Here there is absolutely nothing to do but take it all in and reconnect with yourself at the core. After the hustle and bustle of Philly, this was a welcome commune.
We still had some dryimg out to do from Brandywine. What you can't see is the steam rising from the towels stretched out on the van. There wasn't much sunlight to help the drying process so we had to get a little inventive. We were actually pretty happy about this because it meant our campsite was cool and shady!
This place was perfect and we settled in for a couple days stay. I could have spent a solid two weeks here and been completely satisfied.
We had some tasty food at a British pub called The Market Cross Pub & Brewery in Carlisle PA. I had the cottage pie, which was composed of hamburger (almost the consistency of a beefy chili) covered in cheddar cheese, green beans, and mashed potatoes. It was a welcome change to have a little bit of comfort food. I am looking forward to making my own version of this when we get home. Landon had chicken wings again.
We saw some pretty cool wildlife here too. I've never seen a moth this color! We had a little scare one night on the way to bed. We were talking pretty loudly and getting into the tent. When I turned the light on, something large (we think a deer) moved very suddenly right behind our tent. It sounded like the deer might come charging into our tent and trample us under its hooves! Of course, we probably scared it pretty good. It was a reminder of our vulnerability in the woods with a sheer piece of fabric between us and the wild.
When I selected this park as part of our trip, I didn't realize it was the exact halfway point along the Appalachian Trail! We visited the AT Museum on the park grounds. To be honest, I got a little emotional in the museum. I don't really know why, except to say that the pure love for the trail and the lifetime commitment these people have made to preserving the natural beauty of our countryside simply for posterity is overwhelming.
Maybe one day Landon and I will make a thru-hike? Until then, we settled for a short piece through the park.
We also hiked a quick trail to a creek behind our campsite. The trail looped behind the campground. We took off from our tent site, which required the use of a map and a compass to locate the trail.
Hehe
We found it! We also found an amphitheater and a peace sign along the way.
After all this hiking, we were pretty hungry and had dinner at the camp store near the museum. We both had burgers and shared a large fry. We had no idea at the time that we were really in for a treat. I ordered a hiker's burger which included double cheese, a fried egg, bacon and avocado. I realize that my "hikes" were nowhere near deserving of a hiker's burger, but I couldn't resist. Remember we have already thrown caution to the wind in terms of healthy eating anyway. It was SO worth it!
We also found out a little more information about the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The name was such a mouthful and we didn't really know what it meant. So- we found out!
This is the Furnace that the park is named for. The Furnace was used to smelt iron. The process involves iron ore, limestone, and a very hot fire. The pine trees in the area were used to make charcoal to fuel the fire. Hence, the Furnace needed to be near the resources required to process iron, including the iron ore & limestone in the mountains and the pine trees in the forest.
The next day it was time to pack up and head on to our last camp stop on the way home. I did NOT want to leave this place and resisted. Notice that I am still representing Irmo! It was pretty chilly in the morning- which is why we always head north for camping.
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