Pennsylvania’s Route 6 has been designated “One of America’s Most Scenic Drives” by National Geographic magazine and there is perhaps no finer time to set off on a road trip than this summer to discover treasures in your “back yard.” Like the moccasin-clad Native Americans who first used this historic route, Route 6 slows you down to a sane pace — just what the doctor orders for frazzled, fast-paced lives.
Although Route 6 started out as an Indian trail, by 1937 this rural road was paved to “get the farmers out of the mud” and connect all the seats of Pennsylvania’s northern counties. In time, Route 6 stretched all the way from Massachusetts to California, making it the nation’s longest transcontinental highway. It was first known as the Theodore Roosevelt Highway and then renamed the Grand Army of the Republic Highway as a memorial to the Union veterans of the Civil War.
Since the territory Route 6 covers in northern Pennsylvania is sparsely settled, (unlike other major highways that have been transformed or replaced over the years), it has remained virtually unchanged for 60 years. That means unspoiled natural wonders, charming Victorian villages, history, museums, festivals and folks that still conduct their lives as though “strangers are just friends they haven’t yet met.”
Every long weekend last year, I found myself heading north to this historic road, not as a route to get from one place to another, but as a destination unto its self. I divided the miles into four major chunks and spent days in each section, visiting, eating, sleeping in interesting B&B’s and historic inns, attending concerts, festivals, going on hikes, paddles, horseback rides, etc. Each area could be a mini-vacation spot of it’s own or you could take a full week or two and hit just the highlights.
NORTHERN POCONOS (PIKE, WAYNE & LACKAWANA COUNTIES)
As soon as we dipped our kayak paddles into the water and pushed off into the big Delaware River, I was struck by the river’s phenomenal clarity. No matter how deep the water, we could easily see the bottom. The Delaware is the only major river on the Eastern Seaboard that is unshackled by dams — all 197 miles of it. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area secured these 70,000 acres and this designated Wild & Scenic River as an outdoor playground for everyone and it is a great place to begin your tour of Pennsylvania’s Route 6. There are canoe outfitters to guide you, rent boats (canoes, kayaks and inner tubes) or supply a shuttle. Up on the cliff sides, you can hike and camp on the Appalachian Trail, the longest continually marked footpath in the world, bird watch (more than 250 species), including the Bald Eagle. Call 570-588-2451 or visit www.nps.gov/dewa.
Milford, Pa., is the town to head for, after a day on the river, home of Gifford Pinchot the first chief forester back when the U.S, Bureau of Forestry was newly created. In the early 1900s, Pinchot made his summer home on the 100-acre Grey Towers in Milford. We toured this fascinating estate learning interesting things about his wife, Cornelia, who, for instance, added an outdoor dining area with a unique water table to “jazz up the dreary castle.” Huge wooden bowls heaped with food were scooted across the pool from guest to guest. Call 570-296-9630, www.fs.fed.us/na/gt/.
A few miles out of town is the oldest existing wire suspension bridge in the United States, the Roebling Bridge, which housed the Delaware Aqueduct. This bridge floated canal boats over the Delaware River and was designed by John Roebling who later built the Brooklyn Bridge. You can walk or drive across this restored bridge and marvel at the fact that it used to float boats laden with cargo. Call 570-685-4871, www.nps.gov/upde.
The towns of Hawley and Honedale are our next destination, featuring the Stourbridge train ride between the two. 800-433-9008, www.stourbridgerail.com. You can easily wile away a few days here for these two towns alone offer about a week’s worth of fun.
A “sheriff” approached my son as we waited at the train station telling him to, “Guard your valuables, pardner!” Masked marauders on horseback from the Triple W Ranch later ambushed the train on horseback and staged an exciting “shootout in the town of Hawley. On the return ride, “bandits” got the children on board involved by helping to hide the bag of gold coins in their seat. The most amazing part of this extensive cast of actors and actresses is that they perform this show multiple times a season for gratis just because they want to support the Stourbridge Line and because they so enjoy doing what they do. We had to make a return visit to this family ranch to ride over their gorgeous acreage and enjoy a stay at their B&B. 800-540-2620, www.triplewstable.com.
The Scranton area is a destination all of its own with Steamtown National Historic Site, which pays tribute to the golden age of steam engines in our nation’s transportation history. The park is state-of-the art with its well-done exhibits, museum, tours and living history in the summer months, portrayed by local actors and actresses. 570-340-5200, www.nps.gov/stea.
Our favorite was the living history characters that told the stories of hobos, female brakemen, engineers, nurses, etc. Even in the warm August weather, my children were spellbound to learn this slice of Pennsylvania history. Spend the night at luxurious Lackawanna Station, built in 1908 with its gorgeous barrel vaulted Tiffany-stained-glass ceiling, rare Sienna marble walls and tile murals.
THE ENDLESS MOUNTAINS (WYOMING, BRADFORD, TIOGA, POTTER COUNTIES)
What a wonderful image “Endless Mountains” conjures up and one of the best places to get a grip on the beautiful land ahead is to pull over at Wyalusing Rocks Overlook in Wyoming County. This site, with the winding Susquehanna River below, was a lookout point since man first inhabited the valley (an ancient Iroquois signaling point) and was a sacred area for the Native Americans in the region.
Down in the valley is the French Azilum, a settlement built by French noblemen for refugees fleeing the American Revolution, and as a sanctuary for Marie-Antoinette, queen of France. She didn’t make it and neither did the colony but its historic, serene traces remain. For dinner and an overnight stay, you can’t go wrong at the historic Wyaslusing Hotel an architectural masterpiece with its Mississippi Riverboat porches and decorative facades. The hotel’s fabulous restaurant is just the thing after a busy day touring Route 6 (570-746-1204, www.wyalusinghotel.com).
As you make your way west, you can stop in the tiny hamlet of Laceyville to tour the “The Oldest House” dating back to 1781.
ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST (MCKEAN, WARREN COUNTIES)
This gorgeous area celebrates Pennsylvania’s only national forest — all 23,000 acres of it. Some of the state’s most exquisite old growth forests are located here, including Heart’s Content National Scenic Area, a white pine, hemlock and beech stand listed as a National Natural Landmark and Cooks Forest Sate Park further south. There is also a large section of the 400-mile National Scenic North Country Trail that cuts through the forest, 814-723-5150.
You have to take a few days out and visit the Allegheny Reservoir in the park. The 25-mile-long lake with its 100 miles of shoreline is perhaps best explored by way of a houseboat. The Kinzua-Wolf Run Marina rents the 28-foot-long, 8.6 feet wide modern houseboats out and with a minimum of instructions, you are touring all over that big water playground. We had one great time, fishing, swimming, cruising, watching glorious sunsets from our deck after a home-cooked meal and felt like we had the whole glorious lake to ourselves, 814-726-1650.
PA.’S NORTH COAST (CRAWFORD & ERIE COUNTIES)
Before heading up to Erie’s “beach” and all it has to offer, we swung down Route 6, which splits and forms two routes in western Pennsylvania. The southern leg takes you to Meadville, home of the Meadville Market House, built in 1870, one of the state’s oldest market houses. The cinnamon buns, the size of dinner plates, are to die for, 814-336-2056.
Our afternoon destination was the Linesville Spillway of the Pymatuning Reservoir, where the carp are so plentiful that the ducks walk on the backs of the fish to compete for the bread. The thousands of huge gaping fish mouths reaching out of the water for food really feed the imagination of the youngsters, as they think what it would be like to fall into the crowded swarm. You can buy old bread loaves — three for $1 at roadside stands. This is really something to see and worth the drive.
Presque Isle State Park, a 3200-acre sandy peninsula that curls out into Lake Erie is the pot or gold at the end of the rainbow that is Route 6. It is known as a National Natural Landmark because of its many unique habitats and because a great number of the state’s endangered, threatened and rare species live here. The beach has rolling waves, white sand and is remarkably close to real seashore. Our favorite attraction is the 13-mile paved cycling, walking and inline skating trail that forms a loop around the entire peninsula. My kids had total freedom to ride their bikes at their own pace while I skated. Bikes can be rented at a wonderful ’50s eatery called Sarah’s at the neck of the peninsula. Antique winged cars were very creatively incorporated into the decor of the restaurant that serves fabulous shakes and sundaes.
We spent the night in style at the sophisticated and newly restored Boothbay Inn on West Sixth Street, one of the finest accommodation downtown Erie has to offer (814-456-1888, www.theboothbyinn.com). It is located right near the Bayfront District, featuring the Erie Maritime Museum, home of the U.S. Brig Niagara. This square-rigged, two-masted warship originally armed with 18 carronades and two long guns, has been restored and is berthed at the museum. In the summer months, the ship sails to several Great Lakes ports serving as an ambassador for the State of Pennsylvania and the city of Erie.
If the Niagara is gone, the Erie Maritime Museum can easily squelch your disappointment for it is one of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s most modern museums. You can learn all about the Battle of Lake Erie in the war of 1812 through video footage, historical artifacts, hands-on knot and sail exhibits, etc. (814-452-2744,www.brigniagara.com).
These are just a smattering of great things to do, places to go, along with excellent places to stay and eat on Pennsylvania’s Route 6. Consult the following tourism departments and make up your own road trip.
The only consolation about reaching your goal in western Pennsylvania is you can turn around and head home, retracing your steps and catching the highlights you missed the first time around!
