The day started cold and foggy and progressed to cold and frosty and then to just cold then beyond that and we progressed to a series of one great riding experience to another depending on the roads we were on. A bonus for me was that Norm showed me a tip this morning when despite the grip heaters the tips of our fingers felt as if they were ready to drop off, he demonstrated how we could hold our fingertips in our gloves to the exhaust outlet of the bike…bewdifull!

Each day of our trip we have been amazed at the experiences we have had and the things we have seen and think we cannot see anything else which we will consider incredible but we keep on being proved wrong and today was no exception. It was a GREAT day and I’ll let the pictures tell the story!



We did remember to go and see the Millionaires Row in Williamsport on our way out and here is one of the better preserved houses. There were a number of others well preserved, a number now apartments and some just derelict. A bit sad to see.



As we headed for what is known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon we found this entry to a walking track to the western Rim as we wound our way up to the overlook. It was a spectacularly beautiful ride.



A view from Colton Point State Park of the Western Rim of the Canyon. Imagine the curved river a bit straighter than shown here and that is it.



And on a short cut to the Eastern rim we came across some farmland and here are some Canadian Geese after just taking to flight.



A view from Leonard Harrison State park on the Eastern Rim of the PA Grand Canyon. Obviously colder on the western rim as fewer leaves left on trees. We went from gently falling autumn leaf confetti today on our travels to full on fallen leaf squalls from fallen leaves as the day progressed.



A glimpse of farmland as we moved along.



And a delightful interlude in the township of Wellsboro and this is the park across from the Tioga County Courthouse.



And a view along a street of the pretty little town.



A great example of a substantial barn we came across in our travels toady.



Next call was at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum which interested us given both our family histories as well as our own involvement. These are on the road as symbols of different eras in lumber history. !. The axeman, 2 chainsaws arrive and 3 conservation and replanting.



We were at the museum about 1 year too early as a massive building program is underway but this is the Sawmill which housed some great machinery which was both practical as well as reminding me of the machinery my Dad used in his youth.



We moved on to Coudersport and checked in then headed for the Austin Dam Wall and this is the description of what happened many years ago.



And the remainders of the wall from the road above.



And Norm’s bike on the down water side of the wall.. Check it out on the internet. Very disturbing but interesting.



Main street Austin today. When it was wiped out after the dam collapse the paper mill down river from the dam was also washed away as well as the store of logs there which added to the destruction of the towns below. Incredible to think about.



And an impressive building in Coudersport across from where we had a late bowl of soup for lunch then later on dinner.

Last night’s Accommodation:



Residence Inn by Marriott Williamsport
150 West Church Street
Williamsport, PA 17701

A beautiful and comfortable place to be. Great welcome with gas log fire in the foyer. Self-contained space (generous) with a shower (not over a bath) oh what bliss for these two Aussies. Bed superb. Walking distance to anything we want and staff terrifically helpfully. Good value. What more can I say.

Last nights Dinner:

Barrel 135 – Bar restaurant literally behind our hotel in a lovely old building and also outside if it is warm enough and it definitely wasn’t. The atmosphere was great, service friendly and helpful and extensive menu. The food was delicious and we would definitely recommend it.

One of the things we enjoyed in NYC was the unexpected little glimpses between buildings of quiet spaces often with water features and almost always with trees and other greenery. Nice little retreats from the hustle and bustle of the city. This was opposite our hotel and ran between West 49th and 50th



Soon after we got through the Lincoln tunnel we headed west and left the town behind and started coming across the sort of colour we had expected earlier in the trip. The hills were draped with dappled shades of gold and red and vibrant orange with patches of green and also silver where the leaves had fallen already and as we climbed higher more leaves were gone and less colour obvious and in some parts more green and silver than anything. The weather and temperature to prompt the changes has obviously varied throughout the mountain areas. This is an example of some of the variation we saw.



A view of a canyon soon after Jefferson where we had breakfast which was indicative of the sort of country we moved through most of the day. We wound up and down mountainsides and alongside rivers with a small amount of farmland thrown in for good measure but almost always through beautiful colour with occasional showers of autumn confetti and it did our souls good to be inserted into such beauty.



And a view of a mountainside at Kittatinny Point.



We were on Interstates all day so we got in mid-afternoon so we went for a brief wander and this is the Williamsport Town Hall.



And we are nestled within the folds of hills at Williamsport for the night. Williamsport is famous for its lumber industry and at one time had more millionaires per square mile than anywhere else in the country and a lot of them lived on a road referred to as Millionaire’s Row for obvious reasons. We decided that was too far to walk tonight so may ride out there and have a look as we leave in the morning….if we remember.
Bits and Bobs:



This was the truck stop we fuelled up at and it was jammed up with trucks queuing for fuel and to get onto the public weighbridge. A trucker told Norm it was one of the more popular and we heard people being called for shower bookings so I’m guessing they are actually cleaned between showers. Not hard to see why it’s popular given some of the sorry examples we have in Australia



Liked this sign on the side of a truck.

I’ve seen a good number of Werner Enterprises Trucks everywhere on our trip except for the last day or so before we got to NYC and of course none there. They have close to (if not all) Freightliners and their colour is close to ours so they remind me of our trucks and remind me of our fleet / home so I’ve missed them. Good to see them back on the interstate today.

Last 2 night’s Accommodation:



Radio City Apartments
142 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10019

Nice handy spot and we navigated our way into it on the bikes. Room very small. Bed reasonably comfortable with a dip in the middle so guaranteed to sleep close, but one side against the wall and not much room to walk on the other. Bathroom small but nicely fitted out. In theory a self-contained apartment with stove and fridge and the like but precious little room to use that and have luggage spread about. Adequate but I wouldn’t stay again given the price poor value for money. A budget choice at more than a budget price in my opinion.

Last night’s Dinner:
Playwright Café – Celtic Pub. Great atmosphere and upstairs in the restaurant where we were not as noisy as in the bar downstairs. Service terrific, extensive menu and delicious food. Definitely worth a visit.

We wanted to come back to New York City for two reasons. The first was to catch up with a precious friend, prophet, priest and mentor being Father Chuck (Charles) Gallagher SJ and we had arranged to take him out to dinner and spend some more time together but that wasn’t to be as he died a couple of weeks before we got here. We lit a candle for him in St Mary’s yesterday evening,



The second reason was to visit the 9/11 Memorial to pay our respects for all the lives so needlessly lost and for the spirit of the American people in how they have and are dealing with it. We had witnessed the horror of 9/11 unfolding on our television as we were watching an episode of the ‘West Wing’ and at first assumed it was part of the show and were appalled to find that it was really happening. We saw the second plane approach and strike and the damage at the pentagon as well as hearing about the crash of flight 93 and we continued to watch with dread wondering where else in the world terror would strike and wouldn’t have been surprised if we had been witnessing the beginning of the 3rd World War. We hopped onto the subway and headed for the World Trade Centre and were surprised at the absolute sea of people who were making the pilgrimage. This is part of the garden of reflection as we entered the site. It was surprisingly peaceful.



The South Tower reflection pool. The Museum is the building on the right hand side and that won’t be open until spring 2014.



Work continues and it must be under incredible duress as this is an incredibly busy area with people, businesses and construction all on top of each other and a huge number of police and security personnel.



The north tower reflection pool. We saw a number of white roses on this one. The Memorial puts a white rose on each name on their birthday. There were also a number of personal mementos left like flowers and rosary beads.



A shot from the Memorial Garden of One World Trade Centre Freedom Tower which is progressing well but still under construction as you can see from the construction lift right up the side.



And this is a survivor on the perimeter of the area. Rumour has it that in spite of losing a part of his back he didn’t even look up. We saw a photograph of him sitting in the rubble.



An unusual look at 5th Avenue. Life continues, steam diverted from under the pavement in front of the Louis Vuitton store and traffic continues.



We decided to revisit Central Park and see if there was much autumn / fall colour in the trees since we had seen some evidence of that in patches on our way in yesterday but alas there wasn’t much to see but I love the park. It is a real people park with people walking, jogging, picnicking, walking with prams and playing sport and you are barely onto it and the sound of the city and traffic disappear completely so a real sanctuary to escape to. This is a quirky tower on the perimeter of Central Park.



And a view of some of the skyline from the park.



And this is our driver Robert and his horse Billie.

We had an early start but the hotel made sure we had breakfast before we left and it was mild enough to head out without any waterproofs and here we are in the lnie to get on the ferry at Lewes. Shortly after this the fog rolled in and was with us all the way across to New Jersey and gradually dissipated.



And the front of the ferry as we approach the dock at Cape May one and a half hours later. Happy the bikes stayed put as there was quite a swell on the trip over.



After a lot of parkway (freeway) travel having a coffee, adding another layer for warmth then some lunch and holy smoke we struck multiple lanes of traffic, on ramps, off ramps and roadwork’s then we’re in the Lincoln tunnel and to the guts of New York City and not long after that at our hotel and here I am very pleased with myself.



We had a shower and did some washing then headed out to explore and here is the Radio City Music Hall not far from our hotel.



And we headed for Times Square, heaps of which is literally dug up, here is Norm enjoying the view. Once we headed for the other end we discovered it was much more peaceful and quiet for all the noise and horn honking where things were dug up.



And here is a view back towards the other end which gives some idea of the huge number of people and activity all around.



And a couple of extremely young New York Policemen with me. They were good fun.



And yes its official we were finally on Broadway just didn’t have the names up in lights.

Bits and Bobs:



A tow sign we found in the underground car park which was interesting since we were the only vehicles in it.



And this caught my eye at a service centre, perhaps Kevin could have used this a month or so ago.

Last nights Accommodation:



Hotel Rehoboth
247 Rehoboth Avenue
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

A lovely spacious room with comfortable facilities and room to spread out even with cases open. Beautiful hot shower and comfortable bed. Enjoyed the spacious balcony as well as the complimentary wine, cheese and biscuits and the public sitting areas. Breakfast was appreciated before we left and we ate dinner at the in-house restaurant which was also good. The staff was great and couldn’t have been more obliging. Complimentary parking above and below ground. Would definitely recommend this venue and location.

We donned the waterproofs first thing as some sea fog had rolled in and we had drizzle to contend with. The jackets came off before we headed into the Chesapeake Bay Tunnel then ditched the jackets late in the afternoon at Ocean City as it had warmed up and the chill was gone but strong wind stayed with us throughout the day so it became a bit wearing by the time we got in. This is the information board about the bridges and tunnels.



This is a shot from the viewing area looking back at the restaurant and the bridge just before the first tunnel heads under the ocean. The sign at the entry to this dock says ‘Maximum 2 rods and reels per person, no cooking, no tents, no camping, and no alcohol’ I don’t know how they can get their lines out without tangling up with everyone else’s.



Once we got onto the island we found extensive cropping with corn finished, potatoes, some sort of turnip type crop and cotton and a number of vegetable processing plants along the way. The communities and housing seemed very marginal in this area along the main highway and only improved slightly as we headed for Chincoteague Island and soon housing was replaced by holiday type homes and activities with the vast majority of all of it closed down for the season. This is the Lighthouse taken from a distance which was where the road to the Refuge and Seaside was closed due to the Federal Government shutdown. A bonus was that when we left we took a secondary road and this was a nicer ride with forest areas as well as farming, sweeping corners and also some less marginal communities.



Our next spot to stop was at Ocean City, Maryland and this is a shot of the roller coaster (Closed) and the whole place looked a bit like a nearly fully deserted Gold Coast and we had most of the road to ourselves. We stopped for a walk on the boardwalk but it was a bit eerie. The accommodation and attractions continued for 15 kms before we got back to just road.



And the Indian carving at the entrance to the boardwalk.



Finally we got into Rehoboth Beach and were delighted to find a really attractive town with tasteful accommodation, shops, boardwalk and private homes. This tells you the history of the place.



The appearance of the town is one of a large permanent population with capacity to cater for larger numbers. We enjoyed Martha’s Vineyard (previous entry) but the commercial side of things here seems more polished. This is a view along one of several little alleys between the main street and others behind it.



And some gulls enjoying being fed on the beach.

Bits and Bobs:



A new sign we have come across today. This was just before the bridge as we headed back from Chincoteague Island but we had seen several on the road heading north along the island previously.



A bit of a giggle … Norm coming back to quote me when he walked into our bathroom here ‘well thank God I finally have my own hand basin”.

Last night’s Accommodation:



Norfolk Waterside Marriott
235 E Main Street
Norfolk, VA 23510

Beautiful hotel with gracious public spaces and wonderfully friendly and helpful staff. The room was lovely and comfortable and the restaurants here lovely. Parking literally across the road and a connecting walkway through on the third level. Nice and convenient.

To quote John Denver ‘Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountain, Shenandoah River’……well they were the country roads we were riding on yesterday and at one time on the Blue Ridge Mountain Turnpike. We were both singing John Denver favourites for a lot of the ride. This is a picture of a view on the ‘Skyline Drive’ (which we didn’t get to see due to the fog / rain) compliments of the internet.



This morning we headed out a few kilometres to Thomas Jefferson’s home and really enjoyed learning more about him and his work but the first available tour of his home ‘Monticello’ was 12.20pm so we didn’t stay for that. This is a shot compliments of the internet.



We headed for Richmond and this is a shot of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart facing the Monroe Park.



And a theatre undergoing some refurbishment works a couple of buildings along. This was quirky. Looked a bit like Art Deco with tiling on the little towers worthy of a mosque and a sign on the front saying ‘Box Office Closed’ seemed a bit unnecessary since there were gates all around it to keep people out.



We called into Williamsburg (part of the triangle between Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown) an area which featured heavily in the war of Independence and then the Civil War. We visited the Visitor Centre but decided we didn’t have enough time to do the whole period tour and headed for Jamestown and then came across parts of the old Williamsburg village and here is a view in a street leading to the town square. Once we arrived here we ditched the waterproofs and travelled without them for the rest of the day which was a welcome change.



And a glimpse of the Williamsburg Inn, a very substantial complex.



We headed for Jamestown on lovely winding roads surrounded by dappled shade from the surrounding forest and gold coloured leaves and pine needles drifted up into the middle of the road. Very little colour change overall, lots of leaves have fallen and a bit of colour change and lots of green so obviously there hasn’t been enough cold weather to prompt the change. We got as far as this sign as the Federal Government shutdown struck again.



So, we headed for Yorktown which the biker at the road closed barrier told us was open. We headed off on more of the lovely roads which wound through the forest to Yorktown and were astounded at how many parking areas along the way were closed due to the shutdown and this is a building on the Yorktown waterfront.



And a shot of the bridge on the George Washington Memorial Highway over the York River with a clipper under it which sailed under the bridge then turned around and came back again. It looked spectacular.

As we came into Norfolk we travelled 6.5kms over a bridge and tunnel network. The tunnel in the middle was 2.5km long and went under a shipping lane which was very impressive.



Once we got into our Norfolk Hotel here we headed for the waterfront for a short walk and found the Battleship Wisconsin which is a Museum here. Very impressive.



On our way back to the hotel we discovered the US Customs House; well at least that’s what the sign said so I guess it is.

Bits and Bobs:



Don’t you hate it when things become unravelled especially in public, this is near our hotel.em]

Last night’s Accommodation:



Photo compliments of their website because with all the rain we forgot to dart out and take a photo. Dear, dear, dear.

Omni Charlottesville Hotel
212 Ridge McIntire Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903

Nice room even if it does have 2 beds which takes up unnecessary space. But they do have 2 luggage racks so makes up for it. Nice bathroom though small, yummy accessories, good wardrobe space, lovely public spaces and comfortable bed. All round a nice spot to drop and handy to many shops and eating options.

Yesterday evening we drove around Front Royal and discovered there had been a ‘Leaves Festival’ on with all sorts of stalls and things happening through the day. These are the last of things to be cleared away in front of the Visitors Centre and the Mill Restaurant in the background where we had dinner.



And some quirky little houses we spotted on the way back to our Inn.

Well we came to this area to ride ‘The Skyline Road’ along the ridge through the Shenandoah National Park. It is known as one of the best and most spectacularly beautiful bike rides in the world but alas our host last night told us that the road was within the National Park and due to the Federal Government shutdown wasn’t open so we wouldn’t be able to see it. He also told us as a consolation that with the current weather i.e. raining and foggy we wouldn’t see anything than that anyway. Mmmm, so we headed for Sperryville and were told when we fuelled up that the road was in fact open, you just couldn’t drive off into the National Park sites. But, the rain and fog had continued unabated for the whole ride thus far and was expected to continue for the rest of the day (which it did by the way). Anyway we decided we might just as well give the Skyline Drive a miss and just get into Charlottesville as soon as we could.



A Public Building in Madison as we pulled up for a brief break and don’t you just love all the wires strung between poles. There have been more of them underground lately so they haven’t been so obvious.



And another building we spotted across the road. One extreme to the other.



Once we were in Charlottesville we waited for the rain to ease and headed off up the walking street to see what we could see. This is a city building in Charlottesville with a memorial on the end for James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe at the end of the Walking Street / Mall where there was also an amphitheatre.



Across the street from this building was the Visitor Centre on the left (the new) and Transit Centre in the distance (the old). Interesting mix.



A street view in the walking street in Charlottesville.



And another.

Bits and Bobs:



This sign caught my eye in the Mall.

Last night’s Accommodation:



Lackawanna Bed & Breakfast
236 Riverside Drive
Front Royal, Virginia 22630

When we first approached the building we wondered if we had the right one as we had experienced a GPS glitch and the building didn’t exactly look like somewhere we would be heading however we saw the name out the front and then we headed in and were delighted to find a beautifully restored historical building and charming hosts. We enjoyed relaxing in the parlour, the shower was hot, the bed beautifully comfortable and the included breakfast absolutely delicious.

The day started out dry and cool and deteriorated into patchy rain but given some of the very wet roads we found we apparently missed the worst of the rain. We followed signs to a canal and aqueduct complex and found a remote and deteriorating spot which was the 29th lock in the system a long time ago and here we are at the locked gate!



Since it was so remote we decided to have a look anyway and this is part of the old canal but we discovered the aqueduct was a 1.5 mile walk and given the waterproofs we decided to give it a miss and instead walked down to the river.



It was the Potomac River and I took a panoramic shot (or thought I had) but discovered it didn’t work so here are two shots compliments of Ken’s camera in each direction. Down river.



And up river. The water was flowing very fast after all the rain yesterday and there was a fair amount of floating debris. It was a huge body of fast flowing water and soon after in the trip we got to travel beside it and saw lots of rocks and rapids as well as crossing over it.



Our lunch spot was Brunswick which was a tired little town and I guess the dark skies didn’t help any.


Bits and Bobs:



Norm spotted this as we headed back to the bikes in Brunswick.

Last 2 night’s Accommodation:



A view coming from the town.



And from the opposite direction looking at the Lobby entrance across what is supposed to be a garden and car park but which doubled as a water feature yesterday.

Federal Pointe Inn
75 Springs Avenue
Gettysburg, PA, 17325

This is an absolutely charming building which has had a previous life as a school which means large halls and rooms and a sense of a genteel space about it and is beautifully decorated. The room is spacious and comfortable with 2 armchairs and desk as well as drawers and plenty of storage space and a well-appointed bathroom. Bed lovely and comfortable. No restaurant on site but a breakfast option literally across the car park and plenty of dining options a short distance away.

Last night’s Dinner:

Café Saint Amand – a French Restaurant which had a cozy atmosphere, good service, extensive menu and absolutely delicious food. BYO alcohol only which we haven’t struck before here.

Well for anyone who has been paying attention the Federal Government shutdown is still in place and we were booked in for a tour of the Gettysburg Battlefield, the site of the battle in the American Civil War believed to have been the decisive battle in July 1863 which led the Union troops to victory however because the visitor centre, Museum and tours are run by a foundation (not the National Parks Service) they were allowed to continue to run … even though they couldn’t access much of the park. We did a bus tour with a comprehensive commentary of the battles and the perspective of the geography and where and how the battles were planned and fought. Our guide Paul gave a great commentary and our driver was terrific. We travelled on through roads through the park which were left open to local residents and also had vantage points from private property with permission. Had the weather not been pouring rain like it was on our ride in yesterday afternoon we also could have gotten out of the bus but no one did. After the tour we headed for the Visitor Centre and visited the Museum and the Cyclorama and had some lunch.



This was the statue of Abraham Lincoln outside the visitor centre.



And this is part of the Cyclorama a magnificent oil painting on canvas measuring 42 feet high and 377 feet in circumference. I’m glad we had been on the tour before we saw it as it made much more sense and was a fitting end to our tour. Very moving. Massive to think this was a war between a country’s own people. Brutal.



A second shot of it.



And a third.



And the last one. We also learnt that in the 1800's there was a Cyclorams in Melbourne!



After we left since the rain had dissipated somewhat we decided to drive some of the routes we had taken on the bus to get some photos of some of the memorials put in place by the regiments to show where they had fought. This is from a car park in a bus tour operation on the edge of town with sign compliments of the National Parks Service.



And some fences with barricades as used through the war on one of the roads through the battlefield road and a memorial visible in the distance.



And a mural on a building wall with our hotel on the bottom.



And after Norm and I had a massage to try and keep the backs from locking up here is what we found on our return to the hotel and the area is under flood watch so who says all we’re doing is kicking back and having fun! A number of the areas we travelled through yesterday are in flood today and the small streams around here are now large.

Another reason we were in the area was to see the Frank Lloyd Wright designed house ‘Fallingwater’ at Bear Run and it didn’t disappoint. You might remember we visited many of his houses in Chicago. We managed to have a guided tour of an hour and could easily have spent longer. The house was gifted to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963 and earlier this year they welcomed their 5 millionth visitor! Our guide told us that there would be 900 people visiting just today as October is their busiest time of year.



The day started cool but clear and sunny with a pretty crappy forecast so we headed off but stopped soon after we left Ligonier for this farm view complete with Harvest / Halloween pumpkins laid out for sale. We have seen thousands of them in our travels.



This is the first glimpse of the house as we rounded a corner in the driveway. It looked superb amongst the dappled green and gold of the trees and the dense green of the naturally growing rhododendrons throughout the property. When they are in flower the flowers are white with pink highlights and it must look superb.



As we approached the entry we saw may other visitors on some of the terraces. The bottom one off the living area and the upper one off the main bedroom. Each bedroom has its own bathroom and terrace, all of which were private from each other as was the guest house above the main building. The stairs you can see literally come down almost to the water above the waterfall so you could paddle in the warm weather and this also allows cooled air to ascend through the house in the hot weather.



And a view of the house nestled into the side of the hill with the waterfall. This was taken from the spot Frank Lloyd Wright first viewed the site from and he decided this would be where he would site the house.



The Ohiopyle rail bridge now a timber footbridge. Very impressive as it spans the river.



And a view of the waterfall and some of the rapids adjacent to the town of Ohiopyle. It is a massive body of very fast moving water.



From here we headed off through more of the beautiful Laurel Highlands. It was spectacularly pretty and the road was an awesome one to be on a bike with very little traffic. The rain came just after lunch and was persistent and the humidity was very high which made visibility a bit tedious. We stopped for a break and a hot chocolate and coffee at a servo proudly signed as being a ‘Veteran owned business’ so we were pleased to support it. This flag was out the front and there was a silhouette (not seen well from this angle) of a soldier paying his respects to a fallen comrade, Quite moving.

Bits and Bobs:



On our way home from dinner last night Norm spotted this stone wall and at first glance thought he had found a map of Australia but not quite, so here it is.



And one for Michael who believes there is no such thing as an exhaust pipe (choofa) which is too large, we spotted these at our lunch stop.

Last night’s Accommodation:



Campbell House B & B & Efficiency Motel
305 East Main Street
Ligonier, PA 15658

We stayed in a part of the main house in a very spacious suite complete with breakfast table where our breakfast was served, sitting area with comfortable seats to watch the TV and a gas flame fireplace, complimentary wine and snacks, comfortable walking distance to a number of dinner options and to top it off electric blankets on the bed (yum). Breakfast was delicious and the bed wonderfully comfortable. A nice spot to drop.