Punxsutawney, PA (USA)

It’s Groundhog Day! In order to see the 02/02/2020 weather prediction, Mollie set an early alarm (0315) and we were able to get out of the hotel within about 20 minutes.  We then drove into Indiana to get breakfast at Sheetz (0415).  We then had to drive about 30 minutes (through light snow) to reach Punxsutawney.  By the time we arrived, we found the Walmart parking lot (our targeted stop, based on the festival website) entirely filled and a HUGE line waiting for the shuttle bus.  Calling an audible, I drove us through town, following a State Trooper, until we found a parking spot (behind the H&R Block, making me wonder if we’d get towed).  I asked Mollie if she was OK with the idea of walking (she said she was) but we ended up finding another shuttle stop in time to catch a bus by about 0500.  The ride to Gobblers Knob was quite scary (lots of snow and ice on the narrow, hilly streets) but we arrived in one piece and made our way to the large clearing where the festivities were planned for sunrise.  There were so many people and we learned that it was the most attendance in the 134 year history of the event.  Almost everything (food, souvenirs) was already sold out so we spent all of our energy trying to find a good spot to stand.  Meanwhile, we were entertained by a barber shop quartet, cover bands, chants and cheers for Phil.  There were also a lot of pyrotechnics, including a giant fireworks show at 0630.  The crowd was energetic and fun (dancing, singing, cheering).  Just after 0700, Phil’s top-hatted Inner Circle came onstage to ask the groundhog what kind of weather we could expect over the next six weeks.  Following a huge buildup (~0725), Phil predicted an early Spring and everyone cheered.  Just then, it started snowing (a LOT!).  The crowd surged towards the buses but we decided to follow the locals across a snowy cornfield towards town (a 1.5 mile walk).  We’d heard that the temps were in the high 20s and, by this point, it felt very cold. But the nice people in Punxsutawney came out on the streets to give the visitors cookies and coffee.  That warmed our hearts a lot; back at our car (it was still there!), we were faced with a choice of whether to stay to enjoy more fun or to get out of town before the snow storm trapped us.  We chose the latter (no regrets) because we felt we had experienced the best part of February 2nd.  Mollie and I agreed that a visit to Gobbler's Knob is definitely worth your trouble if this is on your Bucket List!  We left town on a back road at around 0800 and drove through pretty winter forests.  The road got worse and worse (plowing wise), so I gravitated to a main road, rather than the rural suggestion of Google Maps.  After braving a mini-snowstorm on US-219 (no plows or sanders in sight), we made it to the crest of the Allegheny Ridge on US-22.  Mollie was in search of another NPS Passport stamp and this one was tougher to get than I’d hoped.  By the time we parked at the Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Visitor Center, I was genuinely concerned that we might not get back to civilization (un-plowed roads, cars in ditches).  However, Nessie got us there safely and we decided to spend some time learning about the history of the park.  Since we were the only visitors, we decided to spend some time learning about the history of this rather unique site.  The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decided to employ an odd solution to move canal boats from one side of the mountain range to another. It proved again that the early pioneers were determined to conquer the land even if the technology wasn’t quite ready to help. We can’t call it a bridge to nowhere, but the railroads replaced it almost as soon as it was completed.  The engineering involved to build the landmark interested me a lot and Mollie didn’t try to race out after she got her stamp.  We figured out that the park was Mollie’s 200th NPS Unit (!!!) and this made her very proud. After celebrating, we realized that the snow had let up a bit.  So we decided to head east to I-99 before we got trapped.  As we drove away, we talked about how the park was definitely on our list for a revisit because we only saw a fraction.  Mollie told me she was we went, even with the inclement weather.  I drove towards home via I-99 and I-70.  As we continued east, the weather improved dramatically (there eventually wasn’t even any snow on the ground).  What a difference a few miles in wintery PA makes!  As we drove, Mollie fell asleep (for about 45 minutes) - after she woke up, we stopped for gas and lunch (McDonalds) in Clear Spring, MD (1155). We then got back on the highway and drove to Frederick, MD.  From there, we drove home (I-270 and I-495); Mollie FaceTimed Brenna to tell her about the Groundhog.  We arrived home at about 1445 and unpacked.  I decided to take a nap and Mollie studied for several hours.  She made dinner (chicken farfalle in pesto sauce) and we ate together after I woke up (1800).  Mollie took a break from studying to watch Super Bowl ads on YouTube and, later, she uploaded some fun videos to Facebook from our trip.  Nicky picked her up later so she could go to a Super Bowl party and I went to bed early.  What a great day!