We just got a Tweet from Luke and he asked us to tell everyone about his decision to walk on the Rails to Trails route from Pittsburg to Leesburg, and we think this is a most excellent idea.    Especially since the trail will dump them out practically in my very own back-yard.    

That Luke is one smart man, isn't he?

You can read all about this leg of the journey by asking your Mouse Person to very kindly take you away to THE BLOG FOR LUKE & THE BOYS   You need to subscribe to this anyway, so you can be all caught up on the adventures of the Three Muskateers  (HA)  and please to make sure that you try to get out onto the Trail as it crosses your neighborhood.   It is a very, very beautiful walk and if Bill Bryson can take                A WALK IN THE WOODS, then I am sure that Luke and The Boys can handle it.    I am going to guess that by this time, Luke is in much better shape than poor Mr. Bill was when he started off.     

If you don't know about this amazing book...... and frankly, we thought everyone had read it, but then there are always some surprises...... here is a quick re-cap:

Back in America after twenty years in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to reacquaint himself with his native country by walking the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes--and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings.

For a start there's the gloriously out-of-shape Stephen Katz, a buddy from Iowa along for the walk. Despite Katz's overwhelming desire to find cozy restaurants, he and Bryson eventually settle into their stride, and while on the trail they meet a bizarre assortment of hilarious characters. But A Walk in the Woods is more than just a laugh-out-loud hike. Bryson's acute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail, and as he tells its fascinating history, he makes a moving plea for the conservation of America's last great wilderness. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic of travel literature.


So..... to save your Mouse a little tiny bit of work, (but after all.... what else does that Mouse do all day?)... here is what Luke has to say about The Trail they will be on:
In many ways its ideal for us. (1) It's a fairly direct route to Leesburg VA which is our next major stop and (2) As it is basically a converted railroad line, the grade of the hiking trail never exceeds 2% despite that it starts at 850 feet, climbs to over 3,200, and back down to sea level in DC.