Rita's Bicycling Blogs

2011-06-29 Bucksport to Bar Harbor, Maine (46 miles)

2011-06-29T13:22:00.000-05:00

2011-06-28 Bath to Bucksport, Maine (86 miles)

2011-06-28T20:51:00.002-05:00

Today was a very hilly day, but beautiful. We rode started out by riding over a high bridge within a few blocks of Bath, Maine. Another wake up climb in the early morning!

We rode on US 1 most of the day, but the route took us off that road to see some of the towns. One of the towns at the 50 mile mark was Camden which was on a harbor of the Atlantic, and many of us stopped at a harbor-side restaurant for lunch. Since we had an 88-mile day, we decided to take a break from the hills and have a nice lunch. Many of the group had lobster rolls, coleslaw, fries and beer! They even had a hot veggie sandwich for me.

The hills were a constant today, many that were "Iowa hills," where I could barrel down and get up the next hill without too much effort. Then there were the 18% grade, long hills. Kathie has a Garmen which calculates the percentage of climb, so we always knew. There were many that were 14 - 18% which were quite a challenge, but we did it, all 86 miles!

Bettye and Mary have been noticing a lot of signs warning drivers to be cautious of moose crossing the roads. Of course, we have all been hoping to see one, but we never did. Then - as we were stopped for a break Mary calls out, "Moose! Moose!!" and then runs across the road. Here was a statue of a moose!! Of course, we all had to take pictures with the moose!

We had to cross an amazing bridge to get across the bay to get to our hotel. We are staying at the Fort Knox Park Inn, which is across a small bay from Fort Knox. I had no idea that is where it is! Who knew?

Tomorrow I will not be riding into Bar Harbor. I will be the Sag driver that day. After the 86 miles day, however, riding the last 46 miles in the Sag vehicle won't be a problem for me. I will be meeting the rest of the group at a hotel about a mile from the beach, and I will be riding in with everyone else to do the ceremonial tire dipping.

2011-06-27 Bridgton to Bath, Maine (67 miles)

2011-06-27T19:00:00.001-05:00

We left Bridgton, Maine, the same way we came in for four miles, which was up hill. Good way to wake up for sure!

There were many hills, some of which were quite challenging, but others that were preceded by a downhill where I was able to use momentum to get up to the top. We rode into Brunswick, which is a large city, but we were able to ride on a bike path for 2.5 miles. It cut through the city, and we had little left to navigate to get out of Brunswick. It was a beautiful path, right next to a river, and a short respite from the hills.

There were many down hill runs, too, which were fun. The roads took us through forests and some farmlands, too. The weather

Tomorrow we head for Bucksport, Maine. The weather is expected to be mostly sunny, highs around 80, south winds 5 to 10 mph. The roads will be hilly, some definitely "terrain features," as our guide, Carol Wilder, used to say on Southern Tier last year.

Tomorrow will be my last day riding, since on the last day I am the Sag driver.

2011-06-26 Lincoln, NH to Bridgton, ME (67 miles)

2011-06-26T18:27:00.002-05:00

It was 12 miles, and it was uphill, but it was only 4-6% grade, and it was not as bad as our imaginations led us to be. It was beautiful, and the weather held out. We did feel a sense of accomplishment when we reached the top, however, and the vista was worth it!

We had some 20 miles of downhill, which was fun. I used my brakes to keep my bike under 35 mph, because it was a curvy road, and speed in the 30's, when I could not see what was coming, was fast enough! It certainly was a fun ride down, however.

At some point I became separated from Bev, and I decided to go at my own pace on my own. Along the way I got a chance to meet a lady who had "Otis," a Sheep Dog who had a hair cut that made him look like a bear! She assured me I was on the correct route, and we chatted about Otis.

Riding with others is nice, but today I was glad to ride at my own pace. When the roads are hilly, it seems we all conquer the hills in our own way.

Tomorrow we travel to Bath, Maine, 72 miles. It promises to be quite hilly. We have four days of riding left.

2011-06-25 White River Jct, VT to Lincoln, NH (62 miles)

2011-06-25T20:52:00.000-05:00

Although I drove the Sag vehicle today, the scenery in Vermont and New Hampshire was no less beautiful. The route was hilly, less in the first half, more in the second half. The day before we had much steeper hills, and rain as well, and the weather was predicted to be much the same for today. There were only ten out of twenty-one riders opted to ride today. Of course, there was no rain, and the hills were not as challenging as yesterday. Go figure.

It did make for a quiet day on the road for me, which was nice. I took some photos of what the ride looked like, although it definitely loses something without the dimensions of being there.

We crossed another state line today, so it was Margaritas before dinner! Sue Lincoln had some family members visit this afternoon, and her mother-in-law even stayed for dinner.

Tomorrow we ride from Lincoln, NH to Bridgton, Maine, 69 miles. In the first part of our ride we will climb for twelve miles up the White Mountain Range to the Kancamagus Pass Summit.

2011-06-24 Middlebury to White River Junction (68 hilly miles)

2011-06-24T19:38:00.000-05:00

They say Vermont is called the "Green Mountain" state. We were riding up and down the mountains, either up or down, rarely flat...and there is a reason it is green. It rained all day today, and there was a headwind most of the time as we headed south. It is a good thing this type of riding is during our last week. We would not have been prepared for it! The route was just beautiful. We rode next to the White River the entire day. The river became wider as we went, and there were rapids and thick wooded areas on both sides. I wish it hadn't been raining, and/or so hilly so I could have taken more photos of it.

Bev and I ended up riding the route together, and rolled into White River Junction by 3:30 pm. The temps were in the low 50's, and when the wind blew, I am sure there was quite a wind chill factor, especially since we were all wet!

It was difficult to take photos today, mostly because we were either riding up or down long hills, or it was just pouring.

Everyone is especially tired tonight. There were quite a few who opted for the van today, some right away, and others along the way. Jeanette had a flat tire, and by the time she fixed it, (twice), she was so chilled and wet, she had to give up. I can't blame her!

Tomorrow I will be driving the Sag car, and I will get more opportunities to take photos of the riders. We are riding to Lincoln, NH, another state line, and Margaritas before dinner. Only one more state line before Maine!

2011-06-23 Middlebury, VT, Rest Day (0 miles)

2011-06-23T15:53:00.000-05:00

The rest day started out as usual, doing laundry, cleaning my bike, scouting out places to have meals for the day. We are on our own that day, and although the hotel had a restaurant, Kathie and I ended up having breakfast at the co-op next door. It rained a lot in the morning, and early afternoon.

Later, Kathie, Kathryn and I walked in and out of the small shops in town. We even went to the peuter factory, and an art gallery.

That evening, a group of ten of us went to the "Fire and Ice" restaurant for dinner. They had the most amazing salad buffet! It was wonderful!

We walked to the nearby Danforth Peuter factory, and looked at all their jewelry and wares.

2011-06-22 Schroon Lake, NY to Middlebury, VT

2011-06-22T15:21:00.001-05:00

2011-06-21 Old Forge to Schroon Lake, NY in the Adirondack Mtns (88 miles)

2011-06-21T18:36:00.000-05:00

Had to take a day off from riding today, due to a lovely UTI. Everyone said they just loved the ride today, however! It was beautiful, and I did take photos from the van. There were many hills, not just rollers, but many said they were not as steep as the day before, just long. Bev Parks and Jeanette Moris said this was the best day riding on the entire trip!

Tomorrow we ride 42 miles to Middlebury, Vermont, 42 miles.

2011-06-20 Pulaski to Old Forge, NY (79 miles)

2011-06-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful, yet challenging day for the riders. As Sag driver for today, I did not ride, but tomorrow will be 88 miles of the same kind of hills.

The roads were a combination of quiet, smooth back roads, towns and a busy highway the last 10 miles. The sag stops were every 15 miles, and none too soon with all the hills!

Tomorrow we are going to Schroon Lake, NY, 88 miles in the Adirondacks.

2011-06-19 Sodus Point to Polaski, NY

2011-06-19T19:50:00.000-05:00

Did I ever complain because the roads were flat and tedious? If so, I take it back. We are starting a hilly part of the trip as we head toward the Adirondacks here in NY. We counted the number of hills where we had to get into our lower gears (not counting the rolling hills), and we came up with 21! It was a beautiful day, however, and the temps were in the upper 60's, with a very cool head wind coming off Lake Ontario. The roads were good, some with very wide shoulders.

Tomorrow we are heading for Old Forge, NY, almost 80 miles with lots of hills. The weather is supposed to be in the high 60's with light winds. I will be driving the Sag vehicle (support and gear), so my bike will be carried on top of the van tomorrow. Each day will be a hill-climbing challenge, so I will be getting my turn for two days after...ie 86 miles and 46 miles.

2011-06-18 Brockport to Sodus Point, NY via WomanTours Office (78 miles)

2011-06-18T05:17:00.001-05:00

We were all anticipating going to the WomanTours' office today. They were providing brunch for us, and I was especially looking forward to seeing Jackie Marchand and Jennifer Thompson, as well as meeting Michelle. These are three sisters who run our WomanTours rides,

Before we arrived in Rochester, we needed to ride the 26 miles to get there. To avoid some construction, we rode through Brockport College, which was a special treat for Donna, who went to college there.

Much of our route today took us along the Canal Trail, which is a beautiful bike trail right next to the Erie Canal.

Along this 26 miles, Sara Hopper had a flat time. Many stopped to help, not that she needed the help, but more for mmral support. The a few miles later, she had another flat! We could not figure out what was causing it. We had checked the iuside of the tire, checked the tube, nothing seemed to be there! After fixing the flat, we headed out. Down the road came Karen, today's Sag driver, saying she had a call from Sara...a third flat! At this poing, Sara had had it! She decided to ride with Karen the rest of the way. Can't blame her.

The brunch with the WomanTours' staff was delicious! They must have spent days preparing a feast for us, not to mention the obvious planning! Balloons, home made cookies, banana bread, bagels with many toppings, juice, strawberries, yogurt, and coffee. What a feast! My only regret was that we could not stay the rest of the day! However, there were 50 miles left on the day's route, and we regretfully had to say our good byes. Thank you WomanTours' staff for a wonderful receptiobn!

The rest of the ride took us to Lake Ontario. The first time we saw it, we had to stop! It was a great place to pull out our peanut butter sandwiches and admire the view.

Our group was split up for lodging tonight. There were 4 of us who went to the "Sodus Shores." We each had our own room, which was the first time for me. The rooms were just beautiful, and we were across the street from Lake Ontario. What a treat!

Mary Drennen

Bev, Cathy and me

Mary, Bev, Jeanette, Cathy and Hille

The lodging for the night felt like my own private little cabin!

Tomorrow we are headed to Pulaski, NY, 61 miles with rolling hills. Weather: sunny, low wind, temps between 60-70 degrees. There will be a cool breeze off Lake Ontario.

2011-06-17 Niagara Falls to Brockport, NY (72 miles)

2011-06-17T17:09:00.000-05:00

Niagara Falls was a great place to visit, but riding out on a bike was interesting. It was typical city traffic and streets, which got a little tricky in places, but it wasn't long before we were out of the city and following the Erie Canal.

It was Sara's turn to be Sag driver, and she dressed for the occasion. She certainly brought a smile to our faces as we rolled into the Sag stop!

Soon we were cris-crossing the bridges and riding along side the Erie Canal. I have not ever seen it before, and I am impressed by the length of it, as well as the fact that it was man made.

We crossed one of the locks on the canal, and we could look down on a museum of it. We did not stop, however.

We went through some small towns, but at this point we were now on back country roads.

The Erie canal

Jeanette, Bev and I were almost at the motel, when we spotted this "General Store." We may not have seen it at all except that we must have missed a turn, and ended up riding into Brockport on a parallel road.

Jeanette and I wanted to take a photo, and Bev rolled on for a ways to wait.

We walked onto the property, giving a "hello" to see if anyone was home before we trespassed on private property. As it turned out, a gentleman named Jim Neuffer, came out of his barn to greet us.
He introduced himself, and explained that this General Store, with the 1930 car in front, has been used as a movie set, a set for Kodak commercials, and even as a backdrop for a country music CD!

The photos below will show all the fascinating things in the store, the cabins on the side, his home, (three floors) and even his tree house! Jeanette and I spent an hour and a half there on our tour!

Jeanette inside one of the cabins

The corner stone of Jim's barn

Jim took us over to his tree house. He goes up there to read his paper, and enjoy the quiet.

Jim told us he bought this house after it was gutted in a fire. He totally remodeled it himself, adding huge decks and porches all around the house. He said it was abut 4,200 sq ft, and he did all the work himelf.

This is the upstairs porch. The railing is all wood.

He used the gas stove on the left, and although it is very old, it works just fine. There is an electric oven under the island because he says the heat is more even.

The way Jim finds all these amazing antiques is by going to local auctions, buying the lot, keeping the most valuable, and selling the rest on Ebay and at an annual "garage sale" that brings in many hundreds of people that just wait for it.

Below is a game table that he got because no one knew what was under the inlayed top. It was just beautiful! He showed us all the layers...

By the time we left, we had heard about the family that comes over for holidays to see "Uncle Jim" and we were calling him that by then! What an amazing experience! We could have been there for three days and not seen everything there!

Below are photos of typical dinner time, sitting in a circle, chatting about our day and eating the delicious dinner prepared by Sue Jackson!

Tomorrow we are riding to Sodus Point, NY, on Lake Ontario, 76 miles.

2011-06-16 Nigara Falls Rest Day (0 miles)

2011-06-17T05:07:00.000-05:00

My rest day started with waking up at 6:30 am, which is sleeping in for the usual routine. So I took my bike down to the trailer and worked on cleaning it. I had not been able to do that last rest day, so it really needed it!

I learned from Kathie about cleaning glass out of the tires. The procedure is: deflate the inner tube; look for small cuts in the tire; squeeze the cut which reveals tiny bits of glass; dig the glass out with a tiny flat head screw driver (or tweezers); fill the crack with a drop of super glue! We were all shocked with what we found!! Who knew?? It might save us from getting a flat!

Mary discovered her back wheel was cracked, so we had to find a bike shop that could fix it.

We loaded her bike on the Sag wagon, and tried to find the local shops. After three places, we went to a big shop that was 15 minutes away. No problem for them! They had to take the entire back tire assembly off, which requires special tools. We grabbed a quick lunch at a Panera, and they had finished it by the time we returned.

While at the bike shop, I saw this electrical bicycle rack:

In the afternoon Patty, Sue Lincoln and I walked over to the Falls, and took a ride on the Maid of the Mist. It was a lot of fun being so close to the falls, but we all got very wet! Although the rain coats they gave us covered our clothes, our shoes were drenched! We did wear shoes that were meant to be wet, so it was not a problem.

We wandered through the gift shop, and went back to the hotel.

My last duty as Sag driver from the day before was to load up the coolers with ice, and restock the snacks.

Tomorrow we head out to Brockport, NY, 68 miles. Weather looks good, with temps in the 60's. Road is still rather flat, with small rolling hills.

2011-06-15 Hamburg to Niagara Falls, NY (45 miles)

2011-06-16T14:31:00.001-05:00

I was sag today, but the ride was only 45 miles. There was no rush to get out this morning, so we got a chance to see Sara's NEW bike! She shipped her old bike home, and I am sure she will enjoy riding this one.

The day went well at Sag stops where we had a chance to meet some of the locals.

Then we arrived in Buffalo, NY. There were detours, and lots of city traffic. There was a fire drill at one of the high rise buildings, and they blocked my route with a ladder truck across the road. With the one-ways, and name changes it took me a while to find the route again! The entire group of riders were to meet at the "Peace Bridge" area. Those who had passports with them could go across to Canada; five others took a route that kept them on the US side.

After waiting in line to be checked for passports, I drove the Sag wagon across. There were two flags on the Peace Bridge, side by side, marking the border of the two countries.

Tomorrow is a rest day, and it gives us an opportunity to take our time to see the Falls, and take it easy...at least off our bikes for a day!

2011-06-14 Erie, PA to Hamburg, NY (91 miles)

2011-06-14T05:13:00.000-05:00

It was a very long day of riding today, compounded by head winds. I rode with Jeanette, Mary, Bev and Patty, which off set the rest of it.

The ride out of Erie, PA, took us through some beautiful neighborhoods. We could hardly get up to speed for gawking at the estates!

Once out of Erie proper, we had more hills than before, although they weren't very long...just enough to keep us going up and down. The cue sheet was three pages long, partly because of the many turns to get out of the city, and partly because it was a 91 mile day!

Dinner was SO good tonight...burritos with all the fixings, even to the hot sauce!

2011-06-13 Austenburg, Ohio to Erie, Pennsylvania (55 miles)

2011-06-13T20:01:00.000-05:00

The day started out well. We were able to get on a beautiful bike trail, a paved over train rail. We were looking forward to a short day, the temps were in the 50's, no wind. As we rode along, we made way for another biker coming the other direction. He looked like an advanced biker, moving quickly.

Suddenly we heard, "Biker down, biker down!" and we all stopped. It was Rhonda, and as we turned around, we saw she was face down on the path, her bike in the grass. What happened? Rhonda saw the rider coming at her, and moved over. As she did, her front wheel ran into the rear wheel of the bike next to her. When this happens, the front wheel of the rider in back comes to a stop, and the rider flips forward to the ground.

Rhonda was shaken, and had road rash on her elbow and the side of her right leg. She had hit her head, but because she was wearing a helmet, she had no injuries to her head or face. Our Sag vehicle was called, and because Rhonda was sitting up and talking, it was apparent we did not have to call 911. Rhonda wanted me to take her photo, sitting up and smiling, to send to her parents, so they would know she was going to be OK. Just like Rhonda, always thinking of others!

Our Sag driver, Karen Cooper, drove onto the bike path, and after we all helped Rhonda clean up some, Karen loaded her into the car, bike on top, and headed out. Patty took Rhonda in the van to an ER, mostly to get checked out from hitting her head. All was good. They did clean out her road rash injuries, a very painful experience, and she returned in a few hours. Rhonda will probably not be riding for a couple of days, and the next day will be a rest day.

After all that "drama," as Rhonda put it, the rest of us continued. We had some unexpected detours, due to bridges out. We stayed in a large group, kept checking the map that Kathryn had of the area, and navigated our way through. At one point, we decided to "take the lane" of a 4-lane road so the trucks would not pass us too closely.

For much of the ride today, we were next to Lake Erie. We stopped at a small park to take it all in, stopping on our way out to play on the swings!

After a Sag stop, we were on the route again, and we were all back to our small group paces. Our group of five rolled into the motel around 1:30 pm.

The photos below do not have any of the usual comments, but they tell the story of our ride today. (Remember if you want to see these photos larger, you can click on them, even more than once to enlarge them.)

2011-06-11 Cleveland Rest Day (0 miles)

2011-06-12T21:18:00.001-05:00

We had a morning meeting of the four Sag drivers to fine tune our organization. At noon we left for the Rock and Roll Museum. It was very impressive!

Those that went to the museum were Donna, Bev J, Lea, Mary, Cathy, Jeanette and myself.

After the museum, we walked through downtown Cleveland. There are many white buildings, and others that seem just glass! There were a number of statues and works of art in front of them, too. We decided to go to the "Dirty Mermaid" for dinner, a small diner with a catchy name. The owner very enthusiastically gave us recommendations from the menu, and we all had a good time!

2011-06-10 Huron to Cleveland, OH (55 miles)

2011-06-12T19:56:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day for three of our riders: Ramsey, Carol and Lea. We all gathered for breakfast outside, and although there was some of the usual joking, it was a bitter sweet morning. We have all gotten so close in just three weeks, but those 1,300 miles have already bonded all of us.

The day started out overcast, with little wind, but the temp never got above 63. I know this because was my day to be the Sag driver, and I could keep track of the temperature reading in the car. Cool weather is perfect for riding and with only 55 miles, I expected it to be an easy day for me.

It started out that way, anyway. The first sag stop was in Vermillion, a beautiful town that is right on Lake Erie. We could tell the town's people had a lot of civic pride. Even the restroom in the park in the middle of town was part of the landscaping.

From this point on, the sky started getting darker, and it started to rain. The riders went through town after town, hoping that the rain would let up. Rhonda, Lin and Jan stopped at a little restaurant, ordered some pie and ice cream, and decided to wait and see if the rain would stop. Instead it came down harder!

As the riders came into the Cleveland area, they took a bike trail into the city, around the Cleveland Brown Stadium and into downtown. Karen Cooper's tire came untrue, so I loaded up her bike on top of the Subaru, and took her into the hotel. I then returned by freeway to get the three at the restaurant, 22 miles away. Just as I got there, they called to tell me they had left, (they left a voice mail previously that I did not get on the Sag phone), and were going to be able to make it in on their own. It had stopped raining, so they were fine. They were OK, and that is all that is important to me!

The Wow team decided earlier they were going to host a gin and tonic party as a going away party/welcome to the ride party in their room. It was a lot of fun for everyone!

We walked a few blocks to dinner at a nice restaurant. It was a time for speeches, saying good-bye and welcoming our new riders.

We were in no hurry to end the evening since we did not have to get up early on a rest day. I think our "newbies" felt welcome.

We were staying at the Double Tree Hotel, right across from Lake Erie. I was on the 12th floor with Sue Hersman, and we had quite a view!

2011-06-09 Bowling Green to Huron, Ohio (70 miles)

2011-06-09T16:41:00.002-05:00

Last night there was a thunder storm in Bowling Green, and we woke to wet pavement. The heat had broken, however, and the overcast sky helped keep the temperature down all day. There were many roads where we had tail winds, and of course, we just flew!

About 33 miles into the ride, we entered the North coast Inland Bike Trail from the town of Fremont to Clyde. It was smooth, and often bordered by greenery. There were many birds, including the brightly colored Red Cardinal, as well as yellow Finches. We saw chipmunks and even a small animal that looked like a ferret!

Later the group had to cross a busy state road, and we had to come to a stop to wait for the many 18-wheelers and cars to pass. This one had a slight uphill rise as we attempted to cross. I got on my bike, started to cross, but in correcting my balance, my foot touched my front wheel, and down I went! It was a complete surprise, so I did not even have time to catch myself! The only damage was a road rash on my knee and the seat on my bike was turned! Our sag driver, Sue, happened to be right there at the time, so after Lea helped my clean up and put on some band aids, Sue ran interference for me as I crossed the highway. It could have been much worse, so I was lucky!

Later we came to a road that was so flooded there was a dangerous current, so we had to detour. Now this can be tricky since we are not familiar with the area, and we were out in the country. We ended up stopping at a fire station where the fire chief explained how to get back to our route. Denise had told us where to ride, too, but there was an extra turn we had to make, so between Denise and the fire chief, we made it back on route just fine!

We rolled into Huron at 12:30...not bad for 70 miles!

We wanted to go out to lunch, and on the recommendation of the desk clerk, we rode our bikes a couple of blocks away to the "Costa Azul Mexican Restaurant." Good choice!!

We thought we were close to Lake Erie, and Celeste told us we were only two blocks away. Almost none of us had seen it before, so off we went!

We checked in and found we had some unique rooms!

We had dinner outside tonight, which is something we have not been able to do for a while because of the heat.

It was Patty's last night as chef. When we get to Cleveland tomorrow, she will change hats and become our ride leader. Denise is going home, and we will have a new chef.

Tomorrow we head to Cleveland, OH, the half-way point of our ride. We will be losing three riders, and gaining five more! Only 55 miles tomorrow, and it is my turn to be Sag driver. Temps will be in the 70's, with a 50% chance of thunder storms.

2011-06-08 Defiance to Bowling Green, OH (49 miles)

2011-06-08T16:21:00.000-05:00

Only 49 miles today, and no hills!

We had breakfast in the parking lot. Sometimes the hotels have good breakfast for riders, but this time not so much. Then Patty makes oatmeal and eggs, along with lots of other things to help us get the right fuel for our rides.

Five miles into the ride we entered the Independence Dam State Park for 2.5 miles of paved road, and 2.5 miles of unimproved tow path. We had the park to ourselves, which was a nice treat. It was a great ride, and we made our way over the tow path slowly, enjoying the birds and softness of the moment. We had lots of trees on each side of us, and back when they were using the tow path, those trees were probably not there. It made for nice "tree tunnel" riding, my favorite!

After we left Independence Park, we were back on the road again. We were still beating the heat since it was before 9 am.

We rode through several small towns like Napoleon, where we came across the Campbell's Corporation factory. The company has a huge plant, and from the wonderful smells that were coming out from it, they were making soups! Since many of us drink the V8 juice from the Sag, we were wondering if they would provide any samples!

I thought the Town Hall of Grand Rapids, OH was really amazing!

Tomorrow we will be riding to Huron, OH, 68 miles. Winds will be SW at 10 mph as we head east, the high predicted to be 88 degrees.

2011-06-07 Huntington, IN to Defiance, OH (84 miles)

2011-06-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

Today was expected to be a very hot day - record-breaking in fact. So we started out at 7:00 am, half an hour early. It wasn't long before we were out of Huntington town proper and into the country. It was fun to ride in a big group for a while. As we turned a corner, we were greeted by a heard of buffalo with calves, in a pen right next to the road! Of course we all had to stop to take photos!

The wind was from the WSW today, and since we were headed east most of the time, we had enough tail winds to keep us between 18 and 21 mph, and enough side wind to keep us (relatively) cool. It was tolerable until around noon. Since we were making such good time, many stopped for lunch in the town of Paine. I have been thinking about having a Subway sandwich for a week now, when I went through the next town of Paulding, I asked around. Sure enough. There was a Subway about 6 blocks off the route, and since I was alone at the time, I made a run for it! By the time I got back on the route, I was rejoined by the group I was riding with before!

It was a hot 30 miles from that point on, but I made it. Had a chance to ride with Aussie Lea, too!

Tomorrow we ride from Defiance to Bowling Green, OH. It is only 49 miles. Of course, that could mean one of two things: there are hills to climb or they could not get a hotel to accomodate all of us further away. We will find out at the map meeting after dinner tonight.

2011-06-06 Logansport to Huntington, IN (71 miles)

2011-06-06T16:52:00.016-05:00

Today we headed out to Huntington, Indiana. The weather looked promising, and it did not disappoint. Since I am the Sag driver for today, I did not ride, but the riders reported a light southerly wind, and the temps did not get above 80 until later in the afternoon. Although it was not our coveted tail winds, the side wind kept everyone cool without dragging their speed down.

There are many more trees as well as turns on this route. It was a three-page cue sheet, which meant a lot of turns. That makes the ride more interesting anyway.

We went through Denver (established in 1870), Deeds, and across the Salamonie Dam. There is a nice park area there, and many stopped for lunch at the Sag stop.

Sue had a wheel spoke that broke, so I picked her up. While she waited for me to arrive, the couple who lived in the house next to the road came out and invited Sue to wait in the shade on their porch. They had a Pompillon puppy that was just darling! When I got there, we loaded up Sue's bike on the Sag, and headed on our way.

Later, I received a call from Karen Cooper, who let us know the man had found Sue's bike purse where she was sitting on the curb of the road...the one with all Sue's ID, credit cards and money! The man gave it to Karen, so Sue did not lose anything out of it! That's what can happen when you are distracted by a cute puppy! That is just another example of the nice people we meet along our journey.

With Sue as my navigator, we decided to stop one extra Sag stop for the last riders. We happen to stop in front of a Bee Farm. Since we had some time before the riders would get to that place, we walked in and met the owner, Cindy. She explained their business, and why they were rebuilding their house. They had a fire in December that had completely destroyed the house they had been remodeling for the past 25 years. The old wiring caught fire, and fortunately her husband, Cindy and their children made it out just in time! We must have talked to her for 30 minutes about her experience. In the end, she gave us samples of soap she makes out of the honey and bees wax - one for each person on the ride!

Since the weather was so cooperative today, the riders were able to make it in about 2 hours earlier than usual, including time to stop for a late lunch and/or ice cream!

Denise took Sue and Sarah to another city to get wheels repaired. One of the many duties of a ride leader!

Tomorrow we head out to Defiance, Ohio, 86 miles.

2011-06-04 Watseka, IL to Logansport, IN (96 miles)

2011-06-04T20:53:00.002-05:00

Today was filled with good news and bad news. The good news was that we finally were able to ride with some glorious tail winds!! With such a long ride, it was fun to ride at 20-22 mph with little effort. Even though we had sections of the route that were south and east, it was mostly an easterly direction with wind from the west. The bad news was that we started out the day at 75 degrees and it climbed to the mid 90's.

Our Sag driver of the day, Karen Cooper, did a yeoman's duty trying to keep up with the spread of the riders on this long ride. It meant going back and forth, trying to catch the front runners, and going back to check on the back riders.

By the time we reached our last 30 miles, we were all feeling effects of the heat. Although the air temp was 95, the blacktop radiated to 102 degrees on our bicycle computers. We stopped at a small restaurant in Buffalo, IN, where we were greeted by the owners, Sherry and Kent. They could not have been more gracious. Kent made two trips home for us, first to get a 20 lb bag of ice from his own freezer at home, to give to Karen (free) for the ice water in the Sag vehicle. Then he went home and got a hose for us so we could cool down by dousing our heads, and everything else we could to cool down. I was getting dizzy from the heat, but after a large iced tea and a large V8 over ice, plus a good soaking from the hose, I was ready to go again. The water was directly from a well, and it felt very icy, and was very refreshing.

By the time we got to the outer edge of Logansport, we had another 5 miles through town to go to the motel, and it seemed to take forever! I have to say it did not help to see the temperature of 104 degrees flashing at us from the bank marquee!

Because of the number of riders that needed to be picked up, the ride leader, Patty, did not have time to grocery shop. It was too hot to cook in the trailer anyway. Solution? Pizza and salad for all! Even the vegans had their own pizza. There was nothing left by the end of dinner...you would think we had licked the boxes! We also had Kathy Kirby's cakes for desert, too. (Thanks, Kirby!)

All in all, it was a good day. There were eight of us who did the entire 96 miles. There might have been fewer of us had it not been for the rest day tomorrow. We will stay in Logansport two nights, giving us a day to recover.

Tomorrow, a "rest day," will include the Sag drivers (including me) cleaning out the Sag vehicle, restocking and organizing supplies, and (barring rain) washing the outside. Everyone will also be cleaning their bikes. This is a good day to catch up on laundry, too.

2011-06-03 Streator to Watseka, IL 86 miles

2011-06-03T20:57:00.000-05:00

Last night as we were starting dinner, Kathy Kerby, a Southern Tier rider last year, rolled in with her bike in the car! She drove down from Chicago to join us for dinner and a ride with us in the morning. It was so much fun to see her again! Mary, Coop, Sue and I were all there to greet her. She even brought two cheesecakes, a chocolate and a carrot cake from Ely's where she works. What a treat for everyone!

We were able to ride with her for 22 miles, and we had to say our good byes. Kirby rode back to her car at the hotel, and headed out for her cabin in Lake Gage, IL.

Meanwhile, Mary and I rode off to conquer the next 64 miles...it was very flat, straight, hot (90+ degrees), and windy - headwinds, of course. We did make quite a few turns to make the winds blow from the side, but inevitably in a few blocks we were back to the head winds!

We saw hundreds of wind turbines on both sides of us as we rode...miles and miles of them! Obviously winds out here in Illinois farm country are not uncommon. I suppose it was good that it wasn't raining, right?

We tried really hard to ride the entire route, but the combination of the heat and wind became a bit much. There is something psychological about riding straight and flat for so long...

Mary suggested we stop and ride the van in, and to be honest, it did not take much convincing! By the end of the day, there were only three riders who did the entire 86 miles: Donna, Hille, and Ramsey. We all applauded them at dinner time!

Tomorrow we are headed for Logansport, Indianna (96 miles). More flat, straight, remote roads, with a 60% possibility of thunderstorms by noon. This ride is definitely a challenge, but it is still a lot of fun!

2011-06-02 Kewanee to Streator, Illinois (78 miles)

2011-06-02T17:23:00.001-05:00

Since we were headed east this morning, I was hoping for some nice tail winds like yesterday. I missed out on a great ride because I was the Sag driver. Today the bad news is it was headwinds most of the way...the good news is the winds were only 10-15 mph, with some stronger gusts. That didn't seem too bad after Muscatine's 40+ mph winds! There had been rain predicted, but as it turned out, there were only a few sprinkles for a while. The roads were good, and not too many hills...even those were not long. So all in all, it was a good day. I rode with Bev today, and we are a good match. We stopped only briefly at sag stops, and did not stop for lunch. We arrived at the hotel at 2:00 pm, a 6.5 hour ride today (including stops) to finish the 78 miles. Many others stopped for lunch, but we decided to try to beat the possible rain. I'm glad we did. It has been nice to have extra time to relax.

Tomorrow we will ride east again, from Streator to Watseka, Illinois, 86 miles. Weather, (always important to us) calls for a high of 90 by late afternoon with winds mostly from the south, 10-13 mph.

PS Someone asked me how to become a "follower" on my blog. Just click on the follower button, and just work through the prompts. It is always nice to know who is out there! Rita :-)

2011-06-01 Muscatine, Iowa to Kewanee, Illinois 78 miles

2011-06-01T20:11:00.001-05:00

Today was my day to be the Sag driver. According to one of our Aussie riders, Cathy Mead, the ride was "magical!" The sun was shining, the temps were in the 70's and low 80's, humidity was low, the road had mild rolling hills or flat, and there was a TAIL WIND for most of the route! There were smiles on everyone's faces as I drove by, getting the thumbs up signal.

Within blocks of leaving the hotel in Muscatine, Iowa, we crossed the bridge into Illinois. In a few miles we were out in the country, on smooth roads, seeing mile after mile of farmland. The corn is only four to six inches high right now, but there are many fields of seedling rows.

Because of the tailwinds, everyone was flying over the route, and many took advantage of their speed to take time out for a restaurant lunch. The 78 miles seemed short to everyone today!

Tomorrow we ride to Steator, Illinois, 78 miles.

2011-05-31 Rest day in Muscatine, Iowa 0 miles

2011-05-31T20:41:00.000-05:00

We awoke to a light rain, and we were all happy to sleep in and stay inside. It wasn't long before the rain stopped, and the sun came out. I cleaned my bike, and took advantage of the plan to go to Harper's Cycle Shop in the downtown area. It was really fun to see Greg and Charlie Hopper, the owners of Harper's. I have gone on 15 Ragbrai rides (the bike ride across Iowa), and for many of them we were able to get the repair guys to drive our vehicle to each town on the ride. In exchange for doing that, the guys were able to ride in an air conditioned Tahoe and have lunch on us. That way, all of us were able to ride every day. In all that time, however, I have never been to their shop in Muscatine, so it was a real treat for me.

Then Denise took us into downtown Muscutine and dropped us off.

We went into the Muscutine Historical Museum to learn about the Pearl Button Capital. They used to make pearl buttons out of the oyster shells in the Mississippi River here, and for 70 years over half of the population of Muscutine was employed in one way or another in the button industry.

Just for fun we decided to stop and check out an antique store.

Tomorrow the destination is Kewanee, Illinois for a 78 mile ride. Hopefully with a left turn, the wind will be more at our backs. I will be the sag driver tomorrow.

2011-05-30 Memorial Day Dyersville to Muscatine, Iowa 98 miles

2011-05-30T17:50:00.000-05:00

This day we were to be riding between Dyersville and Muscatine. We had some very challenging weather conditions, however. You might say it was the perfect storm...head winds between 30 and 40 mph, temps at 95, hill after hill, and 98 miles of all that!

As we struggled to even ride downhill, it became apparent that we were getting exhausted trying to maintain 10 mph on the flats, and doing 5 mph on the hills. At that rate, we would be lucky to get in before dark! Physically there was no way that would happen, either. Some riders took a bump up the first 20 or 40 miles, anticipating the 98 mile day, but I rode with Bev, Patty and Mary from the start. By the time we had done 42 miles, we were done!!

As it turned out, we joined everyone else to ride in the van into Muscatine. It took over an hour to drive there. As we were driving we came upon a bridge that was closed. That meant we had an additional 20 mile detour! Everyone was so glad we did not have to add those extra 20 miles to the 98!

This has been an amazing Memorial Day! Tomorrow is a rest day, although the weather report is predicting thunderstorms for this area. That's OK. After today's ride, I won't mind taking it easy.

BTW, if you have not "registered" as a follower of my blog, please do so. It is fun to see who is reading it! And thanks for the comments, too!

2011-05-29 Prairie du Chein, WI to Dyersville, IA (32 out of 46 miles)

2011-05-29T17:49:00.001-05:00

Whenever the miles get this low on the route, I am always suspicious that it is going to be an especially hilly day. The cue sheet said there would be a 1.5 mile uphill climb, but it did not mention several other long climbs!

We were to ride through the Pike's Peak area, Guttenberg, Luxemburg and New Vienna...aptly named, of course. However, Bev and I, who were the front riders today, only made it to mile 32.

After the climbs, we thought it was going to be a nice ride into Dyersville. There were rolling hills, much like the Ragbrai rides in Iowa, but then the clouds began to darken, and the next thing we knew it started to sprinkle...and the temperature dropped...and wind came up...and it started to rain harder...and the lightening flashed and the thunder roared! Bev and I were at the 32 mile mark when the van flagged us down. Denise strongly recommended we call it a day because of storm warnings. Bev was ready to make it in the last 14 miles, but we convinced her that would not be a good idea. Being in the front, we were the last ones to be picked up.

Between the long hills and the rain, I did not take any photos while riding my bike today! I finally was able to take out the camera while in the van, however.

One of our riders, Lee Murphy hurt her ankle yesterday. She sagged today, and decided she better get it checked out. Denise concurred, so she took Lee to Dubuque Hospital ER. They did not take an MRI, but took a wait-and-see approach. Lee is thinking she would go home to the Chicago area for two weeks, get it checked out there, and rejoin the ride in Cleveland. Bummer, eh?

The prediction for tomorrow is for 90 degrees, with 20 mph headwinds, and a 98 mile ride into Muscatine, Iowa.

2011-05-27 Wabasha, MN to LaCrosse, WI 75 miles

2011-05-29T16:56:00.000-05:00

Today was my turn to drive the Sag Wagon. It was an interesting day because there were two different route options, and as a Sag driver, I had to keep track of everyone! It went well until we got to where the routes split. Some took the unpaved trail, and the others took the road. Then part way through the trail, some went back to the road, and two others got turned around in the trail! Almost at the end, a few others took an option of their own and went down a highway that took them directly into LaCrosse.

Some decided to stop in one of the towns to have lunch, and later another small group did later. As a result, the entire group was split apart, and by the time I had everyone accounted for at the end of the day, it was almost time for dinner!

I really appreciated that Denise was able to stay with me in the van as long as possible.

The good news was that I did have a lot of wait time as the riders came through, and I tried to get at least one photo of everyone! So below you will find those along with some of the photos of the day.

2011-05-28 La Crosse to Prairie Du Chien, WI 70 miles

2011-05-28T16:29:00.046-05:00

Today we rode from LaCrosse, MN to Prairie Du Chien, WI. We rode along side the Mississippi for much of the route. We started out in the flats, but as we came closer to the bluffs, the road became more hilly. We went through New Albin, Lansing, and Harper's Ferry.

Tomorrow we will be riding into Dyersville, Iowa. There are many hills to come, and a 30 percent chance of rain. We shall see...

2011-05-26 Stillwater to Wabasha 85 miles

2011-05-26T20:46:00.002-05:00

After a great day with Dave, seeing downtown Stillwater and running errands in the Tahoe, today is the ride to Wabasha, MN. We went through Afton, near Dave's cousin's Afton Apple Farm, through Sunrise and past the Sunrise Pub and Grill where we have biked on our way to Jason and Phyllis Bennett's. It has been fun to ride so close to home these past few days!

I was able to download some photos from Lea, so these are a combination of hers and mine: (If you want to enlarge any if the photos, just click on it.)

2011-05-24 Milaca to Stillwater, MN 110 miles

2011-05-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

Today was the big day! We were scheduled to ride 106 miles today. At some point, Jeanette and I misread the cue sheet, and ended up adding 4 more miles. The good news is that we ended up joining the route at a different point anyway, so we did not have to back track on such a long day.

The route was very beautiful, and the unforeseen hills the last 20 miles added a little extra spice to our ride that day. Stillwater, although very picturesque, is VERY hilly as we found!

2011-05-25 Stillwater Rest Day 0 miles

2011-05-25T22:09:00.000-05:00

After our 110 mile ride yesterday, we were all ready for our rest day. It is our chance to do laundry, clean our bikes, and reorganize our luggage. Living out of a suitcase gets some getting used to!

The thing I was looking forward to was that Dave came down for the day! It was good to see him again. Jeanette, Lea and Sara went with us to town. We went to the cemetery where Jeanette's special Grandma Moris was buried. Then it was off to the Bikery to drop her bike off for some repairs that Ben could not do in the parking lot. After lunch, and ice cream cones, we walked around Stillwater. After picking up Jeanette's bike, we dropped everyone off at the hotel, and Dave and I headed for Rosedale to pick up some things from National Camera and REI.

I guess you can see why this blog is behind schedule!

Anyway, here are the photos from the day:

Then Sara, Lea, Jeanette, Dave and I took the car and spent the day around Stillwater. First stop was for Jeanette so she could visit her Grandmother Anna's grave. It was nice for the rest of us to walk around looking at the gravestones in this small cemetery. On a bike ride such as this, there is a lot of time for reflection as we ride from town to town, and this was another opportunity for us all to appreciate being alive and able to do a cross country bicycle ride.

Then we went to the Bikery to drop off Jeanette's bike so Ben could work on it. He was busy with Rhonda's bike, too.

Then it was off to find lunch! We ended up at a restaurant on the St. Croix River.

At the end of the day, Dave left for home. Tomorrow is an 85 mile ride to Wabasha, MN.

2011-05-23 Little Falls to Milaca, MN 58 miles

2011-05-23T17:17:00.000-05:00

We stopped at the boyhood home of Charles Lindberg on our way out of Little Falls.

2011-05-22 Wadina to Little Falls, MN 80 miles

2011-05-22T22:03:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day as Sag (support and gear). Every 4th riding day, I drive the WomanTours Subaru along the ride route. Because heavy rain was predicted, I stopped every 15 miles along the route, carrying snacks, fruit, water and extra tubes/tires. Today was in the low 60's, but the rain did not break very often. We heard rumbles of thunder now and again, but the lightning did not seem close. Everyone had the option of sagging for the day, but everyone chose to head out.

2011-05-21 Pelican Rapids to Wadina, MN 60 miles

2011-05-21T20:49:00.000-05:00

Today was filled with a lot of rain! The good news was that we did not have the strong headwinds, and the temps were in the 60's. Along with the smooth roads today, it was a much better day for riding. The rain would stop for a while, but not long enough for the roads to be dry at all. I did not stop to take photos much, but here are the few that were taken:

After dinner, the sun came out. Just like Minnesota weather...if you don't like it, just wait a minute!!