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!

Day 42, 43, 44, and 45 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Today is day 42, Wednesday 6/17 today Charlie and I drove from Gettysburg to Ives Run in Tioga, PA. We decided to take Route 15 all the way to Tioga. It is a route we have been on many times over the years. 

Dillsburg is a historic borough located in northern York County, Pennsylvania, nestled in the foothills of the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains. It is south of Harrisburg. Settled around 1740 by Matthew Dill, an immigrant from County Monaghan, Ireland, and officially incorporated as a borough on April 9, 1833. The town is home to the historic Dill's Tavern and Plantation, which showcases preserved 18th-century living and local distilling history. In a humorous nod to its name and local culture, Dillsburg famously celebrates New Year's Eve by dropping a giant, lit papier-mâché pickle at midnight.

Built in 1952 by Vance Haar, Haar’s Drive-In in Dillsburg, is one of the oldest operating drive-ins in the state. Originally accessed from a dirt road, it has remained a family-owned, community staple for three generations by adapting to the digital era while preserving classic mid-century entertainment.  Vance Haar, a local showman and entertainer, initially toured the region showing movies out of his truck. In 1952, he built the open-air big screen in a meadow. It operated as an affordable novelty surrounded by countryside. As the movie industry shifted toward digital and away from 35-mm film, Haar's faced an existential threat. The owners heavily invested in a new digital projection system and screen to keep the theater alive, proving their commitment to the local community.

Harrisburg is the first "big" town we come to, but it is not what is in Harrisburg that interests me, it is what is just north of there! The trees have grown up and I kept looking through the breaks in the trees, snapping pictures along the way. The Miniature Statue of Liberty on the Susquehanna River is a beloved, quirky local landmark located in the Dauphin Narrows section of the river, just a few miles north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The 25-foot-tall replica sits atop an abandoned stone pier that originally belonged to the mid-19th-century Marysville Bridge. The original statue was built in secret by local activist Gene Stilp and a dozen friends to celebrate the centennial of the real Statue of Liberty. Standing 18 feet tall, it was crafted out of plywood, fiberglass, and Venetian blinds. On July 1, 1986, the group smuggled the statue out on a Jon Boat, canoes, and inner tubes to erect it under the cover of night. The next morning, it caused massive traffic jams on the adjacent highways as stunned drivers tried to process what they were seeing. Though meant to be temporary, the community grew attached to it. After a severe storm destroyed the fragile original in 1992, Dauphin Township residents successfully raised funds to build a permanent version. In 1997, the current 25-foot, 4-ton steel and fiberglass monument was airlifted by helicopter and lashed to the pier.

Bucknell University is a highly selective, private liberal arts institution located on a scenic 450-acre residential campus in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, it stands out nationally by combining traditional liberal arts studies with top-tier undergraduate engineering and business programs. Bucknell maintains a small, focused community with roughly 3,928 undergraduate students and about 47 graduate students. The school features a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of 20, ensuring direct mentorship from professors rather than teaching assistants.

Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is the historic birthplace and global headquarters of Little League Baseball. Every August, the eyes of the sporting world turn to the region as it hosts the iconic Little League Baseball World Series. While the administrative offices are technically across the Susquehanna River in South Williamsport, the entire area transforms annually into a vibrant international youth sports festival. The tournament brings together 20 teams of 10-to-12-year-olds—10 regional champions from the United States and 10 from international regions.

Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, PA, is celebrating its 100th anniversary, marking a century as the 9th-oldest active minor league stadium in America. Originally opened in 1926 as Memorial Field, it was renamed to honor Jay Bowman and is currently sponsored by Journey Bank. Built in 1926 for $75,000, it originally featured a rollercoaster in the outfield. The park's 100th anniversary, celebrated with special throwback jersey nights, historical exhibits, and commemorative merchandise.

Since 2017, the stadium has hosted the annual MLB Little League Classic, a regular-season Major League game designed to celebrate the nearby Little League World Series in South Williamsport. Recent matchups brought teams like the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets to the historic grounds.

Heading up to Steam Valley mountain you can see the "Turkey Ranch." The Fry Brothers Turkey Ranch is a legendary, family-owned restaurant located atop Steam Valley Mountain along Route 15 in Trout Run, Pennsylvania. Famous for serving "Thanksgiving dinner every day," the restaurant has been operated by the Fry family for three generations since opening on Mother's Day in 1939.

Heading into Ives Run, is kind of like heading home, as we camp here a few times a year when we are in the area. Ives Run Recreation Area is a highly rated federal campground and park located on the eastern shore of Hammond Lake in Tioga, Pennsylvania. Maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers, it sits within the pristine Endless Mountains region.

Thursday June 18th is day 43 of our RV travel adventures. I enjoyed a morning walk here ate Ives run. Most of our friends are arriving later this afternoon and evening. Karen & Royce were the first to arrive. Followed by Dana and Dawn. 

We enjoyed time alone with each of the couples getting caught up on the past winter's events. Rob had to work late, so Sheila and Rob were the last to arrive. We enjoyed a nice fire with friends, with tons of laughter and reminiscing.

Day 44 was Friday June 19th. We all had a leisurely morning enjoying coffee and fellowship. Early afternoon, we headed to the Rusted Nut. The Rusted Nut's automobile themed Gastropub. A gastropub is a hybrid establishment that combines the casual, relaxed atmosphere of a traditional drinking pub with the high-quality, chef-driven culinary offerings of a gourmet restaurant. The word itself is a blending of "gastronomy" (the art of good eating) and "pub" (public house).

After operating a body shop for 25 years, the idea started as a fun way for owner Bryan Smith, to showcase his love of cars and antiques. All of their decor is sourced from repurposed and salvaged local items, with real local history. Each item has a story. We enjoyed good company, appetizers, craft beers and specialty drinks. 

Once we got back to the campground, there were a few naps taken, dinners made and fires started. We always cook our own choice of meats and share our sides for a true family style dinner. Naturally, we had another fire. This "cooler" weather has really made having a fire enjoyable. Royce always does a great job finding us a "chimney" log for the fire!

Saturday June 20th is day 45. Again, it was a leisurely morning, except some of the campers enjoyed Mimosas with or instead of their coffee! We all enjoyed some delicious donuts that Rob and Sheila scored from a local bakery in Elkland. The one in the picture is a Reese's Peanut Butter. Yum, yum, yum!

Charlie and I headed to Shutter Homestead. It's a tradition. It is a 200-year old barn that houses wine tasting, wine sales and events. You can enjoy a wine slushie, or a tasting. 

 

You can walk a trail on their 100-acre property or sit by the water and just relax. Rhonda used to be a harvest host, that is how we first met her. Now, we go to enjoy a wine slushie, sometimes inside the barn and sometimes outside in the comfortable chairs. 

We enjoyed our last "family" dinner for this camping trip and another great fire!

Tomorrow we all head in different directions, but all of this group will be camping together in mid-July. We will camp with a couple of them for the 4th of July holiday.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!

Day 39, 40 & 41 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

Today, Sunday June 14th, day 39 of Charlie and my Two Lane Adventure, is the last day of our 250th Anniversary of America. We have spent 15-days with this group leading them from Fayetteville to Gettysburg, with three other stops on the way.

You build a bond with these folks, even after such a short time. We are together all day, everyday and today is difficult for many of us. You say you will stay in contact, but you know that is not always true... life gets in the way... time goes by... and we know that 2026 is the last year for Yankee RV Tours.

We had a continental breakfast for anyone who wanted to come over for a bit this morning. We had two rigs that left early, but we made sure they had doggy bags of donuts and pastries for their drives.

We enjoyed sitting with Tim & Debbie, breathing a sigh of relief, as the remainder of the caravanners packed up, hooked up and moved onto their next adventure! If we could not travel with Gary & Sheryl, then Tim and Debbie are always our "go to" couple. 

When a team has the same values, philosophies and work ethic, the job is not so difficult and it becomes fun. That is the way we feel about Tim & Debbie and Gary & Sheryl.

  

Charlie and I are staying in Gettysburg for three more nights, but we are moving from Gettysburg Campground to Round Top. It was a 40-mile trip... no Gettysburg is not that big! We drove to Chambersburg to get cheap diesel in the RV, using the Open Roads app. We passed Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium on Route 30. It is a whimsical, world-famous roadside attraction located just 15 minutes west of historic downtown Gettysburg. Opened in 1975, this unique destination seamlessly combines a massive museum dedicated to elephant memorabilia with an old-fashioned candy paradise.  

After we got set up, we headed to the Appalachian Brewing Company. As the wagon masters for this trip, there is no alcoholic beverages, because you are "on the job 24x7." You never know when you might have to drive a caravanner somewhere. Charlie is ready for a beer!

   

We sat on the covered patio and enjoyed the quiet time with the one we love! Charlie is an IPA kind of guy, he had a 6.1% ABV Appalachian Argyle, an American IPA. He enjoyed two of them. I went for a sampler with an IPA with 5.5% ABV, Cryo Dreams Orange Dreamsicle IPA. It was crafted with oats, milk sugar, vanilla, and fresh oranges. My second sampler was an Appalachian Midnight Fridge Raider Peanut Butter Blossom, a sweet stout with 8.4% ABV. It is a very dark, full-bodied stout with creamy notes that soften its roasted coffee. If they had it in cans, I would have gotten a few for Sheila Nesbitt!

We came back to our new campsite and relaxed!

Day 40 is Monday June 15th and we slept until almost 9am! We certainly must have needed that extra rest! Today is laundry day, we have not done laundry since the caravan started... I have zero clean underwear left... so, my 16 pairs was the perfect amount to have! LOL

   

Since we got up so late, it was after noon, when we finished with the laundry. Since we had to go right by, we decided to stop for lunch at Appalachian Brewing Company. I had the Orange Dreamsicle and Charlie had the Argyle IPA. He enjoyed a burger and fries, I had the brussel sprouts and some of his fries!

After all the laundry was put away, including storing the Yankee shirts in a tote until September, we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon under the awning of the RV!

Tuesday June 16th is day 41. We did not sleep as long as we did yesterday. I got up at 7am and walked the hills of Round Top Campground, a Thousand Trails campground. We enjoyed a quiet morning and I kept working on catching up on the blog and the expense report for the tour.

We needed gas and driving the 8-miles back into the Rutter's in Emmitsburg, MD was almost 50 cents a gallon cheaper than PA. While in Emmitsburg there are two unique shrines. The National Shrine Grotto of Lourdes and the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.

The National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes is a historic Catholic pilgrimage site and the oldest replica of the famous Lourdes Grotto of France in the Western Hemisphere. Tucked away on the scenic mountainside of the Mount St. Mary's University campus, it draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually who seek spiritual reflection, worship, and the tranquil beauty of nature.

The second is a historical site dedicated to Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American-born saint. It is a renowned US religious site, minor basilica, and educational center located in Emmitsburg, MD. It serves as a holy tribute to the life, ministry, and enduring legacy of Mother Seton, who made history as the first native-born citizen of the US to be canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Her sacred remains are permanently entombed on-site within the altar of the majestic Basilica.

We needed a few items, so a Walmart run, back in PA, was our next stop. It is not a super Walmart, but they had the coffee, coffee filters, bread and milk that we needed plus the non-food items!

The rest of the day was spent sitting and playing and working on the phone, but enjoying the sunshine! Notice, no blue or red shoes! All our laundry was either red or blue! LOL

We were going to go back to the Mason Dixon Distillery, because we learned they distill their own spiced rum, but it is closed! So, since we were out, it was one last trip to ABC in Gettysburg. They also have their own rum, so Charlie had a rum and coke and I went for the Orange Dreamsicle again. By the time we got home, there was no more shade on the awning side. So, inside for the night we went!

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!