Travel News
Pennsylvania - June 18-26, 2002
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With only a couple of weeks left before my knee operation, which would end my 2002 riding season, we took off for a 10 day trip to Pennsylvania to enjoy some of the best bike roads in the N.E.  First stop was at Footerest Campground, Mt Jewitt, on the edge of the Allegheny National Forest. Someone had released  a couple of pet rabbits a few years ago and the campsite is now overrun by tame rabbits. The certainly kept our cat, Hastings, amused for a few days. This campsite is open year round and has direct access to the forest trails for snowmobiles and motorcycles.  It looked really promising but the forest roads turned out to be tree lined straight gravel roads, mainly existing to access the oil and gas pipeline network that covers the entire forest. Decided to concentrate on the paved roads and found some great ones - try SR 666 if you are in that part of PA.  Really, all the roads were so much better than anywhere in S. Ontario that it didn't matter where you rode - it was great.  After 3 days, we decided to explore to the east, and then move on to Finger Lakes for the last 3 days. 
 
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The campsite was overrun with tame rabbits
Kinzu Bridge State Park, Mt Jewitt

 
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Overlooking Tidioute and the Allegheny River

With no destination in mind, we just drove until something interesting turned up.  We saw a campground across a lake near Tioga, PA and went back to check it out.  Turned out to be a State Park with several sites right on the lake so we checked in and ended up staying there for the rest of the trip - great place to stay - would definitely go back for more!  No tame rabbits here, but enough natural wildlife to keep Hastings interested. We thought Hastings would be a problem as he spends all his time outdoors when at home. He was a stray kitten that adopted us on a previous trip so he grew up outdoors and surviving on his hunting skills. We decided he couldn't run loose when we are camping so he has a large cage to sit in outside the trailer.  It worked really well and he was no trouble at all.  He even enjoyed his ride in the truck as I'd made a carpeted shelf that fitted between the front and rear seat headrests - he had a good view out the windows and seemed to travel well.
 

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Ives Run State Park on Hammond Reservoir, Tioga
Hastings

Pine Creek runs through a nice valley, but it's a stretch for it to be called the Grand Canyon. Although the weather was nice, it was always hazy and made it difficult to get nice pictures.
 

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The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, aka Pine Creek
Rte 414

Every day was a bike-ride day - short ones if Sandy went, all day long if I was on my own. I covered over 2000 km of great roads - see my bike site for more pics - ranging from Interstates, highways, backroads - paved and gravel, to Forest Access roads. All of them were very interesting and scenic, and generally in very good condition - some of the roads were so freshly laid that they hadn't applied the centre line markings.  Don't think I've ever been anywhere that had so many new roads.
 

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Rte 154 to World's End was a great ride.

Headed back home after a very enjoyable trip - at the border, the Immigration official asked how many were in the truck.  "Two" I said.  "What about the racoon in the back?" he said.  Hastings just smiled at him.

 


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This page last updated on July 22, 2002