Towanda day 1
We began our trip in the Charlotte airport, where Mom had grits with cream and sugar. What the…? I could only assume that Mom was trying to ritually banish the South by repudiating its food before we ventured Northward. We few in to Harrisburg, passing alarmingly close to Three Mile Island, and rented a car to drive the remaining few hours to more closely simulate the car trips of my youth.
Back then, it was my cousins and me jammed into the back seat, reading Richie Rich comics and playing travel bingo cards which our mothers had made for us before we left. Why Aunt Lynne always included an impossible square like “black dog on a red house” I don’t know. Probably to keep us quiet longer. I recall we were a well-behaved bunch, all things considered, but I was a child.
Because we were recreating a childhood trip, we absolutely had to stop at the tourist trap to end all tourist traps, the Susquehanna Trading Post. The cigar store Indian in the foyer says it all, folks. It’s a bizarre mix of kitsch and surprisingly nice gift items. We got the traditional maple sugar candy and headed on.
ETA: I just noticed that my mom and I do the same thing with our mouths and eyebrows when we give our “amused smile.” Heh.
This year, something happened that has never happened before. I saw what appeared to be a pack of dogs by the side of the two-lane highway. Looking closer as we passed, I realized they weren’t dogs. “BEAR BEAR! It’s a BEAR! LOOK! BEAR!” I shouted, while pointing. I was like a three-year-old, but driving a car. Sure enough, it was a large black bear with some smaller bears around her. After we passed, she stood up on her hind legs, looked around, then trotted across the road, her three cubs trailing behind. They all made it safely. Wow! I’ve never seen a bear in the wild before.
Unfortunately, I didn’t have my digital camera handy, what with the driving and all, so instead here are a few pictures from the Knoxville Zoo I visited on the way home from Simucon. One of them’s a black bear. Use your imagination and pretend the rest are cubs or something, I dunno. Off topic, I heartily recommend the Knoxville Zoo to anyone with kids. Very child-friendly.
My mom said that she hadn’t seen a black bear up there since she was a child, so that’s the 1940’s. That one wasn’t really ambling along the road – Grandpa had shot it because they needed the meat. Again, 1940’s, and it’s not like it went to waste.
We stopped along the way at May’s Drive-In. While we were there, a major thunderstorm started up, so we stayed a while. The barbecue was distinctly Northern (read, “not to my taste”) but the peach shakes were excellent. We saw this sign inside. I’ll give a skein of yarn (or five bucks cash money, if you don’t knit) to what I deem the best description of what the heck “CMP or VMP” means in relation to sundaes.
We made it into Towanda well before dusk and went over to a nearby eatery, hoping to grab a meal before going up into the woods to look for deer. Unfortunately, things move at a more leisurely pace in small-town Pennsylvania, and it was long past nightfall by the time we got our food. On the up side, when we saw we weren’t going to make it, we slowed down to the town’s pace and got dessert, too. The strawberry shortcake was fantastic. Afterward, we walked back out over the bridge, passing through a cloud of tiny black insects to stand over the middle of the Susquehanna River. Very nice.
We went back to the hotel and swam in the pool (pictures will NOT be forthcoming) and turned in. Good day. Very good day.
CMP = Chocolate Ice Cream Marshmallow Peanuts! or Choc Ice cream Marshmallow and peanut butter
VMP = Vanilla Marshmallow Peanuts! 🙂 or Vanilla Ice cream Marshmallow and peanut butter
Depending on where you are!
CMP = Chocolate Ice Cream Marshmallow Peanuts! or Choc Ice cream Marshmallow and peanut butter
VMP = Vanilla Marshmallow Peanuts! 🙂 or Vanilla Ice cream Marshmallow and peanut butter
Depending on where you are!
Ok Now you have me hungry… “The strawberry shortcake was fantastic” What kind of cake? I’ve been on a strawberry shortcake binge ALL freaking summer. Stupid Strawberry shortcake Festival at the Methodist church! ::flails::
Ok Now you have me hungry… “The strawberry shortcake was fantastic” What kind of cake? I’ve been on a strawberry shortcake binge ALL freaking summer. Stupid Strawberry shortcake Festival at the Methodist church! ::flails::
Mmmm…
It wasn’t a sponge cake, it was more of a lightly sweetened scone-type cake, halved, with fresh sliced strawberries in a little syrup, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. We also got milk to pour over. Deeelicious!
Mmmm…
It wasn’t a sponge cake, it was more of a lightly sweetened scone-type cake, halved, with fresh sliced strawberries in a little syrup, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. We also got milk to pour over. Deeelicious!
::whimpers:: Evil T! Evil T!
::whimpers:: Evil T! Evil T!
Mmm, maple sugar candy. Yummy.
CHP … “combined heat and power” provides you with one hell of an ice cream sundae experience.
YMP … “younger minds productions” is the one ice cream sundae that will immediately transport you back to your childhood.
Mmm, maple sugar candy. Yummy.
CHP … “combined heat and power” provides you with one hell of an ice cream sundae experience.
YMP … “younger minds productions” is the one ice cream sundae that will immediately transport you back to your childhood.
Oh sod, now I’m hungry…
Re. Bears – a friend of mine in Alaska (she’s a voluntary transplant) was walking along a paved road one day with her husband and had a bear run across the road a distance in front of her. She thought it was a dog too and then realized it was a bear. She mentioned something to the effect of almost wetting her pants when she realized what it was 🙂
Oh sod, now I’m hungry…
Re. Bears – a friend of mine in Alaska (she’s a voluntary transplant) was walking along a paved road one day with her husband and had a bear run across the road a distance in front of her. She thought it was a dog too and then realized it was a bear. She mentioned something to the effect of almost wetting her pants when she realized what it was 🙂
It’s CMP and VMP, otherwise you woulda had it. Heh.
It’s CMP and VMP, otherwise you woulda had it. Heh.
Yep, that’s it. My mom asked the guy while we were there.
I was expecting more of a “Compressed Magnetic Pulse” and “Very Messy Pug” kind of answer, but you win. Yarn, or cash? Or I do have a dragon cross-stitch kit that was given to me at Simucon…
Yep, that’s it. My mom asked the guy while we were there.
I was expecting more of a “Compressed Magnetic Pulse” and “Very Messy Pug” kind of answer, but you win. Yarn, or cash? Or I do have a dragon cross-stitch kit that was given to me at Simucon…
DOH!!!!! Put chocolate and Marshymallow together and my brain goes all uncreative… and then you had to bring up strawberry shortcake too! Can you tell I have not lost any weight this summer. ::flails::
Ummm yarn is cool.
Ohhh Going to be a bad enabler! Yarn sale. She’s decided to go out of business… Nice lady nice yarn nice prices.
http://knit2purl2.com/index.html
::hugs::
DOH!!!!! Put chocolate and Marshymallow together and my brain goes all uncreative… and then you had to bring up strawberry shortcake too! Can you tell I have not lost any weight this summer. ::flails::
Ummm yarn is cool.
Ohhh Going to be a bad enabler! Yarn sale. She’s decided to go out of business… Nice lady nice yarn nice prices.
http://knit2purl2.com/index.html
::hugs::
Heh. Her site’s not responding. I’m guessing the whole knitting internet is trying to cram in at once.
Drop me a line at heather at jaynehat period com and tell me a little about your yarn preferences. I’m sure I have something matchy in my stash. 🙂
Heh. Her site’s not responding. I’m guessing the whole knitting internet is trying to cram in at once.
Drop me a line at heather at jaynehat period com and tell me a little about your yarn preferences. I’m sure I have something matchy in my stash. 🙂
Actually, looking at the kerfluffle on the lime and violet boards, it looks like her shopping cart went nuts when orders came in too fast and started overselling past what she had in stock. It looks like she’s got a big mess on her hands. Maybe this is one sale I didn’t want to get in on.
Actually, looking at the kerfluffle on the lime and violet boards, it looks like her shopping cart went nuts when orders came in too fast and started overselling past what she had in stock. It looks like she’s got a big mess on her hands. Maybe this is one sale I didn’t want to get in on.
Oh, wow, I’m enjoying this. The pictures, the narration… very nice.
Maple candy is one of life’s little pleasures.
-D
Oh, wow, I’m enjoying this. The pictures, the narration… very nice.
Maple candy is one of life’s little pleasures.
-D