lions

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery has always been my own outdoor adventures as a kid.

” When I was a kid, my neighborhood was all farmland, so I would be out exploring all the time. Everything was new to me. There are a lot of places where I would explore, from the little creeks that spread throughout the region, to following the Lehigh River route, to just being out in the woods at all the different parks.

I can remember heading down to the old “Hokey” playground at Hokendauqua Park. My friends and I did what all the kids I knew did back then – we roamed around outside and tried to catch salamanders or snakes. I was always out in the woods or in a stream, looking for whatever came my way. Between that and playing sports, it’s all I ever did. Football was a big deal, from Hokendauqua youth football through high school. And it’s still the same way today. That’s the beauty of Lehigh Valley.”

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Lara Jill Miller

Graduate of William Allen High School in Allentown, child star of NBC’s “Gimme a Break!” and present day voice-over actress

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is Trexler Park [in Allentown].

“Growing up as a family, we used to drive slowly around the park in our big station wagon, eating ice cream from Carvel, looking at the golden leaves in the fall and white wonderland in winter. Of course, we’d always stop to feed the ducks.

As I got older, I’d ride my bike there with friends, stopping by the 7-Eleven to get a good ol’ Slurpee. Sometimes we’d roller skate or play on inner tubes where the little brook ran by a log cabin.

When jogging became all the rage, both my parents and I became avid Trexler Park runners! We’d run 1.2 miles around the little loop or 1.4 miles around the top. Sometimes we’d make it four times around, in addition to jogging there and back home. It was our favorite place to exercise.

We still revisit Trexler Park almost every time I come home from Los Angeles or New York. We stroll through, walk past the log cabin and remember all the wonderful times we’ve had. It’s beautiful there – I have so many great memories at the park. It’s a place I cherish.”

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Marty Nothstein

Trexlertown native, Emmaus High School graduate, two-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Cycling champ

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery, to no one’s surprise, is the Velodrome [Valley Preferred Cycling Center].

“However, most people don’t know what first brought the Velodrome to my attention. It actually occurred before I started racing. What initially caught my eye were the flags flying around the track every Friday night.

I grew up less than a mile from the track and my grandparents lived only about 200 yards away, so I would see them frequently and wonder what those flags meant. It was only after I started racing here that I learned they represent all the countries of the riders who have raced here over the years, and later I realized just how important the Velodrome is in the cycling world.

We still fly those flags every time we race here.”

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Sal Panto

Mayor of Easton

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is the State Theatre.

“I have a lot of discoveries in Lehigh Valley, but my favorite, the one nearest and dearest to my heart, has to be State Theatre Center of the Arts in Easton.

The State Theatre brings a variety of arts and entertainment to one location. It’s a melting pot of creativity and that artistic diversity brings people together.”

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Ed Pawloski

Husband of Lisa, father of Mercy and Alex, and mayor of Allentown

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is all of the local parks in Allentown.

“The City of Allentown’s fabulous park system is one of the first things that attracted me to the city. We are extremely fortunate to be the beneficiaries of General Harry C. Trexler’s vision. Tens of thousands of people from inside and outside the city enjoy these exceptional public gathering places that are safe and attractive and reflect the community’s unique character and natural beauty.

It’s no wonder that so many charitable organizations use our parks for their fundraising walks. Our parks are one of the reasons why Allentown is a great place to live, work and play.”

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John Stoffa

Public servant of both Lehigh and Northampton counties over the past 30 years and current Northampton County Executive

My favorite Lehigh Valley discovery is all the free band concerts that exist across the region.

“During the summer, on any Friday, Saturday or Sunday evening, Lehigh Valley residents can visit a park from Allentown to Bethlehem to Easton and hear live, free concert band music. Few other areas can boast the musical richness that we have in this regard. It is terrific family entertainment. As a former member of the Allentown Hobo Band and both the Easton and Bethlehem Municipal bands, I can attest first-hand to the enjoyment this brings people.”

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