Well, check another one off the list. We've been promising ourselves for years that we would do weekend bike trips: out one day, back the next. This past weekend we parked in Foxburg, PA on the Allegheny River, rode the bike trail 34 miles to Franklin and spent the night. They have a beautiful Quality Inn there. We ate at McGinness's, purportedly an Irish pub, but with really good food. Really good food. I had scallops that had been marinated in Sriracha with cheddar grits and fabulous braised greens. Bob had hanger steak brushed with ancho jelly with the greens and whipped sweet potatoes.
Saturday it rained the whole day, which was actually better than the snow that had fallen here all night and morning. It wasn't a driving rain, but enough to annoy. Sunday was dry, but cold. We awoke to about 29 degrees and it shot up to a balmy 35 by the time we reached Foxburg for lunch and the drive home. It was a refreshing weekend, and we definitely want to repeat the experience. I'll need to keep looking for trails that go far enough to make it work, but that are within a reasonable drive for a weekend. Though we ride roads all the time, that's the point: we ride roads all the time. It's a nice break to not have to deal with traffic. That trail was by far the quietest place we've been for a long time. There are miles and miles with no real population on either side and no railroad on the other side of the river. Since Saturday was so rainy, we didn't even hear any birds.
We saw several deer and some turkeys, but we can do that right at home! Sunday we were treated to the sound of migrating geese (good riddance!) and we did get to meet some of the people who live on the trail when we stopped to fix a flat. The two tunnels (one about 2800 feet long and the other over 3300) were a challenge, but when I remembered the flashlight app on my iPhone, we were much better able to navigate them. All in all, a great time and perfect way to celebrate our 33rd anniversary.
The weekend ended with "the girls" going out to visit the Ramseys on the annual Halloween trek. Good snacks were had by all.
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