GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE Day #1

packing....

Mandatory family pic before departure

We packed our bags (everything fits!), got on our bikes and said goodbye to Frank.  

We pedaled across the bridge, past the incredible skyline of Pittsburgh, found the fountain at the trail end and set off on the GAP trail.

Mile 0

We are on the trail

Pittsburgh--you had so much more to offer.  We want to see more!

What is the GAP trail?  This is a former railroad that was converted to a bike trail.  It runs 150 miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD. It is a traffic free—bike and pedestrian only trail.

We were excited to finally be on the trail.  Packing for the first day is always stressful.  The kids fell asleep.  We stopped at a trailside Costco for lunch and the pedaled by and over coke plants, steel yards and industry of an earlier era. 

Typical scenery for day 1

Unfortunately did not get a picture of the slot machine
or the pig in pearls that were in the room.

The clouds started to gather and we decided that we should instead of camping our first night in the rain—try to find a place to stay.  After a scheduling snafu we ended up in the quirkiest B&B in the “Elvis” room at the Youghshore Inn.  HILARIOUS.  The owner lent us her car and we went to dinner at a local italian spot were we met a group with a 4 year old who had “TRUMP” razored into the back of his hair.  

Pittsburgh to Little Boston around 26 miles. 

Roadside America

Seems like a good morning to visit the largest frying pan in Iowa--a 14 footer!  Thanks Roadside America for this quirky tip--wonder what is next...

2016 Honey Harvest Happy, sweet, sticky fall.

https://www.facebook.com/kotelman/videos/10153829091921767/

The 2016 honey harvest is complete. Thanks to a wonderful neighbor family who traded utilization of their honey extraction facility for some labor.  We harvested 220 lbs of honey from the property and learned a lot about bees and honey!

Hot Air Balloons and a Picnic in the Park

What an evening.  The kids loved watching the balloons at the park as we had a picnic.  What a fun event to watch--the balloon take off for a balloon race.

A Room Filled with 1,000 Balloons

This is what a room filled with 1,00 balloons looks like!  The kids were so excited to play and play in them and so disappointed when Sheri popped them a few days later to get her room back.

Coeur d’Alene Trail #2

We set off from our campsite near Caltado and hit the trail early!  As the kids did not sleep well, it was easy to get up at 5am. It is a beautiful day--with a chance of shower's later so we wanted to be where we could be sheltered in the afternoon.

Lily pads--feel like we are in a Monet painting.

As we got closer to Harrison, the wind picked up and the rain started.  We arrived just in time.  Kept stopping to get more pictures of the lily pads.  We found the vehicle and the bike shop.  Not sure yet about how we were going to shuttle to Plummer to finish this trail.  We were famished and decided to figure it out after breakfast.  We arrived just as the restaurant in town stopped serving breakfast and was switching to lunch--it was a bit traumatic for this breakfast loving crowd.    

After breakfast the rain had stopped and I took the kids to the park while Paul went to the bike shop to determine the best plan to complete the trail as we were advised to not leave the vehicle in Plummer.  Paul came back and said if we can leave in 5 minutes they can shuttle us across the lake and then we can bike back to Harrison.  We decided that even though that meant we would not bike all of the entire trail we would have biked all of the most scenic parts and we would be getting to take a BOAT shuttle--very exciting.

Arrival at Chatcolet

This is a fun ride--with all of the dips going down!
The kids screamed like it was a roller coaster and Nolan rode again!

Our tour of the Coeur d’Alene Trail is completed.  It was a great trip--we biked around 80 miles in all.  The kids did well and so did we!

Route of the Hiawatha and beginning our tour on the Coeur d’Alene Trail!

Route of the Hiawatha and beginning our tour on the Coeur d’Alene Trail!

We left early this morning and headed to MT to the ski resort and then to the trail—7.3 miles of riding through 10 tunnels and over 7 trestle bridges—it’s all a gentle downhill.  The first tunnel is 1.66 miles and completely dark.  You need headlamps and lights to see your way.  Water drips down on you and along the sides of the trail.  You see in the dim light the stalactites hanging down from the roof.  

Deer at the end of tunnel! 

The nominal fee to ride this trail is an incredible value.  So many families on the trail as it is downhill.

We LOVED it!

Took the bus back and rode through the long tunnel again back to our vehicle.  

Then we drove to the start of the Coeur d’Alene Trail at Mullan and left the vehicle there and biked back to Wallace (Paul biked back uphill to get the vehicle).

Here is a map of the trail we are setting off on!  Excited to see how this goes this is our test for a bigger bike trip later this fall--inspired by this list!

Claire's "dancing shoes" that she insists on wearing EVERY day.
Time for some new shoes!

Mommy's sunglasses

Rain, rain!  Really after experiencing no rain for months it starts raining the day we plan to leave on a long bike trip.

Paul shuttled the car to Harrison.  Just us and our bikes now.  The rain cleared up as we pedaled out of Wallace under the overpass.  We were off.  So exciting and a bit nervous we set out.  We arrived at a Farmer’s Market.  AMAZING Pecan Pie bars.  Laura got stung by a bee—but the stop was great. Then on to Kellogg and we began to learn more about the history of this area--it is a troubled mining history.  

Trailside stop

Playground!

We stopped at a playground where the kids played—they love playgrounds.

There was a war monument in Kellogg at the park that was striking.  What was striking was that there were all of these empty slots for those who had yet to lose their life in future conflicts—the future holds death to protect this land. 

There is a large downhill bike route on the ski hill…see all kinds of downhill bikers.  We went by on a pump track and Nolan was so excited. 

 Nolan pulled the kids for about 25 miles on the trail!  It is like having a Sherpa!  Love kids with strength and energy!

Trailside View

We camped near Caltado, ID at a improvised campground.  We did not know but this area and the trail is funded in part by a settlement due to the superfund site.  Yes, this is one of the largest superfund sites in the nation.  There are signs along the trail next to the water that tell you to use caution near the water and the shoreline because of the residual contamination. The story of environmental damage and the impact that it has had and continues to play is coming to us bit by bit.  A great portion of the economy of this region is now made up of clean-up efforts.

Lot's of hand washing and we are not letting the kids play next to the creek--which is a shame because this is a beautiful waterway.  At one time though the waters were not clear as they are not--they were milky white and the creek was sometimes referred to as "lead creek".  There are people on the water, in the water and the family at the campground said that all of her kids play in the stream--but it is not to be for us.

How can communities look at development that future generations do not pay the price for?   Something to ponder as we pedal by cordoned off areas filled with contaminants.

Idaho, Idaho

Staying in Wallace, ID for two nights.  We had lunch at the historic Red Light Garage then we set off for the Silver Valley Mine tour.  A local specialty is the huckleberry shake.  The mine tour was realistic and authentic.  The kids were very excited to ride in a trolley.  The trolley had smooth wooden seats—no seat belts or guard rails and drove us at a short distance at 40 mph up the highway to the mine.  The maybe should have been a hint—basic tour/safety items are not in place on this tour.

The tour was held in the actual mine by an actual miner.  He was a VERY enthusiastic guide who loved demonstrating the equipment used in the mine at full throttle.  He just would start up the equipment and as the tour did not provide ear plugs we got the full immersion experience of being a miner—in regards to ringing ears.  Claire liked it.  Nolan learned he never wants to be miner.

We cruised back at highway speeds to Wallace on the trolley and learned that the entire town was to have been eliminated by the interstate and the the town worked to get the town declared a national historic site—thus the interstate goes over the town. 

Under the interstate in Wallace, ID

We are camping at a place that was started by an Alaskan who has moved back to ID and also has a brewery onsite. Paul and Nolan got a tour.

It is awakening that a town known for all of the silver mined from it has so little to show for all of the resources that were taken. 

Crater Lake National Park

We drove through Crater Lake National Park--the west rim was closed due to fires.  We met many hikes were were not able to hike the Pacific Crest Trail due to the fire--so disappointing to have to skip one of the most scenic sections.  We drove the east rim and it was beautiful!  Paul and Nolan got into a snowball fight and we had a picnic next to Crater Lake!

Happy Birthday in Oregon!

After 1.5 months in California and driving almost end to end we left the state.  We drove through Sacramento and had a wonderful breakfast and played at a park with an amazing playground then we headed to Ashland, OR.  

Too much time together?

We celebrated Claire’s 4th BD a day early as Laura had work meetings most of the 2nd.  Luckily Claire is still too young to know :-/ Paul and Nolan snuck out and got some BD decoration the evening before and we decorated the room (the room with air-conditioning, bedding and mattresses!) with crepe paper and banners to surprise her.  We went to breakfast at the hotel with Claire taking her flowers that Paul got for her with her all day long.

Her new BD dress and flowers!

We are staying at this amazing retro hotel that has a wonderful breakfast and is on beautiful grounds.  We went to down and walked through Lithia Park.  

Paul and Nolan biked around town and that evening we went out to eat at the hotel restaurant so that Claire had cake and ice cream.  She was SO excited!