Fabulous Drive Today
Fabulous Drive Today
Well, about noon today, I decided it was a perfect day for a drive. So I hopped in my MINI (yeah, I left the Crossfire at home! Shocking, I know, but I felt like shifting gears, and the XF is an automatic.)
Anyway, I did a great drive that I can recommend to anyone that comes into north western Pennsylvania. Here's how it went down:
Short Version:
Hermitage, PA to Mercer, PA via Lamor Rd.
Mercer to Sandy Lake via Rt. 62
Sandy Lake to Franklin via Rt. 62
Franklin to Oil City via Rt. 62 (follows Allegheny River - downtown Franklin is quaint - stop at Daffin's Candies)
Oil City to Tionesta via Rt. 62
Turn onto Rt. 666 from Rt. 62 after Tionesta. Good twisties on Rt. 666, but a few miles of bad pavement.
Rt. 666 dead-ends into Rt. 6.
Follow Rt. 6 to Warren for dinner.
Return along Rt. 6 to Rt. 59.
Follow Rt. 59 to Kinzua Dam.
Turn onto Long House Scenic Drive from Rt. 59. (great views, the road is aptly named)
Long House Scenic Drive dead-ends onto Rt. 321.
Turn left onto 321 for a couple hundred yards, crossing a bridge with a great view.
After bridge, turn around and head back down 321, turning onto Bliss Hill Rd. (nice drive)
after Bliss Hill Rd, I pretty much meandered my way back home through Oil City and Franklin and all. I didn't find too much of interest between Bliss Hill Rd and Oil City as far as driving or scenery, but there are hotels, restaurants and fuels stops.
LONG VERSION:
Started in Hermitage, PA at the intersection of Rt. 18 and Lamor Rd. There's a Sheetz there where I fueled up and checked the vitals on the MINI. I headed east on Lamor Rd and followed it all the way to Mercer, PA. There were some fantastic twisties in the last couple miles of Lamor Rd before Mercer.
Then I turned onto Rt. 62 heading east out of Mercer towards Sandy Lake and Franklin, PA. There's a section of Rt. 62 that goes into Sandy Lake which can be avoided by shortcutting on Rt. 965. DON'T TAKE 965! It's closed with construction, and is boring anyway. Rt. 62 has some nice twisties and sweeping curves after Sandy Lake that you would miss if you took 965.
I followed Rt. 62 East all the way into Franklin, PA. Downtown Franklin is picturesque. There's a historic section that runs for several blocks that is quaint, and it has shops and stores and such. It's a good place to stop and look around. There's even a Daffin's Candies store there, which has THE BEST milk chocolate you'll find anywhere. Forget Godiva, this stuff is better.
Anyway, following Rt. 62 East through Franklin takes you across the Washington's Crossing bridge and along the Allegheny River. Rt. 62 follows the river all the way to Oil City. It's a beautiful drive with the river along side and mountains on each side. I'm sure it would look fantastic in the fall when the leaves change.
You cross the river in Oil City, PA on the Petroleum St. Bridge, and about a block from the bridge (on Rt. 62 west bound) there's a nice coffee house called Spilling the Beans. It's right next to the river and looks like a great place to stop for a drink.
Continue following Rt. 62 East, and there's another great place to stop just outside of Oil City (at the intersection of Rt. 157 and Rt. 62. The place is called Strawberry Delight, and is an ice cream stand. Looks good, but I didn't stop to find out. You lose the river for a while, but meet back up with it before you get to Tionesta, PA.
After crossing the Allegheny River again and into Tionesta, Rt. 62 East heads north along the river towards Warren, PA. But you'll want to turn off before you get very far onto Rt. 666. (The devil's highway?!? The highway of the beast?!?)
Rt. 666 is mentioned in a couple motorcycle sites as being a fun road to drive. And that it is. For the most part Rt. 666 is curvy and well maintained. There's a stretch in the middle of the 30 mile length (about 5 miles long) that is poorly maintained, but still very drive-able and enjoyable. The road is practically free from traffic (there are a few little "towns" on the road that consist of a group of ten or less houses), but other than that, it's all yours. The latter half of Rt. 666 follows another river (a tributary to the Allegheny, but I don't know what it's called).
At the end of Rt. 666 (near Sheffield, PA) it turns from asphalt to concrete, and that section is in poor repair too. It's bumpy, but not ridiculous. Bear with it, it only last a mile or three. Finally, Rt. 666 dead-ends into the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway", which is a very fancy name for Rt. 6. Rt. 6 is neither a highway nor is it grand. It's a two lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest, and it is in excellent repair. It's not very twisty, nor does it provide grand scenery, but it will get you to Warren, PA where you can stop for a meal at the Pepper Mill restaurant.
You'll follow Rt. 6 (west which heads north) about 12 miles to Warren, PA. Just before you get into town, you'll pass Rt. 59 which branches off to the right and heads up to Kinzua Dam. (We'll come back to that.) Following Rt. 6 into Warren, you'll cross the Allegheny River again and as you come into town, you'll see a nice restaurant on the right called the Pepper Mill. (between Grant and Hammond Streets). The place is very diner styled inside, so you're not gonna find caviar or a wine list, but the food was good and the service great. I had a turkey dinner, and it was tasty. (I wouldn't try the pasta or other Italian dishes, as I didn't see a single Italian person in the place! LOL) Then I backtracked back down Rt. 6 to Rt. 59 (There's another ice cream shop there on the corner that tempted me, but I resisted.)
I followed Rt. 59 up towards Kinzua Dam. (about 8 miles) Where Rt. 59 followed along the Allegheny River, there were some fabulous scenic spots, and you can stop at the Dam and take pictures and look around. If you follow rt. 59 past the dam, you'll come to a bridge that crosses the reservoir. Just BEFORE that bridge is a right turn that you WANT to take, onto Long House Scenic Drive.
Long House Scenic Drive was a beautiful road. It's not quite as fantastic as the drive along Rt. 129 near the Dragon (in Tennessee), but it's as good as you'll get in Allegheny National Forrest. There's some twisties along here to enjoy too - nothing like the Dragon, but the road is well maintained and you can keep a good pace even through the curves. There aren't any designated spots to pull over and snap photos, but there are a couple places that you'll want to do it anyway. About three long straight aways have room for you to pull over and enjoy the view, but be careful of potentially muddy berms.
I followed Long House Scenic Drive to it's end where it meets Rt. 321. If you turn left onto 321, there's a bridge with a fantastic view a couple hundred yards along 321. After the bridge there are gravel turn-arounds with ample space to park and walk back onto the bridge for a look-see.
After checking the view, backtrack south on 321. About 3/4 of a mile past Long House Scenic Drive, you'll find a right turn onto Bliss Hill Road. (There's a store right on the corner of 321 and Bliss Hill Rd.) I followed Bliss Hill Road west until it turned into Gibbs Hill Road. It was one of the best maintained roads I've seen in the area - perfect! And it was a fun drive - not as scenic as the Long House Scenic Drive, but still fun, and it connects you over to Rt. 6 again.
At this point, I decided to start heading for home. So I followed Rt. 6 to Sheffield, which was a boring drive compared to Long House Scenic and Rt. 62 along the Allegheny. But it was an easy jaunt and only a couple miles. Then I retraced my steps along Rt. 666, unfortunately a few miles of it was that messed up concrete road. I followed Rt. 666 to Lynch (I couldn't tell it was a town!) and took Byromtown Road south. The beginning of Byromtown Road is a bridge across the "unnamed" river (maybe a big creek). On Google Maps, it is called Blue Jay road, but the sign in real life reads Byromtown Road.
Byromtown Road was nice, and well maintained. The area is residential, so be wary of that. Scenic, but not so much as Long House Scenic Dr, but it was a nice drive. Byromtown Rd dumps you out on Rt. 66 in Pidgeon, PA.
Rt. 66 is a good road, but there's nothing real special about it. It's just another 2 lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest. There is a nice town of Marienville on Rt. 66. There's a Microtel that looked clean and nice, some restaurants and gas stations in case anyone needs to stop. Other than that it is boring all the way to Rt 36. I follow Rt. 36 to Rt. 208. Rt. 36 is nothing special, much like Rt. 66 with more traffic, but there are a couple of spots where the trees open up and you can see for miles - pretty nice. Rt. 157 is much like 36 and 208, and lead me right back to Rt. 62 in Oil City (along the river) and right at that ice cream place (Strawberry Delight).
From there, I retraced my path along Rt. 62 through Oil City, Franklin, Sandy Lake, and Mercer, even following Lamor Road from Mercer to Hermitage again.
It was a great day-trip. I left at about 1:30pm and got home at 7:30pm. So I spent about 5 1/2 hours driving and about 1/2 hour eating dinner at the Pepper Mill. Aside from the fact that it was a beautiful day for a drive, I think I've found some great roads (Rt. 62, Rt. 666, Long House Scenic Drive) that are worth the trip and I definitely want to revisit them in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.
If you're feeling a need for a trip to the Dragon and can't make it, this is a weak, but acceptable substitute. It's not as challenging as the Dragon, but almost as scenic and about 9 hours closer (for me!)
I hope you enjoy your drive if you decide to try it out, and keep me posted if you find any nice roads in the area or great places to stop along the way.
Anyway, I did a great drive that I can recommend to anyone that comes into north western Pennsylvania. Here's how it went down:
Short Version:
Hermitage, PA to Mercer, PA via Lamor Rd.
Mercer to Sandy Lake via Rt. 62
Sandy Lake to Franklin via Rt. 62
Franklin to Oil City via Rt. 62 (follows Allegheny River - downtown Franklin is quaint - stop at Daffin's Candies)
Oil City to Tionesta via Rt. 62
Turn onto Rt. 666 from Rt. 62 after Tionesta. Good twisties on Rt. 666, but a few miles of bad pavement.
Rt. 666 dead-ends into Rt. 6.
Follow Rt. 6 to Warren for dinner.
Return along Rt. 6 to Rt. 59.
Follow Rt. 59 to Kinzua Dam.
Turn onto Long House Scenic Drive from Rt. 59. (great views, the road is aptly named)
Long House Scenic Drive dead-ends onto Rt. 321.
Turn left onto 321 for a couple hundred yards, crossing a bridge with a great view.
After bridge, turn around and head back down 321, turning onto Bliss Hill Rd. (nice drive)
after Bliss Hill Rd, I pretty much meandered my way back home through Oil City and Franklin and all. I didn't find too much of interest between Bliss Hill Rd and Oil City as far as driving or scenery, but there are hotels, restaurants and fuels stops.
LONG VERSION:
Started in Hermitage, PA at the intersection of Rt. 18 and Lamor Rd. There's a Sheetz there where I fueled up and checked the vitals on the MINI. I headed east on Lamor Rd and followed it all the way to Mercer, PA. There were some fantastic twisties in the last couple miles of Lamor Rd before Mercer.
Then I turned onto Rt. 62 heading east out of Mercer towards Sandy Lake and Franklin, PA. There's a section of Rt. 62 that goes into Sandy Lake which can be avoided by shortcutting on Rt. 965. DON'T TAKE 965! It's closed with construction, and is boring anyway. Rt. 62 has some nice twisties and sweeping curves after Sandy Lake that you would miss if you took 965.
I followed Rt. 62 East all the way into Franklin, PA. Downtown Franklin is picturesque. There's a historic section that runs for several blocks that is quaint, and it has shops and stores and such. It's a good place to stop and look around. There's even a Daffin's Candies store there, which has THE BEST milk chocolate you'll find anywhere. Forget Godiva, this stuff is better.
Anyway, following Rt. 62 East through Franklin takes you across the Washington's Crossing bridge and along the Allegheny River. Rt. 62 follows the river all the way to Oil City. It's a beautiful drive with the river along side and mountains on each side. I'm sure it would look fantastic in the fall when the leaves change.
You cross the river in Oil City, PA on the Petroleum St. Bridge, and about a block from the bridge (on Rt. 62 west bound) there's a nice coffee house called Spilling the Beans. It's right next to the river and looks like a great place to stop for a drink.
Continue following Rt. 62 East, and there's another great place to stop just outside of Oil City (at the intersection of Rt. 157 and Rt. 62. The place is called Strawberry Delight, and is an ice cream stand. Looks good, but I didn't stop to find out. You lose the river for a while, but meet back up with it before you get to Tionesta, PA.
After crossing the Allegheny River again and into Tionesta, Rt. 62 East heads north along the river towards Warren, PA. But you'll want to turn off before you get very far onto Rt. 666. (The devil's highway?!? The highway of the beast?!?)
Rt. 666 is mentioned in a couple motorcycle sites as being a fun road to drive. And that it is. For the most part Rt. 666 is curvy and well maintained. There's a stretch in the middle of the 30 mile length (about 5 miles long) that is poorly maintained, but still very drive-able and enjoyable. The road is practically free from traffic (there are a few little "towns" on the road that consist of a group of ten or less houses), but other than that, it's all yours. The latter half of Rt. 666 follows another river (a tributary to the Allegheny, but I don't know what it's called).
At the end of Rt. 666 (near Sheffield, PA) it turns from asphalt to concrete, and that section is in poor repair too. It's bumpy, but not ridiculous. Bear with it, it only last a mile or three. Finally, Rt. 666 dead-ends into the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway", which is a very fancy name for Rt. 6. Rt. 6 is neither a highway nor is it grand. It's a two lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest, and it is in excellent repair. It's not very twisty, nor does it provide grand scenery, but it will get you to Warren, PA where you can stop for a meal at the Pepper Mill restaurant.
You'll follow Rt. 6 (west which heads north) about 12 miles to Warren, PA. Just before you get into town, you'll pass Rt. 59 which branches off to the right and heads up to Kinzua Dam. (We'll come back to that.) Following Rt. 6 into Warren, you'll cross the Allegheny River again and as you come into town, you'll see a nice restaurant on the right called the Pepper Mill. (between Grant and Hammond Streets). The place is very diner styled inside, so you're not gonna find caviar or a wine list, but the food was good and the service great. I had a turkey dinner, and it was tasty. (I wouldn't try the pasta or other Italian dishes, as I didn't see a single Italian person in the place! LOL) Then I backtracked back down Rt. 6 to Rt. 59 (There's another ice cream shop there on the corner that tempted me, but I resisted.)
I followed Rt. 59 up towards Kinzua Dam. (about 8 miles) Where Rt. 59 followed along the Allegheny River, there were some fabulous scenic spots, and you can stop at the Dam and take pictures and look around. If you follow rt. 59 past the dam, you'll come to a bridge that crosses the reservoir. Just BEFORE that bridge is a right turn that you WANT to take, onto Long House Scenic Drive.
Long House Scenic Drive was a beautiful road. It's not quite as fantastic as the drive along Rt. 129 near the Dragon (in Tennessee), but it's as good as you'll get in Allegheny National Forrest. There's some twisties along here to enjoy too - nothing like the Dragon, but the road is well maintained and you can keep a good pace even through the curves. There aren't any designated spots to pull over and snap photos, but there are a couple places that you'll want to do it anyway. About three long straight aways have room for you to pull over and enjoy the view, but be careful of potentially muddy berms.
I followed Long House Scenic Drive to it's end where it meets Rt. 321. If you turn left onto 321, there's a bridge with a fantastic view a couple hundred yards along 321. After the bridge there are gravel turn-arounds with ample space to park and walk back onto the bridge for a look-see.
After checking the view, backtrack south on 321. About 3/4 of a mile past Long House Scenic Drive, you'll find a right turn onto Bliss Hill Road. (There's a store right on the corner of 321 and Bliss Hill Rd.) I followed Bliss Hill Road west until it turned into Gibbs Hill Road. It was one of the best maintained roads I've seen in the area - perfect! And it was a fun drive - not as scenic as the Long House Scenic Drive, but still fun, and it connects you over to Rt. 6 again.
At this point, I decided to start heading for home. So I followed Rt. 6 to Sheffield, which was a boring drive compared to Long House Scenic and Rt. 62 along the Allegheny. But it was an easy jaunt and only a couple miles. Then I retraced my steps along Rt. 666, unfortunately a few miles of it was that messed up concrete road. I followed Rt. 666 to Lynch (I couldn't tell it was a town!) and took Byromtown Road south. The beginning of Byromtown Road is a bridge across the "unnamed" river (maybe a big creek). On Google Maps, it is called Blue Jay road, but the sign in real life reads Byromtown Road.
Byromtown Road was nice, and well maintained. The area is residential, so be wary of that. Scenic, but not so much as Long House Scenic Dr, but it was a nice drive. Byromtown Rd dumps you out on Rt. 66 in Pidgeon, PA.
Rt. 66 is a good road, but there's nothing real special about it. It's just another 2 lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest. There is a nice town of Marienville on Rt. 66. There's a Microtel that looked clean and nice, some restaurants and gas stations in case anyone needs to stop. Other than that it is boring all the way to Rt 36. I follow Rt. 36 to Rt. 208. Rt. 36 is nothing special, much like Rt. 66 with more traffic, but there are a couple of spots where the trees open up and you can see for miles - pretty nice. Rt. 157 is much like 36 and 208, and lead me right back to Rt. 62 in Oil City (along the river) and right at that ice cream place (Strawberry Delight).
From there, I retraced my path along Rt. 62 through Oil City, Franklin, Sandy Lake, and Mercer, even following Lamor Road from Mercer to Hermitage again.
It was a great day-trip. I left at about 1:30pm and got home at 7:30pm. So I spent about 5 1/2 hours driving and about 1/2 hour eating dinner at the Pepper Mill. Aside from the fact that it was a beautiful day for a drive, I think I've found some great roads (Rt. 62, Rt. 666, Long House Scenic Drive) that are worth the trip and I definitely want to revisit them in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.
If you're feeling a need for a trip to the Dragon and can't make it, this is a weak, but acceptable substitute. It's not as challenging as the Dragon, but almost as scenic and about 9 hours closer (for me!)
I hope you enjoy your drive if you decide to try it out, and keep me posted if you find any nice roads in the area or great places to stop along the way.
Last edited by tom2112; 04-11-2010 at 12:06 PM.
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
Originally Posted by tom2112
Well, about noon today, I decided it was a perfect day for a drive. So I hopped in my MINI (yeah, I left the Crossfire at home! Shocking, I know, but I felt like shifting gears, and the XF is an automatic.)
Anyway, I did a great drive that I can recommend to anyone that comes into north western Pennsylvania. Here's how it went down:
Started in Hermitage, PA at the intersection of Rt. 18 and Lamor Rd. There's a Sheetz there where I fueled up and checked the vitals on the MINI. I headed east on Lamor Rd and followed it all the way to Mercer, PA. There were some fantastic twisties in the last couple miles of Lamor Rd before Mercer.
Then I turned onto Rt. 62 heading east out of Mercer towards Sandy Lake and Franklin, PA. There's a section of Rt. 62 that goes into Sandy Lake which can be avoided by shortcutting on Rt. 956. DON'T TAKE 965! It's closed with construction, and is boring anyway. Rt. 62 has some nice twisties and sweeping curves after Sandy Lake that you would miss if you took 956.
I followed Rt. 62 East all the way into Franklin, PA. Downtown Franklin is picturesque. There's a historic section that runs for several blocks that is quaint, and it has shops and stores and such. It's a good place to stop and look around. There's even a Daffin's Candies store there, which has THE BEST milk chocolate you'll find anywhere. Forget Godiva, this stuff is better.
Anyway, following Rt. 62 East through Franklin takes you across the Washington's Crossing bridge and along the Allegheny River. Rt. 62 follows the river all the way to Oil City. It's a beautiful drive with the river along side and mountains on each side. I'm sure it would look fantastic in the fall when the leaves change.
You cross the river in Oil City, PA on the Petroleum St. Bridge, and about a block from the bridge (on Rt. 62 west bound) there's a nice coffee house called Spilling the Beans. It's right next to the river and looks like a great place to stop for a drink.
Continue following Rt. 62 East, and there's another great place to stop just outside of Oil City (at the intersection of Rt. 157 and Rt. 62. The place is called Strawberry Delight, and is an ice cream stand. Looks good, but I didn't stop to find out. You lose the river for a while, but meet back up with it before you get to Tionesta, PA.
After crossing the Allegheny River again and into Tionesta, Rt. 62 East heads north along the river towards Warren, PA. But you'll want to turn off before you get very far onto Rt. 666. (The devil's highway?!? The highway of the beast?!?)
Rt. 666 is mentioned in a couple motorcycle sites as being a fun road to drive. And that it is. For the most part Rt. 666 is curvy and well maintained. There's a stretch in the middle of the 30 mile length (about 5 miles long) that is poorly maintained, but still very drive-able and enjoyable. The road is practically free from traffic (there are a few little "towns" on the road that consist of a group of ten or less houses), but other than that, it's all yours. The latter half of Rt. 666 follows another river (a tributary to the Allegheny, but I don't know what it's called).
At the end of Rt. 666 (near Sheffield, PA) it turns from asphalt to concrete, and that section is in poor repair too. It's bumpy, but not ridiculous. Bear with it, it only last a mile or three. Finally, Rt. 666 dead-ends into the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway", which is a very fancy name for Rt. 6. Rt. 6 is neither a highway nor is it grand. It's a two lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest, and it is in excellent repair. It's not very twisty, nor does it provide grand scenery, but it will get you to Warren, PA where you can stop for a meal at the Pepper Mill restaurant.
You'll follow Rt. 6 (west which heads north) about 12 miles to Warren, PA. Just before you get into town, you'll pass Rt. 59 which branches off to the right and heads up to Kinzua Dam. (We'll come back to that.) Following Rt. 6 into Warren, you'll cross the Allegheny River again and as you come into town, you'll see a nice restaurant on the right called the Pepper Mill. (between Grant and Hammond Streets). The place is very diner styled inside, so you're not gonna find caviar or a wine list, but the food was good and the service great. I had a turkey dinner, and it was tasty. (I wouldn't try the pasta or other Italian dishes, as I didn't see a single Italian person in the place! LOL) Then I backtracked back down Rt. 6 to Rt. 59 (There's another ice cream shop there on the corner that tempted me, but I resisted.)
I followed Rt. 59 up towards Kinzua Dam. (about 8 miles) Where Rt. 59 followed along the Allegheny River, there were some fabulous scenic spots, and you can stop at the Dam and take pictures and look around. If you follow rt. 59 past the dam, you'll come to a bridge that crosses the reservoir. Just BEFORE that bridge is a right turn that you WANT to take, onto Long House Scenic Drive.
Long House Scenic Drive was a beautiful road. It's not quite as fantastic as the drive along Rt. 129 near the Dragon (in Tennessee), but it's as good as you'll get in Allegheny National Forrest. There's some twisties along here to enjoy too - nothing like the Dragon, but the road is well maintained and you can keep a good pace even through the curves. There aren't any designated spots to pull over and snap photos, but there are a couple places that you'll want to do it anyway. About three long straight aways have room for you to pull over and enjoy the view, but be careful of potentially muddy berms.
I followed Long House Scenic Drive to it's end where it meets Rt. 321. If you turn left onto 321, there's a bridge with a fantastic view a couple hundred yards along 321. After the bridge there are gravel turn-arounds with ample space to park and walk back onto the bridge for a look-see.
After checking the view, backtrack south on 321. About 3/4 of a mile past Long House Scenic Drive, you'll find a right turn onto Bliss Hill Road. (There's a store right on the corner of 321 and Bliss Hill Rd.) I followed Bliss Hill Road west until it turned into Gibbs Hill Road. It was one of the best maintained roads I've seen in the area - perfect! And it was a fun drive - not as scenic as the Long House Scenic Drive, but still fun, and it connects you over to Rt. 6 again.
At this point, I decided to start heading for home. So I followed Rt. 6 to Sheffield, which was a boring drive compared to Long House Scenic and Rt. 62 along the Allegheny. But it was an easy jaunt and only a couple miles. Then I retraced my steps along Rt. 666, unfortunately a few miles of it was that messed up concrete road. I followed Rt. 666 to Lynch (I couldn't tell it was a town!) and took Byromtown Road south. The beginning of Byromtown Road is a bridge across the "unnamed" river (maybe a big creek). On Google Maps, it is called Blue Jay road, but the sign in real life reads Byromtown Road.
Byromtown Road was nice, and well maintained. The area is residential, so be wary of that. Scenic, but not so much as Long House Scenic Dr, but it was a nice drive. Byromtown Rd dumps you out on Rt. 66 in Pidgeon, PA.
Rt. 66 is a good road, but there's nothing real special about it. It's just another 2 lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest. There is a nice town of Marienville on Rt. 66. There's a Microtel that looked clean and nice, some restaurants and gas stations in case anyone needs to stop. Other than that it is boring all the way to Rt 36. I follow Rt. 36 to Rt. 208. Rt. 36 is nothing special, much like Rt. 66 with more traffic, but there are a couple of spots where the trees open up and you can see for miles - pretty nice. Rt. 157 is much like 36 and 208, and lead me right back to Rt. 62 in Oil City (along the river) and right at that ice cream place (Strawberry Delight).
From there, I retraced my path along Rt. 62 through Oil City, Franklin, Sandy Lake, and Mercer, even following Lamor Road from Mercer to Hermitage again.
It was a great day-trip. I left at about 1:30pm and got home at 7:30pm. So I spent about 5 1/2 hours driving and about 1/2 hour eating dinner at the Pepper Mill. Aside from the fact that it was a beautiful day for a drive, I think I've found some great roads (Rt. 62, Rt. 666, Long House Scenic Drive) that are worth the trip and I definitely want to revisit them in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.
If you're feeling a need for a trip to the Dragon and can't make it, this is a weak, but acceptable substitute. It's not as challenging as the Dragon, but almost as scenic and about 9 hours closer (for me!)
I hope you enjoy your drive if you decide to try it out, and keep me posted if you find any nice roads in the area or great places to stop along the way.
Anyway, I did a great drive that I can recommend to anyone that comes into north western Pennsylvania. Here's how it went down:
Started in Hermitage, PA at the intersection of Rt. 18 and Lamor Rd. There's a Sheetz there where I fueled up and checked the vitals on the MINI. I headed east on Lamor Rd and followed it all the way to Mercer, PA. There were some fantastic twisties in the last couple miles of Lamor Rd before Mercer.
Then I turned onto Rt. 62 heading east out of Mercer towards Sandy Lake and Franklin, PA. There's a section of Rt. 62 that goes into Sandy Lake which can be avoided by shortcutting on Rt. 956. DON'T TAKE 965! It's closed with construction, and is boring anyway. Rt. 62 has some nice twisties and sweeping curves after Sandy Lake that you would miss if you took 956.
I followed Rt. 62 East all the way into Franklin, PA. Downtown Franklin is picturesque. There's a historic section that runs for several blocks that is quaint, and it has shops and stores and such. It's a good place to stop and look around. There's even a Daffin's Candies store there, which has THE BEST milk chocolate you'll find anywhere. Forget Godiva, this stuff is better.
Anyway, following Rt. 62 East through Franklin takes you across the Washington's Crossing bridge and along the Allegheny River. Rt. 62 follows the river all the way to Oil City. It's a beautiful drive with the river along side and mountains on each side. I'm sure it would look fantastic in the fall when the leaves change.
You cross the river in Oil City, PA on the Petroleum St. Bridge, and about a block from the bridge (on Rt. 62 west bound) there's a nice coffee house called Spilling the Beans. It's right next to the river and looks like a great place to stop for a drink.
Continue following Rt. 62 East, and there's another great place to stop just outside of Oil City (at the intersection of Rt. 157 and Rt. 62. The place is called Strawberry Delight, and is an ice cream stand. Looks good, but I didn't stop to find out. You lose the river for a while, but meet back up with it before you get to Tionesta, PA.
After crossing the Allegheny River again and into Tionesta, Rt. 62 East heads north along the river towards Warren, PA. But you'll want to turn off before you get very far onto Rt. 666. (The devil's highway?!? The highway of the beast?!?)
Rt. 666 is mentioned in a couple motorcycle sites as being a fun road to drive. And that it is. For the most part Rt. 666 is curvy and well maintained. There's a stretch in the middle of the 30 mile length (about 5 miles long) that is poorly maintained, but still very drive-able and enjoyable. The road is practically free from traffic (there are a few little "towns" on the road that consist of a group of ten or less houses), but other than that, it's all yours. The latter half of Rt. 666 follows another river (a tributary to the Allegheny, but I don't know what it's called).
At the end of Rt. 666 (near Sheffield, PA) it turns from asphalt to concrete, and that section is in poor repair too. It's bumpy, but not ridiculous. Bear with it, it only last a mile or three. Finally, Rt. 666 dead-ends into the "Grand Army of the Republic Highway", which is a very fancy name for Rt. 6. Rt. 6 is neither a highway nor is it grand. It's a two lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest, and it is in excellent repair. It's not very twisty, nor does it provide grand scenery, but it will get you to Warren, PA where you can stop for a meal at the Pepper Mill restaurant.
You'll follow Rt. 6 (west which heads north) about 12 miles to Warren, PA. Just before you get into town, you'll pass Rt. 59 which branches off to the right and heads up to Kinzua Dam. (We'll come back to that.) Following Rt. 6 into Warren, you'll cross the Allegheny River again and as you come into town, you'll see a nice restaurant on the right called the Pepper Mill. (between Grant and Hammond Streets). The place is very diner styled inside, so you're not gonna find caviar or a wine list, but the food was good and the service great. I had a turkey dinner, and it was tasty. (I wouldn't try the pasta or other Italian dishes, as I didn't see a single Italian person in the place! LOL) Then I backtracked back down Rt. 6 to Rt. 59 (There's another ice cream shop there on the corner that tempted me, but I resisted.)
I followed Rt. 59 up towards Kinzua Dam. (about 8 miles) Where Rt. 59 followed along the Allegheny River, there were some fabulous scenic spots, and you can stop at the Dam and take pictures and look around. If you follow rt. 59 past the dam, you'll come to a bridge that crosses the reservoir. Just BEFORE that bridge is a right turn that you WANT to take, onto Long House Scenic Drive.
Long House Scenic Drive was a beautiful road. It's not quite as fantastic as the drive along Rt. 129 near the Dragon (in Tennessee), but it's as good as you'll get in Allegheny National Forrest. There's some twisties along here to enjoy too - nothing like the Dragon, but the road is well maintained and you can keep a good pace even through the curves. There aren't any designated spots to pull over and snap photos, but there are a couple places that you'll want to do it anyway. About three long straight aways have room for you to pull over and enjoy the view, but be careful of potentially muddy berms.
I followed Long House Scenic Drive to it's end where it meets Rt. 321. If you turn left onto 321, there's a bridge with a fantastic view a couple hundred yards along 321. After the bridge there are gravel turn-arounds with ample space to park and walk back onto the bridge for a look-see.
After checking the view, backtrack south on 321. About 3/4 of a mile past Long House Scenic Drive, you'll find a right turn onto Bliss Hill Road. (There's a store right on the corner of 321 and Bliss Hill Rd.) I followed Bliss Hill Road west until it turned into Gibbs Hill Road. It was one of the best maintained roads I've seen in the area - perfect! And it was a fun drive - not as scenic as the Long House Scenic Drive, but still fun, and it connects you over to Rt. 6 again.
At this point, I decided to start heading for home. So I followed Rt. 6 to Sheffield, which was a boring drive compared to Long House Scenic and Rt. 62 along the Allegheny. But it was an easy jaunt and only a couple miles. Then I retraced my steps along Rt. 666, unfortunately a few miles of it was that messed up concrete road. I followed Rt. 666 to Lynch (I couldn't tell it was a town!) and took Byromtown Road south. The beginning of Byromtown Road is a bridge across the "unnamed" river (maybe a big creek). On Google Maps, it is called Blue Jay road, but the sign in real life reads Byromtown Road.
Byromtown Road was nice, and well maintained. The area is residential, so be wary of that. Scenic, but not so much as Long House Scenic Dr, but it was a nice drive. Byromtown Rd dumps you out on Rt. 66 in Pidgeon, PA.
Rt. 66 is a good road, but there's nothing real special about it. It's just another 2 lane road through the Allegheny National Forrest. There is a nice town of Marienville on Rt. 66. There's a Microtel that looked clean and nice, some restaurants and gas stations in case anyone needs to stop. Other than that it is boring all the way to Rt 36. I follow Rt. 36 to Rt. 208. Rt. 36 is nothing special, much like Rt. 66 with more traffic, but there are a couple of spots where the trees open up and you can see for miles - pretty nice. Rt. 157 is much like 36 and 208, and lead me right back to Rt. 62 in Oil City (along the river) and right at that ice cream place (Strawberry Delight).
From there, I retraced my path along Rt. 62 through Oil City, Franklin, Sandy Lake, and Mercer, even following Lamor Road from Mercer to Hermitage again.
It was a great day-trip. I left at about 1:30pm and got home at 7:30pm. So I spent about 5 1/2 hours driving and about 1/2 hour eating dinner at the Pepper Mill. Aside from the fact that it was a beautiful day for a drive, I think I've found some great roads (Rt. 62, Rt. 666, Long House Scenic Drive) that are worth the trip and I definitely want to revisit them in the fall when the leaves are changing colors.
If you're feeling a need for a trip to the Dragon and can't make it, this is a weak, but acceptable substitute. It's not as challenging as the Dragon, but almost as scenic and about 9 hours closer (for me!)
I hope you enjoy your drive if you decide to try it out, and keep me posted if you find any nice roads in the area or great places to stop along the way.
OK, I'm just kidding...but you in a mini....just doesn't seem right somehow...
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
Doc, you've gotta try it out. I know, it seems ridiculous, but that little car just sticks to the road like glue. Now that I've added 30% more horsepower, its a lot of fun to drive. Plus I just love cycling through the gears. That's the one thing I really dislike about the SRT-6: the automatic transmission. I wish there were an affordable solution to that.
The sad part is, when I went to go for a drive yesterday, I thought about taking the Crossfire, but didn't because I knew the MINI would be more fun.
Doc, you've got to hear that car with the CAI and pulley on it. It sounds like a very angry go cart! LOL
The sad part is, when I went to go for a drive yesterday, I thought about taking the Crossfire, but didn't because I knew the MINI would be more fun.
Doc, you've got to hear that car with the CAI and pulley on it. It sounds like a very angry go cart! LOL
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
I got to drive to Des Moines IA Saturday. Lovly weaher, cool crisp air and nothing but sunshine.
UnfortunaelyI couldn't take the Crossie. Had to pick up a load of seven 2,500# wall block pallets donate to a boy scout project here in St Peters MO.
Didn't see one Crossfie the whole time which is probably a good thing.
Back today, maybe I'll find an errand I need to run in the Ozarks.
Othewise I have to do two weeks of laundry piled up next to the bed. And a sink full of dishes
Crumpy comes home in three days so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, choices
Gear jamming thru blooming dogwoods or laundry?
roadster with a stick
UnfortunaelyI couldn't take the Crossie. Had to pick up a load of seven 2,500# wall block pallets donate to a boy scout project here in St Peters MO.
Didn't see one Crossfie the whole time which is probably a good thing.
Back today, maybe I'll find an errand I need to run in the Ozarks.
Othewise I have to do two weeks of laundry piled up next to the bed. And a sink full of dishes
Crumpy comes home in three days so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, choices
Gear jamming thru blooming dogwoods or laundry?
roadster with a stick
Last edited by Franc Rauscher; 04-11-2010 at 11:05 PM.
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
Originally Posted by tom2112
Go for the gear jammin! That's what I did today too. My laundry is in the same condition yours is. But the only deadline on it is to do it before I run out. Ya can't go to work naked (at least not where I work!)
Actually, they do look like they would be fun to drive...but, if this old guy is going to spend mad money, it would be one of the above...anyway, I still need to finish this coupe, just to peeve you off....lol
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
Originally Posted by oledoc2u
I still need to finish this coupe, just to peeve you off....lol
Jerk!
And just so you know, I would take an '80s Corvette over my MINI, but my MINI is also my get-to-work car. So it's gotta be newer and more reliable.
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Andover OH
Age: 68
Posts: 990
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Re: Fabulous Drive Today
Looks like a teriffic ride Tom, I drive a lot of those roads for work anymore. Unfortunately it is is usually in Ford F550 not a Crossfire or a Mini. But we have had the Crossfire over there a few times 
Franklin has a big car show in October during thier Apple Festival, I posted some pictures of it on here 2 or 3 yrs ago. Also the Oil Creek Titusvillle Railroad is a great scenic train ride especially in the fall. some pretty cool stuff fairly close to home
Franklin has a big car show in October during thier Apple Festival, I posted some pictures of it on here 2 or 3 yrs ago. Also the Oil Creek Titusvillle Railroad is a great scenic train ride especially in the fall. some pretty cool stuff fairly close to home
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
amx1397
Troubleshooting & Technical Questions & Modifications
11
01-24-2016 02:12 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)