Day 18
October 21, 2021:
I slept in a bit, enjoying the comfort of a warm bed in the morning. I played a few games to wake up, and sent a few messages to possible Warmshowers guest houses. I then repacked my bags and managed to put on smelly socks. I couldn’t pull that off another day; I’d need to do the laundry at some point. I checked out by 11 am, carefully rolling my heavy bike down a flight of stairs to the lobby of the motel. I gave them my card, then walked out.
The sun was already high in the sky, and I was interested in breakfast. I told P. the night before that I’d check out some of the Amish markets in the area before moving on to Philadelphia. I biked about a mile downhill towards the farm I had found yesterday where I had seen one of the markets. Pulling up, I was disappointed to find they were closed. Surprised too – a bakery that only opens at 2 pm? Odd.
I grudgingly cycled back uphill, past the motel, and further down the road. I found another Amish market to try. It was arranged much like a full grocery store, and I’m not sure I went to the right place. I ended up getting a sweet pumpkin roll, two salads, a package of blueberries (which I saw were imported from Peru), and a granny smith apple. I sat on a bench in front of the store for a while and ate the blueberries and the pumpkin roll for breakfast, which was very good.
The morning sun was nice, and I felt relaxed. I checked my Warmshowers messages and saw that the folks I had sent messages to earlier in the morning had both turned me down, since they were busy or out of town. I moved to a picnic table and pulled out my laptop. Other guest houses were either too close or too far away. Instead, I did some research on possible campsites. With the population density increasing towards Philadelphia, I needed to be deliberate and think ahead of where I’d be going to make sure I ended the day at a suitable location. The only place that looked doable was a bit sketchy – a state game hunting range. I decided I would head in that direction in any event.
My next stop was the Strasburg laundromat. I converted some dollar bills to quarters, paid for laundry detergent, and popped my clothes into a washer. This place was advanced – instead of inserting coins at the machine, there was a central control unit I had to use to start the machine. It was also incredibly expensive – perhaps the single most expensive coin op laundry place I’ve been to: $4.50 for the wash load! I paid up anyway; those socks really needed to get clean. The cycle time was pretty short though, and after about 45 minutes, I was off.
I checked my phone for the route to the game range. Google suggested a fairly complex route, having me turn every few intersections. I memorized the next three or so turns I would have to make, and then rechecked each time I needed new instructions. The route took me through the Amish countryside of rural eastern Pennsylvania. I saw all manner of weird contradictions and loopholes that morning. It seems there’s a whole industry around giving Amish folks taxi rides around the area. As if just because they’re not driving, then it’s ok. I saw Amish buggies with modern blinker systems. Amish women mowing lawns and blowing leaves with gasoline driven motors. I think the single most perplexing thing was a guy on a horse-drawn cart using a motor to spray manure on a field. Weird Al’s Amish Paradise was stuck in my head all day.
As I was riding, I passed numerous pastures of cows. They seemed to look at me skeptically as I passed, as if to question the point of my journey. I’d cycle past, and they’d turn their heads to look, always watching. There were a lot of cows.
Another thing there was a lot of was caterpillars. I’ve been meaning to mention this. There are so many red and brown caterpillars out here in PA, and they all seem to want to get to the middle of any given road. I don’t understand what they want. I have a few theories, but they’re probably just the ravings of a delusional distance cyclist, and not in fact anchored in any truth. 1) Maybe there are just *so many* caterpillars, that statistically, some will wander into the road, and those are the ones that I see. I view this as the most likely explanation. 2) Maybe there’s something they want from the road. Maybe it’s hotter, and like cold-blooded reptiles, they are drawn to the warmth. Or, along the same vein, 3) Maybe they want salt, like mountain goats on dams, they risk death to get it. The roads would have salt because of snow prevention in the winters. I don’t know. Someone please tell me why the caterpillars all want to get to the center of the road. Someone!
I stopped at a gas station in Honey Brook and purchased an Italian sandwich. It was surprisingly good. I ate half there, and saved the other half for later. The road got pretty hilly, and I found myself walking up a few hills. My thighs were so sore! I am looking forward to resting up in Philadelphia with my friend. My legs need a bit of a break.
As the evening approached, I passed through Elverson, then Warwick, making my way up into the hunting range. I wore my orange vest so as to be more easily spotted. I walked down a path bordering the park some distance, then went into the trees inside the 150’ boundary zone in which hunters are not allowed to shoot. I found a quiet, private place, and made camp as darkness fell. Shots periodically rang out from the shooting range up the hill, but were never close by. I got everything I needed into the tent, took a piss, and relaxed for the rest of the evening. I even used my phone’s data connection to talk on Discord with a few folks and watch part of the Broncos v Browns’ football game. Browns won, 17 – 14.
