Reading PA..NHRA event Oct 1 (Scranton, Hershey: hotels, safe area, to buy)

[jambo101]

Going to a race (NHRA) at the Maple Grove Raceway near Reading PA,will probably be staying in Reading for the weekend. can any one direct me to where all the motels and fast food joints would be located? or what should i program into my GPS to get to motel row? or is there some place closer to the race track i should be looking into..

Thanks for any info

[Jeanie Beanie]

Maple Grove Raceway is a little bit off Rt. 176 or Rt. 10 between Reading and Morgantown. Beautiful country but not too near civilization. You must move quickly to book a room, as this is a VERY popular event. Go on hotels.com or travelocity or something and put in zipcode 19540 (it is actually rural Mohnton) and look up places within 5 miles of the race. You know what your budget is.

The bulk of the hotels/motels in the county are in the vicinity of the Berkshire Mall (Rt. 422, Rt. 222 and State Hill Road): Hampton Inn, Crown Plaza, Days Inn, EconoLodge, Inn at Reading; and the usual chain restaurants are there: Olive Garden, Red Lobster, a Chinese place, McDonalds, mall foodcourt, etc. There are other hotels here and there, but this is the biggest concentration.

Word to the wise: the rooms book up fast and the prices go up for the occasion. I had visiting family coming in during race week once and couldn't get a room for 20 miles. One suggestion might be the Holiday Inn in Morgantown. It has a McDonalds in the parking lot and lots of casual bar-restaurants only blocks away in the village along Rt. 23. You are really close to the race, too. I don't know how full they get but I wouldn't waste time booking a room.

You'll have a great time.

[dj10]

Maple Grove has hotels listed on their website which might help you.

Hotels « Maple Grove Raceway

[jambo101]

Thanks
just booked for a couple of nights at a centrally located Econolodge.
Wyomissing, Pennsylvania hotel near Albright College - Econo Lodge 19610, PA166

Now whats the deal with Pennsylvania and beer?I.m thinking its best to buy in NY state and bring it with us as i remember spending a few days over in Hazelton a few years ago and trying to get beer was some kind of ordeal..We never did get any..

[Icy Tea]

You'd be doing yourself a big favor by forgoing one fast food dinner and taking a short trip down to Shady Maple Smorgasboard on Route 23, about one mile west of the intersection with 625. Its a destination restaurant and worth the trip for lunch dinner or breakfast. Breakfast seems to be what people rave about most. Best smorgasboard in the state, maybe the east coast.
Theres a place next to the Vanity Fair in West Reading that is very nice, it might be a Hampton Inn and Suites. There's also a place in the Morgantown Outlet mall that would be close by.

[jambo101]

Shady Maple Smorgasboard , we might give it a try but do you think on race weekend it maybe impossible to get in the place?..

[1orangetabbycat]

I highly doubt that Shady Maple will be affected by the Raceway. I live just a few miles from Maple Grove. It's a very safe area. Look at Morgantown for hotels/motels. And I think Morgantown is the closest place for fast food. There is also Weaver's Orchard which is close to Maple Grove for a deli. I'm sure you'll have an enjoyable time. There Morgantown Beverage or Buy Rite Beverage for Beer.

[jambo101]

Any one think of a good plan-B if we get their and they cancel the race due to rain? Museums,other events, things or places specific to Reading..

[Icy Tea]

Cabelas just north Hamburg on 61. You could spend a few hours in there if you're into hunting or fishing or over an hour just looking at the animal exhibits. Hawk Mountain is close by up there just south off 895 and now they're doing their raptor migration count and have a pretty cool little nature center. If you're hungry up there you have either a Cracker Barrel just across the highway from Cabelas or The Port Clinton Hotel a little bit north on 61 which has world famous french fries( massive portions) and humongous burgers and Yuengling Beer. Theres an old timey candy store, the Peanut Shop, next to it. Look for the Elephant. Appalachian trail hikers go to the Hotel to carb up. Reading Museum in Wyomissing is a great museum for a medium sized city. If you want to shop Vanity Fair outlets for clothes, but on Route 30 there's the Rockvale outlets that has more assorted stores. You could also head over to Hershey and do their free factory ride tour( its hokey).
There's Kitchen Kettle Village south of New Holland for some( kind of) amish style food and crafts. I like their jams and relishes and theres another good place across the street with a very good selection of sauces and canned relishes and veggies. Theres a smorgasboard right there in Intercourse, I think its called Millers. The Pagoda on top of Mount Penn is a nice place to get a view of the city of Reading and just celebrated its 100th anniversary. Theres an historic train ride in Strasburg. Theres also Roadside America off of route 22 near Strausstown, the biggest and best indoor miniature train and village on the east coast at least. Ashland Pa has a very cool coal mine tour where you ride coal cars down into the mine and beyond that is the abandoned ghost town of Centralia with the mine fire, but that's getting pretty far away.
Hope this helps, its covers pretty much ground.

[jambo101]

Thanks Icy..
Are there any large train museums in the area? as we both like old steam locomotives.. i remember hearing about one up in the Scranton area..