Bishop Bike Adventure Day 51 August 20, 2010

A couple of days ago, we mentioned that a 90+ mile ride was “frankly easy.” Today, we experienced a 67-mile ride that was probably more strenuous. First, the wind was out of the northeast, the exact direction that we were headed. Then, we ran into some intermittent hills that tested our ability to do “intervals” (i.e. up and down repetitions).

Our passage out of Ohio signals our departure from the Midwest. We enjoyed the expansive farmland and the friendliness of the area. We crossed two state lines today, as you can see in these photos. The entry into Pennsylvania occurred on US Route 20, which runs through Marlborough, Massachusetts. We are actually staying on Route 20 tonight in New York. If we weren’t committed to following the bike maps, we could take a left out of the motel parking lot tomorrow morning and head home! We found that the driver etiquette in these two states is not quite what it has been in the Midwest.

Most of our riding today was in Pennsylvania. We discovered that Christmas trees and grapes are both grown in this area. If you are able to enlarge the photo of the grapes shown here, you will see some bunches ready to be picked.

Erie, Pennsylvania was on our route. We found the sections of Erie to be much in contrast. We went through some areas that were filled with lucrative homes and views of the Lake. Stately trees lined both sides of the boulevard, forming a canopy from the sun. We rode a bike path through much of the city through an industrial section. Then on the eastern side of the city, we found the housing and businesses to be a bit run down. We suppose there is a bit of good and bad in most every locale.

Before entering Erie, we passed by the entrance to Presque Isle. Tim always thought Presque Isle was a city in Northern Maine where his parents grew up; however, in these parts, it is a peninsula that reaches into Lake Erie and contains a State Park. There is an amusement park at its entrance. The road that we were traveling on passed immediately under part of the roller coaster! By the time we realized this and saw the coaster, we were in no position to get a photo--sorry!