Lancaster County B&B and Bike Ride along the Susquehanna

Sandi and I decided to ride bicycles along the Susquehanna River.  Sandi found the Susquehanna Manor Inn Bed & Breakfast in Marietta, PA online.  It’s a short bike ride to the NW Lancaster County River Trail.

The trail along the river is crushed stone and paved.  Because the river had recently flooded some of the trail, we were riding through some mud, lifting out bike over fallen trees, and ultimately, turning around when the trail was flooded to the top of my wheels.  We still enjoyed the adventure.

Food, and the B&B

There were multiple options for dinner nearby in Marietta, Columbia, and Wrightsville.  Shane, the owner of the B&B, suggested a couple of restaurants, and we chose McCleary’s Pub.  I liked the spacious covered patio area.  We got there a bit early for the music though, and that would have been fun.  I think we were looking for someplace a little fancier for our getaway, but we enjoyed our meal.

The B&B was comfortable, well decorated, and set off from the main road by trees.  It’s across from some modern condominiums that seem out of place.  But because of them, there’s a large pond. There’s a gazebo by the pond and a porch swing overlooking the pond.

There were plenty of spaces to relax at the Susquehanna Manor Inn.  Our room was comfortable. There was a large sitting room, and we enjoyed sitting and reading on the wrap-around porch.  The windows of the house were incredibly tall and had lots of character.

Other things to do

We could have biked a section of trail between Marietta and Columbia, but we didn’t.

Aside from biking, there were plenty of other things to do.  We explored an antique shop in Columbia and went to the Turkey Hill Experience, where admission (about $10/person) got us Turkey Hill ice cream and drinks.

At Shane’s suggestion, we hiked to Chickie’s Rock Overlook, which overlooks the Susquehanna between Marietta and Columbia. The short walk was worth it.

Another trail

On our way home, we biked along the Enola Low Grade Trail and stopped at Manns Run Waterfall.  The Enola Low Grade Trail goes south to Safe Harbor.  It’s a wide, crushed stone surface and offers almost constant views of the Susquehanna.  We didn’t go all the way though.

Heading home

While the drive to Marietta took 1.5 hrs.  The drive home took about 20 minutes longer.  The scenery was worth it.  Google Maps routed us through Conestoga, Willow Street, Lampeter and Strasburg.

Final thoughts

I really want to bike the Atglen Susquehanna Trail, which south a bit, separated from the Enola Low Grade Trail by a missing bridge. We like the area in general.  The Columbia Riverfront has a nice visitors center at the trailhead.

Photos below