{"id":10869,"date":"2019-07-02T20:54:01","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T20:54:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=10869"},"modified":"2019-07-07T18:19:56","modified_gmt":"2019-07-07T18:19:56","slug":"notes-from-the-road-june-2019","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/usnomadstudio.com\/usnomads\/blog\/?page_id=10869","title":{"rendered":"Notes From the Road — 1-14 June 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NOTES FROM THE ROAD<\/h2>\n
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< more recent<\/a> | 1-14 June 2019 | older ><\/a> <\/p>\n

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On the Offsite Trails…<\/h5>\n


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Enjoying the Moraine trails …<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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9 June 2019:<\/strong> Checked out the Moraine Forest trail off-site this year, which had a fair bit of mud and ruts by the last day of the festivities. It was a beautiful morning for a trail ride and we were only slightly disappointed that our scheduled trail — a new one, called the “Rough Riders” trail — was shut since Saturday afternoon due to conditions that were leaving even Jeeps on 37″ tires hopelessly stuck. The Moraine run was a nice scenic way to end this year’s festival for us, and from there we began the long 12-hour drive back home…
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Some Jeep History…<\/h5>\n


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Bantam Jeep History and Heritage …<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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8 June 2019:<\/strong> The Bantam Jeep was celebrated along with its history at the “WWII Encampment” where classic military Jeeps were displayed amid a reconstructed “army camp” highlighting different aspects of the WWII-era military life, while inside an exhibition gave a detailed timeline of the history of Jeeps right up to the new Gladiator model …
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The Jeep Playground…<\/h5>\n


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Fun Jeep action on the obstacle course …<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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8 June 2019:<\/strong> Saturday was the biggest day for the festival at Coopers Lake, with more great weather encouraging attendees to participate in the action or just watch. The “Playground” is always fun, and this year’s mud pit proved challenging for many of the rigs, with lots of cheers for the ones that made it through …
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The Jeep Invasion 2019…<\/h5>\n


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Butlers Annual Jeep Parade…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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7 June 2019:<\/strong> The annual Jeep Invasion of downtown Butler was great fun this year, with good weather helping to make the street fair atmosphere even more enjoyable. We got a prime parking spot right on Main street for the first time, and spent the whole evening taking part in the festivities and checking out all the other Jeeps …
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Night Ops 2019…<\/h5>\n


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First Festival Activity of 2019…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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6 June 2019:<\/strong> Fun evening with a bon fire and late-night Jeep runs in the woods as part of this years “Night Ops” event to kick off the 2019 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival at Coopers Lake. The nighttime Jeep activity finishes up out on the obstacle course, made a bit more challenging by the darkness that also doubles the sense of adventure…
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Getting Ready for the Invasion…<\/h5>\n


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Wrangler Wave at the Butler Brew Works…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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5 June 2019:<\/strong> All around downtown Butler PA everyone is getting ready for the Bamtam Jeep Heritage Festival and the annual Jeep Invasion here. Butler Brew Works has several different Jeep-themed beers including the colorfully packaged “Wrangler Wave” which seems perfect for summer…
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Nighttime Arrival in Butler…<\/h5>\n


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Late night arrival in downtown Butler…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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4 June 2019:<\/strong> We were probably the first Jeep to arrive to Butler for the 2019 Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival that will be starting on Thursday night, and we made a point of parking on Main Street for a brief photo op before heading to our hotel. It was close to midnight, but we made it…
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Leaving Bald Eagle…<\/h5>\n


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One last hike by the lake…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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4 June 2019:<\/strong> Our last day at Bald Eagle and we did a bit more exploring before departing in the early evening to continue our route to Butler. Was sad to leave the natural beauty and the great ambiance of the Nature Inn, but hopefully we will get to return again soon…
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Bird Watching on the Trail…<\/h5>\n


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Nature at the Nature Inn…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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3 June 2019:<\/strong> The Nature Inn provides guests with binoculars and birding guides, and there are plenty to see on the trails that surround the area. Got to do some hiking in the morning and the late afternoon and so far we have seen deer, bunnies, beavers, groundhogs, and squirrels, in addition to the many beautiful birds…
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Bald Eagle State Park…<\/h5>\n


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A short stay at the Nature Inn…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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2 June 2019:<\/strong> We arrived to the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park in the late afternoon and settled in for a few nights at this beautiful location overlooking the lake and the mountains beyond it. The Nature Inn is an eco-Lodge in the middle of the woods that encourages visitors to get outside and explore the surrounding area…
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Centralia’s Graffiti Highway…<\/h5>\n


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A walk down the famed Graffiti Highway…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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2 June 2019:<\/strong> The sun was shining out on Graffiti Highway this afternoon and there were even some folks refreshing the artwork on this public crowd-sourced monument to the phantom coal town that once existed here. The underground fire still burns somewhere below, but there is no visual evidence to see — simply this asphalt ribbon brightly colored patchwork in the middle of an overgrown woodland …
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Boulder Field at Hickory Run…<\/h5>\n


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A pause to play on the rocks…<\/strong><\/h6>\n


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2 June 2019:<\/strong> Roadtripping to the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival and made our first stop at the Hickory Run State Park to visit the amazing Boulder Field that exists in the middle of a forest — a vestige of the ice age and a very intriguing place to play …
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PREVIOUS NOTES FROM THE ROAD<\/a> ><\/a> <\/h6>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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THIS MONTH:<\/strong>
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\nHeading to the Jeep Invasion and the 9th annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival<\/a>, June 7-9, in Butler, PA. The Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival is a tribute event to the original jeep, the history behind it, the people who created it, and its birthplace, Butler Pennsylvania. The event provides Jeep enthusiasts with on and off-road experiences that embrace the vehicle’s past and the lifestyle it now fosters. The family-friendly event is held at Coopers Lake Campground, about an hour north of Pittsburgh, PA every year with on-site off-road trails, a Jeep “playground” obstacle course, Jeep History exhibit, huge vendor area with 150 companies and more…
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COMING UP SOON:<\/strong>
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\nParticipating in this year’s Ladies Offroad Challenge<\/a> which begins May 13th and continues for ten weeks. Designed by Charlene Bower as a fun way of building skills, the challenges offer something for everyone, and can be as hard or easy as desired — though at least one is designed to push participants outside their comfort zones…

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\nJoining the ladies at Woman and Machine New England<\/a> for a day of automotive learning fun focused on cars, engines, welding, and more. This automotive educational and networking event is designed for those who want to understand more about their vehicles and\/or explore the skill sets that make up various realms within the automotive industry. The event is open to everyone from seasoned professionals to the wrench-curious ladies who are interested in learning more about cars from other women …

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\nAttending the Ladies Offroad Network Convention<\/a> in Atlanta, GA. The 3rd annual convention will be held August 1-4, 2019, with lots of hands-on opportunities to gain all types of offroading skills, learn and engage with other offroad ladies as they share their stories, and laugh the whole way. The convention is an action-packed, interactive 4-day weekend educating, motivating, and guiding offroad ladies…

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\nBack to Pennsylvania Coal Country to guide for the 2019 Women’s Wheeling Day<\/a> at Rausch Creek Offroad Park hosted by Jeep Girls Rock<\/a>. The day focuses on learning, enjoying the trails and meeting new friends, and is for all trail levels, from beginners to advanced. Female Guides will be assigned to each group and will encourage those who have never wheeled before as they build confidence out on the trails and learn what their vehicle is capable of (guys are welcomed to attend and ride along with women drivers at this family event) …
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HISTORY OF THE BANTAM JEEP<\/strong><\/p>\n



\nButler PA was home to the American Bantam Car Company, a central character in the invention, development and production of the very first Jeeps. The Bantam jeep was the prototype for what would eventually evolve into the World War II US Army Jeeps, the Willys MB and the Ford GPW. The Bantam prototype was called the Bantam Reconnaissance Car, or BRC, and the first one was driven from Butler PA to Camp Holabird, MD, where the Army tested it for 30 days. The Army liked what it saw, and wanted production of 75 vehicles per day. Unfortunately, Bantam could not meet that production schedule, and the Army gave Ford and Willys the Bantam\u2019s blueprints to produce enough vehicles. Ford and Willys fulfilled the Army\u2019s contracts for 600,000 Jeeps for World War II. While Bantam produced a total of 2,675 jeeps, it never produced another vehicle after that. Instead, Bantam produced \u2018jeep\u2019 cargo trailers, torpedo motors and other military use items until they closed in 1956.
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ABOUT BUTLER PA<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Named by Smithsonian Magazine in the top ten best small towns in America; Butler, PA, is home to 14,000 residents. Butler is located 35 miles (56 km) north of Pittsburgh and is a nationally accredited \u201cMain Street\u201d community with a thriving downtown shopping and restaurant district.

\nEstablished in 1803, the town became an industrial and manufacturing center. It was here that some of the first all-steel railroad cars were built by Standard Steel Car Company in 1902. The automotive industry soon followed, and the American Austin Car Company set up shop here in 1929, eventually changing its name to Bantam and creating the Jeep prototype in 1941.

\nLike many towns centered on manufacturing, Butler has seen some ups and downs, but has continued to flourish. Recently, the Marcellus Shale boom has created new jobs and revenue via the somewhat controversial gas drilling practice known as \u201ctracking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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BALD EAGLE STATE PARK<\/strong>
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\nThe 5,900-acre Bald Eagle State Park<\/a> is in the broad Bald Eagle Valley of northcentral Pennsylvania. The 1,730-acre lake laps the flanks of Bald Eagle Mountain, surrounded by forests, fields, and wetlands. With two campgrounds, boating, fishing, swimming, the Nature Inn, and diverse habitats that are excellent for wildlife watching, Bald Eagle State Park is a great destination in the heart of Pennsylvania. The Nature Inn, voted the #1 Eco-Lodge in the nation, offers sweeping lake views, comfortable modern accommodations and amenities, all within the natural setting of Bald Eagle State Park. Everything in and around the lodge was designed with the environment in mind, so it all blends right in. Throughout the inn, one theme resonates above all others \u2013 Birds. From the bird tracks leading you to our front lobby, to the Audubon and Ned Smith prints in each room where binoculars and birding books encourage visitors to get out and observe the birds — including a nesting pair of bald eagles just behind the inn in Hunter Cove.
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PENNSYLVANIA COAL COUNTRY<\/strong>
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\nThe Coal Region<\/a> is a historically important coal-mining area in Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Ridge-and-valley Appalachian Mountains, comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties. The discovery of anthracite coal was first made near the Schuylkill\u2013Northampton line in the vicinity of Summit Hill by a hunter in 1791 and the first mine was established in 1775. The anthracite mining industry loomed over the region until its decline in the 1950s. The Knox Mine Disaster in 1959 served as the death knell for deep mining which faded away in the mid 1960s; almost all current anthracite mining is done via strip mining. Tours of underground mines can be taken in Ashland, Scranton, and Lansford, each of them also having museums dedicated to the mining industry. Also evident are patch towns, small villages affiliated with a particular mine. These towns were owned by the mining company. Though no longer company owned, many hamlets survive; one of them, the Eckley Miners’ Village, is a museum and preserved historical town owned and administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which seeks to restore patch towns to their original state.
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ABOUT HICKORY RUN<\/strong>
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\nHickory Run<\/a> is a 15,990-acre state park spread across the Pocono Mountains in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. With 44 miles of hiking trails, there are a variety of experiences available, but the park’s most notable feature is the huge boulder field located in the northeast corner. The boulder field can be reached via a graded dirt road or by hiking the 3.5-mile Boulder Field Trail from the trailhead on SR 534. The field comprises about 720,000 square feet (16.5 acres) in area and the top of the boulder layer is virtually level with the approaching path. The largest of its kind in the Appalachian region, the Boulder Field consists of a gently sloping expanse of boulders occupying the axis of a small valley. It is surrounded by a coniferous forest with stony loam soils. The Boulders are between three and thirty feet in diameter and are hard, gray-red, medium-grained sandstone and conglomeratic sandstone from the Catskill Formation which forms the adjacent ridgelines. There are two widely accepted theories about the formation of the boulder field. One theory suggests that boulder-size blocks are generated from the fracturing of an upslope bedrock outcrop by alternating freeze and thaw. As boulders accumulate at the base of the rock slope, periglacial ice-catalyzed heaving and sliding transports them downslope during cold climatic periods to form boulder fields. The second theory says that boulder fields are formed by the exhumation of corestones initially formed underground by the action of spheroidal weathering on jointed bedrock. Later, the weathered rock, which is called saprolite, is progressively removed by erosion from around the corestones to expose them as isolated boulders. In time, these boulders are altered and redistributed by the accumulation of unconsolidated soil and sediment; freeze and thaw; and perhaps by periglacial action or glaciation during cold periods to form boulder fields. The presence of glacial erratics south of the area of the Hickory Run boulder field indicate that this area has been covered by an ice sheet at least once. The most extensive ice sheet to cover the area containing this boulder field occurred prior to 900,000.
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