~A Grand Getaway~

I'm not sure just how the whole adventure evolved. Visiting the Pine Creek Gorge or the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania as it is more commonly known, has been on our Bucket List for some time so this past Wednesday we started our little journey to make this part of the list a reality.

I think I am the one who came up with the idea to find a bed and breakfast in the area and combine it with a visit to Jim's mom who also lives in Pennsylvania. That decided, I thought I should include a visit with my aunts and a favorite cousin. Well, as you can see, there was a process of evolution that led to this glorious weekend.

Far be it from me to interfere with the weekly "Men's Breakfast" so we left here around 10:30 on Wednesday, headed for Mansfield, Pennsylvania and the university from which Jim graduated forty years ago.



Mind you, forty years ago, this was Mansfield State College, formerly Mansfield State Teacher's College, formerly Mansfield Normal School. Whatever, Jim and I had only been on the campus once in the past forty years.

Someone had recommended that we eat lunch at "Gramma's Kitchen". We were certainly glad that we had followed that recommendation. The lunch was really good, but the blueberry pie was outstanding. Before leaving, we purchased some homemade cookies for the intended hike into the canyon. I'm sorry to report, they never made it to the canyon, being consumed later in the evening on the deck of our B&B.

We drove around town and then parked and walked up to the campus. What an eye opener. Although I didn't attend Mansfield, I had applied and visited there as a senior in high school. I had visited Jim on the campus when he attended there so, like him, was astonished at the changes. It is really a lovely campus and the improvements are vast. I was pleased that North Hall, the original building of Mansfield, has been preserved and is being used as a computer center. It was an absolutely delightful afternoon.

Wellsboro, home of the Grand Canyon, and where we were spending the night, is only a short drive from Mansfield, on Route 6 in Pennsylvania. We were at our B&B in no time. I had found this lodge on the Internet and didn't know exactly what to expect. It far exceeded our expectations.


The minute we drove up the winding drive to the lodge, we were entranced. Having had a really substantial lunch, we were definitely ready to spend the entire evening in this hideaway. From being greeted by Samantha, the hostess, to sitting on the deck with our wine and cheese, to relaxing in the jacuzzi, to sleeping in the wonderful bed, we were totally mesmerized by our surroundings.






We are already planning on a return trip to this wonderful hideaway.

Although we were tempted to linger in these surroundings, we were up early and on our way to the canyon. But first, a stop for breakfast (courtesy of our hosts at Bear Mountain Lodge) at the "famous" Wellsboro Diner where we had a great breakfast.



Wellsboro is a delightful Victorian town set in the endless mountains of Pennsylvania. Arriving at the park that gives entrance to the gorge, we were overwhelmed with its beauty.



It was a mile long hike to the bottom of the gorge, filled with beautiful sights at every turn.



I'm sure you are all aware of the saying "What goes up must come down". Well, in our case, what goes down, needed to come up, and we did.



This is our "We Made It" picture. We ended the day with arrival at Jim's brother's home and cake to celebrate his 62nd birthday. Jim kept saying he was really celebrating as now he can draw his social security.

There was more to this fabulous weekend, but I think if you've stayed with me this long, you deserve a break. I'll post about my wonderful day with my aunt and cousin in a day or two.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. Hope your Sunday is super. Isn't God good?

~Hippo Hugs~