Monday, August 21, 2006

Family Fun turned Action Adventure



Yesterday's ride along the Allegheny trail out of Pittsburgh was one of our favorite rides of the tour. we highly recommend it for a family vacation. it was a smooth gravel flat path that rode along the river all day long through Tarzan forrests. There were plentiful waterfalls and wildlife as we rode 107 miles to our lovely Rockwood Trailhead B&B. We were so excited to go swimming when we got there, so we walked to the river, bikini clad and all to find that we were situated right next to a sewage treatment plant and they recommended against swimmming.

Today we started off on the Alleghany again and it was spectacular. then we went on the C&O trail for most of the day. we expected similar terrain to yesterday's glory, but no such luck. it was an Indiana Jones/Willy Wonka/Goonies/Blair Witch sort of day. we walked our bikes through a 3100 foot unlit tunnel holding onto the handrails to not fall into the a canal far below. we should have been on mountain bikes for all of the crazy uneven rocks and gravel. we saw all sorts of animals like giant fish, tons of deer, a stork-like bird, wild turkeys, and amanda ran over her a possum. she was freaked and upset, but the poor thing managed to walk away after trying to recover from the impact. we were busted for riding on part of the trail that was unfinished. we almost ran out of water as it turned to evening and arrived 106 miles later hungry and tired to a town with very few food options.



both days were long and yesterday's ride broke amanda's previous record for longest pedaling time. she rode 8 hours and 43 minutes yesterday. Our first 2 back to back centuries since Utah.

when we stopped today for lunch, we came to a toy shop that sold something that caught our eye. "HOLY FOLK" dolls "for play and pray". you can buy Noah, Moses, Mary and Jesus. Their knees bend and their hands are magnetized together so they can pray. we almost bought some, but restrained ourselves.