Monday, July 16, 2012

Buckaloons Recreation Area-Allegheny National Forest

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  This is a nice little campground right off of US 6. Most of the sites in the larger loop have electricity. We stayed in the smaller non-electric site which is used primarily by tenters. The non-electric loop has low hanging branches along the road and in some of the sites. Amenities include showers, flush toilets, a dump station, and boat ramp. There’s some traffic noise in the sites that are closest to the highway.

  None of the sites are marked as handicapped accessible but many of them are usable. The ground is hard packed and the tables have a short overhang. A private, wheelchair accessible, shower/toilet room is located in the main restroom building which, unfortunately, is not located conveniently to any of the campsites. The camp host will provide a key to accessible restroom.

  Some of the sites will accommodate any RV. Campground
41.83934, -79.25679
pennsylvania1

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Drake Well Museum

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  Everyone thought that Edwin Drake was crazy when in 1858 he started to drill for oil in northwestern Pennsylvania. Up until that point the method of gathering oil was to dig a shallow pit at a natural seep. Drilling was used only to find fresh drinking water or salt water for salt manufacturing. When the drill hit oil in August of 1869 the world was changed forever. In the beginning the oil was used mostly in lamps replacing whale oil which was almost depleted and becoming very expensive.

  The site incudes an exact replica of Drake’s original well and equipment, a small museum, a gift shop, and many oil artifacts and buildings scattered around the grounds.
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  The museum and gift shop are completely accessible. A gravel and dirt path circles the grounds. Some of the signs and buildings are located off the main path in grassy areas. The path and the grass are both fairly hard packed so rolling around is just a little hard. The 1920s oil derrick building has steps without a ramp. The inside is large enough for a wheelchair to maneuver .

  The northern end of the Oil Creek State Park bike trail is located near the museum.

  The parking lots at the museum and bike trail are large enough for any size RV.  Museum
  41.61177, -79.65685
pennsylvania1

Friday, July 13, 2012

Oil Creek State Park–Petroleum Center and Bike Trail

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  The park encompasses the land on both sides of Oil Creek from Rouseville to Titusville. For about a dozen years, from 1859 to 1871, this was the site of a huge oil boom with towns springing up overnight and thousands of derricks dotting the hillsides. Today it’s a peaceful valley, so quiet and remote that the only sounds are from bird song and trickling streams.

  A train station visitor center is located at the town site of Petroleum Center. It’s only opened on the weekends. Petroleum Center had a short life and, since it was built almost entirely of wood, nothing exists today however there’s a walking tour along the main road with good interpretive signs that tell the story of the town. The tour is along raised boardwalk which isn’t very accessible but it’s possible to roll along the side of the road and read the signs.
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  Just across the creek from Petroleum Center is the southern trailhead for the bike trail. The trail is almost ten miles long. It’s wide and smooth, surfaced with asphalt. We spotted quite a bit of wildlife including this little black bear!
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   The parking lots at both the train station and the trailhead are large enough for all RVs. Trail and Town site
41.51779, -79.68362
pennsylvania1

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Fellows Riverside Gardens‎

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  Most of the gardens are spread across a grassy expanse so they aren’t accessible but those closest to the Davis Education & Visitor Center have paved paths. These gardens are very colorful with seasonal and perennial flower beds and a large rose collection. The visitor center was closed but it appears to be completely accessible.

  The parking lot is large enough for any size RV.  Garden
41.09969, -80.67606
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Youngstown Historical Center

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  For almost 100 years Youngstown’s major industries were iron and steel manufacturing. The decline of the industries and the closing of the mills in the late 1970s and early 1980s dealt the city a blow from which it may never recover. Most of the mills have been leveled , many buildings are vacant and boarded up but overall the city has been kept clean and neat and the city center is still thriving due to Youngstown State University located a bit north.

  The museum does an excellent job of explaining all aspects of  iron and steel making along with more personal stories of immigration and labor struggles.

   The museum is accessible with just a few displays that are too high to be viewed easily from a wheelchair.

  The parking lot is large enough for vans and small RVs. Larger RVs can be parked at metered spaces along the street. Museum
41.10277, -80.65126
ohio1

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Arms Family Museum of Local History

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  The first floor of the house has been left almost exactly the way it was when Olive Arms was alive. Olive was the sixth daughter of a wealthy Youngstown iron manufacturer. She was also an artist and she designed the house, some of the furnishings, and many of the details such as hardware, lighting, and finishes in the Arts and Crafts style. The second floor has a brief history of Youngstown and displays about how the house was designed. The basement is a hands-on area for kids covering frontier life and immigrating to the US.

  The museum is all accessible. A small elevator accesses the second floor and the basement. The first floor has two short ramps because one room is slightly sunken.

The parking lot is large enough for RV parked lengthwise across the spaces.  Museum
41.10696, -80.64443
ohio1

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Road Sign Art

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   Artist Amara Geffen,working together with PennDot, college students, and many  members of the community created a very unique fence made from discarded road signs. It acts as screening for a PennDot storage lot and features scenes from the area.

  The best place to view the art is across the street in the shopping center lot – plenty of space for RVs. Sculpture
41.61953, -80.16569
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Goodell Gardens & Homestead

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  The Goodell sisters, Carrie and Margaret, spent most of their lives in Edinboro, Pennsylvania living in a small house that they inherited from their parents and leasing out the farmland. Their passion for gardening led to the creation of this little garden which they willed to the community.

  The visitor center has a ramp to the entrance. The garden paths are wood chip or grass so rolling is a little hard but doable.

  The parking lots are large enough for RVs. Garden
  41.87735, -80.12314
pennsylvania1

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Tom Ridge Environmental Center

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  The center has displays about the post glacial formation of the peninsula of Presque Isle, the many eco systems in the park today, and the history of the few industries that operated on what is now parkland.

  Everything is accessible. The elevator to the second level of the center and the tower is located outside to the left of the entrance doors. The view of the lake at the top of the tower is almost completely blocked for people in wheelchairs due to a tall fence made with a small mesh.

  The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Center
42.10908, -80.1539
pennsylvania

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Presque Isle Bike Trail

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  The first six miles of the bike trail is a wide, paved, dedicated path that is separated from the park road by grassy areas with trees and vegetation. The next portion, about seven more miles, is just a wide shoulder alongside the roadway.

  The dedicated path is on the bay side of the peninsula. The first two parking lots are small. A van or short RV will fit but larger RVs should continue along the road because the other lots are larger with plenty of room for RVs. The path ends at the Perry Monument.

  The path is also a good place to watch the 4th of July fireworks that are launched from a barge near the city of Erie. Trail
42.12495, -80.14667
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