Hi, HV, you probably meant me. Well, East Stroudsburg is really more Poconos than Lehigh Valley, but if you're up there, it's just a quick drive down Route 33, about 20-25 miles.
There are a couple of places you can visit right off 33. Get off at the exit for Nazareth, Route 248. Right at that interchange is the Northampton Crossings shopping center, and there is a HobbyLobby there. They have a modest selection of kits, and a pretty good selection of supplies, including supplies sold for artists' use, but that we can use, like acrylic and oil paints, brushes, tools, etc.
About a half mile from the intersection of 248 and 33 is an old hobby shop, Trains & Lanes, on Corriere Rd/Northwood Ave. If you're in Northampton Crossings, go to the exit of the shopping center where Applebee's is--that's Corriere Rd. Follow it for a half mile, and you'll see Trains & Lanes on the right. They have all kinds of kits, some vintage as well as current, lots of supplies, plus model railroad and R/C supplies. They also have a slot car track, an indoor batting cage (on the second floor), and a go-kart track (outside). You can spend a couple of hours browsing there.
If you have more time, take 33 down to Route 22 and take 22 West towards Bethlehem till you get to Airport Road. Get off at the Airport Rd exit and take Airport Rd South. There is a new shopping center just below 22, called Airport Crossings. There is an AC Moore there, also with a modest scale modeling section, and model railroad supplies. They have mostly Revell/Monogram kits, some Tamiya, and some others.
The farthest stop on this trip takes you further west on 22, to HobbyTown next to the Lehigh Valley Mall. Good selection of kits, supplies, model railroad and R/C supplies, as well as supplies for a variety of other hobbies.
Across Grape St from the Lehigh Valley Mall is the older Whitehall Mall, and in the shopping center is a Michael's, also with a section for scale model kits and supplies, as well as supplies for other hobbies but that we can use.
And that's pretty much it. There used to be a lot of small shops, of course, but they couldn't compete. There are still a couple--Krieger's Rosemont Hobbies, in Northampton, for example, but even that represents a merger of two small LHS's--Krieger bought Rosemont, which used to be in Allentown, but it just wasn't profitable for most of them to keep in business.
Hope that all helps!
Ill volunteer lol. I have a friend Sage Karam that lives in Nazareth (nextdoor to the Andrettis) so maybe Ill pay his parents a visit since Ill be in the area. Gives me another reason to leave even earlier on Friday ha ha.
