Beam Rocks Overlook Hike and Linn Run State Park, Laughlintown, PA, Somerset and Westmoreland Counties

One of my favorite little hikes in western PA is the Beam Rocks Overlook hike. If you are traveling along the Lincoln Highway in this area, you absolutely need to stop here, stretch your legs, and take in the magnificent views. Even though this is a generally level and obstacle free hike, between this and the nearby Wolf Rocks hike, the absolutely spectacular views make these some of the finest places to hike in western PA. The last time I showed you these places was during the depths of winter. Today we visit during the autumn season, and get a view of some of the residual colors and fresh blanket of leaves across the forest floor of Laurel Ridge. 

For more in depth information about this and the nearby Wolf Rocks hikes, check out this guide that we wrote. 

A fresh blanket of leaves on the forest floor of Laurel Ridge.

There's Brit!

The shapes of the stones give them an almost lifelike feel. With some imagination, the rock in the center of the photo almost looks like a sleeping or planking person, to bring back a meme phenomenon from a few years ago. The rock is complete with two nostrils facing us towards the end of the rock, with the sides of the rock almost looking like the arms of someone with an hourglass figure, and the hips tilting back outwards towards the bottom right of the photo. 

These sandstone outcroppings stand about ninety feet above Laurel Ridge. 

A commanding view of Laurel Ridge

A look down about 90 feet, with the forest floor having some low lying Mountain Laurel or Rhododendron. Nothing makes me feel as alive as taking in nature on a nice crisp day like this.

It is neat to see how the sandstone has weathered with rounded edges without one jagged/90 degree edge. 

A commanding view of the Somerset County countryside with just a hint of remaining autumn color.

Brit!

Now we headed back to the parking location and needed to quench our thirst.

So we stopped at Grove Run Spring at the nearby Linn Run State Park, a gorgeous little wonderland, complete with this spring, a deeply forested gorge, a small waterfall, and historic cabins that were constructed by the CCC, a Great Depression era program that built the infrastructure of many of the places that we hold dear. Grove Run Spring gushes the cleanest and most delicious spring water that is known to man, in my humble opinion. My goodness is it so delicious. The best things in life are free.

Linn Run State Park, Forbes State Forest, and the surrounding areas abound with spectacular natural beauty and are well worth your time. These places are so awesome to relax in. 

PA Holiday Bucket List: 13 Awesome Things to Do

The brightest time of the winter season is coming up, the holiday season. I hope that all of you have done some or all of the activities on this list, but if you have not, try to plan some time to enjoy them in the future. Christmas would just not be the same without them for us. While we do not get to all of these places each year due to time constraints, we try to do as many as possible. This is the list of our favorite things to do and places to experience during the holidays.

1) Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville, PA:
Article and Koziar's Website

Bar none, one of the quirkiest and most awesome places to visit in the country is Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville, PA, just north of Interstate 78 in Berks County. This is a special place where family memories are made as brightly as the 500,000 old style, large bulb, Christmas lights that Koziar's uses. Some of my earliest memories were made here. There is nothing like sipping a cup of hot chocolate and walking around this attraction that has been family run and owned since 1948.

2) While we live in Pittsburgh, I (Dave) am originally from the Lehigh Valley. I consider Bethlehem to be my home city. No other city in the entire state decks itself out as great as Bethlehem, the Christmas City. The city was founded on Christmas Eve in 1741 by a group of the pacifist Moravians, led by David Nitschmann and Count Zinzendorf. Every year we go back to the Lehigh Valley and spend Christmas Eve with my family in Allentown. We drive through Bethlehem after spending the evening with my family, and it is always so special. 

Throughout the holiday season, lights are wrapped around many trees, actual Christmas trees are placed upon every light pole and every streetlight post, giant steel advent wreathes are placed around the city, christmas trees are decorated, and so much more. The Star of Bethlehem, visible for up to twenty miles away, shines as it always does on top of South Mountain looking over the city. 

The town's festivities include two German style Christmas craft marts, including Christkindlmarkt and Christmas City Village Weihnachtsmarkt. Other things to do include horse drawn carriage rides, staying overnight or dining at the historic Hotel Bethlehem, browsing at the famous Moravian Book Shop, and so much more. Bethlehem is a place to spend a weekend at if you have the opportunity, especially during the Christmas season.

3) Pittsburgh Light Up Night and Holiday Market. Pittsburgh kicks off the holiday season in the way it knows best, by running a huge fireworks display. Always done the Friday before Thanksgiving, the fireworks, musical performances, demonstrations, and other festivities kick off the holiday season in Pittsburgh. During the festival, many displays set up around the city are lit up for the holiday season, ice skating starts at PPG Place, and so much more. It is always a treat taking in Pittsburgh's Light Up Night Festival and taking in the many holiday displays throughout the season.

4) Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens Winter Flower Show: Pittsburgh, PA.
Article and Website
Phipps Conservatory is a world class horticultural display garden that really comes alive in the holiday season. Lights and displays are set up throughout the sprawling indoor gardens complex, and outside on the grounds of the facility. This facility is stunning and constantly growing and improving, and dates back to 1893 when it was built by steel and real estate magnate, Henry Phipps. Any time of the year is awesome to visit this place, but one of the best times is during the Winter Flower Show.

5) Longwood Gardens: A Longwood Christmas: Kennett Square, PA
Article and Website
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, is another one of the world's premier horticultural display places. Similar to Phipps, this stunning facility was created by a gilded age industrialist. Pierre DuPont founded the facility, of which many of the buildings within the campus were a part of his mansion. The tract of property dates back to William Penn in 1700 who sold it to the Peirce family. In 1798 they started an arboretum and opened the land for public viewing. Pierre DuPont purchased the land in 1906 to prevent it from getting logged, and he made it his private mansion, of which he kept open for tours of the old arboretum and the new plant specimens that he added to the gardens. In 1946 he founded the Longwood Foundation, an organization that has kept the facility open in his honor ever since. The complex gets intricately decorated for the holiday season each year, with many displays, the thousands of plant and tree specimens throughout the complex, the famous fountains, and the sound of the famous 10,010 pipe organ still entertains visitors as it has since 1929. Longwood is an awesome place to visit any time of the year, but especially during Christmas. If you are going to visit, be sure to contact the gardens to reserve a time to visit.

6) Allentown PA

Every year, Allentown closes its Little Lehigh Parkway and creates a drive through holiday display. This year the event is back after a hiatus last year due to a construction project on the Parkway. Lights in the Parkway is awesome!

7) Roadside America: Shartlesville, PA
Website
Roadside America, located just off of Interstate 78 in Shartlesville, PA, Berks County, is one of the most stunning miniature train exhibits in existence. Operating for over 80 years, this famed William Penn Highway mainstay has captured the imagination of many generations of visitors. Roadside America's miniature train village is 8000 square feet of awesome, and open year round.

Photo Courtesy of Roadside America

8) Lancaster: The National Christmas Center, Strasburg Railroad, and more.
National Christmas Center Website
Strasburg Railroad Website
National Christmas Center Website

Similar to Bethlehem, Lancaster is another awesome area to visit over the holidays. The National Christmas Center is a year-round museum dedicated to all things Christmas. A number of awesome displays cover the history of the holiday, old traditions, and classic memorabilia. This is a must-see attraction.

As with many of the places that we have talked about throughout this article, the Strasburg Railroad is an absolutely awesome place to visit. Cited by many as the best preserved steam train attraction, Strasburg is a must-see attraction for anyone that loves trains and beautiful Amish farm scenery. In addition to the scenic ride you get on their old trains, the trains and route are elegantly decorated for Christmas, and they even run themed holiday train rides.

Photo Courtesy of the National Christmas Center

9) Indiana, PA: Jimmy Stewart Museum,  It's a Wonderful Life Festival, and the Christmas Tree Capital of the World.

If you were unaware, one of the best actors of all time, Jimmy Stewart, grew up in Indiana, PA. The city is home to the Jimmy Stewart Museum in his honor, which celebrates the career of the legend that brought us one of the best Christmas movies of all time, It's a Wonderful Life. The town also celebrates a festival in his honor, with the It's a Wonderful Life Festival, which will be celebrated each weekend from the weekend of November 18th-Christmas. Be sure to come and visit the museum anyways and maybe even cut down a Christmas tree in the area nicknamed the "Christmas Tree Capital of the World."

Photo from It's a Wonderful Life

10) Lakemont Park: Altoona, PA: Holiday Lights on the Lake
Website
With the park's legendary coasters, the winter hibernation of the world's oldest operating roller coaster, Leap the Dips, and the Skyliner, Altoona, PA's Lakemont Park has a delightful drive-through holiday display. If you are in the area, definitely spend an evening at Lakemont Park.

11) Overly's Country Christmas: Mt. Pleasant, PA, Westmoreland County

Overly's has a great drive through display, along with a village with displays, food, hot chocolate, wagon rides, and even a bonfire to warm you up! Overly's is a great place to enjoy during the holidays.

12) While you are driving around the state, be sure to keep your eye out for some beautifully decked out houses. 

13) Go out and cut down a Christmas Tree! Quakertown, PA's Wata Christmas Tree Farm and Bobwhite Acres Orchard, is our Christmas Tree farm of choice, but there are many awesome places to choose from across the state. This photo was taken a few years ago, so I assume that the trees in this photo are probably ready for this year!

Get started planning! If you are looking for a gift for anyone, our book about Pennsylvania Amusement Parks "Great Pennsylvania Amusement Parks Road Trip," is available through the drop down menu at the top of the page, or through this link, along with our 2017 Interesting Pennsylvania Calendar.

Wyalusing Rocks Overlook: Wyalusing, Susquehanna River, Bradford County, PA

Wyalusing Rocks, also known as Prayer Rocks, has lead people to it for as long as we have documented history. It was an important point in native american cultures for it was a high point overlooking a stunning horseshoe bend in the Susquehanna, and a high point from which signals from Indian tribes could be seen for miles. The place marked the intersection of the Warriors Path that lead north to Binghamton to as far as the Carolinas to the South, and the Wyalusing Path that lead to Shamokin. The Great Warrior Path would be utilized during General Sullivan's scorched earth campaign during the American Revolution against the tribes of the Finger Lakes region of New York, a human disaster of tremendous proportions. All in all, this spot is extremely historic for a multitude of reasons throughout many periods of human history in North America.

Wyalusing Rocks has remained an extremely important historic spot throughout all periods of human history in North America.

A great summary of the Native American meaning of the spot comes from the following excerpt from the website of the Eastern Delaware Nations.

"Wyalusing is said to refer to "where there is an old man." The "ng" sound refers to a dwelling. The word is believed to refer to a holy or medicine man who once lived here. Early spellings of Wyalusing dating back to the 1700's include: Machachlosung, Wuihaloosing, Mockocklocking, Monmuchlooson, Machmihilusing, Ch’wilihlusing, and Wilhilusing. 

The earliest known settlers in the region were Susquhannock (also known as Andastes) Indians. Their palisaded town Gohontoto was destroyed by the Iroquois in 1650. Later, the Tuscarora, a tribe of the Iroquois Six Nations, and Monsee Delaware occupied the region, followed by Moravians from Germany who founded a mission town here in 1763. This location is marked by an Oblisk erected by members of the Moravian Historical Society in June 1871."

Two intersecting indian paths, camptown races, go to that history page of bradford county in bookmarks. Match to postcard from sullivan trail

Historic sign caption: "Warrior's Path: A great Indian Highway from Six Nations country, New York, to the Catawba country in the Carolinas. It made its way through the Allegheny Mountains by following the Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys.

The great importance of the history of this location is only exceeded by its sheer natural beauty. The autumn colors are especially stunning to take in at this overlook.  

Remember this image!

This postcard image dates back to 1921 and is part of my personal collection. This location has remained a beautiful destination in the age of the automobile, with the historic and scenic Route 6/Grand Army of the Republic Highway, one of the first coast-to-coast highway networks and the longest continuous road in the United States, running through the location of the site. In the early times of the age of the automobile, the route was designated as Sullivan Trail, in commemoration of the devastating military campaign that wiped out tribes in the Finger Lakes region. The Sullivan Trail name still remains in certain areas, though this northern section of the highway no longer carries that designation.

Additionally, it is pretty likely that horse races from nearby Camptown to Wyalusing were likely the inspiration for Camptown Races, Stephen Foster's famed and troubling minstrel song that has lived on with countless different adaptations since, including in Looney Toons episodes and many different things within pop culture. 

This route has been noted for its beauty and seemingly secluded nature. In the famous On the Road, by famous beat writer Jack Kerouac, protagonist Sal Paradise asked about hitchhiking through Pennsylvania on Route 6, but was told to take the "Pittsburgh route," aka the PA Turnpike, for it would "have more traffic" that would he would be able to catch a ride with. 

The old Lehigh Valley Railroad, running riverside on the Susquehanna. This line ran from New York City through New Jersey to the Lehigh Valley, up to the Finger Lakes Region, and to Buffalo. It was a core artery for coal deliveries and the movement of goods from places that were once key industrial areas.

Wyalusing Rocks is a formation of flat lying sandstones and siltstones that perched atop a high cliff above a horseshoe bend in the Susquehanna. They create an overlook platform of sorts that provide a stunning view. 

The stones are alternate with red and green colors and are part of the Catskill Formation

To me, I personify the little trees that grow out of formations like this with having great determination. I have no idea of what the age of this tree is, but tree growth is stunted in habitats like this, where the soils are at a minimum.

Author Phillip Van Doren Stern, author of the original story of It's a Wonderful Life was also born in this location, something that I think is a sign of how positively inspirational this area can be.

This is another from my same set of 1921 postcards. It looks like it could be a match in reverse. I love those old concrete highways. It looks like it was the same size as the current shoulder. 

It seems that this beautiful location is a magnet for American history, both good and bad. There is something special about this place and it is well worth checking out.