Steamtown National Historic Site for steam engines trains

Steamtown is billed as the only national site that is devoted to the story of the steam engine and its role in the development of the United States. The site is located in downtown Scranton, PA and occupies 40 acres of the railroad yard of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.

The National Park Service rebuilt the Roundhouse and the turntable from the remnants of the original buildings. The site includes a visitor center, history museum, roundhouse, turntable, three sections of the second roundhouse built in 1902, and a technology museum.

Steam engine rail excursions are offered regularly. You can also take guided tours of the site. On the day we were there, we toured the locomotive repair shops located behind the roundhouse. Steam engines need maintained frequently—about every 150 miles. Crews work on maintenance regularly. When they have time, they work on reconstructing and repairing old engines in their collection.

The collection of steam trains includes the Big Boy—one of the largest engines ever built. There is also an old snow plow engine used to clear snow from tracks and a small industrial switcher.

One of the unadvertised assets of the site is the volunteers. They are great. For most, volunteering is a labor of love. The ones we met were all eager to share their passion about the engines. The volunteer we met at the main desk lives in New Jersey and comes to Steamtown four times a year to work. That is dedication.

Steamtown is considered a working railroad site. Steam engines—and an occasional diesel—are coming and going frequently. We got to hear—and feel—the power of the big engines. Exciting.

Linked to the site by a ramp way is the Mall at Steamtown. Anyone not interested in steam engines can spend the day shopping. We spent so much time at the historical site, we never made it to the mall.

After you visit the site—take a short drive down the main street to the Hotel Radisson which occupies the old train station and main offices of the railroad. You can park in their parking lot for the short visit. Have lunch there if you want. Prices are less expensive if you wander around to the back of the building to a small bar and restaurant that looks over the tracks.

Fees:

• Historic site entrance fees are $6.00 for adults 17 and up. Kids 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• Excursion fees are extra—the “Scranton Limited”—a short train excursion—is $3.00 for ages 6 and up.

More information on the Steamtown National Historic Site.
Additional pictures.

Penn State--visit to the Creamery and the Nittany Lion

The Nittany Lion sculpture

If you are not a Penn State alumni or fan, there is one, delicious reason to visit—the Creamery. The Creamery has become a Penn state tradition since it opened in the late 1800’s. Penn State is the only university with an Ag Department that offers a degree in ice cream making. The ice creams are sold at the Creamery.

Except for the most popular flavors, the selection of flavors changes during the year. You can also buy other dairy items such as cheese at the Creamery.

The second reason I visited Penn State was to see the statue of the Nittany Lion. My dad graduated from Penn State and I have heard about the Lion for years. The statue is about 4 short blocks from the Creamery. You can walk the distance without much trouble. Otherwise you can drive to the Nittany Inn and park in their parking area.

An extra bonus if you walk is you get to see some of the campus. I was there in early September. The campus is beautiful with a lot of small garden areas with seats and shade and flowers as well as various places that you can stop and get coffee or lunch.

The ice cream is delicious. Don’t plan to go on a home football game day. Lines will be long, long, long, long.

The Creamery occupies the first floor of the new Food Science Building on the corner of Bigler and Curtin Roads. Park in the East Parking Deck on Bigler Road. The garage is located behind the Creamery. You can park free for a ½ hour. If you stay longer, you will be charged. We stayed about 45 minutes and were charged $1.00 when we left.

For more information or to order your own ½ gallon of ice cream delivered to your home—http://creamery.psu.edu/

Map of Penn State. http://www.campusmaps.psu.edu/print/

Additional pictures—sorry, I forgot to take one of the Creamery.

Leo Petroglyph

The Leo Petroglyph is comprised of 37 incised drawings of humans, footprints, and animals. It is fun to try and find all of the glyphs and to try and identify what they are.

The petroglyphys were carved into a large, flat surface of sandstone. Currently, it is believed that they were carved by the Fort Ancient Indians sometime between 1000AD and 1650AD. Why the Indians cared these images or what they meant to the Fort Ancient peoples is unknown.

The petroglyphs are protected by a small, roofed shelter located in a very small park. The park has some picnic tables but no other amenities.

Local teens have been busy decorating the shelter with spray painted names. There is some evidence that some have also tried their hand at making petroglyphs. The only supervision of the park was provided by a neighbor’s two dogs who came by to see what we were doing.

Additional pictures:
Hours:
Location:
Fees (if applicable):

• none

Additional information:

Related sites:

• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio History Central: Leo Petroglyph—photo


• Leo Petroglyph


• State Parks.com


• Appalachian Adventure Trail: Leo Petroglyph


• Ohio State Parks: Leo Petroglyph, nearby sites of interest

Buckeye Furnace

I was impressed with the reconstruction effort that has been made at Buckeye Furnace. The furnace is located deep in the hills of southern Ohio. Today it seems quiet and remote. During its heyday, the area was bustling with workmen and their families.

The furnace is a reconstructed charcoal-fired iron blast furnace. The sandstone stack is original. The blast furnace was located in an area where all the materials needed for producing iron were available—iron ore, limestone to separate the iron from the slag, and trees to produce the charcoal needed to fuel the furnace.

The furnace was built in 1852 and produced iron until 1894. During that period, the forest around the furnace was cut down to produce charcoal.
The site also contains a reconstructed company store which functions as the visitor’s center and a reconstructed supervisor’s house which is a private residence.

Open hours are limited. The Historical society has provided kiosks describing the buildings and the activities. You can use them to give yourself a self-guided tour if there is no staff available.

Additional pictures:
Hours:
Location:
Fees (if applicable) :
Additional information:

• Not handicapped accessible .

Related sites:

• Friends of Buckeye Furnace


• State Parks.com


• Ohio Iron Furnaces

Buffington Island Mound I

This is a conical mound about 20 feet high and with a base diameter of 125 feet. Concrete steps up the side allow you to walk to the top. You cannot see the river from the top of the mound but you can see the river bottom lands. There are supposed to be 2 smaller mounds nearby. We were unable to identify them.
The mound was probably excavated sometime around the beginning of the 20th century but there are no records of the work. The mound was restored in 1931 and is in good condition.

The mound is located on the Buffington Island Battle Memorial.

Hours:
Location:

Fees; (if applicable): none

Additional information:

Ohio History Central: Buffington Island Mound

Buffington Island Battleground

This site has two points of interest—one is the memorial to the only Civil War battle fought on Ohio soil and the second is an Indian mound.
In 1863, General Morgan, a Confederate officer, led a column of men across the Ohio. The Confederates were stopped by a Union army led by Major Daniel McCook together with eight of his sons and five of his brothers.
The memorial to the battle, made of glacial boulders, is set in a small 4 acre park that contains a shelter, picnic tables, and a restroom with pit toilets.
Near the memorial is the Buffington Island Mound 1, also known as Price Mound.
We visited the memorial and mound on a beautiful early fall day. This was the first of three stops. We went exploring and also visited the Leo Petroglyphs and the Buckeye Furnace.

Hours:
Location:
Fees; (if applicable): none
Additional information:

Related sites:
Ohio History Central: Battle of Buffington Island
Battle of Buffington Island

Buffington Island, Ohio

Clark’s Dining Room

Update: on October 31, 2009, Clarks closed.

Clark’s is not far off Interstate 70, exit 132. I have driven by Clark’s many times. The parking lot is always full of local cars which is usually a good sign.
Clark’s is a homey restaurant decorated with quilt hangings. The current owners and managers are the third generation to operate the restaurant. The Clark’s purchased the old hotel in 1918. The hotel had originally served as a stagecoach stop on the National Highway (Old Rt. 40). In 1954, the old hotel burned down. The family rebuilt the restaurant.
The food is home-cooked and served family style. Their specialties are fried chicken and pies. We ordered burgers and salad and tried the apple pie. The food was good and the price reasonable. The couple at the next table had the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and it looked delicious.
Take cash or check. Credit and debit cards are not accepted.
To round out our trip, we visited several Indian Mounds located near Clark's dining Room: Flint Ridge, Huffman or Tippet Mound at the Taft Nature Reserve, Fairmount Mound, and the Dawes Arboretum Mound.

Hours:

• Tues.-Sat.: 11:30-8:00; Sunday: 11:00-7:30; closed Mondays.
  Location: Corner of Rt. 40 and 13 in Jacksontown, Ohio.

Fees (if applicable):

• The restaurant does not accept credit or debit cards.

Additional information:

• 740-323-3874, call ahead for take-out; reservations accepted Tuesday-Saturday.

Related sites:

• Clark’s Dining Room
• ColumbusChefs.com