Sunday: Did you know there are over 200 historic covered bridges scattered throughout PA? I find them so cool. So I found a map of them and set off to see about 10 of them. What is fun about visiting them in present day is that there are still some which are the functional bridge people drive over on a regular basis in the middle of the country road. There are some that just connect a few houses on the other side and others which are not fit for driving but still standing and able to be walked over. Its kind of crazy that a covered bridge built before the automobile is still the bridge that is used in so many places and is still safe and sturdy enough for cars. It did scare me the first few times I drove over one in my car, and when I was standing and watched 2 cars drive behind each other on the bridge at the same time. But theyve all obviously been tested and inspected by modern day engineers and they all have their weight limit posted.
2 places at once because of its name? A little confusing that I drove to Indiana which is only 25 miles away just for the evening 😊 Its seriously one of the best small towns Ive visited. Awesome dog park, vibrant downtown. Theres a nice university so its definitely got the college vibe but also the county seat so theres a nice courthouse and such. Restaurants everywhere- lots advertising for student specials of course. Just generally a really nice atmosphere.
Thursday: It seems a lot of hikes in the area arent on all trails or on google they are just kinda there on the side of the road and locals know about them? I was sought out a trail that was about 20 miles away and on my way there I saw some cars parked and a trail so I stopped and explored it and abandoned my original plan. This trail was closer and hiking after work means Im always fighting to have enough daylight
Friday: Went out to dinner in Altoona at a local brewery with a wood fired oven that made a delicious sausage and onion pie. yum! Altoona is the biggest town around amenity wise
Saturday: Could I have designed a better Saturday? Ok maybe I would have skipped the afternoon laundromat run and taken a nap instead... In the morning Copper and I hiked to the highest point in Pennsylvania. You can actually drive to the high point which has an observation tower for an even better view. But we went the hiking route for a 6 mile loop trail. Today was the hottest day of the year so far and actually broke a record for the month of May at 92*. I still have that Arizona acclimation and it didnt feel that hot even with the added humidity. Ill give the locals a break though they were shoveling snow a few months ago so its a shift 😊 Hiking in the morning it was still in the low 80s so very reasonable sunny hiking weather. After the dreaded afternoon laundromat excursion I headed to Altoona to see the local symphony orchestra at Mishler Hall. Altoona is only a population of 45k and is not a super thriving place so I was very impressed
with their Pops in Space concert- especially given the size. The symphony seems to have about 7 or 8 performances each year. Mishler hall is a history theater in the town and was really cute and charming. Definitely a great event and hearing live music is always a favorite of mine.
