ESCAPE KEYS

GETTING THERE: Bedford County, Pa., is about two hours from D.C. Take I-270 to I-70 and continue west to Breezewood. Take the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76) west one more exit to Bedford (Exit 146).

PIKE TO BIKE: The Southern Alleghenies Conservancy (814-623-7900, Ext. 5, http://www.saconservancy.org/ ) posts directions to the trail and other updates on the Pike to Bike roadway on its Web site (under "Our Projects" at left, click on "Superhighway Trail"). Plan ahead to make sure the trail is open.

BIKING COUNTRY ROADS: Choose your route online at http://www.bedfordcounty.net/ ; routes are ranked for difficulty. The Bedford County Visitors Bureau is planning GPS bike routes for geocachers. Need to rent a bike? Stop at Fat Jimmy's (Route 30 in Breezewood, 866-356-2897, http://www.fatjimmys.com/ ). Road or mountain bikes start at $20 a day, with snazzy Cannondale demo bikes for $35 a day. The store also does repairs, rents canoes and kayaks, and sells outdoor gear.

STAYING THERE: Choose from Breezewood's galaxy of neon-lit motels along Route 30 or smaller, cozier options 20 minutes up the road in Bedford. In Breezewood, we chose the Ramada Inn at Pennsylvania Turnpike Exit 161 (800-535-4025, http://www.ramada.com/ ) for easy access to the P2B; $71 got us a musty double room and late checkout for post-ride showers. In Bedford, Oralee's Golden Eagle Inn (131 E. Pitt St., 814-624-0800, http://www.bedfordgoldeneagle.com/ ), a restored 18th-century tavern, offers renovated rooms and antiques. Twenty-nine rooms from $99 per night, including breakfast. Also downtown: The Victorian-era Chancellor's House (341 S. Juliana St., 866-535-8414, http://www.thechancellorshouse.com/ ) has three rooms with private baths and full breakfast for $110 to $135.

EATING THERE: The Road Kill Cafe (633 Crooked Run Rd., Artemas, 814-784-3257, http://www.grouseland.com/roadkill.htm ) is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (noon to 2:30 p.m. Sundays) for hot meals (except Sundays), sandwiches and ice cream. A meal with drink and tip runs $7 to $10 per person. To find white tablecloth dining, drive to Bedford. Oralee's Golden Eagle Inn serves lunch and upscale dinners except Sundays. Lunch costs about $10 per person; dinner, $20 to $30. The antique Jean Bonnet Tavern (6048 Lincoln Hwy., 814-623-2250, http://www.jeanbonnettavern.com/ ) on the western edge of town serves lunch and dinner daily; dinner for two with appetizers, soup and wine is about $60 to $75.

INFO: Bedford County Visitors Bureau , 800-765-3331, http://www.bedfordcounty.net/ .