On the road again

Another weekend and another road trip. This time was purely for the pleasure of getting away and visiting friends and family in the greater area surrounding our nation's capital. And while there was no racing to be had, despite the temptation of a 'cross race in Buckeystown, MD, there was some riding.

I departed Friday morning, in the rain. By the time I arrived in the Allentown, PA area, I'd moved out of the showers. I grabbed a sub from a local store and made my way to stop #1, the velodrome in Trexlertown. After discovering the weekend before that the track was open for public use it became a definite stop on this trip, provided the weather would hold out. The threat of rain remained but it seemed as though it might hold off for a while. Initially I thought the gates were closed and almost left in complete disappointment, but thankfully my curiosity got the better of me. I back up the car and went looking around the gates. Low and behold the lock was not secured on the main gate despite the appearance from afar, and the athlete entrance was wide open. I scurried back to my car in the parking lot, grabbed my bike and clothes, changed in the locker room and headed out to the track. After riding 100 laps (+/-1 lap count error) in an hour of the 333 meter track, I showered and got back on the road.

The next stop was Gettysburg. South of town, in the monument laden battlefield I pulled over and got out for a much needed stretch. I walked around and investigated some of the information plaques and monuments. After the brief respite and gaining further interest in spending a day or two in Gettysburg to really take in the history, it was back on the road to Germantown, Maryland.

Here I arrived at the lovely home of my good friends Derek and Jess. We spent the evening dining and catching up. Saturday Derek and I met with my sister for brunch and then after returning for Jess we all went to an Octoberfest in Frederick. The celebration of German culture was small and entertaining, but a bit less exciting than any of us had anticipated. Certainly, the best part was the food and beer. Saturday evening began with some neighbors joining us for dinner with plans to watch the Penn State vs. Illinois football game. Dinner was great (thanks Jess), but ABC decided our region should be watching the Virginia Tech vs. Nebraska game. Thus the party thinned to Derek, Jess and myself staying awake enough to catch score updates.

Sunday came too soon and it was time to head for Connecticut. I planned to follow a similar path back through Amish country, but with a small detour into Philadelphia for a brief dinner visit with my friend Sarah and her boyfriend, Matt. I can say that I now have a baseline from which to compare all other "Philly" cheese steaks. It is quite a standard to live up to. The stop was far too short, but I had to get back on the road if I hoped to return to Connecticut before the wee hours of the morning, so I exited the Philly area amidst more rain to finish out my trip, just as I'd started it.