This lovely old red barn, #4 on the Somerset Barn Tour, is adorned by a medallion star, serving as ventilation. I’m never not on a barn tour — as I’m out and about, if I see a picturesque barn, I’ll pull over and photograph it. A close up of the barn star medallion. Note the little […]
Pennsylvania
Wagner Ritter House and Garden
Part of understanding the Johnstown flood disaster is understanding how working-class families lived in and around Johnstown, PA in the late 1800s. Although many homes of the time were destroyed by the flood, what weren’t destroyed then, re-development since has destroyed. Even if you’re not interested in the Johnstown disaster, this home is fascinating because […]
1912 Historic Hoover House Ghost Hunt
A few weeks ago, we joined Inspired Ghost Trackers in a paranormal investigation of the 1912 Historic Hoover House in Waynesboro, PA, now operated as a bed and breakfast by Pamela and Steve Barry, themselves members of the Keystone Paranormal Society and avid paranormal enthusiasts. Reportedly, the house is haunted by “warm and gentle” spirits. […]
Kayaking Lake Marburg in Codorus State Park
Codorus State Park is a 3,500-acre Pennsylvania state park in southwestern York County, PA, with Lake Marburg as its center piece — and that’s where we headed to go kayaking. The waters are clear — you can see underwater grasses flourishing. The park was created around Lake Marburg, an artificial lake covering 1,275 acres, and […]
Seven Fabulous Forts in the Mid-Atlantic States You Should Visit!
Everyone’s probably heard of famous Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which tells the story of the War of 1812 and is immortalized in Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” But seven other fabulous forts are worth exploring in the mid-Atlantic region: three in Maryland, and two each in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Each fort has a unique history […]
Panther Rocks Exploration
Panther Rocks, located in the Moshannon State Forest adjacent to SB Elliott State Park, is overshadowed by Bilgers Rocks, also in Clearfield County, but are worth a quick visit for a fun afternoon in the woods. If you’re into geocaching, then you’ll be pleased to note that there is at least one geocach on the […]
Geocaching Along Clearfield County’s Five Trails
Geocaching has seemed like something I’d like to do — I just didn’t know how to get started or what was involved. Not familiar with it? Has the idea of treasure-hunting every appealed to you? Geocaching is similar, except that it’s real, unlike the myths of gold buried in them thar hills. In fact, gecaching […]
Let the Road Take You Where It Wants to Go — Finding Yourself on a Barn Driving Tour
We were a little stir crazy from being quarantined for the pandemic, but weren’t comfortable heading out to a store or even to a park where there were likely to be a lot of folks around. So we decided to just go for a drive in the countryside… taking our car for a “stroll,” so […]
Let the Autumn Colors Inspire You to Daytrip Too!
We would see amazing things if we could learn to be travelers in our own neighborhoods, Henry David Thoreau said. Fall is a great time to explore your own neighborhood and see it with new eyes. Grab a camera and take yourself out for a fun afternoon daytrip! One of my favorite things to do […]
Oak Mountain Hideaway: North Star Cabin
Oak Mountain Hideaway offers a cozy place to stay, right in the heart of some of the most beautiful woods you’ll find in Pennsylvania. Instead of car alarms and lawn mowers, you’ll hear sounds of nature — birds, crickets, deer rustling through the trees, elk bugling in the distance, a coyote’s howl. This bed and […]
Driving the Covered Bridge Scenic Tour in Lancaster County
Lancaster County is in southern Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River and is known for the beauty of its rolling farmland as well as its Amish community, the oldest and largest in the United States. Visit southeastern Lancaster County and its rolling farmland, plus the towns of Strasburg and Christiana, on this driving tour of its […]
The Michener Art Museum
Bucks County offers a lot to do for the weekend visitor — more than enough to fill several days, with a variety of museums, historic house museums, outdoor activities and even a gem of an art museum. Barbara Lekberg, Sea Wind II, 1988, bronz Located in Doylestown, right across the street from the also not-to-be-missed […]
Add Hearing the Elk Bugle to Your Bucket List
Since I discovered it was a thing, it was on my bucket list: hearing the bull elk bugle during rutting season. I’d visited Clearfield County a couple times already and had seen a herd of elk cows and calves grazing in a meadow — and yes, that was an amazing thing, in and of itself. […]
Johnstown Flood — A Disaster Still Relevant Today
The Johnstown Flood Museum Johnstown PA was a bustling city in the late 1800s, nestled in the Laurel Mountains, with a population higher than it enjoys today. By 1860, the Cambria Iron Company of Johnstown was the leading steel producer in the United States, outproducing steel plants in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Through the latter half […]
12 Urban Oases To Escape To!
When the urban jungle becomes too much for us, we naturally seek an oasis of peace and calm amidst the asphalt and pandemonium. I’ve found twelve surprising urban oases offering us the promise of lovely vistas, green relief, or a pleasant walk. These are all near or in major cities in the mid-Atlantic region: Pittsburgh, […]