The Rocks, Windgap, Fairywood, Industrial Highway, Crafton, Carnegie, West End

11/18/12 241# 50M

A tremendous day's ride. Started off at around 32F, met S. at the Bastille at 0820, then we rode up to Brighton Road to meet RedDan from the BikePgh forums for a tour of some places new to us.




We rode across the McKees Rocks Bridge and stopped in McKees Rocks Bottoms (first time I've been there!), to take this mural:


Rode into McKeesport, and around into WindGap. Continued into Fairywood and though some current and some abandoned housing projects. Made it to the (incomplete) Industrial Highway, which now serves as the nicest four-lane service road you might imagine.

It was exciting to ride to route 60 in Crafton from the North Side, because once you're in Crafton you can reach Robinson (the new Jerusalem if you're from Beaver County), or the Panhandle Trail to Weirton, or the Montour Trail.

Rode through Crafton Blvd. to take a picture of a mural at XXX XXX.

Departed and rode along Chartiers Creek into Carnegie, and took a picture of the Honus Wagner mural at the American Legion.


Banksville Road to the West End Circle and Station Square, where we parted ways with RedDan. It was really great to meet him and ride with him, a very nice gentleman and an accomplished rider.

We rode on the South Side Trail, Keystone Metals, reversed to Hot Metal Bridge. climbed Junction Hollow to Oakland and began our search for the Doors of Oakland.

Doors of Oakland Project

The "Doors of Oakland" was a 2006 project from the Oakland Business Improvement District (OBID) that was part of
an overall "Stores and Doors" effort to standardize and upgrade storefronts in the Oakland Fifth and Forbes corridors. Only 7 of the 9 original artistic doorfronts remain.

August Wilson by Anire Mosley, Starbucks on Forbes at Atwood		Doorway by James Maszle at 253 Atwood
Alix Paul, 228 Semple Street
By Sarah Zeffiro at 3707 Forbes Ave		by Terri Shutko, news stand, Oakland Ave at Forbes
This is a LOST Door of Oakland. Previously painted by Kate Bechack at 3604 Fifth Avenue.

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Departed Oakland via Junction Hollow, Jail Trail, Convention Center Trail, and stopped to take a few more photos of the Book-of-Revelation inspired mural by Mark Runco on Blackberry Way in Lawrenceville. The left side of the mural, close to Blackberry Way, depicts the gates of hell flung open and skull-faced Grim Reapers guiding a variety of illicit activity, including crack-smoking, teen alcoholism and prostitution. The right side of the mural depicts the saving power of Christ.

Crossed the 40th Street Bridge, NorthSide Trail to the football stadium, crowds beginning to build for this evening's Steelers game, a lot of tailgating going on. Back to the Bastille uneventfully.