Over the Halloween weekend my friends and I ventured to South Pennsylvania.The colors, the water, and the endless activites filled our days and I'm here to share them with you.
To start, make your way to Cucumber Falls for an easy/moderate hike. Cucumber Falls is located in Ohiopyle State Park, PA and just a few steps away from the Youghiogheny river.
Parking- one parking lot can be found right off of Ohiopyle road and is marked with a Cucumber Falls sign.
If that's full, you can find another parking lot down the street where Ohiopyle and Main meet. From there you can either walk back up the street to the other parking lot or take the Great Gorge trail right there to start.
"Cucumber Falls via the Great Gorge Trail"
What I found out after my visit was that this "small" area was actually part of a much bigger adventure. The falls is only one out of multiple features in Ohiopyle State Park.
With that said, I'm going to share what I personally expierenced and hope that it still inspires you to visit.
Great Gorge Trail- is a 3.2 mile out and back trail that takes you along side the Youghiogheny river. The main trail head can be found just a short walk from the parking lot off Ohiopyle rd. From there you can either head to the right down the stairs or take a left torwards Kentucky Campgrounds.
Going Right: if you head down the stairs you will quickly be greated by Cucumber Falls. After taking in the view... keep heading down and you will get to the river bed. This trail will eventually merge into the Meadow Run trail.
Going Left: We didn't go this way, but from what I looked up it's still an easy/moderate trail that leads to some campgrounds.
This trail doesn't loop at any point, so you will need to go back the way you came.
Meadow Run Trail- This trail can be accessed from the end of the Great Gorge Trail or direct from the parking lot at Main St. and Ohiopyle Rd. Meadow Run is a 2.9 mile loop that will take you on a journey alongside water channels that have been carved out of the sandstone rocks.
In the summer this is a great location for taking a dip in the small pools or if your daring the channels also act as Natural Waterslides! ***Be causious if you decide to take the ride ... especially during high waters which creates faster rapids***
Night out in Morgantown WV!
Now that you got a dose of the outdoor aspect, lets switch gears into a night out.
Start off by grabbing dinner and filling up at Black Bear Burritos.... the Evansdale location. I'm a pretty picky eater so I just got a chicken burrito, but they have a huge menu and specials to offer. https://www.blackbearburritos.com/
After you eat your weight in guac and salsa, head to Morgantown Brewing Company for desert. It's only about a 6 min drive away for Black Bear.
Morgantown Brewing Company - can be found right off of University Avenue.It's the oldest operating brewery in the area and has one of the best outdoor patios!
Here you can grab in house beers, fill up growlers, grab a bite to eat or even craft your own pack to go. Be sure to check the closing times before you go (usually closes around 9 or 10).
Not ready to go home??? I suggest the Apothecary Ale House & Cafe right around the corner and up an alley for your next if not last stop of the night. They don't have liquor so keep that in mind.... I'm usually a Vodka water kind of women but found the Hawk Knob Elderberry Infused Hard Cidar quite delicious.
If that isn't your style and your more into the club scene, don't fret for there are plenty around.... a couple to name: Vice Versa/ Lux / Whisper.
*** Keep in mind this is college town and will get that vibe in some places then others***
Last BUT NOT LEAST I highly suggest checking out one last spot before you head home, the Fallingwater house in Mill Run, PA.
This house is a historical landmark and was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Frank Lloyd Wright is an american archietect and has designed over 1,000 structures in his lifetime. His work truly embodies his philosophy of organic architecture, especially with Fallingwater.
Fallingwater features this beautiful home designed for the Kaufmann family back in 1935. It became the Kaufmanns weekend home up until 1963, but now is part of the Western Pennsylvania Conservery.
Cost- $20 . You pay at the little hut when you pull in (the sign says $18, but there is a $2 service charge). This will get you access to walk the grounds, explore the terraces, but not get you inside.
If you want to explore the inside you will need to book a reservation in advance (to be honest you can see a lot of the inside from the outside windows). When we went, the reservations had been booked out into January... so plan ahead!
Added bonus is that around the house you can find short nature trails. We ended up taking the short Bear Run Trail that lead to some railroad tracks. **** IT IS AN ACTIVE RAILROAD TRACK so be safe****
Well that pretty much sums up my weekend.... I hope you enjoyed reading about my adventure in Pennsylvania, now get out there and make your own memories.
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