HARRISBURG, LEMOYNE, AND MARYSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

Guess what this place is called!

My friend Michael, a former colleague at the PHMC, exclaimed how delighted he was to be picked up by the Box today to head out for lunch. We drove over the Market Street Bridge, through the famous Bottleneck (recently flooded), through Lemoyne's downtown, and down State Road to The Pizza Grille behind the West Shore Farmers Market. We met two hot babes there (you know who you are).

They have really good chicken cheese steaks (healthier than beef, right?) and chopped salad with lots of grated parmesian cheese. We enjoyed them almost as much as the good conversation. I'd love to tell you what we talked about, but we might be arrested or at least sued for some of our "observations" about people we worked with and various movers and shakers in our community.

Long and narrow in Marysville.

Michael, being a youngster in his 50s, had to return to work, so our little party broke up, and the Box was fired up for the return to the sit-ee, as its mayor says. When I dropped Michael off at the State Museum, I ran inside to check out the new museum store and found it pleasant. I caught up awhile with three folks I know who were working at the admissions desk today.

I decided to ride up the west shore of the Susquehanna since there were some detours and lane closings on Second and Third Streets in the sit-ee. I think at least one of them was a sinkhole that opened during the tremendous rains that precipitated all the recent flooding.

When I had traveled along US 11 and 15 far enough and was about to get on I-81 North to Linglestown, I decided to ride a little farther to an antiques barn along 11 and 15 beyond Marysville. I like the ride because north of the Rockville Bridge the river and landscape become a little wilder and rugged-looking. Passing Marysville, I noticed a smallish arrow along the right side of the road, pointing left and proclaiming "Scenic View."

A lovely old Colonial Revival.

I finally arrived at the antiques barn, only to be greeted by darkness and a big sign, "Open Sundays, 8-5." Can you believe it? How can you unload all that junk in nine hours a week? Somewhere I recently saw a picture of little glasses that are used in many French restaurants and cafés, and I remembered seeing a half dozen or more of them in this barn. Now, of course, I was remembering the rule that you have to buy it when you see it because it won't be there long. Or the shop will be closed most of the week.

On the way back I stopped at Leonard's Oak World to see if there was a little table Susanne could use as a desk for her laptop. The ones that were low enough were also too narrow. Too bad. I smelled like oak the whole way home.

One big thrill was stopping at Sheetz' and using my new bonus card to get a $1.59 soda for 99 cents! Then when I got home, I had an email saying I was entitled to a bottle of Fuji water, free! Life is good.

Heading south now, I was held up by the only traffic light in Perry County. It was red, of course, when I got there. Long little bugger, too.

I figured I couldn't pass up that scenic view, so I turned and headed up the hill. I could not find anything that looked like an overlook, so I just rode up and down a couple of streets and admired some older houses. Who knew Marysville was more than the world-famous Lady Finger bakery along the highway?

Say, maybe "Scenic View" was a cemetery or rest home!