I have finished!! San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida - all on a bike!! Two months on the road - how crazy is that???
Snack table at 7:30 this morning and then off we went!! Just a short meander through the countryside (40 miles or so) to finally all meet up at the fire station in St. Augustine - yesterday the weather forecast was for rain and thunderstorms, but as always on this trip, the rain held off, it was overcast and cool though horribly humid... We were met at the fire station by the local police - two cars - and off we went through the city of St. Augustine with our police escort. Like Madeleine we went in two straight lines - through traffic lights, waving to the crowds - it was a magical moment. Carol, our guide, had said that we would feel goosebumps and I did!! It gave us just a bit of time to think about what we had accomplished - I still can't answer the question "Why would you want to do this??" but I know that it was something amazing!!!
Down to the beach where we were greeted by family and friends, and then down to the ocean for the ceremonial dip in the water.. I do have a great picture of me (taken by Sheila - thank you!) but the internet is not great here, so soon, okay??
Lunch at the beach, some free time in the afternoon and a final, farewell banquet. To celebrate and to be a little sad - we all know that the odds are most of us won't see each other again. But I have enjoyed - immensely - the time that I have spent with these fabulous, fabulous women.
Now - some statistics Janine style...
1 - # of falls - first day (loser!!)
4 - # of heart-pounding close encounters of the canine kind...
5 - # of flats!! (1 - # of flats that I fixed pretty much on my own)
1 - # of swims in my biking clothes
2 - # of packages mailed home - with stuff that I didn't need
8 - # of people that fell ill one night in Blythe
2 - amazing restaurant meals The Curious Kumquat in Silver City & Jacksons in Pensacola
4 - foreigners in the group - 2 from the UK and 2 from Canada
1 - Zydeco band (Sheila playing the washboard on stage..)
1 - 12 bar blues band
1 - B & B with a sunflower chair on the sunset-viewing roof terrace
1 - B & B owned by a lady whose husband, the prison warden, shot her 5 times and then sat down to watch her die.. (she lived - I assume that he went to prison)
1 - century ride!!!
25 - miles NOT ridden on the Hell Rio ride (sorry, Del Rio)
3 - Carnegie Deli cheesecakes (what was I thinking??)
1 - rest day at a holiday spot - on the beach!!
4 or 5 - # of times that I was lost - never seriously though
3 - Bubba encounters!
3 - total number of chefs on the trip
1 - oh-so-glorious home cooked turkey dinner
1 - truly horrible, nasty rainy day (leaving Austen)
1 - scorpion (in Sheila's bag)
2 - really bad, soul-destroying nasty head wind days
8 Best Western hotels
4 or so Starbucks!!
too many to count - Walmarts (you can buy anything there - who knew??)
1 free ice cream cone from Wendell in Perry, Florida
58 days in total
48 cycling days
OVER 3,000 MILES!!!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Out-pedalling storms...
I hear that there has been some crazy weather in Florida, but somehow - thankfully - we have managed to miss it all!!
The last two days have both been 70+ mile days (piece of cake) and both days have been overcast with threatening clouds in the afternoon.
Yesterday, a lady pulled up beside me in her car and warned me that there was a big storm about 15-20 minutes behind us, so what to do???!! Take shelter immediately OR try to out-pedal it??? Option number two, of course - much more fun. So Sue and I started to pedal like crazy - with still 10-12 miles to go!!! I have never biked so hard and so fast for such a length of time in my life - it was fun and a little scary all at the same time. It was humid (of course, this is Florida) and hot but soon the wind gusts were cold... and the skies were getting darker and darker... Five minutes out from the hotel, it started to rain... I pulled into the High Springs Country Inn (not nearly as nice as it sounds..) wet but just a little.
I won!! I out-pedalled the storm!!
It had actually been a wonderful day up until the end. We had made a stop at the Ichetucknee Springs Park - and swam in this beautiful spring-fed swimming hole. First time that I have ever swum in my bike clothes. It was great!
And after I got to the hotel, there was a diner across the street - like an old-fashioned soda joint - so we had a late lunch there, and after supper, Sheila and I wandered over for a beer (or a proper tea for Sheila) because there was a live band playing - a 12- bar blues band. The place was packed with motorcycle guys with long grey hair and beards, tattoos and leather vests - great people watching!!
Today it was a pretty uneventful day but fortunately we chose to minimize the stops because right now (just after 3pm) it is pouring rain!! A couple of people are still out there - hopefully the Sag driver was able to find them and pick them up...
Great memory from today - we had all been talking about Dairy Queen and blizzards so 10 or so of us stopped in Palatka at a take out only DQ. A guy was in the parking lot and had opened his car door - the song Happy by Pharell Williams was playing - loudly - so Sunnye, Liz and I started dancing in the parking lot. Haven't you always wanted to dance in a parking lot??? Can cross that off my bucket list now....
Last cycling day is TOMORROW!!!!!
The last two days have both been 70+ mile days (piece of cake) and both days have been overcast with threatening clouds in the afternoon.
Yesterday, a lady pulled up beside me in her car and warned me that there was a big storm about 15-20 minutes behind us, so what to do???!! Take shelter immediately OR try to out-pedal it??? Option number two, of course - much more fun. So Sue and I started to pedal like crazy - with still 10-12 miles to go!!! I have never biked so hard and so fast for such a length of time in my life - it was fun and a little scary all at the same time. It was humid (of course, this is Florida) and hot but soon the wind gusts were cold... and the skies were getting darker and darker... Five minutes out from the hotel, it started to rain... I pulled into the High Springs Country Inn (not nearly as nice as it sounds..) wet but just a little.
I won!! I out-pedalled the storm!!
It had actually been a wonderful day up until the end. We had made a stop at the Ichetucknee Springs Park - and swam in this beautiful spring-fed swimming hole. First time that I have ever swum in my bike clothes. It was great!
And after I got to the hotel, there was a diner across the street - like an old-fashioned soda joint - so we had a late lunch there, and after supper, Sheila and I wandered over for a beer (or a proper tea for Sheila) because there was a live band playing - a 12- bar blues band. The place was packed with motorcycle guys with long grey hair and beards, tattoos and leather vests - great people watching!!
Today it was a pretty uneventful day but fortunately we chose to minimize the stops because right now (just after 3pm) it is pouring rain!! A couple of people are still out there - hopefully the Sag driver was able to find them and pick them up...
Great memory from today - we had all been talking about Dairy Queen and blizzards so 10 or so of us stopped in Palatka at a take out only DQ. A guy was in the parking lot and had opened his car door - the song Happy by Pharell Williams was playing - loudly - so Sunnye, Liz and I started dancing in the parking lot. Haven't you always wanted to dance in a parking lot??? Can cross that off my bucket list now....
Last cycling day is TOMORROW!!!!!
Monday, April 28, 2014
8am departure delayed one hour due to fog...
Another overcast morning and for safety reasons, we were not allowed to leave until 9am because of the fog and traffic. Plus it was a short ride - just over 50 miles with a few extra miles to have lunch at a lodge in a state park.
Our rides are not very interesting right now - flat roads that go along a highway with trees on both sides for miles and miles and miles - not even much for small towns. Still haven't seen an alligator!!
Rest day in Crawfordville, Florida.
Not a great place for a rest day as we are miles from anything and anywhere. Still, managed to get some laundry done...
Right now we are in Perry, Florida. Another short day - 50 miles or so - AND we only have three cycling days left!!!
Just wanted to let you know that I am still pedalling and fast heading for the final day on Thursday,
Thanks for reading!!
Our rides are not very interesting right now - flat roads that go along a highway with trees on both sides for miles and miles and miles - not even much for small towns. Still haven't seen an alligator!!
Rest day in Crawfordville, Florida.
Not a great place for a rest day as we are miles from anything and anywhere. Still, managed to get some laundry done...
Right now we are in Perry, Florida. Another short day - 50 miles or so - AND we only have three cycling days left!!!
Just wanted to let you know that I am still pedalling and fast heading for the final day on Thursday,
Thanks for reading!!
Friday, April 25, 2014
Had to add this..
A quote from one of my new best friends, Joyce
"94 miles today at 85 degrees and 45% humidity. And... whoever said Florida was flat may get a punch on the nose."
She may have been serious...
"94 miles today at 85 degrees and 45% humidity. And... whoever said Florida was flat may get a punch on the nose."
She may have been serious...
90 on the 90...
Hmm... 92 or 95 miles yesterday - depends who you ask.. but in any case, it was easy!! Funny to say that but the roads were mainly flat, the winds were not against us and it was just keep on pedalling' !!
Now I say that I wasn't tired, but it is true that I could not stay awake past 9pm - fortunately there was another time zone change today so maybe I can stay awake until 10??? Most of the ride was on SR 90,
(hence the title) but despite the fact that it was a main highway, traffic was pretty light and the shoulder was wide and smooth. One of our riders was cycling right beside a semi when one of its tires blew!!!
She was fine but I think that it scared the heck out of the driver - fortunately it was one of the inside tires so the debris did not head her way. We don't like to admit it much, but I suspect that most of us sing as we cycle and she said that she just happened to be singing "Amazing Grace" - coincidence????
A very easy day today - just 51 miles on quiet, beautifully lush and green back roads. All the dogs were behind fences and there were just enough hills to keep things interesting!!
Take care y'all!!!
Now I say that I wasn't tired, but it is true that I could not stay awake past 9pm - fortunately there was another time zone change today so maybe I can stay awake until 10??? Most of the ride was on SR 90,
(hence the title) but despite the fact that it was a main highway, traffic was pretty light and the shoulder was wide and smooth. One of our riders was cycling right beside a semi when one of its tires blew!!!
She was fine but I think that it scared the heck out of the driver - fortunately it was one of the inside tires so the debris did not head her way. We don't like to admit it much, but I suspect that most of us sing as we cycle and she said that she just happened to be singing "Amazing Grace" - coincidence????
A very easy day today - just 51 miles on quiet, beautifully lush and green back roads. All the dogs were behind fences and there were just enough hills to keep things interesting!!
Take care y'all!!!
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
First of all, I know that you are all wondering...
No, the weird looking cycling tan is still with me - it could be permanent for all I know! People look at you strangely as you walk down the beach, but most are too polite to stare. At least I am with women that are all equally odd looking...
Dauphin Island was a great break!! We hung out with Virginia - mostly in a desperate search for food as most of the limited number of restaurants on the island are closed on Mondays - but we had a great reunion with her. As I think that I have said before, there are 7 of us that were all on the Pacific Coast trip together, so Virginia caught up with all of us. It was so nice to see her again!!
And we did spend some time at the pool - mocking each other's tans!
We caught a ferry to get off the island which was fun! And then the ride was a nice, easy 60 miles...
along the coast and through high density tourist, beachy areas. And then we arrived in Florida - our eighth and last!! state! New state means margarita night - also popular. We were in Pensacola staying in the downtown area and it was a find-your-own-meal night, so Sheila, MarySlade and I had a fantastic meal in a steakhouse (Jacksons).
Today just a little further and an uneventful ride. We have moved away from the coast to try to avoid the busier roads. Some lovely back roads today and a bike path for several miles. Maybe a few too many miles 'cause we kinda missed our turn - all part of the adventure!!
Note : "Red-neck laundry" A lot of the ladies rinse out their biking clothes every day and they have become very! creative ... many times the luggage racks and even an ironing board will be sitting outside the rooms draped with clothing... classy? maybe not, but effective!!
Note : Road kill - deer, birds - big and small, snakes, two cats and a dog, lots of opossums!, raccoons,
quite a few armadillos!, skunks, and a beaver with its tail cut off...
Nice to have something to look at as you pedal along ..... not!!
Sometimes it is hard not to be at home - one of Brad's very good friends (and a family friend) Alex, his father passed away. So sorry Alex. I wish that I could be in Calgary to go to the funeral..
Dauphin Island was a great break!! We hung out with Virginia - mostly in a desperate search for food as most of the limited number of restaurants on the island are closed on Mondays - but we had a great reunion with her. As I think that I have said before, there are 7 of us that were all on the Pacific Coast trip together, so Virginia caught up with all of us. It was so nice to see her again!!
And we did spend some time at the pool - mocking each other's tans!
We caught a ferry to get off the island which was fun! And then the ride was a nice, easy 60 miles...
along the coast and through high density tourist, beachy areas. And then we arrived in Florida - our eighth and last!! state! New state means margarita night - also popular. We were in Pensacola staying in the downtown area and it was a find-your-own-meal night, so Sheila, MarySlade and I had a fantastic meal in a steakhouse (Jacksons).
Today just a little further and an uneventful ride. We have moved away from the coast to try to avoid the busier roads. Some lovely back roads today and a bike path for several miles. Maybe a few too many miles 'cause we kinda missed our turn - all part of the adventure!!
Note : "Red-neck laundry" A lot of the ladies rinse out their biking clothes every day and they have become very! creative ... many times the luggage racks and even an ironing board will be sitting outside the rooms draped with clothing... classy? maybe not, but effective!!
Note : Road kill - deer, birds - big and small, snakes, two cats and a dog, lots of opossums!, raccoons,
quite a few armadillos!, skunks, and a beaver with its tail cut off...
Nice to have something to look at as you pedal along ..... not!!
Sometimes it is hard not to be at home - one of Brad's very good friends (and a family friend) Alex, his father passed away. So sorry Alex. I wish that I could be in Calgary to go to the funeral..
Sunday, April 20, 2014
We are at the beach - and it feels good!!
Funny how things have changed -
yesterday's ride was "only " 68 miles and we were all saying that it was such a nice, easy day. At the beginning of the trip, we would get to the hotel, eat supper, drag ourselves to our rooms and try our best to stay awake until 9pm.
Now after such a "short " day, we have all this time to do other things, eat, chat, watch an episode of "Miranda", get caught up on e-mails, laundry etc. and go to bed like normal people!!
Today was even shorter - only 41 miles!!! And finally the sun is out which makes everything seem a little brighter! We are at Dauphin Island, Alabama - staying in condos on the beach. Beautiful white sand - such bliss!!! And we are here for a rest day - what could be better??? Actually, there is another wonderful thing - our friend, Virginia, is here for a visit!! She was with us on the Pacific Coast cycling trip and she is such a sweetheart!!
Only 10 cycling days left...
Tomorrow, my main goal is to try to even out that weird looking cycling tan....
yesterday's ride was "only " 68 miles and we were all saying that it was such a nice, easy day. At the beginning of the trip, we would get to the hotel, eat supper, drag ourselves to our rooms and try our best to stay awake until 9pm.
Now after such a "short " day, we have all this time to do other things, eat, chat, watch an episode of "Miranda", get caught up on e-mails, laundry etc. and go to bed like normal people!!
Today was even shorter - only 41 miles!!! And finally the sun is out which makes everything seem a little brighter! We are at Dauphin Island, Alabama - staying in condos on the beach. Beautiful white sand - such bliss!!! And we are here for a rest day - what could be better??? Actually, there is another wonderful thing - our friend, Virginia, is here for a visit!! She was with us on the Pacific Coast cycling trip and she is such a sweetheart!!
Only 10 cycling days left...
Tomorrow, my main goal is to try to even out that weird looking cycling tan....
For those that like to look at maps...
April 20th, 21st : Dauphin Island, Alabama
April 22nd : Pensacola, Florida
April 23rd : Crestview, Florida
April 24th : Marianna, Florida
April 25th : Quincy, Florida
April 26th, 27th : Crawfordville, Florida
April 28th : Perry, Florida
April 29th : High Springs, Florida
April 30th : Palatka, Florida
May 1st : St. Augustine, Florida (FINAL DESTINATION!!)
April 22nd : Pensacola, Florida
April 23rd : Crestview, Florida
April 24th : Marianna, Florida
April 25th : Quincy, Florida
April 26th, 27th : Crawfordville, Florida
April 28th : Perry, Florida
April 29th : High Springs, Florida
April 30th : Palatka, Florida
May 1st : St. Augustine, Florida (FINAL DESTINATION!!)
Friday, April 18, 2014
We are now in Mississippi!
Yesterday was the "bad dog day" - do you know how scary it is to ride down the road with a pack of
(seemingly??) ferocious dogs snapping at your heels?? I think that I may have broken some personal speed records... and my throat is sore from yelling at them...
But yesterday was also a good day - line dancing in the parking lot at the hotel - with some encouragement from some of the other guests (thanks Sandie, for the lessons - you are a woman of many, many talents!!) and it was a birthday day yesterday. I had ordered Carnegie Deli cheesecake online- they shipped it (frozen) overnight and it arrived at the motel in Bogalusa, Louisiana. It was soooo good - and you can eat as much as you want guilt-free when you have biked 60 or so miles that day!!
And we have now left Louisiana and are in Mississippi for two days; then two days in Alabama (including a rest day AT THE BEACH!!); then Florida!!! We will be in Florida for 10 days...
The weather continues to be not good, but really not so bad. It is cool and each day is overcast, but we have only had a little rain. Better a little cool than too hot. I really, really hope for warm weather at our next rest day at Dauphin Island, Alabama...
Still haven't seen any alligators....
Happy Birthday to my favourite sister who just turned 50!!
Saw the de Grood parents' statement online - truly one of the bravest and saddest moments of television that I have ever seen...
(seemingly??) ferocious dogs snapping at your heels?? I think that I may have broken some personal speed records... and my throat is sore from yelling at them...
But yesterday was also a good day - line dancing in the parking lot at the hotel - with some encouragement from some of the other guests (thanks Sandie, for the lessons - you are a woman of many, many talents!!) and it was a birthday day yesterday. I had ordered Carnegie Deli cheesecake online- they shipped it (frozen) overnight and it arrived at the motel in Bogalusa, Louisiana. It was soooo good - and you can eat as much as you want guilt-free when you have biked 60 or so miles that day!!
And we have now left Louisiana and are in Mississippi for two days; then two days in Alabama (including a rest day AT THE BEACH!!); then Florida!!! We will be in Florida for 10 days...
The weather continues to be not good, but really not so bad. It is cool and each day is overcast, but we have only had a little rain. Better a little cool than too hot. I really, really hope for warm weather at our next rest day at Dauphin Island, Alabama...
Still haven't seen any alligators....
Happy Birthday to my favourite sister who just turned 50!!
Saw the de Grood parents' statement online - truly one of the bravest and saddest moments of television that I have ever seen...
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Thank you....
Sorry - you have to indulge me just for a moment....
A huge thank you to Sheila L. who has sent me not one, not two, but three packages in the mail!!
So exciting to receive a package and so lovely to know that she took the time to send a little something... You are the best!!!
And for some strange reason, I gave the wrong person credit for the care package I received in Fredricksberg! I said that Patti had sent me something, but (as I well knew) it was actually from Katie - one of the other sweeps from the Pacific Coast. Katie - thank you, thank you, thank you!! It was such a joy to receive and such a joy to know that you are thinking of us! Wish you were here too!!
A huge thank you to Sheila L. who has sent me not one, not two, but three packages in the mail!!
So exciting to receive a package and so lovely to know that she took the time to send a little something... You are the best!!!
And for some strange reason, I gave the wrong person credit for the care package I received in Fredricksberg! I said that Patti had sent me something, but (as I well knew) it was actually from Katie - one of the other sweeps from the Pacific Coast. Katie - thank you, thank you, thank you!! It was such a joy to receive and such a joy to know that you are thinking of us! Wish you were here too!!
Catching up
You have a lot of time to think as you bike down the road - especially on an 89 mile day like today.
I couldn't help but think about the terrible tragedy back home and the more I think about it the more that I feel that those are "our " kids. They are the same age as ours, with the same kind of lives and interests and ambitions... there but for the grace of God go I... any one of our children could have been at that party - it was just ordinary kids at an ordinary party in an ordinary Calgary neighbourhood. Even though we didn't know those children, they could have been the ones that we helped with reading in kindergarten, or who played on our son's soccer team or against our daughter's basketball team - if they didn't actually touch our lives, they would have been somehow connected in some way. And I know that Calgary is the kind of place where we care about our children - and all the children around us.
Thus we all mourn and question how this could happen and feel so deeply for the families and we are so grateful to the police and EMS people that had to - will continue to have to - deal with the aftermath.
And we can never keep our children safe from this - because no-one could ever have predicted that such a thing could happen. It makes you wish for the days when you could tuck them in at night and know that they are safe and sound and always within your protective arms.
And back to my ride... which seems rather trite and meaningless and even selfish of me right now - or self-indulgent?? In any case, it is what I am doing right now and just in case you still want to hear about it...
I last left you after just entered Louisiana - now Louisiana is really not a very exciting place to cycle! The roads are flat so you just keep pedalling and pedalling. Some of the roads are really bad and some are really good, some with wonderful wide shoulders, some with none at all. We have encountered more unleashed dogs - and those dogs love to defend their territory!! Once gentle soul - Joyce - has revealed an incredibly deep and scary voice that she uses in an attempt to scare them away - I am not sure just how afraid the dogs are, but I have visions of the Exorcist when I hear it!!
Ah - rice fields and crawfish farms too - who knew?? My only regret so far is that I haven't mustered up the courage to try a "boudin ball" which our token Texan of the group claims is very tasty!!
There were frog legs on the menu in the restaurant that we went to today.... didn't try those either!
Oh - big news!! April 14th was a 96 mile today so I added a few and did my first century!! For those non-cyclists, that means I did one hundred miles in one ride!! Whoo too!!! It was actually a pretty easy day - no hills, a tail wind at times, nice and cool - such a contrast to my last attempt. The forecast for the day had been rain and thundershowers, but it had just started to sprinkle when I pulled in and a really fierce thunderstorm hit within half an hour - sooooo lucky!
We stayed in St. Francisville for a rest day - half of us at a B&B on a former plantation. Not such a great breakfast, but I had my own little cabin - the Chef's Cottage. It was freezing cold that first night - it may even have been a record low. So strange that I will go home having experienced only cold weather in Louisiana!
Road kill here seemed to be a lot of snakes - I did see some nasty big one in a water-filled ditch - must be careful now - now I am starting to worry about alligators.
We are doing a few long mile days now - to make up for the shorter rides when the road was hillier, but we seem to all take it in stride (so to speak) - 83, 96, 89 miles today... a piece of cake!!
A bit of a crisis of faith a few days ago - "why am I doing this?" "why would anyone want to put their body through this?" "what is this all for??" but then I had a couple of fun days again and although I still can't really answer those questions, at least I am not fretting over the answers anymore!
After all - to quote Grease - "there are worse things I could do!"
Kiss and hug your children today if you can - and because mine are so far away from me, give them an extra one for me please!!
I couldn't help but think about the terrible tragedy back home and the more I think about it the more that I feel that those are "our " kids. They are the same age as ours, with the same kind of lives and interests and ambitions... there but for the grace of God go I... any one of our children could have been at that party - it was just ordinary kids at an ordinary party in an ordinary Calgary neighbourhood. Even though we didn't know those children, they could have been the ones that we helped with reading in kindergarten, or who played on our son's soccer team or against our daughter's basketball team - if they didn't actually touch our lives, they would have been somehow connected in some way. And I know that Calgary is the kind of place where we care about our children - and all the children around us.
Thus we all mourn and question how this could happen and feel so deeply for the families and we are so grateful to the police and EMS people that had to - will continue to have to - deal with the aftermath.
And we can never keep our children safe from this - because no-one could ever have predicted that such a thing could happen. It makes you wish for the days when you could tuck them in at night and know that they are safe and sound and always within your protective arms.
And back to my ride... which seems rather trite and meaningless and even selfish of me right now - or self-indulgent?? In any case, it is what I am doing right now and just in case you still want to hear about it...
I last left you after just entered Louisiana - now Louisiana is really not a very exciting place to cycle! The roads are flat so you just keep pedalling and pedalling. Some of the roads are really bad and some are really good, some with wonderful wide shoulders, some with none at all. We have encountered more unleashed dogs - and those dogs love to defend their territory!! Once gentle soul - Joyce - has revealed an incredibly deep and scary voice that she uses in an attempt to scare them away - I am not sure just how afraid the dogs are, but I have visions of the Exorcist when I hear it!!
Ah - rice fields and crawfish farms too - who knew?? My only regret so far is that I haven't mustered up the courage to try a "boudin ball" which our token Texan of the group claims is very tasty!!
There were frog legs on the menu in the restaurant that we went to today.... didn't try those either!
Oh - big news!! April 14th was a 96 mile today so I added a few and did my first century!! For those non-cyclists, that means I did one hundred miles in one ride!! Whoo too!!! It was actually a pretty easy day - no hills, a tail wind at times, nice and cool - such a contrast to my last attempt. The forecast for the day had been rain and thundershowers, but it had just started to sprinkle when I pulled in and a really fierce thunderstorm hit within half an hour - sooooo lucky!
We stayed in St. Francisville for a rest day - half of us at a B&B on a former plantation. Not such a great breakfast, but I had my own little cabin - the Chef's Cottage. It was freezing cold that first night - it may even have been a record low. So strange that I will go home having experienced only cold weather in Louisiana!
Road kill here seemed to be a lot of snakes - I did see some nasty big one in a water-filled ditch - must be careful now - now I am starting to worry about alligators.
We are doing a few long mile days now - to make up for the shorter rides when the road was hillier, but we seem to all take it in stride (so to speak) - 83, 96, 89 miles today... a piece of cake!!
A bit of a crisis of faith a few days ago - "why am I doing this?" "why would anyone want to put their body through this?" "what is this all for??" but then I had a couple of fun days again and although I still can't really answer those questions, at least I am not fretting over the answers anymore!
After all - to quote Grease - "there are worse things I could do!"
Kiss and hug your children today if you can - and because mine are so far away from me, give them an extra one for me please!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
So far from home..
I have heard of the tragic stabbing in Calgary and I have to say that it is difficult to be so far from home when something like this happens. I just want to talk to all my friends - especially those who have children the age of the victims - the age of my children - and share a moment of gladness that it was not our children there and sadness that there are so many parents mourning their dearest, most-loved, most precious babies tonight.
With much love to all....
With much love to all....
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Ladies and gentlemen - we have left Texas!!
It is crazy how big Texas actually is - not only is everything bigger in Texas but Texas is bigger than everything!
We spent almost three weeks crossing this state - 17 cycling days I think and over 1,000 miles.
And my thoughts and impressions???
We have seen a different side of Texas almost every day. We passed through desert with cactus and a whole lot of dry sand and dirt. We went through Hill Country - aptly named - that descended into a valley of rivers and trees; camps and resorts and mansions, retirement homes and lovely neighbourhoods. We have seen big cities and small, prosperous towns, but we have also passed through (and stayed in!!) towns that are almost dead - their only reason for existence the proximity to the highways; boarded up businesses and abandoned homes - very sad.
We have seen real cowboys with cowboy boots and hats (like rural Alberta in places) but these ones are no doubt "packing heat" - we have seen plenty of signs and t-shirts advocating the right to bear arms.
We have seen cattle - yep, even the Texas longhorns - and sheep, goats and of course, horses.
We saw plenty of the Mexican influence; restaurants and signs in Spanish and especially - Mexican coca cola!
We have seen prickly pear, live oaks and wildflowers that fill the landscape with an undeniable beauty.
We have just gone through the Sam Houston National Forest - complete with logging trucks??!!
We have experienced chip seal; mist; heat & rain... cool mornings and hot afternoons.
All in all, I have been surprised at the immensity and the diversity here...
and now : Louisiana!! Just in time for crawfish season!!
We spent almost three weeks crossing this state - 17 cycling days I think and over 1,000 miles.
And my thoughts and impressions???
We have seen a different side of Texas almost every day. We passed through desert with cactus and a whole lot of dry sand and dirt. We went through Hill Country - aptly named - that descended into a valley of rivers and trees; camps and resorts and mansions, retirement homes and lovely neighbourhoods. We have seen big cities and small, prosperous towns, but we have also passed through (and stayed in!!) towns that are almost dead - their only reason for existence the proximity to the highways; boarded up businesses and abandoned homes - very sad.
We have seen real cowboys with cowboy boots and hats (like rural Alberta in places) but these ones are no doubt "packing heat" - we have seen plenty of signs and t-shirts advocating the right to bear arms.
We have seen cattle - yep, even the Texas longhorns - and sheep, goats and of course, horses.
We saw plenty of the Mexican influence; restaurants and signs in Spanish and especially - Mexican coca cola!
We have seen prickly pear, live oaks and wildflowers that fill the landscape with an undeniable beauty.
We have just gone through the Sam Houston National Forest - complete with logging trucks??!!
We have experienced chip seal; mist; heat & rain... cool mornings and hot afternoons.
All in all, I have been surprised at the immensity and the diversity here...
and now : Louisiana!! Just in time for crawfish season!!
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Rest day in.... just a sec... Navasota!
Yep! We are still in Texas!!
After just four days of cycling, we have a rest day - unusual but always appreciated!!
I am not sure what Navasota is like actually - we are in a Best Western just off of the highway so downtown is way too far to walk...
Big excitement because there is a Walmart within walking distance - much purchasing of basic necessities (root touch up anyone??)
Other than Walmart, there are a lot of fast food places close by and a steak house for dinner tonight.
So what do we do on rest days?? Laundry, bike cleaning, catching up on blogs and e-mails and eating,
a lot of eating! Usually there is a cocktail hour at 5pm - in the parking lot on our plastic chairs of course. We try to go out for a nice meal in a real restaurant - food is very important when you are going across the States using only your own legs to get you there!!
I have made great friends on this trip and become re-acquainted with some wonderful old friends from the Pacific Coast trip. Odd to spend two months with a group of people and then maybe never see them again!
Beautiful ride yesterday but we were fighting crosswinds again - one time I swear that the wind picked up my bike and moved it over a couple of inches!! Some good solid body weight helps a lot - the smaller women tend to have some real issues with wind conditions like that!
Charlene and I did get lost and took a longer, but fortunately, very scenic route. We got back on track in the end and were very happy to arrive in town!! It is all part of the adventure...
Keep those e-mails coming!!
After just four days of cycling, we have a rest day - unusual but always appreciated!!
I am not sure what Navasota is like actually - we are in a Best Western just off of the highway so downtown is way too far to walk...
Big excitement because there is a Walmart within walking distance - much purchasing of basic necessities (root touch up anyone??)
Other than Walmart, there are a lot of fast food places close by and a steak house for dinner tonight.
So what do we do on rest days?? Laundry, bike cleaning, catching up on blogs and e-mails and eating,
a lot of eating! Usually there is a cocktail hour at 5pm - in the parking lot on our plastic chairs of course. We try to go out for a nice meal in a real restaurant - food is very important when you are going across the States using only your own legs to get you there!!
I have made great friends on this trip and become re-acquainted with some wonderful old friends from the Pacific Coast trip. Odd to spend two months with a group of people and then maybe never see them again!
Beautiful ride yesterday but we were fighting crosswinds again - one time I swear that the wind picked up my bike and moved it over a couple of inches!! Some good solid body weight helps a lot - the smaller women tend to have some real issues with wind conditions like that!
Charlene and I did get lost and took a longer, but fortunately, very scenic route. We got back on track in the end and were very happy to arrive in town!! It is all part of the adventure...
Keep those e-mails coming!!
Monday, April 7, 2014
Ooops -
I think that I had written another blog in Fredricksburg but for some reason it did not post until just now... Sorry!! You can figure it out though.
A small confession: remember that I fell the first day??? (Loser!!) Well, it took me a couple of days to figure it out, but I am pretty sure that I cracked a rib that day!! I remember saying to MarySlade (she of the Reeses Pieces) that I felt like I had jammed my chest, and I guess I did. Fortunately you can cycle quite well with a cracked rib so it really wasn't a big deal and it has pretty much healed by now. Just didn't want to say anything and have you worry (Mom & Dad!!) It was just a pain when I tried to sleep mostly.
Hmmm.... big storm just rolled into - thunder, lightning, rain, wind, hail??? Hope it passes by quickly and is all done by morning.
'Night Y'all!!
Janine
A small confession: remember that I fell the first day??? (Loser!!) Well, it took me a couple of days to figure it out, but I am pretty sure that I cracked a rib that day!! I remember saying to MarySlade (she of the Reeses Pieces) that I felt like I had jammed my chest, and I guess I did. Fortunately you can cycle quite well with a cracked rib so it really wasn't a big deal and it has pretty much healed by now. Just didn't want to say anything and have you worry (Mom & Dad!!) It was just a pain when I tried to sleep mostly.
Hmmm.... big storm just rolled into - thunder, lightning, rain, wind, hail??? Hope it passes by quickly and is all done by morning.
'Night Y'all!!
Janine
Yes! I am still hanging in there!
I have had another couple of great days! We are now in Texas Hill Country and it has had a few steep hills, but the scenery has been spectacular!! It is really nice to see green again...
It is springtime here so there are wildflowers along the side of the road, shrubs in bloom and the trees have that "newly- sprung" green about them. (Sorry, if you are in Calgary in the snow, you had best not read this...)
We are now officially half way through the trip, which is so hard to believe. I think that we are over 1,500 miles. It is interesting to see the change - yesterday's ride was 80 miles and we didn't bat an eyelash over that - we all know what we can do now. It was actually a great, great ride - a couple of very steep hills, but a lot of the day was spent up on some crazy back country roads - one time I swear we went right through the middle of a farm - with cows looking at us like we were crazy.
It is a rest day right now - in Fredricksburg, a town with a German flavour. Still a gun shop in town though - what would a Texan town be without a gun shop?
So exciting - I received a postcard from Sheila in Camp Wood and today a parcel arrived for me from Patti - a wonderful woman that I met on the Pacific Coast trip - she sent a few thoughtful, small items and a delicious bar of chocolate.... whoops, does it make me look like a pig to know that I gobbled it up right away???
Thanks for all the e-mails my friends, and I do think of you often (what else do you do on a bike for hours and hours and hours every day???)
It is springtime here so there are wildflowers along the side of the road, shrubs in bloom and the trees have that "newly- sprung" green about them. (Sorry, if you are in Calgary in the snow, you had best not read this...)
We are now officially half way through the trip, which is so hard to believe. I think that we are over 1,500 miles. It is interesting to see the change - yesterday's ride was 80 miles and we didn't bat an eyelash over that - we all know what we can do now. It was actually a great, great ride - a couple of very steep hills, but a lot of the day was spent up on some crazy back country roads - one time I swear we went right through the middle of a farm - with cows looking at us like we were crazy.
It is a rest day right now - in Fredricksburg, a town with a German flavour. Still a gun shop in town though - what would a Texan town be without a gun shop?
So exciting - I received a postcard from Sheila in Camp Wood and today a parcel arrived for me from Patti - a wonderful woman that I met on the Pacific Coast trip - she sent a few thoughtful, small items and a delicious bar of chocolate.... whoops, does it make me look like a pig to know that I gobbled it up right away???
Thanks for all the e-mails my friends, and I do think of you often (what else do you do on a bike for hours and hours and hours every day???)
I am so far behind!!
I didn't realize just how long it had been since I had written anything until Sheila sent me an e-mail asking if all was well - thanks Sheila!! And thanks for the picture of Dave Kelly and the theatre group.
I am sorry to have missed that...
So I have now looked at my notes, my hotel accommodation list, my mileage sheet and read a couple of the other blogs so that I can remember what I have done.....
April 2nd: Camp Wood to Vanderpool (Fox Fire Cabins) - only 39 miles, but they were hilly!! We have now officially entered Texas Hill Country - and you know Texas - everything is bigger out here!!
Some pretty challenging hills, but I actually relish the challenge but hate the downhills. I don't like going too fast on hills that I am not familiar with - especially if you can't see around the next corner.
It was foggy, misty, overcast - very dramatic really but the view may have been better if you could have seen it!! It was beautiful and green, and at the end of the cycling day, we were at Fox Fire Cabins - located on a lovely little river - charming, rustic cabins - peaceful... a nice treat.
April 3rd: Vanderpool to Fredricksburg : 80 miles. That sounds like a lot and there were a lot of hills (still in Texas... you know) but it was so lovely. We would swoop down a hill to cross the Guadalupe River - over and over again. Up again, of course, but the road was lined with homes, vacation homes, resorts and camps - very prosperous, especially compared to some of the areas we have seen.
Then we turned off the highway and up a crazy steep hill and took some back road that was so much fun - There was virtually no traffic and this road wound through pastures and ranch land - once it seemed that it cut right through the middle of a farm! Hills but not too bad and just plain fun to bike and bike and bike without having to worry about anything in front of or behind you!!
Our journey ended in Fredricksburg - a german town in Texas?? Full of small shops and restaurants;
very touristy. We had a rest day here at the Super 8 hotel .... had some great pie, some not so great steak, took my bike in for a new chain.... just wandered and ate and rested...
We are now at the half-way point!!!
April 5th: Fredricksburg to Austin : 78 miles. No lunch - that makes Janine a grouchy girl... the route took us through back roads right into Austin.
Have I mentioned the wildflowers yet??? They are so amazing - blue bonnets plus flowers of yellow, fuchsia, purple, red... just scattered alongside the road and in the fields; I have never seen wildflowers like that!
We had thought that it was the end of Texas Hill Country, but no such luck - it was 78 miles of hill after hill after hill....
Supper tonight was fajitas served family style at a local restaurant in a strip mall - no one had had lunch so we devoured the food - so, so good!! It is amazing how much food you need after cycling almost 80 miles!! And for all those that asked if we were going to check out the music scene in Austin - I think that we were back from dinner at 7:30 and most of us were asleep by 9:00....
April 6th: Austin to Bastrop : 59 miles. Okay, this was our first rainy day and it was a miserable one!!!
It was cold and it was either sprinkling rain or pouring rain for most of the day. We were leaving Austin and our route called for turn after turn - trying to keep us off the busy roads - so we had to pay very close attention to our cue sheet. Difficult for me to navigate because my new trip computer that I bought a couple of weeks ago has never worked properly so when it calls for a right turn in 6.5 miles, I have to either guess, hope to spot the road sign or follow someone else. Thanks to Karen & Tanya, and later Sue, for being good leaders!!
And when I was with Sue, she got a flat tire, and just before arriving at the hotel, I got a flat tire... in the rain!! My fourth flat and the first that I basically changed all on my own!! Lunch was some chicken tenders from a gas station....
But we are staying at a Hampton Inn - what luxury : nice pillows, and the toilet is neither chipped nor stained.... and there is a Starbucks close by...
Oh and we have a fabulous new cook - hurray!!
April 7th : Today!! Bastrop to La Grange : 41 miles. A great day that made up for the miserable day
yesterday. We drove through the Bastrop State Park and then Buescher Park. No traffic as we raced our way up and down hills and through the forest... well, there had been a horrific forest fire here 3 years ago, so the landscape was a little bleak... Overcast but NO RAIN!! and the wildflowers continue to amaze us!
Take care everyone!!
I am sorry to have missed that...
So I have now looked at my notes, my hotel accommodation list, my mileage sheet and read a couple of the other blogs so that I can remember what I have done.....
April 2nd: Camp Wood to Vanderpool (Fox Fire Cabins) - only 39 miles, but they were hilly!! We have now officially entered Texas Hill Country - and you know Texas - everything is bigger out here!!
Some pretty challenging hills, but I actually relish the challenge but hate the downhills. I don't like going too fast on hills that I am not familiar with - especially if you can't see around the next corner.
It was foggy, misty, overcast - very dramatic really but the view may have been better if you could have seen it!! It was beautiful and green, and at the end of the cycling day, we were at Fox Fire Cabins - located on a lovely little river - charming, rustic cabins - peaceful... a nice treat.
April 3rd: Vanderpool to Fredricksburg : 80 miles. That sounds like a lot and there were a lot of hills (still in Texas... you know) but it was so lovely. We would swoop down a hill to cross the Guadalupe River - over and over again. Up again, of course, but the road was lined with homes, vacation homes, resorts and camps - very prosperous, especially compared to some of the areas we have seen.
Then we turned off the highway and up a crazy steep hill and took some back road that was so much fun - There was virtually no traffic and this road wound through pastures and ranch land - once it seemed that it cut right through the middle of a farm! Hills but not too bad and just plain fun to bike and bike and bike without having to worry about anything in front of or behind you!!
Our journey ended in Fredricksburg - a german town in Texas?? Full of small shops and restaurants;
very touristy. We had a rest day here at the Super 8 hotel .... had some great pie, some not so great steak, took my bike in for a new chain.... just wandered and ate and rested...
We are now at the half-way point!!!
April 5th: Fredricksburg to Austin : 78 miles. No lunch - that makes Janine a grouchy girl... the route took us through back roads right into Austin.
Have I mentioned the wildflowers yet??? They are so amazing - blue bonnets plus flowers of yellow, fuchsia, purple, red... just scattered alongside the road and in the fields; I have never seen wildflowers like that!
We had thought that it was the end of Texas Hill Country, but no such luck - it was 78 miles of hill after hill after hill....
Supper tonight was fajitas served family style at a local restaurant in a strip mall - no one had had lunch so we devoured the food - so, so good!! It is amazing how much food you need after cycling almost 80 miles!! And for all those that asked if we were going to check out the music scene in Austin - I think that we were back from dinner at 7:30 and most of us were asleep by 9:00....
April 6th: Austin to Bastrop : 59 miles. Okay, this was our first rainy day and it was a miserable one!!!
It was cold and it was either sprinkling rain or pouring rain for most of the day. We were leaving Austin and our route called for turn after turn - trying to keep us off the busy roads - so we had to pay very close attention to our cue sheet. Difficult for me to navigate because my new trip computer that I bought a couple of weeks ago has never worked properly so when it calls for a right turn in 6.5 miles, I have to either guess, hope to spot the road sign or follow someone else. Thanks to Karen & Tanya, and later Sue, for being good leaders!!
And when I was with Sue, she got a flat tire, and just before arriving at the hotel, I got a flat tire... in the rain!! My fourth flat and the first that I basically changed all on my own!! Lunch was some chicken tenders from a gas station....
But we are staying at a Hampton Inn - what luxury : nice pillows, and the toilet is neither chipped nor stained.... and there is a Starbucks close by...
Oh and we have a fabulous new cook - hurray!!
April 7th : Today!! Bastrop to La Grange : 41 miles. A great day that made up for the miserable day
yesterday. We drove through the Bastrop State Park and then Buescher Park. No traffic as we raced our way up and down hills and through the forest... well, there had been a horrific forest fire here 3 years ago, so the landscape was a little bleak... Overcast but NO RAIN!! and the wildflowers continue to amaze us!
Take care everyone!!
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
A Couple of Good Days!!!
Ah, what a difference a wind makes!!!!
The last couple of days have been a real treat - short distances, not too many hills or horrendous traffic - even decent accommodation - AND no headwinds!!! Who even knew what a headwind was before this trip - definitely not me!!
I forgot to tell you all that one that horrible, awful, no good, very bad day, I had three knights on shiny bicycles come to my aid!! There is another group of cyclists that are also doing the cross-country trip that occasionally cross paths with us (Bubba's group - a mixed group that does a lot of camping) and at about mile 50 that day, three of them cycled up beside me and suggested that I follow them. One was on a recumbent bike and the other two on regular bikes and I tucked in behind them for close to 10 miles - they got me to my lunch stop - safe and pretty much sound. I honestly don't know if I could have gone as far as I did without that help!! Thanks Mike, Mike and Scott!!! And Scott is from Kelowna!!
Oh - last night, Bubba invited us to their campground for an ice cream social, so I got to thank them again in person! It was fun to compare notes with another group.
I was also thinking that I should let you know that most of us on this WomanTours adventure do not look like super-athletes at all. In civilian clothes, we look pretty normal - you would NOT pick us out of a crowd as being someone who would take on a crazy trip like this!! There are super-athletes among us but for the most part we look just like most other middle-aged women.
Sometimes I wonder what we look like as a group?? We will often arrive in these little "Mom & Pop" restaurants in these tiny, tired towns : clad in our spandex and jerseys, pulling off our helmets revealing our wild hair - a little sunburnt, a little greasy and maybe even a little sweaty - but we don't look remarkable at all - except maybe, just maybe, as the weeks go by we are looking stronger, a little more toned and a little more confident that we can meet some pretty big challenges and still laugh at the end of the day.
If you think that you could never do something like this, think again - it mostly takes determination and a willingness to get on the bike and stay on the bike even when things get tough!!
The last couple of days have been a real treat - short distances, not too many hills or horrendous traffic - even decent accommodation - AND no headwinds!!! Who even knew what a headwind was before this trip - definitely not me!!
I forgot to tell you all that one that horrible, awful, no good, very bad day, I had three knights on shiny bicycles come to my aid!! There is another group of cyclists that are also doing the cross-country trip that occasionally cross paths with us (Bubba's group - a mixed group that does a lot of camping) and at about mile 50 that day, three of them cycled up beside me and suggested that I follow them. One was on a recumbent bike and the other two on regular bikes and I tucked in behind them for close to 10 miles - they got me to my lunch stop - safe and pretty much sound. I honestly don't know if I could have gone as far as I did without that help!! Thanks Mike, Mike and Scott!!! And Scott is from Kelowna!!
Oh - last night, Bubba invited us to their campground for an ice cream social, so I got to thank them again in person! It was fun to compare notes with another group.
I was also thinking that I should let you know that most of us on this WomanTours adventure do not look like super-athletes at all. In civilian clothes, we look pretty normal - you would NOT pick us out of a crowd as being someone who would take on a crazy trip like this!! There are super-athletes among us but for the most part we look just like most other middle-aged women.
Sometimes I wonder what we look like as a group?? We will often arrive in these little "Mom & Pop" restaurants in these tiny, tired towns : clad in our spandex and jerseys, pulling off our helmets revealing our wild hair - a little sunburnt, a little greasy and maybe even a little sweaty - but we don't look remarkable at all - except maybe, just maybe, as the weeks go by we are looking stronger, a little more toned and a little more confident that we can meet some pretty big challenges and still laugh at the end of the day.
If you think that you could never do something like this, think again - it mostly takes determination and a willingness to get on the bike and stay on the bike even when things get tough!!
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Will you still love me??
My dear family, friends and (dare I say?) fans,
I am sorry to tell you that I will disappoint you today...
It was a 110 mile ride - I believe that I could have done it except for (yes again!!) the killer head winds!! Maybe 30 mph with gusts of 40 and 50 mph... it was insane!!! I worked so very hard, but I finally gave up at mile 85. And it felt right and it felt good!!! There is no way that I could have done it, and yes, I am disappointed, but that's life!!
Must go to bed and rest now - every part of my body is sore and aching..............
And congratulations to the five (so far) that did it all!!! You are amazing!!!
I am sorry to tell you that I will disappoint you today...
It was a 110 mile ride - I believe that I could have done it except for (yes again!!) the killer head winds!! Maybe 30 mph with gusts of 40 and 50 mph... it was insane!!! I worked so very hard, but I finally gave up at mile 85. And it felt right and it felt good!!! There is no way that I could have done it, and yes, I am disappointed, but that's life!!
Must go to bed and rest now - every part of my body is sore and aching..............
And congratulations to the five (so far) that did it all!!! You are amazing!!!
The "moments"
You don't want to hear about my ride - headwinds, missed the only open restaurant in town so ate at the gas station, arrived at the motel - what a dump! - rooms not ready because the maid didn't show up - not a fun day!!!
BUT...
The motel appears to be owned by an East Indian man and his mother. At dinner, the mother had made something for us to add to our parking lot dinner - lovely! After dinner, he said that his Mom wished to say something to us, so a few of us gathered around to hear what she had to say - I hope I have captured the gist of it...
When I was a girl in India, a bike was a necessity. I always envied the fancy bikes in the city. Now, look at me - I would break a bike!! But when men stay at the motel on their way cycling across America, I asked my son, where are the women?? And now, here you are!!!
It really was a not-great day, but here we were - able to have what I call "a moment" with these two people. And really, what is there to life but the moments?? If you are lucky, you will have many special moments with those you love, many more with good friends but sometimes, if you just allow yourself to be open to them, you can have moments with complete strangers.
In the end, will I remember the hours on the bike? the scenery passing by? the winds? OR will I remember the moments??
Thanks for listening!!
BUT...
The motel appears to be owned by an East Indian man and his mother. At dinner, the mother had made something for us to add to our parking lot dinner - lovely! After dinner, he said that his Mom wished to say something to us, so a few of us gathered around to hear what she had to say - I hope I have captured the gist of it...
When I was a girl in India, a bike was a necessity. I always envied the fancy bikes in the city. Now, look at me - I would break a bike!! But when men stay at the motel on their way cycling across America, I asked my son, where are the women?? And now, here you are!!!
It really was a not-great day, but here we were - able to have what I call "a moment" with these two people. And really, what is there to life but the moments?? If you are lucky, you will have many special moments with those you love, many more with good friends but sometimes, if you just allow yourself to be open to them, you can have moments with complete strangers.
In the end, will I remember the hours on the bike? the scenery passing by? the winds? OR will I remember the moments??
Thanks for listening!!
Friday, March 28, 2014
Oh Happy Day!!!!
Just had to share the good news with you asap - we had the most amazing day today!!
We flew from Fort Davis to Marathon : 60 miles but with an incredible tailwind so that you hardly needed to pedal to move on down the highway.
And when we got to Marathon, another great surprise - we are staying in the funkiest and most unique place possible : Eve's Garden Bed and Breakfast. The main house was build in 1903 but the current owners have been adding on for several years : they are hand-building everything themselves with the funkiest colours and each and every room is different. We have an inner courtyard with an beautiful garden and plenty of chairs and tables to form our own living room.... even a rooftop sunset viewing spot!! They had pumpkin cake waiting for us and the "convenience room" has tea, coffee, water and beer on tap.. This place has to be seen to be believed....
I am just sooooooo happy today (even the shower had plenty of hot water...)
I did have another flat tire #3 so far (thank you once more Sunneye for helping me out) but who can remember such trivia on a day like today?????
We flew from Fort Davis to Marathon : 60 miles but with an incredible tailwind so that you hardly needed to pedal to move on down the highway.
And when we got to Marathon, another great surprise - we are staying in the funkiest and most unique place possible : Eve's Garden Bed and Breakfast. The main house was build in 1903 but the current owners have been adding on for several years : they are hand-building everything themselves with the funkiest colours and each and every room is different. We have an inner courtyard with an beautiful garden and plenty of chairs and tables to form our own living room.... even a rooftop sunset viewing spot!! They had pumpkin cake waiting for us and the "convenience room" has tea, coffee, water and beer on tap.. This place has to be seen to be believed....
I am just sooooooo happy today (even the shower had plenty of hot water...)
I did have another flat tire #3 so far (thank you once more Sunneye for helping me out) but who can remember such trivia on a day like today?????
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Is this a vacation??????
A beautiful day from El Paso to Van Horn - excellent weather and smooth pavement - what more could you ask for?? A reasonable lunch and..... a wretched hotel! But we are all in this together, so what the heck??
But the next two days - holy mama!!! Just 75 miles from Van Horn to Fort Horn - not so bad, right??
Wrong!! There was a constant headwind for pretty much the entire last 50 miles. We even formed a pace line - for a while seven of us in a row, eventually only four in a row - the principle being that the person in front would take the brunt of the wind, with everyone taking turns at the front. I think that it worked but I was on the bike 9 hours that day!
Yesterday was 90 miles with a headwind for 20 miles or so, plus a lot of hills - another exhausting day!!!
But it is a rest day today at Indian Lodge!!! It is a wonderful, albeit a little rustic, place to hang out for a day. My most ambitious plan today is to go sit by the pool for a while....
So, the question of the day : is this a vacation??? And I have to say that I don't know the answer to that! I mean, this is physically very challenging to say the least, but it is a time away from having to make any day-to-day decisions. Our only responsibility is to get up in the morning and get on that bike. We don't have to worry about meals - except lunch, but believe the options are very limited and the decision is generally a group one - or where we are staying. We have very little in the way of clothing, and quite frankly, no-one cares what we look like! No make-up, no fancy clothes, no curling irons, not a thing of that nature. No-one is asking us to do anything for them - although we do support each other in every way possible.
So, is this a vacation?? Yes and no....
Thanks y'all (I'm in Texas now..)
Janine
Monday, March 24, 2014
Itinerary for Texas..
For those that like to follow on the map....
March 23 : El Paso
March 24 : Fort Hancock
March 25 : Van Hom
March 26 & 27 : Fort Davis
March 28 : Marathon
March 29 : Sanderson
March 30 : Del Rio
March 31 : Brockettville
April 1 : Camp Wood
April 2 : Vanderpool
April 3 & 4 : Fredericksburg
April 5 : Austen
April 6 : Bastrop
April 7 : La Grange
April 8 : Navasota
April 9 : Cleveland
April 10 : Silsbee
April 11 : Louisiana!!!
March 23 : El Paso
March 24 : Fort Hancock
March 25 : Van Hom
March 26 & 27 : Fort Davis
March 28 : Marathon
March 29 : Sanderson
March 30 : Del Rio
March 31 : Brockettville
April 1 : Camp Wood
April 2 : Vanderpool
April 3 & 4 : Fredericksburg
April 5 : Austen
April 6 : Bastrop
April 7 : La Grange
April 8 : Navasota
April 9 : Cleveland
April 10 : Silsbee
April 11 : Louisiana!!!
A Slight (& maybe not on purpose) detour means a great picture!!
Monday, March 24th....
and we are in Texas!!
Yesterday was - theoretically - a nice easy 59 mile ride into El Paso, Texas but the weather gods were not with us - a nasty headwind again!! It actually pushed a friend off of the road onto the shoulder and it was only with some skill and luck that she stayed upright and out of the ditch! As our fearless leader, Carol, said - it was 50 miles uphill with a wind like that!
But it wasn't all bad!! First of all, we were following my lovely friend Sue and she kind of missed the turn off but a half mile down the road we found a "Welcome to Texas" sign and took a few pictures.
After we figured out our mistake (returning with the wind behind us!) we discovered that there wasn't a sign if we had stayed on route!! So thank you Sue!! The sign for the state line is always an important photo opportunity!!
And we all stopped at the bike shop en route and asked for a recommendation for a restaurant. Six of us ended up at "Tom's" and had a great Sunday brunch!! It was a tiny little restaurant with such good food - I had breakfast risotto. Great food in a funky little restaurant, laughing with new & old friends -
it actually made up for all the hard work we had had to put in to cycling that morning.
This morning was the second morning in a row that we could walk over to a Starbucks for a latte in the morning before breakfast - what a treat!!!!
And today, today was a lovely, lovely day... only 52 miles to our next stop ; the sun was shining but it wasn't too hot ; the roads were flat ; and we stopped at some Spanish Missions on the way - playing tourist for once. I believe that we might have even had a tailwind for a while!!
And I forgot to tell you that we have been in farmland mostly the last couple of days - fields for cotton, peanuts, alfalfa, and pecan orchards. Of course, pecan means pecan pie and that is what we finally had this evening!! Not as good as yours Renee, but pretty good!! We eat quite a bit on this trip but first of all we need the fuel to keep us going on these long days, and also we have earned it!!!!
The not-so-good part is the "Bates" Motel that we are staying in tonight : I am not sure that I will be able to sleep anymore without the sound of the interstate highway lulling me to sleep... and it's always a bad sign I think when the water in the tap starts off brown.....
New BFF : MarySlade! She has a friend that is mailing her chocolate along the way - the good stuff - and she shares!!!!
Good Night All!!!
and we are in Texas!!
Yesterday was - theoretically - a nice easy 59 mile ride into El Paso, Texas but the weather gods were not with us - a nasty headwind again!! It actually pushed a friend off of the road onto the shoulder and it was only with some skill and luck that she stayed upright and out of the ditch! As our fearless leader, Carol, said - it was 50 miles uphill with a wind like that!
But it wasn't all bad!! First of all, we were following my lovely friend Sue and she kind of missed the turn off but a half mile down the road we found a "Welcome to Texas" sign and took a few pictures.
After we figured out our mistake (returning with the wind behind us!) we discovered that there wasn't a sign if we had stayed on route!! So thank you Sue!! The sign for the state line is always an important photo opportunity!!
And we all stopped at the bike shop en route and asked for a recommendation for a restaurant. Six of us ended up at "Tom's" and had a great Sunday brunch!! It was a tiny little restaurant with such good food - I had breakfast risotto. Great food in a funky little restaurant, laughing with new & old friends -
it actually made up for all the hard work we had had to put in to cycling that morning.
This morning was the second morning in a row that we could walk over to a Starbucks for a latte in the morning before breakfast - what a treat!!!!
And today, today was a lovely, lovely day... only 52 miles to our next stop ; the sun was shining but it wasn't too hot ; the roads were flat ; and we stopped at some Spanish Missions on the way - playing tourist for once. I believe that we might have even had a tailwind for a while!!
And I forgot to tell you that we have been in farmland mostly the last couple of days - fields for cotton, peanuts, alfalfa, and pecan orchards. Of course, pecan means pecan pie and that is what we finally had this evening!! Not as good as yours Renee, but pretty good!! We eat quite a bit on this trip but first of all we need the fuel to keep us going on these long days, and also we have earned it!!!!
The not-so-good part is the "Bates" Motel that we are staying in tonight : I am not sure that I will be able to sleep anymore without the sound of the interstate highway lulling me to sleep... and it's always a bad sign I think when the water in the tap starts off brown.....
New BFF : MarySlade! She has a friend that is mailing her chocolate along the way - the good stuff - and she shares!!!!
Good Night All!!!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Last day in New Mexico!
First of all - the Curious Kumquat in Silver City.
It was absolutely amazing - one of the best restaurant meals that I have ever had!! Seriously - in a town of 10,000 if that - one chef and one waitress! Weird ingredients - a partially cooked egg yolk with some of the yolk removed and replaced with mushroom stock???!! We had the tasting menu - 6 courses in total, but every dish an insanely strange creation but soooooo good!!
But my last two cycling days have been challenging! At this point I am asking myself why I never learn that it is a VERY good idea to train seriously (or at all) for something like this!!
Friday (yesterday) was Silver City to Kingston over the Emory Pass. 8,225 feet above sea level and we climbed and climbed and climbed to get to the top. It really was not very steep but just a constant uphill. A beautiful trip through the alpine forest and a spectacular view over the desert from the top, but man! was it a challenge!! The last 8 miles to the lodge was all downhill which sounds great but it was hairpin turns and you never knew quite what was around the corner, so I used my brakes - a lot! I am still cowardly when it comes to downhills with corners...
Today was a long bike ride into Las Cruces : 88 miles. Spectacular scenery again at the beginning but soon we were back to the desert. And you know, 88 miles isn't bad except that we had some strong headwinds and sidewinds - just to make things exciting!!
I think that I am getting stronger every day - maybe not skinnier but stronger!!
And I continue to be amazed by the women on this trip - yesterday I was passed by two women in their seventies!!! I find it so inspiring that they can even think about attempting a trip like this - let alone with grace and dignity!!
And the women in their fifties and sixties - so good to see people still take on physical challenges, regardless of their age!!
Keep sending those e-mails!!
(snow in Calgary again!!!??)
It was absolutely amazing - one of the best restaurant meals that I have ever had!! Seriously - in a town of 10,000 if that - one chef and one waitress! Weird ingredients - a partially cooked egg yolk with some of the yolk removed and replaced with mushroom stock???!! We had the tasting menu - 6 courses in total, but every dish an insanely strange creation but soooooo good!!
But my last two cycling days have been challenging! At this point I am asking myself why I never learn that it is a VERY good idea to train seriously (or at all) for something like this!!
Friday (yesterday) was Silver City to Kingston over the Emory Pass. 8,225 feet above sea level and we climbed and climbed and climbed to get to the top. It really was not very steep but just a constant uphill. A beautiful trip through the alpine forest and a spectacular view over the desert from the top, but man! was it a challenge!! The last 8 miles to the lodge was all downhill which sounds great but it was hairpin turns and you never knew quite what was around the corner, so I used my brakes - a lot! I am still cowardly when it comes to downhills with corners...
Today was a long bike ride into Las Cruces : 88 miles. Spectacular scenery again at the beginning but soon we were back to the desert. And you know, 88 miles isn't bad except that we had some strong headwinds and sidewinds - just to make things exciting!!
I think that I am getting stronger every day - maybe not skinnier but stronger!!
And I continue to be amazed by the women on this trip - yesterday I was passed by two women in their seventies!!! I find it so inspiring that they can even think about attempting a trip like this - let alone with grace and dignity!!
And the women in their fifties and sixties - so good to see people still take on physical challenges, regardless of their age!!
Keep sending those e-mails!!
(snow in Calgary again!!!??)
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Ahhhhhh.... a rest day! So happy!
It has been eight straight days of cycling and finally we have a day off! We have cycled almost 500 miles in this stretch - that is a lot of time on the old bike...
Oh - I forgot to tell you about my favourite part of yesterday -
There was road construction so we all stopped and waited for the pilot car to take the traffic through in our direction. The cars and trucks left first and then we had the roadway to ourselves - beautiful, pothole free pavement - and off we went! It was almost all downhill and there was literally no traffic at all for the next ten miles as we flew into Duncan - our lunch stop. I have never gone that fast - I think I was up to 34 miles per hour!!!!!! I am generally quite a chicken about downhills but everything was perfect to just let it all go straight down the highway. One of my friends said that "for an old-age pensioner, that's the nearest thing to an org..... whoops - maybe that's rude!! In any case, what fun!!!
Today I found to be a gruelling day. To begin with, it was absolutely freezing when we left the hotel
(and honey, I know cold!!). It warmed up quite quickly, but most of the day was uphill. We climbed up to and over the continental divide (over 6,200 feet) and I thought that maybe that was the end of the hills, but no such luck! It seemed to be really difficult to get up those hills today, but I think that I am just tired!!!
Rest day in Silver City tomorrow - oh Happy Day!!!!! My goal for tomorrow? To do as little as possible and to go out for dinner to "The Curious Cumquat" Intrigued?? So am I.
A bientôt mes amis!!
Oh - I forgot to tell you about my favourite part of yesterday -
There was road construction so we all stopped and waited for the pilot car to take the traffic through in our direction. The cars and trucks left first and then we had the roadway to ourselves - beautiful, pothole free pavement - and off we went! It was almost all downhill and there was literally no traffic at all for the next ten miles as we flew into Duncan - our lunch stop. I have never gone that fast - I think I was up to 34 miles per hour!!!!!! I am generally quite a chicken about downhills but everything was perfect to just let it all go straight down the highway. One of my friends said that "for an old-age pensioner, that's the nearest thing to an org..... whoops - maybe that's rude!! In any case, what fun!!!
Today I found to be a gruelling day. To begin with, it was absolutely freezing when we left the hotel
(and honey, I know cold!!). It warmed up quite quickly, but most of the day was uphill. We climbed up to and over the continental divide (over 6,200 feet) and I thought that maybe that was the end of the hills, but no such luck! It seemed to be really difficult to get up those hills today, but I think that I am just tired!!!
Rest day in Silver City tomorrow - oh Happy Day!!!!! My goal for tomorrow? To do as little as possible and to go out for dinner to "The Curious Cumquat" Intrigued?? So am I.
A bientôt mes amis!!
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
New Mexico Itinerary
Hi!
A couple of people have asked where I am going, so here are the stops for New Mexico...
March 18th: Lordsburg
March 19th & 20th : Silver City (rest day here - so excited!!)
March 21st : Kingston
March 22nd Las Cruces
Then Texas... for 20 days I believe....
A couple of people have asked where I am going, so here are the stops for New Mexico...
March 18th: Lordsburg
March 19th & 20th : Silver City (rest day here - so excited!!)
March 21st : Kingston
March 22nd Las Cruces
Then Texas... for 20 days I believe....
New Mexico!!
We have left Arizona and are now in New Mexico!!
Such a good ride today - 75 miles and this morning I was dreading it - I was tired!! But we had a lot of flat roads with good to great shoulders, not much traffic and this amazing tailwind for the last 20 miles or so!!
All this plus I wore two pairs of cycling shorts today so my derriere was much happier (it is the little things in life that can make you happy!!)
The weather continues to be nice; apparently unseasonably cool which makes for wonderful biking.
Yesterday was a long ride too but far more challenging. 78 miles but it was the day of the flat tires!!
I (only) had one but it happened just at the "Taylor Freeze" where everyone had stopped for ice cream
so I had plenty of help changing it - thanks Sue and Liz!
The record number of flats for yesterday was three! Can you imagine getting three flat tires in one day??? And it happened to my new friend Joyce who is half Irish (it was St. Patrick's Day for heaven's sake!!)
Did you want to know what a typical day is for me???
We are staying at Best Westerns, Quality Inns, and the like so there is almost always a breakfast provided in the breakfast room at the hotel. They have some sort of eggs, toast, mystery meat patties, yogurt, cereal.... So all 28 of us descend upon the room and eat something quickly. Then it is "snack table" time - they put out nuts, chocolate, granola bars and bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Snack table 7:15, then off we go - checking out with the day's SAG driver as we leave.
The night before we had had a "map meeting" right after dinner and the "cue sheet" is passed out and gone over. The cue sheet gives us very explicit directions on where to go in order to get to our next destination.
So, we roll on down the highway....
Every 20 miles we spot the SAG wagon (aka Little Bo Peep) ; we need to check in with the SAG driver, and we can refill our water bottles and grab a quick bite to eat. Some days the SAG wagon is the most beautiful sight in the world....
Sometime during the day, my buddies and I (Sheila & Joyce, and often others) stop for lunch somewhere. I have had a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches so far!
And eventually we ride into the parking lot of our next hotel ... always a joy to see that sign. I am trying very hard NOT to be too much of a princess and really, all I need is a good bed and a hot shower.... right???
Quite a few of the ladies share their room, but I paid extra for a single so I have the luxury of space and no need to wait for a shower. Well worth the extra money I think!
In any case, it is time for a shower, a stretch and maybe time to catch up on e-mails and this blog...
Dinner is made in the back of the WomanTours trailers - something of a miracle to produce a meal for 28 woman with only two burners but somehow they do it!! We eat on plastic lawn chairs in the parking lot - it sounds dreadful but it really is okay - a good time to chat, eat, get our cue sheets and then... bed!!
We all find it difficult to stay awake past 8:00 or 9:00pm - it has generally been a long, challenging day!!
And that's it!! How does that sound to you?????!!!
I have to go now - margaritas on the day that we cross a state line.......
Take care, and keep sending those e-mails!!!
Such a good ride today - 75 miles and this morning I was dreading it - I was tired!! But we had a lot of flat roads with good to great shoulders, not much traffic and this amazing tailwind for the last 20 miles or so!!
All this plus I wore two pairs of cycling shorts today so my derriere was much happier (it is the little things in life that can make you happy!!)
The weather continues to be nice; apparently unseasonably cool which makes for wonderful biking.
Yesterday was a long ride too but far more challenging. 78 miles but it was the day of the flat tires!!
I (only) had one but it happened just at the "Taylor Freeze" where everyone had stopped for ice cream
so I had plenty of help changing it - thanks Sue and Liz!
The record number of flats for yesterday was three! Can you imagine getting three flat tires in one day??? And it happened to my new friend Joyce who is half Irish (it was St. Patrick's Day for heaven's sake!!)
Did you want to know what a typical day is for me???
We are staying at Best Westerns, Quality Inns, and the like so there is almost always a breakfast provided in the breakfast room at the hotel. They have some sort of eggs, toast, mystery meat patties, yogurt, cereal.... So all 28 of us descend upon the room and eat something quickly. Then it is "snack table" time - they put out nuts, chocolate, granola bars and bread for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Snack table 7:15, then off we go - checking out with the day's SAG driver as we leave.
The night before we had had a "map meeting" right after dinner and the "cue sheet" is passed out and gone over. The cue sheet gives us very explicit directions on where to go in order to get to our next destination.
So, we roll on down the highway....
Every 20 miles we spot the SAG wagon (aka Little Bo Peep) ; we need to check in with the SAG driver, and we can refill our water bottles and grab a quick bite to eat. Some days the SAG wagon is the most beautiful sight in the world....
Sometime during the day, my buddies and I (Sheila & Joyce, and often others) stop for lunch somewhere. I have had a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches so far!
And eventually we ride into the parking lot of our next hotel ... always a joy to see that sign. I am trying very hard NOT to be too much of a princess and really, all I need is a good bed and a hot shower.... right???
Quite a few of the ladies share their room, but I paid extra for a single so I have the luxury of space and no need to wait for a shower. Well worth the extra money I think!
In any case, it is time for a shower, a stretch and maybe time to catch up on e-mails and this blog...
Dinner is made in the back of the WomanTours trailers - something of a miracle to produce a meal for 28 woman with only two burners but somehow they do it!! We eat on plastic lawn chairs in the parking lot - it sounds dreadful but it really is okay - a good time to chat, eat, get our cue sheets and then... bed!!
We all find it difficult to stay awake past 8:00 or 9:00pm - it has generally been a long, challenging day!!
And that's it!! How does that sound to you?????!!!
I have to go now - margaritas on the day that we cross a state line.......
Take care, and keep sending those e-mails!!!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Very tired, but just wanted to say...
The ride today was a bit of a challenge - some big hills and sometimes minimal shoulders which means riding on the road with the traffic, but I survived!!
I wanted to make sure that no-one (Mom, Dad!!) worried about me - good night all!!
I wanted to make sure that no-one (Mom, Dad!!) worried about me - good night all!!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Where am I??? Ah, Gold Canyon, Arizona!
I am not going to bore you but writing in this every day unless I am really bored or if something interesting happens!
The last couple of days have been spent biking into Phoenix, through Phoenix and then out of Phoenix, so not so very interesting. It was a shortish ride today - 60 miles maybe - but we biked through some beautiful parks and lovely residential neighbourhoods : really a very nice day. Apparently tomorrow is going to be a rough day ; short at only 48 miles, but a lot of hills with a lot of traffic and pretty much non-existent shoulders... will try to post tomorrow to let you know how I did.
Thanks for all your e-mails!!
Janine
The last couple of days have been spent biking into Phoenix, through Phoenix and then out of Phoenix, so not so very interesting. It was a shortish ride today - 60 miles maybe - but we biked through some beautiful parks and lovely residential neighbourhoods : really a very nice day. Apparently tomorrow is going to be a rough day ; short at only 48 miles, but a lot of hills with a lot of traffic and pretty much non-existent shoulders... will try to post tomorrow to let you know how I did.
Thanks for all your e-mails!!
Janine
Thursday, March 13, 2014
March 13th - and still pedalling!
First of all, let me get it out there : my tush is fine - a little stressed while riding but not unbearable. It is not used to such prolonged contact to such a hard surface, but we have reached an understanding and it works for both of us!!
Stayed at the lovely Sheffler's Motel in Salome, Arizona yesterday. What can I say - I think that it was a great bonding experience for the group! If we can survive Sheffler's and still smile, we can survive anything!!!
We are definitely in the desert now but it is surprisingly cool - almost cold - in the mornings when we first set out. And we have been lucky - it really hasn't been very hot the last couple of days. It has been very flat which tends to be a little boring, but maybe boring is okay once in a while!!
Let's see : Blythe to Salome yesterday and today we rolled into Wickenburg, Arizona - the biggest dude ranch city in the world! It seems to be a cute little town, but we usually bike into town, get into our hotel rooms, clean up, eat and go to bed!
Oh, my friend Sheila was sick Tuesday night and had to miss the ride yesterday. She cycled today - very slowly but was a real trooper and managed to do all 58 miles. I'm healthy so far - knock on wood!
Correction : This trip is 58 days long with a day at the beginning and one at the end that are organizational days, there are actually 48 days of cycling with 8 rest days. Still 3,100 miles though and we are over 10% done!!
Not sure what else to tell you : it is spring in the desert so there are a lot of flowers along side the road - yellow, purple, pink, as well as red and orange - it's quite beautiful to see so much green amongst the cacti. Got a great picture of a coyote today - exciting to see some wildlife.
Tomorrow Phoenix - only 67 miles from here!!
Keep sending those e-mails...
Janine
Stayed at the lovely Sheffler's Motel in Salome, Arizona yesterday. What can I say - I think that it was a great bonding experience for the group! If we can survive Sheffler's and still smile, we can survive anything!!!
We are definitely in the desert now but it is surprisingly cool - almost cold - in the mornings when we first set out. And we have been lucky - it really hasn't been very hot the last couple of days. It has been very flat which tends to be a little boring, but maybe boring is okay once in a while!!
Let's see : Blythe to Salome yesterday and today we rolled into Wickenburg, Arizona - the biggest dude ranch city in the world! It seems to be a cute little town, but we usually bike into town, get into our hotel rooms, clean up, eat and go to bed!
Oh, my friend Sheila was sick Tuesday night and had to miss the ride yesterday. She cycled today - very slowly but was a real trooper and managed to do all 58 miles. I'm healthy so far - knock on wood!
Correction : This trip is 58 days long with a day at the beginning and one at the end that are organizational days, there are actually 48 days of cycling with 8 rest days. Still 3,100 miles though and we are over 10% done!!
Not sure what else to tell you : it is spring in the desert so there are a lot of flowers along side the road - yellow, purple, pink, as well as red and orange - it's quite beautiful to see so much green amongst the cacti. Got a great picture of a coyote today - exciting to see some wildlife.
Tomorrow Phoenix - only 67 miles from here!!
Keep sending those e-mails...
Janine
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Must be Tuesday the 11th?? and I think that I am in Blythe, California....
So nice .... it's a rest day today! I have very little ambition today - did my laundry this morning and will clean my bike later today - that's it!
Oh, and remember that I was excited about staying in a Best Western? This hotel is to the Best Western as is the Best Western to the Four Seasons! But that is not important - the important thing is that my derriere is not meeting a bicycle seat today!!
It was a long day yesterday : 87 miles through the desert and someone said that it reached 88 degrees in the afternoon.
But we did see some sand dunes, stopped at the Glamis Beach grocery store (the sand toy capitol of the world!) and saw a pet lamb in Ripley - believe it or not!
Tomorrow Arizona!
Oh, and remember that I was excited about staying in a Best Western? This hotel is to the Best Western as is the Best Western to the Four Seasons! But that is not important - the important thing is that my derriere is not meeting a bicycle seat today!!
It was a long day yesterday : 87 miles through the desert and someone said that it reached 88 degrees in the afternoon.
But we did see some sand dunes, stopped at the Glamis Beach grocery store (the sand toy capitol of the world!) and saw a pet lamb in Ripley - believe it or not!
Tomorrow Arizona!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Cycling Day Three!
No internet last night - we sometimes stay in rather... rustic lodgings. Today someone in the group said that if you think about it, it is odd that we are excited if we are staying at a Best Western. ( I was at the Ritz-Carleton just a few weeks ago...)
Yesterday was... interesting! It was hilly - quite steep but not too bad - but the winds were crazy!! Really strong and really erratic - you didn't know which direction the next one would come from.
A couple of the smaller women were literally blown off their bikes - who knew that I would ever say that I am glad to be heavier??!! Close to 50 miles today.
And today - 67 miles I think. A ten-mile hill - down this time! It was a little scary but really fun! On the interstate so the shoulders were wide and smooth - a great time!! We also rode for 7 miles or so on the worst road imaginable - I think that my teeth are looser now. And we won't even talk about what that does to your rear end! But all in all a good day. Very tired, and we are biking 87 miles tomorrow. Funny how everyone is asleep by 9pm!
Yesterday was... interesting! It was hilly - quite steep but not too bad - but the winds were crazy!! Really strong and really erratic - you didn't know which direction the next one would come from.
A couple of the smaller women were literally blown off their bikes - who knew that I would ever say that I am glad to be heavier??!! Close to 50 miles today.
And today - 67 miles I think. A ten-mile hill - down this time! It was a little scary but really fun! On the interstate so the shoulders were wide and smooth - a great time!! We also rode for 7 miles or so on the worst road imaginable - I think that my teeth are looser now. And we won't even talk about what that does to your rear end! But all in all a good day. Very tired, and we are biking 87 miles tomorrow. Funny how everyone is asleep by 9pm!
Friday, March 7, 2014
First day of cycling!
One cycling day is done - only 49 cycling days to go (58 days in total) and now LESS than 3,100 miles!
It was a short ride today at only 35 miles but I very much regretted all the wine I drank in Barcelona and Venice - not to mention the pasta..and pizza...and desserts! (I don't really regret it - I loved every morsel but ooooohhhh, I felt it!!)
First we biked to the ocean for the obligatory dip-your-bike-in-the-ocean and take pictures so that you can truly claim that you biked from ocean to ocean.
Next we had to leave San Diego - a big city after all, and a lot of fast-moving traffic to get through.
Finally we were out of the city but we had a few long, long fairly steep hills to climb so that part had its challenges too.
Oh and I fell - does that make me a loser?? Mostly just hurt my pride.... I believe that I was thinking great thoughts when it happened (as I am wont to do when I'm cycling..) but I think that I should take that as a learning experience - hopefully avoiding a repeat. And a huge thank you to my friend MarySlade who not only stopped to make sure that I was okay, but she gave me her LAST Reeses Peanut Butter Cup to make me feel better. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a true friend!
For those short on details : we are biking 3,100 miles from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida. It is with a company called WomanTours - and from the name you might be able to guess that it is all women - 30 of us. Average age? Around 58 or so. Wonderful, interesting women (so far at least) - 3 Canadians in total.
And you may know that I had done another "epic" bike trip in the fall of 2012 - from Bellingham, Washington to Ventura, California in a month. There are 7 or 8 of us on this ride that all did that trip together and they really are great people : Sheila from Scotland, MarySlade of the Peanut Butter Cup and Sue Wright....
Time to go to bed - very, very tired... 49 miles to bike tomorrow....
Please don't forget that you can e-mail me - I should have internet most of the time...
Janine
It was a short ride today at only 35 miles but I very much regretted all the wine I drank in Barcelona and Venice - not to mention the pasta..and pizza...and desserts! (I don't really regret it - I loved every morsel but ooooohhhh, I felt it!!)
First we biked to the ocean for the obligatory dip-your-bike-in-the-ocean and take pictures so that you can truly claim that you biked from ocean to ocean.
Next we had to leave San Diego - a big city after all, and a lot of fast-moving traffic to get through.
Finally we were out of the city but we had a few long, long fairly steep hills to climb so that part had its challenges too.
Oh and I fell - does that make me a loser?? Mostly just hurt my pride.... I believe that I was thinking great thoughts when it happened (as I am wont to do when I'm cycling..) but I think that I should take that as a learning experience - hopefully avoiding a repeat. And a huge thank you to my friend MarySlade who not only stopped to make sure that I was okay, but she gave me her LAST Reeses Peanut Butter Cup to make me feel better. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a true friend!
For those short on details : we are biking 3,100 miles from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida. It is with a company called WomanTours - and from the name you might be able to guess that it is all women - 30 of us. Average age? Around 58 or so. Wonderful, interesting women (so far at least) - 3 Canadians in total.
And you may know that I had done another "epic" bike trip in the fall of 2012 - from Bellingham, Washington to Ventura, California in a month. There are 7 or 8 of us on this ride that all did that trip together and they really are great people : Sheila from Scotland, MarySlade of the Peanut Butter Cup and Sue Wright....
Time to go to bed - very, very tired... 49 miles to bike tomorrow....
Please don't forget that you can e-mail me - I should have internet most of the time...
Janine
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