Biking 13 Eastern States and Washington DC – WV, MD, VA, DC, PA, DE, NJ, CN, RI, MA, ME, NH, VT and NY
Monday, September 2 through Saturday, September 14, 2013
Day #1 West Virginia — Monday, September 2
STATE 1
Our traveling partners met us at 7:30 a.m. ready to begin a two-week adventure out east. We had a four-hour drive to our first layover night in Morgantown, WV. We checked into the Euro Suites at 12:00 EST and shortly after, began biking the Caperton, Mons River and Decker’s Creek Trails. We had some very unusual reactions to our bikes while on the trail. Morgantown is a college town and we would ring our bell when coming up behind students walking along the trails. Two such students took a double take as we passed and couldn’t resist expressing what came to mind as we passed: “What the hell?” and “Oh Shit!” Lunch was at the unique Mountain State Brewing Company and was very good. This urban trail system provided us with our first biking miles in West Virginia.
We were happy to munch on the appetizers offered at our hotel while playing a few games of Buck Euchre with Kathi and John. We rested well that night and wondered if the evening storm would dampen our hopes of biking the next day.
West Virginia: 17.47 miles ● 1 hour 31 minutes (12:30-3:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.3
Day #2 Maryland — Tuesday, September 3
STATE 2
Destination: Hancock, Maryland to bike the Western Maryland Rail Trail and a portion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail. The paved WMRT is located in the thin Maryland neck between Hancock and Fort Frederick. It’s sandwiched between I-70 and the Potomac River. Large rock formations caught our eye as well as the ruins of the Round Top Cement Mill built in the 1830s and Hancock’s largest employer during the Civil War.
The C&O Canal Trail was an unpaved extension of the WMRT. Our plan was to bike as far as Little Orleans and have lunch at Bill’s Place—well known in the cycle communities. Unfortunately Bill’s was closed so we pedaled back along the C&O Canal. The Canal was once a lifeline for the communities along the Potomac River as coal, lumber and agricultural products floated down the waterway to market. Today the pathway endures for discovering historical, natural and recreational treasures. The lock gates used on the C&O were an adaptation of a design by Leonardo DaVinci in the late 1400’s—quite an impact to experience as we quietly rolled along this historic pathway.
Maryland: 33.68 miles ● 2 hours 49 minutes (8:30-12:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.9
After lunch in Hancock, we drove 38 miles to the Antietam Battlefield in Sharpsburgh for our second biking event of the day and to complete our Maryland biking miles.
We allowed ourselves three hours to bike the nine miles of this Civil War battlefield—a battle where 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing after twelve hours of combat on September 17, 1862 making it the bloodliest one-day battle in American history. The battle ended the Confederate Army’s first invasion into the North and led to Lincoln’s unveiling of the Emancipation Proclamation. We arrived in time to view the 2:00 p.m. introductory film and then set off pedaling through the park on a beautiful, sunny afternoon.
Biking over Burnside’s Bridge was one highlight of the day’s riding. The mix of history while biking allows the quiet solitude of the past as a powerful reminder of those who sacrificed themselves to give us the freedom we enjoy today.
Antietam Battlefield: 9.38 miles ● 1 hour 1 minute (2:00-5:00 EST) ● Average speed 9.1
By 6:00 p.m. EST, we were checked into the Holiday Inn at Winchester, Virginia for our second layover night. We dined at Kem’s, the hotel’s restaurant followed by a meeting to confirm plans for the next day’s Washington DC adventure and then we crashed to rest up for some biking in the District of Columbia and the state of Virginia.
Day #3 DC and Virginia — Wednesday, September 4
STATE 3
Today we had a five-mile drive to breakfast at Granny’s. I called ahead to make sure this business was still open and a friendly voice reassured me it was. Upon arriving at Granny’s, we were greeted by a friendly fellow who introduced himself as Gary—he told us he was the owner of the business and shared his story with us. His breakfast recommendations were as he promised and we all enjoyed this morning stop.
Our next challenge was to find the parking suggested for this day’s bike ride. Biking DC was not on our original itinerary and I demonstrated my flexibility by working this event in and am so glad I did. The Mount Vernon Bike Path took us from the Washington Sailing Marina parking lot in Virginia directly to the DC monuments. We had beautiful views of DC as we pedaled along the Potomac River and qualified Virginia as another new biking state and the third state for this adventure.
We may not have biked many miles here but sure did enjoy this gorgeous, sunny Wednesday in our nation’s capital. I could not believe we were biking “The Mall.” The first monument we came to after crossing the Potomac River near the 14th Street Bridge was the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. We had no problem getting our bike up the steps for photos as the crowds were at a minimum this September morning—a bonus for us.
Our next stop was at the WW II Memorial built in 2004 and located between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. We were in awe of this beautifully-constructed icon honoring those who served in the U.S. armed forces and the >400,000 who died supporting the war effort. Note the scaffolding alongside the Washington Monument—we’ll have to wait until our next DC visit to enjoy that landmark.
Pedaling on, we came to the Lincoln Memorial—my favorite of all the memorials on the Mall. I was relieved to see the paint that maliciously defaced this figure earlier this summer had been washed away and we were able to view Lincoln in pristine form.
We took time to reflect on our good fortune while we ate a delicious lunch ordered from a food vendor near the Lincoln Memorial. Our tandem continues to receive stares from folks unused to seeing such a bicycle rarity. Visitors and locals alike gathered to question us about our travels. This is what we enjoy most about biking around the USA, breaking the communication barrier and learning about the unique people and places we travel. We were assured we could easily bike across the Arlington Memorial Bridge to view the wonders of the Arlington National Cemetery—another deviation from what was planned but what a remarkable side trip! The changing of the guards was just beginning as we walked up the path to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. This day couldn’t get any better!
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Facts
A guard takes 21 steps during his walk across the tomb of the Unknowns. It alludes to the 21-gun salute which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.
The guards are changed every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30. They must commit two years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery.
After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey these rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin.
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they halt.
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
Biking Virginia and DC: 13.35 miles ● 1 hour 23 minutes (10:00-2:30 EST) ● Average speed 9.0
Day #4 Pennsylvania — Thursday, September 5
STATE 4
Following our exciting visit to Virginia and DC, we packed everything back into the van for a 130-mile drive to our next lodging in Lancaster, PA. We were looking forward to this 2-day layover aboard the Fulton Steamboat. Our accommodations didn’t disappoint—the outdoor space was just as wonderful as the Inn’s interior. We had time here to relax, play some cards and, of course, bike the back roads of Lancaster County.
After a delicious breakfast at Huckleberry’s, Fulton’s onboard restaurant, we began biking the Pennsylvania countryside. I planned all bike routes for this trip during the cold winter months in Minnesota. Ride with GPS was a tremendous help in getting this job done along with the use of the Rails to Trails Conservancy website to accurately find secure parking for our vehicles.
This bike route was one of my favorite and took us through the villages of Paradise, Gap, Intercourse and Bird In Hand—all on quiet, rolling country roads. We stopped at the Red Caboose Restaurant near Bird In Hand for a snack before returning to Lancaster where Dennis and I enjoyed a tasty lunch on the Steamboat. We again had beautiful weather for this day of riding and have now added Pennsylvania to our list of states we have biked in.
Biking Pennsylvania: 37.05 miles ● 3 hours 11 min (8:30-12:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.5
Day #5 Delaware & New Jersey — Thursday, September 6
STATE 5 & 6
The small state of Delaware was next on our itinerary. We grabbed breakfast on the road as we drove towards Wilmington, DE to bike a few miles in each of the five state parks: Alapocas, Rockwood, Bringhurst Woods, Bellevue and Fox Point. We parked our vehicles in the Blue Ball Barn parking lot at 7:00 a.m. on this chilly, but sunny morning and worked our way around the planned route. We encountered many obstacles including road construction which made this day of biking our least favorite amongst all rides scheduled for this trip.
We enjoyed the views of Fox Point Park along the Delaware River but getting to this park was difficult. We had to travel on a narrow dirt path which lead us to a very busy highway. This was one route where Google Earth failed me.
Biking Delaware: 19.89 miles ● 1 hour 59 minutes (7:00-10:15 EST) ● Average speed 9.9
Early in the planning phase for this trip, it was realized that we would be driving past Philadelphia—the birthplace of our Nation. It seemed like it would be a shame not to stop and visit for a few hours. The drive into Philly was not a problem but finding parking sure was. We settled for a surface lot and paid the fee of $19. We stayed long enough to view a few historical sites and then made a hasty exit. Dennis did enjoy tasting Benjamin Franklin’s authentic beer recipe at the City Tavern and I enjoyed seeing the Liberty Bell on display, but the busy city was a bit too much for us and we were happy to be on our way.
We got our vehicles out of hock and began the 33-mile drive to Lambertville, New Jersey to bike 15 miles on the Delaware & Raritan Canal Towpath. We had a bit of trouble finding the Washington State Park lot. Kathy and John were on the Pennsylvania side of the river and Dennis and I were on the New Jersey side. We finally got it all worked out and began quietly pedaling at 2:30 p.m.
The bridge crossing over the Delaware River was very busy so we chose to stay on the Jersey side and bike out and back to commission our bike tires in this state. The Towpath was very scenic along this section from Washington Crossing State Park to Lambertville and we stopped many times to further enjoy being in the quiet of the countryside.
Biking New Jersey: 17.36 miles ● 1 hour 22 minutes (2:30-4:30 EST) ● Average speed 10.4
Day #6 Connecticut & Rhode Island — Sat, September 7
STATE 7 & 8
Welcome to Connecticut—the halfway point of our trip. We drove through Hero’s Tunnel on our way to bike the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail—Cheshire to New Haven, CT, home of Yale University. We were warned not to bike into New Haven as the trail becomes a little seedy as it nears the university. We were okay with a few miles out and back before getting into our vehicles for the 117-mile drive to Newport, RI.
Biking Connecticut: 24.34 miles ● 1 hour 51 min (7:00-9:00 EST) ● Average speed 13.1
The busy little town of Newport, RI was our next location for biking. My research indicated that the streets of Newport were bike friendly. Other than being busy with all kinds of traffic, they were very friendly. We stopped along our route at O’Brien’s Pub for lunch expecting an authentic Irish restaurant but we didn’t find that here. We did enjoy the outside seating and the people watching was entertaining.
Our next task was to find the Cliff Walk—highly recommended in all my readings of this area. I was not disappointed. The Cliff Walk was beautiful and this sunny day made it even more enjoyable. We spent much time here walking along the rocks and then got back on the bike to check out the rest of this fabulous city of Newport.
The Cliff Walk along the eastern shore of Newport, RI is world famous and in 1975 was designated a National Recreation Trail. Named one of “50 Places of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler, the walk wraps itself along Newport’s spectacular Atlantic coastline with the crashing surf on one side of the trail and the magnificent Gilded Age mansions on the other. It is most unfortunate that the cliff was hit by hurricane Sandy in 2012 and only a portion of the walk was open to visitors at the time of our arrival. We did, however, enjoy the portion we were allowed to walk and it continues to be a very popular attraction.
Pedaling the rest of the city was another treat. The planned route was wonderful and took us in a nice loop along the shores of the Atlantic and back to the Visitor Center where our vehicles were parked. We have been so careful on this trip to keep valuables locked up or on us, however, when we returned to our van after playing in Newport, we noticed we left the passenger side window down. I was nervous to peek inside for fear of all our belongings being gone but nothing was touched—whew!
Biking Rhode Island: 12.89 miles ● 1 hour 11 min (11:30-2:00 EST) ● Average speed 10.8
Our afternoon bike ride began in the small town of Bristol and routed us north along the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island. The East Baby Bike Path was a very scenic route on a newly paved bike trail. We went through many small villages which caused much stopping and going on this very busy trail. We were impressed with the vehicle traffic here. All cars would stop to allow cyclist to pass at each intersection making Rhode Island a very friendly bicycle state.
Biking Rhode Island: 20.73 miles ● 1 hour 40 min (3:30-5:30 EST) ● Average speed 12.3
Day #7 Massachusetts — Sunday, September 8
STATE 9
On this day we were really hoping for good weather for we would be biking on the infamous Cape Cod. We were blessed with 70-degree temperatures and fully enjoyed biking the Shining Sea Bikeway along Buzzards Bay. The Bikeway was named for a line in the song “America The Beautiful”, written by a Falmouth native. It hugs the coast from North Falmouth to Woods Hole at the southern tip of the Cape. Everywhere we looked we could see the beauty of this country. It was difficult to capture it all on film but I did make an effort.
Biking Massachusetts: 22.43 miles ● 1 hour 54 min (9:00-11:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.7
Following our beautiful tour on the west coast of the Cape, we drove towards the mid-Cape for more biking trails. We biked a small portion of the Cape Cod Rail Trail up to the bike rotary—a true roundabout for bicycles—and then continued onto the Old Colony Rail Trail towards the town of Chatham.
The Old Colony Rail Trail offers a scenic recreational route through the charming towns of southeastern Cape Cod. The trail, which occupies an abandoned Old Colony Railroad corridor, stretches from downtown Chatham to a unique trail roundabout with the much longer Cape Cod Trail in Harwich. Visitors to the Old Colony Rail Trail might be surprised to learn that they will be biking almost exclusively through quiet and dense woodlands, while they are in the heart of one of the most popular tourist destinations in New England.
We were quite disappointed that the Old Colony Trail did not continue into the town of Chatham and roads in this area appeared rather busy so we turned around and headed back to the parking lot. On our way back, we encountered some mechanical problems. My foot could not be unclipped from the bike. I had to remove my shoe to get unclipped. That’s when we noticed I was missing one screw in my cleat but never fear, a bicycle shop was there when we needed it so we went inside to purchase a new set of cleats. Once installed, we thought we were on our way when John noticed a lone cleat on the floor of the bike shop. He was sure it must have been mine until he turned his shoe over and noticed he was also missing one cleat—back to the bike counter to purchase another cleat set. We sure paid our dues at this bicycle shop.
Finally on our way, we noticed rain moving in fast so we picked up our pace and made it back to our vehicles before getting wet. We did have a wonderful day cycling the trails of Cape Cod and would like to return to this area some day and explore more of the Cape Cod Rail Trail and also the Cape Cod Canal Trail—both planned for this trip but just not enough time in a day.
Biking Massachusetts: 22.43 miles ● 1 hour 54 minutes (9:00-11:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.7
Our time on the Cape was followed by a night’s stay in Plymouth, Massachusetts. We arrived at the Best Western Plus with plenty of time to explore the area. Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower II at the Pilgrim Memorial State Park were both on my list to visit.
Pilgrim Memorial State Park is one of the most heavily visited parks in the state parks system. Nearly one million people a year come from all over the world to visit "The Rock" and the town where in 1620 Europeans first made a home in New England. This simple glacial erratic boulder on the shore of Plymouth Harbor has become a world famous symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first New England colony. A landscaped waterfront park provides scenic views of Plymouth Harbor. The Mayflower II, a replica of the ship that brought the first Pilgrims to Massachusetts, is anchored at the park.
Day #8 Massachusetts & Maine — Monday, September 9
STATE 10
I was really looking forward to this bike trail in the suburbs of Boston. Since Boston city was removed from our list, this was the next best thing. The Minuteman Bikeway passes through the historic area where the American Revolution began in April 1775. Today, the trail is one of the most popular and successful rail-trails in the United States. In 2008, Rails-To-Trails inducted the Minuteman Bikeway into the national Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.
We biked from Bedford to Arlington then returned to Lexington to view the historic sites in town and also to scope the area for an ice cream treat. We were directed to Roncatories which served the best ice cream I ever had! We also enjoyed some photo opportunities on Battle Green in the Lexington Square.
Biking Massachusetts: 18.35 miles ● 1 hour 41 minutes (9:30-12:30 EST) ● Average speed 10.8
After a quick Subway lunch, we were on our way to our tenth state of Maine. We cycled the Kittery Coastal bike tour starting at the visitor center in York and continued north along the coast to Cape Neddick. The views along the coast were spectacular and of the 16 bike routes planned for this eastern trip, this route was one I was most proud of discovering. The state of Maine did a wonderful job sharing their coastal bikeways making internet research easy.
The showcase of the tour was the Nubble Lighthouse built in 1879 for $15,000 on a nub of land—thus the Nubble. It was first lighted on July 1, 1879. The current beacon is a 1000 watt bulb behind red Plexiglas, It flashes three seconds on and three seconds off and is visible for 13 miles. The light is maintained by the Coast Guard and there is no public access allowed on the island.
This lighthouse is one of the most photographed and painted in the world. Many people were visiting while we were there including some very friendly locals that took time to chat with us. They shared many stories about the lighthouse and then offered to take our picture with the Nubble in the background.
Biking Maine: 12.76 miles ● 1 hour 5 minutes (1:45-3:30 EST) ● Average speed 11.7
After prying me away from the coastal waters, we were back in the van heading for our overnight stay in Ogunquit, Maine. We were booked in the Gorges Grant Hotel and I was happy to see that the property sits amid spectacular coastal Maine scenery.
We were in walking distance to the beaches and many eateries and made plans to meet up with Kathi and John for supper at the Beachfire Bar & Grill. We did seem to walk quite a distance before finding the grill and then we saw Kathi and John making their way across the street to the restaurant. Their hotel was located directly across the street but even they were unsure of the distance as they first drove over then tried to return their car before we appeared. They shared this story with us as we enjoyed relaxing around the Beachfire’s outdoor fire pit.
Day #9 New Hampshire — Tuesday, September 10
STATE 11
Before leaving Ogunquit, we took a walk on the Marginal Way walking path. The Marginal Way is one of New England’s only paved, public shoreline footpaths. The path spans a little more than a mile along the coast and connects Perkins Cove to Ogunquit Beach. We saw panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean from the beaches along our way.
Our next biking state was New Hampshire. The Derry Rail Trail was chosen because of its proximity to our next layover night in Plattsburgh, New York. The Derry portion of the Trail is rather short but led to the Windham Trail which gave us a very scenic 14-mile route.
Biking New Hampshire: 13.75 miles ● 1 hour 8 minutes (10:00-11:15 EST) ● Average speed 12.0
Day #10 New York & Vermont — Wed, September 11
STATE 12 & 13
Following our bike ride in New Hampshire, we drove along the Interstate through Vermont. We decided to shorten our driving miles by taking the car ferry at Grand Isle, Vermont across to Plattsburgh, New York. We saved time and enjoyed the views from aboard the ferry.
The weather has been fabulous in each state thus far until we reached New York. Driving north we encountered some rain and fog— we were hoping for at least one more fair-weather biking day to give us our last two states. High temps were being predicted for our final riding day so we decided to begin pedaling at 6:30 the next morning. We biked from our hotel to board the ferry crossing at the Plattsburgh dock.
The 14-minute ferry took us to South Hero on Grand Isle where we began biking towards Burlington, Vermont. This was the day I anxiously awaited—a chance to bike the Causeway on the Island Line Bike Trail. We navigated on unpaved paths and roads before finding the bike trails near Burlington.
With the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east, this was a bicyclist’s dream. Unfortunately, when we came to the Causeway, the final event was not to be completed. Firstly, a minor fall caused further damage to my camera that up to this point was functioning somewhat wacky. The fall just added extra scuffs to the camera’s body but our bodies were unscratched. We got ourselves up and proceeded to the Causeway that was to take us out onto Lake Champlain. Signs were posted in our path that the trail was closed on this day for maintenance—a huge disappointment!
The photo below was hanging in a bicycle shop in Burlington and was beckoning us to come enjoy the route but this photo was the closest we got to the Causeway.
Biking was complete in Vermont so we boarded the 11:15 a.m. ferry at Burlington and crossed Lake Champlain to Port Kent, New York. The ferry crossing took one hour and we enjoyed relaxing aboard the ferry. Once the boat docked, we began pedaling back towards Plattsburgh. The heat was beginning to affect us but we kept going until we finally found our planned lunch spot at Livingood’s.
This 2-state biking day was full of ups and downs but we still enjoyed all the beautiful sites we saw in New York and Vermont. We did have a few more biking events planned for New York and Canada but thunderstorms moved into the area and caused us to alter our plans.
Our main goal had been accomplished: WE BIKED 13 STATES IN 10 DAYS!
Biking New York & Vermont: 63.35 miles ● 5 hours 25 minutes (6:30-3:15 EST) ● Average speed 11.6
Day #11 — Thursday, September 12
After our fun in Plattsburgh, we drove through the Adirondack Mountains to get to Cheektowaga, New York, just outside Buffalo, New York. Dennis and I stopped at Alex’s Place in Batavia for a wonderful lunch and then continued on to our overnight stay in Cheektowaga. Because of the unpleasant weather, we changed our reservation to one night rather than two and opted to drive into Canada with Kathi and John for an evening meal. Since it was still raining, we found a quaint pub to order food and play a few hands of Buck Euchre. As we ate, the sun came out so we made our way to view the Falls in Niagara.
Day #12 — Friday, September 13
We parted ways with the Johnsons on this Friday the 13th and headed towards Elkhart, Indiana for our last overnight stay of this 12-day trip out east. We experienced some wonderful moments traveling with Kathi and John and look forward to another adventure with them soon. We are blessed to have had traveling partners able to survive such an intense itinerary as planned for this trip.
Day #13 Minnesota Saturday, September 14
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Ahhh, the beauty of home!
