America 250 Years: Experiencing History by Bike
By Patty Huff
Florida Greenways & Trails Foundation Board Member
This summer my husband and I took a road trip from Florida to Pennsylvania and back to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary.
In all, we drove through 10 states — Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama — and cycled a total of 278 miles at various locations in seven of those states over the course of 14 days.
New River Trail, Virginia
Ghost Town Trail, Pennsylvania
Eastern Continental Divide along the Great Allegheny Passage
Biking along the Susquehanna River
Beautiful farmland in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
We found an old ironworks factory just north of Philadelphia that had been rehabilitated into a beautiful hotel and a fabulous restaurant. It was located on a bike trail along the Schuylkill River, just seven miles from the many historical sites in downtown Philly. We then drove to Lancaster County where we cycled alongside a creek before encountering the rolling hills through Mennonite farms, riding alongside the horse and buggies.
Pennsylvania has more rails-to-trails than most states (288 compared to 65 in Florida). It was once the frontier where New Yorkers would travel by train to experience the wonderful outdoors with its wildlife, hilly countryside, and forests. Being an industrial state, railroads were a necessity to transport goods. Now, it’s a perfect place for cyclists to explore the many rails-to-trails alongside the rivers.
In Harrisburg we discovered the Capital Area Greenbelt along the Susquehanna River, where we also explored the state’s capital. The bike trail connects the historic waterfront and cultural landmarks.
Driving north, our next stop turned out to be our favorite — the historic town of Wellsboro, less than 40 miles from the New York state line. This picture-perfect town was founded in 1806 and features more than 500 historic buildings. We enjoyed two nights at the 1870 Penn Wells Hotel. Wellsboro is the beginning of the Pine Creek Rail Trail and home of the “Pennsylvania Grand Canyon” (Pine Creek Gorge) with hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails.
After cycling 16 miles from Wellsboro to Blackwell and back, we drove to the southern end at Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, and cycled north the following day. Many cyclists plan their trip and stay at Airbnbs in the Pine Creek Gorge area, totaling 55 miles from Wellsboro to Jersey Shore.
The following day we started out in Vintondale and rode 28 miles along the Ghost Town Trail — 2020’s Trail of the Year — and stopped for a great sandwich at the Dillweed B&B.
On our way through Somerset, we passed the Flight 93 National Memorial honoring the 40 heroic passengers and crew aboard Flight 93 that crashed on September 11, 2001. In town, American flags were posted everywhere.
Avoiding big cities, we drove south to Meyersdale and cycled 12 miles along the Great Allegheny Passage through the Big Savage Tunnel and back to the historic depot. So much history — and perfect cycling conditions with temperatures staying around the mid-70s to low-80s under the shade trees along the trails.
Deciding to start back home, we drove to southwest Virginia to the New River Trail State Park, a 57-mile linear park that follows an abandoned railroad.
We cycled from Foster Falls along the river for 15 miles and then stayed the night in Fries at the historic Washington Inn where we had a wonderful dinner at the steakhouse and met a local couple who invited us to their 1920s home on the hill.
Fries is a classic Appalachian early 1900s company town that was founded by a North Carolina textile magnate and banker who saw the potential of the river rapids for a hydroelectric dam. The Washington Mills Company owned the land, the cotton mill, the 39-foot dam, and the 300 worker houses built on the hillside. The railroad was used to transport raw cotton in and finished fabrics out of town. Now that railway corridor is the New River Trail, enjoyed by more than one million visitors hiking and biking each year. It certainly was our favorite of all the river trails we experienced this year.
In Tennessee we found the Maryville-Alcoa Greenway with lots of shade, a few tunnels, and some short hills.
Crossing over in Georgia, we stopped in Newnan, a small town with a wonderful 12-foot-wide paved path and linear park named the LINC Trail, and in Eufaula, Alabama, the Yoholo Micco Trail took us through a beautiful park, shaded areas along a river, and up and down neighborhoods to the Old Creek Town Recreation Area on the Chattahoochee River, separating Alabama from Georgia.
Back home in Florida, we stopped in Apalachicola to cycle around town and enjoy good food and accommodations.
During our trip, it never felt like we were rushing. We woke up each morning, put on our cycling clothes, drove several hours to a new town, and then cycled between 10 and 40 miles.
We learned a lot about Philadelphia — the historic birthplace of American independence, the wartime capital during the American Revolution, and the temporary national capital for 10 years while Washington, D.C., was being built.
Driving on backroads throughout Pennsylvania, we experienced the many, many hills with their lush green forests, tall trees, and healthy corn fields. We learned about the early Dutch inhabitants, the Amish and the Mennonites, and how the Pennsylvanians take pride in their history, preserving their historic sites, and celebrating our country’s 250th anniversary with flags proudly displayed throughout the small towns and neighborhoods.
It was just fortuitous that we chose Pennsylvania during our 250th year, but it turned out to be one of our most enjoyable trips in the United States. We should all take pride, as they do there, in celebrating this wonderful country of ours, and fly our flags throughout the year(s).
