Before we get to today’s fun in the (very hot) sun, a word about the Cork Factory Hotel, which has been our home for the last few days. Believe it or not, this place used to be a cork factory back in the day and they spent big bucks refurbishing it into a hotel and office complex. It has been a great location for us and we recommend it if you are ever in Lancaster.

Meanwhile, back at the bike, today’s 29-mile ride features the perfect trilogy of pretzels, chocolate and beer in a four-hour period. We begin in Mt. Joy and in no time we are in Lititz, he home of the first commercial pretzel bakery in the country (1861).

The old bakery is still open for tours and they let you make your own pretzel.

That’s Eve’s pretzel that she made. They don’t let you cook it, but they do let you buy one at the end of the tour.

A few blocks away is the Wilbur Chocolate company, the place that makes all of Lititz smell like brownies.

We got to watch the ladies make fudge and we had to eat most of what we bought because it never would have made it back without melting.

And speaking of melting, it was 92 degrees at 9AM and almost 100 degrees at the end of our ride. Good thing we started the ride at Bube’s (say “boobies”) Brewery, and that cold beer was the perfect antidote for the heat.b