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FALL 2018 ISSUE 02 / VOL . 03
The Allegheny River runs along the western edge of Allegheny National Forest .
PHOTO BY Z R F PHOTO VIA ISTOCKPHOTO . COM mining land was planted with vegetation elk love to munch . Specially built overlooks provide distant views of these meadows , and along with a few others , I watch the elk begin drifting from the forest for their evening meal .
Dawn comes early in these longest days of June , and an insistent discussion between two crows above my tent at Parker Dam State Park provides an early wakeup call . An hour down the road in the town of Ridgway , I park in front of a familystyle restaurant , the sort of place that never makes the Michelin guide . The regulars interrupt their talk about horses when they see my bewilderment and assure me that yes , I have to go through the kitchen and down the stairs to reach the restroom . But the pancakes are the size of hubcaps and the coffee ’ s hot , so I ’ m satisfied .
Having gone out of my way to find the world ’ s end , I now can ’ t resist taking the devil ’ s road to the minister ’ s creek . At an intersection in the Allegheny National Forest , signs point left for both Route 666 and Minister Creek State Park . Damp patches from a morning thunderstorm make bumpy old 666 even more diabolical . Is it just coincidence that the devilishly dark clouds part and the sun emerges when I reach the end of Route 666 ?
Approaching Pennsylvania ’ s western edge , one last stop lies ahead : the original Quaker Steak & Lube in downtown Sharon . Yes , Quaker Steak . During the 1974 oil shock , a couple of guys bought a defunct Quaker State gas station and turned it into a cook-your-own steak restaurant , built around a gearhead theme . The cook-yourown part didn ’ t catch on , but the antique cars and motorcycles used as decor were a