Tuesday, April 21, 2015

I made it!!! 2,685 miles.  It feels good and it feels strange. Til the next adventure.

Monday, April 20, 2015

This was the road into Gainsville. Great pedaling.

This was a common sight along the road. Who knows what lurks in the green slime!

One of the birds in the wildlife santuary.

Yes that is an alligator. Too close for this guy.  I walked away quickly. Doing GREAT. Til later.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

The riding has been great. On the way into Gainsville the countryside reminded me of pictures of horse pastures in Kentucky. Huge deeply lush pastures, with fancy fences. Some great roads leading into the city. And then lots and lots of bike lanes and bike paths.  I stayed with Tom and Martha who have a great house and 5 acres in the woods. I took an outdoor shower while staring down a green spider with orange/red eyes. Great chorus of birds, lots of lizards, and a suspenseful trip to a preserve close by. Tom took me to see a preserve that is really a huge sink hole with some interesting wild animals.  Loads of birds again. But it also included wild horses, buffalo, and wild alligators. There were warning signs on the way in that emphasized that this was NOT a zoo. The animals were wild and the visitors needed to be very cautious. We didn't see any buffalo, but we did see wild horses and several alligators. The path was situated between two ponds/ watery areas. We were on the lookout the whole time for lurking alligators. One key was to not be so intent on looking for lurking alligators that we would step on fire ant nests.  Most of the alligators were sunning on the other side of the pond, but a few of them started swimming(looking for food). The closest ones to us came within 30-40 feet,which was a little too close for this novice alligator watcher.  It was a unique experience. My hosts were fantastic. Lots of interesting discussions, fantastic food, and warm fellowship. I slept really well after an exciting day.  Getting close. I'll be home before you know it. Doing really well. Til later.

Friday, April17, 2015

The theme continues to be the weather. I try to gauge and watch the weather, but it changes really quickly - both in a good way and in a bad way. The riding has been really good. Today especially was great. Very rural, almost no traffic, really good roads. Lots of trees. Yesterday at the end of the day 4 cross country bicyclists ended up staying in the same motel. It was fun to talk weather, places to stay and the like. Today I rode with two of them for a while. Then they took a different route and we split up. Later in the morning another cyclist came and rode me me for about 20 miles. He lived just off the route and saw me go by. He wanted to find out more about cross country riding, so he caught up with me and we had a good time talking bikes and rides. Time and miles go quickly when engaged in a good conversation. Ended up going about 60 miles both days. Am about 20 miles from Gainsville. The forecast is still rain for at least two more days. I'm trying not to get too focused on the rain, but it is a challenge. Looking forward to getting back to normal life. I should be home in a little over a week. Doing well. Til later.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

In Monticello, Florida. I got lost today. But only about 3 miles off course. It was very nice to have the smart phone gps. It pinpointed where I was and which roads to take to get back on track. Getting through( mostly around) Tallahassee wasn't too bad. The country roads were really nice. Trees, birds, croaking frogs, and really good roads. Part of the route included a great bike path. Ran into three riders from Minnesota who did half of the route last year and are finishing the route this year. They started in Key West and are headed to Louisiana. The real story today was rain (again). I went 50 miles with only sprinkles, but the last 10 miles were ridden in a deluge. Got very wet. I'm trying to dry everything out tonight. Luckily I still have a few dry things. Same forecast for the rest of the week. Mentally challenging. Still doing well. Til later.

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

It was a very good day on the bike.  This picture captures what I have been riding through the last couple of days.  The first day I couldn't see it very well through the rain, but today, the rain held off.  It is very green.  Wide swaths of grass next to the shoulders and lots and lots of trees ( my favorite).  Kind of like riding through a park or a wide boulevard.  Very peaceful and not too hilly( although there were a few today).  I am just west of Tallahassee.  Tomorrow I tackle riding through the city, which is always an adventure.  Rain in the forecase again, but one never knows when it will show up.  Another good thing about today is that when it came time for lunch, I was right by a Pizza Hut.  Great salad bar as I have mentioned before.  My lucky day.  Officially in the Eastern Time Zone, so phone communication might start to get a little tricky.  I go to bed really early.  Oh and you can tell - my camera started to work all of a sudden.  Yeah!  Doing great.  Til later.

Monday, April 13, 2015

So, I had two very wet days.  Sunday was also exciting for other reasons.  It turns out that one of my bags fell off of the bike.  It was the bag with all of my tools and spare parts, including extra tubes.  I'm surprised I didn't notice when it happened, but I didn't discover it until 15 miles down the road or so.  I came out of a convenience store ( still wet even after taking a break and eating something) and I noticed the bag was missing.  A real sinking feeling.  I didn't notice the bag was missing until I came out, so I thought maybe someone grabbed the bag and stole it while I was in the store.  Nothing I could do, so I just kept pedaling.  It turns out someone found the bag and looked to see if they could find the owner.  Inside the bag was a notebook with lots of phone numbers.  One of them was for the people I was to stay with on Sunday night.  The person who found the bag recognized the number as being fairly close in Florida, so he called that number.  It was for my hosts. So now we have a possible bag belonging to me, but no me and no bike.  That raised some worries.  Nancy ( one of my hosts) tried to call me, but it was raining and my phone was tucked away.  I rode to my destination ( about 50 miles for the day), took out my phone and noticed a lot of activity.  I ended up calling Nancy.  She and Nita came and got me and took me to find the person who found the bag.  I had gone over in my head if I needed the stuff in the bag, but what convinced me that I needed to retrieve it was that I had tucked my watch into the bag, away from the rain and wet.  Long story short.  Nancy and Nita were kind enough to take me back all of that distance and retrieve the bag.  Quite an adventure.  Nancy and Nita were great hosts.  They live in a very nice area, with lots of trees and fairly close the the Gulf and beaches.  Most of the other parts I came through were way too developed, but their area was really nice.  They took me to dinner and we had a great time.  Thank you Nancy and Nita.  It did rain most of the night, with a lot of lighting and thunder, but we got up and they took me closer to the route. The Lightning went away, and the rest of today was just pedaling  mostly in the rain. Similar forecast for a few days. Wet, but doing well. Til later.

Saturday, April 11, 2015

Didn't ride very far today.  Pensacola.  I had another cyclist ride by me this morning only to find him waiting for me down the road.  I thought he might need some help with repair, but it turns out that he is planning a long bike tour and he just wanted to chat.  He will be getting out of the Navy soon and wants to do a ride before life takes over.  It was fun talking bikes, training, maps, etc.  

I am staying at a United Methodist Church tonight.  They provide a nice shelter for cyclists - especially those doing the cross country tour.  The gentleman who showed me around did a cross country tour through the middle of the country ( including Wyoming) a couple of years ago, and this is his way of giving back for all of the nice people who helped him and his friend on their trip.  We had a good talk about his trip and he shared a photo albm and stories. 

I am always a little anxious coming into a bigger city like Pensacola.  Quite often the route takes us through some tougher parts of town.  Today was no exception.  Just when I was getting discouraged, the neighborhood changed  dramatically. There were cafe's with people eating on the sidewalk,  musicians performing outdoors,  a farmers market and an art market.  All right close to the church. A dynamic  place to hang out after a day's ride. A good day. Til later.  

Friday, April 10, 2015

A really varied experience today.  Tried to outrun the rain and was successful ( at least for today).  I rode through Bayou la Batre ( which was featured in "Forrest Gump as being where his buddy Bubba was raised).  Then I rode over a very long bridge going to Dauphin Island.  It is strange to be out there in the middle of water riding the bike.  I have another long bridge coming up in Pensacola.  Dauphin Island was really neat - homey, not very many people.  Lots of people out walking and jogging.  Then I took a ferry across Mobile Bay.  It looks short on the map, but it took 30- 40 minutes to get across.  Lots and Lots of off shore oil rigs.  I've seen pictures before, but this made an impression.  When we got to the other side, the atmosphere changed dramatically.  Beach says it all.  ALL of the buildings were built on stilts or some such thing.  Raised 8 -12 feet in the air.  It was interesting to see how the fancy houses made it look kind of chic.  And there was definitely money.   I made it this far without falling over, but I  finally fell over.  I ended up riding through some sand - looked like dirt to me.  The tires got bogged down and I couldn't get my foot out of the clips.  Embarrassing, but I didn't get too scraped up.  

Gulf Shores and Ocean Beach.  Wow!  Lots and lots of beach.  Lots of fancy condo's and motels with lots and lots of people walking up and down the beach and enjoying the water.  I spent some time off of the bike walking on the beach myself.  Tomorrow Pensacola and the last state.  Hard to believe I will be in Florida tomorrow.  Before when people asked me where I was going I said "to Florida".  Now that doesn't make sense.  So now I say I am going to St. Augustine.  Other than worrying about the rain, the biking is good.  Most surfaces are good and there are no hills.  Doing well.  Til later.  

Thursday, April 9, 2015

It was another good day today.  I got to the Gulf, which was exciting.  But my camera wouldn't work for some reason (too much humidity?).  I took a few pics with the i-phone, but it just isn't the same.  Made it to Alabama, which they call "The Beautiful State".  Am just across the border in Grand Bay, Alabama.  

 I passed a tourist attraction today -  air boats on the swamp - supposedly finding aligators and the like.  I thought that was in Florida.  I learned something new again, today.  Only made it 40 miles today - a matter of finding places to stay for the night.  

Tomorrow we go back to dodging the rain.  Hopefully, I won't get too wet.  If I stay on schedule I will be in Florida in two days.  That has a nice ring to it.   Still finding road kill armadillo's.  I thought they were supposed to live in dry areas, but it looks like it is just southern/warm weather thing.  I will have to look that one up when I get back. Til later.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

No chasing or being chased by the rain for a couple of days.  Still foggy in the morning - so I got out my trusty blinking red light.  At least today I was on some really back roads and there was almost no traffic at all.  Yes, I am in Missippippi  - Ocean Springs.  I know it sounds funny, but I will probably not see the Gulf  until tomorrow.  Logistics with the bicycle can sometimes be difficult.  

I am very appreciative of an older gentleman in Poplarville who steared me away from some bad roads for cyclists.  I had a really good day today, most of it on very nice surfaces and no traffic -- and the end of the day on a new highway that accommodated bikes really well.

On one of those way back roads I had a pick-up truck driver yell at me to get off of the road.  It was a surprise since there was no other traffic at all - I hadn't even seen another car for 6 miles.  So, I just smiled and kept pedaling - wondering what kind of bad experience he had had with cyclists or why he was having such a bad day.

Mississippi is HUMID.  It almost makes no difference that it isn't raining.  The fog soaked me this morning, and then I sweated buckets the rest of the day.  Still great riding.  I will be heading into Alabama tomorrow.  No, I am not flying or making great time.  Both Alabama and Mississippi are really narrow down here on the Gulf.  One of the reasons that I enjoy this trip so much is being in  places that I don't know well.  I am learning a ton.  Doing well.  Til later.

Monday, April 6,2015

A great and interesting couple of days.  On Easter I decided that I wanted to take it easy and not go very far.  I ended up staying with an entusiastic cycling couple about 20 miles from New Roads.  The forecast was for rain in the afternoon, so it worked out well.  I slept in in New Roads, which is really unusual.  After I got there it started raining soon after.  It rained for 8 straight hours.  Sometimes heavy.  I was glad to be under shelter. The couple are really fans of recumbents.  They rode a tandem recumbent for years, but now ride individual recumbents.  I ate some great meals and got refreshed.

 The forecast for today was similar.  70 - 80% chance of rain by about 2 o'clock.  It was an invigorating day to say the least.  I left as early as possible( 6:50 a.m.) to get as far as possible before it started raining.  It was foggy.  Dangerous like last time, but this time I put my flashing red lignt on the back.  It must have worked, since I got honked at for 30 minutes or so.  

Then it was a battle of energy, riding hard, eating and drinking to replenish before I tanked.  I went 75 miles, which included hills and got to Franklinton about 1:45.  The lightning and rain started 10 minutes later.  Yes, I am staying in a motel.  There is the rain, and Wisconsin is playing in the NCAA championship game tonight -have to watch. 

 The last few days have been a reversion to the first few days in Louisiana.  Tree's, tree's and more tree's lining the road.  Some agriculture, but not like in the middle of the state.  Tomorrow I head for Mississippi.  I have gone about 2,000 miles now.  About 800   to go.  So the end is in sight.  And it is raining cats and dogs, with lightning and thunder right now.  It is supposed to be nice tomorrow.  Doing well (although really, really tired) Til later.

Saturday, April 4, 2015

The scenery of the last two days has changed dramatically from the first part of Louisiana.  Still quite a few trees, but this is farm country. Lots and lots of water.  Creeks, Bayou's, gully's, lakes, rivers (including the mighty Missippippi).

So as a result, the cemetery's bury above ground.  No 6 feet under here.  Around Mamou, there were extensive irrigation efforts going on.  Huge fields that were diked and irrigated.  Lots of rice and crawfish harvesting.  I had my first crawfish dish today.  It was good.  Sat down with a retired insurance salesman.  His breakfast, my morning snack.  He was really proud of the huge role Louisiana plays in feeding the country.  He told me his brother farms 10,000 acres.  Wow.  The rain was chasing me again today.  It was supposed to be 80% chance of rain when I left, but I only saw a few drops.

This is an example of some of the non-moving water that is everywhere.  Today I got to the end of the 5th route map.  Two to go.  I still have almost 900 miles to go, but it still feels good.  I rode over the biggest dike I have ever seen.  Part of the system to try and contain the Missippippi. Tonight I am in New Roads, Louisiana. Doing well.  Til later.

Thursday, 2015

I didn't expect to be  able to post this evening.  We will see if it works.  The above is what I have been looking at for two days. Lots of trees interspersed with pasture and some farms.  Lots and lots of bridges.  There is definitely water here.  Most of the bridges go over non-moving water( I would say stagnant, but that has a kind of negative connotation).  The riding has been good.  People are friendly and helpful.  It is humid for sure.  The weather report keeps saying it will rain, but so far the moisture has stayed in the clouds and in the air.  Met  a couple from Hamburg, Germany going the other way on the route.  It was fun to exchange notes about the route and the ride. Right now I am in Oberlin, Louisiana. Tomorrow it is Bunkie.  That is north and seems out of the way, but the route meanders depending on which roads are good for biking.  I think I ride through a state park tomorrow ( Chicot).  Looking forward to that.  Doing well.  Til later

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Tomorrow I get to Louisiana.  It has been a long time coming.  In Texas they fly a lot of flags.  Lots of state flags.  Sometimes with the US flag.  And then where I have been it is a fight between Texas A&M and Texas flags.  One place had four flags -the extra one being the Marine Corps flag.  About 10 miles east of Austin I came upon a place that was flying Buddist flags - some Austin Buddist center out in the middle of farm country.  Really quiet - probably a good place for it.  I'm curious to see what I will find in Louisiana.  Today, most of the day I saw small mudd piles in the shape of castle turrets.  I found out that it is where the crawdads have made a home.  Maybe I will get to eat some in the next week.

The ride was interesting today.  For the first 1 1/2 hours I was in fog.  Kind of dangerous.  The cars couldn't see me as well as usual and my glasses and mirror continually fogged up.  So, I changed senses and spend my morning listening really well to discover when vehicles were passing.  The cars and trucks were really good.  They could see me more than I thought, since they seemed to give me a lot more space than normal.  Another different thing about today was a 10 mile stretch that was totally flat and totally straight.  I have been so used to hills and curves and not being able to see what was coming up - kind of a surprise around every corner.  This was really different.  At least there were tree's lining both sides of the road.  Tonight I found a Chinese buffet and stuffed myself.  It was sublime. 68 miles today.  Staying in Silsbee, Texas.  Getting ready for rain.  Feeling good.  Til later.

Monday, March 30, 2015

A really great day.  I did make it the 74 miles and enjoyed almost all of the ride.  I rode through a National Forest(Sam Houston?) with just me and the birds for the most part.  Went by a National Wilderness area.  Saw the lake which supplies the water for the city of Houston ( it is big). And am staying with a great couple just outside of Coldspring, Texas.  Saw a clever sign in front ot a church.

" Parking for members only.  Trespassers will be baptized" The road kill report is a bit different.  We had the usual possums, but also a fox, which suprized me - I thought they were too wily to get hit by vehicles.  and a wild boar.  It was big and the tusks looked  menacing. I did a double take when I went by. I would hate to see what damage it caused the vehicle that hit it.  The weather was good with little wind.  Tomorrow will be the last good day for a while.  A cold front is coming in with lots of rain in the forcast.  I will try to enjoy the good day tomorrow.  Feeling really good. Til later.

Sunday, March 29, 2015

Another great riding day.  A little tail wind.  Lots of good country roads, beautiful scenery(for me that is farm country with lots of pasture and lots of trees), and running into lots of other cyclists.  None of them are doing the touring thing, but it is still fun.  Today I took a break with 4 guys from Houston out training on the hills and great roads of East Texas.  3 were in the oil business - one from Scotland, one from England, one from Columbia.  The American was in the music business.  Great guys to sit and chat with.  Tonight I am in Navasota, Texas - a few more days and I will finally find myself in Louisiana.  I've been going 40-50 miles a day for a while.  Tomorrow I have to ramp it up to 75.  It is mostly mental, so I will see if I can get myself psyched up for the long ride.  Another great day on the road.  Til later.

Saturday, March 28, 2015

I wasn't able to get on the internet yesterday, so I will write about both days.  I am now in farm country.  The route for the most part is very rural, with little traffic.  I have the usual number of dogs chasing me every day, farmers out fixing fence, cattle roaming around ( longhorn and other), and crops growing in the fields. For the most part I can't tell what is growing.  But it is green.   There are a lot of flowers - bluebonnets?, Indian Paintbrush, two different purple flowers, and the like.  It is spring.  I went to a grocery store yesterday and they were selling all of the gardening stuff that we would be buying in Casper in May. People were filling out their gardens.

Last night I stayed in Buescher state park.  It was a beautiful campground.  Lots of trees, and the part where I was camping was a tent only place.  Right next to a lake.  Not many people to start with.  The birds were signing their hearts out.  Truly a symphony.  Then around 7 pm a whole load of cars came into the camp.  A boy scout troup.  Seems like there were 50, but probably only about 20 boy scouts, with at least 12 adults herding them along.  The kids were excited and polite, so I can't complain too much.  Then this morning even before the sun came up another group started to gather.  Turns out there was a fund raiser bike ride. Lots and lots of bikers started showing up for that.  

Still it was a good place to stay.

Today the ride continued to be rural, with the farmland melding into more and more forest.  About half way through the ride, the route took on more traffic and we were in farm country again. I am staying in Round Top Texas ( population 78), but wow are there a lot of people here.  Turns out I am here during antique week.  There are two towns close to each other that participate.  Both were packed to the gills. Staying at an RV park and gallery ( yes, art gallery).  The gallery is pretty high end, really well done, and the people who run it are incredibly nice.  Camping in the back under some trees.  About 5 miles from where I was headed, the traffic came to a standstill.  It was bumper to bumper five miles into Round Top.  Usually the cars pass me by while I ride on the shoulder.  This time I got to ride right by them, passing them as I rode on the shoulder. 

By my calculation, I am about half way to my destination in Florida.  Maybe even more.  Close to 1500 milesgone by. Feeling good.  Good weather.  Good riding.  Til later

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Finally to Austin.  The trek from Johnson City to Austin was good and also challenging.  The flat tire that I changed there was the beginning of a flat tire saga.  In two and a half days I had 4 flat tires.  It was getting frustrating.  Today I stopped in a Bike shop in Austin ( Mellow Johnny's - which is supposedly still owned by Lance Armstrong).  They worked on my tire - put in some new rim tape, sold me 4 spare tubes, and sent me on my way.  They feel like my flat problems will be behind me.  They were very nice, and didn't charge me an arm and a leg.  It was interesting this morning trying to get there.  My tube( the last one) was gradually losing air, so I had to stop periodically and fill er up.  The map people did a pretty good job of getting me through Austin, but there are still a LOT of cars here.  I'm looking forward to getting into more rural areas again.  

Getting to Austin I had to cross another one of those ' beware of water on the road' places.  This time it had a bunch of water in it.  Probably about 3 inches, which may not seem like a lot in a car, but I got plenty wet.  Saw some real live 'longhorns'. There were olive orchards, vinyards, and lots of goats.  For some reason the goats are afraid of my bike.  Every time I get close to a herd of goats they freak out and head for the hills.  We were speculating last night that maybe I get too close to them without making any noise and then they get real excited when they finally see me.

Spent a great night with Robert and his two daughters, Arwyn and Julia.  They were wonderful hosts. It was nice to have a piece of real life instead of the usual life on the road.  I was also able to touch base with a long time family friend.  Caroline was actually my babysitter once upon a time. I'm surprised she doesn't hold that against me.  I had a little sparkle in my eye when I was little. 

Tonight I am camping in McKinney Falls State Park.  Just on the other side of Austin.  I was planning on going farther, but got lost once and decided it was just as good to stay here.  

All in all doing well.  Til later.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

A good and interesting day.  Last night when I was cleaning the chain it looked like it might need to be changed, but I got lazy and decided I didn't want to mess with it.  When I checked the air in the tires, the back tire had lost a lot of air.  So I pumped it up.  When I checked in the morning, the tire had lost all of the air I had put in it the night before.  So, it was mehcanic time.  Rear tires are always hard, and I figured since I was going to get dirty changing the tube in the back, I might as well do the chain while I was at it. It had been almost 1300 miles, so a new chain was probably overdue.  Without too many hassles, I got the tube and chain changed and didn't get too dirty in the process.  As many of you know I don't consider myself a mechanic by any stretch of the imagination.  So it felt good.

Back on route was interesting.  That means rural roads, and not many towns.  The town listed on he map had a cemetary and one boarded up building.  It does make for some incredibly peaceful riding, however.  More hills today, but I did alright.  I saw some live critters today.  A flock of wild turkeys.  It was surprising.  I didn't expect to see them in this area for some reason.

Road kill report  - one turtle, 1 armadillo, two wild turkeys, and a deer.

Tonight I find myself in Johnson City, Texas - hometown of LBJ. Tomorrow I should make it into Austin. One peciliarity of this area are signs that indicate that flooding across the road is a distinct possibility.  In fact I was advised to take along a highway map of Texas just in case the road I was on got cut off and I needed to find a different route.  I only went through one crossing that had water in it.  Each of the crossings has a distinct yellow sign with markings that indicate how many feet high the  water is going across the road, just in case one gets stupid and tries to cross when it is ill advised.Looking forward to Austin.  Til later.

Monday, March 23, 2015

The theme today was HILLS, HILLS, HILLS.  All Day long. Hills are really totally different than mountains.  Today was my first test of hills all day.  It is different physically, mentally, and in how one uses the bike.  I made it through, but my legs are tired and I am beat.  It was also 64 miles, so that takes it out of me also.  All in all it was a good day.  just a challenge. What I also have discovered is that if I go 45 - 55 miles in a day I seem to handle it pretty well.  More than that and I struggle.  Today was more than that.  We did have trees, and more trees, which I appreciated.  But again.  More wildlife, so more roadkill.

One skunk, one raccoon, two armadillo's(again), a few deer-----but I also saw a nice live doe.  I am hoping for more of the live critters.

I had an interesting start to the day.  My waffle was in the shape of the state of Texas.  At least it was big, so I got my money's worth.  Tonight I am in Fredericksburg, Texas.  Tomorrow I am not sure.  I probably need a shorter day tomorrow.  We will see how I feel in the morning. Doing well. Til later.

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Today was a great day on the bike.  It was cool and cloudy.  And the landscape changed!!!!!  I could no longer see for miles and miles.  It got a lot greener.  And there were lots of trees.  It was also hilly, but that is a small thing.  I've been looking forward to tree's for quite a while.  So I am getting happy. Towardss the end of the ride today the landscape reverted back a little, but I have a feeling that I will be coming to more trees tomorrow.  57 miles today.  Am in the town of Junction, Texas.  There is one major disadvantage to all of the foilage.  More animals, which means more road kill.  

Road kill count  - 3 deer, 1 possum, 2 armadillo's, 1 frog, and lots and lots of critters that were too messed up to identify.  Hopefully I will get to see some of those critters live.  Only a small section on the interstate tomorrow.  Then it is back on the route.  I should be in Frendricksburg tomorrow and that is where I pick up the route again. Feeling really good tonight.  Til later. 

Saturday, March 20, 2015

A sign posted at one of the rest areas along the route.  Gives one pause to camp where one does not know the terrain.  Tonight, Sonora, Texas. The theme is WET.  It is finally supposed to clear up for tomorrow, so that will be good.  A small treat today is discovering that Pizza Hut has a nice salad bar.  All you can eat for $5.  I hope the other Pizza Huts have somegthing similar. I might just be a regular customer.  Til later.

Friday, March 20, 2015

This is what I have been looking at for a very long time.  I will say that Texas is a BIG state. Two milestones.  One is that we are in the Central Time Zone.  But the bigger one is that yesterday I went over the 1,000 mile mark.  Rain and thunderstorms have been going strong for two days.  For the most part the heavy stuff has been during the night, so more of a pain than any real danger. I am looking forward to tree's.  Three more days and I think I might be in that realm.  Tonight it is Ozona, Texas.  Looking forward to Austin in 5 or 6 days.  Mentally that is a transition point for me. It will indicate starting to get into a different part of the south.  Til later.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

It was a good riding day today.  It was also a good day to remind myself that the best riding happens when I feel the rhythm of the bike and what the road and bike will allow.  I usually start the day with a goal of some kind, which isn't a bad thing.  But the wind, rain, hills, energy available and the like are what allows me to obtain whatever goal I set.  It is a good idea to have somewhat of a goal, but I get into trouble when I try and stick too rigidly to that goal.  It threatened rain for most of the morning, but only a little bit came down.  It was cold, but without much wind.  The shoulder of the road was in great shape, so I ended up doing about 14 miles in the first hour.  Then the shoulder changed into something a lot rougher with lots of rolling resistance.  So I went from thinking I was going to breeze through the day, to thinking I was going to be on the road forever.  That changed several times throughout the day.  Eventually I got myself to calm down and just take what the road gave. Once the interstate split into the road that went to Dallas and the road that went to San Antonio (the one that I am taking) it got a LOT quieter. Most of the traffic went to Dallas.  There were stretches with no traffic and no noise.  It was great to be able to look around and relax a lot more.  It was 71 miles all together and  I find myself in a small town called Balmorhea.  They tout themselves as being the "oasis" of West Texas.  Tomorrow on to Ft. Stockton ( about 50 miles).  Revised forecast is for it to rain Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.  Maybe we will get lucky and it will pass us by.  Still hanging out with Art from Cinncinnati. Doing well, but very tired.  Til later.

Tuesday, March 17,, 2015

Met  a cyclist( Art)  from Cincinnati last night coming into Sierra Blanca. It is always good to compare notes on what we have done and plans for the future.  Art came up with some ideas about changing routes for a large part of Texas - it is also something that I was considering after talking with lots of others.  So I think I will go off route for a while and ride on the Interstate for several days.  Tried it today for my short day ( 32 miles).  It went well (except for the rain part).  The forecast is for more rain for a couple days more(at least). My rain gear has worked well so far, so I think it will be good.  Staying in Van Horn, Texas.  I got here early enough to go to the laundromat.  That started off poorly as the machine for dispensing soap ate my money without giving me any soap. A very nice woman and her daughter were doing their laundry.  They gave me some soap to use,  and on top of that they showed me how to use the dryer for free ( I recouped my lost 75 cent).  Planning the next few days.  I'm excited about the NCAA men's tourney.  All three Iowa teams are in the tournament as well as Wyoming.  And Wisconsin is seeded really high.  Looking forward to a good few weeks if I can get access to a TV once in a while.  Doing fine.  Til later.

Monday, March 16, 2015

So we have a few days to catch up on.  We did ride around that big mountain and ended up in Las Cruces. Before Las Cruces it was back to dry tumbleweed kind of terrain.

I really enjoyed the ride from Las Cruces to El Paso. Right outside of Las Cruces was a quaint little historic village called Mesilla.  It is supposedly where Billy the Kid was tried and hanged.  I was fortunate enough to be able to watch a wedding ceremony with traditional music of this area.  It was great.  My campsite was only about 1/4 mile away, so I got lucky.  It was a Sunday.  Just as I was leaving the little village I looked up and saw one of those signs indicating a group that adopted and picked up trash along that part of the road.  It was the Unitarian Univeralists of Las Cruces. Reminded me of all of those back home making a new life in our little Casper church.

Crossed the Rio Grande.  It was surprising to me that all there was flowing under the bridge was sand.

Spent quite a few miles riding through what I would consider a pecan tree forest.  Miles and miles of trees lining both sides of the road.  If I were a farmer I would probably say acres and acres.  The other main crop that I saw was cotton.  There were signs indicating that there was to be no plowing on the shoulder of the road.  Having just recently been in a place that was plowing snow, without thinking, I naturally assumed that they were referring to snow.  It took me half the morning to realize that the signs were a warning to the farmers.  There weren't any fences between the road and the crops.  They were telling the farmers to keep their plows off of the shoulder.  Evidently there had been issues with farmers plowing and sowing on the road right of way.  

Getting into and through El Paso was challenging, but aided by a very long and nice bike path.  The first panic moment of the day came after the bike path ended.  I got on the  road that was supposed to take me all the way through El Paso.  Road closed!  No detour signs.  Luckily enough it was a Sunday.  No construction going on.  So I made my way through the baricade, picked my way through several blocks of construction and ended up where I needed to be.  It was a great day, but a long one.  I ended up going about 70 miles to get out of the city and find a place to stay.

The head winds finally slowed down today.  I felt a tail wind for about 15 minutes.  The challenge here in West Texas is going to be taking enough food and water to get from one place to another.  The towns are spaced a long way from each other, with a lot of businesses closed down.  The landscape is vast with plains and mountains for as far as you can see.  It is not what I would describe a beautiful, but it certainly does have its own beauty.  Tomorrow I will take it a bit easy.  I went about 67 miles today.  Two long days in a row and I need to recoup a bit.  Tonight I am in Sierra Blanca.  Tomorrow, maybe Van Horn.  Feeling good. Doing well.  Til later.  

Friday, March 13, 2015

It has been a few days.  Lots and lots of miles.  We left the Phoenix area on Tuesday and ended up in Globe.  Lots of miles just to get out of the city and then lots of other miles added.  Nice weather.  Beutiful desert and beatiful rock formations.  The desert was diverse with an abundance of what I am told were Joshua tree's.  We went up in elevation which has been a theme of the last few days.

On Wednesday, we rode 82 miles to Safford.  Not as much elevation climbing, but a few rolling hills and a headwind the last 15 miles ( of course).  It was an exhausting day to say the least.  We broke down and went to a Chinese buffet.  Stayed a long time.  All of the salt probably did us some good, but I really liked the ice cream.

On Thursday, we got up early again.  This was truly a grueling and beautiful day.  We climbed and descended, climbed and descended.  Twice we climbed 2,000 + feet and then came down again.  The visita's were amazing.  We ended up going over a 6,200 ft pass.  On one side of the pass we had classic, dry, beautiful desert.  On the other side of the pass, we had forests, that eventually led to rolling hills similar to pasture land in Wyoming or Montana.  Stayed in a post office town ( the only thing there was a post office) called Mule Creek,  New Mexico.  Yes, we are now in New Mexico.

On Friday(the 13th) we had a really nice ride.  Rolling hills of pasture, good roads, nice car and truck drivers passing us.  The only bad part was the end which had us scaling up to the Continental Divide at 6,300 ft.  Staying in Silver City, New Mexico tonight.  I think we have decided to go off route for a bit.  After yesterday we know we can do grueling climbs, but don't feel like going over the 8,200 ft pass that awaits us.  We are going around that mountain.  Probably will still climb a little, but not like it would be to go over that pass. Should be in El Paso in 3 - 4 days.  Still feeling good.  Til later.

Monday, March 9, 2015

An interesting day.  We went 70 miles today, but got only about 2/3 of the way across Phoenix.  We did start about 50 miles away, but I was disappointed to not get farther.  Riding in the city isn't a lot of fun, but we got to go on a few trails and some streets which didn't have much traffic.  Then there were those other streets!!!!

I broke my seat today.  At the bike shop they commented on how old my seat was (based on the model). In many ways I was incredibly lucky.  If the seat would have broken in the next few days, I would have been in the mountains and away from any hope of getting it repaired.  I had to buy a new seat, but it is for a good cause.

I met up with John and his wife from Helena, MT. and rode with him all day.  We will be riding together again tomorrow. 

road kill report - two rattle snakes. At least we think.  We were moving kind of fast when we went by.

Very tired, so I will keep it short today.  I may be out of touch for a few days as we will be in the mountains.  Doing well.  Til later

Sunday, March 8, 2015

I got a kick out of this setup.  Innovative use of a feedlot!  And some shade for the cows besides.

This is some of the sand that I ate a few days ago.  Really great ride today.  Ended up in Wickenburg, AZ.  Good roads, not too many hills, little wind,  not too hot and not too cold. 54 miles in total. Just a nice easy rhythm.   I did spot some wildlife today.  There are always birds, but besides that we had rabbits and gophers.  Finally found my first lug nut on the shoulder.  Not much there other than an enormous amount of tire remnants. Lots and lots of tread. Sounds like a project for the Boys and Girls club or scouting units.  Finally got to buy real food from a great grocery store.  Really savored munching on a couple of carrots.  Tomorrow, Phoenix.  A bit apprehensive as getting across big cities is usually an adventure.  Doing well.  Til later.

Saturday, March 7, 2015

So I finally figured out how to do this picture thing while on the road.  This is a today shot.  I am learning that there are a lot of different deserts. We had the scub, irrigated, sand dune, and the current version with the sugaro (not sure of the spelling) cactus.  All are pretty in there own way.

After spending the night on gravel in Quartsite, I made it to a town called Solome, expecting dansers to greet me at the city gates.  I only made it 40 miles today.  Maybe it was the heat( I know - no sympathy from you in snowy country), but I listened to the body and stopped in spite of not making it to my personal goal for the day.  Hopefully I will get some rest tonight and be ready to go in the morning. Til later.

Friday, March 6, 2015

I wasn't able to get wifi yesterday, so I will have to catch up on the two days together.

On Thursday,  it was challenging.  We ended up going 67 miles, much of it uphill, with a fierce headwind.  But life is interesting.  Just when you think you can't make it, the wind dies down, the hills aren't as steep, and in the end it works out.  

I spent most of the day riding with a guy from Helena.  He is doing the trip to Florida as well, and I imagine we will be riding together a lot as the trip goes on.  He is retired military and then retired from owning a Meineke franchise.  Older than me and can kick my butt on a bicyle.  But he humored me most of the day.  His wife is driving an RV as a sag wagon and that works out well.  It also gave me a chance to catch some shade during the ride, and they were generous enough to also give me some sustenance. At the 35 mile mark there is a grocery store, but for some strange and inexcplicable reason it was closed when we got there.  Puts a bit of panic into my soul when I expect to eat/drink and can't.   We ended up in Palo Verde.  During the trip we went through a national sand dune area.  Unique and beautiful in its own way.  However, the wind was blowing, so we ate our fair share of sand.

Today wasn't all that eventful.  50 miles.  Fairly easy roads ( although uphill for the last 20).  We are now in Arizona.  It does feel like an accomplishment to make it across one state.  Got caught in the time warp of daylight savings even before it starts.  Arizona doesn't change time any time during the year.  So I was a bit off when I went looking for food and the like.  Camping in an RV park that is REALLY an RV park.  The tent does right on top of the gravel.  At least there is some shade. And a shower, which feels great after a day of riding.  Should be in Phoenix in two to three days.  Probably three.  The distances depend so much on if there are places to stay/camp.  Sometimes that doesn't coincide with the desired distances one wants to ride.  Feeling good.  Til later.

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

A good day of riding.  Started in the desert - part of the YUHA desert.  Lots of sand and scrub.  It was unusual to feel warm.  Went thtough a place called Plaster City.  Nothing there but a dry wall plant(ironic).  The road was incredibly rough for the first 20 miles, but smoothed out after while. After a couplee of hours of riding,  the landscape went though a total transformation in a matter of 100 yards.  There was desert, then  I crossed the Westside Canal, and instantly there were lush fields of alfalfa and giant football field sized stacks of hay bales wrapped in a tentlike covering.  I was now in the  Imperial Valley.  Lots and lots of different crops grown  with Colorado River water I was told.  The hay is mostly sent overseas to the Japanese.  

Ended up in Brawley staying with a nice couple who host cyclists.  I was indocinated into the south west today.  Someone called me "pardner".  Last night and this morning I was treated to a great symphony of bird song.  I am not an expert by any means, but I don't think I have ever heard these bird voices before.  Quite colorful.  

Spent a bit of time in a bar last night ( the only bathroom I could find).  Most of you may know this, but for someone who doesn't frequent many bars I was stunned that someone in that bar in a little town in California could play a game of darts with an opponent who was playing his portion of the game in Canada.  Old hat to some.  I was impressed.

    I finally saw some wildlife.  One little bunny rabbit.  No shoulder refuse to report- mostly because there weren't many shoulders to report on.  Tomorrow I head towards Blythe.  I won't get that far, but it will give you an idea of the direction I'll be heading.  48 miles today.  Tomorrow we see what I am made of.  70 miles - and I have to make it because there isn't anything between. I am definitely getting into the rhythm of the bike.  Body parts are still not totally happy, but getting used to riding every day. The biggest struggle is learning to eat enough and drink enough.  It will come.  Til later.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Today I took it easy.  I am still a bit shaken by yesterday. But the rhythm of the bike is back.  No snow or rain.  Sunny skies.  So I went 20 miles and stopped in Ocotillo.  For you who like to follow along on maps.  After San Diego I went through Alpine, Pine Valley, Live Oak Springs, Boulevard and Jacumba.

    The border patrol was out in full force yesterday, even in the snow.  Lots of vehicles going back and forth on the road.  I even met an agent walking the opposite way that I was going.  He was a pleasant guy - kind of like the policeman on the beat.  For some reason, the border guys didn't make me nervous.  It was a comfort to know that they were there.  Then I saw the fence.  BIG fence.  For some reason that spooked me a little.  A fence that big had to be keeping out something terrible or so it felt.

I stayed in a great place last night.  Met some cyclist going west.  They had a lot of good information for me.  Where to stay.  What to avoid and the like.  I didn't have much, other than to watch out for the snow.  Another new experience today.  Coming down from the mountains the highway was really steep.  There was part of the road that was at 6% grade for 6 miles.  I tried not to rely too much on the breaks, but I still didn't do enough.  One of my rims overheated and the tube blew out.  I felt a little lucky.  The tire didn't blow, just the tube.  So I replaced the tube and ended up walking the bike after every mile or so to keep the rims from getting too hot. It was actually a nice experience.  I got to enjoy the new scenery.  It went quickly from mountains to desert.  And then I got back on the bike every so often and came down quickly for  short periods of time. Tomorrow I head for Brawley.  Feeling good.  My stuff is drying as we speak.  Til later.  

Monday, March 2, 2015

What a day.  Ended up going about 43 miles just like yesterday.  I was planning on doing more, but I had some issues with weather.  When I woke up it had stopped raining, so I was hopeful that the bad stuff had passed by. After packing up and getting on the road I ran into hail only 10 minutes into the ride.  That was a first, I think.  I was still going up.  I saw one sign that gave altitude.  It said about 3,900 ft.  But that was after I had come down a bit.  So it was probably over 4,000.  And it was cold.  And it was raining most of the day.  At one point I was turning right.  If I was to turn left, there was a blinking sign telling cars that they had to chain up their tires.  That should have been a warning.  First off, it hailed again.  For quite a long time.  I hung out under a tree which protected me a bit.  It stopped hailing, but soon the snow came.  I was in denial for a while.  Telling myself that the raindrops were getting a bit thicker.  But it was snow.  For a time I was very wet and very cold. Then I ran into a casino on an Indian reservation.  I hung out in the bathroom trying to dry my gloves on the air blowers.  I also sat down to evaluate and decided to eat some hot food.  All good decisions.  I spent an hour and a half getting warm and then went back out on the road.  The weather had improved, but I was still frozen (could be pschological), so I went another 16 miles and called it quits for the day.  Staying inside tonight.  I turned the heater on full blast and spread my stuff around.  Hopefully it will be better by morning.  Somehow or other almost all of my stuff got wet, in spite of precations.

Ran into some more nice folks.  Some very encourging, others helpful with good information.

No road kill report.  Maybe they don't have as much wildlife here, or the wildlife is more wary of the road, or the drivers are better, or something else.  We will see if it continues.

Not too many interesting things on the side of the road today.  A car wheel, rim and tire attached. but most of the time I was paying attention to my inner dialogue trying to be positive about a not so positive day.  Til later.

Sunday, March 1,2015

And so it begins.  Quite a day. It hasn't rained in San Diego much at all lately.  And they are in a drought.  But it rained all day today!!!!  Not a lot of fun.  But it was good  in other ways.  Started to get a feel for the rhythm of the bike and the demands on the body.  How to eat and drink during the day, etc.  It felt good to be on the bike.  About 43 miles today.  A climb of a bit over 2,000 ft.  More to come tomorrow.  I would post a picture, but it is hard to take pictures in the rain.

I passed a lot of homeless people on the bike path.  Sleeping under bridges. I was surprised to see that many of them had bicycles.  Then I remembered that I saw the same thing with the homeless in Berkely.  Maybe it is a CAlifornia thing.    Talked with a lot of people in convenience stores.  Very friendly.  Willing to tell me about their adventures when they were younger or when they were 60 lbs lighter - that kind of thing.

Not much of a road kill report.  One moth is about it.  But wow was there some interesting stuff along the shoulder.  The usual - glass, nails, batteries,auto parts like a fan belt, part of an air filter, etc.  But I also saw an Easter basket. a Christmas tree decoration, a broom ( in good shape even), and the top of a washing machine. It is never dull.  It is supposed to stop raining tomorrow.  I hope earlier than what they are predicting.  All the best.

So I am practicing the blog before my trip. I am not good at this technology stuff. At least I got a photo in this time.