Winning Entertainment at Mount Airy Casino Resort

Recently, a lot of new attractions have been added to the Poconos area. Because East Stroudsburg University is located in such a touristy area, students have a number of resources for fun at their fingertips.

Mount Airy Casino Resort is a new addition and the area’s first casino. For those who have never gone all the way to Atlantic City to try their luck, Mount Airy is a casino on a smaller, simpler scale. The casino has just been given the go-ahead to include card games to their initial repertoire of slot machines. Of course, students who are 21 may only take advantage of the games but students who are under 21 can still check out what the casino has to offer.

The casino also offers some dining including Red Steakhouse, Le Sorelle Cusina, Betty’s Diner and The Buffet at Mount Airy. Keep in mind that some of these restaurants are more expensive than others, but the buffet has an affordable seafood fest from 5 to 10 p.m. every Friday for $19.99.

Mount Airy also offers entertainment for all ages. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be performing in the Gypsies Nightclub and Lounge at 8 p.m. on December 4. Tickets for the event are only $15. For a full list of headlining performers visit the Mount Airy website. The Casino also offers special events and a resort matinee series.

Take a (Day) Trip With Martz

If you’re itching to get out of the East Stroudsburg area and you have no means of transportation, taking a day trip to New York City may be easier than you think. Because the Poconos is a short distance right into the heart of the city there are various park and ride stations throughout the East Stroudsburg, Stroudsburg and Brodheadsville areas. The East Stroudsburg park and ride is located about seven minutes from campus within a reasonable taxi ride distance on Independence Road. A round-trip ticket to New York City and back is $58.

If New York City isn’t your thing and you’d still like to leave the area for a few hours there are a number of places you could visit. Philadelphia is another option with round trip tickets for only $31.

For more information on local fares and locations visit the Martz Trailways website.

Shop at The Crossings

Any resident living in the tri-state area is aware that the The Crossings Factory Stores lies right off exit 209 in Tannersville (it’s the same exit as Camelback). It’s a great place to find bargain prices on name brand prices, some of which are really well known.

The Crossings has been around for years and has exchanged some stores for others, but recently they have been upping the ante on name brands. Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Juicy Coutore and Cole Haan have all been added to the shopping list, stores that you would find on some of the most expensive streets in New York or Los Angeles.

In fact, until recently The Crossings has never served alcohol or had an actual sit-down restaurant with servers. The Log Cabin Bar and Grille opened in March and has taken major steps to be a top-seller of food in outlet stores. Soon, they will even have their liquor license making it the first establishment in the stores to sell alcohol, which should make husbands carrying shopping bags a little less anxious to visit The Crossings in the future.

A Waterfall at Your Fingertips: Sylvan Cascades

A great scenic spot to visit is the Sylvan Cascades located in Tannersville, about 20 minutes from campus. It’s waaayyy under the radar, even for residents that have lived here for years. Actually, it’s not a park of any kind. Sylvan Cascades lies on private property but the owner is aware of its beauty and lets visitors check out the falls (as long as you clean up after yourself). On a sunny day you can catch people jumping and swimming throughout the small waterfalls and pools of water. On a cooler day some people will start a small fire in the designated fire pit.

A friend and I visited the cascades in March one year and there was still much to be seen, even with snow covering the ground.

 Sylvan Cascades is a pretty easy spot to get to if you know your way around at least a little bit. Take Route 80 to Route 715 to Route 611 and at the first light make a left onto Route 715 North. Go all the way up until the road splits and bear right. The pull off and driveway for the Cascades are on your left about two minutes down the road.