Reflections

I can't believe that we have been finished now for almost two months. There isn't a day that passes that we don't think about our journey and yes, we miss it. I had the most difficult transition back to "real life" but I've come through on the other side. Neil (cyclist we met in NY from London) arrived at our house the day after we drove down from Seattle. It was fantastic having him here because of all people, he understood what we accomplished and what difficulties we faced. He put up with me as we ran errands.

"Is there more to life than just buying toilet paper at Costso?" I wondered. "Why is everyone in such a hurry?" There was the classic moment when I came back from Trader Joes having bought only desert. I couldn't choose anything for dinner because the choices were overwhelming.

Ah yes, the first week of reentry. I'm sure glad that is over.

Changes

So, I've been keeping notice as to the physical changes I would experience.  The obvious have been strong legs, strong bodies.  My eyesight has improved as has my memory.  I have always had low blood pressure but now it is even lower, around 91 over 60 with my pulse being 66.  My weight has remained the same (I didn't want to end up looking like Skelator) but I am sure that my body composition has changed.  

My knees are still incredibly sore.  My muscles don't hurt at all and overall I am surprised at how fast I am recovering from being sore for 3 months.

The nicest people we met...

The nicest people we met in Idaho were from Oregon and Iowa!  You can read about them at kissthemidwest.blogspot.com.  We met them shortly before rolling into Mountain Home, Idaho.  They are headed for Iowa and have been caught by this early cold weather.  I've been thinking of them and praying for them as they continue on their journey.  Emily & Kiel met Cory in Eugene when Cory worked on Emily's bike.  They reconnected in Boise and are traveling together for a while.  I loved Emily's spirit and especially her comment about searching for trees.  I could so relate after being without them for so long.

Our Last Day

We officially reached the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday evening.  We pedaled over 90 miles that day and it was a perfect ending.

Eugene was a great place and on our way out of town we rode on more of their fantastic bike lanes.  I had to stop at a great coffee shop.  I rated it second best to my favorite in Woodstock, Vermont.  

It quickly warmed up to around 60 and we worked hard the entire day.  Most of the time we were silent.  Sadness.

I was even able to ride in my shorts for part of the day.  Blessing.

Our last 14 miles to Florence were along a busier road but we had a great shoulder to ride on.  The icing on the cake was an unkempt man with his bicycle standing on the other side of the road.

"I'm running for governor!" he yelled across the busy road.  He was holding up a sign and announced his website.

Cedar and I used the last 14 miles to list off 14 of the things we were thankful for.  Zion dropped behind because he thought we were being too sentimental.

My parents met us in town and followed us the final 5 miles to the ocean.  We walked out to the ocean to touch the water.

Finished.

Learning

We have been trying to list off the various trails and paths that we followed as we crossed the country.

We began with the towns being chartered and watched as the dates became younger.

We followed the Stagecoach Trail in Northern Illinois.

We rode along the Mississippi River Trail in Iowa.

We followed the trail of Lewis and Clark.

We rode along The Outlaw Trail in Nebraska.

In Wyoming we connected with The Oregon Trail and The Mormon Trail.

We used Goodales Cutoff in Idaho.

We may remember others but it has been amazing to ride in the footsteps that so many took before us.

We are sad...

I have been surprised at how sad the boys are to be finishing our trip.  They willingly joined me on fulfilling my dream and I am so blessed to have had them with me.  We always gave them the option of stopping and they never even leaned in that direction.  I am very proud.

We Love Eugene

Eugene has a fantastic bike route system.  They even have buttons to push at intersections to turn the signal green at the side of the road just for bicyclists!  We loved it!  We will get to ride on more of the cycling network tomorrow as we head out of town.  

On my last post, I forgot to mention the great encouragement that we received on the way up.  We had more honks, waves and smiles than any other pass.  The best came from an elderly couple who both waved and gave us a huge thumbs up.  She had a great smile!!  The twists and turns of the road prohibits semi trucks and any vehicles over 35 feet so the cars we did encounter gave us great clearance.

Our last summit

It was freezing as we started off, literally.  We began to warm up after we started climbing and I think that this was the most interesting pass of all.  We started in sage brush and Ponderosa Pines, climbed to lava fields and descended into the lush green forests filled with ferns, moss and Cedar trees!  We started in partly cloudy skies, climbed to cold winds and entered snow for about 10 miles.  Our descent on the twisty road kept our speed low and we had to stop every few miles to hit our hands to try and thaw them.

I've decided that rain is actually better to bike in than snow because rain falls directly down.  Snow floats in the air and does hurt the eyeballs.  We had a great day in spite of freezing.

Now I understand

I was feeling very tired and discouraged through all this cold weather and I finally figured it out yesterday.  I am sick!  Today I am just staying in bed and the boys are touring the Co-motion factory with my dad.  That is the maker of our tandem.  I am just happy to sit here and drink tea.  Morning temperatures are still below freezing but tomorrow the highs should be closer to 60.  I managed to make it through our 50+ miles yesterday.  For now, I am loving our last rest day!

All I need is a knife...

I think that if I secured a blade to the back of the bike, any vehicle that tried to kill us would have a nice scratch on their truck.

I've really used these opportunities to teach the boys what a coward is.  Men who try to kill a mom and her two boys from behind using large vehicles are cowards and need prayers.  

I did have a quick discussion with Cord about it last night.

"If we are killed, it was no accident," I ranted.  "They try to run us off the road on purpose.  I want you to hunt them down and make sure that they can't kill anyone else."

I believe that all of these drivers live in Idaho and eastern Oregon.  Not Ever a problem in the rest of the country.

Cowards.  Someone needs to teach them what it means to be a real man.

My mouth dropped open.

How to get a super taster to eat anything?  Make him bike over 3600 miles.

"Mom, I'd like to eat a salad," Cedar told me last night at dinner.

Mouth open wide, I looked in disbelief.

"I'm just so hungry," he continued.

He ate most of it before polishing off a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs.

Miracles do happen.

It's Freezing!

So, not only have we chosen the coolest, wettest summer to ride across, we also have chosen a year when winter is coming early.  Yesterday we rode across our second to the last pass and it was freezing!  I was ready to stop the trip right there but the boys encouraged me to go on.  I have decided that I am a warm weather biker!

We have one pass left and from there we are heading to the ocean.  I am ready to stop there instead of riding up to Seattle.  We will first make a stop at REI to get some rain pants and an additional pair of thermal pants for me.  Maybe I'll get a second pair of gloves, a second hat and a third pair of socks.  I'm already wearing two as it is.  

My only consolation is that our friend Neil is freezing too.  I think his daytime highs are warmer but at night it is in the 20's.

Dreaming of warm weather.

Hello Oregon!

We've been in Oregon for about 160 miles now and after riding for 11 days we had to have a rest day.  We climbed over 4 passes in 2 days and had beautiful, fantastic rides.  

Our legs feel like Jello but we were extremely excited to reach...trees!!!!  We had to stop and breathe! 

We followed The Oregon Trail and were able to still see the ruts made from the wagons.  It was fascinating thinking about them traveling west through such dry desolate areas.

Our last climb took us to 5277 ft and we anticipated another speedy descent.  Imagine our dismay as we began heading down, the winds started up.  We were dropping over 1000 feet and had to pedal in order to go 8 mph.  EIGHT!  It was quite hilarious to hear us screaming.

We stopped by the roadside at a pull out for some respite from the wind.  A car pulled up from California so I had to ask him where he is from.

"No one knows the town that I am from.  It is in Ventura County," he responded.

"We're from Thousand Oaks," I said.

"I'm from Simi Valley," he answered.

We're getting much closer to home.

He had already asked us where we were cycling from but asked again.  When I told him that we had started in Maine, he couldn't believe it.  He took our picture and should be home by now.  It is funny that as we are ending our trip, it just doesn't seem so difficult or long.  

We are racing winter.  Yesterday the temperatures were in the 90's and today the high was 56.  We have had many nights below freezing, just about too many to count.  We have 3 major passes to summit before reaching the coast.  We are trying to dodge the storms as they come through although the boys would love to bike in the snow.  I don't know if I am that adventurous.  

We are still camping most nights and while it is freezing in the morning, usually it gets warmer during the day.  I can't believe that my parents are camping with us.  They haven't camped since I was 3 and here they are, joining us!  We are loving eating great food cooked over the fire.  

Cord will be joining us for the last few days as we ride into Redmond.  We sure do miss him but know that he is well taken care of by our neighbors!  We are well and hopefully our legs will recover someday!

Wasted grain...

Something must be wrong with a society when grain can just be spilled along the roadside.  People are starving and we just have grains flowing over the truck sides.

Another windy day

We were dropped off at our stopping point and continued on.  The wind today was less than yesterday, blowing a steady 25 with gusts at 35 mph.  

As we unloaded the bikes we kept hearing booms, explosions from the INL.

"I just keep looking for a mushroom cloud," my dad joked.

Since we have no idea of what they are experimenting on, our minds have the ability to turn the unknown into great stories.

My favorite was having emergency vehicles rescuing us from whatever had exploded and in the process, rescuing us from the wind.

We were able to finish the final 20 miles in 2 1/2 hours.  We pushed hard and used the rest of the day to recover.

As we pulled into town, we noticed two things.  The submarine is marked 666.  How did they ever get christians on a sub with that label?

The local burger joint is the home of the Atomic Burger.  I am thinking that I would only eat it if it gave me a burst of energy to fly through this wind.  

"I caught it!" (not the rattlesnake)

Our day started out with Zion having a flat.  That put us behind by 30 minutes and it was going to be another hot one.  Our first 20 miles were uneventful and we ate lunch in a lava field.  There is nothing like eating lunch on a hot day surrounded by black rocks and no shade.  

By the time we finished lunch it was almost 2 o'clock.  The winds had picked up and were getting stronger.  It took us almost 5 hours to ride the next 30 miles.  The wind gusts were strong and it took every ounce of my being to keep the bike on the road.  

"Well, Cedar, if we get blown off we are going to look like a couple of porcupines!" I yelled.

"OK Mom, just try not to!" he responded.

The road was lifted higher than the surrounding land so there was no wind break whatsoever.  Our map showed that a rest stop was ahead a few miles and it was getting dark so we called my parents for a lift.  I thought we would be there in an hour.  90 minutes later they called to check up on where we were.

"We are out in the middle of nowhere with the flying tumbleweeds!" Cedar yelled into the phone.

A few minutes earlier our conversation went something like this.

"I can't miss them!  They are going to hit us!" I warned Cedar.

"I got it!" he answered.

Cedar waved it victoriously in the air as I tried to steady the bike.  I made him drop it because steering was already challenging enough.  We were laughing hard at the difficulty of the situation and kept pedaling.  

We pulled into a closed entrance for the Idaho National Laboratory.  I stopped as close as possible to the gate in order to escape the passing traffic.  Zion quickly pulled in behind us.  We took a quick break and Zion was getting ready to leave first.

"Stop!  Snake!" he exclaimed.

We must have all rolled within inches of this 4 ft long rattlesnake.  It had been across the road in the weeds growing in the crack.  It circled and watched us as we watched it.  We snapped a few pictures and rode off.

I am thankful that the boys are familiar with rattlesnakes and know how to spot them.  

Teton Pass

Just a quick update before we try to beat the sun.  It took us 3 months to reach summer but we finally did it!  It was 89 yesterday when we reached Idaho Falls.  Our hottest day!  

We had a second pass to summit after crossing the Continental Divide.  That pass was rather easy since the grade was only 6%.  

Teton Pass was about 1000 feet lower at around 8600 ft.  The fantastic part of that pass is that we were able to use the Old Pass Road.  This road is for bicyclists and hikers only!  We saw a couple of mountain bikers and several hikers but otherwise had the road to ourselves.  The grade to this summit is 10% and Cedar had a headache from the altitude.  He claims that I did most of the work up the pass but it was so beautiful that I didn't notice. 

We had a fantastic view of Jackson and ate lunch at the top.  Our ride down was even better because there was road construction.  The man in charge of letting people through let us pass since we fit by the equipment.  Because of this, we had no traffic for at least 10 miles of downhill.  

Yesterday we entered wheat country.  They are harvesting now and I am only guessing that it is a spring white wheat.  

I'll try to write more later but we are entering more desolate areas.  We will be riding through the Idaho National Laboratories.  There are 51 nuclear reactors there but only 3 are functioning at the moment.  I think we will pass Atomic City today.  66 miles of nothingness.  

It's just like Laura Ingalls Wilder

Emma and Zion

Westley


I took a quick nap while at Ft. Robinson State Park.  The kids had been exploring a creek that ran next to our campsite.  I believe it was Westley who first asked if they could wade a little.  That turned into a massive trek through the running water.  These are a few pictures of how they returned.  They were full of smiles and lots of 

mud.

Cedar came to our tent and woke me.  "Mom, Emma has leeches!"

"It's just like Little House on the Prairie," I responded.

"That is just what I said," he replied.

Jackie had them all removed by the time I came out.  Emma took it all in stride and was quickly off for more exploring.

Westley had the best quote of the day.  "Mom, the water just looked so inviting.  (pause)  It doesn't look so inviting anymore."

Elsie

Friends, Fun, Food & Fellowship

We were able to meet up with Scott and Jackie Mersch and their three children, Emma, Westley and Elsie at Ft. Robinson State Park in Nebraska.  What a great time we had!!

We were slowly pedaling along when a van drove up honking full of waving people.  Hooray!  We stopped a few miles ahead where we ate a great lunch that Emma and Scott put together.  It was GREAT to eat fresh whole wheat bread that Emma had baked.  We had been surviving on gas station food and the random restaurant where vegetables and whole wheat were non existent.  Emma also made ginger snaps and great chili.  We enjoyed them all!

They went ahead to the campsite and we were close behind.  We hadn't seen each other in over 2 years but the kids went off exploring right away.  I think the kids had the best rest day of the trip.  I just enjoyed relaxing with Scott and Jackie and we were able to catch up on lost time.

We had campfires and Scott kept busy feeding everyone.  He even brought along his camping espresso pot so I enjoyed the luxury.  They gave us dried fruit, bananas and energy bars!

On our way out, they stopped and Scott gave Cedar a quick juggling lesson in how to juggle 4 balls on the side of the road in Wyoming.  We left well fed and full of great memories.

I don't want to die.

Our first days in Wyoming were plagued with road construction and horrible riding conditions.  We met a cyclist who had come from the direction we were headed and one of the first things he said is that he was surprised he made it alive.  His advice was to hitch a ride.  We had my parents with their trailer so we loaded up the bikes the next morning and bypassed a huge section of construction and a busy road with no shoulder.  I thought that would be the end of it but it wasn't so.  

We had about 20 miles of easy riding.  I didn't have a map but chose the roads using Mapquest.  The problem with trying to do it that way is that gravel roads are not listed as being such.  We had another 10 miles on a gravel road that was quite beautiful but very difficult and slow.  We were so tired of the gravel that we headed for the freeway.  I thought that we had only a mile or so before we could ride on the old highway.  Well, it wasn't meant to be.  The road was completely closed off, gated and surrounded by a barbed wire fence.  They really didn't want anyone on that road and it too was gravel.  

We have almost completely avoided freeways.  I think that the only one was crossing the Mississippi into Iowa and that was for less than 3 miles.  The enjoyment of our ride was quickly diminishing so we loaded up the bikes and skipped the freeway.

Our next day was almost as hard.  We left town on the only road headed west.  We knew it would be a challenging road since the spacing between towns with services was about 90 miles.  That wouldn't be the hard part for us.  We rode along through the sage brush on a road that seemed to be not too busy.  Well, it became busier as the day went on and soon we were being pummeled by semi trucks.  

First Cedar or Zion yells out that one is coming.  Next Cedar lets me know if they are giving us any clearance.  Next I brace up for the blast of air that comes from behind.  After that I brace against the sucking pull that happens after they pass.  It isn't something that I ever get used to.  

We had a flat and were able to get it fixed on the 3 foot shoulder.  I just made Cedar or Zion move away from the road each time a vehicle went by.  

After our tire was fixed, we pressed on.  The boys were just great but I was praying like mad.  We were being passed by at least 5 semi trucks each minute plus cars and RV's.  The riding conditions were perfect... slight tailwind, sunny skies and it was about 75 degrees.  The traffic ruined it for me and after 40 miles, I had enough.  We skipped the next 50 since it was exactly the same.  

Alive and I probably have a little more hearing left by skipping this part.

Question

One of the most common questions I get asked is if I have had any problems with people.  Women are the ones who ask this and I think it is because we have been conditioned to feel unsafe.

My answer is always a resounding no.  I have never felt fear or feared for the safety of our boys in these past 1000 miles since Chicago.

The news media is doing our country a disservice in reporting consistently negative stories about our nation.  Yes, there are bad things that happen but there are overwhelmingly good things happening out here.

What a great country!

Ranches and ranchers

For the first time I have felt out of place in my biking clothing.  Here I am surrounded by cowboys and I am wearing my long Smartwool underwear over my shorts and my beanie on my head.  Ha!

I did get to meet a rancher who also home schools.  His kids were at the Little Briches Rodeo back in Valentine.  His ranch is 24,000 acres plus he rents 5000 more.  Wow, now that is a ranch.

Roads

So, our hopes of high mileage on Saturday were dashed by the winds and by the roads.  The road had a wide shoulder protected by rumble bars, the kind that are ground out of the asphalt.  The problem was that the road was smooth and the shoulder had huge gaps and cracks, many larger than 6 inches.  That meant that most of the time we would ride on the road, trying only to jump over to the shoulder when several semi trucks would pass us.

That would do me in.

We were 7 miles from our campsite when we heard a strange noise from our rear tire.

"Something is stuck in our spokes," Cedar called out.

(Remember the wind.  I couldn't hear Cedar unless he yelled.)

We stopped and saw that we had a huge bulge in our tire.  It had split along the side.  We are guessing it was passing over the rumble gouges that cut the tire.  

We made it to the campsite as the sun was setting.  Another lesson in joyfulness in adversity. 

76 miles

After camping at a very primitive campsite, we headed out early since we knew it would be a long day.  We had been fighting winds from the south and expected the same.

After 3 hours we had ridden only 18 miles.  Ouch.

Our road was headed in a southwest direction so the winds from the south were really affecting us.  I just kept thinking that I wanted for the boys to learn perseverance and patience and this would help in teaching that.  I just had to laugh because I sure didn't want to be learning that lesson.  We pressed on.

60 miles into our day we stopped for some ice cream at a gas station, exhausted and ready to drop.  A kind man mentioned that the winds had been blowing at about 30 mph all day.  We felt relieved that our slowness had a reason and triumphant in what we had already done.  The road was turning to the north and we would have tailwinds for the last chunk of our ride.

Another woman stopped to chat and when I asked her about the road ahead, she mentioned that the direction of the wind always changes there.  What?  We had been waiting for this all day.

It turns out that the entire 16 mile stretch was downhill and we covered it in about 45 minutes.  That was surely a gift from God.

walking stick

As we were riding yesterday through brutal winds, I noticed a Walking Stick on the ground.  I stopped the bike and told Cedar to jump off to check it out.

"It isn't far back.  I can see it from here," I said.

I watched Cedar walk past it so I pushed our bike back to where it was.

"Cedar, come back!" I yelled.  "Here it is!"

(think extreme winds)

I showed him the Walking Stick and he started laughing.  He thought I had seen a walking stick used for hiking, not the insect.  They are almost albino looking out here, matching the color of the sand.

Out of communication

So, I'm anticipating that we will be out of touch for a while.  Our next break will be at Ft. Robinson, where we are hoping to meet with friends, the Mersch family.  Cheers from everyone!  That will be either on Monday or Tuesday, depending on our mileage.

Tuesday or Wednesday we will be entering Wyoming.  We are headed for Yellowstone National Park.  My parents will be meeting us to be our sag wagon since fall has begun much earlier than usual.  We are already riding in cool temperatures.  Two days ago we were lucky if it reached 60 degrees and we all were wishing we had long gloves and rain pants, warm sleeping bags and hot chocolate.  

Heading West

"Mom, you've got to see this!" Zion whispered.

Outside he showed me two things.  We had finished eating breakfast at the local gas station, the only place to eat in town.

Every vehicle was a pickup.

Most had a rifle mounted in the back window.

We are in cattle country, surrounded by huge ranches.  

"Wait until you reach western Nebraska.  Towns are far and few in between," the rancher warned.  I am thinking that things are already spread out.

Today will be a big day, regardless.  We can go 60 miles to a town with no services or we can go 91 to a town with more.  We'll see how the winds are blowing.

The Outlaw Trail

We rode through a section of the road where construction was being done.  A fiber optic line was being installed.

The big news is that in their digging, a casket was found.

Unmarked, unknown.

When the casket was opened, the remains of a well dressed man was inside.

Shot through the forehead.

Theories are talked about in town.

Horse thief.

Cheated at poker.

In a town where everyone knows the history, no one has heard of him.  They are guessing that he is from the mid 1800's.

Someone cared enough to bury him.

How fitting that this happened on The Outlaw Trail.

Crunch!

"Mom!  Don't hit them!"  Cedar yells continually.

"I'm trying!"  I respond.

South Dakota and Nebraska have had an unusually high population of grasshoppers and crickets this year.  Millions are hopping around and on us as we pedal on.  They are all sizes, from 1/4 inch to palm sized.  It's the large ones that I really try to avoid.  

"Go ahead and pick it up," I encouraged.

"Mom, it's intimidating," Cedar replied.

Some of these are just huge.  None are very coordinated.  They bounce off us and roll down the pavement.

Vermillion, S.D.

Our second Warm Showers host is an avid cyclist in South Dakota.  Kevin rides his bike throughout the winter!  Now that is dedication!

The whole family came over for dinner and we made some interesting connections.  Laura, Kevin's wife grew up in Leed, S.D.  That is where Cord's mom grew up.   Her grandfather worked in the mine as did Cord's grandfather.  Small world.

The kids had a great time playing together and we had a beautiful day for our ride.  Kevin planned our route and we LOVED it.  It was beautiful and with almost no cars we were able to relax and enjoy it.  

Thanks so much for hosting us!  It was great getting to know you and remember to keep California on your list of vacation possibilities!

Warm Showers

There is a fantastic website that has been recommended to us by other bicyclists touring.  It gives you the chance to open your home to those passing through and gives you the possibility of a place to stay and have a warm shower.

My first connection was a bit off route but he was able to find a host home for us in the perfect spot, La Mars, Iowa.  

Dennis came out with his sweet granddaughter, Anna to ride with us for the last 30 miles into town.  She is a great stoker and...is homeschooled!  I really enjoyed talking to her as we rode through the hills and Cedar mentioned that they would be friends if we lived in the same area.

Dennis led us to our host's home and we all went out to eat at a local restaurant.  Afterwards we went to get ice cream at Blue Bunny since La Mars is the ice cream capital of the world!  

They were able to give us the heads up on a bridge out but at least we were able to head straight for the bridge that was intact.

Thanks so much, everyone for a great time and a wonderful nights sleep.

Quick Update

We made it to South Dakota!  I've got quite a few days in between to fill in but we have got to get on the road.  It was a great surprise to hear that family was in our direct path so the boys were able to see another great aunt, Cord's Aunt Leora.  We stayed with Cord's cousin Jill and his other cousin Julie came over last night.  He hasn't seen them since he was 11 or 12 years old.

We sure can tell that we are getting further west.  We had the most beautiful ride through ranches and fields.  The annoying sweat bees seem to have been left behind.

We will be dropping into Nebraska as we cross the Missouri River.  From there we will ride through the sand hills toward Wyoming.  

The temperatures have been around 70 during the day and in the low 40's at night.  I picked up a fleece blanket to help warm us at night since we will be camping again.  

Sorry for the boring post.  I do have some great stories but it has been 10 days and over 460 miles since our last rest day.  My brain is tired.

Detour

On our way out of Guttenberg, we had just finished a four mile climb when we saw our road blocked.  Bridge out, 6 miles ahead.  Uggh.

I flagged down a minivan and asked her about the bridge.  Bicyclists ignore most detour signs because we are small and able to maneuver around most obstacles.  This was 6 miles ahead and we didn't want to take any chances.

She called her mom ahead and asked about the bridge.  "It's totally out?" I heard her repeat.  

I had to relay the news to the boys and we pondered our options.  In the end, we decided to follow the recommended route.  Anyone Spotting our route must have really wondered about our choice.  This added on about 13 miles to our journey.

We didn't let it get us down but continued on.  After we rejoined our original route, a tandem team pulled up next to us.  

"How did you manage the detour?" they asked.

"We followed the paved roads," we responded.

"We walked our bike across," they said.

My heart sank until they mentioned that the plank was only about 1 1/2 ft. wide and about 80 ft. long.  They said that it wouldn't have worked had they had panniers.  Zion has the trailer behind his bike so we made the right choice.

Near the end of the day we still had 10 miles to go and we were exhausted.  I asked a mom out playing volleyball with her kids if we could camp in their yard.

"Of Course," she kindly replied with no hesitation.

They have a "smaller" piece of property, only 87 acres.  We had a great flat place to pitch our tent and she ran out and bought all of us some Dairy Queen.  Cedar loved exploring the pond and we didn't have to push on.  Blessings.

Stealth Camping

The boys have been begging to stealth camp and we were given the perfect opportunity.  We were headed up to a state campground and had 17 miles left to go.  We had already gone 48 miles and nighttime was quickly approaching.  We were on a small road alongside railroad tracks when we saw a park through the trees.

I saw a minivan driving out and asked them if camping was allowed.

"I didn't see any signs saying camping wasn't allowed," he responded.

Zion managed to find a sign stating in small print that camping is allowed on all Corp of Engineer parks.  We were thrilled and found a spot hidden from the road.  This was very primitive camping with no water or outhouses but we were alongside the Mississippi with no other people to be seen.  Islands dotted our view of the river and we imagined Tom Sawyer using them for his mischief.  

We had only one train pass in the night and for that we were thankful.

MRT

The Mississippi River Trail winds up and down along the ridges and bluffs of Iowa.  This is just the type of road Motorcyclists love.  We saw at least 300 riding that day.  We always feel a kinship with them since they are the most likely to wave, offer help or just stop and talk.  

Zion usually rides behind us so I can't see what he is doing.  Apparently he enjoys returning their wave, fist in the air, peace sign, salute or general wave.  

Soaring

We rode along the Mississippi River on the Iowa side.  It was a perfect day for a ride, 70 degrees and sunny.  

"Mom!" Cedar called out, waving his camera around trying to get a picture, "They are all Bald Eagles!"

I veered into the road before pulling over because I was trying to look up.  We had been hearing their cries and he finally spotted them.

Later we pulled into an overlook, far above the river.  The eagles were soaring below us.

Discouragement

So, I've been wrestling with how to react to people who are not encouraging but rather discouraging.  We have had overwhelming encouragement from people we know and those we don't.  It is strange how the "you can't" overshadows everything else.

On a brighter side, a kind man and his 9 year old son bought and brought us dinner tonight.  He works loading grain onto barges but loves to bike.  He also gave us a new spare tube since Zion had a flat today.  He actually had 2 punctures, one from a nail still in the tire and one from a thorn.  They must have happened within minutes of each other because it wasn't until we were working on the tire that we found the nail.

I also contemplated changing routes but will press on with the northern route in spite of the cooler weather we will face.  

Mom?

"I thought you said that Illinois was flat," Cedar said.  

We spent the day riding through the hilliest parts of the state and very near to the highest point.

We reached 39 mph for the second time on our trip... in Illinois!  That is too funny.

Did you hear me cheer?

We arrived in Galena, Wisconsin yesterday and had to check out an exhibit on Ulysses S. Grant.  After that we went to the grocery store and spent at least 1/2 hour trying to load up the food we would need for our rest day.  We had to tie on the bread under Cedar's seat.  It was back down the hill and up another to our hotel.  We checked in and less than an hour later the storm began.  We were snug and dry in our room and I was more than thrilled.  We made it here without getting wet!  

Another dog...

So, we were happily pedaling along a country road here in Illinois when we saw two dogs approaching us.  

"Are you ready, Cedar?" I asked.

"Go, go, go!" he shouted. 

We zoomed past them and I thought we were in the clear.  I was wrong.

The smaller of the two dropped out of the chase quite early but the larger (think wolfhound) continued along side of us.  I hoped it would stop at the next farm but it kept going, past the first, second and third farms.  

"Cedar, we are going 21 miles per hour!  I can't believe this dog!" I yelled.  

Finally it gave up the chase and headed back for home.  Minnie was howling and we were laughing .  What a dog.

Zion caught up with us a couple of miles down the road.  "Did you see those two cute dogs back there?" he joked.  "It looked like that large one hit the back of your bike," he noted.

Ahh, the simplicity of adventure in the country.

One last thing

I forgot to mention that we love reading your comments.  I haven't had the time or energy to respond but we do read them.  

We loved the history about Waterloo.  Our travels should take us further north than route 6.  I imagine that the only thing that would push us south would be days of winds from the north.

We're off again

The boys and I are headed west once more.  We had a great day yesterday riding along the Fox River.  It was almost all bicycle trails and full of people.  

My uncle rode with us for the first 12 miles before turning back.  We rode through an interesting place called Fermilab.  This is a government run lab that is researching dividing sub-atomic particles to create energy.  We were interviewed for their newsletter by the woman who runs their educational center.

We later heard about a couple who have been walking across the U.S.A.  They began their journey in California.  We hoped to see them but they must have stopped for supplies.

We are going off the main bicycle route in order to shave 12 miles off our distance today.  It is time for me to wake the boys.

A special thanks goes out to everyone in Chicago.  We had a great time!

Why am I surprised?

After a great breakfast together with plenty of milk, we were off once again.  We rode through the Amish countryside and had to stop when we passed a sign for a bicycle shop.  It was open and we had a very interesting discussion with the owner.  He talked about the high usage of bicycles among the Amish and when I met his wife, she mentioned that they were going to visit her sister 30 miles away.  (I hope I have that number right in my head.  It could have been 15 miles and I doubled it for the round trip.)  I was just impressed that this young mother with her infant daughter would ride a bicycle this far.  He asked if we were blogging (another surprise) and it wasn't until we were riding that I came up with the questions I should have asked, the most prevalent being how they choose parts of our modern society to use and parts they do not.

We tried to see our president but missed him by 10 minutes.  We raced on our bicycles and were only able to see the helicopters taking off.  It was very interesting to see the amount of security, the size of the guns (Yikes) and the turnout of people in this small Indiana town.  After lunch, Dave headed north and we continued west.

We stopped for the night in Potato Creek State Park.  It was beautiful and we joked that we were not allowed to talk to anyone since we were trying to get to Chicago for the weekend.

Friday we headed for the Indiana Dunes.  We stopped for dinner along the way and for the first time, we found a campsite that was sold out.  The state park was full, the national park was full, every hotel we called was full and the only campground that had space was quite a distance away in the wrong direction.  

We were tired once again and thought we would try knocking on a door.  We saw a mom walking with 3 kids and asked her if she had room in her yard for our tents.  

"No, but my neighbors do," she answered.  She went up to their door and they quickly came out.  

They had a whole section of grass that we hadn't seen and it was perfect for us!

Larry mentioned that he came out from Ohio to work in Chicago and now was a pastor at a local Baptist church.

Why am I surprised?  Of course God is taking care of us but I still am caught off guard when things like this happen.

We were welcomed and their son started a bonfire for us all to enjoy.  Becky offered us showers (big smile from me) and we had a place to rest our weary heads.

Neil pulled Cord aside.  "This is really spooky," he said.  We all laughed.  He joked later that we must have a directory with us of Christians along our route.  

We had a fantastic breakfast with Larry and Becky before heading off to Chicago.  

Sweet Fellowship.  We are blessed.  Why am I surprised?

Leaving Waterloo

We left the bicycling route that we have been following.  Little did we know that most county roads are fantastic for cycling.  It was like riding on a large paved bicycle path with an occasional car for most of the state of Indiana.

Our experience in Waterloo was so great that we decided to try another city park.  We crossed into Indiana and tried a small town by a lake.  There wasn't a police officer to be found and people in general didn't seem very friendly.  With no luck at the parks, we  decided to call the churches in town.  We just wanted a place to pitch our tents where it would be legal.  Cord spent at least 45 minutes calling various churches but no one was able to help us.  Another touring cyclist rode by and our family grew a bit larger.  Dave is cycling around Lake Michigan and had only been on the road 2 days.  

Dave had spoken to the police and they said, "Ride out of town and knock on someone's door to see if they will let you camp in their yard."

We were feeling quite deflated that the church option hadn't worked.  We loaded up and rode out of town like a bunch of ruffians being chased by the law.

As we rode by homes I kept thinking no, no, no not that one.  Neil was in front and I yelled for him to stop.  I saw a woman working in the garden and they had a huge lot.  I thought that anyone who gardened would be alright with me.  Her son was working with her and when we asked for a place to camp, she looked a bit stunned.  5 bicycles and 6 people looking rather strange and the sun was setting quickly.  Her husband quickly appeared and we explained our situation.  We were all THANKFUL when they agreed to our camping in the yard.

Dan came out a short while later and said, "God has blessed us and we want to share what he has given us with you.  Please come in and take a shower if you like."

Deb checked on us and offered us the use of her washer and dryer.  It had been at least 7 days since we had done laundry and when you have only 2 sets of clothes to wear, that is an extremely long time!

I went in to take a shower after fixing dinner.  When I came out, Cord was in the kitchen, talking with Dan and Deb.

"You won't believe this.  The A's are Christians, they homeschool and they drink raw milk!" Cord said.  Cedar had been wearing his raw milk shirt and they have a dairy on top of growing corn and soybeans.  This was one of Cedar's main hopes for our trip.  He wanted to visit a working dairy and missed drinking his favorite drink.  What an amazing way God answered that prayer.

We stayed up late talking and were invited to have breakfast with the family.  Two of their three boys were home and I am so glad they were able to witness our meeting.  

Cedar and Cord got up early to see how the cows were milked so I had a singing boy for the rest of the day.  We were just so blessed to have met them and still shake our heads at the wonder of it all.

Kindness

I last wrote about meeting up with Neil and we had a hard day fighting headwinds.  Anyone who rides knows how difficult it can be, especially when it is relatively flat.  Having Neil with us helped the time pass since we were able to catch up on the past two weeks.  We pulled into town and noticed two recumbent bicycles parked outside the ice cream parlor.  Bicyclists usually stop to talk and we needed a break so we waited for them to come out.  They were finishing a 50 mile day, both retired or semi-retired principal/teachers.  We were planning on camping at the local state park which was only another mile up the road.  They were so kind and invited us to camp in their yard.

"It's only another 9 miles up the road," Corwin said.

I was exhausted and so ready to collapse into my tent but the offer kept getting sweeter.

"We have plenty of room for your tents.  I brew my own beer.  We are right on the river," Corwin added.

Rita mentioned, "You are welcome to take a shower."

We rested and I knew it was an offer that I couldn't refuse.  Meeting people has been the biggest blessing of our trip and we couldn't pass it up because of me.  We all fought for every mile to get there.

It was just lovely and secluded.  As we pulled up, they gave us the best surprise.  Corwin's brother had a place next door and they would move over there and we could sleep in beds!  We woke to fantastic espresso and the sound of birds singing.  What wonderful strangers to invite us into their home and bless us with a great nights sleep.  We left to fight the headwinds with uplifted spirits and the conviction to keep our home open to strangers as well.

(Due to the popular nature of the route we were on, exact location and last name have been withheld.:)

A heartfelt thank you to Rita and Corwin.

Reunion

So, I was never able to get my post written about our meeting Neil, a fellow bicycle tourist that we met in New York, near Lake Ontario.  He is from London and we spend a couple of days together riding to the Erie Canal.  From there we headed to Buffalo and he went on to Canada.  We didn't expect to see him again but were keeping in tough by reading each others blogs.  We had stopped at a library 20 miles west of Fremont, Ohio to eat lunch and check our route online.  When I checked my mail, he was writing from the library only 10 miles behind us!  We were fighting the same headwinds and he caught up with us later in the day.  We ended up riding to Chicago together and now have a new family member!  This was only the beginning of our miraculous week.

Chicago

We made it to Chicago on Friday afternoon with a greeting of... rain, of course!  We actually had 8 days of great weather so we just kept pedaling.  I'm a bit overwhelmed at the thought of catching up on our travels but the stories are just so amazing I'll just have to get to work.  Some of it will be out of order but the stories will be great, I promise!

First I will start with two quick ones.  The first happened just a mile or so outside of Chicago at a gas station where we were buying snacks.  I was talking to a man about our trip (this happens every time we stop) and mentioned that I was born and raised here.  He told me that I have an accent now and I don't sound like I'm from Chicago.  I found that to be hilarious since I don't perceive myself as having an accent.

We were eating some Chicago stuffed pizza last night since that was high on my list of things to do here.  We ordered a large and it was great!  We polished the whole pizza off.

Our waiter came back and looked at us surprised and puzzled.  "I have never had anyone finish one of those before," he said.  

If you have ever had a stuffed pizza, one piece would normally be enough, even for Cord.  We laughed and shared with him our reason for eating so much.  

Cord will be flying home on Wednesday.  It was hard to digest at the end of our ride that it was the end for him.  He began in the rain and also finished in the rain.  We all took turns riding next to him as we approached the state line.  We are sad.

Napoleon, Ohio to Waterloo, Indiana

We have had no problem remembering these two towns!  We are in Indiana and have been having a fabulous time.  We rolled slowly into town last night because of headwinds.  Aargh!  We asked a local police officer where we could camp and he directed us to the local park.  It was located next to the main railway line between Chicago and New York.  Everything was locked up so we walked over to the fire station.  There was a meeting going on so almost everyone was there.  They were so helpful, calling to have the park opened up for us, offering us showers and we were able to talk with them and eat chips and dip!  This is a volunteer run fire station and they have over 20 men who keep things running.  Amazing.  They are celebrating their 140th anniversary in October.  

Our night was one of the more interesting we've had.  The local police were watching over us at night which was great!  Cord mentioned that there was a police car parked nearby most of the night.  

We haven't begun to understand why the engineers must sound the horn at every crossing all night long.  There are 5 crossings in Waterloo and some trains would sound the horn just one long time.  I decided that we are experiencing a new level of tired.  I was able to sleep from 11 until 5 without waking up and that is with the ground shaking, horns blowing and just the loud sounds of freight trains rumbling by.  I did have earplugs in but that only changed the decibel level from 130 down to 100 at the most.  I do think that some engineers are just sounding the horn to torture everyone they pass.  Everyone here swears that they don't even hear the trains.

We have had a wonderful morning here in Waterloo.  Ken and Candy have a bed and breakfast and invited us for breakfast.  Ken interviewed us for the local paper and we ate a fantastic breakfast.  They have been called to minister through their bed and breakfast so the morning was a complete joy.  

Atomic Fallout Shelter

We haven't had internet access for the past week and I have no time to update!  We are in Ohio and wishing the winds were in our favor.

Yesterday we officially entered the midwest.  We are in farm country and passed by the strangest sight yesterday.  A house here in the country had a contraption in the backyard, big metal tubes that connected to the ground.  A large sign in front identified it as being an atomic fallout shelter.  I wonder how many people stopped to ask about it before they put up the sign.  Who designed it and does it work?  Are they fearful of an attack or is it leftover from the past?  Do they keep it stocked?  Would they let us in if we needed shelter?  I am so disappointed  we didn't get a picture of it.  Headwinds.  Uggh.

Post! Railroad Tracks! Glass! Hole!

Communication is a huge part of bicycling as a group and we have developed a method that works quite well.  The person in the lead shouts out the hazard and the call goes down the line.  On the Erie Canal Trail, post was most commonly yelled because Zion had hit one and crashed (another blog entry that I am behind on.)  After I crashed, Cedar was quick to point out any railroad tracks in the vicinity.  

Today we had at least 10 miles of glass to navigate.  Christy warned us before we left the house that there would be a lot of glass and I wondered how she could know from a car driver perspective.  Well, the roads were covered in broken glass and we were yelling the entire time.  We were riding through some very urban neighborhoods and many people would come out and stare at us as we rode by.  I was just yelling back about glass and Cedar cheerfully said hello to everyone.  We also had some enormous holes to avoid so it was a very interesting ride. We were all relieved to reach some country roads and took a deep breath.

It doesn't surprise me that most people don't ride bikes.  The glass alone would keep me off the streets here in Buffalo.

We are in a hotel because it is stormy outside.  Cord went out to cook dinner and returned a few minutes later looking like someone had dumped a bucket of water over him.  The storm had started with little regard for our dinner needs so Cord finished cooking under the overhang by the front entrance.  What a great husband he is!!

Wipeout!

Our day Thursday started in the rain and we waited for a slight break to take down our tents.  We had to leave the Erie Canal Trail because it isn't paved but we kept up a good pace.  

"This is the best rain we've had yet!" Cedar yelled.

It was pleasant being not too cold or windy.  It started to clear a bit and we were happy to be headed to Buffalo to see our friend Christy.  

"Don't go to Buffalo!"  a bicyclist headed in the other direction warned.  "It was horrible and you should do everything possible to avoid it."  If only we knew what was to come.  We disregarded his advice and pressed on.

I was in the lead and just after heading through a light, I saw the tracks.  It took a second for it to register that they were at the most horrible angle possible.  I couldn't go into traffic to cross them at a right angle and the second rail sucked in my front tire.  I was thrown off onto those large rocks often by railroad tracks.  Yeow!  I had the wind knocked out of me and it took a while before I could talk.  I just held my arm because I knew it took the biggest hit in the fall.  Kind drivers stopped to make sure that I was alright and it took us quite a while to get all of the cuts and scrapes cleaned up.  I was sprawled out on the ground for at least 10 minutes before I could move.  My shoe was even thrown off from the impact.  Weird.  Cedar was fine and I learned that I really do catch the full force of any impact.  Nothing was broken and we proceeded on to Buffalo, deciding to take a shorter route because of my injuries.

After riding for a while we stopped for lunch.  About to hit the road I stopped because something wasn't feeling right.  A flat tire!  I'm sure it was from the crash and at least we had a covered place to fix it.  Finally we were off.  

Only 10 minutes down the road we were pelted by rain and surrounded by thunder and lightning.  "Are you sure that this isn't hail," Cedar asked?

"No, it's not hail.  Pretend it is a massage for our sore leg muscles," I responded.  A gust of wind hit us from the side and we knew that we had to pull over.  We stopped at the first house with a covered porch and knocked at the door.  No one was home but we stayed under cover while the storm passed.  

On the road once more we headed to the bicycle paths that run through Buffalo.  An hour later, I had another flat on the front tire.  It was a slow leak and we had used our spare tube to fix the flat earlier.  We just wanted to get to a warm dry place so we stopped every 5 miles to pump it up.  The trail took us through some very industrial areas and the signs weren't great so we stopped every so often to call and check directions.  We were on the right path only 3 miles from Christy's home when I had to stop.  Another flat.  We were in an isolated part of town and wanted to get out of there before dark.  We pumped it up and walked as fast as we could.  Christy met us at a nearby grocery store and we figured out a plan to get everything to her house, now only 2 miles away.  Cord and Zion left to ride their bikes to her house and were going to drive back to help carry our tandem to the house.  This was at 8:30 at night and Cedar and I waited and waited.  It was 9:00, 9:15, and at 9:30 they returned.  Cord had gotten a flat on the way to Christy's house and fixed it.  It was a staple, fully seated in his tire.  That finished our day of flats and today we bought new tires for the tandem and tubes that are puncture resistant.  We hope to never break that record and think that Buffalo could do with a clean up day on their bike paths.

I am very sore and bruised.  My knees are both infected and painful so I have spent the day cleaning them.  One shoulder is swollen and the other is difficult to move.  I think another good nights rest will help and we will head out tomorrow.  It will be a better day.

On a more positive note, we were greeted with a great meal that Adjoa prepared and were very glad to be in their lovely home.  We took over for the day, replacing and fixing tires, cleaning chains, doing laundry and baking snacks for our ride.  Is that really a day off?

The Hostility of New York

(We wanted to include an entry from each person's journal.  Cedar wrote this one about yesterday's ride.)

After reading a sign saying, "Keep Out!  Trespassers will be shot!  Survivors will be shot again!", it doesn't make you think of friendly people.  I guess the dogs take after their masters for when Mom and I stopped at a crossroad to wait for Papa and Zion, two large dogs galloped down the street, barking madly at us.

"Cedar, get back on the bike!", Mom commanded urgently.  I leapt on, not bothering to clip in.  By the time we started to flee they were upon us.  It's bad to be chased but when you have a tiny dog on the back of your bike it's even worse.  One pursuer stopped chasing us but the other effortlessly sprinted alongside of me, grinning as if it were a game.  Pedaling as fast as I could, clutching a wild, barking Minnie and holding on at the same time wasn't very easy.  Unfortunately we were going uphill and couldn't go very fast but the dog finally gave up.  Terrified, Minnie began to howl uncontrollably but we refused to stop and comfort her in case any other dogs would choose us to be their next victims.

"I've never pedaled so hard!", I told Mom.  

It just so happened that all the dog attacks were on the same day, for I heard another dog bark.  

"There's no need to pedal so fast," Mom rebuked as I sped up. 

 "Yes there is," I contradicted.  "It's coming... no, it's going for Zion.  It's chasing him!"  I burst into gales of laughter watching the barking bulldog circle Zion.  From then on we looked for dogs before stopping.

Cedar

What do we eat?

I was asking Cord about my legs the other day because after 23 days on the road I expected more changes.  "Honey, do you see any muscle definition in my legs?  They look the same to me."  "No, they don't look any different.", he said.  I responded with "It must be all the bacon we are eating!"

For breakfast we usually fix between 12-16 pieces of bacon, one dozen eggs and at least 1/2 a loaf of bread.  This will carry us through until mid-morning when we need to have a snack, usually some kind of energy bar.  For lunch we will eat 7 sandwiches and a couple of cans of fruit.  Mid-afternoon calls for another snack and for dinner we eat the equivalent of 2 pounds of ground beef, 2 packages of whole wheat pasta, 1/2 pound of carrots with assorted vegetables thrown in.  We have had a tradition of eating one Lindt chocolate ball after dinner but we haven't seen them lately.

Yesterday Cord mentioned that he thought he could see the muscles in my legs.  He thinks it is because I've begun eating donuts.  I am hungrier than I have ever been and I need more calories.  I would normally choose ice cream but the days are still on the cool side.  Cord is very conscious of his role in teaching healthy eating and has not joined me in my donut indulgences.  I am just laughing at myself as I load up at bakeries.  Who have I become?

No Room at the Inn

Wow, our first day out of Ticonderoga was tough.  I think that we gained more elevation than we did in the Green Mountains.  I am so glad that I didn't know what was coming or I think that we all would have chosen a different route.  We rode about 48 miles and Zion had a particularly difficult day.  We had to wait over an hour at the top of one of the passes.  We were about 6 miles from the town of Newcomb when we were caught in a downpour.  It was freezing and Cedar finally admitted that his jacket is not waterproof.  The wind and rough roads made it difficult to keep going and we knew there was a B & B in town.  We stopped and as it turned out, they had all of their family in town and were not accepting guests.  They did have a barn out back that we could camp in.  We were thrilled!  We had the 8 horse stall barn all to ourselves.  No animals were in it and we were able to dry out and not worry about our leaky tent in the rain.  What a blessing that was!  I could so relate to Mary and fully understand how grateful they were to have a place to stay.  We started out late the next morning trying to let the rain pass and were able to meet the entire family.  The boys were so glad to be in a barn and were even excited about the outhouse.  "Mom, you've got to try it!"  It was one of the nicer outhouses I've seen although I didn't quite share their sense of adventure.

We rode on to Raquette Lake yesterday and I am sore everywhere.  My hands are so sore I can't shift up on my larger chainring.  We stopped to verify our directions at a women's softball game and they recommended a place to stay.  It is the only place in town, if you would call it that.  We are in a classic old hotel (1930's?), over a bar.  The building also houses the general store and that is what makes up this town.  We are right on a lake full of ducks, loons and turtles.  I was talking to some couples in the bar about our trip and when they asked where we are from, I gave my usual answer, about an hour outside of L.A.  "You aren't by chance from Thousand Oaks, are you?"  Well it turns out that her daughter works for Amgen and lives in T.O.  It's a small world.  One of the couples are Christian and will be praying for us.  Blessings.  

We're ready to hit the road once again.  I hope that these quick updates keep you filled in on our journey.  The sun is shining, by the way!!!

Look at that dog!

Most people couldn't believe that we were taking Minnie with us.  Cedar couldn't bear to be parted from his dog and I know that he is young only once.  She loves riding on the back of our bike and usually has her head sticking out of an opening.  We have probably had just as many people ask about her as we have had questions about our bike trip.  The Northeast is extremely dog friendly and she has been allowed in every general store and restaurant that we have gone in.  The most interesting moments have been when large dogs run out at us barking and we just pray that she won't bark back and we pedal harder.  She also barks at cows as we pass them.  Such a funny girl!

Entering New York State

We have officially finished three states.  I teared up as we pulled into the ferry terminal.  Time is passing.

Inspiration

We were in Woodstock, Vt getting ready to head out.  A man stopped to talk to us and was very excited about our trip.  He said several times that we are inspiring him to do the same.  He took pictures of us as he drove in front of us to share with his family.  I don't think I've ever inspired anyone before.  

What is tired?

So, how does one define what tired is?  I finally wasn't the weak link last Friday as we climbed through the Brandon Gap of The Green Mountains.  Cedar and I stopped at the bottom to apply sunscreen and didn't stop until we reached the top.  We climbed 1670 feet and it was HARD!  It took us about 1 1/2 hours but we did it!  We had several bicyclists pass us but they didn't have panniers and a dog on back!  Cord and Zion were 1/2 hour behind us but they are both towing trailers.  My legs were like Jello.  Cedar jumped off and was ready to hike down to a viewpoint.

At the top, we met a couple of hikers who had just completed 10 days on The Long Trail.  We offered them food and water and they gave us granola bars to lighten their load.  I was impressed by the young woman for being out there in the rain and mud and you should have seen her pack.

It took us only 10 minutes to descend what had taken us so long to climb.  Cedar and I reached our top speed of 39 mph but I couldn't let it go to 40 because of a curve.  Talk about a death grip on the handlebars!  My forearms are still sore two days later.  We rode into the beautiful town of Brandon and Cord couldn't go any further.  We pulled over by a bookstore and he collapsed on the sidewalk while I browsed inside.  That was tired.  I can't believe that I made it.  Cedar and I have always been the slowest because of my knee or lack of strength so I am still smiling.  I never could have done this two weeks ago, or even last week.

"Mom, we can't stay here!" Zion whispered as we pushed our bikes to the campsite.  We stopped at the first campground we saw only 3 miles from town.  "What is wrong with him?"  Cedar asked.   It turned out that our campground assistant was extremely drunk.  He was helpful and friendly but couldn't walk straight or use words without swearing.  Being tired is pitching your tent in spite of the uncertainty of the situation.  He had a fire going and invited us to join him.  Cord looked at me and shook his head.  "It's a great opportunity to talk and hear his story and share the love of Christ but I'm exhausted."  Tired is hobbling along only 20 miles the next day, passing Fort Ticonderoga and not having the energy to go the extra block to check it out.  That was painful to miss.  Tired is when Zion's trailer tire blew out again, choosing the nearest hotel to stay at.  Tired means something completely different on the road.

We're headed through the Adirondack Mountains tomorrow.  We loved Vermont and the people we met.  The best observation came from a man working on a house.  "If you wanted to go fast, you would be in a car."

Camping by another river

Here I am, typing on my computer at our campsite next to a rushing river.  Being from California this still surprises us.  There are more rivers, creeks, brooks and bodies of water than we ever imagined.  Water is everywhere and we love it when it isn't pouring out of the sky.

Yesterday, we had the most lovely ride.  We saw at least 4 covered bridges and spent some time in Woodstock, Vermont.  We would rate it right up there with Santa Barbara or Camden, Maine.  Cedar made a great comment yesterday, "The towns we ride through aren't stuck in the 70's, they are stuck in the 1700's but with modern technology'"  The architecture is stunning and we are still seeing rock walls lining the roadways.  At the local bike shop we were given a great route out of town on a road with almost no traffic, plenty of cows and a creek, of course.  We were able to leave our bikes outside the shop with the reminder that no one locks their bikes.  We've heard that over and over again here in small town America.  Isn't it sad that we have to lock our houses, cars and gates?

"Mom, are you sure that we aren't in the mountains?"  "No, Zion, that will be tomorrow."  "What?"  Cedar exclaimed!  This was one small example of our conversation yesterday as we tackled an uphill battle that was several miles long.  Cord couldn't even speak he was so exhausted but we all made it, on our bikes without walking.  I'll let you know how we do on the Green Mountains today.  The road we are currently on is full of truck traffic but we are hoping there will be a shoulder.

Are we going downhill?

"No Cedar, if we stop pedaling, we will stop moving.  It only looks like we are going down since the hill is not as steep."

"Cedar, are you pedaling?"  I look in my mirror and he is actually standing up for more power.  My legs are tired after 59.88 miles.

"Does anyone know what the weather is going to be like today?"  "Cool and rainy, of course!"  That was Zion answering yesterday.  Today is supposed to be clearer and yesterday wasn't too bad.  Some days are just like our winter days.  We are laughing at ourselves for bringing sunscreen.  Silly Californians!

We're in Vermont and I have several entries to catch up on.  It won't happen today because we know that we have a hard day ahead of us.  Vermont is HILLY!  We will be heading through Woodstock, VT and have to cross the Green Mountains.  We should be in Ft. Ticonderoga by Saturday night but that depends on our route.  Tuesday our road had too many trucks on it.

52 miles!

Well, it was unintentional but yesterday we rode 52 miles!  We haven't ever ridden that far so it is quite a milestone.  This wasn't easy and we had many "oh no" hills, the type that make you stop and look and take a deep breath.  Zion's top speed was 42 and I'm sure we all went close to that since we wanted the speed to help us up the next hill.  Thursday we only rode 7 miles because of torrential rains.  Yesterday the sun actually broke through the clouds in the afternoon.  Cheers were heard from everyone.

Wednesday night we camped on a lake and fell asleep to the sounds of Loons calling.  The next afternoon Cedar watched a Bald Eagle flying overhead while he was washing the grit off our bike.  We all saw a groundhog and we have a toad here at our campsite.

I have discovered a major flaw with the Keen cycling sandals we are wearing.  We need to drill a hole in the front to drain the water out of them when we are riding.  Our toes are quite waterlogged at the end of a rainy ride.  Cord also discovered that his Thermarest mattress developed slits in it and it is now useless.  We won't be in a larger town for several days so we'll be praying for softer campgrounds until we find a sporting goods store.  

We are in New Hampshire riding through Madison County.  We saw our first covered bridge yesterday and will be trying to see more today.  It is the 4th of July so we won't be riding more than 20 miles.  These vacationing drivers are ones we want to avoid.  

I have to share one more thing.  As we were riding through the rain on Thursday, Cedar commented that when we return to California, he will thank God every day that it is sunny.  I never thought he would get tired of rain!

Sacrifices

I've been thinking a lot lately about having to give up things.  Having to carry everything that we need for the next few months in two trailers is very challenging.  A couple of weeks ago Zion and Cord were insisting that they needed full sized pillows.  We bought some cheap ones at Wal-Mart and both complained that they weren't just right.  Once we started loading it became apparent that the pillows had to go.  They are now happy with their small pillows, especially as they are used after an exhausting day.  I had to leave behind cotton clothes, cosmetics and cut off my hair in order to not need a hairdryer.  Today was another very rainy day so we decided to use the day to reorganize and purge.  We mailed home cotton towels and an extra blanket, both things that I was reluctant to give up.  Now we each have a Shamwow and more space.  My mixing bowl is in the mail and I will use our pot instead.  Cedar sent back his juggling balls and will share Zion's.  Cord jokes that everything will be gone by the time that the boys and I return home.  Will I be willing to continue to sacrifice for others once we're back home?  I'm trying not to think that far ahead, for now it's just one mile at a time.

We finally started!

We tried delaying our departure by a day to avoid the rain but it was pouring.  We left Wednesday from Port Clyde, Maine.  It was a beautiful place, even in the rain.  Our first ride was only about 15 miles which was smart since it took us almost 3 hours to get everything set up in the rain.  We camped on the ocean with the high tide at midnight coming up to within a few feet of our tent.  The high tide/low tide difference is about 11 feet.  

We changed our original plans after Cord talked to the guys in a local bike shop.  That really made things complicated but it was a great choice.  We Love Maine!

We have learned a few things about Maine.  If you stop to look at your map, people will always come out of their houses to help.  If you see a car speeding at you backwards down the road, it is because they want to help.  If you stop on a deserted road, the first person who drives by will stop to ask if you need help.   Whenever we stop, people want to talk to us.  Most people wave when they pass us and if one of us is stopped for some reason, people in cars will tell whoever is ahead what is going on.  Many homes have stands in front of them selling fruit, vegetables or baked goods on the honor system.  Kids don't hesitate to talk to us and love to play with Minnie.  After eating at a restaurant, the owner will give you a hug on the way out.  Dogs are welcome almost everywhere!  Minnie has been in so many restaurants now that it seems normal.  Can you tell that we are loving the people here?  Oh, and if any road has "Hill" in the name, it is a serious hill.  

We rode 30 miles today, 26 Thursday and 15 the first.  Not too bad considering that our tandem arrived damaged and late.  I really had to scramble to find something that would fit us and a bike shop in New Jersey was fantastic.  That means that Cedar and I are learning to ride it as we go.  

I don't have internet access often but will post as often as possible.

Goodbye to my Fiji tent.

So, we seem to have chosen the rainiest June in recorded history to bike through the northeast. This rain isn't a gentle rain like Seattle but downpours with gale force winds. There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. Is this true? This rain is the ultimate test. We had to replace my faithful tent of 20 years because it leaked when we tested it. I loved my tent and it served me well but even REI tents give out eventually. We are going to keep it for camping in California since we don't get RAIN! I think it has rained over 8 inches since we arrived on this coast in the beginning of June. Cord met a cyclist this morning who reminded us that rain is preferable to hot sun. Even I have my limits and we have decided to hold off a day before starting. Camden, Maine is beautiful and I would love to explore it so tomorrow we will enjoy lovely Camden and will leave on Wednesday when the rain should begin to taper off. It's time to try to fall asleep to the rain pounding on our tent. I just have to remember what Cord said when he first arrived 1 1/2 weeks ago. "It is beginning to sink in that we may have to ride in the rain." Ha! He really is from California!

Encouragement

It was almost without fail that whenever I mentioned our trip, men especially would tell me that I couldn't do it. When I saw an old friend in Seattle, I spoke of our trip with the preface of "hope to" or "am going to try" and he reminded me of the power of the spoken word. "You are going to do this!" Thanks so much for that reminder, Kurt. Last night when I said goodbye to some neighbors, they were full of encouragement. No "You can't" but rather "I would love to go." It was great meeting you Greg and Michelle. We are driving up to Concord, Mass. today to visit our first favorite author's place. Hello Louisa May Alcott.