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Your Camping Families
and Friends about our Subcription Newsletter! |
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Your
Family Resort
In The Poconos
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Edition
No. 1
May 2004
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Celebrating
Keen Lake's History
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Keen
Lake Camping and Cottage Resort is nestled in Wayne County, the
northernmost region of the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains. Wayne
County, resplendent with tranquil mountain lakes and verdant pastoral
farmland, has a rich and varied history.
Settlers who flocked to the area in 1798, named
the county after General "Mad" Anthony Wayne, a hero of
the Revolutionary War. It was in Wayne County that Horace Greeley
and a group of colleagues began the campaign to elect Abraham Lincoln.
Dick Smith wrote the beloved carol, Winter Wonderland, while
looking out over Honesdale's beautiful central park, and it was
here that Christian Dorflinger glassware took the country by storm.
Railroads and canals played a part in the county's
development as well. Even as early Wayne county settlers cleared
thick forests for homesteads and farms, New York, Philadelphia,
and other cities to the east were encountering a shortage of wood
and fuel. Coal deposits over the mountains to the west in nearby
Lackawanna County would relieve the shortage if an economical method
of transporting the coal to market could be found.
The solution was a combination of canal and railroad.
In 1823, the Erie Canal in New York was nearing completion. New
York State gave its blessing to the construction of the Delaware
and Hudson Canal on a 108-mile waterway to run between Honesdale
and the Hudson River terminus near Kingston, New York. Work began
in July 1825 and was completed in 1828. This unique railway system
ran through the entire length of what is now Keen Lake Campground
and Cottage Resort. Campsites are nestled along the rail system's
former tracks in a cluster known as Gravity Lane, named in honor
of this railroad.
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Keen
Lake has been a part of the Keen family since 1814 when Elihu Keen
purchased 400 acres on what was then known as the Elk Forest tract.
Keen Lake, first called, Canoe Pond, was considered the best of
the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company reservoirs. Two beautifully
constructed stone arch bridges were built by the company to carry
the track of the Gravity Railroad from Honesdale to Carbondale.
Later the steam engines used the tracks, and Keen Lake was a railroad
stop. A stone dam, which was created in the 1800's to help push
the canal boats along by raising the water level, still exists.
James, the great, great grandson of Elihu, and
his wife Dorothy Keen built Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort,
which is now owned by four of their seven daughters, Janet, Jennifer,
Jane, and Jim Ann. The office to the resort is located on the site
of the original family homestead, which was destroyed by fire. The
Keens were stonemasons by trade and also operated timber and gristmill
businesses. In addition to these industries, they were suppliers
of ice. Huge blocks of ice were carved out of the frozen lake and
transported via the Gravity railroad to the Hudson canal in Honesdale
and subsequently transported to Kingston, New York where they were
marketed to homes as a way of preserving food. Ice blocks awaiting
transportation were stored in the large stone structure known as
the Ice House. Many of the Pioneer Camping sites are nestled among
the foundations of this building.
There are other buildings of historical significance
on Keen Lake grounds. Hermit Island, which is now home to a two-story
log cabin style cottage, was once the site of a popular dance hall.
Guest would board a flat boat that would ferry them across Keen
Lake to picnics and dances. The Keen House, an1872 farmhouse, is
located in the middle of the Keen Lake grounds. This private residence
became the Keen family homestead after the original homestead was
destroyed by fire. The building had originally housed ice-harvesting
workers who were relocated to another residence owned by the Keen
family. The Keen House is home today to family members. Gracing
the lakeside is the School House cottage. This well-preserved one-room
schoolhouse serviced the children of Canaan Township from 1848 to
1894. It has been restored and is now a popular lakeside cottage
rental unit. The Pre-Civil War Barn cottage was once home to a Blacksmith
Shop, and has been designated as a historical landmark.
Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort will celebrate
its 50th anniversary this summer.
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IN
SUPPORT OF OUR TROOPS
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NEWSLETTER
SUBCRIBER CAMPING SPECIALS
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May's
Cottage Rental Special
Reserve a Cottage Rental
Unit for 3 nights or longer between May 1st and May 27th
during mid-week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday) to
receive a 25% discount off the Cottage Rental fee and a free
one day rowboat rental ($25 value )
PRINT COUPON |
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May's
Merchandise Special
Reserve
two nights or longer starting on May 9th and receive a 20% discount
on all store merchandise! (Excludes food, sundries and cigarettes)
PRINT COUPON |
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May's
Camping Fee Special
Reserve
four or more sites for the weekend of May 21 - 23 for a 2 night
stay and each site will receive a $10 discount off your camping
fee!
PRINT COUPON |
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CAMPING
RECIPES
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Sitting
around the campfire is a wonderful place to congregate in the
evening to discuss the day's events, plan tomorrow's discoveries,
tell ghost stories, relax and cook dinner! The campfire smoke
does something unspeakably wonderful to the flavor of the food
and the conversations wafting around in the breeze. Whether
you choose something very simple or a very elaborate production,
your family will gather around. It's a time for bonding, so
why should the cook be anywhere but with the rest of the crew!
With a little preparation at home, those doing the cooking will
still be in this picture.
Choose a few of these recipes to try on your next trip and see
what wonderful flavors and memories develop. Feel free to email
us your own special recipes so we can share them in our
next Keen Lake Resort Newsletter!
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| CAMPFIRE
KABOBS: |
Print
this recipe |
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Diced Chicken
or Steak
Diced Onion
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Mushrooms
Diced Potatoes
Diced Green Pepper
Directions:
Pour a bottle of Wishbone Italian Dressing over all ingredients
and let them marinate. (When camping, place in a large freezer
bag). Usually marinate 1 hour or so, the longer the better.
Put all ingredients on skewers and grill over an open fire.
Michelle Inman
Indiana
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FRIED FRESH FISH: |
Print
this recipe |
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Boneless
fish fillets
White corn meal
Peanut Oil (enough to cover fillets completely)
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Pre-heat peanut oil to "smoking hot", about 350+ degrees.
Fillet fish and remove skin, thoroughly wash off the meat (
removes the strong fishy taste ). Lay on foil, wax paper, etc.
and sprinkle with generous amount of salt & pepper on both
sides. Drop into a bag of white corn meal and shake to cover
meat. Drop into fryer or pan containing peanut oil and let cook
for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown - be sure not to overcook).
Remove, let drip-drain, then sprinkle just a little more salt
on both sides ....AND ENJOY, ENJOY!!
The secret to the great tasting fish is in making sure they're
cleaned good before cooking, and the peanut oil!
John B. Frascello
Jacksonville, FL
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| CAMPFIRE
CHICKEN: |
Print
this recipe |
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This
recipe will make anyone enjoy the comfort of a warm fire.
Ingredients:
15-20 chicken wings
Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb Seasoning
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
Instructions:
Fold aluminum foil to make a large pocket for the grill. Place
chicken wings on foil and sprinkle Mrs. Dash and Herb Seasoning
on chicken. Cover with foil and cook at least one hour, or until
chicken is lightly crispy. When done, unfold aluminum foil and
enjoy the chicken at the campfire.
Unknown Author
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CAMPING
WITH PETS
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Keen Lake Resort
is a "Pets Welcome" campground. We are pet owners
and we are happy to have your pets accompany you when you
and your family visit Keen Lake. We, too, travel with our
pets, and know that it up to us to make sure our pets are
comfortable and enjoy the trip as much as we do. We've found
these pet travel tips helpful and hope that you will, too.
Bring a supply of your pet's regular food. Some pets are very
sensitive to changes in their diet. Having food on hand that
your pet is accustomed to can avoid stomach upset and diarrhea.
Pets can be sensitive to changes in water, also. It this is
the case with your pet, you may want to use bottled water.
Have plenty of water available for your pet while you are
traveling. Some pet centers offer spill proof bowls.
Make sure your pets are properly licensed and tagged with
identification information including the name of your pet
as well as your name, address, and telephone number. We also
recommend bringing along some photos in the event your pet
becomes lost.
A bored pet can get into trouble. Your pet needs something
to occupy his time while you are swimming, boating, driving,
or seeing the sights. Bring along his favorite toys so he
can have fun, too.
Be prepared with a first-aid kit, which should include any
medications your pet must have in addition to cotton swabs,
tweezers, antibacterial ointments and the like. This would
be a good place to store your pet's medical history.
Store an adequate supply of paper towels, plastic bags, and
a pooper scooper in your RV. As pet owners we always have
to be ready for the unexpected.
Ask for the park's pet rules in advance of your arrival. You
may also want to know the name and location of the nearest
veterinarian centers in the event of an unexpected illness.
Your advanced preparation will make both you and your pet
happy campers.
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| Keen
Lake Resort provides an established set of pet guidelines with
the most sincere intentions to provide for the safety, well-being,
and enjoyment of all of our camping guests. Please
click here to review our pet guidelines and pet owner responsibilities. |
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LOCAL EVENTS
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Keen Lake Resort
- May Activities Schedule
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The Red Barons
- Phillies Minor League - Lackawanna County Stadium -Click
here for the May schedule dates
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Jewel - The
Kirby Center Public Sq, Wilkes-Barre - May 13, 2004
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Lewis Black
- The
Scranton Cultural Center Scranton - May 14, 2004 - 8:00PM
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Bill Cosby
- The
Kirby Center Public Sq, Wilkes-Barre - May 15, 2004 -
9:00PM
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6th Annual
Children's Fest
- Wayne County Fair Grounds, Honesdale - May 22, 2004 - 10AM
/ 4PM
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David Bowie
- Ford
Pavilion at Montage Mountain Scranton, PA - May 27, 2004
- 7:30PM
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CAMPING
COMEDY
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A man carrying
two buckets of fish was stopped by a game warden in the Poconos
recently as he was leaving a lake well known for its fishing.
The game warden
asked the man, "Do you have a license to catch those
fish?"
The man replied
to the game warden, "No, sir. These are my pet fish."
"Pet fish?!"
the warden replied.
"Yes, sir.
Every night I take these fish down to the lake and let them
swim around for a while. I whistle and they jump back into
their buckets, and I take em home."
"That's a
bunch of hooey! Fish can't do that!"
The man looked
at the game warden for a moment, and then said, "Here,
I'll show you. It really works."
"O.K. I've
GOT to see this!" the game warden replied.
The man poured
the fish into the water and stood and waited. After several
minutes, the game warden turned to the man and said, "Well?"
"Well, what?"
the man asked.
"When are
you going to call them back?" the game warden prompted.
"Call who
back?" the man asked.
"The FISH."
"What fish?"
the man asked
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We
hope you've enjoyed the 1st Edition of the Keen Lake Newsletter.
If you have any comments, suggestions, or recipes then feel
free to contact us at: camping@keenlake.com
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