The (Not so) Rural Pennsylvanian

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  • En Route to the Poconos

    On my way to Lake Naomi this year, I stopped by a couple of covered bridges that managed to evade my notice thus far.

    The Kreidersville Covered Bridge, which was built in 1839, is the last remaining covered bridge in Northampton County. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. On September 30, 1961, state, county, and local representatives took part in rededicating the bridge, then known as Solt’s Bridge. Kreidersville Covered Bridge was once known in the community as “Hummel’s – Koch’s – Solt’s Bridge.” They were names of families who lived near the bridge at the time.

    The Kreidersville Covered Bridge crosses the Hokendauqua Creek. A Burr truss, wooden, covered bridge, it is 116 feet long, and is the last stop on the Lehigh Valley Covered Bridge tour through Northampton and Lehigh counties.

    I also stopped at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and adjacent boat ramp.

    The distant hillside is home to an infamous section of the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania which involves some steep rock scrambling.

    The Little Gap Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge that is located near Little Gap in Lower Towamensing Township, Carbon County. Built circa 1860, this historic structure is a seventy-three-foot, Burr Truss-span that crosses the Buckwah Creek. The bridge incorporated elements of the Howe truss in its construction.

    Finally, some views of Lake Naomi, including a panorama.

  • The First Campout at Cherry Springs

    I am taking a few days to look back at some rare (for me) Summer trips taken this year. My first ever overnight camping trip to Cherry Springs State Park took place in July.

    The weather was miserably hot and the astronomy field was sparsely populated mid-week.

    I stopped at a few scenic vistas along Route 44 on the way home.

    I did use my Seestar S30 Pro to try some Milky Way shots for the first time.

  • Driving Route 30

    On a recent trip to Cumberland County, I made my way home via Route 30. I stopped at a couple of local retial attractions along the way. The first stop was Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium. I bought some fudge and other items which were delicious.

    I drove by this lovely, white barn near Cashtown.

    I arrived at a favorite stop not far from Route 30 – the aptly named Round Barn, which is a great place to buy produce, specialty food items and gifts.

    There was a classic car show in progress when I was there.

  • Pine Grove Furnace

    The 696-acre Pine Grove Furnace State Park is at the northern tip of the Blue Ridge Mountains, in an area known as South Mountain. Visitors enjoy many recreational opportunities, including two mountain lakes (Laurel Lake and Fuller Lake), hiking the Appalachian Trail, biking the rail trail, visiting the Appalachian Trail Museum, and viewing sites from when the park was a charcoal-fired iron furnace community

    The park is surrounded by Michaux State Forest, which provides opportunities for exploring extensive public lands around South Mountain. The area is know for being close to the mid way point of the Appalachian Trail.

    An old iron furnace.
    The group tent camping area.
    The Pine Grove Furnace General Store, home of the half gallon ice cream challenge.

  • Another Visit to Colonel Denning State Park

    I had previously visited Colonel Denning State park in Spring of 2020. The previous post can be found here. The Park, in north-central Cumberland County, has 273 acres of woodland and a 3.5-acre lake. It serves as a gateway to the 96,000-acre Tuscarora State Forest, which surrounds the park.These scenic and historic public lands are located in Doubling Gap, so named by the “S” turn where Blue Mountain doubles back on itself.

    Although never a colonel, William Denning (1737-1830) served as a Revolutionary War sergeant from March 1778 to April 1780 in Nathaniel Irish’s Company of Artillery Artificers in Benjamin Flower’s Regiment. Stationed just outside of Carlisle at Washingtonburg Forge (now Carlisle Barracks), Denning earned his place in history making wrought iron cannons for the Continental Army. Unfortunately, none of Denning’s cannons survive today.

    After the Revolution, William Denning lived out his life near Newville and is interred with his only son and daughter in the Big Spring Presbyterian Church cemetery in Newville. His monument reads, “The patriotic blacksmith and forger of wrought iron cannon during the Revolutionary War.” It is not known when or who added the “Colonel” to Sergeant William Denning’s name.

    Colonel Denning State Park became a state recreational area around 1930, under the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. It was developed formally in 1936 through the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps Camp S-111 in Perry County.

    The lake and beach.
    A distinctive gazebo near the dam.

    As a bonus, here are some looks at a nearby church camp known as Doubling Gap Center Camp YoliJwa.

  • The Sights of Cumberland County

    Here are some views of Cumerland County. They are mostly in the northwestern part of the county.

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    Primitive Schoolhouse, Huntsdale

  • One of the Most Photographed Spots in Cumberland County

    Laughlin Mills lies in the town of Newville. The original three-story log structure was built by William Laughlin around 1763. The Laughlin family also built the dam which provided enough water power to turn the water wheel and grind wheat and other grain. The mill was owned by the Laughlin family until 1896, when it was sold to the Newville Water Company which installed turbine used to pump water through the main pipes of the town. The current structure is a restoration.

    This is the oldest mill structure remaining in this region and one of the most photographed sites in Cumberland Valley.

  • The Huntsdale Fish Hatchery

    Originally constructed in 1932, the Huntsdale State Fish Hatchery is situated on approximately 80 developed acres (167 total acres) of land owned by the state and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission.

    Water supply to the facility is obtained primarily from multiple springs for coldwater (trout) culture and from a creek for warm/coolwater culture. Concrete raceways are used for trout production using intensive culture technology. Pond rearing (extensive culture) and indoor intensive culture of warm/coolwater fish also occurs on site. It raises over 670,000 pounds of trout per year for release and is near some of the famous trout waters in Cumberland County.

    An impressive number of palomino trout,

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    Also quite a few brown trout, I didn’t see rainbows, but I didn’t check out all the pools.

  • The King’s Gap Mansion View

    Here are some views from my window at the Caswell-Masland Mansion at King’s Gap Environmental Educaiton Center.

    Zooming in on the valley below.
    My Dwarf Mini smart telescope ready for duty.

    There is a nice overlook on the access road.

  • The Mansion at King’s Gap

    James McCormick Cameron erected the stone mansion at the present King’s Gap Environmental Educaiton Center as a summer home around 1908. The mansion is approximately 200 feet long and is built of native Antietam quartzite quarried from a nearby ridge.

    The 32-room house was designed to resemble an Italian villa with its flat roof, huge windows and flagstone terrace. The use of steel-reinforced concrete for the internal structure of the building is believed to be one of the first such applications in local construction. The materials used in the construction were intended to make the mansion as fireproof as possible. Nevertheless, Mr. Cameron only lived at Kings Gap from May through October, when fire danger is at its lowest. Other structures include an ice house, garden, water tower, carriage house, generator building and the caretaker’s house.

    I stayed at the Mansion for two nights in June.

    Here is a look at the first floor public areas.

    Here is my room. It is an accessible room and one of the best I have ever stayed in.

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