The " ..... that shining river and desirable valley." Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are up, up and away, as the song goes.  Yesterday our friends Pat and Dale invited us to join them for lunch at the John Wright Restaurant in Wrightsville, PA.  We accepted the invite and after our lunch we drove the hills along the Susquehanna River towards Long Level which is located in York County, PA.  On our return trip we stopped at a recreation area called Highpoint Scenic Vista.  The hike to the top of the trail is rather long so we opted not to walk it at the time.  The following day Carol and I decided we would return and see exactly what scenic treasures Highpoint Scenic Vista holds.  The trail is a one-half mile long walking path that rises 110 vertical feet on its way to the summit.  It is not a direct route to the top, but rather one that works it way around the peak until you reach the top.  Along the way are stone benches you can use to rest as well as take in the view from different directions along the trail.  The stops, known as "Waystops", give a story of the history of the area along the mighty Susquehanna.  It wasn't until May of 2007 that Highpoint was open to the public.  Before that time it was part of Lauxmont Farm, but how it became a public park is another story to be told tomorrow.  What a spectacular view we found when we finally reached the top.  Seating, carved from indigenous rocks by a local stonemason, circles the stone compass that is embedded in the ground.  The view is unbelievable!  I put my camera on the panoramic setting and snapped away.  Many of the landmarks, from the two bridges that cross the Susquehanna to Lake Clarke to the two 262-foot high wind turbines at Turkey Point, give you a grandiose feeling.  My story will continue with some of the photos I took that day so you too can see why this piece of land, a little bit closer to Heaven, led Robert Louis Stevenson to write these inspiring words ........

"And when I had asked the name of a river from the brakesman,

and heard that it was called the Susquehanna, the beauty of

the name seemed to be part and parcel of the beauty of the land.

As when Adam with divine fitness named the creatures,

so this word Susquehanna was at once accepted by the fancy.

That was the name, as no other could be, for that

shining river and desirable valley."

Enjoy my vision of the river and valley that Mr. Stevenson wrote about years ago.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The Mason-Dixon Trail is a 193-mile (311 km), blue-blazed footpath that connects the Applacian Trail with the Brandywine Trail.  It passes across Highpoint Park.  The following is from Wikipedia:  The trail starts near Mount Holly Springs at Whiskey Springs on the Applacial, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. It then heads east towards the Susquehanna River, passing through Gifford Pinchot State Park. The trail then follows the west bank of the Susquehanna south, first to Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and then to Havre de Grace, Maryland. In the 65-mile (105 km) section between Wrightsville and Havre de Grace, it passes Long Level, Holtwood Dam, Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal Lock 12, Peach Bottom, and Conowingo Dam. The trail then crosses the Susquehanna River, passes through Elk Neck State Park, and crosses the border between Maryland and Delaware. After heading northeast through Newark, Delaware, the Mason-Dixon Trail ends at Chadds Ford.

The circle of seating, carved from indigenous rock allows a quiet and peaceful  location to rest and admire the surrounding panorama.  The stone compass can be seen in the foreground.

The landscape stretches across years and years of human history starting with the Native Americans through the current owners of homes and farms on the western bank of the Susquehanna River.

This view shows part of the Lauxmont Farm which was once owner of ground where I took this photograph.  

The river crossing to the north is still a major feature of the landscape in this area.  It was a strategic transprotation rout in America's early history.  The first bridge, was a covered bridge and known as the world's largest, was built here in 1814.  Today two bridges carry traffic between Columbia and Wrightsville, PA.  Click on the photo to view it larger.

A series of very large homes can be seen from Highpoint.  These were at one time part of Lauxmont Farm property.  The land was sold for development to help the Kohr family out of bankruptcy.  More homes were proposed for the property where I now stand which is Highpoint, but the York County Commissioners luckily prevented that from happening.

A closer view of the two bridges that cross the Susquehanna.  The John Wright Bridge is in the top of the photo while the Veterans Memorial Bridge is in the foreground.

Lake Clarke can be seen on the right side of the photo.  This is looking toward the Safe Harbor Dam on the Susquehanna River.  If you click on the photo you may be able to see the two 262-foot high wind turbines that generate 25% of the annual electricity needs for the nearby Turkey Hill Dairy complex.