I recently wrote about the first part of our trip to Patton, when we went to The Seldom Seen Valley Coal Mine. That was a wonderful time! It took us several hours, but the staff of Human Diaries was not done for the day!
We headed off for more adventures. I like to look out through the windows of the car when traveling, and I noticed some of the wild flowers at the side of the road. At one point, we stopped so I could pick a few of them such as Queen Anne’s lace, chicory, and several that I couldn’t identify.
At one point, I realized we were near Patton Park. I mentioned it to the driver, and we drove through the parking lot. We stopped briefly, and I explained how I have gone there in the past for some family reunions. I pointed out some of the interesting things they have to do there. There’s a swimming pool, mini train rides, pavilions, a place for bands to perform, picnic tables and grills, a basketball court, tennis court, volley ball court, and various playground equipment areas. We decided that it can be added to our list of places to go in the future, but we had a different destination in mind for that day.
A little later, we reached our next stop; Prince Gallitzin State Park! We had passed it many times before while in that area, but this was the first time our group visited. First, we went to Mud Lick Gazebo, a popular place for weddings. We parked, and went over to the large, beautiful gazebo to look out over Mud Lick Cove of Glendale Lake. The view was amazing, and it lent itself well to picture-taking (of course)!
Then we drove until we got to the Marina where we saw all of the boats. We walked around, and looked for something to eat. They have a little store there, filled with mainly things like life jackets and t-shirts. In the back, though, they had a little food area. Frozen sandwiches and such were in a little freezer, next to a table with a microwave oven. We made our selections, and then went to check out. We inquired about the boating options, and got a list of what was available. After our food was cooked, we went and sat outside on the benches. We discussed our preferences while we ate. By the time we had finished eating, we had decided on renting a motorboat.
It was getting kind of late, so we really only had an hour or so before they closed for the night. We got in the boat and headed out to the middle of the lake. It was a warm, sunny, beautiful day. We all took hundreds of pictures and several videos. We took turns steering – well, most of us. I enjoyed the ride, but preferred to stay in one spot while we were moving. I was near the front, by the anchor. There was some dirt in it, apparently from the bottom of the lake. I looked at it for a little at one point, and realized it had tiny little seashells in it. I picked them out and put them in an empty lemonade carton we had with us. Later I washed them, and they are really cute.
We traveled all around the lake, looking at the water, the sky, the clouds, the people, and the land around the lake. There was green and blue all around us. The sun was bright, but there were plenty of big, fluffy white clouds, too. It was a wonderful time and a beautiful view. We were relaxing, and having fun!
We decided to test out the Rokpak to see if it was truly waterproof. We held it by the strap over the side of the motorboat and literally dragged it through the water for a while. We opened it, and were happy to see that it was completely dry inside – not a single drop of water got into it! It was still working, too. We were able to charge our phones with no problem.
It was almost closing time, so we went back to the dock. We thanked the people who worked there for the wonderful time we had, and wished them a good evening.
After we left, we stopped at the Carrolltown American Legion Park. It has a helicopter, tank, and silhouette of a soldier kneeling by some grave markers. There are flags flying over a memorial stone, pavilions, a wooden train, horseshoe pits, and a play area. We took some pictures, and then sat on the swing.
We stopped to see a few family members, and shared our homemade marshmallows with them. We couldn’t stay long because we had one more place to go, and we needed to be there on time. Our final destination on this busy day was the Carrolltown Hi-Way Drive-In Theatre! We had stopped there last year just to show the kids what a drive-in was all about, and had promised that we’d take them to see a movie there one day. This was the perfect opportunity – we had plenty of time, and the Minions movie was showing!
The drive-in isn’t the way it used to be. I remember as a kid, going to the drive-in, wearing my pajamas, sitting in the car with my siblings, and eating popcorn. There was a speaker on a wire, attached to a pole. You would put your car window down, grab the speaker, then put the window most of the way back up. Now, the speakers have been replaced by broadcasting over the radio. We found a spot to put our blanket, and were lucky enough to be next to a family with a portable radio. We were able to hear very well. The movie was really cute, and the kids enjoyed it and also the concession stand snacks. It was an interesting experience, and we really enjoyed it. We had considered staying for the second movie, Mission Impossible, but were kind of getting tired. It had been a really long day!
It was an hour drive back to where we were staying. We didn’t get there until almost midnight. We had promised a night in the tent, though. We quickly set up the tent, and the kids and I stayed there for the night. I woke up around 4 in the morning, and took some pictures of the sky. The moon and clouds looked incredible, but the pictures didn’t really do it justice.
It was an amazing day overall. We were sore, tired, scratched, and extremely happy. I couldn’t wait to see what was in store for Human Diaries the next day!
