The tiny town of Lackawaxen (pop. 125), along the Delaware River 20 winding, scenic miles northwest of Port Jervis via Hwy-97, holds two fascinating attractions: the preserved home of writer Zane Grey, and a unique suspension bridge built in 1847 by Brooklyn Bridge designer John Roebling. It comes as something of a surprise to find out that Zane Grey, author of the classic Western novel Riders of the Purple Sage, was in fact a fly-fishing, baseball-loving Pennsylvania dentist, but he was. His home at 135 Scenic Drive was preserved by his family as the Zane Grey Museum (Fri.–Sun. 10 am–5 pm; free; 570/685-4871), and now offers an intimate look into his life and works. Zane Grey and his wife (and childhood sweetheart) Dolly are buried side-by-side in the small Lackawaxen graveyard.
The Roebling Bridge is about 100 yards upstream from Zane Grey’s home and has been preserved by the National Park Service—though it’s now used by cars instead of canal boats. For the full experience, stay the night in the circa-1860 canal office, now housing the Roebling Inn (570/685-7900).
