Our second college visit was to Penn State at Altoona, a smaller campus with specialized programs. Nick wanted to see the Rail Transportation Engineering program, so of course after sending three separate communications to prepare they weren't ready for us, and we'll need to go back again later. We viewed the 2024 Solar Eclipse with school-issued 'glasses' while on our tour, peeking around the young tour guide Brandon who was hopping around like he was on fire himself (nerves, I assume.) OK campus but old and tired, the Engineering Director is a good guy, and the lousy cafeteria food is expensive, those are the main takeaways.
We made the five-day trip into an adventure visiting local family, trekking thru heavy rains and flooded roads on Wednesday to arrive in the evening and get our first duck (a drink at Primanti Bros.) Our hotel was a little tight with two beds, but we made it work with minimal difficulties (not counting the traffic light out front that hated us.)
Thursday started with Brandi and Nick visiting the local train museum and seeing the famous Horseshoe Curve in Altoona where we stayed. Then lunch with Aunt Val and Uncle Vito at their restaurant, where we swapped car photos, caught up on the gossip before we saw everyone else, and had a good meal. Day one of pizza.
Friday was early dinner with Andy, Michelle and Grandpapa, who is more limited now, getting around with less ease. The new place on Washington St in Huntingdon was good food, and good company. Nick and I rode with Andy out to see a 1955 Ford F-100 that was a military bid spec vehicle at a guy named Travis' home. Rough shape, but an interesting story, I'll share the find when I see the F-150 guys later this month for the P800 clinic in Long Beach. It was an eye-opening experience for Nick to hang with the locals. Caught a movie in the evening as the theater was walking distance from our hotel, the latest Ghostbusters passed a couple of hours.
Saturday we spent four hours with Bobby and Jeanette at their home, just chatting at the dining roon table, before heading to Paesano's for dinner to see everyone else. Nick made pizza with his Pap, ice cream with Grams, and we saw the rest of the gossip firsthand. Day two of pizza.
Brandi got to make a stop at the candy store in Tyrone as we wrapped up the weekend, loaded up on $35 worth of penny candy. The drive home after the PSU school visit was against the eclipse traffic, I estimate a four-hour backup on the Ohio Turnpike going east as we headed home west.
