Pennsylvania here and there

Those of us who think "steel" when we hear of Pittsburgh may be surprised to learn that just perhaps we're a bit behind the times when it comes to this "City of Bridges." Here are some facts I was surprised to learn about what was once better known as "The Steel City." Pittsburgh is home to 68 colleges. Some 1600 technology firms including Google, Apple, Facebook and Uber generate billions of dollars there annually. Only 300 businesses are steel-related. It is only behind New York City and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment. And, in 2015 it was listed among the 11 most liveable cities in the world and has been ranked as the first or second most liveable in the U.S. in five of the last 12 years. Go, Pittsburgh!! It's no wonder there are 446 bridges in the city since it is where three major rivers - the Ohio, the Allegheny and the Monongahela - converge. Here are a few pictures of its impressive skyline.

In northeast Pennsylvania, 25 miles from Wilkes-Barre is the Ricketts Glen State Park. Considered to be in one of the state's most scenic areas, Ricketts Glen is a National Natural Landmark with a series of hiking trails and waterfalls.

This photo and the one to the right were taken on the Dingmans Falls Trail near Stroudsburg.

A general store in Shawnee-on-Delaware near Stroudsburg

Silver Thread Falls on the Dingmans Falls Trail

Dingmans Falls, near Stroudsburg and in the area of the Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania

A reservoir outside of East Stroudsburg near the Delaware River Water Gap

Beautiful hiking trails and paths lead to the Dingmans Falls

The whole Delaware Water Gap area near Stroudsburg, PA, and deep in the Pocono Mountains, is loaded with wonderful waterfalls. This one is Raymondskill Falls.

The Dingmans Toll Bridge connects Pennsylvania and New Jersey over the Delaware River in the Pocono Mountains. Its history starts with Andrew Dingman who settled in Pennsylvania on the banks of the Delaware in 1735. He built a flat ferry which remained in operation for 101 years. In 1834, the Pennsylvania and New Jersey legislatures chartered the site, and two years later, the first bridge was built. That bridge and three others, over the years, succumbed to collapse either from storms or poor construction, and each time a bridge was out of commission, the ferry service would begin operation, once, in the mid-1850s, by Andrew Dingman III. In 1900 the bridge we see today was built and has been open for continuous operation 24/7 ever since. Each September it closes for a few days for maintenance. It is the last privately-owned toll bridge on the Delaware River and one of the last in the U.S.

Little Bushkill Creek in the Poconos near Stroudsburg

The Trostletown covered bridge is in Stoystown, PA, southeast of Pittsburgh. I ran across it (well, not literally) after viewing the nearby Flight 93 National Memorial.