Oil Creek Trail

     After a steady rain last night which put out our camp fire but not before the chicken breast was cooked, and a relaxing evening in camp we woke to drive the short distance to the Oil Creek Trail.  Everything was wet and a little slick in places but that just adds to the fun factor when riding a trike.  Nicely shaded some curves and slight ups and downs, mostly down on the way back which is the way I prefer but the trail is only @ 10 miles anyway.  It pretty much follows Oil Creek crossing a bridge or two and ends up at the Drake Well that started the petroleum boom.  Along the way there were many wild flowers and some delicious thimble berries.  It was hard to just ride and not stop to pick and eat which we had to finally say ride on, don't look.  Now in Oil City at "Spilling the Beans" coffee shop since there is no wi fi or cell service at the camp ground.  Tomorrow is laundry and farmers market day in Franklin so we wont be on the bikes. Maybe a bit of mt. biking on the trails in the park.  They were just groomed for a race last week so sounds like fun to me. Just noticed Aug. 27th on placard and that is the day we were there. 

Back to Pa.

     After lots of thoughts of where to go next we dicided to stick with the original plan and head for all the trails in Northern Pa, the Oil City, Allegheny River Valley, and Sandy Creek, pronounced "crik" here in Pa.  As happens every year, leaving Bass Lake CG and yellow Springs area and all the familiar trails around there is a little melancholy, but we're ready to move on down the road. Got a good early start for Two Mile Run County Park in Franklin Pa. but was delayed by a tire blowout on our Airstream.  Road construction had us running down what was once the shoulder or breakdown lane where the right front tire must have picked up something which cut it and caused a delaminating of the outer casing which started flapping against the side of the trailer.  Glad I caught it in time before it tore anything up.  Pulled off to the side to change the tire, dropped and installed the spare as a Ohio State Trooper, Chris Dunn stopped to offer assistance with lights flashing to aid in our safety on the side of I-71.  Of course the spare was low in air so a bicycle pump was employed along with Officer Dunn's, Cindy's, and myself arm power managed to get the tire at 60 lbs. to gets us down the road to Wally World to purchase a new Chinese tire.  Akron Oh. used to be a tire manufacturing area but now everything has been out sourced to China.  I bought a lug wrench back when I bought my first car and still have it and used it to chance the trailer tire.  Bought it a K Mart when such things could be had made in USA.   You can really reef on this wrench without it bending.
     After a bumpy ride getting to 2 Mile County Park CG we got a spacious site in the woods with full hook ups in a very nice park about 8 miles from the Allegheny Valley Trail System which encompasses 3 interconnected trails, all paved except for some short sections where connected.  From Sandy Creek to Allegheny there is a pair of 65 stairs to carry a bike down or up.  These are some of the most scenic trails we've ever ridden.  It's a shame there isn't a campground on one of these trails so we didn't have to drive the 8 miles or more as yesterday to get to Foxbourg to ride the South end of the Allegheny.  There was 2 tunnels on this section of trail which required lights to see since the tunnels curve and it's pitch black for about 1/2 mile.  Also many sections to get off the trail and play in the river which we did and little Luna loves to play in the water. Today we do the Northern section of the Allegheny and tomorrow the Oil City.

Still in O HI O

   Still in Ohio and no reason to leave with the nice cool weather and all the trails to ride.   Bass Lake Camp Ground is our base and so far we've ridden the Little Miami, and the Great Miami trails, today a 40 miler to Xenia and back, yesterday ride to Yellow Springs then a hike with Luna in Glen Helen to the actual Yellow Spring the village is named for. Only had my phone and it took a lousy picture of the spring.  The day before we rode to Tipp City once Tippicanoe  had meatloaf and mashed taters at Sam and Gladys restaurant then went on to Troy.  Tomorrow is laundry day so a short ride in the afternoon to Yellow Springs and their new brewery which as is in the process of putting on a deck trail side.  Yes their beer is good, very good so guess where I'm going.  Since wi fi is sketchy and ATT phone service sucks I've had to pick my times to post, and being I have no smart phone the camera on mine is only so so, which means there is not going to be any instant uploads to facebook.  But here's a few pics anyway if they'll go.  Till later or something exciting happens, ta ta for now, or is that ttfn.
First pic is Troy courthouse from the Great Miami trail, 2nd is Huffman Dam trail switch backs, 3rd Luna's friend Fancy.

Back to Ohio

     After a fun filled family reunion on both our parts, apart, Cindy in KS and I in PA, and my family camp out at Punderson Lake State park, Ohio where we rode the Maple Highlands trail, went through a torrential rain storm Friday night.  The rain was especially intense for those in tents! I've always wanted to find a way to say that, as the next morning there were a lot of sleeping bags and such laid out to dry.  One positive thing about the rain was it chased the noisy idiots ( not members of our group) who camped in the site next to ours, away.  They seemed hell bent on trying to make as much of a disturbance as possible in the few hours they were there, by yelling, cussing, and making all manner of noise without any regard for anyone else.  The rain fell so hard which later when in bed drowned out they're antics and finally drove them from the park.
     Now we're hooked up in Berlin, Ohio in conjunction with Millersburg deemed the largest Amish community in the country.  Horse and buggies everywhere, beautifully maintained farms, lots of shopping for Amish goods, great cheese and meats and wood worked products.  The Holmes County trail is here so we rode the 17 mile stretch of it from end to end. Very nicely paved and wider than most to accommodate buggies and bikes through verdant farm and forest.  Of course we had to go sample some of the cheese and scrumptious home cooked vittles not to mention a delicious peach pie with whipped cream to die for.  We'll just have ride extra hard the next few days to make up for our indulgence.
     Tomorrow we head for the Kokosing trail starting in Mount Vernon.  A guy we saw in Troy last year recommended it highly.