Day 95. Friday, 2nd August. From Cherry Ridge Campsite to Locust Lake State Park, Pennsylvania

Last night’s fishing was singularly unsuccessful. Thank you for the loan of the rod though, Johnny.

There were definitely fish in the lake, as I had masses of bites. Tim, you are the family fishing expert. I think they were only small fish and I had a very large hook. They kept removing the worms without me being able to hook them. Do you think this could have been the problem?

We were a bit late leaving this morning. As we had some wifi, of sorts, I tried to get some bills paid. 

It was about 11.20 when we got on the road, after Johnny wanting more photos.

Today we were on a larger road to Wilkes-Barre, so made some reasonable progress. We wanted to go downtown and find a camera shop. Although I had my doubts as to whether such a thing would still exist. Stopping at a cafe we hoped to get a coffee and wifi, to look for such a shop. We got the coffee, but not the wifi. However, we asked three guys on the next table, who lived locally, if they knew of a camera shop. They looked one up for us in a suburb close by. 

On our way back to the Land Rover we passed a memorial to Pennsylvania miners and stopped to take a look. Coal mining was a huge industry here. A few mine owners made vast fortunes, while 35,000 men and boys died in mining accidents and disasters. On one single day 110 men and boys died in Avondale, 92 in Wilkes-Barre, 58 in Pittston and 73 in Throop. Later in life many thousands more died from Black Lung. Boys would go to the pits with their fathers from the age of 7. ‘Breaker-Boys’ sorting slate from coal for pennies, working 10 hours a day. Miners were paid in scrip, not coin, which had to be used at the company store, or to rent of a company shack. 

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We found the camera shop quickly and it looked very closed. I hoped it might just be for lunch, but on closer inspection there was a note on the door saying business was only being conducted by appointment by email. There was an address for any deliveries to be taken to. This was only a couple of streets away, so we went there. The wife advised it had been her husbands business, but it was no longer viable, since everyone used cell phones now. She thought we would have to go directly to the camera manufacturer. So, no chance for us to resolve Dennis’s camera issues. We have solved mine though. My memory card was full and my camera would not initialise the new card I have. We have downloaded all the pictures from my card onto a memory stick, so I can now use my camera and hopefully we can start putting some shots in the blog again. I am not using shots from my phone this time, as they are not of a high enough resolution to reproduce well enough for a later book.

Setting off for Harrisburg, we soon came across a blocked road and had to take a detour. This led us past a lovely lakeside picnic place, where we pulled over for lunch. There was a covered seating area and as it had just started raining, we backed in under it. Just as well, an enormous thunder storm with torrential rain eventuated. After a lunch accompanied by banging, flashing and crashing, we waited for the storm to pass before we set off again. Soon we were driving on dry roads. There had bee no rain at all, but the sky was looking very ominous. 

We did not want to take the busy highway 81 all the way into Harrisburg and aimed for Tamaqua. Here we were going to pick up the 209. 

iOverlander was not coming up with any local camping. Fortunately we saw a sign for Tuscarora State Park and thought it might have a campsite. Unfortunately not, but it did tell us that there was camping at Locust Lake State Park, about 5 miles away. By this time the rain had started again, and the thunder too. We are now camped at Locust Lake, having put the tent up in the pouring rain. All evening the thunder has been rumbling around us and the rain has continued. Hopefully we will wake up to a dry morning, although I expect the tent will not dry out as we are under a thick cover of trees.

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