I believe other Metblog cities have done it, so I’m taking a cue from them and introducing you to the village of Farmington.  The idea struck me when I was on the road this weekend (camping and running events for work) and I thought it would be a fun idea.  I tend to travel to Farmington quite a bit (and live there over the summer), so if nothing else, it may provide some inspiration for you to come visit.

 For me, the quickest way to Farmington is to hop on the Turnpike to New Stanton and then take 119, which turns into 40.  But it is also accessible via 381, which also makes for a nice trip through Ohiopyle and the opportunity to stop at Falling Water, or even 281, which will put you through Confluence.

 Farmington is south of Uniontown, up on the mountain, and home to Nemacolin Woodlands.  Other points of interest (which are at least near, and I believe in the same township of Wharton) are Jumonville, The Summit Inn, the Stone House, Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Laurel Caverns.  Summertime also brings a giant flea market worth checking out.  I want to say it’s the first weekend of each month, but I’m not positive on that.

 Driving up 40 will take you up a winding mountain highway.  On the way up there are two pull-offs, one for Lick Hollow picnic area (which is rarely, if ever open, a sign eternally proclaiming “closed for season”) and one which provides a scenic overlook of Uniontown.  The scenic overlook, as well as a pull-off on the way down with a spring are both home to geocaches.  And even though I generally try not to encourage the park-and-grab variety, these two are worth it, both providing very interesting locations to visit and beautiful and unique scenery.

More after the jump, including eateries and entertainment!

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I’ve been a fan of Survivor since its first season, and I’m always excited when I see contestants from Pittsburgh, and it seems that Survivor is a magnet for those of us from the burgh. And imagine my surprise when during the second hour of the American Gladiator’s premiere (I can’t quite decide, but I’m pretty sure it’s a game show), they announce that John was from Pittsburgh!

John is an amputee and a Paralympic athlete, having competed in the 1996 games.

John was awesome to watch, and a great competitor, so much more than I ever could be, but sadly, he didn’t win the eliminator, but it was amazing and so heartwarming to see the entire stadium cheer for him to finish and give him an awesome standing ovation.

American Gladiator’s page (NBC)
Picture via BuzzerBlog

A thought occurred to me on my way home today. As I sat there in traffic, inching towards the Squirrel Hill tunnels, I was reminded of the fact that due to some sort of crazy technology (which I believe came from CMU), we can listen to the radio and talk on our cell phones uninterrupted when passing through the tunnels.

In contrast, when I occasionally go through the Liberty Tubes, I am met with the crackling radio, which soon fades to white noise until I reach the other side. Guess it makes me think about how lucky I am to travel the Parkway East each day (wait a minute…). And even though I know that my cell phone will still work through the Squirrel Hill tunnel, I was reminded of a time when I used the fact that I was nearing the tunnel’s entrance as an excuse to hang up the phone, just to end the conversation.

Now, I’m not one to talk on my phone as I drive, it distracts me, however as I inch through traffic leading up to the tunnel, I have found myself feeling a bit more secure, and at least able to justify my action to myself the few times I need to make a quick call. But consciously, using such a lame excuse (and I can’t even feign safety, I’m pretty sure I just wanted to end the conversation), I almost feel as if I should have been called out on it, seeing as we have the amazing technology mentioned above.

But who knows, maybe I’m just still amazed at this technological marvel. I also tend to wonder if anyone else has ever used this kind of feigned ignorance to their advantage: thoughts anyone?