STATE MOTTO: "BEER: THE DOOR TO ALCOHOLISM"
OR "MOUNTAIN MAN" SEZ: "I LIKE milk IT MAKES ME smile"..

(2 PROMINENT BILLBOARDS IN PA on I-70 near West Virginia and the Penn t-pike near BREEZEWOOD - 'town of motels' respectively...)

(The Spacecub resides in the Pittsburgh metro area and was gonna help a lil w/this chapter but since that particular individual actually has a life to live they are off the hook for now anyway...)

I'm gonna start w/ Philadelphia 'cuz it's the biggest pain in the ass to get INTO or OUT of in PA...

1- phily / subway bus fares are HIGH! 1-2.00 a RIDE! permile traveled commuter rail is a better deal
2- philly has more than their fair share of crooked / corrupt & just plain MEAN cops...so be careful...

For travel in ALL directions the 30th St station is KEY...NYC commuter rail to Trenton then NJ transit to NYC or Newark NJ (depending on finances).
West toward Pittsburgh blue line elevated to U Darby / transfer to RT 100 trolley to Gulph Mills to King of Prussia (nw suburbs of Philly big entry to PA turnpike (I-70/76) pay phone ok spot to stand...
A mind boggling thing in King of Prussia : 4-way intersection w/ SIDEWALKS & NO PEDESTRIAN CROSSING SIGN ON ALL 4 CORNERS! - if you don't drive we don't want you there...
(It takes a WHILE to get out of this spot but it is your BEST chance in the Philly metro area so saddle up & pray, a day wait is not uncommon here...)

Once you are in the system, try to get dropped off in service plazas - because you'll catch a lot of wrong way traffic 'til Breezewood...behind toll booths (I got dropped off at the Denver, PA exit (near Lancaster - the guy drove to Philly & came back before I got a ride...) (160 mile round trip...)
Plus he says Denver, PA cops are just TOO bored and corresponding problems arise...

My personal favorite was the cop in Philly who tried to steal my groceries!
He works a lotta concert details - I once saw him TOTALLY IGNORE a MOTORCYCLE / CAR t-bone style accident in front of his cruiser...nee "Maczik" I think - squad car 411

Atlantic City ?
I never been there I hear the stakes are too high but the train outa 30th St is only like $6.00.
Blockbuster Sony Camden concert hell (I mean hall),
high spd subway available from downtown Philly 1-2 dollars...
Southbound? Make it easy on yourself, take the R2 commuter rail never more than 6 bucks to Wilmington, DE; bus to Rodney SQ, #5 to Newark but you knew that...

Spectrum? Orange line subway
Tower Theatre? Blue line 'el Upper Darby...
Y'know I haven't tried it personally but I THINK the Springfield exit might be good for westbound travel...somebody e-mAIL ME IF THEY'VE DONE IT...
Some PA t-pike service plazas have dollar phones...

The "yang"

Western PA
Cheap clean motels: can be found in the following two towns: BREEZEWOOD (at intersection of t-pike / I-70 & I-81).
Believe it or not but the cleanest one I've seen is small, out of the way, and has a masonic insignia on the door - I can't remember it's name but I didnt have ID w/me but they trusted me anyway - in room coffee pot and under 25 dollars in SUMMER!

It's not quite as good but in New Stanton at the jct of the t-pike and I-70 on the south side of the road is a motel for 22.00.
New Stanton is a good exit to catch rides also...it, like King of Prussia, takes a WHILE...
Near the jct of 81 & t-pike north o' Pittsburgh is the Junction Inn $24.95 and decent - the town it's in is called "MARS".

A few Pittsburgh metro facts:
1: the bus don't go there (wherever) just hitch...
2: it's a long distance call to EVERYWHERE...
3: " eat & park" IS pittsburgh...gotta try it....

I-80 up north is a bone rattling road...
It's illegal in PA to walk on the interstate but the cops seem to give a little in the rural areas y'know if the exit is pretty beat...

coolness 42-1 for Philly

(this chapter may be revised if/ when the spacecub wants to add some things...]

Avg crossing time Phila to Ohio or WV: 6-16 hrs.
P-burgh to anywhere w/in a 350 mile radius: 6-12 hrs...

MAJOR CONCERT VENUES:
STAR LAKE: outside Pittsburgh practically all the way to W. Virginia on US 22 (mass transit NOT an option) but not an IMPOSSIBLE hitch, pretty easy once west of "Robinson Township" (out by PGH airport...)

THREE RIVERS STADIUM downtown PGH buses available but spendy.

MANN Amphitheatre inside "Fairmount Park" in Phila.
Impossible hitch take bus - spendy.
The flavor of "pa" yungling porter beer.
PA has weird beer laws, it's harder than hell to find a place that sells sixpacks only (most stores sell case minimums) and singles don't exist except in bars.

Like for instance the DOCK ST BREWERY IN PHILLY...
Regulation pool tables not coin/op and 1/2 yrd glases o'stout (50 dollar deposit on the glass) yeah like *I'd* DROP a glass of *handbrewed* beer...

Not really a brewery but says they are: Sam Adams brewhouse in Philly...

ok that's it... really...

This Section Courtesy of Spacecub

Almost every library in PA now offers free internet access.
The Interstellar Cafe on E. Carson St. in the south side has computer terminals with internet access.
Lucinano's Cafe offers a free buffet on friday from 5 to 7 p.m., and sometimes has cool bands.
Starlake Ampitheatre does offer a shuttle service, although I do not know the cost.

The best brewery by far in the city is the Penn brewery, located in the north side of the city with live music every evening.

The Dead Hour with Gans is on Sunday evenings at 9:00 p.m. on 90.5 fm, wduq.

A bar called Thirsty's in Oakland on Craig St. has a Dead night every Wednesday. this bar has a decent selection of micros, and also has some Dead cover bands on the weekends.

The east end food co-op is a must for those who are vegetarian, or just into health awareness.

A lot of the state parks have a free summer concert series with some really impressive musical acts. Pick up a paper in May for details.
Flaggstaff at Schenley Park in Oakland offers free movie screenings every week. Once again, check paper for details.

Best place to see a show in the PGH metro area: grafitti.
Worst place to see a show in the PGH metro area: A.J. Palumbo Center.

Common phrase heard in pittsburgh: "hey yunz guys, let's go to Chauncy's!"
My personal advice to the above...run...run fast.
A place NOT to get a tattoo: Fine Line in Mt. Oliver - overpriced and kind of scary.

By the way, Rob found out the details on those newspaper gigs - they're a pretty good deal - the Rocky Mountain News does everyday and the Denver Post does weekends.
A couple of marshaling points are: Denver Post weekends: 7am Colfax & Pennsylvannia (#15 bus).
Rocky Mtn News: 16th & Curtis (there are others too, call single copy sales at either paper for details).

Write to Legendary Rob.