We left West Virginia bright and early amidst some cool but slightly creepy fog. It was going to be a long haul to Pittsburgh but we were ready. The drive was actually very pretty. As we got closer to Pittsburgh the forests gave way to a bit more farmland. The rolling hills were definitely a sign of Pittsburgh and the houses started having that particular look about them. We crossed into Ohio over several bridges and enjoyed the river views with more to come. As we reached closer to the Ft. Pitt tunnel traffic increased – something we had not had in a very long time and not a welcome addition. As we headed to the tunnel we saw a sign that said not to bring any flammable materials into the tunnel. We discussed if our propane tanks counted and decided to err on the side of caution so we had to get off the road early and head around – adding another 45 minutes to the trip. The rest of the way to our BW in Plum (a suburb outside of Pittsburgh) was a bit white knuckle with the narrow and steep streets. Jonathan was a super hero and we made it to our location which was a church parking lot. We parked in the back of this huge lot right near the cemetery. It was a great location only ½ hour outside of the city and we were all by ourselves so it was very private. We set up, made dinner and wound down from the trip. We looked at the bike map of Pittsburgh for the next day and I was happy to see that several trails had been connected. We also were able to snag two tickets for a stadium tour of the football stadium, Heinz field (it is not called that anymore but it will always be Heinz field to me). We saw that we could pretty much do all of our sight seeing by bike. We went to bed looking forward to the next day.
The weather was absolutely perfect and we headed out to the bike trail parking lot. A few wrong turns later we arrived. I had forgotten how confusing Pittsburgh roads can be but we adjusted. We got on our bikes for what would end up being 15 miles of bike riding, 4.5 miles of walking and 6 hours of touring in total and it was awesome! Our first stop was Fatheads which was one of my favorite places on the South Side. It was all very nostalgic for me. Jonathan and I split a Headwich (they are known for Sandwiches as big as your head) and then we headed on out to the stadium over two bridges and Point State Park. A few wrong turns but we made it just in time for the tour. The tour was actually pretty cool and very well done. We got to see the locker room, the champions club, walked through the tunnel the players run out in and got to be on the field. I had never seen the stadium even when I lived there so I really enjoyed it and we got to take and send pictures to torture our Pat fan friends back home. After buying a terrible towel we headed back out to see the Point, the Duquesne Incline, Grandview overlook and a walk to see my old house up on “the Mount”. We got back on the trail and headed back to the car with just enough time to get to our dinner reservations at Church Brew where we got to have dinner with my friend Inza who used to be a neighbor of mine. The Church Brew was awesome as always and we even got to have the quintessential ‘Burgh experience of being chatted up by the Steelers loving waitress with a long commentary about what was wrong with the team. We were pretty wiped out after dinner and headed back to our camper to bed.
The next day I was excited to go to Phipps which is one of my favorite places on earth. The Phipps is a conservatory and it is incredibly peaceful and they do a fabulous job of making it a place you can go over and over again because they change out the plants, themes and lighting. It is also where I discovered my love for Chihuly. There was also a wedding going on so that was very sweet to see. We spent several hours there and spent a few hours walking in Schenley park. We were both still pretty tired from the previous day so we decided to head back to Sunny, go grocery shopping and figure out dinner and just have a relaxing day. We wanted to keep a few Pittsburgh things left undone since we planned on coming back in the Spring with my Dad and Sheila. We ended up vising a local bar that happened to be at the bottom of the hill from where we are staying so we went and talked to a few of the locals which was fun. We headed back to an early night because we wanted to get on the road early for the long ride to the Finger Lakes the next day. I just want to note that I beat the tail off of Jonathan that night at cards. I just wanted to put that in writing 
The next day was another gorgeous day and we had one of our best driving experiences since we were on the road. The scenery between Pittsburgh and Penn Yan, NY is absolutely gorgeous. The rolling green hills with farmland and the changing foliage. It was both breathtaking and we started to feel like we were home. The place we are staying is a few miles outside of Penn Yan right off the Keuka Lake. Seneca lake is also nearby. We are staying with a Boondockers welcome (BW) smack dab in the middle of farm fields. It is so beautiful here. The nights are getting cold which we love. Tomorrow will be 77 degrees but after that it will not break 60 degrees as a high for several days. Our host, Mike, is awesome and is an old car and tractor fan like Jonathan is. He is going to show us around his “toys” tomorrow. He recommended the Keuka Outlet trail which runs between here and Seneca lake. It is a 7 mile ride one-way so it will be perfect for us to ride, ride around Seneca Lake and then ride back. I am really looking forward to it.
It is hard to believe that we are counting down in single digits when we will be home. Less than a week and we will be back. It feels like we just started and also that we have been doing this forever. We are both looking forward to coming home but we are very happy that the next several days will be in this beautiful area and Western Ma in the Berkshires. There is no better place to experience fall and will be a fitting and gorgeous end to this incredible adventure.
It is not over yet and tomorrow is going to be amazing!
This area of the country is beautiful and right up our alley. If it were not for our people we would consider moving here. Our BW was in Benton, NY which was just outside of Penn Yan on the north tip of Lake Keuka in the Finger Lakes. Our BW is in a lot of an old car service station nestled in between farm fields. You can hear the clip clop of the Amish wagons go by and it is rural idyllic but also with places not far away of civilization. Penn Yan was a cute little town that had everything you would need or want without the big tourist feeling of some of the larger Finger Lakes towns. We felt right at home.
Our host recommended a bike trail called the Outlet Trail which ran from Penn Yan to Lake Seneca. 7 miles one way with two water falls along the way. We had a slow morning and then headed out on the trail. It was absolutely awesome. We loved the trail and it ended in a small town called Dresden. Since it was Sunday, almost everything was closed but we found a small brewery called Seneca Stag Brewing where we had a great lunch and I got a nice Munich Dunkel (dark beer). Since it was Sunday we saw a lot of Amish on the trail as well. The day was cloudy but warm which was perfect for the bike ride. We got in about 16 miles of biking and could not have been happier. Dinner was back at the camper. The forecast called for rain that night so we decided to head out to the Laundromat to get in a last wash of clothes (we were running very low on clean clothes) and to go to a local bar and watch a football game and see what the people in the town were like. It ended up being a fun evening where we met a local character named Agamemnon. Lots of laughter and ultimately clean clothes and we rode out the rain.
The next day was a bit cloudy with a little bit of rain and the temps has turned quite cool with a high around 58. Fall was definitely upon us and the trees were starting to turn. We decided to take a ride around Lake Seneca and ultimately Lake Keuka with stops at Geneva, Watkins Glen and Keuka state park. We did a bunch of walking around the towns and really just enjoying the views and the day. The Lake Keuka area was definitely our favorite. We decided to go out to the Keuka Restaurant for dinner to say goodbye to Penn Yan. We spent the evening back at Sunny. We are both starting to feel that the time in the camper needs to be cherished since it is slowly coming to an end. We are having a hard time managing the conflicting feeling of really looking forward to being home and the sadness of this adventure ending.
Today we are headed to the Adirondacks which I have never been to. Jonathan has been here once but not in many years. It is further North-East but I really wanted to see them so off we go. The ride itself should be beautiful with the leaves turning. This is our favorite season and we are glorying in it. Luckily it is only a 3 hour drive which will give us time to explore where we are.
As I sit here in front of a roaring fire by a burbling brook with a view of the fall leaves reflecting on the surface of the river I have to marvel at the opportunities this trip is still giving us. The drive here took us from rural farmlands to tree covered hills changing to their autumn colors. As we drove north into the hills the temperature fell to a wonderful chill and it felt like we were driving deeper into Fall. In the middle of nowhere we arrived at our BW and we were welcomed by our host, Dawn. We got our fill of water and when given the choice between an electric hookup with wifi by the road or a primitive site by the West Canadian river there was no choice really. We followed her side by side down the windy gravel road into the back area of her massive lot. She drove us to a site right on the river surrounded by trees on fire with color. It could not have been more stunning. We set up and quickly started a fire and have not left this spot since then. It started to pour so we ran into the trailer, turned on the heat and made dinner. We finished dinner just in time for the sun to come out while it was still raining and we found the rainbow right outside of our camper. The rain has stopped and now I sit with a glass of wine, my thoughts and this blog. We could not have asked for a better place to bookmark our journey then this one. We head for the Berkshires tomorrow but I cannot imagine a better stop than this one though I am open to that happening. Tonight we will relish the fire, the stream and the fact that we have heat in Sunny (down to 34 degrees tonight). It will be fabulous.
Today was a day of foliage. The drive from the Adirondacks to the Berkshires during peek foliage was as beautiful as you would expect. I have loved our penchant to avoid highways. Coming home in the fall is a great way to re-enter. We have made it to our BW hosts for the evening. We are at a farmhouse with chickens and fallen leaves. This is as Berkshire as Berkshire gets. We have set up and working on cooking dinner. We are going to stay close to Sunny tonight. We are starting to deal with the conflicting emotions of going home. Tonight we will deal with that and I know tomorrow I will just be excited to get there.
We will need a few days to decompress and get our heads around everything. We promise to post one more time to summarize thoughts, organize some stats and share our reflections. Thank you for following our journey this far. We have one more night to enjoy our trip of a lifetime. We are homeward bound!
Pittsburgh
Finger Lakes
Adirondacks & Berkshires
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