The fantastic Doyle Hotel in Downtown Duncannon, PA
In the morning Seth, Freight Train and I walked along the edge of the highway for about a mile to a roadside diner called “The Ranch House.” The food was acceptable and it was relaxing to enjoy a huge breakfast and not have to hike immediately afterward.
My Reaction to seeing the Doyle Hotel. The face says, “Not bad.”
When lunch was finished we walked back to the Motel and started chatting with the woman at the front desk. She offered to have one of the motel employees drive us into town. Our only goal in downtown Duncannon was to visit the Doyle Hotel. The Doyle was an old style stone motel right in the center of the town. It was all at once impressive, cool and extremely depressing. It stood as a reminder of when Duncannon must have been an active, lively, little town until it was overtaken by rust and misery. The bottom floor of The Doyle was a small restaurant and bar. We had a few drinks and soaked in the strange atmosphere, surrounded by the faded paintings and scuffed floor of what must have once been a beautiful bar, but that was long ago. A few tables over from us was the mom of a brother and sister who were hiking the trail together. We called them “The Kids” because they must have been about 14 and 10. They were a friendly family and the parents were following the kids up the trail for support as they hiked North. In our conversation the mom revealed that the rooms in the Doyle were pretty crappy, with a shared bathroom and no air conditioning. Despite the tenement like conditions, I was still a little bummed that we weren’t able to stay there and get the full miserable experience. After our drinks, the mom offered to give us a ride back to the glorious “Star Dust Motel”.
When we got back to the motel, I decided I wanted to get my own room. Seth and Freight Train seemed like they wanted some alone time, and I was ready to make some phone calls and have my own television. Once I got my own room I started a marathon TV and nap session. I watched “The Empire Strikes Back”, “Casino Royale” and a bunch of other garbage. When evening rolled in, I had a great conversation with Courtney, I missed her so much. With a successful zero day behind me, I fell asleep with the TV on in the background. The next day it would be back to the heat and the never ending Pennsylvania rocks.
Smooth's Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike 