Finger Lakes Region:
6-27-11: Arrived in Campbell, NY (pronounced Camp Bell) in Upstate NY. This is the Finger Lakes Region and it's gorgeous! There are 11 finger lakes and a thumb. Our campground is about 10 miles from Corning which is home of the famous Corning Glass Museum. We passed on that – sounded a little too much like cookware to excite me much. Crossed the pretty Cohocton River several times – guess it winds around a lot.
6-28-11: Drove to Watkins Glen, NY which is on Lake Seneca, one of the 2 big Finger Lakes. Then headed toward Ithica. Stopped at Taughannock (means “lot of trees:) Falls. Beautiful, 200 ft waterfall amidst some great geological formations.
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| Taughannock Falls |
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| David and Bec at Taughannock Falls |
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| David at lower T. Falls |
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| ? |
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| The top of Taughannock Falls |
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| Walking back on the riverbed |
Took the ¾ mile trail to the falls, then walked through the river (former sea bed) on the way back. Went on over to Ithica and drove through Cornell University (where Andy Bernard attended and sang in the acapello group “Here Comes Trouble”). Beautiful – I could live here! On the way home we stopped at Painted Post, NY at a Walmart. Must be a new one because the greeter actually was friendly!
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| Watkins Glen Gorge in Upstate NY |
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| The gorge trail Watkins Glen |
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| David heading up the gorge trail |
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| Watkins Glen SP - Gorge Trail |
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| Becky at WGSP in NY |
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| One of several falls at WGSP |
6-29-11: Drove back over to Watkins Glen State Park, which is absolutely one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! Walked the Gorge Trail up to the top. About 1 ½ miles, uphill all the way. This trail passes 19 waterfalls, the tallest is 60 feet. We could walk behind a couple of them. We climbed over 800 steps (stairs) by the time we reached the top. The last 180 steps went 200 feet right up the side of the gorge. We took a little water break at the top and then headed down on the Indian Trail, 1 ½ miles – a gradual descent until the end where we took steps about 80 feet back down to main entrance. During the hike, we walked across some rock bridges and a suspension bridge – very beautiful views!
Afterwards, we stopped at the gift shop at Captain Bill's gift shop in town. This is a boat ride for Lake Seneca. I was talking to the captain and for some reason he asked if I was from Dixie. I told him about Texarkana and he began reciting “Texarkana Baby” to me. We did the last line or 2 together. How many of you Texarkana peeps know that song? I know Keasha does! Isn't it your grandpa who sings it to you?
The Electric City:
6-30-11: Moved to Waymart, PA today, near Scranton. Oh my – the mountains are so beautiful! Moosics. You's ever been here? (“You's” is PA for You'ins and Ya'll) The campground is out in the boonies, but a great drive to get to it!
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| Scranton - The Electric City |
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| Scranton, PA |
7-1-11: Went to visit Scranton, PA – The Electric City (it had the first continuously run electric streetcar) - which is the whole reason we are camped in this area.
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| We're in Scranton, PA! |
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| The Office |
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| Where Michael took the Office girls |
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| The Office gang and Bec |
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| Bears! Beets! Becky! |
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| Scranton |
Saw Mifflin Rd first. We think we may have seen the house Jim bought for Pam in Dunmore. And the gravel pits where Creed hangs out. After visiting Scranton's train museum, we ate at Steamtown Mall – where the girls took Michael when he needed someone to talk to. And we saw the Victoria's Secret where he bought them all gifts. Visited Dunder Mifflin – although it was closed. Guess they got a long weekend for the 4th. Couldn't find the Scranton sign that's on the show, but found another. As you can see in the pix, we did see some of the Office gang.
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| Steamtown |
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| Maneuvering through Steamtown |
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| on display at Steamtown |
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| David at the Steamtown roundhouse |
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| Our ride through Steamtown |
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| Steamtown Roundhouse |
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| The End |
Although we came to Scranton strictly because of The Office though it wasn't actually filmed here), we quickly learned there is more to Scranton. We visited the Steamtown Nat'l Historic Site. It's a great train museum that features several old steam engines. We got to ride one of them a short distance. It was interesting to me to be on it during all the manuevering of the train to let other trains (and an electric trolley) get by. Scranton is nestled between the Allegheny and Pocono Mtns. Gorgeous! I could live here!
Kisses and Intercourse:
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| York, PA rowhouses |
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| Rocky's new friend, Dooley |
7-5-11: Moved to York, PA today. My brother, Bill, informed me that it's named for the “Grand Ole Duke Of”, and suggested that I sing that song to the residents I meet here. Sounds good. We noticed on the drive today, that PA has a lot of road signs warning of deer, and the pix of the deer on the signs have red noses. Soooo, somewhere in the beautiful woods of Eastern PA, lives Rudolph!
We've finally reached a part of the country with some warm temps. It's around 90 here. Not unbearable, but prob the warmest area we've been since we started fulltiming. Still a tad cooler than home. York has many factory tours (including Harley D) and a pretty cool historic district filled with row houses. And I didn't know til now that York was once our nation's capital! For about 9 mths while the Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation.
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| Hershey Museum |
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| Hershey Streetlight |
7-6-11: Went to Hershey today. The traffic was a chocolate mess! As we discussed how many people were at Chocolate World, 6 big ole tour buses pulled in. So we went to The Hershey Story instead. It's a museum about Milton Hershey. It was just so-so. But the streetlights on Chocolate Ave are shaped like Hershey kisses. Thought that was cool.
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| Lancaster, PA Amish |
7-7-11: Went to Lancaster County – Pennsylvania Amish Country. Lancaster, the town, is very busy with lots of 18-wheeler traffic. Just about the moment David said, “I'd hate to be Amish in this town with all this traffic”, an Amish buggy turned into the traffic. No buggy lanes here, just smack dab in the middle of the cars and trucks. Scary. One of the first things we saw in Lancaster was an Amish farm that offers tours – with a big ole Target and other stores in it's backyard. (Another Office connection: this area sells Herrs chips.)
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| No words needed |
We drove a little further into Lancaster County and found the great little towns of Bird in Hand and Intercourse. Nope, that's not a typo. Back in the day, it was called Cross Keys because of 2 major crossroads here. Later, the Amish renamed it Intercourse, which was a word commonly used to describe fellowship or social interaction shared in the community of faith. This town gets their city signs stolen quite often. I would never think about steeling it, but as I was standing in front of it for a pic, a young Amish boy stopped to ask me for directions. We had a bit of a language barrier going. Translation from Pennsylvania Dutch to Texas Slang is tough! But I was eventually able to help him. The bicycle he was on was something we'd never seen – no pedals! Instead, there was a little scooter-like platform between the wheels. Otherwise, it looked like a regular bike. So we wondered if we should call it a “booter”? Or a “scike”?
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| Yummy!! |
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| Bird in Hand Amish |
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| Lancaster County Amish Farm |
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| Lancaster County high tech Amish dryer |
We drove on over to Smoketown to eat at Good N Plenty, which had been recommended to us by many friends. And yep – Good N Plenty was plenty good!! David said his fried chicken was the best he'd ever had anywhere! And I really enjoyed my Shoo-fly pie. After eating, we drove around Lancaster County some more. Lots of Amish buggy tours, which I'd usually be eager to try. But I couldn't get too excited about riding on one amidst all the 18-wheeler traffic. We really loved seeing the massive Amish farms, elaborate homes and Daudy houses (grandparents' homes nextdoor to the main homes), the 6-7 ft corn in the beautiful fields, the wide variety of horses: the slender buggy horses, the stout workhorses, and the mini horses pulling mini buggies with young kiddos. We also saw an Amish farmer driving his “plain and simple” tractor and talking on his cell phone. That would've been a great pic! We understand cells are allowed in some orders. We saw many adults and youth booking it up and down those hills and through town on their scikes! When I got home, I googled them and they are called Amish Scooters. Duh. Or should I say “Der”.
We are loving PA, the history, the beauty and the ICE CREAM! Turkey Hill brand namely.
WAR is next!
Much Love,
Daudy and Maummi
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