 |
| Ah! Pennsylvania |
So, of course, we decided to do it again.
We had a few additional reasons this time – primarily we wanted to visit Colorado Springs friends Jenny and Don, who are now spending half their time living next to Don’s daughter’s family in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
 |
| Scott, me, Don and Jenny |
Neither of us had spent much time in Pennsylvania, so it was a chance to see a new place.
 |
| Our destination |
And, we could spend some fun time with friends.
We ended up crafting an itinerary that included other friends and family.
And, later, we ended up rearranging parts of the itinerary to accommodate weather and a cool opportunity to nab a lifer bird I have been pursuing for years.
The Plan
As we were mulling over things to do (and the fact that my planned trip to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta could delay departure), we discovered that the King Biscuit Blues Festival was being held in Arkansas in early October.
So, we decided that Scott would drive to Memphis, pick up friend Will Jones at the airport and the two of them would attend the festival before driving to Will’s home in Cincy.
 |
| King Biscuit; Photos: Scott Stevens |
I would then fly to Cincinnati and we would spend time with Will and his wife, Cassandra, before we took off for Bethlehem. Then, after spending a few days with Jenny and Don, we would drive to northern Ohio to check out Magee Marsh, which is a birding mecca. We knew it was probably too late in the fall migration for lots of birds, but I still wanted to see what we could see.
Next, we’d go to Indiana Dunes National Park, one of the two National Parks I had not yet visited, and then spend a day and a half with my sister, Linda, and her husband, Robert, in Peoria, Illinois, before heading to Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
We left the plans for the trip home from Michigan loose, planning to plot our route based on glorious fall colors.
 |
| Fundamentally, our plan was a migrating Goose! |
Well. The first part went as planned – except Scott was underwhelmed by the Blues Festival and the colors weren’t changing much in Ohio yet. We had to cancel Michigan because of an early season snowstorm that dumped two feet of heavy wet stuff on our planned route. I’ll cover what we did for the rest of the trip later, but even though it wasn’t what we planned, we did get some nice color and we had a good time.
 |
| It looked more like this with lots more squiggles |
Uncharacteristically, we got home earlier than planned (rather than extending and extending). But, with everything on our plates right now, that was actually a relief.
First Stop: Cincinnati
My time in Cincinnati was very brief and – oddly – I took no photos (even more oddly, neither did Scott).
After Scott and Will picked me up at the airport, we wandered around downtown, visiting some art galleries, including visiting the IAN STRANGE: DISTURBED HOME AND ANNEX exhibit at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. It was small and, initially, not too impressive. But, as I read and looked closely, I was intrigued. Strange’s work revolved around homes that are destroyed or displaced by natural and economic disaster and, what looked to be doctored photos of houses, turned out to be photos of doctored houses.
 |
| That house was actually painted and then photographed; Photo: Ian Strange |
Quite intriguing.
The next day we had an uneventful drive to Bethlehem. It wasn’t fall yet along that route, so we just plugged along.
Covered Bridges
After a day of driving ...
 |
| A pretty stop on our route |
... we spent two days in Bethlehem with Jenny and Don. First, we saw their gorgeous home, a gracious house built in the 1920s. It is on a lovely tree-covered lot, has a sunroom and a carriage house that now serves as a garage. But, coolest of all, the basement was actually a speakeasy during Prohibition!
Our first day there was gloriously warm and sunny and we took advantage of the weather by touring the covered bridges of Lehigh County.
 |
| Don at Guth's covered bridge |
Forty miles long and 20 miles wide, Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is bound to the north by Blue Mountain, to the south by South Mountain, to the west by Lebanon Valley and to the east by the Delaware River on Pennsylvania's eastern border with Warren County, New Jersey.
 |
| Lots of history; Photo: Scott Stevens |
Throughout the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, Lehigh Valley thrived as a leader in coal and iron mining and, eventually, steel and heavy manufacturing. It was the cradle of the American Industrial Revolution.
But, this day was not spent looking at now-defunct steel stacks (that came later).
Rather, we spent time appreciating most of the quaint covered bridges that remain from the 19th century.
 |
| Map: Travel with Lolly |
A covered bridge is a wooden bridge that has been covered to protect the wood from weather that could hasten rot and decay. The covered bridges in the Lehigh Valley were built using the Burr Truss design that uses large, central arches along the sides that are tied into the bridges' abutments.
 |
| Still functional, if a bit raggedy |
This design, which helped strengthen bridges, is named after Theodore Burr who patented it in 1804. Typically, covered bridges were named after their builders, local citizens or nearby businesses.
All the covered bridges we visited were red, which is not a coincidence. In fact, they were built – and painted – to resemble barns, which helped to calm horses and other animals that needed to pull wagons over streams and creeks.
 |
| A barn near Guth's bridge matches the color scheme |
The bridges are owned and maintained by the municipality in which they reside: whether it be township (Kreidersville), city (Bogert's), county (Geiger's, Manasses Guth's, Rex's, Wehr's) or state (Schlicher's). Two, Geiger's and Schlicher's, are in the Trexler Nature Preserve, a sprawling 1,108-acre park. Even though they are old, narrow and wooden, the bridges all still carry traffic (foot and/or vehicle). The bridges range in length from 100 to 145 feet long.
We visited:
Bogert's Bridge in Allentown, which was, built in 1841, making it one of the oldest in the state. It spans the Little Lehigh Creek, a popular fishing stream.
 |
| Bogert's |
Manasses Guth Bridge in South Whitehall, a 108-foot span that dates back to 1858. It's one of five covered bridges that span Jordan Creek.
 |
| Guth's (that's Scott on the left) |
Wehr's Covered Bridge in South Whitehall, a 128-foot, two-lane bridge that was also built in 1841.
 |
| Wehr's is in a pretty setting |
Rex's Covered Bridge in North Whitehall, a 116-foot span built in 1858.
 |
| Two views of Rex's |
Geiger's Covered Bridge in North Whitehall, which was built in 1860 and crosses the Jordan Creek on Old Packhouse Road. It's on the eastern side of the Trexler-Lehigh County Game Preserve. The bridge has a unique "stepped portal" design, which sets it apart from the Valley's other covered bridges.
 |
| Geiger's was being renovated; we couldn't get close enough for a pic: Photo: Travel with Lolly |
Schlicher's Covered Bridge in North Whitehall, which is not the original structure. It was sagging so badly that it was closed in 2010. It was too costly to repair, so it was replaced with an accurate recreation of which 10 percent is recycled materials from the original.
 |
| Original materials allowed Schlicher's to stay on the National Register of Historic Places |
Kreidersville Covered Bridge in Allen Township is a pedestrian-only 116-foot single-span bridge built in 1839, making it the oldest in the Lehigh Valley and one of the oldest in the state.
 |
| Kreidersville had the prettiest sign |
While they do start to resemble each other as you move from one to another, they landscape is pretty, the weather was gorgeous and none were crowded. We just admired them, took pictures and picnicked. I had hoped to see birds and wildlife, but had to be satisfied with just a few birds and bees …
 |
| Gray Catbird, female House Sparrow and Eastern Bumblebee near Guth's bridge |
… plus an invasive Spotted Lantern Fly …
 |
| You're supposed to kill them on sight; I couldn't |
... and a fluffy Sycamore Tussock Moth Caterpillar …
 |
| I found him on a bridge crossing a streamlet that fed into Jordan Creek |
The impression from this day was of rural bliss, with rolling hills, nature trails, trees moving toward their fall glory and reminders of Pennsylvania’s rich immigrant farming history.
 |
| An old hunter's cabin in Bogert |
After seeing the bridges, we made a brief stop a Burnside Plantation, a 6.5-acre park on the grounds of what was once a 500-acre working farm.
 |
| Burnside Plantation |
The plantation’s namesake, James Burnside sold 200 acres to a group of Moravians (immigrants from what is now the Czech Republic) in 1751. His widow sold the remaining land to the Moravian Church in 1758 and the church leased the plantation to individual farmers from 1765 to 1845. It was sold and divided multiple times until Lehigh County bought it in 1986 and leased it to Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites to restore, develop and manage as a living and natural history resource. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The museum, which was not open when we visited, is part of the Smithsonian Affiliations program.
The grounds are lovely and back up to a stream near remnants of Pennsylvania’s historic canal system.
 |
| Old tracks, canals and creeks |
We finished the day with an outdoor dinner (a bit chilly) at the Tavern at the Sun Inn in Bethlehem.
 |
| When we were there it was cooler, windier and darker; Photo: Tavern at the Sun Inn |
The venue, built in 1758, was lovely, with displays of original furniture inside.
 |
| Photo: Tavern at the Sun Inn |
And, the burrata cheese was yummy.
Martin and Industry
Our gorgeous weather deserted us the next day, which started drizzly and gray and got progressively worse, ending in a downpour.
Since outdoor activities were out of the question, we needed a new plan. A friend of Scott’s, reacting to something Scott posted on Facebook, suggested that we tour the C. F. Martin & Co. guitar factory in nearby Nazareth. Scott checked and found out that all the tours were full. But, he and Don decided to be optimistic and visit anyway.
 |
| Scott and Don optimistically out front |
Even if we couldn’t tour, we could visit the small museum.
 |
| And the store! |
When we arrived, the woman at the front desk confirmed that all the tours were full. But upon learning we were from out-of-state, she rounded up another tour guide and set up a new tour for us (and a few other lucky folks who walked in).
 |
| The tour |
That was unexpected and delightful. I was impressed.
And, after the tour, I was even more impressed.
I had no idea how intensively guitars are hand-crafted. Yes, they are more machined that in the past and the less-expensive models that are made in Mexico have a far more automated process.
 |
| The cutting room |
But, much of the work is done by hand by employees who seem to truly enjoy their work.
 |
| Custom design work being done by hand |
The factory was clean (a bit messy, but very clean) and the people seemed to take great pride in their work. From what I gathered, the company is very employee-friendly and jobs there are much-coveted (and seldom turned over). Even when new automated systems come onboard, employees are retrained and redeployed.
 |
| This employee shows us how the body is formed |
I was also struck but the combination of sophisticated mechanical equipment and some, shall we say, less industrial tools …
 |
| Lots of hand work, Elmer's Glue and clothespins |
I cannot recall so thoroughly enjoying a tour of a manufacturing facility – and I used to lead tours of a manufacturing facility!
 |
| Martin has been based in Nazareth since 1833 |
It was great fun.
And, the boys even got to sample the wares.
 |
| Scott out front and in the playing room |
After the tour and a quick pizza lunch, we drove through some heavy rain to the now-closed Bethlehem Steel industrial area called SteelStacks, which is now being converted to a cultural and arts center.
 |
| SteelStacks; Photo: Fun Times Guide |
The plant operated as Bethlehem Steel from 1904 until 1995, but its roots date to the Bethlehem Iron Co., which opened 60 years earlier. The area is still a bit rough, but the concept seems solid.
We visited the National Museum of Industrial History, a small installation that features a number of static displays of industrial machines and equipment.
 |
| Bethlehem was also a center for decorative trim manufacturing |
Then, we had dinner at the Bookstore Speakeasy, a very, very dark restaurant/bar fashioned after a speakeasy (it even has a nondescript door that can be tricky to find, although we spotted it right away).
 |
| Top middle and bottom left photos: The Bookstore |
 |
| Photo: Tripadvisor |
I had something with pomegranate; the boys insisted upon regular martinis.
It was fun, but I need a bit more quiet and more light so that I can enjoy spending time with my dinner companions.
Our trip will continue in my next post.
Trip date: October 10-22, 2022
No comments:
Post a Comment