We returned to a more northern section of the Air Line Trail to finish our Connecticut 100. Pomfret Depot was our starting point and we headed south.
After the storms the previous night we were concerned about trail conditions. The wind was still blowing and it was only about 55 degrees. Honestly. if we were just going for a ride at home I would have passed but we wanted to finish our 100 TODAY.
Dressed for cold weather.Immediately north of Pomfret Depot they are building a beautiful new bridge to connect with the northern portion of the trail.
Thankfully the trail was dry but there were many branches strewn all along the trail.
This was the only tree we could not get around.There were lots of police on 4-wheelers. So surprised to see them as motorized vehicles are not permitted on railtrail. Police on 4-wheelers. They did an awesome job of clearing leaves and branches from the trail.
We passed these 4-wheelers entering the trail and then saw them exiting on our return. The passing of the 4-wheel ATVs swept the trail clean – not a leaf or branch left on the trail where they had ridden.
The railbed is high above the forest floor. Fall colors and bog We did have sunshine which made the fall colors pop.
We’ve ridden some beautiful trails in Connecticut. Today we were really “in the country”. We could see a few homes from the trail and they had generators running due to power outages. When making a road crossing we could see several utility company trucks doing repairs.
We are off to begin our Rhode Island 100 tomorrow. There is a frost warning here tonight and our heat is running. I cooked a pork tenderloin in the oven this evening. The oven helps to heat up our little home.
A carpet of pine needles on the trail.
Time to say goodbye to Connecticut- it’s been a good ride.
This was really an enjoyable ride. It was so different from the trails we have ridden so far in Connecticut. First of all, it was asphalt, very wide and smooth. We began our ride at the trailhead in Farmington. The views of the river were beautiful. There were many bikers, joggers and dog walkers using the trail. I imagine the weekends can probably get terribly crowded.
Views of river from wooden bridge.
The trail took us through Unionville, Collinsville, and Canton. We rode on a sidewalk in Canton for a short distance. As we passed by people eating at outside tables I had to restrain myself from grabbing a handful of onions rings….. and a beer to wash it down.
Boardwalk in CantonView of river from boardwalk in Canton. Winds were beginning to blow – dark threatening skies.
North of Canton the trail begins a shared bicycle-vehicle lane which is where we headed back to Farmington. Winds were forecast to be 20 – 30 mph with 50mph gusts so we felt rushed to finish our ride.
Spillway along the river.
We rode a short distance on Farmington Heritage Trail which meets the River Trail in Farminton. We had hoped to finish our 100 miles on the Canal Trail however the weather had other plans. We were an hour from the campground and the weather was changing as forecast.
We arrived back at the motorhome just as it began raining, covered the bikes and ran for cover ourselves. Sitting here now, we have had high winds, thunder and lightning, and the power has gone off a few times.
Looking forward to finishing our Connecticut 100 tomorrow. It’s going down to 39 degrees tonight and tomorrow temps in the 50s. Better dress warm!!
This rail-trail was used by the Air Line Railroad as part of a direct route between Boston and New York. It was so named because the tracks ran flat and straight, like a line in the sky.
We started our ride in Willimantic near the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum, which was closed for renovations. We would have enjoyed a closer look at some of the old vintage railcars.
Bridge at start of trail.
We road an uphill grade for more then 7 miles to begin. I just kept thinking how nice it will be on the way back and it was nice. We then had several miles of down hill which was a refreshing change.
Taken at our 47th mile into our Connecticut 100 on our 47th Anniversary.
Most of the trail was shaded. Large parts of the trail were high above the forest floor on the raised railbed. We love to ride a trail like this because the views of the forest are awesome.
Wetland area with beautiful fall colors.
Many of the road crossings had steep hills with loose gravel which I found to be really brutal.
Old bus in the woods along the trail.More fall colorsMural along trail near Raymond Brook Wildlife Management Area.Brings back memories of our wonderful fall rides in Michigan.
Some parts of the trail had leaves at least a foot deep.
We wanted to add a few more miles on our way back to the campground so stopped at a trail we had passed yesterday. It was near the airport and looked really intriguing. As it turned out the bike path only traveled over a dam but was over a mile long.
The bike path was on a dam high above an airport on one side and a reservoir on the other.The water in the reservoir was quite low but still beautiful.Great views from top of dam. Yes, more fall colors!!We only rode about 3 miles here but the views were well worth the stop. There were people out with tripods and cameras taking pictures.
We are well into our 100 miles and are really enjoying the beautiful forests and trails of Connecticut.
We arrived at Charlie Brown campground in Eastford, Connecticut yesterday afternoon. We will be here for 5 nights. Not many people in the campground but they are sold out for the weekend.
Great campsite on the river amongst the fall colors.
We were up early and had a relaxing morning while waiting for the temperature to improve. We are prepared for cool weather and this morning we used some of our warm weather gear.
We parked at the eastern end of the Hop River State Trail.
The Hop River State Park Trail is a rail-trail that follows the former Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad.
Beautiful start to trail.
It really was a beautiful start to the trail. However the trail surface changed dramatically after we crossed the bridge above. The trail looked like it was rarely used and to make things worse we took a wrong turn and ended up on a single track with railroad ties exposed.
Walked across this dilapidated bridge. Lenny said better get a picture because we are not crossing again.
Our wanderings took us to the wrong side of a “private property do not enter” sign. The property was owned by Care Camp. I looked at their website and learned that it is a camp for individuals with special needs. They have a therapeutic horseback riding program. The facilities were beautiful.
We eventually found the correct trail and it was well worth the effort. The smooth hard packed trail surface and the variety of scenery in the colorful forest puts Hop River Trail on my list of favorites.
The many rock cutouts were amazing – cool on a summer ride and chilling today.Covered bridge under fall skies
There were bridges, three tunnels and of course the fall forest. The trail was on a trailbed at times high above the river or going through the rock cutouts.
First time we’ve ridden in a tunnel with lights.
We hardly noticed the slight uphill grade as we road the trail east to just beyond the Bolton Notch parking area. The weather was cool and when riding through the rock cutouts I was chilled, especially on our return when we really picked up some speed.
Sign at Bolton Notch parking area. Willimantic, where we began our ride is not listed but we were about 14 miles out. If you add our wanderings it’s a bit more.🤪Beautiful leaf covered trail. There were a few miles where the leaves were being blown off the trail. Lenny is looking at a tree seemingly growing out of the rocks.
I would definitely ride this beautiful trail again. After such a wonderful start to our 100 miles here, we are looking forward to riding more Connecticut trails.
We spent yesterday afternoon driving from Lewes, Delaware to Morgantown, WV. The Walmart where we spent the night was so quiet we slept till after 7 AM. We only had a short distance to drive to the Mon River Trail access parking area.
Mon River Trail access parking.
It was a small parking lot but we were able to just fit in without blocking the area for others.
We we were looking forward to getting on the trail to finish our West Virginia 100 miles. The Mon River Rail-Trail system was recently selected to Rails-to-Trails Hall of Fame so our expectations were high.
Monongahela River is one of the few rivers in America that flows north.
We only experienced a small portion of the trail which follows the Monongahela River. The trail surface was crushed stone and in excellent condition and the river was in sight the entire time. I think scenic and peaceful best describes our ride.
Hildebrand Lock and DamBelow the Hildebrand Lock and Dam.
The Monongahela River is 130 miles long and is navigable via a series of locks and dams. Within the 10.5 miles from where we parked we were able to see 2 of the locks and dams.
Opekiska Lock and Dam – fences prevented us from getting too close.
We enjoyed the shade, the river views and the quiet beautiful forest. We even saw a couple deer.
Beautiful trail with views of the river.Reflections in a stream near the trail.
We didn’t see anyone on the trail on our ride out but on our return there were many bikers and a few walkers. We met several people in the parking area and enjoyed sharing thoughts on finding free RV overnight parking. They are electric bikers and RVers.
A wonderfully relaxing day for us as we have completed our 100 miles in West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Over 300 miles in 11 days of riding. We are only about 4 hours from home so that’s where we are headed! What an adventure!!
Kudos to Lenny, he cleaned and lubed our chains and sprockets everyday. Picture taken at Greenbrier River Trail trailhead in Caldwell, WV.
We were on our bikes about 8:30 AM for a brisk, windy Sunday morning ride. We only needed a few miles to complete our 100. At one point on the ride I felt as though if I stopped pedaling I would go backwards. We took the same trail as yesterday. We didn’t see the canal yesterday so that was our destination.
Canal that runs to Delaware Bay.Flower gardens planted on what was once the rail bed.Such a beautiful trail in the morning sunlight.
By the time we returned to the campground we had completed our Delaware 100 with some to spare. Great to be able to mark off another state.
We arrived in Morgantown,WV this evening and plan to ride the Mon River Trail tomorrow. It was recently voted a Hall of Fame Trail.
We departed the T.S. Smith & Sons farm this morning around 9 AM. We had planned to ride a trail at Trap Pond State Park but since it was such a short trail we decided to pass and head for Lewes. We needed to empty our tanks and get more fresh water. Fortunately we found Tall Pines Campground which is practically right on Georgetown-Lewes trail.
We really can’t say enough nice things about this trail. The surface was asphalt and in perfect condition. Any area where there was a chance of going off the trail had fencing and berms. My only issue – both trails were very busy which is what we had expected for this area on a Saturday. Maybe 50% of riders and walkers wore a mask.
Tall pines along the Georgetown- Lewes Trail.
Homes along the trail were beautifully landscaped. Many had paths from their yards that lead to the trail.
Rails left by the railway. The trail is adjacent to the rails. Some areas where the old trail bed was above the bike path people had used the area to plant flower gardens.Smelled them, saw them in their pasture but no cows crossed our trail. It would have been fun.
This trail joined seamlessly with the Junction-Breakwater Trail which is another excellent trail. It winds through Cape Henlopen State Park next to wetlands and farms. The trail ends in Rehoboth Beach. We had planned to ride on the roads through that area but traffic and other bikers would have made for a treacherous ride.
Junction & Breakwater Trail. Surface was crushed stone and in excellent condition.
It was almost 5 PM when we arrived back at the motorhome and getting quite cold. There had been a brisk wind all day and I was chilled. Coldest day of riding yet. We only have a few miles to finish our Maryland 100 and hope to be pedalling early in the morning to complete.
The Michael Castle Trail follows the northern shore of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal from Delaware City to very near the Delaware/Maryland border.
There are 2 bridges in this picture. We were parked near the larger bridge and drove over it to head south.
The C&D Canal which links the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River is one of the world’s busiest. Much of the shipping from the Port of Baltimore goes through here.
Old pilings along the canal.
For us it meant an interesting and scenic ride. We parked at a trailhead in St George’s and headed east into Delaware City.
Shops in Delaware CityDelaware City on canal and near Delaware River.
We enjoyed a short pedal through Delaware city. The aroma of fish and chips cooking made our mouths water.
This cemetary was along the trail near Delaware City.This all black cemetary was rediscovered in 1990. It is the resting place of 5 of the more than 200,000 United States Colored Troops who served in the Union Army during the civil War. Looks like the end of the trail but we found the route around Summit North Marina to continue our ride.Summit North Marina
The route up around the Marina provided some nice strenuous hills and fun downhill runs. Gotta have some hills to keep it interesting.
Lenny found this lift bridge fascinating. It was down when we were headed west and raised on our return.
We are spending the night at another Harvest Hosts. This time a farm.
Harvest Hosts, T.S. Smith and Sons Farm Market.Got pumpkins? Yes, all shapes and sizes.
We visited the market upon our arrival and stocked up on fresh bread, tomatoes, chicken pies and blueberry cobbler. We have a nice quie place to park beside their office for the night.
Yesterday was a travel day. We left the campground in Woodbine, Maryland in the afternoon after spending the morning watching the tour, getting our bikes cleaned and getting the motorhome in order. We enjoyed seeing the Port of Baltimore and imagining what cargo comes and goes from there. We experienced the Fort McHenry Tunnel that travels under the Baltimore Harbor on I-95. Underwater in the motorhome – yikes!!
We spent last night in Elkton, Maryland at the Maryland Beer Company. They are part of Harvest Hosts and we were welcomed to stay on their property for the night. We enjoyed their Octoberfest craft beer and pizza in their taproom which has a large window looking into the brewery.
Spent quiet night at Maryland Brew Company.
We were only about 20 minutes from where we planned to park for access to the Nothern Delaware Greenway. Parking in Alapocas State Park was $8.00 for the day. There were only a few vehicles in this huge parking area.
The trail was described as being “filled with rolling curves and short drops”. I would described it as steep hills, twists and turns, long inclines and no flat areas. One person said it was no walk in the park. We agree. After saying all that, with what breath we have left, we enjoyed the challenge.
Rock walls along trail.Near Brandywine Zoo.
We were parked in about the middle of the trail. The western section ended in Wilmington along the Brandywine Creek. It was a beautiful area and the trail through the hills of Alapocos State Park was beautiful.
The eastern section was not as well traveled and ended in Bellevue State Park. The hills were not as steep but there were some very long incline – fun going down work on our return.
Stone wall along trail.Trail end was very abrupt!
Not many pictures to show for our efforts. Honestly it was too difficult to stop on the uphills and I was desperate not to waste my momentum on the downhills.
We drove to New Castle for an evening ride on the Jack A. Markell Trail.
This trail runs from New Castle through the Peterson Wildlife Refuge to downtown Wilmington on the Christina River. What a fun evening ride.
View of 2,300 foot boardwalk over marsh of Peterson Wildlife Refuge.
Wilmington, Delaware from top of boardwalk
We really enjoyed the river walk area in downtown Wilmington. Many restaurants, miniature golf, a riverboat and many areas to sit and relax. I imagine before the pandemic this area would have been thriving. Restaurants were open – no waiting for tables and we were able to ride our bikes at will along the riverwalk.
Constitution Yards is a summer only beer garden on the riverwalk. Would have stopped for a beer if not for the 8 mile pedal back to motorhome. Large cranes are part of the boardwalk.Education Center overlooks Christina River and marsh.
We are 35 miles into our Delaware 100. There are not many long trails in Delaware so we will be experiencing many different trails and areas of the state. We are heading south tomorrow.
We finished our 100 miles in Maryland today on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath. The towpath follows the Potomac River between Georgetown in Washington, D.C. and Cumberland, Maryland. We used the trailhead in Points of Rocks to access the towpath.
Point of Rocks (Baltimore and Ohio) Railroad Station (c.1876) is one of the most photographed train stations in the nation.
We started at mile marker 48 and road south to mile marker 36. We were able to see 2 locks and the Monocacy Aqueduct. There are 74 locks along the 184.5 miles of the canal.
Lock keeper’s house at Lock 26. Monocacy aqueduct is the largest of 11 aqueducts on the C&O canal.We biked across the top of the aqueduct. Surface was a bit sketchy.
During the Civil War the canal was a dividing line between the North and the South. Troops on both sides lobbed ammunitions across the water and crossed the river and canal to raid enemy camps.
Huge gnarly tree at Lock 27.Lock 27
The trail was mostly shaded and with temperatures in the 70’s it was a perfect day for a ride. At times the canal was full of water other times filled with vegetation. The towpath surface was crushed rock and in really great condition. The section of the towpath we had ridden 2 days ago was 2 single tracks with grass in between. This was a much easier pedal.
You can see from this picture that we were right on the edge of the Potomac and the canal at times. Stone wall of the canal
There were campsites along the way and we saw many bikers the past couple days with packs on their bikes. It would be a challenge to complete the whole length of the towpath but there is so much to see.
Below the aqueduct the ride was much smoother. Took this route on our return.
Maryland is in the books – 100 and done! We are spending the night in a campground near Baltimore. Tomorrow we will be going to nothern Delaware to begin another 100 miles. More to come.
Picture for Lenny – he thought this vehicle on the tracks was just awesome. Repair shop on tracks/wheels.
