Post RAGBRAI Day 6 - Austintown, OH to West Newton, PA

Howdy from West Newton, Pennsylvania!



I'm 20 miles down the Great Allegheny Passage Rail Trail, where my "Bed and Breakfast" is 500 yards away, and the wifi is conveniently located at the Trailside Pub.



Where it's Hurricane Night. I AM SO HAPPY.

This B&B thing could be weird. It's $85. That would be a lot, except the alternatives are primitive camping (the "shower" is called the Youghiogheny River.) or climbing a bunch of hills for a motel off the exit for 79. So I called the B&B place number this morning, and I woke up this woman who said something like "I'll leave the door unlocked and your invoice taped to your door. I'll leave some food in the kitchen for breakfast." OK. Well then. I'm supposed to go up to an empty house and make myself at home.

The ride today was pretty great. The weather was perfect, temperatures in the 70s, partly cloudy, frequent tailwinds. At my first stop of the day I ran into a nice couple out for a ride on their new trikes. I think this is in New Palestine, OH.



It was very near the Pennsylvania line.



It's not exactly what you would call flat getting to Pittsburgh. I decided to follow the river as much as possible, but there was still a lot of climbing to get to the river. Here is my first view of the Mighty Ohio at Beaver, PA.



I got to ride on Big Beaver Road today. Hehhehhehhehheh.

20 miles of heavy industry, trains, mills, and no shoulder, there is Pittsburgh under the railroad bridge.



Pittsburgh is quite an experience to ride through. Everything is severely constrained by the geography, and roads are a lower priority than trains and factories. I spent a lot of time riding against a stone wall in the right lane of two lanes of 55 mph traffic.

Here is mass transit in Pittsburgh. It's one of the inclines. I'm not holding the camera crooked.


Pittsburgh just screams "industry". There are bridges over bridges. There are railroad bridges and freeway bridges, and there are no flat roads anywhere.



I think the Gorilla Lawyer looks just like Jim. McA. wearing a suit.



This is the start of the Great Allegheny Passage trail in McKeesport, PA. There are still bridges and bridges. The GAP is a rail trail along the old Western Maryland right of way.



The visitors' center here in West Newton is a preserved train station, and a decaying heavyweight baggage car.



The rail trail is very relaxing. It's not paved, but the surface is crushed stone which is smoother than most of the roads in Pittsburgh. I am very much looking forward to tomorrow.

Here is the track for today.