Back to Syracuse to pick up Patience and then back on the road.  After a few fits & starts (the road kept disappearing on me thru Syracuse), I headed south toward PA.  When I left for San Diego, there was just a hint of color on the hillsides but two weeks has given them a chance to glow. Followed a fork of the Susquehanna River which took me on back roads through beautiful countryside.

A sign for the Marie Antoinette Overlook caught my attention so pulled in to learn more.  During the French Revolution, Royalists made their way to the Susquehanna Valley and set up a colony which included a stone castle-style home for Marie and her son.  You probably already know; she didn’t make it to PA.  Almost immediately across the road was Stephen Foster’s home and the inspiration for Camptown Races probably came from here – Camptown, PA.

Worked my way down to Lancaster County to spend a rainy day in Amish country. Greeted by the welcoming commitee and then joined a group of four friends from North Carolina who were taking a mini-bus tour of the countryside.  Stopped at a quilt shop and am going to be very sorry I didn’t snap up a beautiful quilt/pillow.  Quite ingenious, a lap quilt that folds up into a hand quilted pillow.  Also stopped at farm that raised the cutest miniature horses.

Next was a movie about Amish life which focused on a young man’s decision to choose which world he wanted to live in.  The choice is yours; you aren’t automatically a member of the community when you’re born into an Amish family. You can live among the “English” but you can’t live in both worlds.  

Next was a tour of a replicated house and schoolroom.  Children attend school until they’re 15 but there’s no high school. The books covering math, writing, reading & history reminded me of 50’s style texts.  Their first spoken and written language is a type of German but the texts I saw were in English with the prayer books in German.  No electricity is allowed in the home – propane and gas generators are allowed for some appliances (washers, refrigerators, etc.) and phones must be used outside in a phone “shack”.  Learned that although the Amish pay taxes, they refuse any federal benefits (refunds, SS, etc.)

Lastly, was the most delightful buggy ride where I got to sit up front with the driver behind two beautiful Belgians, Bert and Bobby. Indulged in some chocolate chip cookies and homemade root beer.  A wonderful day in spite of the dreary weather.

Headed toward Harrisburg and then up the Susquehanna River Valley.  Found there’s a north

and western branch of the river.  It would have been a beautiful drive except for the pouring rain.  Stopped to take a picture of the capital from across the river and then went in search of some sunshine.  Left just in time as I heard Harrisburg got almost 10 inches of rain.  Kept looking for a place to cross the river but there wasn’t one anywhere between Harrisburg and Northumberland.  Thought that was a bit strange until I read the display in a Danville park that told about all the bridges which had either been flooded out or destroyed by ice flows.

Have seen some interesting highway signs along the way on this trip but PA takes 1st place for getting the point across.

Have also seen some pretty interesting homes.  If you look closely, you can see a stone tree imbedded in the side of one.

Drove to the top of a hill overlooking Northumberland and then stopped in to visit the Father of

Chemistry, Joseph Priestly. He was the discoverer of oxygen, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide (among others).  Never patented anything; felt science discoveries should be shared for open exploration. Could have made a fortune in carbonated beverages but Schwepp’s jumped into that spot.  Left England when the church folk set fire to his house because as a Unitarian minister, he was labeled a Dissenter (not in agreement with the Church of England) and supported the American and French Revolution.  Wm. Penn invited him to settle in the religious freedom colony of PA where he set up a laboratory to continue his research and teach. The house contains some of his laboratory equipment and descriptions of the experiments he conducted.

Left Northumberland for a ride through the Alleghenies. The shutdown closed the Allegheny Portage Railroad Park but stopped to see a skewed arch remnant of it.  The railroad was built on inclined planes over the Alleghenies to connect Pittsburgh with Philadelphia. The road I traveled was built to accommodate the stone arch, a brief divide in the road so it could be preserved. Am so glad I visited Gettysburg and Valley Forge earlier. 

Although Johnstown was also closed, I walked up to the visitor center to get a view of the valley

and read about the history of the 1889 catastrophe.  The valley once held a man-made lake to supply water to the Main Line Canal.  It was abandoned when the railroad came in and taken over by a hunting and fishing club made up of steel and coal magnates.  Neglect eventually led to that day in May when the dam gave way and the lake poured into the valley, 

Had to bypass the Flight 93 Memorial also due to the closings.  Add Fort Necessity and Friendship Hill to that list too.  

Finally, a clear day and it couldn’t have happened at a better time.  Stopped at Falling Water to tour the house and grounds.  Built for the department store Kaufman’s to escape industrialized Pittsburgh’s poor air quality, their “cabin in the woods” turned into an internationally famous design that jump-started FLW’s sagging career. Loved seeing the student art projects displayed at the Visitors Center.  Very creative photo arrangements of FLW architecture and decorative designs. 

Decided to add to this gorgeous day by taking a short stroll through Ohiopyle State Park along and across the Youghioghny River. I wasn't alone, lots of hikers and bikers were there.  Topped it off by a stop at Cucumber Falls.