No rush today. In fact, if I were to "rush," I'd only be sitting in my hotel lobby waiting for my room. Check-in time was officially posted as 4:00 PM, but I also know I could most likely get in earlier. So I planned to arrive at 2:00 PM.
I still rose early, however. The B&B served breakfast between 7:30 and 8:30. They know their crowd, and when I arrived a little before 8:00 AM, the place was packed. And everyone, except me, was dressed to hit the trail. I quietly took a seat in the back and waited for a server. I did notice the self-serve coffee and juice, so made my way for that, and as I returned to my table, a waitress was about to put down two full plates. I had to explain to her I was solo, so back to the kitchen went the other plate. I told her I could eat two, but by then, she was gone. I may have overstated my appetite, as it was a very filling breakfast.
Yes, Bright Morning B&B passed with flying colors in the breakfast category.
After eating and chatting up some of the other cyclists (i.e., trading war stories), I made my way back to my room and started getting ready. It was a bit overcast, and I was thinking rain. So I donned one of my "heavier" jerseys (this is highly relative) and was on the road by 10:00 AM, riding at a leisurely pace.
It started out dry, but then I came onto some puddles reminiscent of the C&O Canal. I recoiled (OK, maybe not) and continued on my way. It had stormed the night before, so what I was seeing was The Remains of the Night (pun intended).
This, fortunately, did not last long. Plus, it apparently drained better (well-graded cinders versus natural terrain).
But that did not last long. Along the way, I spied a short section of trail with some preserved rail alongside it. "That was a nice touch," I thought, but it was the only real physical reminder of what once ran here on a regular basis except possibly for the preserved railcar in West Newton.
Right after that section, there were some smallish hills to climb that felt steep only because I had not climbed anything of note for many miles. I thought, "This couldn't be the original alignment," and I'm pretty sure I'm right, as the trail then followed a road and crossed a highway bridge over the Youghiogheny River and into McKeesport.
A steel arch bridge with a cable-suspended deck in McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
In McKeesport, the Youghiogheny River flows into the Monongahela River, and its name disappears from the map! And the GAP, as far as being a true rail trail, is that in name only. It follows the Monongahela River into Pittsburgh, but it hardly follows a railroad alignment. That alignment disappeared years ago and has been incorporated into other land uses over the years (as you might expect in a growing urban environment). But Pittsburgh is also the land of bridges, and there is lots to see as you enter the city, many of them unique and/or historic.
My first crossing of the Monongahela River on an old railroad structure. This probably was on the original rail alignment, but the approaches seem long gone.
And you make that crossing on this famous bridge, the Hot Metal Bridge, named because it actually carried hot molten iron across the river for the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company, which had working mills on both sides.
Karen PoretOk..I can’t help but comment about this ironic graffiti on the bridge top.. It appears to read “BMX Tom” with an arrow. Knowing Tom probably was not on a BMX, I have to wonder..but, it is a “puzzle piece”, so to speak… Reply to this comment 23 hours ago
It was smooth sailing. After crossing the Hot Metal Bridge, you are also on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail, a relatively easy trail to follow given the congested environment . . . and confusing signs. Here, the trail follows to a split between two ramps with one-way traffic. But it did make me stop and think for a bit.
And right before the finish, another tied arch carrying I-376 AND the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. I will use this bridge Saturday to exit town and start my trip down the Ohio River.
I had arrived very early at Point State Park, possibly as early as 1:30, so I decided to bike up the Allegheny River and take a more circuitous route to my hotel, the Distrikt Hotel Curio (by Hilton). I don't get the "by" part, as it's hardly a piece of artwork . . . but it promised to be hip. But first, the Allegheny River . . .
The Fort Duquesne Bridge over the Allegheny River. It also is a tied arch and carries I-279.
Karen PoretHow interesting.. I realize the green colored markers on the right side of the bridge top are directional signs for cities, exits, etc. But.. It almost appears to be slot cards for the game we used to play on car rides where the little plastic “windows” opened and shut when you counted down a piece of the game. Thanks for the “memory ride”, Tom… ( Mark..for posting this) Reply to this comment 23 hours ago
After that, there are three identical (or nearly identical) bridges very similar to the South 10th Street Bridge over the Monongahela River. I could not get a good picture of that one coming into town, so thought these would make up for it. They are the Roberto Clemente Bridge, the Andy Warhol Bridge, and the Rachel Carson Bridge, the construction of which predates all these people! Their original names are probably the street names they carry.
I turned downtown at the Andy Warhol Bridge, primarily because that was the last "bicycle" exit for the quay I was riding along. But this picture captures the essence of the design, an eyebar suspension span.
Afterward, I got together with a crazy friend of mine who goes by the name Scott Bee because he's a bee chaser/keeper. We met at my hotel and walked to a bar called The Yard, where we had a few drinks before making our way to the Grand Concourse across the Monongahela River for dinner. And a good dinner to boot. I had earned it after all.
Me and Scott Bee, cutting up. I'm waiting for him to send me the one where we are NOT sticking our tongues out.
And dinner at the Grand Concourse, Pittsburgh's refurbished train station. I didn't take any interior pictures, but visit it if you are in Pittsburgh. It's impressive. As is the view across the river.
