VeloKnitter

Palatka to St. Augustine, Florida!!!!

2009-05-08T06:54:00.012-07:00

We had a flat, fast forty mile ride to a fire station on the outskirts of St. Augustine. There we regrouped and waited for our police escort. While we waited we talked about the past two months.

Before we began someone asked me if I wanted everyone to sing 99 Bottles of Beer as we rode over the bridge to the beach. I said with everyone around AND a police escort I was sure I would be fine. They then asked me home many beers were left on the wall. I said just a few. Then spontaneously they all broke in to singing 99 Bottles of Beer starting with Number 5. It was a pretty funny scene with 21 women and their bicycles standing in front of a fire station singing at the top of their voices.

Next, the motorcycle officer, Jennifer, started her siren and lights, then two police cars did the same. Everyone cheered and we began rolling. It was such an emotional high. We rode two by two with Jan B., our oldest rider and her usual riding partner, Marni, leading the way. I rode with Nancy.

As we rode over the Inter coastal waterway bridge on A1A, I was so eager to see the ocean I did not even notice we were going over a bridge. Again thanks to Nancy for teaching me how to conquer my fears. As we got closer to our finish I really started tearing up. Riding into Anastasia State Park was such an emotional high. Friends and families were all gathered at the park cheering us to the finish of our long journey. I found Greg and we went together to dip my front wheel into the Atlantic Ocean. It seems ages since I dipped my back wheel in the Pacific Ocean.

I gave Greg my camera and he took lots of photos. Unfortunately, later I discovered he is mechanically challenged when it comes to my camera. He did not know how to move the telephoto button and a lot of the photos of me I am only a dot in the distance. I take all my photos with the camera set at high resolution so hopefully I can do something with them when I get home.

After we finished all the beach pictures we headed to a nearby pavilion for a picnic lunch. It was such an emotional roller coaster. I knew that my two closest friends from the trip, Lois S. and Nancy, were leaving after the picnic and not attending the final dinner that evening. I was also on a high from finishing the trip and getting to see Greg. Lois, Nancy and I said our "see you later's" because we did not want to say good-bye knowing we will ride again together someday.

After the picnic, Greg and I went to the motel so I could shower and change. Then we walked to a local wine bar and had a celebratory glass of wine. I was very happy I did not quit the trip and that I have some great memories for a life time.

We gather at the fire station for our escorted ride into St. Augustine.

Some of the group behind me as we line up.

The group in front of me.

Thumbs up and ready to roll

A very happy me at the beach.

The all important dipping of my front wheel in the Atlantic.

My bike and me! We did it together...only four flats!

Group photos

Thumbs up. I am the fourth one from the left.

We did it.

High Springs to Palatka, FL

2009-04-29T14:11:00.004-07:00

Today's ride was pretty none eventful. Nancy and rode together but as the day progress we picked up other riders. By the time we finished we had Mary Jo, Donna, Peggy, Nancy, Janet B and Marni. It was a nice little group.

For the first 40 miles we rode through some beautiful back road areas. Then at mile 41 we got onto State Road 100 for the rest of the day. The road had a shoulder but there was a lot of debris on it. As the day went on it really warmed up but we had a headwind that actually helped cool us. Never thought I would appreciate a headwind.

Tonight was our last meal cooked by chief Linda. We had salmon, mashed potatoes and spinach salad. There was also fruit (sent by Marni's husband for their 36 anniversary), a cake brought by Peggy's cousin and chocolate macadamia nuts brought by Sherry's friend. Great.

On the way back to my room I spilled red wind on the white shirt I have used the whole trip. Yuck.

Robin, Liz and Susan

Elisabeth and Peggy

Donna and Mary Jo

Want to see a gator?

Welcome to Palatka

Bridge over the St. John River

Billboard showing a view of the bridge.

Captain Carol doing KP.

Perry to High Springs, FL

2009-04-28T14:04:00.006-07:00

Nancy was sag today so I set out early on my own. I shortly caught up with Laurie, Connie and Jan C. The three of them tend to ride in a loose paceline so I joined in. We made great time and I enjoyed the 76 mile day.

When we got to Ichetucknee Springs we all took our shoes off and cooled our feet. When we got to the park the sign said no swimming due to high waters. It turns our we heard later that a ranger came by and told some of the later women it was OK to swim. Oh well, I enjoyed the cool water on my feet anyway.

After I checked into the motel I went to find Lois S and we rode into the town of High Springs. We found a wonderful place for a late lunch. For dinner I only ate salad because of the late lunch.

Entering Suwannee County

Suwannee River

Branford

Florida wildflowers

Wildflowers along bike trail.

More wildflowers

Ichetucknee Springs

Max, a fellow traveler . He left San Diego from Dog beach two days before we did.

Max gives a washer and dryer to people he meets along the way!

turtles resting as we went over a bridge.

More turtles!

Wakulla Springs to Perry, Fl

2009-04-27T17:01:00.004-07:00

Today Nancy and I rode 51 miles. You know you are riding a flat boring route when the highlight of the day is when you have a flat! Having a flat for me is really tough because it is impossible to get my tire on and off my wheel. Thank goodness for Nancy and our Sag today, Ann.

When we got into Perry we stopped at a restaurant called Pouncey's. The sign outside advertised "Swamp Cabbage". Our waitress explained that Swamp cabbage is an old-time Florida cracker favorite vegetable obtained from the heart of the cabbage palm (S. palmetto), which is the official state tree of Florida. Following trimming, the swamp cabbage may be prepared in various ways. The most popular old cracker way is to cut into thin slices like cole slaw and cook with meat seasoning until done. After the swamp cabbage is cooked, the white color changes to a grayish brown. The unique flavor is best described as smoky and wild. I, of course, had to try some. Very much like the hearts of palm I am used to in texture but had a slight clove taste. I was ok, not great. I think you need to cultivate your taste for it.

I do love Hampton Inns. This one had cookies and strawberries dipped in chocolate for us at 5:00. They also had wine and beer.

The sign just before this spot said "Dip". If you look very closely you can see a slight change in the road surface.

Welcome to Perry.

A side order of swamp cabbage.

A grilled cheese and tomato sandwich.

Wakulla Springs Rest Day

2009-04-27T16:59:00.001-07:00

Will post more soon about the Talent Show held the first night we were here and my rest day.

Quincy to Wakulla Springs, Fl

2009-04-27T16:36:00.005-07:00

Today was another short ride, 40 miles. It was mostly flat with just a few ups. I can't really even call them hills. My legs are tired though and I just can't seem to climb the way I did at the beginning of the trip. The good news is I can ride forever on flats.

There was no big rush to get the the Lodge at Wakulla Springs because we were told we could not get in our rooms until 2:30 or 3:00. Once Nancy and I arrived at the lodge we joined Lois for lunch in the dining room and then went on a boat cruise of the springs. Most of the pictures below are from there.

That evening there was a "Talent Show" put on by some of the women. I will blog more about it in a separate post.

The other kind of bikers. Nancy tried to trade bikes but no takers!

Along the way.

Welcome to Wakula Springs.

All the pictues below are from the boat cruise.

Marianna to Quincy, Fl

2009-04-24T14:16:00.006-07:00

The morning began rather slowly as everyone sat around the lobby of the hotel waiting for the morning fog to lift. The mist was really heavy and the leaders were concerned for our safety so we waited. We had a couple of miles to wind ourselves to some back roads. Within the first two miles we were completely in sunshine so I think our hotel was just in a low pocket for the fog.

Nancy and I were joined by Lois S. for our ride today. I think Lois figured that with just 55 miles there was no reason to rush. We rode over the Chattahoochee River and into the Eastern Time Zone. Can't believe we only have five riding days left.

After we crossed the Chattahoochee River there was a climb up from the river. We have been on the flats so long my legs have forgotten how to climb. It was tough. We had a few more climbs and Nancy said that we were in the Florida Alps.

When we arrived at the town of Quincy we took the extra trip to the old town square to find a restaurant. Nancy, Lois and I decided on Miss Helen's Espresso Cafe d'Arte. It is a new restaurant (opened in January) run by a delightful couple and their son. The food was great and the atmosphere was even better. There was art work by local artists on there wall. There is definitely some talent around here.

Next door to the cafe was an Art Coop with more local art. Loved it. Wish there had been more sights like today on the trip. After lunch rode about 3 miles to the hotel. Once at the hotel did the usual (put my name on the laundry list for the washing machine.) With the heat and humidity we are facing in this area you do not want to carry around dirty cycling clothes for very long.

tree with Spanish moss

more moss

The Alps of North Florida

Along the route.

Information about Gretna school house.

Gretna school house.

You can always tell where the women of Woman Tours stop for lunch.

Courthouse in Quincy.

Crestview to Marianna, Fl

2009-04-23T13:57:00.008-07:00

Today I rode 73 miles with Peggy. The ride was a scheduled 93 mile ride but I was concerned that I would not have time to do the side trip to Defuniack Springs. Peggy was concerned that about the heat at that distance. We both used the Sag to bump us up the first 20 miles. Turns out Defuniack was much closer to our route than I realized and I could have done the complete ride. Oh, well, Peggy and I had fun ridding together. The ride was mainly on US-90 until we reached Marianna. US-90 had a very nice shoulder and was very smooth. There was very little traffic because it parallels I-10. Traffic in Marianna was a little hairy but we made it.

A few miles before the hotel we stopped at a Burger King and had milk shakes. It was to hot to eat anything. Very refreshing.

Last night Nancy and I received the SOW award. The SOW Award was started by Marni at the beginning of the trip. You have to develop an acronym for a word related to pig, sow, etc. Marni gave the first and then the subsequent recipients give it to the next winner. Marcie and Lois B gave it to Nancy and me last night. It was for the teamwork Nancy and I developed to get me over the bridges.

S-Standing together
O-overcoming fears
W-Wonderful Women

Welcome to the birthplace of Gregory Vartan Gadarian

Information on the Chautauqua.

Chautauqua Hall

Lake Defuniak

Train depot, Defuniak Springs.

Hospital building where Greg was born.

Old car by Defuniak Hotel. (my bike next to it)

Hotel sign.

Lobby of Hotel Defuniak.

Sitting room Hotel Defuniak.

Greg went to Choctawhatchee High School in Ft. Walton, Fl. Go Big Green Indians.

Pensacola to Crestview, Fl

2009-04-22T14:15:00.004-07:00

Today was a 55 mile day. The ride started out on US90 which was not my favorite riding location. We then stopped at a bike shop in Milton called Truly Spokin. The owner was really nice. He said he had been a mechanic for the pro team Coors Light several years ago and was in charge of building the wheels, thus his shop's name. We then had six miles on a bike path. Very nice. Then we were on rural roads. Nancy and I rode together and enjoyed the quiet back roads.

As we rode into the town of Crestview Nancy and I looked for a place to eat lunch. Then we saw a Starbucks. We stopped there and found several other riders already there. Our hotel was only a mile afterwards.

Today is Elizabeth's birthday so another celebration dinner.

Site of clear cut logging

pre logging

Welcome to Crestview, our town for the evening.

Lunch!

Dauphin Island, Al to Pensacola, Fl

2009-04-21T14:29:00.007-07:00

Today we began our ride with a 2.5 mile ride to the Ferry Landing at on Dauphin Island. We were told that we all needed to be on the 8:00 Ferry. Would you believe that we all made it with plenty of time to spare? It was a very pleasant ride to the Mobile side of Mobile Bay at Fort Morgan.

Then began a dream of a ride to Pensacola. It turns our that tailwinds are not and urban legend. We actually had one AND the road to Gulf Shores was newly paved. What more can a bicyclist ask for?

Nancy and I rode together again today. The cue sheets mentioned two bridges but it turns out there were three. Janet, our Sag driver for the day called to give me an update on the first bridge and said she thought I could make it. Nancy decided the best way to get me over a bridge was to distract me. We began by singing Mary had a Little Lamb, went into Row, Row, Row Your Boat and settled on 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. I made it over the first bridge. When we got to the second bridge Janet was waiting to say she thought I would want to sag over it. Nancy said, "No she is going to do it." I didn't have a chance to say no. Nancy started off singing 99 Bottles again where we left off. This bridge went much higher and was longer than the previous one. It is pretty hard singing and climbing but it made me forget where I was and I made it. It was very exciting for me.

When we got to the lunch stop where most of the women were eating word that I had made it over the bridge reached the women there. When I walked in they all gave me a standing ovation. I almost cried. It sure made me feel good. After we checked in to our hotel Nancy took me across the street to Dairy Queen and treated me to a Blizzard.

Tonight is Margarita night because we have crossed the state line into our final state, Florida. We have eight days of riding left.

The Mobile Bay Ferry.

Bikers and bikers on the ferry.

Fort Gaines on Dauphin Island from the ferry.

Oil rig in Mobile Bay.

Bo Peep on the ferry.

Great Florida license plate. "Share the Road"

Pelicans

Battery Dearborn was constructed in 1901, and mounted eight 12-inch mortars. Part of Fort Morgan on east side of Mobile Bay.

for Susan

Bridge 1

Welcome to Florida.

Bridge 2.

Rest Day Dauphin Island, Al

2009-04-20T13:20:00.005-07:00

Dauphin Island is the perfect place for a rest day. Everything is so laid back here your really do rest. Lois S and I rode around the island looking for someplace to eat breakfast. We were referred to the Country Club. There was a little restaurant there and we each had a Cinnamon roll and coffee. Afterwards we rode to the post office to mail post cards. We then went to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary. We walked a quiet little trail to a lake. Then we rode to Fort Gaines. We just looked around but did not go in. We then rode to the other end of the island and then back to our condo. We both did a quick bicycle cleaning and then it was time for lunch.

Nancy, Lois and I rode to the Common Loon for lunch. I had sauteed shrimp. Wonderful! We we got back to the condos we had a mini reunion from the Mississippi River trip. Dusty, her sister and niece were in New Orleans and they drove over to see us. So nice of them. It was great to see them.

Tonight Lois, Nancy, Marni and I are going to ride back to Barnacle Bills for an early dinner. Then I am going to put on my pj's and do one more load of laundry so everything is clean when we head out for our last ten days. Life is so basic when on a bike trip.

me at Audubon Bird Sanctuary.

Audubon Bird Sanctuary

Fort Gaines

menu at Common Loon...note the Crabby Patty!

My lunch.

Beach

The reunion group. Patty, Marni, Dusty, Janet and Lois

Pascagoula, Ms to Dauphin Island, Al

2009-04-20T12:21:00.005-07:00

Today's ride was what we have come to call a "rolling rest day." That means it was a short (42 miles) easy day. Nancy and I rode together today. Since it was Sunday and we began early in hopes of beating the predicted rain traffic was very light. We crossed the Mississippi/Alabama state line around mile 18. At mile 37 we came to the start of a three and a half mile bridge. I sagged over it and to the condos.

We are staying in four lovely condos on Dauphin Island. The one I am in has a total of four bedrooms. Two have twin beds, one a queen and one a king. Because I have the single option I was assigned the king with a private bath a whirlpool tub. Very nice.

Our sag driver, our guide, our cook and I loaded back in the sag vehicle to go back to Barnacle Bill's. All but about four of the women stopped there for lunch. I had wonderful fried oysters.

Since my condo also house the cook and guide dinner this evening was in our large living room. Linda fixed shrimp and crayfish jambalaya.

Welcome to Alabama

Bridge to Dauphin Island...I Sagged

Barnacle Bill's

Lunch at Barnacle Bill's...oysters, onion rings and hush puppies

Sand dune outside condo

The beach.

Sunset

Wiggins to Pascagoula, Ms

2009-04-18T17:03:00.002-07:00

Remember how I said I was so tired yesterday? Well I have some sort of bug. I work up this morning with a very unhappy tummy. I won't go into the details. I decided to sag. I have spent the whole afternoon in my room watching the Star Wars series on TV. I got to my room at the end of episode Number 2 and am now on Number 4. I must be sick!

Tomorrow is on 36 miles until a 3.5 mile long high bridge. There is rain in the forecast so I will see how I feel in the morning. New state tomorrow.

Bogalusa, La to Wiggins, Ms

2009-04-17T14:21:00.007-07:00

Last night's map meeting had lots of discussion of dogs and lumber trucks. There were two possible options for today's route. You could do the shorter one on a busy two lane highway with no shoulder and lots of lumber trucks. The other options was ten miles longer on little traveled roads with the possibility of dogs. Last year two different women were attacked by dogs. Everyone decided to take their chances with the dogs. The good news it there were not problems with dogs. Yes, there were dogs but no big ones and they all seemed to respond to loud "STAY" from the riders.

I road with Nancy and along the way we picked up Mary Jo, Donna and Carol M. We all felt that safety in numbers was the key for today. We discovered that we are no longer in the Mississippi Delta area. There we even more hills than yesterday. The legs were not happy. They had a problem remembering how to climb.

When we got in Nancy and I went to the Pizza Hut next door for a quick bite to eat. The housekeepers were still getting my room ready so I could not shower until I got back. After I showered I put my name on the list in the laundry room to do laundry. The first person who gets in to the hotel each day starts a list in the laundry room. Our daily biking really generates a lot of dirty clothes and when you travel as light as we do you must do laundry frequently.

A vending machine we passed along the way for LIVE BAIT!

We are now in Mississippi.

The Bridge we crossed from Louisiana to Mississippi.

Court House Pearl River County, Mississippi

Ice Cream at 10:30 in the morning in Poplarville, Ms.

Poplarville has an annual Blueberry Jubilee in June. These are posters from previous years.

More llamas along the way

Baby llama called a cria.

Hammond to Bogalusa, La

2009-04-16T15:10:00.005-07:00

Today I rode 57 miles. I feel like I am just going through the motion of riding. The scenery is nice but no great photo ops. We have not had any cute towns to explore during the ride. It is just riding from point A to point B. In case you can't tell I am tired. I have not slept well the last few nights and that plus the mileage is getting to me. Tomorrow's ride is 51 miles or 60 miles depending on which option one chooses. I have to hear the difference at tonight's map meeting. I want the smoother, quieter road option.

When I got in Lois S, several other women and I went to the gas station across the street. Yes, that is right, the gas station. They had a little lunch counter that had several fried things, fish, shrimp, chicken, chicken liver and gizzards, among other things. They also had boiled crayfish. I actually thought the idea of the crayfish was good but I was to tired to peel them. I opted for red beans and rice.

At the Global Wildlife Center

Uneedus, La. Their version of the Super Dome

St. Francisville to Hammond, La

2009-04-15T18:20:00.003-07:00

I haven't given you mileage updates lately. Today's ride was 88 miles and thus far on the trip I have done 1,822 miles. We have only 13 days of riding left.

Today's ride was long but not hard. Last night Carol, our leader, warned us that we would have Louisiana's version of hills today. After all the climbing we have done it was hardly noticeable. Everything is green here. There is lots of standing water here. I think the ground here is constantly saturated.

Not much else to report so will close for today. I can use the sleep. We get a late start tomorrow because the ride is only 55 miles.

Morning mist on the pond at the Butler Greenwood..look closely to see the floating duck house.

Rest Day St. Francisville, La

2009-04-15T16:14:00.003-07:00

Rest day at the Butler Greenwood B&B is truly just that, a rest day. I slept in (7:00) and ate a light breakfast because I knew Georgia was coming to drive me into town for lunch. As soon as I got dressed I was out the door to clean my bicycle. Because we had had a downpour while I was eating lunch at Not Your Mama's the roads were wet and dirty. My bike was really dirty. It took me almost and hour and a half to clean it.

Georgia arrived a little before 10 so that we could take the house tour of the Butler Greenwood Plantation given by Anne Butler. Anne is the 8th generation descendant of the original owner family. You can see some photos below from the tour of the house. If you want to know more about the Plantation see www.butlergreenwood.com

Lois S, Georgia and I went to town to have lunch. Linda joined us at the Oxbow Restaurant. Afterwards Georgia and I ran a couple of errands I needed to do then drove around town to check it out. Then Georgia took me back to the B&B. It was great to see her again.

I spent the rest of the day writing post cards, knitting and resting. A great rest day!

My cabin, The Cook's Cottage

my room

my bathroom, with a whirlpool tub!

Humphrey, the resident peacock

The Pond

more of the grounds

Antique dresses in the house.

Lace on a man's coat

Doll

baby crib

Crayfish etouffee

Georgia, Lois S., me and Linda

I loved this sign.

Lafayette to St. Francisville, La

2009-04-15T15:32:00.003-07:00

Today I road 80 miles. I sagged for 6 miles. There was a high bridge over the Atchafalaya River and there was a 3.5 mile bridge with no shoulder over the Morganza Spillway. They were right by each other so it was easier just to sag the whole way.

We rode on a section of the Mississippi River Trail. It brought back memories of my first cross country trip up the Mississippi.

Stopped at a little restaurant called Not Your Mama's and had my first oyster po-boy of the trip. It was great.

As I pulled up the the ferry landing I was delighted to see Georgia there waiting to cheer us on. She had just completed the Woman Tours Bayou trip and had hung around to see some of us. It was great. She came to dinner and brought two boxes of pralines to share with everyone. What a doll.

For Logan

Louisiana Swamp

Swamp and wildflowers

Lois S. heading over the bridge I got bumped over.

Chicken at Not Your Mama's restaurant along the way.

Oyster po-boy at Not Your Mama's

Road sign.

My kind of bridge. Taking the ferry across the Mississippi River.

Barge on the Mississippi River.

Lake Charles to Lafayette, LA

2009-04-15T14:58:00.002-07:00

The day began with the promise of high headwinds and strong thunderstorms. I dutifully got my biking gear on but my heart was not into a 83 mile ride. As I was carrying my bags to the trailer I saw Nancy in civilian clothes. I was so happy to see that she was not going to ride so I switched clothes and decided to sag. Boy was I happy I did.

As we drove down the road we picked up riders as we got to them. The winds were super strong and people had had enough. The leaders took about eight of us back to the hotel and dropped off the trailer and then went back to help pick up others. As it turned out only three riders completed the ride today, Lois S, Marcie and Sherry.

There was one disaster as the wind blew one of the bikes off the van. Fortunately the damage was such that a bike shop in Baton Rouge was able to repair it the next day and the rider was back on the road today.

The weather was so bad that Linda (our cook) arranged to take us all to a local Chinese Restaurant. It was the only place she could find that could take so many on Easter Sunday.

Lois S as she continued her ride.

Connie and Laurie pausing to put on rain gear.

Rice fields from the van.

Silsbee, Tx to Lake Charles, La

2009-04-11T14:24:00.004-07:00

Last night I had a horrible night's sleep. I have trouble falling asleep and then people kept talking outside my room (not Woman Tours people). First there we people talking at 10:30 and then another group at 1:30. I felt like a zombie when I was getting ready to ride.

I rode with Nancy again today. It was a good thing took because I just was not motivated. To pass the miles we played games. Use the ABC's and name body parts, colors, countries, etc for each letter. We also had to name the US states and their capital. We tried doing it in alphabetical order. We forgot a few including, ARIZONA. Told you I was a zombie today.

I rode 69 miles today for a total of 1,654 for the trip. We still continue to have winds. I think I was hoping they would magically disappear once we left Texas and crossed into Louisiana but no such luck. Tomorrow is another long day, 83 miles. Right now the weather channel is promising us isolated thunder storms (a few severe) with winds 15-20 mph. Hopefully we can get most of the ride in before they hit. I do not ride in the rain. After all I live in Southern Arizona so how much do I really have to ride in rain? If it looks bad when we are scheduled to start I may sag from the beginning.

Saying good bye to Texas. This was on the opposite side of the road when we left Texas. Since there was nothing when we entered Texas I had to take it.

We are in Louisiana.

Cows and Egrets

Cleveland to Silsbee, TX

2009-04-10T14:36:00.007-07:00

Today was a new route on the Southern Tier scouted out by our leader from the first half of the trip, Michele. Talk about flat! We are almost in Louisiana and the roads really show it. We also had wonderful pavement. It was so smooth that it was like they paved the roads yesterday.

Today I road with Nancy from Vermont. We both enjoy the quiet along the way but are near to each other in case there is a problem. Nancy makes a very good riding companion for me. We plan to ride together again tomorrow. Nancy said it isgood to have someone to ride with today or she might have fallen to sleep on the smooth flat roads!

Red Clover

Thistle

Spider Lily wildflower

More spider lilies.

Where we stopped for lunch.

Sign on the building at the entrance to Mama Jack's

Our destination town. Silsbee is part of the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical area.

Navasota to Cleveland, TX

2009-04-09T15:03:00.005-07:00

Today's ride began with the threat of rain but fortunately there were only the occasional drops along the way. I had started out the ride with my windbreaker on but soon shed it. The temperatures today were perfect. Today's ride was 72 miles and that gives me a total of 1,522 for the trip.

We are definitely in East Texas now. A large part of the ride was through the San Houston National Forest. Yes, I said forest. There were trees! Then we crossed Lake Conroe a 21,000 acre lake. So needless to say I loved the ride today. For the most part we on small farm roads that had very little traffic. It was great. There were even roads with no chip seal.

We are having pizza and salad for dinner tonight. Linda is ordering the pizza.

Lake Conroe--According to Wikipedia, Lake Conroe is among the wealthiest areas in Texas. That probably explains the good roads.

Lake Conroe

Horse and friend

more of the two friends

Rest Day in Navasota, TX

2009-04-09T14:25:00.002-07:00

Rest day in Navasota was just that a rest day for me. Several of the women had massages and some had manicures and pedicures. I chose just to relax. I did my laundry, walked to Wal-Mart with Lois S and then we went to McDonald's for a latte. (boy will I be happy to see a Starbucks again). At McDonald's I bought a salad for my lunch but later just I was starting to eat Nancy came by and we walked to Pizza Hut for lunch. I saved the salad for my dinner. I did the usual bike cleaning and then just relaxed quietly in my room.

Only in Texas can you find chips shaped like the state.

when the guides restocked the cooler with drinks they said they could not resist this Tire Bite Golden Ale. Hope this is the only bite we have on this trip.

La Grange to Navasota, TX

2009-04-07T14:37:00.005-07:00

Today was beautiful. It was cold when we started riding and I had on all my cold weather gear. At the first sag stop I took off my heavy coat and put on my wind breaker. I still had lots of layers on below. Around mile 36 I shed all my cold weather gear and had just shorts and jersey on. It felt wonderful.

Today's ride was 69.46 miles giving me a total of 1,450 for the trip. I cannot say strongly enough how much I loved today's ride. The air was cool but clear. There was very little wind and the scenery was just spectacular. The fields full of wildflowers seemed to go on forever. I tried to take pictures but again it was to vast to truly capture the beauty of the countryside.

Smallest active Catholic Church.

Me among the flowers

some of the beautiful flowers

For Alyssa

Paintbrush flower

An Oreo cow!

There were several old building grouped together on the site of the first Baylor University campus.

For Anne C....I met Dave Gundy on the road today. Lois S and I sat with him in a restaurant near our hotel before he went to his camp ground. Dave is a fellow Southern Tier rider.

Pillars at site of original Baylor University

Bastrop to La Grange, Tx

2009-04-06T14:43:00.004-07:00

What a difference a day makes. We did have wind today but not as strong as we have had recently for for a lot of the trip it was a tailwind. All I can say is, "it is about time." I really enjoyed today's ride.

The ride began with a 13 mile ride through Bastrop State Park. There were some serious hills but they were short. I only had trouble with one hill. I was half way up and my Garmin was at 18%. I knew I was not going to make it to the top. I also knew I could not get out of my pedals in time so I headed for the edge of the road. There was a nice soft patch on the side of the road. I made it and fell right on the pine needles. I must have been a very funny sight. Being a true bicycle lover my main concern was my bike. Somehow I managed to fall and hang onto my bike. I rolled and ended up like a dead bug holding my bike over my head. All I ended up with was a tiny scratch on my knee. I wish I had had someone around to take a picture of me. I must have really looked funny.

Here is an article about one of our riders:
http://stories.dailytimes.com/story.lasso?ewcd=caa9eb2bdc5a97a7

cute sign along the way. The Junk Queen is made of bales of hay

Wildflower for Zoey

I love this sign on the way into La Grange

Mary Jo at Weikel's Bakery. Home to authentic Czech Kolaches and Pastries. A word to the wise, never go to a bakery hungry, especially after a 40 mile bike ride.

Blanco to Bastrop, Tx

2009-04-06T14:31:00.002-07:00

Greg got up at 3:45 this morning and drove to Austin for his early morning flight to Tucson. I sure hated to see him leave. Our ride today was 93 miles from Blanco to Bastrop. It was a very tough day mentally for me. I think because Greg had left and the winds were pretty rough again. I just kept thinking about the people who had been blown off their bikes a few days before. Anyway after 30 miles I bagged it and rode the rest of the way in the SAG. I am sick of wind!

a second Rest Day (Kerrville to Blanco, Tx)

2009-04-06T14:08:00.005-07:00

I admit it felt a little strange watching the ladies ride out this morning and not join them but I was VERY happy to be able to spend the day with Greg. We had a perfectly wonderful day.

We drove to Fredricksburg first to walk around and enjoy the sights in this cute little German town.

May pole in Fredricksburg

Greg in front of the community assembly building.

Sign at old car dealership

Next we went to the wildseed farm. They had acres and acres planted with wildflowers. Even though there has been no measurable rainfall in the area in 13 months they irrigate so we were able to see a beautiful display of bluebonnets and poppies.

Next we visited the LBJ Ranch in Johnson City. This is the schoolhouse he attended. It is on the ranch property

LBJ's headstone is the largest one. The flowers are where Lady Bird is buried. They do not have the headstone in place yet as she died just two years ago.

LBJ Ranch house

Close up of ranch

LBJ's desk inside the ranch house. (the Western White House)

Donna celebrating her birthday on the tour.

A change in tour leaders. Michele hands the reins over to Carol for the remainder of the trip.

Rest Day Kerrville

2009-04-06T13:55:00.002-07:00

The saga of Greg and his visit to me continues. After failing to get to Texas yesterday my dear husband got up early this morning to catch a flight from Tucson to Denver and then Denver to Austin. He then picked up a rental car and drove to Kerrville to spend the rest of my rest day with me. We decided that I would not do the ride from Kerrville to Blanco and he and I would sight see. After we finished he would drive me to Blanco.

While I was waiting for him to arrive my cousin, Genie and her husband, Wes drove down from Austin to take me to lunch. We went to a very nice Mexican restaurant and had a wonderful visit. I think it has been about 10 years since we had seen each other (at her mom's 80th birthday)

Greg arrived around 4:00 and we went to a wonderful Italian restaurant for dinner (remember this trip is about eating). After dinner we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things like toothpaste and sunscreen. I go through a lot of sunscreen on this trip.

Genie and Wes

Genie and me

Vanderpool to Kerrville, Tx

2009-04-03T13:43:00.006-07:00

Today's ride was 51 miles. I only did 10 miles. We had some of the worst cross winds of the trip and I did not feel save. Some people did as far as half way and sagged the rest. We had several riders blown over including one who ended up at the hospital emergency room with a concussion. Sure am glad I sagged.

Greg was supposed to fly into San Antonio in the afternoon and spend that evening and the next day (a rest day) with me. The winds were so bad in Texas that they closed several runways at DFW (where he was to change planes). His flight from Tucson was cancelled. I was devastated that he would not be able to join me. (more on this in another days post.)

Again by the half way point over half the women sagged. Just not fun or safe.
Rust in Peace

more from the rust in peace area

Horse swing at diner in Medina, Tx

Michele

Linda

Cat at diner

Camp Wood to Vanderpool, TX

2009-04-03T06:18:00.004-07:00

We knew that today might be tough when the cue sheet had us ridding only 30 miles. The only other day even that close was 34 miles the first ride of the trip. That meant climbing. There were 3 tough climbs with grades between 8-12%. Each climb was about a mile long and probably averaged 8 but they did get steep at a few points. I was actually very happy about how well I did the climbs. Jill, all those climbs up Mt. Lemmon really paid off.

We stayed at the Foxfire cabins. Because of the limited number of rooms available Connie and I shared a cabin with a separate room for each of us. Dinner was in the main house.

I went down to the main house with my knitting after I had showered. Nancy was one of the four people who had a room in the main house. She was there working on her spinning. Nancy brought a drop spindle on the trip and some roving and had actually spun some yarn. The next step in the process was to ply it. I watched her patiently ply the already spun yarn. After a while I went back to my cabin to get organized for the next day. When I went down for dinner, Nancy presented me with the skein of yarn she had spun. It is absolutely beautiful as you can see below.

My cabin, number 2.

Nancy's wonderful gift to me.

Some quilt fabric I bought at Suzie Q Quilts in Camp Wood Texas. Check out www.suzieqquilts.com

Ball Band dishrag I am knitting along the way.

Socks I am working on as well.

Vanderpool

2009-04-01T15:44:00.000-07:00

No internet or phone here

Bracketville to Camp Wood, Tx

2009-03-31T14:23:00.007-07:00

Today was another day of Texas chip seal roads. I feel like my whole body has been put in a washing machine. Will they ever end? On the more positive side today is the last day of March. I road 48 miles today and 42 miles yesterday. That brings my trip mileage to 1,260 miles. Year to date I have done 2,497 miles on a bicycle.

The advantage of a "short day" is that you get into town early enough to look around, eat a bite of lunch, do laundry and clean your bike. My bike is now clean and ready to tackle the climbs tomorrow. There is a little quilt shop on the grounds of the hotel which of course, I could not resist. I bought a few small pieces which I will be able to send home with Greg in Kerrvile.

Courthouse building as I left Bracketville.

Goats along the way.

Same herd.

I wish that the camera could truely capture how pretty the spring leaves are in the morning light.

As Nancy rode by she noticed this sheet stuck in a fence. Her young one was near by crying for it's mom. As Nancy worked to free her several other riders stopped to help. I am happy to report Mother and child ran back to their herd after they were freed.

Dam on Nueces River

Nueces River.

Del Rio (Amistad )to Bracketville, TX

2009-03-31T13:55:00.003-07:00

Today's ride was a very simple straight forward ride. The que sheet said turn right on US 90 from the hotel and ride 42 to miles to Fort Clark Springs and turn right. In between we had Texas headwinds and chip seal on the roads.

We passed Laughlin Air Force Base. Beside the base the road was nice and smooth (must be federal dollars). We continue to see Border Patrol along the way. Also along the way we saw lots of those ranches where "hunters" can go shot animals that are trapped on the ranches. (Think former VP Chaney)

The high light of the day was our destination. Fort Clark is an old army post that was active until after WWII. The government sold it to developers and they are doing a decent job trying to respect the history.

As we beat the trailer in that carries our bags, Lois S and I road back into town and had Magician food.

Riderless horse at entrance to Fort Clark honoring fallen soldiers.

Building housing my room

More old barracks that are now rooms

Old building waiting to be restored.

Sign over the creek into the fort.

The spring fed creek.

my makeshift laundry line (a trash can)

Sanderson to Del Rio, Tx

2009-03-29T16:50:00.004-07:00

Today's ride was supposed to be 111 miles. For me I bagged it at 40 miles. We had a head wind the whole way and I was just tired of fighting it. It is now 6:00 in the evening and there are still nine people still out. They are the 9 people who are still attempting to ride the entire thing. They have now been fighting wind for almost twelve hours. They are some very determined ladies.

I am now back from cheering the riders in. Lois S, Sherry, Connie, Marcie, Jan C. and Laurey completed the entire ride. Great job ladies! Donna and Mary Jo rode until they had to be pulled off the route.

Tomorrow is a short day and even with some wind(prediction for tomorrow is lighter winds but still winds) I figure I can do 43 miles. We do not have to get an early start to complete the ride. Breakfast is at 7:30.

Lake Amisted

Railroad Bridge

Marathon to Sanderson, Tx

2009-03-28T14:23:00.003-07:00

We began this morning with breakfast back in the cabin where Linda and Michele are staying. It was cold outside so it was nice to be able to eat inside. I had my usual oatmeal.

Today's cue sheet was pretty simple. Left out of hotel onto US 90, left into Outback Oasis Motel in Sanderson 54 miles later. It was an awesome ride. There was not traffic, gentle rollers then a 1% downhill with a tailwind. I felt like I was flying. I averaged 17.1 mph. Nice.

Tomorrow is our longest day of the trip 110 miles. It was nice to get in early enough to get caught up on my blog and to rest. Right now and Amtrack train is rolling east past the hotel.

Wall decoration in the cabin.

More decorations.

Our motel in Sanderson, Tx.

On the grounds of our motel.

Ft. Davis to Marathon, Tx

2009-03-28T13:44:00.007-07:00

Today's ride was 60 miles to Marathon, TX. After having a rest day to relax and do things like charge my Garmin I just did not have my act together this morning. As I was getting ready to leave I realized my Garmin had accidentally been left on and the battery was dead. Fortunately the route was simple so I did not need to be constantly checking for mileage.

Since I forgot my camera when I went into town yesterday I stopped and took a few pictures for my collection. It took me almost to the first sag stop to catch up with anyone. I really hate for ride at the back alone for fear of a flat. I then road with a group to the town of Alpine, Tx. Some were calling it Alpine 2 since we had already been to Alpine, Ca. We stopped a delightful and very friendly coffee shop to warm up and eat.

Oh, when I said warm up I forgot to mention the most important thing. It was COLD this morning. I had on just about every piece of cold weather gear I brought. My core was warm but my toes despite two pair of socks and toe covers never really warmed up until the break.

After the break the winds came. We are in an area known for its winds. They were cold and and cross wind. I struggled and made it in and was never so happy to see a Hotel than I was to see the Gage.

Linda knew how cold and miserable we would be and made split pea soup for dinner. It sure hit the spot. We did not even have to eat outside in the wind because the leaders had a little cabin with a living room and a kitchen. It was great.

Sign as I left the state park. We are definitely getting to the South.

Deer in the bush.

Ft Davis National Historical Site. Wish I had time to visit it.

Beautiful courthouse in Ft. Davis.

We take over a restaurant in Alpine, Tx. I had a great cinnamon bun and a chai latte. Pure heaven.

A local Texan, Taylor Gray. He apparently came to Alpine when he was 15 and made his fortune in West Texas. Notice his car. Everything comes big in Texas.

A sign on the wall in the diner in Marathon. I love this old sign.

My room at the Gage Hotel in Marathon.

another view.

The courtyard outside my room at the Gage.

The porch outside my room

Flower garden at the Gage.

Rest day Ft. Davis, TX

2009-03-28T13:31:00.003-07:00

The key word today was rest. I slept in until after 7:00 then went to the hotel restaurant for a light breakfast. After I ate I wondered down to the trailer to see if anyone was cleaning their bikes. Lois S and several others were going into town for a quick look. The shuttle was leaving so I decided to join them. Of course, I did not have my camera. Lois took several pictures for me but her flash driving is not working so she cannot transfer them to me yet. Hopes to have a new one in Kerrville.

Didn't do much in town but walk around. Was back at the hotel in a couple of hours. I then cleaned my bike and wondered around the hotel. I got these pictures of a herd of javalina on the grounds. I spent pretty much the rest of the day in my room, knitting and relaxing.

Van Horn to Fort Davis, Tx

2009-03-28T13:09:00.002-07:00

Today was a very tough day for me. It was a scheduled 90 mile day. I just never could get my head into the ride. It began with a 40 mile ride on I-10. After 20 miles I decided to be bumped up to the send of the interstate ride. Much to my my unhappiness I then faced a very hard cross wind that actually was moving my bicycle and me across the road. I opted to sag the rest of the way in to Ft. Davis after about 15 miles. After I saw the ladies who did the whole ride come in that evening I was glad I had chosen to sag. There were absolutely beat.

Dinner that evening was a Mexican buffet provided by the hotel. It was very good. You could tell how tired everyone was by how quiet it was in the room.

There were lots a yucca blooming along the route.

A view of my room

More views of my room

ditto

View of the valley we are in from our hotel.

Roaming Texas

2009-03-28T05:04:00.000-07:00

I have been without internet last few days and posting with BlackBerry takes to long. Soon maybe internet

Fort Hancock to Van Horn, TX

2009-03-24T15:50:00.003-07:00

Today everyone got an early start for two reasons, it was a 74 mile day and we lost an hour going from Mountain Savings Time to Central Savings Time. Nancy and I were the first two to leave at 7:07. I really enjoyed today's ride. It was 73.67 miles giving me a total of 982 miles for the trip. I am almost 1/3 the way there.

Nancy is from Vermont and we had a delightful day spinning along with a nice tailwind. We had a couple of miles on I-10 at the beginning and about 9 miles on I-10 at the end. The rest of the way was either rural road or an empty frontage road. Except on the interstate we rode side by side and chatted. It was great.

Tomorrow is a 90 mile day with the first 40 miles on I-10. I have not decided if I am going to ride the whole thing or get a lift to where we get of the interstate. Either way it is almost time for dinner so must sign off. Day after tomorrow is a rest day!

The Hudspeth County Railroad Depot Museum. Unfortunately it is only open on Wednesdays but it is definately a great building. Located in Sierra Blanca it is where the Texas-Pacific and the Southern Pacific RR joined creating a second transconinental railroad.

An old car at the museum.

We are now in a new time zone.

El Paso to Fort Hancock, TX

2009-03-23T15:26:00.006-07:00

We were told to get a little later start this morning to let the Monday morning El Paso work traffic pass. At 8:00 we were chomping at the bit and pretty much left as a group. I really enjoyed today because it was a very flat day with mostly a tail wind. The best thing however, was the fact that most of the women stopped several times to visit the missions and have lunch. When we make that many stops we seem to be a more cohesive group because there is always someone around tor ride with.

Got to the motel around 1:00pm. Again nice to have the whole afternoon to relax. I cleaned my bike and walked across the street to a chili outlet and bought some various chili powders to have shipped home. Then one of the ladies, Peggy, and I went to a diner where I had a scoop of ice cream and she had a salad.

There is no internet in our rooms but there is wi-fi in the lobby. That is where I am posting this.

Today was 47.32 miles for a trip total of 908. Tomorrow is a 74 mile day. Right now we are in the middle of a West Texas dust storm. Sure hope it dies down before tomorrow. The winds are about 30 mph with gusts of 40 mph. The sky is and air is brown.

We may not have had a welcome to Texas sign but this morning the waffle iron at the hotel made Texas shaped waffles. How fun.

Statue above a welcome sign to the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo outside El Paso.

Mission Socorro

Alter at Mission Socorro

Plaza at the Presidio de San Elizerio.

San Elizario Chapel.

San Elizario Chapel alter

I think these are pecan trees that have been pruned back.

next phase of the pecan trees.

another phase

La Calesa Restaurent in Tornillo

Manuella, the owner and cook at La Calesa. A wonderful cook and a delightful person

SAG stop along the way.

Interseting rock formation.

Las Cruses, NM to El Paso, TX

2009-03-22T14:42:00.005-07:00

Today seems like a rest day even though I rode 65.26 miles at an average of 14.6. This morning everyone was worried about predicted high winds so I rolled out of the hotel parking lot at 7:06am with Lois B and Marcie. These two ladies are just awesome. They tucked me into the middle and they took turns pulling. We finished the ride in 4:28. Counting our stops we got to the hotel about noon. The hotel was able to give us rooms. The trailer with our luggage arrived shortly and we all grabbed washing machines. Only one of the next four night's hotels has a washing machine so laundry was critical.

The ride was pretty nice. We rode on empty roads through farm land and a lot of horse country. We saw lots of pecan groves and really beautiful horses. We had been warned about El Paso traffic but because we were early on a Sunday morning we were pretty lucky.

Much to our disappointment there was no "Welcome to Texas" sign. Considering we are here for the next three weeks I thought there would be more. At San Jacinto Plaza we tried to take a photo of the Texas flag but as you can see the wind did not cooperate.

Today at dinner we will celebrate our new state line crossing. It is hard to believe that we now have ridden from the Pacific Ocean, across California, Arizona and now New Mexico. I have ridden a total of 861 miles.

A photo of a flooded pecan grove with birds on the water.

The lone star flag.

Sign at San Jacinto Plaza.

Beautiful only Kress building in downtown El Paso.

Kingston, NM to Las Cruces, NM

2009-03-21T18:43:00.004-07:00

Today we rode 88.42 miles after our tough day of climbing yesterday. Surprisingly my legs were not dead as I expected them to be. It was good thing too. The ride began with some nice down hills as Kingston was still up the mountain we had climbed the day before. There was about 3 miles of climbing between 9.5 and 12.5.

We rode through tiny towns with names like, Arrey, Derry and Salem.Then around mile 51 we arrived in Hatch. For any chili lovers out there Hatch is famous for growing some of the best red chili's around. Stopped at a Mexican restaurant and had lunch. That may have been my big mistake. By the time we headed out we had a head wind. So basically from mile 51 to our hotel we fought either cross winds or head winds. I am very happy to say I completed the ride but was also very happy to be at the hotel.

Art work out back at the Black Range Lodge.

Same chicken just a different angle.

Some of the beautiful country side. It is so vast and beautiful a camera cannot do it justice.

In ne of One of the small towns we rode through. I think Arrey.

In the same town.

For my granddaughter, Katy who loves horses. (the picture not the horse)

Hatch, New Mexico

The Rio Grande

Silver City, NM to Kingston, NM

2009-03-20T15:38:00.002-07:00

Today was our highest climb of the trip. Depending on whose garmain you believe we climbed between 4,996 and 5,208 and descended betwenn 4,588 and 5,011 feet. This was over 47.20 miles and it took me 5:42 with an average speed of 8.3 mph.
The amazing thing for mw was I did all the climbing and then actually did the descent. For those of you who know me I am not big on descending but I did it.

This was a rock formation early on in the ride.

Some of the beautiful scenery on the climb.

I made it to Emery Pass

Emery Pass, 8,828 feet.

More beautiful scenery

Old produce labels on the kitchen door at the lodge.

The kitchen stove. They are cooking our dinner turkey in it.

Old piano at the lodge.

Great old stove at the lodge.

Marci and Donna relaxing on the porch of the lodge.

A welcome sign and package from Chris(Marni's sister) was waiting for us when we got here. There were flowers, cookies, fruit and cheese.

Thanks

2009-03-19T08:32:00.001-07:00

A special thanks for all the encouragement from everyone. I am feeling better today. Today is a rest day and I am taking it very easy. Will be back on my bike tomorrow as we climb Emery Pass, our highest elevation climb of the tour.

Lordsburg, NM to Silver City, NM

2009-03-18T18:52:00.003-07:00

Today was only a 47 miles but there was a lot of climbing. We crossed the continental divide. So far on the trip I have ridden 660 miles and I have a total of 1,897 for the year. I definitely think I will be over the 5,000 mile mark for the year.

As I left Lordsburg this morning I passed this signer on the road. Thought it was interesting.

This was an interesting plant I saw along the road.

Proof I made it to the continental divide.

Several of us arrived in Silver City pretty close to each other. (Marcie, Lois B, Marnie, Michele and I) We decided it was to early to check in our hotel so we rode into town to have lunch. Michele recommended a restaurant called Vicki's. We set outside on the patio and had lunch. From where I sat I could see this art work. Thought it was cute.

I am really tired, both physically and emotionally. I called Greg today and told him to come pick me up I was done. He said NO. I had trained for a year and a half for this and I was going to complete it. He told me to go down to the trailer have a glass of wine and visit with some of the women. Well it worked. I learned that a lot of women were feeling this way and it was just natural. Tomorrow is a rest day and Lois S and I are going in town for lunch and to get more screws for my cleats. I lost 3 screws today and when I stopped I could not get my shoe out of the pedal. Not good. Well relaxing tomorrow should help everything.

Safford, Az to Lordsburg, NM

2009-03-17T14:49:00.005-07:00

That little yellow dot on the top of the distant hill is me. The photo was taken by Carol (another rider) on the trip. Shows the hills we did several days ago.

Today was a scheduled 75 mile day. My legs were just dead. I was working as hard as I could and I was just getting now where. My average speed was 10 mph. At that rate I knew I did not want to do 7 and a half hours of riding plus time for SAG stops. At the first stop, twenty miles into the ride I decided to bag it. I got a ride in the van with Linda our cook. We got to the hotel and fortunately they had a room I could have. I did a load of laundry and then have spent the rest of the day resting in bed.

Tomorrow is a 57 mile day to Silver City. I have been looking forward to it for ages. While I love the desert, I do live in the desert. I have been wanting a change of scenery. Tomorrow will give that to me. Then we have a rest day. I think that will give me the rejuvenation I need to happily continue this adventure across the country.

Proof I am in New Mexico.

Globe to Safford, AZ

2009-03-16T18:51:00.004-07:00

Today I did 77.26 miles for a total so far for the trip of 594. A lot of riding was done on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. There was much less traffic than yesterday and for the most part the the roads were good. In the beginning I rode with several ladies including Jan and Marni from the Mississippi River trip. Our first SAG stop was in a Basha's parking lot on the reservation. There were a couple of very sad dogs begging for food. Made me think of Madison and her luxury life.

As I was riding past two Native American on the reservation the lady blessed me and wished me a safe trip to St. Augustine. It was a nice feeling. Later I passed a guy who welcomed me to the reservation.

This will give you and idea of what the desert looked like on the reservation.

Between miles 55 and 60 I stopped at this convenience store in Fort Thomas and bought myself a Red Bull. Edith I though of you.

Along the way I passed this bar in the middle of no where with the sign that read Bikers Welcome. I don't think I was the target audience.

Around these parts US 60 is called the Old West Highway. I though these two signs together were great.

That is Mt Graham in the back ground with the snow. The University of Arizona has a telescope up there.

Finally everyone had to stop at the famous Taylor Freeze in Pima, Arizona. There have wonderful green chili burros. I split one with Elizabeth.

Tomorrow is a 75 mile day so I am off to and early bedtime.

Apache Junction to Globe, AZ

2009-03-15T16:29:00.005-07:00

Today has been labeled one of the most challenging of the Southern Tier. The challenge comes from various aspects. Historically the weather has not cooperated with Woman Tours. There have been years where snow stopped them on the road. There are lots of climbs. For my part the most challenging was the road conditions. I had not problem with the climbs. I think all those times Jill had me climb Mt. Lemmon really paid off. The weather was perfect as the pictures will show, we had sun. The temperature was perfect for riding.

We rode US 60 from Apache Junction to Globe. The road was new to Florence Junction but after that we faced narrow shoulders with rumble strips so you often had to ride on the road. This was fine as long a we were climbing because the road had two lanes going up. I made it to the top of the climb outside Miami, AZ. Here we encountered major road construction which took away the shoulder and there were only two lanes. There was a ton of traffic. When word reached me that there was a second bridge ahead (I already had to be SAGed over one) I called it quits. I got to a safe place I could pull off and the SAG could stop and pick me up. I want cycling to be fun and when I am to scared to enjoy it is time for me to quit.

My congratulations to the women who did the whole thing. There is a couple from Tucson, Ed and Linda, who have joined us for three days. He drived to the end point and the bikes to meet Linda and their friend Jan. When I got to the hotel Linda said that after Ed drove the route this morning, rather than biking, he turned right around and picked up Linda says she would not be happy doing this route.

Te view as we left Apache Junctions

Me at Gonzales Pass. Elevation 4600 ft.

Sights in Superior, Az

More sights from Superior.

More Sights from Superior.

The Tunnel just past Superior on the way to Globe.

Such beautiful scenery along the way.

Phoenix to Apache Junction

2009-03-14T16:35:00.003-07:00

I have ridden almost 120 miles in the last two days and have basically crossed the greater Phoenix area. Woman Tours did a great job that for the most part had us on either back roads or roads with bike lanes. I was amazed. I have never thought that Phoenix was very bike friendly but the route WT had us take proved me wrong.

Today Lois and I started out looking for a Starbucks. We found on in an Albertson's grocery store and had to stand to drink ours. Little did I realize that would be the highlight of my day. While the route was pretty safe riding it was stop and go the whole way. I did not help the stop and go process when I ended up with two flat tires. They were both on my back tire and were in different place (one at the stem and the other on the other side ). Fortunately for me Mary Jo and Donna were riding with us when they happened and Mary Jo was strong enough to get the tire on and off my Zipp 303's. While I like the wheels they are IMPOSSIBLE to change. The second flat Lois and our sag driver were able to get it for me. I am really worried if I get a flat when I am alone.

Food is always a big part of our day. Here is Lois (our sous cheif) preparing a meal.

Some of the food.

More food

Women Tours laundry art work.

Wickenberg, Az to Phoenix, AZ

2009-03-13T19:50:00.002-07:00

We began riding a week ago today and have had one rest day. During that time I have ridden approximately 423 miles. The crazy things is I am in Phoenix only about 100 miles from home!

Today I rode with Robin and Liz. I enjoyed riding with them a lot. Robin is a second grade teacher taking a year off from teaching to do this ride. Liz is an artist. You have to check out her website: www.elizburkhousedesigns.com

I am afraid I did not take any pictures today because it look a lot like Tucson. Tomorrow is spent trying to get to the other side of Phoenix.

Dinner tonight was great as usual. We had a choice of chicken or tofu in peanut sauce, Chinese cabbage salad, fresh fruit and cake. Thanks Linda

Miss up

2009-03-12T17:35:00.001-07:00

Somehow the ride from Blythe to Salome got posted before Salome to Wickenberg. Read them the correct order

Blythe. Ca to Salome, Az

2009-03-12T16:21:00.004-07:00

Today was our first state crossing and much to my "pleasure" it involved a bridge crossing. With the help of a couple of the other women I was able to walk over the I-10 Colorado River bridge into Arizona. Halfway across I stopped long enough to snap this picture of the state line.

This picture is looking at the Colorado River from the Arizona side toward California.

Slightly further along I took this picture of the Welcome to Arizona sign.

After riding 18 miles on I-10 we exited at the town of Quartzite. I have stopped at Quartzite many times for gas on my way to LA but have never discovered Sweet Darlene's. It is a great place for pies, and other baked goods as well as lunch. (Sweet Darlene's is at the far east in of Quartzite so if you are coming from Phoenix or Tucson exit the first exit)

As you can tell by the smiling face we women of Woman Tours do not miss an opportunity for pier or baked goods.

I hope this sign shows up better on a larger computer screen than my laptop. It gave us all a good laugh. Are we passed through the town of Hope, Arizona this was on the edge of town. It says "YOUR NOW BEYOND HOPE." Note the spelling of you are.

Our final stop of the day was the Sheffler's Motel in Salome, Arizona. The pink lights give the place a much nicer look that it actually was. The lady who owned the place was a hoot and very nice. One of the ladies left her wallet in her room and the owner followed us down the road in her car to give it to her.

Note this was written in Wickenberg as we had no internet in Salome.

Salome to Wickenberg, Arizona

2009-03-11T18:00:00.002-07:00

Today began with a short four mile ride to the town of Wenden and a great coffeehouse at the end of town. It is called Ingredients and is run by a mother and daughter. It is full of very eclectic art and a great use of antiques and other items that mite be consider junk.

Check out Ingredients at www.ingredientsaz.com

One of my favorite spots at the coffee shop was the wi-fi area.

They even had a special location to park our bikes.

A saying on the back of one of the women's jersey from an AIDS ride.

Ride mileage up date:

Blythe to Salome 60.53 in 5:05
Salome to Wickenber 55.25 in 4:04

..Rest Day Blythe, CA

2009-03-10T19:36:00.008-07:00

Since Greg was here we got up and went to breakfast. There were already a couple of Woman Tours women down for breakfast. We chatted and ate waffles. There was a tire changeing clinic scheduled for 9:00 but as I have changed numerous flats Greg and I headed out to see the Blythe Intaglios. They are in the desert about 15 miles. Best seen from the air they were discovered by a pilot flying over the area in 1932. Greg thinks the pilot created them in 1931 and then "discovered them " a year later. I like to think they are ancient. Scientists think they are at least several hundred years old and could be as old as 1,000 years.

On our way back into town we stopped at one of the way stations where water is diverted from the Colorado to the many canels in the area.

When we got back to the hotel most of the women were in the parking lot cleaning their bikes. Greg went to the room to check email and I worked on my bike. There was a lot of sand and grit on the chain from the blowing sand at the dunes yesterday. After it was clean Greg and I took Lois S. to a mexican resturant recommend by the checkout woman at the Rite-Aide. She was correct it was great. Greg headed back to Tucson and I worked on folding the clean clothes I had washed this morning. While getting ready for tomorrows ride I discovered a screw was missing from my cleat. No problem, I brought extra screws. Wrong, it turns out the screws are to short because of the shems I now have on my cleats. I checked the WT trailer and there were not any the correct size. I ended up bicycling to the Ace in town and finding the correct size. I bought plenty so if I loose anymore on the trip I am set.

Several woment went out to dinner but because I had such a large lunch I opted for a quiet evening in my room with a salad from Albertsons.

Brawley to Blythe

2009-03-10T15:10:00.013-07:00

Today's ride made up for the tough rides we have had the last two days. The ride was 89 miles. The second day it took me 5:35 to go 46.5 miles, the third day took 4:54 to go 66.7 miles and then today's ride took 5:55 to go 89.5 miles. Shows you what flats, some minor rollers and a tailwind will do for you.

Along the way we saw water ways, such as the one to the left, sand dunes and the beautiful chocolate mountains. The Chocolate Mountains contain a naval reservation aerial gunnery range. Jan B was our SAG driver for the day and parked at the entrance to the range. Had to be careful which bush you went behind to do your business!

The desert is infull bloom these days and this is just one of the many flowers we saw along the way.

It was very interesting to see the sand dunes along the way. This is a view of the dunes with the Chocolate Mountains in the back ground. On our left side was the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area; On the right was an area where ATV's were allowed to rome. On the wilderness side there was all sort of vegatation; on the ATV side NOTHING. It really gives you an idea how cruel we can be to our planet.

Because it was such a long ride and there was no place to buy lunch Linda, our cook, set up a wonderful lunch on top of a pull out about mile 40. Even though it was still pretty early we all ate as though we had not eaten in days.

Stopped at a little store in the town of Ripley to refill water bottles and to follow one of our trip mottos, "never pass up a flush toilet."

Blythe was special for me because Greg was able to join me for the evening. He had been in a confernce in Palm Desert that finished earlier in the day. Since Blythe is on the way home he stopped for the evening. He joined our group for dinner at the world famous Sizzler in Blythe.

When I got to the hotel my cell phone started to ring. I did not recognize the number but answered it anyway. The woman identified herself as my oldest granddaughters' scout leader. She went on to tell me the school district had cancelled after school events and the would be no Girls Scouts today. I had to laugh and tell her she had the wrong grandmotherthat I was not the one watching the girls while their mom and dad were in the British Virgin Islands. Told her how to get in touch with that grandmother and said if she had trouble to call me back. Never heard from her!

Alpine to Jacumba, CA

2009-03-07T17:07:00.022-07:00

OK, so today was a climbing day. When I say climbing day I mean just that. I rode 46.49 miles and climbed 4,813 feet. While those statistics may be impressive the next ones won't be. It took me 5:35:56 and I averaged only 8.3 mph. Can you say up hill with a head wind? Lois who also did the Mississippi River trip with me and last year rode the underground RR route says this may be the hardest ride she has ever done. Now keep in mind she was and hour and a half faster than me. (I am trying to put in perspective how tough today was.)

Tomorrow's ride is 67 miles but per the map elevations it is either down hill or gentle rolling to flat. I sure hope that is the case, I would really like to spin my legs outs.

So in addition to all the climbing and the head winds we rode on the Interstate for the first time.

There were some very interesting rock formations along the route. The rock formation at the top looked like a gerbil but I don't think you can tell from this camera view.

Does this mean the top and a down hill

San Diego to Alpine, Ca

2009-03-06T16:50:00.021-07:00

Today began for me as I am sure it did for most of us, with me laying in bed waiting for the alarm to go off. I really did not need the alarm as I woke every hour during the night. Once the alarm went off I quickly dress and went down the the Woman Tours trailer. The snacks for the day were already waiting for us.

Then it was time for the oatmeal. On the trip we will usually eat the breakfasts provided by the hotels. In the case such as today when there in no hotel breakfast, Linda, our chief, will prepare steel cut oatmeal and in some cases eggs as well. I feel like I am in oatmeal heaven with dried fruit, nuts and brown sugar for my oatmeal. What more could I want?

I was one of several people fortunate to have a family member or a friend there to see her off. My daughter Bridget was there for me. She did a great job not only taking pictures for me but for several other women. By the way look out our new WomanTours jersey. I love it!

Then finally it was time to do what we all came here to do, RIDE. We had a short 3 mile ride to the ocean beach where we took group photos and dipped our back wheels in the Pacific Ocean. At the end of the trip we will dip the front wheels in the Atlantic.

Here I am at the beach.

2009 Women Tours Southern Tier

Dipping my back wheel!

Once we finished with the ceremonies we finally got on our way. In addition to the 3 mile ride to the beach we rode 34 miles to the town of Alpine. Per my Garmin we climbed 2,803 ft. There is more climbing tomorrow.

This is a great bunch of ladies and I am enjoying them alot. I will tell you more about them in the days to come.

San Diego

2009-03-05T18:50:00.002-07:00

Bridget safely transported my bicycle and me to San Diego from Redondo Beach yesterday. We stopped at a shop called Bikewear and got some great deals on bicycle gear. I was very good and only bought myself one pair of bike shorts. I also bought Greg a pair of shorts. Angela scored the most with a pair of shorts, a jersey and a bike wind breaker.

Today WomanTours had our orientation. It was great to see old friends from my Meandering Mississippi trip. I am pretty wired after the send off banquet so Bridget and I are going to watch a movie in the room . I will blog more tomorrow

Tomorrow San Diego

2009-03-03T10:24:00.002-07:00

Right now I am in my daughter's living room in Redondo Beach while she and my husband play Wii tennis. I played a bit but am afraid of a Wii injury before I depart for San Diego tomorrow. The dog just walked in front of the play area and caused Greg to loose a game. He is not happy!

I have been enjoying the last day or two of just resting. I have not ridden a bicycle since Saturday. I think my body just needs a rest before I start riding on Friday. Tomorrow we drive to San Diego. There are a couple of stores Bridget and I want to visit one we are there. One carries only bicycle and tri wear. Should be fun. The other is a needlepoint shop that Bridget will tolerate.

More reports later from San Diego.

Riding and worring

2009-02-18T11:58:00.005-07:00

Last Thursday, riding friends, Sharon and Susan, and I rode to Arivaca, Arizona. It is a ride we have been talking about doing for about a year and a half. We meet in the town of Green Valley, take the freeway frontage road to the town of Amado and then head west to Arivaca. It was up hill and into a headwind to for 20 + miles into Arivaca. We averaged slightly over 10 mph. (Pretty dismal) On the way back however, we were slightly over 17 mph. Show you what a downhill with a tail wind can do for you.

I have had some nerves about the upcoming bicycle trip. I know I am in good shape and ready for the ride but I do keep thinking about how long it is. Three thousand miles is a long way.

A special thanks to all of you who have been following this blog and have posted comments. Thanks so much and please keep it up. It is really important for me to hear from you all when I am on this trip!

Progress being made

2009-02-05T16:05:00.008-07:00

As promised here are the two sides of my new computer "bag/case". I have completed piecing them and machine quilting them. Now all I have to do is figure out how I want to sew them together and then line the bag. I keep going back and forth in my mind as to do I want to have a draw string closing the bag or do I use Velcro. Right now I am leaning toward the draw string. The two blocks are actually the same size they just don't look like it because of the camera angle and cropping.

Today, I went for another short ride. It was only supposed to be one hour but I ended up doing about and hour twenty because it was such a beautiful day. Sunday I am scheduled to to a century and the weather is not very promising.

Tomorrow Angela comes for a short visit. She has a high school friend that is getting married Saturday and she is coming for the wedding. Always fun when one of the girls comes for a visit.

Rest Day #2

2009-02-03T12:45:00.015-07:00

My friend Sharon does Ironman Triathlons. Last summer after she completed her fourth she took some time off from major training. She made the comment to me that she found she was actually getting things completed in her life when she wasn't training. I have felt that way the last two days. Because I am down to less than four weeks before I leave for my cross country, trip my coach has made this a drop down week in training. Yesterday and today are rest days! Tomorrow and Thursday I only have one hour to ride and Friday is another rest day. Of course, I am doing a century on Sunday so this is not a total slug week.

Soooooooooo, I have been taking advantage of this time off the bicycle. I finished this pair of socks. I started them ages ago but put them aside for some unknown reason. (Probaby had to finish some Christmas knitting). I have also begun working on a quilted carrying bag for my mini computer. I will post pictures of it when it is finished.

When I went outside to take the pictue of the sock I realized that one of the trees in my back yard thinks it is Spring. Sure hope we don't get another freeze.

An miles and miles before I sleep

2009-01-30T17:27:00.015-07:00

I cannot believe that I will leave for California in slightly over four weeks (on February 1 to be exact). I have been putting in lots of miles on my bike to get ready. I have 618 miles in January so far and still have tomorrow to ride for 3 1/2 hours. Not bad at all considering I took one week off to let my hip recover from to much sledding with the grandchildren over Christmas.

In addition to biking, I have sewn a simple nightgown to take on the trip, worked on a quilted cover for my new mini laptop computer and just about completed knitting a pair of socks. When I did the Mississippi River bike trip I took a favorite nightgown and left in on the bed in a hotel somewhere along the way. The reason I missed it was that it was white and was on the white bed sheets. I decided this trip to make a bright gown I would not miss! I think this may work. The buttons are little chickens I bought in Paris years ago.

Speaking of my new mini laptop Greg bought me this little gem for my trip. It only weighs 2 pounds and has all the features I need to access email, the internet and to blog. I am getting it all set up now. I want to make a small quilted cover for it to protect it when it is buried in my suitcase on the trip. It also has a built in camera so I can use Skype to chat with the family.

Other than that I have been adding and removing things from my piles of things to take on the trip. I think this will last the entire month of February!

Can you say dream weather?

2009-01-13T16:07:00.014-07:00

I went out for a 2 hour 45 minute ride. Today was one of those weather days all of us in Tucson just love. After enduring 100+ degree days in summers a winter day with temperatures in the high 60's is just what we ordered. I road from my house to Saguaro National Park. The park has a beautiful 8 mile loop that has only one way traffic and very slow traffic at that. The whole look was repaved less than two years ago so it is so nice and smooth. There is a one mile hill on the back side that reaches 12% in some parts. Good training for the cross country trip It is so peaceful there.

Did You Know?The saguaro cactus only grows naturally in the Sonoran Desert. There are approximately 1.6 million individual saguaro plants growing within Saguaro National Park.

Last Summer while visiting Angela we has a Summer Olympics for all the grandchildren. They all had such a great time that once they found out they would all be together at Christmas they requested a Winter Olympics. Here they all with the flags they made for the opening ceremony. Events ranged from snow ball building to sledding. A good time was had by all.

A new way to ride

2009-01-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

In Spring of 2008 Greg bought me a new bike. This beautiful Orbea Diva is the most comfortable bicycle I have ever ridden. It totally carbon from the frame to the handlebars to the seat post. It is a woman specific design so it is the first bike I have ever felt comfortable riding in the drops. It has a big task ahead of it for 2009. I will be riding from San Diego, California to St. Augustine, Florida with a group of women through Woman Tours. I have really enjoyed this new bike. The wheels on it right now are Greg's Zipp 303. I normally have Reynolds Attack wheels on it but Greg felt these would be better for the long bike ride.

Training for my trip has been going well. I feel very confident that I will be able to face all the challanges of the ride. I did 15 miles up Mt. Lemmon Thanksgiving weekend and have had a lot of miles under my saddle so to speak. More later

4,793 Miles in 2008

2009-01-10T15:35:00.023-07:00

I am back for 2009 and hopefully I will get better at regular postings.

Last year was a very busy year in our household.

In February, I did a week long bicycle trip in Death Valley with Woman Tours.

In April, Angela and I went to Beijing for a week and had a wonderful time. Here we are at the Temple of Heaven. The Temple of Heaven is located in southeast Beijing and was completed in 1420, but has been expanded over the years by two Qing Dynasty Emperors. Qinian Hall, the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, with the three blue tiled cone shaped roofs, has become a worldwide symbol of Beijing. It was hit by lightning in 1889 and completely restored. No nails or pegs were used in the original construction nor in the restoration.

In May,Greg did Wildflower Triathlon Long course and we followed that by a Backroads bike trip with our friends Barbara and Jerry in Napa Valley.

Greg completed two I man Triathlons this year (yes that is 140.6 miles each). Yes, you read that right, two Ironman Trialthlons. He did Ironman Couer d'Alene in June and Ironman Arizona in November. Our daughter, Bridget, also did both of them as well! Here they are at the start in Couer d'Alene. Greg looks like he is not sure what he got himself into.

After they did Couer d'Alene, Bridget, her boys and I went back to Seattle to spend a month with Angela and her family in their new home in Woodinville. While we were there Angela kindly agreed to watch the boys so Bridget, my friend Susan from TriSports and I rode the two day Seattle to Portland ride.

All this and other activies to be told about in future post ment I was still able to get in a total of 4,793 miles in on my bicycle. I have been busy all year preparing for the ride of a lifetime. I will tell you more about it soon.

Spring Winds in the Southwest

2008-03-31T16:13:00.003-07:00

I have had three days in a row of riding. I started to say good but the winds yesterday made it a little tough. Saturday I rode with Greg and we went 24 miles with an average speed of 15.5 mph. Definitely feel I am getting stronger (of course, he really pushes me). Sharon and I rode Sunday but with much different results. We rode 57 miles but only averaged 13.4 mph. Today I went out and did 31 but with much the same results as yesterday at 13.6 mph. Sunday's ride was up hill the first half and then the return was with a 15+ mph head wind. There were also stronger gusts with the occasional crosswind. I think today my legs were just dead.

I have been working on knitting a pair of socks as well as doing some needlepoint. I will post pictures soon of my progress.

Time moves along

2008-03-21T15:18:00.003-07:00

I did finish my Mississippi River Bike trip last spring. We finished in Lake Itasca State Park in Minnesota. We had two nights in the park, the day we arrived and then the next day. We spent our final day together visiting the park, packing and saying our final goodbyes. There was no Internet connection in the park so I did not blog. By the time I got home so much had passed and I just never got around to telling you I DID IT. I swore that that would be my last long trip on a bicycle but of course, it will not be! More about my future plans in another post.

In February of this year I did a Woman Tours Death Valley trip. It was wonderful. If you have never bicycled in Death Valley add it to your list. It is a bicyclist's dream location, miles and miles of virtually traffic free roads. You are in a valley so lots of flat but if you want to climb there are hills too!

June 13-14, 2007 Little Falls, MN

2007-06-14T12:29:00.000-07:00

We are in Little Falls, MN, does than mean that Frostbite Falls is close?

We are having a rest day before our final two days of riding. Yesterday was a very interesting day for me. I started out leaving the hotel with most of the other riders when about a half a mile away I realized that I had forgotten my cycling gloves. Since it was a 77 mile day I did not want to ride without then. I turned back to the hotel and dug my suit case out of the trailer and got my gloves. I started out again but everyone was well ahead and I could no longer see them. About three fourths a mile down I hear two of the women calling me from behind. I had turned right when I should have turned left. (Thank you Linda and Barbara)

I rode a pretty good distance by myself when I hooked up with Anne. We got to a point on the cue sheet that had us turn left. Unfortunately, there were large barriers with signs saying road closed. We could see workmen down at the bottom of the hill working on a bridget. We rode down hoping they would let us carry our bikes over the constuction area. Turns out there was nothing to go over because they had torn down the old bridge and hand not started on building a new one. The workmen were helpful in giving us directions to detour that would get us back on route. Bicycling is always and adventure.

I really felt strong since I had rested the two previous days because of the intestinal problem. As Anne and rode together it soon became apparent that the day was going to be closer to 86 and 77 miles. At mile 80 my ride unraveled. Anne said that she noticed that my riding was slowing seriously and she said my breathing started sounding labored. She suggested I stop and take my inhailor. Turns out that was a very good idea just as I got off the bike my legs went weak under me. I was able to stil my bike down just as I crumpled in a heap on the side of the road. I was so fortunate to have Anne with me. Anne is the only MD on the whole trip. She had one electrolite pill left in her bag and gave it to me. She also had me eat a power bar and a Gu packet. She had me drink lots of water and stayed with me until the SAG arrived to drive me in the final 6 miles. I was pretty sad that I was unable to complete the ride but I think the whole intestinal problem "drained" me so to speak. Once we got to the hotel Stephanie, Georgia and Anne got me, my bike and luggage to the room. I was starting to fell better and wanted to take a shower. Clark sat in my room while I showered to make sure everything was OK. Then I lay ed down and rested. All the women on this trip have been so supportive and helpful. I cannot tell you how great they have taken care of each other. I went down for dinner last night and had a good rest.

This morning I felt fine. I had breakfast at the hotel and did my usual rest day routine, laundry. Then I walked over to Wal-Mart and bought some Powerade. I have enough for the two remaining rides plus I drank two 32 oz bottles today. Tomorrow we have 65 miles and the second half is on a bike trail so it should be relatively easy. I really need to ride the two last days.

When I got back several women were planning on taking a taxi to the Charles Lindbergh's boyhood home museum. I joined them and was so glad that I did. There was a wonderful exhibit on the Spirit of St. Louis.

Greg notice the book written by Charles A. Lindbergh, SR

A cool looking heater in the house.

The 1916 Saxon Six that 14 year old Charles A. Lindbergh, Jr. drove from Little Falls, Mn to Redondo Beach, CA. Charles did all the driving. His Mother rode with him.

This evening most of us went to a wonderful restaurant call the Black and White. Who would have believed that Little Falls, Mn would have a restaurant run by two Cordon Bleu trained chiefs? It was wonderful. I had almond crusted Walleye with a balsamic reduction, mango risotto and asparagus.

June 12, 2007 Cambridge, MN

2007-06-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the group rode to Stillwater, MN. Notice I said the group and not "I rode to Stillwater." Yesterday morning I woke up with a very violent intestinal problem. I had to SAG to Stillwater. I arrived at 11:00am and fortunately they had a room ready to assign me. I went to bed right away. My roommate was one of the SAG drivers and she went and brought me some chicken broth and crackers. I tried eating the soup but I just could not so all through the night when I woke up I would eat one Saltine. All I was able to eat for over 24 hours was Saltines. I got up at 6:45 this morning and was too weak to be able to ride. So sadly I had to SAG another day.

Because the SAG stopped six miles outside of town to help one of riders with a flat we arrived in town about the time several of the riders were coming in. My roommate for the evening and two other riders were going to bike the .75 miles into town for lunch. I changed into riding gear and did a whole mile and a half today. We went to a small local cafe and I had some homemade chicken and dumpling soup. It really helped.

Tomorrow we ride to Little Falls, the boyhood home of the aviator Charles Lindberg. It is a 77 mile day. I plan to take it real easy and do the whole thing. Tomorrow is 77 miles then we have a rest day in Little Falls. I figure the rest day will give me more time to recover from the intestinal problems. After that we only have two days of riding, Pine River 65 miles and Lake Itasca 87 miles. I really want to be able to ride the final three days. With this touchy stomach the best way to do it will be to take it very easy.

I still cannot believe that the trip is almost over. Assuming that I complete the last three days I will have ridden over 1,700 miles since I left New Orleans. Not to shabby if I do say so myself.

Tomorrow I will have pictures to post. Ridding in the SAG does not give one much of an opportunity to take pictures. Little Falls is susposed to be a nice little town so will post pictures from there and from the ride.

Sunday, June 10, 2007 Red Wing, MN

2007-06-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Total mileage as of today, 1,476..approximately 328 miles to go. Today was a short 32 mile day. I was able to sleep in till almost 7:00 despite the fact the alarm clock in my room went off at 4:15. Everyone was moving rather slowly knowing that it was such a short day.

Last night at the map meeting one of the women said that according to the Woman Tours website today was supposed to be really hilly. We all figured that 32 miles with hills could not be to bad. We were correct and the website was wrong. There were some hills but they were mainly rollers that you could get up enough steam on the downhill to make it up most of the way. I road most of the way by myself enjoying the wonderful views of the Mississippi. The area around Lake Pepin was particularly beautiful.

http://www.mississippi-river.org/lakepepin.html

I passed through Lake City, Mn

I took this picture along the way since I never saw a welcome to Minnesota sign. I still cannot believe that I have bicycled from New Orleans to Minnesota.

When I arrived in Red Wing I passed a Caraboo Coffee shop so I stopped and joined a couple of other women and had a frozen mocha. It is really surprising what tastes good at the end of a bike ride on a warm day.

Because it was such a short ride I arrived way to early to get my room. I wondered over to the Red Wing Pottery Store. I only had my biking sunglasses so it was difficult to do much shopping. Finally at noon the bike shop next door opened. I took my bike in to get the cables adjusted. After almost 1,500 miles the cables had stretched and shifting was not going smoothly and braking took all my strength. When I got back to the hotel my room was ready. I relax and did laundry.

Later in the afternoon I went with some of the other women to the Red Wing Pottery Store.

Tomorrow is a short ride (48 miles) but THREE bridges. Trying to figure out what to do. Will let you know tomorrow.

Saturday, June 9, 2007 Wabasha, MN

2007-06-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

This morning we began by following the Great River Off-Road Bicycle Trail out of La Crosse,

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/bike-foot/docs/grr5.pdf

and then picked up the Great River Road as we road into our final state. Somehow over half of us got lost and what was supposed to be a 60 mile day turned into a 72 mile day. We biked in areas with name like Onalaska and Trempealeau. There were several bridges along the route most of which were wooden. This one had a wooden surface but obviously steel beams.

We had been told about a restaurant in Trempealeau that had walnut burgers but unfortunately we we there long before time to open so we continued on.

A very fortunate miss cue on our cue sheets lead several of us through the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/index.cfm?id=32578 It was really a spectacular place. Besides the fact we added 12 miles to the route we were on a rock trail that was not meant for tiny tires like mine. I managed to make it through without any problems. I was sure my tires would just explode on the sharp rocks.

We had another Mississippi River crossing and you know that means a bridge that I do not like. It turns out there were actually two http://www.visi.com/~jweeks/upper_mississippi/pagesA/umissA03.html

http://www.visi.com/~jweeks/upper_mississippi/pagesA/umissA13.html

I had to walk the main bridge but did make it across. Mary, Clark, Laura and Edith waited at the foot of the bridge for me. Once in the town of Winona (Winona Ryder is named for it) we stopped for lunch. Here are three of us as we left the restaurant. (Sorry Clark my camera cut you out of the picture.)

Tonight we are in the town of Wabasha

http://www.wabashamn.org/cgi-bin/viewnlcontent.cgi?nlarticle_id=22

Linda, out cook prepared a wonderful chicken pot pie in the dutch ovens using hot charcoal to cook. It is amazing what she has been able to do.

June 7-8, 2007 La Crosse, WI

2007-06-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

My roommate and I decided last night that we wanted and early start. We had a 5:15 wake-up call and were downstairs for breakfast a little before 6. I think everyone left the hotel by 6:30-6:45 because we were all afraid of the bad weather predictions. I have never ridden so fast in my life. We had a wonderful tail wind for the 62 miles. Unfortunately my Garmin was not charged and I have no mph report.

Along the way we have seen many dams and locks like the one below.

When I got to the hotel in La Crosse I had a nice surprise, a care packaged from Bridget and her family. Her are the pictures drawn by my two talented grandsons that were included in the care package. Notice the mountains in the first one and the Mississippi River in the second.

Rest day in La Crosse was fun. I walked along the beautiful riverfront and then treated myself to a facial, a pedicure and a massage. It was fun.

Went to the local bike shop

Had dinner a the local COOP restaurant and heard Barry Byrne, a Celtic Harpist.

June 6, 2007 Prairie du Chien, Wi

2007-06-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today was a very mixed bag of riding. There were a couple of long steep up hills and long steep down hills. I actually prefer the up hills to the down hills. I just don't like to get going super fast on roads I am unfamiliar. We rode through towns with names like New Vienna, Luxemburg, Guttenburg and McGregor. Not sure what that says about the people that settled this area. Here is a view from the river park area of Guttenburg toward the locks.

This picture was taken of me at our first Sag stop of the day. It was at a scenic overlook of the Mississippi. We have been away from it for a while and it sure is nice to see it again. Of course, that means bridges. That is our little SAG wagon affectionately called Bo Peep. (We are her lost sheep)

After some pretty challenging and long up hills (my Gramin said that at some points they were 12% grades) I made it to the town of McGreger. It was a darling little town that I think is doing a pretty good job of attempting to survive. I spotted two bikes parked in front of the Twisted Chicken. I knew our hotel would not have our rooms ready so early so I decided to join Carol and Joanne. Within minutes the rains came. They were soon followed by just about all the rest of the riders still out on the road. The Twisted Chicken http://www.thetwistedchicken.com/ had a wonderful menu. I had the spinach and mushroom soup and a portabello mushroom sandwich on pita bread. It was wonderful. Of course, no bicycling lunch is complete without dessert.

As most were finishing there lunch the Anne, the Sag driver for the day came in to report on the last three miles of the ride. All I needed to hear was that there were two long bridges to cross with very narrow shoulders. I sagged the last three miles. Total for the short day was 43 miles.

We stayed at a very nice AmericInn in Prairie du Chien. They were wonderful to us allowing us to use their meeting room to eat our dinner. It was nice to eat at a table rather than holding our
plates in our laps while sitting in a motel parking lot.

Our map meeting warned up potential severe storms so everyone planned on and early start.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007 Dyersville, Iowa

2007-06-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been missing in action the last couple of days. June 3 we went from Burlington, to Muscatine, Iowa, a distance of 61.77. June 4 we went from Muscatine to Maquoketa, Iowa, a scheduled distance of 71 miles which turned out closer to 58. I had a tough mentally and sagged after 17 miles. In retro it was probably a good idea for me to SAG. There were head winds at 25 mph and generally a very tough ride. Most people made it but were really wiped out last night and this morning. I felt much better today and was able to do the entire distance.

On the way to Maquoketa a group of us stopped for lunch

It is pretty challenging for the waitresses when we all descend on a restaurant at one time but generally they do pretty well. I had some wonderful homemade chicken and noodle soup.

This morning I took these pictures of fellow rider Judi as were were getting ready to depart. Unfortunately I set my camera down on the breakfast table at the van and did not realize that I left it until I wanted to take a picture along the way. Fortunately the trip leader put it in the van for me and I got it when I got to the hotel.

As I rode closer to Dyersville my focus was finishing. Unfortunately it meant I flew past the turn off for the Field of Dreams movie set. Oh, well I didn't have my camera anyway. Once I did get my camera I headed for the other big tourist spot in Dyerville, Iowa . Who knew? I actually really enjoyed it. http://www.nationalfarmtoymuseum.com

These were just across the parking lot from the Nation Farm Toy Museum:

Finally, I want to tell you about Edith. Barbara (thanks) pointed out that I talk about her all the time but haven't really included a picture or any sort of information on her. First let me say she is amazing. Edith is a 67 year old cancer survivor who went through chemo and radiation about two years ago. She is originally from Northern Germany but has been in this country over 40 years. She still has the cutest accent though. Edith has already done the Southern Tier with Woman Tours (San Diego to St. Augustine). She has only sagged one day (the day to Hannibal). She has amazing mental and physical toughness. She has really encouraged me on my tough days. Not sure what I would have done without her.

Press Coverage

2007-06-02T14:00:00.000-07:00

Remember when we were in Dyersburg, Tennessee and I said we had an interview by the paper well the article is in it now. That is yours truly in the Arizona jersey!

http://www.stategazette.com/

Saturday, June 2, 2007

Women bicyclists stop in city while following Mississippi
For many people, the thought of a 2,000-mile bicycle trip through the heart of America sounds like something they might try when they get into shape.For others, it is a dream they think they should have followed when they were younger.But for the 29 women who are taking part in the "Meandering the Mississippi" cycling tour, the timing of the trip is just right. And most of these women are between 50 and 60 years old."The average age of these ladies is 60," said WomanTours owner Jackie Marchand of Rochester, N.Y. "They are riding an average of 60 miles per day."The rest of this article can be read by subscribing to the State Gazette. Please call 731.285.4091 to start your subscription today!

June 3, 2007 Muscatine, Iowa

2007-06-02T13:47:00.000-07:00

Before I forget any longer I have to respond to a couple of question I have received about my knitting. I think I know how to knit. I have not picked up my knitting needles on this trip except to move them around in my luggage. The poor yarn is starting to look a little battered. I just am to tired and busy when I finish my daily ride to even think about knitting. When I get home I am going to have to get busy and start on my Christmas knitting. Only a little over six months. In answer to the other pressing question...I DID NOT buy yarn at the yarn shop. My purchases have been limited to bike shops and the basket I bought.

Last night a bunch of us went to dinner at a restaurant Big Muddy's. It was right on the river and had a great view of the bridge. I tried taking a couple of pictures but they did not turn out very well. Unfortunately, dinner went late for me and I did not sleep well last night. Today's ride was 61 miles and pretty flat but I am feeling tired now. It will defiantly be an early night for me tonight.

This morning when Edith and I left I was able to get this picture of the bridge. Again Edith helped me walk across the bridge.

Today most of the riding time was spent in Illinois again. We saw our first covered bridge.

In case you cannot read the sign above the bridge it says, " Five dollar fine for leading or driving any beast faster than a walk or driving more than thirty head of cattle, mules or horses across this bridge at one time."

Pictures from Nauvoo, Illionis

2007-06-02T12:44:00.000-07:00

Grave site of Joseph Smith, his wife Emma and brother Hyrum.

Half the historic section of Nauvoo is owned by the Mormon church and the other half is owned by the Community of Christ (formally known as RLDS) The split in these two groups was caused by a question of who would follow Joseph Smith as leader of the LDS (among other things). "Joseph’s death left the church without any clear leadership. Many believed that Joseph Smith Jr. had designated his son, Joseph Smith III, to be his successor; however, "Young Joseph" was only eleven years old when his father was killed." From my totally uneducated opinion on this subject I think the Salt Lake Mormons followed Brigham Young and the ones who went back to Missouri followed Joseph Smith's son. To me it sounds a lot like the split in Islam between the Sunnis and the Shia.

The Community of Christ is a separate group of LDS different from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

http://www.cofchrist.org/history/

Tour wagon by the LDS.

Be sure to read my rest day post prior to this one.

June 1-2, 2007 Burlington, Iowa

2007-06-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in my room in Burlington, Iowa. It is rest day and I am enjoying some quiet time by myself. My roommate left early this morning to tour some of the sites of Burlington with our only rider from Iowa.

I went to the bike shop and bought another spare tire and a couple of tubes. I was able to find almost what I wanted at the local bike shop so hopefully I am set til the end of the ride. After the bike shop I came back to the hotel and cleaned my bike and changed the tire that went flat one mile from the end of yesterday's ride. (I used my CO2 cartridge and kept shooting it up with air to make it in.)

Now about yesterday's ride. It was a 54 mile ride so Edith and I decided to take it easy since we had pushed so hard yesterday. Well it turned out that we rode right past Nauvoo so we decided to visit the Temple Visitors Center and take a few pictures of the Temple. The original Temple was built in 1846 just before the Mormons left to the West. It was destroyed. This one was rebuilt in 2002. It as close to the original as modern building codes would allow.

Statue of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in front of Temple.

After viewing a film on the Mormon Temples in general Edith and I were back on our bikes again only to stop about a mile down the road to join some other women at a coffee shop. While we were there a big storm moved through dumping lots of rain. We all stayed until it slowed. Back on the bikes again there were rain storms all around us. Finally one caught us. We made for a farm house and sat on a swing out front. No one appeared home but the cat did join us on the porch for shelter from the rain.

After the rain stopped (or at least the lightening passed) we were back on our bikes. Next we made for a little cafe on our cue sheets. Jenna was already there. She highly recommended the grilled cheese and the sweet potato fries. (remember biking is all about the food).

Once fortified we were back on the road. There was wind but mostly it was a cross wind. Finally we turned for a ten mile flat stretch with a tail wind. For those 10 miles I averaged 22.2mph. It felt great. Of course, then we made a turn and I dropped to 12.3.

After that it was time to go across the Burlington Suspension Bridge. "The Great River Bridge is an asymmetrical, one-tower cable-stayed bridge over the Mississippi River. It carries U.S. Highway 34 from Burlington, Iowa to the small town of Gulf Port, Illinois.
Construction began in 1989, but work on the main tower did not begin until April 1990. The main tower is 370 feet (113 meters) in height from the top of the tower to the riverbed. During the Great Flood of 1993, construction continued despite record crests on the Mississippi below. The final cost of the bridge was $49 million, about 16 percent over budget.

The Great River Bridge replaced the MacArthur Bridge, an aging two-lane toll steel bridge built in 1917. The new bridge is five lanes wide (two westbound, three eastbound) and provides a safer crossing across the Mississippi River than the old bridge."

I did not take any pictures but I was able to find these on the web

http://www.bridgemeister.com/pic.php?pid=1241

I am the first to admit that I did not ride across this bridge but chose to walk across it. Edith was saved me. She walked with me and put herself between me and the edge. I don't think I breathed the whole walk. But I did make it. Thank you Edith.

Several of us rode the last couple of miles to the hotel trying to follow some very confusing instructions. My shoes were pretty soaked but other than some totally ruined socks I was not the worse for the rain and wind.

The group was invited to the local home of one of the riders for dinner and a great bluff view of Burlington and the Mississippi. I chose to stay at the hotel and have some quiet time by myself.

Tonight I am going to a restaurant with the group called Big Muddy's. There has been some sort of big ride in the area and this is a popular hang out for the local riders. Should be fun.

Thursday, May 31, 2007 Keokuk, IA

2007-06-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I am actually writing this on Friday because I had such a busy day yesterday and a very bad Internet connection yesterday. When I sat down to write this I had to think what I rode yesterday. Honestly some days just seem like a blur.

Actually Thursday, May 31 was a very good day of riding for me. Edith and I were really flying. We did 64.63 miles at an average speed of 14.6 miles per hour. I not sure what caused us to go so fast, the mountain dew I drank, the red bull I drank or the horrible road conditions. We had some light rain when we began and a few hills but the road in the beginning had a very good shoulder. At the first sag stop we got the word that our route was going to have to change. We were scheduled to take a ferry across the Mississippi River from Iowa to Illinois. Well it seems the Coast Guard did and inspection of the ferry earlier that morning and shut it down. That meant we did not get to ride on nice quiet back roads but rather the highway with lots of big trucks. Well it started off OK with a nicely paved shoulder but it went down hill quickly. The road went to two lanes and no shoulder. It was awful. One of the women took a fall trying to get from the uneven shoulder onto the road. Fortunately she only had some road rash and a badly bruised thumb.

Edith and forged onward. We made the decision to watch traffic closely. If a truck was coming up behind us and there was nothing coming in front we would hold our lane. If there was a truck coming from both directions we would stop and move off the road. It worked well. We had no problems. We made it safely to our hotel. Everyone ultimately made it safely but over half had to sag through the construction zone.

Once everyone was safely at the motel Jenna organized a taxi to take herself, Edith and me to Nauvoo, Ill. Nauvoo is the site of the Mormon exodus to Salt Lake. It was very interesting. I learned a lot about the LDS members who left Nauvoo for Salt Lake. I will try to post some pictures on rest day.

May 30, 2007 Hannibal, MO

2007-05-30T16:14:00.000-07:00

Today was not a good riding day for me. I only rode 8.66 miles. I felt very sluggish and just could not get moving. The day started off in a flat area but I just could not get my legs going correctly. It was raining and cold for a girl from Arizona. I decided to sag. I flagged down the SAG as it went by to discover two other women were already in. Buy mile twenty miles there were five people that wanted to sag and the sag wagon only holds 4 plus the driver. We then flagged down the van and four of us transferred to it. At mile 30 we had a full van..it holds 14 people. The day was rainy and the road was bad. Lots of traffic and no shoulder. I think we ended up with less than half of the people completing the ride.

Our van stopped in front of The Bent Tree Gallery in Clarksville, Missouri on our way to Hannibal. I was able to do some quick shopping. In the window was a beautiful handmade basket. I fell in love with it and went in and bought it. They are shipping it home to Tucson.

http://www.thebenttree.com

Once our van load of people were dropped off at our hotel everyone rushed to her room to take a hot shower and to change into dry clothes. We went to a nearby restaurant to grab a quick lunch. Then 9 of us piled into a mini van taxi and went to the Mark Twain House in Hannibal.

You know me. I can find a yarn shop anywhere..even one called Twain's Yarn in Hannibal.

Finally Jenna was walking around Hannibal in her biking shorts and a bicyclist asked her if she was Patty. Apparently Barry has been following this blog. Jenna went and found me and here is a picture of the two of us.

May 29, 2007 Grafton, Il

2007-05-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

I am stilling in a very darling coffee shop in Grafton, Il called Beyond the Bubble. I left my camera in the room so I cannot include a picture.

Lewis and Clark statue in the Mississippi River below Edan Bridge at we left St. Louis this morning. Their dog Seaman is with them. Unfortunately the sun was at the wrong angle.

Another similiar statue at the Camp River Dubois visitors center.

A mural dedicated to the Underground Railroad along the Mississippi as we were leaving St. Louis.

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge along Route 66. This area of Route 66 was closed to cars and made a purfect bicycle route. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge spans one of the most scenic areas of the Mississippi River. When it was completed in 1929 it shortened travel time between St. Louis, Missouri and Edwardsville, Illinois. It is 5,353 feet long and is one of the longest continuous steel truss bridges in the country. One of the most distinctive features of the Chain of Rocks Bridge is the 22-degree bend in the middle. This feature allowed southbound riverboats to align with the current, slip between the Bridge's piers and avoid crashing into two water intake towers midstream just south of the Bridge. The Chain of Rocks Bridge became a part of Route 66 in 1936 and was used until 1968 when the opening of the toll-free I-270 bridges caused a decline in traffic.

For more on the bridge go to http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Illinois/chain.htm

Along the way to Grafton I stopped at two visitor centers. The first was the Camp River Dubois Center http://www.campdubois.com/center.html and the other was National Great Rivers Museum at the Melvin Price Locks and Dam http://www.greatriverroad.com/Cities/EAlton/riverMuseum.htm

An interesting site along the way.

Also along the way http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua,_Illinois

May 28, 2007 Rest Day St. Louis, MO

2007-05-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

St. Louis has a very beautiful downtown area. We stayed at the Adam's Mark Hotel right across the street from the Old Court House and the Gateway Arch.

My roommate had family in the St. Louis area so the first she stayed with them so I had a room to myself. That evening I took a long hot bath and relaxed. When I woke up I walked around the corner to Starbucks then wondered over to the Old Courthouse. The opened at 8:00 and had a wonderful exhibit on the Dread Scott Decision. All my old American History Classes have really started to come back to me on this trip.

After I finished with the tour of the courthouse I went back to the hotel to go with the van and some of the other women to a bike shop. I needed to buy a replacement spare tire for my bike. Well that trip turned out to be a bust as they did not have my size.

When we got back to the hotel I met up with Edith and we went to the Gateway Arch. I actually made it to the top and here is proof. Notice the 630 foot sign behind me.

A view of Busch Stadium from the Arch

Edan Bridge into St. Louis from the Gateway Arch. Another of the bridges that I Have crossed on this trip.

The Old Courthouse from the Arch. Our hotel is the brown building on the right.

May 27, 2007 St. Louis, MO

2007-05-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be a short ride into St. Louis, only 48 miles. Well, we are not sure if the cue sheet was wrong with mileage or if we all took a wrong turn but it ended up to be a 60 mile day. Fortunately it was on flat lands because a lot of us were tired from yesterday's hills.

We began the day with a three mile ride to the ferry landing to take the ferry across the river to Illinois. Here we are waiting to board.

And on the ferry.

The ferry was scheduled to leave at 9:00 but left 10 minutes early. Jenna was there in time for the 9:00 ferry but not for the early departure at 8:50.

Never one to miss a photo opportunity, here I am in front of the first Illinois marker I saw. Illinois is our sixth state.

A close up of the poppies by the road sign.

Modoc Rock Shelter
This area reminded me of the Dordogne region where Greg and I bike with our friends Rob and Lee. It even looked the same.

In Randolph County, Illinois, the rock cliff at the edge of the Mississippi River valley was undercut by Ice Age floods. The undercut section of the cliff provided shelter from wind and rain, and Native Americans took advantage of it at least 9,000 years ago. The Modoc Rock Shelter, as it is called today, was used by Archaic hunting and gathering peoples who relied on nearby flood plain and upland resources. Over 28 feet of sediment in the shelter contains artifacts spanning more than 6,000 years of prehistory.

How did 28 feet of dirt end up in the shelter? The elevation of the Mississippi River flood plain has increased over time. Each time the river floods, it transports dirt eroded upstream and deposits it downstream. Over the last 10,000 years, the Mississippi River has been slowly filling its valley. The change in flood plain elevation also affects Mississippi River tributaries, which also deposit dirt in their valleys. As a result, over time, dirt has slowly accumulated in Modoc Rock shelter, burying the remains of previous occupations.

Based on an analysis of artifacts from the site archaeologists discovered that 9,000 years ago, the rock shelter was used for short-term camps by small groups of hunters By 6,000 years ago, Modoc Rock Shelter was used for a long-term base camp by several families involved in the activities of everyday life. Four thousand years ago, the shelter again was used by small hunting parties.

Fellow rider Mary and I could not resist these adorable critters. We both wanted pictures for our grandchildren. Unfortunately no other riders stopped to take pictures and it took miles before we were able to catch up with the group again. This was potentially a problem because there were major errors on today's que sheets. A word to my grandchildren...enjoy these pictures!

We are staying at the Adam's Mark in St. Louis. Because it is difficult to set up our mobile kitchen in the parking lot we had dinner on Woman Tours in the dining room. Here is a sample of what was offered. OK, I admit there was food other than deserts but who cares?

May 28, 2007 Ste. Genevieve, Mo

2007-05-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Missouri is not flat. We are in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Today's ride was 65 miles. My total riding mileage is now at 857 miles.

We are now in the press. Yesterday in Cape Girardeau a local reporter came by and interviewed a few of us. Go here to read the article in the Southeast Missourian.

http://semissourian.com/story/1213844.html

This morning we were joined on our ride by a rider from the local riding club. He came in very handy when Edith had problems with her water bottle holder.

Edith and Larry after a successful repair of her water bottle cage.

We took several breaks along today's ride to help us recover from the hills. We stopped by a farm that had these darling Mother and baby goats. The owner came out and spoke with us for a bit. He had retired about eight years ago from working in the LA, California area and moved here.

Riding is all about the food and when several of our riders visited the local bike shop in Cape Girardeau they were told about a resturant in Perryville that had great pies. Of course, we could not resist.

I went for the cherry pie.

Today was the first day that we were on what is called The Great River Road.

May 25, 2007 Cape Girardeau, MO

2007-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

Today we rode to Cape Girardeau, Mo. The ride was approximately 49 miles long. We left the hotel around 7:00. There was very little to see along the way so I only stopped a couple of times, once at a gas station where we bought drinks and then twice at the Sag wagon to refill my water bottle.

Once I got to Cape Girardeau I went with four other women for lunch at a restaurant called Panera Bread. Apparently there are around the country but none are in Tucson. I reminded me a lot of Beyond Bread.

After lunch we took a shuttle to the historic downtown section of Cape Girardeau. This bridge is the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge. After seven years of construction it opened to traffic in December of 2003. It was named for an eight-term Congressman.

This is one part of the many murals on the river wall. This wall holds back the river during flood stages. It is 1.1 miles long and has an average height of 20 feet above and below the ground.

This was the first panel of the Mississippi River Tales Mural. I loved it because it showed the Carolina parakeet that once lived in this area. It reminded me of the parrots that once lived in the mountains of southern Arizona.

This is the Common Pleas Courthouse completed in 1854. These 59 steps were the first concrete construction in Missouri outside of St. Louis or Kansas City. The cement was originally ballast for a ship that came from England.

This great old Coca-Cola sign on the side of a building speaks for itself. A 3 cent Coke relieves fatigue!

A section of the Missouri Wall of Fame. It is over 500 feet long and portrays the images of 45 famous Missourians. Those depicted on the wall include:
Burt Bacharach
Josephine Baker
Thomas Hart Benton The painter.
Senator Thomas Hart Benton U.S. Senator from Missouri 1821-1851. Served 5 terms.
Yogi Berra
George Caleb Bingham
Susan Elizabeth Blow, founder of first public kindergarten
Omar Bradley
George Brett
Lou Brock
Jack Buck
August Busch, of Anheuser-Busch
Calamity Jane
Dale Carnegie
George Washington Carver
Kate Chopin
Walter Cronkite
T. S. Eliot
Don Faurot, University of Missouri football coach
Eugene Field
Redd Foxx
Joe Garagiola, baseball player and sportscaster
Linda M. Godwin
Betty Grable
Jean Harlow
Langston Hughes
John Huston
Jesse and Frank James
Scott Joplin
Rush Limbaugh
Stan Musial
Marie Elizabeth Oliver, creator of the state flag of Missouri
Rose O'Neill
James Cash Penney
Marlin Perkins, host of Wild Kingdom
John J. Pershing
Vincent Price
Joseph Pulitzer
Ginger Rogers
Tom Sawyer
Dred Scott
Jess Stacy, swing pianist
Harry S. Truman
Porter Wagoner, country musician
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tennessee Williams

A close up of a section of the mural.

My roommate, Jenna, said we pretty much covered the things of interest in town. That is except for the Rush Limbaugh hometown tour which included the hospital in which he was born and the studio in which he did his first broadcast. We both decided to pass on it.

May 24, 2007 Charleston, MO

2007-05-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a day. We started in Tennessee, rode some in Kentucky and finished in Missouri. Today's mileage was somewhere around 79 miles. I forgot to start the Garmin when we first started riding and forgot to turn it off when we took a ferry across the Mississippi. It was longer than scheduled because Edith and I took a wrong turn at Reelfoot Lake and had to backtrack to the Visitor's Center. My total mileage is now 741 miles. Today's pace was was over 14.5 mph. Now I have to admit that was aided by a tail wind that was pretty strong.

The first stop we made after Edith and I corrected our navigation error was the Visitor's Center at Reelfoot lake. To explain Reelfoot Lake I am going to copy a handout I got there.

"Reelfoot Lake is a by-product of the 'New Madrid Earthquakes.' A series of 1,874 recorded tremors centered generally about 70 miles southwest of the lake, took place from December 16, 1811, until March 8, 1812. The 'hard shock' came at 3 AM Friday, February 7, 1812. These shocks could be felt over an area of one millions square miles from Canada to the eastern seaboard and New Orleans. When the savage tremors subsided, Reelfoot Lake was born and thirty to fifty thousand square miles of land had undergone vast topographical changes, most of which are visible today."

While at the visitor's center we were able to see this baby barn owl being cared for by park staff. Yes it is real.

The first of our two state crossings today

Then we took a Ferry across the Mississippi River to Missouri.

Bikes and bikers on the Ferry.

And finally our fifth state of the trip.

Much of our biking these first two weeks has been along the Mississippi River Trail. These signs are along the road.

May 23, 2007 Dyersburg, Tn

2007-05-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today's ride was another short one, 42.59 miles, making a total of 629.96 miles for me in ten days of riding. I definitely feel stronger but am enjoying the sights and not trying to rush my rides. In other words my speed ins not getting any better.

Last night our guides told us the Henning, Tn was only 10 miles down the road. Henning is the home of Alex Haley (Roots). I had been told that touring the family home was a sight not to be missed. I think almost everyone decided to stop, especially since we only had 30 more miles to go.

When we arrived in town we saw this mural being painted on the side of a building. It talked about Alex Haley and someone called Jim Hickman. Greg do you know who Jim Hickman is??

We were told not to leave before 8:00 because the museum did not open until 9:00. Of course, we all got there only to find out it did not open until 10:00. Here are a couple of pictures of us waiting on the lawn of the Haley family home.

Then national historical registry sign in front of the home.

The Haley family home. It is a really nice home. The guide said Alex's grandfather owned the lumber mill in town and were the wealthiest black family in town. Alex's father went to Cornell and Alex was considered the black sheep in the family because he never completed college.

Alex's grave is on the front lawn of the house.

A quote by Alex placed below the bedroom. I think it is a beautiful thought.

May 22, 2007 Covington, Tn

2007-05-22T15:07:00.000-07:00

I never though I would call a 62 mile day would feel short but today felt just that. The morning began as usual with Michelle loading bikes onto the van of people who would SAG part of the way.

Then the local NBC TV station can by to film us. Not sure we will make it on tv but I am checking their website and will let you know if they post anything.

Marsh land outside of Memphis.

The first stop of the day was the Shelby Forest General Store.

There was a group of men sitting on the porch who called themselves the Wrinkled Rooster Club. Their sign says "Meetin every mornin Sunrize..until the hens call us home" They were really friendly and were amazed with us.

Me in front of the breakfast group. (Note: Edith is sitting with the men.)

The rest of the ride went very well. There were lots of rolling hills but they were nice. You could get up enough speed on the down hill that you did not have to work very hard on the up hill. I got to the hotel and the room was ready. I worked on the previous posts and rested. Dinner was great tonight, salmon, salad, lentils and grains. I love when Woman Tours cooks because it is so healthy.

May 21, 2007 Rest Day in Memphis

2007-05-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

First I would like to thank everyone for their kind words to me about my Mother.

Rest day began with a trip to Graceland. The women on the trip that knew I was from Memphis were surprised that I had never been to Graceland. I explained that when I lived in Memphis Elvis was still at Graceland and I had never been invited!

Historic Register at Graceland.

Living room at Graceland.

Elvis' tv room.

After we got back to the hotel one of the other women and I took the trolley looking for lunch. We had originally hoped to go to Rendezvous but it turns out they are closed on Monday. While the trolley we passed Leonard's. Leonard's is a restaurant that I remember going to with my Grandmother on my dad's side. So I drug Linda to lunch at Leonard's. It was wonderful.

After lunch we went to the National Civil Rights Museum. http://www.civilrightsmuseum.org

Located at the Lorraine Motel (Where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated), the museum traces the Civil Rights movement from 1617 to the present day. I learned a a lot and it was very moving. If you ever have an opportunity to see it I highly recommend going.

Lorraine Motel

Sight of assassination of MLK.

Finally, I was very fortunate that my cousin, Becky was pick me up from the hotel and take me to dinner at a favorite restaurant of our mutual grandmother. We went to TOPS for more barbecue. We had a wonderful visit. Becky shared memories of my mother with me. We laughed and cried. It was a very special evening.

Our dinner

Becky and me at TOPS in Memphis

May 21, 2007 More from Memphis

2007-05-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

Mailbox along a rural Mississippi road.

Cyprus swamp on the way to Memphis from Clarksdale.

A favorite childhood treat of mine, Moon Pie.

I could not resist just one!

I make it back to the land of my childhood.

May 21, 2007 Memphis

2007-05-21T05:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I have not posted in a couple of days. Several things have kept me from posting. Saturday morning in Indianola, Ms as we were having our morning map meeting Greg call to tell me my mother had passed away the previous night. While I have known for awhile that her time was coming, it had been very difficult. The women on the trip have been wonderfully supportive.

Angela, Bridget and I discussed the possibility of this happening while I was gone and we decided that I would continue and we would have a memorial service when I get home so that is what I am doing.

Saturday the ride was a 62 miles from Indianola, MS to Clarksdale, MS. I physically felt better than I had the day before but was emotionally drained. I did the entire 62 mile ride.

May 18, 2007

2007-05-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today's ride was from Vicksburg to Indianola, Mississippi. I left the hotel at 6:30 with Edith. The ride started out well with a few hills the first 15-20 miles. I was very happy with how well I was able to ride the hills. Then we hit the flat lands and my trouble began. First there were lots of logging trucks on the road and then we had a head wind. The wind was My average pace for today really dropped. My average pace for the first three 85 mile days was around 13 mph. Today I dropped to 11.4. Finally around three o'clock I decided that I had had it. At my current pace (9.0mph) it would have taken me until 6:30 to finish. I decided that I had had enough! The sag came by to check on us and I told Edith that I just did not have another 3 1/2 hours in me. I decided to sag. Turns out there were eight other women already in the sag! It was disappointing not to complete the 107 mile ride but at least I know I can ride again tomorrow.

Mississippi corn fields

Giant grain storage buildings???

Tiny country store along the way.

May 17, 2007 Vicksburg, MS

2007-05-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Mornings begin with everyone preparing their snacks for the road that day. There are raisins, craisins, nuts, M&M's and various bars. There is also bread, peanut butter, jams and honey. I also prepare a couple of water bottles full of Gateraide.

I did not get a picture of myself at the Welcome side when I first crossed into Mississippi because I was riding alone but fortunately was able to get one as we left our Inn for Vicksburg from Natchez.

Here I am at the start of the Trace.

Edith and I passed this Red-eared Slider walking down the middle of the Trace. Edith rescued it and moved it to the side of the road. Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys [Chrysemys] scripta; T. s. elegans,) are found throughout the United States east of the Rockies. They are the sliders is the one most often sold in pet stores here in the U.S. and abroad. These fresh water turtles spend much of their time in the warm waters of their native habitat. While they are strong underwater swimmers, these sliders spend much of the warmer hours of the day hauled out on logs or rocks (or, when very small, on marsh weeds and other aquatic plants) basking in the sun. All of the sliders are omnivores, eating both animal protein and vegetable/plant matter. Younger turtles need up to 40% of their food from protein sources; adult turtles feed more heavily on vegetation. In the wild they begin by eating tiny fish and amphibian larva, water snails and a variety of plants growing in the water and on land.

County store just off the Trace.

Today everyone had the option of taking a short ride through the Vicksburg battlefield or going into town. Most people chose the later in preparation for our long ride of 107 miles tomorrow. I had ridden through the battlefield with Greg a few years ago when we were on a Backroads trip and opted to go into town.

Here is the River Boat Casino in Vicksburg.

The Yazoo and Mississippi River Valley RR Station in Natchez.

While in Vicksburg we went to a resturant called Rusty's and I had fried green tomatoes and broiled oysters. Yum!

Since tomorrow is the longest day of the trip I am going to publish this and get some rest. Send me good riding vibes tomorrow.

May 16, 2007

2007-05-16T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today was another long day. I rode 85.61 miles today. That means that in the last 3 out of four days I ridden more than 84 miles. Mentally it was a little hard for me but the ride itself was wonderful. We rode from Natchez to Vicksburg via the Natchez Trace Parkway. It was wonderful.

The weather has changed dramatically. Two days ago we had really hot sunny day but today we had rain and cloudy sky's. It was wonderful.

As usual Edith and I rode together. She was great today. She helped get me through the ride. Both of us enjoyed the scenery. We say a wild turkey and we rescued a turtle that was walking down the middle of the Natchez Trace Parkway. I think the little guy must have had a death wish. He was not crossing the street but rather walking down the middle!

I will post photos tomorrow as there is a 14 mile optional ride through the Vicksburg battlefield. Greg and I biked it a few years ago on a Backroads trip so I think I will use the day to rest before the 106 mile day the next day.

May 15, 2007

2007-05-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

Rest Day in Natchez, Mississippi. From the grounds of the Briar Inn we have a wonderful view of the Mississippi River. Most of my day has been spent relaxing and enjoying my surroundings.

This morning we had breakfast prepared by the staff at the B&B. I had grits, biscuits, and sausage. What more could a little southern girl want?

After breakfast I walked to the local K-Mart one mile away only to discover that I left my money at the hotel. So back I went. Fortunately as I was walking back to K-Mart the Woman Tours van passed and gave me a ride back to K-Mart. I bought a few supplies and walked back to the Inn. I looked like a true bag lady, walking down a Mississippi highway carrying two plastic bags from K-Mart.

I cleaned my bike, did laundry and then had a massage. I do like rest days.

Tonight dinner is a restaurant called Blues and Biscuits.

Just to remind the readers that because we do not always have Internet access I may post several days worth of postings on one day.