Okay, so we're a little faster than we thought. We set out for Lewes this morning, and quickly realized that we would probably be there by noon. It's a nice, historical town, but really, when Wildwood and the ocean are waiting? So we hopped the 12:45 ferry and called Susannah (again) and headed across Delaware Bay.

We managed to get checked in, unpacked and down to the water in about a half hour. It's been a long time since we were here this early in the season: that water is downright...refreshing, yes that's it, refreshing!

In any case, we've done it. Pacific to Atlantic. People have done it faster, all in one trip, more ruggedly, all sorts of ways. Nonetheless, we did it. We're getting ready for dinner at one of our favorites places, followed by gelato. We'll unwind and then compose our thoughts to follow up. We have a lot of thoughts!

Kensington, Annapolis, Denton

The weekend with Debbie and Alan was a luxurious way to recover from a week on the trail. Friday we walked to a great neighborhood restaurant near Alan's and had a great meal with Debbie, Alan and Debbie's friend Kathy, whom we haven't seen for a long time.

After a good night's sleep, Debbie and I walked to the grocery store while Alan and Bob did some household chores. After lunch, it was a brisk hike to the bagel shop and then showers and an early movie. We saw Cyrus, starring Marisa Tomei and John C. Reilly, a really good, haunting story of a mother and son. It is definitely worth seeing and certainly food for discussion, though we all agreed that IMDB's label of "comedy" was not quite accurate. We ate at a Thai place in Bethesda that we had tried once before and we weren't disappointed.

Altogether the weekend was just what we needed, and we even had a bicycle escort out of town, as Alan and Debbie led us to the trail we needed to find to head east. There were some twists and turns, but eventually we found our way to Annapolis. By far the worst problem of the last week of riding has been the high temperatures. On the ride to Annapolis, Maggie was looking a little flushed just because it hit 104 degrees. I guess we're only as sane as mad dogs and Englishmen, out in the noon-day sun!

We checked into the O'Callaghan Hotel on West Street. It proved to be luxurious and affordable and since we arrived relatively early, we cleaned up and took a nap to cool down. The heat and humidity have a way of sucking more energy out of us than long mileages. Our last two days of riding have been under 50 miles each, but felt like 100.

We hadn't been in Annapolis for about 15 years, so it was great to see that it really hadn't changed all that much. We found a Mexican restaurant a couple of blocks from the hotel and then followed that up with a visit to an ice cream shop and a walk along the waterfront.

This morning, feeling refreshed and rested, we had breakfast at Chick and Ruth's Delly, a famous place in town. Checking out was tough since the hotel was nice enough to make us want to stay and stay cool! But we got a start on the road based on bicycle directions from the State of Maryland. Our route took us past the Naval Academy and then out onto quiet country roads, much less confusing than the day before.

Before leaving the room, we made arrangements with the shuttle service that would take us across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, since you're not allowed to cycle on it.
The shuttle driver is a school bus driver during the year, and his wife accompanied him since they knew there would only be the two of us. They seem to enjoy meeting people this way, and they shared that most of their business is actually shuttling people who are afraid to drive the bridge. He drives the van and she their cars.

A few hot hours later we are in Denton, MD, cooling down in a Best Western, cleaning up and getting ready to use the pool and rest up before dinner. Tomorrow we will head to Lewes, DE, and then take the ferry over on Wednesday morning to Cape May. the Atlantic is almost in sight!

It is just so dang hot!!!

We left Harper's Ferry this morning about 7:45 and decided to have breakfast in Brunswick, MD. We ate at Mommer's Diner, where we met a potential American Idol competitor. We'll keep you posted about whom to vote for if she shows up. Apparently we have a propensity for running into reality show contestants on our trips, since we met one of the Biggest Losers in Kansas in 2008.

We continued down the Towpath Trail and the highlight of the day was a stop at the Great Falls on the Potomac. Our first glimpse seemed less than great; we persevered, however, and were rewarded with a view of a truly impressive series of waterfalls that definitely outdid Ohiopyle.

Though the river seemed to have plenty of water, we were told that the flow was low. Periodically, the snow melt and gushing rains swell this large river until it rises 10, 20, even 30 feet above its banks, tearing out large trees, flooding towns, and washing out large sections of our C&O Towpath Trail. Apparently, not much has been done with flood control on the Potomac or it tributaries.

There really isn't too much to say about this day except that it was way too hot. The trouble with trail riding is that eventually it becomes monotonous. We were away from traffic, but it does mean that the scenery is more or less the same for a long time. We experienced the same thing last year on the Katy Trail in Missouri.

A problem particular to the Towpath Trail is that since it is basically a very small dirt road, the two choices are mud, which we're grateful we didn't experience, or dust. Everything within a foot of the trail surface gets covered in dust. That includes our trailer, bags and feet! And the hot weather has meant lots of dust.

I must admit that the scenery issue certainly was changed by entering the Great Falls area of the Potomac. Almost never deep enough for commercial navigation, hence the existence of the canal, the function of the river seems to be mainly decorative and recreational, and that it is. Our occasional swims to wash off the dust and lower our temperatures were some of the best moments of our progression toward DC.

We didn't get to see Mile 0 on the Towpath Trail, since at mile 3 we cut off at the Capital Crescent Trail to get to our friend Alan's in Kensington, MD. We were welcomed royally with cheese, bread, vegetables and wine, and the best thing of all, a garden hose to wash the bike. The last few miles were on an asphalt trail, which felt absolutely luxurious.

We are taking a rest day today, getting laundry done, etc. and regrouping for the trip across Maryland. The Atlantic is almost in sight!

So, here we are in Harper's Ferry. All my life I've heard of the place, but it is full of surprises. We left Hancock this morning bright and early to try to beat some of the heat. There were storms predicted that promised to move out some of the heat and humidity, so we pedaled down the trail full of hope that tomorrow would be cooler and less oppressive.

Though we never got the promised storms, it was one of those days that help to explain why this type of travel is so much fun. We had a reservation for a Bed and Breakfast in Harper's Ferry, WV, and so the stress of wondering where we would stop and where we would stay was completely absent. We pedaled along until we arrived at Williamsport where we stopped for lunch at the Desert Rose Cafe. Someone along the way had recommended it, and we happily had our sandwiches and red beans and rice, served by the owner's sleepy 10-year-old and accompanied by another World Cup match on the television, this time with low-key comments in English.

About 90 minutes later I was having fond memories, nay longings, for the cool swim in the Yough at Ohiopyle, when we came upon a sandy beach at one of the campsites. After a lovely restorative dip in the Potomac, we continued on our way. This part of the trail is stunningly beautiful, with sycamore, maple and oak trees bigger than we've seen anywhere else this far east and cliffs to our left above the canal. The river in turn widened to a sleepy deep pool and became respectable rapids whose sound made us feel cooler even when we weren't in them.

Part of the trail had been washed out in spring floods, so a detour on paved roads made us long for the speed of asphalt. We realized, though, that we would be giving up the shade of the big trees, so our return to the trail had its advantages. An ice cream stop at Shepherdsville got us through the afternoon and when we came upon the first surprise of Harper's Ferry, we were glad we had "fortified" ourselves and didn't arrive starving.

The bridge over to the town from the trail is actually a walkway attached to a railroad bridge high above the trail. The town, besides being of historical significance with John Brown's attempt to start a slave uprising by taking over the armory, is a crossroads of many things. The C&O Canal, several railroads, the bike trail and the Appalachian Trail all meet here. Our first greeting was the sign on the bridge which instructed that bikes "Must Dismount." No kidding. Trying to ride up the circular stairway to the bridge would have been far beyond our prowess, and I daresay would have daunted even Lance. We resignedly took off our bags, unhooked our trailer and made multiple trips up the stairs. I am proud of having overcome my fear of snakes, thanks to my friend Mike, but the whole high, circular, open stair thing still needs work.

We managed to cross to the town, however, and were not disappointed at what we found. It's like a whole town made out of Sycamore Streets (one of our favorite ascents to Mt. Washington) and carved out of the stone cliffs. We found our Inn, checked in, climbed to our room and showered and changed for dinner.

Finding dinner proved to be the biggest challenge of the day. Every restaurant except the one attached to our Inn was closed, posting signs that stated: "Closed due to tornado warnings." There had been storm warnings throughout the day, so we thought maybe we had just missed the big news, but the owner of the (very good) restaurant next door to our B & B told us that most of those people were just lazy and liked to close early, so that was their joke.

We ate dinner on the rear patio, enjoyed some conversation with the restaurant owner and innkeeper and are now relaxing in our room. No NCIS tonight, as there is no tv, but we have our books and really, an early sleep sounds wonderful. Tomorrow, we expect to reach our friend Alan's near D.C. By the way, we just met a girl who made us feel like slackers: she's biking from Pittsburgh to D.C. and back to Pittsburgh, all in five days, so biking about 120 miles a day, all on a dirt trail in 90-plus degree heat. Maybe we'll try that next year!

Cumberland to Hancock

We had a great breakfast this morning at our hotel in Cumberland, MD and set off down the C & O Canal Towpath Trail toward Hancock, our destination for today.

The Trail runs between the Potomac and the canal that was built for transportation in the early 1800's. The upside of trail riding, especially in this situation, is that the trail is thickly tree-lined, which means that we had shade for most of the day. Since the weather has been unseasonably hot (we're beginning to think it's us!) the shade has been most welcome. So did the turtles: we almost ran over a tiny one about the size of your palm, then one as big as a frying pan ran across the trail in front of us.

Unlike the GAP Trail, which is crushed limestone, the Towpath is essentially a narrow dirt road. Again, the upside is that it hasn't been raining so there is no mud; the downside is that the trail is extremely dusty. The chains, pedals, our bags, and our legs up to the knees were thickly covered with the fine dust of the trail.

We had a great pizza lunch in Paw Paw, WV during a surreal situation. The television was broadcasting the US/Algeria soccer game from South Africa in Spanish, no less! We rode along for a while and then ran into some National Park Service employees resurfacing the trail. We had a very pleasant conversation with them and got a map of the trail with mileages and services, then went on our way.

At just about the time we were both fondly recalling a cooling swim in the Yough at Ohiopyle, We happened upon one of the campsites along the trail that are placed every five miles. Since this one had a little beach and access to the river, we enjoyed a refreshing swim and felt ready face the rest of the ride.

We arrived in Hancock about 4:00 and decided to get a motel room, based on the fact that they have air-conditioning and our tent does not -- and it's nearly 100 degrees today. A quiet dinner at Weaver's in town is being followed by - what else? An NCIS marathon!!! Life is good.

Tomorrow we head for Harper's Ferry, WV.

Confluence to Cumberland

We left Confluence this morning after a night spent in a very nice hiker/biker campsite shared by a couple with their Down's syndrome son and a young man from Sweden. Perula had just bought his bike and decided to tour America. He had landed a couple of weeks ago in NY and is headed eventually for Seattle. We talked with him for a bit about good routes, etc. He had never seen lightning bugs (aka fire flies) and was flabbergasted when Maggie caught one and let it walk around on her hands, flashing on and off in the dusk.

This morning on our way to breakfast, we rolled out to the campground exit, where our chain broke. It was replaced only about a week ago, so that was a frustrating way to start the morning. Bob managed to get it fixed in about 10 minutes, and after a good breakfast we headed down the trail toward Cumberland.

We'd been pedaling about an hour when we were drizzled upon. Since it was fairly warm, the rain actually felt good, but it did point out one of the disadvantages of trail riding: our bike was quickly covered with grit. Our gear is safe, since our bags are waterproof and close well, but we did stop at one point and rinse the sandy dirt off with our water bottles and pull out the grit which had become packed between our tires and our fenders. It will be good to get to Alan's Saturday and be able to hose things down and really clean the bike up.

We met up with three men from Atlanta who had flown into Pittsburgh and ridden from Boston, PA. They are headed to DC and we expect to see them again. We all converged on the Big Savage Tunnel at the same time, so were able to help each other with the requisite pictures. Riding through the nearly mile-long Big Savage Tunnel was deliciously cool: we highly recommend it on a hot and humid summer day.

The definite downhill ride from there to Cumberland was a welcome change. We realized while coasting at 15 miles an hour that we had actually been climbing since we left Pittsburgh. As we rounded a bend, a doe shot across the trail ahead of us, leaving the tiniest fawn we'd ever seen shivering beside the tracks. It was only about 18 inches tall, and tried to crouch down so that we couldn't see it -- but it didn't work.

So at the moment, we are "camped" at the Holiday Inn and getting ready for dinner at a highly recommended Italian restaurant a couple of blocks away. Again, life is good. Tomorrow we head down the C & O Canal Trail toward Hancock. According to the altitude profile in the tunnel, it will be slightly downhill most of the way through Maryland. Yes!

Confluence, PA

Well, we are on our way. It was quite a busy and strange weekend. Bob finished school on Thursday and Maggie on Friday. After a hectic and tumultuous school year, we were glad for the chance to sleep in on Saturday and prepare for our trip. Oddly, though maybe not for us, we were expecting our baseball-park rider(s) on Saturday and Sunday, so most of Saturday was spent finalizing our packing and organizing. We knew that Jim, one of the baseball-park riders from Arizona, would be arriving at dinner time, so we were poised and ready.

The weather forecast called for late-afternoon thundershowers, so of course just as he called us from the cloverleaf in Hays with a flat tire, the skies opened, the wind whipped up and his walk from Rte. 837 to our house was about as miserable as it could get. He arrived at our house wet, dripping and ready for a shower, a beer and dinner. We had invited our friend Gary over to join us for dinner, so we had good food and conversation until the cycling and the work caught up with us and we called it an early night.

After breakfast on Sunday, Bob and Jim got Jim's tire fixed and other mechanical issues settled. After lunch we sent him on his way to the Pirates game while we continued our trip preparations. A quick dinner with Maggie's mom, and we set off for our first destination: Ward and Terri Cochenour's. They are good friends who live near the bike trail in the area where Maggie works. Their house put us about 20 miles on our way and made Monday's ride about 65 miles to Confluence, PA on the bike trail.

So it's Monday evening and we are enjoying dessert on the deck of the Lucky Dog Cafe, where we had dinner. Our tent has been pitched at the Outflow Recreation
Area, an Army Corps of Engineers Campground (kadoos to our friend Bob) and life is good. It seems quite strange to be on a bike trip in areas where we've cycled many times, and of course we are already revising our schedule of stops for the next few days. We're hoping to avoid the thunderstorms that are forecast every day, and looking forward to a good night's sleep.