During 2019 my friends and I were working on completing five separate (but related) GeoTours for Clearfield County, PA.  Before Covid shut down all of 2020, we were able to enjoy a few weekends in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.  And then the great shut-down of 2020 happened to everyone.  There were a lot of lazy weekends this past year, and very limited travel weekends

I spent the year missing Clearfield and her rich woodland area in the heart of PA, surrounded by mountains, waterways, and outdoor activities. I love the wildlife I can experience while visiting.

Clearfield County promotes itself as the middle of everywhere.  It’s a good motto; they are ideally positioned in the center of the state.  Yet Clearfield County is worth a visit unto itself. The state parks, trails, elk, food, and laid back experiences are exactly what I need when I need to get away.

Clearfield has an amazing collection of Geocaching Tours “GeoTours” that will allow you to explore waterways, history, nature, and culture.  This is the reason I discovered Clearfield and had a chance to explore.

I spent most of 2020 looking at photos and living in my memories. But if anyone is debating taking a road trip or joining the GeoTours, here are some things you might want to make time to visit:

Spanky’s Courthouse Cafe

The Courthouse Cafe is a cozy store-front cafe located near the Clearfield Courthouse. Naturally!  The name gives it away!

The Courthouse Cafe offers an unique treat that you must experience.  Fresh made bread.  They have fresh baked bread which they can serve with your meals.  It is amazing and makes such a difference with breakfast.  We visited two days in a row just to try different meals before we had to leave and head back home. I can’t wait to return.

The cafe is warm, welcoming, and gives me a sense of nostalgia. It is filled with local pride: school teams, local heroes and celebrities, and community events.

If you are anywhere nearby, this little gem is worth a visit.

Clearfield Geotours

We hit the trails and explored the region by following the Clearfield Geotour locations. On the last day of our long-weekend, there was a surprise snow storm that settled over us during our tour.  Of course – it probably wasn’t a surprise for anyone else! I just didn’t check the weather for a few days.  the snow made the day more exciting and adventurous and I’m glad we were able to enjoy the experience.

Elk

One of the thrilling sights I am able to enjoy is the random sighting of elks.  Late last year we took a road trip to see what critters we could see.  The elk were not sighted at the Elk park near Benezette, PA.  But we managed to spot a small herd in Weedville.  I had to pull over and snap a few smart phone pics.

They were a bit skittish but determined to graze on the lawns of the nearby homes.  I was lucky that I could pull over and view them from a residential road without any traffic, and these “through the windshield” images show off these handsome creatures.

 

I can’t wait to get back to Clearfield.  Let’s hope we can return to our weekend explorations soon!  There are a few more geocaches I have to find.