Training ride

Bob and I took a 26 mile training ride today.  We went a different direction and discovered great adventures in our own backyard.  We rode past the Brown's Bridge recreation area that we have never seen before and found out that Woodlawn Manor sponsors an Underground Railroad hike every Saturday morning at 9 a.m. We will definitely take advantage of that some Saturday soon.

New trip in the planning stage

After nearly two years break I'm ready for another trip. We're planning to head down to the Florida Keys in September. Stay tuned for more details.

Day 150: Wednesday, September 7, 2011

After a wonderful visit with Zachary in Las Vegas, we have made our way across Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and down to the Mobile, Alabama area to visit my niece and her family.  We just missed tropical storm Lee and the weather is beautiful here: sunny, low humidity and in the 70’s.  After our visit with Kelli, we will head north to home.

Day 142: Tuesday, August 30, 2011

We made several stops in California including the Hearst Castle, Solvang, a city founded by Danes in the early 1900s that retains its Danish heritage, and the world famous Andersen’s Restaurant where we had their split pea soup.  After spending a few days in San Diego sight-seeing and visiting friends, we drove through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas where we will meet Zach.  Bob loves Las Vegas and this is a great place to relax and unwind after supporting me for the last 4 plus months.  It is hot, hot, hot here so I got up very early and bicycled about 16 miles before 8 am.  It felt good to be back on the bicycle after a two-week hiatus.  I was a bit worried about being burned out after bicycling so many miles, but fortunately, I still love it. 

Sunset on San Diego Bay

View of the Pacific Ocean from the Hearst Castle

Day 135: Tuesday August 23, 2011

We have spent the last week making our way down the state of California.  For various reasons, including the fact that we are running short on time, I have not bicycled.  We visited the Redwood forests with Don and Bronnie, and then parted ways with the hopes of meeting up sometime before we reach home.  Vincent had never been to San Francisco, so he and I spent a day visiting all the typical tourist sites.  While there, I got to visit another dear friend of mine from my NIH days.  Jim is working in San Mateo for a couple of years and volunteers on the Liberty Ship SS Jeremiah O’Brien, a restored WWII vessel moored at Pier 45 Fisherman’s Wharf in the SF Bay.  As always, it was great seeing him.  We are in the midst of wine country and our RV is right next to a vineyard.  Bob and I walked through the fields and marveled at the beauty of the plants.  We visited Hearst Castle, W.R. Hearst’s “little something” to replace camping out in the open at the San Simeon Ranch.  The castle is spectacular, but the real story is the achievement of Julia Morgan, the first female architect in California and the creative drive behind the magnificent estate.  We had our first In-N-Out burgers which are mighty good for fast food.  We still haven’t had a burger as good as the Sunshine General Store in Brookeville, MD-a little hole-in-the wall place that we love and bicycle to often.

Day 128: Tuesday, August 16, 2011

54 miles from Harbor, Oregon to Klamath, California

Just after crossing into California, I noticed a crop with trumpet-shaped flowers that I couldn’t identify.  Turns out I was cycling through Smith River which is the Easter Lilly Capital of the world.  The day started out sunny, but as I cycled, the fog from the ocean came in and created an eerie, misty, miasma over the shore.  Fortunately, the roadway remained pretty clear, but I couldn’t see a thing when looking at the ocean. It reminded me of a scene out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. We’re going to explore the Redwood Forests tomorrow since I couldn’t see much riding today--the shoulders were too narrow and I had to concentrate on making sure I didn't get hit by a car!

Easter Lilly fields in Smith River, California

A day at the beach in Northern California

Day 127: Monday, August 15, 2011

32 miles to Bandon, Oregon

I felt like I was back in Kentucky again with lots of short, steep climbing.  The Oregon Coast Bike Route moved away from the coast and up to a heavily wooded road.  Very nice scenery and little traffic.  

Coos Bay Oregon