ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

For me, there is a novelty in exploring places far from home.  Just the thought of..."Hey!  I'm riding my bike in Florida!" is really cool.   I've never, in my life, been to St. Augustine, Florida .   I've seen signs for it on I-95 the few times I've driven though the "Sunshine State."  Just the nerdy fact that it is the oldest permanent European settlement in North America made me want to go there.    Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement in North America.   This year, the city is celebrating it's 450th birthday -- November 29, 2015 Each year, my wonderful wife, Robin, and I take a trip someplace warm when the temperatures in Pennsylvania begin to plummet.    The last two years we flew out West...spent some time in Pheonix and Sedona.  This year we decided to drive to West Palm Beach in Florida...and a stop in St. Augustine to site see and visit a friend of Robin's from grad school was...

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  As a child, I remember the smells coming out of my mother's kitchen and my father carving the turkey.   My wife and I prepare the meal now.    I look forward to it every year.    We've begun a tradition of having our family Thanksgiving meal the day after Thanksgiving.   Might sound weird, but this way we don't have to schedule around other family's meals which allows everyone to come here for a large gathering of both family and friends.    My father carving the Thanksgiving turkey.  I am on the far left.  My younger brother, Jake, is to the right of me.  -- 1978 All that being said....Thanksgiving day is extremely relaxing for me.  I slept in until 7 this morning...had breakfast and coffee with my wife and my son...and then headed to Rocky Ridge for a quick mountain bike ride with my neighbor across the street, Brent.  The rest of the day will be consu...

Last year, the week of Thanksgiving, south central Pennsylvania got it's first significant snowfall.   Once that happens, it puts a serious damper on any road cycling.   It's not just the snow that keeps me off of my bike.  When Penn DOT is through clearing the roads they are covered with gravel, cinders, and salt...which make for treacherous riding and unhappy drive trains.    One of the many stone, one-lane bridges you will find in York County -- November 22, 2015 All the more reason for me to enjoy the weather so far this year.    No snow yet...and according to the local weather guys ...none in the near future.  With the outside temperatures holding steady at 40 degrees, I pulled on the amazing GORE jacket that my wife bought me four years ago, and down the driveway I went.  There was a time when I thought that every road ride had to be "epic."  Every ride had to take me somewhere far from home.   Today, without going any ...

Tim and I have been mountain biking together for over fifteen years.  When we began, the only place that we knew to ride was Rocky Ridge and the Lakes .   It wasn't until we began riding with Mark Lentz in 2006 that my mountain bike world was really opened up.  In the beginning, It was just Tim and I.  No special gear, unimpressive bikes, and we definitely did not wear proper cycling clothes.  Heck...I would often ride in blue jeans.  There was even a time, back in those days, when we wondered if we would still be riding when we were 35.  Now, well into our 40s, our circle of biking friends has expanded, the list of places where we can ride has grown significantly longer, and Tim and I are still going strong. My 2011 Stumpjumper next to the entrance to the small & narrow tunnel that passes underneath Interstate 83 -- November 21, 2015 Today's ride at the Lakes was special, though.   On Monday, Tim is having neck surgery and will ...

William H. Kain (1912-1998) was a nationally known York County lawyer.    He is best remembered for his work as the president of the York County Water Company which supplies water to half a million people in South Central Pennsylvania.  In an effort to allow the use of  Water Company Reservoir lands for county park purposes an agreement was struck between the York County Parks and the York Water Company.  The result was the creation of William H. Kain County Park in 1977.  The park, consisting of two lakes, Lake Williams and Lake Redman, covers over 1600 acres and is enjoyed by nature lovers of all kind.   A beautiful day to be at Lake Kain County Park with Tim -- November 14, 2015 It was the perfect place for Tim and I to ride on a windy and cool November day.  Parking at the dam on South George Street, Tim and I headed towards the twisty trails that loop around the backwaters of Lake Redman.  The trails on this side of the la...

I got home from my ride today about a half an hour later than I expected.    I guess I'm not as fast, or as strong, as I use to be.  I haven't ridden the length of Bull Road for a while.  Today seemed like the perfect day to check it out.   It's a fun ride...and a beautiful ride...but getting to the far end of Bull Road is a round-about route.   A Pennsylvania Historical Marker stands at the entrance of Bull Road -- November 8, 2015 Pedaling out of the development today I headed to towards Route 74 and Dover, PA . It was a great day to be on the bike.   The sun shining, just a slight breeze, and the 50 degree temperatures felt amazing.  On a Sunday afternoon, the traffic on 74 wasn't too bad.    Six miles northwest of Dover, I made a right turn onto Rosstown Road and passed through Gifford Pinchot State Park .   Pinchot Lake from Rosstown Road -- November 8, 2015 Named after Governor Gifford Pinchot , the park is a ...

I will never complain about my work.  I'm one of those lucky souls whose job is also his hobby.   Everyday, for the past 21 years, I've had the cool responsibility of teaching history to 8th graders.   You should hear the comments I get from people when I tell them this.   "You must be a saint!"  "How do you put up with it?" "You must be insane!"  Actually, like I would tell my Grandma Rose, the kids today really are great to work with and I have a lot of fun doing it.  My days usually are fun...but they are ALWAYS full of energy.   Sometime, like today, my energy was zapped. The sun peaking through the clouds over the baseball field in Mount Wolf, PA -- November 6, 2015 One part of me wanted to just go home lay down in front of the TV.  The other part of me wanted to go out and enjoy the 70 degree November weather.   After all, I can't expect this warm streak to continue much longer.   So....after a little bit of a tug of w...

If someone would have told me that touring the town I live in on my bicycle would culminate in a fourteen mile bike ride I would never have believed it.   Manchester, Pennsylvania isn't that big of a town.   As a matter of fact, the town, with the exception of development and traffic, really isn't that different than it was over 150 years ago!   Manchester, Pennsylvania Founded 1740 -- November 3, 2015 Founded in 1740 by an heir of William Penn , John Nickey, and originally named Liverpool, the borough is small with only one main street.   The road through town served as an access to the cities of Harrisburg and York .   On June 28, 1863, during the American Civil War , the 17th Virginia Cavalry , on a mission to burn bridges, stopped in Liverpool (Manchester) and Mount Wolf to purchase shoes.  They paid with Confederate money.   After the Civil War the town's name was changed to Manchester.   By the early 1900s, the York Haven Street R...

Living in Manchester, Pennsylvania, any bike ride north will take you to, or near, the Susquehanna River .   Today's ride did just that.  The Susquehanna River flows south out of New York, through central Pennsylvania, and eventually into the Chesapeake Bay .   It is the boundary between York and Lancaster Counties.   York Haven, in northeastern York County, is located directly next to the river.   The first time I ever saw York Haven was in 1995.   Just after I was hired to teach at Northeastern Middle School I was taken on a tour of the school district by, then assistant superintendent, Dr. Fred Hainley.    York Haven, Pennsylvania -- October 31, 2015 I will admit that my first impressions of York Haven were not good.   To a twenty-one year old, the town seemed run down.  With only one main street running through the town...there definitely wasn't much going on.  Today's ride took me down that street.  My mind went...