Day 32, The East Coast Welcomes Us With a Bang


We traveled from Ohio, through a corner of West Virginia, and into Pennsylvania.

The landscape changed becoming green rolling hills that are densely forested. Something we never see in California are large green lawns in front of homes and homes that aren't separated by tall fences. Here, it's often difficult to tell when one neighbor's yard ends and another begins.


We pulled into our spot at Ohiopyle State Park. It is a large site with lots of shade. After getting settled, we were ready for a walk. The Borough of Ohiopyle is about a 1.5 mile walk through the park. As we got to the bridge that takes you over the Youghiogheny River Gorge and into Ohiopyle, the skies began to clap and flash light. As I joked with Denis that we were being welcomed, the skies opened up. Of course, we hadn't worn raincoats or brought umbrellas on our walk. Lucky for us, the Ohiopyle Welcome Center and restroom building was open. We took refuge along with another seven people. All but one person had a mask with them (so nice to be back among people who believe in science) and all stayed in their family groups. Finally, the rain subsided and we began the walk back to the campground. 


We enjoyed the walk back. The air was a bit cooler. The forest smelled of fresh rain. Clouds of fog rose from the hills. And the sound of the rain falling among the leaves was almost musical.


Luckily (and almost concerning), this had been the first rain we've experienced during our trip. It reminded us how in England, weather rarely, if ever, got in the way of plans. You put on your anorak and Wellies and got on with it. Tonight, we were happy to have the chance experience one of life's pleasures, a walk in the rain in the forest. However, it might have been nice to be better prepared.
Location: Ohiopyle, PA, USA

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