Well it rained all night and continued raining when we woke up at Shawnee State Park. So we donned our rain gear and went on a short hike.
I’d like to go back to Shawnee State Park. They had some mt biking options we didnt get to ride.
A neat feature of the park was the firewood dispenser. Perhaps the normal honor system wasn’t working out.
You used a credit card or cash in the center gizmo and you hear a clunk and you open the black door and wella, a plastic wrapped bundle of firewood is there. I would love to see the inside of the shed to see what it looks like and how it works.
About 15 minutes away in New Paris, Pa was Gravity Hill. It’s a remote spot on a remote road in the corner of Bedford County.
You are on a one lane road and put your car in neutral and it visually seems like your car is rolling UPhill. I say it doesn’t work in the van. Either because we are too heavy or too high up line of site. Steve, however said he thought he felt the experience in one of the two spots. I wonder if I can do it on a bike?
After defying gravity, we visited Flight 93 Memorial in Shanksville. It seemed very modern with lots of things that were representing things to me it was confusing and didn’t work. For example, the Tower of Voices had 40 bells that were supposed to ring in the wind. Boy did we have wind and rain and yet the Tower was silent.
There was a bronze model showing all the features of the park that must have been created before the tower as it was NOT on the model.
The visitor center was behind a wall and had no enterance sign.
The visitors center experience was informative but not designed to be viewed by big groups like the bus loads of kids there with us.
The visit was worthwhile and made you think as well as honor the 40 passengers who died.
They do have a junior ranger program. Just ask at the desk and you will receive a packet. Once you complete the information you get a wooden junior ranger badge. I stamp mine with the dated stamp at the park for a souvenir.
Leaving the memorial we stopped in the torrential rain so I could “save” a small snapping turtle crossing the road. And yes, I put him on the other side of the road which was his destination. (Sorry no photos.)
Our next state park was Laurel Hill(one of the many “Laurel” named parks in PA
We learned that Laurel Hill State Park was one of the larger parks in the area and we got Kooser and Laurel Ridge stamps. Laurel Ridge, which i had visited before was basically a trailhead for the Laurel Highlands hiking trail from Ohiopyle to Johnstown, 70 miles. So they dont have a park office.
Dinner at Carol & Dave’s Roadhouse in Ligonier was good, warm and cozy.
We stopped at Linn Run State Park. They didnt have camping, only cabins. But they had stamps for Laurel Mountain and Laurel Summit State Parks.
We finally arrived at Keystone State Park and again did the honor envelope to camp there for the night.
There were a few sites overlooking the lake and the ones with electricity were occupied but we found 2 that were available.
Our campfire was interrupted by a light drizzle so we went to bed.
