21st-century explorers: These folks take in York County, regional historic & natural sites

In setting goals for the year, York Township’s Gwendolyn H. Babcock decided she would explore places she’s never visited before.

She is making good on that goal, taking in places mostly in York County. She’s visited Spring Valley County Park near Winterstown, Freidensaal Evangelical Lutheran Church near Seven Valleys, Wallace-Cross Mill near Cross Roads and Hopewell Area Recreational Complex near Stewartstown.

And she writes on Facebook about her experiences. For example, she visited P. Joseph Raab park in southwestern York County, a place featuring an old iron ore mining operation.

Gwendolyn noted that ore mining was a big deal. And iron ore is still around.

“Just in Adamsville and Dunkard Valley alone (where we have Ironstone Hill Road),” she wrote on Facebook and shared to the Retro York Facebook group, “there is so much iron ore under the ground that we often don’t have cell phone reception in certain areas.”

Gwendolyn, using her Adamsville home as a base, is one of scores of York County residents who explore their county and beyond in their own way and at their own pace, alone or with a partner. Some have plans — bucket lists to mark off — and others are spontaneous.

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York County has it all

I have often called York County “America’s Greatest Outdoor Playland,” a term that I didn’t coin but put forth as often as I can. It’s an exaggeration — how do you measure it? — but our county really has it all: mountains and valleys, lakes and waterfalls.

And our built environment goes way back — from the native Americans who left behind artifacts to the pioneers from Europe who cleared heavily forested land.

To hone the sense of discovery among our readers, I’ve done short interviews with Gwendolyn and three other 21st-century explorers. The goal is to give you ideas about places to explore and ways to plan your tours.

All four effectively tell about their trips on Facebook and other social media. For example, after a recent trip to Frederick, Maryland, retired Army Lt. Col. Sandra L. Stockton gave this mini-review about the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, high on her bucket list: “You may not be interested if no military connect, but you may.”

She also gave this general advice to Frederick visitors: “If you ever decide to go, stop by the visitors center and get a walking map. There is a lot to see and do. Wear comfortable shoes. You can stay parked there, it is free.”

4 explorers respond

Here are four questions posed to our four explorers:

Q. Do you keep a bucket list of regional sites, attractions or events to visit or attend? How do you choose the sites that you visit in a given day, week or month? Or is it spontaneous? Do you have a goal to visit so many sites in a day, month or year?

A. Gwen Babcock: “I’m a spontaneous gal, which helps to filter disappointments when I can’t do what I want to do. I choose places to visit that belong to history. I’ve either seen them on Retro York (Facebook group) or a site mentioned by Retro York. Also, passing a place in my travels that I mentally note to explore. Or I explore something that has always been fascinating to me and I’ve always wanted to go check out.”

Andrew Smith, a Hanover-area resident and retired teacher. He’s an artist, who works in the York, Hanover and Gettysburg communities: “I’m not driven to do a certain number of trips — my travel plans are much more tied to the weather and how far I’m willing to drive at the time. I have a very informal list of places to visit, but I tend not to check it! I’m more likely to get one location in my head and wait for the right moment.”

Sandra L. Stockton, a York native, is author of a three-volume memoir, “480 Codorus Street,” about growing up in York, military life and retirement: “We do keep a combined bucket list that is not necessarily regional sites. One of us (with husband Aaron) may read something about a place that we want to visit. We share the info with each other and then decide if we really want to visit. We like historical places, and we do not have a goal of how many we will visit at any given time. Sometimes, we just decide to pack a bag and go if it is within 100 miles of us. We try to visit only one place a day so that we don’t feel rushed. We have visited all of the U.S. besides South Dakota and North Dakota. Both are on our bucket list. Paris is on the list for 2023; it is booked. Locally, we plan to visit Miracle on 34th Street this year in Baltimore.”

Darryl Zoller, a Hanover resident and retired pastor. He moderates the Central Pennsylvania History Facebook group among many other retirement activities: “We do plan ahead. We (with wife Chris) are fascinated with trolleys, so this past summer we visited and rode trolleys at Rockhill Trolley Museum in Rockhill Furnace and the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, Pennsylvania. This coming winter, we plan to go snowmobiling in Allegheny National Forest, while staying a few nights at historic Kane Manor Inn B&B in Kane. For exercise, we take daily walks, usually close to our home in Hanover, such as the Hanover Trolley Trail, but once or twice a month we go a little farther to a county or state park to walk and sometimes bring a picnic lunch. John C. Rudy Park is a great place to walk. In the springtime, we like to fly kites there, too. We also enjoy walking the York County Heritage Rail Trail from different starting points. Our walks close to home are spontaneous. The ones further out take a bit of planning ahead, since we are outside for longer than just a few minutes.”Q. Who usually joins you on these visits?

Gwen: “I always go on my own. That was how some of my explorations started, because anytime we go somewhere, my family is waiting for me as I read info regarding the history of wherever we are visiting. When I go explore on my own, I can go at my own pace and start to think about the history of the ground I’m on.”

Andy: “My wife (Deb) and/or daughters’ families will meet for day trips, but I don’t hesitate to travel alone. So if a particularly nice day pops up, I’m on the move!”

Sandra: “Usually my sister, Portia, and her husband and our daughter, Karmentrina, will travel with Aaron and me.”

Darryl: “We (with his wife, Chris) enjoy each other's company and so it's just the two of us.”

Q. What is your favorite site in the region?

Gwen: “I don’t think I can name just one place. There is a gem in every place I visit. York County has such a diverse landscape of county parks, historic places and places yet to be found and waiting to be uncovered.”

Andy: “My favorite day trip is easily Chanticleer in Wayne, PA. It’s a ‘pleasure garden’ that’s on the previous Rosengarten (of Merck pharmaceuticals) estate and is the perfect combination of gardens, architecture, outdoor artistry, and stunning landscapes.” Close to home, Codorus State Park. It’s an incredible park with both water activities and great trails. (The LaHo Trail is a favorite, featuring wooded areas, lake views and the old Manheim Union Burial Ground.) Unfortunately, too many people overlook the park because it’s in their backyard.”

Sandra: “The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The military ‘Old Guard’ has been standing watch since 1948. Guards change every hour on the hour from Oct. 1 through March 31 and every half hour from April 1 through Sept. 30. It is a peaceful feeling when visiting there. Knowing that our country respects the fallen unknown soldier, is mind blowing.”

Darryl: “The Hanover Trolley trail in Jackson Township from the little parking area at Hershey Road, east to Martin Road, and back. The trail there is beautiful, and occasionally we've seen a pair of eagles flying about.”

Q. Any interesting stories to share about your travels?

Gwen: “Not yet. But I am determined to find dinosaur bones or a primitive settlement or even a site of a former colonial home. It’s out there, and I’ll find it.”

Andy: “I tend to go in the opposite direction from the crowds. That tends to limit stories but results in great, quiet experiences. (And results in photographs without crowds in them!)”

Sandra: “Egypt was our number one vacation. To see the pyramids and all of the temples for the past civilizations was so educational and interesting. One must personally visit there to understand how amazing it is to visit Egypt.”

Darryl: “In April, we were thrilled to fly our kites at Samuel S. Lewis State Park. It is easy to find a breeze at the crest of Mount Pisgah, which is why the park is a favorite spot for kite flying.”

Jim McClure is a retired editor of the York Daily Record and has authored or co-authored nine books on York County history. Reach him at jimmcclure21@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: These folks take in York County, regional historic & natural sites