A car whipped past, the driver eating and a passenger clicking a camera. Moving without going anywhere, taking a trip instead of making one. I laughed at the absurdity of the photographs and then realized I, too, was rolling effortlessly along, turning the windshield into a movie screen in which I, the viewer, did the moving while the subject held still. That was the temptation of the American highway, of the American vacation (from the Latin vacare, "to be empty"). -- William Least Heat Moon
Over the last week my dad and I pulled a small UHaul trailer with his truck out to Connecticut to bring all of my worldly possessions back to Michigan for temporary storage. Most of our route was different than the one I biked, but the change in perspective was still quite interesting.
Since I went car-free over two years ago, my automobile riding experiences have been limited. This road trip packed in nearly 2000 miles in just a few days, yet gave me time to reflect on why I now prefer bicycle travel.
- The obvious: it's cheap! No plates, no license, no insurance, no gasoline and no costly repairs.
- The back roads and bicycle trails have very few billboards.
- A tangible experience! Although some days you may get wet and cold or really hot on a bicycle, it helps you appreciate a beautiful sunny day with a cool breeze. You are actually part of the world around you, not sealed inside a pod.
- Many people are very friendly and sociable toward the bicycle traveler. I've never seen anyone approach a motorist to ask them about their destination and route merely out of curiosity.
- It's very easy to stop and see the sights. No need to worry about parking or room to turn around.
- See more wildlife and cause less roadkill.
- Exercise is a by-product.
Regardless of my preference, we had a pretty decent trip and explored some of scenic, rural Pennsylvania.
After a long day of Michigan freeways and Ohio turnpikes we spent our first night on the road just a few miles over the PA border in Pymatuning State Park which surrounds a reservoir of the same name. We enjoyed a campsite on the southern shore, watching an active fish population jumping out of the water to catch insects. An equally active population of fishermen arrived and departed from a nearby boat launch. The lights in the campground's fish cleaning hut were kept on all night long.
The next morning we traveled two-lane roads winding along the Allegheny River and through the Allegheny National Forest. We passed through many small towns still proud of their historic downtowns and courthouses.
In the early afternoon we reached the poorly signed turn-off for Colton Point State Park and made our way up the winding ascent to the overlook of the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania." The narrow park roads had us in a bit of a pinch with a lack of space to turn the trailer around, but eventually we made our way back to the main road.
The last leg of the day was a challenging drive on a shoulderless rural road leading to our camping destination. The route reminded me of a mountain stage you might see at the Tour de France. The steep terrain eventually gave us some frightening brake trouble which, at one point, delivered a foul smelling smoke from underneath the vehicle. Afraid of being stranded or worse, we drove the few remaining miles at bicycle-speed to the forebodingly named Worlds End State Park. Nevertheless, leaving our mechanical troubles for the morning, we enjoyed our walk-in campsite nestled at the base of a rocky cliffside and a hike along the nearby Loyalsock Creek.
Bright and early we limped the truck 35 miles to the Chevy dealership in Towanda to get a new master cylinder. A few hours later we were cruising down the highway toward Connecticut. We stayed in a motel in Danbury that night, and on Friday we made a day out of seeing friends and loading up my stuff in New Haven. Saturday was an entire day devoted to the freeway, finishing the road trip.
Later this week I will resume my bicycle journey. Stay tuned.
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Location:E 20 Rd,Manton,United States
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