May 26, 2017
Day 29: Manheim, PA to St. Peters Village, PA
After a comfortable and relaxing two night stay at the Tea Kettle Inn, we said goodbye to Patty, Kevin and Patty's dad, Bob, and headed east. Just outside Manheim, we met the first touring cyclist we've encountered on this trip. Pixie left Key West April 10 and is only a few days away from her destination in Connecticut. She is so ready to get home that she even rode in yesterday's rain. When we stopped to talk, she said "I know who you are!" She had stayed at the Peach Bottom Inn in Delta just after we were there and they told her about us.
The first half of today's ride was through scenic rolling farmland. We only saw a couple of Amish buggies, but there were many Mennonite farms.
Seeing a "Detour Ahead" sign is always concerning when we're riding. It would be wonderful if they all led to this - the road was closed on the left and our route turned right. YES!
We had lunch at a local diner in Bowmansville - OK, but nothing special - and then had 20 miles of steeper hills and less scenic views. Among the less scenic things we passed after lunch was the Maple Grove Raceway. It was LOUD!
Just before we got to St. Peters Village, we stopped at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. I thought we had been here before, but we hadn't. It's the preserved remains of an 1800's iron forge and the surrounding community.
We are spending the night at the Inn in St. Peters Village. The village was built in the early 1800's and was the site of iron mines and a "black granite" quarry. The area evolved into a recreational area and this inn was built in 1881. The village has been restored and is very pretty. The main street runs along French Creek which we can see from our window on the third floor.
We are headed to Horsham, PA tomorrow and plan to stop at the Valley Forge National Historic Park along the way.
Today's ride: 49 miles (79 km)
Total: 1,356 miles (2,182 km)
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