Horseshoe Curve, Altoona Pa

This was an "on our way through" stop for us, but would make a nice day trip from our area.  We were coming back from the Pittsburgh Airport.

http://www.railroadcity.com/visit/world-famous-horseshoe-curve/

You can enter the gift shop for free, and you can see the curve from the parking lot - but not nearly as well as you can see it from the top of the hill.  You can no longer just walk up the steps, you have to pay to enter.  It is $8 a person, and that does include the incline and the museum.  The museum is pretty small, but nice.  They have free coffee there too!

One of the best parts, for me, was the incline.  This is the  only known single track incline in the world.  See my video of the incline here -
https://www.facebook.com/fieldsofheatherblog/videos/1909791989036940/ 
This isn't nearly as tall as the incline in Pittsburgh, but it's still fun - I love how the cars pass each other in the middle of the track. 

There's a train schedule at the desk in the gift shop.  It's not complete, but it has a general list of when the trains should come through.  You really want to see a train come through while here, it's kind of the whole point.  Although it's also a gorgeous overlook - the view from up here is beautiful.

The top is a small park.  There are educational signs, a train engine to pose with, and picnic tables.  You can take a picnic up, while you wait for the trains.

We had just missed a train when we got to the top...  and we were told it would be another 40 minutes before the next one came through.  But we were fortunate, another one arrived about 15 minutes after we got to the top.

On the opposite side of the parking area, along a very short paved path, is this view -

And the view of the curve from the parking area:

You CAN see the trains from down here, without paying the $8 fee, but it's not nearly as impressive.  Still, if you have a large family, that $8 a person adds up fast, and you may want to just check it out from here.

While in the area, we also stopped in at the Gallitzen tunnel museum.  We stayed for the movie, but I wouldn't really recommend that...  just a quick walk through is nice.  It's a very small room and won't take long. http://www.gallitzin.info/

The caboose museum, directly across from the tunnel museum, was closed while we were there - but there is a geocache here.  :-)