Yo, Adrian! I did it!

This morning’s plan to leave early was much more successful than yesterday’s attempt, although it still wasn’t a super early departure. As has become the norm, I took advantage of the hotel breakfast that was on offer. It was a pretty limited “Grab & Go” breakfast but I grabbed enough to fill me up before my ride and stashed a few things away to eat along the way.

Based on the headline, it’s likely not much of a surprise that today’s goal was Philadelphia. Spoiler Alert: I made it. This is certainly not my first time in Philadelphia but it has been a while since my last visit. And obviously this is my first time cycling here.

By 8:45 I was packed up and checking out of the hotel. But before I left I met Danny, a filmmaker from New York, who was more than a little intrigued by my bike and my journey. We talked about the trip, video, editing, and various other things before he had to leave. Before he left though, we exchanged business cards – who knows, maybe together we can document a future phase of Mark’s Midlife Crisis. Or maybe, Mark’s Midlife Crisis: The Movie!

My official departure time was 9:00. Yesterday’s long detour through Manhattan meant that today was not going to be the short ride I had originally planned. Instead, the ride to Philadelphia was going to be about 120km. Fortunately, it was another beautiful day for ride. Sunny, moderate temperatures, and no significant winds.

I deviated a few times from Google’s proposed route because the bike paths suggested by Google weren’t in fact paved roads and I learned a while ago to avoid gravel whenever possible. Other than that though, the ride was very leisurely. Leisurely and without incident. It was nice to have a mechanically sound day en route to adding another state to the list of states through which I’ve cycled. For those keeping track, I’ve now cycled through Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Upon my arrival in Philadelphia I made my way over to the art museum – aka. the Rocky steps. I mean, how could I not? I’ve climbed the steps many times but I never get tired of going over there. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people that still go there to run up the stairs and jump around at the top in their best Rocky Balboa impersonation. Of course, this time I was on my bike so there was no stair climbing for me but I still got to the top for the necessary photo opportunity.

I’m going to spend the next few days (or until I get kicked out) at my friend’s place here in Philly. I’m not really sure what my plan is while I’m here but I’m sure something will come up. Hopefully something blog-worthy!

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 123.87km
Time on bike: 5:53:13
Maximum speed: 50.04 km/h
Average speed: 21.03 km/h