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07.17 | theburg | 29 gOiNg there Tall Timber Natural Area: Follow Route 322 West until you reach ompsontown, then exit at Route 333. Drive north on Route 333 until the road intersects with Route 235, then enjoy a scenic drive over Shade Mountain until you reach the tiny town of Troxelville. Turn left at the sign for the Snyder- Middlesworth Picnic Area and follow the road, partially paved, partially gravel, until you reach the area. Rusty Rail Brewing Company, 5 N. 8th St., Mifflinburg. Visit www.rustyrailbrewing.com or call 570-966-7878. Penns Creek Pottery, 30 Pottery Lane, Mifflinburg. Visit www.pennscreekpottery.com or call 570-837-3809. Shade Mountain Winery, 16140 PA Route 104, Mifflinburg. Visit www.shademountainwinery.com or call 570-837-3644. Rusty Rail Brewing Co., from top, patio and lounge. ONe OF A KiNd After our meal, we ventured down to Penns Creek Pottery, located on Route 104, about 3½ miles south of Mifflinburg—right on your return trip to Harrisburg. Owners Bill and Sharon Lynch have been at this location since the late 1970s. "We moved to Mifflinburg in 1978 and didn't know a soul," Bill said. "e ice jam of February 1979 flooded our home and workshop, and recovering from that natural disaster was quite a job. It took at least six months to put things back together, while trying to establish a market for my pottery and a brand for myself." Another challenge was restoring the 200-year-old, water-powered flourmill on the property and turning it into a production studio and retail gallery. e mill was in derelict shape after ceasing operation in 1951 and serving as a chicken coop for many years. ey set a goal for themselves—making and selling pottery in the mill within a decade. ey met that goal and, over his career, Bill has earned many prestigious honors, including the Phil Patterson Memorial Award for Outstanding Design and Craftsmanship from the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen. "I think pottery is so important today because we live in an increasingly impersonal world," he said. "Most of what we use today in our everyday lives is made anonymously, often in factories halfway around the globe." People are hungry, Bill said, for things that are not mass-produced—that are one of a kind and made locally. "Everything I make at Penns Creek Pottery is sold right here," he said. "Visitors can see pots being made as they browse through the collection of finished pottery, and they can meet the potters and learn something about the process while they shop. People really like that." Once you leave Penns Creek Pottery, consider a stop at Shade Mountain Winery. It's right on the way back to Harrisburg and a perfect way to end your day trip. Penns Creek Pottery

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