If yesterday's storm wreaked as much havoc on your Valentine's Day plans as it did I-78, I have two words for you I never thought I'd mention here: Jim Thorpe.

I spent my formative high school years in the little town to the north named after the dead guy who had absolutely no ties to the town--except for the whole grave/roadside attraction thing--and for that reason and numerous others I pretty much hated it. Since then, however, Jim Thorpe has proven to be a much better place to visit than to live as the "historic" section (the section without the dead guy) has had a bit of an arts explosion over the past few years and is now home to numerous galleries and restaraunts. It's become a great spot to whisk a significant other to should he/she have spent the majority of Valentine's shoveling out their car only to find it wasn't going to start anyway.

A few places to consider should you decide to take the 50 minute drive up (just take the turnpike to the first exit north of the Lehigh Valley and follow 209 south): The Blackbread Cafe, for those who don't mind throwing down some cash for their dinner, Molly Maguires Pub, a great bar that looks just like it sounds, and the Shozo Nagano Studio, a gallery of work from a Japanese-born artist whose paintings have been the subject of exhibitions in New York and Tokyo for the past 50 years. All of these places are located within feet of each other, making the small confines of Jim Thorpe the perfect day trip, as there is little chance you'll leave feeling you didn't get to see everything. This particular weekend happens to be Winterfest, so the town will be all gussied up with ice carvings and lights and such and, more importantly, the places of dining will have some good prices to get you in there.

If you don't need to recreate Valentine's Day but are still interested in the place that once called itself "The Switzerland of America" until a little town in Colorado (I think its name is... DENVER) took offense, check out some more info here and here. With all the bike trails, river rafting companies and the largest paintball fields in the land, Jim Thorpe is a killer summer destination. For right now, though, all you need to know are two streets: Broadway and Race, where all the good stuff is. Otherwise it's just an old coal-mining town creepy enough to take on a famous dead guy and name the place for him. Not that I'm bitter... although I am still waiting for my four years in high school back.

-Ryan