The (Not so) Rural Pennsylvanian

  • Waterville and a State Forest

    The town of Wateville sits near the confluence of Pine and Little Pine Creeks in Lycoming County. It is a popular jumping off point for exploring the Pine Creek Valley and the Pine Creek Rail Trail, with a restaurant, bar, hotel and a convenience store with a gas station.

    The Pine Creek Rail Trail and one of its iron bridges.
    This home looks like a former Church and is a popular photo subject.
    The Waterville Hotel still provides lodging and has a restaurant and bar.

    Up Route 44 from the town is the Tiadaghton Forest District Office. It is a large building with exhibits and the grounds are scenic. Though most of Tiadaghton State Forest’s 146,539 acres reside in Lycoming County, some tracts extend into Tioga County, Potter County, Clinton County and Union County. Tiadaghton’s forest features high-country flats bisected by clean, fast-moving mountain streams, including Pine Creek and Slate Run. It is one of eight state forests located in the Pennsylvania Wilds region.

  • Easy As Pie

    Laughlintown is located in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County.  It is located on U.S. Route 30, 3 miles southeast of Ligonier.

    The town is named after Robert Laughlin. The Compass Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located here, as are the Rolling Rock Club and The Washington Furnace Inn. However, I think for many the notable landmark is this bakery:

    I couldn’t resist buying some pie and baklava here. Both were delicious. The menu also includes pizza and sandwiches. Across the street is the Compass Inn property. The Inn is a historic inn and tavern. It is a 2 1/2-story, five bay log and stone building in a vernacular Georgian style. The original section was built in 1799, and it is three bays wide. The two bay stone section was added in the 1820s. A clapboarded frame section was added in 1862. It was restored in 1970, and operated as a local history museum. The property includes a rebuilt barn and blacksmith shop.

    The barn.
    The Compass Inn.
    Double barn stars on the adjacent property.

    Many forestry district offices seem to be in out of the way locations. This one is right on Route 30 in Laughlintown. They are great stops for maps and information.

  • The Birth of the Banana Split and Fred Rogers

    Latrobe is a city in Westmoreland County, with a population of 8,060 as of the 2020 census. Latrobe was incorporated as a borough in 1854, and as a city in 1999.

    Latrobe is known as the home of the Latrobe Brewery, the original brewer of Rolling Rock beer. Latrobe was also the birthplace and childhood home of children’s television personality Fred Rogers and former professional golfer Arnold Palmer. The nearby airport is named after Palmer.

    The banana split was invented in Latrobe by David Strickler in 1904. The city is also home to the training camp of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Latrobe was long recognized as the site of the first professional American football game in 1895 until research found an 1892 game with paid players.

    The banana split is claimed to have been invented in 1904 in Latrobe by David Evans Strickler at the pharmacy that later became named Strickler’s Drug Store. In 2004, the National Ice Cream Retailers Association certified Latrobe as the birthplace of the banana split. The town holds an annual festival in honor of the dessert.

    The train station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
    Latrobe Presbyterian Church.

  • Loafing Around Ligonier

    The town of Ligonier makes a great homebase or stopover for food or drinks when exploring the Laurel Highlands. I stopped by during my recent trip to the area for some lunch and to see the town, which is also home to historic Fort Ligonier.

    This gazebo sits in the middle of the town square.
    I couldn’t resist photographing this birdhouse.
    My kind of store. Coffee shops and ice cream are also to be had in the heart of town.
    The post office.
    Can you tell what is sold in the red brick building?
    An old train station just outside of downtown.

  • Red, White and Blue

    Happy Fourth of July! Here is a quick timelapse of the local fireworks.

    Check out my neighbors flying their flags.

error: Content is protected !!