Day 46, 47, & 48 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Day 46 was Sunday June 21st. Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there! We departed Ives Run around 8:30 AM, earlier than we anticipated. But, we needed to get through Wellsboro before the Laurel Festival got into full swing for the day. It is the celebration of the commonwealth’s state flower. This native, evergreen shrub features glossy green leaves and beautiful clusters of cup-shaped, white-to-pink blossoms with unique burgundy markings. It typically blooms from late May through mid-June. Every part of the mountain laurel plant is highly toxic to humans and grazing animals like horses and sheep. 2026 is the 84th Annual Pennsylvania State Mountain Laurel Festival. The week-long celebration includes a juried arts and crafts fair, queen’s pageant, pet parade, children’s health fair, foot races, a gospel sing, and several musical concerts, as well as the traditional two-hour Laurel Festival Parade.

We took PA 287 for 90% of our drive today. Pennsylvania Route 287 is a 64-mile-long north-south state highway located in the rural, scenic northern tier of Pennsylvania. It serves as a vital connector through the Tioga Valley. We drove 60 miles of this roadway today. Before PA 287 was designated, the alignment relied on a pair of 1850s plank roads built to transport timber through Lycoming and Tioga counties. The highway was officially signed as PA 287 in the late 1920s to formalize a continuous north-south path through the rugged Appalachian Mountains. 

Only a few towns on this route. Morris, PA was originally formed in 1824 from Delmar Township. It is deeply tied to Native American heritage, the timber boom, and the historic tanneries of northern PA. Today, the area is known for its rural charm and outdoor recreation. It is a popular gateway to the Pine Creek Gorge (the PA Grand Canyon) and the Pine Creek Rail Trail.

Next town was Lorenton, PA. The Lorenton Post Office is a noted piece of Tioga County postal history. Operating from 1891 to 1907, its historical postmarks (such as the Doane cancel types) remain collectible items for enthusiasts today. What are "Doane" markings? They are characterized by 4 or 5 killer bars with a numeral in them; they must be rubber handstamps. The name comes from research Edith Doane, who assembled lists of markings and studied their history. The first 500 markings were distributed in 1903.  The type 1 markings have 5 killer bars.  Type 2 has four hollow bars (or paired lines); type 3 has 4 solid bars. A few lasted in service until the 1920s; and some are even seen in the 1930s on philatelic mail.  Most were gone by 1915, however, replaced by 4-bar handstamps (without the number in the killer) or by other types of markings.

photo credit - MVR Vacation Rentals

As we were driving, Charlie said "Is that a ski hill?" Why, yes, yes it is. We later saw the sign for Ski Sawmill. Ski Sawmill Family Resort has been a popular Mid-Atlantic winter destination since opening as "Oregon Hill" in 1969. It is named after the steep ridge it cascades down in Lycoming County. Oregon Hill is also home to Oregon Hill Winery. It was established in 1983, it is the first winery in Lycoming County and is famous for its "Pennsylvania Mountain Wines," which feature popular varieties like Canyon Country Concord.

Salladasburg PA was founded in 1837 by Captain Jacob P. Sallade. Originally a timber and milling community, it was officially incorporated as a borough in 1884. It is historically famous for Cohick's Trading Post, a general store and landmark established in 1924 that famously hosted celebrities. 

Due to the area's excellent trout fishing, notable figures such as President Herbert Hoover, James Cagney, and Katharine Hepburn visited. Hepburn and Cagney both have their names engraved on lunch counter stools inside the trading post. The trading post operated from 1924 to 2015. That is a long run of success!

Larryville, PA gets its name from Larry Burt, a European frontiersman and trader who was living in the area with a Native American wife before official colonial surveyors even arrived in 1769. Before Larry Burt and European settlement, the Larrys Creek watershed was home to the Susquehannock and Lenape peoples. The area remained an untouched, heavily wooded wilderness until the 19th-century timber and lumber boom. Today, Larryville has shifted back to a quiet, mostly forested, and agricultural area. Much of the natural scenery surrounding the village is dedicated to state game lands, hunting camps, and recreational fishing.

We took US 220 to get across the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and then PA 64 to get to Pleasant Gap and over Nittany Mountain to Centre Hall. We were looking down the side streets as we drove through Centre Hall, because you can see our favorite spot to camp here. It looked like our spot was open, we were excited! We paid the camping fee, got our wristbands for the festival and proceeded to the area where the parking staff takes you to your site. Jimmy said "You know where you want to be?" Yup! "Drive on" he said. As we got closer to our spot, we noticed there was no one there yet... we also noticed that all the trees were gone! No more shade! Jimmy came around the rig and told Charlie to get on, he would show him a few alternative sites. Jimmy got us a good site, not too far from the stage and seating areas.

Once we got set up, we had extra time and the wait time at Great Clips was about the length of time it would take us to get there. So, I signed us in and off to State College for haircuts. Charlie and I had 2 different girls, we were both happy with our cuts and then Charlie was thirsty.

Off to Boal City Brewing in Boalsburg, it is between State College and Centre Hall. The microbrewery is situated just minutes from Rothrock State Forest and directly on a local bike path. It features several large, inviting outdoor seating areas to choose from. 

We took a patio table with 2 chairs and an umbrella. If we were there later in the day, we would have selected the Adirondack chairs around the fire pit! It is a family friendly place with activities for the kids to enjoy!

Charlie had a West Coast IPA with 6.5 ABV called, Wheelie, (Notice the bike reference?!) They used Amarillo, Crystal, and Simcoe hops combined with Pale and Honey malts to balance out this IPA. It offers tastes of pine and citrus.

I had a Sour Ale with 5.4 ABV called, Peaches and Cream. They blended Pilsen and Red Wheat malts, and lactose for body. Pureed peaches were added at the end of the fermentation process to create this peachy tart delight.

I have been fighting a head cold, so Day 47 Monday June 22nd, was the perfect day to keep a low profile, stay inside and chill. What else can you do on a dreary rainy day! At 12 noon, we ventured down to the tents and got our chairs set up for the music! We will not be sitting on the hill this year. There is a chance of rain for a few of the days, so we picked seats under one of the tents the venue puts up! We watched a Criminal Minds marathon on TV. It has been a long time since we have done that!

On Tuesday June 23rd, day 48, I woke up feeling much better! No sore throat and my nose was running, which is so much better than being stuffed up! It was still an overcast morning, but it is supposed to blow over. So, grocery shopping was on the agenda this morning. Back to State College through Boalsburg. Found this interesting sign. Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, is widely considered the birthplace of Memorial Day. The tradition began in October 1864, when three women, Emma Hunter, Sophie Keller, and Elizabeth Myers, decorated the graves of fallen soldiers in the town cemetery. They agreed to repeat the gesture the following year, and the practice evolved into an annual community event, eventually spreading to other towns and becoming the national holiday we know today. Being from Western New York, I was always taught that Waterloo was the birthplace of Memorial. The first known Memorial Day celebration was in Waterloo, New York, on May 5, 1866. I guess 1864 is earlier than 1866....

We came back to a sunny grange festival grounds and tons of activity. The stage was going up, so we sat in our seats for a few minutes to make sure that we still liked the view.

We ended up helping a guy, Arvy, paint the lines for the chairs in front of the stage. He was trying to run a rope line by himself and then spray the lines. Charlie and I moved the rope and he did the spraying. He was a talker, always asking questions. We learned he was a retired teacher in Lewiston and he is 86 years young. 

We concluded our day enjoying the sunshine and the setting sun over the hill! Our area certainly has filled in since we arrived on Sunday!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!