Exploring a bit of our state’s northwest territory and the neighborhood across the NY border has long been on our “to do” list, especially in autumn. Finally, an opportunity presented itself, shoehorned in between two of Patty’s classes. Picking her up after one of them, we drove off in a way that mimicked the many Fridays in England she took me away from work at 11 o’clock sharp for a weekend of exploring.

Given five full days of dry and beautiful fall weather, it may be no surprise that this was more of a biking holiday than anything else. With no rain or even showers, every bike ride I had dreamed of came to be, totaling almost 50 miles.

To be sure, not everything we did was by bike. Enroute to the New York border, we stopped to inspect several PA state parks and found some nice hiking and picnicking possibilities for the future. Among those state parks was Kinzua, the site of the historic Kinzua RR viaduct completed in 1882. At the time, it was the highest railroad bridge in the world at 301 feet above the valley floor and stretched over 2000 feet in length. In 1977, the Kinzua Bridge received national recognition when it was placed on the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. Here is a photo from the Internet showing why it was so honored:

Unfortunately, as with Mount St. Helens in Oregon, our arrival at the site was long after catastrophe struck and forever changed it. On the afternoon of July 21, 2003, a tornado swept through the area, crumpling 11 of the 20 towers as well as decimating a large swath of trees. (Although we didn’t hear of the Kinzua Bridge collapse until much later, on that same July day we had just arrived in Ithaca NY and checked into our hotel when this furious storm front swept through. Dumping buckets of rain on Ithaca, the high winds knocked out the electricity there for 4 hours, forcing the closure of every restaurant and grocery store around. With no other option, our memorable hotel room dinner that evening featured peanut butter sandwiches.)

A sad piece of destruction you might say but, then again, the bridge did last for over 120 years --- many do not fare that well. We missed seeing it whole by only a few years.

Our first two nights were spent in Olean (Oh-Lee-Anne) NY, astride the Allegheny River just over the PA-NY border. (Yes, that’s the same river that flows south to Pittsburgh to join the Monongahela and form the mighty Ohio River.) Due to morning fog and chilly temperatures, we first drove to Ellicottville NY to wander about as the day warmed. Despite a busy state highway passing through the town center, this old Victorian village survives on its charm and the nearby ski slopes.

The pretty farm country hereabout also helps lure tourists like us.

Finally, with the sun firmly in control, we rode the Allegheny River Valley Trail, a 5.6 mile paved loop that passes right through the driveway to our hotel. (Hey, that’s a great reason to stay there!) This trail offers a very pleasant, easy ride through Olean, along the river and around pretty St. Bonaventure University. We couldn’t help detouring a little to tour this coed institution founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1858.

Just outside Olean is Rock City Park, another interesting attraction. This is a sprawling jumble of immense conglomerate rocks, each composed of pebbles and sandstone compacted tightly together. There are numerous deep and narrow crevices between the behemoths, many caves, arches and other fascinating shapes, as well as the inevitable “Fat Man’s Squeeze” and “Balancing Rock”.

All in all, scrambling about was a good bit of fun.

Our next biking destination was Red House Lake in Allegheny State Park about 30 miles west of Olean. Despite a cool and foggy start, skies cleared as we rode.

The bicycle trail around the lake is not particularly flat or smooth but it is paved and picturesque. Five miles of riding brought an unexpected reward: one of Patty’s delicious date nut cupcakes and a hot cup of coffee in the warmth of the rustic Administration Building.

A further drive west took us to Lake Chautauqua and the historic Chautauqua Institution. Initially accessible only by ferry, it originated in 1874 as a training ground for Sunday school teachers. It has since evolved into a quasi-resort where lectures on a variety of subjects are presented by experts. It is also a favored locale for conferences, weddings, reunions and the like. Accommodations run the gamut from luxury condos to rooming houses and inns reminiscent of Chautauqua's early days. As far as we know, all rental properties are privately owned. Recreation includes concerts, theater, golfing, tennis, boating, swimming or simply sunning on the lake shore.

We pottered about the Institute on our bikes, admiring the waterfront and peaceful, attractive “back streets” filled with many older homes and cottages and especially the Athenaeum Hotel, open since 1881.

A Quilt Show was in progress during our visit so cars and people moved about. Nevertheless, we expect it was a whole lot quieter than during the busy summer season.

Our two nights in Erie PA made it possible to devote a full day to the PA state park called Presque Isle (French for “almost an island”). This “hook-shaped” park is not an island, being connected to the mainland by a long, skinny neck on one end of the hook and almost connected on the other. Interestingly enough, in the past, storm waves have broken through the neck to isolate the main section of the spit at least four times since 1819. One gap remained open for 32 years!

On a beautiful fall day with a high of about 80, we rode the 13 mile loop around the periphery. This was another very pleasant ride, with views across the harbor to downtown Erie on one side and miles of quiet, scenic beaches facing Lake Erie on the other. Pausing for photos at the monument to Commodore Perry, a hero of the War of 1812, we decided to have our lunch on a little bay just around the corner.

Afterwards, we learned that this delightful spot was named “Misery Bay” after the awful experiences of Perry and his men who wintered here in 1813-14 following the Battle of Lake Erie.

Its proximity to Oil Creek State Park was the reason we stayed two nights in Franklin PA. The 10 mile long Oil Creek Bike Path begins north of Franklin at Petroleum Center and ends at the Drake Well Museum near Titusville. Edwin Drake was the first to discover how oil could be extracted in practical quantities by drilling down to it and pumping it out rather than simply gathering it wherever it naturally surfaced. Notably, he solved the problem of water and sand seeping into the drill hole by ramming an iron pipe down to bedrock first and then drilling inside it.

This splendid museum celebrates his discovery and the birth of the petroleum industry.

It’s hard to believe that during the Civil War years the whole of Oil Creek valley was covered with oil wells after Drake’s discovery in 1859. Today, the wells are gone --- or at least invisible --- the valley’s forest has regenerated and even Oil Creek has a pristine appearance. It was once soiled with the voluminous runoff of gushers that could not be capped.

We found the Oil Creek Bike Path a wonderful ride. No bumpity-bump concrete here, the path is smooth asphalt, although at this time of year it is decorated with seasonal debris. Riding it puts your senses in high gear as you move swiftly along through colorful leaves --- some tumbling down, enjoying the “scrunch-scrunch” of bike tires merrily rolling over fallen leaves, the temporary whirring of hitchhikers caught between tire and fender, the smells of the forest, an occasional whiff of oil-scent from some unseen source, pleasing vistas of the creek, refreshing coolness one minute then delicious warmth the next as you pass from shade to sun. Incredibly, very few folks joined us for this Wednesday ride despite near-perfect weather. Picnicking at the museum and walking through it split the ride into two manageable halves and helped make this a genuine “good to be alive” kind of day.

Some memories not related to biking do come to mind, such as:
• stumbling upon a high school homecoming parade in downtown Bradford PA when all we intended to do was drive through (well, when you can’t beat ‘em, you may as well stick around as we did);
• watching the ebullient pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Olean during Mass as he interpreted hymns in sign language while belting them out with gusto;
• discovering that the peculiar “pile-driving sound” we heard from afar was actually from the Drake Museum’s Olin gas engine which fires only once every 7 or 8 revolutions (because of its light load); equally enlightening was the discovery that this one engine drives 6 different well pumps scattered far and wide by pulling on 6 thin iron bars leading to the pumps;
• pausing for walks along the shore of Edinboro’s lake, through the woods of the Erie National Wildlife Refuge and even in Erie’s substantial Millcreek Mall.
Still, when we look back on this trip years from now, I have no doubt that it will be the numerous, outstanding bike rides that I’ll remember.