~ATTENTION~~All PA. State Parks Are Closed~~

[Superslif]

As of last night all PA. state park campgrounds, beaches are closed because of the states failure to pass it states budget. All parks employees were layed-off. People were ordered to leave Monday morning at all campgrounds. Since we don't live in PA. but were to leave next Sunday (7-15) for 2 weeks at Cook's Forest our plans are up in the air. George called Diane at noon to break the news. Boy, that would have been **** to get there next Sunday and find the gates locked. I can't imagine all the people that started there vacation, set up there tents and then were asked to leave today. All the private campgrounds are going to be loving it
Not being a PA. resident it's hard to keep abreast on developing news about this. Right now were in a holding pattern. If this goes on till next week all surrounding state parks in nearby states will filling up. If anyone from PA.hears more on this could you post here on this thread.......Jim.....

[Superslif]

As of last night all PA. state park campgrounds, beaches are closed because of the states failure to pass it states budget. All parks employees were layed-off. People were ordered to leave Monday morning at all campgrounds. Since we don't live in PA. but were to leave next Sunday (7-15) for 2 weeks at Cook's Forest our plans are up in the air. George called Diane at noon to break the news. Boy, that would have been **** to get there next Sunday and find the gates locked. I can't imagine all the people that started there vacation, set up there tents and then were asked to leave today. All the private campgrounds are going to be loving it
Not being a PA. resident it's hard to keep abreast on developing news about this. Right now were in a holding pattern. If this goes on till next week all surrounding state parks in nearby states will filling up. If anyone from PA.hears more on this could you post here on this thread.......Jim.....

[NLOVNIT]

I heard about that on the news last night. I hope some money comes around before all us Pond Piggies are destined for Shawnee in October! Either that or we'd better be getting a refund of the money they took for our reservations.

I'll be watching this post (& the news) with much interest, that's for sure.

L-

[Superslif]

I called Kalyumet this afternoon to see if they will have sites for next Sunday night. She said they received a bunch of walk-in traffic today. As of now next Sunday is fine, but with the PA. parks being closed anything could happen. I made a few calls to the PA. DNR headquarters. They said 25,000 parks employees were layed off. They told all campers and cabin people to leave. Not all people (campers) are leaving. Many refused he said. As of now ( Mon. ) they were not forcing them to leave, but many showerhouses were locked or not being cleaned. He said we should wait till at least Friday to change plans. He said our reservation is still good even if we arrive later in the week. We may have to go day to day until the state passes a budget. But he said the longer it goes with the parks being closed the longer it will be to open them up again. He said that it was kind of stupid to close the parks now because they are going to be losing 1.5 million dollars a day in lost camping and cabin fees. This is their big money making period........He said the budget impass had nothing to do with the state parks. Way don't they lay-off all the big money public officials that make the big $$$$$. O, he said one of the sticking points was they want to turn I-80 into a toll road. All I know is it cost me $12 to go the first 20 miles on the PA. pike. Then at the I-79 interchange you would see all the trucks coming back onto the turnpike going east again.
My other ideas would be to try to see if NY state parks have any available sites, or I could cancel my first week of vacation to Cooks and hope they pass the budget by my 2nd week to Clear Creek. If George didn't call me I may not have found out. What are buddies for ya bad news..........I just feel sorry for the people that didn't know about the closing and arrived today to a closed gate. We may be joining you guys at Kalyumet.

[Tom N]

The private campgrounds couldn't be more happy if Walmart banned overnight parking!

But, the state liquor stores remain open along with the new slot casinos so we can still sin!! But we can't camp or swim!!!

-Tom
currently home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

[woodburner]

Take it for what it's worth....nothing but a lot of grandstanding from an inept Govenor and his cronies....kinda shooting themselves in the foot to make a point!

[ISLAPP]

Just plain unbelieveable.
Always someone or something messin with us.
Mike

[NLOVNIT]

Jim/George-

Well, if push comes to shove with the PA state cg's still closed & Kalyumet has open sites, we may be having a mini irv2 rally (since the other Piggies are in Branson)later next week.

We may be coming in separate vehicles. Dave's Jeep (our toad) is still at the repair shop & they weren't too sure they could get it done before we have to leave for Geneva this Sat. I may be driving my car (which isn't rigged to tow) following behind Dave driving the coach if the Jeep isn't done in time.

L-

[Joe-K]

Parks opened again on July 10th. The budget was settled last night.

I won't get into the political discussion and the tax issues, but the PA campgrounds are open.
The announcement came out at about 11:00 PM on Monday night that all workers would be back on the job today (Tuesday) July 10.

[Frank P. Martin]

The state lawmakers and Governor Ed (alias "Fast Eddie") Rendell hashed out a tentative budget agreement late last night. All state services are back up and running today (Tuesday, July 10, 2007).

A "mini iRV2 rally"?
Where?
When?

[Superslif]

Thanx.....At work last night I was just thinking of contingency plans if by the weekend they didn't sign the budget. Plan one would be to stay day to day at Kalyumet if the had space. When I called Monday afternoon the lady at Kalyumet said in the morning they had 20 walk-in campers arrive by noon kicked out from the state parks. If it looked like the budget would not be signed for weeks, plan two would have been to go to another state like VA.'s Shenandoah, TN.'s Smoky Mt's or NY.'s 1,000 Islands area.......since I have reservation for a week at Cook's Forest and a 2nd week at Clear Creek. Now, an over-the-road driver last night said the sticking point was your govenors plan to sell the PA. pike. If he couldn't get that he wanted to turn I-80 into another turnpike. I'm just glad things are settled for this year.....Last year our state officials want to sell our Turnpike to a company based in a middle east country. Go figure......They would control our oil and then control or roads......What are they thinking..........I think it's all about someone getting kickbacks......and it's not the driving public......I feel sorry for the campers who had set up tents and such, had to take them down and move and then a day later welcomed back......

[Frank P. Martin]

Yeah, Jim, I feel sorry for them too. But to experience the total effect of the layoff and frustration, you have to L-I-V-E here!

[NLOVNIT]

Frank -

Reference the "mini irv2 rally" statement: Dave & I are rolling into Kalyumet on July 18 for 4 nights. We're meeting up w/George to sell him our gently used blue tote & hope to meet up w/Jim at Cooks since they're going to be there the same timeframe we're at Kalyumet.

Any chance you & Chris can meet up w/any of us in that 18-21 timeframe? We missed you at Tionesta & it'll be a LONG way 'til Shawnee. PM me if you guys have an opening in your schedule.

While I'm thinking about it, I'm looking at doing the Oil City & Titusville RR on either Thurs or Sat. Knowing what you know, would ya think the weekday would be the less crowded excursion & would we really need reservations? Just wondering as I'm sitting here with the NW PA visitors guide (plus all the brochures to browse that Jim loaned me at Tionesta - thanks, Jim!) planning our things-to-do-while-in-the- area.

L-

[Frank P. Martin]

Hi, L-

The last time we rode the OC&T RR was back in the 20th century somewhere in the 90's being that I have no digital photos. The OC&T does have a web site. Here's the link:

Oil Creek & Titusville RR

Their July schedule shows them operating Wednesday thru Sunday with one round trip each day that leaves the Perry Street station at 1:00 PM.

All their locomotives are Alco diesel switchers so equipment-wise, it's the same whether you ride on a weekday or weekend. Of course, you'll have more riders on the weekend (unless the weather's bad) than on a weekday. I doubt if you would need reservations for a weekday trip but you might want to query a "localite" to be sure.

The train basically follows Oil Creek and is inside the boundaries of Oil Creek State Park for most of the trip. You can see all of the train's route by looking at the map of Oil Creek State Park. Here's the link:

Oil Creek State Park Map

I wish we could join you at Kalyumet but we have to "cat sit" our son's two cats that week of the 15th. The earliest we could get away would be Friday, the 20th.

Our wine supply is dangerously low because we haven't been anywhere this season. In fact, I only got the TT inspected yesterday. It's just been weird. Everytime we try to plan a trip... something happens or something comes up.