Milford, PA.... good news, and bad news!

So, the good news is, we arrived in time to finally get to visit Gray Towers before it closed.  The bad news is, we are at a campground that has not one redeeming value!  

On the Delaware River, and basically  a place to rent equipment for canoeing and tubing down the river, the “campground”, except for tent sites along the water, is an afterthought, and basically busy and just plain awful!  Even the entrance, which is pot holed and uneven , and causes us to rock and roll, shaking things from their places, and jarring my teeth and nerves!! Unfortunately, its the only game in town, and we have used it as a one night stopover before, each time me swearing I would not do it again!  This time Clem finally agrees with me!  

Pretty along the river banks, where we took a walk before leaving the next morning.

But the good news is that the nearby town of Milford is very charming and historic, and the last time here we had dinner in an old Mill, and walked around the quaint town, all closed up for the night.    Gray Towers up on the hill above town  is a National Historic Sight, and is the ancestral home of Gifford Pinchot, the man who created the Forest Service, and served as its first director.  It closes early in the day, so we pulled in and set out to catch the last tour. 

 Built by Pinchot’s father in the 1800s in the style of a French chateau to reflect their heritage, the very large home reflects the wealth that came from, of all things, wall paper!  The entire family was incredibly impressive we learned, living by the creed of “nobles oblige,” and making significant contributions to society.  Outdoor people all, Gifford’s father encouraged him to do things for the environment, and he attended Yale, before pursuing an education in Europe in forestry, something that was not available in the US at the time.  

The family’s fortune later endowed the college with a forestry program,  donated the entire property consisting of 200 acres to the Forestry Department, with the stipulation that it be used for education and meeting spaces.  JFK dedicated the center upon its presentation by Gifford’s son.  

A lovely spot to sit after watching a video, and waiting for our tour to begin.

Gifford's room, with original furnishings. 

this is only a portion  of the beautiful library. 

The first floor has been restored  to its original condition as a museum, and upper floors, still broken into the original bedrooms and children’s play area, tiled fireplaces, and newly created wallpapers matching the originals, now serve as educational and meeting rooms, but we were allowed to tour those as well.  

One very unique feature of the house was an outdoor dining space designed by Mrs. Pinchot, with a "table" for outdoor entertaining, where food was passed through the water to the diners on the other side!   Too bad I didn't see this before we renovated our outdoor space this year!

Pinchot later served as governor for two terms, and his wife, Mrs. Cornelia Bryce Pinchot was equally impressive and accomplished, having fought for child labor laws, and women’s suffrage.  Her ancestry included her great grandfather, Peter Cooper, of Coopers Union.  

The mansion viewed from the other side. 

Interesting how people who have contributed so much can often times seem so obscure, unless maybe you are directly involved.....say in this case maybe be in forestry. I was familiar with Pinchot only because I have seen forests that bore his name, but had no idea of his contributions.   

It was a gorgeous day weather wise, and we relished the dry air in the upper 70's.  What a change!  Dinner in town at a local restaurant, and a good nights sleep in the cool air, waking to a chilly 54 degrees!  Against my wishes, Clem actually turned the heat on to take the chill off!  Not a lot of insulation in our little "house", so it cools down pretty easily.  

An uneventful drive on Sunday took us to our destination location for several weeks, where we will visit with kids and grandkids and friends, and of course do some more exploring.  We set up camp at our favorite site here....we have learned over the years!......rested a bit, then went to the kids house for a nice visit, where we got to meet the eldest grand daughter's boyfriend, marveled at the youngest's growth spurt that left her taller than me,  and had a nice pizza dinner!  A great day, though long, and we went home tired and slept well. 

Late morning on Monday, Clem off to play golf with David, and I am doing some laundry and catching up on the blog, with Loki supervising nearby.  

Cindy joined as the guys returned, and we visited and had a "smorgasbord" type of lunch with all the remainders in the fridge, as it was so nice here in the shade.  Time to fill the coffers again!