thumbnail; 21 May; 25 miles; Gypsy Terrace B&B, Laporte, CO. Rode (starting at 450 on my odometer) to the B&B at the base of Poudre Canyon. Barb ran the B&B and also owned Jack, Torrey's brother. I got to play with Jack and two cute cats. I actually felt rather adventuresome washing my clothes in the (pristine) shower that night. I still have a bit of a cough (and lots of meds) and am a bit nervous about what is to come (and feel silly telling people about it when I haven't really even started yet). Barb made me chocolate chip cookies for the road and wished me well. I am off.
22 May; 30 miles; cabin #1, Glen Echo, CO. Rode in constant (occasionally very heavy) rain up 2000+ vertical feet of Poudre Canyon to get to Glen Echo. Stayed in cabin #1, about the size of my cube at work with an outdoor bathroom. Very cute, and the owners gave me towels to use... Met a few people briefly in the restaurant.
thumbnail; 23 May - 24 May; 65 miles; Chedsey Motel and North Park Motel, Walden, CO. Rode 30 miles up 3000+ vertical feet of Poudre Canyon, and then 35 miles of the flats in North Park to get to Walden. Rain and hail in North Park, not to mention three loose dogs. Averaged 8 mph up the entire canyon -- only stopped in Glen Echo and at Blue Lake trail head (to put on a jacket). I can hardly believe it!!! Met a lady walking her dogs at the "Tunnel" trail head; she suggested eating at the bowling alley in Walden, as all of the other places there were just "greasy spoons"... She also told me of the hot springs in Saratoga! It rained in Walden the entire second day.
thumbnail; 25 May - 26 May. 70 miles; Sage and Sand Motel, Saratoga, WY. Rode with Scott (from Denver on a day trip) for the last 10 miles or so into Saratoga. We flew to beat the rain (which was on and off for the last 10 miles). The people at the motel are very friendly. Had lunch in Riverside (very cute) on the way to Saratoga and met two nice elderly women in the cafe there, as well as my first two other bicyclists. (I decided to push on to Saratoga since snow was expected...) The route to Saratoga has been the most scenic so far, and cars and trucks have been very considerate -- almost always moving into the far lane to pass. The roads have wide shoulders and many people wave. The bike has held up, though I still fear a broken spoke with all of the weight (bike is 90 pounds and fanny pack is 10 more).
Took a walking tour of town in about 30 minutes. Saw a really neat "Custom Woodwork" sign and later met the owner in the (Hobo) hot springs. The hot springs are incredible -- small, cozy, and not too crowded. Met lots of interesting people, including Colin from England. Colin is biking West on the TransAmerica trail (like me). He turned back at Muddy Gap when he hit snow, and is now going to Denver (he has a ride) to meet his wife. I gave him my apartment while he is in town... He is very nice and considerate. I hope I do not hit (more) snow -- there are flurries here!
My big excitement came when I went to eat at the Cantina restaurant and two (attractive) women came in and asked me if I wanted to join them! Kelly (Blonde) and Amy (Asian) and I (and Colin for a short while) talked throughout dinner and had a great time. Then we went to the hot spring! Spent two hours there and then retired for the night. The next morning, as I was heading out of town at 9:00 AM, I stopped by their hotel room (which they showed me the previous night, in an old historic hotel -- really cool!) and woke them! They were very happy to see me and I took their pictures (a lesson I learned on the Europe trip!) and they took mine and we talked and laughed for another two hours. Looking back, I should have just spent another day there with Kelly ad Amy -- they were so fun (and my knee could probably use the rest -- it is just starting to hurt a bit...)! Anyway, we exchanged addresses, etc. and Kelly lives in Boulder, so I am sure I will see them again. They both play in the symphony -- one violin and the other viola.
thumbnail; 27 May - 29 May; 45 miles; Best Western, Rawlins, WY. Had to ride 15 miles today on the interstate (yuck -- in hail and thunder, no less). Fortunately, 8 miles of the interstate was closed, so I had the lanes to myself. My knee hurts, so I will take it easy here. Or so I thought... I walked 15 miles exploring and doing chores the first day here! I had to pay bills, hit a cash (spelled, "cache" in the hardcopy...) machine, mail maps, etc. back to JK, try to check up with TBS, and get a bandage for my knee... Oh, and all laundry, too. I also went to the gym and lifted for an upper body workout. I have not lost any weight -- I am so happy! The Recreation Center (with the gym) here is fantastic! The restaurant (Frontier Pies) here is great! Great food and a nice atmosphere. (And a short walk from my room -- good for my knee.)
I went to the ER (the hospital is right behind the motel - just by luck!) to have them look at my knee, which hurts pretty bad by now... Everyone was very nice and interested in my trip (I got the impression that they did not get many customers -- I was the only one there!). They gave me anti-inflam drugs and said my knee was not serious, so I could keep riding. I hope to leave again tomorrow and hope that all goes well. Surprise, surprise. The doctor said that this is typical if your knee gets cold and you keep working it -- I am sure that that has only happened about six times already on this trip... I will try harder to keep it warm in the future.
thumbnail; 30 May; 72 miles; JC Motel, Jeffery City, WY. A good ride. My knee was nominal up to the last mile or so when it started hurting quite a bit. I think the drugs and brace are helping a lot. Met another bicyclist on a recumbent on his way from Jackson, WY, to NY! We talked for a while. The motel here is unbelievable! Very roomy and clean, and $20 per night! No rain all day, though the fog leaving Rawlins was very thick! I had shorts on all day, but still had to wear my fleece up top. Crossed continental divide two more times. Spent an hour in the morning at the Ore House, a small cafe run by three elderly women (Debra was the owner).
Saw numerous antelope on the way -- they have trouble hopping a four foot fence! I saw one trapped on the land near the road unable to jump to the open fields on either side -- it was sad... It ran for three miles ahead of me until I finally got past it.
thumbnail; 31 May - 2 June; 60 miles; Pronghorn Lodge, Lander, WY. My knee was nominal again. (It actually felt better at the end of the day today than it did yesterday. Had one killer 20 minute (5-10 mile) downhill after Sweetwater Station. Wow! Good roads the whole way, but the up/down/up/down got a bit old as I dragged closer to Lander. Found a really cute cafe here -- the Sweetwater Grill. Nice atmosphere and good food. I hope to hit the brew pub there if I do not take my meds (for my knee) tomorrow. First day with short sleeve shirt and sunscreen!!!
Went for a day ride up to Sinks Canyon on my second day -- 20 miles total. Hardly pedaled at all on the entire way down! Nice pictures.
My knee continues to feel better each day, though not 100% yet. Got a massage at Elaina's Art and she recommended a place in Missoula -- it felt great!
thumbnail; 3 June - 4 June; 79 miles; Stagecoach Motor Inn, Dubois, WY. Had a long ride thru the Indian reservation and my first flat tire! Met a guy (Rao) shortly after coming into town -- he was bicycling from San Francisco to Chicago. We shared a hotel room and went out to dinner. It was fun. Dubois is really pretty -- a very cute downtown and spectacular scenery all around! Oh, and we ate at the Rustic Pine Tavern and they serve Fat Tire beer from Fort Collins!!! I even had one!
thumbnail; 5 June - 6 June; 65 miles; Signal Mountain Resort, Grand Teton National Park, WY. Crossed a continental divide and had a headwind the entire way! At least my knee did not hurt for almost the entire ride. The Tetons are more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. I had about a 20 mile downhill entering the park where I got to admire them for a long time (and take a lot of pictures). When I got in, I got a cabin at Signal Mountain Resort -- the cabin is so cute!!! That night, I just crashed. The next day I hiked up Signal Mountain (and got a bit lost, so I never actually reached the summit -- the trail was not very obvious, with down trees every 10 yards or so). Hiked ~15 miles.
I saw a moose! I first noticed a black lump in the forest about 50 yards away. I thought to myself, "that's probably what a bear would look like from this distance." Then it moved!!! Then it came running out of the forest into the open and I saw it was a moose. I sang to myself out loud for the rest of the hike!!!
Tomorrow I am scheduled to float the Snake River and then bicycle on to Jackson. Went to a ranger talk tonite on the wolf reintroduction -- very cool! Had a rabbit walk 3 feet from me while I was sitting in front of my cabin reading my book!
7 June - 9 June; 30 miles; Rusty Parrot, Jackson, WY. Short day -- rode from Grant Teton National Park to Jackson. Staying in the Rusty Parrot, like I always dreamt of. Jackson is a zoo!!! Only 6000 people and tons of traffic -- and even more commercialized than Sante Fe! I hope I can actually rest my knee here -- so far, I have not been good at actually staying off it -- I always seem to find some place to hike, etc. on my rest days...
Ate at a Cajun restaurant tonite -- it was good, but what made it spectacular was the friendly piano player who played Pachelbel's Canon for me! (He said I looked like a "nice Jewish boy" from NY... It is funny how many people think I am just out of college! I am lucky in that way.)
Jackson's charm is fading. It has all of the commercialism of Sante Fe, all of the traffic of Fort Collins on a weekend (every day!) and all of the snootines of a resort town. I paid $51 for three rolls of film developed! I paid $200 for some basic bike work and ended up with a broken shift indicator, a mis-shifting front derailer, and they removed my pie plate!!! Oh well. Tomorrow I just rest and then leave and then take my bike to the next available shop (or rent a car!).
Hey, they have Fat Tire here, too. Ate at the Acadian House twice -- Cajun food, pretty good.
thumbnail; 10 June; 60 miles; Flag Ranch, just South of Yellowstone, WY. Rode the whole way in the rain today -- decided to stop early at Flag Ranch rather than pushing on to Grant Village (another 22 miles) in Yellowstone. The bike is running very poorly... Hopefully I can get to a bike shop in West Yellowstone... Met another biker (Erik) who was in his car today because of the bad weather.
I hope to do a bus tour of Yellowstone tomorrow or the next day. I hope I can find a place to stay... Met Richard Artz here!!! We will try to do a hike the day after tomorrow. Also met (in the restaurant) my first couple biking today... It is strange that so far all of the other bikers I have met have been solo -- I would have thought it would have been the opposite.
thumbnail; 11 June; 26 miles; Grant Village, Yellowstone, WY. Rode in more rain today. Met two women biking west to east -- sat down for lunch with them (I'd already eaten). One was late 30's/early 40's and the other was definitely 50's!!! Both very nice and adventuresome. (Names Dora and Jane.)
Then met another woman (Phyllis) at the visitor's center here -- she asked if I know anything about electronics -- I said "a little"... Then she showed me her CD display station that had stopped working. Since there were two halves, we were able to swap out components until we found that the player (which had been rewired for remote control, display and audio) had failed. She was very nice and gave me a bunch of post cards! She said I was very nice, too. :-)
Richard and I went out to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone -- how cool!!!
thumbnail; 12 June - 14 June; 20 miles; Old Faithful Lodge, Yellowstone, WY. Crossed the continental divide two more times today! Hiked around Old Faithful a bit (10 miles) and got to the top of a big overlook -- pretty fun. Met an old guy at the bar and we talked for a while... He bought me a drink!
There was a cute lady sitting alone at the same time -- just as I was ready to talk to her, she left. :-( Then!!! I met her later outside and we started talking! Then we went to dinner together!!! Then we exchanged addresses (her name is Brigitte) and tomorrow we will meet and do a hike! How fun! She seems really cool and nice and is taking a year or so off to travel!!! She is from Switzerland. Also met a couple hiking from the U.K. -- English people are so nice!
Wow! What a day! Brigitte and I hiked Mystic Falls (about 10 miles) from Old Faithful -- lots of fun. She will be visiting Glacier next, so it is even possible we will see each other again! We went to lunch after the hike and then she left for her next destination. :-(
I am writing this in the Old Faithful Inn -- it is the most beautiful building I have ever seen (from the inside)! And there is a piano player playing on the second floor, with desks all around so people can write in their journals, etc.! This is what I want my house to look like!
I need to send Brigitte copies of my Zurich sunset picture! I need to send everyone I met copies of the pictures of them! OK, I just requested Pachelbel's Canon again here at the inn...
thumbnail; 15 June - 16 June; 32 miles; Holiday Inn, West Yellowstone, MO. Left real early (5:40 AM) to beat the traffic and construction. Just a bit of rain. West Yellowstone is very cute -- much nicer than Jackson, but a bit more commercial than Dubois. Saw the I-max film here on Yellowstone TWICE -- how awesome! Also saw a wolf and bear preserve -- the bears (not even full grown) were amazing and moved huge rocks, it seemed, just for fun! The wolves, of course, took my breath away. They also had a neat museum and a bunch of nice shops. I found a bike shop to fix my shifting problems -- he wanted to charge $7.00 -- what a contrast to Jackson! Nice older man. I also found a gym which was very nice -- unattended, sort-of self run... Wow!
thumbnail; 17 June; 75 miles; Riverside Motel, Ennis, MO. 5 hours riding today for a 15 mph average speed!!! Wow! Had a slight tailwind and a slight downhill. I pushed my knee pretty hard, too, and it felt good. I hope it is OK tomorrow. Met three other bikers today -- one single and one couple. They were heading East. Ennis is very cute. It is nap time, though, now.
thumbnail; 18 June; 75 miles; KOA, Dillon, MO. My hardest day so far --a pass and a headwind the entire way! I was so exhausted when I got into Dillon... Went into a Subway and the guy there felt so sorry for me that he gave me a free cookie!
All of the motels were booked because of a high school rodeo, so I stayed at the KOA. I was supposed to have a rest day in Dillon, but decided to just push on the next morning... My butt hurts!!! Dillon was a pretty uninspiring town -- it reminded me a lot of Longmont, only slightly less charming (yech!).
thumbnail; 19 June - 20 June; 51 miles; Hot Springs Lodge, Jackson, MO. A driving headwind and two passes today -- I thought the second one would never end. Must have had a 40 mph headwind at the top -- and it was always exactly against me! The town and place here are very nice! Spent the evening in the bar and met a bunch of folks, including two bikers (Alex and Brian) and shared a room. The food here is great, too! I will spend time in the hot springs tomorrow.
It is funny how all of the bikers I meet (going W->E) say they are not meeting any other bikers (going E->W, like me)! I think everybody has figured out this "prevailing wind" stuff and is taking advantage of it -- I am a dummy for fighting the winds the whole way!!! I sure hope Glacier is worth it!
Met a really nice guy from Scotland who reminded me of me. He was working at Oracle in Silicon Valley -- maybe I should try to track him down (forgot to get his last name and address -- I think his first name was John, or maybe Scott...). We talked for an hour or so in front of the mercantile store in Jackson. He was biking W->E for I think three months. He recommended www.homemail.com for free web-based e-mail.
thumbnail; 21 June; 98 miles; Comfort Inn, Hamilton, MO. Averaged 13.5 mph the whole way! Had a slight headwind for the last 30 or so miles, but it still felt great! Hamilton is sort of like Dillon, only more spread out. Oh, and I crossed the 1000 mile point today!!!
thumbnail; 22 June - 24 June; 50 miles; Holiday Inn, Missoula, MO. Missoula is beautiful! Hiked to the top of the hill with an "M" on it -- lots of people. In general, the people here don't say "hi!" on the streets -- I guess it is big city syndrome... I do not believe there are any unattractive women in this city, however! Wow! www.netaddress.com is where I sent e-mail from.
Met a bunch of other cyclists at the Birchwood Hostel (at 4th and Orange). Met Ross (from Boulder on a mountain bike -- I had crossed paths with him once before at West Yellowstone), Ralph (from Australia) and Michael (from Boston). We all went to the Iron Horse bar for the night and close it down! Ralph and I will leave for Glacier together tomorrow, and will hook up with Ross there (who left a day early by a different route where he had a place to stay). Very fun!
Ralph and I did the e-mail thing together this morning at the Internet cafe (Cyber Shack). I mailed more pictures back to Fort Collins ($100!).
thumbnail; 25 June; 58 miles; Duck Inn, Seeley Lake, MO. Biked with Ralph today -- no hills and no wind! We also drafted four road bikes for 15 miles and flew!!! Also broke my first spoke today! Replaced it in under 30 minutes -- way easier than I expected. Spent the night at a bar -- how fun! We met a bachelorette party and had a great time! (And bought them drinks, which they loved!) Met two guys who hauled us around in their pickup to find where the girls were (they invited us to join them), but we never found them.
thumbnail; 26 June; 75 miles; Hale's Inn, Bigfork, MO. Good weather riding! Ended up in Bigfork -- a really cute but really snooty town. At least it is small. The guy who owned the inn definitely liked bicyclists -- did not even bat an eye when I asked about putting the bikes in the room! Went to diner with Ralph at a nice restaurant wih an outdoor patio -- how fun!
thumbnail; 27 June; 52 miles; Apgar Campground, Glacier National Park, MO. Great weather again! Went to a bike shop and got new spokes and a chain. Met five women cycling today -- three are really nice and we spent the evening talking around a campfire and drinking beer -- we will head out early for Going to the Sun Road! We all jumped into Lake McDonald this evening -- how cold!!! And I had another lady take pictures with my camera on auto-repeat. I sure hope they turn out!
thumbnail; 28 June; 58 miles; Johnson Campground, St. Mary, MO. Bike Going to the Sun Road today!!! Glacier is so beautiful!!! Then Ralph, Kara, Tracy, Louise, and I ended up here, camping together again. We all went out to dinner, which was a lot of fun. Kara and Tracy (sisters) have a wonderful relationship, and are both very nice! I have found a nice really group of people. I am happy that Ralph and I will continue tomorrow. Kara and Tracy will head on and continue the Northern Tier -- I hope to see them again.
thumbnail; 29 June; 0 miles; Snowgoose Lodge, St. Mary, MO. Woke this morning to pouring rain. We decided to just make a rest day of it. After much deliberation, Kara, Tracy, and Louise also decided to bag their rather long ride they had planned -- good call! So we are all hanging out here for another day. Spent a bunch of time in the lounge writing and playing the jukebox! Then we went to a good dinner again, and then went downstairs into the other lounge to do more conversation and jukebox! What fun!
thumbnail; 30 June - 1 July; 20 miles and 65 miles; Many Glacier Lodge, Many Glacier, MO. The girls left this morning, and we said good-bye. I hope I see them again on the Northern Tier route... Ralph and I rode a short day to Many Glacier, and then Ralph (!) suggested we spend the night there and do a day hike! We hiked up to Ptarmigan Falls and Ralph nearly fell in and went over! (He fell in, but did not go over!)
The next day, we rode (light) to Waterton and Canada! As we were riding, we passed these two dogs that annoyed us the day before, so Ralph riled them to the max and then we blew by them at just under 30 mph -- they tried, but could not catch us. Typical Aussie... :-) Just met Jim Heaton and his wife in the lodge lobby! How amazing!!!
I start out about 30 miles + 2 days behind the girls -- I hope I catch them. :-)
thumbnail; 2 July; 85 miles; Northern Motor Inn, Cutbank, MO. The day was pretty uneventful. Route 2 really sucks for bikes. Ralph went South to East Glacier today, and I went East. Went thru Browning to get here -- quite possibly (definitely!) the ugliest city I have ever seen. I am now two days behind the girls (I think, as I assumed they went from St. Mary to Cutbank).
thumbnail; 3 July; 132 miles; Two Horse Inn, Harve, MO. Pedaled my ASS off today -- 6 AM to 6 PM, and averaged 13.5 mph!!! I hope my body forgives me tomorrow. Went thru Shelby, which seemed incredibly cute, and Hingham, which had the cutest bar (Hingham is population a couple hundred, I expect -- very pretty!). Chester also seemed pretty nice (though way bigger).
I passed two other cyclists going Westbound and they said they saw the girls leaving Harve at 6:30 PM (!) the day before -- so they could not have gone far (probably to a campground). That means I am only a day behind now! I lost 1000 feet today (give or take -- actually, I think it was 800...) and had no wind. Oh, and I broke another spoke today! I replaced it and the one next to it in 20 mins.
thumbnail; 4 July; 167 miles (!!!); Rustic Lodge, Glasgow, MO. Rode hopefully an all time high today! At 90, I felt great so I kept going. Hit small towns at 120 and 133, but as it was 4th of July, everything was closed, so I could not get food! So I continued to the next big town!
Met the girls at the fireworks display!!! Saw a great band and a great set of fireworks. I am exhausted! Oh, and I averaged 15 mph today!!!
Walked around old-town and bought a radio in the morning. What a cute town!
thumbnail; 5 July; 106 miles; City Park, Culbertson, MO. Intended to only ride 75 miles to get to Poplar, but all motels were full, so I pushed on. This should have been a 111 mile day, but I was so exhausted at the end that I accepted a ride from a really nice lady in a green pickup who turned around to check on me! She said she'd only done that once before, and it was for someone she knew! How nice!
Culbertson is beautiful! The city park is awesome for camping -- met one other bicyclist and a bunch of motorcyclists there. They had a big reunion for their school, as well, so the city was hopping! Also, a convenience store open till 11 PM! (The reunion filled all hotels.) The lady in the truck also said I was much better off camping in Culbertson than in Poplar (which she said was a reservation town with a lot of drunk people -- she worked there in the hospital...). Oh, and my rear axle is bent and the grease seal popped off -- I need to get the bearing repacked!
thumbnail; 6 July - 7 July; 46 miles; El Rancho Motel, Williston, ND. A slight headwind much of the day. Hotels are way in the North end of town -- now I need to walk to do chores... Went to the hardware store/bike shop to get my bearings repacked and guess who was there? Tracy!!! They were trying to get Kelly's bike (the other sister) ready for the trip -- Kelly joined them that day and the other two bailed! We worked on her bike for a while, Kara and Kelly showed up, and we had a good time -- though they were frantic initially as they were very late! They later decided to make it a short day (hurray!) and things calmed down a lot!
They tried to get the Indigo Girls CD with Hammer and a Nail, but they got the wrong one. Fortunately (for me) I just ordered it from a store in town -- should arrive tomorrow AM! Then I will mail it to them at their next mail drop! :-) I got my pictures back and they are fantastic!
8 July; 76 miles; City Park, Stanley, ND. Perfect weather (no wind). On the way, I stopped in Ross and met two really neat elderly folks running a convenience store for their daughter -- very cute town/store. The city park was awesome -- showers and all! (I asked in the police station and got to stay in the RV area (with shelter and showers) instead of the tent area.)
thumbnail; 9 July; 63 miles; hotel, Minot, ND. Strong crosswind and a horrendous headwind for the last 13 miles... Not to mention a fast four-lane highway and dirt shoulders! Met up with the girls again just as I was pulling into town! What a coincidence (as we were on different routes, and we met at a cross street!)! Got a hotel in town and all went out to dinner! Did laundry, too.
thumbnail; 10 July; 64 miles; Hillman Motel (?), Rugby, ND. Crosswind. Mrs. King sagged for us! This made the day much shorter! She also brought us lunch along the way in Towner City Park! Totally awesome! Spent the night in two motel rooms --we all ended up coloring our hair that night! Kelly and Mrs. King left the next morning for Fargo. Napped in Towner City Park after lunch that day.
thumbnail; 11 July; 58 miles; Davis Motel, Devil's Lake, ND. Perfect weather. Went off route a bit to avoid a no service stretch in an Indian reservation. We napped and lunched again in a city park! Then we all got a room in Devil's Lake and did pizza in the room for dinner in preparation for an early morning -- 80 miles tomorrow! It has been a blast riding with Kara, Tracy, and Louise! Never a dull moment!
thumbnail; 12 July; 83 miles; Motel, Cooperstown, ND. Great weather, except for the morning, when it poured! Ate breakfast at a small cafe and the waitress was an elderly woman who was having trouble keeping up, so we all bussed tables! Got into town 6 PM'ish and the camping looked bad -- mosquitoes in the rest room -- so we got a room again. The bar was great, and gave us Margaritas to go! We also picked up the girls maildrop stuff and were basically relaxed for the evening!
thumbnail; 13 July; 85 miles; Deb and Kurt's House; North of Fargo, ND. Rode another early day and had to stop for rain in a firestation in the afternoon. Stopped in Page to get pie and ice cream at an ice cream social!!! Also had another flat tire today -- fixed it in 5 minutes with a huge storm looming on the horizon (Kara says, "aaaahhhh!"). We pedaled our butts off for the last 2.5 miles to outrun the storm. Kara and I both pushed a solid 20 mph side-by-side in no wind! Whew!
We've been getting on the road by 7 AM both the last two days. I think we all need a rest day soon -- the girls have had only two in the last month! :-(
Have spent a lot of time talking to Kara and Tracy recently -- what a great pair! I could not even begin to capture on paper all I have learned and felt! Yes, they are both keepers. :-)
Spent the night at Deb and Kurt's house -- they initially invited us to stay in the screened porch on their back yard -- which we thought was fantastic! Then, they invited us to dinner and grilled brats for us! Then they invited us to sleep in their living room! We spent a great evening together and laughed almost the entire time! Kara and Tracy are two of the funniest people I've ever met, when they start playing off each other! :-) Deb and Kurt were very nice and shared lots of stories about the area, including the huge flood earlier this year.
thumbnail; 14 July; 106 miles; Shady Grove Park, Wadena, WI. Great tailwind! Had lunch at Detroit Lake -- sandwiches and stuff. The lake was awesome! As we were 10 or so miles away from our destination, we stopped at a convenience store and the lady there called a newspaper! We got interviewed and we will be in next week's paper! We then all went out to a great dinner -- all you can eat ribs!
On our way walking the bikes back to camp, we met a couple who insisted on buying our campsite and showing us the way. How nice! On the way out of town, we stopped in Verndale at a small cafe, and a lady named Violet bought all of our drinks! Then she took us around to see her gardens, and gave us more money for drinks. Kara thought I would get run over by the train here.
thumbnail; 15 July - 16 July; 73 miles; Wilderness Campsite, Garrison, MN. Tailwind today! Went to the Cass County Fair an saw lots of animals -- Tracy put a chicken to sleep and hypnotized it! (Pillager.) Then we took a helicopter ride in Brainerd at the Paul Bunyan Theme Park! How fun! Spent the night and a rest day in a cool campsite there! Picked up a bike box in Brainerd and hauled it on the bike to the campground. Can you say, "Wide Load?"
Swam in the pool and walked around the beach on our rest day. Also spent a bunch of time with the group making phone calls to coordinate the Kara/Jen switch for the next week... Left solo for Deluth on Route 2 headed for the U.P. I hope to meet up with the girls again on the 25th in Detour Village for the Captain Jack charter across to Manitoulin Island.
OTHER IDEAS -- SEND: address list, underwear, princess bride, rob roy, white squall, cherry beer, fat tire, pictures, frappucino, t-shirt (ohio wonder women, kara columbus, tuck, etc.), catalog with pumps to Kara, CD-ROM, Miles from Nowhere, Dave Barry e-mail, Labors of Thor.
thumbnail; 17 July; 113 miles; Driftwood Motel, Superior, WI. Left the girls today and rode on a B-line for Houghton (they will stay South). Perfect weather and a tailwind for the first half of the day. I miss them already. :-(
thumbnail; 18 July; 106 miles; Davey's Motel, Ironwood, MI. Headwind most of the way! The roads (Route 2, mostly) sucked, and the drivers did not give an inch! I actually got blown off the road once by a truck a foot away from my elbow -- there was no oncoming traffic and he had four free lanes to play with! I flipped him off and vocalized the body orifice he reminded me of at the top of my lungs... Sheesh!
Met Francesca and Dave riding today. Francesca (very beautiful) was in tears because she had lost him! She was sure he was behind her and was riding backwards to find him (I questioned if he might have passed her as the first thing). We got rides up and down the highway and searched ditches on the side of the road, etc. and even called the police. Eventually he drove up in a car because he was looking for her when she never showed up at the next town.
I am happy to be out of Wisconsin -- I hope Michigan roads/drivers are better.
thumbnail; 19 July; 91 miles; Twin Lakes State Park, South of Houghton, MI. A continuous headwind -- I could not go all the way to Houghton (111 miles). Plus, I have another flat... I will fix the flat and go tomorrow morning. The state park is very nice (and very crowded -- I'm in the overflow area). I had pasties for dinner at a store down the road. It is very windy.
thumbnail; 20 July - 21 July; 25 miles; Downtowner Motel, Houghton, MI. I am SO happy to finally be here! This marks the 3000 mile point of my trip -- I cannot believe it!!! Houghton is just as beautiful as I remembered.
thumbnail; 22 July; 103 miles; Holiday Inn, Marquette, MI. A continuous headwind... The UP is SO beautiful and reminds me so much of New England, I forget where I am... I am SO tired... Went to a gym here. Nice Town!
thumbnail; 23 July; 113 miles; Comfort Inn, Newberry, MI. Headwinds again today. 5 miles out of my way because I got on the wrong road out of Musining. :-( On the way up a steep hill, a blue minivan pulled up along side, honked a few times, and then handed me a cold 7-Up -- how nice! This (between Marquette and Musining) was some of the prettiest road so far -- the great North Coast! One more day to DeTour Village, I hope.
thumbnail; 24 July; 71 miles; Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, East of St. Ignus, MI. Light headwind... Saw a BEAR (big, black) run across the road 75 yards in front of me!!! FAST!!! Met Ron and Valerie from Canada and talked to them quite a while outside the boat docks -- he had cancer. :-( Took the ferry to Mackinac Island -- awesome -- horses and bikes everywhere!!! And there are fog horns here! And bells! Spent the evening walking and talking with Jason -- reminded me of Mike and Louis in England. I have a featherbed and an overhead fan! Zzzzz... :-)
Brought my bike to Island Bicycle Shop and they screwed up the rear bearings -- what a bunch of idiots!
thumbnail; 25 July; 3 miles (!!!); Straits State Park, St. Ignus, MI. Met up with the girls again!!! Spent the night in a campground and it rained most of the night. I am happy to be back with them! :-)
thumbnail; 26 July; 60 miles; Hotel, DeTour Village, MI. Mostly in the rain. Ended up at DeTour Village where we met Captain Jack who took us out towards Manitoulin Island, but we turned back because of bad weather when we were less than 1/3 the way there. :-( We will try again tomorrow. At the mail drop (Hassel) the girls got TONS more food plus a reprint of our newspaper article!!! HOW COOL! Had lunch at a cool buffet in Hassel and then dinner in the hotel restaurant in DeTour. The food was awesome! It is great to be riding with the girls again!
thumbnail; 27 July; 60 miles; Providence Bay, Ontario. Captain Jack got us to Meldrum Bay, Ontario, early this morning. The harbormaster was a witch when we arrived. Fortunately, everyone else we met in Canada has been awesome!
On the way to our campsite, my front wheel bearing failed! (The rear was having problems, also, thanks to the idiots at the Island Bike Shop on Mackinac Island, who supposedly repacked the bearings...) I could not even turn the bearing by hand (probably explains why riding that day was so tough!). Anyway, we were on the side of the road looking at the wheel when Vern pulled up and got out. I showed him the wheel and he said, "That's no good! I tell you what... You get in my car, we go to the dump and get some old bike wheels, then we go back to my garage and transfer the bearings to your wheels, then you go on your way!" He said this with NO hesitation, and it is exactly what we did!!! We even had to go to the dump twice to get front and rear wheel bearings (different sizes). Then we cleaned everything and reinstalled the bearings. Then Vern even inflated my tires and offered to lube my chain!!! (He also gave us drinks and lots of funny conversation during the day!) He probably spent three hours total helping us -- he said that at 73 years old, that was the kind of way he liked spending his time! He was such a nice man!!! We also met his son and son in law, who were also very nice!
On the way to the campground, we met tons of other nice Ontarians -- a couple in a car gave us food and water and a person at a convenience store offered us a place to camp! How nice!
thumbnail; 28 July; 25 miles; Happy Hearts Campground, Tobermory, Ontario. Got the ferry to the mainland (Bruce Peninsula). On the way, we stopped to explore an old barn. On the ferry, we met Jen and Teresa -- bicycling from VanCouver to Toronto. We talked on the ferry for a while, and then after the ride, we all decided to take a "glass bottom boat" ride to Flowerpot Island -- we hung around the island for 3 hours and swam, hiked, etc. -- what fun! We surfed on the bow of the glass bottom boat on the way home -- 4 foot seas soaked us! What fun! Then we all went out to dinner and got a campground right outside of Tobermory. They are both very nice and adventuresome (they did this trip on a whim, and decided to use bikes instead of cars because neither of them had a car!!!).
thumbnail; 29 July; 60 miles; Harrison Park, Owen Sound, Ontario. Perfect weather -- even a slight tailwind for much of the day! Rode with Jen and Teresa (Tree) all of the day and they flew!!! We averaged over 17 mph the whole way and over 18 mph for one hour into Wairton! In Wairton, we picked up Kara again at the police station -- it is great to have her back, though she was not feeling well today. :-(
Jen and Tree have invited us to a BBQ at Tree's parent's house outside of Toronto -- I sure hope we can go!!! We have all made a big joke out of trying to convince Jen and Tree to continue their ride past their destination (Toronto) and continue East to Maine! I think there is actually a good chance that they will go on to Kingston -- I sure hope so, they are really fun! (And I love their accents, eh?)
Oh, and we all dyed our hair again tonite -- I should be a blonde soon!
thumbnail; 30 July; 45 miles; Hotel, Orangeville, Ontario. All 9 of us went together and got 2 hotel rooms (drank beer, did laundry, etc.) -- met Jen, Jenny, and Laurie that night.
thumbnail; 31 July; 70 miles; Hotel, Aurora, Ontario. I rode South with Jen and Tree to go to Tree's house -- the rest of the group went to Aurora. We hauled! I doubt I could ride another day straight with Jen and Tree. We were doing 27 mph on the flats at one point! Wow!
At Tree's, we got our film developed (turned out great!) and then had an awesome BBQ!!! The girls showed up a few hours later (in the van, driven by Jen, Jenny, and Laurie). We had a great time! And stuffed ourselves! Jen's mom brought me a jar of Jam she made. We all snarfed it over the next two days -- how great!!! Jen and Tree talk about driving to California in two years and going thru Colorado to pick me up! I hope it happens!
thumbnail; 1 August; 60 miles; Sleazy Cabin at Sleazy Campground, Dewdly, Ontario. Flew with a tailwind! We got a bit bolder with the route and Kara Columbus took us on the back roads to avoid the heavy traffic. We ended up on a sand road at one point and Jen carried her bike up on her shoulder! Jen, Jenny, and Laurie took turns riding with us -- all of us sagged our gear in the van!
thumbnail; 2 August; 65 miles; Willow Ridge Campground, Ontario. Rode light again today. Stopped at a canal along the way to tour some guy's boat -- what fun! Jen and Jenny created an awesome pancake breakfast for us at 11:30 -- three or so hours into our day at a city park in Brighton -- so incredible! They are both very nice and have a wonderful relationship.
Tracy is the glue that binds this whole group together!
thumbnail; 3 August - 4 August; 60 miles; Tibbets Point Youth Hostel, Cape Vincent, NY. We had cold weather and a slight headwind this morning -- and we were all a bit dragging since we lost our sag vehicle (and Jen, Jenny, and Laurie) this AM... Surprisingly, the day went incredibly fast. We all rode together and made fairly good time, despite the winds... We played 20 questions to spice things up. We explored an old house and stopped a couple of times to eat. We took three ferries!!! We crossed at Kingston into NY and stayed at the hostel next to the lighthouse. The last three from town to the hostel, Tracy and I ran all out (20 mph) in 7 minutes, just to get there!!! We plan a rest day at the hostel tomorrow.
Today (rest day) we went shopping for food/film and then hung out at the lighthouse the entire day! Michael drove us to get groceries, etc. Then Kara cut my hair!!! Then Louise's. (My hair looks better than when I go to a hair Salon! What a woman!!! :-) We had lunch on the picnic table and will have pancakes for dinner with some pure maple syrup that a lady in the hostel gave us.
thumbnail; 5 August; 70 miles; Someone's yard, East of Harrisville, NY. Great weather and beautiful shoulders (on he roads, too!). Michael met us again on the road -- he was so nice, and I took an instant liking to him! We got into town and found a nice bakery -- got donuts, dinner, etc. They gave us directions to a yard we could sleep in -- went there and ate dinner in the tent! I worked on a neighbors bike while Kara and Tracy trimmed their dog (Spirit). Kara amused us with her penknife grappling hook in the tent impression! Kara crushed the donuts. :-)
thumbnail; 6 August; 60 miles; Woods near Colby, NY. Ended up without a campground in sight so we just ditched into the woods -- it was great!!! We had a fire and some of the softest ground so far! (I had to flatten a spot for our tent!)
thumbnail; 7 August; 44 miles; Mountain Manor, Keene, NY. Short day. Perfect weather and shoulders. Stopped in Lake Placid for a quick snack on the lake and then to see the ski jumping ramps -- people were jumping on a plastic slope into a pool! Then went to visit John Brown's cabin. Then headed for Keene, where we found a very cute cabin!!! The owner let us borrow his car and we all went out for dinner. Socialized lots the next morning with the other cabin goers. (Stayed there because the guy who owned the motel down the road was a jerk and hated bicyclists... The owner of Mountain Manor loved (and videotaped) us.)
thumbnail; 8 August; 57 miles; Behind Post Office, Shorham, VT. Visited Fort Ticonderoga and then took the ferry to VT. VT is as beautiful as I remembered! Got to Shorham and then set up camp behind the P.O.. Then met Tracy's friends Rose and Sue -- we talked for much of the evening and had fresh veggies with our pasta. What a fun night! Rose and Sue sagged for us to Middlebury.
thumbnail; 9 August; 38 miles; Lions Park, Rochester, VT. That morning, all of us went to Middlebury to have brunch and then hung around the shopping district -- saw lots of crafts. Kara does the most amazing crafts herself!!! I need to remember to send her the catalog for the pumps for a small waterfall thing she wants to make (she makes baskets, too!). Then we hunted for a campsite in Rochester, VT and Tracy's friend Cindy came to visit and brought us fruit, etc.!!!
thumbnail; 10 August; 48 miles; Rest and Nest Campground, East Thetville, VT. Had a great breakfast with fresh fruit (and a fruit salad Tracy made!). Then we went for brunch and Cindy did our laundry!!! After brunch we biked more and hit two water holes along the way -- what fun! Ended up at a really nice campground and ate a huge meal with leftovers (and fudge!).
Kara is so funny! As we were climbing the steep hills of the Green Mountains, we started mocking them with jokes about them being so small. She said she could pedal up them with one leg! Then as she reached the top, she spanked (spunk?) herself on the rump to make herself go faster! She always makes me laugh! On the way into town, we were sitting at a convenience store and a guy was parking his car and Kara said, "Don't hit my car! Uh, my bike! Uh, my HOUSE!!!"
thumbnail; 11 August; 50 miles; Autumn Breeze Hotel, North Woodstock, ME. Gentle hills. We got into North Woodstock and it started to rain, so we called it a day. We were all exhausted, but mostly me -- I fear I might be getting sick. Kara made us all Mac and Cheese in the hotel room, for which I was very grateful! We got up early the next day and hit the road at 7:30 AM to do the Kancamangus (sp?) pass over the dreaded White Mountains of NH. I slept most of the evening and night (very well!). We've hit a bunch of watering holes these last few days!
thumbnail; 12 August; 50 miles; motel, Frysburg, ME. Did the Kancamangus pass today -- it was way less than we were expecting! We took it fairly slow and then hooked up with Mrs. King and Kelly in Frysburg. We all went out for a great dinner and then split into two rooms...
thumbnail; 13 August; 30 miles; Goodwin Inn, South Paris, ME. Pouring rain and steep, steep hills (the downhills were downright scary at 3 mph!). We got to a motel early to get off the road and just crashed! We all watched TV and had pizza delivered to the room -- a very lazy afternoon! Later brought back soda and ice cream to the room!
thumbnail; 14 August; 70 miles; Field behind Steve's house, Damariscotta, ME. Good weather. Along the way, we met a stray dog and called the Sherrif, who called the dog catcher to pick him up. If he's not claimed in a week, I will take him home with me. He is very sweet. We named him TC (for Trans Con).
We had a tough time at the end of the day with two flats and a low average speed, so we did not make it to our campground. Ended out meeting Steve (and Becky) who let us camp in the field behind his house and then took me grocery shopping (10 miles!) for dinner and then let us use his grill! He is very nice! This morning we will all watch his daughters feed the calves. Steve literally offered us the shirt off his back (a jacket in case we were not warm enough). He had almost nothing himself, yet he offered it all freely to us.
thumbnail; 15 August; 50-60 miles; Northport Trailer Park, Northport, ME. Nice campground! We had a fire and Penny came and brought beer, etc.
thumbnail; 16 August; 50 miles; Narrows To Camping, Trenton, ME. Really nice campground. Met Thomas on the way in and he decided to hang with us. Had a slow day and did a hike and a swim on the way. Had breakfast at a GREAT bakery in Belfast.
thumbnail; 17 August - 18 August; 15 miles (!!!); Atlantic Erie Motel, Bar Harbor, ME. Total miles are 4470! Met Jen, Jenny, and Pam on the way and had Champagne as we all crashed our bikes down the boat ramp into the Atlantic. Got a nice room at the Atlantic Erie and went out for a good lobster dinner. Went for a whale watching trip and saw tons (literally) of whales!
The second morning we did our photo shoot on the rocks near thunder hole. Penny took us all up the Precipice the second day and it was awesome! Really good ladders! Met Mom and Papa the second night and went out to dinner -- then went out to a bar with the gang for dancing.
thumbnail; 19 August - 20 August; car; Kimball Terrace Inn, NE Harbor, ME. We all went to breakfast (w/ Mom and Papa) and then said our good-byes. :-( I will miss Kara and Tracy tremendously, though I hope we will all get together soon in Ohio and/or Hong Kong.
Mom, Papa, Thomas, and I continued on our own, drove around, went to have popovers at the Jordon Pond House, and then drove up Mount Cadillac. Then home to the hotel.
The next day, we spent all day getting TC from the pound and getting him to the vet. And talking!!! We had dinner in the room, looked at pictures, and talked more.
thumbnail; 21 August; plane; home, Fort Collins, CO. Got up early to get us to the airport. TC is GREAT in the car! Barely made my connection flight, and TC was even closer. I had to wait outside the plane to make sure he got on first! Then the flight attendant upgraded me to FIRST CLASS!!! How cool -- what a great way to end this awesome trip. Oh, and red wine, too.
The end.