Wellsboro, PA

Courthouse

We are settled once again in a small campground just outside of Wellsboro. We made the drive from Honesdale without incident. In fact, it was a pretty relaxing day and the scenery was beautiful. We drove along Route 6 to Scranton where we got on I-81 north. Back in New York we jumped on I-86 west for a great drive across to US 15 which we took south to pick up Route 6 just barely west of Mansfield. It was truly the better choice, rather than driving through all those tiny towns with narrow streets.

Main Street in the historic shopping district

Before I get started with Wellsboro, let me mention Mansfield briefly. Mansfield is about 15 miles east of Wellsboro on Route 6. We have tons of brochures on Pennsylvania and especially Route 6, but nothing ever mentions Mansfield. We couldn’t understand why because it looks like a fair sized town on the map. We had to go there because that is where the Wal-mart is and that is who had my drugs. We soon discovered why there was no mention of Mansfield—the old historic town (if there ever was one) has been torn down and a very utilitarian business and industrial district is in its place. Not very pretty to look at.

Center of Main Street (Rt 6) with
it's glass lights

A better view of one of the gas lights

Wellsboro, on the other hand, is the quintessential late nineteenth century village with boulevard type streets still with gas lights, a beautiful village green, a vintage diner and everything all decked out for fall. This is superb.

School Board

Village Green with fountain in the center

The fountain is Winkin, Blinkin, and Nod

As you have probably guessed, we stopped by the diner. It was built in 1938 (the 8th diner of the year) in Merrimac, Mass. It is porcelain inside and out and it just glistens. It is much smaller than the two other modular type diners which we visited. This is much more reminiscent of a rail car diner—long and narrow. I don’t know if you can actually see it or not in the photo, but the counter is a glass cabinet. As you sit at the counter eating your meal you can look down into the glass cabinet at the wide assortment of homemade cookies on one end of the counter or at the homemade pies at the other end. This is the best.

Wellsboro Diner

Inside the diner

Coming up tomorrow—the Grand Canyon.