Since transportation is one of his favorite things, Francisco and I explored Williamsport for a day through the lens of transportation. We started at the Peter Herdic Transportation Museum. Despite having spent my entire childhood in Williamsport, I had never so much as heard of the Transportation Museum. The museum is small and quiet (the woman at the desk had to turn the lights on for us). There are a lot of interesting pictures, but too few exhibits at the museum; the highlight is one of two remaining 1949 Pennsylvania Pullman Parlor cars, which you can walk through. Talk about traveling in style!
The museum is named for Peter Herdic, who invented and patented a horse-drawn cab, which was a mix between a carriage and a streetcar. There were maps of the many methods of transportation used in Pennsylvania's history, from Indian paths to canals to railroads to highways. There were also pictures of significant moments in Pennsylvania transportation, including the Liberty Bell's stop in Williamsport on a railroad tour, and the stop of President McKinley's body on its way back to DC after his assassination.
After the Transportation Museum we headed to the Hiawatha, Williamsport's paddleboat, for a little cruise down the Susquehanna. Sadly, I realized that the paddles don't actually drive the boat--they're just there for show. Per usual, Francisco's and my entertainment choices put us amidst people who aren't in an age bracket anywhere near ours: the Hiawatha was full of grandparents with their grandchildren.
We finished the day with something else unique (as far as I can tell) to Williamsport, something always worth coming home for (although not especially transportation-related): peanut donuts and peanut butter cup donuts at Dunkin Donuts. According to Diana's husband (I guess we should call him Fred), Dunkin Donuts doesn't typically sell peanut donuts so that it can serve people with peanut allergies. However, in Williamsport it does. And they're the best. Sequins, you probably need to come visit and try them!
3 comments:
It's been such a long time since I was on the Hiawatha. We almost went on it last December, because HHI had it on their hit list of attractions for Williamsport. Can you imagine if we had to act like being on that paddleboat was a normal activity for us?
Oh my gosh--that reminds me how much I'm dying to see that!
Hah! Fred! Great pseudo name. And I can just imagine Fred and Diana lounging on the Hiawatha in December of all months! (giggle)
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