Day 10: 10/8/2022: Leesburg VA to York PA

 My day started with about 6 miles in the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park.  The W&OD is a 45-mile paved trail.  Below are a couple of pics.

I was again on a dirt road for about 3 miles today.  Below is a pic of what the dirt roads I have been on in VA look like.  They have been good roads to ride on - fairly smooth and little to no traffic.

I went through the small town of Waterford, VA as the town was getting ready for it's Fall fair.  Pics below of some homes around the town.

Goodbye Virginia, hello...

I rode through the bustling downtown of Frederick MD.  

Then came...

This is my first bicycle touring trip in PA.

A couple of pics below of some PA scenery.

Pic of church steeple in West York as the sun was setting.

Pic of bike lanes that run along King Street in York.

A view of some interesting roof lines from Queen Street in York.

Tonight is my 2nd night of using Warm Showers for sleeping arrangements.  I stayed at Francie's home in York. In addition to letting me sleep in her spare bedroom, she provided me supper, pasta with sauce that contained vegetables grown in her organic garden.

She has made the decision to live a lifestyle that is sustainable and not as harmful for the planet.  Her home is set up to have as minimal impact on the environment as possible.  There are portable basins in all  sinks to catch used water.  That water (gray water) is then poured into a nearby 5 gallon bucket to be used to water her "food forest" or flush the toilet.

She has not owned a car since 2010.  She is employed part-time as a therapist in Hershey, PA, about 40 miles from her home.  She combines mass transit and a bicycle to get to work.  Her job requires her to do home visits with patients and she bikes to those.  She has figured out an amazing network of ways to travel around the northeast without a car.  On the 2 times a year she needs to pick up bulk supplies for her "food forest" she just rents a car.  She told me she has found life to be easier and less stressful without owning a car.

Her "food forest" is her organic garden that fills her entire backyard.  She uses gray water from her home and water from rain barrels to water the garden.

Below is a pic of Francie in her "food forest."

More pics of her "food forest."

Now that's a serious rain barrel...

Total miles today: 100.2