GAP/C&O-Day 5- But He’s So Nice!

Breakfast was served at 7:30 am, buffet style. There were 5 other men staying at Bay Farms Bed & Breakfast , and we enjoyed getting to know them and hear of their biking adventures. The group bikes the C&O annually, at the same time each summer. Though the group gained and lost riders throughout the years, the same core group was still riding annually. Most of the men came from Ohio originally, but had since moved to other parts of the country, to be reunited each summer on the C&O. They knew the trail well and shared some tips and recommendations on meals and lodging options.

There is one lodging accommodation we’ve lined up for later in the week, that I was a little uncertain about. It’s further north and will be our destination on Day 6. It seems to have a more hostel or primitive feel. The place is run by a retired gentleman, and is in the small home where he lives. I don’t particularly like the hostel set up, but I don’t mind primitive, and I don’t mind camping. We camp in a tent.  Love it! With that said, I really enjoy the B&B experience when we are biking. It’s a nice reward at the end of a long day of riding. But in this particular area, there were no options available other than this one place. In order to break up the mileage in a manageable way, we had to book lodging in this one particular town, and this was the ONLY place at all, anywhere near (believe me, I did my research!)

I asked the group of men about it, and they knew exactly the place, said they’d stayed there several times. The group seemed to be mixed on their opinions, but said it would be fine, but they were somewhat vague. I kept asking specifics, trying to get a feel for what to expect. They didn’t exactly answer my questions, just kept saying the owner was a super nice guy. So I tried asking in a different way, still the same answer; he’s such a nice guy.

This was beginning to sound like the Andy Griffith episode when they were trying to arrange a date for a homely relative of Thelma Lou’s. In their attempt to describe her to Gomer, they avoided direct questions about her looks, just kept saying, “but she’s so nice!”. Every question I asked was answered in the same manner,

Me: Is this like a regular B&B or more like a hostel?

Them: “He’s such a great guy and has a little weiner dog in the house. Do you like dogs?”

Me: “Well, does he keep it clean and tidy inside?”

Them: “The dog is kinda cute, named Mollie or Moxie or something. Nice guy!”

Me: “Are the sheets clean?”

Them: “You’ll never meet a nicer guy!”

Me: “Would you say the bathroom is clean?”

Them: “He’s just a super guy that is really interesting and knows alot of stuff, loves to fish!

Me: “Will we have our own separate bedroom?”

Them: “Yeah, you probably won’t have to sleep on the air mattress, and he’s just a great guy, you’ll really enjoy talking to him,”.

This went on for several questions until I finally cut to the chase. I said, “OK, tell me this, would your wives stay there?”

Them: (without a moments hesitation and in unison): “No, but you’ll be fine…. ”

Them: “…and don’t go in the basement” (followed by uproarious laughter)

We soon parted ways, (they’d given me enough to worry about) and we walked over the cafe to meet up with Rose of Desert Rose Cafe who had offered to buy us bread and cheese for our lunch the night before. (You’ve got to read yesterday’s post if you missed it). She had exactly what we asked for, so we got our bread and cheese, bought a couple of her delicious cookies, some water and were off. She was sweet enough to allow us to snap this picture even though they were busy with the morning rush.

It was another gorgeous clear day with bright blue skies and lots of sunshine. The trail continues to be in good condition from Williamsport to Hancock where we are staying tonight. There were only one or two muddy spots all day, so that was a bonus!

The beautiful trail along the old C&O Canal continued as we headed north. Wildflowers, wild raspberries everywhere, and beautiful views of the Potomac River as we rode. At one point, Jimmy asked if I was really going to stop and take a picture of every wild raspberry bush in Maryland, lol. I guess I had taken quite a few, but they’re everywhere and hard to resist, and are delicious by the way!

Around lunch time, we arrived at Fort Frederick. It was situated just a quarter of a mile off the trail and was well worth the stop. We feel like we’ve had a good review of the Civil War action after our few days exploring Antietam and other Civil War sites, so why not the Revolutionary War? But first lunch! We sat on the porch of the park office in rocking chairs and enjoyed our cheese and baguette that Rose had bought for us. It was nice to get off the bikes for a while. We paid the admission fee ($5 for the two of us) and headed in to the fort. There were people in period clothing demonstrating rifles and answering questions, and it was a cool place to visit.

Fort Frederick was built in 1756 and its walls were built of stone 20 feet high and 3 feet thick. The colony of Maryland built the fort to protect its interests on the Western frontier during the French and Indian War.

During the Revolutionary War, it served as an American prison camp for thousands of captured British troops. During the Civil War, it was occupied for a while by Union soldiers. In 1860, a free African-American man named Nathan Williams purchased the fort and lived there with his family, farming the land until 1911. He built a school nearby for African-American children and it still stands in the park.

We left Fort Frederick, and continued our trek north. A few miles past the fort, there is the option to switch to the Western Maryland Rail Trail for 26 miles. It runs parallel to the C&O and connects with the C&O in several places. The C&O stays on the towpath closest to the river, and the Western Maryland is on an old converted railroad bed that was built on the opposite bank of the canal, so essentially you see the same scenery, but on blessed pavement! We’ve been on gravel (and some mud) for 4 days. When we got to the pavement, I was tempted to get off the bike and kiss the ground, but figured I might not be able to get back up, so I skipped that part and just enjoyed the smooth, seemingly effortless pedaling.

We were able to pick up our speed on the pavement and reach the little town of Hancock, MD by about 3:00 pm. We found River Run B&B situated right on the trail with the canal in front. The housekeeper was just finishing up for the day and she showed us to our room, and made sure we had everything we needed. We were able to stow our bikes in the garage and take a walk around town before we cleaned up for dinner.

We walked down Main Street, checking out the shops and had circled back around to walk down the trail to our B&B when a gentleman in a truck slowed down, rolled down the window and yelled, “Welcome! Are you finding everything you need here?” Jimmy called back, yes, thank you!  And he yelled back, “Thank you for visiting our little town!” How nice! We kept walking and were heading across a parking lot to the trail when we noticed the truck pulled in as well.   The gentleman got out and said, “I just wanted to make sure you guys knew about the Western Maryland Rail Trail.” I guess he’d noticed our bike clothing and knew we were visitors to the town.

We told him we did know about it and had ridden it into town just a while ago. He was  very interested in what brought us to Hancock, where we lived, how we planned to break up our ride, etc.  He told us all about his little town, how they were making improvements to draw more visitors, how the bike trails had affected his town in such a positive way, etc. He had many stories to share about other bikers that had come through town. He was such a good ambassador for the little town of Hancock. He apparently knew each person that passed by us as we stood along the trail, whether they were out for a jog or on a bike, he called them each by name as he waved and they waved back. He served as a city commissioner (or something similar), and said he’d run for mayor twice but lost both times. He asked the town to make him a business card when he stepped into his position, but they’d never gotten around to it so he ordered some himself.  He gave us his card and told us if we needed anything at all while we were in town, to let him know, and he asked us to email him when we returned home so he would know we had made it back home safely. After a long conversation (in which he included details of his unusual name – mother was English, dad was part of Normandy invasion where they met and married), we parted ways with handshakes and hugs and a new friend named Nigel Dardar in Hancock, Maryland.

We walked back to the B&B with smiles on our faces and got cleaned up for dinner. We were able to wash a load of laundry, and have been pleased that many of the B&Bs along the trail provide the use of a washer and dryer and supply the laundry detergent. If I’d known that, I could have packed even fewer clothes, one thing I am really regretting at this point. A lighter saddlebag would definitely be a plus!

We ate dinner at Buddy Lou’s Eats and Antiques and enjoyed a delicious meal. I had a great salad with grilled chicken and ate it so fast I did not get a picture! Jimmy had the Maryland Crabcakes, and they were delicious too. We shared a dessert. That, I did get a picture of. It was a brownie topped with ice cream, walnuts and peanut butter cream. It was outstanding.

And so ends our day in Hancock. Tomorrow we continue northward on the trail and meet the guy that is so nice!