120 Miles from Smethport to Linesville, PA on US Route 6

WHY GO: Right on PA Route 6, Monster Truck driver, Joey Sylvester, made his World Record Jump in northwestern PA at the annual Cornfield 500. That should give you some idea of recreation in this seldom visited region of this long state. You’ll also find an old-fashioned rambling inn/dinner theater and some massive penitentiaries of fish (I’d say “schools,” but these carp are disgusting and rude) in a tourist spot where “ducks walk on the fish”. You’ll be on the Ohio State line when you end this drive, and can make the decision to head two hours to Cleveland or just another hour to Erie for some Great Lakes R&R.

120 Miles from Smethport to Linesville, PA on US Route 6

Barnside Sign on PA US Route 6

From Smethport, venture west 28 miles through the tiny rural communities ofPreston, Ludlow, Sheffield, and Clarendon then on to the relatively large city ofWarren (pop. 40,000), marked by a huge oil refinery on its Eastern end and the Allegheny River that arcs through downtown. With a Historic Downtown District (on the National Register of Historic Places), Warren is also home to Blair Corporation– one of the largest catalog companies in the world. The legacy of driven, industrious Pennsylvanian, John Blair, who in 1910 started his company by selling trademarked rubberized black raincoats to undertakers, Blair Corp. has grown into a billion dollar purveyor of elastic-waist leisure-ware.

It’s another 28 miles to the Miller’s place in Columbus, PA. Self-professed “Professional Rednecks,” Sabrena and Blair Miller got married on CMT’s My Big Redneck Wedding and founded what is now considered to be a premier international Monster Truck Competition, the Cornfield 500, held every Labor Day weekend on their property. (Joe Sylvester accomplished his 237ft. World Record jump – in his truck, Bad Habit – at the 2013 Cornfield 500). If you are traveling at the end of the summer and find yourself in a traffic jam in this very rural region of Pennsylvania, this is why; the Cornfield 500 draws over 20,000 monster truck fans for that one weekend a year. Check here for the rest of the post on Getaway Mavens.