So I was driving t hrough Clarion, Pennsylvania ...

[pony280]

Last week, I stopped in Clarion, PA on my way to a writers' conference in Scranton. I picked up some brochures for Cook Forest State Park, which really looked lovely. Has anybody been there recently -- is it worth the trip from Michigan with a PUP? I was thinking it would be nice in the fall.

[beemerphile1]

Cook Forest State Park is one of my favorites.  It is about 2 & 1/2 hours from where I am in Ohio.

It is a nice area, very popular and busy on holiday weekends.  Lots of private campgrounds in area in addition to the state park.  Also check out Clear Creek State Park, it is only 1/2 hour away in same area.

Cook Forest is at the southern end of Allegheny State Forest.

[jwhite]

Cooks Forest is nice, I camp a little further north in the Allegheny Forest.  Plenty to do and see at Cook's, hiking, canoo the river, beautiful in the fall.

[pony280]

Thanks -- I think we'll book something for autumn. I love PA -- and that area would only be about a 5-hour drive.

[TimK]

Pennsylvania is a much prettier state than most people imagine. The North and Northwest give you (what we call) mountains and forest, and the Southcentral part has marvelous rolling farmland (made incredibly productive by the Pennsylvania Dutch. The Southeast, unfortunately, gives you Philadelphia, but you don't have to go there!

[Potstech]

When you go there wave high in the air to my brother.  He is one of the Building inspectors in the area and spent a lot of time camping there.  There is no water at the sites but the community spigots are numerous and easy to get to.  You will love the area.  If you go there go to Titusville and see the original US oil Derrick made by Edwin Drake as he discovered oil in the US.  Also if you are real adventurous ask to find the ancient city of Pithole.  Went from nothing to the largest oil producing city in the US to nothing in about 18 months or so.  This is a great area with a lot of heritage and sites to see. I was raised in a place caleed Oil City and sure do wish I could have found a job in that area.  Enjoy yourself and don't go to late in the year as it does snow there.

[sixpantsmaloney]

I've been all over... Alaska to Maine and most things in between.  I'm bored with most of what we've got in Ohio.

Cook is definitely worth it.  There's old growth forest that just feels ancient.

Raccoon Creek is another nice park.  In fact, Northern and Western PA are just plain nice.  The parks feel older, unlike much of the Ohio parks (Ohio was virtually clear cut by 1900 so that kind of explains it).

Winter is a wonderful time at Cook.  Don't hesitate to check it out.  I think the North County trail passes through.  There are suspension bridges tucked back in the woods for hikers.  Those are fun too.

[Spirit Deer]

Which writers conference?

[pony280]

Which writers conference?

I went to the Gathering at Keystone College -- very small conference with speakers Chris Abani (author of Graceland and Soldier Boy), Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted), Dava Sobel (Galileo's Daughter, Longitude, The Planets) and .... (picture me like a teenager with a crush on a rock star) Billy Collins!!  (Former poet laureate -- love hearing him read.)

It was really lovely -- and I was born in Scranton, have relatives there -- and so got a chance to visit. My sister came in from NYC and we toured all the spots we haven't seen in years -- sort of a "homage" to my mother, who died during the past year.

[Spirit Deer]

Sorry to hear about your mom.  That's a hard loss.  Sounds like you had a great trip though.

[pony280]

Thanks, Rae -- it was a good trip and I think Mom would have been happy we got together to visit all the places we'd spent so much time with her as children.

[Spirit Deer]

I'm sure your mom was smiling the entire time.