Sheena Baker
Author: Sheena Baker

Sheena Baker is the communications coordinator for the Somerset County Chamber of Commerce as well as a freelance motorsports journalist. A native of the Laurel Highlands, she serves on the board of directors for the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial.

Covered Bridge, Somerset Historical Center

Leaf peeping – traveling to view and photograph the changing fall foliage – is a favorite pastime for many on the East Coast each autumn, including here in the Laurel Highlands. Brilliant shades of orange, crimson and gold adorn the rolling hills and countryside, turning the region into an awe-inspiring landscape of vivid colors.…

Somerset Barn Star Tour

If you’ve ever driven through Pennsylvania, you’ve no doubt noticed the Keystone State is home to a plethora of barns. Some are red, some are white. Some are simple, one-level buildings while others are multi-storied structures. I’ve even seen purple barns and round barns in my travels. To the untrained eye, one barn may seem…

Fort Necessity

A few weekends ago, we decided to explore the birth of a nation by traveling along the National Road through the Laurel Highlands. The National Road – modern-day U.S. Route 40 – was the first federally funded highway in the U.S. and set a precedent for a national highway system and future public works projects. Beginning in…

Woodlands Spa, Nemacolin Woodlands Spa

Every February just a bit north of the Laurel Highlands, a groundhog determines whether spring is right around the corner or if another six weeks of winter is on its way. Plenty of people love winter and everything associated with the season. Still others dread that Punxsutawney Phil’s annual forecast will stall the return of warmer, sunnier…

Flight 93

When it comes to celebrating our nation's birthday, several destinations come to mind as prime locations to dive into all that is the Independence Day holiday: Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Gettysburg, national and state parks, and the list goes on. Locally, fireworks displays and attractions like Idlewild Park & SoakZone, the…

Sheena Kayak Pic

Kayaking Tips For Beginners

Monday, May 18, 2015 11:00 AM by Sheena Baker

Last Memorial Day, I took part in a learn-to-kayak program at Laurel Hill State Park near Somerset. I'd wanted to learn how to flatwater kayak for some time, but without a kayak of my own and without knowing anything about kayaking, getting out on the water seemed like an unachievable goal. But thanks to the free Memorial Day lesson, which…

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