Pennsylvania - Ohiopyle & Frank Lloyd Wright

We continue to be surprised by areas of the country that we thought of as very crowded or comercial, or industrial that turn out to be an example of pristene beauty. Well yes, as you suspect, this quiet corner of southwest Pennsylvania was no exception. The moment we pulled into our campsite the Ohiopyle State Park, our eyes were treated to a beautiful wooded surrounding, filled with fall colors, and only a couple of other campers in sight.

The park is situated within an area dotted with steep hills and beautiful hardwoods. Our campsite overlooks a huge wooded ravine and has a bike/foot trail leading down to the Yough River Trail. http://www.fay-west.com/ohiopyle/

We did a 22 mile bike ride our second day on the Youghohiogheny River Trail. It runs along the Yough R and Kim & I both agreed it's the prettiest and most interesting bike trail we have ever been on. It even beat the Virginia Creeper.
http://www.youghrivertrail.com/

After a rather steep decline from the campground to the trail, we immediately encountered a high, long bridge over the Yough, a bit spooky on a bike, but a beautiful view of the River. The Trail runs right alongside the River, which is just an incredible view. The mountains along the River are fairly steep and were drenched in late fall colors.

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/western/youghiogheny.html

We saw a couple of kayakers running it. This section, the MiddleYough, is mostly Class 1&2 rapids and can be canoed. If the weather holds out, I plan to do the 10-mile stretch today, wish you were here to join me, Kim was scared just looking at it and won't go.

Kim wanted to bake some banana bread, so I went for gasoline on a back road, and to my surprise, stumbled upon Kentuck Knob, one of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian designs. We were able to get on the last tour of the day, and it was just us and the tourguide, really interesting. We both liked the house and agreed we could live in it.

Our wonderful and informative tourguide releaseed us at about 4:30 to wander the grounds. Kim was surprised to find a coupkle of art pieces by Andy Goldsworthy, one of her favorites. And of course she just couldn't resist a ride on the bronze turtle!

With the sun angle low, and the fall colors, I found this shot was taken just behind the house to show that Nature can make its own beautiful art. Imagine having this view for your back yard!

The neat thing about the house is that you or I could build everything in it pretty easily, except for doing the stone work. If you ever are in this area, you simply must see this home!
http://pittsburgh.about.com/library/blkentuck.htm

Yesterday, Tuesday, we went to see Fallingwater, FLW's most famous house. We did the extended tour, which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting this fabulous landmark of Mr. Wright's career. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy has taken on the task of restoring and preserving this site, and must be commended for maintaining this treasure for us all to see.

http://www.paconserve.org/index-fw1.asp The cantileavered decks were severely underdesigned by Mr Wright, and thanks to these folks efforts, and the investment of over $13 million, the house still stands and is tourable today!

I guess the most fascinating thing about this house is the fact that FLW appeared to have done nothing on paper or with his "student team" towards the design of the house for almost a year after contracting it. To everyones amazement, he sat down at a drafting table and within 3 hours of a surprise visit of the Kaufmann's drew the design including scale floor plans & elevations, knowing the location of every rock & tree, all from his head! Without a doubt, this was an enormous project. When compared to the two houses I have built, the scale and level of structural detail is huge!

Whether you are a nature lover or not, one can't help but to fall in love with this splendid setting, way up the mountain, molded in with the rocks & boulders, and literally hanging over Bear Run Falls. Oh course, this very integration with nature presented many challenges to FLW, the builder and the Kaufmann's.

Considering the complexity of the external detail, design & construction, Kim & I were pleasantly surprised as we moved inside at the clean, uncluttered simplicity of each and every room in the home. The detail that is there being unique, well thought out and tasteful, as evidenced here in the spacious living-dinning room.

As I move forward here, I realize that no amount of pictures can begin to tell the story of this creation. So, I'll put a few more detail hots in, and simply say that you must come and see this design. AND, of course, Kentuck Knob while you are in the area.

In summary, this was a wonderful tour, given by a knowledgable and dedicated staff. But as we left, Kim & I had to agree that Kentuck Knob had more of a warm, cozy, lived in feeling and was much more along the lines of what we might consider in a home.

More BLOG Updates

See July 30 for Wawa & Pooh! Also finally getting around to finishing up the Lake Superior area (early & mid August) so, keep checking, we should have several more posts there shortly!

Amish Country

In a world of 18 wheelers, speedy cars, modern conveniences and fast-paced lives, it's hard to imagine living without these "necessities" of life. But here in "not so rural" Intercourse, Pennsylvania the Amish seem to defy our high-tech, gasoline powered society by living a simple life off the land.

for more info : http://www.800padutch.com/amish.shtml

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

Yep, they grow 'un BIG up here!

Historic Philadelphia...

No trip along the East Coast would be complete without a visit to the founding place of our country. Yes, it was Philadelphia that was the home of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson in 1776. And it was in this very room at Independence Hall that the Declaration of Independence was written and signed.

A few days later Congress ratified it in their chamber, and it was history! It was interesting to learn that even Franklin considered this a bold experiment, and was uncertain about its future success. Franklin was just over eighty at the signing, and knew that others would have to bear the burden of making this "Democracy" a "reality.

Philadelphia remained the Capital of our country for the first couple of years, until it was moved to Washington.

The nice thing about historical Philly is that the old district was quite small, allowing us to visit these most important landmarks of our past within a day. We started at the Liberty Bell, of course! Interestingly, one is allowed to walk right up to it (but don't dare touch!). The crack was common in bells of that day. It was difficult to get a good blend and casting of the metals. Once a crack starts, it ruins the "ring" and the bell is retired. Fortunately, over the years, this national treasure was saved.

We were also able to find the set of "row houses" that Franklin built & owned, along with his grave in a nearby cemetary.

Hidden beneath the enormous skyscrapers are small jewels of the past that somehow were spared the wrecking ball.

We enjoyed lunch at the City Tavern, which has been operating in the same spot since 1773. Although the orginal structure burned, the National Parks Service rebuilt it to original plans & details. We were surprised by it's antebellum charm & feel.
We crowned the day by arriving at Macy's, which was the old Wanamaker Emporium before the turn of the century, in time for the evening concert on the world's largest pipe organ...the Wanamaker. It was originally constructed for the 1911 St Louis World's Fair, but found a home here instead, due to the manufacturer's bankruptcy. There's nothing electronic that can duplicate the sight & sound of these giants of the organ world! Although this is considered a "concert organ", it was a pleasant reminder of the days of the Paramount Theater show organ concerts in Baton Rouge.