Father/Daughter Pennsylvania and Maryland Easy Rider Tour
I was looking for a good but easy multi-day bike tour to introduce my 22 year old daughter to the delights of long-distance cycling. I rode the entire Great Allegheny Passage during the Rails to Trails 2013 Sojourn and loved the beauty, the camaraderie, and the ride itself. But I thought that a bit much this time and wanted to relax at hotels rather than camp, as on the Sojourn. This ride is a great way to experience a bit of the spectacularly gorgeous GAP and to get a good night’s sleep each night. Plus, the tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater is a real highlight.
The first night, we stayed at Wilderness Voyageurs own Trillium Lodge in Ohiopyle, a fully equipped mountain inn with a basement game room, two flat screen TVs, a full kitchen and dining room, wonderful views of the Alleghenies and spaciously comfortable bedrooms. The second night we stayed at the Marriott in Cumberland. Great room and they let you bring your bikes to the room. My favorite part of the ride is the fast downhill run from the Eastern Continental Divide, past the Mason/Dixon Line, through 3 mountain railroad tunnels and on into Cumberland.
Our guides, Kathy and Richard were great trail guides, skilled chefs and wrap makers and wonderful companions. I had a persistently sore butt and one of them rode with me at all times.. They chose a great restaurant for our farewell dinner in Cumberland. Our merry band of 11 cyclists from widely different locales hit it off immediately. The three days flew by. This was my third Wilderness Voyageurs adventure and I’ll be joining them again soon. Hopefully, without a sore butt.
Rating: Excellent *****
Sheldon Laskin
Baltimore, Maryland
This was Sheldon’s third adventure with us. He was toured on the Gettysburg & Civil War Bike Tour, The Great Allegheny Passage Bike Tour, and The PA & MD Easy Rider Bike Tour.