Father's Day Travel

 On Father's Day of this year, I opted to go and visit my Dad's grave. I try to make it down a couple of times a year.  Each time I go down, I try to go by the old family homestead. Still standing! Alas, no one currently lives in it at this time.  It does bring back memories.  Just inside of the front porch, used to sit a couch, and a rocker as well as a few chairs.  This room was paneled with wood veneer. It always gave off a comfy feeling. Just inside of the front windows sat a desk.  There was a small lamp, as well as an old radio.  Also covering almost half the desk were flowers. There were always some Christmas cactus's as well as African Violets. Just inside the door and to the left were more flowers. Against the back wall and near the far side was a bookshelf with many years of National Geographic Magazines.  How much time we used to spend in that room when we visited.  I will not give you a description of the whole house or the stories of it, but, as I viewed the photo as I posted it, it just did bring back so many memories.  The tall shrub inb the foreground is a Rhododendron  It is a domestic version of our state flower.  Our State flower is called Mountain Laurel.  The leaves almost look identical, but the flowers are different.  One thing about Mountain Laurel is that it only grows above a certain elevation. Even though the house is in the Allegheny Mountains, Mountain Laurel will not grow where the houses are.  It does grow on our hill, but, only near the summit.  I only brought this up here, is because later in my day, I was driving along  sightseeing, and I did come across Mountain Laurel, and I was lucky enough to catch it in bloom.  You may get bored with how many photos I may have included in the posting.  Just warning ya!

  The photo above was a view of the village of Sheffield PA as viewed from the Cemetery.  With everything green, it is hard to see the village.  Although I did not take any photos, I did stop up to the barn,  Always have to look in on it.  As always, I drove up close to the barn and drove up to the tree line before turning around.  In just that short time looking at the property, One of the neighbors came out to see who was driving up there.  It was our neighbor Jerry Borden.  Thanks to him, he has been cutting the grass around the barn area and where the vegetable garden used to be.  he really does keep the property looking great!  Always have to reminisce about days gone by and how he used to get into trouble for not doing his own chores whenever dad came to watch the grass grow.

  From there, I went the back way into Kinzua Dam area.  This is a higher elevation, and that is where I espied the Mountain Laurel in bloom. Here are some of the photos.

  With the sightseeing about done, I was starting to head west and back towards Erie and home.  As I was driving, I saw this cut out in the trees on the east side of Warren and I had always been curious as to how to get there. I had gotten a hint from a local I knew, and was told it was Liberty Park. And was told i just needed to drive up Liberty Street, and near the top of the hill I would find it.  Well, that is not quite true.  I drove up to the top, and over the hill, yet I never  got to see Warren from this vantage point.  So, I doubled back, and came across a sign for Washington Park.  It was a narrow one was dirt track, but after you got in a ways, it indeed was the cut i had viewed from below on the highways so many times.  So, I proceeded to Take some photos from there.  I had used the Panoramic setting on the camera for some of these.  Was really a sight to see. Am so thankful that I was able to finally find this place.  I am sure I will make this a place I visit again!

 As you view the map below, North is to the top of the map, and East to the left side.  Just trying to orient you is all.  Coming from Erie, we normally come in from the East.  I had just found this map on the day I posted this entry.  I am sorry I was unable to enlarge the map to show more of Warren, but this will serve for my purposes.

  The first photos are viewing Warren headed East looking down like 4th Avenue there.  That is towards the main business district.  Also you can see here and there bits of the Allegheny River, and some of the bridges crossing it. Last two photos, are zoomed in shots of the Warren General Hospital. 

 Was sad to have to visit dad in a cemetery rather than live, but, spirits rose with some of the views along the way.  If you would like to see any of the photos full sized, just click on them, and you can see the original size of the photos.