The minute we walked in the door, we were immediately greeted by the very pleasant hostess and seated without a wait in the nearly empty dining room (although I noticed the bar side of the restaurant had a fair amount of people in it). And within a few minutes, our waitress was table-side asking for our drink order.

We knew right away we were going to get pizza rather than the pasta or other entree options on the menu. But the question was, what to get on the tasty pie (with its fresh-tasting thin-but-not-too-thin crust and sweet sauce)? Since mom likes to eat what's healthy and I like to eat what tastes good, we opted for the individual pizzas - probably the BEST thing about Boston's aside from the taste of their pizza.

In the several times I've been to Boston's, I've always had a pleasant dining experience and this time was no different. There was plenty of time (but not too much time) for mom and I to chat before our food came and our waitress was attentive enough to refill our beverages even before we had to ask. Oh, and both my Italian sausage pizza and mom's spinach/basil/sun-dried tomato/garlic-covered pie were delicious!

The only thing about Boston's that keeps it from being a weekly staple in my diet is the price: $10 for an individual specialty pizza like the one mom got; $13 for a small, perfect for someone with a bigger appetite (like me). But, always the saver, mom came equipped with an assortment of coupons she compiled from newspaper circulars and coupon booklets.

What do you think of Boston's Gourmet Pizza? Is the price worth it?

This ribbon of park is unique even in the briefest observation. With the wild Lehigh River on one side and the typical recreational aspect of a city park on the other, depending on the angle it would be hard to determine whether you were standing on a trail of wilderness or on a trail of recreational managed wildlife.

While visiting the park, I had a rather unique experience, the likes of which I have yet to be witness to anywhere else.

As I walked down the park’s path, I saw a group of Canadian Geese meandering about in one of the baseball fields. They paid little attention to me as I passed and I climbed down the bank of the river to meet the water where there was another group of geese. These fellows seemed rather bothered by my presence and immediately fled into the swollen waters of the river.

As they began moving swiftly with the river’s current, one of the geese began honking wildly. That’s when I heard a response from one of the geese in the ball field.

I climbed back up to the park path listening to an increasingly frantic call and response from the two geese that were now separated by the angry river. Getting back on to the path, I saw the geese from the ball field rapidly waddling ahead of me towards the river. The call and response continued loudly and seemingly worriedly as the geese from the ball field made their way in the Lehigh, stopping to take a drink first.

A few minutes later and the call and response ceased. I walked back towards the parking lot and turned to see the geese reunited, bobbing in the swift water, silently. I suppose, that briefly, I was lucky to hear the "goose music" of Aldo Leopold in the Northampton Canal Park of Lehigh Valley.

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Andrew Kleiner, who also writes the Remember blog. 

On behalf of all the bloggers here at Lehigh Valley InSite, here's wishing that you have some fantastic experiences of your own this holiday season!

A few historical highlights on the place, according to its website: The Manor House was built in the 1740s. In 1985, a man named James Duke bought it; Duke expanded the Manor House to seat 100 people and to accommodate large private groups. In 1994, the American Academy of Restaurant Sciences gave the Manor House it’s highest award, The Five Star Diamond.

Christmas Eve dinner at the Manor House is definitely the best meal I have all year. It is always a unanimous decision for the appetizer: Poisson Fume, which is smoked trout and salmon with horseradish crème fraiche. As for entrees, every year I like to try something different. This year I am going withCanard De Rotis. That would be duck. It's a good thing they have descriptions on the menu. I would be totally lost with out them. My French is not very good.

Hope everyone has a nice holiday.

Merry Christmas!!!

I also enjoyed shopping at Christkindlmarkt after Rosie was finished with St. Nick. The bad weather the day before might have put a damper on people venturing out, but not us. My Mom, Dad, Rosie and I were determined to visit the holiday market.

I enjoyed some gourmet cookies and fudge, and I bought a few things here and there (I can't say exactly what I bought or where because some of the people reading this blog might find out what they are getting for Christmas) all thanks to two lovely ladies who gave us some extra passes on the way in!

Have you been to Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem?

It was a superb rendition of the classic tale! The set was dark and dramatic, complete with candlelight, loud ghostly hauntings, thunder and lightning, and wonderful period costumes.

Our neighbor’s son did a fantastic job playing the part of Ignorance and a street urchin. Tiny Tim was cute as a button and performed his lines, of course you know the famous one, perfectly. The whole cast did a wonderful job portraying the time period in classic Dickens style.

I hope you had the chance to see this play before it came to a close. If you did, what did you think of it?

- Posted on behalf of Debbie Snyder, LVCVB's "director of first impressions"

Here's the rest of my Top 5 Favorite Lehigh Valley Bakeries in no particular order:

Village Bake Shoppe in Allentown - I like their cookies
Louie's Bakery in Emmaus - simply incredible Italian pastries
Soumaya & Sons Bakery in Whitehall - the only place in Lehigh Valley to get pita bread
Vegan Treats in Bethlehem - so good and kind of "healthy" too!

I think the holiday season gets me in the "sweets" mode. And since I rarely have time to bake, I know I can rely on any of these to be a winner!

Are there any other Lehigh Valley bakeries I should check out?

Ironton Rail Trail 

The Ironton Rail Trail (IRT) follows the rail bed of the old Ironton Railroad, which was abandoned in 1984, through areas of Whitehall Township. The 9.2 mile trail (a 5.5-mile loop with a 3.7-mile spur) follows the Coplay Creek eastward through the 110-acre Whitehall Parkway to where the creek flows into the Lehigh River. The mostly macadam trail alternates between quiet park-like areas and relics from the region’s industrial past – primarily the remains of early cement plants that helped make Lehigh Valley the nation’s cement capital. In fact, you’ll pass Saylor Park, where the country’s first Portland cement was manufactured in the early 1800s.

An now for the honorable mentions.

Trexler Park, Allentown: Perfect for a brisk walk or short run. Not a lot of distance, but it’s scenic and quiet.

Palmer Township Bike Path: Currently 7.8 miles, with more on the way. Connects with the Lehigh Canal towpath at its southern reaches.

Nor-Bath Rail Trail: Linear trail of about five miles between Northampton and Bath. Mostly crushed stone with trees along both sides for shade. Mostly flat, except for the mile heading east out of Northampton.

Of course, all the trails I’ve mentioned are suitable for bicycles. The crushed stone of Lehigh Parkway, Canal Towpath and Nor-Bath Trail call for a mountain bike, while most of the other trails can be navigated easily with a hybrid or cruiser. Trexler Park allows bicycles on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Moreover, plans are in the works for an expansion and interconnection of Allentown’s trails, a feasibility study for the Jordan Creek Greenway, which would link eight municipalities with 42 miles of trail, and a new trail along Bushkill creek in Easton. So as wonderful as Lehigh Valley already is for runners, it only promises to get better. 

This post was written by Lehigh Valley InSite guest blogger Michael Drabenstott, who also writes the Beyond Scrapple blog.

The mansion was originally owned by Wilbur Packer, nephew of Asa Packer. Asa Packer built canal boats and locks for Lehigh Valley Coal & Navigation Co. He later controlled many railroads, which he eventually merged into Lehigh Valley Railroad. He also established Lehigh University.

I was told last night that Wilbur built the mansion directly across from Lehigh Valley Railroad’s offices because he liked to keep a close eye on the business. Regardless why he built it, the mansion is beautiful. There is fire place in every room and a beautiful mantle above every single one of them. The wood work throughout is amazing. I can’t even imagine the amount of time and skill it took to accomplish a project like that.

After the tour, we picked our jaws up off the floor and headed over to Looper’s in South Side Bethlehem for dinner. My mom had Chilean sea bass tacos, which were very tasty. Casey and I both had the Ben Hoagie, which just might be the best sandwich in Lehigh Valley. My sister had pulled pork quesadillas also very good.

Not a bad Wednesday night: some wedding planning was accomplished, learned a little history and had some good eats.

Allentown Art Museum - I love the free admission I get with my membership. And the 10% member discount at their gift shop comes in handy as well!

Godfrey Daniels - I have to say I've enjoyed every show I've attended there. It is the quintessential listening room in our area. Admission prices are low, and members receive additional discounts and perks.

Historic Bethlehem Partnership - Knowing I'm supporting the organization that preserves Bethlehem's rich history should be reward enough, but they too offer their members free admission to their various sites and discounts in their museum store.

Lehigh County Historical Society - Not only can I go to the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum as often as I like, I can visit their six other sites as well, all because I joined their organization.

WDIY 88.1 FM - Our very own community-supported National Public Radio station. I'm an avid listener of the station so it only makes sense to support all they do.

Each of these non-profits offer various levels of membership. I wish I could support them more than I already do. Maybe I'll be able to when I can no longer declare my most expensive tax deduction: my son in college!

What other Lehigh Valley non-profit organizations should be on my "when-I-win-the-lottery" list?