After a day of rest in Pittsburgh, our walk out of Pittsburgh was just atrocious. Traveling Highway 30 for most of the way, we were forced to walk where there was absolutely no shoulder. We have run into this problem numerous times but the difference here was there was about 10 times more traffic on the roads. We were literally sharing the same part of the road as 18 wheelers. For about a quarter mile or so, it actually got so bad that we hopped over the guard rail and attempted to sidestep. Normally this would be just a minor problem, but there was only about a foot and a half of flat ground as it abruptly sloped down into the woods. If our stroller slipped and rolled down the mountain it would have been a disaster, not to mention the chances of us falling down ourselves. Another problem we had was the telephone poles that were splitting the foot and a half we had to walk on. At those points, we had to carry our strollers as they hung over the guard rail, sharing space with oncoming traffic. Needless to say it took us about a half hour to cross the treacherous quarter mile. This all happened during a 33 mile walk. Just not a good day.

The shoulder opened up on the next walk to Ligonier, PA, but the walk after that to Jennerstown threw another obstacle at us. While we have gotten rained on during this trip we have always been able to avoid the worst of it. During this walk it literally rained the entire time. Soaked, tired, and cold we were able to make it 10 miles to a run-down hotel, setting us up for a wonderful 37 mile trek the next day.

While the extremely long walks seem to slow down time in the moment, once you’ve reached your destination it all becomes a blur. There are numerous highs and lows during each walk but once you are about a mile from your destination on one of these long walks there is a pretty nice sense of accomplishment. We had once again met up with a member of the electric co-op we have been connected with who had us set up for a room that night and the next, along with some spending money for our next few meals. The co-op is responsible for supplying power via telephone poles throughout the country and therefore they have a huge network that stretches throughout the States. Thanks to Brooks Shoemaker, Duane Kanagy, Marvin Snyder, and everyone else involved who helped make those few days much easier for us.

Making our way towards the capital, Harrisburg, we hit several more towns, including an unexpected stop in Mcconnellsburg, PA. We were supposed to head to Central City but we decided to change our route spur of the moment. When we reached McConnellsburg we had about 6 more miles to go to our destination in Fort Laudon. By chance we ended up eating a certain local restaurant in town. Todd, his wife Hilary, some friends, and his children happened to be eating at the table over from us. After a quick conversation, Todd wanted to help out. He informed us that the hotel we were heading to had burned down and it would just make sense to stay with him and his family. Todd had a cabin located near his home where he offered to put us up for the night. Before heading to the cabin, Todd showed us his farm where we “helped” separate his bull from the rest of the cows. It was an interesting experience and one we are definitely glad to have been a part of. From there we headed to the cabin where we enjoyed a steak dinner. In his vast backyard, Todd was able to capture a black snake albeit after a few strikes that drew blood on his hand. Reluctantly, I held the snake just long enough to pose for a picture before quickly hand it back off.

That morning we headed out and climbed over the last mountain of the trip, Tuscarora Summit.
Once we reached the top we had a pretty sweet view of the town below. From there we had a long downhill walk, which we actually decided to jog down about 2 miles. Our next memorable stop was in Shippensburg, PA, where we again got connected with the electric co-op. There we met Dwayne, Marvin, Bruce Hockersmith (the town mayor), and their family and friends. After a wonderful dinner at our hotel, compliments of Adam’s Electric, we met up with a sorority from Shippensburg. Kelsey, originally from Clifton, heard about our walk and wanted to meet us. She came to the bar with her sisters and also with some freshly baked brownies. It was great to meet them and talking about home made us realize how close we are.

From one college town to the next we made our way to Carlisle, home of Dickinson University. Just about 19 miles down the road we arrived to the really nice town placed between miles of corn fields. We had a nice a comfortable night in the heart of the city, knowing we were going to be in Harrisburg the next day. Another 19 mile walk brought us to Harrisburg where we once again met up with our friend Bill Logan, who we met with in Pittsburgh. Bill has been the one contacting the rest of the Electric Co-ops throughout Pennsylvania to support us. During our walk there, ABC met up with us to film us in action and grab an interview. It later aired on the 5:30 news, which was a pretty cool thing to see.

Bill had set us up right in the heart of Harrisburg, at the downtown Hilton. Knowing we were craving a home-cooked Italian meal, his wife Maria had a huge meal planned for us that night. We met up at his beautiful home, where Maria did not disappoint, providing us the best meal of our trip. After Greek fried cheese, salad, angel hair pasta, meatballs, homemade ravioli’s, and home-made rice pudding, we slipped into a slight coma. We washed it all down with a cappuccino before heading back to our hotel.

On our day off in Harrisburg, we had an interview for another local paper. The interview was set up at Maria’s sister’s restaurant, Sophia’s Place. Sophia is well-respected in the area for her involvement in raising money for various foundations. We had the chance to sit down with her for a few minutes and talk about our walk and her efforts in fundraising. Before we headed off after a great lunch, she made sure we left with a bag full of her fresh desserts.

Later that day we visited the Hope Lodge in Hershey, where patients have extended stays when they are being treated at the Penn State Medical Center. Thanks to Steph Okuniewski who took her time to give us a tour of the area. Being that we usually have to walk everywhere, we usually don’t get to see much of the areas that we’re in.

Later, we were brought back to Hershey where we had dinner once again with Maria and Bill. This time we ate at Maria’s other sister’s restaurant, called What If Hershey. Here we had what was probably the best Fried Calamari of our lives. The whole family can cook extremely well and we had some of our best meals of the entire trip in those two days. Bill and Maria have done so much for us and we honestly can’t thank them enough. They are even planning to make it to our final walk on October 7th which we’re really looking forward to.

Meanwhile, in between our time with Bill and Maria we met up with Anthony’s friend Megan and her family. Megan’s mother Elaine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and so she was pretty excited to meet with us. After some conversation with her, she immediately became an inspiration to us, especially because of her positive attitude and wonderful spirit. I’m pretty sure she went through treatment that same day, so for her to have been out that same night with so much energy was so impressive and truly inspiring. It’s moments like these that make the long days of walking completely worth it.

From Harrisburg we had a 14 mile walk to Hershey Park. Bill once again set us up with a hotel there and we met up with some friends from back home. It was great to finally see friends from Nutley. They even brought us a Ralph’s pizza, and if you’re from Nutley I don’t need to explain any further. With another day, this time in Hershey, we were able to relax and enjoy a little of what Hershey has to offer.  Thanks to Ally and Maha for making the drive to help out and spend the day with us.

We’re now sitting in Kutztown, PA, just 96 miles from home.

This trip has led us to meet so many wonderful people. It is amazing how quickly strangers become friends. We have made some friendships and shared some experiences that will last forever. In just two walks we will be crossing into New Jersey. With some extra time to reach home (October 7th is the set date for our walk into Nutley), we are trying to reflect on the whole experience, which seems more and more surreal. Can’t wait to see everybody at the finish line on Franklin Avenue…

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