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Small town adventures make big memories

Recently, I promised two of my grandchildren, Oliver, 5, and Sloan, 6, that we’d go on an adventure. I was barely out the door when Oliver exclaimed with an impatient grin, “Nana, hurry up, you are taking for ages!” With that gentle nudge, I picked up the pace and off we went. I expected a day filled with laughter and discoveries. What I didn’t expect was to come home feeling more grateful than ever to live in a place where kindness is a way of life and people go the extra mile. Our first stop was Asher’s Chocolates, where the kids took their time choosing the perfect ...

Restoring a sacred place

Four years ago, a friend mentioned a community project grant being offered by a local box store. That sparked a conversation within the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau about how we might use such an opportunity to make a lasting impact. As we explored ideas, one kept returning to my mind, something I had passed by countless times on my walks through Victory Park with my dogs: the African American Memorial Cemetery near the boat launch. Although the Lewistown Borough was faithfully maintaining the grass, the cemetery itself had ...

Home Run Derby is a spectacle

It was more than a Major League Baseball All-Star Game and other festivities when the spectacle came to Pittsburgh in 1994. I remember my stepbrother Dave Zook and I — along with a few of Babe Ruth players — driving out to Three Rivers Stadium for the Home-Run Derby and other contests the day before the All-Stars took the field. The game was a celebration of professional baseball in Pittsburgh. Just 21 months after winning the Pirates’ last division championship in 1992. The atmosphere was joyous and electric. Pittsburgh had a chance to shine, and it did. I remember sitting ...

Falling in love all over again in the Southwest

(Editor’s note: This column is the second part of a two part series.) As we continued our journey through the Southwest, our next stop brought together two of my great loves, history and natural beauty at Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado. Here, an ancient window into the past flings wide open, offering visitors like me a rare opportunity to peer inside. What little I knew of this ancient place came from my childhood View-Master reels. I remember eagerly clicking through the 1960s edition of Mesa Verde, longing for the day I’d witness its wonders in person. ...

Falling in love all over again in the Southwest

It’s recently come to my attention that I might be a bit fickle in love — not in the romantic sense, but in my love for nature. Last year, I was utterly smitten after visiting Glacier National Park. I returned home convinced that no other place on Earth could possibly rival its awe-inspiring grandeur. I even said so right here in print. Well, I was wrong. So very wrong. This year, our vacation adventure took us to the Southwest, specifically, the Four Corners region, where the borders of Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico converge. We explored five national parks, one state ...

Stepping through time: Hiking Indian Steps Trail

The first Saturday in June, today, June 7 — is National Trails Day, a time set aside to encourage everyone to get outside and explore and maintain the many scenic trails we’re fortunate to have right in our own backyard. In celebration, I’d love to share one of my all-time favorite local hikes with you. I especially enjoy bringing my dogs along on my outdoor adventures. In case you haven’t met them, I have a ten-year-old labradoodle named Finley and a seven-year-old (and quite large) standard poodle named Murphy. Many of you probably have met them since they come to work with me ...