4th Annual Sunrise Ride - Ohiopyle, PA

On Sunday, July 28th, we took our annual sunrise ride! The first year we rode to Apollo, PA, second year to Punxsutawney, PA, third year to Ohio's Tail of the Dragon (Rt. 536), and this year we rode to Ohiopyle, PA.

It was the four amigos again: Tiny, Meanie, Hammer, and me. The history of the Sunrise Ride started with Tiny who had suggested we ride during a sunrise sometime because we always ride during sunsets. The ball was set in motion, and here we are! You must be willing to get up early, and it's not as bad as you think.

The alarm went off at 3:10AM as planned. Ten minutes passed. The second alarm went off at 3:20AM. We got up slowly, and were supposed to be at the Middlesex Diner for breakfast at 4:00AM. I ran around feeding the cats and cleaning the litter boxes. Usually we are gone all morning and back home before 4:00PM. I finally got dressed, Meanie was ready and out at the bikes getting his gear. I had packed mine the night before. It was 63 degrees; hoodies and vests would do. We started the bikes and rolled out, going around our asshole neighbors house slow so the rumble of Meanie's pipes would wake them up with the birds!

On to the Diner, we got there at 4:15AM. It is SO nice riding in the early hours when it's quiet and peaceful, and almost no traffic. I enjoy riding in the dark. We ordered breakfast, drank coffee, and then went out to the bikes. It was 5:00AM when we rolled out heading south on PA-18, turning right on PA-551 south. While that was a good idea, the deer were out too. Three of them in a little parade jumped out of the woods on the right and crossed right in front of Meanie who was leading. It was close. That kept us on our toes as the lowest point of the horizon turned grey-blue.

The Sun Rising

I kept a watch on the changing sky colors. Out of the dark sky, little by little, appeared the whitening edges of blue-grey clouds. The edges after more miles started turning peachy. Then pinkish. I like watching the world happen.

From PA-551, we turned south on PA-168. Our first stop was at Jack's Diner for a break and gas, located in Georgetown, PA. There where rain clouds were headed our way, but it wasn't supposed to rain. Sprinkles fell anyway. On the opposite corner was Beall & Nairn motorcycles. None of us had ever heard of it, but from the looks of the stuff inside, they have bikes for sale and parts for bikes. 

Jack's Diner

Jack's Diner, just before 8am

Beall & Nairn Cycles

Well, from Jack's and B&N, it was about a 20 minute ride to - Bert's Hot Dogs!!! Oh yes, nothing like a footlong chili cheese dog, or the Tiny's favorite with all the topping. We continued on PA-168 which takes you right to PA-18 - but that is a surprise ending where you go into this really nice sweeping turn and then WHOA, there's a stop sign. So, caution please. 

We turned right on to 18 south. Bert's is south of Burgettstown, which is about 75 miles south of Hermitage. Almost missing it because there is no sign to see on the southbound side, we turned in to the south gravel parking lot, and rolled around to the north side, parked facing the newly risen sun. To order at Bert's you step up to the window on what seems like the front side of a shack. And you are pretty much standing beside the busy road. Nothing like a little road dust on your weiner! 

Meanie and I each ordered a footlong with chili, and I added the cheese as you can see in the photo. Tiny ate two footlongs with everything on them, and Hammer ordered one footlong. Why Hammer didn't just get two of them from the start, we can't guess, but he lamented the fact all day, "I shoulda had another.". The first time we went to Bert's  (twice in one day) was on our ride to the PA Trolley Museum. We all fell in love! They have burgers too, and all the regular fried food sides. I surprised myself by eating the whole thing, but it was SO good! We sat at one of the picnic tables out under the trees. There are some by the building too. 

It was already getting warm at 9AM when we left Bert's. I was now in the lead. 

Plans are meant to be changed, and that seems to happen on every ride we take. Thus when we turned south on PA-18 from Bert's, it was all kinds of hell and roads were good and bad. Our next destination was the Kentuck Knob House near Ohiopyle, a structure designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. 

To get there, I had planned a route of side roads, no highways. From 18, we needed to catch PA-136 East. We did. Not a bad road, so onward to the next change - south on PA-51. We did that too. From 51 we turned east on PA-201 south, which ended up being wrong, so we did our usual riding trip u-turn, and went north on 201. 

We were doing good, but time was flying!

We found Lessening Vanderbilt Road. We had to turn right on this road, and lucky for us, it was accessible as route 201 was shut down due to an auto accident. All I could glean from the gas station attendant was that first responders got everyone out of a car without problems. From there, I don't know what had happened. We went along our way looking to make a left at some point on Crawford Avenue. That also happened. But then everything changed: I was supposed to turn right on Arch Bridge Road in Connersville. We crossed a bridge which happened to have a road on the other side named Arch. Made sense to me - Arch Bridge - so I turned right. That was wrong.

There were still six more roads in my directions to Kentucky Knob and eventually, Ohiopyle Park, and we never saw one of them. And we never saw the Kentucky Knob house either. I got on my Google maps app and saw that PA-711 went east from where we were, and connected with PA-381 south going right into Ohiopyle State Park. Done!

PA-711 was a nice road, and it wasn't too long before we intersected with 381. Taking 381 south, we cruised by Brenda's Restaurant and I knew the place, having had a late lunch there a year ago with my best friend Marcia when we visited Falling Water, another Frank Lloyd Wright designed home. Had I known then that we were only 6 miles from Ohiopyle, we would have gone there that day.

Anyway, we passed the entrance to Falling Water, and road through the forest into Ohiopyle. Parking is a total bitch there on Sundays! If you can, go during the week. There was no room in the main parking lot, by the river, but I had spotted street parking on the way through, so we were lucky that it was still open when we got turned around. 

I'd have to look through the check-ins on Facebook to see what time we arrived. All I know is that it was later than I expected, and we had already been riding since 5am. We walked down the street toward the steel bridge and checked out the restaurants and the store where they sell patches and souvenirs. We then crossed the street to the river where there was apparently a swim beach. People were everywhere laying in the sand, swimming in the rushing water, holding onto rocks. Don't ask me why, but I haven't been swimming in a long time and the sight of people in bathing suits, if that, repulsed me and I couldn't wait to get a move on to see the falls.

The Youghiogheny River is wide and wonderful of a dark green and moving swiftly. The swim area is marked off by lines where you cannot cross due to the danger of being swept away and over the falls. The falls are not that deep, but deep enough to get hurt. If you are into outdoors stuff, you can go on canoe and kayaking tours, and there are hiking trails as well. 

In the town are some small restaurants and shops on top of the hill, a bakery, pizza place, hot dog place called Bite My Weiner, and a General Store with ice cream. There is even a really good coffee shop on top of the hill called Bittersweet Cafe. We were never more glad to have iced coffee. It was so hot and we were feeling deprived of our caffeine addictions. While we were drinking our coffee, I ran across the street to this big building called a marketplace. A sign outside said handcrafted items, so I went looking for a mug. Sure as shit, I walked in and asked if they had any, and right there was this gem!

Here are some more photos from Ohiopyle.

Ohiopyle Falls

Tiny got photobombed

We need to go back to bite one!

Tried getting a shot of Hammer with the woman in the bikini

Meanie & Switchblade

General Store with the ice cream

Tiny & Hammer walking uphill!

Poor Tiny, uphill sucks!

It was getting to be 3:30PM or so, and we were way out there, but still happy! We were having a good time, so it didn't really matter about the time. With Meanie being frustrated with such a busy place, and all of us dreaming of air conditioning, I said we'd leave Ohiopyle and go back up 381 to Brenda's for dinner. Smart choice!

If you've never been out to that area, make sure you stop at Brenda's if you do because all of the food is homemade. They bake all of there fine desserts on-site and make meatloaf and burgers and soups and sandwiches, and all. Hammer had the meatloaf dinner all smothered in gravy, Meanie had a cheeseburger, I had the Hawaiian chicken sandwich with a side of mac n cheese, and Tiny had the stuffed pepper with mashed potatoes. Just look at how happy I am with my belly full of good food and chocolate chip cookies!!!

It was about time we got our asses home, or headed that way. It was still so freaking hot out. On one stop I noticed the sweat box marks on Tiny and Hammer's shirts from there back rests - salty and wet!

We left Brenda's heading north on 381, took PA-711 back to Connersville, and from there took US-119 north. I had planned on going through Apollo, PA, but man, the ride had us all worn out. So I bypassed Apollo when we were on PA-66, and took PA-356 to Butler. From there we caught US-422 west. But there was one more stop.

I needed a break as well as the guys. We stopped at the McDonalds' near the intersection of I-79. 

Two things happened:

1. We verified yet again that I am a dirt and bug magnet. Jeez, my face was so gross, and the poor chick working the register probably thought I was so nasty. The guys never get dirty, just me. I could have a hundred names; how about Mama Crud? LOL

2. Then there was this guy: We noticed him, and his stuff sitting on the table beside us. The guy had been outside talking or smoking, then we watched him walk up the hill into the woods bypassing the no entrance gate. He came back inside, sat in his booth, started playing a video on his phone and than passed out just as pictured, bobbing his head, never waking. We're thinking heroin or something. I mean, he didn't have to go into the woods to pee, he was in a truck stop with bathrooms. When we left, Tiny even hammered his tray on the trash can and the guy didn't budge. He. Was. Out.

It was already getting dark. One more time we hit the road, saying our goodbyes and giving hugs so we could split off as we approached our homes. Back on 422, we rode back to OH-616 and rolled into Hubbard. We all had been up since at least 3:10, had been on the road since 5:00AM, and got home at 9:00PM! That was the longest Sunrise Ride ever, and technically became our first Sunrise/Sunset ride! Sixteen hours on the road, with plenty of stops of course, and at least 320 miles. Long, hot miles. We'll take 'em hot or any way we can. 

It's only August, so go get your rides on!

~ Holly

a.k.a., Stitchblade, Mama Stitch, Mama Crud