OH NO! We’ve done it again! The trailer was loaded and the new equalizer hitch was hooked up so we left home again on Thursday, October 9th. This time we’re headed east to the Pittsburgh area with a stop in Amish Country Ohio at the Holmes County Flea Market and a night camping at Tappan Lake Park. The fall colors are out, the temps are rising into the 70’s and we think this might just be the peak color weekend!
Friday, October 10th we crossed the Ohio River at Steubenville and whizzed thru West Virginia to Raccoon Creek State Park in Pennsylvania, and parked the trailer before lunchtime. The afternoon was enjoyed by walking and exploring the park’s many winding roads, the scenic reservoir and the wooded camping areas. There were signs all over to not feed the deer and bears but we only saw one deer and no bears.
On Saturday, October 11th, our objective was to find the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Lily the GPS was set for the address given in the tour book and off we went. HOWEVER- - the route we dutifully followed thru endless neighborhoods and up hill and down, led us to a dead end street in a quiet neighborhood! The police officers that we located parked in a small shopping center said we were not the first to have ended up in their area and gave us new directions to find the zoo - - - which took us 18 miles across town to the north. This time the gps address the officers sent us to was another small neighborhood. H’s frustration level was at its peak and we finally dug out the cell phone and called the wayward zoo!! We had left the campground before 9am and it was now noon!
The day was warm and sunny – the parking lot was full and the zoo was crowded! But what a wonderful zoo! Wondrously arranged on the top of one of Pittsburgh many mountains, the walkways led from area to area, up and down and around, from the lions to the African elephants, to the awesome aquarium and underwater walkway. We walked UNDER the polar bear, frolicking in his pool, watched the sea otters antics and had a shark swim over our heads! As we left the zoo and headed, hopefully, downtown we stopped in a neighborhood they call “the strip”. We parked and walked several blocks while enjoying an expensive Greek pastry. The old buildings and sidewalk booths reminded us of both Toronto Ontario and Progresso Mexico!
We found the Duquesne Incline which dates back to 1877 and took some great pictures of downtown Pittsburgh and the 3 rivers that divide it- the Allegheny to the north, the Monongahela to the south and the Ohio to the west. The water in the large fountain at the point of the 3 rivers is flowing pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
After a long day on the road and walking thru the zoo and exploring downtown, we finally found our way home, after dark.
