Here are three things to know about the What’s Great About… series:
1) Why I wrote it
Years ago, when I was traveling along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, some questions occurred to me. What killed all those trees around Somerset? Why are cement stairs going right down to the highway near the Allegheny Mountain Tunnel? What’s the story about that old building along the turnpike near Bedford? I looked for a book to tell me about those things but I came up empty. But I did find answers to those questions and thought other people driving along the turnpike might like to know about those things too. Interstate 95, it seemed, would have more appeal than the PA Turnpike – so I started there. The first book is so popular, people asked me to cover more interstates. I-80 from California to New Jersey will be next. After that... well, the readers will decide.
(see the bottom of the page for the answers to those questions.)
2) What the books are about
Originally, the concept was simply to tell about things travelers could see from the road but might not know much about (like the cement steps). Once I got into the research, however, I found there were a lot of historical episodes that happened close to where the road is located now. Travelers couldn’t actually see it, but I thought they’d like to know about those things too. The master plan broadened to include trivia, geography, geology, current events as well as history and visual curiosities.
3) How it benefits you, the traveler
This one’s easy because many people road-tested some early renditions of the book. They all said the book enhanced their trip. Here's how:
A long trip on the interstate seems to go faster because there is something to look forward to up ahead. “In about 10 miles, look for a giant 7-Up can right along the highway. It’s really a water tower!”
Parents reported that some school lessons were reinforced with real-world examples that they could see out the window. (Just outside of Petersburg, VA) “See that island we’re going over right now? That’s Pocahontas Island. It says in the book that it was home to the country’s largest free black community. Pocahontas herself could have been on that island. Her father Powhatan ruled over all this land – all the way to Richmond!”
The book’s entries provide a stimulus for conversation. “Oh, creepy! This exit is for Danvers, Massachusetts but it used to be called Salem Village. Most of the people accused of witchcraft in the 1600s lived right here – a stone’s throw from the interstate!”
Many readers like to browse through the book before their trip and do some additional research on their own. Explore this site, too, for extra information about select topics. Some people enjoy reading What's Great About I-95 even if they are not planning a trip at all!
Answers to the PA Turnpike questions:
That section of the turnpike is notoriously icy during the winter months where it climbs through the Allegheny Mountains. The turnpike’s first traffic accident resulting in a death happened along that stretch of road. A heavy dose of ice-melting chemicals is applied during those treacherous times. Traffic, especially the big rigs, kicks up a cloud of chemicals that poisons the trees.
Before there were designs for a turnpike, a railroad was planned for this route. The little town of New Baltimore was in the way. The roadbed would severe the town from its church: New Baltimore would be on the north of the tracks but the church would be on the south side. Officials made a deal: the town would allow this arrangement only if the town's people were guaranteed access to the church in perpetuity. That meant there would be a bridge from the town to the church and steps down to the railroad's roadbed so people could get to church by train. The agreement continued with the turnpike. Today there is a tiny area for turnpike traffic to park along there but it is not advisable to take advantage of the opportunity!
The building near Bedford (clearly seen from the PA Turnpike) is the Jean Bonnet Tavern, built in the 1700s along a trade route for Shawnee Indians. Dissidents from the Whiskey Rebellion met here to plan strategies. George Washington’s militia stayed here at the tavern when they came to quash the Whiskey Rebellion. The Jean Bonnet Tavern is still in operation and said to be haunted.