Once arriving at the top of the Inclined Plane (not to skip over the actual ride, which is worth your $4 round trip itself), you can take a few steps over to the observation deck. Here, you’ll see the quintessential view of Johnstown, looking over the valley where the waters of the 1889 flood gushed through.

The Visitors Center, also located at the top of the Incline, provides a history lesson for visitors. Although even life-long residents may find a fact or two they didn’t know. The building also features a large window, from which you can view the inner workings of the Incline.

Just the past Visitors Center, sharing the same magnificent view over the city as the observation deck, is City View Bar and Grill. City View offers Johnstown residents and visitors a casual dining experience with a rotating menu of drink specials, and features a banquet room that can be booked for special occasions.

If you prefer a more adventurous outing, why not try hiking to the top of the hill instead of riding? The 2.4 mile James Wolfe Sculpture trail winds up the side of the hill. Along the path, you can you view many works by James Wolf, who created the pieces from steel from Johnstown’s Bethlehem Steel plant.

Please note both the Inclined Plane and City View Bar and Grill are currently closed. They will both be reopening on Friday, January 27, 2012.

For directions to the bottom of the Johnstown Inclined Plane, click here. For directions to the top, click here. To learn more, visit http://www.inclinedplane.org and http://www.cityviewbarandgrill.com.

Photo Courtesy of Laurel Arts

The mission of Laurel Arts, according to their website, is “…to promote, exhibit, collect and preserve multi-disciplinary art, to foster the creative process of individuals and groups, to provide cultural diversity and accessibility to a broad scope of arts for people of all ages in Somerset County in particular, and to interface with people in any geographical area that may share in the mission of Laurel Arts.” Mike Oliver, Executive Director of Laurel Arts, agrees, “As a rural arts organization, we are extremely proud of the quality and quantity of the arts opportunities that we provide to the residents of Somerset County and the surrounding areas.  I am confident in saying that the talent of our instructors and local artists rival that of those in bigger cities.”

This holiday season, the Laurel Arts Center in Somerset offers many activities for the entire family to enjoy. But it is also important to note that the Laurel Arts Center has ongoing classes and various other activities year-round, for a wide range of interests and ages.  Laurel Arts also features galleries in the Philip Dressler Center for the Arts, which was built in 1832 by Sheriff Joseph Imhoff. Dorothy B. Dressler offered the home in memory of her husband, to be used to help create the first non-profit, fully-staffed rural arts center in Pennsylvania.

Laurel Arts has a myriad of special activities available for the entire family this holiday season. Their Christmas Craft Shoppe is open until December 20^th, and features locally made craft items as well as gift baskets. There is also a special “chance” auction with tickets available.

The Laurel Arts Center is home to a wide range of activities for every age. There are classes available for children and adults, ranging from dance and painting, photography, card-making and stained-glass, to cooking and jewelry-making. Most of the offered classes are once a week and meet for several weeks, with variable pricing, depending on the class and the materials. Mr. Oliver explains, “The opportunities that are available on a regular basis are too numerous to mention here but whether you are a senior citizen who finally has the time to learn to paint or a parent with young children who want to dance, Laurel Arts has something for you!”

Laurel Arts is also the host of “Somerfest”, which has been a 30 year ongoing tradition in the region. Somerfest, which occurs in July, features Jazz, Bluegrass, Country and Rock music, as well as crafts, children’s areas and activities, and takes place at the Dressler Center.

The second floor of the Dressler Center is now home to the Guild of American Papercutters (GAP) Museum, where viewers can see work done by both amateur and professional papercutters, in color, collage, single layer and sculpted art. There is no admission fee, but donations are accepted.

It is also important to mention that Laurel Arts sponsors several scholarships for local high school students. These scholarships are available to Somerset High School students who have excelled in the field of Fine Arts (which can include music, dance, drama, visual arts or creative writing). These scholarships include the Dorothy B. Dressler Scholarship Fund, The Myron and Inez Fetterolf Award for Excellence in the Arts, and the Locklin Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Individuals and families may also want to consider a membership to Laurel Arts. Memberships are available in different levels, offering discounts to seniors and students. Memberships are also available for families, friends and individuals, and include benefits such as bi-monthly newsletters, discounts on camps and classes, event admissions and passes to Somerfest. Anyone interested in becoming a member can contact Laurel Arts at (814) 443-2433 or email Annie at annie@laurelarts.com for any additional questions or information.

You can visit Laurel Arts on the web at www.laurelarts.org

Shelley Johansson, Director of Communications and Marketing for the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, explains, “This is our third year of offering this program, and it’s already become a tradition. We see a lot of families with older children, many who are part of one of the ethnic groups featured in the tour, and adults with older parents.”

The Wagner house was built in the 1860s by German immigrants, of whom three generations resided before the house was donated to JAHA in the 1990s. The house survived the Johnstown flood, was restored to its original appearance, and opened as a museum in 2004.

The Immigrant Christmas Traditions tour begins at the Heritage Discovery Center with a presentation. Coffee and confections from the four represented countries will be available for the guests to sample.

Several children’s crafts will be featured as well, including the Italian “Urn of Fate” and a “Calennig”. Hungarian crafts (as well as a discussion) will also be available, including “Betlehemzes” and “Lupa Nap”.

Ms. Johansson also notes that, ”People are looking for meaningful ways to spend time together at Christmas, and looking back at the ways Johnstown’s ethnic groups might have celebrated is a great way to do that.”

After the conclusion of the tour and crafts at the Heritage Discovery Center, attendees will walk to the Wagner-Ritter house, which will be decorated this Christmas as it would have been for Christmas in the 1800s. Once at the house, there will be a presentation on German Catholic traditions, as well as a guided tour.

The tours will be offered at noon and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 10-11 and 17-18, and will begin at the Heritage Discovery Center. Tickets for adults are $10 for JAHA members and $12 for non-members; for children aged 3-17, $5 for members and $7 for non-members. Reservations are recommended, as many tours sold out in 2010 – call 814-539-1889. Click Here for more information on the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.

Click Here for directions to the Johnstown Heritage Discovery Center.

Photograph Courtesy of Grandview Cemetery

Grandview Cemetery was named in 1885 for the “Grand View” of Johnstown that it provides. The history of Grandview has always been tied to the city of Johnstown, both through its tragedies and its triumphant moments. Though perhaps best known for the flood memorial, Grandview Cemetery is also home to several other important historical monuments–these structures represent both the history of our town as well as the history of our country, spanning decades and telling the stories of thousands of lives.  

George Kondor, President and COO of the Citizens’ Cemetery Association, agrees, “Grandview Cemetery is an important part of Johnstown history. We welcome everyone to visit Grandview, stop in the office and pick up a map-brochure and discover the “Points of Interest” including the Unknown Plot from the flood of 1889.” Mr. Kondor also notes, “The staff at the office will be happy to answer any questions you may have. To do Johnstown…Grandview is a must.”

The original entrance to Grandview was located on what is now the Easy Grade Highway. The Chapin Arch is located on the left hand side of the highway, driving up to Westmont from downtown. This arch was dedicated posthumously to Anna Morrell Chapin by her husband Philip Chapin, former General Manager of Cambria Iron Company, hence the name of the monument, the “Chapin Arch”. The entrance to Grandview that most people are familiar with, the entrance off Bucknell Avenue, was not opened until 1904.

The first interment took place in Grandview in April of 1887, when Lucretia Hammond of Kernville was buried.

One of the most striking features of the cemetery is the monument dedicated to the victims of the devastating 1889 flood, when approximately 2,209 people lost their lives. This monument marks the graves of the 777 victims that were never claimed or identified. The monument was dedicated three years after the flood, at a cost of $6,500, in a ceremony attended by more than 10,000 people.

Morrell Circle was purchased in 1887 by Mrs. Daniel J. Morrell, whose husband was the general superintendent of what would later become Bethlehem Steel. The large site was to serve as a family burial. It is known today because of the annual Memorial Day Service sponsored by Westmont Borough, which takes place at the permanent stone rostrum adjoining the circle. Mrs. Morrell purchased this land in April of 1887, during the first public sale of the burial lots.

Even Italian artisans are represented in Grandview Cemetery–at the gravesite of Private Gerald Horner. Horner was killed during WWI, at which point his mother sent a photograph of her son to the artisans, who created the sculpture for his gravesite, based on the photograph his mother had provided.

Grandview Cemetery sits overlooking the city of Johnstown, as it has done since its inception in the 1800s. Grandview is home to important historical structures, buildings and landmarks, but it is more than that–it is home to thousands of its city’s former residents, along with their histories and stories. For directions to Grandview Cemetery, please click here for a map.

To read more about the history of Grandview Cemetery, visit http://grandviewjohnstownpa.com/index.php.

To learn more about specific points of interest, visit http://www.grandviewjohnstownpa.com/maps.shtml.

Built in 1956, the home was commissioned by Bernardine and I.N. Hagan and features cantilevered ceilings, extensive woodwork and a focus on blurring the line between indoors and out.

The home was purchased from the Hagan family in 1986 by Lord Polumbo of London, England, who then opened the building for public tours in 1996. Within the walls of the house, visitors will find displayed a collection of Lord Polumbo’s museum-quality artifacts, consisting primarily of furniture and sculpture.

Art-lovers take note: the creative works on display at Kentuck Knob extend far beyond the structure and the collections held therein. Below the home, in the lower portion of the 80-acre woodland property, lies the sculpture garden—an outdoor gallery of contemporary art featuring the work of a variety of artists.

More photos of the property are available on the Do Johnstown! Flickr page.

Kentuck Knob is open to the public for guided tours from March through December of each year. For pricing, tour-type options and more, visit http://www.kentuckknob.com or call (724) 329-1901.

Kentuck Knob is located at 723 Kentuck Road, Dunbar, PA 15431 (click here for a map).

In August of this year, the park began its transition from temporary to permanent memorial. Phase I includes the Wall of Names, which is inscribed with the names of the 40 passengers and crew and will be unveiled during the dedication on Saturday, September 10^th, 2011. Vice President Joe Biden will deliver the keynote address.

The dedication ceremony begins at 10:00AM. A complete schedule of the day’s events and additional relevant details for the September 10, 2011 activities is available on this page of the National Park Service’s website.

On Sunday, September 11^th, 2011, the memorial will hold a commemorative service, beginning at 8:30AM. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are scheduled to visit to lay a wreath at the site. A complete schedule of the day’s events and additional relevant details for the September 11, 2011 activities is available on this page of the National Park Service’s website.

Directions to the memorial are available on the National Park Service website or you can click here for directions via Google Maps.

Admission to all events is free. The Park Service encourages you to arrive two hours early to park and get through security. Additional details are available on the Flight 93 National Memorial area of the National Park Service website.

Photograph courtesy of Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation

While our nation’s Memorial Day has passed by, our region will be remembering the working class heroes of the coal industry in Windber this month during the 12^th annual Miners’ Memorial Day Festival. The event will take place Fathers’ Day weekend (Friday, June 17 through Sunday, June 19) in downtown Windber.

The festival is completely run by volunteers, who will be working to fill the streets of Windber with family fun all weekend, from food to music to street performances.

The weekend will kick off on Friday evening with a concert at Arcadia Theater by Yo Vinnie and Bronx Wanderers followed by a street dance with live music by The Characters. Saturday will begin with breakfast at the food court and an opening ceremony.

Major features during the Miners’ Festival are the Cruise-In Car Show, the Motorcycle Show, a parade on Saturday morning and fireworks on Saturday night.

Other events planned for the festival include craft and food vendors, a Children’s Area, a free child ID program and more live music. And of course, throughout the weekend, the Windber Coal Heritage Center will be open to the public.

Click here for more information about the Laurel Miners’ Memorial Day Festival visit. Click here to view a map of the Windber area.

A tradition that started in the 1940s, the maple festival brings in crowds to celebrate maple syrup, local talent, history and small town life.

Visitors can take a tour of Maple Manor and attend a performance of The Legend of the Magic Water, a pageant telling the story of maple syrup’s history. For a more sensory educational experience, tours of a real “sugar shack” provide live demonstrations of maple syrup productions. The sugar shack is also where you can find spotza – a local taffy-like treat made from boiling syrup poured over shaved ice.

Local crafters show off their talents in the Quilt Show, the Maple Fair and amongst the many vendor stands where handcrafted items can be purchased.

Of course, no festival could be complete without plenty to eat. The Lions Club offers their famous pancake and sausage breakfast at the Meyersdale Lions Pancake House. Maple syrup, sugar and candies can be purchased at several locations around the festival. A variety of festival foods are also available.

Other events in the maple festival include a parade, the Maple Festival Dance, a horse pulling contest, the Maple Run 5K, and an antique auto show.

Starting on March 26, the Pennsylvania Maple Festival continues through April 3. The festival is located throughout downtown Meyersdale, centered in Festival Park. Click here for a map of Meyersdale.

For more information, visit the PA Maple Festival website or call (814) 634-0213. Click here to view pictures taken during last year’s Maple Festival in the Do Johnstown! Flickr photostream.

Photograph courtesy of Shawn Schmalz

Out of all of Frank Lloyd Wright’s historic buildings, the house at Fallingwater is perhaps his most celebrated project. Tucked away in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Laurel Highlands area, the house draws around 150,000 visitors every year.

Created as a quiet get-away house for the family of Edgar Kaufmann, president of Kaufmann’s Department Store in the 1930’s, Fallingwater was given National Historic Landmark status in 1966. To this day the house is something to marvel at, even for the mildest of architecture enthusiasts. “2011 is Fallingwater’s 75^th Anniversary” says Clinton Piper, Museum Programs Assistant at Fallingwater, “so look for special activities throughout the year.”

The standard tour starts with a short walk through the wooded area leading up to the house. Once a group has gathered at the house, a professional tour guide leads each group around the house and surrounding grounds. “Our guides offer valuable insight along the way, but allowing you plenty of time to take it all in,” said Mr Piper. Visitors are given a great opportunity to learn about the rich history of Fallingwater, Frank Loyd Wright, and the Kaufmann family, while seeing it all firsthand.  The house is just a short drive from Cambria County, and is something that should be seen by everyone in the area.

Many tour packages are available, including a sunset tour, brunch tour, and a children’s tour. Reservations are required and can be made by visiting the Fallingwater website at www.fallingwater.org or calling Visitor Services at (724) 329-8501.

There are, of course, many sites around Johnstown that commemorate the historic flood of 1889 and one of the most immersive of these is the Path of the Flood Trail. What could be more hands-on than walking or biking the exact path that the waters took as they bounded through our area?

Of course, the path is no longer surrounded by destruction, as it was when the flood rushed in. The path instead is lined by scenic views and the city of Johnstown as we know it today. Several memorials dedicated to the flood can also be found along the path as well. For a more informed hike, you can take along a brochure from the Pennsylvania Environmental Council that specifies points of interest along the path and their importance in the tragedy of 1889. Click here to download the brochure and map.

The Path of the Flood Trail is limestone surfaced rail trail open to non-motorized traffic, and can be easily biked or hiked, though there are a few small grades. The ends of the trail also include on-road routes.

The Path of the Flood trail extends from the Johnstown Flood Museum in downtown Johnstown to a trailhead in Ehrenfield Park. There are also trailheads located at the Staple Bend Tunnel parking lot and near Mineral Point.

For more information or to be put on their email newsletter list, call (814) 472-2110 or visit the trail’s page on the Pennsylvania Environmental Council website or the TrailLink website.