A few years ago, a group from my church booked a bus tour to Pittsburgh. It was a wonderful 2-day trip and didn't cost very much. After about a 4-hour journey on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, we arrived in the city of our destination. A step-on guide led us through the interesting spots in the city. He also gave us a narration of the history of Pittsburgh, and in particular the stories of the men of wealth such as Carnegie, Phipps, and Frick.

We visited the international classrooms in the Cathedral of Learning, the tallest classroom building in the world. After that the bus climbed to a high spot in the city that overlooks the Golden Triangle. This is where the Monongahela and the Allegheny rivers merge to form the mighty Ohio. All the old dirty steel mills are gone, and a bright new modern city grew up there. There are also new football and baseball stadiums that have replaced 3-River Stadium, which has been torn down. Did you know there is also an incline on the south bank that you can ride up to the top of the hill?

After breakfast the next morning, we went to the Amtrak station and boarded the train for Altoona. Just before we got to Altoona, we rounded the famous Horseshoe Curve. After disembarking from the train, we got back on the bus and visited the Portage Railroad where canal boats were taken across the Allegheny mountains on a 34-mile track from Hollidaysburg to Johnstown. This portage allowed canal boats to go from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, a marvelous engineering feat for its time. Then we went back to see the tunnels at Gallitzin and the Horseshoe Curve from the ground. Could it be that the railroads might again reclaim the glory that once was theirs? Maybe there is still a place in our society for some low-tech enterprises.

Another ride back on the PA turnpike brought us to Lancaster, PA about 9:00 PM. It was a wonderful 2-day excursion. Why not go see some things close to home? It will give you some new adventures and help out some entrepreneurs who are really in a depressed industry these days. Happy Motoring.