July 3 – Cleveland Park Library (ONP #184)

By suzannez | July 3, 2018 | Comments Off on July 3 – Cleveland Park Library (ONP #184)

Library Day! We have a brand, spanking new library in Cleveland Park—just opened, so I undertook an exploration of that. It’s pretty slick—makes our old Cleveland Park Library seem like such a sad little Cinderella in retrospect.   Take a look—two floors, separate kids’ room, second floor loft overlooking the big open entrance area, and…

July 2 – Wilson Aquatic Center (ONP #183)

By suzannez | July 2, 2018 | Comments Off on July 2 – Wilson Aquatic Center (ONP #183)

Today was the tipping point: 183 places seen so far this year (one every day), and 182 more days to go! Halfway to my goal! As for today. . . When the weather is hot, hot, hot, (triple digits here in DC!), I explore where it is cool cool cool. That’s why today found me at…

June 28 – Grantville Super Market (ONP #178)

By suzannez | June 28, 2018 | Comments Off on June 28 – Grantville Super Market (ONP #178)

In the middle of Pennsylvania farmland, surrounded by barns and meadows, with milk so fresh you can smell its producers as you stand in the parking lot–that’s where I found Grantville Super Market today. I actually saw several new places today, traversing back roads as I headed back to DC. looking for something that would…

June 27- Hermy’s BMW & Triumph Motorcycle Shop (ONP #177)

By suzannez | June 27, 2018 | Comments Off on June 27- Hermy’s BMW & Triumph Motorcycle Shop (ONP #177)

“Can I help you?” the salesman asked somewhat skeptically when I walked inside Hermy’s motorcycle shop on a rainy today. For a split second, I considered pretending I was interested in the merchandise, as I sometimes do when I wander into stores for my One New Place. I knew it would be pointless, however. So…

June 25 – St. Michael’s Old Cemetery

By suzannez | June 25, 2018 | Comments Off on June 25 – St. Michael’s Old Cemetery

Sometimes you find yourself in places you didn’t know existed, even though you thought you already knew the place that existed.   What I mean is: I’ve had a passing acquaintance with St. Michael’s Church (and cemetery) over my lifetime, having been there for funerals and family reunions. But what I didn’t know about, what…

June 21 – 1787 Microbrewery

By suzannez | June 21, 2018 | Comments Off on June 21 – 1787 Microbrewery

My hometown is getting cool! This new microbrewery opened downtown a couple of weeks ago, so we checked it out. 1787 is the year Hamburg was founded, and each brew bears a name with some local connection. Seemed to be really popular–so today I was just one of the crowd seeing this new place.  

June 20-North Halstead Street (ONP #170)

By suzannez | June 20, 2018 | Comments Off on June 20-North Halstead Street (ONP #170)

In Allentown, PA today, where this quirky little street certainly surprised me!  I wasn’t expecting anything about it (except a paved road and sidewalks). I certainly wasn’t expecting the cute, matching, boxy houses, all with the top floor slightly bigger than and overhanging the bottom floor, all lined up on one side of the street.…

June 19 – Oak Alley, Hamburg PA (ONP #169)

By suzannez | June 19, 2018 | Comments Off on June 19 – Oak Alley, Hamburg PA (ONP #169)

Here in my hometown, where New Places are scarce, I got in the car and just drove toward a potential destination. On the way, I saw a road I was pretty sure I had never been on before, Diamond Drive, so I turned left and then again left onto a little ally that I know…

June 18 – Mohammed Ali’s Training Camp (ONP #168)

By suzannez | June 18, 2018 | Comments Off on June 18 – Mohammed Ali’s Training Camp (ONP #168)

Up here in my hometown of Hamburg, PA, I was worried about being able to find New Places to explore. Then a routine trip to the natural food store just up the highway in Deer Lake, PA, turned into an expedition to Mohammed Ali’s training camp when my mom casually commented that “Ali’s camp was up…

June 17—Gateway Candyland (ONP #167).

By suzannez | June 17, 2018 | Comments Off on June 17—Gateway Candyland (ONP #167).

If I have driven past this place once, I have driven past this place a thousand times over the years, coming and going north and south to and from Pennsylvania. I always get a kick that the Gateway Candyland is located right next door to the Gateway Liquor shop, which you can see to the…