Day 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, and 125 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

On Thursday September 3rd, we said "see ya later" to the last couple from our NY camping friends that are still at Park Station in Chemung County. They are there for a few more days! We wished Royce and Karen the best of luck with the final stages of their new house build before we headed out.

We had a long move! We went from Erin NY, a whopping 46 miles to Tioga PA! Wow, we stopped for gas on the way, so it broke up the trip! 

We went on our beloved two-lane road, Route 15, which is now part of the Interstate System in this area, it is I-99. The 62-mile stretch of US Route 15 between Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and the New York state line officially became Interstate 99 on July 30, 2026. 

Since 1984, PennDOT has been modernizing US 15 into a continuous, limited-access highway. These improvements were delivered through 34 projects totaling an investment of $480 million, including new alignments, upgrades to shoulders, pavement, access points, and roadway geometry. 

We arrived at Ives Run. The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Tioga-Hammond Lakes project in north-central Pennsylvania to manage regional flooding. The construction dammed local waterways, forming Hammond Lake, along whose eastern shore the Ives Run Recreation Area was established. Following the 1978 completion of the dam system, Ives Run evolved into a major public outdoor facility featuring boat launches, a visitor center, and 188 campsites ranging from primitive loops to modern full hookups. The campground continues to experience record demand and ranks as the third-highest revenue-grossing USACE campground nationwide.

We were lucky to snag a full hook-up site for the Labor Day weekend, which was a big score! So, I will not complain that on a normally shady loop, we have the site in the full sun! But fall is quickly approaching, as you can see, the leaves are changing already!

Day 121 was Friday September 4th. We have been coming to Ives Run for many years, every time we drive in we go through the small town of Tioga. We past by this old mansion that is just rotting away... I learned it was

The Thomas Jennings Berry Sr Greek Revival Home was built around 1840 by Thomas J. Berry, the son. The fine mansion was considered one of the finest dwellings in the county. Sadly, that is no longer the case, it is an imposing structure. It was once the Colonial Tea Garden. It was opened by Mrs. Eva G. Berry and Mrs. Thomas J. Berry, of Elmira. The Garden makes a specialty of catering to automobile parties. The property was later transferred from the Berry's and became the Kreiger farm. I learned that the mansion used to have two wings, but they were torn down and the rest of the mansion shored up.

Since we secured our site at Ives, I have been very happy. We have not had a single haddock fish fry since we got to the NY / PA area. In a nearby town is a craft brewery, Racks Brew House. One of the times Charlie and I went there they had an awesome fish fry, so it's Friday and we are heading there. Charlie enjoyed a "Citra Ass Down" IPA and I had an IC light Mango and we both had a fish fry. The portions were bigger than I remember them... so, needless to say, we have plenty of left overs!

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.”

Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th were quite days for us. I did a little baking and we both did a bunch of relaxing! I did get out for a walk on Saturday. The Railroad Grade Trail is part of the Tioga State Forest. It derives its name from the Seneca phrase "meeting of two rivers." It covers over 160,000 acres in Bradford and Tioga counties. The forest hosts the Pine Creek Gorge, also known as the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania." Tioga features awe-inspiring views and miles of clean, cool streams, like Cedar Run and Babbs Creek and is one of eight state forests located in the PA Wilds region.

Along the trail, I found a Great Blue Heron. The Great Blue Heron is a common breeding resident and migrant found across nearly all of Pennsylvania near lakes, rivers, and wetlands. They are not just in Florida anymore!

Day 124 was Monday September 7th, Happy Labor Day. Our day today included waiting for the people to vacate site # 42. We are moving from site # 39 to # 42. I was not able to get a reservation for the whole time here on a single site. We are getting some shade on this new site!

On Tuesday September 8th, I enjoyed a walk in the early morning fog. The later morning included a trip to the Green Free Library. We needed some stronger internet than the hotspot on my phone can provide. The Green Free Library is located in the historic 1855 Victorian home known as "Chester Place." 

In 1855, the family home was built by Chester Robinson. Between 1910–1911, local residents raised funds for a public library, leading wealthy lumberman Charles S. Green to bequeath $50,000 in his will. In 1912, the Green Free Library is officially incorporated. After Mary B. Robinson (“Miss Mazie”) passes away, the home is eventually passed down and willed to the library trustees. 

In 1917, the Chester Place officially opens as the permanent home of the Green Free Library. A northwest wing is added for expanded reading rooms in 1963, followed by interior restorations like a classic red carpet in 1991.

While the library staff was helpful and friendly, their internet was not fast enough to update our GPS. So, we went to McDonalds to try their internet and get some lunch. Wow, they have great internet speed at the Wellsboro McDonalds! 20-minutes after we started, the GPS is updated and Charlie's belly is full!

The Arcadia Theatre in Wellsboro looks just like the Arcadia stage set for the Alison Krause & Union Station tour we went to in St Augustine. We went with Gary & Sheryl. This is a picture I took at the concert. Arcadia is the eighth studio album by American bluegrass band Alison Krauss & Union Station. It was released on March 28, 2025, through Down the Road Records, and is the band's first album in fourteen years. 

The Arcadia Theatre began its great history of entertaining the area on December 12, 1921. The owners were Irvin Focht and Leon Klock. The theatre was a one screen seating 900 people. The first film was “The Old Nest” and tickets were 15 and 25 cents. Silent movies were the newest thing, so the theatre was equipped with and organ, piano, and even an orchestra, so musical accompaniment could be provided. In 1926, William Woodin, the owner of the Towanda theatre, along with W.H. Seigel, purchased the Arcadia. Woodin named his son Larry as the new manager. Larry was the driving force behind the success of the theatre through the first half of its life. In 1929, the Arcadia became one of the first theatres north of the Mason-Divon line to start showing “talkies”. In 1949, the theatre held its first premiere — “Top O’ the Morning” starring Bing Crosby. In 1958, Woodin sold the Arcadia to local businessman Frank Dunham. The theatre remained a vital part of Wellsboro’s downtown through the 1970s. You could usually find Frank at home behind the concessions stand, dishing out popcorn.

In 1987, the Wellsboro Hotel Company, which owns the Historic Penn Wells Hotel and Lodge, purchased the Arcadia from the Dunham family. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when television came to full strength, the theatre started to decline in attendance and condition. In 1996, the decision was made to completely renovate the Arcadia. In celebration of its 75th year, the Arcadia Theatre reopened on March 21, 1997 as a state-of-the-art 4 screen facility, yet preserving the classic look of an old-time cinema. Special features such as Dinner & a Movie and live theatrical shows add to the charm and distinction of the Arcadia. The theatre now thrives with record crowds and the latest films. In 2002, the Arcadia begins producing its own live theatrical productions. In 2010 the theatre converts from 35mm film to digital film presentation.

Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!