My 100th Post: A Tale of Two Rides...and a Celebration!

As of today, May 19, 2013, you've joined me for two years and 100 blog posts worth of fun here at Pineapple Ponderings. So, thanks!!! It's been a lot of fun, and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon. We'll talk more about PP's birthday at the end of the post. Let's get to the tale of two rides, shall we?

Yesterday, Chris and I decided to take a motorcycle ride over to Lewisburg to the Lewisburg Freez for some Dole Whip. If you've ever been to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and enjoyed either a Dole Whip soft serve or pineapple float from Aloha Isle in Adventureland, you already know how delicious Dole Whip pineapple sorbet is! And if you haven't - and you're a fan of pineapple - you're missing out! Good news though...if you live in Central PA, you can find it at the Lewisburg Freez on US 15 just north of the intersection with PA 45. 

Lewisburg Freez has an extensive menu of ice cream, sundaes, and milkshakes, but yesterday we were intent on getting Dole Whips as a way of celebrating Pineapple Pondering's 2nd birthday this weekend. We suited up and headed out just after 1:30 PM. As is wont to happen in our agricultural township, we got stuck in a long line of cars behind a very large piece of farm equipment rolling down PA 550. While we were moving so slowly, I managed to snag a picture of Chris and me on the bike, just before we passed the miniature donkey farm at Sawmill Road.

Happy to be geared up and Lewisburg-bound!

61 degrees was a little chilly, especially since it was so cloudy.

One of us looks annoyed, LOL.

Jiggity-jig...it's Dominic the Donkey and his girls.

We headed north on PA 550 to Bellefonte, where we picked up PA 144 south to Centre Hall, where we turned left onto PA 45 to head east to Lewisburg. It spritzed several times while we were on PA 45, so I stashed my camera for most of the ride. I did, however, manage to snag a picture of a barn and a large farm.

This painted barn is on PA 144.

This large farm is on PA 45.

Fortunately, it wasn't raining, drizzling, or spritzing when we arrived at the Lewisburg Freez. The Freez only has outdoor seating and we managed to grab a table after ordering and receiving our Dole Whips. We ordered smalls; once seated, I wished I'd ordered a "kiddie" size. A small seemed huge!

Frozen pineapple deliciousness!

Again on the way home, it drizzled quite a bit so I kept my camera in my pocket. We headed back west on PA 192 to Madisonburg, where we picked up PA 445 north toward Lamar. PA 445 is one of my favorite "local" roads (along with Marengo Road - which shouldn't come as a shock to you regular readers! - and Wykoff Run Road). We came in PA 64 to Hublers Ridge Road to PA 26 through Howard to PA 150. We came home via PA 150 to US 220 to Port Matilda, and headed up over the mountain back to the house. While we were on PA 150, we thought for sure we were stuck behind our friend, Jeff.

Is that...

JEETS?!? (Hi, Jeff! Love ya bunches!!!)

Our ride for Dole Whip wound up being 151.9 miles and we were gone about 3.5 hours. 

This morning, we left the house around 9 AM...this time in my Subaru. We drove down to Alfarata Station near Alexandria and I introduced Chris to the Lower Trail. I rode my bicycle and he walked. Originally, I'd planned to do a 20-mile ride, but as I was closing in on my 8th mile, my rump was NUMB! I stopped at the 8-mile bench I stopped at last time I did a long ride on this trail and the instant I dismounted, I felt better. I decided to walk around a bit before hopping back on the bike and pedaling another two miles. While I was stopped and walking around, I had an encounter of the feathered kind!

CHICKEN!!!

Several chickens from a nearby house were wandering around the grassy part of the trail intended for horses. This chicken strutted right on up to me to check me out! After about five minutes off the bike, I was ready to eek out another two miles and take my full stretch and snack break. Except, around 9.70 on the odometer, I hit the paved part of the Lower Trail. I was enjoying it so much, I decided to go 11 miles instead. I passed at great little spot for a break at 10.94 miles, so I rode up to 11.00 miles, turned around and headed back for my break.

My halfway stretch & snack break spot.

A bandana - it's not the best look, but it does the job.

I've become an energy bar person. When did that happen?
(By the way, this one was delicious!)

Relaxing just off the trail.

When I stopped for my break, I tried to call Chris several times to tell him to take his break and to turn around. Either he was in a bad cell spot, or he didn't feel his phone vibrating. While I was enjoying my Lara bar, he called me and I told him I was stopped. I said I'd sit a few more minutes to give him time to take his break, have his Clif Bar, and turn around. Northbound on the Lower Trail is just ever so slightly downhill (we're talking 0.2% grade here, people), so I always wind up going faster on the way back than the way out.  I decided to stop and take a couple of more pictures (and de-numb my rump again) about six miles after my break.

A brief stop at the trail marker at Mt. Etna Station.

A little Googling revealed that Mr. Lower passed away in 2009 at the age of 91.

The covered bridge at Mt. Etna Station.

I passed Chris on my way back approximately 0.75 miles from the end of the trail. I rolled through the gate a the entrance to the trail with 22.04 miles on my odometer. Knowing that Chris was probably still 10 minutes behind, I decided to tack on another mile by riding 0.50 miles down Main Street and turning around to ride back. By the time I rolled up to my car, I had 23.13 miles in for the day in just under two hours of riding time. And I mean just under two hours of riding time!

Busted through the 20-mile threshold and then some!

Just under two hours of riding time...by NINE SECONDS!

Chris wound up walking eight miles and, with the pedometer app on his iPod, logged nearly 17,800 steps along the way! It was a great way to spend a cool, gray Sunday morning. When we got home, Chris got his bike out of the shed to evaluate what parts he'd need to get it ride-able again. With any luck, Chris' GT will be trail-ready and we can ride the trail together soon!

And now back to Pineapple Ponderings' second birthday...

Happy Birthday, Pineapple Ponderings!!!

To thank you, my readers, for sticking with me for the past two years, I am giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky reader who leaves a comment on this post. I will use a random number generator to select the winner at the end of this week. You have until 5 PM EDT on Friday, May 24th to leave a comment on this post to be entered to win. Winner will be notified by my response to his/her comment. Thanks for reading and commenting. And good luck!!!