We left the hotel, Ohio and my sister on Friday, early. We set the car's navigation system to "Fallingwater" (you can actually do that)and drove off, eastbound, toward Pennsylvania and New York. We would spend one more night out before reaching home.
We skipped the artery-clogging breakfast at the hotel, planning to stop on the road. But the route took us on back roads and we soon found that there was a dearth of mom'n'pop restaurants that looked bright and airy and interesting. The few we did see were either closed or univinting: dark and rundown. It seemed the same process that had done-in the downtowns and social fabric of the cities and towns of midwest America, had taken many of the town's restaurants and diners with it. And so we drove on. An on.
It wasn't until we got back on the expressway as we approached Pittsburgh that the eating places reappeared. But these were the homogenized chain eateries that we wanted to avoid. Instead, we stopped in Pittsburgh, proper, and found a place in Station Square, gritty old railroad yards that had been re-done as a fashionable shopping and dining destination. Situated on the banks of Monongahela River, it looked across at city's beautiful skyline.
Dining at Station Square with Pittsburgh across the Monongahela River.
We continued our journey, heading southeast to Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterwork. Wright designed and built the residence in the late 30's for the Kaufmann family -- the Pittsburgh department store scions. He placed the abode, using cantilevered design, over a stream and waterfall which seem to flow through and around the building. Stacey and I had visited once before but this was Alexis and Lee's first. A guide took us and a few others on a tour of the house and in every detail, inside and out, the architect's genius and artistry is evident.
Our initial view of the house - from the bridge one crosses to approach it.
Layer upon layer is cantilevered over the stream and falls.
One one of the many terraces - this outside the "great room." Magnificent!
Terrace stacked upon terrace - skylight and glass abounds.
Another view.
And a final view from downstream.
Photos were not permitted inside, which was every bit impressive as the exterior. We left, awestruck at the artistic genius and avante vision of the designer who created such modern, yet classic, beauty that holds the viewer enthralled to this day.
Fallingwater is located in Ohiopyle State Park where the Youghiogheny River (pronounced Yock-A-Gainy)creates a falls and rapids that attracts rafters from all over the east. Bikers can ride miles of trails here as well. So the area is a magnificent outdoor and recreational center.
We stayed in the town of Ursina, a speck of a locale on the Laurel Hill Creek. I had scoped out some B&B's that seemed interesting and we drove up to the River Rest where our host, John, greeted us. The house was built in 1890 and had been in his family since that time. We dined at the River Edge Cafe, a surprisingly good restaurant in the nearby town of Confluence, sitting on a porch and serenaded by the sound of the Youghiogheny flowing by below us.
The River Rest B&B in Ursinas, Pennsylvania.
The view from our window at River Rest.
Our interesting host, John, serves his delicious french toast.
Breakfast was lovely. We were joined by another couple visiting the area who were up for a family renuion and some country cycling. John brought out some of his creations: delicious egg, ham and cheese casseroles and a wonderful French Toast which he humorously attributed to Polish and Italian backgrounds.
We left the River Rest and travelled on, our destination -- New York and home. To reach the freeway we rode along some beautiful country roads with fabulous views out across the Allegheny mountains. We stopped for some corn at a roadside stand and thought the abundance of beauty in our country.
Sign of old times in rural Pennsylvania.
Stacey, indomitable traveller that she is, suggested stopping in Philadelphia as a waypoint for lunch. You'd think we all would be tired of travelling by this point but not so. The detour would only set us back a couple of hours so we decided to prolong our trip for one more adventure: Philly Cheesesteak.
Stacey and I have visited Philly many times and find it charming, historic and convenient - it's only an hour-and-a-half from New York. We set the magic genie in our car (the GPS Navigation system) to Pat's King Of Steaks, perhaps the most famous of the cheesesteak houses. These are found in abundance throughout Philadelphia but originated in the town's Italian south end. For those of you unfamiliar with its composition, a Philadelphia Cheesesteak is the cheapest quality "rib-eye steak" (nb: take the word "steak" with a grain of salt. There is actually no resemblance whatsoever to actual steak; let us, politely, call it "meat"), sliced very thin, fried on a griddle, inserted into an Italian bread with fried onions and onto which, Cheese Whiz is then poured. Voilá - you got it! Now just eat it. And eat it we did; in fact I had a second one that I shared with Stacey.
Lee points out the obvious.
Goopy but delicious. Good downhome cooking in Philadelphia PA!
Here's how you order it.
Hot peppers at Pats!
Eating at Pat's, competitior Geno behind, at the corner of 9th Street and Passayunk Avenue.
It seemed like we had been gone for weeks, but it was only six days. Still, a lonely cat back home beckoned us. And Alexis and Lee's children and grandchildren called to them. We got in our car, did a quick tour of a few of Philly's interesting neighborhoods, got on the freeway and headed back to New York and home.
It had been a great American road trip. We had gotten off the Interstate and driven through parts of our country that seem to survive, if not in such good health, the crass commercialism and gentrifcation that infects the more upscale urban areas of the east coast. We discovered rural, and beautiful, Ohio and Pennsylvania, rekindled family ties and enjoyed good company and good times. Our advice? Get in the car and drive down the road. You don't know what you're missing.
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