Bicycle Touring in Pennsylvania : Wednesday May 28

Average Speed: 9.0 mph

Max Speed: 60.7 mph (Yeah right!)

Total Riding Time: 5:11:08

Trip Mileage: 46.80

Total Mileage to Date: 366

Wake Up Time: 6:30am

Leave Time: 7:45

 

Wrote 9:30pm...

Today I rode from Somerset to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. The hills were non-stop. Constantly walking the bike or stopping and then hopping on the bicycle again and repeating the procedure.

 

Took Edgewood Avenue out of Somerset to Route 653 west onto Route 381 south. Stopped along the way for lunch then continued on. As I rode up a steep hill I could hear what sounded like waterfalls. It was, I saw the stone gates to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater.

 

I couldn't believe it. I feel so happy. Fallingwater is something I've always wanted to see. What's ironic is that for years an old girlfriend and I wanted to visit so bad, but didn't have a car and here I am now having arrived solely under my own power by bicycling a few hundred miles. The no car excuse sounds so lame now!

 

Well, the Nikon camera and mini-tripod came out and I took pictures of myself at the main gates. Went to the security booth to make a reservation for tomorrow at 10:30am--yeah!!! I'll finally see it.

 

I then continued south to the hostel in Ohiopyle. When I arrived the house was empty so I decided to kill some time in town. At around 4:30pm I made my way back to the hostel where I met an older woman who had just visited Fallingwater. We spoke over tea for some time until her daughter Alice arrived. We all continued talking and having a good time.

 

Bob, the hostel manager, arrived and I made arrangements to stay for two nights. He told me that the hostel was full, but since I was on a bike he wouldn't turn me away and welcomed me to stay. I then went outside to walk around when I saw Alice. She invited me to have dinner with she and her Mother at a local eating spot nearby. Alice and I had ham and bean pot pie. Sounded weird, but it tasted real good.

 

Had a nice time conversing and joking around even with all the physical demands of this trip I am enjoying it more and more. Meeting all these people is great. 

 

Will take a shower downstairs and go to bed. My Specialized cyclometer was acting up today because of the new wheel. Will deduct 3-5 miles from the total.