Before I knew it, there I was watching the full Indiana Jones trilogy.
There’s so much of my generation’s pop-culture that I missed. Many shows, movies and the majority of secular music were off limits to me, lest they lead me into a spiral of sin. Through my best friend’s little brother, I caught glimpses of typical little brother life- the classic films playing on repeat for an entire week at a time. I thought I had absorbed enough of the peripheral Star Wars and archaeological crusades to suffice, but then one day I woke up as a 33-year-old, and I realized I hadn’t truly seen Indiana Jones!
So naturally I dove in completely. That’s how I spent my 33rd birthday- in pajamas, eating pancakes with too much maple syrup, and cheering Indie’s courageous attacks (while my inner adult shamed the sexism of the 80s!). I even watched Shia LaBeouf join the lineup (only half by accident). I ate pizza and drank wine, and maybe I stopped just short of a trip to Chuck E. Cheese. It seems for my Jesus year, I am being reborn as a child. It’s perfect.
After embracing my inner child, the Urban Farmer and I adjourned to the more mature celebration of my birthday- a foray into the woods– a time to be cozy, calm and at ease, especially since somebody else made us breakfast!
The Beaverdam Cabin, where we retreated, is part of Green Gables Restaurant & Huddleson Court, so after a cozy night’s sleep under the eaves of the cabin roof, we’d lace up our boots and take a quick stroll to breakfast, where the fire was already crackling in the large hearth. The old stone, the warm wooden tones, the puzzle in progress, the play of light and shadows, and the general stillness set such a peaceful tone to the morning.
We sank into breakfast, sipping coffee, soaking up the light and learning more of the history of our enviable surroundings:
In 1927, a young farmer, an entrepreneur and artist at heart, decided he had milked his last cow. Weary of his 5 a.m. forays into the dairy barn, he hit upon the idea of opening a roadside sandwich stand in Jennerstown. It evolved over the years into a Laurel Highlands landmark, Green Gables Restaurant and Mountain Playhouse.
As the Great Depression gave way to increasing prosperity, Stoughton sought ways of attracting steady customers to his restaurant in the mountains. He came up with the idea of establishing a nearby professional summer stock theater.
Stoughton discovered an 1805 gristmill moldering in the Roxbury area of Somerset County and decided it would be the perfect building for his new theater. In 1939, the mill was moved, log by log, to its present site and converted into a theater, later adding an adjoining art gallery. Since then, the Mountain Playhouse has presented over six decades of professional theatrical entertainment.
After our fill of quiche and PB&J French toast, we explored the rest of the building, and it felt like my birthday had come full circle. The lodge style room opened to the unexpected- hulking statues and a theater worthy of a scene in Indiana Jones.
Wandering alone through the theater made it seem extra magical, as if the eyes on the paintings might follow us as we took in all the character the room had to offer.
Had I not spent an entire day diving into films I missed as a child, my imagination may not have run as wild as it did in this room. Is there a lesson in that? Should I spend more time in my pajamas, eating pancakes and reliving the pop-culture I missed? I do believe that’s the sign the universe is trying to send me. I also believe I’m meant to spend more time at Green Gables Restaurant and the Beaverdam Cabin.
Here’s hopin’ for both!
P.S: Stay tuned for the recipes from my Two-Night Cabin Menu for Two.
Disclaimer: Our stay was sponsored by Green Gables Restaurant & Huddleson Court, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that support With The Grains.
