By Kathleen Walls
If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and immerse yourself in a simpler time, there is a place to visit. Recently, I had the chance to do just that during a trip along Pennsylvania’s Route 6. Route 6, along the Keystone State’s northern border, has 400-plus miles of history and heritage. I recently traveled a good bit of that fabulous route.
Denton Go
My most adventurous experience was at Denton Hill Four Seasons Adventure Resort, also known as Denton Go, where I rode to the top of the mountain in a Polaris RZR XL 1000. These machines go where no other machine can go.
To learn more about the region’s history, I visited the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, where I toured a recreated 20th-century lumber mill and camp.
Lumber Museum
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum teaches you about the trees you will see all over Pennsylvania and their place in history. There’s a video at the museum’s theater but if you want, the video is on YouTube so you can watch it before your visit.
The first exhibit tells about the kinds of trees native to the area, and the history, good and bad. When the Native Americans were here and the early colonists, Pennsylvania was covered with beautiful forests. Other exhibits tell what happened around the turn of the 20th century when profit ruled over the environment. Loggers cut down most of the forest. Then the section about the CCC and tomorrow’s forest shows the present-day restoration of the forest. There are a lot of interactive exhibits where you can steer a log raft down the river or see a log.
Outside there’s a recreated lumber camp that showed what life was like in a lumber camp in the Pennsylvania North Woods at the turn of the 20th century. There’s a working sawmill, a CCC cabin from 1937, a birch still, and a Brookville Steam Locomotive that used to transport bark to a tannery. Lumber played a big part in Pennsylvania’s leather industry.
A Stroll Down Memory Lane
There’s a place where you can take A Stroll Down Memory Lane in Galeton, a tiny town in Potter County, Pennsylvania. That’s not a capitalization error, that is the store’s name and it is like visiting a general store of years gone by or rooting in your grandmother’s attic. The store came about when Michelle Petito and her sister, Paula Hayes, decided to open a store. Eight years later, A stroll Down Memory Lane is still drawing visitors and buyers. I loved browsing at the items on the three floors and basement. Their multiple sellers create a tremendous variety.
Ole Covered Wagon Ride
I had an adventure in Wellsboro, where I hopped aboard the Ole Covered Wagon Ride. This unique experience took me back in time as I traveled along the base of the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, Pine Creek Gorge.
They do two trips. The longer one goes all the way to the waterfall, the other is shorter if you have limited time. I went on the waterfall tour.
The Covered Wagon tour starts at their ranch-style base. The day I went, there were two wagons making the trip. My guide, Donna, was super knowledgeable about the canyon history.
We traveled along the Pine Creek Rail Trail, paralleling Pine Creek. No motorized vehicles are allowed on this path, just hikers, bikers, and horses. They allow primitive camping back here. The railroad that used to operate along this trail was shut down in 1988, and now the old rail bed is one of the most popular rail trails in the country.
There are a few cabins across the creek. When the state took over the land, they allowed the families already there to remain, including their immediate descendants. However, once the last heir is gone, the land reverts to the state.
We spotted some fly fishermen standing in the calm waters of Pine Creek, casting their lines. Donna told us Pine Creek is famous for trout fishing, with an annual derby held each spring just before Memorial Day. Three presidents fished here: Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and Jimmy Carter.
Lumber once thrived in this region. The extensive logging led to many forest fires and destruction of the forest. In the mid-1900s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) stepped in to replant trees and maintain the forest. Darling Run Campsite, the only public camping area on Pine Creek has a sign saying that from 1935 to 1941, this site served as a CCC camp. It offers six campsites with fire rings, picnic tables, and rustic benches.
When we reached the waterfall, the more adventurous in our groups crossed a small wooden bridge and ascended a rugged staircase with 208 steps to a stunning view of Little Four Mile Falls. I went about halfway up and was rewarded with a fantastic sight of the falls.
Leonard Harrison State Park
To look down into the gorge from above, I visited the East Rim Trail at Leonard Harrison State Park, where I was rewarded with panoramic views of the canyon. Looking down into the gorge, with its 1,400-foot depth and mile-wide expanse, is breathtaking.
French Azilum
In the 1790s, as thousands of mostly nobility and sympathizers left France during the French Revolution. Many came to Pennsylvania and settled in a 1600-acre colony at a horseshoe bend of the Susquehanna River known as French Azilum. The plan was to bring Marie Antoinette here, but that never happened. The one r home in what was once a settlement with about 50 houses, a church, a school, and some shops, is not original but was built as a summer home by a grandson of the former store owner, Bartholomew La Porte, on the site of the settlement.
Inside, the home shows its age. It has lived through a lot, including a fire in the 1950s, but its beauty still shines. Inside, you’ll find a history of the period shown through paintings, including Marie with her necklace, a picture of Napoleon painted by John’s great-granddaughter, and many others. There are lots of other authentic artifacts as well.
Grovedale Winery
On every trip, there’s always time for a good glass of wine. Grovedale Winery is much more than a charming family-owned winery. Like most wineries, they offer tastings and tours, but there is so much more at Grovedale. The winery has a mini-petting zoo with a variety of animals, including pigs, chickens, goats, and even a pet skunk!
It has a remarkable history story in their Old Red House, the family’s historic home dating back to 1820. I toured it and learned about its fascinating history. The house had sat abandoned for nearly 70 years; it has been restored and is now listed on the National Historic Registry. Over the years, one of its functions was as a funeral parlor. There is still a coffin in what was then the viewing room. One display is a glass cane made by artists at Corning Glass Company. It dates to the early 1900s and hangs on the wall over the coffin. One of Grovedale’s wines is named Glass Cane in its honor. There are pictures and antique furniture that belonged to the family.
Lodging
You can stay on the site for the end of your trip. They have an Airbnb cabin, or if you are a camper, they are members of Harvest Hosts. The cabin is a tiny house with modern comforts, including a heated towel bar, inviting hot tub, and a warm fireplace for winter visits.
The first part of your trip, Canyon Motel in Wellsboro has an old-fashioned style blended with modern amenities. My suite had a front porch and a back door leading to a grassy backyard. It has a full kitchen with a stove and a refrigerator. The bed was very comfortable. The living room had a place where I could work at my computer or relax on my sofa.
Dining choices
There are lots of choices on Routet 6 to dine. Here are two that I enjoyed. Oliver’s Pub & Grill has a New Orleans feel. I had the Fried Shrimp Basket, which was very tasty. Their Crème Brule for dessert is worth the extra pounds it adds to your tummy.
Kaytee’s is a family diner-style restaurant with a large traditional menu. I had their Grilled Shrimp Dinner, with two shrimp skewers, with seven shrimp each. It was delicious grilled and served with cocktail sauce and a roll. I added a baked potato and saved room for the lemon meringue pie for dessert. It’s worth gaining a few pounds.
Just off Route 6
There are many places worth a short detour off the main route. The Forksville Covered Bridge on State Route 4012, crossing Loyalsock Creek, dates to 1850 and is one of only three remaining covered bridges in Sullivan County.
Eagles Mere Historic Village, founded in the 1800s, was a resort town perched on the banks of Eagles Mere Lake. It’s like taking a step back in time. You want to see two state parks: Cherry Springs State Park and Ricketts Glen State Park. Cherry Springs State Park is one of the best places on Earth for stargazing.
Ricketts Glen State Park is known for its beautiful waterfalls. I hiked the Falls Trail a short distance to Adams Falls. You could go farther to see Lake Jean. The park also offers camping facilities. If you venture off Route 6 and want to explore more, Pioneer Campground offers a great place to park a camper or rent a cute cabin. The park had a pool, a store, and some cute decor.
