Tag Archives: Cafe Lemont

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She Is!!

One of the great things about the fall is a trip to State College and the Penn State University. My wife Janet is an enthusiastic alumna and her love for Penn State has no bounds. Her best friends in the world are her PSU friends, and she loves to make the trip to Happy Valley especially in the fall when the leaves are at their peak- like this past week. I go along, but I am not an alumnus, however I do enjoy State College. We spent many a weekend there back in the day going to the football games. Mike Smith and I would ride mountain bikes at Rothrock State Forest and come to the tailgates famished.

Some of the PSU crowd at our son Jack’s wedding this past summer.
The PSU girls at Jack and Marisa’s Wedding.

As is our typical fashion, Janet and I like to pack in as much as we can and check all the Penn State boxes. Stay at the Nittany Lion Inn, hike Mt. Nittany, shop downtown, eat a Tuna hoagie at Troy’s, ice cream at the Creamery, and now a new box to check- ride some rails to trails on the bicycles. We found a great rail to trail- The Bellefonte Central Rail Trail which starts right in State College. We rode it to the end in Toftrees, and continued on a beautiful gravel trail for several more miles. This part of the trail is not officially part of the Central Rail Trail, but it is easily navigated on mountain bikes for several miles. We actually had to turn around because of time, but we both said next time- we would ride that trail to the end and see where it finished. In any event, Janet likes rail to trail rides, and Happy Valley provided a great option complete with fabulous leaf peeping.

Aside from the cycling, hiking Mt. Nittany is always special. Janet remarked that it seemed harder this year going straight up with all the rocks. I laughed and said- “maybe it gets harder every year?” But she made it to the top and we had that awesome view of Happy Valley with the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium standing at attention.

The view from the top of Mt. Nittany
A true fan!!!

We like to eat at the Cafe LeMont, which is just below Mt. Nittany. Great baked goods, coffee and lunch specials. You can sit outside and enjoy the fall weather. Nice place to eat as fuel for the hike, or a place to relax afterwards. Either way, the Cafe LeMont is a good place to visit when in Happy Valley.

We walked all around town and the campus. Janet was showing me where she took some classes and she was amazed at all the building and construction that has taken place over the years since she has graduated. It is good to stay active in State College because you can easily eat your way through the place. Lunch at the Corner Room was great and it gave Janet a lot of good memories of her times there in the past with her pals, Kathy, Judy, Valerie, Beth, Dunz and Copes. Lots of good stories were told sitting at the Corner Room and I had a good laugh at some of them- which I had not heard before. Nothing like memories of your old college days.

The Nittany Lion standing guard always.
Ice Cream at the Creamery. A must stop.

Penn State is huge, and the enrollment there has always been robust. Much different from my college days at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. The small school experience has its plusses and minuses, but there is no dispute that the time spent as a student at PSU has to be great. So much to do, a wonderful education no matter what the field of study, and the absolute beauty of State College and the surrounding central mountains of Pennsylvania make it the experience of a lifetime. I am happy Janet got to experience that and that she still values her time there. We love the fall and there is no place nicer than Happy Valley this time of year. I am “Happy” she brings me along. Thanks for reading. Please follow the blog on http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me.

“Be true to your school- just like you would to your girl now, be true to your school, and let your colors fly………..

-The Beach Boys.

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Pack it In!

My motto- you can sleep when you’re dead.

When I saw this on the door of the Cafe LeMont up near State College, Pa. I laughed. It is so true. Carpe Diem, seize the day, pack it in. Janet always says I am in a hurry and always rush her into things. But when she gets it together and packs it in, she is happy. She doesn’t want to miss anything. And when we get together with our friends, Judy and Mike Smith, they are definitely cohorts in crime when it comes to squeezing every opportunity out of a day. Janet just rolls her eyes at the three of us but always complies. She may be tired at the end of a day, but always glad that she ……..packed it in.

Mike and Judy Smith- out hiking, cycling, and ski buddies. They are professionals at packing it in.

So, Janet said to me last week, ” where do you want to go for your birthday?” I really didn’t know, and we settled on a trip to State College with the Smiths. Janet and Judy were room- mates at PSU and Mike and I are usually along for the ride. We had not been to State College for a while and decided that would be a fun place to go. We stayed at the newly refurbished Nittany Lion Inn which was available because it was a non- football weekend. The busy itinerary for the weekend began when Janet and I drove to the Cafe Lemont, had lunch, and then donned the backpacks and headed up Mt. Nittany for a hike. Judy and Mike arrived a little later, and they set the land speed record up and back. LOL!! We all laughed and headed to check in at the hotel, shower, and then out to eat. No grass was growing under our feet that day. Hiking up Mt. Nittany is always fun and a rite of passage for Penn Staters. Again – Mike and I were along for the ride.

The view of Beaver Stadum from the top of Mt. Nittany.

Judy and Janet on their beloved Nittany Lion. Judy was a cheerleader back in the day. She still could be one.

After a quick cup of coffee the next morning, we all went out to Shingletown Gap for another hike. A beautiful trail with wonderful scenery and lots of rocks. I told them all that the people who hike the Appalachian Trail always call Pennsylvania ” Rocksylvania” because it is one of the more challenging sections on the route. Mike and I would agree because, as we knew full well, the subsequent mountain bike ride for the both of us would be full of challenging rocks. The ladies regrouped back at the Inn and Mike and I made our way to the Longberger Path and the Tussey Mountain Trail in the Rothrock State Forest. A route that he and I have ridden many, many times on our PSU weekends for football games with the ladies and their clan. As we made our way to the” Beer Tap” which is a fun marker at the confluence of a couple of trails, we forged ahead through heinous rock gardens along the way and wondering where the heck that Beer Tap was so we could begin the long descent back to the car. Mike led the way as I watched him battle the rock sections for as long as he could riding his bike before we had to hike some sections. But as the sun was setting, it was cold on the descent and the shower back at the hotel was a welcome relief. That trail seems longer and longer every year. Could it be that I am just getting older? Hmmm.

If you ever get the chance to see a NCAA Div 1 Volleyball game- go do it. Exciting.
Mike Smith at the Beer Tap- Tussey Mountain Trail
The Tussey Mountain Trail- Rocksylvania for sure.

Rushing back to pack it in some more after the hike and the ride, we all made our way to Rec Hall to watch the women’s volleyball game between PSU and Illinois. An exciting match for sure and thankful that Judy got tickets. We rushed to The Tavern right after the game, rammed down some food and then began our walk through the town and back up the hill to the hotel. A long day but …………….you can sleep when you’re dead. Right?

The next morning, after a road coffee, we did another hike at Mt. Nittany, had some lunch at the Cafe LeMont again and headed back home. A whirlwind couple of days which was anything but relaxing, but we did a lot and I, for one, was happy. The more I can pack in, the better I like it. Janet rolls her eyes again. But she knows who she married.

In the gondola in Utah with the Smittys and our friends Ralph and Amy Phillips

We will be heading back out west for another ski trip with the Flying Smittys this winter and I am sure that they will be up at at em early as is their usual protocol. Janet is used to the deal by now seeing that we have been taking ski trips with the Smiths for quite a while now. They love to ski, I love to ski, and Janet- well, once she is out and at it, loves to ski too. We just have to crowbar her out sometimes. LOL!!

So, I guess, the moral of the story for me here is ……………..get it while you can. There are so many opportunities in life that the operative word these days should be” yes”. It doesn’t have to be far away from home either. Lots of good places to visit and pack it in right in your home state. Great to travel, great to pack it in out of state or out of the country, but always wonderful to go for the gusto right in your neck of the woods. Remember- you don’t quit doing things because you get old, you get old because you quit doing things. Thanks for reading and pack it in – will ya?

A post snowshoe picnic right near the trails near our house. With the Smittys!