Running in Central PA

After a brutal night of travel, running in Central PA aired out my very SOUL. Our Airbnb was on the corner of Branch Road and Boalsburg Road. I studied Google Maps in detail before selecting Boalsburg Road for my out and back run on Saturday morning (June 17th). It was cool and humid when I set out around 7am. My legs were cranky thanks to all of the travel, but soon they loosened up and I was able to bask in the bucolic scenery. Rustic stone cottages and barns and creeks and hills and even a baby Clydesdale horse! I ended up running five miles because I didn't want to stop! It reminded me of running in southern Virginia, and my heart was happy.

My second and final run in glorious central Pennsylvania (on Monday, June 19th) was a 6.7 mile loop, out on Boalsburg Road and then circling back around to Branch Road. It was my longest run in months, and I was pleased to discover that my laborious physical therapy is beginning to pay off, because I felt no pain in my glute or hip the entire run! And I was cruising by the end.

I would've loved to run with Jeff in his homeland, but he accidentally kicked a rock on his first run in PA and bruised and scraped his big toe so raw that he could barely wear a shoe for the rest of our trip, much less run. But the narrow roads weren't really side-by-side running territory anyways.

Mt. Nittany rolling on the horizon. I find this type of scenery very soothing.

Huffing and puffing up a long steep hill on a brief detour that I took off of Boalsburg Road.

It wasn't long before I peeled off my tank top--humidity makes everything stay wet all the time and I was not up for that sensory experience, haha.

The village of Oak Hall was adorable.

These old stone houses were RIGHT along the skinny narrow road. I could imagine the houses being built next to a dirt road. I bet it was much quieter living there when the road was dirt and there were no loud cars.

This sign sums up Boalsburg Road.

What a PLACE! The house is sandwiched between the road and the creek.

I found this sign amusing: "Warning You assume the risk of equine activities pursuant to Pennsylvania Law"

Lemont is bordered by bustling State College, home of Penn State University, where Jeff's Grandpa White taught PE classes in the 1960s, and where Jeff's dad Dan graduated.

That middle window intrigued me to no end. Why is it lower than all of the others?

Views from the porch of our Airbnb (above and below)

One more view down E. Branch Rd from the porch of our Airbnb, in the direction we walked to get to the White Family Homestead.

A few pictures from my second run, on Monday June 19th:

Boalsburg Road was magical in the early morning, with beautiful birdsong and sweet honeysuckle wafting on the breeze and mystery around every curve.

My loop took me into the outskirts of State College.

Maybe it's time for me to make a different face when I take selfies, haha.

Running past the White Family Homestead. That's the house on the right, built into a hillside that opens up behind into a wide meadow bordered by Spring Creek.

My hair likes to party in humidity.