It is strange. I have lived more than half of my life out west. 2 years in San Diego, 8 years in Sonoma County, and 14 years in Las Vegas. However, there are only 2 places I consider to be home. One is Michigan, a state I was blessed to reconnect with this year. The other is where I had most of my formal schooling and met my childhood friends, a land of big yards, farmland, unique cuisine and, well, American goodness. That place is Berks County, Pennsylvania.
One might think my time in Vegas would make me consider it home. No, it was always intended to be a temporary desert hideout, like Tatooine. However, a 5 year plan involved not only work, but creating a wonderful marriage and, at the 7-year point, a beautiful daughter. Las Vegas simply became a backdrop to our life together, not a central plot point.
Berks County. A land of Penn State football fans and everything involving professional sports teams in Philadelphia. I maintain my Philly allegiances to this day, even if I haven't a damn clue who the players are.
To give a short history of my time there, we moved to Wernersville in early 1976 from Michigan and moved away in mid 1979. I attended nursery school in Robesonia (non-Berks friends, I challenge you to pronounce that town correctly) and Kindergarten for 2 years at Lower Heidelberg Elementary School. We moved back in late 1980 during my 2nd grade year and we stayed until early 1992.
There are so many memories I have that I'd fill a book full of sleep-inducing anecdotes (just ask my wife). However, there are some central images that make me smile.
The school bus rides from our house in Wernersville to Lower Heidelberg Elementary went through quite beautiful rolling hills and farmland. In fall and spring, the scenery was beautiful.
In West Lawn, there was a great Pizza Hut. It was not only fun to eat at with family, it was also where many of us went after a school dance. Darkly-lit, it had a great atmosphere. I miss that place.
Also in West Lawn was a restaurant called the Ranch House. We went here after dances as well. I remember the food being excellent.
There was also a Hess Station from where my father got his annual Hess model truck during the holidays.
In Sinking Spring was a drive-in theater. I vaguely remember staying awake for 20 minutes of Star Wars in 1977. That theater was a landmark for years, I was disappointed when I visited in 2000 and it had been taken down.
In Sinking Spring there was a department store called Boscov's. Great toy section, bought some Atari games there. Boscov's also had a good diner in the back.
Almost right across from Boscov's was a decent McDonald's, where I had my first real job. Kitty corner from there was a Burger King. My friends and I sometimes rode our bikes there in the summer.
In Sinking Spring was St. John's church. I attended services and confirmation classes there in my final 2-3 years in Berks.
Then there's good old Wyomissing. There was once a Weis Market and Thrift Drug on State Hill Road. My mom would pick me up from Kindergarten on Fridays to do grocery shopping at Weis and get prescriptions or whatever filled at Thrift. In those days my mom let me look at toys or read without supervision...a different time indeed.
Also in Wyomissing was the Berkshire Mall. That place by itself is worth a book. It housed a great record store, one of the best Arby's I ever ate at, a supreme arcade, and a pretty nice central lit fountain, among other things. Whether going to one of the restaurants on a Friday night with family or walking around with buddies, the mall was THE hangout place.
Down the road from Wyomissing once was the Tulpehocken Dairy, a last gasp at returnable glass milk bottles until 1986. I remember them having THE best white and chocolate milk! I was bummed when we had to get milk from the regular store after that!
I remember the "Road to Nowhere", a bizarre 5-mile expressway with no route designation...it narrowed down to Van Reed Rd/Mull Avenue in Sinking Spring. The Road to Nowhere was taken by many to route 183 to get to the airport.
The Reading Airport was where we went to pick up visiting grandparents and sometimes have a meal at the restaurant. My Grandpa Fitz would take me there to watch planes land and take off...and in the late 70s he would also take me to the airport bar. Like I said, different times.
To me, the main road connecting all was Penn Avenue, U.S. 422. It was on this road that Wernersville, Sinking Spring, and West Lawn thrived through business and residence.
Not quite in Berks, but significant, was Zinn's Diner and mini golf in Adamstown. Zinn's was quite famous for Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine and we did the mini golf course many times.
Besides all of these landmarks and locations, there are a ton of memories. Memories of friendly, quirky, and quiet neighbors, a healthy combo of all 3. Memories of streets filled with rows of houses with big yards. One can imagine the loads of Halloween candy we scored each year!
Memories of bike rides through the countryside of Lower Heidelberg and the path between Reber's Bridge and Gring's Mill. Rides to Mr. Food in Drexelwood to grab a soda and snack.
Memories of going to friends' homes after school and during summer.
Memories of falling leaves in Autumn. Memories of heavy snowfall and the resulting shovel job.
Memories of driving a few miles to the nearest video store when they were new.
Memories of the Kirkners coming to our home on Christmas Eve for many years to eat and drink and enjoy good company.
I could go on...hell, I did go on.
I am grateful to still be connected to people I knew there. Some have remained, many have moved, some near and some far.
I plan to return one day to visit again, but I know that the days of vast, pristine farmland outside of town have given way to new neighborhoods and business developments. That happens. I let it get to me 16 years ago, now I just want to visit people and show my family where the core of my spirit will always remain.
God bless Berks County!
