Couple finds 50-year-old message in a bottle in PA state park
BLAINE, Pa. (CBS/CNN) – These days, people can receive messages instantaneously on their phones or through the internet. So it is rare when someone discovers a message in a bottle.
But a couple experienced just that recently in a Pennsylvania state park.
"I could see some lettering inside," Joe Fresetta said.
When he spotted a bottle on the ground, he assumed it was trash.
"I thought, 'well, people don't usually write on their trash, so maybe, maybe there's something here,'" he said.
Fresetta and his wife, Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks And Forests Foundation, carefully pulled out the faded pieces of paper.
"The date on this card is 8-31-1973," Fresetta said.
One, a 50-year-old campground receipt for $6 written to Bernard Moore of York. The other, a paper plate.
"Four different people wrote about their experience here in the park," Fresetta said.
According to the message, the Moore family stayed in campsite number 11. They also jotted down that the neighbors that weekend were a little loud.
"I hope I'm lucky enough to be invited back next year," Fresetta said.
"It brought back memories for me of my camping in a state park," Mowry said.
They shared their find on social media.
"We got all these stories about people who may be engaged while visiting a state park or who had a wedding in a state park or fell in love in a state park," Mowry said.
There's still one story they'd like to know more about.
"Hopefully we can connect up with the family that left this message and return it to them, that would be awesome," Fresetta said.
The couple found the bottle at Fowlers Hollow State Park in Perry County, about 160 miles west of Philadelphia.
