Centralia, PA, was recently featured in Smithsonian magazine, we found out when Mom called while we were there. The reason for its fame: an underground coal fire started in 1962 when the town's burning trash ignited a vein of coal, forcing the abandonment of nearly all buildings. Today there were a few remaining residents on the streets, more than a few curious passers-by, and one old sewer grate with smoke coming out of it:
Centralia was really just one bullet point on the itinerary of a busy, fun day. We got up early and hauled rocks to complete our yard/air-conditioning-compressor project. Then we went over to Rodale for a few laps on our Rollerblades... then off towards central PA, over Blue Mountain, through mining towns, past decrepit mining buildings, and back again. On the way home we stopped at remote Tuscarora State Park for a picnic along the only lake (really the only body of water of any significance) we saw all day.
Just to recap and make sure nobody gets left out, yesterday we had a good time with our new neighborhood friends at a 30th birthday party. It wound down early enough in the evening that we came home and relaxed upstairs, did some laundry, and felt like our weekend was already three days long.
Sunday, September 23, 2007