Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
There have been many beautiful plants I have seen along the GAP trail but along one section in particular there was a surfeit of one of the most deadly ones: Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum.) It is a beautiful plant but extremely deadly as even the smallest amount can kill a person. It is the plant […]
As we were nearing the Eastern Continental Divide, we spotted what we believed would be a rare sighting: a turtle by the road. Upon closer examination we discovered that it was a big snapping turtle. We thought that like the proverbial chicken trying to cross the road, that the turtle was misguided. It had a […]
About an hour after we left the Hanna House B&B we saw the first cyclists on the road coming toward us. After a salutary greeting, a ruffled grouse bolted from the side of the road and stopped in front of my bike. I slammed on the brakes and the grouse did nothing but hold its […]
When you sleep in a new place, there is always something to get used to: a different path to the bathroom in the middle of the night, where to put your dirty clothing or how to adjust the pillow so you can sleep well. Last night, all of those things were easy to figure out […]
Like the day before, the air was brisk and we were ready to hit the trail. Unlike yesterday it was easy leaving as we coasted downhill adroitly avoiding a trio of turkey vultures feasting on road kill. Turning onto the trail, we were greeted by a brown rabbit, who appeared much more friendly than the […]
It only seemed appropriate that while we were experiencing the loveliness of southern Pennsylvania that we should visit one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpieces: Fallingwater. This weekend retreat for the Kaufmanns, a wealthy Pittsburgh family who owned a department store, is a perfect reflection of the area that we are peddling through as it uses […]
While the Yough is a beautiful recreational river, the area surrounding it has a dirtier past. We were reminded of this yesterday in little ways that took a while to sink in. For instance, we would be peddling on the GAP and all of a sudden hit a clearing of houses near the river or […]
Unlike the Monongahela, the Youghiogheny (or Yough, sounding like ‘Yawk,’), is not a river of industry. It is a river of pleasure. Boating, fishing, swimming and nature watching are a stark contrast to the upstream rivers of the open hearth. On the old beds of the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie (PL&E) Railroad, this part of […]
The first day on the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) was a travel in contrasts. It started in a reborn great city and ended in a tiny village where we had a wonderful meal.After a simple breakfast at our hotel, we loaded up our bikes, hoping that we didn’t pack too much and headed off to […]
What is wonderful about Pittsburgh today is that its lovely rebirth matches the nostalgic remembrances of my youth. The dirty memories of a young man introducing his bride to his Quaker State relatives are gone replaced by music, art and cleanliness. After seeing my Aunt Dorothy, my cousins Bill and Carol took Ted and I […]