Ohiopyle, Pa

Well we just got back from our weekend excursion.....a trip to Ohiopyle Pennsylvania.  It was not our usual camping experience as we went with new friends and we stayed at Yogi Bear Jellystone Resort Campground.  My parents always told me to say something nice before the negative comments start flying so here goes: 

We had a great time with our new friends.  We spent some time doing some of the activities that the campground had to offer, we checked out the store, went swimming and went on a hayride.  We also spent some time on Saturday afternoon seeing just a few sites that the area had to offer.  Ohiopyle is a very scenic area that I would recommend to anyone.  We have been there a time or two before but the beauty of the area never leaves us wanting.  In the past we have done the river rapids, always alot of fun.  You can have guided or unguided tours down the river and different areas of the river are for different levels of rafters.  When we took our family my daughter was probably around 10 so we took what I would call the bunny slope, but we had a great adventure on the river together.  Some other things the area has to offer is natural water slides where the river has carved out a trail and there is enough current to carry you down to a natural pool.  The water is very clear and the rock formations are beautiful.  Much of the area is covered with Mountain Laurel and I'm sure it would be extra beautiful when it is in bloom.  This time I was only able to find one spot where it was blooming so I'm not sure if it is just starting or ending.  These are right on Rt 381.  There are hiking trails, a battlefield, alot of places where you rent bicycles, or rafts.

Now about Yogi Bear.....it is probably your typical "privately" owned campgrounds.  You know the kind that pack as many campers into an area as possible.  The sites were very small and really close together.  On the website it said that our site had a creek running behind it, it was a drainage ditch.  The quite hours which is what I like about camping were from 11pm to 7am and let me tell you the campers were loud and living it up until the very last minute and right back at it again come 7am.  As far as campgrounds go this one was a bit expensive I thought but we did have water, sewer and electric at our site, a nice convenience that we aren't used to.  But the showers were another story.  They were luke warm at best. 

So if you are looking for a loud, very active camping trip with tons of activities this is the place.  If you want a peaceful, restful camping experience this is NOT the place for you.  Right down the road there is Ohiopyle State Park and they offer camping....I will be there next time.

Pymatuning State Park-Ohio

We just got back from a week of camping at Pymatuning State Park.  It is a pretty big park and within the park there are several campgrounds, a dam, spillway, and a lake.  It borders on the Pennsylvania and Ohio state line.  We camped at the Ohio campground.  We have been going there for years and this year we met up with family and some old friends so it made it extra special.

I am happy to report that for the most part the weather was great, if on cool side.  I think a good time was had by all, but of course we wish that the week didn't go by so quickly.....why is it that the work week drags on forever but vacations fly by?  I personally think that we need to adopt the Europeans way of life and vacation more and work less.  :)

Food is always the best part of any camping trip.  I think everything taste better when cooked over the fire and eaten in the open air.  As always we had planned for a steak and baked potatoes night so all day my mouth was watering and we were all very excited as the steaks were put on the fire.  I had purchased .....or I thought I purchased Angus strip steaks.  But as they started to color on the fire they weren't looking like everyone elses....they weren't getting as brown.  So we took them off and cut into them and the texture was all wrong.  It was more like  PORK.  Which is fine if that is what you were expecting.   But when you think you are going to sink your teeth into a medium done steak and you get pork steak.  It just isn't the same.  So everyone was joking at my expense.  That perhaps I got cloned cow....or something worse.  My husband says he will now take on the responsibility of purchasing the steaks.  Needless to say the smores that night tasted extra good after the disappointing dinner. 

Some how during one of our past camping trips my friends have given me the title of camp counselor....I think it has something to do with my list making and I don't think that I have mentioned that I am a planner. So as camp counselor I decided it would  be a great idea if we got a friendly game of whiffle ball going.  Most everyone was up for it....a few had to be bribed, but finally we got the game under way.  Everything was going great until my daughter (who was on the opposing team) decided to tackle me as I was running for home plate.  We went down and my big toe went a way that it was not meant to.  I got up and continued to play but the next day.....I was in some serious pain and now it is swollen and purple.  Not very attractive during sandal weather and let me just say that I didn't know that whiffle ball was a contact sport.

Since were were camping for a week we took some excursions... we took a trip over to the dam (about a 10min drive from the campground) to take some pictures.  I had never checked it out before but was pleasantly surprised.  There is a great place to fish with a lookout area and some benches and this is all handicapped accessible.  Another great place to visit while in the area is Yorkies.  It is a great spot for ice cream and they usually have around 30 different flavors...Two thumbs up for Yorkies. 

Another area attraction is the spillway in Linesville, Pa there are a huge amount of carp that gather there and you can view them and feed them bread.  These are no ordinary carp.  They are huge in number and size.  There are so many of them that the ducks can walk across the fish without getting their feet wet.  It is something to see, ducks and carp alike fighting for the bread that is being thrown to them from the shore.  If you have never been here it is something to see and definitely worth the short trip.  It is about 20 minutes if that from the campground and you can stop at Yorkies on the way back an make an afternoon of it.http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2204

Another area of note that we came across is in Meadville, PA at the Dot office. Meadville is about 35 minutes from the campground or right off of I79 at the Meadville exit. You won't be disappointed. The Department of transportation has made murals out of used or retired road signs......they have them posted on fence of their property. I was such a pleasant surprise. Below are some photos of just a few of the displays. The hot air balloons and the flowers were my favorite....but there is something there for everyone and there is no cost. A must see for anyone who happens to be near by.

http://ceed.allegheny.edu