It has been exactly one week since Sara and I crossed
the corporation limit sign for the town of St. Augustine culminating a 42-day,
2760-mile bicycle tour across the United States, traveling through eight
states. It has been a hallmark of my life.
A father and daughter's 2759.7-mile bike adventure from sea to shining sea.
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Sara: Day 42
At some point every morning one
of us asks the other “are you in the groove yet”? Lately it’s been taking us a
couple of hours to get there. This morning, despite the early start, heavy fog,
and city traffic, both of us hit our groove virtually out of the gate. I guess
you could say we were powered by some last-day adrenaline.
George: Sunday, 15OCT’17 – Gainesville, FL to St. Augustine, FL
It was a great day to end a great bicycle tour. Upcoming
events in our lives finally roll around after minutes slip into days and months
until finally they arrive. And so it was with this tour listed at the top of
Sara’s bucket list. It was not on mine.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Sara: Day 41
Today’s 77 miles from Live Oak to
Gainesville made for another lovely and enjoyable ride. My mind wandered a lot
today, so the time passed quickly and I don’t have much to share about the
route, other than hitting our milestone 24th flat. The ride did get us
one day closer to the end. We are ready to wrap up this trip in St. Augustine TOMORROW!
George: Saturday, 14OCT’17 – Live Oak, FL to Gainesville, FL
It was a great day to be on a bicycle. We pulled out
of Live Oak around 8:00am to a relatively cool morning and a great road. The
scenery has been much the same since leaving Pensacola. The road is lined with
forest, punctuated with an occasional house or ranch.
Friday, October 13, 2017
Sara: Day 40
Gah, I spoke too soon about the
motels. The Holiday Inn Express in Live Oak was full, so the Quality Inn it is
for one more night, a motel which has snagged a spot in our bottom 5 motel
experiences of the trip.
George: Friday, 13OCT’17 – Tallahassee, FL to Live Oak, FL
It was a challenging day on the bicycle. But first,
let me tell you about last evening and dinner. We found an Indian restaurant
just 500 feet, walking distance, from the hotel. Since we arrived at 4:00pm, we
were the first customers. The menu was impressive, but the buffet looked too
good to pass up. As it turned out, we had what I would rate as the best meal of
the tour. The food was excellent, and plentiful. We left there quite satisfied.
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Sara: Day 39
The good news is we have only 3
days of riding left! The better news is last night’s stay was our last in a
crummy motel! I’ve been thinking frequently on this trip about Manny Delgado’s observation
that “a lot of amenities disappear when an H turns into an M”. Truer words were
never spoken.
George: Thursday, 12OCT’17 – Sneads, FL to Tallahassee, FL
It was a good day to be on the bike. Mostly it was
good because with 57 miles to ride, we considered it a rest day. I have to tell
you that as I write this, it was a fairly tough day with 1400 feet of climbing.
The route, mind you, was flat except for a few major climbs, not the least of
which were the ones in downtown Tallahassee itself. We met one of the steepest
grades since leaving San Diego just east from the campus of Florida State
University.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Sara: Day 38
The 79 mile ride from Defuniak
Springs to Sneads was foggier, more scenic, and notably less traveled than yesterday’s
ride. It was really pleasant, though it sure was hot. Leaving town this morning,
the moisture in the air made visible a hidden dimension of the surrounding forests
– spider webs. Everywhere we looked there were huge webs glistening in the dew,
connecting the trees through the full height of the forest. It was a really
beautiful sight; one that will surely run through my mind a time or two on
future hikes.
George: Wednesday, 11OCT’17 – Defuniak, FL to Sneads, FL
It was a great day to be on a bicycle. The morning fog
kept us from leaving as early as I would have liked. But nature was calling the
shots and I wasn’t going to argue. We did roll out just before 8:00am as the
fog was beginning to lift.
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Sara: Day 37
We rolled out of the hotel this
morning into 80 degrees, 100% humidity, a fog advisory, and rush hour traffic
to start our 81 mile ride from Pensacola to Defuniak Springs. I got to snooze
for an extra hour since it was too foggy to leave at sunrise, so, all things considered,
it wasn’t the worst morning ever.
George: Tuesday, 10OCT’17 – Pensacola, FL to Defuniak Springs, FL
What started out as a harrowing ride, turned out to be
a pretty good day on the bicycle. I say
that because we started later in a lifting fog in the tail end of rush hour
traffic. For the first 20 miles it was a repeat of yesterday’s last 12 miles. The
endless stream of cars came from every direction as we dealt with on-ramps and
off-ramps and driveway cuts, etc. The bike lane was not reliable as it changed
width and ended and started at random. At our first stop, I was ready to load
the bikes and drive to Defuniak Springs. Of course Sara was having none of it.
Monday, October 9, 2017
Sara: Day 36
Today we rode clear across the great
state of Alabama. No, actually just the nub at the bottom, but the important
part is: WE’RE IN FLORIDA!!
George: Monday, 9OCT’17 – Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL
It was an outstanding day to ride a bicycle. But it
didn’t seem so at 7:00am when the heavens watered the already saturated
beachfronts in Dauphin Island. We breakfasted out of the cooler since the
island businesses have not awakened as yet from Nate’s arrival two days
earlier. The plan was to use the ferry
to cross the channel to Ft. Morgan, AL. The ferry phone number had an ambiguous
recording that didn’t make us hopeful.
Sara: Day 35
5 weeks down – 1 to go!
We weren’t expecting to ride
today, but when we woke up this morning, Nate had blown through, rain had been
dropped from the forecast, and there was a 20+mph tailwind beckoning us. So we
rode. And it was a great ride.
Sunday, October 8, 2017
George: Sunday, 8OCT’17 – Gulfport, MS to Dauphin Island, AL
I don’t suppose I have to tell you. Or do I?
It is surprising to me how we have thread the needle
riding through the area while dodging the rain and wind. We are trying desperately
to work in a rest day or two, but the weather keeps cooperating in one form or
another. Here is our predicament. The forecast for today was for 25 mph west
wind (we are heading east), no rain, and high of 80. How could we let this day
slip by without being on the bike? Tomorrow presents us with a somewhat similar
quandary.
Saturday, October 7, 2017
Sara: Day 34
So apparently things do work out
that way for me! The weather held off and we made the full 78 mile ride from
Bogalusa to Gulfport, rolling into town literally as the wind picked up and rain
started falling in sheets (and I’m using the term “literally” correctly). We
couldn’t believe our luck. We ditched our plans in Hattiesburg, found accommodations
in Gulfport for the night (though our beachfront Marriott relocated us to a
Hilton, ugh, farther inland), and are hopeful we’ll be able to ride tomorrow as
planned once the storm passes.
George: Saturday, 7OCT’17 – Bogalusa, LA to Gulfport, MS
This was as pretty a day to ride a bicycle as you can
imagine. It had all the ingredients for a great ride. Since Bogalusa is short
on restaurants, last evening and early this morning we had cooler meals. We
stayed at the Magnolia Garden Inn & Suites where rooms were equipped with a
“full kitchen” and a separate bedroom. The accommodations were very nice. The
hotel was serving pre-wrapped rolls and day old coffee, and it was served
between 6:30 and 7:00, so the cooler food worked better for us.
Friday, October 6, 2017
Sara: Day 33
Today’s 49 mile ride from Amite
City to Bogalusa felt longer than it should have; apparently I was more worn
out from the last 3 days than I thought. This morning at breakfast while we
were discussing the route, a local approached to let us know that our
destination, Bogalusa, is known by folks in the surrounding areas as “Stinkalusa”
due to the, apparently unpleasant, smells coming from their paper mill. Well with
that ringing endorsement, I was excited to get on the road.
George: Friday, 6OCT’17 – Amite City, LA to Bogalusa, LA
We had a good time on the bicycle today. It was to be
a short 50-mile rest day, but as luck would have it, we traveled north with the
wind in our face. We traveled south with a headwind. And we traveled mostly
east kissing that 10 mph wind. No matter which direction we headed, the fickle
wind found us. It has been a frustrating week of constant headwinds, but when
the wind occasionally dies down, we have a lot of spring in our legs.
Sara: Day 32
I added conditional formatting on
the mileage and elevation columns in the Excel spreadsheet of this ride to flag
the top 20% in red and the bottom 20% in green. Tuesday’s 91 miles, yesterday’s
90 miles, and today’s 85 miles from Livonia to Amite City were all 3 “red” in
terms of mileage; the only 3-day stretch for either mileage or elevation on the
trip. So it was a BIG 3 days and I’m thrilled to have it behind us. To applaud
our efforts, Mother Nature is dishing up Hurricane Nate to welcome us to (and
keep us on) the Gulf Coast with likely a 2-3 day delay.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
George: Thursday, 5OCT’17 – Livonia, LA to Amite City, LA
What a great day to be cycling through East Louisiana.
We got an early start for what was going to be our third consecutive long ride.
The early start was aided by the fact that there were no restaurants in the
area, so we ate breakfast from our food supply. The traffic at the beginning
and at the end was heavy. The morning drivers were courteous; the afternoon
drivers were aggressive.
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Sara: Day 31
The profile for today’s 90 mile
ride from Kinder to Livonia showed 0’ total elevation gain and loss, so I’ve
been waiting for this ride since September 4. Well, it wasn’t actually 0’, and that
~10mph headwind from yesterday showed back up, but we pulled off another 90
mile day without incident.
George: Wednesday, 4 OCT’17 – Kinder, LA to Livonia, LA
Water, water, everywhere, and all the boards did
shrink,
Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink.
Samuel Taylor
Coleridge
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Sara: Day 30
Today’s 91 mile ride from Jasper
to Kinder is the longest of the trip, so it feels really good to have that one behind
us! We knew rain was in the forecast, but were surprised (and disheartened) to
find it already falling pretty substantially when it was go-time this morning.
Fortunately, the rain let up about 10 miles into the ride and only briefly pelted
us a few more times throughout the day. We really lucked out.
George: Tuesday, 3OCT’17 – Jasper, TX to Kinder, LA
Last evening in Jasper we ate one of our best meals on
the tour. Bella Sera served up great salads, tasty olive oil drizzled pasta,
and a thin crust pizza that ranks with the best I have ever had. It was a short
walk to there from the hotel, so Susan talked us into the promenade. As we started
toward the restaurant a few drops of rain tapped gently on us, a harbinger of
the next morning.
Sara: Day 29
Today’s 62 mile ride from
Livingston to Jasper presented us with more hills than I would have liked, but it
was a good ride, in spite of the climbing, on quiet and scenic roads. The
highlight for me was passing a yellow lab and her 4 puppies (one white, one
black, and two yellow). She and two other big dogs were chasing us, so it wasn’t a
friendly encounter, but adorable nonetheless.
Monday, October 2, 2017
George: Monday, 2OCT’17 – Livingston, TX to Jasper, TX
What a great day to ride a bicycle. Last evening we
drove into Livingston from San Antonio after spending the afternoon there. It
was an arduous 4-hour drive with a 30-minute delay because of construction in
Houston. We arrived in Livingston around 7:30pm and did a quick setup for
tomorrow before snacking from the cooler.
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Sara: Day 28
Breakfast this morning was
delicious – spinach omelets made with farm-fresh eggs and toast with homemade
agarita jelly. There’s really something to be said for the food at these B&Bs.
The cereal I’ve been eating at the complimentary hotel breakfasts just doesn’t power
a bike the same way. On that note, has anyone had Froot Loops recently? I don’t
know what I was thinking obsessing
over them as a kid.
George: Sunday, 1OCT’2017 – Johnson City, TX to New Braunfels, TX
Fifty-two years ago today, as the leaves colored up
the hillsides of Northern Ohio announcing the arrival of autumn, it was a great
day for going steady. Those of the Boomer Generation know the going steady of
which I speak. Susan and I exchanged high school rings in the parking lot of
Garners Drive-in, the place to be if you were an attendee of Buchtel High
School. The next day Susan had my ring adorned with an angora wrap so as to
make it fit her ring finger.
Sara: Day 27
We modified the route a bit today
and tomorrow so we could spend the night in Johnson City since we liked it so
much on our drive through the other day. So today’s ride from Kerrville was a short
one at 54 miles and we finished early enough to hit up some previously
recommended stops in Hye, a town about 10 miles west of Johnson City. It was a
pretty uneventful day on the bike, but a very eventful day for my palate and
wallet. It was a good one.
George: Saturday, 30SEP’17 – Kerrville, TX to Johnson City, TX
Today was a great day to ride a bicycle. As I write
this blog from the upper deck overlooking the tranquil grounds of the New Life
Farm B&B, the guineas are strutting out in the yard, the cats are slinking after
floating cottonwood balls, and the garden plants are swaying in the gentle
breeze.
Friday, September 29, 2017
Sara: Day 26
What a lovely ride! Today’s 78
miles from Navasota to Livingston took us over gently rolling hills on roads as
smooth as butter, through the Sam Houston National Forest and a string of
quaint little towns, and passed idyllic farms punctuated by white picket
fences. Aside from a few stretches of heavy traffic and missing shoulder, it
was perfect and picturesque. I’m afraid I’m starting to like Texas. And
cycling.
George: Friday, 29SEP’17 – Navasota, TX to Livingston, TX
It was a great day to ride a bicycle. We left artsy
Navasota after a good breakfast compliments of the Best Western. Naturally, the
dawn has been arriving early as we move east. At 7:15, we moved northeast for
ten miles to the town of Anderson where we picked up Farm Road 149.
Thursday, September 28, 2017
Sara: Day 25
Our plan to avoid the rain
worked! Well, sort of. It did rain on us just a bit in the last 10 miles of our
77 mile ride from Bastrop to Navasota, but the vast majority of the ride was
dry, so we were happy and productive riders.
George: Thursday, 28SEP’17 – Bastrop, TX to Navasota, TX
It was a great day to ride a bicycle. Sara and I were
firing on all cylinders. Each of us was well rested. In particular, I had two
rest days and two 40-mile days to show for the last few days. Let me share the
details with you.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Sara: Day 24
Today was a fun day despite another
rocky start. We woke up at 6 to heavy rain and spent the first hour of the
morning having an animated discussion regarding our plans for the next several
days. A couple members of the party wanted to drive beyond the rain to Bastrop,
two scheduled stops away, and write off the two days of riding. The other wants
to ride her damn bike across the whole country.
George: Wednesday, 27SEP’17 – Kerrville, TX to Bastrop, TX (no riding)
Don’t give up on us. We are still on a bike ride
across America. However, the rains are not letting up in West Texas until the
weekend. At breakfast, with a downpour forecast to last all day, we decided
that riding today was not in the cards. Yesterday I had my rest day and Sara
was not fighting the thought of a day off the bike.
Sara: Day 23
This morning handed us all of the
ingredients for a crap day. Thunderstorms were in the forecast all day along the 77 hilly
miles from Camp Wood to Kerrville, my dad wasn’t feeling well and had decided not
to ride so I’d be going solo*, and the restaurant we were counting on for
breakfast wasn’t open at 6:30 as expected so it was going to be a late start. But
the route, the scenery, and the events of the day ended up being one of my
favorites yet; although, oh my god, was it hard.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
George: Tuesday, 26SEP’17 – Camp Wood, TX to Kerrville, TX
Today’s route was as pretty as you can make one. It
reminded me of riding in Richland County, OH (Mansfield/Ashland). The rain, the
rolling hills and the Guadalupe River were Sara’s companions today. I took the
day off riding in the sag wagon. I needed a day off the bike. The prudent thing
for me to do at this time was to take the day off considering we are just over
half way to the Atlantic Ocean.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Sara: Day 22
We woke up to a legitimate rain
this morning but, after 3 days of riding in the area, we were finally leaving Del
Rio in the dust (or, as it turns out, mud), so we were ready to get on the
road. We slept in (hallelujah), ate a big breakfast, said goodbye to Mike
(tear), and got dropped off at Johnson Ranch, our stopping point from
yesterday, with 40 miles to ride into Camp Wood.
George: Monday, 25SEP’17 – Johnson Ranch, TX to Camp Wood, TX
It was a good day to ride a bicycle. It all began with
breakfast for me at 8:00am having my biggest one to date. I met Sara and Mike
and Susan at 9:45 for their breakfast. Mike was packed and ready to drive to
San Antonio for a plane ride to Chicago and a day of work. All this while a
steady rain dampened the driveway but not our spirits.
Sara: Day 21
During dinner last night at Pho
Rio, which was shockingly delightful, there was a lot of discussion about
taking a rest day today. It’s amazing how much fighting the wind the last two
days has zapped us (Mike has taken to calling me “Jeb” as a reflection of my low energy level) and the forecast was for another 13mph headwind out of town
today.
Sunday, September 24, 2017
George: Sunday, 24SEP’17 – Del Rio, TX to Johnson Ranch, TX
It was mutually agreed that we observe to the
proverbial day of rest by taking the day off. The off day was the result of two brutal
60-mile days on the road riding against that invisible bandit that stealthily
steals your energy. In fact, we did ride
40 miles today, half the distance to Camp Wood, our next stop.
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Sara: Day 20
Refer to “Sara: Day 19”. The 60 mile
ride from Langtry to Del Rio was the same hilly terrain, same cloud cover, and,
most importantly, same WIND as yesterday’s ride, just with worse roads,
more roadkill, and a few bouts of spitting rain. Coupled with the fact that we
were still tired from yesterday at our 5:30am wake-up, it was another long day.
George: Saturday, 23SEP’17 – Langtry, TX to Del Rio, TX
Today, I used all my wits to move the Mighty Basso
from Langtry to Del Rio. To wit, the bicycle is much like a musical instrument.
The player (rider) sizes up several factors and then plucks the bike. Factors
to finesse include, but are not limited to, road surface and incline, weather, wind
direction, rider fatigue, etc. It was as grueling as the day before, but worse
because of the weariness in my legs from yesterday.
Friday, September 22, 2017
Sara: Day 19
Today’s 60 mile ride from
Sanderson to Langtry was maybe our toughest yet as a result of the 20+mph
headwind. But, we muddled through and are hoping to have retained some energy
for what will be essentially the same ride tomorrow.
George: Friday, 22SEP’17 – Sanderson, TX to Langtry, TX
We ate dinner last evening in
the hotel room. The fold down table stationed against the front window worked
perfectly with the three room chairs. Dinner consisted of a sundry collection
of purchases from the stop-n-go across the street. It was actually quite
convenient if you were not interested in real food. It was our best option in
Sanderson.
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Sara: Day 18
Today was another “rest day” at
54 miles from Marathon to Sanderson, so, for the second day in a row, we had a
leisurely morning and a late start to the ride. For those unfamiliar, Sanderson
is the location of the trailer park where Llewellyn Moss lives in No Country
for Old Men, a real gem of place.
George: Thursday, 21SEP’17 – Marathon, TX to Sanderson, TX
Dinner in Marathon consisted of visiting the Big Bend
Pizza shop. Big Bend Pizza is a rather lame excuse for a restaurant. Several
ancient non-functioning automobiles adorn the parking lot. The entrance is a
labyrinth of doors and hallways leading a customer to a single non-descript
room with four tables and a few mismatched chairs. We were the only eat-in
customers, a bad omen. And the cook/server, a woman in her mid 50s, was one of
the rudest folks I have ever met.
Sara: Day 17
Today we rode 60 miles from Marfa
to Marathon. It’s shocking to me that we’ve reached a point where riding 50-60
miles is considered a “rest day”, but it is – and it was.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
George: Wednesday, 20SEP’17 – Marfa,TX to Marathon, TX
Last evening we ate at Stelina’s on the main drag in
Marfa. It was just half block from the Paisano Hotel. Dirk was a gray-bearded
stout fellow, casually dressed and vintage 1960. His server mannerisms were
well honed from introduction to final cleanup and his query about our dessert
choice. During our dinner and on one of his obligatory stops to our table I
asked him if he knew a local, Anthony D. We had a nice conversation, Dirk
smiling all the while. I texted Anthony about our dinner restaurant choice and
that Dirk was our server. His response was “Wild Dirk!” Maybe there was
something I should have asked Dirk.
Sara: Day 16
Today was a great day, in spite
of the biking. The 82 mile ride from (22 miles east of) Sierra Blanca to Marfa,
TX was tough – long ride, wind in our faces for most of the day, road surfaces
that left a lot to be desired, and unchanging, painfully boring terrain – but
it was still a pretty entertaining day.
George: Tuesday, 19Sep’17 – Sierra Blanca, TX to Marfa, TX
It was a great day to ride a bicycle. What a
difference a day makes. We came from the dusty town of Sierra Blanca 80+ miles
to the sparkling town of Marfa. The dichotomy is palpable. But first let me
tell you about the ride.
Monday, September 18, 2017
George: Monday, 18SEP’17 – Clint, TX to Sierra Blanca, TX
It was a great day to be on the bicycle. The three of
us met in the hotel hospitality room for a good breakfast before Sara and I
headed outside. The air was a cool 64 and remained that way for several hours. We
entered rush hour traffic right out of the driveway as we headed from the
freeway entrance back toward Clint. For a mile it was hectic until we reached
N. Loop Rd. heading south. At that point we benefited from the traffic
traveling in the other direction.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Sara: Day 14
Today’s 65 mile ride from Las
Cruces to Clint welcomed us to Texas. SR 28 out of Las Cruces this morning was
as lovely a road as any – lush green vegetation, pecan groves shading the road,
a scenic mountain backdrop whenever we caught a break in the trees, and two
more crossings of the Rio Grande, all with wide, clean shoulders and light
traffic. As if to validate our infatuation with the route, we passed probably 50
cyclists in our 2 hours on that road (well, I saw 50 but my dad saw 100 and my mom saw 70). It’s amazing how comforting a little foliage
and other humans on the road can feel after days of little but sun, dust, and
arid landscape. It was a great ride.
George: Sunday, 17SEP’17 – Las Cruces, NM to Clint, TX
It was a great day to ride a bicycle. A confluence of
events made it so. We had fresh legs from our day’s rest. The thermometer
cooperated providing us with a balmy high of 91. Funny how that sounds so, ever
since I experienced the heat tourniquet known by the epithet Arizona. We had
good roads and wide berms. The drivers were uniformly courteous. And Sara was
at my elbow as we lopped off the miles. Did I tell you that it was a great day
to ride a bicycle?
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Sara: Day 13
Turns out we got another day in
New Mexico and more opportunities to eat hatch chilies, this time in hummus and
tamales. My dad has been sick for several days now and felt particularly crummy
last night. Considering this is our last big town for a while, we decided to
take the day off, visit a clinic, load up on meds, and get some rest.
George: Saturday, 16SEP’17 – Rest day in Las Cruces, NM
The original plan was to conduct a tour of 40 days,
and 40 nights. No rest days were planned because Sara is on a schedule. She
wanted a few days to recoup when she finished the ride before she went back to
work.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Sara: Day 12
Today’s ride from Deming to Las
Cruces was a 63 mile ride, very similar to yesterday. It was pretty uneventful,
so only a few things to report from the road.
George: Friday, 15SEP’17 – Deming, NM to Las Cruces, NM
We left Deming with some sadness. The browns of
Arizona and western parts of New Mexico gave way to verdant surroundings of this
charming place. As we approached town, irrigated fields and fruit orchards
greeted us. We ate at a wonderful Italian restaurant last evening for a meal
that competes for the best of tour. The hotel was very nice, and the drivers
continued their non-aggressive driving.
Sara: Day 11
Today was a lot of fun! We saw
all sorts of entertaining things on the 61 mile ride from Lordsburg to Deming
and I can honestly say I loved every minute of it. It certainly didn’t hurt
that we finished in under 5 hours.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
George: Thursday, 14SEP’17 – Lordsburg, NM to Deming, NM
The ride today joined two others as best of the tour. Here’s
why.
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Sara: Day 10
I cannot believe we’ve been at
this for 10 consecutive days! Aside from two numb fingers on my left hand and sun
poisoning covering both legs (seriously, you should see this rash…), I feel
pretty good! Exhausted, but good.
George: Wednesday, 13SEP’17 – Thatcher, AZ to Lordsburg, NM
It was a great day to ride a bicycle. Day-wise we are
¼ of the way across America. Of the ten days we have been on the bikes, there
are two standout days, the Salome-Buckeye run and today’s run. On both of those
days, the traffic was light, the road was smooth, and Sara and I chatted as we
rode. For me it was paradise.
George: Tuesday, 12SEP’17 – Globe, AZ to Thatcher, AZ
This was a hard day to ride a bicycle, but we were
unaware of it at the start. We left the parking lot at our usual 6:00am. It was the coolest of all the mornings since
San Diego. Although it was not Ohio fall weather, it made for very comfortable
riding.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Sara: Day 8
Today’s ride from Apache Junction
to Globe was shorter than the last few days, which was a welcome change. It was
a tough ride, though, with the traffic, wind, and hills, so we moved a little
slower than we’ve become accustomed. The scenery was pretty terrific when
I had the energy to look around, rivaling those first 17 miles out of Jacumba
as the best yet.
George: Monday, 11SEP’17 – Apache Junction, AZ to Globe, AZ
All day I face the barren waste without the taste of
water,
Cool water.
Sara and I with throats burned dry, and so’s that
taste for water,
Cool, clear water. … Paraphrased
Monday, September 11, 2017
Sunday, September 10, 2017
George: Sunday, 10SEP’17 – Buckeye, AZ to Apache Junction, AZ
The synopsis of the day: We got on the bike at 6:00am;
we rode 75 miles; we got off the bike at 1:30. I think the extended version is
somewhere below.
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Sara: Day 6
I slept on a couch last night. In
retrospect, I may have overestimated the amount of youth left in this 32-year old
body. For the first time on this trip, I woke up feeling worse than when I went
to bed. I’m not sure if it was the couch itself or the full night of
restlessness, worrying that any part of my body, hair, or clothing was touching
hotel furniture. Either way, I was worried this AM because today’s ride from
Salome to Buckeye was the longest yet at ~75 miles.
George: Saturday, 9SEP’17 – Salome, AZ to Buckeye, AZ
Last evening we stayed in a quaint, quiet, quirky,
hotel. There were only four rooms available, and we were the only customers, so
we had the place to ourselves. The covered courtyard was very pleasant in spite
of the mid nineties readings. The beers that Susan offered us upon arrival
didn’t hurt. The Westward Motel offers its clients a common kitchen and eating
area as well. After having dinner across the street we bought fixin’s for breakfast.
It was as though we had our own place. After Sara and I started off, Susan
loaded the van and came following.
Sara: Day 5
Today’s ride from Blythe to
Salome was a tough one for me – for no particular reason. The 2500ft ascent was
gradual, the route was only 60 miles, and the weather cooperated, but I was
fried by the last 10 miles (too fried to take a picture of the “YOU ARE NOW BEYOND HOPE” sign when we passed through Hope, AZ – because I was!) Chips, salsa, and Coronas waited for us on the
porch when we rolled into the motel. How does my mom always know exactly what I need?
Friday, September 8, 2017
George: Friday, 8SEP’17 – Blythe, CA to Salome, AZ
The early morning oven just outside our hotel room
greeted us with open arms. We intended to get an early start, but getting ready
took longer than we expected. We left Blythe just before 6:00am. I had my
handmade copy of the daily map, as usual, but I did not refer to it once. The
route was easy: I-10 west for 31 miles, exit onto US60 East, continue for 25
miles. In case anyone is adding up the
miles today, include the 5 miles we rode from the hotel traveling east down
Business I-10 until we reached the Colorado River.
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Sara: Day 4
Today’s ride from El Centro to
Blythe was another flat one – yay! At one point in the middle of nowhere, I noticed
a burly man with a hay hook limping down the road (Google “hay hook”; it looks
more intimidating than it sounds). He looked like Edgar from ‘Men in Black’.
George: Thursday, 7SEP’17 – El Centro, CA to Blythe, CA
Today it felt as though we were on a bike tour. I
can’t tell you why, but we finally got into a groove. We have established a
routine that will likely continue for the duration. I also told Sara, as we
rolled into Glamis, that I had confidence we will complete the ride.
Sara: Day 3
Today’s ride from Jacumba to El
Centro was a good one. While the 17-mile descent on the way out of Jacumba was a
welcome change from yesterday’s climbing, believe me, riding your brakes for an
hour on a 6% grade is no walk in the park. I’m assuming the feeling in my hands
will return in a few days.
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
George: Wednesday, 6SEP'17 – Jucumba, CA to El Centro, CA
This morning we met in the Resort dining room for a
wonderful breakfast. All in all, the stay here was outstanding in spite of the
well-worn room. We pulled out of the parking lot at 8:00am with the assurance
that the road to El Centro was “all down hill.”
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Sara: Day 2
Neck,
hands, ass, hills, hills, hills, sun. This was really the only thing
going through my head today on the ride from Alpine to Jacumba Hot Springs. We
did have some amazing views though.
George: Tuesday, 5SEP’17 – Alpine, CA to Jucumba Hot Springs, CA
It was a great morning to ride a bike. We ate a
complimentary breakfast at the Ayres Lodge. While chowing down and discussing
the events of the day, the server indicated that he was from Canton, OH. In
fact, his entire family lives there. He is the only one who escaped! We
conversed for quite a while. Finally we reminded him that we had 45 miles to go
and we should get started.
Sara: Day 1
I haven’t been on a bike since
November 5, 2011. Sorry, Mike would call me out for exaggerating – in late May I
rode up and down the street a couple of times so my dad could fit me to the
bike and in June I spent 20 minutes on a stationary bike while finishing an
episode of The Americans in preparation for this trip.
George: Monday, 4SEP’17 – San Diego, CA to Alpine, CA
All of us were up at 4:00am in spite of the
exceptional sleeping quarters. It was the internal reveille that made it seem
like 7:00am. A little quiet chat made the clock roll around to 5:30. We were up
and active as ants in a sugar bowl managing to fit in a 6:30 breakfast amidst
all the turmoil. At 8:00am we were at Hospitality Point, the start of the ride.
Monday, September 4, 2017
George: Sunday, 3SEP’17 – El Centro, CA to San Diego, CA
We were in no particular hurry to leave El Centro. It
had nothing to do with last evening’s dust storm, or the intense heat still
lingering well into the evening. Our
objective for the day was to pick up Sara from the airport at 4:00pm, and it
was a 3 hour drive between El Centro and San Diego.
George: Saturday, 2SEP’17 – Globe, AZ to El Centro, CA
Our day started with a complimentary breakfast at
Holiday Inn Express Globe AZ. There were more patrons than there was space to
accommodate us, but we made do.
Sunday, September 3, 2017
George: Friday, 1SEP’17 – Rolla, MO to Globe, AZ
Just before 8:00am, we watched Amarillo and its cool
morning air converge to nothing from our rear view mirror. The road was good
and the fields to either side of us were as flat as anywhere. After an hour the
sun began following us as it rose above the horizon.
George: Thursday, 31AUG’17 – Columbus, OH to Rolla, MO
With these words I am beginning a journal to record my
experiences as Sara and I ride across America in Adventure Cycling’s Southern
Route. Susan will be driving the route, helping where we need it and hauling
our bags from town to town. She will be our “sag wagon.”
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George: Epilogue - Sunday, 22OCT’17
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