Dave and I arrived at Ohiopyle State Park in PA. Its 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty includes the rushing water of the Youghiogheny (yawki-gay-nee) River gorge for whitewater enthusiasts. The park has over 75 miles of hiking trails and the Great Alleghany Passage (GAP) bike trail runs through the park. We were able to hike & bike to our hearts content during our stay. However, being so far away, there was very limited cell service. I found one trail up on a ridge, not far from our campground, that I could send/receive texts, but that was it. If we went into town, we could join their very weak wi-fi. Funny, when we finally had the ability to turn on our TV almost a week later, it seemed so noisy.
The 150-mile GAP trail run from Cumberland, MD to downtown Pittsburgh, PA. It also connects to the C&O Canal Towpath, to travel between Pittsburgh and Washington, DC. It would be a fun trip to ride the full length of both. While riding along the trail, we found a sign regarding coal mining in the area. Dave’s grandfather and uncles mined for coal in this region. He said none of them lived past 50 due to black lung disease.
Each day after a bike ride, we hiked with Murphy. One day we hiked from our campsite down into town and viewed the Ohiopyle Falls and enjoyed some ice cream. The next day we hiked to Cucumber Falls. At the Falls, while I was waiting for a couple to finish taking their pictures (they took waaaaay too long), I took the picture below of Dave and Murphy waiting for me (well, waiting for that couple). We celebrated my birthday while at Ohiopyle. I had a great day biking, hiking and then roasted marshmallows for yummy s’mores for my birthday “cake”.
After leaving Ohiopyle, we had a overnight stay at JAM Stables, a working horse farm. They breed Friesians and also provide boarding and horse training. Friesians are from the Netherlands and are known for being intelligent, graceful, and nimble for their size. Their stallion was absolutely gorgeous. The stables had 7 fouls this year, all colts except one filly. Murphy and I walked by several horses in their pasture the morning we left and they ran over to see him. He wasn’t quite sure about them.
Our last stop this week was at the Elkhart County Fairgrounds in Indiana. We are attending the Grand Design National Rally. Grand Design is the manufacturer of our 5th wheel. There are 600 RVs parked throughout the fairgrounds (we are in the infield of the racetrack). The rally includes seminars, vendors, and social events. Dave signed up for a factory tour. It should be a fun week! (Well, except for Murphy, he’ll probably get quite bored).
Happy to have internet Brenda, Adding Starlink to the list Dave, Hey, where’s the hiking trails Murphy.
Wow. You guys are packed in there. So close you could pee on your neighbors step.
Beautiful pictures and beautiful horses.
You mske me tired.
Glad you are enjoying your trip.
I’d have to leave breadcrumbs to get back to the RV if I was there…
Seriously though, looks like a wonderful time.