Roadtrip, Day 19...Pole Steeple

Day 19

Thursday, June 5, 2025

     I spoke a little too soon about the Thurmond Super 8.  While it certainly felt clean, the mattress had a noticeable well in the middle.  

      The first stop of the day was Roddy Road Park.  Based solely on the few minutes I spent there, it seems like a popular spot for runners to ditch their cars.

     Me, I was there for the bridge.

    At forty feet, it's the shortest covered bridge in Maryland, and one of only eight remaining.  

     The view downstream...

      From here, it was off to Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

    The furnace was first lit in 1764.  The iron ore came from a quarry less than a mile away.  It was used to make stoves, kettles and parts for wagon wheels.  The furnace was updated, sold numerous times and eventually shut down for good in 1895.  

     There are a handful of trails within the park.  Three lead to scenic overlooks.  The longest runs eight miles total.  

     

    Pole Steeple is 3/4 mile up.  But, you earn it.

     The trail is consistently upwards and rocky.

     Suddenly, there's a split in the trail.  One way is marked difficult.  The other is marked moderate.  I chose the second option. 

    I realized I had gone too far when the trail intersected with the AT.  Little did I know at the time, but I could have gone left and avoided the drama.

     Instead, I went back and ran into a Christian youth group.  They found the side trail and started scrambling upwards

    Yeah, not an example of something I found fun.  But, worth it for the view.

    The youth group took the AT back and beat me to the parking lot.  I wasn't all that thrilled with backing my way down that rocky wall.  The weird thing is, the AT doesn't connect on the map.  

    Driving north towards Harrisburg, I saw a highway sign for a pizzeria/brewery.  Two things that do go together.

     It was pushing checkin time, and I easily found the Days Inn.  No real issues with the room, though this did seem silly.  There was so much frost, the freezer section was useless.

      Since Harrisburg IS the state capital, I drove out to the capital building, ditched the car and simply walked around.

     Loved the curves and lines...

      Atop the dome is "Commonwealth" a fourteen foot statue symbolizing justice for all.  

      The signs along Riverfront Park said Permit Parking Only.  7-9A and 4-5P.  That seemed a bit odd.  But, it was after 5, no complaints.

      Seen on one of the arches..

      That's the high waterline mark when Tropical Storm Agnes arrived in 1972, flooding multiple blocks of downtown.

      The flood from the storm also weakened the Walnut Street Bridge to the point it had to be closed.  This bridge eventually reopened as pedestrian only.

      On the way back to the car, I got a call from Expedia.  The place I was staying Friday night has a "septic emergency" and canceled their bookings.

     I stayed at Pavilion on the Park a few years ago.  It's a small, independent motel and I really enjoyed it.  Best of all, it was a short drive to the state park that had intrigued me.

     The downside, that was the ONLY place in Laporte.  The next closest was twenty minutes out, fully booked.