We did not spend the night in Maryland as planned, and the morning found us debating visiting some nearby Maryland towns......have to get that hole filled on my map!.......or moving on. The decision is made to move on, and do the areas of Maryland we really want to see at another time...maybe even on our return. Some research turned up some pretty interesting things in the Scranton area, which is on the route, but Clem was not able to find a good campsite, so I suggest an alternate route. Harrisburg turned out to be our destination, though not far, and we made the short drive, and still had time to go into the city and explore the amazing Pennsylvania State Capital.
An outstanding building, constructed in the early 1900's at a cost of $15million dollars!! A lot of money even now, but it is filled with gold leaf, unique marble, stained glass domes, and chandeliers weighing literally tons each! A female artist was commissioned to do the art throughout, which was astounding for the time, and a plaque in the floor marks the spot where Theodore Roosevelt stood to dedicate the building in 1909.
The House was in session, and we were allowed to go in and observe how they do business for a while, which was interesting. Because they were in session, no photos were allowed in that room, which had amazing chandeliers, and beautiful paintings.
A few photos, which cannot do it justice:
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| Stained glass dome in Senate |
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| Dome in Main Rotunda |
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| Chandeliers in House weigh 4 1/2 tons each! |
The third capital building we have visited, and by far the most ornate. I asked our docent if he knew how it compared to others in the country, to which he responded, among the top three. I can't imagine one more ornate than this! I told Clem we should make a goal to see all of them! We have a passport book for National Parks, and President's libraries, why not the state capitals?
We had an early dinner out at what is ranked the number one restaurant in Harrisburg, Gabriellas.
When we were seated, we noticed them setting up large tables in the back room.....for the members of the House, who come for dinner after session! They must have been enjoying happy hour, as they were just trickling in as we left!
While we have been having some lunches out, I realized, this is our first dinner out on this trip!
We returned to our nicely wooded campsite, and took a walk in the beautiful cool air! Such a pleasant spot, and such a beautiful evening.
We chatted with our newly arrived neighbors who are returning home to Connecticut with a beautiful new coach they just bought in Florida. Their third coach, they have traveled all over the country, and will spend a month in Florida next winter. And a really nice young Army Sargent, husband of the woman working in the office, responded to Clem's call about fuzzy cable, and we ended up chatting with him for a while. Always interesting to hear people's stories! During his career with the service he has had to move every two years, and finally fell upon this lifestyle of living in a 5th wheel, which allows him to just hook up and move, and not have to get settled again! Now, why didn't WE think of that??
I think we will definitely need a blanket tonight, as I sit here with windows open, and feel the chill! Good sleeping weather!
Highland Campground, Harrisburg, PA
