Tag: bar

Rail, River and Road

Our recent bike ride took us to some local historic spots. First stop was the Greenville Railroad Park & Museum in Greenville, PA. The park is located near a working track, currently operated by Norfolk Southern (the former Erie Railroad mainline). Started by volunteers in 1985 to preserve Greenville’s railroad history, the park is now part of the Greenville Museum Alliance.

The Union Railroad engine #304/604 was built by Baldwin Locomotive Work in 1936 at Eddystone, PA and retired in 1958. You can climb into the engine to check out the view from the driver’s seat and even ring the bell. Every instrument in in the driver’s compartment is labeled, and information on the engine is displayed on various signs inside and out.

Next climb aboard the 1985 Bessemer caboose and explore how the crew would have lived, complete with a kitchen and bathroom.

The Bessemer Ore Jenny #20567 (pictured far left) was built in 1952 at the Greenville Steel Car Company close to where the park sits today.

The Wheeling & Lake Erie Caboose #0205 (center 2 photos) was 1 of 60 built in 1948 by Wheeling & Lake Erie. Today you can explore the car when the park is open, but it can also be rented for events like birthday parties.

Attached to the party caboose is an open air car that has picnic tables (far right photo)

The park also includes an indoor museum and a gift shop. Inside you’ll find tons of railroad related items, a replica of a dispatcher station and an operating model railroad display.

Look closely at the display and you’ll notice it includes a replica of Main Street Greenville.

It’s amazing how many items they have at this museum, and the volunteers have done a fantastic job of labeling and providing the history and information on all the items on display. The volunteers are also very informative and friendly so take a moment to talk to them and learn a little of the history of Greenville and the railroad industry.

Next stop was The Canal Museum in Greenville which provides the history of the Erie Extension Canal that existed between 1854 and 1871.

Inside the museum you’ll find various items related to the canal, ore furnaces and other local history. The location of the museum is the site of Lock No. 22 of the canal.

Also in the museum there is a replica of a typical canal boat, the Rufus S. Reed. You’ll see how the cargo was stored, as well as a peek into the living quarters on the boat.

The last historic stop of the day was Kidds Mills Covered Bridge. Built in 1868, it is the last historic covered bridge in Mercer County, PA.

The bridge is 120 feet long and spans the Shenango River.

The Kidds Mill Bridge Park also includes a hiking/biking trail and dock designed for kayaks.

We wrapped up the day by grabbing a bite to eat at the Jug Handle in Transfer. The bar offers indoor dining, a patio and even has a drive-thru option.

This is a nice large bar with plenty of pool tables and skill games to keep you entertained while you wait for your food or if you just want to stop in for a few drinks.

We had the mozzeralla sticks while we waited on our pizza. It was a nice thick crust with plenty of cheese, but what I liked best was the toppings went clear to the edge.

With full bellies, we traveled the backroads home enjoying the weather and the beautiful countryside.

To view some videos from the day check out my Instagram page.

Cowboy Sam and Witty Wine

We were finally able to get the bike out for the first time this season, and it was a beautiful ride. It was a short little trip, between 130-150 miles, to see some local places that I hadn’t been to as well as some that I have.

First stop was a little shop with some unique finds, that also sells wine with even more unique labels and names. The wine, is actually what caught grabbed my attention and landed this location on my list of places to check out.

The Rustique Log Cabin is located south of Kittanning, and as the name applies carries rustic home decor. The store is small, but don’t let that fool you because they pack in a lot of merchandise into this small space. Even though there is a lot in this small store they layout and displays nice, and they have a wide array of themes

Now for what first drew me to this store…the wine. The store sell Black Dog Wine, and what makes it stand out from the crowd are it’s unique labels and names. I wanted to buy every bottle just because I loved the labels. I did resist the urge and only bought a few items, after all we were on the bike. Next time we may have to tack our luggage bag with us haha.

The lady at the store was very friendly and helpful. She even made suggestions mixing some of the wines to get whole new flavor option. As we talked I found out that the actual Black Dog Winery is located in Oakdale, PA…looks like I’ll be planning another ride to check out their wine a little more.

Next we headed back north on US-422 to stop at a The Cadet Restaurant who has a unique mascot, “Sam”. Sam is the reason this restaurant was added to my list. He is a 30-foot-tall cowboy statue holding a giant hamburger. This iconic statue was even featured in book “Roadside Giants“. According to the restaurants website this larger than life cowboy got his name from an officer that used to patrol the parking lot to keep an eye out for trouble. For more about the restaurant, and Sam’s history check out the Cadet Restaurant website.

The restaurant itself has an old time diner feel, and serves comfort style food. When we stopped we indulged in dessert. I had the coconut pie and coffee, and the BF had the peanut butter cheesecake and a chocolate milkshake. I would like to stop back when we have more of an appetite and try their “Famous Poor Boy”…I mean if that’s what their famous for how could I not go back and try it.

After leaving the restaurant we headed into Kittanning and stopped at the Riverfront Park so I could get a couple shots of the bridge. On the day we were there the fence at the top of the outdoor amphitheater was lined with American flags and the names of veterans. I’m not sure if this was for Memorial Day or if this display is there all the time but it was a beautiful and is a reminder of how thankful we should be to those who have served and are currently serve for life we get to enjoy.

We decided to go off the beaten path and take a different way back into Butler. If you don’t mind some bumps along the way this is a nice option because it travels along the river and winds amongst the railroad tracks…hence the bumps haha. You can find a Roadtrippers trip I made for this excursion here.

Last stop of the day was at Rock Ann Haven Bar and Grille located in Butler, PA. This is somewhere we often stop when we are in the area on the bike, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. On this day we only stopped for a quick drink, then we were on our way. The next time we stop in for a bite to eat I’ll include more about this this location.

It was a beautiful day and we got some much needed wind therapy, plus seen some new sites along the way.