North of Berkeley Springs but before the Maryland border, this marker on the west side of the…read morehighway points out some of the earliest colonial history of this area. The marker reads, "Lovers' Leap. Beautiful panorama of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. It overlooks the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal which was started by George Washington and associates in order to improve communication with the West." Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any long term parking here and the brush towards the Potomac River appears to be private property. [Review 15548 overall, 1052 of 2021, number 46 in West Virginia.]

For many years, U.S. 522 ended at the Potomac in Hancock. Originally designated in 1926, the route…read morestarted in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and ended at Hancock. The bridge was built in the 1930s to connect Hancock and Berkeley County, West Virginia. It is near the merge point of Interstate 70, Interstate 68, and U.S. 40. The bridge is a deck truss and has a total length of 2582 feet and a width of 26.9 feet.carrying an average daily traffic of 10930 vehicles. [Review 15564 overall - 626 in Maryland - 1068 of 2021.]

This is both a bridge and a high way. An impressive feat of architecture. If you're looking for a…read morebridge, this is the kind of bridge you'll really enjoy.

Another slice of Roadside Americana pie in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Bedford is a historic community…read moredating back to the 18th century. George Washington's Whiskey Rebellion was headquartered here. "The Big Coffee Pot" as it's known was created by David Koontz in 1927. It was actually once a lunch stand and after that it became a bar. It now sits on the Lincoln Highway and has become an historical landmark much like the town and the highway it sits on. The pot is a museum and it also has a little gift shop. A must-see if roadtripping through the area.

This is a nice, quick stop on a visit to Bedford. When I moved from California back to the east…read morecoast, I stopped in Bedford and snapped a few photos before making the final stretch to my new home. I have fond memories of the place, and it reminded me of so many roadside Americana spots I would see in Southern California where businesses turned to these types of structures as advertising opportunities for products and services (think big barrels, gigantic donuts and yes a big coffee pot). It's well worth a stop just for the fun of it all.

Decided to stop here for a visit because I hadn't been since my elementary school field trip! It…read morewas a gorgeous day and we had a good time listening to the audio guide they have on YouTube for each of the houses--that was really well put together and very interesting! However, even when visiting on a weekend there weren't many interactive things to do or see besides the blacksmith who was friendly and actively working on a piece. There was no one in the tavern or cookie shop, which would have been cool to experience. When we entered the chandler house (candle maker), there were workers there but no one even acknowledged us or said hello. We were really hoping to be able to make a candle or buy fresh baked cookies as the audio guide suggested! Overall an interesting stop but would have been nice to interact more with the village.

Old Bedford Village Shoppes are part of Old Bedford Village which consists of authentic and…read morereproduced log, stone, and frame buildings that were part of the 18th century. You enter the complex via a covered bridge and then park opposite the welcome center. Admission is very reasonable and gives you an opportunity to explore the different buildings of the town as well as some of the craftsmen who operate the various trades. They have events scheduled throughout the year and during this visit my husband and I got in on a "western" themed re enactment. All over the town were costumed characters who we learned had come in for the weekend only. Co-Vid restrictions are in place. They only allow 25 people in the visitor's center and you can only tour a house one family at a time. All over the complex are picnic area as well as tent stations where you can buy food or just meet up with the people. Some of the craftsmen we got to visit included the broommaker and the mortician. Things have come a long way since the 1700s so I found it very interesting to hear their stories on how they handled their crafts or events of the period. Photo ops abound if you want to grab a picture of yourself in the stocks by the jail and what's also great is that most of the craftsmen wares are found in the gift shop in the welcome center if you want to take a freshly dipped candle, a blacksmith's creation, or even a mini whisk broom. I was blown away by one building that housed and Indian museum. It was believed that an Indian tribe may have existed prior to the actual village that the property sits on and Indian artifacts are on display. Items are also available for sale in the general store, the bakery where you can get giant size homemade cookies, as well as pottery and tin. I couldn't get over how dark the interior of most of the buildings were but those were the days before electricity so you get that authentic feel. Hosts in various buildings are on hand to explain the history of that building and to answer any questions you may have. Christ church was designed after the 1806 log Union church which we later visited in the town of Schellsburg. The wine glass pulpit sits in the center and the building can be used for weddings. The western days didn't disappoint and we got to take in a couple of shows. I loved watching the bullwhip show and their expert ability to slice paper from one's mouth. The western show was well written and very funny. Even got an opportunity to hear from "Mark Twain" in the square. Allow at least 2 hours if you want to tour the place but you could spend all day here. Old Bedford village has so much to offer and is well worth a visit to get a glimpse of life in colonial times. We really enjoyed visiting and sits about 2 miles south of the PA turnpike at the Bedford exit.

The Veterans War Memorial is made of mostly granite and stands in Widmeyer Park in Hancock. The…read moremonument is etched with the names of about 900 Hancock veterans who served in the military from the Civil War through the Persian Gulf War. It is an impressive marker, standing at the top of a short flight of stairs and with an eagle at the top. The names are grouped by conflict including one for the Civil War. The statue of mother and child pointing to a name on the wall is particularly poignant. [Review 15563 overall - 625 in Maryland - 1067 of 2021.]

This Beautiful Old Warehouse Complex was placed on National Register of Historical Places in 2013…read more Built by English Immigrant Thomas Footer in 1870. He passed in 1923 and it was left to his 2 sons, and it went under in 1936 during Great Depression During it's hey day there was over 500 employees with a weekly payroll and 20 branches. Great building

In honor of my awesome yelp friend Turner K, I thought I would pull a few pictures out of my vault…read moreand write about a bridge that bears her name (but not her looks). While traveling back home from Niagara Falls towards Massanutten on our summer vacation last year, I came across a directional sign saying "Turner's Covered Bridge" and I couldn't help myself. Situated about 1/2 mile off Hwy 31 along a dirt road, it was an easy detour to make since it didn't take us too far off course. BRIDGE FACTS Year Built: 1892 Builder: Unknown Length: 89 feet Also known as: Diehl's Bridge Truss type: Burr Arch Location: Raystown Branch of the Juniata river FINAL THOUGHTS I think all historic covered bridges are beautiful, but this one is probably one of my least favorites. Surprisingly, despite its wispy appearance, this bridge is actually still drivable. However, it is riddled with painted graffiti as well as names carved deep into the wood truss. This is one of a very few covered bridges that I would probably not recommend visiting. It's pretty beat up and decaying. Interestingly, there are approximately 14 covered bridges in Bedford County and almost all of them look like identical clones to Turner's Covered Bridge: http://www.pacoveredbridges.com/bedford-county/ SPECIAL NOTE - After reading my review, Turner sent me a message saying she loved how the bridge reminded her so much of herself: Resilient and wispy with deep invisible carvings (scars), but still standing! 2016/20

The Allegheny Mountain Tunnel is one of the active tunnels on The Pennsylvania Turnpike and is the…read morelongest in the state. I traveled through the Blue Mountain, Kittatinny Mountain, Tuscarora Mountain, and Allegheny Mountain tunnels in a trip to Harrisburg, PA and earlier this year out to Jersey City, NJ. All good experiences and was happy to have not any major delays with traffic. I always fun to drive through these. https://www.paturnpike.com

I'm fascinated by these mountain tunnels along Pennsylvania Turnpike. This tunnel looks well…read moremaintained. It is always a pleasure using this tunnel on my route!