June 2nd, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today we wanted a good breakfast out. The campground host suggested a restaurant in Hillsgrove. We drove thru Hillsgrove twice, then stopped at a package store in town asking where the resturaunt was in town. He said inside the McCarty Mercantile.  Inside we discovered the Tannery Café. The former Hillsgrove Country Store is under new management!  Cindi McCarty and Robert Bundle are now running this wonderful hometown classic.  Cindi will be offering many grocery items, daily specials, her amazing macaroni and potato salads! We came for breakfast, and were not disappointed!

Breakfast was delicious, Charlie had the Pancakes and I had "The Mess." I was not as daring as some ... I had the mess with bacon, a true Pennsylvanian would have had it with Scrapple! Scrapple, isn't that a game? Not in these parts ... Scrapple, also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name Pannhaas or "pan rabbit", is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and wheat flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then pan-fried before serving.

  

We needed a post office and lucky for us, the mercantile had a post office inside the store just beyond the café. Also lucky for us, they had a signal booster and we were able to check our emails too!

With the lack of cell signal and over the air TV channels I can understand why we keep seeing these long forgotten phone booths! They need them in this area!

After breakfast, we took a Sunday drive on a Wednesday and toured several covered bridges in the area. The first was less than a mile from our breakfast stop. Located on Covered Bridge Road over Loyalsock Creek in Sullivan County is Hillsgrove Covered Bridge #38-57-02. It is also called Rinkers Covered Bridge. It was built in 1850 by Sadler Rogers in the Covered Burr arch-truss style. It was rehabilitated in 1963. The length of largest span is almost 172 feet with the total length of the bridge at 186 feet.

You would not want to come upon this bridge too fast after dark, there is a sharp right turn to enter the bridge. The decking was listed as “fair” in 2017 and from the steady thump, thump, thump as you cross the bridge I think “fair” may be a generous rating. But statistics from 2017 say 54 cars cross the bridge on a daily basis. I am not sure why, because you can access PA-87 from both ends of the bridge. On July 2^nd, 1973 the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Little has changed over the past 170 years at this river location where the Forksville General Store and the Forksville Covered Bridge spans the Loyalsock Creek. The town’s general store and bridge both date back to the early 1850s and remain historic focal points of this Pennsylvania village. Loyalsock Creek was always a natural roadblock for the growing town. So young Sadler Rogers, just a8 at the time, was called upon to reconstruct the Forksville Covered Bridge. The 152 foot span features a row of distinct horizontal windows, lighting the way for pedestrian walkways on each side. Traveling west on Route 154, and heading to the Forksville General Store, you’ll have to enjoy a bridge crossing in order to sample the restaurant’s marvelous meals.

The third bridge in the area built by Sadler Rogers is the Sonestown Covered Bridge. It is located just off Route 220 near the turn off to Eagles Mere.

Once again, we were able to see some more Pennsylvania natives, the four-legged variety. This one was not bothered by our being so close in a car!

On our way home, we stopped at the Chapel and took a short walk on the Double Run Nature Trail.

It was a 1.2-mile loop with more difficult hiking with short, steep sections. This trail begins and ends on PA 154 across from the park chapel. It travels through rich, fertile woodlands along the west branch of Double Run. Solomon seal, wild ginger, jack-in-the-pulpit, and other spring, ephemeral wildflowers grow abundantly along this trail, which has waterfalls and pools. 

If it was warmer, I might have considered checking out this perfect swimming hole, but not what is under that ledge!

We have spent our days traversing Loyalsock Creek, which flows about 60 miles. It begins in Wyoming County and flows through Sullivan and Lycoming counties in the central part of the state. Deep pools, fast flowing water and late spring temperatures are the key ingredients for an excellent fishing experience. The Upper Loyalstock, above Forksville, is known for its fast moving currents and a bolder strewn river bed. 

A mile and a half section of the river in Lycoming County is designated as Loyalsock Angler - Sullivan County, Pennsylvaniaa Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section. Here, mayflies and caddis sometimes cover the Loyalstock. Mimicking these natural baits increase an angler's chances of success. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania receives more acid rain than any other section of the country. Acidic water adds additional stress to plants and animals. The river bed, primarily made up of sandstone, limestone and shale, has little effect neutralizing acid waters.

Rain was going to set in for our last night in Worlds End State Park, but it has been a great five-day 

#TwoLaneAdventures here, we will be back! Check back tomorrow to see where we are!