Peaceful (Sept. 27, 2013)

The riding the past few days has been along the Erie Barge Canal (current navigable route) or along the original Erie Canal.  Both routes provide a care-free way to end a bike tour.  Riding to the hotel in Syracuse was not so peaceful, but that part of the ride was short and direct.

About eight weeks ago, Kim and I left Minneapolis heading east.  We rode through some amazingly beautiful areas ... areas that I had not experienced before.  Having lived almost my entire life in the desert areas of Arizona, constant green is not something I am used to.  Naturally occurring lakes are not something I am used to.  200 year-old structures and villages (without stop lights) I am not used to.  Highly repetitive steep ups-and-downs ... etc., etc., etc.  Many new experiences; many new memories.  Several new insights into the history of North America have been absorbed.

And so this bike tour is now over.  All that is left is to ship bike and panniers back to Tucson, and fly home tomorrow.  Back to Tucson.  Back to the place that is home.  Back to normal living again.  Back to friends.  Back ...

I am ready to be home.  The touring this summer has been good, but it does get to be tiresome sometimes not having a routine, not having familiar vistas, not being able to drive.  I love touring, but I also love Tucson.

Have I thought of any future touring plans?  Nope, don't have anything in mind at the moment.  May even take next summer off from touring and do something else.  I am lucky in that I have several friends who will be touring, so I can follow their travels via their journals (as I am following Sandy and Mark Doumas on their cross-country tour).  It is definitely easier to read about long climbs and 35 degree mornings than it is to experience it in real life.  Safe travels, Sandy and Mark.

So a true feeling of peacefulness has come over me.  I am happy with the touring completed, happy with having experienced new places, happy to be coming home.

A Joyous Day of Rest (Sept. 23, 2013)

On these long bike treks, there are "rest days" and there are "joyous days of rest".  Yesterday I enjoyed one of the latter ... a very enjoyable day of rest.

This morning I will again be loading up the bike ...  heading the 50 miles south to Amsterdam, NY.  I arrived in Queensbury, NY Saturday afternoon after an extended number of days of riding after the last rest day in Bar Harbor ... Bar Harbor to Searsport to Augusta to Lewiston (all in Maine) to Conway to Lincoln to Hanover (all New Hampshire) to Rutland, VT and finally Queensbury ... right at 400 miles total.  For the most part, the days were quite nice for riding (weather wise), and with a few notable exceptions there was a minimum of hard climbing involved (but those exceptions were long and difficult).  The final 30 miles into Queensbury were into a ferocious head wind (15 to 20 mph winds).  The rest day was earned.

Yesterday, Nancy McCarthy drove up from her home in Western Massachusetts for a quick visit.  Nancy is a long-time friend from back in college days in Tempe.  There is a lot to be said for long-time friends.  We spent a wonderful day in-and-around Lake George Village.  Our conversation was the type of conversation one has with a friend you have not seen for a great while.  On a side note, beyond the joy of spending time with Nancy, I felt great liberation in riding in her car.  Lake George Village is only about 7 miles from Queensbury, but I would never think about riding my bike over on a side trip.  Included in our day was a drive up a 5 mile long road (up is not so hard in a car) to an observation spot for a view of the entire area.  Riding in the passenger seat was effortless as compared to riding on my bike ... but of course the ride back down was not as much fun.

When biking, one's sense of travel time becomes very distorted.  If I were to ride my bike down to Nancy's home, it would take a very long day ... driving took her about an hour and a half.  I long for my truck in Tucson.

 So today I start the last leg of this two month trek ... four days of relatively easy distances and terrain.  In Amsterdam I will pick up the Erie Canal tow path into Syracuse ... tow path = level.

Should be a good week ... good way to finish up.

Quite a Grind (Sept. 19, 2013)

Put the chain on the granny gear and the large cog and just sit there and grind ... and sit there and grind ... and sit there and grind ... endlessly.

Even though Kancamagus Pass is only at an elevaton of 2855', you have to climb about 2300' to get to the Pass.  After leaving Conway, NH, there is roughly 10 miles of 4% climb which, while not easy is not at all hard ... just find an easy cadence and ride.  Beautiful day ... sky is blue and little or no wind.  While most of the leaves are still green, there are patches of gold and red, and the small river running along the road adds very pleasant visuals.

Life is good and then life turns hard (as did the saddle in the later stages of the coming climb).

After that hour-and-a-half of 4% climb, the road took a noticeable turn upward ... my guess is 7%.  Twelve miles to the pass.  Again it is a beautiful day, but the climbing tends to be distracting.  Three to four miles an hour ... you do the math.  But much unlike the climbing of the past few weeks ... short ups-and-downs ... there is a certain serenity in doing one of these long climbs.  You fall into a cadence rhythm that allows you to push ahead without becoming physically uncomfortable (other than the hardness of the saddle toward the end ... pun intended).  As with most people, I have an ego.  One of my prides is that at my age I am capable of doing what I have been doing for the past seven weeks ... and yesterday's climb has bolstered my self-pride.  It is a quiet pride, but a pride none-the-less.

In the picture above, down the road there is the ever popular "down-hill" caution sign ... 9% for the next 3 1/2 miles.  Very nice reward.

After descending the west side of the Pass for about 8 miles, I stopped to talk with a young couple who were heading east to Bar Harbor ... four days away from completing their cross-country ride.  We had a joyful conversation and talked of things Southwest (they were from San Diego).  They asked about the coming climb they were about to take on ... I just smiled and asked if the granny gears/big cogs were functional on their bikes.  Smiles all around.

Another week and the riding will be completed and I will be in Syracuse, NY.  Mileage for this trip at this point is just over 2300 miles (Lincoln, NH).  And Bill, even though the leaves are not meeting my demands, the visuals are stunning.  There are a few trees that have been considerate enough to alter the color of their leaves, which gives me a glimpse of things to come.  Many former New Englanders had said "middle of October" for the prime time, so the trees not providing me with my needs is my own (scheduling) fault.

Today looks to be another beautiful day ... and the nights are bright due to the Harvest Moon.  60 miles to the next stop.  Tires are pumped up and chain is lubed ... should be a good day.

If, like me ... (Sept 16, 2013)

If, like me, you are still a 10 year-old boy when it comes to certain topics ...

The name of this river near Belfast, Maine, is pronounced (tee hee):  pass-a-gas-a-wau-keyg

Fart jokes get me every time ... snicker, snicker.

Smooth Sailing (Sept 16, 2013)

There are times, when riding, that it all seems to be too easy.  Beautiful day, no wind to speak of, low level of traffic ... and a recently paved roadway. Add to that a smug feeling of fitness, and you have a sense of smooth sailing.

Yesterday's ride from Searsport to Augusta, Maine provided me with that sense.  Yes there were climbs of the nature discussed in a previous post, but nowhere as unrelenting as previous days.  The 54 miles into Augusta were blessed by blue skies and a sense of progress moving toward Syracuse.

Two days ago Kim and I left Bar Harbor and rode to Searsport.  Again, it was a good day of riding ... just under 50 miles with some repetitive climbs (but not depressingly so).  The rest day in Bar Harbor was enjoyable and relaxing.  We again boarded a tour bus for a two hour tour around the Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park area.  The day was overcast, rainy and the island was cloaked by fog.  The tour guide/bus driver pointed out many, many beautiful sights that we could have seen if the fog had not been shrouding it all.  It was a good informative tour none-the-less.

Back in the 1890-to-1920 era, Bar Harbor was a summer home for many of the super rich ... Rockefeller, Aster, Mellon, etc., etc., etc.  These folks built summer "cottages" that were astounding in size and design.  I have to wonder just how much money those people had that they could build such large homes at so many different locations around the country.  Anyway, putting financial envy aside, the tour was enjoyable and the day spent browsing around town was very nice.

Kim and I said our good byes yesterday, and are each heading to our respective airports.  It has been said by me before, but I will say it again ... it is hard to say good-bye not knowing when we will see each other again.  This ride has been a good ride ... I miss Kim already.

Today's ride to Lewiston, Maine will be an easy day of about 30 miles ... however, the blue skies are not visible and the rain is falling.

Oh well, take the bad with the good.  

Up and Down (Sept. 13, 2013)

Twenty minutes up ... two minutes down ... repeat endlessly.  Endlessly I say ... endlessly.  Crest the current climb only to see the next climb ... endlessly.

Ah, New England, you are so very wrinkled.

Since reentering the United States, this pattern of riding has been a daily occurrence.  While the climbs are not overly long, they are overly repetitive ... endlessly repetitive.

And listening to Kim, who just rode from upstate New York to here in Bar Harbor, my next two weeks riding from Bar Harbor to Syracuse offers more of the same.  Endlessly.

Kim and I met up yesterday in Bar Harbor, Maine, and are taking a rest day to explore and rest.  We have a bus tour scheduled for this morning, then plan to take it easy for the rest of the day.  Beautiful area here in Bar Harbor ... my first glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean on this outing.  Weather calls for rain today, and it is overcast and quite humid.  I have tasted the food of this area ... crab and lobster ... still looking forward to sitting down in Tucson to chips, salsa and chicken enchiladas ... "looking forward to" does not really convey the yearning, but will have to suffice.

Getting back together with Kim, even if it is for only a few days is wonderful.  Touring alone has a few positives, but being able to share time with a good friend is very nice.  Saturday we will be heading out for a few days of riding together, then we part ways again ... she to Portland, Maine and me to Syracuse, NY.  (Just in case you have forgotten ... from what Kim said, the ups-and-downs are even more unrelenting where I am headed ... oh, joy.)

Two weeks ... twenty minutes up ... two minutes down ... repeat endlessly.  Endlessly I say ... endlessly.  Crest the current climb only to see the next climb ... endlessly.

But home awaits ...

The End is Nearing (Sept. 9, 2013)

I have discovered on my various rides that once I finalize my "end of ride" plans, that I tend to focus on putting in the miles as opposed to focusing on the views and the joys of the moment.  Thoughts of things to do once I return to Tucson tend to dominate.  Riding schedules become more important and rigid.  Structure tends to rule as opposed to spontaneity.

While riding the three days between Montreal and Quebec City, I began the process of thinking about when, where and how I was to finish the ride.  I knew I did not want to fly back to Tucson until the last days of September, so I needed to lay out the number of days I had left to ride ... and follow that with mileage to various finish locations.  I will be using airline points to get my return ticket, so I needed to finish at a location from which American Airlines flies.  I want to ship my bike via Amtrak, so that is a consideration as well.  So after evaluating all of these factors, I have decided to end this ride in Syracuse, NY.

I had planned on spending a day in Quebec City doing the tourist thing, but having just done the tourist thing in Montreal, I was not overly excited.  Throw in my discomfort with not speaking French (I was able to communicate, but it was getting tiresome), and I decided to head for the border and get back to the English speaking country that I love.

That first day out of Quebec City was a long  ride of  73 miles.  I rode through maybe 15 villages and town that were named for some Saint or another ... Beautiful church structures built around the 1890's ... it is clear that religion played a big part in the settlement of Quebec Province.  After riding through all of these Saint Whatever towns, it was quite refreshing to come to a town by the name of "Scott".

I am now in Bingham, Maine, heading toward Bar Harbor.  Kim and I will be meeting up in Bar Harbor for a few days, then she will head to Portland and I to Syracuse.  I had thought that by now I would be "scenic views" immune, but I must say the views here in Northern Maine are incredible.  Some leaves are beginning to change the color from a deep green to a lighter shade of green, and some leaves are already turning to rust colors. 

One of the main factors in causing the color changes is temperature ... as the temps get colder, the leaves lose the green hues.  It was 39 degrees upon waking this morning.  I have been wearing arm warmers, knee warmers, gloves, wool socks and wind vest for the past several days while riding.

The end is nearing, and I am looking forward to getting back to Tucson ... but I still have about two and a half weeks here in New England.  Lots of new scenery to see, lots of time to think about the coming year in Tucson.  For right now, 'tis time to load the bike and get back out on the road.

Montreal (Sept. 3, 2013)

I am a lucky guy.  In recent days I have had the opportunity to experience three things that I truly enjoy.

The first item, naturally, is getting to experience the joys of bike touring.  I was thinking the other day while riding into Montreal that it is extraordinary that I was riding into Montreal.  Twelve years ago when I first started riding in a reasonably serious manner, I told myself that one of the reasons for riding was to go on bike rides while on vacation.  Little did I anticipate what a vacation retirement can be, nor where my rides would take me.

The second aspect of my life that I enjoy greatly is relatively new.  A couple of years ago I stumbled on to a group in Tucson by the name of Living Streets Alliance (LSA).  LSA's mission is to improve transportation-related infrastructure, in Tucson/Pima County, for pedestrians and cyclist.  Being a volunteer with this group has opened a world that I am passionate about.  Seeing what other cities/towns are doing for cyclist has brought great joy to my bike touring.  The adjacent photo is of one of the many separated bike lanes/routes that are very common here in Montreal.  Bike share (short-term rentals) is very prevalent also, with many rental stations scattered around the city.  The last 20 miles of my ride into Montreal, this past Sunday, was on bike paths and roads along the lake shore.  My guess is that there were between 1000 and 1500 cyclist out on this route.  Very enjoyable.

Now, to the third item of enjoyment.  Yesterday I took the "double-decker" bus tour of Montreal.  Very good way to see the primary tourist spots of any large city.  After the two-hour tour I returned to the Pointe-a-Calliere History Museum.  While I had hoped to be able to learn more about the lead-up to the War of 1812 (British history is not a thing of pride in this area), there were some very informative displays of how the City of Montreal developed from the time of the early fur traders up to present day.  But, for me, the highlight of my visit to the museum was yet to be seen/heard.

As a high schooler in the mid-60s, there was an invasion that had a great impact on even a naive kid living a naive life in Scottsdale, AZ.  The Beatles!!!  Even though I am a Medicare/AARP card-carrying member of society, the music and history of The Beatles brings much joy into my heart.  I imagine when my sons get to be my age they will no doubt experience similar joy when they see a retrospective of the works of Vanilla Ice.

It is time to head off toward Quebec City ... three days of riding along Route Verte #5.  My fear of all things French has dissipated to a great degree.  I have found that most of the locals that I have interacted with speak both French and English ... and I have not experienced any of the reported "rudeness" that is so often reported.  Lovely city ... I am glad I made the decision to come this way.  By the way, Kim is having a wonderful ride over in the Lake Placid area ... if you so desire, you can follow her ride at Biking with the Tailwind.

So, it is time to load up the bike and head to Quebec City, then to Bar Harbor, Maine.

As I say, I am a lucky guy.  

Sacre Bleu (Sept. 1, 2013)

Riding along easily after leaving Cornwall, Ontario ... nice roads and reasonably nice weather (no rain as I had anticipated).  Just rolling along and feeling good about this new adventure.  The wonderful Waterfront Trail was to end at the Ontario/Quebec border, and the Route Verte bike trail was to begin ... I plan to follow this trail to Montreal and Quebec City.  Life is good.

Crossed into Quebec Province ... feels like I crossed the Atlantic Ocean!!  Where as in Ontario signs and such were in English and French, in Quebec Province everything is in French.  The inhabitants look like normal people, but the sounds coming out of their mouths are just that ... sounds.

After Patricia and Steve's presentation at the GABA (Tucson bike club) meeting concerning their bike tour to Asia, I made the comment to Patricia that I would feel very uncomfortable being in a place where I can not read the signs or speak the language.  Patricia indicated that my fears are due to my being "A GRINGO!!"  My few travels to non-English speaking countries has always been with someone who spoke the local language.  Sacre Bleu ...

To say I was uncomfortable is a vast understatement.  I considered heading back to Cornwall/Toronto or making a run for the U.S. border.  Being in this state of abject fear, my usual less-than-reasonable thought processes went out the window ... or maybe over the handlebar as my bike has no window.

I eventually found my way to a town by the name of Salaberry-de-Vallyfield, and checked into one of the two hotels.  Delightful place, beautiful location.  The adjacent picture is the small bay across from the hotel.  I plan on riding into Montreal this afternoon and spend tomorrow experiencing the city.  Maybe my fears will ebb somewhat ... for now I just indicate that I do not speak French, and hope for the best.

Fear is a powerful force ... best that I face it ... although the United States is but a half-day's ride away.

1812 ... More than a Symphony (8/31/2013)

There are only a few symphonic pieces that I can recognize and name ... The 1812 Overture is one of them (along with Bolero ... for obvious reasons, eh?).

One of the joys of bike touring, for me, is becoming aware of the historical development of areas that I ride through.  The last few days have been an immersion into the Canadian's historical version of the War of 1812.

Seems the British, who took control of Upper Canada (Ontario Province) and Lower Canada (Quebec Province) away from France in 1760, were still a little miffed at the result of the Revolutionary War.  The area along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River was populated by Loyalist (previous citizens of the Colonies who supported the British before and during the Revolutionary War ... obviously they were not welcome in the States after the conclusion of that war).  The President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, thought it would be an opportune time (1812) to attempt to take control of the two Provinces (the Canadian version referred to the Imperialistic desires of Adams) ... seems the British were somewhat occupied in the Napoleonic Wars which were ongoing in Europe at the time.  So there were several battles fought along the St. Lawrence River, with major naval battles waged on the Great Lakes.  After 30 months of fighting, a treaty was signed that restored all lands held prior to the start of the war.  And Canada still rejoices today.

The structures (houses, churches, towns) along this stretch are stunning.  Many beautifully restored buildings attest to the elegance of a bygone era. 

I had two nice days of riding from Kingston to Cornwall ... the first day was 56 miles to Brockville and yesterday was 68 miles to Cornwall.  Still following the Waterfront Trail.  Of particular joy was the many paved bike paths separated from the main highway ... much reduction in the stress levels associated with riding on the shoulder of the highway.  Yesterday's ride included a wonderful route out onto several islands ... added a few miles, but well worth the time.

Today I will be leaving the Waterfront Trail (Ontario Province) and entering onto the Route verte (Quebec Province).  I hope that the Route verte is as well signed as the Waterfront ... makes riding much easier if you do not have to be referencing a map all of the time.

Looks like rain today ... oh joy.

Waterfront Trail (August 28, 2013)

What a wonderful way to spend one's day ... riding along the Waterfront Trail.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Waterfront Trail is a 740 Km trail running along the Canadian shorelines of Lakes Erie and Ontario, as well as the St. Lawrence River.  The Trail consists of paved and unpaved multi-use paths, paved and unpaved roads, and sometimes boardwalks around the many marinas.  Most enjoyable.

The adjacent picture was taken as we approached Toronto, and the weather was amazing that day.  Not all of our days along the Trail have been as beautiful as that day ... as a matter of fact the other day, had we been playing baseball ... the game would have been called due to prolonged rain.  Fortunately, the day was relatively warm (by local standards), so riding without rain gear was okay.

Since leaving Toronto, we have had daily rides of 53 miles to Port Whitby, 44 miles to Port Hope (rain day), 56 miles to Trenton , and 65 miles to Kingston ... where we are tonight.  Most of the riding has been off of the primary roads and have been in very high humidity weather.  The last two mornings we have started our rides in fog (as opposed to "in a fog", which I am most of the time) for the first few hours of riding. 

Tomorrow will not be easy.  Kim and I have been discussing what routes/destinations we each have in mind, and tomorrow we will be heading in those divergent paths.  Kim will be heading back into New York State and follow the Northern Tier route to Bar Harbor, then down to Portland, Maine.  I will be heading to Montreal, Quebec City, Bar Harbor and Boston.  The month we have spent together has been special ... tomorrow will be sad.

Sometimes life ain't so good.

Toronto (August 25, 2013)

A day of rest in a beautiful city.

As nice as riding through rural areas is, it is refreshing to spend time in a highly urbanized city such as Toronto.  The architecture of stately structures built in the 1860s to 1920s is stunning.  In contrast to these older structures are the daring stylings of modern designs.   Add in the many, many high-rise residential buildings and you have a very interesting, eye-catching experience.

Since leaving Cambridge, we put in two easy days of 35 miles +/-, overnighting in Burlington then Toronto. The ride from Burlington to Toronto was along the Waterfront Trail, and proved to be a true delight.  Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery, beautiful day.

The Waterfront Trail is a 740 Km trail that runs along the north shore of Lake Erie, then wraps around the Canadian shoreline of Lake Ontario, then northeast to Quebec along the St. Lawrence Seaway.  We intend to follow this Trail to Montreal, and then make some directional decisions at that time.

Yesterday was a non-biking rest day, and we took advantage of scenic tours downtown, plus used the City's transit system (bus, train and subway).  Plus, we took a cruise of the Toronto Bay area ... most enjoyable day.  After the tours were completed, Kim headed back to the hotel for a true rest.  I stayed downtown, and just meandered around.  As I proved in Portland, Oregon earlier this summer, if you meander around long enough you will eventually find what you were looking for ... walk relatively fast and people will not think you are lost.  I also used the day as a non-helmet day so as to attempt to even out facial coloring ... yesterday morning my forehead was pale white ... this morning bordering on beet-red.

Yonge Street, one of the main entertainment areas downtown, was closed off to vehicles ... the street was jam-packed with people attending the Annual BuskerFest celebration.  All kinds of street performers were performing and the masses were enjoying a weather-perfect day.  The  adjacent picture is a chalk artist's work, using the asphalt pavement as his canvas.  Stunning talent.

So we are off again, heading for Montreal.  As I mentioned earlier in this post,  decisions are to be made upon reaching Montreal, which should be reached in eight or nine days.

Life is good, eh?

Small Victories (August 21, 2013)

The last two days of riding in Ontario have been long and tiring, but the rides have been more interesting than the trudge across some of Michigan.

Yesterday we came across the Blue Water Bridge from Port Huron.  Having read several forum entries, we fully expected the process of getting across to be a time consuming exercise.  Pedestrians and bicyclist (with the exception of groups of 50 riders, ala "Ride Across America" guided tours) are prohibited.  Michigan DOT, however, offers to carry cyclist, and their bikes, across the bridge.  Then there is the possible wait at Canadian Customs.  As I say, we anticipated a two to two-and-a-half hour delay.  As it turned out, the whole process took less than half an hour ... small victory #1.

We rode to London, Ontario yesterday ... a ride of approximately 70 miles.  Good roads and a nice tail wind.  Today we rode on to Cambridge, a ride of  75 miles or so ... quite a haul and quite tiring.

Maybe a quarter of the ride today was on dirt roads.  While the dirt roads are mostly traffic free, the tire-to-road surface friction results in a little more strenuous effort.  Small victory #2 occurred on one of these dirt roads.

When we were in Port Huron, we saw one of the Google cars with a 360 degree camera attached to the roof of the car ... we waved and smiled.  Today, while out on one of the dirt roads, I heard a car approaching from the rear.  Typically out on these roads, the vehicle will slow and swing wide ... in this case, a Google camera-car sped past me at about 45 to 50 mph, and it felt as though he was only about 2 to 3 feet away from me.  I do not know the designation of the road, so I suspect that you will never be able to get a street view of this occurrence ... but if you do, I am the bike rider in a white shirt flipping off Google.

Tomorrow we head to Lake Ontario in the Hamilton area, and hope to then be able to follow the 740 Km Waterfront Trail ... possibly all the way to Quebec.  Probably reach Toronto in a couple of days and take a rest day to take a look at the city.

Easier mileage tomorrow ... easier mileage is good.

That be Canada over there (August 19, 2013)

Twin bridges spanning the St. Claire River (also known as the Blue River) ... looking east from Port Huron, Michigan.

Tomorrow we head into Ontario. Instead of going to Owen Sound and then on to Niagara Falls as previously planned, we are going up over the top of Lake Ontario.  One of the great things about self-contained self-directed touring is that plans can be changed when so desired.

Since leaving Midland, Michigan, we have made overnight stops in Saginaw, Imlay City and Port Huron ... taking a rest day today here in Port Huron.

We went for an easy ride earlier today into the downtown area and along the river ... very nice easy ride.  Apparently Thomas Edison did something here as a young man ... there is a statue of him down by the waterfront.  Lot's of beautiful old houses along some of the avenues leading from the waterfront to the downtown area.

I really enjoyed Midland ... quite a pretty town.  I really did not enjoy Saginaw ... from the areas we rode through I would say it is definitely not a place to which I wish to return.  Riding as been uninspiring for the most part ... the sameness in terrain, the sameness in crops, the sameness in architecture, the sameness ... the same sameness.

However, a "sameness day" of riding is still pretty wonderful.

Speaking of riding, Sandy and Mark Doumas are scheduled to be starting their cross-country tour come the 21st of August.  Although they have done numerous shorter tours, this is the first ocean-to-ocean ride for them.  Follow their adventures at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1&doc_id=12757&v=1x.

One thing that makes these journals fun (at this end) is receiving comments, jokes, whatever ... so keep that in mind as you read of the travels of Sandy and Mark.

So, off to Canada ... I have been taking some on-line language lessons in the hopes that I will be able to communicate with the Canadians.

Smooth Sailing (August 16, 2013)

In bike touring, I am not sure there is anything nicer than a well paved rail-to-trail path combined with nice weather and a tailwind.  Well, a soft bed at the end of any day may be nicer, but speaking in terms of the actual riding part, the paved trail is tops.

Since leaving St. Ignace last Sunday, we have made stops in Petoskey, Traverse City, Cadillac and now Midland ... all towns in the lower Michigan peninsula.  This area was economically dominated by lumber harvesting/milling in the late 1890's to 1920's ... the houses along the lake and bay shorelines are magnificent.  The areas along the various shorelines were also resorts for people from the Detroit, Chicago and Milwaukee areas.  Beautiful old structures.

Talking riding, we have covered about 830 miles since leaving Minneapolis on July 31.  We have seen a wide variety of countryside, of towns and villages, of colors, of lakes, of trees ... sure ain't Arizona, that's for sure.

Getting back to the wonderful rail-to-trail experience, when we left Cadillac yesterday morning we intended to stop for the day in Clare, MI, which would have made for a 45 mile day ... but then we came upon the Pere Marquette Rail-to-Trail path about 18 miles prior to Clare.  After being misled by Google Maps (once again) as to how/where to access the path, we got on the wonderfully paved path and rode ... with the gentle tailwind and happy bodies, we opted to ride the 30 additional miles from Clare to Midland.  Happy riding to say the least.

Pere (French for Father) Marquette is this area's Father Kino.

Couple more days and we will be heading into Canada.  Ride is going very well to date.

Paved bike paths are good ... as is life.

I hit 65 ... (August 11, 2013)

Miles per hour ... no; years ... yes.

Three score and five years ago a child was born ... there was no guiding star nor Magi marking the birth, so not much of any magnitude was forthcoming.

65 years old.  Sometimes hard to believe.  Oft times felt to the max. 

Life has been good to me.  Having spent the past two years volunteering at the Tucson Community Food Bank I have come to realize what a fortunate life I have led.  Although there are certainly those who have lead a more comfortable life, I certainly have never faced the economic and social pressures that too many of our fellow citizens face.  Speaking of a comfortable life, I am reminded of the story concerning an accident where an older gentleman was struck by a car while out walking.  A good samaritan offered his coat as a pillow and asked the man if he was comfortable, to which the old man said, "I make a good living".  Old joke ... sorry, we older gentlemen sometimes get distracted.

Travel info ... we are in St. Ignace, MI, which is located on the north end of the Mackinac Bridge, and will be heading into Lower Michigan today.  Spent a wonderful rest day yesterday here and over at Mackinac Island.  Since 1898, motor vehicles have been banned on the island, so the few roads are filled with horse-drawn carriages and wagons, and clogged with bicyclists.  Rather nerve racking sharing a narrow paved road with bike riders who seem to be unaware of others, with new bike riders of all ages who have not mastered the skill of riding in a straight line, and most dangerously, 9 year old boys.  As mentioned above ... I am now 65 and now officially an impatient crabby old codger ... I wish all those people would get off my lawn.

I don't really know what I thought I would be doing or how I would be feeling at 65, but I must say that I have few complaints in life-style and in health.  I am thankful for all that I have ... especially thankful for my family and my friends. In many, many ways I am blessed.

I think it would be appropriate to add ... Life is Good.

Green to Gray (August 5, 2013)

After the incredibly beautiful ride into Cumberland, which provided a vast array of shades of green ... green-boredom seemed to set in.  It wasn't that the scenery wasn't stunning, it was just that it rarely changed, and there was just not a lot of interesting sights to view.  Yes, there were many. many lakes, but again the sameness somewhat dulled the mind.  For the most part, the view as one rides down the road is one of pavement bordered on each side by a 30' strip of grass with tall stands of trees on each side.  Pretty, but not exciting.  So, I have little to comment on the 50 miles into Hayward, 40 miles into Clam Lake and 55 miles into Mercer.

However, the 55 miles into Eagle River brought a new kind of excitement into our riding ... cold rain and gray skies.  Dressed for battle in our yellow rain jackets and black rain pants, we withstood the five hours of drizzle and rain.  Fortunately, the route was fairly level ... but because it was a major highway there were many, many cars and trucks providing us with the ever so enjoyable road-spray.  We survived, and will live to ride another day.

Stopped in at a Wayside (called "rest stop" in good ol' Arizona) riding to Hayward.  While standing at the urinal (and looking straight ahead as we guys do) I read of someone's offer to perform a certain sexual act (9:00 to 5:00 daily, I might add).  Just call 355-034 ... great ad placement; poor messaging.

Another oddity occurred the other evening.  We have been enjoying the accents of the locals ... reminders of the movie "Fargo".  While ordering dinner, the waitress commented on my accent, which is odd because I never considered that I might have an accent.  Years ago, there was a movie called "Raising Arizona", starring Nicolas Cage and John Goodman that was set in Apache Junction, AZ.  Kim and I discussed the possibility that the actors took on the speaking accent of the Phoenix area ... and the possibility that residents of Fargo may have said, "Oh yah, that's how they talk don thar."

Heading into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan tomorrow.  More green, but fortunately less gray ... or so the weatherman says.
  

Must be God's Country (August 1, 2013)

Beauty abounds.

Today's 58 mile ride from Osceola, WI, to Cumberland, WI, was quite simply a ride through incredible beauty ... with a few nasty short steep hills to remind us of the darker sides of the road.

Amazingly pure blue skies doted with a few clouds (fortunately with white undersides indicating "no rain today") ... many, many shades of blue in the many lakes (dotted with green lily pads).... vast vistas of green, whether the greens be corn fields, fallow fields, wild-growth fields or forested areas ... lots of green

Beauty abounds (except for those damn hills!!).  Very enjoyable ride today.

Also treating the eye were a few fields with patches of wildflowers that were of many vivid assorted colors.  While viewing these fields my first thought was, "Look at those beautiful weeds!", but then I was reminded of the vicious email I received several summers ago from this cranky old codger (who lives up along the Columbia River) ... this email read, "THOSE ARE NOT WEEDS ... THOSE ARE WILDFLOWERS."  Cranky old codgers ... even though you love them, they must be humored.  I'm looking at you, Mr. Burk.

Anyway, quite a delightful ride (excepting hills).  We are currently in Cumberland, WI.  As is the case of many of these older small towns, the Cumberland downtown area has been restored and is quite active.  But then what would you expect of a town that takes great pride in being the Rutabaga Capital of the World (or at least of this part of the world).

The adjacent picture was taken here in Cumberland, and the actual sunset was even more beautiful then this iPicture.

Oh, and the weather today was also beautiful.  Kind of a nice day ... even the hills.

Wisconsin's on the Left (7/31/2013)

Heading east toward Maine ... seeing new cities ... viewing new vistas ... feeling old legs.

Spent late morning today picking up our bikes from the Minneapolis Amtrak Station and riding into the downtown area to make a quick stop at the local ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) office.  As mentioned in an earlier post, Kim has dedicated this tour to a longtime friend and mentor who has recently been diagnosed with ALS.  In conjunction with her friend, Del, she is raising funds and awareness of this disease that impacts more people and families than I ever realized.  Kim's journal, which includes a "Donate" button (should you wish to contribute) is at Biking with the Tailwind.

After an enjoyable visit at the ALS office in Downtown Minneapolis, we headed east.  I hesitate to comment on our earlier ride west getting to the downtown office ... leave it to say that the Google GPS map is not the clearest directional service available.  After several turns and misturns, all the while being chastised by the "female voice" of Ms. Google, we did find some wonderful bike trails that made the misadventure successful.

Later heading east to Wisconsin (picture above is the St. Croix River ... and Wisconsin is on the left), we rode for about 20 miles on the most enjoyable and beautiful rail-to-trail Gateway Trail.  Unfortunately, we were supposed to have turned left after 15 miles at the unsigned Manning Road ... great directions ... turn at the "unsigned" turnoff.  Oh well, it was a beautiful ride none-the-less.

Ended the day's pedaling in Osceola, WI, after putting in 64 miles ... 64 miles that, although relatively hill-free, have definitely left me leg-tired.  That month-long stay in Tucson, with little or no real training, has reduced my fitness level to close to zero.

Feels good to be sharing the road with Kim.  Feels good to be experiencing new sights and states.  Feels good ...  

On the Home Front (July 24, 2013)

Having completed the Pacific Coast ride around July 1 and planning on leaving for the "Minneapolis to Maine" ride on July 30, I have had a month of enjoying Arizona in the summer.

Tucson has been wonderful ... hot, but wonderful.  As I mentioned in my previous post, Ruth and Henry Jacobson generously allowed me to stay in their guest house.  The accommodations could not be more enjoyable and comfortable.  I have done my best to keep the water in the pool moving so that the automatic cleaning device is working properly ... not easy, but someone needs to step up and take on this job.

Spending time with friends has been great.  I have mentioned in the past the desire to see familiar faces and familiar places while out touring.  This month-long break from touring has satisfied this desire to the fullest extent.  I have also had the opportunity to do some of my usual volunteering with the food bank and Living Streets Alliance.  Good stuff, this volunteering.

In addition to enjoying Tucson, I took a week to drive north to Cornville (just south of Sedona ... see adjacent photo) and Payson to visit my brothers and sister-in-law.  Following the earlier summer theme of rain ... it rained quite a bit up north.  Of particular joy to me was sitting inside a car while traveling in the rain, as opposed to sitting on a wee bike saddle and experiencing the rain in an "up close and personal" way.  Went for a hike with Rachel and Bob ... got that "up close and personal" experience with rain at Walnut Canyon ... while ascending the 5,000,000 steps (or so it seemed) returning to the visitor center.  Beautiful area, even given the cold and wet.

Spent a couple days with my oldest brother, Dick (the Elder).  Very enjoyable time lounging around his house and the Payson airport.  Dick recently bought into a partnership on a Piper Colt airplane, so we went for an hour and a half flight north of Payson.  My passion is bike touring; flying is Dick's passion.  I could not be happier for him.

So, with today being July 24 and the flight to Minneapolis being on July 30, I am getting my stuff organized for the coming ride.  Took my bike to the Amtrak Station today with the hopes that it will be in Minneapolis come next Wednesday.  They have not failed me yet, so I have great faith in them (kinda).

Looking forward to meeting up with Kim in Minneapolis and heading east.  Life is good ... both here in Tucson and on the road.  I am a lucky man.

Home Again (July 3, 2013)

Phase one of this summer's bike treking has come to an end.

Riding the Pacific Coast from Portland, OR to San Luis Obispo, CA for the second time in two years offered up a wide variety of emotions.  While it is true that the mystic of traveling unknown roads (to me) was missing, and therefore some of the magic of long-distance bike touring (for me) was missing ... overall, the month-long ride proved to be satisfying.

One aspect that I enjoyed was becoming aware of how various cities are offering amenities for the bike-riding public.  Of course Portland makes it very easy for cyclist to travel around town (bike routes and easy access to mass-transit options), I was pleasantly surprised with what other areas provide.

The San Francisco area (both the City of S.F. and Marin County) make it quite easy to get around on a bike.  Easily followed bike routes are well signed, and bike maps are easily read.  I do have a bit of a problem with Marin County charging $15 for a map, but the $3 S.F. map was well worth the money.  Lots of bike racks and bike lanes make it feel as though the city/county agencies care about cyclist.

The bike boulevard photo above was taken in San Luis Obispo ... the City makes it clear that these boulevards are meant to be for cyclist, not cars, by installing barriers at each intersection which requires cars to turn off of the boulevard.

Anyway, the ride was enjoyable, even if sometimes I felt down due to weather or other factors.  Of course the overnight train ride did not disappoint me in that I knew beforehand that sleeping in a coach seat is next to impossible and extremely uncomfortable.  Amtrak met my expectations, however it was the easiest means of returning to Tucson ... and I am happy to say that baggage and bike (and me) made it to Tucson all at the same time.

So, I am back in Tucson just in time for the monsoon season.  Ruth and Henry Jacobson are most generously allowing me to stay in their guest house while they are in British Columbia.  On July 30, I  will be flying to Minneapolis to begin a two-month ride across to Maine ... and hopefully see the leaves change in New England.  Meanwhile, I am doing some of the usual volunteering at the Food Bank and with Living Streets Alliance ... and am enjoying being back home for awhile.

Oh, one other comment regarding other cities and cycling ... as the adjacent photo shows, the "rough" quality of road surfaces is not something on which Tucson has cornered the market. 

Sore Legs (June 28, 2013)

Due to my usual lack of attention to detail, I found myself compelled to ride the 67 miles from Pfeiffer-Big Sur Campground to the Village of San Simeon ... possibly the hardest day of climbing (approximately 3500 feet of climbing) and certainly the most miles of any day of this trek.

On a side note, the Hearst Castle is not a member of the Warm Showers network.

Fortunately it was a beautiful day and there was a well appreciated tailwind.  I spent the previous night's sleep tossing and turning worrying about the coming day's ride, but then had a conversation with a guy prior to setting out that made the ride more enjoyable.  This guy, who was camped near the hiker/biker area, commented that he did not think he would be able to do a cross-country ride due to the overall distance.  Of course I responded that you can not think about the total distance, but rather think about the individual days.  This prompted me to rethink the looming 67 miles.  There are few commercial stops in this stretch of road, but upon studying the map I saw where there was a restaurant 25 miles into the ride, then another restaurant/grocery store another 25 miles down (actually up, up and up) the road.  So I just focused on getting lunch at the first stop and a couple of cold beers at the second.  The final 17 miles were a breeze (strong tail wind) with relatively flat terrain.

So today I will ride to Morro Bay (28 miles or so), then on to San Luis Obispo (17 miles) tomorrow morning.  Nice way to finish the ride, especially considering how my legs are feeling.

Now, the inattention to detail I spoke of earlier ... I discovered the other day that Amtrak allows a person to check two pieces of luggage at no extra cost.  I had planned to ship my panniers in a 20x20x20 box, costing somewhere around $50.  Once I became aware of the "checking of two bags at no cost", I knew I needed to get to San Luis Obispo early on Saturday so I could search thrift shops for old pieces of luggage.  In the past I have bought old pieces of luggage from thrift shops for about $5.00 each ... and I will be able to re-use these bags when I fly back to Minneapolis the end of July.

In this case, money ruled over potential body-ache ... and besides, I carry a large quantity of Ibuprofen for just such days.

Christopher Wren (June 27, 2013)

What it's like to be me ...

In my previous post I thought myself to be oh-so-clever in making a reference to Christopher Wren and artichokes.


In my college years (and there were more than the usual number of years in my college career), I took an Architectural History class.  Included in this class was discussion of Sir Christopher Wren, who was the leading architect of the late 17th Century in London.  He designed, amongst many other projects, St. Paul's Cathedral.  During his life time, one of the most coveted items in London was the pineapple.  He was so enamored of this exotic fruit that he incorporated it into many of his projects.

If you stand back far enough, artichokes and pineapples kind of look alike.

Many, many bits and pieces of  knowledge seem to float around in my mind ... and most often when recalling these pieces of information I come oh-so-close to being correct.

Ain't easy being me.

Sun Glasses (June 25, 2013)

Approaching Monterey, I felt the need to don a pair of sun glasses.  What happiness.  Even though I had experienced the discomfort of riding in the light rain, wind and overcast for only the past two and a half days, it seemed a lifetime since seeing the sun (ergo, warmth).

The 52 mile ride from Half Moon Bay to Santa Cruz was not an easy ride.  Wet and cool, with strong wind out of the south made for a long day.  Today's  50 plus mile ride to Monterey was less difficult as the winds had died down, but the morning was still wet and cool.

Big change in scenery also occurred today.  Agriculture took over ... strawberry fields for as far as the eye could see (kinda).  The sweet aroma of the fields made for an enjoyable ride.  Other crops were also in various stages of growth, including fields of artichokes.  Nasty looking plants, but Christopher Wren would have been pleased to see the symmetrical, edible veggie standing tall.

Also making the day enjoyable was meeting (or more appropriately re-meeting) several touring cyclist from the past several weeks of riding.  Most surprising was meeting up with a young couple I had met up in Oregon, and had not seen since crossing into California.  It all made for a sense of community that has been missing on this trek ... mostly due to my short distance days and my love of  motels.

Just a few more days of riding on this trek.  I can't say I will remember this ride with enthusiasm.  Lesson  learned, don't ride a route a second time (rode this route rwo summers ago).  Weather certainly has played into the lack of enjoyment, but knowing what is out in front of me takes much of the mystery of the unknown out of the ride.  The Pacific Coast is a great ride ... just not a second time. 

I will be catching the train back to Tucson Sunday afternoon in San Luis Obispo.  I see where Tucson is in the midst of record setting heat ... think I may enjoy that heat as I have tired of  temps being in the 50s and 60s.  I doubt the enjoyment will last more than a few hours, but these old bones need some baking.


Plans for July are somewhat unsettled.  Ruth and Henry Jacobson, who are in British Columbia for most of the summer, have very generously offered me the use of their guest house.  I will spend sometime in Tucson and head up to Northern Arizona for some respite from the heat ... as I said, it won't take long for my enjoyment of the heat to dissipate.

The second part of the summer of riding will start July 30, when I meet up with Kim in Minneapolis.  We plan on following various routes across the northern areas of the Midwest and New England, finishing  up in Maine toward the end of September.  New territory; new experiences.  Should  be good.

Due to my lack of enthusiasm, I have not been posting all that much.  I have been getting my "touring excitement" fix following the touring of Patricia Lebensohn and Steve Wilson.  Patricia and Steve are doing some heavy duty touring in South America ... the link to their journal is at http://dosbicicletas.blogspot.com/.  Quite amazing what they are doing ... well out side of my comfort zone.

So, four more days of riding ... Big Sur awaits.

San Francisco (June 23, 2013)

Another week has transpired, and an interesting week it has been.

After leaving Bodega Bay, I rode down to the Samuel Taylor State Park campground; this State Park is a beautiful redwood park with a very nice hiker/biker area.  Because I was early getting to San Francisco, I decided to spend a couple of nights at the campground.

Met groups of riders both nights that had been traveling down the coast, but pretty much following me by a day or two.  Interesting groups ... interesting conversations.

I rode across the Golden Gate Bridge on Thursday, which turned out to be much more work than I had anticipated.  The first "work" was getting from sea level up to bridge level ... very steep.  The second "work" takes some explaining.

Prior to 3:30 PM, pedestrians and cyclist cross the bridge on the east sidewalk; after 3:30 PM on the west side.  The climb from sea level to bridge level brings one to the west side of the bridge.  I arrived at around 2:30 PM.  To get to the east sidewalk, you go down about 30 steps, under the bridge, then up 30 steps.  Easy to do if you are walking or riding a non-tour-loaded bike ... not so easy for me.

The third "work" was completely unexpected.  About half way across the bridge, I was confronted by about 2,000 protesters marching in the opposite direction I was headed.  These people (apparently a national nursing convention), were protesting the XL Pipeline that will be carrying shale oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico ports.  I am not at all sure how effective a San Francisco protest aimed at Washington D.C. politicians concerning a pipeline in the Midwest will be, but these folks were making a lot of noise and seemed to think their efforts were making a difference.  As for me, it made my journey across the bridge very difficult.

Spent Friday and Saturday enjoying San Francisco ... did quite a bit of biking around the city on Friday, then went to the DeYoung Art Museum Saturday morning and the Giants baseball game in the afternoon with my son Chris (who lives in San Francisco).  Great time.

This morning Chris rode with me, from his place in Noe Valley, out through the Golden Gate Park to the Pacific Ocean.  It was a joy to share the bike ride with him.  He took the photo included in this post on his ride back to his home ... bike racks at the amphitheater in the park.

San Francisco is quite bicycle friendly ... lots of cyclist and lots of amenities for cyclist.

Today's ride to Half Moon Bay was 30 miles of fog and drizzle ... not much fun.  I decided to follow the age-old touring adage (which I made up today) ... "If the weather ain't right, it's a hotel night.

Warm and dry is good. 

Lots of Miles (June 16, 2013)

Many a mile has been covered in the past week.  Lots of hills have been climbed.  Lots of beautiful scenery has been viewed.  .

I arrived in Bodega Bay this afternoon, and decided to reward myself with a nice hotel room ... after all it is Father's Day.  I have had my fill of camping over the past  week while riding through the Redwoods and down the Northern California Coast.  As is to be expected, new short-term friendships were established, and many a cycle touring story told.  Lots of laughter and lots of fun ... but camping is still not something I really enjoy.

Will be getting into San Francisco in a few days, and will be spending some time with my son, Chris.  Looking forward to having a few days off of the bike and being in a city.  It is odd how many small towns there are up in this part of California ... yet so close to a major city.  Traffic today was very heavy due to weekenders returning to the S.F. area.  Lots of RVs and trailers ... not a lot of bike lanes.  Most uncomfortable.

But being in the hotel room is very comfortable ... so I am a happy camper tonight.

Where's the Magic? (June 10, 2013)

Don't know ... the magic seems to be missing from this ride down the Coast 

Yes, there have been and there will be over whelmingly beautiful sites to see.  Yes, there have been and there will be very interesting towns to ride through.  Yes, there have been amusing signs along the way.

I just do not seem to have that sense of adventure that I have experienced over the past summers' rides.

I suspect a lot of this lack of adventure is primarily due to the fact that I rode this same route two summers ago.  Now, instead of looking around corners wondering what is there to be seen/experienced, I come to an area and start thinking that I remember what is in store.  Fortunately for me, my memory is suspect at times so there are still surprises.

I am currently in Fortuna, CA.  Tomorrow I will head back up into redwood country for several days, then head over to the California Coastline.  The next week and several days getting to San Francisco offer up great riding and spectacular vistas.

This afternoon Ruth and Henry Jacobson are driving into Fortuna.  We will have an opportunity to share a meal and conversation before they continue their trip up to Vancouver, B.C. to visit their grand kids (and daughter and son-in-law ... but I think it is really about the grand kids).  Even though I have only been gone from Tucson for a little over two weeks, it will be good to see them.

I should clarify that while the magic of "wonder what is around the corner" is missing, I love the actual physical joy of riding. 

One out of two ain't bad.

Movin' On (June 5, 2013)

Since last posting, I have covered quite a few miles ... about 140 or so.  Some of the riding was hard (climbing) and some of it was joyful (descending).  The one constant was the very powerful afternoon tailwinds.

While the tailwind sounds good, it was almost too windy.  If the case was that it was always a tailwind, that would be good.  However, due to the winding highway, sometimes it is a side wind (which feels like a headwind) and sometimes, for whatever reason, it is an actual headwind.  Crossing some of the bridges have been a real test as the bike lanes disappear and the wind always seems to be from the ocean side when crossing the bridge.  The bridge just north of Coos Bay was especially difficult.  No joy there.

So the days went from Florence to Coos Bay, Coos Bay to Bandon, and Bandon to Gold Beach.  Tomorrow I am heading down to Crescent City, California ... a long day with a quite substantial climb.  After that, into Redwood country.  Looking forward to getting up into those giant trees.

As stunningly beautiful the ride down the Coast has been, today's afternoon ride from Port Orford was just astounding.  I talked with a couple of riders from Montreal, in Port Orford, who are riding the Coast for the first time.  They were commenting how amazing the scenery had been ... I think they stopped to take pictures ever 20' riding between Port Orford and Gold Beach.  I rode this area about 10 years ago and then two years ago, so did not feel compelled to take more pictures of the same views.

So the riding has been great, and I have been in the midst of other touring cyclist.  Best of all, the days have been much warmer ... ergo, more enjoyable.

Taking the Day Off (June 2, 2013)

Sitting in another motel room enjoying the great indoors.  For whatever reason, I have not been able to maintain my early morning commitments to end the day in a campground.  So here I sit, or rather lounge, in a space where the ever present wind cannot touch me and a space in which I can control the temperature.  Costly, but sometimes environmental control is good.

The past two days were days of relatively warm riding, with favorable afternoon winds.  The 52 mile ride from Pacific City to Newport was not overly difficult, but did include a couple of climbs that were notable.  One of the notable climbs is on the Old HWY 101 road, which runs along Slab Creek.  This 10 mile section of Friday's ride may be one of my favorite 10 miles of all time.  After riding HWY 101, the Oregon Bicycle Route takes bike riders on to the Old HWY 101 road.  Very few cars, and a gentle (unrelenting) five mile climb.  Very quiet, calm and beautiful.  At about the five mile marker the climb turns into one of the great winding downhill rides ... very, very enjoyable.  As an extra bonus, at the end of this ten mile section is the Otis Cafe.  The Otis Cafe is a wonderful little cafe that has been serving real home cooked meals since the mid 1930s (I think).  Very cozy and very delicious.

Yesterday's ride from Newport to Florence proved to be 48 miles of multiple short and steep climbs.  Once again I had started the day with the idea of camping, but when I got to Florence I was quite worn out and, because this area is "dune city" and very windy, I opted  to get a room ... glad I did as it rained last night.

Woke up this morning seeing the wet and cold overcast sky .... feeling the tired legs ... sensing the lack of motivation ... and decided to take the day off.

Since leaving Portland a week ago, I have put in about 325 miles.  325 miles of intense weather and climbs ... and incredible beauty.  The physical efforts have caught up to me and have caused somewhat of an unhappy mood to develop.

I am hoping taking the day off will bring back the joy.  .

A Very Nice Day (May 30, 2013)

Some days just fall in to the category of "nice day".  Today was such a day.  Nothing exceptional, just a nice day.

As is to be expected, I missed a turn coming out of Tillamook, so did not ride the full Three Capes route, but did cover quite a bit of the area (i.e., hills).  Had an early lunch in Oceanside ... what an incredibly beautiful beach town area.

The ride up and over the Cape Lookout area was extreme, but I felt pretty good upon reaching the summit.  Funny that it is only about an 800' elevation gain (minor when compared with the weekly rides up Mt. Lemmon), but quite the workout.  Throw in the game of proper attire ... put on the rain gear/take off the rain gear/put on the rain gear/take off ... and so it went.

Very exhilarating ride down the back side and a comfortable finish into Pacific City ... about 35 miles for the day.

Met two young ladies in Pacific City who are on a cross-country trek riding the TransAm route.  What an adventure they are on.  This is their first outing, and they seemed to have the common emotions of excitement and uncertainty.  I told them I would try to connect them via email with Patrice ... Patrice rode the TransAm last summer along with McKinley.  Patrice had put together a video of her trek, and I thought Haylee and Hayden (the two young ladies I met) might get some insight into what is out there in front of them.

Later in the afternoon I received a phone call from Kim ... was oh so good to hear her voice.  We shared memories and laughs about last summer's ride.  The conversation really brightened my day.

Speaking of brightening ... the sun is out.

In addition to gears being good ... the sun is also good.

Still Riding in the Wet (May 29, 2013)

Two more days of wearing rain gear ... jacket, pants, helmet cover and booties that do the job of keeping the cold rain from drenching my usual riding clothes.  Yes, the jacket and pants keep the rain out, but they also keep the sweat in.  Most uncomfortable at times to say the least.  One positive regarding the entire rain-gear ensemble is that the cold wind is blocked ... otherwise I would be more miserable than I can imagine.

 After the hard day riding into Astoria, and with more rain on the way, I decided to make an easy day of it by riding 20 miles to Seaside ... turns out it was not so easy as the rain was continuous and the head-wind was strong all day.  With heavy rains predicted for the rest of the day and night, I quite naturally headed into a motel ... wise call on my part.  It just does not make sense to me to subject myself to unfavorable conditions when favorable (warm and dry) conditions are available.  I am a real softy, with no shame what-so-ever.

Today I rode 50 miles from Seaside to Tillamook.  While I was fortunate in that I did not ride through any substantial rain, the roads were wet and the wind was blowing.  There are two relatively long climbs getting to the Manzanita area which are a challenge.  I feel as though I am getting comfortable and my fitness level is improving.  Arrived in Tillamook just prior to the start of mostly continuous rain through the evening and night ... need I say "motel?

I had an unexpected reminder of Tucson today.  At the few tunnels along Highway 101, there are buttons cyclist can push that alerts drivers to the fact that there are cyclist in the tunnel (not that affects the speed of any of the vehicles).  On the sign explaining the button pushing procedure to the cyclist there was a "BICAS" sticker.  Two friends from Tucson (Kylie and Troy) rode this route last summer, so I suspect they are responsible for the blatant act of vandalization.  If so, I thank them as it brought a smile to my face. 

So far the ride is going well, but have only seen four or five other touring cyclists out on the road.  Of course the fact that I have not been camping means I have not met others in the hiker/biker campgrounds.  Plenty of time remaining in this ride, so imagine I will be making contact with fellow riders farther down the road.

Tomorrow's ride will be out to the Three Capes area, which is quite beautiful.  There is a real test of a few substantial climbs, so will see how I am feeling about my fitness level at the end of the day.

Weather predictions call for a stop of the rainy days ... hopefully by tomorrow afternoon and then for at least a week I will be able to enjoy some dryer and warmer riding.

One can hope.

Whaja Spect?? (May 27, 2013)

 

Chapter 5; page 1.

I am off on this summer's bike trek ... left Portland, Oregon two days ago and have been riding in the rain for the past day and a half ... honestly, what did I expect ... sunny Arizona-esque weather?  This is the fourth summer I have started riding in either Eugene or Portland ... rode in the rain for many a day each time.  Memory of these rainy day rides seems to have been erased by the good weather during the remainder of the rides ... either that or I just may not be the brightest light in the marquee.

Woe-is-me aside, it feels good to be back out on the road.

Spent a day in Portland on Saturday retrieving my bike from the Amtrak station, then moving around the downtown area running a few shopping errands.  I would say "traveling", but that denotes certainty in route.  Never did figure out the street patterns nor the compass points of downtown.  Through sheer luck, I accomplished my missions and found my way back to the streetcar which enabled me to return to my motel.

Long-time friend Bill Burk, who has lived in-and-around Portland since the early 70s, gave me a car tour of the downtown area ... including such sights as "that used to be Kelly's Bar", and other such in-the-past landmarks.  Portland downtown is really quite beautiful ... I should try to spend a week just getting to know the downtown area (with map and compass in hand).

That evening, Bill and I shared dinner with my long-time nephew Sky and his girlfriend Min ... they live in L.A., but decided to visit Portland for the three-day weekend.  As good as the food was (and it was very good), the conversation was even better.  Great way to end an otherwise frustrating day.

Sunday I left Portland for the 62 mile ride to Lakeview, WA, then Monday I rode the 52 miles on to Astoria.  Rain, rain, and  more rain.  Cold, cold and more cold.  Lots of climbing in the late afternoon covering the final 30 miles in to Astoria.  As bad as it seemed, I realize that I am blessed to be able to do these rides. 

In lieu of my usual (and admittedly somewhat obnoxious) "Life is good",  I will end by saying "Gears are good".