Trail Tales -Hiking stories, summer 2015, part 2

The goal of our Summer 2015 Road Trip was to hike.  Hike as much as possible, every day, in places we had not visited before.  After a google for Best Hikes in the US, I found several trails listed in the Allegheny National Forest, in northwestern PA/southwestern NY.  We have a plan!  The other hikes and adventures on this walk-about were gravy.

From State College, we headed north and west, on a rainy day.  Our friend, Donna, who grew up in the heart of the ANF gave us great tips about trails and campgrounds.  We also had a book of trail descriptions, written by the local Sierra Club.  It's only out of date by 20 years, but still highly valued by local hikers.  We were armed and dangerous!  After much reading and consideration, we decided to find a cg in Sheffield, PA, in the heart of the ANF.  My notes:  "We pulled into Whispering Pines CG, and set up on Deer Lick Run.  Nice sound of water running over the rocks."  After a late lunch of leftovers, we drove to Kane, and discovered Bell's Meat Market.  Wow!  We're going to eat well this week!  More than twenty different house-made sausages, cheese, beef jerky and local vegetables.  We bought hot leek sausage, sweet leek sausage and andouille.  And, a piece of smoked copper cheese.  We'll be back!

Locally famous Bell's Sausage, in Kane, PA; the Kinzua Bridge; and the Kinzua Bridge after the Big Storm.

Dew Drop Run trail was high on my List, but we couldn't find the trail head.  After searching the back roads, we figured the trail had been abandoned.  So, we crossed the reservoir and found the trail head for the Rim Rock trail.  After heavy rains for the past few days, part of that trail was washed out, making for mucky exploring.  We turned back, and spent a delightful hour exploring the giant conglomerate rock formations and the ice vents. We see lots of Indian pipe plants, many different mosses and lichens.  That night, tired and happy, we enjoy the creek and some mighty fine sausages and local corn cooked on the grill.  And, a couple of adult beverages!

Stuart, in the Heart's Content Old Growth Trail.

The result of a heavy deer population, on the Morrison Trail Loop.

The rest of the week was equally good.  The rain was persistent, but we managed to hike almost every day.  Morrison Trail Loop.  The once-mighty Kinzua Bridge Skywalk.  Timberdoodle Interpretive Trail.  Hector Falls, after one false start (see previous blog post to find this pretty, secret gem).  Heart's Content - the Old Growth Trail, then the Tom's Run Loop.  Time exploring the ANF, from north to south, and the small towns that survived the long-gone logging days.  It's a beautiful area, we'll go back.  Wayne and Ann, at Whispering Pines cg are terrific hosts!

We hook up, raining again, and head north and vaguely east.  Just south of Corning, NY we find State Line Camping Center, where we stopped for an electrical repair on the Cottage.  Annetta and her team were so friendly, and after some serious head-scratching, found the problem.  She sugggested we'd like the Corps of Engineers cg close by, and we hurried to Ives Run cg, on the dammed lake.  A bike ride, after setting up, and time for yet another delicious dinner cooked on the grill.  Sunshine, finally!  The nights have been cold enough to sleep under two quilts, and tonight, we can finally use our furnace.  Y'all, it's August, this is just not right.

Corning, NY is home of the Corning Glass Museum.  After passing through this area several times, we finally spent a day at the incredible museum.  Go.  Don't miss this!  We could have spent another day, but we were saturated with beautiful glass art and great technical demonstrations.  A beer at the unfriendly downtown brewery, a quick stop at the local Wegman's, and back to the pretty Ives Run cg.  We are staying on the Hickory Loop, but next time here, we'll stay on the Pine Loop (boondocking).

Works by three contemporary artists...I'm so sorry I didn't make note of their names; and the famous dragonfly lamp, designed by Clara Driscoll, for Mr. Tiffany.

The Grand Canyon of PA.  Yep, it's well worth the drive!  We hiked down to the river, after walking to the look-outs at the top.  We climbed 900' down (we had to return!), past several pretty waterfalls, and are wishing we had more days here.  The bike trail along the river is flat, wide and pretty.  Next trip...

On the trail, half-way down to Pine Creek;  view of the Grand Canyon of PA from the top.

The Susquehana River is not very healthy, in spite of hard work over the past few years.  A century of mining has created a horribly poisoned river.  There are big efforts underway, but the repair will take decades.  We drive south, stopping in Willamsport, home of the Little League Hall of Fame.  It's a depressing little town, and we keep moving.  We spend the night at the Ferryboat Campsites, in Liverpool, PA.  A century-old ferry still makes the river crossing, the last ferry working this river.   It's hot, the cg is full, we enjoyed dinner cooked on the grill.  Those Bell's sausages are treating us well! 

Car ferry, with a front porch, on the Susquehana River, Liverpool, PA.

We're going to visit Amy and Glenn in New Holland.  I found a cg in Intercourse that looks good.  A tire blow-out on the Cottage side-lined us for a couple of hot hours, soon after we left Liverpool, but thanks to AAA, we were soon back on the road.  Our campsite over looks a couple of cornfields, and we enjoy a quiet night, watching the fireflies. We enjoyed a few days here:  lunch at the Federal Taphouse in Lancaster, home of 100 beers; a gym visit (no hiking here); a great catch-up with our friends Amy and Glenn, in New Holland; the amazing Choo Choo museum (Really.  Go.  The miniatures are amazing.); Stolzfus meat; a new tire for the Cottage.  No *&^% buggy tours for us.

Barn raising miniature at the Choo Choo museum; quilt art, Amy Smith (patterns available!).

Michelle and Mamacita are in Philadelphia, visiting family.  So, we head for Clarksboro, NJ for a few days, to catch up with them.  It's a lovely, sort-of-rural area, and I enjoy a nice bike ride the first afternoon.  While riding, I found a farm market, where the nice man gave me a small sprig of basil for the tomato pie I wanted to cook for dinner.  The next morning, Michelle and Mamacita cooked a perfectly terrific breakfast of huevos rancheros, tocino,friholes,  melon y aquacate.  Oh, my, a feast!  We laughed and talked for several hours, before big hugs and a good-bye.  See you next winter in Oaxaca!  Afterward, with very full stomachs, Stuart and I drove into downtown Philly.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Ever try parking a Bigass Truck in downtown Philly?!?  Karma, to the rescue.  Just as we pulled into a full lot, one block from Chinatown, some people were leaving their parking space.  They gave us their $24 parking pass, and their space!  We stopped in the well-used, well-run National Park Visitor's Center for advice, and left with maps and a plan of attack.  Today:  the Liberty Bell, and the house where Mr. Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.  We were both surprised at how emotional we were when we saw the Liberty Bell and exhibit.  We'd walked more than 25 blocks, and it's time to rest our feet, so with advice from a local, we head to the river, and the bar at Morgan's Pier.  What a great day!

Just one of the more than 300 murals in Philadelphia; mosaic art, close to Jim's Cheesesteaks.

I loved this window at a men's shop in downtown!  We met the window-dresser, who invited us into the shop.  Of course, I bought some wonderfully colorful socks.

The next morning, we steeled ourselves for the drive back into downtown, found a parking space we could get the Bigass Truck into, and got early tickets to see Independence Hall.  Elegant building, so much history, pompous ranger docent.  Afterwards, we spent the day wandering in downtown, enjoying the architecture and sights, including the wonderful Mural Project.  Following a map from the Visitor's Center, we saw about 2 dozen murals, listening to the phone for a little background for each one.  If I ever get back to downtown Philly, I'll see a few more of the more than 300 murals.  Really!  We loved the Gaylorhood.  Buildings with tiles and mirrors, oh my!

When in Philly, you must eat a cheesesteak sandwich, and several local people advised us to go to Jim's, at 4th and South.  Avoid the other, touristy places.  The line snaked around the corner, and the 45 minute wait was worth it.  Great sandwich!  But, J Michael's in Wilmington,NC is equally good!  Stuart was a great sport, and walked with me on Fabric Row.  It was a bit depressing.  Many of the fabulous, old fabric shops are no longer in business.  Those remaining are selling gorgeous men's suitings, and fancy laces, neither of which are on my List.  I bought a piece of nice linen, for dyeing.

We left home a month ago, and have hiked or biked many miles.  A wonderful summer trip, with a vague itinerary.  What fun, but it's time to drive south!  We often take the Eastern Shore route, spending a night in Pokamoke, at the Lake Somerset cg when heading north or south.  It's quiet, and convenient.  The temps have returned to summer-in-the-south normal, and I'm grateful for air-conditioning at night.  We drive across/through the Bay Bridge/Tunnel, and blow another Cottage tire outside Suffolk.  So, we spend the night at another favorite cg: Davis Lakes.  We will replace ALL the old tires while we're in Suffolk!  We get a swim in the lake, clean the Cottage, and a bike ride for me.  Home tomorrow.  I'm missing Gracie cat.  What a great summer trip!

Trail Tales - summer 2015 hiking stories, part 1

We hitched up the Cottage to our new truck in late June, and headed north.  Our first stop for a few days: Lake Gaston, VA, where our friends Bonnie and Mark were spending the summer.  Nice cg, on the lake, where we visited last summer for some kayaking and catfish suppers, and this stop, time with our friends.  Stuart and I picked wild briarberries (blackberries) on the Heritage Tobacco Trail between Brodnax and LaCrosse, VA.  It was a typically hot summer day, but the trail is shady in places, and we had a nice walk.

In an earlier century, Stuart's mother graduated from Longwood Normal School, now Longwood College, in Farmville, VA.  I'd never been there, and we headed there from Lake Gaston.  We parked the Cottage in the vacant parking lot for the stadium at the University, and rode our bikes through the small town, touring the campus and finding the original buildings Anna Vries probably had classes in.  It's a pretty campus, and the downtown looks vibrant and interesting.  I'd love to return, and bike to the old Saylor's Creek Bridge on the rails-to-trails path, and see the State Parks in the area.  Driving on after a picnic lunch on the campus, we found a bare-bones cg just outside of Appomatox Courthouse, where we set up for the night.  The Appomatox National Park, and the house where Lee surrendered to Grant is just 3 miles down the road from the cg, so we get on our bikes for the short ride.  It's a beautiful, rolling hills place, full of emotion from 150 years ago.  Our National Park interpreter led us through the history of the days just before the surrender, giving details and asking us to imagine the scene.  We walked through the small town of Appomatox Courthouse, seeing the restored buildings and imagining life there.  We biked through Grant's headquarters, just over the ridge from the Courthouse, and past several small graveyards. The cold beer back at the cg was so good, it called for another!  Chicken and chorizo and corn stew for dinner.  Yumm yumm!

On the steps of the house where the surrender was finalized.

One night in Appomatox was enough, and we were on the road by 9:30 the next day, heading for Charlottesville.  Even though we have gps, I still managed to make a wrong turn off US 29, onto a single lane paved road that appeared to be someone's very long driveway.  I had to back the Cottage about .5 mile, backing onto US 29. Wow.  The KOA in C'ville is the only cg in town, and is a few easy miles out of town.  We found a pretty site, and set up facing the woods.  We spent the afternoon enjoying the pedestrian-only downtown where we had pho noodles for lunch.  The UVA campus Stuart spent four years on is no longer in sight:  it has been replaced with many buildings and parking lots and beautiful lawns and a bajillion cars.  Try as we might, we couldn't find a place to leave the Bigass Truck long enough to take a walk.  We gave up the battle with traffic and found a gym for a late afternoon workout.  The chops on the grill for dinner were better than any we've ever cooked, accompanied by birdsong and rustling leaves.  The nights have been cool enough to leave the windows open, so not-normal for early July!

A yarn-bombed deer, downtown Cville; a stump-table at our campsite outside of C'ville.

Monticello. My most favorite house and gardens in the whole world.  We arrived mid-morning, and found a new (to us) Visitor's Center and many parking lots.  We bought tickets for the house tour, and boarded a bus up the Little Mountain, after paying our respects to Mr. Jefferson's statue.  He was a remarkable man, in many ways, and left incredibly detailed notes about his many curiosities.  In particular, I love his gardens, and his endless experiments and observations.  We spent most of the day on his Little Mountain, in his house and gardens, which made me very happy.

The vegetable gardens at Monticello; Stuart and me with Mr. Jefferson's likeness.

After a shower and change of clothes, we headed back downtown to South Street Brewery, where we might have been the only people on the planet who were not watching some kind of ball game on the tvs.  But, the beers were good, and I have a t-shirt to document the visit!  We then walked in the twilight a few blocks to Orzo Kitchen, where we had a truly marvelous dinner.  I had a wonderful mac-and-cheese, that was nothing like the mac-and-cheese picture that just popped into your head.  This dish had chunks for browned pork betlly, sauteed greens, garlic, peppers and onions, lovely local cheese and house-made breadcrumbs.  Oh, a little pasta.  It was heavenly!  We walked through downtown a bit, before heading home to sit outside and think about the nice day.

Winchester, VA or bust!  We drop the Cottage in a storage lot on the edge of town, and feeling strangely light-weight, we drove over the mountain to Capon Bridge, WV, where we happily spent a few days with our friends Julie and Drew on their little mountain overlooking the Cacapon River.  Julie cooked a great dinner - chicken and pasta, and we enjoy the evening on their peaceful back porch, plenty of wine in the fridge!  Julie is a docent for the Nature Conservancy's Ice Mountain, a geological curiosty close to their house.  I love hiking there, and she takes us up there.  We explore the ice vents and rare plants along the river, then hike up to Raven's Rock ridge for an eagle's view of the valley.  I hope this place remains undiscovered and undisturbed.

Stuart and Julie at Raven's Rock.


A peaceful visit at Julie and Drew's house is like medicine for the soul, but we must move on.  Because it's the 4th of July weekend, we had to make reservations for three nights at a cg in Hancock, MD.  So, we reluctantly head back to Winchester, hook-up the Cottage and find a supermarket before heading a little further north.  Hancock is on the Potomoc River, in the little pinched-up part of MD, and really should be a part of VA.  Or, WV.  The Happy Hills cg is far out of the small town, in abandoned fruit orchard country, beautiful rolling hills. The C&O canal and towpath , and the B&O rail trail both run through here.  So much history!  The canal and railroad were begun on the same day in 1858 (so the local story goes), and it was a race to the finish, with the winner earning all the transportation business in the area.  We drove over the mountain, stopping to admire the long views, to PawPaw, and to the engineering miracle C&O Canal tunnel.  The 3100 foot-long tunnel was dug under a mountain, to connect the canal and tow-path in this very mountainous area.  Thankfully, Julie had hiked this tunnel, and warned us to take a flashlight!

Stuart, at the south end of the C&O Canal Paw Paw tunnel; inside the tunnel, looking south.

Today, the canal is dry in some places, but the tow-path is maintained and well-loved by hikers and bikers.  Many of the locks built to navigate the canal are long-since rotted, but there is a small museum just outside of Hancock at one of the former locks.  We enjoyed a long visit on the front porch of the lock-keeper's house, with the docent and his grandson.  They talked about the history of the area orchards, and of winter ice storms and floods. That day, we were biking the B&O rail trail just outside of Hancock, which runs beside the C&O canal, and runs all the way to Washington, DC.  

 Stuart, at a C&O Canal lock, just outside Hancock, MD.

After a nice 4th of July long weekend of hiking and biking and a great history lesson on the C&O Canal and B&O Railroad, a country-music band at the cg, and fireworks, it was time to move.  We headed towards State College, PA.  I want to visit my old friend, Lois, who is living in memory-care facility.  She looks great, and for a moment, I believe she knew me.  No matter, she was happy and we had a nice visit.  Later, she told her daughter, my friend Barbara, that an old high-school classmate had dropped by for a visit!  Stuart and I enjoyed a couple of days in State College, sampling one of it's breweries and the downtown farmer's market, while "glamping" at the Ft. Bellafonte cg.  Nice place, quiet, no frills, great for big rigs, easy access to the city.  It's a nice city, all about the University.  Too cold for me in the winter!

Lois and me, in State College, PA.

Next stop:  The Allegheny National Forest!