Land Trust road ramble will give motorists scenic tour through Westmoreland

Area motorists who want to explore the county’s scenic byways will have that opportunity during the upcoming Westmoreland Ramble road rally.

Organized by the Westmoreland Land Trust, Sunday’s event will raise money for the nonprofit as well as raising awareness of the properties it protects for their cultural, historical, ecological, recreational or scenic value.

One leg of the 66-mile route will pass by the trust’s latest acquisition, the planned Carl A. Schwarz Memorial Park on a 96-acre farm along Beech Hills Road in Hempfield. That scenic site is being eyed as a place where visitors can enjoy nature and art.

The rally was timed to take advantage of the area’s fall foliage.

“It seemed like it would be a very fun event and a good way to show off the beauty of our landscape in Westmoreland County,” said Betsy Aiken, executive director of the land trust.

The ramble will start and end at Hempfield’s Donohoe Center, where the land trust is headquartered. Rally participants will check in beginning at 9 a.m.

Afterward, a celebration will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Donohoe Center. It will feature food trucks and entertainment by the NewLanders, a Pittsburgh-area group that specializes in American roots music.

Registration for the rally is encouraged by visiting westmoreland-landtrust.org. More information is available by calling 724-325-3031.

The cost for the rally and celebration is $40 per car, $45 after Wednesday. There is a charge of $10 for those who will be attending only the celebration.

Bruce Gezon of Murrysville, who has years of experience participating in road rallies at the national level, volunteered to lay out the ramble course.

Unlike more involved rallies, which require drivers to reach checkpoints at specific times, the Westmoreland Ramble is “one of the easier, fun type of events,” Gezon said. “This is really almost like a scavenger hunt on wheels.”

Each car must have a driver and navigator, but they won’t be timed. Participants will accumulate points toward prizes by correctly answering questions based on objects they can spot along various sections of road.

“I’ve asked questions about things they’ll see or not see along the route,” Gezon said. “Some of them are a little tricky.”

No experience is required. Gezon explained motorists will compete against others who have the same level of experience, although they may choose to challenge themselves by competing at a higher level.

Gezon has designed other road rallies in the region, including editions of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix.

He’s been competing in road rallies throughout his adult life and, at 80, continues to travel to other states to enter events sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America. A member of the organization’s Hall of Fame, he is credited with 43 national championships between 1968 and 2020.

“I started rallying just out of high school,” he said. “It’s been a good hobby and a fun life.”