When I was with a High Adventure Explorers Post Based out of Spenser Ave Church in Carrick they decided to stay for a explorers weekend at the now closed Kings Mountain Resort in the Laurel Highlands of Westmoreland county off Pa. 711 should have been an easy place to find it was right near 7 Springs Resort in Champion Pa.. Well I knew where 7 springs was and also know Pa -711 on weekends my father liked to drive all over pa. for something to do and we got everywhere there where attractions which where free . It was a cheap way to have fun we packed a lunch and off we went . He had taken us up to Ohiopyle and general Uniontown, Fayette county area on several occasions so I knew the main routes even at age 17 . I always loved looking over maps and when I was 13 I navigated a trip with my biology teacher all the way to Portland Maine along with 13 year old friend Mark Giles who also loved to travel and was good with maps .
We lived in Carrick which is in the south hills so the resort would be south east of us an easy 1 hr ride down Pa- 51 to I -70 east to US 119 to Pa 31 then Pa 711 or we could go turnpike 1 exit at I-70 to Pa-31. So I got in my Friends dads car he was driving that weekend and off we go down 51 to liberty tunnels to parkway east OK I figure where going turnpike round about way but a straight shot . No we get off and follow US 30 to Greensburg in the mean time passing another chance to get on turnpike we went right under it .
We then get on Pa -130 towards Norvelt and end up on Pa 891 with a bad turn and end up in Mt Pleasant on Pa 31 then finally get up on Pa 711.
The whole time I am trying to get some ones attention there going the wrong way they did not want to hear it a 1 hr trip ended up 3- 1/2 hours after all the wrong turns and Friday night traffic
We get to the resort and its really nice with chalets etc but since we where so big a post we stayed in a double Mobile home which was still nice there was plenty of activities but just trying to stay warm and dry was a challenge while the kids from richer explorer posts had the latest in Ski clothing and fashions on We had on jeans and work boots with thermals .
But all in all we had a great time. on Saturday my friend Mike and I who I rode up with got permission to run into Connelsville to get some extra food as what was being provided by the resort was lacking not so much in taste but quantity and with the cold you needed to boost calories so we picked up some staples.
Hey while your at it get a case of beer for the leaders one said we thought they where kidding I was 17 and Mike just 16 you had to be 21 to purchase beer at a distributor . But they said do not worry its Fayette County the good ole boys will not ask for ID .
So into Connelsville we go with a $10.00 bill for the beer.
We stop at the one beer distributor in town after shopping and sure enough we pull up in station wagon and they sell us a case of beer no ID no questions we took back for the leaders .There where many places that felt you should be able to drink at 18 not 21 and we could have just have easily went over to W. Virginia and gotten a beer where it was at the time 18 .Of course after all the Drunk Driver deaths etc and crack down by the Liquor control Board and MADD members a beer distributor would be out of there mind to do it today.
I never drank the little I tasted I did not like the taste and I saw what booze did to how many people around me some who died from it so I never drank it A very small glass of wine at Christmas at my in laws was it .
In the long run it probably helped me to be able to survive Stage IV colon cancer .
Well we get back and that evening they had a nice program at lodge and some went ski lifts at near by seven springs. I even ran into my Eagle Scout Dinner sponsor last time I would ever see or speak to him again as I did not fit into the mold of the corporate eagle scout council wanted Too Bad .
That morning we woke up to heavy snow and resort driver came by in 4x4 truck with plow with chains on he said much more was coming and we should get out while we can. Knowing how it snows extremely heavy and how bad snow and wind gets up there my friends and I left , while others decided to stay for lunch etc and go to seven spring its not going to be that bad they said .
While we got out the others got stuck in with little to no food for 2 days till state could get to them with big plows .
So guess how foolish hey looked and while my friend and I took the short way home down turnpike which they work hard at to keep open the others took the other way not believing us and got caught several times taking 8 hours to get home some people never learn. I was with post couple more months till it was dissolved as leaders had quit and there was not enough on board to run it and so many of us where out on our 18th birthday .
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