Journal-8/25 to 9/1/20-8 days & 7 nights on the Road
So, what do you do when you have a large disappointment happen and a week of time on your hands. If you are me, then you get out of town and enjoy life on the road.
The Days
The days where incredible with over 58 Covered Bridges in counties like Snyder, Juniata, Schuykill, Adam, Dauphin, Northumberland, Perry, and several others. I loved so many of the bridges but the Sachs is one of the most famous as it was used both with the boys in Gray and in Blue during the Civil War.
My love of history was completely overwhelmed by finding that it was in Adams Country in Gettysburg. I keep planning to take a day for Gettysburg but I just got so busy doing so many other things that I missed my chance again. But I will go back.
I saw 22 State Parks including Little Buffalo, Trough Creek, Milton, Fowlers Hollow, Prince Gallitzin, Greenwood Furnace, and so many more. All the State Parks are wonderfully different with different trees, some with lakes, some with creeks, and some with both. It is just an wonder journey of so many places which had such incredible sights.
But it was so hot out that I was not able to do a lot of hiking. At one park, it was 88 degrees at 8 am and rising. I missed a hike of an amazing view and only a mile uphill and back. But at 88 degrees, I thought that it would be best to skip it.
Milton State Park will always have a place in my heart as I meet Freddy. He was so handsome and sweet. We made such great friends as long as I did what he wanted, i.e. scratch his bottom. But then what else can you except from a pug mix. A pug is a royal dog who expects to get what he wants from you. I love pugs and pugs mixes!
Then there are the places that you just find on the way. Like Fort Hunter Park. Another Covered Bridge was here but the history was just wonderful with a walk through time from the beginnings of a little cabin build in 1786 to the Pennsylvania Canal in the late 1833 to the Fort Hunter gas station in the 1929.
The Nights
I found a great place to stay at the Michaux State Forest. They have a several primitive camping spots available for those how want to be in the wild. The price is great as well. Free! I choose a parking lot which had a bathroom but not much else. But this worked great because I only got back to the lot after dark except for once.
The first two nights, another camper was in the lot as well. But their lights where out when I arrived back and they where not up when I left. The three night was uneventfully except that I washed my hair and had a shower in the parking lot area.
The next night that I came home it was before dark because I hurt myself falling down a flight of stairs. That was fun! (Can you hear the sarcasm dripping!) It was uneventfully until it started to got dark. Then a bunch of ATVs and big trucks showed up and made a bunch of noise, then left on ATVs. About midnight, they came back and got their trucks.
It wouldn’t be so bad but the children did seem to want to do it and the men were auguring about something. I don’t understand going out at night into the wood on ATV’s even if they have headlights. But that is just me. It seems like a way to get very badly hurt.
But the fifth night, I came back to the parking lot with a fire in the middle of it and the wind was up with sparks blowing towards the trees. The fires in California were raging and affecting people that I known. I just could not believe how irresponsible people can be. I used my cooler water and another gallon of fresh water to put it out.
The six night nothing interesting happen but I couldn’t sleep. I was wishing for the internet…lol. No sign. Totally sucked!!!!
The last night was fun. I arrived and drove up to the bathroom. Two cars were parted near the building. As I was walking towards the door, a gentleman had jumped out of one of the cars and turn on his headlights blinding me.
“What are you doing here?”. He said just a bit aggressively. But I shot him a look and ignored him.
“Do you need something? Is anything wrong?” He was a bit more concerned but very panicked. It sounded like he was a bit shaking in his boots and pulling up his pants.
I replied, “I’m camping.” and just keep moving to the bathroom and ignoring him.
“Oh, OK, we where just playing cards!” he came back very guilty as if he just thought it up. But I just ignored him and went into the bathroom and locked the door.
But I must have interrupted something. It took the two vehicles another 1 hour before they actually left.
But it leads me to wonder, if you all are just playing cards, how do you do that in the dark. Pretty hard to see what you are doing. But it also gives me a better understanding of why men are so bad at dating.
If you are always calling it “Playing Cards”, “Scrabble”, and other games; then the goal is to win and finish. But finishing and winning means that your partner generally does not want to play as often. A good poker players know how to lose a hand or two, in order to win the pot of gold at the end of the game. Plus they keep players coming back for more.
The last night was completely uneventfully. It allowed me to have a fabulous day driving home at a slow rate and seeing more State Parks along the way.
The Money
Before I started, I spent about $250 on camping gear, first aid kit, new bedding (I am a girl), a chair, cooler, cabinet, paper plates, and just a bunch of things that I thought I might need. Did I need to spend that much? No, but it was in my budget and most of it was things that I will need for my long term plans.
I spent $61 dollars on groceries the first day out, about $25 dollars in ice, $25 in fast food and ice cream, and $71 dollars towards the end of the trip at the store. But most of the money was spent on items for my house, i.e. office supplies, snacks that came home with me, washcloths for future trips, a body pillow, etc. I think that only about $20 of that was the food that I used during my trip. Plus $8 for showers at a State Park because I did feel like the camping shower that I had bought.
But with housing, i.e. camping being free, gas was my biggest cost at about $350 but remember that I drove most of the day and went 2456.5 miles from my place in Pittsburgh to Gettysburg area back to Pittsburgh.
So, I spent $489 and spent a week out in the forest and driving around. If I had paid for a spot at Pine Grove Furnace which is very close to where I was staying, it would have been $19 per night or $133 for the week. Or with electric, $26 per night or $182 for the week. But I most likely would have stay more around camp and I would have less in gas.
But I enjoyed myself, so I love what I did and the way I did it!
Special Note
I will be added journal entries every Sunday shortly but they will be a month out for my safety. Plus they will be about daily events. Starting soon, I will also have a monthly cost summary up with a list of my travels. This will go up once a month about the 30th of the following month, again for my safety. I will always be a month behind.