[MSCW list] MSCW 2024 Destination Drive - Pennsylvania Past Times - 7/20/2024

[Timothy Metzinger]

This drive will take place in Columbia and Montour counties in north central PA.  We'll visit at least 9 covered bridges and end up at Knoebel's Amusement Park.  Since the bridges are old and the amusement park is old as well (with a wooden roller coaster!), I'm calling this drive Pennsylvania Past Times.

The drive will have two options - the tour of the bridges will start at the Best Western In Danesville PA (125 Old Valley School Rd, Valley Twp, PA 17821) at 10:30 AM.  Folks who want to drive up the night before will find other lodging near by, it's the intersection of PA54 and I-80.   Folks who want to drive up from Frederick, with a nice tour on US11 along the Susquehanna river can meet me at the Frederick Keys Harry Grove Stadium/Nymeo Field at 6:45 AM and we'll leave at 7:15 AM to reach the Best Western by 10 AM with time for a break for gas and a pee.

I've scouted this route - while there are more bridges in the county but most of them are only reachable on foot (very long walks on dirt) or by bicycle.  The bridges we'll be visiting are all either drivable or have parking and can be visited on foot with a short walk.  A video I shot while scouting is at https://youtu.be/ixwOku_Sg5w.   At the end of our bridges (around 1:30 PM) we'll arrive at Knoebel's Amusement Resort (https://www.knoebels.com/).  There's no charge for parking or for admission, and you can pay "by the ride" or you can pre-purchase a "ride all you want" pass on the website.  Food is available and there will be live music as well.  Folks can stat as long as they wish and then head home - I-81 is only 15 miles or so from the park.

Logistics:
Assembly - Folks driving up from Frederick should assemble at 645 AM on 7/20/2024 (yes, it's o-dark-thirty) at the Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, at the main parking lot across from the cemetary. We'll leave Frederick and head up to Danville at 715AM.  If you're going to spend the night before (7/19) in Danville, please be at the Danville Best Western by 10:15 AM, with an empty bladder and at least half a tank of gas.
Departure - We'll depart the Danville Best Western at 10:30 AM
Time/Distance - approximately 85 miles for the bridge tour, taking about 3 hours.  The drive from Frederick to Danville will be 2 hours and 45 minutes and 145 miles.
Food - Get breakfast on your own, and food will be available at Knoebels.
Car limits - 20.  We'll probably break into three subgroups just in case.
Weather -  If the weather is bad, we will try again on 7/21/2024
Technology-  I will bring nine extra Midland GMRS radios.  If you want to bring your own GMRS radio, we will be using Channel 30 on Midland Radios, or 462.7000 MHz frequency and CTCSS 17 for the privacy code.  In Glympse, we'll use the !mscw_cruise tag to keep track of each other.  I'll have GPS for the subgroup leaders, and there may be an extra as well.

When you sign up, you should be sure to sign up for BOTH slots if you're going to drive up from Frederick and then take the bridge tour to the amusement park.  If you're gonna make your own way up there and meet us at the Danville Best Western, just sign up for the Bridge Tour slot.
Signup at https://bit.ly/mscw2024-dd-5.  Don't use facebook to save a spot.

Visit www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com<http://www.midatlanticscenicdrives.com> for maps and GPS files, as well as the club guide for group drives.

Drive safely and HAVE FUN,
Timothy (Tim) Metzinger
Scenic Drive Coordinator - Mazda Sport Cars of Washington, DC
tim.metzinger at outlook.com
703.963.3015