December 2023
Driving out to Bethlehem at Christmas is an annual tradition. We typically go to the huge Christkindlmarkt to do some shopping and enjoy the delicious German food. This year we made a weekend out of it and saw some other Christmas-related sites too. We went to the Christmas Village for some more shopping, explored the Historic industrial Quarter (where they used to hold the Christkindlmarkt when we first start visiting years ago) and drove up to the Lehigh Valley Zoo to see their light display. We stopped at Dunderbak’s for even more German food on the way home.
Our hotel lobby is the coziest place to hang out and relax
Comenius Hall at Moravian University
Outside the the historic Hotel Bethlehem
My mother made a friend outside the Hotel Bethlehem. It appears he's from Penn State.
The Christmas Village at the Colonial Industrial Quarter is another nice place to shop for Christmas gifts
The blacksmith shop at the Colonial Industrial Quarter
The tannery at the Colonial Industrial Quarter
The springhouse at the Colonial Industrial Quarter is decorated for Christmas
The waterworks at the Colonial Industrial Quarter
There are hints of Christmas everywhere you look in Bethlehem. This is the door to the waterworks.
The waterworks at the Colonial Industrial Quarter
Monocacy Creek flows through Bethlehems's Old Industrial Quarter
Central Moravian Church
The Christmas Village at the Colonial Industrial Quarter is another nice place to shop for Christmas gifts
My mother couldn't resist a photo op with this friendly dog from Moravian College
Bethlehem's massive city Christmas tree sits on Payrow Plaza
The chime trellis is a really cool addition to Payrow Plaza. You can pay to have your inscription put on an ornament.
Candles like this are throughout Bethlehem. This set sits up high in Payrow Plaza.
Looking out over Bethlehem frm Payrow Plaza
Payrow plaza is home to Bethlehem's massive Christmas tree and an even more massive sculpture
Bell House dates back to 1745 and contained the first town clock
This clock tower sits atop Central Moravian Church
The Hotel Bethlehem is one of the most well know historic buildings in the city
The Moravian star is the symbol of the city and you can see it everyehere, even in this intersection!
This house doens't have much of a yard, but they manage to make use of every inch!
We weren't driving nearly as fast as it appears as we pass over Schlicher's Covered Bridge
This deer is slightly larger than the one I put on my lawn at Christmas
The Lehigh Valley Zoo looks like a Christmas wonderland
Just some deer out in the woods
These trees make me crave a candy cane
We seem to have wandered into Toy Story
I love covered bridges. Christmas lights only make this little one even better.
The zoo seems like a different place at night
I didn't know Santa reads to his reindeer
Christmas lights of every type and color
My mother found a nice casual place to sit and rest
Watching Christmas movies outside among the lights seems like fun.
It's not a Chrstmas season evening if you can't roast marshmallows
A good light tunnel is always fun
A good light tunnel is always fun
It's the Snow Miser!
The Griswolds have arrived in their family wagon
It appears that the shitter was full but Uncle Eddie is on the job.
I guess they let the hippos roam freely at this zoo
Nothing beats a warm fire on a chilly Christmas evening
My mother never passes up a good cutout even if it's only 3 feet tall. This evening, she's an otter.
A candy cane windmill? Sure, why not?
It's sad to see what's become of the old Bethlehem Steel facilities, but also fascinating to see all the history here
It's sad to see what's become of the old Bethlehem Steel facilities, but also fascinating to see all the history here
It's sad to see what's become of the old Bethlehem Steel facilities, but also fascinating to see all the history here
Sitting down for some delicious German food is one of our favorites parts of the Christkindlmarkt
The many workers who spent years at Bethlehem Steel probably never imagined people would be someday shopping at a Christkindlmarkt in the shadow of their blast furnaces
Ice carving demos are always fun
I can't imagine what size tree these ornamants hang on
Heading out of the Christkindlmarkt after full day of shopping and dining.
The blast furnaces and other components of Bethlehem Steel remanin here as a reminder of the amazing industrial achievments that happened here through the years
I'm not sure why this Santa looks so angry or why he's leading a bunch of people down the street like they're going to go storm city hall
We caught an incredible sunset over Bethlehem
It's hard to tell in this picture, but we were in town the night that the city is lined with luminarias along the curbs
One more German meal before heading home... schnitzel, weinkraut & German potato salad
As if we didn't have enough German food already, we stopped at Dunderbak's for lunch on the way out of town