It’s the Frick…House (Part 2, Art Museum, Car & Carriage Museum)

If Clayton alone isn’t enough for you, or if you prefer a more economical day out, then may I suggest the Frick Art Museum and Car & Carriage Museum? Everyone I know would enjoy at least one, if not both, of these options and better yet, both are FREE admission (there is a box for donations at the entrances).

My focus for this trip was to see the Art Museum and the new exhibition Icons of American Photography. This is a collection of images from the Cleveland Museum of Art representing photography and technology from 1850-1960. The first pieces I saw walking in the door were a collection of daguerreotypes. I’ve seen daguerreotypes before, mostly faded and weathered, but these were crisp, sharp, and almost eerie. It was a very striking set with typically odd Victorian subjects.

As I moved around the room, I was struck by some of the turn-of-the-century western landscapes from Yosemite and other western parks. Since I just watched the National Parks series on PBS, I recognized several of the locations and it was fun to see in person images I had just watched on TV.

Portraits were scattered among these landscapes, including one of Georgia O’Keefe by Alfred Stieglitz and a striking photo of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. Turning the corner, I came face-to-face with an incredible photograph by Ansel Adams, whose work I’ve only ever seen in books. Seeing the real thing, in person, was a great experience.

In my opinion, this exhibit is well worth visiting and small enough that it can be enjoyed in a reasonable period of time.

I also walked through the permanent collection and I was struck by the same feeling I had at Clayton. It was almost like Helen Clay Frick was welcoming me into her home, albeit the public and ritzy part of her home. The pieces displayed here are from her personal collection and include 14th century religious panel paintings, 18th century French paintings, furniture, and more. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I could get up close and really see these paintings. There are only a few rooms, so I felt that I could spend the time seeing each one and not worry about what was around the next corner. It was an intimate, relaxing experience to tour the Art Museum and for this price, you’d be crazy not to stop by.

If art is not your thing and you've been dragged to the Frick, perhaps you'll enjoy the Car & Carriage Museum which I thought was nice and which Your Active Husband could have stayed in for hours on end. This museum contains an array of fine cars and carriages, including several used by the Fricks, which Helen Frick brought back to Pittsburgh. Also in the museum are automobiles donated by G. Whitney Snyder. The cars range in age from an 1881 Brougham to a 1940 American Bantam Convertible Coupe. There is even a car built in Pittsburgh; I didn’t know we had a company.

I must confess that, as with all things cars, I probably could not fully appreciate the fine collection of vehicles in front of me. Nevertheless, they were very pretty and had nice upholstery. (I’m learning to appreciate these cars more after seeing the Vintage Grand Prix this year at Schenley Park. I highly recommend you see the race next summer, particularly early on when they’re racing the really old cars. It’s very unpredictable and fun.) Disregarding my untrained eye, Your Active Husband assures me that the cars was very cool and several were famous models that he had only ever seen in books or on TV. Even if cars are not your thing, I suggest at least taking a look in the museum.

The Frick Art and History Center is open Tue-Sat 10 am to 5 pm and includes free parking in the lot on their grounds. For directions and more information visit their website.

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It's the Frick....House (Part 1, Clayton)

If an ornate Gilded Age mansion can be called “cozy”, Clayton is that. I might also call it “cute” and “comfortable”. Clayton is a sparkling example of a fully decked-out, designer’s dream mansion that at the same time feels like a real home.

If you like material culture, design, or just seeing lots of cool old stuff, then Clayton should be on your must-see list (and shame on you for not getting there yet!). Tours of Clayton are only $12 and… get this …the Frick Art Gallery, Car and Carriage Museum, and grounds are all FREE!

More about this in Part 2, but really, if you live in the Squirrel Hill/Point Breeze/Regent Square area get yourself over there for an hour or two. It’s a great resource right on the edge of Frick Park and a perfect part of a day out on the East End. You can include lunch at the Café at Frick, or follow it up with a nice hike through Homewood Cemetery and a meal at Pointe Brugge (belgian beer and mussels, yum!).

But back to Clayton, this was the home of Henry Clay Frick, his wife Adelaide and four children, of whom only two survived. The Frick family lived at Clayton from 1882-1905 before moving to a much larger mansion in New York City. The home stayed in the family through Helen Clay Frick who obviously loved the house and thoughtfully preserved it and planned to have it opened to the public upon her death in 1984. After renovations, Clayton was opened for tours in 1990.

The great thing about touring Clayton is that with just a single owner over the last 100 years, and an owner who was dedicated to preserving it, 90% of the house is still as it was when the Frick’s bought and remodeled it in the 1890s. The wallpapers, the fixtures, the ceilings, the furniture – it’s like stepping back into that time and that family.

They do recommend you call in advance to sign up for a daily tour of Clayton. When you visit, the tours meet in the Visitor Center/Playhouse where you’ll check in and have an introduction by your docent prior to walking over to Clayton.

The downstairs, public rooms in Clayton are magnificently furnished and beautiful to walk through. My favorite rooms, however, were definitely the private rooms on the second floor. Mrs. Frick’s red boudoir is something to behold, as is Mr. Frick’s elaborate bathroom, but my favorite room was the “family room”. This was really their sitting room and study located just off from the family bedrooms. I could absolutely spend an entire afternoon in that space. You are just cocooned in wall paneling and can lounge on comfortably upholstered chaises, reading books or playing games while mom or dad works at their desk nearby.

I completely understand why Helen loved this house just as it was and wanted to continue to return there and preserve it. It is a like a memory of your house growing up, before you’ve moved out and they’ve turned your room into a “exercise den” and thrown away half your stuff (“oh, I didn’t think you still wanted that, dear…”).

As compared to visiting similar Gilded-Age mansions in Newport, RI, you get a much smaller house here and a different setting; but at Clayton you really see how the house lived. At other mansions the materials have mostly not been kept with the house, and what is displayed is really the public house, not the private/family house. Clayton is a treasure and a must-see.

Tours are $12 for adults, but Tuesdays are 2-for-1 days. The rest of the grounds, the greenhouse, the Car and Carriage Museum, and the Frick Art Gallery are all FREE. Parking at the Frick is fairly ample and also free.

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Allegrippis - "...and lo, they said there would be mountain biking for all, and it was good."

So Your Active Husband (YAH) and I (Me) heard this rumor about 8 months ago that IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) was building, and we mean building, some mountain bike trails in central PA. This made us very happy since we would be returning to the motherland soon and could finally ride trails that weren’t made up of sand, large angular rocks, and more sand.

The Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake opened in May 2009 and comprise 32 miles of looped trail. You can find a trail map here. Last week, we finally made it to Raystown and the trails are like nothing I’ve ever been on, truly.

These are the first trails machine-built by IMBA and partners in Pennsylvania, and some of the first on the entire East Coast. In my mind the Allegrippis project represents a huge step forward in biking tourism in the state and I’m excited about what can happen in the future. (To learn more about how these trails came to be check out the article in Dirt Rag #143).

Just to ground you for this review, I’ll let you know that it will be written from two perspectives:

• Me - intermediate mountain biker, likes no stress rides, on a front-suspension hardtail Cannondale F1000 from 1998. I’ve named it the “Nimble Goat” or “Goat” for its fabulous climbing ability (YAH doesn’t believe in naming bikes, just taking lots and lots of pictures of them);
  
• Your Active Husband – advanced mountain biker, likes a challenge but will also slow down and ride with his low stress wife, biking on a no suspension, new-to-him, Kona Unit 29er (which just means oversize wheels, can someone say compensating? He assures me that the big wheels help him go over stuff, I believe him) single-speed (which means no gears and thus makes no sense) that does not have a name because that is not what men do.

Being machine-made, the Allegrippis trails are rated the way skiing trails are - green trails are easiest, blue trails are intermediate, and black trails are advanced. They are well signed and easy to follow.

So how are the trails? We’ve heard them described, as “fast”, “smooth”, “rollercoaster”, and these are all accurate but don’t quite describe the experience of riding the Allegrippis fully. Neither of us had ever been on machine-made trails before nor had a lot of the people we passed, so we all had this look on our faces kind of like disbelief – they actually built trails? Just for us? Here’s a rundown of pros and cons:

Pros:

• Accessible to all. This to me is key, because of the rankings and signage and the way the trails loop, anyone can ride here. I can ride with Your Active Husband and actually take some trails on my own, because I know I won’t get lost. For others who are directionally deficient out there, this is BIG!
  
• Less stressful day out. With the rankings you know exactly what you’re getting into, so no getting angry because you’ve been led to yet another steep climb, and forced to walk the bike through yet another rock garden, and… you get the picture.
  
• Fast trails. There were entire sections that looked flat but I didn’t need to touch a pedal, I just kept going.

Cons:

• Spontaneity. Since the trails are mapped out you do lose some of the sense of discovery and surprise. But for me, the surprise wears off about 30 minutes into yet another lost trail.
  
• Challenge. For advanced riders or those wanting a challenge, none of the trails are “technical” per se, but they offer a place and features to refine your skills that most trails don’t offer.

TRAIL REVIEW:
North Trails (suspension nice to have but not required)Fawn/Doe/Buck Trails (green).
(Me) If you can ride a bike you can basically ride these trails. True beginners still might find a few places they have to walk, but these trails are basically rock- and root-free and can be ridden at a slower pace. Good to build confidence and no surprises.

(Your Active Husband) If you’re advanced and riding these I found it a good place to warm up and work on dialing in my tire pressure and my pump technique.

Sleek Dog, Eagle, Osprey (blue).
(Me) The blue trails are not technical, but do require some more speed than the green, so you have to be comfortable riding with speed and taking some slightly bigger rollers and ups and downs. I LOVED these sections and thought they flowed beautifully. Osprey is entirely uphill going toward the parking lot, so keep that in mind.

(Your Active Husband) I’m gonna use a two words to describe Sleek Dog and Eagle – “flow country” - I didn’t ride much of Osprey so take the lady’s word on it.

Berry Patch, Loco – Motive, Red Legs (blue); Hydro Loop, Sidewinder, Ray’s Revenge (black).
(Me) Didn’t ride this time. But from his description, I believe I would be fine with Hydro Loop and Sidewinder is just painful, but doable.

(Your Active Husband) Hydro was super nice and not necessarily more technical than the blue trails, it just seemed that the interval between the rollers was closer together. I would not recommend riding Sidewinder or Ray’s Revenge from Osprey. They were steep with a few switchbacks that were loose, much better going down than up, plus there’s a small “dip” - think table top jump - on Ray’s Revenge. Berry Patch, Loco - Motive, Red Legs and Allie were great trails with a good mix of climbing and downhill to keep it interesting

South Trails (suspension highly recommended, unless you really like to be uncomfortable)
Dark Hollow, Shade, Dirt Sufer Barrel Bay (blue).
(Me) These trails are definitely bumpier and rockier (but not in a technical way) than the north trails; suspension was a great asset here. I really like these trails and they felt much more like “typical” PA mountain biking trails, a great view of the lake, and lots of up and down. I don’t know if it was because it was the end of the day or the way these trails are, but there was a lot of standing up on the bike for these and my body really started feeling it over here. I was actually hoping for stretches to pedal rather than coast because my legs and back hurt.

(Your Active Husband) For me these trails paled in comparison to the others. They felt choppy and just didn’t flow, but maybe that’s the point. I definitely wanted my full suspension bike for these as the single speed was starting to wear me down.

So that’s our review.

Whether you like these particular trails or not, I say - “Ride them!”, and get others to ride them, tell everyone you know about them. If Allegrippis is a success, and by that I mean brings in riders and money, then more will be created and more of Pennsylvania can work on developing more pockets of sustainable, outdoor-focused, tourism-based economies.

(Your Active Husband) These types of trails are very popular in England, pick up a copy of Singletrack magazine and see their perspective on the positives and negatives of the machine made trails (Me – I read it for the pretty pictures). All I can say is that we need to ride and support the groups that made them possible and I would urge everyone to buy an Allegrippis pint glass or t-shirt from Raystown Visitors Center (proceeds go back to the friends organization that made these trails possible). I wouldn’t want all of the trails to be like this in the future, but I think we need to establish more trails around the state like this just so new people can be introduced to mountain biking in a somewhat controlled environment.

Trail Etiquette (mountain biking edition). Here’s a helpful little reminder for those planning to visit Allegrippis (which I hope is a lot of people):

1. Uphill rider has the right of way. If you meet someone on the trail, the person traveling downhill should step off the path and let the poor guy/gal struggling upwards get by.
   
2. Don’t ride up on people. If you know you’re slow and hear someone behind you, get off the trail and let them pass. If you’re a fast rider but have only 300 feet left and a little bit of patience (!) don’t ride up on the slow guy on the green trail in front of you. Have some manners and slow down, you’ll be at the end soon enough.
   
3. Yielding. Hikers should yield to bikers, bikers should yield to horses (although if you see a horse on the Allegrippis, let me know).
   
4. Leave no trace. Be sensitive to the trails you’re riding, try not to ride on/chew up the trail if it’s muddy, stay on the existing trail and don’t create new ones.

How to get there from here:
To find the trails, follow all mapping/signs for the Seven Points Recreation Area at Raystown Lake which is run by the US Army Corps. There is mostly RV camping here, with one area for tents only, and is mostly overrun by motorboats and RVing families in the summer. There are one or two other campgrounds just off the Seven Points area where you may find a spot too. The Corps campground closes at the end of October.

The trails are 2 hours from Monroeville if you take Route 22 (130 miles), and 45 miles from State College, 100 miles from Harrisburg, 130 miles from Baltimore, and 145 miles from D.C. So it is actually really well placed for much of the Mid-Atlantic.

Once you arrive there are two parking options, parking lot #1 is along Bakers Hollow Road and to get there you’ll want to turn left just before entering the Army Corps area. This parking lot holds approx 20 cars and leads to green, blue, and black trails and is my recommended starting point. Parking lot #2 is located just after the registration office at the Seven Point Rec Area and holds 6 cars. This lot leads to a few blue and black trails, no green. (NOTE – the registration office has two bathrooms at the back of the building, this is probably the only bathroom you’re gonna find in the area so take note.) A blue trail does link the two parking lots and allows those camping at Seven Points to bike up to the other section of the Allegrippis.

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