No Age Limit - Piaggio MP3

Newell Toll Bridge between Ohio and West Virginia

With only fifty miles to go to make our noon appointment, we were off to a luxuriously late start at 10am. It was the first time in almost four weeks that we weren’t on the road by 7:30 AM. We crossed the West Virginia state line at East Liverpool, going over the hundred-plus-year-old Newell Bridge and into Chester for about five miles of West Virginia Lincoln Highway. The Newell Bridge is a model of our trip’s adopted theme, "We’re not done yet". Not only is the bridge still functional, but it’s a revenue generator with a seventy-five cent toll. (Ride a Piaggio MP3 and save a quarter!) The bridge is a two-lane, quaint steel structure with a stoplight on the West Virginia side. Somehow, you feel good just going over it. It has a steel-plate grade surface that’d make a two-wheeler squirrely. The MP3 handles it just fine. The bike continues to surprise with its ease of handling. Many non-riders have said, "You know, I’d give that a try.” They should, it’s a bike that can be handled on the first try.

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In Chester we checked out the world’s biggest teapot — no longer serving tea, but in great shape — and then on to downtown Pittsburgh. It’s our first big city since leaving SFO on June 13. It’s a bit shocking, even for a guy who grew up in NYC and currently lives in the heart of the Big Apple. Part of the joy of riding the Lincoln Highway is its diversity — from the Nevada desert, the Great Plains of the Midwest and even a hint of the Rockies in the Colorado loop. Riding in 95-degree weather through downtown Pittsburgh isn’t dream biking, but the stares and waves of the people — and the stark contrast to these last weeks — made it novel and in some ways fun, at least for Bob and me.

Our TomTom lead us over the Smithfield Street Bridge to our destination: The Senator John Heinz History Center, which is Pennsylvania’s largest history museum. Waiting for us were Rick Sebak of PBS station WQED and Bob Lubomski, his fearless cameraman. The last time we saw Rick and Bob was in Medicine Bow, WY where Bob was filming us while hanging out the door of a van driven by Rick. On the wrong side of the road. These guys will do anything to get the best footage for Rick’s upcoming PBS documentary on the Lincoln Highway. Eventually, we were subjected to their no-holds-barred dedication to the project. They spent hours filming us in downtown traffic, out on the road and crossing bridges. We trust our efforts will plague them with guilt for to ensure a slot in the final edit of Rick’s hundreds of hours of film.

To be fair, Rick also treated us to our best lunch since leaving the Lincoln Highway’s western terminus. When in Pittsburgh, head for The Strip and find The Enrico Biscotti Company. My beans and greens dish offset the world of mayonnaise that resides between the East and West coasts. Brian Butko, editor of The Lincoln Highway News and author of the classic Greetings From The Lincoln Highway joined us. There we were, perhaps the only five people in Pittsburgh who could have a terrific time sharing stories about our Highway.

It was about 6:30 when Rick showed mercy, called a halt to filming, and rewarded us with a visit to D’s 6 Pax-N-Dogs (over 1000 beers in stock) in Regents Square. It was time to find a hotel and prepare for tomorrow’s fifteen minutes of MP3-induced fame — radio, TV and newspaper interviews along with a visit to Vespa Pittsburgh East. Marchello and Sophia will be treated to spa-like treatment and in the PM we’ll be heading east on the Pennsylvania Lincoln Highway.

Buddy out

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