Covered Bridges in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania

I found this Covered Bridge Tour while looking for things to do near Timothy Lake South Campground in East Stroudsburg.  

Eric & I drive through

Pennsylvania Farm

Country.

Covered Bridge construction was brought to the New World by European Colonists.  The wooden Bridges are roofed to delay the effects of weathering and decay.

 

Pennsylvania has the largest number of Covered Bridges in the United States.

Schlicher's Covered Bridge in

 Whitehall was built in 1882.

The original Bridge was 

 replaced with this replica

 in 2013.

The clearance is 8 feet 2 inches.  There must be weight limits on these wooden decked Bridges.

The weight of the bridge

& the vehicles crossing it

are supported by arched

Burr Trusses.

 I look out at Jordan Creek.

I didn't notice electric lighting inside the Covered Bridge.  Light comes from the ends of the bridge and from its windows.  

Geiger's Bridge, in North Whitehall,

was built in 1860.

Its flat facade reminds me

of old Western Towns.

The clearance is 9 feet 6 inches.  Its interior is unpainted wood.  The windows in the Bridge are much higher, providing light without views of Jordan Creek below.  

Approaching Wehr's Covered

 Bridge, built in 1841, in

  South Whitehall.

We drive through to the

other side &...

... park at Covered Bridge Park.

Originally Seiger's Bridge, it 

was bought by William Wehr

& renamed.

Lehigh County now owns it.

Canada Geese cling to the

edge of the upstream dam.

Eric & me at 

Wehr's Covered

Bridge.

Manassas Guth Bridge, built in

 1858, is closed to traffic.

It's named after a man who lived 

in an adjacent farmhouse.

This Covered Bridge also crosses the meandering Jordan Creek.  

Deer sighting in Allentown...

... near Bogert's Covered Bridge,

in Lehigh Parkway.

Built in 1841, this Bridge was saved from destruction by local residents in 1956.

A panoramic shot of the interior of Bogert's Bridge.

Rebar has been added for extra support.

Eric looks out the window...

... at Little Lehigh Creek.

Kriedersville Covered Bridge,

in Allen Township was built

in 1839.

It is the only surviving Covered

Bridge in Northampton County.

The man standing to the right is a local resident.

The only lighting in this Bridge 

comes from the openings at

 each end.

Kriedersville Bridge, like Bogert's, was saved by locals from destruction. It is also a pedestrian-only Bridge. I walk further into the bridge, and it's dark in here.

The inky interior is the perfect

framing for the white farmhouse

in the distance.

Eric and I enjoyed today's Covered Bridge Tour, just one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's many tourist attractions.

Admiring Cars @ Helms Service Station Antique Autos in Milford, PA

Pull over now!    Eric has quick reflexes and here we are...

... Helms Service Station

Antique Autos.

Helms Antique Autos

Mitford, Pa  Antique

Cars Bulletin Board

I am in love with this 

1931 Model A Ford

Coupe!

The colors are perfect...

 

... the trunk opens up to

reveal its Rumble Seat...

The silver disk on the rear

passenger bumper is the

step-up to access the

Rumble Seat.

It must have taken discretion to settle a young lady into this intimate space.   

This 1928 Ford Model A

Roadster is beautiful!

I love the color combination.

The rear body has been

 modified for speed.

This 1923 Ford Model T 

Hot Rod is a work of art!

The Open Engine Compartment

allows me to lean in & admire

its 6 Cylinder, 3 Carburetor

 Turbo Engine.

The Gas Tank is very small.

I wonder how many miles

per gallon this Hot Rod

gets & how often the

driver stops for gas.

Because of Covid 19 Restrictions, Car Shows are on hold.  This Mini Car Show is the fix I've needed.

Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, Pennsylvania

After our hike to Hackers Falls, Eric and I continued our drive north.

Grey Towers National

Historic Site's entrance

is getting a facelift.

Grey Towers was the home of Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the US Forest Service and served two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania.

The Gate House is

stately.

Eric points out the cobbled

water channels that flank

the main drive.

This ornamental stone wall is

the focal point at the end of

the main drive.

Gifford Pinchot and his wife, Cornelia, moved to Grey Towers in 1914.  Cornelia made changes in the design and use of the manor.  The estate was used to entertain and advance their conservation, political, and social justice interests.  

The main entrance to the

mansion.

The towers of this Neo-Norman "country home" dissolve into the overcast sky on this sweltering day.  The entrance invites this visitor to take multiple shots...

The green wrought iron trim

reminds me of homes in

New Orleans' French Quarter.

Like many indoor venues, the mansion is closed because of Covid Restrictions.

This is the side entrance.

I think that deliveries were made at this entrance because there's room to pull in and offload supplies for this massive household.

I walk up the stairs toward

the back of the mansion.

I stop part & get a shot of 

the side of the mansion

from higher up.

From this angle, the towers are easy to see.

I get a closer look at the rooflines.

Because of the age of the

 structure, I think that the 

roof is shingled with slate.

The angles & colors are artistic.

The gardens are open to the public.  Eric and I choose to skip the self-guided tour in 94 degree heat.  

"Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls" on Weekends in the Pocono Mountains

Eric and I plan to go on a few hikes and see Waterfalls in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. 

The Trailheads are packed

with cars...

Some Trailheads are so busy

that they have Traffic Control.

Some people park roadside &

"hike" to the Trailhead.

Lots of cars mean lots of hikers on the Trails.  Eric and I continue our drive north to look for more isolated, less-trafficked Trail Heads, open parking spots, fewer hikers...

Winding country roads take

Eric & me...

... past abandoned homes.

The Tocks Island Dam Project was proposed in the late 1950s as a flood control measure following the inundations that occurred during Hurricanes Connie and Diane in 1955.  The proposed Project would create a reservoir about 40 miles long and a mile wide, and displace 600 families living in the area.  

The families lost their property through the Eminent Domain Process.  They received compensation and then watched their former homes and lands rented out to people from outside the area by the Army Corps of Engineers during the time preceding the Dam's construction.  

Opposition to the Dam began in the mid-1960s and continued through the early 1970s.  The Tocks Island Dam Project was shelved in 1975.  The land was given to the National Parks Service and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was established.  

We find an empty spot in

a Trailhead Parking Lot.

Ours is the third car from

the right.

Our hike takes us along a

worn grassy path &...

... & into the woods.

After some turns on the downward sloping trail, Eric and I hear voices and the sound of cascading water.

People have brought chairs,

blankets, food & beverages

for picnic lunches.

People lounge in the water

at the foot of Hackers Falls.

A young man takes a running

leap from the top of the

Waterfall...

... & plunges...

... into the water.

Another young man "cannonballs" into the pool of water and the third leaper lands on his back.

Hackers Falls is beautiful. Visitors enjoy it, the water, and the show the divers put on for them.  

Eric & I start our hike 

back to the Trailhead.

Eric recorded today's hike for us.

Today I learned, don't go chasing Waterfalls in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area on weekends.  Hiking to the popular Falls is best done on weekdays when there are fewer hikers about.