Skip to main content

Pedal through Civil War History on the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series: Cycles & Cemeteries Ride

The September 21 ride along the trail incorporates a unique mix of cycling and history, with guided tours of two historic cemeteries where Civil War notables are buried.

Take a ride along the Schuylkill River Trail and through the gates of two historic cemeteries where you can visit the gravesites of Civil War notables, including Gettysburg Generals Meade and Hancock.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is hosting the second ride in the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series on Saturday, September 21. The Cycles & Cemeteries Ride will take cyclists along the Schuylkill River Trail from Norristown to East Falls, with visits to Montgomery Cemetery in West Norriton and Laurel Hill Cemetery in East Falls.

Ride options include 14 and 28-mile distances, and all participants can take guided or self-guided tours of the cemeteries on foot.

The Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is a three-year series of annual rides that was introduced by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area last year. Each fall, a different section of trail is featured. All the rides are intended to raise awareness of the connections that can be made from Schuylkill River Trail to regional historic sites.

The Cycles & Cemeteries Ride is being held in partnership with Laurel Hill Cemetery and Montgomery Cemetery. The event will begin at Montgomery Cemetery, where, prior to the ride, participants can visit four interpretive stations with information on Civil War Generals Hancock and Zook, Civil War nurses and the Grand Army of the Republic.

Cyclists will then pedal 14-miles to Laurel Hill Cemetery in East Falls where lunch will be served. A Civil War documentary video will be screened marking the 150th anniversary of the events of 1863 leading up to and following the Battle of Gettysburg. Guided and self-guided tours will take participants to the gravesites of the many notables featured in the video, including Gettysburg General George Meade.

Participants can choose to ride back to Montgomery Cemetery , take a bike/passenger shuttle back to their cars, or provide their own transportation from the Laurel Hill Cemetery. The Cycles & Cemeteries Ride is the second ride in the bike tour series. The first, the Rails and River Towns Ride, was held last fall and took over 100 cyclists along the trail from Pottstown to Birdboro, with historic walking tours of two villages.

The final ride planned is the 2014 National Parks of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area Ride, a two-day event that will take cyclists to three national parks: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park.

“Our goal in establishing the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is to show people that they can travel along the trail to connect to visitor sites and regional history,” said Kurt Zwikl , executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. “Cyclists who participate in the Cycles and Cemeteries Ride will not only experience an enjoyable ride along the Schuylkill River Trail, but they will be introduced to some fascinating local history.”

Cost for the Cycles & Cemeteries Ride is $35 per person before September 5, and $40 after that date. To secure a spot on the shuttle for you and your bike you must pre-register and pay an additional $10. Non-riding friends and family members of participants can opt to purchase lunch and cemetery tours for $15 prior to the event. Registration closes September 18. There will be no day of registration. Event is rain or shine. Ride limited to 250 riders.

Price includes lunch, well-marked route, cemetery tours and refreshments. Free t-shirts are included for all who register by September 5. All proceeds benefit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area, Laurel Hill Cemetery and Montgomery Cemetery.

Ride support and complimentary pre-ride bicycle safety checks will be provided by TriCounty Bicycles, of Pottstown. Due to the width of the trail, no bicycle trailers will be permitted. To learn more visit www.schuylkillriver.org. Register online at: http://srhabikeride.eventbrite.com/.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Public meeting to discuss future of Melchiorre Park scheduled for Nov. 29th

On Thursday, November 29th, the Borough is holding a 'brainstorming session' in which plans for Melchiorre Park will be discussed with its park planning consultants. The event will be held at the High School and will begin 7pm. For those of you who do not know about Melchiorre Park (of which I am included, even though I apparently live across the street from it), it is a 23 acre park located south of High Street on the land between it and French Creek. It appears, based on the drawing on the Borough home page , to be the land that is next to Westridge Village and across the street from the new Northridge Village community. As part of the meeting, the consultants will 'provide a brief background of the project and present a pre-final master plan for the park'. Source: Phoenixville Borough Website

Relay for Life Kick Off Celebration Planned for Nov. 27th

On Tuesday, November 27th, the Relay For Life of Phoenixville will be holding a kick off celebration for the '08 event. The celebration will be held at the Phoenixville High School Cafeteria (1200 Gay St) and will begin at 6:30pm. This year's celebration will feature the following: Meet this year's Co-Chairs and see the passing of the torch Hear from this year's Honorary Survivor Luminaria Ceremony: Celebrate the lives of those who have fought bravely, but have lost their battle Musical selections by The High School's Select Choir & the Guitar Club Spanish Immersion students will read poetry in both Spanish & English Raffle Fighting March & Line Dance by the High School Marching Band Also, for those who are interested in being a part of the '08 Relay, banking & team registration tables will be open from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m., and again after the ceremony. This year's relay will be held on May 2 & 3, 2008 from 6:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. As in th

Local Baker Wins on Netflix Sugar Rush

Peri Anderson, owner of Brooklyn Girl Bakery , was part of a team that won the most recent episode of Sugar Rush on Netflix. I reached out to Peri to learn a little more about her bakery: I started out taking a recreational cake decorating class with my mom when I was still living in NY. I loved it and moved to PA to be with my boyfriend (now husband), where I began interning for a bakery in Chestnut Hill. Over the course of 7 years I worked my way up from intern to pastry chef until I decided to leave in 2012. I do all of my baking in our home kitchen which is licensed and insured by the Dept. of Agriculture. Initially, I wanted to focus on wedding cakes so I immediately started contacting wedding venues in the area to see if they would include me a wedding cake vendor in their packages. I currently work with over 10 venues and several caterers in the area. While wedding cakes are my main focus, I also make cakes and cookie favors for all occasions. While I don’t have a retail loca