Doylestown, PA to West Chester, PA

Setting out with friends is always fun, and that was no less true with this ride. Jason Wood, having made a yummy breakfast (which I forget the name of), and I set off for Valley Forge. We took Pennsylvania Bike Route S. Pennsylvania is cool because it has signed bike routes that criss-cross the state. In this case, there was one missing sign in almost 30 miles--not bad. Between following the signed route to Valley Forge and Jason having a wonderful map of bike-friendly roads, I didn't do much navigating at all. It was a nice change. We stopped at a nice shop for lunch, and each ate a full hoagie easily, having worked up our hungers.

It was a most BEAUTIFUL day for biking, or for doing pretty much anything. The temperature was in the low 70's, with a slight breeze, and low humidity. Jason and I biked into the heart of Valley Forge National Park, and then we took naps in the shade of some trees at the top of the hill. It was idyllic.

When we woke up, Jason biked me to the edge of the park, where we guessed wrong about the direction I should take (or I did, anyway), but I figured it out soon enough when the sun was on the wrong side of me. I had written out some directions for myself, and I followed those fairly easily for 15 or 20 miles. The last 10 miles of this stage were hard fought and very confusing. I hadn't planned out the ending very well, and it just so happens that my destination is on Telegraph Road, but there are about a GAZILLION different sections of Telegraph Road. I stopped and asked for directions from lovely couple who directed me to one section of Telegraph Road, but unfortunately not the correct one.

Finally, since the sun was going down and it was almost 8:00 P.M., I decided to "cheat." I used the mobile phone to call someone who might have Internet at his fingertips: Alex! Alex and I chatted a bit while he used Google maps to look at where I was, and where I needed to go, and how to get there best. At one point he asked, "Are you right by a big building?" I said, "Yeah, there's a big house right here." It's a little freaky, the heights that technology is coming to. I felt like I should wave at the sky so he could see me.

With Alex's help, I only made one more wrong turn, but it was minor and I figured it out in about a tenth of a mile, having turned RIGHT instead of LEFT onto Telegraph Road as it crossed the road I was on. Finally, I climbed the hill to Temenos TemenosRetreat.org just west of West Chester, PA.

Dean and Susannah were nice enough to let me stay the night at their retreat center. It was really nice there, with a large parcel of land, and a great view and it was pretty quiet. They weren't back from their trip when I arrived, and I had told them I would like to help out by doing some cleaning up after their last guests.

But, the first thing I did was raid the fridge. I found, in my first swipe with my hungry eyes, cake, hummus, and bread. I took these foods, and a fork, to the back porch, and began to greedily munch away. Actually, I think I ate the first piece of bread while still in the kitchen, I was that hungry. I did finally satiate myself, and did end up helping clean out the rooms, much like at a hotel when guests leave. By 10:00 P.M. I was beat, and had stopped for the night, when Dean and Susannah arrived home. It was good to see them, even though it was brief. Thanks, guys!

--- The Following By Jason Wood ---

I enjoyed riding 30 miles with Brett from Doylestown(ville) to Historic Valley Forge today. We followed PA bike route S on this beautiful and cool first day of July. My wife Ruth took a picture of us http://www.scriptingforsuccess.com/images/brett_jason_july1.jpg on our way out just in case I decided to continue on a bike trip for a few days. Tempting, but I decided instead to complete the bike loop around Valley Forge park, met up expectantly with a few friends at the visitor's center and then went to Concert Under the Stars at Upper Marion Township a few miles to the east: http://www.umconcerts.org/july.html. Brett biked on to meet up with some folks in West Chester.

Thanks Ruth and Jason, for the great photo of the guys, Brett's Mom

Total Stage VII Distance: 61 miles

Stage Time On Bike: 5 hours, 12 minutes

Total Stage time: 8.5 hours

Total Trip Distance: 419 miles, I think

Net Elevation Change: +???

On to Stage VIII

Back to Stage VI

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