A FIG more than Chocolate

Fort Indiantown Gap, or FIG, has a nice recreation area of its own called Marquette Lake. It offers picnic areas and great fishing. The Fort's flight facility is usually a center of activity and worth a look. The day I was there, Blackhawk, Chinook, and Huey helicopters were all flying and practicing maneuvers around the airstrip.

The Indiantown Gap National Cemetery is between the I-81 FIG exit and the post on Route 934. It is immaculately maintained and equates to an emotionally intense visit, especially if a funeral is being conducted. The Pennsylvania Veteran's Memorial there is also impressive. Visit the cemetery’s website at http://www.cem.va.gov/nchp/indiantowngap.htm.

Other local attractions worth seeing are Hershey's Chocolate World, Penn National Race Track, and Memorial Lake State Park.

Quick Tips:

The Commissary and Post Exchange are both small, but the military-clothing store is well stocked. There are no clubs serving food on post, so for a meal, go to Funck's Chicken immediately outside the gate on Route 934. They have excellent food at decent prices. Beware, though, as the chicken dinner includes four pieces of fried chicken and two side dishes—it may require a post-lunch nap.

Stay at the Holiday Inn off I-81's exit 80 (717/469-0661). It has a decent restaurant and a lively country-music line-dancing bar, Winner's Circle Saloon, that’s fun and always packed.

Best Way To Get Around:

A car is the only practical way to get around in this rural area.

Although the address reads Harrisburg, the West Hanover Winery is only about 10 miles south of Fort Indiantown Gap. From I-81, take exit 77, go south, and then turn right promptly onto Jonestown Road. The winery is less than a mile on your right. The phone number for West Hanover Winery is 717/652-3711.

West Hanover Winery is not impressive at first glance. It’s the owner's house. Signs indicate that the tasting room is around back. As you follow the path around, you pass by the large backyard that doubles as the winery's small vineyard. Once inside, you work your way through a maze of aging barrels, fermenting jugs, cases/boxes, bottles, the label machine, and shelf after shelf of wine.

Once the winemaker showed me his huge variety and provided my first taste, however, I realized that the trip wasn't wasted. George has been making wine for 40 years and is the third generation in his family to do so. At this small facility, he produces over 2000 gallons per year of regional award-winning wines of various types. Those natively found in the region of note were Catawba, both dry and semisweet; Concord; and fruit Meads.

The majority of his French hybrids were only mediocre to my taste. The Cabernet Franc was impressive. With medium body and acidity, it puts forth intense red-berry flavors on the front end and only a very moderate tannic finish.

I purchased three bottles ranging in price from $10 to $17. There were two other wineries within 10 miles of the fort, but I didn't have time to visit these.

The smokehouse has been an operating business in the little, aged community of Palmyra for over 100 years. The phone number for Seltzer's is 800/282-6336. Call for directions. Factory tours are available, and the tasting room is open 7am to 5pm on weekdays.

I've liked Lebanon Bologna since I was a kid. Although I don't think I've eaten any for around a decade, I couldn't resist a visit. Sadly, there was no time for a tour, so a tasting would have to suffice. Stepping into the lobby was like stepping back into the 1950s. Everything from the decor to the bologna ladies in their hairnets looked delightfully dated.

Although they sold beef sticks, jerky, souvenir T-shirts, etc, the only product made on site, and their specialty, was the Lebanon Bologna. Come hungry, because they offer several types for sampling—all in full slices. I tried the traditional and told the lady that I loved it. She shook her head no and said, "Wait until you try the sweet. We all like the sweet."

She was right. Both the white- and brown sugar-sweetened types were delicious. My personal favorite was the double-smoked and brown sugar-sweetened one. I bought a stubby log of it for less than $5.

Penn National Race Course has been open here for 33 years. Racing is Wednesday through Saturday year-round. Post time is 7:25pm. Simulcast racing from other tracks, with full betting capability, is available many other nights. Reference the website at www.pennnational.com, or call 717/469-2211 for details about specific events. To get there, take exit 80 from I-81 and go north about 1 mile on Route 743. Entrance is on the right.

I’m not much of a gambler, but as I was passing by the track on my morning run, I was struck by the beauty of the place. You can smell the horses as you drive by slowly with your windows down. It’s a wonderful smell of leather, saddle blankets, and sawdust that was imprinted on me throughout my youth of showing quarter horses. These were thoroughbreds, though, tall and muscular, with their own swimming pools, beautiful farms, and teams of humans focused on their success.

It was Wednesday morning, so the jockeys and trainers were preparing for the races that evening. Young, lean men and women in flak vests and riding helmets were working their horses. Some were running, some jogging, but all were beautifully backlit by the rising sun as it pierced through the morning fog.

The track also hosts a restaurant and bar, the Turf Club. Had I been in the area another night, I think I could have enjoyed a night at the races.

Working off a tip from the previous night’s bartender, I headed out of my hotel around 6am in search of a nice running trail. I drove from Exit 80 of I-81, heading north on Route 741 past the Holiday Inn and Penn National Race Track to its end at the intersection with Route 443. There, I turned right and went straight 3 miles or so until reaching the Memorial Lake State Park sign. One turns right onto Boundary Road from there and can access the parks facilities via the lower, middle, or upper roads.

I chose the upper access, and what I found there was a pleasant surprise. Indeed, it was a great place to run and a whole lot more. The 230-acre park surrounds an 85-acre memorial lake that was constructed in 1945 to honor the state’s national guardsmen dead from both World Wars. It is in a picturesque location nestled between the Blue Mountains and Fort Indiantown Gap (FIG). I found the trailhead, stretched a bit, and began my run.

Although not totaling more than 3 miles in length, the trail snaked around coves and jetties of land along the lake shore. This helps a lazy person like me stay interested enough to run multiple laps. Its base is packed pea gravel with great drainage. A Vita Course with sit-up boards, pull-up bars, etc., is integrated with the trail and is also superbly maintained. Picnic tables, shelters and grills are found throughout the park.

I startled plenty of wildlife with my heavy feet and strained breathing as I ran the trails, including large rabbits, and at one point, eight large whitetail deer. Nearing the middle of the park, I encountered a couple of fishermen in a small boat who were in the process of pulling in a respectable bass. The lake is, in fact, an excellent fishing spot designated officially as a Big Bass Area. All bass shorter than 15 inches are catch-and-release only. This section of the park offers boat rentals of various types and a live-bait vending machine. The lower section of the park is more of the same. There, with my panting, I scared a couple of the largest rabbits I’ve seen. Here also are excellent picnic facilities and a sand volleyball court.

Visit the park’s website at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/memoriallake.aspx, or phone them at 717/865-6470 for more information.