We left New York early this morning after a great five weeks
of visiting family and friends! We headed south on Route 415 and got onto Route
17, now known as Interstate 86. The “old Route 17” is the longest state touring
route in The Empire State. The first portion of Route 17 was converted to
Interstate 86 in 1999. Slowly over the years, other sections were improved to
the standards of an interstate roadway and a little more of Route 17
disappears. One unique aspect of Interstate 86 is there is a less than two-mile
stretch of road in Pennsylvania, however it is maintained by New York State Department
of Transportation.
As we traveled on the “Southern Tier Expressway” we had a
male Cardinal (a red bird) crossed in front of us, so close to the windshield we
could have reached out and touched it. A good friend of mine always told me
that Cardinals appear when Angels are near. Every time I see a red bird I
smile. But what was more interesting was not a minute later a white dove (or an
albino pigeon) flew in front of us and perched on the underside of an overpass.
It is believed that spotting a white dove should be a reminder to reconnect
with a loved one. Someone is trying to tell us something!
West Almond is highest elevation on Interstate 86 at 2,080
feet. The Southern Tier there are so many green tree covered rolling hills, it
makes the drive on this interstate a bit more interesting than some. The
Southern Tier of NY is also known for its farming. There are many farms that
populate the landscape.
The Cuba Cheese Shoppe is nestled in the farmlands of
southwestern New York State where cheese has been a principle product since the
late 1800's. Cuba, at that time, was the "cheese center of the
world." One of the main goals of the Cuba Cheese Shoppe has always been to
promote the wonderful New York State Cheddar cheeses that originated in 1887.
The demand for New York State cheese is due in part to its characteristically
unique flavor, a certain sharpness. This distinctiveness is attributed to the
soil and water peculiar to this area near the Great Lakes. Because of the
fodder and the water that the cows get here, they give milk that makes cheese
with a distinctive sharp flavor.
219 South … the only 4 miles we traveled on this road, had
us rethinking this route …. Thump, thump, thump …. Was all we heard … Thank God,
the road improved when we crossed the New York Pennsylvania line into PA! Bradford PA is home to the Zippo lighter and Case knives museum.
So much costs money to see our history, but it is free to tour this museum! Both
Case and Zippo have a commitment to the craft and quality synonymous with “Made
in America.” There is a beautiful American Flag made from Zippo lighters,
honoring our military.
Just south of Bradford is the Penn Brad Oil, the world’s
first billion dollar oil field. At the Penn Brad Oil Museum you can hear the
“Wild Catting Tales” at the site of our 72 foot tall, 1890 Era Standard Rig. You
can take guided tours hosted by oil country veterans, where you can see yellow
dogs and barkers, headache posts, hurry-up sticks and sucker rods, all used to
produce that miracle molecule of oil found in the Pennsylvania hills. In 1881,
the Bradford Oil Field produced an incredible 83% of the United States total
oil output; over 90,000 wells were drilled here. The oil comes from the upper
Devonian Bradford Sands. Light golden amber to a deep mossy green in color, the
“Miracle Molecule” from the Bradford field is high in paraffin and is
considered one of the highest grade natural lubricant crude oils in the world. The
Penn Brad Oil Museum preserves the philosophy and spirit of a historic oil
community.
We left 219 South and got onto 119 South, because it heads a
little more southwest verses due south. 119 S took us into Punxsutawney PA … I
bet you are thinking I am going to talk about the famous groundhog that lives there
and comes out once a year! Well, you would be wrong … He gets enough free
press! I am going to talk about his cousins … the Phantastic Phils. There are
many more of them, than the live Punxsutawney Phil! Phantastic Phils are a
community art project. There are over 30 colorful, whimsical 6-foot-tall
fiberglass groundhogs located all over the “weather capital of the world.” The
project was a way to fill their community with a collection of public art
pieces in honor of Punxsutawney Phil.
Homer City PA home to the Hoodlebug Trail. Any trail with a
name like "Hoodlebug" deserves a visit. The 10-mile trail follows the
path of the 1856-era Indiana Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, which ran
from Blairsville north to the town of Indiana. "Hoodlebug" was the
local nickname for the self-propelled passenger coach that traveled on the line
until 1940. The trail corridor has played an important role in the region for
many years: as part of an extensive network of Native American trails, as a
Pennsylvania Railroad branch line and now as a pedestrian and bicycle trail
used for both recreation and commuting by local residents and visitors to the
area. The Hoodlebug
Trail connects to the nearby Ghost Town Trail in Black Lick, Pennsylvania,
forming a completed route of 46 miles between Indiana and Ebensburg.
We stopped for the night in New Stanton Pennsylvania at Fox
Den Acres Campground. We are set up on a pull through site at the end of a row with a view of the horseshoe pond. We traveled 266 miles today. Looking forward to heading further west tomorrow!
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