Chicago to NYC – Day 20

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Start: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
End: Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Mileage/cumulative: 59 / 997
Elevation Ascended/cumulative: 2,359′ / 23,294′
Weather: Sunny, 40º at start; cloudy, 67º at finish; Winds: mild but mostly in our face
Flat tires (entire group) day/cumulative: 0 / 5

We rolled out of Gettysburg with fresh memories of our battlefield bike tour and a memorable dinner at the historic Dobbin House Tavern. The Dobbin House was established in 1776, making it the oldest standing structure in the Gettysburg town limits. Originally constructed by the Reverend Alexander Dobbin for his family dwelling, the house was also a “station” on the Underground Railroad in the mid-1800s and, after the Battle of Gettysburg ceased, it served as a hospital for wounded soldiers on both sides. Today,  the house appears virtually the same as it did over 200 years ago. Dining there was a special experience.

Knowing that we were heading to Lancaster, we had visions of relaxed riding on country roads with Amish buggies trotting by. Instead, our route took us on busy state highways, through a few interesting towns on busy roads, across the Susquehanna River, and into sprawling Lancaster. Not a buggy to be seen. No farmland. Not at all relaxing. We did stumble across a fighter jet while unsuccessfully searching for a coffee shop in East Berlin (Pennsylvania). The search for coffee ended in West York at Latte Da Gourmet Coffee, quite possibly the smallest coffee shop in the world. The owner is a lovely woman near our age who dreamt of being a barista. After she painstakingly made a batch of outstanding cappuccinos for the group, she posed us in front of her shop for a photo to post on her business Facebook page. I guess having a bunch of cyclists riding from Chicago to New York City drop into your tiny coffee shop is big news.

The disappointment of the route was made up for by wonderful innkeepers at the Lancaster Bed & Breakfast and a Team Pea “tacos and beer” date night at the Lancaster Brewing Company. Things were looking up as we got ready to head to Philadelphia!