It was raining steadily earlier this morning, but as the downpour tapered off, four of us decided to go ahead with the intermediate hike planned for this morning.  We departed the Deerfield Spa at 9:30, heading south on 402 then south on 209, toward the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  On our way, we passed the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort, a hotel and golf course with a storied history. Opened in 1911 by New York business man C C Worthington as the Buckwood Inn, the resort has been serving guests ever since.  In 1938, Shawnee hosted the PGA Championships.  Over the years, many famous golfers have played the course, including Arnold Palmer, who met his wife of 45 years at the hotel.  Mr Worthington also built Worthington Hall, now the Shawnee Playhouse, which even today provides quality live theater to the residents and vacationers of Shawnee.

We parked at the Hialeah Trailhead, then hiked toward Smithfield Beach.

Richie mentioned that the Federal government leases land to farmers.  Here we see acres of field corn; the other commonly grown crop is soybeans.

Wildflowers brighten the landscape. The purple flowers are bee balm (Monarda didyma).

We’ve arrived at the Delaware River.

Here’s another image of the river, tranquil and slow-moving, with mist hovering above the trees.
The McDade Recreational Trail parallels the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side for 32 miles.  This section we hiked had a few fairly steep grades, but the trail is wide with a gravel surface; it is enjoyed by both hikers and mountain bikers.  Richie noted that the park is the tenth most visited area in the National Park System with almost 5 million recreational visits each year.  According to the National Park Service web site, “Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is the largest natural area in the National Park System between Virginia and Maine and one of the largest protected natural areas in the metropolitan corridor extending from Washington, D.C., to Boston, Massachusetts.”  We felt privileged to be here.