While other RVs spent time at the beach or mountains, at some nice but boring campground, I spent most weekends in Trexlertown, PA, parked in an overflow parking lot at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center. My human peeps went a little crazy. For some reason, they decided that riding bikes with only one gear and without brakes around and around in a circle was more fun than riding on roads with scenic vistas. Crazy to me but I did get to road trip every weekend, so that was lots of fun.
When the male human inputted the address for the first time, I thought, “Really?? PA?? Come-on, give me something a little more interesting.” Turns out, this little slice of PA was pretty awesome.
Each Friday, the humans would pack far too much stuff for a couple of days. From books to clothing to food, they seriously over-estimated their consumption. We would sit in traffic along 95, 695, and 83, usually in rain. It was like Mother Nature decided, “Ollie is headed to PA? Make it rain!” I soon learned the best places to stop for my food (Royal Farms….love the pavement, so smooth) and human food/drink (Peets, Black Olive Family Diner) along the route.
Once we arrived at the velodrome, I could stretch out with the slideout and put on my shades. I love those silver covers for my windshields. Keeps me from getting too hot. With a full tank of propane, I could keep my humans cool during the night and soon we would all be asleep, resting for the exciting day ahead.
Each Saturday at the velodrome, there is a farmers’ market. From yummy bakery items to vegetables that make me glad I only eat diesel fuel, it remained a highlight of each weekend. Our favorite vendor owned a catering business, serving Lebanese cuisine. From falafel to hummus to all sorts of salads, the humans stocked up each Saturday and filled my refrigerator with aromas from a different part of the world.
Just as I was relaxing, the crazy humans would finish their track workouts and we would head into town for more propane for me and a latte for them. A note: the Starbucks located inside the Giant is the slowest Starbucks on the planet. Seriously. I loved stopping at the Tractor Supply Source for propane.
In the parking lot, I would always find a really interesting truck with whom to chat. I learned so much about the area. Since my female human is an economist and the male human is prone to Planet Money podcast listening, I have picked up a thing or two about economics and really like learning more about the structure of the economy from the locals. I had no idea that crayons and hot chocolate mix are both manufactured in the area. If the female human finds out about the crayons, I know a side-trip we will take!!
