After three weeks on the road, Diane was ready for a hot bath.
"There is nothing like soaking in a hot water tub," she says. "It's a girl thing!"
In Clarion, Pennsylvania, we found a Comfort Inn. This was "Bathtub Night." The next morning after breakfast, we proceeded north on Pa. 66 into some beautiful mountain country leading through the
As we soon discovered through two examples, living the RV life can present a certain amount of danger.
The campground was a lovely, open green meadow near the shores of the Kinzua Reservoir, rolling hills of timber surrounding it. The national forest is the largest preserve on the East Coast. It provides an abundance of outdoor activities and sightseeing adventures to young and old, fishing, boating, trial riding, kayaking are just some of the enjoyable activities.
After the weekenders left, the park ranger told us about a huge 500-pound black bear that enjoys raiding the garbage containers after dark. It was about 10 p.m. when we noticed a dark shadow moving along the ridge 150 feet away. The lights from the bath house provided illumination on the hill and the container. Slowly, the creature came into view, cautiously looking about and making his way toward his dinner table tonight.
Watching this animal and anticipating his next move created uneasiness within us. The bear was big — very big — with pitch-black fur. He approached the garbage container, looked around the area and stood on his hind legs. He was awesome to behold. We had never seen a bear standing upright, this creature was incredibly breathtaking. He grabbed the lid edge with both paws and threw the cover up and off with a bang. So much for being bear proof!
We had darkened the coach and watched from an open the window. The bear stood in the shadows feasting on garbage left by the weekenders. Quietly, we watched for a good 10 minutes before turning a spotlight on him. It immediately startled him and off he ran into the darkness.
In the morning, we walked over to where he was feeding. Garbage was scattered all about, and he had left a massive dump near the dump. It was the largest pile of scat we have ever seen. "That's gross," Diane said. I thought he was just leaving a wilderness calling card.
That afternoon, we explored the northern countryside crossing into
Slowly and cautiously a young officer with his hand on his pistol approached and asked, "Do you know why we stopped you?"
"I have no idea," I replied
"A man has escaped from prison and has killed three state troopers. He's from the local Seneca Tribe and knows these woods well." He showed us a picture. "Have you seen this man?"
While talking with the officer, I noticed two others with shotguns searching the Jeep. Two more were standing up front carrying what looked like AR-15 weapons.
"Where are you driving today?" the trooper asked
"We plan to drive around the lake, sightseeing."
"OK," he says, "but don't stop for anyone and if you see someone walking along the roadway, give us a call." He handed me a business card and allowed us to pass.
Diane and I looked at each other with deep concern and continued on with our outing. In the evening as it was getting dark, we discussed our vulnerability. We realized this was serious stuff, and we may have been in harm's way. This fella knew these mountains and had probably spent time in this campground. We decided to cut short the visit and leave at first light.
Sleeping was difficult that night, although doors and windows were securely locked. I wished I owned a big dog with big teeth.
The fact is anyone who spends time traveling in a RV will at one time or another find they are alone and unprotected. We agreed we should take steps to resolve this problem in the future.
