Best of the trail...

After a day of more traveling I had a chance to digest my trip ... I also imported more photos to share ...

So here are my top picks of the Great Allegheny Passage ...

Best Trail Town: Ohiopyle, PA

Located literally "right off the trail" this town seems to have reinvented itself to cater to the trail traffic ... Friendly shops, multiple bike rental and repair options and a lovely park as the focal point of the town make this the ideal trail town... If you go try the sandwiches at the Ohiopyle Bakery or the food at the Falls City Restaurant...

Runner up: Confluence, PA

Confluence is just a short detour from the trail and worth the trip ... A full service bike shop and a couple of dining options (I recommend Sisters' Cafe) plus a charming city park make this my second favorite trail town...

Best Views: Salisbury Viaduct and the Valley just south of the Big Savage tunnel ...

The fog floating above the tree tops gives a mystical quality to the hill sides and the sheer length of the viaduct is amazing ... The vista as you come out of the tunnel is awe inspiring ... There is a good reason that there are more benches for sitting and enjoying the view than anywhere else on the trail...

Best Place to Eat: Sisters Cafe and Crabby Pig

To be honest every place I ate at while biking the trail had great food ... Some of it was much better than great ... The two most notable trail meals were the Chicken BLT at Sisters Cafe in Confluence and the Pulled Pork BBQ Sampler at The Crabby Pig in Cumberland ...

So that's my favorite places on the trail ... Your mileage may vary...

Day two: Rockwood to Cumberland...

I started the day much earlier than planned... Partially because they were forecasting rain for the afternoon and partially to avoid as much of the afternoon heat as I could...

The trail from Rockwood to Meyersdale is fairly smooth and firm however the trees dropped a lot more branches than I found on day one... I only saw one other person on the trail for the first hour and a half ... It was a bit foggy and cool as I started out... Along the way I crossed the 1925ft Salisbury Viaduct as well as several shorter bridges...

I had planned to eat breakfast in Garrett however when I reached the trail head it showed no signs of a town ... The roads headed off away from the trail and I chose to keep going ...

The next town was Meyersdale ... I found a place for breakfast ... G I Dayroom ... I had a great breakfast and the cook spent a little time chatting with me before asking me to sign their guest book ... I would have loved to spend more time in this town but the trail beckoned ... But before I could get back on the trail I had to climb a steep hill... This is the only downside to the town...

The next town was Frostburg ... But before I would get there I got to the Eastern Continental Divide.. The highest point on the trail ... Which means now I am headed downhill ... Which was a welcome change... Before too much longer I came across the Big Savage Tunnel ... At just over 3000 feet this was an exciting experience ... And just outside the tunnel was the first of many absolutely gorgeous vistas of the countryside ...

Frostburg is a town which appears to be built on a hill ... The switchbackitrail was nice but it hardly eased the climb to the city... I had lunch at the Trail Cafe ... They refilled my water bottle and even put ice in it for me ... I was lucky enough to be there when he historic Western Maryland Train arrived in Frostburg ... The highlight was watching the turntable swap the direction of the engine ... After some more ice water I was back on the trail ...

The downhill grade of the trail allowed me to nearly double my speed while reducing my effort ... So I made into Cumberland in just over an hour ... The trail was broken up by two more tunnels and more vistas of the countryside ... Trail traffic started to pick up and I started to encounter more hikers and bikers ... I even came across a friendly big dog who seemed to be wondering the trail on his own ...

After almost 94 miles and about 11 hours of biking over two days my ride had come to an end .... I had a good time but now I need to recover...

Here are some photos from day two...

Day one... Connellsville to Rockwood

The morning started out with a big and tasty breakfast at the Connellsville Bed & Breakfast... Banana pancakes and fresh fruit and OJ...

I met the other guests of the house ... A father and his adult daughter ... They had been camping the two previous days but treated themselves to a night in real beds ... A husband and wife and their niece and nephew... And another married couple ... All of them were headed north towards Pittsburgh...

The first leg of the ride was also the longest ... It was nearly 18 miles to my first stop at Ohiopyle... I took a brief break and got the local bike shop to check my tires ... The rear one was feeling spongy and made the trail a little harder ... I also stopped at the Ohiopyle Bakery for a needed sugar and carb boost...

By the time I hit Confluence PA I was feeling every one of the last 29 miles in my right knee... I had a delightful chicken BLT at Sisters Cafe ... I was also able to replace a power cord I needed with parts from the local "real deal" hardware store ... Thank goodness these place still exist...

The final leg of the days ride was at a slower pace then the first 2/3rds .. I met a young man from Ohio who was biking all the way to Ocean City MD ... He was moving faster than me but stopping more often ... We must have played leap from for about 15 miles...

I arrived in Rockwood about 15 minutes ahead of schedule and was really dragging ... Those last 2 miles felt like 6... I found the Husky Haven Guest House and settled in ... After a shower and a change of clothes I headed out to find food and see the local Opera House...

My efforts to find wings were thwarted by the bar being packed ... Not a seat to be had ... So I doubled back and had a hoagie at The Rockwood Mill Shoppes...

The trail itself was in great shape...mostly hard pack stones with a few paved sections ... Th trail was busy but not packed... I ran into families out for rides and a large number of retirees on the trail... The trail had some wild life on it ... The odd rabbit in a field and plenty of butterflies... I even scared off two deer from the trail on my trip ... One I spent some time playing the staring game until he decided to bound off deeper into the woods ...

The trail is at least two widths wide at most points except for a notable section just outside Confluence where it is barely one lane wide... Only a few mud puddles on the trail tobremind you if recent rains ... But they were easily avoided ... You're never too far away from the rivers but the tree lined paths obscure a full view outside of a spot here or there ... I went over countless bridges ... I understand that the real breathtaking views are on tomorrows ride...

I'm posting some of the photos I took on the way ... I have more but these are the ones I took with my phone...

Getting there is half the fun...

My trip started out with a cross state drive that took me near Pittsburgh ... A brief but heavy downpour on the highway once again reminded me that I've not made any bad weather plans ... I guess I'll just have to have good weather...

My drive took me very close to Fallingwater... However they had no yours available so that will have to wait for another day ... Along the way I snapped a photo of a viaduct that I will be riding on this morning...

The Amtrak ride was quiet and peaceful ... Despite arriving 45 late I still enjoy train travel...

And away we go . . .

Woke today to a reminder that the weather in August is unpredictable . . evidence of rain on the roads and overcast skies . . . hope it gets it all out of it's system . . . I start my two day trip by driving across the state to drop my bike and gear off in Connellsville . . . hopefully I will be able to update this blog on the trip and post some photos . . the views are supposed to be breathtaking . . .