When I go back to my hometown area, Bucks County, Pa, it wreaks havoc with my inner preservationist, and sometimes even my emotions. So much of the land was lost to "progress," over the last 25 years. The memories of my childhood, and my relationship with that area seem to change with each passing year. It's kinda like a Jekyll and Hyde experience. Lately, I seem to have a fond appreciation for my past, and my eyes are opened wide to the incredible beauty of the surrounding country.
I lived in Doylestown, and my parents still live there, 40 years after purchasing their home, which lies just outside the borough. As a kid, I was fortunate to wake up and see the Mercer Museum from my bedroom window on any day that I desired. Subsequently, the old prison, which was also visible behind our home - and was a bit too close for my mother's tastes -- was shuttered for a bit, until it became the site for the James A. Michener Arts Museum. If only I had appreciated these things while I lived there! Sigh.
Anyway, my car broke down a few weekends ago, while I was driving the back roads of Upper Bucks County, so I was able to stay with family for a couple extra days. I had my cameras with me, and I had found a few places i wanted to begin photographing in earnest. I had not been actively seeking pictures in Bucks County for quite a while, but I've decided I want to make some visual histories of the places that still exist, so I can enjoy them, and pass them on for others to enjoy -- well after I'm gone. Why not?
So, it's a Tuesday morning, and there's nobody around for miles. To me, that is the ultimate way to travel through the country. I decided to make a stop to get a few snaps of Point Pleasant, Pa, since they had just opened up the Pike after a 10 year repair, making it easier to access the area that intersects with River Rd. I asked permission to park in the lot of the Trading post that sits on the junction of Point Pleasant Pike and River Rd. I recognized the owner -- it was Rich Kolbe. I hadn't seen him for over 30 years, but honestly, he didn't look too much different. Still a good guy, and a hardworking one at that.
Rich, his wife Rebecca, and the true celebrity of Point Pleasant, their dog Duey, can be found almost any given day at F.P. Kolbe, fine purveyors of almost anything you never knew you wanted -- and some that you might have been seeking for a good while.
If you find yourself in Bucks County for a weekend getaway, or happen to be traveling through, you must check this place out! I'm getting tired of writing, so I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy the snaps of their trading post (and yes, there is a room that is devoted entirely to Christmas 24/7/365, in case you might ask).
