On The Road Again – Part 2

May 30, 2025

Bicycle Adventures Around PA

After months of anticipation, I finally arrived in Pennsylvania—ready for another round of bike rides, family visits, and a few unexpected detours. First on the agenda: delivering my baby brother Billy’s long-awaited e-bike.

Mt. Gretna Rail Trail

The day after I arrived, I drove to Palmyra to hand off Billy’s new ride. He adjusted the seat, added a bottle cage and reflectors, and we were off to the nearby Mt. Gretna Rail Trail. The path was mostly packed dirt with a sprinkle of gravel, but our fat-tire e-bikes handled it like champs. Billy immediately declared it a massive upgrade from the cheap mountain bike I’d gotten him during COVID. We cruised through 10.5 miles—not bad for someone who hadn’t been on a bike in months.

Lehigh Valley GranFondo

Two days later, I was signed up for the Lehigh Valley GranFondo in Allentown. To avoid a pre-dawn two-hour drive, I stayed at a local hotel the night before. Smart move—except the weather had other plans.

Ride day greeted me with steady rain. As we lined up at the start, a confetti cannon fired off red and black paper bits that quickly turned into soggy clumps sticking to my bike, my clothes, and the road. Four miles in, I hit a steep hill and realized I wasn’t having fun. Between the miserable weather and a brewing head cold, I turned around and headed back. If the skies had been clear, it might’ve been a beautiful ride—but I’m too old to push through something that doesn’t bring me joy.

Northwest Lancaster River Trail

On Monday, June 2nd, Billy was too sick to ride, so I recruited my nephew Ryan. We drove to the Northwest Lancaster River Trail and rode southeast on an out-and-back route totaling 20.5 miles. Despite not having ridden in years, Ryan kept pace and showed impressive bike etiquette—ringing his bell and calling out when passing walkers like a seasoned pro.

The trail was gorgeous, even with two downed trees from a recent storm. The first was easy to navigate around, but the second was a beast. We had to lift our bikes over it while I shimmied across the log like a determined squirrel. Near the end of the ride, a groundhog popped out onto the trail before vanishing into the brush.

Afterward, Ryan packed up and made plans to spend the rest of the week with me and his grandfather. Meanwhile, my head cold was getting worse—sneezing, coughing, and allergy meds doing absolutely nothing.

Eshenour Trail

On Tuesday, July 3rd, Ryan and I headed back to Palmyra to ride the Eshenour Trail, just a couple miles from his house. The route was a mix of paved roads, highways, and rough trails. I was nervous about riding in traffic, but pleasantly surprised by how courteous the local drivers were—despite my brother’s warnings.

We passed one of the former Hershey homes for orphaned boys. Back in the 1960s, the Hershey Foundation operated a dozen or so of these dairy farm-based homes. My maternal grandparents lived in an attached apartment and worked on several of them—my grandmother handling cleaning, laundry, and cooking, while my grandfather supervised the farm. The boys had chores like milking cows before and after school. This particular farm held special memories for me; I spent several summers there. Now, it’s a real estate office, and the apartment where my grandparents lived houses a small library.

It was a scorcher that day, and we both ended up sun-kissed and sweaty.

Capital Area Greenbelt

On Thursday, July 5th, Ryan and I loaded up the bikes and drove to Harrisburg to ride the Capital Area Greenbelt, starting at Fort Hunter. The first few miles were smooth and paved, but then came the highway crossing, a sidewalk stretch, and a bike lane over the bridge. On the other side, we turned into a nature park with trails that alternated between paved rollers, packed dirt, and boardwalks over marshland. It included a lot of art installations along the trail.

As always, I rang my bell and called out “To your left!” when passing. But in Pennsylvania, that seemed to confuse people. At the park, one couple actually thanked me and said I was the first person who’d ever called out while passing. What? Do PA cyclists not know basic trail etiquette?

Wildlife sightings made up for it: two white egrets, a heron, and even a beaver.

After the park, we followed signs through neighborhood streets, crossed another highway (this time without a traffic light), and rejoined the paved trail along the river. The crossing was nerve-wracking—no flashing lights, just a sign asking drivers to be aware. A crossing button would’ve made a world of difference.

The river trail was beautiful but bumpy, clearly in need of some TLC. Most of it ran between Front Street and the river, but at one point we dipped down to a wide, smooth path right along the water. Ducks and a juvenile heron kept us company. I even saw another beaver!

Our turnaround point was City Island. Though it’s been around since I was a kid, I’d never actually set foot on it. Once a hotspot for concerts, it now hosts a minor league baseball field. At last, I can say I’ve been there.