Bicycle Touring in Pennsylvania : Thursday May 29

Average Speed: 12.2 mph

Max Speed: 16.4 mph

Total Riding Time: 1:00:24

Trip Mileage: 12.35

Total Mileage to Date: 378

Wake Up Time: 7:30am

Leave Time: ??? (Off bike day / see Fallingwater)

 

Wrote 2:10pm...

Oh man, today's the day I finally get to see Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater! I was hoping someone else at the hostel was also going to Fallingwater, but they either went yesterday or are going tomorrow. I went to get breakfast at the "everything" store in town, which is just across the street past the railroad tracks. I saw Alice at a table so I joined her and I ordered pancakes with bacon. We talked and then headed back to the hostel. Actually, she went to the hostel and I continued to walk 3 1/2 miles north to Fallingwater.

 

Made the walk along the hilly and winding two-lane country road in just under an hour. My excitement was building as I waited for my tour. I took a look at the gift shop. Wow, I have to come back for some of the furniture and other neat stuff. They had loads of great stuff

 

They called my group and the tour was on. The same woman who took my reservation yesterday was the group leader and she remembered me instantly. Got to see just about everything! Let me just say that everything I went through including the crash was worth it. I'm not even going to bother to write it down. The Fallingwater and Frank Lloyd Wright experience is in me forever. Besides I don't like diaries and that's what this is starting to sound like.

 

I left Fallingwater at around 1pm and decided to cut through a back trail and then follow some train tracks to the hostel. Had to duck a fast moving freight train once. Even though it was hard to walk on the gravel it took less than an hour to reach the hostel. The place is empty so I'll arrange my bags and if it doesn't rain tomorrow (Friday) I'll leave then.

 

Wrote 10:00pm...

After I wrote the above, I decided to check out the old railroad trail. I rode for about an hour with my cyclometer off. This trail is flat and follows the river north and will take me (hopefully) to McKeesport / Pittsburgh. It's going to be my ticket out of here. I turned the cyclometer on for the return trip. Even with a little wind, I was averaging 12 mph without my load and panniers as I had left them behind. It turned out I had ridden more than 13 miles in each direction. Got back after 5pm and took a shower. Then went to the "everything" store and bought a box of elbow macaroni, a can of salmon, a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and a bottle of juice along with a box of Pop Tarts. 

 

Tried calling home, but no one was in. Made dinner and while I was eating Alice and her Mom came in and we talked. We were still talking when Ray from Michigan came downstairs with his guitar and started playing for us. He was very good and the three of us stayed up listening and talking about music. He played a tune by Django Rheinhardt that was great. Ray even played a little Blues and Irish jig... Suffice to say, I really want to get a guitar now.

 

Got to bed around 11pm and sometime in the wee hours I had to go downstairs to unlock the front door to let the three Belgian roommates in. These guys were obviously having too good of a time and were smashed having gone rafting all day and drinking all night. Heck, if I knew how to swim I would have gone rafting also.

 

I'd love to hear about your story if you have been to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater so please leave a comment below.