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.

Photograph courtesy of Weakland Farms

Our region has some of the most beautiful sites to take in during the fall season, and along with that comes plenty of outdoor activities to check out. One such activity, which has been running since 2003, is the corn maze at Weakland Farms. With a new pathway made in their six acre corn field every year, the Weaklands have been providing a fun autumn activity that keeps families coming back year after year.

In addition to the corn maze, the farm features other fall activities as well. For children, there is an indoor hay maze (be sure to bring a flashlight!) and educational encounters with barnyard animals. There are also hayrides, a pumpkin patch, decorations and crafts for sale and refreshments, all of which are great for getting you into the spirit of autumn.

At the Weakland Farms website, you can also view a video about how their corn maze is made each year using GPS backpacks and a zero-turn mower.

The fall activities at Weakland farms run until October 30, 2011. They are open Thursdays and Fridays from 4PM until 8PM and Saturdays and Sundays from 1PM until 8PM. Admission is $6 (children under 3 are free).

Click here for a map to Weakland’s Farm, which is located at 582 Munster Road in Portage, PA.

Learn more by visiting their website: www.weaklandfarms.com.

Attention all dog owners–look no further for a great place to take your favorite four-legged furry friend. Recently opened to the public, the Sandyvale Dog Park is a fenced-in retreat for dogs.

Until recently, dog owners in and around the Johnstown area have been limited in the amount of outdoor activities due to the lack of a proper dog park. As of noon on July 10^th 2011 that all changed. The Sandyvale Dog Park hosted approximately 500 people at the dedication and grand opening event.

Jennifer Pynkala, the assistant manager of the Richland Town Centre PetCo is the chairwoman and brains behind this project. “We have received a warm response to the park,” explains Jennifer. “With the large fenced in area, there is plenty of room for dogs to play and run free. The Sandyvale Dog Park is a great place to enjoy time with your dog.”

The Sandyvale Dog Park does not only offer activities for dogs, but the park has something for everyone. The total park consists of a greenhouse, public garden plots, indoor farmers market, a music venue, as well as the dog park and walking trail. The greenhouse is being built and donated by vo-tech students. The garden plots will be open to the general public and allow residents to grow their own food.

Future plans for the park consist of a “Yappy Hour” for dogs and their owners to socialize and get their training and nutritional questions answered by a representative from PetCo. Also, the Bark for Life of Cambria County is scheduled for October 1, 2011 at the park.

Thanks to the Sandyvale Dog Park for creating a safe and enjoyable place to take your dog in the Johnstown area.

For more information check out their Facebook page.

The festival will celebrate “the miracle of garlic, ‘the stinking rose’” the weekend of August 20 & 21, 2011. Visitors can learn about cooking with garlic during live chef demos and enjoy the music of Better Dayz. Other activities will include hay rides, a play area for children and, of course, plenty of homemade garlicky food.

“Visitors are sure to have a ’stinking good time’,” says Mary Faranda. “[Visitors can] sample garlic flavored foods such as wings, pierogi with garlic butter, pulled pork, and mushroom sandwiches, learn how to cook with garlic from local chefs, learn the varieties of garlic, and shop at the booths of garlic growers, specialty garlic gadgets and garlic tees and aprons.”

The garlic festival is on August 20 & 21, from 10AM to 5PM each day. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 2 years. Click here for a map to Faranda’s Farm, which is located at 1171 Penn Ave Hollsopple, PA, ½ mile off Route 219 and 15 miles from Johnstown and Somerset.

Learn more by visiting their website: www.farandafarm.net.

Photograph courtesy of Jon Dawson

Our area’s forests and parks offer trails for outdoor enthusiasts of all abilities and interests. From those out for a casual stroll or bike ride to those looking for a longer, more challenging hike. The Lost Turkey Trail can offer something for everyone in this spectrum. For casual hikers, consider traveling a small section of this 26 mile trail, perhaps starting at the southwestern trailhead where you can hike along Pot Ridge. The more experienced, adventurous hiker can attempt to take on the trail in its entirety.

Backpack camping is permitted in the Gallitzin State Forest portion of the trail, and fee campgrounds are available in the Blue Knob State Park portion, near the northeastern end of the trail.

The trail winds through Blue Knob State Park, as well as Gallitzin State Forest and state game lands, leading you through a variety of scenery, from low valleys, along ridges and toward the summit of Blue Knob, Pennsylvania’s second-highest peak.

Named by its original trailblazers, the Youth Conservation Corps, in 1976, the trail also features a monument built in memorial of two pioneer children who got lost in the forest and perished in 1856. The Lost Cox Children Monument is located at mile 24 of the trail, along Hogback Ridge.

For more information and a map of the trail, visit the Pennsylvania DCNR’s Lost Turkey Trail page.

The yearly festival is held at the Ligonier Township Fire Department Fairgrounds just a few miles outside of Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Enthusiasts are invited to camp out for the weekend at the convenient camping area not far from the stage and concert grounds.

Music workshops, a craft show and a “cow plop” contest are among the activities scheduled, which should provide fun times for adults and children alike.

The line-up for this year’s festival is undoubtedly an impressive one to any fan of the genre. Artists performing include Blue Moon Rising (International Bluegrass Music Association Showcase Artist), Lonesome Highway, and many other national and local acts. If you are looking for a weekend of great music and fellowship, look no further than the Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Music Festival.

The festival will take place June 17 through 18 at the Ligonier Township Fire Department Fairgrounds along Route 271 in Waterford, Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Music Festival, or to purchase tickets, visit: www.laurelhighlandsbluegrass.com. You can also call (724) 238-8646 or write to:

Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Festival
1012 Harvey Road
Ligonier, Pennsylvania 15658

This is the third year for the event, which has grown in size with each year. Activities have also been expanded this year, including a morning Memorial Day ceremony featuring guest speaker U.S. Army Lt. Col. James E. White, Jr. and U.S. Army Command Exhibition Parachute Team, “The Silver Wings”.

The afternoon portion of the event will involve activities for everyone in the family. For the kids, there will be inflatable rides and activity tables. For adults, there will be a classic car and motorcycle cruise, as well as military exhibits and demonstrations. And for everyone’s enjoyment, there will be music all day, as well as food vendors.

“We have been planning this event for a year and have included fun activities for every age!” says Renée Daly, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Johnstown.

The Johnstown Community Event will last, rain or shine, from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM on May 30^th, 2011 at Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Dog Park. Click here for a map of the area. The event is free to attend.

For more information visit the event page at CityofJohnstownPA.net or the Johnstown Community Event Facebook page. You can also call Renée Daly at (814) 536-8616 or email her at rdaly@cojtwn.com.

The Johnstown area, with its abundance of hills and acres of forests, provides the perfect landscape for off-road riding. Whether your ride of choice is an ATV, UTV, or a dirt bike, Rock Run Recreation is sure to have a trail that will both entertain and challenge you.

Set atop the Allegheny Mountains in rural Patton, Pennsylvania, Rock Run Recreation is just over a 30 mile drive from Johnstown. Their 70 miles of trails are sure to provide hours of fun for any off-roader, no matter what your skill-level. With warm weather moving in, now is the perfect time to hit the trails and welcome in a new season of riding.

Rock Run is known as one of the North East’s premier ATV recreation parks and has been a destination for ATV and dirt bike riders from all over the country.

The park is host to many special events throughout the season including:  Ride until Midnight in July, the Annual Fisher’s ATV World Reunion in August, the Rally at the Rock in September, and many others.

Rock Run opens April 2 for the 2011 season and will be open weekends until June, when they start extended summer hours. You can find more information about hours and upcoming events by visiting their website at http://www.rockrunrecreation.com or calling (814) 674-6028.

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.

What better way to spend a snowy Saturday in Johnstown than enjoying a timeless winter activity like sledding? Nothing beats the thrill of racing down a steep hill as you feel the wind on your face. If you need a cure to your winter blues, grab your sled and head to Stackhouse Park for an afternoon of fun.

Every Saturday throughout winter, as long as there’s an accumulation of snow, Stackhouse Park in Westmont hosts Slide and Ride, a sledding event for kids of all ages. The park boasts a quarter-mile slope that draws families from all over the Johnstown area. Don’t worry about the walk up the hill; once you reach the bottom, an ATV will give you a lift back up to the top.

After you’re worn out or ready for a break, you can warm up with hot chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, compliments of the park.

Stackhouse Park features plenty of other events throughout the year, such as hiking, orienteering, camping, cross country skiing, and nature studies. You can find more information about the Slide and Ride as well as other Stackhouse activities by visiting their website or calling (814) 536-1674.

Stackhouse Park is located at 998 Luzerne Street in the Westmont neighborhood of Johnstown (click here for a map). Visit their website at www.stackhousepark.com. Click here to join their Facebook group and receive all the latest news on the park.