Four-Bit Room Goes Camping: Days 25 - 27: Connellsville, Mill Run and Waynesburg University, PA

Thursday, October 14th: From Gettysburg to River's Edge Campground, Connellsville, PA

Today was a travel day and it was raining as we left Gettysburg. Don donned :) his plastic poncho from the "Maid of the Mist" tour to break camp outside, as it was pouring. Not a pleasant exit. Fortunately the farther west we drove, the rain let up and the sun came out. Pennsylvania in the fall is beautiful, so the drive up and down over the mountains was a joy.

Many have asked how P.T., our cat, is adjusting to travel. P.T. is not known as a "sweet" kitty, but she has risen to the challenge of being on the road. Don & P.T. have started playing "Mouseball," their version of baseball every night before bed. P.T. gets up on the bed and Don pitches the tiny catnip mouse up in the air. P.T. leaps up and bats the mouse back at Don with her paw. I just watch and laugh at their game, as it is so cute. The plus side is that P.T. is getting some needed exercise.


P.T.'s favorite seat while traveling. She is wearing her traveling harness, but has yet tried to make a break for freedom.

We selected River's Edge Campground in Connellsville, PA, as it was midway between Fallingwater and Waynesburg University, two destination points. We arrived later afternoon and could not have been more pleased with this campground. Our site was right on the river, with a train track on the far side. As we pulled in, it started raining. We waited out the rain in the truck before setting up camp and were blessed with a rainbow.

After getting the trailer situated, we headed to the laundry and shower rooms. This was a travel/workday and we did not finish the laundry until 8:00 PM. Ugh. Dinner was late and we were pooped, as it turned out to be a really long day.

Friday, October 15th: Fallingwater, Mill Run, PA

We had a 1:00 PM reservation for a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater," the country home he designed and built from 1936 to 1939 for the Kauffmann family (big department store owner in Pittsburgh). "Fallingwater" is Wright's most famous building, as it is built on top of a 30 foot waterfall. After reading the book Loving Frank, I did not have a sympathetic view of Frank Lloyd Wright and viewed him as an arrogant, pompous, self-centered charlatan. After seeing this house, his genius as an architect was undeniable. This house is over 70 years old and it is so unique and magnificent, with so many ingenious details. Frank never cared about money or budgets. The Kaufmann's wanted to spend $20 to $30,000 in Depression time dollars on their new vacation home. The final price was well over $100,000. The house is made of stone, concrete, steel and lots of glass windows. The many cantilevered verandas just hang out like diving-boards, secured by the stone base at the back. Our favorite area was the son's suite on the top, third floor. Frank was known for melding the outdoors with his structures, trying not to disturb nature. His son could lie in bed at night at easily look up and out at the stars and the moon. Windows surrounded two sides of his bed and overhead - cool. It was quite a get-away home and the tour was super.

Saturday, October 16th: Homecoming at Waynesburg College/University

We were up and out by 8:00 AM, as it was an hour drive west to Waynesburg and we were scheduled for a 9:30 campus tour. Waynesburg is about an hour below Pittsburgh. I attended Waynesburg College for three years - two years from 1965-1967, took a year off to work, and returned for my junior year, 1968-69. I had not been back since 1969, over 40 years! A few years ago, Waynesburg changed from a college to a university, as it now offers graduate courses.

Two things brought me back to Waynesburg this year - one of my favorite sorority sisters, Tina Tabb Adamson, was coming back for Homecoming Weekend, and we could easily make this a destination stop on our way to Indiana. I had not seen Tina since her wedding at Annapolis in 1969!

We were so glad we did the Waynesburg visit, as the whole day was absolutely perfect. The University has grown by leaps and bounds and had only gotten better. Beautifully set on a hillside over the town, the integration of many shiny new buildings with the standard old ivy towers (Hanna and Miller Hall), has been artfully done and landscaped around the parks. After the tour we met up with Tina, and another sorority sister, Deanie Blair Rameas for a delicious Alumni brunch. Then we found our way to the old, but refurbished football stadium for the homecoming game against Westminster College.

The weather was outstanding - sunny and warm without a cloud in the sky. The two teams were well matched and Waynesburg won when a fluky block of the point-after kick by Westminster failed to tie up the game. This was true Americana at its best! The students were well behaved - no swearing or booing - and everyone, including the trains that roared by blowing their horns as they traveled alongside the field, was having a great time. Okay, maybe not the Westminster crowd. Loved the short time I had with Tina and the few other old classmates that we ran into, and I do hope to see Tina again.

We took one more quick drive down the main street in Waynesburg, up to the campus and then headed back to our campground. I was so pleased to have made the effort to go see the college, as this was truly a place that I never thought I'd see again. Don and I both were smiling, as it was a great way to spend a retirement Saturday and all alumni were given the royal treatment. Can I go back to college?