Country Riding

Even though it was cold today, I put on some long underwear and went for a ride. With the right gear, even at 39 degrees, it's not bad. The trees are probably at the height of their color right now. The countryside is beautiful. Harvest time is over and places are preparing for winter. It's a transitional time of year that is especially noticable in an agricultral area.

Today I stumbled upon Zook's Mill Covered Bridge on Log Cabin Road, just off Rose Hill Road, East of Brownstown. I had to stop and take a few pictures with my cell phone. (Note to self: get a small digital camera to carry on these trips... these cell phone images aren't good enough.) Surrounded by farms, along a small river, it was a very peaceful place.

As I was taking pictures of this bridge, across Rose Hill Road, a trio of Amish men repaired a masonry wall on a farm. The whole experience made me feel that I am lucky to live in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It's a place that people come from all over to tour. There are winding roads, small towns, rivers, bridges, and diners. With the exception of switch-back mountain roads, it's the kind of place that motorcycle magazines write articles about it. And all we have to do is walk out the door and enjoy it.

Getting Serviced

I took my scooter in for it's first service and a safety recall (a potentially leaky ring of some kind) yesterday at B&B Yamaha. While I was waiting, I looked at the scooters that they had lined up there three rows deep. They even had a gorgeous Aprilia in the back. It seems most of the salesmen there have scooters that they sometimes use for commuting.


While speaking to John, an employee there, he said that the only roads in Lancaster he wouldn't take a 50cc scooter on were 30, 283, or 222. He's ridden Rt. 501 between Lititz and Lancaster. That was encouraging. That means, with time, there is just about nowhere we couldn't go*. Still, I could see myself getting a bigger scooter, one that will do closer to 80mph, in the future. But I'd keep the little 50cc model. It's great around town. And you can't beat the gas mileage.


I was a little early for my appointment, so I did some exploring and came across Schenck's Mill Covered Bridge. Out in the country, along Shenck Road, just off of Spooky Nook Road. A nice ride. I saw a number of bicyclists out there also, including Craig, one of the owners of B&B.

*editted to add: I still think it's smart to stay off of roads on which your bike can't reach the speed limit. That's just polite.

2 Covered Bridges Loop

It time for our first ride: what I'm calling the 2 Covered Bridges Loop. This ride is only about 17.5 miles, but offers a nice sampling of Lancaster scenery and history. At the end of the text here is a link to a map of the route for you to print. Numbers on the map relate to the numbers in the text here. What is Lancaster County known for? Amish farms and covered bridges. So let's go!

1. Our ride starts at the center of the City of Lancaster, the site of our future Convention Center and luxury hotel. The facade is the former Watt & Shand Building, Lancaster's main department store for many decades. We begin here, at a obvious landmark, for convenience sake.



Ride North on Queen St.



Turn Right onto Lemon St.



Continue along Lancaster Cemetery.


Turn left onto New Holland Av..



Turn left onto N. Plum at Quips Pub.



2. Turn right onto Park Av. at The Fulton. The Fulton Hotel was gathering place in Northeast Lancaster. Politicians used to give speeches from the second story porch to crowds below. Today it is a neighborhood bar and restaurant with American fare and eclectic patrons.
Follow Park Av. to the left, under the underpass.



Turn right onto Martha Av. along …



3. The Stehli Silk Mill. It may not look like much now, but one hundred years ago this was the largest Silk Mill in the world. Silk was just one of the industries that Lancaster led east of the Mississippi.


Turn left onto Fountain Av..


Continue straight on Pleasure Rd..


Continue straight on Esbenshade Rd..


Turn right onto Rutledge Av..


Rutledge Av. becomes Homeland Dr. and takes you under Rt. 30.


Turn left onto Country Club Dr..


Country Club Dr. becomes Sunset Dr..


Turn left onto Eden Rd..


Turn right onto Euclid Rd..


Turn left onto Butter Rd.. Watch for pedestrians, both humans and ducks.


When you get to Hunsecker Rd, the loop begins. You can go either way, but I’ve always enjoyed it clockwise, so that’s how I will be guiding you.


Continue on Butter Rd. You should really be getting the olfactory experience of Lancaster County by now.


Continue past the exit and entrances for Rt. 222.


Turn right onto Bridge Rd..

4. I think this spot is one of the hidden gems of Lancaster County. As you head over the open bridge, look to your right, through the trees to see an old stone arch bridge.

Just ahead is Pinetown Bushong's Mill Covered Bridge.
Go through the bridge.

On the other side, you are likely to be greeted by cows.

Continue along the long straight-away of Bridge Rd.. This is a popular bicycle route.

Turn right onto Mondale Rd.. Here you will be passing real Lancaster County farms.



Turn right onto Hunsecker Rd.. Here you will encounter…

5. Hunsecker's Mill Covered Bridge. How adorable is this? The well kept houses, the homemade swing, a covered bridge…

Cross over the bridge, but watch out for “road apples“. On the other side, if you are traveling on a weekend, you are likely to see some commotion at Bridge Acres Stable; a school for riding mounts of one horsepower.

Continue on Hunsecker Rd..

Turn left onto Butter Rd.. We’re on our way back now.

Turn right onto Euclid Rd..

Turn left onto Eden Rd..

Turn right onto Sunset Dr..

Continue on Country Club Dr.

Turn right onto Homeland, back under Rt. 30.

Continue on Rutledge Av..

Turn left on Esbenshade Rd.. Here’s where we vary from the trip out…

Turn right on Juliette Ave..

Turn right on Marshall Ave.. Follow Marshall along:
6. The Lancaster Stockyards. At one time, Lancaster was also the cattle trade capital East of Chicago. The Stockyards are abandoned and run down now, and slated to be turned into a mixed use development. But there was a time that, if you ate a steak on the east coast, it probably walked through here. As attitudes about animal treatment changed, Lancaster fell behind, the Stockyards became controversial and eventually closed. But they are a large part of our history. Nearby are the Stockyard Inn and Jimmee’s Deluxe Grill, a retro burger place with outdoor dining and hand-made burgers and shakes, if you are ready for a bite before our last leg.

Turn left on Lititz Pike.

Over the bridge, and along McGovern Av.. Stay left. The Lancaster Amtrak Station is on your right.

Turn left onto N. Duke St.. As you travel down Duke St., keep an eye on traffic, but don’t forget to look around at the buildings you are passing. They are a part of the reason they call this Historic Downtown Lancaster.

Turn right on Orange St..

Turn left on Prince St..

Turn left on King St.. Straight one block and we are back where we started.

If you take this ride, leave a comment. Let us know how it went.