We left Kentucky and headed back to PA through Ohio.  No pictures of Ohio because I was driving, but it looked similar to PA without the mountain ranges.  Lots of Amish/Mennonite farms on lush rolling hills.  As we entered PA from the west, it occurred to us that it, along with several other states in the US, has a sharp contrast west to east, and north to south.

There are four mountain ranges in PA… Allegheny, Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Poconos.  They were formed by tectonic plate collisions to the east that were so strong that some of the ranges are actually folds and created such intense heat that they actually melted some of the rocks, hence, there is an abundance of coal and natural gas.  Later glaciers carved valleys and moved rock to create hills.

After experiencing so much of our country, what struck us most when we reached Pennsylvania again was the abundant life it holds.  Thriving greenery abounds in wooded areas to an almost jungle-like level.  It became a challenge to take pictures with large mature trees everywhere.

Western Pennsylvania is more open and expansive with wide valleys.  The mountains aren’t as high as out west, but beautiful just the same.

Here, small town life gives one the feeling that a wholesome Americana still exists.

Another noteworthy aspect of Pennsylvania is its abundant resources.  Fertile soil, plenty of rain and underground springs make it perfect farm land.  Probably why the Amish and Mennonite communities settled here.

There were four N to S running mountains on our drive…

And we couldn’t go around them, so…

we went through them.

The other side opened up into a vast area of rural patchwork.