Crossing the Alleghanies

 11 July to 17 July 2023 - Shelby OH to Lancaster PA

We spent another day crossing Ohio and upon entering Pennsylvania, we encountered terrain that is more mountainous.  The Alleghanies may be a worn, ancient mountain range, but it presents huge challenges for those crossing it. Even for the modern travelers. We learned back in the summer of 2018, when we toured Pennsylvania for an extended time, that if you want to go East or West, you are better off taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  Most roads follow the folds in the mountains and travel from the southwest to the northeast.  So, there is a lot of zig zagging in using the non-interstates. But the turnpike punches its way through with tunnels and long bridges to level the road. 

The campground at Shelby had some actual Ohio zebras, a very rare breed!

At Lake Milton, OH, we were given a campsite in a new section of the campground.  We were kind of out there among the fields with only a few neighbors.  Beautiful, but hot, weather blessed us for several days.

The KOA campground was well taken care of. Lots of flowers and amenities.  It was out in the boondocks, so kind of surprised to find such a nice place.

Nope, no hidden treasures there!

An example of the Ohio roads we were traversing.

The corn and beans are far from ready to harvest, but this particular crop is getting mowed down. Think it is wheat, although it is kind of short.

As we were passing by Akron, OH, I asked Russ if they still make blimps there.  Came around a bend in the road and what did we see? A blimp hanger!  So, I guess they still make blimps in Akron.

Entering the third state of our trip!

On the turnpike, sharing space with lots of trucks and encountering lots of construction.  But there are some beautiful vistas!

Lots of tunnels, most named for the mountain they are cutting through.

The campground in Bedford, PA had some nice fishing ponds near the campsites.  We enjoyed a campfire that night with firefly watching.

It was hot (over 90 degrees) and very muggy when we visited Amish country in Lancaster.  Went to a couple shopping areas, but it was so touristy, crowded, and hot, we finally opted to take a drive through the countryside instead.

Originally, I thought we were going to visit a place similar to Yoder's in Shipshewana, but this store was all about fabric.  One of the best quilt shops I have been in - very dangerous.  Managed to escape without breaking the bank. And yes, that is the actual name of the town.  

While the shopping areas were totally for tourists, the countryside had many Amish and Mennonite farms. Saw several buggies with families out and about.

The farms were large and very well taken care of. Laundry is usually done on Mondays, but we did see a few getting a head start.  

A cute pony enjoying some grazing time.  We will often see a pony of this size connected to a small wagon and children riding them on the farm property.

After dinner at an Amish restaurant, we spotted this farmer and his son out spraying a field.  I am sure he was up before sunrise and here he is, taking advantage of the long day and cooler temperatures.

Well, the weather has caught up with us.  Thunderstorms last night with an areal flood warning for the area.  The country east and north of us had more severe rain and some flooding.  Plus there were tornado watches for some areas.  Hope it is cleared out by the time we leave tomorrow and doesn't come back.  Like Russ said, this isn't a survivalist trip!