When we mentioned to people that we planned to visit Scranton, we’d often get a puzzled look, or maybe a raised eyebrow accompanied by, “why?” We’d always say ancestors or family history, but we hit upon another reason: Steamtown. It’s a National Historic Site devoted to steam railroading history that arguably rivals our own California Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Run by the National Park Service, we found it in downtown Scranton. Our tour of the Technology Museum and locomotive repair shops, made it definitely worth a trip.

      Steamtown:  Locomotive and old Scranton poster

    This was just one of several pleasant surprises that burnished our family-history-oriented trip. From waterfalls, to Falling Water, from Pittsburgh to Gettysburg, we found places that justify a journey here even if you’re not chasing down ancestors.

Black. When Henry turned out the lights it was totally black—not a photon of light reached our eyes. The Lackawanna Coal Mine Tour took us several hundred feet below the surface on a track-mounted cart descending an inclined shaft where our guide, Henry pointed out the coal seams, explained mining techniques, demonstrated equipment and procedures and compellingly described the mine worker’s life. Then he flipped the switch plunging us into absolute darkness. Henry had worked in the mines and comes from a family that had done so for generations. He described the work as you’d imagine—dangerous, dirty and difficult.

 Old photo of miners on their way to work. Janet poses in front what used to be her family's Duckworth building.

Living in the 18th Century

     Our accommodations for five nights on the 2nd floor of the Thomas Bond House looked out on small plaza. A bronze statue of William Penn occupies the center of the space on South 2nd Street that was once Penn’s home. Our abode was constructed by its namesake Dr. Bond in 1769 and is now operated as a 12-room Bed & Breakfast. It was the perfect base for our Philadelphia visit.

  Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, and Declaration of Independence Room