Hazleton, PA Outdoor Activities

Calling on more than 20 years of experience, CHA Master Instructor Heather McCarty molds aspiring young riders into the shape of equestrians at Horseng Farm. Here, the curriculum and mission emphasize discipline and a strong foundation in horse care, safety, and riding technique. Heather and company welcome students of all skill levels, connecting novice, recreational, and advanced riders with the appropriate steed for their talents and goals. In addition to holding private and group lessons, they lead riders on field trips to Bucks County Horse Park where they can ride rough over 123 acres of show jumps, dressage rings, and polocrosse fields. Members build relationships with their fellow riders, and learn the mysterious ways of Thelma and Louise, the cats who make periodic appearances mounted atop saddled schnauzers.

Helmed by 23-year PGA vet Scot W.R. Nei, TourBound Golf Academy hones the skills of golfers of all levels with a blend of professional training and high-tech analysis. In addition to learning from extensively experienced human trainers, students study under the cold, metal gaze of a training robot, which mercifully sets its kill-phasers to the "teach" setting as it offers up exact movement measurements and mechanically guided golf-swing practice. An indoor and outdoor facility hosts lessons in all weather, and TrackMan ball-flight trackers and digital-video scrutiny pinpoint improper postures and map out spheroid trajectories with computerized precision.

Noemi Wilson-Debriano unfortunately couldn't fit her horses into the suitcase when she left to earn her degrees in animal sciences and psychology at Delaware Valley College. To make up for the lack of four-hoofed companions in her life, she traveled from door to door to find horse owners who needed help training and showing their steed, channeling the riding expertise she had honed since age 6. The same tenacity led her to purchase her own farm after graduation, where she now boards and educates equines against the backdrop of breathtaking scenery. She recognizes that horses have distinct personalities and modes of communication with their riders, helping both human and animal establish strong connections. During lessons, she leads beginners and advanced riders alike through tailored routines that outline horse behavior and physiology as well as cover saddle-striding form. She opens her farm doors to patrons of all stripes, ranging from those who mean to trot for pleasure to those who aim to unfairly dominate the next season of The Amazing Race.

Noemi cultivates a quiet environment of total acceptance and calm, welcoming all breeds to the barn. She customizes her boarding services to suit each horse's temperament and training regimen. A team of vets, chiropractors, massage therapists, and nutritionists on the verge of engineering apple-flavored hay tend to hoofed tenants for the duration of their stay.

All big things start small, but few major farms start as small as family-owned Kreider Farms did, with 103 acres of land and only 12 cows. Today, the farm spans more than 2,500 acres and includes approximately 5 million egg-laying chickens, 2,000 cows, and 225 employees. The farm distributes its eggs, milk, and premium ice cream throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, and reports that it has become one of the largest egg producers in the state of Pennsylvania. Kreider Farms’ wares have been endorsed by multiple chefs, a more meaningful accolade than the cardboard crowns of excellence distributed by fast-food eateries. The farm takes its environmental mission seriously, treating the land with respect and adopting ethical and environmentally responsible practices. Workers happily share their knowledge and story with others during 90-minute farm tours or virtual tours on the website.

As travelers steer one of Strasburg Scooters' 50cc Honda Metropolitans or Yamaha Zumas over the winding back roads of Lancaster County, they encounter a less hurried world, populated by horse-drawn buggies and schoolhouses used by the county's Amish constituents. On the covered-bridge tour, for example, they visit bridges built prior to 1884—the date when the helicopter was invented, which rendered bridges obsolete. The tour covers more than 40 miles in three hours and pauses for photo opportunities at several historic covered bridges. Strasburg Scooters adds a brewery stop to one of its other tours and also leads expeditions through the countryside to locate some of the tastiest jellies, jams, and treats.