McConnells Mill State Park

121 Pennsylvania State Parks.
5 down. 
116 to go!!

I said in my last blog about State Parks that I wanted to hike them all...eventually. 

Yesterday we went to McConnells Mill State Park. 

We went to see the Hell's Hollow Falls. It was so lovely. It was only a half mile hike from the parking area, then back again. So it was an easy hike. The trail was wide and there were stairs that take you down to the falls. The kids had a blast climbing fallen trees. I only freaked out slightly when the got too near the edge of the creek. There was a very lovely flume on the way to the falls...water had carved a path through the rocks. It was running super fast. Good news is, no one fell into the water. (It's always a good hike when you get back to the car with as many Minions as you left with.)

 Then we drove to the Alpha Falls trail. It's a seasonal falls. We hoped they'd be running with all the spring rains but was just a trickle. Still it was a fun hike. Not must farther than the first one, but a lot hillier with tons of giant rocks. We started by a covered bridge, then went by the old grist mill and finally a walk along the water's edge. Again, we didn't lose any kids over the edge...so it was a good hike! LOL (I know the covered bridge pic is crooked, but one of the Minions took it and I like that slightly askew look...it suits me! LOL) It was cool that the kids were able to associate the mill with the flour and corn meal we grind at home. One mentioned the mill was MUCH bigger. 

These were super easy hikes...even with five kids. Hiking with kids can be like trying to herd cats. It can be challenging but so much fun. We'll be taking them on more state park hikes, but I talked to my hiking buddy and we're going to try for a few adult only ones! I suspect they'll be hikes that don't require me saying, "Don't go close too close to the edge," over and over. 

On a side note, I'm still doing my spring walking challenge. Yesterday was the four week mark and I've reached 197.9 out of my 400 kilometer goal. We have until the end of May, so I'm right on track!

I've spent so many years writing about PA. I'm enjoying seeing my favorite state in new ways! Thanks for coming along for the journey, both through my books and this blog!

Holly

Past State Park Blogs...Parks 1-4 Blog. 

Check some of more recent PA books! (Homecoming is on sale for $.99 for a few more days! Each book stands alone, so you shouldn't have any issues, tho characters cross over from one book to another, which is why reading them in order can be fun!)

A View to a Kiln: A Harry's Pottery Mystery
Kindle
iBooks
Kobo
Nook

Have you missed any of my Hometown Hearts series? Here's the list:

Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts Book #1 Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBook

A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2

Kindle, iBook, Kobo, Nook

Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3

Kindle, Kobo, IBooks, Nook

 Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks

Something Borrowed: Hometown Hearts #5

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks

Something Blue: Hometown Hearts #6 

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Apple Books

Something Perfect: Hometown Hearts #7 

Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Kindle

Something Unexpected: A Hometown Hearts short story 
Amazon

A Hometown Christmas: Hometown Hearts #8
Kindle 
Nook
AppleBooks
Kobo

Goals

 

I had two surgeries in 2019 on my leg and spent the first few months of 2020 with crutches and a wound-vac. Ugh.  I'd been using a FitBit since 2014 and had never missed a 10,000 step day until then. My surgeon got to know me over our months together and when I finally got the ok to start walking without crutches, he said, "One hundred steps a day, Holly. You can add 100 more steps every day." LOL I loved that he got me. (I think he had a clue when after my first surgery I scolded him that he started an hour early and I hadn't got to 10,000 yet. LOL)

Over the last year, I worked to get back to my pre-surgery walking. I walked my way through the pandemic lockdowns and found my way back to a 10-15,000 step daily average. This month, one of my daughters and I started a Fall Frenzy walking challenge. I set my goals at 300K by November 15. I think I got this.

I thought about setting my goal for 500 kilometers, but opted to set it lower. Something that was a challenge, but wasn't unattainable. I prefer setting realistic goals. Things that push me, but are attainable.

Every New Year I set a word of the year because so many people pick a New Year goal and never meet it. One word...I can build a year around that. 2021's word was Patience. That's not my strongest suit, but I've made inroads as I continue to try to strengthen my weak leg.  

I've been reading AWOL on the Appalachian Trail. I'm hoping to hike a few segments of the trail in the next few years. But it sounds like a long walk. And as much as I like walking a good chunk of the year on a trail might not be my gig. I did a long up-and-die trail at Ricketts Glen this spring. Up and down were tough on my leg but I did it.

I was excited to discover this weekend part that a new Erie to Pittsburgh trail  was dedicated here in Erie.  The trail's not complete yet, but when it's done it'll be 270 miles. I'm really thinking that a month (or under) on a trail is doable for me. Especially since I could do it in segments near my home  (Pittsburgh is only a couple hours from Erie). So that's a new goal.  It will be a challenge, but I think doable.  If you read my books, you might suspect how much I love my hometown and this region! I've set most of my books in the Erie area (like my Hometown Hearts series...the last book, A Hometown Christmas came out last week!) and Briar Hill Road was set in Pittsburgh. I'm really looking forward to exploring my area in a new way!!

This is a longterm goal, but I'm sure you'll hear about it as I go along! 

In the meantime, if you want to check out Erie, the links to my Hometown Hearts series are below! Each book stands alone, so you can pick one up and not worry about missing info. 

Holly

Here's the list of the entire Hometown Hearts series!

Crib Notes: Hometown Hearts #1

Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iBook

A Special Kind of Different: Hometown Hearts #2

Kindle, iBook, Kobo, Nook

Homecoming: Hometown Hearts #3

Kindle, Kobo, IBooks, Nook

 Suddenly a Father: Hometown Hearts #4

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks

Something Borrowed: Hometown Hearts #5

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, iBooks

Something Blue: Hometown Hearts #6 

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Apple Books

Something Perfect: Hometown Hearts #7 

Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, Kindle

Something Unexpected: A Hometown Hearts short story 
Amazon

A Hometown Christmas: Hometown Hearts #8
Kindle 
Nook
AppleBooks
Kobo