We were off to a relatively early start today, we were on the road at 9:15, headed to Binghamton, NY; about half-way between Pittsburgh and Saint Johnsbury.

Shortly after noon, we visited a rest stop near Loganton, PA. There was a lone picnic table in the area where pets were allowed, so this seemed like a good opportunity for lunch. Sweet Potato was happy to be out of the car and jumped into my lap several times and made more than one attempt to climb onto the picnic table. (The fact my sandwich was on the table may have added to her interest….)

We crossed the New York state line a little after 3pm and Sweet Potato decided we needed to stop for a photo op

Talking to the hotel’s desk clerk, I learned that Binghamton University has a nature preserve with some hiking trails. It’s not the Smokey Mountains, but it was a nice little slice of nature after a day on the road. We’ll keep it mind for future trips to Binghamton.

I consider myself lucky to have captured this photo. The bird took flight before I hit the shutter button, so you can’t see the markings. But I believe the orange marking with a yellow stripe makes this a red-winged blackbird (I originally thought Baltimore Oriole, but the red-winged blackbird makes more sense as it wasn’t anywhere near Camden Yard.)

Any time I run across a walkway through a wetland, I find myself reminded of Bradbury’s A Sound of Thunder and the admonishment to “stay on the path.”