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Visiting Ricketts Glen

A Park in Central PA

By Om Prakash John GilmorePublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Water Fall In Ricketts Glen

It almost seemed like another state, or maybe even another country. I've lived in PA most of my life but never spent much time in the small towns. As a project I began to visit many of the small towns and explore the natural resources there and life in general. This led me to Ricketts Glen, a very large park in Central PA near Bern PA. Bern PA? Where is that? Somewhere out there near Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, and Tamaqua.

Upon arrival, I was reminded of the small towns I visited in upstate NH. There were many wooded areas running along both sides of the two lane state highway. Every so often we would pass a motel, a gas station, or some fast food restaurant, perhaps a garage or two, or a lone business located away from the center of the town.

We often passed houses located way out in the woods, but right next to the busy state highway, or trailers parked out in the woods wondering what it would be like to live there. Things were very rustic, more than I imagined in PA.

As we were driving I wondered how people living in such surroundings could possibly identify with life in the city and all of the issues there with unemployment, or bad schools, or urban violence. Even as I wondered I realized that they may have the exact same issues there, but not as dense, and more spread out.

The only way they could begin to understand these issues in the cities and the only way people in the cities could understand their experiences was by hearing about them from an unbiased news media. Good luck with that in a state where the rural towns are often played off against the urban cities.

The park was large and beautiful. It was a series of waterfalls connected by a rapidly running river. Walking along the path one crossed many small bridges, rocks and stones, walking along the river sometimes while at others being high up in the hills overlooking the rapids.

This time of year there weren't many people in the park. It was quiet other than the roar of the churning waterfalls and the river full of rapids. It was cool, but just the right temperature for walking outside. No cold, no sweat, just comfortable weather minus the insects.

We walked for about an hour or two and then returned to our small bed and bed and breakfast planning to return to the park the following day. That night we went to have dinner at a nearby bar restaurant closer to town. We entered the main dining room. There weren’t many people. The dining room walls in the large open space was decorated with the heads of game protruding from the wall, plaques with fish, even a little stuffed bear hanging from a coat rack.

There were few people in a large, open space, but in the adjacent room we could hear people talking in the bar next door. We sat, talked, and ate, looking around at the place that looked more like a hunting lodge than a restaurant, but I have to admit, it was fun. It was different, yes, but very fun.

I often wonder about places like Bern and the surrounding areas. How would one think if one was raised in such a place? What would one do for a living? What would one think about politically? Truth is, that it is a different world than the one I was raised in.

My guess is that they prefer their world as much as I prefer mine...sometimes. Yet again, I am always open to new places and new cultures. I am looking for chances to grow and move beyond my own culture and experience more of humanity, and a larger mind. I wonder how many of those people are the same.

Perhaps those who flee such places are looking for more of life, or a greater understanding of the world in the cities. I just wonder what it is like for those who stay. I really cannot imagine living in such a place. Yet again, there are issues in urban environments and in rural environments, I guess it is up to the person to choose which issues they can deal with the best.

The End

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About the Creator

Om Prakash John Gilmore

John (Om Prakash) Gilmore, is a Retired Unitarian Universalist Minister, a Licensed Massage Therapist and Reiki Master Teacher, and a student and teacher of Tai-Chi, Qigong, and Nada Yoga. Om Prakash loves reading sci-fi and fantasy.

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