Good morning! Welcome to "Morning Musings".

Musings: to meditate, think, contemplate, deliberate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, reverie, daydream, introspection, dream, preoccupation, brood, cogitate.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Path to Green Gables

🎶Anne's Theme🎶

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” 


Beams Rock, Forbes State Forest
Lucy Maude Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" begins with orphaned 11-year-old Anne Shirley arriving in Avonlea.  Anne has hopes of being adopted by the brother and sister couple who, it turns out, requested a boy.  They are getting on in years and need help with the farm work.  Anne  immediately falls in love with their home, Green Gables, and hopes they will keep her.  Anne's imagina- tion often led her down a path that was unfamiliar to the adults around her, for they'd lost their imaginations years before, if they ever had one to begin with.

Earlier this week Ken and I spent three days driving the backroads and hiking the trails of the Laurel Highlands in western Pennsyl- vania.  We almost didn't go because I was giving up hope of finding some place unique to stay.  After having exhausted every other source of lodgings on-line I stumbled upon the "dollhouse" cabin (as Ken called it) when I decided to check out AirBnB for the first time.  There was a listing for Green Gables/Huddleson Court.  Hmmm.   This could be promising!   I was delighted to find that pets were allowed so Gabriel came with us.

Upon our arrival we checked in at the Green Gables Restaurant . . .

The burning bush branches in the corner of the foyer were a delight.  I have many such bushes in our woods and never thought to bring them inside.  I can't wait for mine to start turning red so I can do the same. . . .

You can see the Anne of Green Gables book on the table. . . .


This is only one of three windows displaying colorful glassware where we checked in. . . .

We discover that our cabin, Beaverdam Creek Cabin, is on the other side of the pond behind the restaurant.  We had to drive a bit down the road to get to it via a residential street.  But we were soon on a gravel road that led down to the cabin.

We parked our car and walked the short path to the cabin. . . .


The fireplace was at the center of the cabin.  Unfortunately, it never got cold enough for us to use it. . . .

To the left of the fireplace you can see the backdoor and the small dining area.  The steps over the top of the fireplace take you up to the bedroom. . . .

But first, here is the dining room. . . .

The kitchen was tucked in next to the fireplace. . . .

This is the view from the dining room on the other side of the fireplace back into the living room with the steps leading up to the bedroom. . . .


The view from the top with Gabriel patiently waiting for me to carry him up since the steps are too steep for him. . . .

This is the "dollhouse" part.  You had to duck your head to get around the chimney into the room and then into the bed--we climbed in from the end each night. . . .

The view from the bedroom.  That's the chimney on the right. . . .

And from the other side of the chimney. . . .

Just across the way we could see the restaurant where we'd take our supper that first night and breakfasts. . . .

Because I read the reviews online, I knew there was a path that led across the creek and pond to Green Gables.  This is where my imagination began to play.

Anne:  There’s a path.  Let’s follow it!
Me:     Let’s!


Anne:  Look!  Steps!   But let’s wait until that fellow gets ahead.
Me:     Good idea.

Anne:  There.  He’s gone.
Me:     Isn’t this lovely!

Anne:  Gabriel wants to take the lead.
Me:     I hear running water!

Anne:  Oh!  You know how I love brooks! 
Me:     There's a footbridge!  Do you think it’s safe to cross?

Anne:  Gabriel thinks so.
Me:     OK, let’s go.

Anne:  There it is!  Green Gables!
Me:     I hear more water.

Anne:  Another little foot bridge! 
Me:     Let’s follow Gabriel.

Anne:  He made it!
Me:     He’s so brave.

Anne/Me:  BEAUTIFUL!

The first evening we ate in the restaurant.  This was the view from our table. . . .

On the way to Laurel Highlands we drove through Western Maryland, then took back roads up into Pennsylvania.  Some of the photos in the slideshow below were taken on the grounds of Green Gables.  Others are of our hikes in Forbes State Forest, Laurel Ridge State Park and Shawnee State Park and as we drove to and from here and there.  The last frame is of Sideling Hill in Maryland.  This cut was made in the mountain in 1983/84 when I-68 was built.  Before then Route 40 (Old National Pike) traversed along the side of the mountain using a switchback--a total of 5 miles--before crossing the mountain.  . . .

                 


.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•
Take Joy!

16 comments:

  1. Lovely place to visit in October, Cathy. Anne with an e would have been right at home. Your dollhouse cottage is charming. And the foliage is gorgeous. Our trees are just beginning to show a little color. It's rather late for us. Maybe with the cooler temps we will see some color. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We hit the right time, too, for the leaves to be at peak which anymore is hard to predict!

      Delete
  2. What a delight. The dollhouse was a perfect place to stay such a beautiful setting and perfect for the stunning changing colours of the season. Idyllic.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow! What a tale! And what an adorable cottage to stay in. You find the best places. I loved your conversation with Gabriel and the slide show. Beautiful color! And wonderful memories. I don't think my husband at 6'6" would fit in that cottage though. :-( Maybe?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you, Dotsie. No, the Gardener would have hit his head on the beams in the dining room every time he went to the bathroom! I even had to duck to get around the chimney in order to get to the bed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anne + Water + a Footbridge was surely a recipe for disaster, but thankfully you kept her in check this time! What a beautiful place this is, serene and calm, and the autumn colours are superb. I enjoyed the video clip at the end. Aren't fungi the most amazing things?
    The sloping ceilings make me think of the time Hyacinth Bucket bought a holiday apartment that was full of quirky little anomalies as that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Deborah. I haven't seen the Hyacinth Bucket episode but I can imagine it was quite funny! We get the giant puffballs in our woods--the size of a soccer ball sometimes. I just read in our newspaper that they are edible if you get them before brown spots show up on them--that part is poisonous! So we've left our fungi alone. Whenever I encounter them, though, I always think of Beatrix Potter.

      Delete
  6. Loved your imaginary dialog with Anne! Great photos & video too! Felt like I too was there!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sis! I knew you'd enjoy "coming along." In fact, I suggested to Ken that you actually come along on one of our autumn adventures. Think about it for next year. I'll look for something with two bedrooms.

      Delete
  7. Beautiful trip! Some years we do get to Western Maryland in October. My husband had family from the area and we've loved to visit the old places in fall. A few years ago, on a weekend to Cumberland, we stayed at The Castle B&B in Mount Savage. Have you been there? Quite different from your "dollhouse".
    I think the stairs are a bit off putting for me, but I'm glad you went and shared your lovely adventure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No, we've not stayed at the Castle B&B, but we have been to Cumberland. The stairs were OK for two nights but I wouldn't want to live there full time nor have to change the sheets!

      Delete
  8. Now aren't you glad you checked AirBnB? It was Serendipity - you were meant to be there! And WHAT A SPOT! Especially for you, the Travelog Lady. Beautiful area in all seasons I'm sure, but Fall has to take the cake! I wandered over the websites and decided that Green Gables would be the most wonderful place for a small wedding, wouldn't it? Especially in the Fall. Ten years ago, my middle sister ended up getting married by a judge in an office with just the immediate family present - mostly because her fiance was quite nervous about being the center of attention at a "typical" wedding. But before that, we had spent several months looking for a suitable, small & very quiet spot to have a nice small family wedding. Green Gables would have been perfect if it had been a little closer to home. And you didn't have to farm Gabriel out somewhere, so he had fun too! If I had pets, I'd hate leaving them behind. I think there probably more are more places that are willing to take pets these days, because I think MOST people would prefer bringing their furbabies along if they could. At my apartment complex, dogs are not allowed but cats are, except that the rent goes up $80 per month. After an initial $200 deposit. And that's BEFORE you start paying for cat food, litter, vets, toys, cat trees etc etc. Needless to say, not all that pet-friendly. Oh well, I do have some beautiful houseplants that I love - and sometimes even talk to! LOL. Enjoy the rest of October - the very best month of the entire year! PS - has Olivia got her Halloween outfit yet? My niece was 2 weeks old for her first Halloween, and my mother managed to find newborn flannel pumpkin PJs with feet and a little orange cap with a green "stem" for her. Those pictures are priceless now! 🎃

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm also glad I decided to call Green Gables directly when I saw that AirBnB tacked on a $52 service charge. By going directly to Green Gables I was charged that. Plus, while there I picked up a travel magazine for the county and found a coupon that saved us an additional $80! Janet, I think your good vibes for my "travelogues" helps me find these places and the discounts. 😃 There is a Playhouse Theatre on the grounds. There was another path and lots of lawn leading up to the pond for the Theatre. They also had a banquet room, so yes, it probably would be a great place for a wedding and reception. They had other rooms you could rent across the road that looked pretty nice, too--not as rustic as ours. $80 rent for a cat is really outrageous. They must be trying to discourage people from have pets. A large security deposit would seem much more fair. I don't know what Olivia's costumes will be this year. I'll let you know when I find out. I'll email you a photo if I can get one.

      Delete
  9. Your cosy cottage was a wonderful find, so glad Gabriel could enjoy it too! I loved the walk along with Anne too! Your video and music was beautiful, those fall colours were breathtakingly. Sarah x

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments! Please note: To prevent spam comments are published after moderation.