RAPEA - Day 6 - Aliquippa PA - Family Day

Our first stop this morning was the cemetery. My father passed in 2015 and my step-mother passed last year. The Sewickley Cemetery sits high atop a hill in a beautiful park like atmosphere of over 80 acres. It's one of the oldest in the state as it was started in 1859 and many notable PA settlers are interred there. In one area there's a monument to the passengers and crew of USAIR Flight 427 which crashed in 1994 in Aliquippa on its final approach to Pittsburgh International Airport with 427 souls onboard. In another is the largest outdoor memorial of its kind in the US. It commemorates the legacy of almost 100 Tuskegee Airmen who hailed from Western PA - eight from Sewickley.

Then we went to visit where I spent my childhood from age 2 to 14. Boy that was depressing. i didn't think it was possible but it had deteriorated to the point of barely being recognizable. I guess it's true. you really can't ever go home.

Next we received an extremely unwanted reminder of our visit to Aliquippa. We were at a stop sign with our right turn blinker on and some jerk came flying up on our right side sideswiping the van rear quarter panel and sliding door and then took an abrupt left turn right in front of us and sped away. And get this, right there on the corner as we turned was the Aliquippa Police Station which is closed due to Covid! Unbelievable! Since we weren't injured and the sliding door still worked we just continued on our way.

We stopped at a local Walmart and then continued to my brother and sister in law's house for dinner. As we were arriving my sister in law was departing for a vet appointment for her 8 year old Shih Tzu/Yorkiepoo mix named Peanut who hadn't been feeling well. We visited with my brother and toured their beautiful house which I had never seen before. Shortly, my sister in law returned and we discovered that Peanut was suffering from kidney disease. Those of you who feel your pet is a family member know all too well the pain of discovering your furbaby is gravely ill. Prayers for Peanut.

My sister came over after work with my 11yo grand niece who had grown another two feet since I had last seen her. And I even got to see my nephew briefly before it was time for us to get back to the hotel. The only family I missed was my niece but we texted awhile after I returned to the motel.

Even though the day was a bit rough around the edges I thoroughly enjoyed having the chance to see my family in person. Tomorrow we head to Point Pleasant WV to discover the legend of The Mothman. If you don't know who that is click here Mothman Legacy. 

Happy 420!