Monday, November 23, 2015

C&O Canal 3-day Trip via Amtrak in mid-November



Amtrak is finally allowing bicycles to be transported on the Capitol Limited train, so I rode up to Cumberland with one other person, and two were coming down from Pittsburgh on the Gap Trail to meet us. Here is what the bike accommodations are on the Amtrak.


Bart, Mike and Dave in Cumberland ready to ride. 

This is actually from a training ride we did before the C&O trip.  We are coming over White's Ferry from Leesburg to Maryland

The new trail along the "Big Slackwater" area of the canal. There used to be a big detour around this area but the construction on the trail is now completed. 

Where we stayed in Harpers Ferry - a member of the Tuesday hiker club that let us stay at his place. 

Bart and I took the ferry into Leesburg to take the bike trail home instead of staying on the C&O Canal into Georgetown. 

Goodbye Dave - have a nice ride back into Georgetown. 



Philadelphia in November in a Yurt




We went to Philadelphia to attend the Philly Bike Expo. Sherry's idea, of course. After a quick drive up I-95 and some negotiating for a parking space in Chinatown, we were in the Expo. Lots of bikes, bike stuff and bike nerds. When we were full to the top with bike stuff, we went to find our yurt in the western suburbs. 
Not quite what we had expected based on the Airbnb profile, but it was cheap. 


Wood stove not really hooked up, wind drifting in from the open hole in the roof. Absolut Mongolia. Fortunately, it was a nice warm night for November and the bed was plenty comfortable. 

Mike in the yurt.

Yurt door and a good view of the construction details. 

The outhouse

The hammock needs some work. 

Next stop, the Mutter Museum, to see a lot of creepy body parts and anatomy stuff. Kind of like the Walter Reed museum in DC. 

The "Soap Lady" at the Mutter. 

Next stop, Philadelphia's "Magic Gardens" at http://www.phillymagicgardens.org/ 

One earthquake away from a total collapse. 

The artist is in. 


Mike studies the atrium.




Sherry, blending in with the mosaic mural.