The End of Route 6

We have come to the end of our exploration of US Route 6 across Pennsylvania. As is our custom when we come to the end of a trip, we like to look back with an analytical eye and answer a few questions. What was our favorite part? What did we like the least? What would we do differently or how could we have made it better? So for those interested in this same trip or those who are just curious, here are the answers to these questions.

Route 6 is right at 400 miles across the northern tier of Pennsylvania, primarily a 2 lane road passing through rural farm land, several small towns and villages. It also crosses the Pocono and Alleghany mountains. We enjoy the farmland. My favorite time to view farmland is in the spring when row crops are just beginning to pop out of the ground, when the soil still looks freshly tilled and the individual rows are visible. During our drive through rural Pennsylvania, the crops, mostly corn, had already done their thing and the fields were full of dry stalks. However, the rolling landscape was quite picturesque, especially around Wellsboro. In the mountain areas the fall foliage was near its peak, filling the countryside with color. On the eastern and western sides of the state where we were not at as high an elevation, the leaves had not yet turned making the drive much more mundane. If we had started one week later, we may have picked up more color on either end, but the mountains may have been past their prime. We enjoyed the small town feel of each of the communities along the way with Wellsboro being our favorite. But, at heart, we are nature lovers and quickly reached our limits on shops and sidewalks. We do enjoy the architecture of early America, but since the entire state was settled about the same, the towns began to look the same. Since we have such an interest in nature and being outdoors, naturally our favorite areas on this trip were The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania and Presque Isle State Park. We would have been happy to stay longer at both of these places.

Our least favorite and most stressful part of the trip was towing the Montana on Route 6. The road is just too narrow and congested in all of the small towns for us to be comfortable. We avoided towing on route 6 as much as possible and opted for the interstate instead. We only actually towed about 100 miles of the 400 mile length. Because of that, we darted up and down in either direction from where we were camped in order to visit the recommended areas. We spent a lot of time in the truck and that diminished our enjoyment of the trip overall. We probably could have eliminated some of the stress and made the whole trip much more enjoyable if we had extended our time in each area. Then we wouldn’t have felt like we were rushing to see all there was to see. Since we were in a bit of a hurry to do this trip, we skipped much of the section from Wellsboro west for about 100 miles. There was only one thing in that section we wanted to see and didn’t because it was just too far to drive back to. Pennsylvania has reintroduced an elk population which is apparently thriving and on view about 50 miles south of route 6 off state route 555. Next time we’ll do that and spend more time at Grand Canyon and Presque Isle.

We got most of the information about things to do and see from brochures we picked up at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center. The internet was also a great source for information, especially driving directions to Steamtown and the Lackawanna Coal Mine, both in Scranton. Overall, we enjoyed the trip, but since we prefer to be outside we got kinda tired of being in the truck or in town every day.

Tomorrow we will spend the day doing chores and preparing the trailer for travel on Sunday when we will make a sharp left turn and head south. As you can imagine, we are anxious to see family. Briefly, our plan is to visit with Gene’s family in and near Columbus, Ohio for a week or 10 days then head to Nashville with a very brief stop near Cincinnati. For several years I have been working on our family history. I have lots of gaps in my research and a big pile of old photos of people I cannot identify. I am hoping to spend most of my time for the rest of the year as we visit with family to get some of these questions answered, gaps filled in, and names to go with the faces in the photos. Therefore, our next journey will not be to a particular place, but a journey to the past. Come along with us as we try to uncover the mysteries of the Curps, Ashcrafts, Lancasters, and Harpers.

Route 6 Diners

Today we went over to Edinboro to see the diner we suspected would be the best one of all. We went in for breakfast at the Crossroads Dinor. The original diner is there but the diner aura is gone. We were disappointed. The Crossroads is a 1913 Niles Trolly and before becoming a diner in 1929 it was just that—an electric street car. Over the years it has been added on to and is so large now it seems like just another restaurant. We learned from our waitress at Crossroads that Sally’s Diner in Erie is closed for the season. That explains why there was no one there yesterday. Sally’s Diner, the red, white, neon extravaganza is a 1957 Mountain View and will be similar inside to the Town House Diner in Honesdale as well as the Hawley Diner. When viewing Sally’s from the outside, I was really reminded of a 50s drive in serving hamburgers and shakes rather than home cooked meatloaf and mashed potatoes with grandmas apple pie.

We visited 5 diners in the past 10 days. I’m about burnt out on diners so this might not be the best time for an unbiased critique of what we experienced. But I’m plunging ahead anyway. Our favorite for the real diner experience was at the 1938 Sterling Wellsboro Diner. We went in shortly after the lunch hour on a weekday and it was a beehive of activity and a full house. We had to wait for a place to sit. We were there for cookies and coffee, but obviously the rest of the food was good or there wouldn’t be the crowds. It looked like the diner it has been all these years. The food was still being prepared on the grill just the other side of the counter not in some back room somewhere. It was great. Our second favorite place was the1957 Mountain View Town House Diner in Honesdale. It is still pretty much its original self, but we liked it because everybody was so friendly and made you feel like you were part of the family. Wasn’t that a big part of the original diner experience—locals coming in for lunch and to catch up on the gossip (or create new gossip) with their friends?

After our breakfast at Crossroads Dinor we drove back up to Erie to check out Tom Ridge Environmental Center. It was a very nice facility, but geared more to school children with several hands on exhibits. We didn’t stay long.

Sally's Diner

Tomorrow will be our reflections on Pennsylvania’s Route 6 and a preview of what’s coming up next as we turn south and head home for the holidays.

Presque Isle State Park

Perry Monument

Today is another rainy day in Pennsylvania. We had planned to drive up to Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie. Since we don’t have many days here we hated to loose today to rain so decided to go up to the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at the entrance to Presque Isle. We set out early, but when we got there it was closed not opening until 10 AM. Also at the entrance of the park was one of the vintage diners we wanted to see, so we thought we’d wait for Tom Ridge to open drinking coffee. That turned out to be closed as well. Our next thought was to drive into the park. We could look around a little between the rain drops. We got started and couldn’t stop. What a wonderful place.

Presque Isle is a very narrow peninsula approximately 5 miles in length jutting out into Lake Erie at about a 45 degree angle. The road makes a loop along the perimeter with Presque Isle Bay on one side and the Great Lake Erie on the other. Also paralleling the road is a 13-mile long paved path for biking, walking, and jogging in warm weather, and snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. There are also a few miles of woods trails for hiking scattered about the park. There are many inland ponds and small bays which are fabulous for canoeing and fishing. We found one quiet bay area with houses scattered around the bay. They were in a real sense house boats, but they were definitely not boats. We couldn’t decide if they were privately owned or park rental units for visitors. On the lake side were perhaps 12 picnic areas along the sandy beach of Lake Erie.

Presque Isle Bay

North Pier Light

There is a Coast Guard Station on the tip end of the peninsula and about midway on the Lake side is the Presque Isle Lighthouse. We got good views from the beach, but we could not get too close to the light since it is now a private residence. Our guess is that the local Park Ranger lives there or perhaps someone who has volunteered to maintain the structure.

Picnic area on Lake Erie

Presque Isle is the place where Commodore Perry hid out from the British while building his ships. He went from here with his fleet to win the battle against the British in the War of 1812. Naturally, to show our gratitude, a memorial has been erected in his honor at Misery Bay were Perry’s men wintered on their ships following the battle.

Misery Bay

Little house boats on Horseshoe Pond

Presque Isle Lighthouse

Gene had a conference call at noon so we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked. If we get a chance before we leave here, we’ll go back. Besides, we never did get to visit the Tom Ridge Environmental Center.

Waterford and Meadville, PA

The Judson House

We are spending our week in the Erie area in the small community of Waterford which is about 10 miles south of Erie and just a couple miles north of Route 6. The campground, Sparrow Pond, is relatively new. Even though it is new, there are tall trees, it’s not just a gravel parking lot. There are back-in and pull-thru sites and also a few camping cabins. There is a small grocery in Waterford, but a Wal-mart and larger supermarket just 6 miles north at the interstate.

Yesterday, having rested until mid afternoon, we went to scout out Waterford. It is small, but it does have a claim to fame. It was here in 1753 that George Washington carried out his first official mission. George was sent by the Governor of Virginia to tell the French to move on along, they were trespassing on British soil. Perhaps the French felt like they had the right since they occupied the local fort, Fort Le Boeuf. The French finally left in 1759 and the British took over. The Indians didn’t like the British hanging around so they burnt their fort in 1763. Twenty years later the Americans built a fort here to protect the settlers. Today, the Judson House is located on the site of the old French Fort and across the street is a nice little park with the statue of old George.

We also found a terrific restaurant supply store. Since I enjoy cooking, I like places like this. You could get anything for cooking in here, new or used. I have one 9” pizza pan—it’s the individual pizza size. My microwave is also a convection oven but the space is small so my cookie sheets are too large. I use the small pizza pan for many things I prepare in the convection oven. I have been looking for more to use for individual pizzas. I also found a shake making machine. Just think of the fun we could have and the weight we could gain!!

A great mural in Meadville

Meadville is not far from here down Route 6 about 20 miles. We woke up to rain this morning so decided to check out the Meadville Market House said to be the oldest “continuous use market in Pennsylvania” having opened in 1870. The descriptions I had read made me think of the farm markets in the Lancaster county area with lots of Amish canned foods, fresh produce, and baked goods. Yummy. We were a little disappointed when we got there. It was not nearly as large as the markets we had visited earlier in the summer, but there was one stand with the last of the tomatoes of the season and some squash and potatoes. There were several booths of handmade craft items, but the artisans were not there—just pick what you want and take it to the cashier up front. All we found of interest was a cup of coffee.

Meadville Market House

Meadville's Village Green

Meadville street scene

Meadville is a sprawling community and much larger than the other quaint villages we have visited. Route 6 is even a 4-lane through here. We walked around in the few blocks near the market and were saddened by the deterioration of this once thriving community. The performing arts seemed to be flourishing, however, and we had great fun with their displays of ghosts and goblins. The village green was also quite nice.

Hanging out with the ghosts of Meadville

With the rain clouds getting heavier we made our way home. Perhaps the rain will let up tomorrow enough for a visit to Presque Isle on Lake Erie.

Moving to Erie, PA

We spent Sunday on the road again. It was not a very good day to travel with rain most of the day. We knew the forecast called for rain Saturday and Sunday. Saturday was pretty messy, but mostly just a drizzle or light sprinkle which lasted all day. But at least we could dash to the truck and then into the diner without getting soaked. Saturday night it began to rain in earnest and did not let up. Anticipating a wet hitch up, Gene did all he could outside on Saturday afternoon. We did not actually put the Montana on the truck, however, because our campsite was on a pretty good slope and we didn’t want to spend the night trying not to slide out of bed.

A few showers on Friday, then the all day drizzle Saturday, and hard rain during Saturday night had left a saturated ground and standing water all around where we needed to be to hitch up. We were both soaked by the time we were ready to pull away. We changed into dry cloths and threw all the wet stuff in a heap in the shower. Not a very good start to a 260 mile day. The silver lining was the traffic. I guess everybody decided it was too nasty to get out. We had the road almost to ourselves until we got to within shouting distance of Erie.

The washboard they call US Route 15 detour.

We decided to go back to I-86 in southern New York to make the trip west. We are comfortable with that decision and, considering all the rain that had fallen, feel it was the best route. We saw several flooded areas and might have been in high water if we had taken Route 6. We only had one short half-mile stretch which was a hazard. Route 15 is under construction just north of the New York state line. I swear the detour went through a corn field. It was the worst dirt path we have ever traveled over and that includes all the roads in Alaska!

We plan to be here (just south of Erie) for a week. Things on our agenda are Presque Isle State Park on Lake Erie, Meadville on Route 6, Edinboro also on Route 6, and a couple diners.

Today was my day to relax. Gene is busy with work today. It was still overcast most of the day so a perfect time to stay inside and vegetate. We both are pretty worn out from so much activity lately. Ever since we left the Adirondacks we have been on the go with sightseeing and traveling. We are craving some down time.

So, I am sitting in the easy chair planning the rest of the week. Wonder where we’ll go tomorrow?

Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania

Grand Canyon? Yes, but not what you are thinking. This is the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Over time Pine Creek has cut a gash a 1000 feet deep and 50 miles long in the landscape of central Pennsylvania. This natural wonder is a haven for the outdoor enthusiast. There is trout fishing in Pine Creek and its tributaries, moderate white water for rafting, large, still pools for canoeing, trails for hiking and backpacking, and the 60 mile long Pine Creek Rail Trail for biking (and cross country skiing) which follows Pine Creek through the gorge.

We are spending a few days at the Canyon Country Campground just outside of the picturesque village of Willsboro. We are within walking distance of the canyon rim by way of a trail from the back of our campsite. This short 1-mile trail leads to Leonard Harrison State Park which also has a campground and a wonderful observation deck overlooking the canyon. We were there early in the day before the sun had burned off the fog rising from the creek. It reminded me of the fog rising over the Smoky Mountains. The “canyon” is a deep gorge very similar to the gorges in the Plateau area of east Tennessee. The varied colors of the fall foliage made it a place to linger and mediate.

For an even closer look, we had planned to hike an additional mile down the Turkey Pen Trail to the canyon bottom and the edge of Pine Creek. However, the day we wanted to do that the weather turned a little wet so we were unable to make that journey. Guess we’ll save that for another trip.

Tomorrow is another travel day. From here we are headed to Erie, again by way of interstate and then backtrack along Route 6 to the most recommended places. We are hoping for another uneventful drive.

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.

Views from Route 6

We are moving on westward so I thought this might be a good time to post a few pics of what we are seeing as we drive along Pennsylvania’s Heritage Highway. From Milford to Honesdale we didn’t find the route overly scenic. The vistas were not there from the road. This narrow drive was tree-lined obstructing any views. However, once past Honesdale the views opened up and we could really see the countryside. Also, during the week that we were at Honesdale, the fall foliage really started to turn. That, of course, helps liven up any view.

A very rare 4-lane section

Lackawanna Valley near Scranton

Near Honesdale

So, enjoy the photos while we get set up at our new campsite.