I wonder if there is any potential for a light rail service if a full fledged Amtrak connection is off the table? Busses have their limits, especially when the roads are already congested by game day to traffic.

That is incredibly useful. Thanks!

The dream would be a line all the way up the Susquehanna valley to Scranton.

There is track there so I don't think that was the issue.

Since someone already mentioned Knoebels, there is another family friendly amusement park in the Lancaster area called 'Dutch Wonderland'. As a bonus, you would also be a short drive from Strasburg if you think they would enjoy a train ride featuring a real steam engine.

Yeah, I imagine the sheep could make a big difference. The soil here was pretty far gone as well (hence why it was considered waste land and cheap to buy up).

Not sure what the time scale was like there, but here reclamation efforts were generally within 50-70 years of the end of logging.

I never heard about that. I wonder what the difference was that made things so much worse there?

They didn't just spring back up by magic here either. It took a mass reforestation campaign, particularly in the depression era. The state and federal government bought up 'waste' land and put thousands of jobless men to work restoring them in a program called the Civilian Conservation Corp.

I know you mentioned Lancaster, but what about Strasburg? They have a really cool historic railroad where they run excursion trains with restored steam engines and vintage passenger cars. The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania is also just across the street.

If you can manage the timing and don't mind camping (or sleeping in your car) Cherry Springs is a must see. Some of the darkest night skies you can get without going out west.

Also, looking at your route, it looks like you are heading through St. Mary's? If so, Straub Brewery might be worth checking out as well. If you like beer, they do free tours and samples.

Austin is a cool historical site, but you should temper your expectations. There are a few big chunks of the dam, but a lot of it is washed away. As for the mill, that is a different location and I'm not sure if it is accessible without trespassing. The good news is that you might be able to see it from the road this time of year.

No offense but WHY? I love the song, but that is an awful film. Not even fun bad, just dull and lifeless.

Heck, even on the trail the gorge is dangerous. Someone got clocked by a falling rock while I was there. Nothing life threatening, but enough to ruin your day.

No. This was actually my first time in the area. I would love to check it out some day.

A beautiful late October Day in New York. I actually have a lot more of these, but trying to find any without people is tricky.

Gettysburg is the place you want then. In addition to the legit historical sites, there are a bunch of reported hauntings and tours to take you to them. If you want to go further, Pennhurst Asylum and Eastern State Penitentiary are both supposed to be haunted AF but I don't know when or if they are open to the public.

Penn's Cave isn't too far from you. Are you looking for small and overlooked or more 'weird/supernatural' attractions?

The anti-Oz adds I see are similar. Nothing really surprising there. The problem, at least from my perspective, is that I don't see what value those bring. Anyone with strong partisan views has already decided. The people on the fence have heard the 'Oz is a carpet bagging charlatan' line a thousand times. Unless there is something new, no one is changing their votes because of those adds. They might however, be swayed by an add where Fetterman actually directly refutes some of the claims against him. Hearing his actual views on criminal justice might just win back some moderate voters who were scared off by the 'Fetterman wants to release murderers and rapist ' adds.

Why has Fetterman not pushed back harder against the negative add campaign being run against him? It feels like the 'Senate Leadership' super PAC has been running a non-stop smear campaign, but I haven't seen any adds from Fetterman debunking or clarifying his actual positions.

I'm really not familiar enough with the subject to say for sure. The factors you have to look at are effectiveness, environmental persistence, solubility, and side effects.

If the organic solution is only 75% effective, you run the risk of ending up with resistance over time. If the organic solution contains chemicals that persist for months or years that is also bad. One of the good things about roundup (afaik) is that it breaks down quickly after application. Where and when the solution is applied matters as well. If the site is on a hill or near a watershed the chemical needs to be safe for aquatic life. If it is something that affects pollinators, you don't want to apply it while the plant is in bloom.

If you want some better information, check out https://youtu.be/ZgsBzEelZJY . He tests a bunch of different methods and gives an overview of what was effective.

While I generally agree, when it comes to invasive plants, things aren't always so simple. There are quite a few species (lesser celandine is a prime example) where the alternative options to chemicals have their own downsides. If you remove them manually, any bits of root left behind regrow and spread the problem. Putting down a physical barrier kills everything and can cause lasting damage to the soil.

There are no good options so sometimes you have to go with the least bad. Much as I hate the idea of using herbicide, I would rather do that once every few years than let an invasive plant choke out everything in its path.