Weird Somerset

Have you ever read any of the “Weird” books (e.g. Weird Pennsylvania, Weird New Jersey, etc.)? If you haven’t, they basically discuss strange roadside attractions, off-beat tourist spots or odd local legends throughout the various states. I’m a big fan of the series and the more I travel throughout Somerset County, the more convinced I become that we could have a Weird book of our own.

Today was the perfect example. I was recently reading the PA historical register and I noticed the listing for a bridge near my home. I’d never seen the bridge so I decided to seek it out today, thinking that it might be a good spot to take senior portraits and engagement photos. When I did find it, I was delighted to see that it was a beautiful covered bride and it was also in great condition.

That’s not too weird, but the other things around it were. Just a few hundred yards away from the covered bridge, was a historic train depot. It was refurbished and, obviously, is not in use but it was a very cool old building with a great look. It’s another spot I’ll be sure to utilize in future portrait sessions.

After I took some pics of the train depot, I continued down a dirt & gravel road and was amazed to see a helicopter and an Army tank. From a nearby plaque I gathered that they are on display as part of a small veterans memorial, but it still seemed quite odd to see two military vehicles in the middle of nowhere.

I continued on with my travels and made sure to take a back road home. After all, you never know what you’ll find on those types of roads and today I saw a mountainside filled with sheep. I don’t know why, but sheep fascinate me. Unlike cows, chickens or even llamas, it’s rare to see sheep in Somerset so I enjoyed watching them graze for a few minutes. I tried grabbing a quick pic, but I didn’t have my zoom lens and they were running home for lunch, so I didn’t get a very good shot. Next time, I’ll be prepared.

Only in Somerset, PA can you find a covered bridge, a historic train depot, a helicopter, a tank and a field full of sheep within a 10 mile radius. Weird.

Shortly after I returned home, I spotted a stray cat which has been visiting our home and eating our cat’s food for the past few weeks. It was always very skittish and would run when approached, but today we decided to see just how wild it was. It took some cajoling, but in only a few minutes she crept close enough to pet. When rewarded with a cup full of food, she quickly became our best friend and hasn’t left the property since. I’m not sure that we need another cat, but it seems like we now have one. Unless some good Samaritan out there needs a pet, of course. Look at those eyes, she’s irresistible.