Years ago I used to love to watch "One Life to Live",with Vicki and Dorian squaring off over Lanford power. At the beginning of every show was this lovely overhead shot of the bridges of the Susquehanna in Harrisburg, PA. I have since traveled on the highways through Harrisburg a few times but I never spent any time there enjoying the city. Since Harrisburg is only a few miles from the City of the Charm I figured now was as good as time as any to go get a closer look at those bridges.I wanted to do some hiking in the area so members of the Mountain Club of Maryland advised that I explore the Appalachian Trail near Duncannon, PA. So without much preparation I decided to head north on Friday. 3 hours before I was scheduled to leave a crown popped out of my mouth. I decided not to cancel my trip and forged ahead with my tooth in my bag.
Central Pennsylvania seems awash in transportation. I don't know who decided to put all these roads and railroad tracks everywhere but you can't seem to get away from the transportation noise, there are trucks everywhere. The good news is that with trucks come truckstops, delicious food at competitive prices.
If you wave at a Marylander they wave back, if you wave at a West Virginian they invite you in for pie. If you wave at a Pennsylvanian they scowl at you. I don't think anyone actually has a friend in Pennsylvania, I think Rick Santorum has the citizens all obsessed over the dearth of family values. The good news is that Pennsylvanians don't seem to be very fat, you see many joggers and people exercising so you don't have the whale problem that you have in WV.
I drove to Duncannon, Pennsylvania and spent the night in the minivan on the street. Duncannon is a nice little town right on the AT. It isn't run down enough to have empty homes, but not quaint enough to have Bed and Breakfasts with cutsie flags either. It was hotter outside than I expected in the high nineties and I had trouble falling asleep.
After careful consideration I decided that the Peters Mountain side of the AT looked steeper than the Duncannon side so I made my way to the trailhead on Saturday morning and climbed the mountain. Even in the heat I sailed to the top, I am getting much better at going up. Of course, in PA you always have rocks on the AT and here was no different. I think I did a total of about 8 miles and quickly tired of traversing the pointy-rocked ridge. It was hot and not a molecule of air was moving although this trail had some excellent views of the Susquehanna. I decided I needed to ride my bike so I headed south to Harrisburg for the afternoon.
Harrisburg is a capitol city and quite nice. It has rowhomes, activity on the corners and a downtown, so it immediately gets high marks from me. It has a beautiful bike path that is parallel to the scenic Susquehanna. Unfortunately, with the heat and it being late summer, the poor river was starting to reek. With its wide streets and stately turn-of-the-last-century homes Harrisburg reminds me of Albany, NY (Gee, I wonder why?).
I parked across from the police station downtown and grabbed my bike and hit the bike path. I first explored an island on the river that has a sports arena, mini-golf course, beach and tiny little railroad....very cute. Then I went north and south on the trail by the river near Front Street. I never expected this city to be so inviting. I was probably its only tourist yesterday. I was hungry and, although I had plenty of food in the car, I wanted to enjoy one of the restaurants on second street. Because of the heat nobody was outside but I bet this place is really buzzing in springtime. I was well served at the Neato Burrito. Afterwhich my tooth problem really started to bother me and I didn't think I wanted to spend another night in the heat so I reluctantly headed homeward.
When I drove down Light Street towards my house I saw a big 400 pounder. I can swallow the fact that my beautiful city gets overrun with fat suburbanites in the summer where I find them so offensive that I can't enjoy my own harbor area. But when the summer ends it is time for the heifers to retreat so I can have my city back. Does it ever occur to these people that they are responsible for serious visual pollution?
6 comments:
There are plenty of morbidly obese people that live in Baltimore City and aren't from the 'burbs. There's one I really funny one I used to see riding down the street in her motorized wheelchair -- yelling at her kids the whole time.
I get the feeling from this post you don't like fat people... or maybe it's just the fat that you don't like. Is that why you are into hiking and exercising so much (of course I'm a lazy bum, but merely flabby)?
I have to agree with Kira on this one. I don't know in which part of Baltimore you live -- maybe it's the part with only the sexy people -- but those whale-o-sauri standing at the bus stops on Pratt St. around the harbor look pretty local to me.
While I dislike looking at fat people as much as you do, I will have to add my voice to the majority and note that B'more is chock full of them as well.
And on the subject of waving, in 42 years I have never seen an urban Marylander wave ata a stranger. Get out in the country (regardless of the state) and people are much friendlier...
But on the real topic at hand, the trip sounds awesome. I'll have to make a trip north to check it out :)
I'll have to clarify. I can almost stomach a fatty getting on a bus, or walking down a street, or even shopping at Wal-Mart.
But what I can't handle is when their is a whale pod on at the second floor of the Light Street Pavillion with a plate of fries, half a pizza and the obligatory tub of Ben and Jerry's all be shoved into not only their face but the face of their obese kids as well. Many of those Asian stalls sell steamed vegetables, why don't these folks give them a try?
Matt: I most certainly hope you are under the care of an excellent physician.
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