Meandering through Pennsylvania

No Rush Traveling is the Best

Normally, it takes a day’s drive to get to my mother-in-law’s place in the Boston area. However, PT gets an unnatural enjoyment out of making a one-day journey into a two-day meander. So, instead of hurrying, I took an extra travel day to meander through Pennsylvania. I really like to meander…

Out of the Gate

I could not have asked for a better start. Right out of the gate, we stopped at a new Muffler Man in Uniontown, PA. As we got a late start that day, we did not go far that day. However, I did decide to try an historic inn on the old National Road for our stay that night.

Sometimes, “historic inns” are quaint and wonderful. Sometimes, “historic Inns” are just old and not up to my wife’s standards. Carol busted my chops for the next half day for this “historic inn” selection.

The Next Day

After surviving the “historic inn,” we went to a nearby neighborhood home. The locals said the original owner was some guy named Frank. It was interesting enough. It not only had its own water fall, but a stream ran right through the house. Not sure how practical that was. But, it was worth a stop.

After lunch, we found ourselves near Shanksville, PA. If you do not remember…NEVER FORGET…Shanksville was the closest town to the Flight 93 terrorist incident on September 11. I have been to the Flight 93 National Memorial before, but I wanted to share it with Carol.

The Tower of Voices is a giant windchime. There are 40 wind chimes for each of the 40 victims on Flight 93. The deck of the Visitor Center looks down the final flight path of Flight 93. Off in the distance is a large boulder in a field. That designates the exact spot of the crash. The field is gated off as most of remains of the victims are still in the area around the boulder. There is lots more to see and hear at the memorial. But, its something you should see for yourself.

All Things Tomato

For dinner that night, I targeted the Tomato Bar & Bistro in Pittson, PA. This restaurant was selected because Pittston is “The Quality Tomato Capital of the World.” Several US towns claim the “tomato capital” title. However, the Pittston folks added the word “quality” to be better than everyone else. The town hosts an annual tomato festival. And, everywhere you look, you will see all things tomato…

Pittston had the obligatory tomato sculpture in the town square. I saw a tomato totem, pictured below. Furthermore, throughout the city, there were tomato street signs, tomato trash cans and several other tomato themed art objects. I figure you did not need pictures of all of it. Carol and I did have one of the best caprese salads that I have ever eaten. It was all about the balsamic glaze.

The Next Morning

Before finishing the final hours of our meander, we had two more compulsive stops that had to be made. First, whenever possible, I try to walk on the Appalachian Trail every time I cross it in a new location. So, somewhere in New York near I-84, we pulled off, found the trail, and walked a token quarter mile or so.

The Appalachian Trail is 2,190 miles. I have stopped/hiked on the trail about 20 times. So far, I am up to about 25 total miles. The Trail is in no danger of being conquered by PT. Oh yeah, I found one more Muffler Man in Cheshire, CT, on the final leg of our journey. Yes…I know these final two stops were not really meandering in PENNSYLVANIA. But, they were close enough.

Wrap It Up

For this trip, I could have done the trip from start to finish in one long, boring, 12 hour driving day. Instead, I left mid-afternoon on a Friday…and arrived around lunch on Sunday. It took awhile, sure. But, we had fun all along the way. The extra time meandering through Pennsylvania was well worth the memories. Its the destination…AND the journey. Have a wonderful day. PT

I hoped you have enjoyed “Meandering Through Pennsylvania” on Traveling with PugsleyTonks.

Here was another solid road trip… https://travelingwithpt.com/a-bombing-a-border-crossing/

Locate the all Muffler Men on your next journey https://www.roadsideamerica.com/map/theme/86

Do not forget to check out my sponsor, click here… https://usghostadventures.com/?ref=ytmxmtg