There’s a fine layer of soot coating every house, every business. Hell, even the street signs, fireplugs and dogs sport a dark grey, dusty veneer. More businesses are shut than open and all the houses are in obvious need of repair. There’s a definite vibe of swirling entropy. How long before it’s a total ghost town?
Despite all this, the people we met at the hotel and local restaurant were lovely, friendly and upbeat (and the food was very good too). I woulda thought they’d all be gloomy hard cases but no. Granted, they get to live within this glorious mountain landscape. The hills live (and shit) and they're stunning.
What the place really needs is a crew of artists (and money – that’d help too!) moving in, converting the old, abandoned factories and businesses into studios, galleries and performance spaces. Ya know, like Lowell and North Adams Massachusetts. Pittsburgh is just one hour south of New Castle – this brilliantly situated little town could totally be a must-get-to destination.
Also, promote the hell out of the hiking and biking possibilities. This place is a soot covered gem.
After our diamond-in-the-rough stop, we motored down to my father’s town so’s Daddy could meet (and approve of) Ten. He did.
Me and my man then zipped off to Idaho (PA) to stay the night with my fab friend Michal. From there we began the very long drive east across the vast bulk of beautiful-but-HUGE Pennsylvania.
We passed through some sweet if oddly named little towns, set in steep hills. Bellefonte was one – with a name like that I expected a few palm trees and some island music but...no. Still, if we weren’t in the homestretch it woulda been nice to stop and walk around. Mebbe get lunch at the cozy little Italian diner Maria’s.
We passed by a town called Moosic – I’m betting they don’t have moose there. Or, possibly, the town’s founders meant to name it Music but were drunk and having a laugh on the day they had the signs printed. Could be!
There’s a village called Greentown. I wonder if it is. Another town is grandiosely named Promised Land. I woulda liked to have stopped in to, ya know, see if it really was all that and a bag of chips BUT we were in our 6th hour on the road and I was close to terminally cranky.
North of Scranton and ALMOST outta Pennsylvania we started seeing snow on the ground. I said to Ten, shee-it, we haven’t seen snow since Wisconsin. Boy that sounded funny to me. He allowed that SO FAR we’d traveled 2,870 miles.
We’re now in Newburgh, New York. Mister Google tells me that Valhalla is a short three and a half hours away. I don’t buy it. He also said that New Paltz, New York (yesterday’s original destination) was a skinny five and a half hours from Michal’s in Idaho, PA. NOPE. It was seven plus to Newburgh and New Paltz is another hour north of here.
Still, Ten and I will be home this afternoon. Awesome as this trip has been, I am SO ready for home!
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