Day Thirty-Seven to Forty-Three - A Summer of Bluegrass, Camping and Friends - Monday 6/3/2024 - Sunday 6/9/2024

Today is Monday June 3rd and it's my last walk at Tompkins. It was my 155th walk of 2024. My seventh and last walk in Tompkins on Cowanesque Lake. It was a beautiful morning at 60° at 8am! Yes, we really slept in! I focused on my positive affirmations. Good thing there are later check out times here, because we can't check in at YogiBear in Mansfield until 3 pm. We only have to travel 23 miles!

Here is a bit of info on Jellystone Parks. It is the second largest campground franchise in the country. The original Jellystone Park opened in the summer of 1969 in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Two more parks opened in 1969 and 1970, one in Florida and one in California. Others followed quickly. By the end of 1971, there were 10 franchised Jellystone Park locations in operation. In the ensuing decades the number of Jellystone Park locations grew to more than 75 (with locations in Canada as well as in the US) and the brand’s annual revenues skyrocketed. During that time, the company that franchised the Jellystone Park locations changed ownership several times. In 2022, the franchising company was purchased by Sun Communities and the franchisor was renamed Camp Jellystone.

Our site is a mostly gravel pad along the main drag. Our site backs up to the playground and jumping pillows. Yikes! We actually had to set up twice. After we were set up the first time Charlie noticed the overhead electric ran dangerously close to our camper and awning. We closed everything up, backed off the blocks and moved to the very front edge of the site. That gave the wires about 18 inches clearance from the back of the RV. It's all good.... 

We just relaxed and enjoyed the full hook up site and internet. Funny, but we actually ended up with fewer TV stations up on this hill than we had on the water's edge of Lake Cowanesque. Dana told me I could ride the train... it does not look like the train is running anymore! :(

Tuesday, June 4th, it's my 156th walk of 2024. My first walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. To say we are camped on the side of a mountain is an understatement! I completed 44 floors (your device registers 1 floor when you climb about 10 feet) according to my Fitbit on my walk! I did see two deer on my walk. The first one was looking at me as I headed down the hill on the main drag. 

The second was along the side of the driveway that takes you to the campground. Today was our laundry and haircut for Charlie excursion. Both are located in Mansfield. Charlie found the HeadHunter Barber Shop when we first arrived in PA and they did a great job, he went back. We tried a different laundromat this time. This one did not have a restroom either! And the dryers were twice as expensive as the first laundromat we used. So, we will be doing our laundry back at the Mansfield Laundromat and not Butter's Laundromat.

Wednesday, June 5th, it's my 157th walk of 2024. My second walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. Jellystone campgrounds are franchise properties, but the company that sells the franchises is Sun Communities. I will share with you, this campground used to be called Bucktails, before it became a Jellystone campground. We talked to the current manager, who has been here for about two years. He told us that the campground has come a long way in two years. Personally, I think it has a long way to go!

We are going back into Mansfield today. I have an appointment for my first haircut since we left home at the end of April! I was impressed with Jenna at Smart Styles in Walmart, she listened and did a good job. We were going to go to Yorkholo, a local brewery, but we were too early. Charlie had a beer on the patio of the Thin Line Tavern next door. 

We found out that Donna Walker was camping at Tompkins, so we drove up to say hello to her and Roger. It has been several years since we have seen her! Funny part of this story... Donna had made a comment on one of my FB posts, that is how we knew she was there. I was texting her and she was answering me, providing the info we needed to visit her. See was surprised when Charlie and I showed up, because she did not know who she was texting with! LOL We enjoyed our visit with Donna and Roger, then we headed back to Mansfield. Donna took a picture, but she never shared it with us! LOL, she hates her picture taken!

Yorkholo Brewing Company was open and we stopped in. Yorkholo, pronounced "York Hollow", is a small artisan brewpub located in the north central region of Pennsylvania called the "Pennsylvania Wilds".  The brewery name comes from the York family dairy farm  established in 1861.  The farm had to shorten its name from York Hollow to Yorkholo due to the number of letters allowed when registering dairy cattle.

Ralph York ran the Yorkholo dairy farm his entire life until he retired and all the dairy cows were sold off.  The name of the brewery was chosen to continue the Yorkholo legacy.  When deciding on a logo that represented Yorkholo and quality, they couldn't think of anything better than the face of Ralph York. Funny, I thought the logo had FDR in it!

The list of beer selections were not as expansive as some other breweries. Charlie was not sure what he wanted, because they did not have any IPAs on tap. I ordered Charlie the Apricot Wheat and I got the Crisp Lime Lager. I tasted both and I would have enjoyed either one. 

We ordered food. Charlie got an order of fries... we did not know that they were covered in a seasoning. He did enjoy some of my "chicken" fries! The vibe at this brewery was more of a college town vibe.

Thursday, June 6th, it's my 158th walk of 2024. My third walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. There is a mix of permanents, seasonal and transient campers here.  Some have pretty elaborate set-ups. 

Today was the day we planned to drive to Little Pines State Park. That is our next campground. We could have gone down US 15, but you know us... we had to take the two lane road. We took PA 287 south. About halfway down to the park, Charlie decided that PA 287 was not the way to go, so we turned down a road we knew we could not take the RV on. CR 4001 has a 9 foot suspension bridge. They are working on the bridge and have a temporary bridge up, but the clearance is still only 10 foot. 

The closer we got to Little Pines State Park, the more Charlie was concerned about spending twelve days here. We were driving in a deep valley and when we arrived at the state park it is located on the other side of a dam. We talked to the camp host, no TV reception and no internet. 

We drove onto the Centre Hall Grange Festival grounds, where our Bluegrass Festival is closer to the end of the month. This festival was the reason we were going to camp closer to the festival. We found the grounds and the gates were locked, but at least we know where we are headed. 

We ate a late lunch at Earlystown Diner, just across from the entrance to the festival grounds. It is a family owned & operated diner. They serve made from scratch items & comfort foods. Their special was hot roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes and green beans. Charlie did not even have to look at the menu. I chose the Tuna Salad. I was so hungry, I never got any pictures! 

While we were there I was able to make a few new reservations and cancel our reservations at Little Pines State Park. Looks like we will be staying in the Tioga and Lawrenceville PA area for a few more weeks! We will be in the Bellefonte / State College KOA the night of Friday June 21st. We go into the festival grounds on Saturday June 22nd. We drove back to Mansfield in the sunshine, which was much better than the drizzle and rain we had on the way down to the State Park. After the rainy day, it was a beautiful sunset!

Friday, June 7th, it's my 159th walk of 2024. My fourth walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. This morning was a bit cooler at 55° and some fog. There were a few kids out on their bikes at 7am!

The day was full of rain, rain, and rain. We would sit outside, then have to go in because the rain came. Back outside and back in... all day! But a rainy day always provides an awesome sunset!

Saturday, June 8th, it was my 160th walk of 2024. My fifth walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. This morning was 55° and sunny, as I started at 7am waiting for the rain to stop. Today is a day that lives in infamy for any member of the 42nd Infantry Division in 2005. We lost two comrades in arms that day. We are remembering CPT Esposito & LT Allen everyday, but especially today, June 8th. It's been another year, since that fateful day in Iraq in 2005. Time marches on, but the pain is still fresh. These two officers touched so many lives and I can not imagine the pain their families still feel. The kids are growing up without their fathers for role models, guidance and love. Both of our fallen heroes families are in our hearts and prayers forever. Rainbow, Never Forget! We enjoyed a day sitting outside watching all of the kids playing!

This campground has a carousel. I have never been in a campground with a carousel. 

Too bad, I never saw it running, or I might have snagged a ride. 

I did learn that it is over 100 years old! Up close, it is really in great shape!

Sunday, June 9th, it was my 161st walk of 2024. My sixth walk at Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. This morning was 55° and overcast. I had to wait until 8 am to start, as Mother Nature wanted to water the grass this morning! I enjoyed my talk with God on my walk. I had to walk on the main road because the dirt and gravel roads were too slick from the rain. 

It was our last day here and we chose to enjoy a campfire and each other's company! Stay tuned as our #TwoLaneAdventures continues!

Day Thirty to Thirty-Six - A Summer of Bluegrass, Camping and Friends - Monday 5/27/2024 - Sunday 6/2/2024

It's Monday 5/27/2024, which is Memorial Day this year. May you take a moment away from the traditional picnic and BBQs and remember those that gave the ultimate price for our freedoms! Today, we celebrate service, sacrifice, and selflessness. We can never bring back our fallen soldiers, but we can honor them. To the brave men and women who gave their lives protecting our freedom: We are forever in your debt. We thank you. We proudly remember you today and everyday in our words, actions and our lives.

Rainbow, Never Forget.

I enjoyed my last walk in Ives Run for this trip. We will be back a few more times for very short stays! I had two friends come out to say "se-ya-later!" I thought the squirrel had made it with a chipmunk, because of the stripe on his side. Rob told me it is a red squirrel. I could ask Swifty, if he was here, he had them in his camper over the winter! 

The deer was near the camp store and just stood there. She was in no hurry to move on!

Later this morning, we hope to move to Tompkins a bit ahead of the 4pm check-in time. Charlie and I drove over in the car to scope out the sites. The only site open was Rob & Shelia's. We sent that info and they headed over and we went back to Ives Run. They kept us updated and when our site and Dana & Dawn's site was open, we headed over. We all got in before noon and Bob & Ellen arrived around 4pm.

We enjoyed our "grill your own meat" and shared sides for dinner and a fire. I will share with you Tompkins is a beautiful peaceful setting on the Bench loop along the lake, but there is very limited cell and internet signal. You might as well say non-existent signal. 

On Tuesday May 28th, I enjoyed my first walk in Tompkins. My walk takes me to the marina, where there is decent cell signal. On my walk, gave me time to check my emails and the like. I did get to walk a spell with Sheila and Marley.

We planned to meet in Wellsboro and enjoy a few beers and lunch at a Dive Bar. The dive bar was closed, but we learned it is called The Gaslight. It is only open for lunch on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Our second choice was The Roost. That was a place where Gary & Sheryl, Charlie & I met Jack & Ann Sapp and their friend two years ago. That too was closed! Our next choice in that block was Timeless Destinations. It was open, but it was just by chance! We learned that the 4th Tuesday of each month the Chamber of Commerce meets there, so they are open. Normally, they are closed on Tuesdays too! Our lucky day! Charlie had a BLT and I ordered a salad. I did not expect the peppers and onions to be grilled, but it was a good salad. I did not take any home, because I did not know how it would be completely cold!

We all went our separate ways and enjoyed the shops in downtown Wellsboro. With the lack of chain stores and restaurants in the community, downtown Wellsboro seems frozen in time. The lack of chain stores in the area means that the small mom and pop stores have been able to survive. I learned that Wellsboro is home to an independent department store, Dunham’s. We walked through it, we went from clothes, to shoes, to housewares, and into furniture. It was like a maze of stores. We came out a back door into an ally. We were looking for their hardware section. We gave up and moved on. We found out later that if we had turned left, instead of right we would have been in Dunham's hardware store!

On Wednesday May 29th, I enjoyed my 150th walk of 2024. My second walk in Tompkins on Cowanesque lake. It was a beautiful 53° to walk. Limited signal, so no music, just positive affirmations and time to reflect on my journey. I thought about taking a trail. The trail connects Cowanesque Lake and Nelson Falls. 

I thought it would be cool to see the falls. But the name and the warnings scared me right off! It's called the Moccasin trail. To me that does not say what Indians wore on their feet, it says snakes! The second notice said it was an active hunting area and hikers should wear blaze orange. Well, I wear a safety yellow sweatshirt, but I was not going to chance it!

Sheila and Marly visited us today. Marley is always on alert for chipmunks! He had his eye on one for a long time today. It's like the chipmunk and Marley were having a staring contest, neihter one moved!

Our plan for this day was to head to Racks Brew House in Elkland for dinner and drinks. We thought they opened at 3pm. We were wrong, so Dana said there was a bar around the corner, were we could wait. 

There is history in the building that houses Racks Brew House. According to local historian, the building was erected in 1932 by Nick Georgeston of Port Allegany as Elkland’s first soda fountain and sandwich shop, called the Georgeston Bros. After a few years, Georgeston added a hotel upstairs and changed the business’ name to the Penn Elk. Georgeston sold the business to a former employee, Peter Lascaris of Syracuse, in 1944. He created a bar and hotel, called The Penn Elk. The Penn Elk was notorious for its steaks. But it was driven by the tanneries, so when the tannery here died, the Penn Elk died. After the Penn Elk closed, the building was bought 15 or 20 years ago and transformed back into a bar, but that didn’t last long. Tony Daley purchased the building after it sat idle for several years, slowly falling behind in upkeep. Tony said “this historical building used to be an important part of the town and its name was pretty prestigious at one time. Now it’s finding its way back to life.”

We were greeted by our cheerful bartender and server, Haley. At first we were the only 9 people in there. But as time went by, more locals and our of town visitors arrived. Since it was a rainy day, Charlie asked if they could start the fireplace. A man came out to light it and said it would roast us out. Well that never happened and we learned that man was the owner, Tony Daley. He was an easy going and great guy to talk to. He is a local boy, so he shared his insight into the town and answered any questions we had.

Charlie enjoyed a "Citra Ass Down" IPA and I had an IC light Mango (only 95 calories.) Charlie was saying all week, if they had pizza he was having it! Well they happened to have a Pizza & Wings special. I went for the Stingin' Honey Chicken Salad. The pizza looked good, I did enjoy a wing or two and my salad was so big, I had to take some home! 

It was a rainy night, so no fire... everyone just went inside their campers when we got home. Too bad, because it is Bob & Ellen's last night with us!

On Thursday May 30th, I enjoyed my morning walk and learned something interesting. I only needed the internet access to start my music. I played my motivational song, Breaking Boundaries, while I was at the marina. I kept walking away from the marina and the music kept playing! Our plan for the day was for the 5 of us to head to Elmira to buy seafood. If you are within 60 miles of Elmira, there’s no better place to buy fresh fish and seafood than the Maine Harvest Seafood. Friendly and quick service, very fresh product at market price. The value is being able to have it in your refrigerator a few days before eating. Truly a top shelf fish and seafood market! Those that know Charlie are saying, he does not eat fish or seafood. Correct! But everyone else in the group does and we are planning a delicious seafood dinner!

We went to Wegmans for a few more items we needed. It was the first time I have been in Wegmans in two years! It has not changed. It is still a great friendly place to shop! What a selection! We did see a few murals in Elmira. This one is titled “Community Barber Shop.” It was painted on one of the outer walls of Derito’s Barber Shop on Franklin Street. The mural features a barber and a customer in front of a spiraling barber shop pole in the background. The mural was painted by artist and sheet metal worker Jharmi “Cuba” Leach. Jharmi hopes that the new mural will help boost awareness of the community arts and help business at the barber shop grow.

Two more of our couples that are camping for the weekend showed up today! Lynn & Swifty and Karen & Royce! This is the one and only time we will camp with Lynn and Rick, this summer.

On Friday May 31st it was my 152nd walk of 2024. My fourth walk in Tompkins on Cowanesque Lake. It was a very crisp 41° to start. I focused on my positive affirmations as I climbed the hills this morning. The only ones using the swimming area are the Geese and their babies!

Friday was also the day we moved from our full hook-up site to the water & electric site "on the hill" as we call it! It is on the end of the loop and you have to go up on the knoll to get level and you come off of it when you leave. We were supposed to be on the site for our whole stay. But, were able to get a FHU site for part of our stay.

We enjoyed dinner together and a nice fire!

Saturday June 1st, it's my 153rd walk of 2024. My fifth walk in Tompkins on Cowanesque Lake. It was a bit warmer at 44° to start. I focused on my positive affirmations as thoughts.

This was the day Marley has been waiting for! Rob is here and he got to go in the water and do some retrieving! His buddy Walter joined him and they had lots of fun! Sheila tried one day, but like me, her throwing skills are not so hot!

Earlier in the week, our group was commenting on the loop without sewer. Each site had a sign that tells the campers that the PVC pipe that is at the site "is not a sewer hookup." 

We said "is that really necessary?" 

They are painted blue ... most people associate blue with water... 

Well, on my walk I saw this... I guess the signs are necessary and some campers don't read them! Yuck!!

Some of our group went into town, other just enjoyed the quiet times at the campground!

Naturally, we enjoyed dinner together. 

Then, Karen's pudding shots and of course a fire!

Sunday, June 2nd, it's my 154th walk of 2024. My sixth walk in Tompkins on Cowanesque Lake. It was a beautiful morning at 51° at 7am! I enjoyed my conversation with God and focused on my positive affirmations. I even felt his presence and it was kind of captured in this picture!

Today, all of our friends leave and head for home. We will camp with them again over 4th of July at Darien Lake State Park. We also get to camp with Craig & Tracey Lamoureux then!

A few headed out early, but a couple waited until closer to noon! Dana and Dawn are retired, so no need to rush!

Charlie and I move tomorrow to Jellystone - PA Wilds in Mansfield. So, we decided to take a drive and check out the route and the park. On our way there, we got a text from Charlie's sister, Mary. They were heading north on US 15. They were a few miles from the Mansfield exit. We were close too. So, they pulled off for a break and we met up with them for a quick visit! It's funny how close you can be to each other while you are traveling! After we checked out the park, Charlie and I went to Perkins for a late lunch early dinner.

Stay tuned for more of our Two Lane Adventures! 

Day Twenty Four - Twenty Nine - A Summer of Bluegrass, Camping and Friends - Tuesday 5/21/2024 - Sunday 5/26/2024

Tuesday May 21st for my morning walk, I took the Railroad Grade Trail. It's a 2 1/2-mile trail that begins on the north end at the Ives Run Recreation area, along side of Crooked Creek. 

Walking on the sometimes pot-holed, rough crushed stone surface I was rewarded for my efforts by arriving at this seemingly secluded marsh area. 

I wish I had Tammy's bird app, because I could hear a variety of songbirds, plus geese, bull frogs and rabbits. The trail is along a stocked trout stream. Part of the trail is in the Bryant Hollow Wildlife Management Area. The south end of the trail is near Route 287 and Hills Creek Road.

Also on Tuesday, our friend Ted Decker and his wife Linda arrived. It's been a couple years since we have camped with them. The last time we camped with them, they had a Bernese Mountain Dog and a Aussiedoodle. They had to put their Bernese Mountain Dog down, so now they the the 125-pound Aussie-Doodle, named Bubba, and an 8-month, 80-pound Bernedoodle, named Bernie. The Aussiedoodle, actually remembered us. He has plenty of Aussie in him! It was great to see Ted. But, seeing him hurts my heart. His 2nd wife, Sharon, was my best friend for years! We did so much together and had so many good times! She passed away in October of 2011 in a tragic motorcycle accident. We were in Florida and I never had a chance to say good-bye.

I have so many memories with Sharon, but the one that I always brings a smile to my face. Is our son's Senior Skip Day. Sharon wrote a note for Teddy and I wrote an excusal note for Chris. A few days after the Senior Skip Day, the boys told us they had Saturday detention for taking part in Senior Skip Day. But, we had given them permission! The boys were like, it's good. We will do the detention. Sharon and I got to talking and we knew it was not right that the boys were in trouble, because we "authorized" their absence from school that day. Saturday morning we dropped the boys off at the school for the detention. We walked them to the room where they were to have detention and we left. Only to return half way through their detention time. We told the boys to take the car and go home. Sharon and I were going to serve the 2nd half of their detention. You should have seen the teacher that was the monitor for this session. He did not know what to say. We sent the boys on their way and Sharon and I sat in Saturday detention for 3-hours at the high school n place of our sons!

We enjoyed a campfire and time with friends.

On Wednesday May 22nd I took a portion of my walk on the Mid-State Trail. The Mid State Trail is a 327-mile hiking trail. It is the longest hiking trail in Pennsylvania, and one of just three to traverse the state from one border to another. Pennsylvania's Northern Tier was shaped by massive continental glaciers, The Tioga Region of the Mid-State Trail takes you through deeply wooded high plateau, and really rural low hills. 

The views continue to be spectacular. The terrain becomes more varied around each bend and over every knob. At one point the trail is intersected by Ives Run, needless to say, I turned around! The Tioga Region of the Mid-State trail links the Tioga State Forest; State Game Lands No. 268 and No. 37; Hills Creek State Park; Tioga-Hammond Lakes; Cowanesque Lake, and over a dozen private landowners through Tioga County.

On Thursday May 23rd, for my morning walk, I took the dirt road to Pine Camp. It's the primitive camping area that offers great views and access to the water, but no services! The sites are mostly shaded sites, and some near a beautiful forested hillside with lots of birds and wildlife. I won't walk out there again though. The dirt road becomes very slick when it gets wet. Even thought it has been a few days since it rained hard, you really had to watch your step!

I captured a picture of this unique bird. My friend Brian Jones, told me it was an Eastern Towhee. If you listen closely to the song of an Eastern Towhee, it sounds like it's saying “Drink your tea” with the end of the word tea drawn out. Once you learn this phrase and hear the bird's song a few times, the phrase sticks in your memory making it easier to identify the bird the next time you hear it. Some cultures believe that Eastern Towhees are symbolic of good luck coming in the future. 

That afternoon, part of our NY Camping FRamily arrived today. Dana & Dawn with their 100-pound chocolate lab named Walter arrived! It was great to see them again. We were lucky and they came to Florida in February for a few weeks this year! 

For my walk Friday May 24th, I walked the Fishing Pier Trail, for lack of a better name. It is short handicapped accessible trail to a fishing pier on Crooked Creek. The fishing spot is located on a jetty, just before the creek enters the lake.

I saw my first deer this morning. I think I startled it. But, she turned around and looked at me!

Ted & Linda got around early today and left. Linda was not feeling well. Dana & Dawn were ready to visit Shutter Homestead today for our first wine slushies of the season. But, we held off until Karen & Royce arrived! We could not wait until Sheila and Rob got here, because the place would be closed by then!

Shutter Homestead is an event space, wine tasting and wine sales place close to Ives Run. Rhonda used to be a Harvest Host location, that is how Charlie & I got to know her. She is a people person. She loves meeting new people and has never met a stranger. Her business is an outlet for a New Jersey winery, Bellview, which was founded in 1903. 

You taste wine and purchase it her families barn that was built in 1827. She has worked hard to keep the barn standing, to support her business. But there are sentimental reasons too, the property has been in the family since 1910. The barn is part of their family heritage. Their great-grandfather and all their relatives have worked, played, and lived on the property. It's their tenth season. We love to sit outside with wine slushies. They are pet friendly with a leash. You can bring food, sit and enjoy the property. We feel like we are family when we are there!

On Saturday May 25th, everyone made a big deal out of this day... it's just another day. So, I got up and did my 146th walk of 2024. I took my favorite trail so far, the Railroad Grade Trail. 

The highlight of my walk was getting to see a Eastern Red-Spotted Newt. I have not seen one of these guys in a few years. The last one I  saw was in NY at Park Station campground in Chemung County.

Doing my research I learned that the juvenile newt is the one that is a bright orange-red coloration with a row of larger, black-bordered orange spots on each side of the back. The larger spots resemble an eye, which is the meaning of their scientific name "Notophthalmus". Once they become an adult, they have an overall greenish coloration with small black dots scattered on the back and a row of several black-bordered reddish-orange spots on each side of the back. It is a native salamander to New York State and eastern North America that can live for 12-15 years! 

It was a leisurely morning and around 12:30 we piled into 2 cars and headed back to Shutter Homestead for Birthday slushies! We managed to enjoy our wine slushies while sitting outside. We even got home before the rain came!

We would not let the rain dampen our plans! 

We adapted and overcame. 

We enjoyed dinner with friends, birthday cake and a campfire. In honor of the "special" day... Karen even had some special wood to burn! LOL

On Sunday May 26th, it was a very foggy start to the day. But, a little fog could not stop me from exploring another trail. 

I checked out the C. Lynn Keller Trail. The trail's 9 miles lifts you into a crisscrossing of trails in the forest and you overlook Hammond Lake. The shortest section is a 1.3 mile Stephenhouse Trail loop. But I tried to take that the other day, from the other entry point and that is where I ran into having to cross Ives Run! 

So, I decided to check out the road to State Game Lands No. 37. It was good road, but it just keep going up and up and up. So, when it turned and I just saw more uphill, I turned around!

 

It was a great day with friends. We ended the day with a chimney log from Royce and a great fire, food and dessert!