Quintessential Pennsylvania

VERSAILLES BORO - Founded in 1890 and originally part of Versailles Township, the Borough is named after Versailles, France.  However, the local pronunciation of the town is much different.  It is pronounced - "Ver - Sales" versus "Ver - Sigh".  

BOSTON - Founded 1886.  Named after Boston, Massachusetts.  This community within Elizabeth Township sits along the Youghiogheny River.  Boston was one of the first trailheads along the Great Allegheny Passage - a very popular Rail Trail that runs from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.

Within the friendly confines of Pinchot State Forest in southern Lackawanna County, there are quite a few scenic areas. One of these scenic areas is the Pine Hill Vista, at the top of the Big Pine Hill at 2260 feet above sea level. As I have become more interested in seeing the various scenic vistas of the Keystone State, a recent trip to the Poconos pointed me in the direction of the Pine Hill Vista. After all, I enjoy visiting fire towers and other scenic overlooks no matter where my travels take me. Traveling along some bumpy dirt roads through the Pinchot State Forest near Thornhurst, I reached a closed gate on Pine Hill Road and walked the rest of the way up to the vista, which was about a quarter of a mile long. You also have the option visiting the Pine Hill Vista as part of a longer hike, utilizing part of the Pinchot Trail system in the process, or by following a hiking loop on a number of trails. Once you reach the summit of Big Pine Hill, you are at one of the highest...

CONYNGHAM - Founded 1805. Named for Conyngham family. The Conyngham family includes the storied American privateer Gustavus Conyngham , who seized British vessels during the American Revolution, as well as Redmond Conyngham , who served in the Pennsylvania State Senate.

Situated just south of the state border with New York, Sayre, Pennsylvania is located along the Susquehanna River in the scenic Penn-York Valley that contains Sayre and neighboring towns, or just simply, The Valley. Borne of an idea of a Waverly, New York bank president by the name of Howard Elmer, in 1869, Sayre was built on farmland in an area that was once called Pine Plains. Sayre blossomed with the arrival of the Lehigh Valley Railroad to the area, and you can still see vestiges of the town's railroading history today. Owing to the connection with the railroad, Sayre was even named after a railroad president and superintendent by the name of Robert H. Sayre. Today, Sayre is a charming town worth exploring. With this in mind, I explored the town by foot and got to see some neat things around Sayre. Sayre Historical Society Museum, which was once the Lehigh Valley Railroad Passenger Station, designed and built in a Queen Anne Victorian style. Some buildings on West Desm...

If you are native to the Pittsburgh area, the phrase "Meet Me Under the Kaufmann's Clock" will most likely resonate with you. The clock that is located outside the former Pittsburgh department store chain's "Big Store" has been a downtown Pittsburgh landmark for over a century.   Overlooking the corner of Smithfield Street and Fifth Avenue, the 2500 lb clock is an iconic Pittsburgh mainstay. The clock is actually the second clock to stand at the corner of Fifth and Smithfield.  The first Kaufmann's Clock stood on a post and was installed in 1887 when Jacob and Issac Kaufmann opened their new flagship store at 400 Fifth Avenue.  When Kaufmann's expanded "The Big Store" in 1913, the beloved landmark was installed. For over 125 years, the Kaufmann's name was well known throughout the Pittsburgh region as the area's main department store.  The chain grew into the suburbs and via acquisition - yet the 13 story downtown store stil...

Cole Run Falls is a gem of a waterfall found in the Forbes State Forest near Rockwood, Pennsylvania , in Somerset County. While it is not a tall waterfall at 15 feet in height, it is one of the nicer waterfalls in southwestern Pennsylvania. Fed by Cole Run, the Cole Run Falls has a nice overhang and has an upper tier and lower tier (I focused on the upper tier of the waterfall for my photos). It is a really beautiful waterfall at any angle you view it at. I found it easy to get to (as long as I followed the directions, as there isn't much signage leading you to the parking area near the waterfall. Other places to check out nearby to incorporate into your visit around Cole Run Falls are the Blue Hole , Barronvale Covered Bridge and Kings Covered Bridge . How to Get There: Sources and Links: Rusty Glessner Photography - Visiting Cole Run Falls Uncovering PA - Pennsylvania Waterfalls: Visiting Cole Run Falls and the Barronvale Covered Bridge Interestin...