Five Best of Monroe
Ranked local picks
Fri, Oct 9
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: SCENIC OVERLOOKS FOR PEAK FOLIAGE
The leaves are making their move. The Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau expects peak color Oct. 10 to 17 in the central zone, which includes northern Monroe, and Oct. 20 to 28 in southern Monroe.
Read it in the Oct. 9 editionFri, Oct 2
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS WORTH THE DRIVE
Full disclosure: Monroe County has exactly one haunted house with its own Google listing, and you can't make a top five out of one. So this week we're breaking our own Monroe-only rule.
Read it in the Oct. 2 editionFri, Sep 25
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: COZY PUBS WITH A FIREPLACE
With a raw, rainy weekend on tap, here are five Monroe County spots where you can wait out the nor'easter next to a real fireplace, ranked by Google rating (as of Thursday), with review count breaking ties.
Read it in the Sept. 25 editionFri, Sep 18
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: FARMS TO VISIT
Fall harvest is nearly here, so we went looking for five real, working Monroe County farms worth a visit this fall, not just a produce stand or a farm to table dinner (we've already covered both of those).
Read it in the Sept. 18 editionFri, Sep 11
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: REMEMBERING OUR OWN
Sept. 11, 2026 marks a quarter century since the attacks, so we’re setting aside the usual rankings this week to remember five Monroe County neighbors who never came home.
Read it in the Sept. 11 editionFri, Sep 4
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: BBQ AND RIBS JOINTS
This one goes out to my mother-in-law, Dorothy, who loves barbecue more than just about anyone we know. With Labor Day weekend practically demanding a plate of something smoked, here are the five best barbecue spots in Monroe County, ranked by Google rating with review volume as...
Read it in the Sept. 4 editionFri, Aug 28
Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop (4.8 ★, 400 reviews).
A Main Street institution that's part candy shop, part Hershey's ice cream counter. Walk in for the classic candy wall and stay for the sundaes.
Read it in the August 28 editionFri, Aug 21
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: BOWLING AND GAMING
With thunderstorms in the forecast Saturday and Sunday, here are five highly-reviewed bowling alleys, arcades, and gaming spots in Monroe County to keep the weekend going without getting wet, led off by Google rating, review volume as a tiebreaker.
Read it in the August 21 editionFri, Aug 14
FIVE BEST OF MONROE: FARMERS MARKETS AND FARM STANDS
It's peak season for local produce, so we went looking for the best places to source your weekly goods. We checked Google ratings to rank the top five markets in the county.
Read it in the August 14 editionFri, Jul 3
Five Best of Monroe: Beat the Heat Indoors
When the mountain weather turns hostile, don't just wait it out, own it. Here are five ways to spend a hot Monroe County weekend without setting foot in the sun.
Read it in the July 3 edition