I woke up in my Warren, PA cabin and started the long procedure of packing up all the things unpacked from the bike the night before. Turning on the GPS to put in my destinations of Beech Creek, PA and Altoona, PA yielded a brief flash and then darkness. During the single trip the day before I had become quite used to and dependent on the GPS to take me through the back roads of upstate New York and found myself alarmed at the prospect of not having the chirpy English ladies stern reprovements such as ‘Recalculating!!!’ when i went off course. Her not knowing my intentions, which might include deviating from her route, I took these criticisms lightly and smiled indulgently as she became more frantic – “Make a U-Turn in 90m!”.
So silently and with trepidation I found my way to Beech Creek on a mildly macabre tour of Alison Bechdel childhood. True to life as depicted in her novel Fun Home I found myself somewhat creepily visiting the grave of her father – the main subject of the book being her relationship with him. Most of the graves were fluttering with vivid US flags and adorned with brightly hued plastic flowers, but Bruce Bechdel’s was unadorned and I couldn’t help but notice that it stood apart from the other tombstones as if no one had wanted their dead buried close to him.
As seen in the book
As seen through the lens of my camera
Although most likely my imagination and minor guilt about stalking the author’s very personal history, I felt particularly watched with suspicion by the locals in Beech Creek. I wondered if I was of a recognizable type, if this had become a tourist route. Worst of all was taking pictures of her aunt Sue’s house and her childhood house – the latter now occupied by another family apparently. They were the nicest two houses that I saw in Beech Creek, here again for comparison:
Bechdel House As Drawn
Seen From 90 degrees off her drawing
Her Aunt Sue's House (I think)
The final photo that I thought was interesting was taken on highway 150 outside Beech Creek – the same highway on which her father was run over by a Stroehmann’s Sunbeam Bread truck – I thought it was too macabre to seek out the precise spot.
Barn Ad. on Highway 150 Outside Beech Creek
After leaving Beech Creek I drove to a Motel 6 in Altoona, PA where I had a chicken and bacon sandwich with more bacon that I’ve ever been served and then on to the Escapades bar were I drank too much beer.
KOA Cabin Morning
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Ridge Behind Bechdel House
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Damn Near Bechdel House
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Ridge Behind Bechdel House
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Beech Creek's Main Drag
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Bruce Bechdel Grave
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Bruce Bechdel Grave
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Aunt Sue's House
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Bechdel House
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Highway 150
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Finally, here are the points-of-interest around Beech Creek.
