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06/14/2008: "Pennsylvania Vacation, Day One, May 30, 2008"
We decided that we really needed to get away on a vacation, and we really needed to relax. Our Thursday Night Bible Study partner Randy invited us to his family cabin in western Pennsylvania, in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest. No television, no Internet, no telephone, no cell phone coverage. Plenty of fishing, hiking, adventuring, and relaxing. We agreed months ago that we needed to go, and we had been counting down the days and weeks until we could leave.
This was the first time since Heather and I had met that we took a weeklong vacation not caused by a wedding, funeral, or family reunion. We finally had a week to ourselves, to do what we wanted, and to relax. Normally, we would schedule tons of visits to relatives, tons of activities, and just drive ourselves crazy.
The timing of our vacation was pretty much perfect. The kids had just gotten out of school, and Heather and I both needed breaks from busy work schedules.
We left Friday morning just before 8 AM, and we had a quick and easy trip. The kids entertained themselves along the way, and I spent time reading my latest book, Red Mars, by Kim Stanley Robinson.
We waited to take a late lunch at Quaker Steak and Lube in Youngstown, OH, just off the Ohio Turnpike. Randy had raved about how much fun this Midwestern chain restaurant was. It has a racing and mechanical theme, and features plenty of actual racing vehicles. Heather and Dylan liked the motorcycles, but I was more interested in the antique Pennsylvania license plates. The kids liked their lunches, but Heather and I thought the chicken wings were a little bland. Oh, no matter. We would be willing to stop again and try other food.
Once we crossed into Pennsylvania, I noticed that the hilliness began. The river valleys are far deeper and far more pronounced. The bridges over the interstate highway are higher.
The two-lane state highway leading from the interstate to the National Forest gives evidence of a quiet rural, yet touristy life in this area. There are none of the typical tourist traps, full of souveniers and bright lights. No, there are mostly small little camps, bait and tackle stores, small motels, and fishermen bars. The area seems to bring in a lot of people, but only people who know what they are doing. There are no high dollar gawkers around, just people with a purpose.
Randy’s camp is just off a quiet county road in the middle of a woody area, and right beside a creek full of nothing but fresh mountain spring water. There are some other camps across the street, but it is a quiet area with running water and singing birds as the soundtrack.
The house itself has a front porch, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and sleeping accommodations for eight. It’s rustic, but that was the whole point of getting away. It was perfect, really. A quiet place in the shade.
Before we started dinner on the grill, Randy, Dylan, Katelyn and I went for a little walk along the stream to check it out and see what was there. Under normal circumstances, the stream is one to two feet deep, the smooth rocks are very slippery (!), and the water is quite cold. Even in summer, the water in this creek can be cold since it is still fresh from the natural springs.
This creek would be the focus point for many of our further adventures later in the week, and you will see many more pictures as we go along.
I struggled a bit with the charcoal grill; I admit that I spoiled by the gas grill we have here at home. However, I got used to it, and did not have another problem the rest of the week. It was all good. We enjoyed burgers and dogs and roasted vegetables.
After dinner, I set up my tent in the back yard. If I was going to be in the middle of the woods, I wanted to sleep under the stars . . . or at least under the canopy of the pine trees.