Farms, Food, and a Lucky Penny

Scares of tornadoes, thunderstorms and summer heat? Please. It’s beautiful outside. 70 degrees in the morning, 80 in the afternoon, and not a cloud in the sky. Now this is biking weather. I hear Kansas is even starting to clear up, which is great news as I move closer towards my western route.

I’m currently in Manheim, PA and moving closer to Maryland with every mile. Hopefully I’ll cross the boarder today, but if not very early tomorrow.

With so much time alone on my bike, you would think that I would have a little more than daily recaps to tell you. Honestly though, my cleverness only goes so far. I also have a horrible memory, so if I reuse any of my poorly constructed jokes, you’ll have to forgive me. All I can tell you if that the people keep getting nicer, the food keeps getting better, and I keep feeling stronger. Enough of that boring logistical stuff though, here’s some more tales from the road:

Day 6 (part 2):

Not too much to report here. I got a nice biking tour of the Lehigh Valley as I made my way from Easton, PA to Bethlehem, finally meeting up with my friend James.

Miles covered: 60 (I’m sick of doing math so calculate it yourself)

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Day 7:

Rainy, gloomy, and unmotivated. So…I didn’t ride. Many thanks to James and his roommates who put up with me for two whole days. After a very relaxing day of doing nothing, I was ready to head out again.

Miles Covered: 0…crap

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Day 8:

Gloomy morning but I had to put up with it. I took a nice, scenic ride over to Ottsville, PA to see my friend Molly at Camp Galil. This was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and they gave me lots of potatoes, cheesecake, and delicious chili before sending me on my way.

Not the camp, but a small farmer's market that I found:

At night, I began to approach the Philadelphia area, which unfortunately doesn’t bode well for camping. Fearing I would find myself in the heart of the city with the sun going down (I always tend to think of the worst situations), I decided to all it quits when I pulled into a nice, quite neighborhood. What I found was much for than I could have asked for – a wonderful, kind family who gave me dinner and a bed to sleep in for the night. I’m talking a beer, hamburgers, hotdogs, salad, fries, and even some ice cream. Delicious! Thank you once again to Greg and Jana who welcomed me into their home. They even gave me a contact out in Nevada who might shelter me from the desert heat.

Here's Greg, Jana, their son Greg Jr. and their lovely dog:

Miles covered: 60

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Day 9:

Before saying my goodbyes, I was fed a wholesome egg breakfast, and given a few bananas for the road.

What happened next though put a smile on my face that even the largest of hills couldn’t make disappear. I was sitting outside a deli in a small town chowing down on my (now rather old) free loaf of bread when a guy named Bob came up and started talking to me. After I amazed him with the details of my bike ride and he noticed how dismal my lunch was, he told me he owned the deli and invited me in for a shopping spree. A half pound of turkey, a half pound of cheese, a loaf of bread, tons of snacks, and a quart of Gatorade later, I was eating the best lunch I’ve had since Camp Galil. It seems no matter where I am; I always seem to run into someone who treats me with more kindness than I ever could have imagined. Oh, and the lucky penny? Bob gave it to me. Seems to be working...

The deli, in all it's glory:

With such luck at lunchtime, dinner must have been dismal, right? False. Quite the opposite actually. Riding though a very nice neighborhood in Bowmansville, I met a guy named Lou mowing his lawn. After a short chat, he gave me a bed to sleep in, and a dinner to eat. Scrumptious soup mixed with beans, ham, and everything in between. Home cooked coconut pie for dessert, and a fruit salad on the side.

After some great conversation, I turned into bed, looking forward to what the next day would bring.

Miles covered: 70

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Day 10:

How about this for breakfast…eggs, toast, a muffin, a banana, and even some food for the road. I was stuffed by the time I got back on the bike and was still carrying more free food than I knew what to do with.

So that brings me to Manheim. 25 miles covered so far, and Maryland in my sights. Wish me luck!

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One note about farms. They're everywhere! I've seen more farms since I started this trip that I thought I would see in my whole life. With out boring you too much, here's some beautiful PA scenery:

Th bike path that wasn't:

And the last kind of cool thing, Valley Forge Park. I actually met a historian that worked there who told me a story from the war. It was interesting:

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And don’t read this part until the 15th:

Happy birthday to my friend Lisa! WHOOO HAPPY BIRTHDAY!