It’s been eons since I pulled a Convoy load, so I it was long overdue. It was a Unilever load of dry goods to Tewksbery, MA – just outside of Boston. I took the Tappan Z going north but in my return trip south, I crossed the legendary GW. It’s a 450 mile return trip, and I was only getting paid $1/mile which with the excessive price of tolls meant I was just breaking even.
To make my trip worthwhile, I decided to do something eccentric on the way back – pay a visit to my long lost Easton. Haven’t been back to this historic two-rivers town since 2017. That was when Western Express abruptly terminated me at the end of my training pipeline. One of the main draws for attending their training in Bethlehem was a chance to stay at historic Easton. And lots of times, instead of waiting impatiently at their ragged terminal to hear when we might be assigned a trainer, I’d rather stay in Easton and stay at the falls. The sheer amount of rushing water released negative ions improving my mood so I could better deal with the way Western treated us – like cattle.
So I took a chance and parked on Larry Holmes Drive by the waterfall.
Check out pictures of my previous visit during Easton Out Loud
There are two reasons why I love Easton – the Lehigh River chain dam and Antonio’s Pizzeria
The dam used to provide infrastructure benefits when transportation through the canal was vital. The Lehigh Canal was a major source of transportation in the early 1800’s. In order to fill the canal, a dam was built at the confluence of the Delaware and Lehigh river.
Today, the iconic dam serves as a tourist attraction in this beautiful river landscape. The rushing waters and negative ions created by water crashing into the rocks provides us with positive energy.
The Lehigh River is also where I got a ticket from a Park Ranger for paddle boarding too close to the falls.
Western Express put us up in the now defunct Day’s Inn. It was only a hop, skip and a jump from local eateries such as Antonio’s Pizzeria. The pizza is to die for and the beef pies are out of this world. But being a creature of habit, ordered my usual Fettucine Alfredo. And boy was I happy camper. Pat’s alfredo sauce taste like creamy, cheesy heaven. The way he cooks his pasta, al dente – chewy and firm and not overcooked. The sauce was so thick and smooth, coating the pasta perfectly.
I was impressed that Mayor Salvatore J Panto Jr of Easton has been proactive in transforming curbside parking spaces into extended outdoor dining spaces. All over the city, there are little parklets for outdoor seating and drinking. Even at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument where 3rd Street meets Northampton, much of the circle has been roped off for the parklets – but there’s still plenty of room for traffic to flow through.
So Easton in Phase 2 is alive and well. Look forward to when Easton goes completely green. But meanwhile the city streets are vibrant with diners, socialites and bar-hopping revelers.
