Eat and visit in Porter

The Alexandria store belongs to Martin General Stores, the convenience store division of Martin Oil Company, and it sits at 5496 William Penn Highway, eight miles west of Huntingdon on Route 22. The store's page says it also works as a fueling stop for large vehicles, RVs and boats.

The food is sold under the CARGO Good Food to Go name. The company says CARGO is its own brand, not a franchise, and that it develops its own recipes and prepares items fresh, right in each store. The store's page says it has indoor seating and restrooms, mentions a Really Good Food menu button, and says it sells beer and wine.

The Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau listing gives the hours as open 24 hours. The store's page calls it a convenient stop for going to or from Lake Raystown and says it is minutes from the Alfarata Trailhead of the Lower Trail, with Lincoln Caverns four miles east.

• Sells CARGO Good Food to Go, prepared fresh in each store source
• Indoor seating and restrooms, per the store's own page source
• Open 24 hours, per the Visitors Bureau listing source
• Beer and wine, per the store's own page (page dated 2018) source

“Martin General Store in Alexandria offers great food, with pleasant indoor seating and restrooms.”Martin Oil Company, 8 June 2018

“We develop our own recipes and prepare items fresh, right in each store.”Martin Oil Company, 12 June 2018

Diner 22 is an American-style diner at 5094 William Penn Highway in Alexandria. Its own site says it has served the community since 1946 and has been in one family since 1970, with a third generation now owning it.

The site lists a breakfast menu with stuffed French toast, a lunch menu with a Mail Car Burger and a Cheeseburger Club, and featured sweets such as coconut cream and banana graham. It also says it offers free Wi-Fi, gift cards, and online ordering through Toast with curbside or pickup.

The 2021 tasting tour on raystown.org points readers to it for a hometown diner with breakfast served all day. The site lists its hours as Sunday to Saturday, 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM, and says outside seating is open from spring to late fall.

• Hours on its own site: Sunday to Saturday, 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM source
• Family owned since 1970, per its own site source
• Breakfast served all day, per the 2021 raystown.org tasting tour source
• Online ordering through Toast, with curbside or pickup source
• Phone 814-669-9094, the same number the Swigart Museum guide lists source

“If you love the friendly feel of a hometown diner with traditional homecooked meals, including breakfast served all day”Liza Gutshall, raystown.org, 20 January 2021

Edgewater Inn & Riverside Grill sits along the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River at 7653 Edgewater Acres Circle in Alexandria.

The Huntingdon Daily News reported two banquets held at the venue: a Calvary Christian Academy friendship banquet on March 16, 2018, and the Little Juniata River Association winter members banquet on January 11, 2020. The Daily News reported on March 17, 2020 that the restaurant would prepare lunches for pickup by request after the governor announced school closures.

The hours page archived in July 2019 lists the Riverside Grill as closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, open from 4:00 PM Wednesday through Saturday and from 2:00 PM on Sunday. The business's own site did not load from this machine on 31 October 2026, so current hours and whether the grill is operating could not be confirmed.

• A full-service restaurant and bar beside a 20-bedroom inn and a rustic barn, per the business's own home page. source
• The business's own home page gives the original building as built in 1762. source
• Riverside Grill hours on the July 2019 capture: Wednesday 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM, closed Monday and Tuesday. source
• Hosted the Little Juniata River Association winter members banquet on January 11, 2020. source
• Hosted a Calvary Christian Academy friendship banquet on March 16, 2018. source

“Edgewater can accommodate guests for public dining, overnight stays, and social events.”Edgewater Inn & Riverside Grill, undated (Wayback capture 2015-04-04)

“On Saturday, the Little Juniata River Association held its winter banquet for members at the Edgewater Inn and Riverside Grill, honoring a special “friend of the river,” and celebrating accomplishments while looking ahead to future plans.”Adeena Harbst, Huntingdon Daily News, 14 January 2020

Kaleena's is a gluten-free food truck from Alexandria, launched by Joseph and Kaleena Rallis Perez. The business's own site says its food has no seed oils and uses organic ingredients. The Huntingdon Daily News reported in July 2025 that the truck would open at a Christmas in July event at Christos Farm, the former Edgewater Acres property.

The Daily News describes a menu built around hand-breaded gluten-free chicken tenders. The article says the truck is available for catering, private events and pop-up events. A June 2026 Daily News story quotes another food truck owner naming Kaleena's for gluten-free chicken.

The business's site lists a Juniata College pop-up on Wednesday, October 21, in front of Ellis Hall on Scott Street in Huntingdon. It says the truck is closed from October 22 to November 7 and reopens at the Wicked Gluten Free NJ/NY Metro Expo. It is booking events in Pennsylvania from April 2027 onward. The homepage prints no regular hours and no regular stop.

• Grand-opening event at Christos Farm in Alexandria, a Christmas in July event on Friday, July 25 through Sunday, July 27, 2025 source
• Menu built around hand-breaded gluten-free chicken tenders source
• Juniata College pop-up on Scott Street in front of Ellis Hall, Huntingdon, Wednesday, October 21, 4:00pm to 7:00pm source
• Closed October 22 to November 7, reopening at the Wicked Gluten Free NJ/NY Metro Expo source
• Booking events in Pennsylvania from April 2027 onward source

“Joseph and Kaleena Rallis Perez will celebrate the grand opening of Kaleena’s, a health-forward, gluten-free food truck”Leighton Kyle, Huntingdon Daily News, 24 July 2025

“Beyond their personal and professional journey, Kaleena’s is fueled by purpose.”Leighton Kyle, Huntingdon Daily News, 24 July 2025

The Swigart Museum's area guide lists Paesano's Italian Restaurant under local dining, at 5731 William Penn Highway in Alexandria, with the phone number 814-669-9199.

Two Huntingdon Daily News photo captions dated August 27, 2018 name the restaurant as a meeting place for Shavers Creek Grange No. 353. One says the group met there in April for a program on identity theft given by a state police corporal. The other says the May meeting heard a speaker on prayer shawls, who was presented with 25 shawls created by the grange members.

A Huntingdon Daily News article dated February 18, 2026 names Paesano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria among restaurants taking part in Raystaurant Week, February 21 to March 1, 2026. That article gives no address, so the link to this entry rests on the name.

• Listed at 5731 William Penn Hwy, Alexandria, PA 16611, by the Swigart Museum source
• Shavers Creek Grange No. 353 members met at the restaurant in April for a state police program on identity theft source
• A guest speaker at the grange's May meeting at the restaurant was presented with 25 shawls the members created source
• Named among restaurants taking part in Raystaurant Week, Feb. 21 to March 1, 2026, in a Huntingdon Daily News article dated Feb. 18, 2026 source

“The May meeting of Shavers Creek Grange No. 353 was held at Paesano’s Italian Restaurant, Alexandria.”Huntingdon Daily News, 27 August 2018

“At the right, members of Shavers Creek Grange No. 353 members met in April at Paesano’s Italian Restaurant, where they took part in a program on identity theft”Huntingdon Daily News, 27 August 2018

The F.A.R.M. Bakery & BBQ is a husband-and-wife business on William Penn Highway, also called Route 22, with an Alexandria, PA address. The menu lists barbecue chicken, pulled pork, brisket and ribs, with sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese and sides such as baked beans, mac and cheese and tator tots. The bakery side offers cookies, cake slices, gobs, muffins, éclairs and blueberry cheesecake.

The site asks people to call (814) 500-8229 to place takeout or custom bakery orders. It also describes catering for weddings, graduations, corporate events and family gatherings. Its seasonal menu runs from pumpkin rolls in the fall to fresh berry pies in the summer. The site dates the start of its home baking business to 2013, and says the business began selling chicken at the Huntingdon Farmers Market. Its listed service area is Alexandria, Huntingdon, Tyrone, Altoona and State College.

The front page says a bakery and food stand near the owners' home is still being worked on, with no opening date given.

• The site says takeout and custom bakery orders are placed by calling (814) 500-8229. source
• The catering menu highlights pulled pork, beef brisket, BBQ chicken and BBQ ribs. source
• The seasonal menu runs from pumpkin rolls in the fall to fresh berry pies in the summer. source
• The business began selling chicken at the Huntingdon Farmers Market before brisket and pulled pork followed. source
• A bakery and food stand near the owners' home is described as planned, with no opening date. source

“We offer mouthwatering BBQ meals and homemade baked goods made with care and tradition.”The F.A.R.M. Bakery & BBQ, 17 June 2025

“We specialize in smoked meats, fresh-made sides, and bakery favorites that bring comfort and flavor to every gathering.”The F.A.R.M. Bakery & BBQ, 17 June 2025

“We offer fresh, handcrafted meals and desserts made from scratch.”The F.A.R.M. Bakery & BBQ, 11 February 2020

Christos Farm, formerly Edgewater Acres, is on a property in Alexandria, Porter Township, that the Rallis family once ran as an inn. The 2023 Daily News article says the family, which founded Edgewater Acres in the 1770s, closed the inn 22 years before that article.

In June 2023 owner Paul Rallis said the family hoped to open with 30 rooms and a restaurant open to the public. The county planning commission reviewed the preliminary plans in June 2023, and Porter Township supervisors gave conditional approval in July. Paul expected to create 25 to 30 full-time and part-time jobs.

In July 2025 the Daily News announced a free Christmas in July event at the property for July 25 to 27, 2025, the grand opening of Kaleena's, a gluten-free food truck. Food was to be available for purchase. The article gives the address as 7641 Edgewater Acres Circle. No opening date or hours for the inn or restaurant appear in the sources.

• The Daily News reported in June 2023 that owner Paul Rallis planned to open Christos Farm, formerly Edgewater Acres, in Porter Township. source
• Porter Township supervisors gave conditional approval of the Christos Farm plans in July 2023. source
• The Daily News gave the address as 7641 Edgewater Acres Circle, Alexandria, in July 2025. source
• The announced July 25 to 27, 2025 event was free to attend, with food available for purchase. source
• Paul expected to create between 25 and 30 full-time and part-time jobs at Christos Farm. source

“We’re going to make it a place where families come for generations.”Kaleena Rallis, Huntingdon Daily News, 24 June 2023

“Seating is limited, so bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket and make yourself at home on this captivating property.”Leighton Kyle, Huntingdon Daily News, 24 July 2025

“For now, we are hoping to open with what we had before which was 30 rooms and the restaurant (which will be open for public dining).”Paul Christos Rallis, owner of Christos Farm, Huntingdon Daily News, 24 June 2023

Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks is a show cave on U.S. Route 22, three miles west of Huntingdon. Road crews discovered Lincoln Caverns in May 1930 while building the highway, and it opened to the public as Hi-Way-May Caverns in June 1931. Myron Dunlavy Jr. found Whisper Rocks in September 1941, and it is now the second half of the tour.

A one-hour interpretive tour covers both caves. The site says the caverns hold a constant 52 degrees, so a light jacket is suggested, and the path between the two caves is uphill with steps. Uncovering PA describes the Frozen Niagara flowstone as 90 feet long and 110 feet high.

Gem panning in the sluice runs from mid-March to mid-November, and the nature trails and picnic pavilions are free to those touring the caverns. October tours run Sunday through Friday, and Ghosts & Goblins evening tours run Friday and Saturday nights in October. The gift shop, Raystown Rocks, sells rocks, minerals, books and souvenirs.

• One-hour interpretive tour of two caves, Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks. source
• Constant temperature in the caverns is 52 degrees. source
• Frozen Niagara flowstone measures 90 feet long and 110 feet high. source
• Gem panning in the sluice is available mid-March through mid-November. source
• On U.S. 22, 3 miles west of Huntingdon, PA. source

“Experience a one-hour interpretive tour of two spectacular crystal caverns, Lincoln Caverns and Whisper Rocks.”Lincoln Caverns

“This is one of the largest examples of flowstone in the northeast and measures 90 feet long and 110 feet high.”Jim Cheney, Uncovering PA, 11 May 2016

“90 minutes of chills and fun in the caverns, through the woods, and on a haunted hayride.”Centre County Gazette, StateCollege.com, 16 October 2025

Little Juniata Natural Area is a 624-acre natural area in Rothrock State Forest in Huntingdon County, set at a water gap in Tussey Mountain west of Barree. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources describes it as being of specific geologic interest for its talus slope of white Tuscarora sandstone and a horizontal thrust fault. DCNR says its natural areas are managed by nature, with direct human intervention limited.

The Little Juniata River flows through the area, and a railroad track runs nearby, according to a July 2023 StateCollege.com article by a ClearWater Conservancy writer. That article reported free guided hikes run by the Centred Outdoors program in July 2023, on a route of about 1.26 miles over dirt, grass and gravel.

Centred Outdoors now lists the area as a destination, with a shared gravel parking area at the end of Mountain Road. That lot also serves the Mid-State Trail Barree Trailhead. ClearWater stressed wearing sturdy shoes and bringing enough water, because the area has no direct access to drinking water.

• 624-acre natural area on a water gap in Tussey Mountain, west of Barree source
• Talus slope of white Tuscarora sandstone and a horizontal thrust fault source
• Shared gravel parking at the end of Mountain Road, also used by the Mid-State Trail Barree Trailhead source
• Free guided hikes in July 2023, on a route of about 1.26 miles over dirt, grass and gravel source
• No direct access to drinking water at the area, so ClearWater stressed bringing enough water source

“Located at a water gap in Tussey Mountain west of Barree, Huntingdon County, this 624-acre natural area is of specific geologic interest for its talus slope of hard, white, Tuscarora sandstone and a horizontal thrust fault.”Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

“One of six natural areas in Rothrock State Forest, Little Juniata Natural Area in Huntingdon County has earned this special designation in large part because of its unique geology.”Centred Outdoors, Centred Outdoors, a program of ClearWater Conservancy, 4 June 2026

The Lower Trail follows the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River from the Alfarata Station trailhead near Alexandria. Much of the route was the towpath of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, and the Pennsylvania Railroad later developed its Petersburg Branch on this alignment. The surface is crushed limestone, with a paved stretch through Williamsburg.

Along the way you can see remains of canal locks, the foundations of lock tenders' houses, the Mt. Etna iron plantation area, and a covered bridge over the tail race of a historic mill stream. The trail's own page says it is open year-round for non-motorized use. It also says the trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service.

The Dilling Bridge near mile marker 6.5 is closed until further notice after an engineering evaluation found structural issues. Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania estimates that reopening the bridge will cost $50,000 and is asking for donations.

• The Alfarata Station trailhead is at 1332 Main Street, reached by turning north from US Route 22. source
• The Dilling Bridge near mile marker 6.5 is closed until further notice, and reopening is estimated at $50,000. source
• A Daily Herald report of 21 March 2026 says the Alfarata to Water Street section was closed for grid upgrades, with reopening likely not until April. source
• The surface is crushed limestone with a paved section through the Borough of Williamsburg. source
• The trail's own page says it has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the National Park Service. source

“Bald Eagles and Osprey have been spotted along the trail”Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania (trail page, unsigned), Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania, undated

“you can see many remnants of the canal era”Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania (trail page, unsigned), Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania, undated

“The trail is extremely flat”Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania (trail page, unsigned), Rails to Trails of Central Pennsylvania, undated

State Game Lands Number 118 is one of the tracts the Pennsylvania Game Commission owns and manages. The Commission says the purpose of its state game lands is wildlife habitat and lawful hunting and trapping, and that secondary recreational uses are permitted.

Hunters and hikers both use state game lands. A Daily News story from September 2026 reports that fluorescent orange must be worn on state game lands from October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027, and that the rule applies to hunters and to people out walking a pet.

A 2019 Daily News story quotes a Game Commission official placing State Game Lands 118 in Blair County. Census lookups on points sampled inside the outline fall in Blair County (Woodbury and Catharine townships) and in Huntingdon County (Porter, Walker and Penn townships), so the land crosses the county line.

• Operator: Pennsylvania Game Commission, reference number 118 source
• Fluorescent orange required on state game lands from October 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027 source
• A Game Commission official, quoted in 2019, placed State Game Lands 118 in Blair County source

“The primary purpose of these lands is the management of habitat for wildlife and provide opportunities for lawful hunting and trapping.”Pennsylvania Game Commission, Pennsylvania Game Commission (pa.gov)

“Hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts are also soaking up the time they have left outdoors before the winter months arrive.”Jordan Rhodes, Staff Writer, The Daily News (huntingdondailynews.com), 5 September 2026

Ghosts & Goblins is the October haunted tour at Lincoln Caverns, on William Penn Highway (U.S. Route 22) in Huntingdon. The 2026 edition is the 43rd, with the theme Goblins & Grottos and an original script. Guests walk through a fantasy underground where goblins lurk, and their choices may shape the adventure.

Evening tours run Fridays and Saturdays in October, and daytime tours run on Saturdays from 11 AM to 5 PM. The daytime route covers a haunted cave, a natural cave and a hayride, and children's daytime tickets include gem panning. The evening route covers a haunted cave, a haunted trail and a haunted hayride, from 6 to 9:30 PM.

Tickets sell online, and remaining tickets are sold at the door, but quantities may be limited. Evening tickets are $32.98 each and daytime tickets are $26.98. Group rates are arranged by calling 814.643.0268. If weather makes the hayride unsafe, evening guests get a black light tour of Whisper Rocks instead.

• The 2026 edition is the 43rd, with the theme Goblins & Grottos. source
• Evening Terror Tours run 6 to 9:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, with tickets at $32.98. source
• Saturday daytime tours run 11 AM to 5 PM, with tickets at $26.98 and gem panning for children ages 4 to 12. source
• Group rates are arranged by calling 814.643.0268. source
• The event is held rain or shine, and a black light tour of Whisper Rocks replaces the night hayride if weather makes it unsafe. source

“Now in its 43rd year, visitors can experience several different activities during their visit.”Jim Cheney, Uncovering PA, 12 September 2026

“Guests will journey through the caverns, making their way through a fantastical world where goblins lurk, characters come to life, and the choices made along the way may shape the adventure.”Lincoln Caverns, 2026