Quakertown to Allentown and beyond plus a dinosaur footprint, 4 rail trails and a bike

An adventure using the Upper Bucks Rail Trail, the Saucon Rail Trail, the South Bethlehem Greenway and the D&L Trail.

How did this bike ride end up being 49 miles?

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I biked part of the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike

Who knew that you can explore a section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that was abandoned decades ago?

Back in 1940, Pennsylvania opened its first section of its turnpike: 2 lanes in each direction but only one lane each way through the tunnels.

Bad idea.

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George Washington slept here: a bike ride on the D&L Trail from Scudders Falls to Bristol and back

Summerseat is one of those forgotten mansions.

It’s Memorial Day, so this seems appropriate.

I know, George Washington spent a lot of time in New Jersey and Pennsylvania during the Revolution, so he slept in plenty of places. (And in the tent, of course).

But this was a new one for me: Summerseat, up on a hill not far from the Delaware River in Morrisville, PA.

Continue reading “George Washington slept here: a bike ride on the D&L Trail from Scudders Falls to Bristol and back”

Good news: Another gap on the D&L Trail disappears

This is so much better than hauling your bike up stairs or cutting through a hotel parking lot to reach the D&L Trail.

When I first discovered the section of Pennsylvania’s D&L Trail that goes south to Bristol, the route would almost dead-end at an auto-repair shop in Morrisville. You had to creep around the side, then dash across Bridge Street/Lincoln Highway and finally haul your bike down a flight of stairs to reconnect with the canal towpath.

On the way back it was even worse, because you’d have to push your bike up those stairs.

Continue reading “Good news: Another gap on the D&L Trail disappears”

A bike ride for a ‘festive’ glass of ‘weird beer’ in Morrisville

We explore a year-old brewery in Pennsylvania. Sugar crystals lining the beer glass, anyone?

Let me start by saying that for a couple of my friends, anything beyond a Michelob Ultra can qualify as a “weird beer.” So don’t be offended by the term. As for a cherry-red one with coarse white sugar crystals lining the rim — maybe we can all agree that it’s at least unusual?

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I biked the 202 Parkway Trail — here’s what it’s like

This trail won’t win any beauty awards. But it’s a stress-free route through suburban sprawl in Bucks and Montgomery counties.

I’ll be honest: the 202 Parkway Trail in Pennsylvania’s Bucks and Montgomery counties is never going to win any beauty awards. That said, it blazes an almost stress-free path through suburban sprawl. That’s worth a lot.

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2 days biking on the D&L Trail with some pinball wizards

The Delaware and Lehigh Trail is Pennsylvania’s other long-distance bike trail. Four of us headed out for two days of biking fun (and a few pinball games).

Hitting the D&L in mid-November with this trio.

The Delaware and Lehigh Trail is Pennsylvania’s other long-distance bike trail, much less known than the Great Allegheny Passage but almost as long now (and will be longer once it’s finished).

I’ve biked the southern half of the D&L, from Bristol (outside Philadelphia) to Bethlehem. With some sunny and warm days in the forecast for November, it was time to tackle another big chunk.

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Day 2 of Philly to DC: This is the next rail-trail that everyone will be talking about

Go ride the Enola Low-Grade Trail!

The view from the Safe Harbor Trestle.

The Enola Low-Grade Trail is the biking secret you want to discover in Lancaster County, PA.

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Day 1 of biking from Philadelphia to DC: trails (yay) and hills (too many)

Loved biking on the Schuylkill River and Chester Valley trails. The hills that followed? They never seemed to end.

How in the world did we (Komoot? Ride with GPS?) pick this metric century route to Gap, Pa., a small town in Lancaster County?

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I’m late to the Perkiomen Trail — but wow!

So much to see on the Perkiomen Trail – including a ski area and a moving bit of history.

So much eye candy for cyclists on the Perkiomem Trail.

There’s the Perkiomen Creek, which the trail follows from where it flows into the Schuylkill River just west of Valley Forge National Historic Park north to Green Lane Park in the tiny borough of Green Lane, Pennsylvania. Lots of criss-crossing the creek so you really don’t go far without having water in sight.

Continue reading “I’m late to the Perkiomen Trail — but wow!”