Summer Jaunt #3 - Quilt Shop Hopping thru Dauphin-Lebanon-Lancaster Counties

 Gorgeous summer day, though it did sprinkle a bit later in the day.

Started at TLC Quilting in Middletown, which is really not very far away and quite easy to get to.  Small, but a bit of everything and nice people.  Lots of classes and get-togethers.  Purchased 1/2 yd of white.

Meandered from there through Mt. Gretna and Cornwall.  I never realized that Mt. Gretna is a summer fun/resorty area!  I wish I'd stopped and taken pictures, it was quite nice.  I then headed over to Lancaster County and Burkholder's Quilt shop (where I purchased two more 1/2 yards of white to turn into jelly roll strips).

From there, found the business card of Hammond School Farm Market, which I discovered whilst out jaunting last fall, so headed over to New Holland.  Bought some fresh veggies, chocolate chip cookies, and a whoopie pie, then headed down towards...

Intercourse and The Old Country Store, where I purchased nothing.  Funny, I don't usually purchase much there.  It's to be noted, however, that they have lots and lots of solid colors, including numerous whites, which I haven't been finding elsewhere.

Other than slowdowns/stoppages near/at the intersection of 283 and 30, the ride home at rush house was not a problem at all.

Wish I'd taken more photos!

Summer Jaunt #1 - York, PA

 Forced myself to get up and going, looked to be a beautiful day!  Final destination was the "Every Quilt Has a Story" Quilt Show presented by York Quilters Guild.

First Stop:  Gifford Pinchot State Park.

I needed to replace my Park Passport which got drowned in a flood.  All out a the visitor's center, but they knew that they had the available at the Campground.  It was Friday late morning and people were starting to arrive to camp for the weekend!  Drove down to see the cabins and yurts, the modern cabins (kitchen stuff and bathroom).  The last time you can get a 2-night stay is next Friday, after that it's weekly and it's actually quite expensive.  Lots of picnicking opportunities.

Haven't stopped at The Finishing Touch in FOREVER, and I'm glad I did because they're closing in a couple of weeks.  Huge sale....60 % off remaining fabric.  Bought 2 yds of a solid orange Moda to add as cornerstones to my Jordan fabrics strip quilt.  $6.60!

"Every Quilt Has a Story"

York Quilt Show at Grumbacher Sports & Fitness Center 

York College of Pennsylvania

3D Vibes

Cindy Leen

Loved it!

Close Up.

Deb Wilhide

EPP Flowers

Table runner.  Smaller hexie than I generally do.  Very cool!

Sue Royer

Just amazine!

Sue Royer

"Mountain Quilter"

Inspired by a photography by Dorthea Lange (public domain) taken in 1937.  The Dresden pate quilt was an artistic addition to the original photography of a "southern Lady."

GORGEOUS!!!

Sunday Drive and Colonel Denning State Park

What an incredibly gorgeous SPRING morning!  For a day that was supposed to be overcast, I received a wonderful surprise and decided to take advantage and hit the road for a morning ride..

I headed north on 233 from Newville on Doubling Gap Road.  Farms and homes, some particularly large and beautiful, dotted the landscape.  And then, out of nowhere, I saw signs for Colonel Denning State Park.  I don't think, in all my wanderings, I've been here before!

• Really nice campground.  
• No cabins.  
• Super clean, newish bathroom facilities (no wifi, though)..
• Beach and great  picnicking.
• Babbling streams.
• Waterfall beside the beach.
• Wifi near park office.
• In and surrounded by Tuscarora National Forest..

          

From there I continued along 533, passing through Landisburg, Alinda, Dromgold, and Sherman's Dale before hitting the rotary that leads to Carlisle Springs.

Blue skies, fluffy white clouds, absolutely gorgeous and perfect!!

Pennsylvania Jaunts

Road Trips

Pa Dutch Country Shop Hop - 6 shops

State College - 1st trip 

Counties & State Parks: 

Centre (Greenwood Furnace State Park)

Montour (Montour Preserve, but no state parks)

Northumberland (Shikellamy State Park)

Snyder (no state park)

Union (Sand Bridge State Park)

      (Shikellamy State Park)   

      (R. B. Winter State Park)

Cumberland (Colonel Denning State Park)

York (Samuel S.Lewis State Park)

Places

American Philatelic Center, Bellefonte

Quilt Shopss and Other Great Places to Stop

Cedar Lane Dry Goods, E. Holland

Family Fun Fabrics, East Earl/Blue Ball

Marty's Quilt Shop, Lewistown

Mary Lee's Quilt Shop, Belleville

Log Cabin Quilt Shop, Bird in Hand

Old Country Store, Intercourse

Smucker's Gourd Farm, Kinzers

Stitch & Craft, Manheim

Stitch Your Art Out, Pine Grove

Weaver's Dry Goods, Lititz

2020 Friday Field Trips

 August through November 2020, so much fun going on field trips to check out PA State Parks and counties!

8/21/2020 Samuel S. Lewis State Park (12 mi. east of York) website

York County

I'd just had my first cataract surgery, thus the no glasses look!

8/28/2020 Presque Isle State Park, Erie, PA website

Erie County

Meadville, PA Road Sign Mural Fence

home of Allegheny College

Crawford County

Maurice K. Goddard State Park, on Lake Wilhelm, in Sandy Lake, PA website

Mercer County

Pymatuning State Park website

Crawford County

Largest State Park in PA

8/29/2020

A Quick Trip Across the Border into West Virginia....Homer Laughlin!!

Not many shopping opportunities on these trips

Raccoon Creek State Park website

Beaver County

The kids and Laura went on a hike and I enjoyed nature, reading, writing, and the butterfly garden.  No internet access at all!  Nice campground.

Hillman State Park website

Washington County

Not much of nothin', pretty country, though

Ebenezer Covered Bridge

Mingo Creek County Park, Washington, PA

9/4/2020

Swatara State Park website

Lebanon and Schuylkill Counties

lots of biking opportunities

Memorial Lake State Park website (north of Hershey)

Lebanon County

surrounded by Fort Indiantown Gap, headquarters for PA Army & Air Force National Guard

There were a couple different picnic/hiking areas with huge parking lots....liked it here a lot.

Cassel Vineyards of Hershey (in Hummelstown)

Dauphin County

Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area

Dauphin County

Hiking, quiet,

9/13/2020

Ricketts Glen State Park website

in three counties - mostly Luzerne County

famous for its many waterfalls and scenic views

Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider, Benton PA

Columbia County

A little antique shopping in Benton.....

again, in Columbia County

World's End State Park, Forksville Borough website

Sullivan County

Dinner at a Covered Bridge TakeOut famous for its cheesesteaks (YUM!)

Big Mike's Steaks & Hoagies, Forksville, PA

9/14/2020

Some Great Letterboxing Today!

Jessica Hicks Memorial in Picture Rocks, PA

Lycoming County

Lycoming County Master Gardeners Sensory Garden

542 County Farm Road

Montoursville, PA

(Loyalsock Township)

9/19/2020 

Cape May (NJ) Trip

Garrett Family Preserve

Beach Plum Farm

Lunch - Wasn't very "covid friendly," but we sat on the deck and enjoyed our seafood...

Afternoon at the BEACH!

Cape May Point State Park

Vineyards (unfortunately we couldn't go in for a tasting...I think they were preparing for an event)

9/20/2020

Ridley Creek State Park website

Delaware County

We LOVED it here!

16 miles from Philadelphia City Center

Letterboxes and Colleges...

Villanova...Bryn Mawr....Haverford....Swarthmore??

Chester County

Marsh Creek State Park  website

Chester County  

French Creek State Park website

Elverson, PA

Chester & Berks Counties

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

It was almost dark, and closed , MUST go back!

10/3/2020

S. B. Elliott State Park website

Clearfield County

I can't believe I don't have any photos here.  It was a picnic area with old buildings, but we had no picnic yet and just drove around....

Parker Dam State Park website

Clearfield County  

Wapitri Ridge Wine Cellars

Ended the day with a wine tasting, and a bottle to drink at the hotel tonight!

Elk Country!!!  And sharp-eyed Ella had an ELK SITING!!

10/4/2020

Kinzua Bridge State Park website

McKean County

I loved it here.  Laura not so much - she's not good with heights.

She took quite a few really nice photos of the kids here.

Super busy , lots and lots of people, but we got here early enough that it wasn't too crazy yet.

Later that day....Flickerwood Wine Cellars

Kane, PA

Chapman State Park website

Warren County

Gorgeous views!

Love this photo, also at Chapman State Park

10/5/2020

Black Moshannon State Park  website

Centre County

Great boardwalk walk through the swamp/marsh

"Bog Trail"

Another photo I love....

Whipple Dam State Park website

Huntingdon County

Completely closed the day we were there

We at lunch in the car at the closed entrance, as we'd planned to picnic here.  Bummer.