As many of you may know, I took a trip back to my hometown of Warren, Pennsylvania, last week after almost two years of absence. It was a wonderful trip all around, and I had a great visit with family and with the NWPA Kossacks, but this diary is not about that. This is about my other favorite part of Pennsylvania: the scenery. Nestled in the hills of northwestern Pennsylvania, Warren County may not have a whole lot going for it otherwise, but it does have some gorgeous scenery. It's something I took for granted growing up, until I moved to the concrete jungle that is Houston, and now I sorely miss the natural beauty of Pennsylvania. I made it a point on this trip to revisit some of my favorite places in the area and snap some pictures, since I don't know how long it will be until I visit again.
So I guess you can consider this diary a photographic tour of Warren County, Pennsylvania. Because I know that's something you've been yearning for. While I was sad that I missed the fall colors, leaving what some may see as bleak, barren hills, I found a certain beauty in the leafless trees and the remnants of autumn on the ground. And then, halfway into my visit, it snowed, because Old Man Winter couldn't let me leave the state without giving me a middle finger. It was so pretty that I almost forgot how much I hate scraping the car off. Almost. So follow me below the fold and enjoy the northwestern Pennsylvania winter from the comfort of your living room...
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Please come in. You're invited to make yourself at home! Join us beneath the doodle...
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We'll start and end with the city of Warren itself. As I said, it doesn't have much going for it. A refinery, a plastic cup factory, a clothing catalog. Walmart. An all-but-dead mall with one major store left in it. All in all, it can be a depressing place, but it's still one of the most picturesque towns I know.
As I drove west toward the NWPA Kossacks meet-up, here are some shots I got on the Old Garland Road, which runs through a valley between Pittsfield and Garland. When we lived in this area, this was on my cycling route. Again, I really wish I had been here for the fall colors, because this is a beautiful road.
Of course, I checked out the old homestead. Then I ventured up Mickle Hill Road, which is, in my opinion, one of the hidden gems of Warren County. Halfway up, you can look down and see my old house, and the farther up you go, the more spectacular the views of the valley get.
Enter Old Man Winter! After this series of photos, the snow came, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to go visit any more places I wanted to visit. But my chance came on Friday. It was snowy, but there was still visibility. First up, the Kinzua Dam and Allegheny Reservoir, which while beautiful, has a
sad history.
Then, it was off to the small town of Tidioute, which has probably my
favorite spot in the area: the Tidioute Overlook. There are actually two overlooks, one looking out over the Allegheny River and the other with a view of part of the town itself. If I ever needed some time away in nature, it was spent here. Again, a somewhat hidden gem that not many people even in the area know about.
Tidioute itself is a pretty little town. Again, not much going for it otherwise, but it's certainly a nice place to pass through.
As promised, we'll end in Warren again. I drove up a hill to Washington Park, which has its own overlook with a view of pretty much the entire city of Warren. This was actually a new experience for me, because despite living in Warren, I'd never been to Washington Park. It was worth it, even though I came very close to getting my car stuck in the process.
I have more pictures, but I think I've made this diary quite photo-heavy enough. Hopefully you enjoyed. If not, here's what you came for...
TOP PHOTOS
December 4, 2014
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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