Scranton, Pennsylvania – Trip on a Tank [WATCH]

It's amazing how simple conversations about video series can become a reality.

An idea we discussed several years ago here at Townsquare Media Binghamton, was about places to visit that are about a tankful of gas (or less) from Binghamton. I brought up Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the strange looks I received questioned, "Why Scranton?"

Well, I've passed by Scranton many, many times, but to just visit and see what there is to do, I've never even given it a thought. So we did some research and planned a trip to visit a few places that sounded interesting, including The Lackawanna Coal Mine, Steamtown Train Station, and various landmarks featured in the NBC sitcom 'The Office' which was fictionally based in Scranton.

With summer vacations coming up, and kids getting out of school for the summer, maybe a day trip to the Electric City would be fun and educational to do. I suggest a trip to the Lackawanna County Coal Mine, in addition to Steamtown.

In 2015, I traveled to Scranton with some friends from Townsquare Media (parent company of 99.1 The Whale) to take a step back in history and discover what coal mining was really like.

Our tour guide was excellent, explaining everything to to with coal mining, and the conditions the workers went through. It's got to be one of the hardest and most dangerous jobs. It takes a tough person to be a coal miner.

Back before there were better labor laws, children as young as 5 worked in some capacity connected with coal mining.

On the coal mine tour, you travel by a coal car fitted for tourists like me, 300 feet below the earth (a 5-minute ride), and then take a 1/4 mile walking tour in one of the anthracite coal mine shafts. It's very educational and a big part of history, especially Pennsylvania history. We boarded the car in 90-degree temperatures at the surface and arrived at the base of the coal mine with the temperature at around 50 degrees.

The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour is family-friendly and suitable for all ages. I highly recommend it. It was both interesting and a great learning experience. It's open from April through November.

Check out the short video below of our trip to the Lackawanna Coal mine with my co-worker Ashley, Traci, and her son, John.

To learn more about the Lackawanna County Coal Mine tours or to plan your visit, call 1-800-238-7245.