We wouldn't be on this road if Lily was with us

We just finished a lovely dinner at the Saxonburg Hotel (build in 1832). Shortly, we'll curl up in the 'safari room' ("more lepeord skin than I've ever seen in one place," said Jim) at the very lovely Mainstay Bed and Breakfast in Saxonburg, PA, circa 1835.

The highlight of today was having lunch with little Lily and Jim's parents and brother, Matt, at the Villa restaurant in Cadoga, PA (they drove up from Cranberry Township to meet us at one of their favorite restaurants). Yes, we've been missing our little girl. Our conversation on the tandem often drifts to, "Lily would love this," "We wouldn't be on this road if Lily was with us" and "Next year when Lily is with us on our bike tour..."
(The next to top highlight, was the bench press contest in Ford City- but I'll let Jim describe that piece of Americana.)

The vision for this tour was that it would be pretty laid back and chill with short mileage and much of it on a trail.
However, the 40ish mile days we have been putting in have been included some grueling hills and surfaces.

Yesterday, we left our phenomenal River Watch B&B in Parker, PA (run by Gail who's day job is in the refinery seven miles away)
with printed directions for a google maps shortcut bike route to East Brady. Let's just say that it ended up not being a short cut and steep gravel hills that seem to go on enlessly are not ideal for biking.
However, the dogs barking at us where tied up and there was no traffic (I prefer little traffic on mountain roads or anywhere for that matter) as we saw no other vehicle other than the mail carrier who sort of helped us with directions.


Finally, we arrived in East Brady and had a late lunch and happily sought out the Armstrong Trail.
Over the course of the 24 miles we were on 5 different surfaces.
The lack of signage was an idication that there are not a lot of longer haul bikers and that there were some political tensions making the tail. This came into clear view for us when the trail abruptly ended on the lawns of river front homes.
In an attempt to orient ourselves, I approached a house that was holding a small party. As I asked whether this was the trail. Everyone became silent and stopped drinking their beers. Finally a middle aged man said, "you can go on through," in a less than friendly voice. A few yards down another lawn we noticed a bike in the air, my first thought was that it was to mark the trail. But upon closer look, we saw that it was a bent up bicycle hung by a noose...

Needless to say we moved on through this section without our usual waves and smiles to the locals. The trail has been absolutley beautiful. .The Allegheny River our constant, gorgeous companion. Along our travels so far we have seen groundhogs, deer, turtles, hawks and an eagleThe day ended in Kittanning, PA. I'll let Jim fill you in on the

Walsh family geneology we encountered. Kittanning was one of the many places Jim wrestled in western PA growing up. As we passed the highschool where Jim took down many another sweaty adolecent males in singlets with his famous 'duck under', my peace activist husband said, "I kicked a lot of ass in this state." Traveling the River and hills and valleys of western PA with my Jimmy, I learn about his family roots and his growing up years and I love him even more.