Shawnee State Park, PA May 5-8 2009

SPRING VACATION, PART 3, 2008

We left Point Lookout State Park on Monday and headed back to Pennsylvania. We stayed our last few days of vacation at Shawnee State Park near Bedford in south central PA. Shawnee is a very nice park but too hill for biking, at least for me! There is a large lake and lots of trails so I can still get some exercise.

We have a beautiful site but it's back to "Emma's Rules of the RV." No water hookup. Only one night was there another RV in our "loop", otherwise we had it to ourselves.

This view of the lake was taken on a 3.4 mile hike on the "Shore Trail". We were standing on the dam and looking west across the lake.

Another picture across the lake. The buildings were an original farmstead before dam was built for flood control, but now are headquarters for the Park Staff.

The original owner was instrumental for building the "Tower of Learning" at the University of Pittsburgh.

Another of my loves, covered bridges. Bedford County has 14 bridges on it's covered bridge tour. Few places in the U.S. have bridges in more picturesque settings than Bedford County.

This, the Herline Bridge, is the longest at 136 feet and is a Burr Truss Bridge, built in 1906.

Turner's Bridge, also a Burr Truss Bridge with low side panels and open sides is 89 feet long.

The Colvin Bridge, often called the Shiller Bridge for the doctor who owned it, is a multiple kingpost bridge, one of only two in Bedford County. It was built around 1866 and crosses Shawnee Creek.

"The Coffee Pot" was built as an attention getting restaurant in the 1930 to lure in customers by a gas station owner. (Just outside Bedford, PA)







Parked beside this cow on the way home at one of the rest areas on the PA Turnpike. Couldn't resist a picture of it beside our RV.

Back home Thursday, May 8. Still waiting for the house to sell......

Point Lookout State Park Maryland Ap 28-May 5 '08

SPRING VACATION, PART 2, 2008

We left Patapsco Valley State Park on Tuesday, April 28, and headed southeast to Point Lookout State Park on the confluence of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. It is a great park for biking but the mosquitoes are bad being surrounded by water on 3 sides of the park. They spray 3 times a week and that does help some.
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"What are we going to do today?" "Whoa, I thought we were doing it!" Bill relaxing.

Notice the close proximity of the trees. At either side of the rear of the RV were trees with only about 12" to spare before the slides opened. At the front was another tree with just a few inches to spare in order to open the awning. Nice job parking, Bill!!

Beth and Emma joined us on Friday and stayed the weekend. Beth was able to leave Donavin with daddy and have a bit of vacation herself! Emma loves to camp and was excited to be with us again.

On the way down, Emma, having stayed in the RV last weekend, felt the need to tell her mother the "Rules of the RV". 1. You can't let the water run when you brush your teeth. (We had to use holding tanks last weekend). 2. You don't put paper in the toilet.

3. When you flush the toilet, don't let the water run too long. This week we had full hookup, so the water conservation "rules" were off! From now on, whenever we don't have full hookup we will revert to "Emma's Rules of the RV!!"

Emma on the beach. It was here that she was poking something with her finger and said "What's this? It's like jello." What else but a jelly fish! And this is the child that freaks out at the sight of a bug!




Playing on the beach of the Potomac River. The water was a little too cold for swimming.

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Emma at the entrance to Fort Lincoln, an earthen wall Civil War Fort with reconstructed barracks, located along the shoreline of the Potomac River

Beth, Emma, and Bill at Fort Lincoln.



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The Point Lookout Lighthouse is located at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay at land's end now situated within Point Lookout State Park. The first lighthouse at this location was constructed in 1830. During the Civil War there was a Union hospital located outside the lighthouse. A Union prisoner of war camp was also located just north of the lighthouse. See www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/southern/pointlookout.html for more information about the park.


One of the more controversial issues surrounding the lighthouse is the question "Is it haunted?" Visit http://www.ptlookoutlighthouse.com/ and decide for yourself. We were fortunate that the lighthouse was open for visitors this weekend and we were able tour it and also talk to the last woman that lived in the house from 1979 to 1981. She had pictures of "spirits" and many tales to tell of her experiences while living in the lighthouse. I'm a believer!! Another site to view pictures is http://www.pllps.org/

Barb, Emma, and Bill at the top of the light.







Sunset on the Potomac.

Bill and I took a ride to the Piney Point Lighthouse (Can you tell I LIKE lighthouses?) This lighthouse was known as the "Lighthouse of the Presidents" and is only a half century younger than the United States, being built in 1836. Presidents and other notables spent their summers at Piney Point beginning with President James Monroe.

It is located on the Potomac River 14 miles upstream from it's mouth at the Chesapeake Bay.

View from the top of the light


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Built in 1836 for a cost of $3,888, this unique brick tower was in operation until 1964 when it was retired by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Bill sitting on the dock at Piney Point. Notice the oil tanker in the background unloading oil. There is a large storage area near here.

At the right of the lighthouse is the lightkeepers dwelling that was built along with the tower in 1836. Originally a one story building, a second story was added in 1884 along with a porch and new windows.

Patapsco Valley State Park, Maryland April 2008

SPRING VACATION, 2008

We left Meadville, PA around 7:30 am and arrived mid afternoon at Patapsco Valley State Park, just west of Baltimore. The road into the campground itself is not for the faint of heart! Although it is only about 1/2 mile into the campground, it is narrow, hilly and switchback curves. Glad we didn't meet anyone on the way in or out. We had a large, private site once we got there!
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Daughter-in-law, Beth , and grandchildren, Emma and Donavin came out Saturday morning. They live at Fort Mead, between Baltimore and D.C. Saturday evening we attended the ranger program featuring snakes, owls, and turtles.

Here's Bill holding grandson, Donavin, age 18 months. What a cutie he is, and all boy!

Emma spent the night with us and on Sunday we went to Ellicott City and took a walk on the Trolly Line # 9 Trail.

Emma and "Grampy".

Emma found a "Geocache" in the hole of a large tree.

Geocaching is a "treasure hunt" using a GPS. Check it out on the internet at www.Geocaching.com. You find a lot of neat places that you would otherwise miss.

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As you can see, it was a beautiful walk.

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Donavin, Bill, Barb and Emma. Ya gotta love the grandkids!!