Day 65 - Ohiopyle to Rockwood PA + side trip to Fallingwater

Saturday April 27, Biked 37 miles. Total mileage by end of day: 3815.

Cool in the morning but sunny all day.

At breakfast I met Tom and Donna from Cumberland MD. They were enjoying their wedding anniversary and are also bicyclists.

Then I decided to add a steep hill climb and hop over to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house.

Here I am at the entrance to the visitors center at Fallingwater.

This group of ladies were amazed at how far I've come and support saving our world and oceans for our kids.

While the cafe at Fallingwater featured local foods and was served on real plates, I was a bit disappointed that they offered bottled water and straws. Also they don't have very good parking for bicycle tourists -- just a tiny exposed bike rack -- they cater mainly to motorists.

f

Nonetheless, the salad and carrot soup were excellent.

I talked with Jeong and her son about bicycling, zero waste, and climate change. Her husband used to be a serious cyclist but does not ride that much anymore. She was very interested in the Backroads bike trips my family took in Europe.

AJ left the corporate world to do ceramics. He was extremely supportive of going zero waste, reducing plastic pollution, and reducing fossil fuel use. He and his wife have been practicing a minimalist lifestyle.

Had a good talk with Zack and Kelsey as well.

Here is a map of the Fallingwaters site.

Our tour guide Lynn lead us down to the house from the visitors center.

The house is cantilevered over some waterfalls. Here you is a stairway where the owners could dangle their feet in the water below their house.

This is a view upstream from the bridge to the house. Picture taking was not allowed from this point onward during the tour.

The house, furniture, and grounds were stunning and the house was just so cool in how it integrated with the surrounding hill side, boulders, and waterfalls. It is very much worth seeing if you are in this area of Pennsylvania. 

Here is me in the classic view of the house from a vista point.

And the house just by itself. Simply amazing.

After that I biked back over the small mountain to get back to the Great Allegheny Passage trail in Ohiopyle.

Here are many pictures of the trail as well as a few of the dozens of waterfalls along it and some other views.

Met Adam a fellow Surly owner chilling on a bench.

More trail and flower pictures,

A very long bride lead to the...

...Pinkerton tunnel.

And over another long bridge on the other side.

Getting close to Rockwood, PA

And then I arrived!

I really like these bike repair stands.

Cool bicycle & train sculpture.

And a cool bike shop as well.

I had dinner at the Rockwood Mill Shops.

I was very hungry so ate a bowl of chili, BLT, chocolate ice cream, chicken pot pie, and some pizza.

For the night I'm staying at The Hostel on Main Street in Rockwood. It can hold about 30 people but I'm the only one here at the moment because it is early in the season.