Celebration Moments

A Little Get Together

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE

The final day - our 7th day of biking - C & O Canal Towpath

MEMORIES FROM THE TRAIL...

DAY TWO - CONNELLSVILLE, PA TO ROCKWOOD, PA.  - 47 MILES

DAY FIVE - HANCOCK TO SHEPHERDSTOWN - 51 MILES

DAY SIX - SHEPHERDSTOWN TO WHITE'S FERRY (LEESBURG) - 37 MILES

The Great Allegheny Passage - Western Maryland Rail Trail - C & O Canal Towpath Trail

We have been biking, biking and then biking a little more.  I have to say that today I'm finally tired.  I knew by this point we would be tired so I booked us into this wonderful B & B in Shepherdstown, West Viriginia for two nights.  The Thomas Shepherd Inn is located just off on the trail - over the Potomac.  

We are planning to leave Shepherdstown for the day and go back over the bridge to Marilyn and visit Antietam National Park.  Then spend the rest of the day checking out all the cute little shops in Shepherdstown.

What have we been up to:

Day one biking - McKeesport, PA to Connellsville, PA -  43 miles - GAP Trail (rain for 25 miles)

Day two biking - Connellsville, PA to Rockwood, PA - 47 miles - GAP Trail (uphill - pretty day)

Day three biking - Rockwood, PA to Cumberland, MD - 44 miles - GAP Trail/C & O Trail (perfect day - 16 miles downhill from Frostburg to Cumberland - did rain though-but the downhill was so wonderful it didn't matter!!)

Day four biking - Cumberland, MD to Hancock, MD - 60 miles - C & O/Western Western Maryland Connects Here

Day five biking - Hancock, MD to Shepherdstown, MD - 51 miles (another beautiful day)

The scenery has been spectacular - riding along the Potomac, the Trail Rails - being in awe of the canal - and the amount of work and cost of human lifes and tragedy that must have occured in it's creation.  This has been the "ride of our life's"

A Capitol Idea! ... day two in Washington D.C.

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Washington D.C. - day one

The stars were all aligned

1. Our tour for the Capitol was to start at 9:50. We were early so we got to go on the 8:50 Capitol Tour.

2. We then walked over to the Hart Building to get passes from Senator Sherrod Brown's office to tour the House and Senate floor.

3. While getting our tickets I asked if we could get in on the Senate Finance Committee meeting. YES. There were three seats left. The meeting was in progress. In the same building - on the second floor. Exciting!!!

4. We got into our seats just in time to hear Senator Rockefeller review his mark up for the public option for health care reform. It was like I stepped into C Span at the perfect moment. (unfortunately it didn't pass.)

5. Our luck continued as we heard Senator McCain speak on floor (didn't vote for him) and Senator Brown introduce their bills/agruments etc. Our political timing was perfect all day. Spent a little more time in the Capitol area then headed for the National Mall.

We just had to see the Dino Display for Joey. Took lots of pics to share with him. Also had to get Amelia something about the Sea. Still blogging from my IPhone. Sitting in Union Station waiting for our train to Connellsvillle PA.

What no WIFi!!

Who would have imagined that the Embassy Suites in D.C. would not have internet service in the rooms.

I'm creating this very short post with my IPhone.

We walked and walked and then walked a liitle more touring The Monuments in D.C. today. I have to say the Roosevelt Monument was the most moving to me. So many of his quotes are so very pertinent today. With this battle to pass an appropriate health care bill I believe that a lot of our representatives would be well served to visit this Memorial.

I have lots of photos to share but they'll have to wait until Wednesday night when we have wifi again. Tommorrow we are off to the Capitol. Rumor has it that a couple of our sane Senators are going to put the public option on the table during the Senate Finance hearing. Say a little prayer that their good sense prevails and we end up with a strong plan.

Received a wonderful Email from The Boys today saying what a wonderful time they are having at the Ultimutt Inn. This photo was included with the note.

Rain, rain go away ... come again another day! The Great Allegheny Passage

It was really funny riding down the trail in the rain today.  I had a huge smile on my face - filled with the excitement of the beginning of the trip.  As we passed other riders in the rain they were smiling too!  Was it because we were all insane enough to ride on this messy gravel trail as the rain pelted us in the face and the mud covered our bikes and gear.  NO!  It was because as we passed each other packed down with gear we all realized we were kindred spirits - on a mission - all on the same mission. 

Some were riding from Pittsburgh to D.C. some were riding from D.C. to Pittsburgh.  I'm LOL now - thinking of this one family we passed the mother of the group was packed down like a Llama climbing the mountains of Peru or maybe like an pack mule from an old Western movie. 

The 25 miles we rode in the rain were manageable - we had a goal to complete!  We started our ride in Connellsville, PA and rode to Boston, PA - covering 40.5 miles on our bikes.  We had a nice lunch in West Newton - a bowl of chili for me and a sandwich for Tom.

We are staying at the Uniontown, PA Hampton Inn this evening.  Heading to Washington D.C. tomorrow.

The journey begins...

Today is the first day of our 318 mile bike journey.  We are traveling on the Great Allegheny Passage then onto the C & O Canal Towpath - from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.

The trip has been in the planning stage for nine months.  We started our so called "training" for the trip last April.  With a 200-mile round-trip trip between Gadsden, Alabama and Smyrna, Georgia.  We biked most weekends all summer and some days during the week.  As the summer progressed we gathered strength, more biking equipment and more traveling supplies to use on our journey.  Last July 22nd threw a little wrench into the works when I fell off my bike in New Paltz, New York and broke my wrist.

Ended up with a cast for four weeks, then a splint and some therapy.  I have a ways to go until I'm back to normal (that's funny - my normal that is) but patience and continued exercise on my wrist and then some more patience and I'll be good as new!!

We are spending our first night in Monroeville, PA at a Hampton Inn.  In the morning will be riding between Boston, PA and Connellsville, PA - total of 39 miles.  At this time the trail isn't connected to Pittsburgh yet - but eventually it will be.

Here is a link to the Great Allegheny Passage - this is our first leg of the trip.

Close To My Heart Stamp Of The Month

This is the September 2009 Close To My Heart Stamp Of The Month:

 

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