South of the Delaware Water Gap, Hwy-611 runs along the Delaware River until its confluence with the Lehigh River, near the town of Easton. This historic industrial center is now home to one of the Poconos’ most popular family attractions: the Crayola Crayon Factory Tour (closed Mon.; $9; 610/515-8000), at 30 Center Square, where you can watch colorful crayons being made and packaged, then scribble away to your heart’s content. The main Crayola factory is actually a half-dozen miles away, and not open to the public; this tourist-oriented mini-factory shares a waterfront building with the National Canal Museum, which traces the history of the Delaware and Lehigh Canal and other man-made waterways all over the United States. Occasional canal boat trips are offered. Opening hours and admission fees are the same as the Crayola factory.
The historic center of Easton is worth exploring, not only for art galleries, espresso bars, bookshops—and the unique PEZ Dispenser Museum (610/253-9794), at 15 S Bank Street—but also for a chance to enjoy a genuine slice of Americana: Center Square’s Sweet Shop Luncheonette.
Another more historic American factory tour is in nearby Nazareth, where the venerable Martin Guitar Company (610/867-0173 or 800/633-2060) has been in business since 1833. If you’ve ever enjoyed strumming a six-string, you’ll want to take one of the wonderful tours (Mon.–Fri. at 1:15 pm; free) of the family-owned factory at 510 Sycamore Street. The tours include both a look inside the workshops—where you can watch workers as they bend, carve, inlay, and polish the instruments—and displays of classic Martin guitars.
