DigitalRoadtrip: October, 2018, Day 11...Monday, Monday

Day 11 Monday October 22, 2018

Today didn’t exactly go as planned. I did what I always do when I get up, turn on the cell phone. It’s a four year old Lg and sometimes takes a little longer to boot up. On this morning, it wouldn’t boot up at all. It was stuck in a start up loop. Nothing seemed to get it to work again and I couldn’t even turn it off. The boot up animation just kept spinning. Just what I need on a road trip.

So, instead of my planned route, which would have included a nice midday three mile scenic hiking trail, I worked my way out to Hwy 50. My theory was I had a better chance of finding a Wal-mart or Target this way. Trying too arrange meet ups without a phone would be a mess. A cheap burner phone would do the trick. Besides, there were no Boost Mobile offices nearby.

Highway 50 would take me across West Virginia. The first half is a four lane divided highway with the occasional traffic light. No sign of a Wal-mart of Target. The second half I’ve driven before. It suddenly goes to a two lane country road with plenty of twists and turns. I remember the beautiful scenery. I also remember being frustrated at the lack of places to shoot the scenery.

One thing I didn't expect was the snow...

It was early afternoon when I arrived in Grantville, Maryland. I had passed through here a few years ago when I was exploring Maryland. It was too early to check into the Casselman Inn. But, I went in and asked. The closest Wal-mart was twenty minutes east, but right off the interstate.

Their directions were superb and I easily found it at the far end of a shopping center opposite one of the last remaining Sears stores still in business. The young guy in the electronics area looked at my phone and tried all kinds of different things to try and bring it back to life. He officially pronounced it dead. Or dead as far as he knew what to do.

So, I bought a cheap burner phone to get me through. It felt weird suddenly not having anyone’s contact information. Crazy how we get used to this.

There was a reason I booked a room in Grantville, and it’s just a few miles north in Pennsylvania. The website I use and have trusted up to now had simple directions. Hwy 219 north to Meyersville then west.

So, I drove out to Meyersville and drove west. It was a good sign that the road was going up. Even the dirt section was in decent shape.

And how often do you get to see a caboose in some guy’s front yard.

Who doesn’t like the giant windmills.

The problem is, the road ended. Frustrated, I backtracked, checking a few side roads. That didn’t work. One turned into a private road, while another led to the gate of a mining company.

Stranger still, I hadn’t seen a single sign.

It was around 4P when I made my way back to the Cassleman Inn. The inn has been on this spot since the 1840's. Downstairs is a restaurant. Upstairs are the more upscale rooms. The building across the street are the regular rooms. I was okay with than. My room was spotless and all the furniture made by a local company.

Since they had given me great directions before, I asked about Mt. Davis. Their directions were even easier. Two blocks up, head north. Turn left at Otto’s Bricks. When the road ends, turn right and look for the signs.

But first, I hadn’t eaten anything other than an apple since breakfast. The hotel has a restaurant that got rave reviews. The special of the day, spaghetti and meatballs. They make their own sauce and pasta. Fantastic!

Mount Davis sits in the Forbes State Forest. At 3,213 ft, it’s the highest point

in Pennsylvania. This makes twenty-two state high points. To get to the summit, there’s even a paved road. Or, you can ditch your car at the picnic area and take the .8 mile trail.

After that meal, I figured a nice short hike would do me some good. Remember that snow from earlier? Well, here it had melted and turned the trail into mush. Still, no complaints.

Eventually I did reach the summit. The marker sits atop that large rock.