Pittsburgh's Roberto Clemente, Rachel Carson, & Andy Warhol Lighting Project

Over the last few years, each of the "Three Sisters Bridges," the only three identical bridges built next to each other in the world, have been fully restored. Iron work was redone, rust was sanded off, they were fully inspected, and painted, having these bridges that were built from 1924-1928 look brand new. A restoration of the showpiece of our city here in Pittsburgh. Most times that this city is highlighted for the world to see, usually in national broadcasts of sporting events, these bridges are usually shown. For as important of a visual symbol these bridges give of the city, they also serve as critical links between Downtown Pittsburgh and the North Side. 

After the bridge restoration projects were completed, they added these stunning LED lights that have adjustable color and patterns, making these bridges really stand out at night. 

 

Hillsgrove Covered Bridge Near Worlds End State Park

The Hillsgrove Covered Bridge is located just down the road from Forksville and Worlds End State Park, in an idyllic setting. It was built by the same builder, Sadler Rogers, of the more famous Forksville Covered Bridge, which perfectly frames the Forksville General Store and Big Mike's Cheesesteaks. Sadler was only 18 when he constructed these bridges in the 1850s. 

It is 186 feet long and 18 feet wide, across the mighty Loyalsock Creek with Burr Arch Trusses.

It is also meticulously maintained and clearly well valued by the overall community. It was fully restored in 2010, but again had to undergo a serious restoration in 2012 after the remnants of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee battered the bridge with flood waters and swept away debris. 

Meticulous care means a lot with covered bridges. It is also on the National Register of Historic Places, the first of the three Sullivan County bridges to be added. 

It also has one of my favorite types of adornments on covered bridges, window cutouts with their own little roofs. 

 GPS Coordinates: 

41.460716, -76.670734

Allegheny Overlook Park in Cadogan, Armstrong County: Scenic Views and Park Above the Allegheny River

Cadogan has created something pretty special with their Allegheny Overlook Park. It utilizes a scenic overlook point above the Allegheny River to create a beautiful little public park and gathering space. We went to this park once before, and the only thing we could recall is the beautiful gazebo. Since then, they have added more historic relics and a brand new picnic pavilion. 

We stopped at the park after picking up dinner down the street, which is a common occurrence for us since we cannot take our pups into the restaurant. While chowing down on some delicious Italian food from down the street at Falsetti's Villa, we took in this view. We highly recommend checking it out if you are in the area, between Freeport and Kittanning. 

It is located at coordinates

40.752626, -79.580910

Sleepy Hollow and the Loyalhanna Gorge Natural Area, Lincoln Highway between Ligonier & Latrobe

The Loyalhanna Gorge Greenway protects a nice section of the Loyalhanna Creek, just downstream from beautiful Idlewild Amusement Park and more and just upstream from where it heads into Latrobe. It is located in between the eastbound and westbound lanes of the beautiful Lincoln Highway/Route 30, at the point that the Lincoln Highway really starts to go wild into the mountains. The section we are covering today is called "Sleepy Hollow" and it is a pretty pleasant place to stop at. 

It is a wonderful place to get out and stretch your legs and let the pups go in and wade for a minute. It looks like it is an excellent trout stream as well. 

It is now owned by Westmoreland County and is preserved as a great green space. The Loyalhanna Watershed Association and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy have worked hard to make sure this land gets protected. I recall driving through this area for the first time a long time ago as we headed to Idlewild and just being so excited and astounded by the beauty of the wooded area through this portion of highway. I did not realize that this little park area was in between those lanes. 

The Sleepy Hollow Causeway is a relic that should be preserved as well. 

Definitely stop and take in the natural beauty of this spot if you are in the area. Well worth a short ride to stop and take in the beauty. 

 

Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge: Lancaster County

Bucher's Mill Covered Bridge is a beautiful little covered bridge in Lancaster County across Cocalico Creek. For a guide on other covered bridges in Lancaster County, the county with the most covered bridges in PA, check out our guide. This little covered bridge has white portals with red sides. I am usually indifferent about what color the portals of a covered bridge are, but I have to say that the white portals on this bridge really pop with the lush greenery of the surrounding woods. On one end of the bridge, you approach the covered bridge by going through agricultural areas, very much in line with many of the other covered bridges in the region.

In a nut shell, between the agricultural area with a farm stand and immediately adjacent creek area with nice forests, this spot accentuates so much about small borough/suburban/rural Pennsylvania life, right down to small businesses, housing developments, and even a pickup truck accessories store, used car lot, pizza shop, and more within a quarter mile radius of this spot. If I had to pick one location that accentuates a lot of what the state consists of, this would be it. 

It is located on the outskirts of Ephrata. It was built in 1891 and is 54 feet long. It utilizes Burr Arch-Truss construction. 

Coordinates:

40.207940, -76.134756

Tioga Reservoir/Tioga-Hammond Lakes Overlook and Recreation Area, Opposite Route 15/I99 Overlook

So we recently covered the beautiful scenic overlook at the Route 15/I-99 Welcome Center. Today we take a look from the other side, looking towards it, from the little strip of land between the Tioga and Hammond Lakes, an abrupt rocky formation that is a fantastic place to have a picnic. 

While the view is not as sweeping as the view from up on the mountain on Route 15, here you can see how impressive and bold this road cut was. Engineering and human effort in action to harness nature and have it work together. Between the road cut and the giant dam for the lakes, this is a really impressive place to see.

 

Weaver's Mill Covered Bridge: Lancaster County

Weaver's Mill Covered Bridge is surrounded by agricultural land in Lancaster County. For a guide on other covered bridges in Lancaster County, the county with the most covered bridges in PA, check out our guide. 

I particularly like the large stone entry ways leading up to the bridge. 

The bridge is 82 feet long and dates back to 1879. It utilizes the Burr Arch-Truss method of construction and it crosses the Conestoga River.

Coordinates: 

40.141323, -75.997804

Beartown Rocks: An Awesome Rock City in Clear Creek State Forest

We have gone to Beartown Rocks before, and I appreciated it even more on this visit. This rock city is very pretty, and the sandstone weathering on this outcropping is especially beautiful and different from other rock cities across the state. Us and the pups had a great time walking around it. 

The weathering, moss, lichen, and odd shapes of the rocks is something that is so neat to see. The weathering process in general is such a neat concept and the wildly different results depending upon the makeup of the rocks is a terrific insight into the power of nature. 

These rocks predate human history. Seeing the way these rocks get whittled down over the years is really special. To top off the beauty of Beartown Rocks, there is even a scenic overlook at the highest point, with steps to the top of the boulder, to give a stunning view of the Clarion River Valley as it meanders through the area. 

It is such a chill, relaxing, and beautiful spot to be, especially in the evening hours as the sun begins to dip. It is also located just a few minutes from the entrance to Clear Creek State Park, and within short proximity of Cook Forest State Park and Allegheny National Forest. Rugged, scenic, and beautiful lands. 

Hidden within Clear Creek State Forest in Jefferson County is Beartown Rocks, a beautiful rock formation that consists of nearly house sized boulders, leading to an overlook of the Clarion Valley. The rocks are spread out far enough that it is said that the spaces between are like little roads, thus leading to "town" fitting the bill in being a part of the name. 

Beartown Rocks is pretty easy to find if you are in the are in the area of Clear Creek State Park. It is located not too far from the perimeter of the state park, just off of Corbett Road, an unpaved State Forest Road that leads almost right to Clear Creek State Park.

 

When coupled with the surrounding beautiful countryside that includes Clear Creek State Park, Cook Forest State Park, and other regional attractions, this is a great spot to stop and check out.