We make ourselves some tea, coffee, and a couple of bowls of Honey-Nut Cheerios with whole milk, and say farewell to another group of bikers who also stayed the night at the Rockwood Trail House. Today is the second of our two shorter rides but is more downhill than uphill, making for an easy day. We set out, continuing to follow the Casselman River until Confluence, PA, where we pick up the Youghiogheny.
On our snack break in Confluence, we eat a leftover ‘veggie wedgie’ (hoagie-panini variant) from yesterday, enjoy the most luxurious campground bathroom facilities we’ve seen yet, and press on to Ohiopyle. Here we rest but again do not go into town as we are trying to get to endpoint before thunder showers get to us. We decided a couple days ago to skip Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater because of its inaccessibility to cyclists (a fellow traveler warned us not to attempt the fast and busy roads on bikes, so we’ll have to come back for it on a future visit). The good news is we’re halfway done with the GAP! Even if there wasn’t a nice marker to denote it like there was on the C&O.
Continuing the ritual of listening to separate podcasts on the afternoon leg, we pass the remaining 18 miles into Connellsville easily, arriving just after 3pm. Along the way we saw another (larger) snake on the trail and more deer. We do not miss the cicadas. Becca worries that she may have hurt/killed a baby chipmunk despite doing her absolute best to dart around it.
We arrive in Connellsville, PA and the trail cuts directly through the west side of town via a protected bike lane. A surprisingly tasty big meal awaits us at Kickstand Kitchen, a restaurant around the corner from the bike shop. Next door is a fro-yo placed called “New Haven,” of all things! But alas, it’s only open on weekends. Many restaurants, cafes, bike shops, etc. are operating under reduced hours and sparse staffing (we learn this the hard way when at 7pm it’s already too late to order dinner from New York Pizza and Pasta).
As we eat lunch, a boy asks ‘So how many miles did you ride today?’ And I say ‘Not very much, only about 40 miles’ And he goes ‘40?! I’ve only done 25 and I’m dying!’
Right away we get a lift to tonight’s bed and breakfast from its owner, Rick, who deftly loads our bikes into the trailer he has built to tow behind his F150. He drives like an absolute rockstar, doing many-pointed turns with ease, relying only on the mirrors and not the backup camera. On the way to the B&B he shows us the town, as well as the incredibly hilly and windy roads we would have had to navigate if we chosen to bike to his place. No regrets about opting for the shuttle!
We give the bikes (and our clothes) a well-earned wash just as the lighting, thunder, and rain begin. We have the entire B&B to ourselves, including a pool table, jacuzzi, and one of the nicer grand pianos I’ve seen in a home. Now to rest up for our victory lap into Pittsburgh tomorrow!
Connellsville, PA
One of the beautiful quilts on display at the Seams Like Home Quilting Retreat Bed and Breakfast!