HOME AWAY FROM HOME, Pt. 2 (DOWN TO THE RIVER)

In 1754, frustrated with the tediously slow progress of his men as they hacked their way westward through the Appalachian Mountains to capture Fort Duquesne (present day Pittsburgh), Colonel George Washington broke off from the main group and, along with a handful of men, began exploring the Youghiogheny River as a possible water route through the mountains. The group made it as far as present day Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania where, legend has it, Colonel Washington stood on a rock overlooking a 40 foot waterfall and decided to abandon the plan when he came to the realization that the rapids of the Youghiogheny would not be a viable means of transporting men and artillery westward. It's this very waterfall, and system of rapids, that makes the Youghiogheny River the focal point of any visit to Ohiopyle State Park . My son, Alex, and I standing on the west bank of the Youghiogheny River...possibly the same rock that George Washington stood on in 1754. -- June 20, 2018 ...