Lady Liberty in the Susquehanna River

My husband and I drove down to Harrisburg on this day to visit my sister, and along the way (from the passenger's seat), I snapped some photos of the river and the mist rising over the mountains. 

This is a picture I have wanted for some time. The problem, though, is that from the main road (route 322 near Dauphin), there is nowhere safe to stop. The view opens up and there she stands: Lady Liberty, holding her torch aloft, over the Susquehanna River. From a moving car, you have about 3 seconds to grab a few photos.

This is one of Pennsylvania's weird roadside wonders. Just before the 4th of July in 1986, a local activist constructed a replica of the Statue of Liberty out of plywood and venetian blinds. Some locals assisted in placing the statue on one of the remaining piers of the Marysville Bridge, a railroad bridge across the river from Marysville to Dauphin that was demolished in 1903. You can read more about the statue and watch a short CBS news clip about it here.

The original statue was damaged by storms, and the local people raised $25,000 to build the lovely statue that we see standing in the Susquehanna River today. I have to admit that I have been secretly scheming to try to get closer to get some better shots of the statue, as well as the world-famous Rockville Bridge, and perhaps I'll get a chance at one or both on a future visit.

It's a little bit early, but this would make a fitting 4th of July blip. The song to accompany this image is a celebration of freedom: the Who, with I'm Free, from the rock opera Tommy.

P.S. Our travels permitted a brief stop at the Laurel Creek Reservoir on the way back home. A photo of the reservoir and its reflections is provided in the extra photos area, on the lower right of this page.