Goodbye Pennsylvania

I woke up at my usual time of 5:00 or so. I looked at the map on my phone to see about the day’s ride. I then fell back asleep until almost 8 am! The sun was up and it was already getting hot. I probably needed the sleep but I wasn’t happy about missing the cooler morning hours. Even with the extra sleep I wasn’t very energetic and I wasn’t on the road until 10 am. By 11 it was 91 degrees. I hadn’t ate yet and kept an eye out for a shady spot to sit down and make some lunch. Finally I saw a train tunnel and headed into it for a break. I ate peanut butter wraps while listening intently for any approaching trains. I wasn’t in any danger but I doubt it would of been enjoyable to share the tunnel with one.

After my short lunch break I headed back out into the heat. At a Sheetz store I filled my water bottles and bought coffee. They had Black Rifle espresso which is my favorite so I bought 2 cans. I drank one then and packed the other one for later. Leaving the store a lady said “are you crazy? Its too hot to be biking today especially being overweight and with all those silly bags tied on”. She really didn’t seem friendly and I was a bit annoyed she called my Ortlieb panniers silly. Also I really wanted to point out that they have a state of the art latching mechanism and where not tied on at all. Instead I pointed to an empty, fenced off car park and said no, no, no I’m not the crazy one its all those people in there that are crazy, She hustled into the store after that and I rode on down the road chuckling to myself.

After passing through the city of Erie, the factories, shipyards and yacht clubs gave way to farms, orchards and vineyards. The grapes are mostly concord and are grown for Smuckers jelly. The lake moderates the temperature, adding 20 some days to the growing season. In the fall the first frost is not until November usually. In the spring the lake also helps by keeping the temperature a little cooler so trees and vegetables don’t bud out too soon and then get hurt by a late frost. The grapes for Smuckers have to be a certain percent sugar. If they do not make it then they are sold for wine making.

I found a unopened can of Pringles right before the NY line.

I was hardly in Pa 24 hours! Now im in New York. This is my 5th state I think.

I am at a Warmshowers host again tonight. This time I’m inside and have a whole basement to myself! Bedroom bathroom and living room. There’s even a freezer with ice cream. For dinner we had fish, greenbeans, peaches and fresh bread with several kinds of cheese. It was all real good!

I have been using Warmshowers because finding places to stealth camp along areas that are this populated is pretty hard. Its a lot easier to camp beside a cornfield or in a cow pasture then on someone’s lakefront property. As soon as I’m on bike paths or out in the country I will be camping more often.

So on Aug,16 I was $110 over my budget. Today is the 26th. I spent 16 dollars today at a Mexican restaurant. I got enchiladas. I was really hungry and I could smell the place before i saw it. If my math is correct even with today’s splurge I’m only 26 dollars from being on my budget. I do need to resupply really soon. All these super kind people are really helping with the budget and for that I am very greatful!!