Ooka on Bethlehem Pike in Montgomeryville, is a great place to celebrate a special occasion. Tables seat eight and are seated on the half hour, and definitely make reservations in advance!
We did the hibachi for dinner and ordered the chicken and filet mignon combination dinner. The steak was delicious - tender, perfectly cooked and melt in your mouth. The chicken had a very strong teriyaki flavor.
Dinner was served with soup, hibachi noodles, white rice (with an option to upgrade to fried rice), hibachi vegetables, and shrimp.
Also on the menu is a wide variety of sushi that you can order as an appetizer, which will be brought out before your meal.
Our hibachi chef was very good with the small child at our table and very good at keeping track of who ordered what and who didn't order which items, which I find very important at a hibachi restaurant. The waitresses were also very efficient with refilling drinks, bringing out any extras, and keeping waiting tables happy.
In the crisp dark of 6 a.m., the U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team uses fans to blow up their balloon, and then heats the air so the balloon turns upright.
And, as soon as there is sunlight, we’re off the ground, floating and going where the winds take us.
Our balloon pilot, Stan, has been working in the ballooning business for more than 30 years. When we first get into the balloon, Stan thought we would be headed towards Honeybrook, PA, southwest from the Pottstown Municipal Airport, where our flight took off.
However, ballooning is a unique form of aviation because the pilot controls the height of the balloon, but not the direction the balloon flies in. Because of this, we landed in Phoenixville, PA, southeast from the airport.
Riding in the hot air balloon was a very serene experience. I didn’t even notice we were taking off until someone said something to me.
The ride was smooth and enjoyable – we were able to take in the sights around us and below us and since most of us on the flight were from the area, we could look for landmarks and friend’s houses. Lots of people also pulled over to take photos or to wave hello at us from the ground.
Because we were in the 6 a.m. flight, we took off at first light and were incredibly lucky to get to see an amazing sunrise from 2,000 feet in the air.
Once we landed, the team recruited us to help pack up the balloon. We helped fold the balloon together and roll it up – and Matt and I even helped squeeze the air out of the balloon bag.
The fall, early winter and early spring, Stan told us, are the best times to fly because the air is cold so you get the best resistance from the hot air in the balloon and the cold air outside.
U.S. Hot Air Balloon Team does both national and international flights. Locally, they fly out of the Pottstown Municipal Airport.
Gift certificates can be purchased and redeemed at any of the 150 locations and resorts nationwide, including their local Pottstown and Lancaster locations.
More information can be found on their website at www.hotairballoon.com or you can call them at 800-763-5987.
Every year, the last Sunday in June, the Schuylkill Canal Association (SCA), based in Montgomery County's Mont Clare, hold's Canal Day - a day to honor and enjoy the Schuylkill Canal with music, tours and games.
The highlight of the day is the National Canal Joust Championship - where opponents face off with Q-tip-like jousts along a one-foot board over the Canal.
Unfortunately for you, reader, Canal Day was June 27. However, keep it in mind next year.
This was their 28th Canal Day - which featured music by local bands and tours of the Locktenders House. Throughout the day, the SCA also opens Lock 60 - the actual canal.
There are also kayak and canoe demos as well as a used kayak and stuff sale.
New this year, SCA set up a flea market and business expo at St. Micahel's Picnic Ground in Mont Clare.
Each year, the Mont Clare Fire Company, if not pre-occupied with firemen duties, do a demo and water spray.
There's lots and lots to do along the Schuylkill River - including the Schuylkill River Trail, which follows along the Schuylkill River from Schuylkill County to Berks County.
