A Little Getaway, Part 3

My husband and I recently took a short trip to Pennsylvania. You can read about the previous days here.

Today it was time to return home, but our only goal was to be home before dark. We decided to start the day with a return to the creamery to watch them make ice cream. Access to that was closed by the time we got there yesterday. 

Storytelling chair at the Bellefonte Library

Then we returned to Bellefonte, the town we had dinner in the first night. Bellefonte is a little town rich in history and is known for its picturesque Victorian architecture. As we wandered around town we struck up a conversation with a man who was mowing the lawn at the library. He told us several things we should see and insisted we go into the local museum and ask for Judy, which we did. It turns out that Judy gave a personal tour of the museum as well as advice on genealogy research. 

Our next planned stop was in Altoona about halfway home. There we were going to visit Horseshoe Curve, an important place in the westward expansion of the railroad. But on the way to Horseshoe Curve, I saw a billboard that advertised Altoona as the home of Boyer Candy Company, maker of my childhood favorite candy, Mallo Cups. Talk about nostalgia, I just had to see it and luckily, we found the candy factory in the heart of the industrial district. Unfortunately, they were not giving factory tours, but we did enjoy the outlet store and the candy history featured there (not to mention a few candy bars).

Then it was onto Horseshoe Curve. Horseshoe Curve was an engineering feat built in 1854 that helped trains make it over the Allegheny Mountains. It is still used today and we saw two freight trains go around the bend while we were there. Ward was almost as thrilled with the engineering and trains as I was at the candy factory. A day filled with something for everyone. :)

A few scenes from the last day of our little getaway.

Making ice cream is a complicated process.

A bench shaped like a book was in front of the library.
It had scenes of Bellefonte painted on it.

The Bellefonte Museum was full of interesting things, but this glass chain, in particular, caught my eye. My grandmother had one like it and we have never known its origin or purpose. Unfortunately, Judy couldn't shed any light on the subject.

A few of the large Victorian houses around Bellefonte.

Does anyone else remember saving the paper coins that came with the Mallo Cups and mailing them in for free candy? Today, you can get a T-shirt with the coins.

The train begins its climb.

Waiting for it on the other side. Ward took a video of the train traversing the horseshoe bend through the valley and up the other side. I didn't have the patience for that.

Instead, I spent my time wondering how this lone corn plant by the tracks was able to produce ears with nothing around to pollenize it.

We are home and ready to stay for a while. So, until next time...

A Little Getaway - Part 2

My husband and I recently took a short trip to Pennsylvania. You can read about the beginning here.

First up this morning was a visit to the Boals Mansion in Boalsburg, PA. Boals Mansion began as a farmhouse over 200 years ago and expanded into the mansion that is there today. It has been continually owned and lived in by the same family for over 8 generations. We have visited many old houses and museums but this one was different than any we had seen because it had so many original furnishings and items. According to the guide, they are still discovering unopened trunks and boxes in the basement or attic. I guess that's what happens when the house stays in the family generation after generation - it never has to get cleaned out.  

Besides the house, the grounds had a centuries-old chapel from Spain that had been dismantled and rebuilt on the grounds. One of the Boals' wives inherited a castle the chapel was attached to and she had it brought to PA. She also happened to be a descendent of Christopher Columbus and had some things belonging to him and his son.  It was only a few years ago that they found many letters and documents from the 1300 and 1400s among the things brought from Spain. Unfortunately, the house and chapel were pretty dark, so I didn't get many pictures (at least ones that weren't blurry.) 

The main house

On display in various rooms, were dresses found recently
 in the basement in seven unopened trunks. 

The original door to the chapel. It was made
from walnut with mahogany insets.

They occasionally still hold masses in the chapel today.

Almost as interesting as the mansion was this giant fungus we found on the lawn.
 Notice the quarter on top of it for scale.

After our very interesting morning, we headed north to Bald Eagle State Park for a little hiking. Bald Eagle Park is located on a lake and has multiple water activities such as boating and swimming. However, the season was over for those, so we had the park almost to ourselves. We hiked along the Butterfly trail and actually saw three butterflies on the few flowers that were still blooming here and there. That's a clue that more flower pictures are coming.

It was the day for interesting fungi.

We saw lots of black walnuts everywhere. This picture is in honor of the
Black Walnut Festival held in my hometown every October.

After a good hike at the park, we headed back to State College. We didn't make it in time to watch marching band practice again, so we consoled ourselves with ice cream at Berkey's Creamery on campus. The ice cream was made with milk from cows raised at the school. We topped off our ice cream for dinner meal later with leftovers from lunch. 

A good day overall, a very good day. 

Next time, I'll tell you about the sites we saw along our way home.

A Little Getaway, Part 1

This seems to be the year for Ward and me to take small trips. This time we went north to central Pennsylvania to the area around State College upon the recommendation from a friend.

The first day started out bumpy with a forgotten wallet and heavy traffic from a big accident. Even with these annoyances, the 3 1/2 hour drive went well. After checking into the hotel, we found our first destination - The Penn State Arboretum. You know me, I love gardens and this one did not disappoint. It was beautiful with winding paths throughout. And while exploring the arboretum, we heard something that excites me almost as much as gardens--the drum cadence of a marching band. We followed the sound and ended up watching marching band practice for a while. Even with the starts and stops, it was still a fun thing to view. After that, we explored a nearby town where we had dinner. I'll tell you more about the town on another day when we had a return visit.

I had battery problems, so I only got pictures at the arboretum, but I got plenty of those. Below are a few, she says using the word "few" very loosely. 

The thing I noticed the most about the landscaping was all of the plantings were layered. I knew the concept but had never seen it so beautifully executed in so many ways.

Datura metel

The gardens emphasized the importance of bees.
This bee house was one of many bee habitats we saw.

We were lucky to hear this impromptu lecture about how a beehive works. The beekeeper, who was visiting with his mother-in-law, was quite knowledgeable. 

This was the only rose still blooming in the fragrance garden.

This was a new-to-me black-eyed Susan. 

Also, a different kind of sunflower that I had not seen before.

This garden telescope was part of the Children's Garden, perhaps, my favorite part of the arboretum.

Model of coral in children's area.

Simulated cave environment in children's area.

Next time, I'll tell you about day two when we went indoors to explore local history.

Thankful Monday, October 11, 2021

 I am thankful for autumn color. 

While many of our summer flowers are done, like these coneflowers, others are still blooming. BTW, these coneflowers are waiting for visits from goldfinches who love their seeds.

The zinnias, like this red one, reseed themselves every year and provide color for months.

As do these pink ones. If you look carefully, you will also see a wild, volunteer tomato plant that spread far and wide including reaching out of the top of the trees behind it.

The Mexican sunflower is still pretty in orange blooms.

And these yellow cosmos have been blooming for months.

These volunteer marigolds are getting leggy, but still providing brilliant blooms.

This pink cosmos was supposed to bloom during the summer but just produced its first flower a couple of days ago. Better late than never. :)

These yellow mums produce prolific blooms every fall.

These purple ones survived a planting from last fall. Mums, these days, usually don't come back, but I plant them anyway and sometimes I get lucky. (You may notice more of the tomato plant I mentioned earlier.)

These mums were a nice surprise, also. I got them last fall from Miss Landers.

We planted these anemones in the spring. We haven't had these before and I really like them.

We plant begonias every year along the front sidewalk. This year they were pink, but these volunteers came up in from of them. The last time we planted red ones was three years ago.

The only thing I planted in pots were pansies, a favorite for fall and spring.

Soon we will get our fall color from the trees, but for now, the flowers are doing their part very well. And for that, I am thankful and for the fact that we haven't had a frost yet, which has allowed this to happen.

Ward and I are off again for a couple of days' getaway. So, until next time...