Inn at Lackawaxen. June 2010
[from FB post: June 25, 2010]
Just back from the Inn at Lackawaxen. I took my parents there for lunch. The weather went from hot, to windy, to pouring rain in about 30 minutes! Luckily, we moved inside to watch the storm pass. There were a lot of canoes in the river -- I guess they figured they were going to get wet regardless?? The views from the deck there are FABULOUS and yet no one seems to go there?
Outside of Milford there were a number of lovely destinations to eat and drink, but my favorite above all was the Inn at Lackawaxen (Lackawaxen House). I discovered it after living in Milford for a couple of years. In spite of loving the place, I can't recall who took me there the first time. Whoever it was that led me to it, it became an instant hit. That back deck made one feel they were literally sitting on waters edge of the Delaware. The bucolic setting increased the appeal since it was outside of "downtown" Lackawaxen. (locally referred to as "lack-of-action") The views up and down the river from the Inn were of water, trees, and the Roebling Bridge. As I mentioned, I never once saw the place crowded - a blessing as a customer anyway.
The Inn was high on my list to take visitors if they managed to make the long trek to Milford. Everyone I invited there loved it. The front bar was a throwback to a different time and, of course, that back deck with its view was incredible. Patrons could walk down off the deck, across a small lawn, and right up to the pondlike, slow-moving river. The setting was exactly what someone coming to rural Pennsylvania and New York expected - a lazy river, hills, random canoers, and the occasional bald eagle.
Built in the 1850s, the inn was known as “Lackawaxen House.” Originating as a boarding house, it was used mainly for city folks and their families for summer vacations and weekend getaways throughout the year.
With the train station located across the street, the men could leave their families here and commute back and forth to their jobs in the surrounding cities while their families enjoyed the country and a welcome escape from the city. The New Inn at Lackawaxen became a restaurant around 1966 and has been ever since.
I have great memories eating with friends at the Inn, but by far, the ones who loved it the most were my parents. Every visit, if the weather were fine, we would make the trek to Lackawaxen to sit on that deck and soak in the view. During one lunch we saw an eagle swoop down into the water to catch a fish. Seeing eagles fishing was not that rare for locals, but it was still exciting each and every time. The sheer impossibility of a bird swooping down into the water and scooping up a substantial fish never ceased to amaze. In my years in Milford I was lucky enough to witness it 4-5 times. I was so grateful my parents had the chance to see that and they spoke of it often in the following years. I remain thankful having shared those times with my aging parents.
After visiting the Inn, I usually drove guests back to Milford via the New York side on Route 97 so they could experience the beauty of the Hawks Nest just before Port Jervis, NY [see: Sparrowbush, NY]. The road parallels the river closely nearly the whole way and provides excellent views over the water and the hills of Pennsylvania on the opposite side.
In the small world that is the Milford area, my good friend APW's husband's relatives ended up buying and renovating the inn (and then selling again). It is good to know people still appreciate the place and it will continue as a restaurant. I hope that back deck will always entertain visitors and locals alike.