Boaters on Raystown Lake speak of a legend with the nickname “Raystown”, a man seemingly capable of repairing anything with an engine. The legend stems from his ability on the water and the origin of his houseboat, a vessel he acquired and then completely overhauled and repaired to once again make it lakeworthy (you can read the whole story here). On one weekend in July, we were lucky enough to spend a couple of days on the lake with the…
As the last of the Fourth of July fireworks once again fade into memory, our time in Sidman quickly draws to a close. We’ve nearly finalized our travel plans through Labor Day weekend as these first few days of July slip by, and while we’re anxious to hit the road again, we remain reluctant to actually leave. The past few weeks were well-spent reconnecting with family, lending a helping hand when possible, and forging new stories to tell around future…
Nestled in a deep valley at the confluence of the Little Conemaugh and Stonycreek River, Johnstown PA stands as a testament to the tenacity and resilience of early settlers and the American industrial complex. Settled in 1770 by German immigrants, Johnstown was originally named “Schantzstadt” in 1800 but the name quickly became anglicized to the modern version. Over the first half of the 19th century, the city grew into a thriving port and transfer point along the Pennsylvania Main Line…
Thanks for joining us today – we’d like to start by inviting you along for a virtual stroll down the winding country lane into the small town of Sidman PA. Don’t worry about packing a snack, we’ll have a couple of treats along the way. Just stay on the left side of the road and be careful around the corners. Ready to go? Our first stop will be a short hiking trail along Laurel Run on the east side of…
Probably best known as a skiing destination, Blue Knob State Park is home to the second tallest mountain in Pennsylvania. While the elevation of 3,146 feet pales in comparison to the mountain ranges in the west of the country, the trip into the park was an adequate warm-up for Cecil’s first drive into the “mountains”. Ashley grew up close to Blue Knob and spent many snowy days on the slopes learning to ski and snowboard as a wee youngster. She…
Ashley and I first met in Chambersburg PA, where we both started (and finished) our office careers after graduating college. We were lucky enough to meet many friendly people there, both in and out of the office, and we’ve tried to stay in touch – to varying degrees of success – over the years since we left. As we headed to the western part of Pennsylvania, we knew we wanted to stop in Chambersburg and the surrounding area to catch…
While researching and planning our transition to the RV lifestyle, we stumbled across a variety of camping clubs and travel organizations. Most of these clubs offer discounts on a specific network of private campgrounds throughout the country, or in campgrounds within a designated region. Often these clubs have restrictions on the time of year you can use your membership, or limit your length of stay. While we might end up using one of these memberships in the future, we currently…
Located outside of Hanover PA, Codorus State Park is a haven for boaters, anglers, and hopeful eagle-spotters alike. The park surrounds and includes Lake Marburg, which features a marina with various boat rentals, as well as docking slips. The lake is man-made, and you can read about the history of Codorus and Lake Marburg here if you’re interested. The park is also known for being the location of the popular Hanover bald eagle nest, which can be viewed on various digital…
As I write this, we’re parked by a small pond on a chilly, overcast afternoon at the Adams County Winery. By the time this post hits the blog, we’ll already have moved on to a new location. As of May 8th, we’re officially “on the road” – no longer preparing and testing the RV at my parents’ house, visiting with my family in my childhood home of Cross Roads PA. Since embarking on this journey, we’ve stopped at one state…
Making a living area feel like home is important for most people, and just because our current living area happens to be a tiny metal and fiberglass box on wheels doesn’t make that sentiment any less true for us. Although buying a new RV did save us the time and effort of upgrading and remodeling an older rig, we have made some modifications and customizations over the past few weeks. This post won’t have much content in the way of…