Ann Marie and I had the opportunity to drive cross state again this past weekend. My Grandson Nico’s 2nd birthday was on Saturday and we didn’t want to miss the party! As is always the case, our journey wasn’t a “straight to and back” trip. We took a few stops along the way to see some of the scenery, history and wonders that our state has to offer.
The moon was just rising in the eastern sky as I loaded my gear into the back of the car. Checking my list, I was pretty sure that there was nothing left behind. Being early in the morning, the work day traffic was rather light as I made my way over to Ann Marie’s house. It wasn’t much longer and we were on rt.22 with the sun still hidden by the hills. We were on the road about 20 minutes before we saw it off to our left. The clouds had moved in and all we saw of the sunrise was a bright spot, but we still called it sunrise. Our “day” had started.
We stopped first in Gallitzin, a community on top of the hills west of Altoona, a few miles up from the Horseshoe Curve. The stop was above the RR tracks which lead into one of the tunnels. Though trains were always in mind, it was a small metal container hidden in the woods which brought us here, yup, a geocache.
Our journey took us to a dirt road that entered a state game lands. The road wasn’t bad but we had to be careful where we were going, the recent rains left lots of ruts in the road. We pulled over in a handy spot and went and scoured the woods. We had a real good idea of where it was, but there was nothing there, at least as far as we could see. That’s part of the game of geocaching; you don’t always find what you’re looking for, even when it’s there!
Further down the road, we passed over 20 coke ovens, lined one after another. I know there are more in this area having seen them before. The fronts were broken, giving us views of their insides, though the spring brush and weeds were rapidly hiding them. I am only guessing that these may have been used to help fuel the iron furnace in Altoona. There are also many coke ovens situated behind the Horseshoe Curve in a place that used to be called Glen White, just a few miles away.
A little further down from Gallitzin, we found a cache hidden in the ruins of an old stone house. Located almost beside rt.22, it escaped destruction by mere yards as the road was being built. It's something cool, hidden in the woods that very few people know about. Thousands of people pass beside it daily without ever knowing it’s there.
Etna Furnace
workers cabins
Present day view
of the furnace
Before
support structures were added, unknown date
The Bank Barn
Going through Blair County, we were only a mile or two away from the Etna Furnace so we drove down a side road to where the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River runs. The Pennsylvania Canal used to be located here. We passed the Iron Master’s house, and three log cabins which housed the furnace workers families. There are other buildings in this area all used during the time the furnace was in operation along with a cemetery. There are lots of beautiful stone walls behind the furnace and in the surrounding woods. The furnace was falling apart and has had some rather poor looking repairs done to it to help keep it standing. An ugly looking wooden top sits on it and steel tie rods connect large I-beams in the front and back. It isn’t very photogenic.
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The Inside
Scoop Ice Cream Store
A stop was made in Coopersburg at the Inside Scoop Ice Cream Shop. Going inside the shop is like stepping into a Happy Days episode. After finding a near-by cache we got a couple milk shakes to fuel us for the rest of the trip.
Less than a mile away from the ice cream store was a book shop. Of course we had to visit it! It was actually the book store that brought us to Coopersburg. Medina Books and Coffee is owned and run by Joselin, a wonderful woman who was happy to discuss books and life with us. Located on the first floor of a building offering a few other services, it was homey and filled with nice decorations, not to mention, lots of new and used books!
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The Rhoads
Opera House Building
After the
fire (1908)
Saturday morning we took a ride to Boyertown, where my father had grown up. It was a fairly short visit, we browsed through The Book Nook, a book store on the bottom floor of the building that has a bit of family history. Back in 1908, on January 13th, a fire started in the Rhoads Opera House. A show was being given on the 2nd floor and once the fire started, a jam against the inward opening doors caused many to die. 170 people died that night, including my grandfather and aunt.
After visiting the book store we strolled around for a bit and then had lunch at a nice little coffee shop. The Brakeman’s Café was crowded since it was nearing the lunch hour. We got a couple BIG mugs of good coffee and a tasty lunch while we were there.
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Boyertown
Train Station
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Colebrookdale
Railroad engine and carts
Across the street from the café were the tracks and ticket booths of the Colebrookdale Railroad. My sister used to live in one of the houses facing this area. Back in those days there was nothing across the street except a few railroad tracks. Now, they have changed it into a nice Edwardian style park with brick sidewalks, gardens and statues. The railroad offers “elegant” rides in beautifully restored carriages. They also offer self propelled carts that you can rent to ride a mile or two down the line.
Sunday morning after Church we headed back towards home. We took a western route through the “back roads” until we were a bit below Pottstown. There we stopped at the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. The day was rainy and since we hadn’t brought any rain gear, we stayed under roofs as much as possible. There was a lot we missed because of the weather, looks like we will have to return again, on a dry day.
View from
Visitors Center
The furnace
is behind the white Casting House
The
functioning water wheel
The furnace
from inside the Casting House
The furnace
in 1910
The Hopewell Furnace was built in 1771 and was one of many furnaces built in this area. It worked for 112 years before finally shutting down in 1883. The condition of the furnace deteriorated until the late 30’s when the C.C.C. rebuilt it. The rebuilding continued over the decades, passing from one organization to another. Since the furnace had constantly changed over the years, it was decided to rebuild it to match when it was in its most prosperous time, the 1820-40’s.
Another near-by furnace is the Cornwall Furnace. This is also a complete “whole” complex, with the furnace and buildings still standing from over 100 years ago. Both this and Hopewell Furnace (and the Etna furnace) give us an idea of what the facilities in the early iron industry looked like. All that is missing is the the people, the noise, the smoke and the smells.
The rain continued until we reached Harrisburg where we stopped at the Red Rabbit Drive-in, situated not far from Duncannon, where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Susquehanna River. The stop was well worth it! We had fresh made hamburgers, fries and milk shakes, made to order. Making the experience even better, the man who waited our car, Dan, was from New Kensington. What a small world!
Other than a couple stops for drinks, the rest of the trip was continuous. We were home well before sunset and we had left the rain behind in Harrisburg. We had beautiful skies with occasional dark clouds which brought out the colors, making the Pennsylvania landscapes even more dramatic. Our state has so many interesting sites to see, it’s filled with little treasures, all you have to do is look for them.
We enjoyed the road trip, especially the visit with family, but one of the nicest things about any trip, is returning back to home to our familiar beds!
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