The Empire State Building. Rockefeller Center. The Golden Gate Bridge. The Hoover Dam. The aircraft carrier USS Lexington and the battleship USS Massachusetts. Alcatraz. The San Francisco Municipal Railway. The Wonder Wheel of Coney Island. All of the items on this list, and many others too numerous to count, were made with steel from Bethlehem Steel, whose primary plant was in the city of Bethlehem in eastern Pennsylvania (via Wikipedia).
Founded in 1857, Bethlehem Steel was in operation until 2003. In its heyday, it was the second-largest producer of steel in the United States, after only Pittsburgh-based US Steel. After the plant closed, the site lay abandoned. However, federal and state agencies sought to reclaim the enormous property of the steel mill, and over the past two decades it has been transformed into an educational, retail, and entertainment venue.
On a beautiful, if slightly chilly, Saturday in early February, my wife and I climbed into my car and headed west, setting our sights on exploring a sliver of this historic city.
So come along, then, as we eat a delicious lunch in a former bank, traipse through the woods to find abandoned artwork, and learn about the industrialization of the United States at a Smithsonian museum.
Let’s begin:
A Lunch, a Sculpture, and a Museum
Located about ninety minutes from New York City, and approximately an hour north of Philadelphia, Bethlehem is sandwiched between the cities of Easton and Allentown.Hello again, readers! It’s been a little while since our last post. We had several adventures planned over the past month, but simply miserable weather on the East Coast during January kept us at home. It felt good to get back on the open road!The drive also marked the third state that the Acura TLX has visited during my ownership: Pennsylvania now joins New Jersey and New York. My old Honda Accord visited 17 states – the TLX has to play catch-up!About an hour and fifteen minutes after departing our house, we arrived in Bethlehem at lunchtime. Our first stop was a restaurant that is housed in a century-old bank building.We were dining at Social Still, a restaurant and distillery across the street from the Bethlehem SteelStacks. The restaurant was highly rated on Find Me Gluten Free, a website that reviews gluten-free and gluten-sensitive options at eateries around the United States.We began our meal with an order of Korean BBQ Friend Shrimp. Cooked with carrots, cabbage, and Korean barbecue sauce, and served with a side of freshly-made kimchi, this appetizer was positively inhaled by my wife and I. Absolutely delicious!My wife had the crispy chicken, with a house-made pickle and fries. The best part? The platter is completely gluten-free.My order of the “Bao Down Buns” was simply divine. Duck confit, cabbage slaw, sambal aioli, and pho dipping sauce, with a side of pickled carrots and cucumbers… it may have been one of the best lunch “sandwiches” I have ever eaten. With friendly service, fantastic cocktail options, excellent gluten-free options, and a cozy environment, Social Still gets two enthusiastic thumbs up from The Open Road Ahead!After lunch, we drove into the hills north of Bethlehem, to a hidden attraction in the woods surrounding Lehigh University.“Want to go see some artwork that’s slowly fading into the forest?” my wife asked. I mean, c’mon, this is The Open Road Ahead… of COURSE we’ll go check something like that out. After locking up the Acura, we began trekking through the woods.In 1999, a religious studies professor at Lehigh University taught a course on folk art. The students, together with local artists and middle school students, worked together to create several works, including the Millennium Arch.Each sculpture invites you to get up close, to view details not obvious from a distance… such as this android who is embedded within one of the arch’s pillars.We found ourselves going slowly, as art appeared in the most unlikely places, such as this face emerging from the ground.The sculpture garden is abandoned, and several of the pieces have fallen over. Still, if you are near Bethlehem, it is certainly worth a visit. You can learn more about this hidden art installation by reading the article on the travel website Atlas Obscura.The road to the Millennium Folk Arch is massively fun to drive, too.We headed back into Bethlehem and returned to the Steel Stacks. Longtime readers might remember our previous visit to the former steel mill in December of 2019.Our destination was the National Museum of Industrial History. Housed in the former electric repair shop of the Bethlehem Steel plant, this museum tells the story of the history of industry in this nation.The museum’s focus is how machines have made the industrial growth of the United States possible. Near the museum entrance is this portable steam engine. Built in 1877, it was designed to be drawn by horses to bring power wherever it was needed. Think of it as the great-great-grandfather of the modern generator.Many of the earliest machines on display (pictured) were used in sawmills, making the production of lumber far easier and faster than the hand-cutting of timber.Given the importance of steel production to the city of Bethlehem, many of the machines on display are related to metalwork. This Nasmyth steam hammer was used to shape hot metal. When it would push down on metal, it would exert 125 tons of force – enough to shake nearby buildings!This contraption is a Linde-Wolff ammonia compressor. Built in 1884, it’s the oldest surviving commercial refrigeration unit in the world. It was designed to provide refrigeration at the American Brewery in Baltimore. Fun fact: because it used ammonia as a refrigerant, gas masks were located near the machine in case a leak developed.Instead of lockers, workers at Bethlehem Steel would hang their belongings from the ceiling in the Welfare Room. The advantage of the basket was that wet clothing would air dry overnight.Working near a steel blast furnace is highly dangerous work – temperatures within the blast furnace can reach between 1,600 and 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. The blast furnace suits (pictured) introduced in the 1980s were quite a bit safer than the wool coats worn by steel workers for much of the history of the plant.Bethlehem Steel is credited with helping the United States emerge victorious from both World War I and II. Its prodigious steel production meant that a steady stream of American battleships, tanks, cannons, and airplanes could overwhelm the production of any adversary. This 37mm cannon, produced by Bethlehem Steel, served in France with the New Jersey National Guard.Beyond metalwork and lumber, American industry has a long history with textiles. Numerous looms and spinning wheels were on display, including this Jacquard Loom. This particular loom wove cloth for one location, and one location only: the White House in Washington D.C. It was in operation from the administration of Herbert Hoover until the end of the tenure of Bill Clinton in 2000.This spool creel – which held bobbins of thread in a Long Island textile factory from 1905 until 2003, caught my eye.A special display on the evolution of the TV remote brought a smile to my face. When I was a kid, it was sometimes my job to get up and change the channel for my family. Who knew that the TV remote was invented in 1972? The Jerrold Set Commander was attached to the TV by a cable, so a new channel was only a push of a button away. Why didn’t my family invest in one of these?I owned a SEGA Genesis gaming console in the 90s. What I didn’t own was the SEGA Channel – a special add-on that allowed players to download games over cable TV. The downside? Once you turned off the console, the game would disappear and need to be downloaded again. Good idea, but maybe a bit too far ahead of its time.Railroad tracks once ran throughout the steel plant. Small locomotives, such as this “Dinky,” would haul freight around the plant day and night, keeping the blast furnaces filled with ore.The museum was educational and fun – I would highly recommend a visit if you’re in the Bethlehem area. Before heading home, I parked near the remains of the Bethlehem Steel blast furnaces for a quick glamour shot of the TLX.A little over an hour later, we pulled into the garage, the TLX delivering us home in comfort and style. The miles are quickly piling up on my new car. It was bought in September with 18,000 miles on the odometer – 30,000 is quickly approaching! Onward!
Garage… and other… Updates
It’s been a minute since I passed along updates on the vehicles that keep us traveling the highways and byways of this nation. Both the Acura TLX and my wife’s Jeep Grand Cherokee have added to their maintenance books recently. I will also share a fun, non-automotive update!
TLX Updates
After over two years of minimal snow in New Jersey, we finally had a decent winter storm and I was able to give my Acura TLX, with its Super-Handling All Wheel Drive, a proper test. The verdict? It’s a monster in the winter.Of course, any vehicle will do well in the snow with proper rubber, and the Nokian WR G4 all-weather tires provide fantastic amounts of grip. Starting, stopping, and turning in the snow was effortless.One of my reasons for buying the Acura was to have a vehicle with all-wheel drive, as my wife and I frequently travel to far snowier locations than New Jersey in the winter. The TLX was deeply impressive in its initial snowy test drive – I’m looking forward to seeing more of what it can do!The TLX went to the dealer for an oil change and a tire rotation recently. It also ended up needing a warranty repair and a four-wheel alignment, so the dealer had to keep it overnight. Bill Vince’s Bridgewater Acura loaned me this gorgeous 2023 Acura TLX while my car was in the shop. While the loaner was a nice car, I was glad to get back in my TLX when the work was done.
Jeep Grand Cherokee Updates
My wife’s Jeep Grand Cherokee had a bit of a more complicated pit stop recently. The check engine light came on in early January. It went into the shop, and the diagnosis came back on the pricy side: it needed a new radiator (it was leaking coolant) and the thermostat had failed. After a few days in the shop, we picked it up. Hopefully, this will be the last fix that Grace needs for a while.
A Family Update
Perhaps the biggest update of all – please allow me to introduce you to Betty Quinn! My wife and I recently adopted this little beauty after she stole our hearts when we visited a local animal rescue. Betty is a gentle, sweet little lady who fits in well with our lifestyle.Blog posts might be a little slow to write, however, as one of Betty’s favorite spots is sitting between me and my computer!
Wrapping Up
Easily accessible from I-78, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is well worth a visit. The National Museum of Industrial History, part of the Smithsonian system, is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Tickets for adults are $15, veterans/educators/seniors are $12, students are $10, children ages 7-17 are $10, and children ages 6 and younger can enter for free. Bethlehem is also filled with great restaurants, cool museums, and lots of other family-friendly activities.
Thanks, as always, for coming along on another journey down the open road ahead.
I love to find a great food spot that can do delicious gf fried chicken! The hidden art looked really cool! And also a bit eerie that it was abandoned like that. It looks like it was a great trip. And congrats on the newest addition to your family!
The restaurant used a pickle brine to coat the chicken, which gave it an awesome flavor. The hidden art was cool, but kind of creepy too. Thanks for the good wishes!!
The food looked amazing.The museum also looked like a fun place to visit.The mask in the woods looked scary.Glad you had fun!The cat looks cute.Hope she is good for you .
The Open Road Ahead 
I love to find a great food spot that can do delicious gf fried chicken! The hidden art looked really cool! And also a bit eerie that it was abandoned like that. It looks like it was a great trip. And congrats on the newest addition to your family!
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The restaurant used a pickle brine to coat the chicken, which gave it an awesome flavor. The hidden art was cool, but kind of creepy too. Thanks for the good wishes!!
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The food looked amazing. The museum also looked like a fun place to visit. The mask in the woods looked scary. Glad you had fun! The cat looks cute. Hope she is good for you .
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Glad you enjoyed the post – that was one of the best lunches at a restaurant I’ve ever had.
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