July 18th, 19th and 20th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

We spent three soggy days at Ontario County Park at Gannett Hill with Rob & Sheila. Even though Mother Nature rained on our parade, we had a great time! We left there to head to Tompkins COE in Lawrenceville, PA for one last night with camping friends, Royce & Karen, from New York. Tompkins was just an overnight, because Pymatuning State Park is too far for a one day drive.

We enjoyed some sausages over the open fire and fellowship with Royce & Karen. This is our second time at Tompkins COE this season. We love this place, because the sights are partially wooded and quiet. The weather cleared up for the evening, but the morning we left was foggy again!

Most of our day driving on Monday July 19^th will be on Route 6. Route 6 in Pennsylvania enjoys a storied past. The route can be traced back to 1807 when state officials mandated a road be cut through the Moosic Mountains to enable easier travel to the western parts of the state. As the state and nation grew, so too did the road. Carved out of hundreds of miles of wilderness, the road eventually united all of the county seats in Pennsylvania’s northern tier. The fledgling highway quickly became a vital link between the industry of the west and the railroads in the east. Along its length sprung charming villages, plentiful farming communities and thriving towns.

This 70 mile stretch of PA’s US Route 6 takes you back to the kind of vacation you might have experienced in your childhood. Drive through rolling, emerald hills, very much like those of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Each twist and turn offers stunning views, dotted with villages with pieces of small town life. You will see signs of a family recreation areas, like river outfitters, mom and pop motels and campgrounds.

We took you on our tour of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania back in late May. It’s about 15 miles to Galeton, PA. This town is almost at the center of Route 6. We passed through little towns like Ansonia, Rexford, and Gaines. In Galeton, we wound our way through the old downtown. Galeton was a booming lumber town in the 1800s, sporting an opera house, a hospital, railroads, breweries, and (of course) taverns. Surrounded by forests, today the town attracts tourists, hunters, and fisherfolk who enjoy the abundant wildlife and lush scenery. Every year, Galeton celebrates firefighters on Red Suspender Weekend, a festival of food, contests, and entertainment.

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum was closed, but it looks like it would be a fun and educational experience for everyone. Nestled in the wooded mountains of Potter County, the museum invites visitors to discover the courageous yet reckless spirit of Pennsylvania’s lumbering past while learning to care for the forests of the future. Interactive exhibits simulate activities such as swinging an ax, sawing a tree, piloting a log raft and racing locomotives for a hands-on experience with history. Outdoor exhibits located across the 10-acre campus include a re-created early 20th-century lumber camp, a 70-ton Shay geared-locomotive, and Barnhart log loader, and a log cabin built by the CCC. In the past they have operated their steam-powered sawmill at three annual events, Spring Show, Bark Peelers’ Festival, and Fall Show, but that is up in the air as COVID has cancelled these festivals for a second year in a row.

The Denton Hill Summit on Route 6 in Pennsylvania has an elevation of 2,424 feet. Situated on the northern slope of Denton Hill, the steep grade of the park facilitated the establishment of a downhill ski area and lodge when the site was developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Throughout the remainder of the year, Denton Hill State Park serves as a unique setting for a variety recreational events. Additionally, hikers can find year-round access to the Susquehannock State Forest. The ski area was operated by the state until 1979, when it became a concession run by a private contractor. The park was closed to downhill skiing in late 2014, when the concession contract expired and remains closed today.

Motor through one-blink towns like Mina, Roulette, Burtville and the larger Port Allegany, named because it was a landing site for Native American canoes. Then you will arrive in Smethport. The Capital Seat of the County, Smethport was once a bastion of oil and lumber tycoons. At the turn of last century, this town had serious money. The evidence still lines Main Street, the Smethport Mansion District, a village of 30 opulent properties boasting history and architecture and showcasing the luxurious life of Smethport's past.

Smethport also claims it is “the birthplace of Magnetic Toys.” Wooly Willy was invented by James Herzog while he worked at the Smethport Specialty Company in Smethport, Pennsylvania. In the 1950s, the company produced a variety of magnetic and metal toys. In 1955, Herzog found that the powder created from grinding magnets made a perfect drawing tool. His brother Donald suggested using a clear, vacuum-formed plastic bubble to contain the magnetite powder, and Leonard Mackowski, a local artist, was commissioned to design the display card. After being rejected by numerous buyers, the 29-cent toy was eventually picked up and went on to enjoy great popularity.

The Alleghany National Forest is all around us! No wonder, it encompasses 513,257 acres! Over 600 miles of trails crisscross the ridges and valleys of the Allegheny National Forest. It provides opportunities for hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, boating, mountain biking, riding ATV’s, boat/camping and more.

The Allegheny Reservoir spans the border between Pennsylvania and New York. In Pennsylvania, the reservoir is completely surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest; and in New York State by Allegany State Park and the Allegany Indian Reservation of the Seneca Nation.

West of Bradford on Route 59, we found the Kinzua Dam. This important flood control dam has created a vast waterway known as the Allegheny Reservoir. Completed in 1965 by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the 25-Mile elongated lake fills nearly 100 miles of forested shoreline. Day-to-Day operations of the flood control dam take place on the site.

Meadville, Pennsylvania, along a drab stretch of strip malls, the north side of the road is lined by a colorful pattern of repurposed road signs that stretches for nearly a quarter mile. Located on the property of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation building, the PennDOT Road Sign Sculpture Garden is the most perplexing set of driving instructions you’ll ever see.

Alternatively known as “Read Between the Signs,” the road sign sculpture garden was created when art students from the nearby Allegheny College teamed up with DoT employees who had a few extra road signs on their hands. The result was both bizarre and ingenious, portraying the Pennsylvania landscape with a recycled metal homage.

We found our way back to Pymatuning State Park and our friends, Judi & Harry. It's a huge park facility, covering portions of two states! It has nearly 16,000 acres of land! Pymatuning is one of the largest parks in the state. The 14,000-acre lake is, too, the largest lake in the state. Of course, that makes the lake one of the best places to spend some time. We were tired and enjoyed a dinner out and a campfire! Stay tuned for more travel tomorrow!