July 16, 2021 Kinzua Skywalk
Kane RV Sites Kane, Pennsylvania Day 2
A pleasant morning walk in a pleasant town. From the campground, all the way through town, past the train depot, and around Evergreen Park and back. A good three-mile walk.
Wolf pride is everywhere.
It is also obvious that the people here care about the town. It is clean and places are well kept. There are very few businesses that are shuttered and those that are have artful displays in the windows. There are lots of churches and posters advertising outreach programs. It seems like a thriving community!
The campground is directly across from the hospital…we thought we might hear ambulances but it is very quiet here.
Old truck along the way.
We spent our morning at Kinzua Skywalk. This railroad viaduct was built in the late 1800’s. At that time, it was the longest and tallest bridge of its kind; 310 feet above the stream below. In 1900, the bridge was rebuilt to accommodate heavier and longer trains. The bridge stayed in service for a long time afterward and a state park was built to showcase this engineering marvel. In 2003, an F1 tornado sheared the anchor bolts and in two minutes, one half of the bridge was destroyed. The bridge was repurposed as a skywalk supported by the remaining bridge pillars. We walked to the end and peered out over the gorge. The debris from the damaged portion of the bridge lays in the bottom. It was left as a sobering reminder of the power of nature.
We drove from the viaduct to Twin Lakes. We had a simple lunch, protein bars and water, and then took a walk around the lake.
It rained this afternoon…of course it did! It was a time for resting and for making phone calls to family.
We had planned to cook tonight but we decided to get out for awhile instead. We had our dinner at The Lodge and it was fine.
After eating we took muddy Jeep trails in the rain…still searching for a tent camping spot…if we ever have a dry day!
