Day 1. Mile 300
June 18, 2012
This morning we had a late start when I realized that our
truck insurance expires while we are in Canada and would need a need an updated
insurance card to re-enter the US.
Called State Farm to confirm that I could get one in Fairbanks in late
July. No, they can only issue ins cards for Alaskans… so we headed to
Flemington to pick up an insurance card from Aug 2 – Feb 2013…..
Finally on the road around Noon and drove through the
countryside of PA over their notorious roads (it seems they are always having
construction whenever we drive I-78 & 81) through the fog & haze. Finally broke through into lovely sunshine on
the other side of Tunnel #5 I think around Stanton. The drive offered views of beautiful farms,
red barns, cows and fertile fields already planted. After several stops for Starbucks on the way,
we arrived the campground in Ruffs Dale, Pa around 6:30 PM SE of Pittsburgh and
mainly known for fracking wells and Fallingwater.
When we were on our way from Phoenix to NJ in late April, we
stopped at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater for the house & grounds
tour. Edgar & Liliane Kaufmann of
Pittsburgh who were successful department store owners in the Pittsburgh and
Buffalo area commissioned the house. The
house was built on land that had been used for many years by the family as
their escape from the city. They
commissioned Wright in 1935 to build the home for them. From what I remember from the Docent, Wright
forgot about the commission because of other plans that he was working on. He received a call from Kaufmann confirming
their first meeting to review the plans and quickly developed sketches that
reflect the present day house. Completed
in 1937/38, the budget was ~$35-50K and ended up costing the Kaufmanns $~150,000. Today it would be $5-8 million to build the
same home. They enjoyed the home until
their death and in 1963 their son Edgar Jr donated the house and property
to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy with the one condition that the house
be opened to the public. Since it has
been opened, more than 4 million people have toured the house. The house is just like it was in 1963 and
contains the original art and sculptures. If
you are ever in the area, please stop and have a wonderful time touring the
home.
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| Fallingwater |
David & Judy
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