Tag Archives: road trip

Ready For A Road Trip

Posted on by
7

Who here is ready for a road trip? I know I am.

There’s something exhilarating about watching the sun wake the day while you venture out to see what the world has to offer. When the weather is nice, I like to open the windows and I always have good tunes to set the tone.

One of my favorite things about a good road trip is actually ditching the car to explore on foot. There’s nothing better than finding a nice downtown, parking the car, and taking a walk.

That’s how you see the things the car window cannot show you. It’s surprising how many historic plaques, flower boxes, alleyway murals, and nice patches of shade you’ll find when beating the pavement. Of course, this doesn’t include the smells and sounds you miss with the windows rolled up.

Ah, I just reread that last sentence. I suppose I should change it to say “with the windows closed” but I’m a young Gen Xer and car windows in my vocabulary will always be rolled. And I’m ok with that.

On pavement, you’re more apt to wander into a nice shop or to say hello to a stranger. You may even find yourself enticed by the aromas of a bakery or cafe so that you go in to sit a while.

A good road trip always includes a good road trip snack and lunch. That’s part of the fun. I don’t make the rules. That’s just how it works.

Some towns reveal many secrets on these walks. Brick sidewalks and pocket parks, chalk drawings and cats in shop windows are some favorite things to discover.

I like to take pictures of things I see both to have a record of the journey and because it changes the way I perceive the world. Looking, not for the best picture, but the most honest one is my technique these days.

Depending on how far you go, a road trip could be just for the day or for many days. It could cost you some lunch and some gallons of gas or it could be an all out Thelma and Louise adventure. Just don’t end it the way they did!

By the way, I’ve been to Canyonlands National Park in Utah where they shot that movie. Now THAT was an epic road trip. If you ever get a chance, Utah is a wonderful road tripping state.

But there are things to explore all across this great nation. So exit the interstate and look for the interesting.

These little towns, city neighborhoods, and rural roads through forests and farmland are the beating heart of this country. It’s where life happens. So take the drive but remember the journey is the destination. Slow down to enjoy it. Slow down and make the journey fun.

PS- The dog pictured isn’t mine but I spotted him in a car parked next to me recently and he seemed like a good (if not judgmental) boy waiting to feel the wind in his ears.

Spotted

Posted on by
5

Look what I spotted yesterday. They just don’t make a Chevy truck like they used to. Plus, the pop of orange is pretty sweet. Who remembers the C10?

Happy Wednesday, friends. The weekend will be here before we know it!

Jean Bonnet Tavern

Posted on by
6

Twenty years ago, I sat in the passenger seat of a car and pointed to a fantastic old stone tavern visible from the Pennsylvania Turnpike. My statement that it looked like a neat place to stop fell on deaf ears as my now ex-husband barreled on toward our destination.

Fast forward to my most recent trip to see my Pittsburgh friend. We were headed to historic Bedford for a day and she wondered if I would be interested in a meal at the historic Jean Bonnet Tavern?

Yes, it was the tavern I had seen so many years ago!

Oh, the value of spending this life with the right people.

So, after a day of wandering around Bedford, sampling candy and perusing antiques, we headed straight to the Jean Bonnet Tavern for an absolute feast.

This place was built in 1762 and is located on what we now call the Lincoln Highway. Back then, it was called Forbes Road and was the only east-west road from eastern Pennsylvania to the Ohio Country. Countless settlers and travelers passed through here. The tavern and inn was built as a safe haven for those weary folks who needed a place to lay their heads and have a good meal before continuing on their treacherous journey.

It was also believed to be a gathering place for the farmers involved in the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion.

This building is large and stone with big white porches and moody lighting inside.

You enter the restaurant through a wooden door into a room with a large stone fireplace. When you are seated, a hostess will set the mood by lighting a taper candle in a pewter candlestick. Those approximate two foot thick stone walls are decorated with coverlets. The food is good and the portions large.

There were other people in our dining room but for a few short minutes, there was no one in my field of vision. I could hear the clink of glasses and silverware but could see no one else. Flickering candlelight and simple decor harkened to Colonial days in a way that excited my imagination.

For a brief and shining moment, I was a time traveler. Was it 2026 or was it 1776? Who knew? Maybe George Washington’s Army was encamped right outside. Maybe a lengthy journey on horseback laid ahead of me the next day. Time had no meaning here.

This is not just a place to eat. It’s a place of experience. You can stay there too and I’m kind of hoping I get to do that someday because it looks nice.

Friends, this is why we travel. We go places for these glimmering, golden moments when we experience something so special we know the moment was all our own.

Want more information? Click here to visit their website.

Bedford Welcomes You

Posted on by
2

We spent a day wandering around historic Bedford, Pennsylvania, ambling down the street and browsing little shops.

They have found a nice, balanced way of living so that their history is ever present but so that it doesn’t feel stuffy or outdated. Downtown shops are packed with interesting merchandise and there’s a lovely park that honors their veterans of 20th century wars. Ample parking, plenty of street signage, and locals who seem to appreciate their visitors make this town more enjoyable to navigate than most.

We shopped for antiques, gourmet food, books and more. We admired ghost murals and sampled candy. We chatted with one particular shop owner whose store was so welcoming I hated to leave.

And we began to imagine how beautiful it would be to visit during the holiday season. It came as no surprise to either of us when we started planning a return trip.

A nearby covered bridge and church spires that soar to the heavens are pretty as a postcard. A meal at the nearby Jean Bonnet Tavern will make you wonder if you aren’t a well fed time traveler.

Bedford is ready for visitors and welcomes you. I’m so very grateful for the opportunity to experience it first hand and look forward to the day I return.

The BIG Coffee Pot

Posted on by
5

With the rise of automobile travel in the early part of the 20th century, so came the rise of novelty architecture and attempts to attract motorists into businesses along the road. Travelers through Bedford, Pennsylvania may notice this giant coffee pot which is a remnant of that era.

Built in 1927, this coffee pot was a gimmick to draw customers to a service station and restaurant owned by David Bert Koontz. According to a historic marker next to the coffee pot, the early menu included hamburgers, ice cream and Coca Cola. Not only did this quick fare appeal to motorists on the Lincoln Highway, Greyhound passengers took advantage as well when they stopped at the bus depot next door.

It was actually built in another location than its current one but was purchased by the Bedford County Fair Association, relocated to the county fairgrounds, and restored for future generations to enjoy. That was in 2004.

At 18 feet high and 22 feet in diameter, it’s hard to miss and a real treat for us vintage roadside junkies who pretty much live for this kind of thing.

You can’t go inside anymore but it’s free to walk around outside. Here’s a fun fact: if you filled it with coffee, it would hold 819,000 8 ounce cups of coffee!

While it doesn’t serve coffee, it does serve a great lesson in roadside history and the value of creative marketing during the early days of car travel.

Back Home

Posted on by
6

I’m home after a few days of adventures with my Pittsburgh pal. She gives me the insider tour of her city and, this time, we also took a day trip over to historic Bedford, Pennsylvania.

This was my first real adventure of the year and it didn’t come a moment too soon. I was feeling restless, deprived, and yearning for something more interesting than my own four walls. I have a good life but it’s better when I step away occasionally to see what else the world has to offer.

We did a book crawl, ate at a historic tavern, and looked at art and historic buildings. We shopped, contemplated the sacrifices made by our veterans, and browsed a middle eastern food market near her home.

It is never lost on me how different her life is from mine because of where we live.

There are about three dozen independent bookstores in the Pittsburgh area. There are radio stations that play more than top forty country and pop music. I listened to some jazz radio while in the area and was sad to lose the station as I traveled away from the city. There are markets and restaurants that cater to ethnic cuisines and her very nice neighborhood of tree lined streets is filled with people who have come from afar. There are more jobs, more money, more educational opportunities, more museums, more of everything really.

The contrast between urban and rural is surprising sometimes.

Yet, where I live is beautiful. We have a shared sense of community that comes from everyone attending the same high school, shopping at the same grocery store, and being so small we tend to know each other.

Where I live in the country, there are no sidewalks or streetlights. There’s also no traffic unless you count school buses, farm equipment, and the occasional road construction.

I can hear a variety of birds and frogs in my yard and my closest neighbors are far enough away I don’t really hear them.

Quality of life is awfully good in many ways here but it’s also nice to leave and to have different experiences.

At one point, I stood before a mirror in the ladies room at Bedford Candy. My hair was a mess and I had the wild eyed look of someone who was so busy running around and looking at stuff that time didn’t matter.

It’s true, I spent almost the entire trip without any idea what day it was or what time it was. I was in my element and didn’t give a gosh darn what the clock said.

I have missed that version of myself. Planning and schedules have nearly crowded her out.

Yet, all good things must end. I’m home safe. The people in my life are thrilled to have me back. My little house panther couldn’t be happier. I keep catching him staring at me like he just wants to make sure I’m really here.

I am really here, a country mouse tucked away in my country house with a few stories to share and a mess to clean up. Not only do I need to unpack, there are groceries and fun purchases that still need to be put away today.

For now though, I can take my time, enjoy my little cat’s company, and savor the memories of experiences that helped me remember who I am.