Off the Beaten Path

Our exploration adventure phase may be over but we are still finding ways to venture off the beaten path.  We left Saratoga Springs, NY, after lunch yesterday with the next destination being Culpeper, VA, by Saturday afternoon.  In the days before retirement a trip from upstate New York to northern Virginia would have been done in one day on the interstate to get the trip over as soon as possible.  But now we can travel at a more leisurly pace, taking side trips and driving on local highways. 

We drove on Highway 9W in New York yesterday, a scenic route that I had never been on.  It was a beautiful autumn day to drive south with the Hudson River on one side and the Catskill Mountains on the other.  At Kingston we got on Highway 209 South, heading for Port Jervis, the last town in New York before crossing into Pennslyvania.

The Delaware Water Gap Recreation area along the Delaware River was in our minds as a possible place to camp for the night.  But we decided to believe the weather forecast, which was calling for rain.  Instead of camping we got a motel in Stroudsburg, PA.  Wise decision.

This morning dawned gray and drizzly.  It was supposed to clear up later in the day.  We figured if we kept driving through Pennslyvania there would be places along the way where we could stop for a hike if the weather cleared.  And that's exactly what happened.

At lunch time we found ourselves on Interstate 81 near Carlisle.  From there it would be a short detour to drive south to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  We took the detour, stopped at the Visitor Center, learned some of the history behind the iron furnace, and enjoyed a nice hike up to Sunset Rocks overlook.  The Appalachian Trail goes through the park.  Most of the hike was on the AT, with a short side trail to climb up the rocks.

Sunset Rocks at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, PA

After our hike we continued our travels on Highway 30 west, ending the day at a motel in Chambersburg, PA.  That's not many miles for 2 days on the road but it's all part of the fun of seeing what awaits when you go off the beaten path.

Evening sunset from motel balcony, Chambersburg, PA