Day 10 - Uniontown, PA

I packed down my gear and tent under a light drizzle at the campsite. We were off to our earliest start of the trip, awaking at 7:30. Back in town we ate breakfast at Poor Man's plate. A women sitting next to us began talking to the waitress about her various relatives who been there since the rails where built. She's the kind of person who will keep talking whether someone is listening or not. She began talking to us as soon as the waitress disappeared to the kitchen. She told us she had been a state trooper for 14 years until she was shot. She gently lifted the hem of her pants to show an exit wound on her calf.




We continue along the Allegheny Passage trail for most of the day. A quick note of praise to the state of Pennsylvania for maintaining such a gorgeous rail trial. The path snakes along the cassleman and youghgeny rivers, taking you through lush greenery and past many small waterfalls running off rock ridges. At many passes, sapplings are planted along both sides of the path creating shade and the feeling you are passing through a natural corridor.




These are the same natural surroundings which inspired one of the greatest architectual landmarks in America, Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright. After reaching Ohiopyle for lunch we broke off the trail to go visit this masterpiece. The house is an homage to the nature which surrounds it. At each transition the outdoors are brought inside. In the livingroom is a large stair case which leads right down to the river and water fall on which the house is built. Large terraces cantilever over the water fall echoing the cascading rocks found below. Harmonic is the best word I can think of to describe the house.




We got back on the trail for another tewnty miles of enjoyable riding before breaking off in Connelsvile. From there we pushed on for another 12 road miles to Uniontown, PA where we called it a night after a good 65 miles. I wish the transition from the path to the local roads where as graceful as those at Fallingwater. I was rudely awoken to honking horns from drivers not too keen on giving up a shred of the road as I pedalled on along route 119.


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Location:Old New Salem Rd,Uniontown,United States