Saturday, 7/5/97
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The day started as we checked at the garage just in case there was a change in anticipated schedule for getting The
Beast fixed. They had just started, and said it was more complicated than they
had expected.
Western Pennsylvania was only a little ways up US Rt. 40 so we drove up to
Fort Necessity National Historical Site. Had a nice presentation by ranger lady
and a couple of frontiersmen from the 1st Virginia Militia. They described the
pre-Revolutionary times and the events leading up to the battle here and the subsequent results, the French and Indian War. George Washington, as a young officer under the Governor of Virginia for the King
of England was building a road to connect Virginia territory to the Ohio Valley so that Britain could get settlers in there and be able to say they had a better claim than France to the valley. But George got
into a pickle that eventually caused him to have to surrender the fort and retreat under honors of war to Wills Creek (Cumberland). We also hiked trails over
rolling hills and visited the National Pike Museum.
We drove on to Ohiopyle to sit beside the Youghiogheny
River and watch the river rafters and kayakers float by our
rock while we ate PB&J sandwiches. Saw one Duckee (a single seat rubber kayak)
paddler lose it and turn over in the rapids. After lunch,
we found a phone in town and called ahead to postpone more camping reservations.
Since Brennan is interested in architecture, we visited Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water and signed up on the
waiting list for a tour that they said could be an hour and a half before an opening for us.
But the wait was not that long and it was a good long tour that was worth the wait. When
we returned to Ohiopyle to get ice for the cooler, we asked where we could get a good full dinner with vegetables rather than
fast food fare. We followed their advice and ate at the "Smokehouse". Brennan says this was one of the all time best travel dinners he had ever had. He had great barbecue, corn on the cob, and other goodies. Bob
was pleased, too.
A small explore on Sugarloaf Rd.
out of Ohiopyle found a high mountain overlook, but the lighting was not good for photography.
We got back to campground in time to join the campfire program with sing along and s’mores and a slide show about
all 47 of the Maryland State Parks. Of all the parks listed, I had been to all
but eleven of them.
