One of the best things about this week’s riding is that every ride has a destination to visit toward the middle of the pedaling. Today’s 48-mile ride has two, the Utz potato chip factory followed by the Snyder’s pretzel factory, both located in the manufacturing mecca of Hanover. We had a great ride through endless cornfields to Hanover, but it is getting a little hot and very humid up here.

We came to PA to find some cooler weather, but it looks like it will be close to 100 here by the end of the week. We saw 90 on one bank thermometer and I was well on my way to dehydration-city when the skies clouded up and it started to rain. It didn’t rain much, but it lowered the temps by at least 10 degrees, and that allowed us to recharge and make it back with no heat-related problems.

Back to the junk food. They don’t let you take pictures inside of the Utz factory so that you don’t steal their corporate secrets. I had never seen a potato chip factory up-close and personal before and all I wanted afterwards was a bag of Utz potato chips. We went to the factory store a few blocks away and stood in line with people buying cases of potato chips to buy two one-ounce bags. The folks in the store seemed a little overweight…obviously they visit quite often.

We have left Gettysburg and moved the party 50 miles east to Lancaster, where we will ride for the next four days. There is a brewery only 1/4 mile from here and we are on our way to sample their wares…