(SOLD OUT) Option 1 – Bus Tour (Wednesday, June 21st 9AM – 5PM): A tour around the AML sites in the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys. More info below…
Option 2 – Walking Tour/ Film Festival (Wednesday, June 21st 11AM – 5PM): A guided walk around downtown Wilkes-Barre and Coal Themed Films. More info below…
“Self-Guided” Options – other places of interest that are nearby (within 1/2 hour radius). More info below…
Wednesday Dinner and Thursday Conference Attendance are extra and are purchased separately.
Bus Tour (Option 1)
Boxed lunch included. Participation limited to 40. First come, first serve. Some sites take a small amount of walking on relatively flat or moderate incline/decline. The Old Forge Borehole discharge and Red Lake overlook can be accessed a short steep uneven path over the bank, probably not for folks that are unsteady on their feet, but we have planned the talk on flat ground.
Tentative Bus Tour Agenda
Leave Genetti’s @ 9AM sharp to visit the Old Forge Borehole (Union St., Old Forge), the largest mine drainage flow in the Anthracite Region at 100 cubic feet per second (53 million gallons per day) to talk about treatment ideas and investment by private dollars. On to Harry E. Banks (601 Main St., Swoyersville) to talk about these massive waste coal piles, the plans for their removal and reclamation of the site into high end residential and business land use. Stop at Kirby Park for lunch and a rest room. Then on to the Solomon’s Boreholes (105 W. St. Mary’s Rd., Wilkes-Barre) to take in the ambiance of the “AMD fountain” and recent project to protect homes from a mine water backup in their basements. On to Askam Boreholes Treatment System (Dundee Cross Rd, Wilkes-Barre or Nanticoke) where an innovative oxidization technology is in place to drop out iron and get a little boost to pH (no alkaline addition).
Walk ~500ft forth and back, Talk 30 min at Askam Boreholes Treatment System. On to Red Lake (Cemetery Rd, Nanticoke), a 20 acre lake of AMD which might be cleaning up itself evident by wildlife frequenting the site. Last but not least we will stop by Benny Brewing (1429 Sans Souci Pkwy, Wilkes-Barre) to sample some local brews before returning to Genetti’s by 4PM (option for non-drinkers to skip the brewery, go back on the bus and be back at Genetti’s by 3PM, bus will come back to Benny’s for the rest).
Tentative Bus Route
Walking Tour/ Film Festival (Option 2)
Walking tour starting at 11AM. Lunch on your own (discounts available with your conference name tag). Films start at 2PM back at Genetti’s. The group will have an opportunity to discuss the films and have an afternoonn snack.
Tentative Walking Tour Agenda
A guided walk around downtown Wilkes-Barre with City Councilman Tony Brooks a local history expert talking about architectural and historical aspects of several sites along a pre-planned route around the Diamond City. There is a lot of coal related history to talk about in Wilkes-Barre, which itself was not undermined. You will have the opportunity to visit Sue Hand’s “The Anthracite Miner’s and their Hallowed Grounds” Art Exhibit, the work of C. Edgar Patience in the King’s J. Carol McCormick Ministry Center Chapel which was completely carved out of Anthracite Coal.
Tentative Film Festival line-up (in no particular order)
The Knox Mine Disaster (Trailer) – by David Brocca
Mine Fires in PA (7 minute short) – by John Welsh
Beyond the Breaker: a Huber Breaker Documentary (Trailer) – by John Welsh
Centralia, PA’s Lost Town (90 minute feature)- by Joe Sapienza II
Restoration of the Schuylkill River (8 minute short) – by Ed Rogers
King in the Mountain (55 minute feature) – by Dave Edwards
Self Guided Options (in order by distance)
Wyoming Valley Historical and Geological Society – (~1/2 mile from Genetti’s) The permanent exhibit on the Native American inhabitants of the area includes local artifacts ranging from stone implements of the Archaic period to the archeological evidence of European influence. Rotating exhibits emphasize events and important influences in the lives of the people of the area, using selections from the Society’s and household articles, as well as photographs and paintings. The Weathervane Gift Shop is open during the Museum’s visiting hours. Besides various attractive gifts relating to the collections, the Gift Shop offers a variety of local publications. The Museum is located at 69 S. Franklin Street in downtown Wilkes-Barre, directly behind the Osterhout Free Library.
Breaker Brewing Company – (~ 1.5 miles from Genetti’s) Tuesday Night to Wednesday Night Breaker Brewing will be offering a 5% DISCOUNT if you say you are affiliated with the AMR Conference. In April of 2013 BBC opened the doors of the old St Josephs Monastery & School in Wilkes-Barre Twp (George Town) to the public with a tap and tasting room for growler fills and soon after in the spring of 2014 they obtained a brew pub license for pint and food sales. They offer a full dining menu with daily features form their kitchen. They keep 8 to 11 rotating taps flowing all the time and are always brewing up some new and exciting beers.
Seven Tubs Nature Area – (~5 miles from Genetti’s) Recently purchased by the state and added to the Pinchot State Forest Tracts, Seven Tubs Nature Area is a 500-acre site located in Plains Township. The main feature of the area is a stream called Wheelbarrow Run that flows through a ravine where a series of large potholes or “tubs” are gouged out of the underlying bedrock. The cascade of water has attracted visitors to the site for generations. Surrounding Wheelbarrow is a forest composed of plants and animals typical of northeastern Pennsylvania. Hiking trails lead to and around the Tubs area allowing visitors to enjoy the diverse natural life and hilly terrain of the area.
Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour@ McDade Park – (~ 20 miles north from Genetti’s) Descend slowly into the earth in a mine car as you enter the old Slope #190. Watch the sky slowly disappear. Soon you’ve reached “the foot”. Then explore 300 feet beneath the earth through an anthracite coal mine originally opened in 1860. Accompany a miner in the winding underground gangways and rock tunnel past three different veins of hard coal, past the mule boy and the nipper, past the monkey vein and the dead chute. Listen as he explains the fascinating methods used, and the heroic efforts involved, in deep mining’s history.
Anthracite Heritage Museum @ McDade Park – (~ 20 miles north from Genetti’s) The Anthracite Heritage Museum serves the educational needs of the public regarding the story of hard coal mining, its related industries, and the immigrant culture of northeastern Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is actively supported by the Anthracite Heritage Museum and Iron Furnaces Associates which is a non-profit community based organization.
Houdini Museum and Magic Show – (~20 miles north from Genetti’s) A five star national venue. Full afternoon of fun for all ages for one price! A movie, a guided tour & a top professional fun hour stage magic show. The movie will repeat after the stage show. Our acts have starred on network TV including Home Box Office, NBC, CBS, ABC, History, Biography, & Travel Channels, etc., with stars like Tony Curtis, who played Houdini in the movie, Dick Van Patten, & Bill Cosby. Featured on Mysteries At The Museum, The Office, House (MD), etc.
Eckley Miners Village – ( ~ 25 miles south from Genetti’s) Eckley Miners’ Village educates the public about the story of anthracite coal mining along with patch towns and their residents through the preservation and exploration of the site and its collection. Eckley Miners’ Village is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is actively supported by the Eckley Miners’ Village Associates which is a non-profit community based organization.
Rickett’s Glen State Park – (~30 miles west from Genetti’s) Ricketts Glen harbors Glens Natural Area, a National Natural Landmark. Hike the Falls Trail System and explore the Glens, which boasts a series of wild, free-flowing waterfalls, each cascading through rock-strewn clefts in this ancient hillside. The 94-foot Ganoga Falls is the highest of 22 named waterfalls. Old growth timber and diverse wildlife add to the beauty. Ricketts Glen State Park is one of the most scenic areas in Pennsylvania. This large park is comprised of 13,050 acres in Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia counties.
By no means is the is an exhaustive list of things to do within a 30 mile radius of Wilkes-Barre. These are just some of our favorite places. Depending on your personal interests there are many things to do and see. Contact the Luzerne County Visitors Bureau for more…