tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1277682735409724912024-03-20T07:26:33.987-04:00SEATTLE 2 BOSTON ride3 friends CYCLING ACROSS AMERICA in less than 30 daysDave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-11679483949685077442014-08-25T21:38:00.002-04:002014-08-27T20:16:40.400-04:00AN EPILOGUE<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s now 4 weeks after we returned from the bike trip and I’ve
been urged to write a post reflecting on the trip now that some time has
passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find myself occasionally
(actually often) looking at a map of the US and finding it incredible what we
accomplished, self supported, in such a short time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if I had to do it again, what changes
would I make?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 – The start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Choosing Seattle as a starting point made it impossible to avoid 90 for
a significant stretch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was here that
we ran into a number of problems which could have been avoided by moving the
starting point north to Anacortes or south to Astoria, Oregon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either one would have meant flying in earlier
that Friday like Justin did and getting to the starting point that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 – The distances should have reflected the difficulty of
the riding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we made our route and
the potential stopping points, we of course were limited to where the campsites
were but we had decides on roughly 120 miles a day regardless of terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should have shortened this to 100 or less
when the riding was tough (i.e. Rockies) and lengthened it to 130 or more when
the terrain was flat (i.e western Iowa).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 – The timeline – If anyone wants to do a cross country
bike ride, I would suggest at least 6 weeks instead of the 4 weeks that we blocked off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At times I felt we were
racing and we rarely reached our destination early enough to do local
sightseeing. For example the Winnebago Factory Visitor’s Center in Forest City,
Iowa closed at 4:30 –we missed it by 5 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With a little more time, we would have had flexibility in our schedule
and a chance to stop more often, but then again, both Dave and I only had a
month of available time and with that restriction, we did very well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What did we do right?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
1 – The gear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our
gear was light, efficient and sturdy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
used everything we took, needed nothing else and all of it was less than 13
pounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I got used to the idea that
I would have a one set of biking clothes and one set of camp clothes,
everything else fell into place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think
Dave may give a good review of the gear, but the items that impressed me the
most on this trip were the Montbell plasma 100 – super warm and only 4.8
ounces, Montbell tachyon anorak – great layer for the morning ride and only 2
ounces, the Katabatic sleeping bag and our Easton 3man tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most cross country bike riders seem to have
enough gear for a month survival after an apocalypse. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We really cut our load by not carrying
cooking gear with the correct assumption was that we would find enough places
to eat along the way – grocery stores, convenience stores, diners and
restaurants.<o:p></o:p></div>
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2- Aerodynamics – We had only one bag, a dry sack, attached
to the rear of our bikes to maintain the most aerodynamic configuration
possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We each also had a small bento
box and a hydration pack, which still maintained a very clean line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave us the ability to cover the number
of miles we needed to do each day, averaging in the high teens for MPH.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
can’t imagine riding that same pace with a handlebar bag and two saddle bags. We also
used our road/racing bikes for this trip instead of a touring bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our only modification was 25mm tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This probably was the right compromise
between speed and stability but not using the traditional 28mm touring tires may
have had something to do with our 8 flats tires.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
3 – The group – Although the three of us had ridden only
once together before we left, we were roughly the same ability and got along
very well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had only recently met Justin
but had been friends with Dave for over a decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past when we’ve traveled together he
and I have fought, but not at all this trip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think the focus of the mission and the realization that we were all
tightly interlocked (we couldn’t leave anyone behind) made this crucial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all annoyed each other at times, but we
were very good at letting it roll of our shoulders and continuing on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our personalities, interests, sense of humor
were all well matched and made for a great time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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4 – Command Central – Even though I wrote that the ride was
self supported, it was virtually supported probably more than any other ride to
date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We relied heavily on the daily
briefings from my sisters with the suggested stops, options for eating a place
to stay for the next night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One thing
that I learned when I got back was that when my sisters couldn’t find a place
to stop for the night, they would take the little yellow google man and walk
the route looking from side to side for a sign for a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>campsite or a collection of buildings that
might be a motel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, this is
how they found Steelman’s Brite Spot in Hiland Wyoming (the place with the
stuffed rattlesnakes) the only place for miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When we returned my sisters unanimously said that they felt like they
had been on the ride also.<o:p></o:p></div>
Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-64942562194299108892014-07-26T17:09:00.001-04:002014-07-26T17:32:44.486-04:00DAY 29 - THE FINISH<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Well-fed and well-rested, we woke up to a great breakfast at our (last!) hotel and hit the road pretty early.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ImwlyKXsUYU/U9QY50g6efI/AAAAAAAAAyc/9yFp9tD3Fv0/s640/blogger-image--1294762334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ImwlyKXsUYU/U9QY50g6efI/AAAAAAAAAyc/9yFp9tD3Fv0/s640/blogger-image--1294762334.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We knew we wanted to hit the beach at around 11:30, which meant we'd have to get moving quickly and take few stops. Luckily, the roads were pretty calm as we found our way through the suburbs west of Boston. The temperature and wind were perfect for the last morning of riding and the scenery, while more familiar, was beautiful.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LDaw19GunCY/U9QY6ggjrdI/AAAAAAAAAyk/AvxqoepZAco/s640/blogger-image-1829434692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LDaw19GunCY/U9QY6ggjrdI/AAAAAAAAAyk/AvxqoepZAco/s640/blogger-image-1829434692.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>With the adrenaline building and our bike computers tracking the mileage, we took only one break at around halfway back to Boston. The 30 miles seemed easy, and we were even surprised by Don's mother's cousin, Janet, who was waiting for us on the side of route 117 at the perfect place to stop! She flagged us down and gave us some bottles of cold water that were very appreciated.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cth2xlRFnJo/U9QY8IKDmJI/AAAAAAAAAy0/yyOH2QXYBR4/s640/blogger-image--529364917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Cth2xlRFnJo/U9QY8IKDmJI/AAAAAAAAAy0/yyOH2QXYBR4/s640/blogger-image--529364917.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After meeting her, we continued along 117, passing under I-95 to route 20. The territory started looking very familiar to us from our rides around Boston that we took before the trip.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V8l0r2rZzXg/U9QY4akyPdI/AAAAAAAAAyM/PNGOiMHIvhY/s640/blogger-image--1943144613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V8l0r2rZzXg/U9QY4akyPdI/AAAAAAAAAyM/PNGOiMHIvhY/s640/blogger-image--1943144613.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>As soon as we hit the Charles, we knew we were close to home and started hitting landmarks that reminded us how close we were. The Pru came into view, and we rode alongside the river before crossing into Boston on the Mass Ave bridge.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BA5HgjjbVO8/U9QY5DaKiQI/AAAAAAAAAyU/qEmFrTozpfc/s640/blogger-image-1543737429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BA5HgjjbVO8/U9QY5DaKiQI/AAAAAAAAAyU/qEmFrTozpfc/s640/blogger-image-1543737429.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Straight down Mass Ave to Boylston, we took a quick stop for a photo in Copley Square and then were on our way to Southie and the beach!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-28QfG0S9aoo/U9QY3ZnO87I/AAAAAAAAAyE/ynjIvgnZFZk/s640/blogger-image-637182195.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-28QfG0S9aoo/U9QY3ZnO87I/AAAAAAAAAyE/ynjIvgnZFZk/s640/blogger-image-637182195.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>An enthusiastic welcome party awaited us right at the end of Broadway, and we rode past the statue straight to the beach. Our welcome party was happy to follow us down, and took some wonderful photos of us at the water.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aoZZjUN_Yoo/U9QY7ZmZTxI/AAAAAAAAAys/q8vSI5ze_Xk/s640/blogger-image-993758707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aoZZjUN_Yoo/U9QY7ZmZTxI/AAAAAAAAAys/q8vSI5ze_Xk/s640/blogger-image-993758707.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XOznWLUGYGM/U9QY1HvfARI/AAAAAAAAAxs/366WezETDYM/s640/blogger-image--1440070861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XOznWLUGYGM/U9QY1HvfARI/AAAAAAAAAxs/366WezETDYM/s640/blogger-image--1440070861.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6DJAEhRcui0/U9QY830JWGI/AAAAAAAAAy8/FTIfIRUXG2A/s640/blogger-image--212754514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6DJAEhRcui0/U9QY830JWGI/AAAAAAAAAy8/FTIfIRUXG2A/s640/blogger-image--212754514.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u1ditXKGAto/U9QY2puZT0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/u5Cv_TctitM/s640/blogger-image--795266839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-u1ditXKGAto/U9QY2puZT0I/AAAAAAAAAx8/u5Cv_TctitM/s640/blogger-image--795266839.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_iPVEsK-Tg0/U9QY180KgHI/AAAAAAAAAx0/8B_oK0_sgsU/s640/blogger-image-1579670971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_iPVEsK-Tg0/U9QY180KgHI/AAAAAAAAAx0/8B_oK0_sgsU/s640/blogger-image-1579670971.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>We're happy we made it, and thankful for all the support that we got along the way from everyone. The people who hosted us at their houses were all so terrific, and the people we met along the way made the trip even more fun and exciting. And the support from afar - whether it was phone calls, comments on this blog, encouraging text messages, or even asking a friend to let us stay at their house along our route - we appreciate all of it. Thank you!</div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-50605528838949541062014-07-25T23:04:00.001-04:002014-07-26T05:40:20.326-04:00DAY 28 - FINAL CLIMB AND COUNTDOWN<div>
We woke up today in Williamstown this morning where I feel at home, having gone to Williams College in the mid-80s. Living in Boston I continue to make it back to campus each summer for the Williamstown Theater Festival and I was glad to be able to make that a part of this trip. It was fun to show Justin and Dave part of the campus yesterday<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">: Spencer House where I lived senior year, </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Papa Charlie's where I read the sandwich choices for a long time and always order the Gilda Radner, and of course the Purple Pub. The pub has been completely rebuilt since I was a student and is no longer considered a dive. </span></div>
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This morning we packed up our stuff at the Northside Motel (Williamstown needs some updated lodgings) and biked around the rest of the campus before heading east. I had shown them the campus south of Route 2 last night so we biked by Chapin Hall,<br>
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the new Paresky Center,<br>
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the Freshman Quad,<br>
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and a new building I had never seen before, the new Sawyer Library addition to Stetson Hall.<br>
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After the final tour of campus, we headed east on Route 2 and started our climb out of the Purple Valley. This would be our last significant climb of the trip. Despite my memories of a very steep road, the grade was not bad at all which made the climb very satisfying. Because we climb at different speeds, we decided to meet up at the hairpin turn.<br>
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The hairpin turn is exactly what it sounds like, a 90 degree turn or switchback up the mountain.<br>
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At the hairpin turn, there's a great view of the Purple Valley of the northwestern Berkshires.<br>
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We then continued over the Whitcomb Summit and enjoyed a spectacular descent for miles. The road had been recently repaved and there was no traffic in our direction.<br>
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Eventually Route 2 meets up with the Deerfield River,<br>
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which we followed into Greenfield where it empties into the Connecticut River. The small towns we biked through along the way were charming.<br>
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Over the course of the day we began seeing signs for Boston where the mileage was in double digits!</div>
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In Greenfield, we stopped for lunch at a grocery store that had a prepared foods section. A few days ago I weighed myself on Gretchen's bathroom scale and learned that I had lost about 8 pounds. My goal was to try to maintain my weight (Justin was even and Dave had lost just 3 pounds). I was now conscious that I was burning more calories than I was consuming so when I saw two sizes of chicken pot pie in the grocery case, I went for the family size. At home when something says it serves 3, that's usually about right for me, so on a cross country bike trip, this pie that served 6 was perfect. <br>
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Our goal for the day was to bike about 90 miles, leaving 60 for tomorrow. We were having trouble finding a place to stay but through a connection of Justin's (Justin's friend Ryan's friend Adam's mother Gail) we found a house in Fitchburg where we could pitch a tent. However, when we were about 10 miles away, I heard a voice from a car yell over to us, it was Peter and Dane in the Volvo! It was a wonderful surprise visit, easily made as we were just about 70 miles from Boston. <br>
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They brought baked goods and drinks for an impromptu picnic,</div>
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reserved hotel rooms in the next town and offered to take us to dinner. <br>
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After spending almost an entire month with just two other people, this sudden introduction of two "outsiders" was a necessary first step in out gradual reintroduction to society. We had dinner at the Old Mill restaurant in Westminster MA.<br>
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It was much nicer than any of the restaurants we had eaten at the entire trip. We needed reservations and again this more formal meal was another small step in a process to reacquaint us with societal customs.<br>
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After a great dinner, it was back to the hotel for bed. </div>
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For those who have been asking, our plan for tomorrow is to meet at 7 AM for the free breakfast here at the Wachusett Village Inn. We will depart at 7:30 AM, which will give us ample time to be at the beach in South Boston to ceremoniously dip our front wheels into the Atlantic at 11:30AM. A picture of the location is below, but it is just south of the small park where East Broadway ends at the water. It's called Marine Park but may be better known for the statue of Admiral Farragut ("Damn the torpedoes!") that stands within it. Anyone in the area is welcome to meet us at 11:30. We've left enough time so we should not be late.<br>
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Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-37842102651664025902014-07-25T06:54:00.001-04:002014-07-25T08:01:12.134-04:00DAY 27 - MASSACHUSETTS! AND THE UNEXPECTED STATE<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Sleeping on the concrete floor of the pavilion became uncomfortable in the middle of the night. Despite fractured sleep, we awoke early as today we had over 120 hilly miles to ride. After the first 10, Don had a flat from an extraordinarily sharp rock. We used our last fresh tube, and continued on. </span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQEbzbFZY3gsYzO_r8bkYdzjfQw-HOYrOs6Wa5kyxhks89UCMVFsqcp41TstArHRNHv4VOq9cbRx7WBViorJwtZi8EFIojyksX9PnkXFCbbTVTGChr5lRFjO25cJdNptuVqztj3izmpbA/s640/blogger-image-1597039726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglQEbzbFZY3gsYzO_r8bkYdzjfQw-HOYrOs6Wa5kyxhks89UCMVFsqcp41TstArHRNHv4VOq9cbRx7WBViorJwtZi8EFIojyksX9PnkXFCbbTVTGChr5lRFjO25cJdNptuVqztj3izmpbA/s640/blogger-image-1597039726.jpg"></a></div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHk9oM7i6S-VUrujQgyUsLxL29rQvNlX6ALmI37ZBxPpn_URbT-Ldd7wsMcfyLf-YgSdJQIebggcMJXQXmxVLHV7c-DAawaFO2FAzjHXptlnQaKEAp-7AEReed9cbpZRd-Ugtadi9tOmf_/s640/blogger-image-1301020358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHk9oM7i6S-VUrujQgyUsLxL29rQvNlX6ALmI37ZBxPpn_URbT-Ldd7wsMcfyLf-YgSdJQIebggcMJXQXmxVLHV7c-DAawaFO2FAzjHXptlnQaKEAp-7AEReed9cbpZRd-Ugtadi9tOmf_/s640/blogger-image-1301020358.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We hit a new grocery chain called Price Chopper for breakfast - cereal and danishes. We set out to tackle some hills. Unfortunately, our pace slowed significantly. Some of the hills had grades close to 10% and the extra strain of climbing them caused my lingering knee pain to be much more severe. Don and Justin were patient and we kept rolling over the hills one at a time.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86UjzxiycuB6TyvNpOtczXGy6C7RjpOkZVX28s3TwNvmesDcb7Q5u6-yYOwDz3ejjOaJotGLm5t8j2c4F68dJsJCx8D4dKcoQ2UOkggIKTUxHM6Q_JWge1A-T-dfUVIUaJdGmdSocOmFR/s640/blogger-image-832528515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg86UjzxiycuB6TyvNpOtczXGy6C7RjpOkZVX28s3TwNvmesDcb7Q5u6-yYOwDz3ejjOaJotGLm5t8j2c4F68dJsJCx8D4dKcoQ2UOkggIKTUxHM6Q_JWge1A-T-dfUVIUaJdGmdSocOmFR/s640/blogger-image-832528515.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The route near Albany became challenging as there were many options around the city, but none seemed ideal. We decided on one that lead us to a highway on-ramp. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwA4Qhd7FmnmX2DpN3rQYYC2ruSj6Gpijai4FyE3VHLmQ7EAng54VlpM_eLTqQkEt_wUMNU9Lg_n4IdQgyRLBfeWAtZzBsCgW_L2wauUmwxdVN0CuaYY9XAxkfBCd2OH4CQ7i1KcRmr7Z/s640/blogger-image-420448993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwA4Qhd7FmnmX2DpN3rQYYC2ruSj6Gpijai4FyE3VHLmQ7EAng54VlpM_eLTqQkEt_wUMNU9Lg_n4IdQgyRLBfeWAtZzBsCgW_L2wauUmwxdVN0CuaYY9XAxkfBCd2OH4CQ7i1KcRmr7Z/s640/blogger-image-420448993.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We changed course, zig-zagged past the airport, and got clear of the city. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Eventually, we crossed the Hudson River and found a place to eat (and rest) in Troy. Because we had an early start, we had well over 80 miles under our belt at lunch. We stopped at the Flying Chicken for an awesome home cooked lunch. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs9LxhwRTTqqMAJX58xO2cmyy4yBuIcTKukOd1bUvq53LHW24DRdQ3YHgcrCnwFKjZTWe8ikVMQzcQ28_udjp9LMJ100rICwKmqjB0SYhsbYfuX_5VXtSlBQeIClcurPLNNISlmqC1g5g/s640/blogger-image-809624113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs9LxhwRTTqqMAJX58xO2cmyy4yBuIcTKukOd1bUvq53LHW24DRdQ3YHgcrCnwFKjZTWe8ikVMQzcQ28_udjp9LMJ100rICwKmqjB0SYhsbYfuX_5VXtSlBQeIClcurPLNNISlmqC1g5g/s640/blogger-image-809624113.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6XJ_EQ37EZYQHvuFTAvkDgsiTVtr_lRAWjqHbharqdXPNhyphenhyphenpdkft_vMJc1GDDJNO2VQJUSgvh6uDyu0rQemZku3QN3sH21nVnJNnf_ksk7_49aPQZfa7B930vityzWn97fEdMNhrLs9X/s640/blogger-image--236850633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6XJ_EQ37EZYQHvuFTAvkDgsiTVtr_lRAWjqHbharqdXPNhyphenhyphenpdkft_vMJc1GDDJNO2VQJUSgvh6uDyu0rQemZku3QN3sH21nVnJNnf_ksk7_49aPQZfa7B930vityzWn97fEdMNhrLs9X/s640/blogger-image--236850633.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At lunch, we discovered and alternate route into Williamstown, MA which added on 4 miles but avoided a huge 1000 foot climb and descent, which we initially thought was inevitable. And this new route would take us through a new state: Vermont! Sadly, I got a flat (a tiny nail and a slow leak) to make the second falt of the day. Despite multiple attempts, we couldn't get our patches to hold and we were stranded. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS_QV0alAmAype_jgiKC2FoLXJAV8LGwxemogH8jOXHg7qt8eDdecAiXiNdOubeFn3aHZbWk_1coSYmGTHKxWBDVuA_g3scOIvUzulGkVkMl0MsQIU6zK5ECcEd7Zcjy2Kv1vS_DeySQM/s640/blogger-image-576419709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizS_QV0alAmAype_jgiKC2FoLXJAV8LGwxemogH8jOXHg7qt8eDdecAiXiNdOubeFn3aHZbWk_1coSYmGTHKxWBDVuA_g3scOIvUzulGkVkMl0MsQIU6zK5ECcEd7Zcjy2Kv1vS_DeySQM/s640/blogger-image-576419709.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1pvZ6puw-qggAriFaElXsCQ33Yft1WnK_6npOOrg6MzykiNn_deCLsE2fwo-8thiVOpAFp2KMG6qtpGEZ0sULvCZvqW5XMxFdVhuOzW18TBp8pT1vAbelqI_P_OcHKWhz9usXEd_aay2/s640/blogger-image-1030086683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1pvZ6puw-qggAriFaElXsCQ33Yft1WnK_6npOOrg6MzykiNn_deCLsE2fwo-8thiVOpAFp2KMG6qtpGEZ0sULvCZvqW5XMxFdVhuOzW18TBp8pT1vAbelqI_P_OcHKWhz9usXEd_aay2/s640/blogger-image-1030086683.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At least we were able to laugh about the terrible patches that stuck only to our fingers and not the tubes. Don and Justin rode ahead while I hitched a ride from an incredible nice guy, Mickey, to a nearby bikeshop. The guys at Tomhannock Bicycles took care of us and sent us on our way with free labor and free gels to get us the rest of the way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsb54e1Dg8M84NjQLqgVgYMF-rA8s9cs0-xfQqComWC2t7NlWnHYY7WpmFjSZ76y9AyBdI8F24CQYH7mPAbIjcQ2z4vydPn8rohE1RwEN884-AdciB0kY6rNqL3mkAhgAIRhdKAgqIKxq/s640/blogger-image--792892050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVsb54e1Dg8M84NjQLqgVgYMF-rA8s9cs0-xfQqComWC2t7NlWnHYY7WpmFjSZ76y9AyBdI8F24CQYH7mPAbIjcQ2z4vydPn8rohE1RwEN884-AdciB0kY6rNqL3mkAhgAIRhdKAgqIKxq/s640/blogger-image--792892050.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The final 20 miles was easy rolling along a river into Vermont and then Massachusetts. Seeing the green mountains makes us feel so close to home! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylBQxnA3xCykkPPitjDDaMHkjleXAFmw6PHWEvyKSe3YcWMyvaiZSUigFWqNDBxWUbrazxyAR_Hxhdz7hQEbOsvJ4l1UQK99a_2okbfhdOnEp8dtOINu4kD7FGE-XzPhX9zMj1DQXBZJv/s640/blogger-image--1843734226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylBQxnA3xCykkPPitjDDaMHkjleXAFmw6PHWEvyKSe3YcWMyvaiZSUigFWqNDBxWUbrazxyAR_Hxhdz7hQEbOsvJ4l1UQK99a_2okbfhdOnEp8dtOINu4kD7FGE-XzPhX9zMj1DQXBZJv/s640/blogger-image--1843734226.jpg"></a></div><br></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBeH2azoEWYpx2sF08OhQ3TeRqzH1qGPyt68ESqgXqmR_R78UlL8MzA84qsn3FKYaZFAjz7wiDnCTWgQpVQ8vMR1cWzX6o8CeE9J4KFs3Y8SPUniY0CAtisNt4opGPoH7XD_n6ewf013M/s640/blogger-image-1043784043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBeH2azoEWYpx2sF08OhQ3TeRqzH1qGPyt68ESqgXqmR_R78UlL8MzA84qsn3FKYaZFAjz7wiDnCTWgQpVQ8vMR1cWzX6o8CeE9J4KFs3Y8SPUniY0CAtisNt4opGPoH7XD_n6ewf013M/s640/blogger-image-1043784043.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We rolled into Williamstown with just enough time for a shower at iur motel and dinner at Papa Charlie's. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8rAo1ijibDMqLPKDS_E2S9OKdFgeVL9dsAHUBZ-L6kRl8CLTuYgz9JMj_pxCLqv6jSMLLj3Ov3NTqPuDHhp8btR0gm91tEiAd6F9mZSt5rQmRKAprF-KJDoaBnL9okzEBf3IK6TK3OeZ/s640/blogger-image-550296653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo8rAo1ijibDMqLPKDS_E2S9OKdFgeVL9dsAHUBZ-L6kRl8CLTuYgz9JMj_pxCLqv6jSMLLj3Ov3NTqPuDHhp8btR0gm91tEiAd6F9mZSt5rQmRKAprF-KJDoaBnL9okzEBf3IK6TK3OeZ/s640/blogger-image-550296653.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Don had bought tickets to Fool for Love, a play at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, months ago in anticipation of us being here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe8QveM7TvpW4Qfd7ZHHSIifWkH-mzYO9J9YtckNHn0fSmUfd6Jx7DiWPS2UvNvPGy4eCX8Bk0ZILIbwMEkeeMnrR-AOGRuNRSn14GG7_xSTyXzLVYeSHeB2HM40hg84Qxn8B4_foZuE9/s640/blogger-image--529752158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNe8QveM7TvpW4Qfd7ZHHSIifWkH-mzYO9J9YtckNHn0fSmUfd6Jx7DiWPS2UvNvPGy4eCX8Bk0ZILIbwMEkeeMnrR-AOGRuNRSn14GG7_xSTyXzLVYeSHeB2HM40hg84Qxn8B4_foZuE9/s640/blogger-image--529752158.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNWdEzrbs8IzkwamQzrZRH25M2cY5UKWJunWWyGXP_ihyphenhyphenBvfjTBcRMCtJ-K8RtVSkUFdmp9eM2I-HR-U0m96W-pCe5JYN1mlvlc16RZgvlP-JTciHftaQsQHiZedkymYVruhEdbevzLeY/s640/blogger-image-1311752048.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNWdEzrbs8IzkwamQzrZRH25M2cY5UKWJunWWyGXP_ihyphenhyphenBvfjTBcRMCtJ-K8RtVSkUFdmp9eM2I-HR-U0m96W-pCe5JYN1mlvlc16RZgvlP-JTciHftaQsQHiZedkymYVruhEdbevzLeY/s640/blogger-image-1311752048.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The play was amazing. Sam Rockwell and Nina Arianda did an incredible job. We grabbed a beer at the only pub in town, the Purple Pub. Don finished his tour of his undergrad campus on the walk back to our motel. Today was a long day! Time to crash. </div><br></div> </div></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-68821893384616598472014-07-23T22:01:00.001-04:002014-07-23T22:01:51.105-04:00DAY 26 - FINGER LAKES ROLLERCOASTER<div>Starting the day with freshly laundered clothes (thanks again, Gretchen!), we headed out from Canandaigua on route 20 to the east. After leaving behind the lake there, we passed by a number of the other Finger Lakes, including Seneca, Cayuga, and Skaneateles Lakes, which made the riding quite scenic. We knew we would stop every 20 or so miles for a break, but the terrain quickly turned to rolling hills, making our progress a little slower.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-65xzxtgds0Y/U9Bo_80jnhI/AAAAAAAAAw4/Mjc7Pg12bz0/s640/blogger-image--1544868242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-65xzxtgds0Y/U9Bo_80jnhI/AAAAAAAAAw4/Mjc7Pg12bz0/s640/blogger-image--1544868242.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We had a quick stop in the waterfront town of Geneva, where we ate breakfast at a nice restaurant near Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Another quick stop around 50 miles in at the Patisserie in Skaneateles for some baked goods at Gretchen's recommendation left us a little more refueled for more hills. Dave and Don got a chance to run through the sprinklers there to cool down.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fG0X-UorxHk/U9Bo8qWPQxI/AAAAAAAAAwM/IQphXRk_aJU/s640/blogger-image--149138065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fG0X-UorxHk/U9Bo8qWPQxI/AAAAAAAAAwM/IQphXRk_aJU/s640/blogger-image--149138065.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>When we got on the road again, we quickly noticed the day heating up. Combined with the constant up-and-down rolling hills, we were sweating like crazy and our legs were in pain by the time we made it to noon. Some of these hills must have been about an 8% grade and stretched for anything between a half mile and two miles.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bt8sKoqbeyc/U9BpCVq-gQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/oI_BVsDGQv4/s640/blogger-image--1716351203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bt8sKoqbeyc/U9BpCVq-gQI/AAAAAAAAAxM/oI_BVsDGQv4/s640/blogger-image--1716351203.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We stopped quickly in a couple places along the way to grab cold drinks, and rode through some quaint towns.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XRPX3oLPuRo/U9BpBkALmxI/AAAAAAAAAxE/qa23a8ngA0k/s640/blogger-image-1987555687.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XRPX3oLPuRo/U9BpBkALmxI/AAAAAAAAAxE/qa23a8ngA0k/s640/blogger-image-1987555687.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Though we had known there was a chance of bad weather when we started riding at the beginning of the day, we had hoped it would pass us by or we would just some brief rain. However, as we approached the town of Cazenovia, where we planned to stop for lunch, we saw the thunderstorm clouds behind us. They ominously chased in into the Tops grocery store parking lot, where we locked up our bikes just inside the doors and foraged for food among the aisles.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7VUYIZbVGpk/U9BpDZ_gR6I/AAAAAAAAAxY/ixlS0QBN0n0/s640/blogger-image-422641551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7VUYIZbVGpk/U9BpDZ_gR6I/AAAAAAAAAxY/ixlS0QBN0n0/s640/blogger-image-422641551.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jA5vKa3u-f0/U9Bo-y63zWI/AAAAAAAAAwo/H7kT9YM8lEE/s640/blogger-image--38335081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jA5vKa3u-f0/U9Bo-y63zWI/AAAAAAAAAwo/H7kT9YM8lEE/s640/blogger-image--38335081.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>A few minutes after arriving, we heard the rain start, accompanied by some thunder and lightning that seemed almost directly overhead. We took a look out the doors and saw drivers struggling to get to their cars and out on the road.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v7Y56XPufQA/U9Bo9737FkI/AAAAAAAAAwg/7Wfq8J-xzZA/s640/blogger-image--1392168381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-v7Y56XPufQA/U9Bo9737FkI/AAAAAAAAAwg/7Wfq8J-xzZA/s640/blogger-image--1392168381.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>This made us feel justified in taking an extra long lunch break, during which we enjoyed our typical turkey-lettuce-cheese wraps and other assorted semi-healthy items. We had been so sweaty that we started shivering!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EPnoubizxVM/U9BpA7xOCcI/AAAAAAAAAxA/i7JsV54FaF4/s640/blogger-image-485983016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EPnoubizxVM/U9BpA7xOCcI/AAAAAAAAAxA/i7JsV54FaF4/s640/blogger-image-485983016.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The weather advisory continued, but we hoped that the lightning was gone and so we got on the road again.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yk99YkSEtis/U9Bo6YJtrQI/AAAAAAAAAv4/6X-X5m9hGBk/s640/blogger-image--1891729537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yk99YkSEtis/U9Bo6YJtrQI/AAAAAAAAAv4/6X-X5m9hGBk/s640/blogger-image--1891729537.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>For the rest of the afternoon, the weather vacillated between a light drizzle and a steady downpour.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pp-4Yhk76tc/U9Bo9NCcp4I/AAAAAAAAAwY/CqeICif-_XA/s640/blogger-image-1506363218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pp-4Yhk76tc/U9Bo9NCcp4I/AAAAAAAAAwY/CqeICif-_XA/s640/blogger-image-1506363218.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The sweat from earlier in the day was washed off (er, not fully- definitely got some in my eyes, which hurts!) and we made it through some last couple hills to a bike shop in Madison called Guy's Bicycle Shop. We grabbed a new tire to replace the one we punctured yesterday, and chatted with the very nice people who were in the store. They gave us a recommendation for dinner and we took off for our last hour or so of riding.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ezBAoVbJywE/U9Bo78PtSZI/AAAAAAAAAwE/vn70iXvDKTE/s640/blogger-image-1579438932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ezBAoVbJywE/U9Bo78PtSZI/AAAAAAAAAwE/vn70iXvDKTE/s640/blogger-image-1579438932.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We arrived in the town of Bridgewater where our place for the night, the Lake Chalet Campground, is located. After taking off some of our soaked clothing, we set up our tent under their pavilion, which was thankfully completely dry. We had to be creative with the way we staked down the tent since it was a cement floor.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cNjmVRcCQMI/U9Bo7PvNatI/AAAAAAAAAv8/zwdwsfyPpnk/s640/blogger-image--294660797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cNjmVRcCQMI/U9Bo7PvNatI/AAAAAAAAAv8/zwdwsfyPpnk/s640/blogger-image--294660797.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After the owner of the campground gave us a quick ride into town in their car, we grabbed dinner at a place called Patti's Pub.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-05Jj0BIqNQ8/U9Bo_X5NpkI/AAAAAAAAAww/p5gzZUEZOwk/s640/blogger-image--2060671254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-05Jj0BIqNQ8/U9Bo_X5NpkI/AAAAAAAAAww/p5gzZUEZOwk/s640/blogger-image--2060671254.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Dave and Don played some games in the bar, and we got a great amount of food before we walked back to the campground in the now-dry weather. Heading to sleep now with hopes for an early start tomorrow so we can reach Massachusetts by tomorrow night!</div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-246992545126529952014-07-22T23:17:00.001-04:002014-07-27T00:16:29.532-04:00DAY 25 - UNEXPECTED HOSPITALITY<div>
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>We weren't up until 8 AM this morning. This was late for us, but the benefits we derive from sleeping in comfortable beds, especially after yesterday's push to Niagara, made this necessary. Niagara Falls, ON is a tourist trap, similar to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco or Las Vegas, NV. The night before, when planning our route, we located a place that was an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet so when we woke up, we headed right for it.<br>
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In this blog, we've not had the occasion to be critical of any place we've stayed or have eaten but today will be different. The all-you-can-eat buffet place around the corner from the hotel is the exception.<br>
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After being seated, they asked for out drink order, 3 waters. The waiter said they only had bottled and it would be $3 each! We declined and ended up drinking out of the bathroom faucet. Look at the "fresh" fruit below. Yes, right out of a can.<br>
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We knew we would get going late after yesterday's ride, but it was even later than we thought after a quick sightseeing stop followed by customs. As we approached customs, we were sent left with the automobiles, not right with the pedestrians.<br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Our first stop was a Tim Hortons which was delightfully cool inside as the temps got into the 90s.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We went in for a drink, but after my cousin Marie commented on the blog about their donuts, we each got one, and they were excellent. </span></div>
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We had lunch in LeRoy NY, typical fare - yogurt, fruit, and turkey/cheese lettuce wraps which we ate in the store.</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Because of our late start we didn't know how far we would get today. We were going to be following Route 20 through the small towns along the Finger Lakes and ambitiously thought Geneva might be a good destination, but after a tire blow out just west of Lima (pronounced like the bean), we knew we could only make Canandaigua. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We didn't have a place to stay, and the two campgrounds there would pull us far of our route, so we contacted Command Central. I'm not sure exactly how my sister Gail did it, but she sent a message to her friends and found us a place where we could pitch our tent. This is the connection - my sister Gail Hvidsten has a friend in Needham, Jennie Moore whose husband Mike has fraternity brother from Clarkson, Terry Fischer who lives in Canadaigua. Terry was in Denver on business, but he had us contact his wife, Gretchen who was home with two of their three sons. We called from LIma about 18 miles away and were there in under an hour (we averaged close to 19 mph today). </span><br>
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When we got there, Gretchen opened her home to us. It was wonderful. We put our bikes in the garage, and cooled off with a dip in the pool.<br>
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We each took showers and when we were done, she put our bike clothes in the laundry. We had a beer while we waited for the others to shower and then headed off to a local restaurant that Gretchen recommended. She also recommended what to order, which was perfect.<br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">When we got back to the house, Gretchen had set up a bed downstairs for Justin as well as a queen upstairs where Dave and I slept. This incredible hospitality was not anticipated - we were just looking for a spot for our tent - but much appreciated. Here are the four of us. </span></div>
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I'm off to sleep now, the recipient of incredible hospitality, excited for a second night in a bed and feeling very grateful to be in such a warm and inviting home. Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-113903589834092792014-07-22T08:46:00.001-04:002014-07-22T08:46:27.288-04:00DAY 24 - NIAGARA OR BUSTWe woke up to another wet, foggy morning.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55AjZSIx5dAW1CuzT1Qwp4rYEZqQGdrT7NrZaDnMrVEqhNYwJZKzQ851Jy2V9Nqf4_7-Rrp3uafBYr4Pz72gC3DsWYDunWHR8Rt7Hx98zEME6qP68JMPq-EH3XKoaqotMI6lpTDHkJ76q/s640/blogger-image-268595179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55AjZSIx5dAW1CuzT1Qwp4rYEZqQGdrT7NrZaDnMrVEqhNYwJZKzQ851Jy2V9Nqf4_7-Rrp3uafBYr4Pz72gC3DsWYDunWHR8Rt7Hx98zEME6qP68JMPq-EH3XKoaqotMI6lpTDHkJ76q/s640/blogger-image-268595179.jpg"></a></div> </div><div><br></div><div>Today is unique in that without cell or internet connection in Canada, we decided to forego using command central (Don's sisters), and make our way east on our own. We ran into many confusing turns and dead ends/gravel roads, but eventually navigated through London, Brantville, and Hamilton stopping about every 40-50 miles for a break. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lMtCWveZQEklm8xWlNLjkUZAvmuomOrPKrlQOVaKxbZont8zEvtoJi02Tbuaq7W6L3h_FAfuVdS_rCY_dV0BKku0AJLVwlAC5KQ0aRtZRquk5LEzK9IGR0hfOSbUV6qddI2vGKVmLoW9/s640/blogger-image-480388942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3lMtCWveZQEklm8xWlNLjkUZAvmuomOrPKrlQOVaKxbZont8zEvtoJi02Tbuaq7W6L3h_FAfuVdS_rCY_dV0BKku0AJLVwlAC5KQ0aRtZRquk5LEzK9IGR0hfOSbUV6qddI2vGKVmLoW9/s640/blogger-image-480388942.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPIC8mUyhFaIconRrfsKlkHEvO840Li1wG6M9jwunpXVCxHIwdUpkMkmFjn3Cs-GIK4SGU5YGfc4tCpDBvv26PqPtD6PeHBa9BSm66pIx_xIVmp6aU4xfn8nlqTFur4XPmGQpJR1CqVeC/s640/blogger-image--612468972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGPIC8mUyhFaIconRrfsKlkHEvO840Li1wG6M9jwunpXVCxHIwdUpkMkmFjn3Cs-GIK4SGU5YGfc4tCpDBvv26PqPtD6PeHBa9BSm66pIx_xIVmp6aU4xfn8nlqTFur4XPmGQpJR1CqVeC/s640/blogger-image--612468972.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdREAIppdpWTnHYZtaaXZPCZ6d9otv77WCRYTN_KsSo5K2vfzRQ2JfImJxD7Myhj7ALVo_hnzE1mrV1cizpwJGgSMewYTxfmZErswaai_7k_Z-OCrbJpwfE-drIoWGi_Jv-NFtIzB4lXhD/s640/blogger-image--742078955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdREAIppdpWTnHYZtaaXZPCZ6d9otv77WCRYTN_KsSo5K2vfzRQ2JfImJxD7Myhj7ALVo_hnzE1mrV1cizpwJGgSMewYTxfmZErswaai_7k_Z-OCrbJpwfE-drIoWGi_Jv-NFtIzB4lXhD/s640/blogger-image--742078955.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Our stops included breakfast at Helen's Restaurant, a break at Baker's Dozen bakery, and a late lunch at Starbucks where we just brought in groceries and had a feast. There at Starbucks, we decided to try to make it to Niagara Falls, 68 miles away because we knew we knew we would be able to find a hotel. Although it wasn't easy, we pushed it hard for the next 3 hours without a break.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkX_iE07clLiI3hyWM2dldpl9AvvqUC6AlTX8srre45jq-yVtbxDwlI4wGFmHO3AqlodEwwBv74uipd1O0RuaqCnj1vxLW_KazhJCo220H5xyKv_wEAV_n7pS3mXkA7G33MisgQksGVqk/s640/blogger-image--657278091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCkX_iE07clLiI3hyWM2dldpl9AvvqUC6AlTX8srre45jq-yVtbxDwlI4wGFmHO3AqlodEwwBv74uipd1O0RuaqCnj1vxLW_KazhJCo220H5xyKv_wEAV_n7pS3mXkA7G33MisgQksGVqk/s640/blogger-image--657278091.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We knew we were getting close when we saw the locks and bridges. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAe2FcvHTxpDiKNv-826zcRJXgMIFzEkcBYjzLsSt0c4uOVgL_iPIIvzy8-4teFKSneqTrqMA-YD-UPpJo0NyM2Jeb1WZflmZ6nHsZrM9ht2dp_B_-jb0JSzRm12JAfk0VTTPuV2d9sDBz/s640/blogger-image-1716265454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAe2FcvHTxpDiKNv-826zcRJXgMIFzEkcBYjzLsSt0c4uOVgL_iPIIvzy8-4teFKSneqTrqMA-YD-UPpJo0NyM2Jeb1WZflmZ6nHsZrM9ht2dp_B_-jb0JSzRm12JAfk0VTTPuV2d9sDBz/s640/blogger-image-1716265454.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1NrXOss8ah32zWYTAAYsosKx8AS_001lYrAs-6CqXUMCwbcNGYw4RdSmcqejigoO39m_e7LSYVJRWsNLEuFwUw0pDspIDoPTbvgVBawuJXVbaGRJflYekZCXmW8We6rNWMC8zG1A_nuf/s640/blogger-image-1089844161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1NrXOss8ah32zWYTAAYsosKx8AS_001lYrAs-6CqXUMCwbcNGYw4RdSmcqejigoO39m_e7LSYVJRWsNLEuFwUw0pDspIDoPTbvgVBawuJXVbaGRJflYekZCXmW8We6rNWMC8zG1A_nuf/s640/blogger-image-1089844161.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">With 15 miles to go we knew we would make it to Niagra just before sunset. We arrived exhausted at 8pm. But enough energy to take a selfie at the falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxFEKaBmF29M7oOOoPsWCI09njNd7TgmjLsmFpzANPAPocVM_fmHh96wVtaGpK7h6ApKG5IoFw2X-IVZUdrsQWbVsc9mCYL_dwmyCoK283f8nk9xPC5iClY9pLixsmRe9p3mWT4cmPWbW/s640/blogger-image--169357328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxFEKaBmF29M7oOOoPsWCI09njNd7TgmjLsmFpzANPAPocVM_fmHh96wVtaGpK7h6ApKG5IoFw2X-IVZUdrsQWbVsc9mCYL_dwmyCoK283f8nk9xPC5iClY9pLixsmRe9p3mWT4cmPWbW/s640/blogger-image--169357328.jpg"></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqwNJxKmS7dZfDuGXvuiET8yf9vcWqjom4wErmOKV-0VAmgHDtL82YVeDJ4lyfbXYR20sVtHj7Y1Ap0djnbLjW6BiVpSC2OvHjS8EMWqNIiYeS8-isyig1-S3GaN9c7eUS8RPNCrRvjuD/s640/blogger-image--558788458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqwNJxKmS7dZfDuGXvuiET8yf9vcWqjom4wErmOKV-0VAmgHDtL82YVeDJ4lyfbXYR20sVtHj7Y1Ap0djnbLjW6BiVpSC2OvHjS8EMWqNIiYeS8-isyig1-S3GaN9c7eUS8RPNCrRvjuD/s640/blogger-image--558788458.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We showered and ate dinner at a BBQ restaurant. We cycled the longest distance yet this trip: 148 miles. Same as the Brewery 2 Brewery ride. Too bad there's no Harpoon IPA around these parts. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPbBeHfbhjLZTFXQqzd53sRvOxK1VXSntjyRSgttWEWIRZ0ZJZAPdV09ZxHzuobHEbv6ZSW7p_cvELOjx6-pWumLaTx4AQqEjexHGHeDnwU1iQ6s1JcLQ7e9IE3UMxQDmrPw8WFujGXK3/s640/blogger-image-651983493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPbBeHfbhjLZTFXQqzd53sRvOxK1VXSntjyRSgttWEWIRZ0ZJZAPdV09ZxHzuobHEbv6ZSW7p_cvELOjx6-pWumLaTx4AQqEjexHGHeDnwU1iQ6s1JcLQ7e9IE3UMxQDmrPw8WFujGXK3/s640/blogger-image-651983493.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuPn5IeiwZrbao74Rxv6Nc5EnKS4JyWPZD0-K0YIPuw_z_C72G9UlTJK5_kWu8XelsDTc9R8Pfz6Wz_IfwLqy4l3D0APPE9U5apl8AEJ-tiZ3R2IYUv8KWqCCimPsyt7lse43zZNracAe/s640/blogger-image-1242216990.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyuPn5IeiwZrbao74Rxv6Nc5EnKS4JyWPZD0-K0YIPuw_z_C72G9UlTJK5_kWu8XelsDTc9R8Pfz6Wz_IfwLqy4l3D0APPE9U5apl8AEJ-tiZ3R2IYUv8KWqCCimPsyt7lse43zZNracAe/s640/blogger-image-1242216990.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Tomorrow, we'll sleep in. :) </div></div><br><img src="cid:6FE8A451-5337-48E4-8C9C-27A76E091D26" alt="6FE8A451-5337-48E4-8C9C-27A76E091D26" style="width: 320px; left: 0px; right: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><br></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-67121338033180092262014-07-20T22:09:00.001-04:002014-07-20T22:09:01.556-04:00DAY 23 - OH, CANADAWe awoke with everything covered in dew again (you might think we'd learn our lesson and figure out how to avoid wet clothes, but oh well). The campground was also shrouded in fog, and a little chilly, so we quickly got moving on our bikes. The fog on the narrow country roads made visibility low, so we rode cautiously.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l6oMCxkKT2w/U8x2O09eOzI/AAAAAAAAAvo/DE2j5y0_zfk/s640/blogger-image--917047698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l6oMCxkKT2w/U8x2O09eOzI/AAAAAAAAAvo/DE2j5y0_zfk/s640/blogger-image--917047698.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Soon enough we got to the town of Lapeer, where Dave picked us out a great breakfast place with an all-you-can-eat buffet! We enjoyed the unlimited calories and then went out to the park lot, where some motorcyclists were similarly about to leave. Their motors were much louder than ours but we still beat them out of the parking lot.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-byOMfSOhj8Q/U8x12RdEbsI/AAAAAAAAAvA/pOUOEWjXwB4/s640/blogger-image--1337275721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-byOMfSOhj8Q/U8x12RdEbsI/AAAAAAAAAvA/pOUOEWjXwB4/s640/blogger-image--1337275721.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We tried to hussle a little for the rest of the morning, since we knew that Dave's father was meeting us in Port Huron to take us across the Blue Water bridge to Canada. For those who haven't tried biking across this bridge: while it's technically feasible it would be highly dangerous, since there's no shoulder, and the border control also doesn't allow it. Thus why we needed Dave's dad! <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">When we finally arrived, we loaded the bikes on the back of his car, and headed across the bridge. We enjoyed some amazing lunches packed for us by Dave's mother in the car, too!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lAqSMPD5sCc/U8x11kqDAcI/AAAAAAAAAu4/FcrS9mn8ibs/s640/blogger-image--1405363485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lAqSMPD5sCc/U8x11kqDAcI/AAAAAAAAAu4/FcrS9mn8ibs/s640/blogger-image--1405363485.jpg"></a></div><br></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_CGuglOhLEk/U8x16221hbI/AAAAAAAAAvg/HccAJKABseg/s640/blogger-image--1245242436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_CGuglOhLEk/U8x16221hbI/AAAAAAAAAvg/HccAJKABseg/s640/blogger-image--1245242436.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We got through customs without a hitch, though the officer definitely thought we are crazy for what we're doing. We unloaded in a Tim Horton's parking lot in Sarnia on the Canadian side, and then headed straight to the east for the afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BF6kwEBwOlI/U8x13F4y1zI/AAAAAAAAAvI/eUaiT1j7N5g/s640/blogger-image-581676393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BF6kwEBwOlI/U8x13F4y1zI/AAAAAAAAAvI/eUaiT1j7N5g/s640/blogger-image-581676393.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9wi30sw43gQ/U8x1wDEjvuI/AAAAAAAAAuw/KMANMh0prxE/s640/blogger-image--542896122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9wi30sw43gQ/U8x1wDEjvuI/AAAAAAAAAuw/KMANMh0prxE/s640/blogger-image--542896122.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Basically one road took us the entire next 45 miles, all the way to Strathroy, where we're camping tonight. We were led by the campground owner (on a golf cart) back to a site, where we set up camp.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LMcy5I35UIE/U8x1kml2S0I/AAAAAAAAAuo/PjLmJcNKduc/s640/blogger-image--1175536655.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LMcy5I35UIE/U8x1kml2S0I/AAAAAAAAAuo/PjLmJcNKduc/s640/blogger-image--1175536655.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D7SyyKsC7vE/U8x15VMANYI/AAAAAAAAAvY/mKYAt4kDmAc/s640/blogger-image-1970164142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D7SyyKsC7vE/U8x15VMANYI/AAAAAAAAAvY/mKYAt4kDmAc/s640/blogger-image-1970164142.jpg"></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">After a fairly long walk into town from the campground, we took care of some dinner and even had time for a little dessert trip afterwards.</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K8Ejoqr33HU/U8x14NntqVI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/UWiRMPFbUaQ/s640/blogger-image-2022523940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K8Ejoqr33HU/U8x14NntqVI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/UWiRMPFbUaQ/s640/blogger-image-2022523940.jpg"></a></div><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif">Headed to sleep now in a peaceful campground, and excited for a second day of Canada tomorrow!</font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font></div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-12679395829081509112014-07-20T00:28:00.000-04:002014-07-20T08:09:48.156-04:00DAY 22 - THE THREE OF US ARE FINE<div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We woke up this morning refreshed after having spent a night in beds in our own rooms. We set our alarm for 6 a.m. and began packing up our clean clothes and the rest of our gear. Dave's mom, Susie, made us a terrific breakfast of steel cut oatmeal and fruit, eggs in a hat and fried ham. It was very difficult to leave as their house is incredibly comfortable and the hospitality was so terrific. We loaded our bikes onto the car, put our gear in the back</span></div>
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and headed back to the spot where Dave's father picked us up. As we reassembled our gear on the side of the road,<br />
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I realized I was humming "Back on the Chain Gang" by The Pretenders. It was truly a Freudian slip as we were all excited about today's ride. Three weeks ago we mailed ourselves a box to Dave's house with supplies. We restocked our camp soap, chain lube, batteries for our head lamps, sunscreen, new tubes and I threw in a new set of bike shorts. As we pedaled away we were wearing clean bike clothes, had clean bikes, newly lubricated chains, were well rested and well fed.<br />
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Our plan was to take Route 57 all the way to our destination 120 miles away, the Genessee Otter Lake campground. The temperature was in the 60s, the sky was clear and the roads were perfect - Dave describes them as "sharkskin". I assumed it was because they are very smooth with a little bit of traction to help propel us forward each time we push down, but also realized this type of road is very similar in color to a typical shark - light gray. Anyway, those are the types of thoughts that pop into your mind when biking all day.<br />
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We were about 14 miles into the ride when it happened. I was in front, enjoying the smooth flat road, riding about 21 mph with Justin right behind me and Dave right behind him, all in a tight pace line. As we approached the intersection with Berrigan Rd, an older woman in a light blue Volkswagen Beetle pulled into the intersection without stopping at the stop sign. Although she would eventually stop, she was headed right for me when I hit my brakes. Justin swerved but crashed into my rear cassette, the teeth of the moving gears ripping into his front tire and tube with a loud explosion of green slime. Dave hit his brakes but as he was passing Justin on the outside, his handle bar caught Justin's bag and jack-knifed. He and his bike went down, the shifter for his rear derailleur broke off and his front wheel was bent. No one was hurt. As we recovered from the accident the woman stopped to check on us but there was no help she could give us. Now, many hours later, I wish I had asked her why she didn't stop at the stop sign. I also wonder why the truck in Wisconsin two days ago tried to run us off the road and why the car in Montana pulled up next to us and yelled, hoping to startle us off the shoulder. As bikers we are very vulnerable. We would prefer not to bike with cars and trucks but it is the only way for us to get around.<br />
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We quickly surmised that Dave's bike was unrideable and Justin needed a new tire and tube. My bike was fine. Still not far from Grand Rapids, we called Dave's father and located a bike shop 5 miles away in Rockford. When looking at the web site for Speed Merchants bike shop, we saw they carried the same type of higher-end components and wheels that we have on our bikes. While waiting for Dave's father, we changed Justin's tire, then prepared our bikes for the rear rack. He came quickly and by 10:20 we were in the shop. I cannot express how lucky we were to fall into the hands of the wonderful staff at this shop. They saw Dave's shifter and quickly started looking for a replacement. They didn't have one but were happy to "borrow" a replacement from a Trek Madone. While they were doing that, they re-trued his front tire. We thought we would be in the shop for hours, but they dropped everything and had us back on the road in under an hour. <br />
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To save time, we bought sandwiches at a nearby sandwich shop and ate them in the car as Dave's father, for the second time today, redeposited us on our route. At first we were a little nervous but quickly fell back into our routine. Trying to make up for lost time made us bike right through one of the larger towns, Carson City and look for a cold drink in the smaller town of Ashley. It looked like the convenience store was about 100 yards off 57 but it turned out to be closer to a half a mile. When we got in, the two people working in the store seemed amazed at what we were doing. They asked to take our picture and plan to follow us on the blog. They said we were inspirational, which is exactly what we needed to hear after the events of the morning.<br />
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We had dinner in the Walmart in Clio, our standard fare of yogurt, fruit, chips, tea and dinner salads.<br />
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Despite the delay, we made it to the campground before sunset. We quickly set up the tent, and took showers. To offset the story of the crash, I'll add something on the lighter side. We didn't pack towels so when we get out of the showers in the campgrounds, we shake off the water as best we can, put on our shorts and dry the rest of the way with the hand dryer.<br />
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After the showers, we bought some ice cream, brushed our teeth and were off to bed. As I finish this blog post, it's good to see both Dave and Justin asleep next to me, uninjured, resting for another day. </div>
Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-415620980840880932014-07-18T23:07:00.001-04:002014-07-19T11:45:49.391-04:00DAY 21 - NO PLACE LIKE HOMEWhile sleeping in at the Hyatt would have been amazing, we woke before the sunrise to dash over to the ferry terminal. The red sunrise peeked over Lake Michigan as we boarded the boat for a 6am departure. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzPn7lpbeMCDZgGX0-m52BrrP-5Q7Yjn7Das5y2mZ9JULyy2oV_e1_rBqU2XW8kJBnloG35gGV7NlurkVZIJw9Bb1fk5dlLl6BQ3pnDtPF89rrDujrRL-Ip75w4oKXRQfpfCEJRQCyabm/s640/blogger-image-309893194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzPn7lpbeMCDZgGX0-m52BrrP-5Q7Yjn7Das5y2mZ9JULyy2oV_e1_rBqU2XW8kJBnloG35gGV7NlurkVZIJw9Bb1fk5dlLl6BQ3pnDtPF89rrDujrRL-Ip75w4oKXRQfpfCEJRQCyabm/s640/blogger-image-309893194.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjU7F1-wh3eeOGzYZmLoLslzBYPMV4qE77Eq5XAfu6HTdZXATZHjVv9lgCGHhWhgCOw0GWa1BaeGaMNdHpIquOBG0x6N9cODD-eI52pMBX-tf6HyzRMkTvdI-lEGwKzAEYoaVQB0OJBnC/s640/blogger-image--317987017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGjU7F1-wh3eeOGzYZmLoLslzBYPMV4qE77Eq5XAfu6HTdZXATZHjVv9lgCGHhWhgCOw0GWa1BaeGaMNdHpIquOBG0x6N9cODD-eI52pMBX-tf6HyzRMkTvdI-lEGwKzAEYoaVQB0OJBnC/s640/blogger-image--317987017.jpg"></a></div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACDE96hyphenhyphenpc-2jsbvlsW7nVKPTToiE6m2HvIVxgVlqOHoOxCzGIZD28NnUg-Xt-NSbyeG4hwWkFf6lvoUI4o-z64mC8rxzMCXGFt6K0gCy5NQ5xSR5sCP8CwWc4LjW35p4f5ym85h_g0VG/s640/blogger-image-486945868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACDE96hyphenhyphenpc-2jsbvlsW7nVKPTToiE6m2HvIVxgVlqOHoOxCzGIZD28NnUg-Xt-NSbyeG4hwWkFf6lvoUI4o-z64mC8rxzMCXGFt6K0gCy5NQ5xSR5sCP8CwWc4LjW35p4f5ym85h_g0VG/s640/blogger-image-486945868.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>The ferry took 2.5 hours and we lost an hour due to the time change. After arriving in Muskegon, we headed east on the Muskatewa trail for about 30 miles. We kept a slower than average pace of about 15 mph and chatted while riding 3 abreast. This is our official second and final rest day, so we wanted to take it nice and easy. </div></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRypzcZGds8LrwEAujnCulOkf_EadvTEISKJEZI2wZvvJMhS8BqsBhpojp1KEVlArwIWihz_1pGlOQ7FTV_ZZLQv7YiQ9CnkPnX5N4LF7UMFXQUwAWJtGRACNrE1of51X2Kbh_Ku56gNJn/s640/blogger-image--128370194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRypzcZGds8LrwEAujnCulOkf_EadvTEISKJEZI2wZvvJMhS8BqsBhpojp1KEVlArwIWihz_1pGlOQ7FTV_ZZLQv7YiQ9CnkPnX5N4LF7UMFXQUwAWJtGRACNrE1of51X2Kbh_Ku56gNJn/s640/blogger-image--128370194.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We planned a rendezvous point with my Dad about 30 miles outside Muskegon. The plan was to meet there, drive to my parents home in Grand Rapids, and take the remaining part of the rest day there. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7HaWTFOOa-DR8JsIaEWdNv-Lm1QjUusBWxHY_RWiSrwKAiRe7-6hOcsOOa-p3lkH1tov41nzWLtf2VUmLUTTw0gV6eaD5HtMQAT8hvmD1_2zObB1X8rNXJyMTs9gWhi0xxPwXbrE6H-6/s640/blogger-image--2022639272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7HaWTFOOa-DR8JsIaEWdNv-Lm1QjUusBWxHY_RWiSrwKAiRe7-6hOcsOOa-p3lkH1tov41nzWLtf2VUmLUTTw0gV6eaD5HtMQAT8hvmD1_2zObB1X8rNXJyMTs9gWhi0xxPwXbrE6H-6/s640/blogger-image--2022639272.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The plan worked well, and we arrived just in time for a lunch prepared by my mom. We continued to snack throughout the day, but made sure we cleaned all our gear including our bikes. We showered, shaved, and changed into some of my old clothes while the laundry was finishing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysYqYq0qsM1zLdJ4K0UN_qYdkgetASLY65txPjMZRPW37hmXaA6RYC0Cjyr2Ivxxexn6a8stVKlSMyM8E6fzeMa9fHMrm6PxdMhEhzW0b1014ezh-AcGkXw06f5TzYODfwM8MsS5I_JsM/s640/blogger-image--1669602651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysYqYq0qsM1zLdJ4K0UN_qYdkgetASLY65txPjMZRPW37hmXaA6RYC0Cjyr2Ivxxexn6a8stVKlSMyM8E6fzeMa9fHMrm6PxdMhEhzW0b1014ezh-AcGkXw06f5TzYODfwM8MsS5I_JsM/s640/blogger-image--1669602651.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2mVq1f8ns3ilKl5qZcQxtIVldDjsOnYHGSzTSocxrtBV6W02zd7SjU0oW25cdrnMY2OW8Ue4u3y9E5WZ7wlk2U0CCNJjegu-pJMOwNe9qCNA9ynbA8qsrnMZbozrvqVJY3hn-okk8nb/s640/blogger-image--321578666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT2mVq1f8ns3ilKl5qZcQxtIVldDjsOnYHGSzTSocxrtBV6W02zd7SjU0oW25cdrnMY2OW8Ue4u3y9E5WZ7wlk2U0CCNJjegu-pJMOwNe9qCNA9ynbA8qsrnMZbozrvqVJY3hn-okk8nb/s640/blogger-image--321578666.jpg"></a></div><br></div>My sister Ellie, my soon to be brother-in-law Andrew and his Aunt Sally came over to visit, followed by my sister Stephanie and brother-in-law Jeff. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwjX8dGbJ5NeIMoakcTJOj3szRMI3Yv31pAgDUHP5h81BVk37-ePG_rU2WdNjWJf2O6BZvCqHkubnq0ZrDPDX7WEHSCPL2k88k83oAaKPwWx5njxVSZqOEwXX1PfHBbWpoYmcm3IX1xLr/s640/blogger-image--581810263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwjX8dGbJ5NeIMoakcTJOj3szRMI3Yv31pAgDUHP5h81BVk37-ePG_rU2WdNjWJf2O6BZvCqHkubnq0ZrDPDX7WEHSCPL2k88k83oAaKPwWx5njxVSZqOEwXX1PfHBbWpoYmcm3IX1xLr/s640/blogger-image--581810263.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Even though we were eating most of the day, we packing in another vegetable-laiden feast for dinner. We shared many stories from the road with my family, while my family told many embarrassing stories of my childhood. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We talked over local beers and dessert into the night. Bedtime came all to soon, although getting to sleep in my childhood bunk bed is a perfect end to our first day in Michigan. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Every time I come home, I'm reminded just how awesome my family is. It will be tough leaving here in the morning to get back on the road.</span></div></div></div></div><br></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-46380789990442993302014-07-17T23:46:00.001-04:002014-07-18T12:10:20.607-04:00DAY 20 - HAPPY HOLSTEINS<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Knowing there was a rest day ahead of us tomorrow, we woke up early today at our campground in Spring Green to get on the road. Our campground was covered in dew and fog clouded the road as we headed out.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-APIeK4n5-ok/U8iYeRLwOPI/AAAAAAAAAto/PhXE-LztTI8/s640/blogger-image--837667478.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-APIeK4n5-ok/U8iYeRLwOPI/AAAAAAAAAto/PhXE-LztTI8/s640/blogger-image--837667478.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Our first stop was actually only a couple miles down the road. Before we went to bed last night, we were alerted to the fact that our campground was directly across the river from Taliesen, one of the more famous Frank Lloyd Wright houses. We altered our route of the campground by a scant two miles and headed across the foggy Wisconsin River. Since it was around 6:30 in the morning, neither the visitor center or the actual house were open for visitors. Not to be deterred, we disregarded the "No Admittance" sign on the driveway and headed up to the house. We got to the top of the gravel road and explored around the outside of the house, trying not to disturb the occupants.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lkl8KkOddTo/U8iYdhK1NEI/AAAAAAAAAtg/SQlBkfXmA6k/s640/blogger-image--1455221251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lkl8KkOddTo/U8iYdhK1NEI/AAAAAAAAAtg/SQlBkfXmA6k/s640/blogger-image--1455221251.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>For both Don and me, this was the second Frank Lloyd Wright landmark we'd visited in the last couple months (I saw Falling Water and Don just saw his original house and studio outside Chicago). Taliesen was pretty best though, even without a guided tour. The fog, while it made the house invisible from the road, only added to its natural beauty. It has a pretty cool history, too- apparently Wright's mistress and a couple others were killed by a servant who then burned the house down. Two iterations later... There's a pretty cool house on a hill that we got to visit in the fog early in the morning!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K-7UY2uFdbw/U8iYjZ_DTUI/AAAAAAAAAuY/mcczVPY-SpA/s640/blogger-image--1198756959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-K-7UY2uFdbw/U8iYjZ_DTUI/AAAAAAAAAuY/mcczVPY-SpA/s640/blogger-image--1198756959.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>From Taliesen, we headed out to the east, trying to warm up while wearing tons of layers. After a quick coffee stop, we were able to get to Madison before stopping for a real brunch. We explored the city (and the UW campus) a little bit and got some advice on where to get some quick tasty fuel.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u3S0dIoOCOs/U8iYfDhhILI/AAAAAAAAAtw/elYENrdYfts/s640/blogger-image--1019694199.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-u3S0dIoOCOs/U8iYfDhhILI/AAAAAAAAAtw/elYENrdYfts/s640/blogger-image--1019694199.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Some of you might be wondering what we do with our bikes when we get food or stay somewhere at night. Though it's on our gear list I'm guessing most people haven't studied that the way that Dave has. Well, the answer to the question of what we do with them varies. Sometimes we bring the bikes into wherever we're going, sometimes we leave them leaning against a wall outside, and sometimes we lock them outside. I'm guessing that as we get into more populated areas, we'll probably be locking them more often. What do we lock them with? Well, we've got a pretty small and lightweight MasterLock made mostly of plastic that we lock into a 6-foot Flexweave cable lock from REI. We either lock the bikes together or to some stationary object. Whether or not we lock them, we try to keep them in view. This morning at breakfast, this meant choosing a table by the window so we could look down at the bikes on the sidewalk.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ys6gsCieFV4/U8iYg22XNUI/AAAAAAAAAuA/VrBYt6Sd4rw/s640/blogger-image-748776809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ys6gsCieFV4/U8iYg22XNUI/AAAAAAAAAuA/VrBYt6Sd4rw/s640/blogger-image-748776809.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Anyways, we headed out from breakfast and Madison along the lake, where there was a pretty nice bike path.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z8Rg13dy7QY/U8iYctENAAI/AAAAAAAAAtY/EM8kYuIVfUs/s640/blogger-image--998551029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-z8Rg13dy7QY/U8iYctENAAI/AAAAAAAAAtY/EM8kYuIVfUs/s640/blogger-image--998551029.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We rode mostly on some pretty rolling county roads for the rest of the day, and even though it might not seem like it from the photos, the scenery is a little different- you can tell we're getting into much more populated areas by the comparatively smaller size of fields. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We took a great early afternoon ice cream break at a gas station in the town of Lake Mills, where you can see Dave locking up the bikes.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B-J9GKO78tg/U8iYh6zFyVI/AAAAAAAAAuI/jbSYZXQ8VsM/s640/blogger-image--1401693382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-B-J9GKO78tg/U8iYh6zFyVI/AAAAAAAAAuI/jbSYZXQ8VsM/s640/blogger-image--1401693382.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Ice cream - and dairy in general - are items of pride in Wisconsin, it seems. They obviously are proud of their cheese, but this also means that they have ridiculously tasty. (and cheap!) ice cream. Dave and I made quick work of a pint of Caramel Collision at this gas station before we got on the road again.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2x7dQfG2b4Q/U8iYgKRn4iI/AAAAAAAAAt4/IEJrSH9bpJQ/s640/blogger-image-1215241802.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2x7dQfG2b4Q/U8iYgKRn4iI/AAAAAAAAAt4/IEJrSH9bpJQ/s640/blogger-image-1215241802.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Figuring that we should probably pay our respects to the wonderful animals that create this great Wisconsin dairy product, we stopped at a farm along the road in the afternoon. Dave and Don tried to feed these Holstein cows, but I'm pretty sure that even to them we didn't smell too great.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pc8MDfYilvI/U8iYboLC_BI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/3_EzpEjNoeY/s640/blogger-image--2086065285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pc8MDfYilvI/U8iYboLC_BI/AAAAAAAAAtQ/3_EzpEjNoeY/s640/blogger-image--2086065285.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>A good bit of flat riding for the afternoon along a combination of county roads and suburban residential roads led us finally into the outskirts of Milwaukee, where we ended up on a busy commercial road. Thankfully, there was a huge righthand land just for bikes and buses, so we sped along next to the cars stuck in late afternoon traffic. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-esMMyug3gf4/U8iYivP99rI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/mgt9ZHa9V-o/s640/blogger-image-942479684.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-esMMyug3gf4/U8iYivP99rI/AAAAAAAAAuQ/mgt9ZHa9V-o/s640/blogger-image-942479684.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Once in Milwaukee, we were able to shower and change in our hotel before grabbing some Thai food across the street. Heading to sleep soon so that we can get up early to make our ferry in the morning!</div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-19090466275886139592014-07-17T07:56:00.003-04:002014-07-17T11:12:10.467-04:00DAY 19 - WISCONSIN<div>
As we expected, the day started out very cold. Dave mentioned in yesterday's blog post that a small polar vortex would be affecting temperatures along our route, especially in northern Iowa and today was by far the coldest morning we experienced - much colder than Yellowstone.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Later this morning we biked by a temperature sign on a bank that read 51 degrees and heard at breakfast that a record low of 49 degrees for this day in July was set a few towns over. Despite the low temperatures, our gear did well by us. Justin and I had purchased sleeping bags from Katabatic, which work down to 40 degrees and are under a pound in weight. http://katabaticgear.com/shop/chisos-sleeping-bag/</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Getting ready, I threw on an extra shirt in addition to my biking shirt, arm warmers, leg warmers and jacket. </span><br />
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Yesterday in the bike shop we were given advice on some roads to take us to the bridge over the Mississippi. We had come into town on Route 9 and it was awful - trucks at high speed, no shoulder and lots of pot holes wider than the width of a bicycle tire. Our original route was a direct approach on Route 18 but we were warned it would be worse than our Route 9 experience as 18 is a major route for truckers who need to cross the Mississippi. If 18 was the hypotenuse, the new route would be the other two sides of the right triangle. It added about 12 miles but turned out to be absolutely delightful biking. The roads were smooth and wide, with very little traffic. We could even ride three abreast and carry on a conversation which was a pleasant change.<br />
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Part of the route was labeled as one of Iowa's scenic byways.<br />
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We had breakfast in Waukon where our matching biking outfits brought the similar comments to those we received all through northern Iowa, "are you here for the RAGBRAI?"</div>
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RAGBRAI is an acronym for the Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. It is sponsored by the Des Moines Register and attracts over 10,000 riders each year for a week-long ride across the state.<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It starts next week and is scheduled to take a northern route, stopping in some if the same towns we stopped in: Okoboji, Rock Rapids, Forest City and Decorah. I rode in the RAGBRAI back in 1999 with a group from the Air Force while I was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB. The time off was classified as permissive TDY (temporary duty) which meant it was time off but didn't count as vacation. : ) It was a wonderful week, with many similarities to our trip across Iowa: cornfields, friendly people and great hospitality, but in contrast to this year, back in 1999 the temperature exceeded 100 degrees on a few days causing parts of the road to melt. http://ragbrai.com/about/ragbrai-history-1990s/</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Although leaving Iowa was bittersweet, crossing the Mississippi and entering a new state was exciting. The Mississippi River is huge. After we crossed the bridge, we commented to each other that we thought the river would have been wider. As it turned out, we were on an island and the width of the river was an equal distance again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We received more of a welcome entering Wisconsin than any state so far. There was a park that had a large sign for the state,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">one for the city,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">and a statue of Rev James Marquette, SJ who was the first westerner to "discover" and map the northern Mississippi. I found it amusing that the town on the other side of the river is called Marquette, Iowa, but the inscription on the statue is clear to point out that the discovery was made from the Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin side. The statue of Rev. Marquette has one hand outstretched to the river but his back is squarely to Iowa, looking over Wisconsin. I'm sure this is part of some interstate rivalry. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We ate lunch in Prairie du Chien and headed east along the Wisconsin River. Our destination for the night was a camping spot at the Wisconsin River Resort in Spring Green. Again the riding was very enjoyable on Route 60, one of Wisconsin's scenic byways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">After a few relatively short days of 100 miles, it felt good to get in a little longer distance today. There was no wind whatsoever, temperatures in the low 70s, clear skies and gently rolling hills.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> When we reached our destination, we quickly set up camp and headed to dinner where on Wednesdays there were two specials - happy hour all night and an all-you-can-eat pizza, pasta and salad bar which was great. We caught a few pictures of the sunset on the river after dinner</span></div>
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Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-35480389850455650522014-07-15T22:37:00.001-04:002014-07-18T12:13:45.895-04:00DAY 18 - COLLEGE DININGWe woke up and got on the road early this morning wearing almost all of our layers. The "polar votex" we are hearing about on the weather channel is in full effect. Our first stop was in Fertile, IA - just 11 miles from camp. At Downtown Cafe, we had a huge and amazing Amish style breakfast with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and coffee. All was fresh and amazingly delicious. The owner only charged us $5 each and even threw in a free (delicious) loaf of homemade banana bread for the road. Amazing. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDzXW7mk7i-GDHwrSgQxB2MI41fPhW0cPSOf0V9W-n4AjVP_I7FckxqmvaOvMEovinCAC0VjlKdvB3OZQbH5XDHfJCsc_8CDZy0G6nwbIE6vY17M6CAjEdy8JYT7hwjF8qZCG8BSUDG9e/s640/blogger-image-259160681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDzXW7mk7i-GDHwrSgQxB2MI41fPhW0cPSOf0V9W-n4AjVP_I7FckxqmvaOvMEovinCAC0VjlKdvB3OZQbH5XDHfJCsc_8CDZy0G6nwbIE6vY17M6CAjEdy8JYT7hwjF8qZCG8BSUDG9e/s640/blogger-image-259160681.jpg"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaChUWFZB_MYYJz7T7HcpgsDjJWbbBJqDPCrpBxnh0wZayvhRpIDoLZ4FjJSvZOXmDijwsbp32lYrPdXEGisaq8eB4EYAn31_fhmFi0sz-cfIG4CTt6rDJDZ8zkyFFgkuNkQRahvo979So/s640/blogger-image--783712615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaChUWFZB_MYYJz7T7HcpgsDjJWbbBJqDPCrpBxnh0wZayvhRpIDoLZ4FjJSvZOXmDijwsbp32lYrPdXEGisaq8eB4EYAn31_fhmFi0sz-cfIG4CTt6rDJDZ8zkyFFgkuNkQRahvo979So/s640/blogger-image--783712615.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We biked fast to stay warm, but the wind today was whipping from the northwest and kept us cold. We dove into a convenience store for warm coffee. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkU6g2nUn7uhfxgj_4jy04JDj5LUZC69wRH530GH_taF6eINUT5rP-xIuEd6rQEGpF-E5LKPOGHkLF4l4fNIIYBnqCtIa3Y-w4J0euY2DVAL3HTGXzSjyl5TVn7Bg6NT5vy8SFAqSDTCy/s640/blogger-image--1571270782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGkU6g2nUn7uhfxgj_4jy04JDj5LUZC69wRH530GH_taF6eINUT5rP-xIuEd6rQEGpF-E5LKPOGHkLF4l4fNIIYBnqCtIa3Y-w4J0euY2DVAL3HTGXzSjyl5TVn7Bg6NT5vy8SFAqSDTCy/s640/blogger-image--1571270782.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> And stopped again to warm up at one of the many Casey's Convenience stores. We typically just hang out in the middle and chat it up with some locals. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCTsG9PMdVs9hC56VBNqS6387XaC5FUQ_nZ9CBv7yBXSB3hb-f0q6kDT736KU5l7PK-3Ayazg8R3iKpNJW-vVNTxZGmIlhUfkNBgF7GKWt72mL7DI9NSqiOjgNtn_DbBNivFZnxcZyEOE/s640/blogger-image-1040132816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCTsG9PMdVs9hC56VBNqS6387XaC5FUQ_nZ9CBv7yBXSB3hb-f0q6kDT736KU5l7PK-3Ayazg8R3iKpNJW-vVNTxZGmIlhUfkNBgF7GKWt72mL7DI9NSqiOjgNtn_DbBNivFZnxcZyEOE/s640/blogger-image-1040132816.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Kept on biking, passing heavy farm machinery and foul smelling pig farms. Eventually, we were excited to find a bike path that got us off the busy road with semi-trucks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-L-oQGLxSGQ0KCGhApjvu2qxOGcpLOudyMb_k42y6J9wrP56MJEZ40IuqlbubNd0f6tZBJ1yhBpwas7SxaRyqA9tfVu06AoMMLOO9iiO0j6csVoiJ-DEWRM5ps7F974Ax2V07a_NjRno/s640/blogger-image-18463328.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC-L-oQGLxSGQ0KCGhApjvu2qxOGcpLOudyMb_k42y6J9wrP56MJEZ40IuqlbubNd0f6tZBJ1yhBpwas7SxaRyqA9tfVu06AoMMLOO9iiO0j6csVoiJ-DEWRM5ps7F974Ax2V07a_NjRno/s640/blogger-image-18463328.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dgnIbTGRN0phjEk0qtynyZOp7fQW4-8lBNW8d2lKYnfR8FwFaKohoQwfnzDD2CnLXhaOAn5PkRmyXF9wt3em0YBvBIgy8lrG46IyYdhpiuEXWZKn4r4UQKB4v-phAh5SsfWRF4H-ZrqC/s640/blogger-image-2121485130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4dgnIbTGRN0phjEk0qtynyZOp7fQW4-8lBNW8d2lKYnfR8FwFaKohoQwfnzDD2CnLXhaOAn5PkRmyXF9wt3em0YBvBIgy8lrG46IyYdhpiuEXWZKn4r4UQKB4v-phAh5SsfWRF4H-ZrqC/s640/blogger-image-2121485130.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But then it led us astray and we ended up on another crap gravel road. :(</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-Fh9VXFRqIdHJA15uuadEW19i1hDNzAI55aN2pLCL_xXTMy4up6DoIAeXYHu0QlVOIBvOBhm364KASPrEPSlOYbKwo7g2GnRw9wat_W2Jh-wVdMbvX8RlZTh00cjTEvNTTUtBoZ8SfOg/s640/blogger-image--622884034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-Fh9VXFRqIdHJA15uuadEW19i1hDNzAI55aN2pLCL_xXTMy4up6DoIAeXYHu0QlVOIBvOBhm364KASPrEPSlOYbKwo7g2GnRw9wat_W2Jh-wVdMbvX8RlZTh00cjTEvNTTUtBoZ8SfOg/s640/blogger-image--622884034.jpg"></a></div><br></div>At the end of the day, we arrived in Decorah, IA where we tuned up our bikes in the awesome Oneota Bike Shop. Richard, the owner charged us nothing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ieveukih35shDG4lldCUrAykwv6RWQUMGDcjfYw0Duduu8iZ5LV6RsNuF98egFB-IS4A2WuAQhkkn7Sr48LTmEam6r9AKuKvjNIclbvQCFZXZ4I-NEjt144KP4rDZlD25QLOdJlzqkX/s640/blogger-image-1094600198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht9ieveukih35shDG4lldCUrAykwv6RWQUMGDcjfYw0Duduu8iZ5LV6RsNuF98egFB-IS4A2WuAQhkkn7Sr48LTmEam6r9AKuKvjNIclbvQCFZXZ4I-NEjt144KP4rDZlD25QLOdJlzqkX/s640/blogger-image-1094600198.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We biked to Luther College around the corner from the bike shop to attack their dining hall. The charge was $9.95 a person for amazing all-you-can-eat food. There were salad bars with locally grown greens, BBQ chicken, made to order pastas, and a huge dessert bar! We ate like kings. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k3sX9AoNllFLAT09zZ2Twh-8pdCYGq2oJdTG2aHuYZ_uXC9hbuTgo20YlrGq5Ae-Gj6FvFOxldk7zFbmX_1q8bC6oQ542IPEeZxzjJYLdGv7bjjXw9VBqXt7gMpn2_ZNcuw7p2c0-Hcn/s640/blogger-image--427655068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1k3sX9AoNllFLAT09zZ2Twh-8pdCYGq2oJdTG2aHuYZ_uXC9hbuTgo20YlrGq5Ae-Gj6FvFOxldk7zFbmX_1q8bC6oQ542IPEeZxzjJYLdGv7bjjXw9VBqXt7gMpn2_ZNcuw7p2c0-Hcn/s640/blogger-image--427655068.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now off to the local campground, Pulpit Rock State Park, for a good nights sleep. It will be in the low 50s tonight, so we will have to bundle up.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bkmMRTdPpdMaS78xfv1oce7Mil2zfYAFeckj9VEgd0Uvp4osD1a7N2cGuG7JuRm3-i-Mc4NkzlFdNii8jEyvVCYMOPSIQEckYps1KiNqPBwXimaSfOqeOwTNnzaae1vZqZR0SHipwJNw/s640/blogger-image--1026152187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0bkmMRTdPpdMaS78xfv1oce7Mil2zfYAFeckj9VEgd0Uvp4osD1a7N2cGuG7JuRm3-i-Mc4NkzlFdNii8jEyvVCYMOPSIQEckYps1KiNqPBwXimaSfOqeOwTNnzaae1vZqZR0SHipwJNw/s640/blogger-image--1026152187.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhaAL_8v6aMHxWl694EynP_z47rfRcyQIK74CfRGuGhBs5T8HbUuQY_K3GE156yKFYq7fKsu6U5H9GcUS9m20lLmKAuvB3eAVipxNhI6aW1uo4k9bi55Pb62zJSHGXSFvQxLzQZ30WiZa/s640/blogger-image--1098608997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhaAL_8v6aMHxWl694EynP_z47rfRcyQIK74CfRGuGhBs5T8HbUuQY_K3GE156yKFYq7fKsu6U5H9GcUS9m20lLmKAuvB3eAVipxNhI6aW1uo4k9bi55Pb62zJSHGXSFvQxLzQZ30WiZa/s640/blogger-image--1098608997.jpg"></a></div> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's Don chatting on the phone and Justin texting before bed.</div></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-29151949014223716142014-07-14T23:16:00.001-04:002014-07-14T23:17:46.205-04:00DAY 17 - CROSSWINDS AND BOWLING<div>
Staying last night in Okoboji at the Leafstedt house was amazing, but made leaving this morning even harder. Mrs, Leafstedt cooked us an amazing breakfast (seriously, Iowa sausage is unparalleled), and afterwards we took off on highway 9 headed east.</div>
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We were lucky enough to have some fantastic cross/tailwinds that followed us for the rest of the day, making our morning quick. Though we're definitely not back in New England yet, the towns are getting closer together and it feels like there are a lot more people- easier to find rest stops with a place to grab a cold drink and a snack. Iowa, you've done pretty well so far! While we rode in the morning, we experienced the "polar vortex" that our friends have warned us about - which basically consisted of strong wind and a little bit cooler temperature. We are definitely not complaining about it being less than 90°, though.</div>
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With beautiful clouds and surrounded by corn fields, we got some good drafting in on a fairly deserted highway. Got some good video, too!</div>
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<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/100759961" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe> <p><a href="http://vimeo.com/100759961">Riding between Okoboji and Forest City, IA</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user29992175">Justin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
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We stopped for lunch in the town of Buffalo Center at a grocery store. This grocery store happened to be attached to a small cafe, where we sat down at a table and ordered some food to supplement our usual regiment of fresh fruit and protein. While we ate, some men gathered at the table next to us drinking coffee. Much like in Platte, this group of guys gets together to drink coffee at one of the few places in town. We talked to these guys for a bit about what they do in Buffalo Center (among other things, some of them own land that has wind turbines on it!) and I grabbed a photo since they seemed like such great guys.</div>
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After lunch, we headed east again on highway 9 for another quick 30 miles before we essentially could stop for the day in Forest City.</div>
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We had seen a billboard coming into town that said that the Winnebago factory was there and offered free tours all summer long! However, when we got there we discovered that it had closed for the day, and so our first afternoon activity was a no-go.</div>
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From there we headed to the bowling alley, which Don's sister had told us would be a good way to occupy ourselves. Sadly, they looked closed, too! So we headed back into town to grab some dinner and found a terrific Mexican restaurant despite the rest of the downtown looking pretty empty.</div>
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As we discovered, Forest City is an unexpected haven of tasty Mexican food and inexpensive drinks!</div>
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After dinner, we headed back out on highway 9 to the east to the bowling alley, which was now open. The owner let us in, despite the fact that we were one of two parties in the entire place and there didn't seem to be any more people coming in for the night. We played a few games, drank some beer, and enjoyed some vending machine dessert items.</div>
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After a good exposition of bowling skills (I won a game, and Dave won a game), we decided to head to our campsite. Pilot Knob State Rock was about 5 miles east, so we slowly headed east as the sun set behind us. We entered a deserted campground, set up camp, and are headed to sleep now. Crossing our fingers for more speedy winds and smooth roads tomorrow!</div>
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<br /></div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-91955326810169826742014-07-14T00:27:00.001-04:002014-07-14T14:45:31.418-04:00DAY 16 - OKOBOJI <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> When we went to sleep last night it was a little too warm for the fly, but during night the temperature dropped and it became much better sleeping weather. Unfortunately, the temperature dropped below the dew point and by morning all of out gear was wet. It's difficult to see, but here's a picture of the sun shining on the wet grass and bikes taken with a damp iPhone: </span><br>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> For breakfast we ate the food we bought the night before, but in addition I wanted a cup of coffee. I was ready ahead of the other two so I went into town to see what I could find. The supermarket was open and the same manager was there from last night who gave us directions to the camp site. After telling him we slept well, I asked if he sold coffee. He said that he had none for sale, but he had just made a pot and I was welcome to it. He brought me to the break room and filled up a large Styrofoam cup, and offered sugar and creamer too. We chatted for a while in the front of the store while I drank the coffee and learned he had moved back from Denver, drawn by the small town experience. Like many we have met along the way, he likes living in a place where he knows most of the people and has a strong sense of community. He was very proud of his town and we agreed, as it was a great place for us to stop. </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> It was a little cold when we started so we still had on our jackets but the temperature quickly became perfect. </span></div>
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It wasn't <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> long before we left South Dakota and entered Iowa. There was not an official "Welcome to Iowa" sign as we were traveling on a small secondary road but after crossing the Big Sioux River we knew we had changed states and took a picture next to the most official looking sign we could find. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Out first and only official stop was in Rock Rapids, Iowa for lunch at the Sunshine Grocery store. It was early in the day and they had an attached restaurant/diner, so we orders eggs, ham, toast, etc. and picked up a few bars for the road. We were anxious to get moving as we would be spending the night with some friends. </span><br>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> When we reconfigured the route to drop south, it brought us through the Lakes region of Iowa. I have a good friend and classmate from Williams College, Carl Leafstedt, who was from Sioux City but would spend summers on Lake Okoboji, near where we were scheduled to stop. He's a professor of music at Trinity University in San Antonio Texas and I thought he might be at the lake this time of year, so I sent him a text. Unfortunately he wasn't going the be there, but his mother was there and she was happy to host us. We were thrilled to be staying in a house for the night, with a chance for a swim also, so we made great time out of Rock Rapids. The roads were very good, gently undulating, and we had a nice tailwind which brought us to the house a little before 3 PM. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> We were a little self conscious about our appearance, unshaven and dirty with road grime, entering this beautiful lake house, but Mrs. Leafstedt immediately put us at ease. After catching up over beers (Shiner Bock!) and chips and salsa, Mrs. Leafstedt let us air out our gear on the outdoor furniture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We played in the lake,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">did laundry and took showers. When we were finally clean, we were served a fantastic Midwestern dinner of bratwurst, sauerkraut, baked beans, corn in the cob and fresh fruit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Here we are sitting together at dinner. Also in the photo are Carl's brother Matt's two children who had just flown in from Switzerland where they live. They'll be here at the lake for a few weeks visiting with their grandmother. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Of course the meal was excellent and we were easily able to replace the lost calories from the day of biking. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> We needed to make a few adjustments to our route and a computer would really help us. There wasn't one at the Leafstedt's but their very friendly neighbor, Denny Anspach, invited us into his house the use his. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYE5kNM6_w0d7YhQR4q71AEuriTKbUSv9ANtVpYInhAKWXz7GIfO0ZIo8AD1-y2CAmunkzmwPcinYiAw4MWjpTZzkLc8cSOVNETuZiQgJob_etZgdE52sGn-aoX9mvwkghIaoIbWlVtXM/s640/blogger-image--1076341565.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYE5kNM6_w0d7YhQR4q71AEuriTKbUSv9ANtVpYInhAKWXz7GIfO0ZIo8AD1-y2CAmunkzmwPcinYiAw4MWjpTZzkLc8cSOVNETuZiQgJob_etZgdE52sGn-aoX9mvwkghIaoIbWlVtXM/s640/blogger-image--1076341565.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>After about an hour of tweaking the route with my sisters on the phone, we were confident we could borrow some miles from New York so we wouldn't have to race to Milwaukee in three 140 mile days. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Walking back across the yard, we caught a picture of the sunset on this beautiful lake. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Denny came Back to the Leafstedt's with us where we had cherry pie and ice cream for dessert and discussed a wide variety of topics including ice fishing and architecture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> We brought out gear in from outside to keep it dry and headed to sleep in real beds. What wonderful hospitality. </span></div>
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Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-46777217499681151592014-07-13T02:09:00.001-04:002014-07-13T23:23:20.897-04:00DAY 15 - HALFWAY<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Today, at some halfway point in the day, we reached the halfway point. Yay! 29 days to finish the trip, and by the end of today, we will have finished 15 days out on the road. We are also the same distance from the west coast as we are from the east coast. Who knew South Dakota was right in the middle? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">It's hard to think that 2 weeks ago yesterday, we were all on board to Seattle, eagerly awaiting the start of the trip. Justin arrived early and hung out with Patrick and our friend Kristen. </span></div><div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4pBPMKNXy5PYH2q1J-vgJobgU87pqz4rYNQeK7amyVSSByvPYHELcP7T7bTlqSmgm4Cm5ldSy_PmRRpgpdLYh6kJz9g1G5NiZV7bkBcPVep0k7hE550ows08-H5gDLkGcv0yH__KLhES/s640/blogger-image-877873691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk4pBPMKNXy5PYH2q1J-vgJobgU87pqz4rYNQeK7amyVSSByvPYHELcP7T7bTlqSmgm4Cm5ldSy_PmRRpgpdLYh6kJz9g1G5NiZV7bkBcPVep0k7hE550ows08-H5gDLkGcv0yH__KLhES/s640/blogger-image-877873691.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Don and I slept on the plane (the chamois in my shorts made a great pillow) and arrived in Seattle at night, bike boxes in tow.</div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoM0m11zCiqY1rxoBp5x2P2uSwS5yXQ4hR0gzgjvFwxaaSIh58rhFsPzKxo02KqqJMAsWhIhnplWRKiNKQpOs93ST9ZOBgEsu8HDhyiuZWjZYVE9gi8X8JgjEfxZ2pygyHBnrBEZHqpLw/s640/blogger-image--251841118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoM0m11zCiqY1rxoBp5x2P2uSwS5yXQ4hR0gzgjvFwxaaSIh58rhFsPzKxo02KqqJMAsWhIhnplWRKiNKQpOs93ST9ZOBgEsu8HDhyiuZWjZYVE9gi8X8JgjEfxZ2pygyHBnrBEZHqpLw/s640/blogger-image--251841118.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48GKuSFK_kjBZzwNnmHo8gMNEjpNxAIDMODki3P7uBpNUI3SH1J9elbgNIL20fjMb2-PRo_0yVBfikUhJLUCY_wWqmtAk0wUo8eLRqh3NLe1tVL2YS_H1qcJr1rtwBg14Zb5ZW5A7gnuu/s640/blogger-image-1656637041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh48GKuSFK_kjBZzwNnmHo8gMNEjpNxAIDMODki3P7uBpNUI3SH1J9elbgNIL20fjMb2-PRo_0yVBfikUhJLUCY_wWqmtAk0wUo8eLRqh3NLe1tVL2YS_H1qcJr1rtwBg14Zb5ZW5A7gnuu/s640/blogger-image-1656637041.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcuXNAoW0R6Rh7IhENd3DM2qZmZAwIXUgWDSI4noTOjR3q58jq3oFNhaeS1y_WI6SxV_qv-qOPSGoCymcLgd3l8JnrwcXbDr_A2loJJaMz-yZvKeuIP50f-iQt-YpgQl00W6fvZYFr60w/s640/blogger-image-299453374.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcuXNAoW0R6Rh7IhENd3DM2qZmZAwIXUgWDSI4noTOjR3q58jq3oFNhaeS1y_WI6SxV_qv-qOPSGoCymcLgd3l8JnrwcXbDr_A2loJJaMz-yZvKeuIP50f-iQt-YpgQl00W6fvZYFr60w/s640/blogger-image-299453374.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Now, we have completed half of the trip. We are exhausted, sore, and ever-hungry, but it's been an amazing journey so far. So many miles (and mountains) behind us, but still so any more. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Let us fill you in about today. Last night's sleep was interrupted and restless because of the heat. The rain fly was off, sleeping bags bunched at our feet, and shirts used as a barrier between us and the sticky ground pads. After finally getting solid sleep in the wee hours, we decided to sleep in a little and hit the road at 8. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">To our relief, the road (SD 44) was much smoother this morning than it was yesterday. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-l9oEMn2GzrhBqDPGJUawq_-114lxNCK3dW706VMZjj5mHj9Id4LcYyFhS5aB4swEkE6XKookormQauC03xWZlbd7t8-EHK300jKlJ-lQCaVksyT-UWTGm-jhyphenhyphen89IND-3t8y4iJWj992n/s640/blogger-image--1344506715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-l9oEMn2GzrhBqDPGJUawq_-114lxNCK3dW706VMZjj5mHj9Id4LcYyFhS5aB4swEkE6XKookormQauC03xWZlbd7t8-EHK300jKlJ-lQCaVksyT-UWTGm-jhyphenhyphen89IND-3t8y4iJWj992n/s640/blogger-image--1344506715.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We stopped for breakfast in Platte, SD at a cute bakery. We ate donuts and breakfast sandwiches, downed some coffee, and chatted with some local guys who meet there daily. They call it "Old Man Coffee." Most have lived in Platte their whole lives and grew up together. Look how well Don fits in! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmDeC6C1U9K_1xBo3hERQTnqCR1GmqWIYuuYTpcFy_IMhlDcsvf9n2Kzkmq8DPuRCGEznZXH2y7pnW3e3Y0XZRkfD4vBlETwAGr0oXTkt0C0RuMUKrORRLL0uYY817Yxf3aSpMKLs159q/s640/blogger-image-591656755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKmDeC6C1U9K_1xBo3hERQTnqCR1GmqWIYuuYTpcFy_IMhlDcsvf9n2Kzkmq8DPuRCGEznZXH2y7pnW3e3Y0XZRkfD4vBlETwAGr0oXTkt0C0RuMUKrORRLL0uYY817Yxf3aSpMKLs159q/s640/blogger-image-591656755.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThYa4s3JPldxnAVs9Tx6BEG9T7QTjnYK2n7KxP-uKHeXLDbpBOi7rrBGBcRQJRXcaNvvkrbfsFb0eLvVfavN6JejhdKnXwzQ10h3DwwBG1Za6sN83n5Z919OZLKH-4vW5PdG4pss8XsP0/s640/blogger-image-1684084369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThYa4s3JPldxnAVs9Tx6BEG9T7QTjnYK2n7KxP-uKHeXLDbpBOi7rrBGBcRQJRXcaNvvkrbfsFb0eLvVfavN6JejhdKnXwzQ10h3DwwBG1Za6sN83n5Z919OZLKH-4vW5PdG4pss8XsP0/s640/blogger-image-1684084369.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We made a dash to the next grocery store 44 miles away to avoid a threatening storm. We managed to only get rained on for a few minutes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O4E93S2x202LFX6JIeoEJky-GLVwY8zE6RBJg5a7d4tkdOXx57ZzpTBW649USAz_wXuBg8EYQk0CDmnAXrV_ybVNSt4758RiXI2q8Z8gi8RE7qsz_czroUvyi9Ml0ufQQRbKVYFAKqY0/s640/blogger-image--1812616218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O4E93S2x202LFX6JIeoEJky-GLVwY8zE6RBJg5a7d4tkdOXx57ZzpTBW649USAz_wXuBg8EYQk0CDmnAXrV_ybVNSt4758RiXI2q8Z8gi8RE7qsz_czroUvyi9Ml0ufQQRbKVYFAKqY0/s640/blogger-image--1812616218.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">By the time we left, the storm had blown over. We continued on SD 44 for miles and miles, taking a break under the only tree in sight. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCTpje2BtLhqS_EsujIxF76GPQPfFe6iFwUJVj8w18G8qxye3Ev8shVY8bBnscI-hR2vgC24dpZY3njUR4qH3wnMey7QXZ5-hd2aCnQWfOi3HQXaCOaW43FX5WDbUnWUcA8dfwZFA14nT/s640/blogger-image-878326824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCTpje2BtLhqS_EsujIxF76GPQPfFe6iFwUJVj8w18G8qxye3Ev8shVY8bBnscI-hR2vgC24dpZY3njUR4qH3wnMey7QXZ5-hd2aCnQWfOi3HQXaCOaW43FX5WDbUnWUcA8dfwZFA14nT/s640/blogger-image-878326824.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgaAN0a3DPlF5s1ZhR9E91b1n0zNtYAV5JjWiR-uXngzRDSgD3kUCMTM8QUaR2L9BdwyXquMR4hNKwinek3ZKROJg2kFNk_HOqJv1p1duXFZ_S3vAsHbM4XuxR90mdHkA9LLLJVBUjBXZ/s640/blogger-image-895123170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgaAN0a3DPlF5s1ZhR9E91b1n0zNtYAV5JjWiR-uXngzRDSgD3kUCMTM8QUaR2L9BdwyXquMR4hNKwinek3ZKROJg2kFNk_HOqJv1p1duXFZ_S3vAsHbM4XuxR90mdHkA9LLLJVBUjBXZ/s640/blogger-image-895123170.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We also played Cyclists of the Corn. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfDMjZEBEMg0r1TKvxGh5px3_pSVgDmYy2MBLNfnlsbH-TnCl2Af5GKROlwwRwXS4Y9RVVhjeF39kcR4GsaAP0hNzENeurYr1SkdGuCOM8niE9DGFc5Vy02Z36E3hUe4qXVPajb7Y1oHC/s640/blogger-image-12852023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfDMjZEBEMg0r1TKvxGh5px3_pSVgDmYy2MBLNfnlsbH-TnCl2Af5GKROlwwRwXS4Y9RVVhjeF39kcR4GsaAP0hNzENeurYr1SkdGuCOM8niE9DGFc5Vy02Z36E3hUe4qXVPajb7Y1oHC/s640/blogger-image-12852023.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Near the end of the day, we took a break at a convenience store and found two other cross-country cyclists. These guys are doing the tour more traditionally, with full gear. We chatted routes and gear over cold drinks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6KquVgaKDAWiTmAw-777Vhmk_n7jnsY2ccwJdf2hibhXOWBlBEnuje6A3aDqJqhvuIFLdRWavoYCjdHVtiNIJcgeKeooB_1TLH_BAMz8Z5hzJXG12YNVY8UR_MsVthVVp9iBqo2lP2bA/s640/blogger-image-1018043057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6KquVgaKDAWiTmAw-777Vhmk_n7jnsY2ccwJdf2hibhXOWBlBEnuje6A3aDqJqhvuIFLdRWavoYCjdHVtiNIJcgeKeooB_1TLH_BAMz8Z5hzJXG12YNVY8UR_MsVthVVp9iBqo2lP2bA/s640/blogger-image-1018043057.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx3H54YPLMW76nP9dd3XaFb8TEMljAeqhYnrOv__UpuYLiI9w02z_LT4KGQ-PegFibK-ttuCzWi_TAQA_3GukxCwt6RkZQI32BX3vlPYphiDhJaJubFcHhHDR53zwIV7_06E2gCAHbRKW/s640/blogger-image-347770217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnx3H54YPLMW76nP9dd3XaFb8TEMljAeqhYnrOv__UpuYLiI9w02z_LT4KGQ-PegFibK-ttuCzWi_TAQA_3GukxCwt6RkZQI32BX3vlPYphiDhJaJubFcHhHDR53zwIV7_06E2gCAHbRKW/s640/blogger-image-347770217.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At some point in the day, I managed to get stuck in some wire fencing. Fortunately, we came equipped with Dr. Donald Hess, experienced wire fence detangler.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCmpJALA7AAWwflVCTKp4lKuin7ijbjlYrmR8yaSK1HUNKbKIOphZz3Phk-5i-rqDc3ZOtKP1ptT8wLCAVRzD0ZQHHoMWulzRyiMXSt5Yx4Z6X1BdVooxeoDECsF9K4lfaBDt002ODDAB/s640/blogger-image-1990281995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCmpJALA7AAWwflVCTKp4lKuin7ijbjlYrmR8yaSK1HUNKbKIOphZz3Phk-5i-rqDc3ZOtKP1ptT8wLCAVRzD0ZQHHoMWulzRyiMXSt5Yx4Z6X1BdVooxeoDECsF9K4lfaBDt002ODDAB/s640/blogger-image-1990281995.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After 114 miles, we made it to Lennox, SD. Dinner was at Pizza Ranch, which is apparently an Iowa chain that serves buffet meals. We destroyed some food (mainly the salad bar) and easily got our money's worth<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">! Really, it was $10. Craziness. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ktpv7QpTrYGEOw8GxYo1-pNj85g09bO9b4MhMtDvFtRY87zq_n30ClkhR4UuJtw7GsMGomCRpk_AXUbo0y40PnCxoiBuAOScmCTMfrU3tsypT9RL8jv2fGU_Os3NTmW2yTtnqVUTPJSn/s640/blogger-image--2070477976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Ktpv7QpTrYGEOw8GxYo1-pNj85g09bO9b4MhMtDvFtRY87zq_n30ClkhR4UuJtw7GsMGomCRpk_AXUbo0y40PnCxoiBuAOScmCTMfrU3tsypT9RL8jv2fGU_Os3NTmW2yTtnqVUTPJSn/s640/blogger-image--2070477976.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zK157BoKb3rsAAS3kG7_7sTG6mUy5beYy0odO_Kpd5BbFayAj7hNFDtMA1_IRKsQU2hK0wiJ8IGR3SXt_EmiBsOizZI2rkYre0Us62KsJV8fh5_yEXNJOWAvIK0JwSAsiygiFUz7WY9L/s640/blogger-image--1258650006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zK157BoKb3rsAAS3kG7_7sTG6mUy5beYy0odO_Kpd5BbFayAj7hNFDtMA1_IRKsQU2hK0wiJ8IGR3SXt_EmiBsOizZI2rkYre0Us62KsJV8fh5_yEXNJOWAvIK0JwSAsiygiFUz7WY9L/s640/blogger-image--1258650006.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Don taught us that over the course of the trip, we will see a full lunar cycle, new moon to new moon. Tonight, it was a beautiful full moon. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejd49VzQS9N115An0FWI2gYTWu4LbIJyEsoOg1rEiSUZdWrARw6YdQXqPpCUOk4frKcgq1MIAbySB9befWy0ce-sm3p5dyoNZyHTWtUMtINk_-LlMcX6ovfOgKKb3d3M90JwRsugfRRpp/s640/blogger-image--132772143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgejd49VzQS9N115An0FWI2gYTWu4LbIJyEsoOg1rEiSUZdWrARw6YdQXqPpCUOk4frKcgq1MIAbySB9befWy0ce-sm3p5dyoNZyHTWtUMtINk_-LlMcX6ovfOgKKb3d3M90JwRsugfRRpp/s640/blogger-image--132772143.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div></div><br></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-38427095694884034422014-07-11T23:32:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:35:03.940-04:00DAY 14 - STRAIGHT EAST TO THE MISSOURI<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Starting off the day early, we stomached some coffee from our hotel and got ready quickly. We knew we'd have to get through the first 60 miles without any real town, so we packed some bars and filled our waters and got on the road.</span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8BLfY9FVZXo/U8Cr-yzjk9I/AAAAAAAAAq8/KCOxx0kj1xw/s640/blogger-image-526378286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8BLfY9FVZXo/U8Cr-yzjk9I/AAAAAAAAAq8/KCOxx0kj1xw/s640/blogger-image-526378286.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After leaving Martin, we knew we'd be riding along the Rosebud reservation for a good portion of time. The rolling flat terrain made for pretty fast riding, but we wanted to make sure that we got through the area swiftly given the warning we'd received the day before from the woman in Batesland about drunk drivers. Luckily, we barely saw anyone on the road for the morning - just a whole lot of crops growing. We did pass a very fortified-looking building, which we learned fr the sign once we got closer was actually the tribe's Tipi. The next building we saw looked nicer - we guessed it was a school - but it turned out to be an "adult correctional facility." Seemed a little out-of-place...</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VJ4bbx_Vrnc/U8CsUe6M4-I/AAAAAAAAArc/JAAIqF9SlfI/s640/blogger-image--1534228590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VJ4bbx_Vrnc/U8CsUe6M4-I/AAAAAAAAArc/JAAIqF9SlfI/s640/blogger-image--1534228590.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After leaving the reservation, we finally got to the town of Mission, where we stopped at the Turtle Creek Crossing supermarket to get some food and sit inside the air conditioning for awhile. This place was kinda cool- all the signs (for the aisles, the restrooms, the deli) were in both English and Sioux. We got the backstory on the store later when we were bewildered by the fact that none of the staff knew the prices on anything: apparently the store first opened 6 years ago under the operation of the tribe, but they closed because the tribe was unable to keep it operating. They had just reopened recently under a contracted management.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iCLc3WPySa0/U8CsSl1455I/AAAAAAAAArM/FVHRZJ4Y6dY/s640/blogger-image-483994221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iCLc3WPySa0/U8CsSl1455I/AAAAAAAAArM/FVHRZJ4Y6dY/s640/blogger-image-483994221.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After soaking in the cold air for awhile, we headed out on our next 40 miles towards the town of Winner. While we had been inside, the temperature had risen a bunch, and combined with the humidity this meant that riding was pretty sweaty. People keep talking about some polar vortex coming back but I'm pretty sure that it's still super hot here. We stayed on highway 18 this whole time, going pretty much due east, in direct sunlight.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wDOz95BNihE/U8Cr-AqIWEI/AAAAAAAAAq0/nZUR76lyE6I/s640/blogger-image--462902557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-wDOz95BNihE/U8Cr-AqIWEI/AAAAAAAAAq0/nZUR76lyE6I/s640/blogger-image--462902557.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>When we finally got to Winner, we found te first place that looked like it would have cold drinks and immediately went inside. I wandered the aisles briefly, and came back to the front of the store to find Don and Dave seated on the floor in front of the bread shelf drinking iced tea and eating cookies. Apparently this was allowed, but it definitely attracted attention. Lots of people stopped while we rested on the cool tile floor and talked to us a little.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yYjW5wXS5TU/U8CsTX8WmKI/AAAAAAAAArU/f-j7oVDXvMw/s640/blogger-image-982779816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yYjW5wXS5TU/U8CsTX8WmKI/AAAAAAAAArU/f-j7oVDXvMw/s640/blogger-image-982779816.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>After Winner, we switched into highway 44 heading east, which quickly disappointed us. We knew we had only 40 additional miles to go for the day, but the road and the continuing heat made it tough. Why the road, you ask? While it's hard to encapsulate in words, the surface of highway 44 heading east from Winner was basically broken up into fragments every 20 to 30 feet. Instead of say, paving the road with asphalt the 55 miles from Winner to Platte, apparently someone decided this would be a better idea. It was as if, instead of buying asphalt for 55 miles, South Dakota saw a deal on eBay for 20-foot fragments of pavement and decided "Oh hey, let's just buy a bunch of those and glue them together! That should work great!" Well, it doesn't. At least not for us. The constant gaps in the pavement over which we were riding did not make for a pleasant time.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tIDw8CjNqeI/U8CsR7ZfsKI/AAAAAAAAArE/Bnb4M6R4Qcg/s640/blogger-image-1269292243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tIDw8CjNqeI/U8CsR7ZfsKI/AAAAAAAAArE/Bnb4M6R4Qcg/s640/blogger-image-1269292243.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Though we could see a storm off to the southeast, we never got any rain during the day, though by the end of our ride I think we all might have appreciated it. After 130 miles, we hit our last 10 miles before the campground and also hit some big hills. As we learned later at dinner (spoiler alert: we made it though the hills), these hills are the ones that trucking companies send their drivers-in-training to from the Sioux Falls area and surrounding states when they want them to learn what the Rockies are like. So, these are big hills.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yt-qRx3jB-A/U8CsVAPh7lI/AAAAAAAAArk/uwKb5HiHknE/s640/blogger-image-702939229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Yt-qRx3jB-A/U8CsVAPh7lI/AAAAAAAAArk/uwKb5HiHknE/s640/blogger-image-702939229.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We finally reached the campground after a nice descent down and across the Missouri River.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6YqPcB_H-yU/U8Cr9SoGAZI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ht-IB_vJWQM/s640/blogger-image-2092475424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6YqPcB_H-yU/U8Cr9SoGAZI/AAAAAAAAAqs/ht-IB_vJWQM/s640/blogger-image-2092475424.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><div>The state park is right on the east side of the river, and we quickly showered with some improvised towels (some old handkerchiefs printed with the park schedule from 2011 that the nice park attendants gave us) and headed to dinner across the street at the only place around, called Dock 44.</div><div><br></div><div>While we were at dinner, the family at the table next to us stuck up a conversation with us about our ride. Much as most people we meet along this trip are, they were very friendly and even offered to call relatives in Sioux Falls to ask if we could stay with them tomorrow. Whole that sounded like too much of an imposition for us, we appreciated the offer sincerely. The couple and their daughter left after we talked to them a little about how they had relatives interested in long-distance biking, too. Much to our surprise, after they had left, the waitress came up to us and told us that they had paid for our dinner- without even telling us! Definitely the first time that has happened to us on this trip, and it was incredibly generous of them. Thank you, family from Sioux Falls! You made a tough day much better.</div><div><br></div><div>After they left, the two couples playing cards at another table came over and also started talking to us about our trip. One of the two men came back a couple minutes later with ice cream for all of us- again, fantastically generous and very appreciated. They stayed and talked to us awhile and gave us advice on our route for the next couple of days. Apparently highway 44 gets less bumpy on this side of the Missouri, so we're excited for that!</div><div><br></div><div>After some great info from all the patrons of the restaurant, we headed back to our campground to get some rest. Hoping to recover from our tough 140 miles today with a more normal 120 tomorrow!</div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-89585375155293412372014-07-10T23:34:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:36:41.217-04:00DAY 13 - HUMIDITY STARTS<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">When we got up this morning, I went outside to get an idea of the temperature. Immediately I was struck by how similar it felt to home. It was a little overcast which we hadn't seen so far on the trip, but that wasn't it. I soon realized it was the humidity. This was the first day that the air was anything but dry. It certainly impacted us later in the day when the temperature approached 90. </span></div>
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Dave and I made it to breakfast first, but after almost two weeks together we know what each other likes so we were able to order for all three. We each got the big breakfast, eggs, ham, hash browns, toast, coffee, but something else caught our eye - cinnamon rolls. They were warm, covered with icing and delicious. I tried to take a picture that did them justice and I apologize in advance to my brother-in-law Charles who does the photography for my sister's food blog, stylishcuisine.com. </div>
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Breakfast is when we finalize our stopping points. Overnight I received intel from Command Central that gave us the distances between towns, the locations of the grocery stores and the elevation profile for the ride. They also recommend places to stay at the destination location. Command Central is manned by my three sisters:</div>
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Gail in Needham, MA,</div>
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Lauren (with her 6 week old son Grant) in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">and Diane in Manhattan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We couldn't do it without them, especially now that the route has changed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Now on to the day. We were on the road by 7:15. Route 20 in Nebraska is called the Butte to Bridges Byway. We were in the Butte section which can be seen through the retreating morning fog </span></div>
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The first push was to Chadron, NE about 30 miles away. Although we planned the route West to East to take advantage of the winds, we had a steady headwind. With a strong headwind our pace will drop to 13-14 mph, compared to a tailwind when we can easily ride 23-25 and when that is combined with a downhill stretch, 30+ is easy. We've become accustomed to each other's riding and are very comfortable in a pace line at those speeds. If you want an idea of what that's like, here's some video that Justin shot:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/100464759" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br>
<a href="http://vimeo.com/100464759">Riding between Fort Robinson, NE and Martin, SD.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user29992175">Justin</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br>
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After Chadron we had a chance to practice as the road turned more north east, with a strong tail wind and sloped downhill. We were at our lunch stop in Gordon, NE quite quickly, smiling and happy for the change in fortune with the winds. </div>
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We stopped in the local grocery store, bought the standard staples- lettuce, cheese, turkey, blueberries, bananas, and yogurt. We ate a few streets away at a local park. </div>
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A town official came over to chat and made sure we knew we could get water and use the bathrooms in the town office across the street. </div>
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During lunch we checked the weather as we had heard there were thunderstorms predicted. Indeed, there was severe weather alerts for our area, so Justin made sure neither Dave nor I tried to take a nap and we were off. Our route now took us north into South Dakota. </div>
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We took one break in Batesland, SD. </div>
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Although this place doesn't look like much, it was truly an oasis. The heat and humidity had been getting to us and this place was very well air conditioned. We bought some drinks and had a seat at a small table set up inside. </div>
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The proprietor was a very nice woman who was originally from SD but lived for many years in Seattle. She wanted to hear about our trip and in exchange gave us route and weather advice. It was then that we received NWS alerts on our phones and we started riding again to beat the storm to Martin, SD. We could see the storm coming but we were successful in avoiding it.</div>
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Because of the flash flood warnings we stayed in a motel in town instead of the campsite by the river. There were few good options for food in town, so we hit the grocery store, bought some healthy food and a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and were in for the night. We have to get to bed early as we have a long ride tomorrow (142 miles) and we lose an hour crossing from Mountain into Central time. </div>
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<br>Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-84062193240124256542014-07-10T08:15:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:46:59.488-04:00DAY 12 - HOT WINDS AND BEAUTIFUL BUTTESAt about 5 am, thunderstorms rolled in and woke us up. Strong rain and lightning flashes were reason enough to keep us in our tent until about 7 am. After a quick stop at McDonalds for breakfast (literally the only thing open), we finally hit the road around 9 - the latest start yet. There appeared to be a shortcut on the map which avoided a major freeway, so we decided to take it. Unfortunately, about 6 miles in, we discovered it turned to a dirt road. After yesterday, we vowed to avoid unpaved roads at all costs and turned around. After searching for an alternative route around the freeway, we finally started making forward progress at 10:20 am. In the picture below, you can see us getting onto pavement (yes, even when trying to avoid it, dirt roads kept finding us) and heading east!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRrGkbNzTwDkOsGPLfdlu_U2pJUcgaYvH7y2LoIyNedpj3xrgqkPc1AxSoXKBkUGoEyF3zDfQE0HtvCnkcQ-Lxs_KyTJdqBBujkqa5BqtLLQS_lH5npC8wEnB_ZD0gaax4PUGwozF77M-/s640/blogger-image-1654577468.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRrGkbNzTwDkOsGPLfdlu_U2pJUcgaYvH7y2LoIyNedpj3xrgqkPc1AxSoXKBkUGoEyF3zDfQE0HtvCnkcQ-Lxs_KyTJdqBBujkqa5BqtLLQS_lH5npC8wEnB_ZD0gaax4PUGwozF77M-/s640/blogger-image-1654577468.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The day quickly turned hot, but there was little time for frequent stops. We powered in to Lusk, WY for a lunch stop after about 59 miles. We bought a hefty serving and spread out in the local park to pack it in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEULf7-VrxXoWwVFtCW1txByDBacf-PESxXSZHoGMdDwY41gsKMh3xMCxf_7JZwPA6ro6HTBtktywUqDr-ygoDNL5Ah1I2o4gTEUXZq0F4IrKiCW_jbdTWLzz1s5q4KAWFzwYLaPOLf06T/s640/blogger-image--1819549808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEULf7-VrxXoWwVFtCW1txByDBacf-PESxXSZHoGMdDwY41gsKMh3xMCxf_7JZwPA6ro6HTBtktywUqDr-ygoDNL5Ah1I2o4gTEUXZq0F4IrKiCW_jbdTWLzz1s5q4KAWFzwYLaPOLf06T/s640/blogger-image--1819549808.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Given our late start, it was already 3:15 by the time we departed Lusk, heading toward Nebraska. Unfortunately, we began experiencing strong cross winds. We altered our typical straight draft pattern to fly more like geese migrating. This worked well, but taking up the whole lane required frequent spotting for cars behind us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbejn0cbCgFLA8oHtPmX_K3GBRpQd_F6wFJXkFgf7P_RA0x_zPsyyBWhdquU5y881Sff4BzHp0Cb-2alHxIIYFt9xhMs5J8IxZ1k8A7-7MgJpyWKLmYRkh-7gEAaLjJ2BS3BqnqPW2mTdl/s640/blogger-image--2027942360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbejn0cbCgFLA8oHtPmX_K3GBRpQd_F6wFJXkFgf7P_RA0x_zPsyyBWhdquU5y881Sff4BzHp0Cb-2alHxIIYFt9xhMs5J8IxZ1k8A7-7MgJpyWKLmYRkh-7gEAaLjJ2BS3BqnqPW2mTdl/s640/blogger-image--2027942360.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The scenery was particularly boring today. Maybe we have been spoiled? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseb_ZJi6ZXBHk0m6Nd5AbJiBdoMoieXacA45axs9XqdFLQcm29bImOL6EPtm6BJRqKGQWEOlUoyQjH3ZLzHyy_kKX15wbPnQ7Au-6WffPmQ0oaY1AQFiPbBEPtJM9JP7SMvKYkdDq609_/s640/blogger-image--1058205524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseb_ZJi6ZXBHk0m6Nd5AbJiBdoMoieXacA45axs9XqdFLQcm29bImOL6EPtm6BJRqKGQWEOlUoyQjH3ZLzHyy_kKX15wbPnQ7Au-6WffPmQ0oaY1AQFiPbBEPtJM9JP7SMvKYkdDq609_/s640/blogger-image--1058205524.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM2wkKui1XhhwxrlqRkslHAynJgpTPZJMfzmDvdfKgtk4nxHr03rXlwYcjsgO14VsvSeWLCIZ8_Rg28szfJaH-rnb0xuAafCqHF3OYyRd5jUR-AP6v5jJ1w8SjytR7xzp5-UUyPpVrroG/s640/blogger-image-1094222689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM2wkKui1XhhwxrlqRkslHAynJgpTPZJMfzmDvdfKgtk4nxHr03rXlwYcjsgO14VsvSeWLCIZ8_Rg28szfJaH-rnb0xuAafCqHF3OYyRd5jUR-AP6v5jJ1w8SjytR7xzp5-UUyPpVrroG/s640/blogger-image-1094222689.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">But we did eventually make it to Nebraska! Finally, we are officially in the Midwest! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUiM0_tX6blQy3QJDbbd0_1En_lGBLKIdC3sgLwckIT3oME5x3CtPPsW4X2rZH5sE1kVeEgDY8lOsXBteUvG4XWSzi_jcgFFd0AMnkD1FyZWV1q458N20t3lqbnR-qtwaBlFal23PG3Zn/s640/blogger-image--1736596326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUiM0_tX6blQy3QJDbbd0_1En_lGBLKIdC3sgLwckIT3oME5x3CtPPsW4X2rZH5sE1kVeEgDY8lOsXBteUvG4XWSzi_jcgFFd0AMnkD1FyZWV1q458N20t3lqbnR-qtwaBlFal23PG3Zn/s640/blogger-image--1736596326.jpg"></a></div><br></div>At this point in the day, the winds became stronger and now directly east to west, causing a brutal headwind. Our pace markedly decreased, and the day continued to drag on. A much needed long downhill brought us near our destination. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh301tdwTn3TDXSzQffa48kpQ6atGZeXgpC2ZqVRIUd7rvtMejz4qlMUkU8IGZF-52lR2AkR0L66Q-crmJEI0PBZyAq-nonC5UJ9Kqhgdykt0sWifSo573ufUmVShJczkKT1pR_92YgP3rO/s640/blogger-image--694546618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh301tdwTn3TDXSzQffa48kpQ6atGZeXgpC2ZqVRIUd7rvtMejz4qlMUkU8IGZF-52lR2AkR0L66Q-crmJEI0PBZyAq-nonC5UJ9Kqhgdykt0sWifSo573ufUmVShJczkKT1pR_92YgP3rO/s640/blogger-image--694546618.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Finally, after several hours of unexpected extra time on the saddle, we made it to Fort Robinson after 121.6 miles, where Don's sister Diane made a reservation for us at the local lodge. We were more than excited, especially on an exhausting day like today, to be inside and sleeping on real beds. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDagoHDKevMKldUW85YBwl6psWq1yFA77b9sEGTlpbcXosGdKhO2aWqUYWuvBv-dA9Pb1t1IXWJks4SDgWp8rizkPsqSsXpFUUgaXfk7C4bss2xDlf3F5o42xYgWLuBAnteu2atuhpKQFy/s640/blogger-image--643592131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDagoHDKevMKldUW85YBwl6psWq1yFA77b9sEGTlpbcXosGdKhO2aWqUYWuvBv-dA9Pb1t1IXWJks4SDgWp8rizkPsqSsXpFUUgaXfk7C4bss2xDlf3F5o42xYgWLuBAnteu2atuhpKQFy/s640/blogger-image--643592131.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We showered, ate some simple but awesome food at the restaurant in the lodge - and headed to bed. The sun caught up with us today, so we will be sure to be using tons of sunblock tomorrow, when we wake up early and do it all again. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItHVTOp9aC0AREihYL0qYxKkEgeF8-mZ_ja_lYEbV9grQTr9EnR1lJVscqLt48gu8iURVXkj5yzLQR6kuIdZ9dnEobbbl9A9IHHHivgX35gHUxiJMLEW9JRQcyeU0n3iGPrijZyK1-RmT/s640/blogger-image--477095982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgItHVTOp9aC0AREihYL0qYxKkEgeF8-mZ_ja_lYEbV9grQTr9EnR1lJVscqLt48gu8iURVXkj5yzLQR6kuIdZ9dnEobbbl9A9IHHHivgX35gHUxiJMLEW9JRQcyeU0n3iGPrijZyK1-RmT/s640/blogger-image--477095982.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-25757976684698058272014-07-09T00:23:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:34:16.322-04:00DAY 11 - DIRT ROADS AND ANTELOPEWe awoke in the tent behind the Bright Spot and were re-welcomed by a hot breakfast and coffee. We got on the road pretty soon, but.. not the most exciting of roads. If you look at highway 20 on a map of Wyoming, you can see how straight it runs but it's hard to understand without experiencing. It's pretty much this:<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M4JelwqtxIk/U7zDhDOpRmI/AAAAAAAAAp4/AtIIqi2bAI0/s640/blogger-image--1384106463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-M4JelwqtxIk/U7zDhDOpRmI/AAAAAAAAAp4/AtIIqi2bAI0/s640/blogger-image--1384106463.jpg"></a></div>... for a really long time. Just us, our bikes, a couple cars, and the occasional antelope. What goes through our minds at these times? Well, Don was reminiscing about college, Dave was thinking about his impending move to Denver, and I was oscillating between brainstorming dissertation ideas and thinking about the last time I was traveling across the country (but in a car). The view for the many hours of riding, besides the grassy plains on either side, is something like this:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Qo-b7pvWQyQ/U7zDW2mO4nI/AAAAAAAAApg/QqdWARpQ3_E/s640/blogger-image--1302942339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Qo-b7pvWQyQ/U7zDW2mO4nI/AAAAAAAAApg/QqdWARpQ3_E/s640/blogger-image--1302942339.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>In any case, we headed from Hiland where we stayed to Casper, WY, where we stopped by a grocery store to get a ton of food and soothe our ravenous hungers. The cashiers at this Albertson's were super friendly, and offered to let us sit upstairs in their break room to eat our brunch. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Og2IHAuNALc/U7zDYghFCzI/AAAAAAAAApo/72mCDjz1eqs/s640/blogger-image-181603732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Og2IHAuNALc/U7zDYghFCzI/AAAAAAAAApo/72mCDjz1eqs/s640/blogger-image-181603732.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>From there, we headed a couple miles up the hill into town to pump up our tires at the local bike shop. The people at Ragged Edge Sports were incredibly friendly, and let us use their pumps and even have us a screw that Don was missing from his show. Thanks!</div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uunmlRiC23w/U7zDoiKBgkI/AAAAAAAAAqI/llnCiWShZns/s640/blogger-image-977694302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uunmlRiC23w/U7zDoiKBgkI/AAAAAAAAAqI/llnCiWShZns/s640/blogger-image-977694302.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>More long straight road for us from Casper heading east, and we eventually got to Glenrock, where we stopped for a cold drink and some help with road advice from some locals at the grocery store. The staff were helpful and even grabbed an atlas from the back to help us on our way, but as always we had to make our own (silly) decision. Stuck with a choice between riding up a hill, on the interstate, or on a dirt road for the last 30ish miles to Douglas, we chose the dirt road.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KQTQQjqvcbA/U7zDcwjqKjI/AAAAAAAAApw/FsupEA2Hxy0/s640/blogger-image-2089322353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KQTQQjqvcbA/U7zDcwjqKjI/AAAAAAAAApw/FsupEA2Hxy0/s640/blogger-image-2089322353.jpg"></a></div> </div><div>Which, of course, turned out to be the worst kind of dirt road: one that's actually gravel and therefore terrible on our road bikes. Instead of turning around, we kept going, I guess because we're stubborn. The road wound past a power plant and then a river, which at least was pretty (the river, not the power plant).</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hUTfiX5MXJU/U7zDsieT-8I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/bCiji3eOTrM/s640/blogger-image-617664022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hUTfiX5MXJU/U7zDsieT-8I/AAAAAAAAAqQ/bCiji3eOTrM/s640/blogger-image-617664022.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Due to the fairly abandoned nature of the road, there was also a lot of wildlife. Antelope watched us from the field as we rode by slowly. I don't think we realized we'd run into antelope, but they're pretty cool looking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4MXbvARidI8/U7zDl2RfvAI/AAAAAAAAAqA/4hrwKrJA3Nk/s640/blogger-image-406180331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4MXbvARidI8/U7zDl2RfvAI/AAAAAAAAAqA/4hrwKrJA3Nk/s640/blogger-image-406180331.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Probably the highlight of this otherwise way-too-long dirt road: we saw some baby antelope running along a dry creek bed. Not sure this does justice to how cute the tiny little ones were.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eoQsgrWySYQ/U7zDTMpiZII/AAAAAAAAApY/N7HqueED3Yk/s640/blogger-image--1017280109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eoQsgrWySYQ/U7zDTMpiZII/AAAAAAAAApY/N7HqueED3Yk/s640/blogger-image--1017280109.jpg"></a></div><br></div>However, after they noticed us blocking their usual escape route, they turned around and one of the young ones ran the opposite direction. One of them, though, ran straight into one of the barbed wire fences that lined the fields along this road. He kep struggling against the wire, probably because he was so scared of us. We didn't really know what to so, since it was our presence that was clearly makin him so agitated that he kept getting more stuck! We debated just leaving to let him figure his way (calmly) out of it, or trying to help him. Eventually, Don approached by himself, equipped with our tiny multitool to try and cut the antelope out. Our scissors didn't cut it, so despite the kicking and yelping of the antelope, Don had to manually pull it back through the fence to where it had started. The antelope sprang free and ran off to join the rest of his family. Hopefully that makes up for us scaring him - and maybe even begins to repay the karmic debt we're obviously in from the kindness of the many people who have helped us so far on this trip. Thanks again, kind strangers! We appreciate everything you do.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fwvVv8kcPVc/U7zDO0zzJ2I/AAAAAAAAApQ/-zZUFiLdM-Y/s640/blogger-image-345824862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fwvVv8kcPVc/U7zDO0zzJ2I/AAAAAAAAApQ/-zZUFiLdM-Y/s640/blogger-image-345824862.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><div><br></div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-28941837868974552642014-07-08T14:19:00.001-04:002014-07-13T23:23:35.243-04:00DAY 10 - ESCAPE FROM THE BIG HORN MOUNTAINS.<div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=127768273540972491" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>For those of you who were wondering why we slept in Meeteetse, WY last night instead of Sheridan, I have to back up to our rest day. While we were in Yellowstone feeling very tired, we looked a few days ahead at our route and noticed an enormous climb through the Big Horn mountains. While doing laundry in the Yellowstone hotel, a couple who had just come through the mountains told us that the roads were treacherous, had little to no shoulder, and were dangerous for bicycles. We asked my sisters in Command Central to look into this, and this is what they sent (remember, we are traveling west to east).<br>
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Already having spent a few days in the mountains, climbing passes over 8000 feet, we didn't want to do another climb, even steeper, over 9000 feet. We reconfigured the route to go south to avoid the Big Horns and will now follow Route 20 east instead of Route 14 east. My sister Lauren outlined the new route on her atlas and sent photographs so we would have hard copies if we lost cell phone reception. </div>
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Our day began a little late as we slept in - we needed the sleep. There was a simple but well-stocked continental breakfast at the Oasis which was for motel guests, but campers could participate for a donation. I had oatmeal, toast with jelly, a hard boiled egg and coffee. Having had breakfast worked well, as our first town, Thermopolis, was 52 miles away. We finally got going at around 7:30. </div>
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Because the route is now new to us, we've had my sisters measure out distances of 110-130 miles to get is to Milwaukee on the correct day. They send us suggestions for places to eat and an overview of the terrain.<br>
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As you can see, it was mostly downhill to Thermopolis and this morning we had a tailwind. That combination had us averaging just under 24 mph, getting us to Thermopolis in just over two hours.<br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> Thermopolis is famous for its hot springs and has a relatively large tourist complex set up around it. Although there were plenty of places to eat, we decided to hit the grocery store which we prefer. We stuck to our staples, yogurt, cherries, plums, turkey breast, and cheese. Dave and I also bought some local snack cakes which pushed us over the edge into a food coma on the sidewalk that runs along the side of the store. Justin let us sleep for about 20 minutes before waking us up and getting us moving. </span></div>
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The highlight of today's ride was biking through the wind river canyon. It follows the river and is the exit through the Big Horn mountains that arc southwest around Thermopolis. The scenery was spectacular.<br>
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Exiting the canyon took us through through a series of tunnels. We did well, no competition from cars and very high speed. <br>
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Once through, we took a quick break in a park by the river. Shade is hard to find along the road and this park looked very inviting. As we ate protein bars and drank water, an official vehicle pulled up,<br>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">and the park ranger got out: "Do you know you're in a Wyoming State park?" I wondered what we could have possibly done wrong this time. He quickly explained that this was a day use park and that we should have paid a fee before sitting down. He then said he would waive the fee as it was obvious to him we were just passing through. As it turns out he is a cyclist also and asked us a bunch of questions about our bikes and the trip. He said he wished he was our age as he would like to have come along. A few miles down the road when we were cycling again, he passed us, honked the horn and gave us a big wave. </span></div>
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Getting to Shoshoni was a climb, but we had a tailwind which made things nice. Unfortunately at Shoshoni we would make a 90'degree turn east and the tail wing would become a cross wind. We are quickly learning that winds can have a very big impact on the amount of miles we can do, and after asking many of the locals, it is difficult to predict the direction or the speed. The ride to Hiland was very difficult. The crosswind became a little more of a headwind and we estimated it between 20 and 30 knots. The road was straight with little variation in terrain.</div>
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We passed the sign below.<br>
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Our ride for today was 124 miles and we were really feeling it as we approached our stopping point, Steelman's Brite Spot, in the town of Hiland, population 10.</div>
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It's a bar, store, restaurant, and motel, but they let campers like us set up a tent in the field behind the motel. The inside of the restaurant/store was fascinating. Stuffed rattlesnakes for sale at the main counter, stickers everywhere and a small dinner/breakfast menu. </div>
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Bob, the owner, was great. He made us dinner, let us charge our devices, choose the TV channel and engaged us in conversation. After we ate, we set up the tent <br>
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and came back to the bar for a few beers. Bob told us what it was like to own his place and gave us a picture of life in a small town of 10. We asked him if he knew the other 9, but he said that number was fluid. </div>
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After the beers, we said goodnight, got into the tent at 9:30 with it not yet dark, and rested up for another day. Breakfast is served at 6am, and we plan to be his first customers. </div>
Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-80269712019746292472014-07-07T09:06:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:41:28.902-04:00DAY 9 - DESCENDING FROM THE MOUNTAINS<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Today started off with an early rise from our beautiful hotel on Lake Yellowstone. Although it was nearly impossible to leave the bed, we were on our bikes by 6:20am pedaling in the frigid mountain air. Justin's bike computer read 42 degrees! The ride out included the most beautiful scenery so far. </span></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_D8viosYW5onk_lL4x8BTHH5J7ovkvuP2XOSKeJ7hH40YQMm5wbQ6OcuHtx-z3-Sp1XE0_SS_L4UTJzPksxoNEZar2BfGR9Dpf6EkN6pwuCaAOwE8FT0F7hFJ8zZI2Ao4ZuEmeJQgaAJ/s640/blogger-image-1685993320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_D8viosYW5onk_lL4x8BTHH5J7ovkvuP2XOSKeJ7hH40YQMm5wbQ6OcuHtx-z3-Sp1XE0_SS_L4UTJzPksxoNEZar2BfGR9Dpf6EkN6pwuCaAOwE8FT0F7hFJ8zZI2Ao4ZuEmeJQgaAJ/s640/blogger-image-1685993320.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_D8viosYW5onk_lL4x8BTHH5J7ovkvuP2XOSKeJ7hH40YQMm5wbQ6OcuHtx-z3-Sp1XE0_SS_L4UTJzPksxoNEZar2BfGR9Dpf6EkN6pwuCaAOwE8FT0F7hFJ8zZI2Ao4ZuEmeJQgaAJ/s640/blogger-image-1685993320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3BYi9FQZ3s03OgVOA2n0yc2gwaj5D_hJvzJflQbEMLRNqMEgifA1AApQGDYoz998EhmgqiDGo8qgtRhGvqwhdUjS7Ib2EbEZ3Hab9pQ2vAu5Cfub-XuQXgd6EElp-dMGOfM7CNl3GceH/s640/blogger-image--603875385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ3BYi9FQZ3s03OgVOA2n0yc2gwaj5D_hJvzJflQbEMLRNqMEgifA1AApQGDYoz998EhmgqiDGo8qgtRhGvqwhdUjS7Ib2EbEZ3Hab9pQ2vAu5Cfub-XuQXgd6EElp-dMGOfM7CNl3GceH/s640/blogger-image--603875385.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92pZphhA0lfKQBa1ABlh8IJG1m7RUrhyURzePdDv41K51RHSCIG8L4B9p8yR6PGHltpvZe63YleIrkLTBdegwIA3miqQ9iy8Dal08grwxv6gMhmtLDe3-P9NCnX6AQ7N-OWCjmKJ0q1Wn/s640/blogger-image--56010610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh92pZphhA0lfKQBa1ABlh8IJG1m7RUrhyURzePdDv41K51RHSCIG8L4B9p8yR6PGHltpvZe63YleIrkLTBdegwIA3miqQ9iy8Dal08grwxv6gMhmtLDe3-P9NCnX6AQ7N-OWCjmKJ0q1Wn/s640/blogger-image--56010610.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4GvPkYD4lFuph5qKrlprIq2GXF_beO60Jt3azmY_gx-2JCPop5etMq45oW3wWdMKAZ2Gf9tOY1uNaJcApUaKEZ0MAoHr4H9LQ9jFoc-4ziAxmWjR4fp8Y4PRT6jOo6vaAWoszvFcSDng/s640/blogger-image-1486443654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM4GvPkYD4lFuph5qKrlprIq2GXF_beO60Jt3azmY_gx-2JCPop5etMq45oW3wWdMKAZ2Gf9tOY1uNaJcApUaKEZ0MAoHr4H9LQ9jFoc-4ziAxmWjR4fp8Y4PRT6jOo6vaAWoszvFcSDng/s640/blogger-image-1486443654.jpg"></a></div><br></div>An<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> epic early morning climb through mountains and sulfur steam led to an impressive 3500 foot descent to Cody, WY. Just before Cody, we came across a series of tunnels, which were very narrow, dark, and without shoulders. We decided to plunge headfirst and pedal our asses off so that cars wouldn't come up from begins and try to pass us. Fortunately, we were able to keep up a pace over 40 mph and made it through the tunnels without being passed. </span></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue Light, HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><br></font><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMnKAfCpmy-GHEGlb-fbZFNucJWr2eZP-kfruxqaaGEH-ew4e1B4Wij-leyfMiTnAq6Qy41TeNWXEdIzAdedZDKNqjgKxGeLem4h1tNXExgC0FSFWkCusp8rvpZ1xF34e7yMd5cyc3ORi/s640/blogger-image-61976575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMnKAfCpmy-GHEGlb-fbZFNucJWr2eZP-kfruxqaaGEH-ew4e1B4Wij-leyfMiTnAq6Qy41TeNWXEdIzAdedZDKNqjgKxGeLem4h1tNXExgC0FSFWkCusp8rvpZ1xF34e7yMd5cyc3ORi/s640/blogger-image-61976575.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWkriH2FRnXAKCfn6H9R14CzS0nw7lTwEAsL4CHovjv-qZtjMT0hQ4UTduhP95LXyMIGzkyREa7blu4KO5v7uDNUC7Qb9YCOjpG-SKDFFRreBX6NaIGM_IWz9kWE9wJALHEfl_voyiYcC/s640/blogger-image-2139628873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWkriH2FRnXAKCfn6H9R14CzS0nw7lTwEAsL4CHovjv-qZtjMT0hQ4UTduhP95LXyMIGzkyREa7blu4KO5v7uDNUC7Qb9YCOjpG-SKDFFRreBX6NaIGM_IWz9kWE9wJALHEfl_voyiYcC/s640/blogger-image-2139628873.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKV3wcaZjK58rejDhiuXBKAdZHexofR2VG7WznGI-WvYth-EvuU12-NnQwea54jHN2g1vMhd3Z2kkoU2aN05psfsh7C6q7nrvEWKAFiY4Kr68LDymzDyM2jm2-b5H_KKybPOhUVoXwmjC/s640/blogger-image--1226257300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKV3wcaZjK58rejDhiuXBKAdZHexofR2VG7WznGI-WvYth-EvuU12-NnQwea54jHN2g1vMhd3Z2kkoU2aN05psfsh7C6q7nrvEWKAFiY4Kr68LDymzDyM2jm2-b5H_KKybPOhUVoXwmjC/s640/blogger-image--1226257300.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In Cody, the temperature soared into the 90s. We stopped for a much needed late lunch and decided to kill sometime before getting back on the road since we had made such good time in the morning. We cleaned our bikes outside of a kmart when we found the only bike shop in town closed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pd4E5XHk8-jnlszi1FJtA_-RjPAAnvxERUrl8X-_DeWvYZC_rrll3u7bZosyeSDfUPHBU3ukL9TzbJtbuePo5mXVfDiOKZHBFrOIdI7m4ojFp3Gq9wsdTfCCEV9uoM11i8royhN_N63E/s640/blogger-image-682205627.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pd4E5XHk8-jnlszi1FJtA_-RjPAAnvxERUrl8X-_DeWvYZC_rrll3u7bZosyeSDfUPHBU3ukL9TzbJtbuePo5mXVfDiOKZHBFrOIdI7m4ojFp3Gq9wsdTfCCEV9uoM11i8royhN_N63E/s640/blogger-image-682205627.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The temperature only got hotter, and with only 32 miles left in the day, we decided to escape the heat and watch a movie. We shoved our bikes in a closet at the theatre and spent a luxurious 3 hours in plush seats and AC. Transformers is a terrible movie, unless you are trying to maximize your time in a cool dark environment. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN3UbHY36e9gMT4cDqerlkOZ2ceqzHDY7EN-Q9QCPlDOMsD2ecbkSb9BjNEcg4zOpLByDmOIQpXTSmK-h77eo1cu5ggX65xMrsSPkeXi1WpQ68b_tY_xMENhd2aYfPIRKCOoAmxRwmjLq/s640/blogger-image--200497165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMN3UbHY36e9gMT4cDqerlkOZ2ceqzHDY7EN-Q9QCPlDOMsD2ecbkSb9BjNEcg4zOpLByDmOIQpXTSmK-h77eo1cu5ggX65xMrsSPkeXi1WpQ68b_tY_xMENhd2aYfPIRKCOoAmxRwmjLq/s640/blogger-image--200497165.jpg"></a></div> </div>Our last stretch brought us to Meeteetse, WY, a small town southeast of Cody. On this part of the ride, the hills were lit up by the setting sun. The landscape was vastly different from the morning's. At this point in the trip we took a moment to celebrate reaching 1000 miles! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzklVwyKg_lbmESk5AP6cBJaATPAKXho5ROzveg2VVROlJIjUONw-1w8lnbcSdyQqwBF5gliKaK50caiojLzV3dtdYaXtyMJ4619sy1siFhjczmlGPBeLynWNGXaCdx-uma5Pi2O-B_nm/s640/blogger-image--736326540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBzklVwyKg_lbmESk5AP6cBJaATPAKXho5ROzveg2VVROlJIjUONw-1w8lnbcSdyQqwBF5gliKaK50caiojLzV3dtdYaXtyMJ4619sy1siFhjczmlGPBeLynWNGXaCdx-uma5Pi2O-B_nm/s640/blogger-image--736326540.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OvkprBBjRVxC9vlPRos5FzaJiUnqJ1B0DAkIw3atpkY_JojmdrLBvXuQAgsipmAF2mk8L7WZounOq6MatR6uxVx_cxmM30MtMMRcrYU0Z3mixqTxF-Rgd21UBwDn-SbZZlaeAdHIVCkW/s640/blogger-image--846813608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2OvkprBBjRVxC9vlPRos5FzaJiUnqJ1B0DAkIw3atpkY_JojmdrLBvXuQAgsipmAF2mk8L7WZounOq6MatR6uxVx_cxmM30MtMMRcrYU0Z3mixqTxF-Rgd21UBwDn-SbZZlaeAdHIVCkW/s640/blogger-image--846813608.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ss2fI62hoEYLpZvDonsPwBnziTVdl_JxD-W3e3igEC9BfcQDUyw95vGPJdtUILrWitLDjbkFZ6NGzJj8fbyttffq3SNZy2Iv8GLZUqvvzSKL_mzSgDGfoQb20wDYidRkYvgmh6jVHfcN/s640/blogger-image--89802054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ss2fI62hoEYLpZvDonsPwBnziTVdl_JxD-W3e3igEC9BfcQDUyw95vGPJdtUILrWitLDjbkFZ6NGzJj8fbyttffq3SNZy2Iv8GLZUqvvzSKL_mzSgDGfoQb20wDYidRkYvgmh6jVHfcN/s640/blogger-image--89802054.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We set up our tent, grabbed a shower at the RV park, and had dinner at a little mom and pop's place. Now, off for some solid sleep. </div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpPyJwNR2Di-fF7uYseiyL1qxqK90HjOd09qiA2SMD7VBrORx-KtXM9qcWTK-eO88LWkG61OLn_zXHegqqQnnYyBIsy7_5Gh1tg_tH-EEpVaBQThfiRbzFZmruOwgaOTRcl9zgSsFjDXE/s640/blogger-image--1541850251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpPyJwNR2Di-fF7uYseiyL1qxqK90HjOd09qiA2SMD7VBrORx-KtXM9qcWTK-eO88LWkG61OLn_zXHegqqQnnYyBIsy7_5Gh1tg_tH-EEpVaBQThfiRbzFZmruOwgaOTRcl9zgSsFjDXE/s640/blogger-image--1541850251.jpg"></a></div><br></div></span></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-44742283022914797762014-07-05T23:19:00.002-04:002014-07-12T14:33:32.220-04:00DAY 8 - RELAXING IN YELLOWSTONEWith one week down and around 850 miles in the bag, we took our first rest day today. Since we stayed last night in Madison campground just inside Yellowstone, we were able to tour around the park a bit and get to Yellowstone Lake where we're staying tonight (in a hotel! with beautiful showers!) and enjoy the scenery, which has been a little tough when we're trying to fit 8 hours of biking into each day. That's definitely one of the big surprises for us on this trip: not nearly enough time to relax and sight-see.<br>
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We slept in until the luxurious hour of 8:45 am, which after a bunch of nights with <8 hours of sleep was very needed. Though we felt groggy when we woke up because of the late hour, we hopped on our bikes for a quick spin to get from Madison to the Lake Yellowstone hotel to check in. It was a great idea to take a relaxed ride through Yellowstone with no pressure to get any distance done, as it allowed us to see some waterfalls, hot springs, and bison.<div><br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zpfK4u1TOpE/U7jIgUJXv5I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/_mXTlbsn118/s640/blogger-image-2034363914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zpfK4u1TOpE/U7jIgUJXv5I/AAAAAAAAAoQ/_mXTlbsn118/s640/blogger-image-2034363914.jpg"></a></div><br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fn5a15dpUjI/U7jIWr-UYlI/AAAAAAAAAoI/4rhE_0JKN00/s640/blogger-image--412576820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fn5a15dpUjI/U7jIWr-UYlI/AAAAAAAAAoI/4rhE_0JKN00/s640/blogger-image--412576820.jpg"></a></div><br>
Yellowstone is however full of tourists, which is a little annoying when it comes to trying to find a reasonable place to eat or enjoy the scenery as we bike (so many cars - at least they drive slowly!), but we managed to hit up some general stores along the way for lunch.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZXTMJyZOxFI/U7jHkAhsq3I/AAAAAAAAAn4/V-GgYt8bwPU/s640/blogger-image--499433717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ZXTMJyZOxFI/U7jHkAhsq3I/AAAAAAAAAn4/V-GgYt8bwPU/s640/blogger-image--499433717.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>As we were pulling into the lodge to check in, Don noticed that his left shoe wouldn't come out of his pedal. (For people who don't bike or use clip-in pedals, we're using different variants of shoes that have cleats on the bottom and pedals that we clip into when we're riding - this lets us get a full pedal stroke instead of just using our quads pushing down) This was perfect timing for something like this to happen, as it would have been incredibly inconvenient to have this kind of problem when we had to keep riding. Don just untied his foot from his shoe and left his shoe attached to the pedal - it turned out that one of the screws holding the cleat onto the shoe had come loose and fallen off. We didn't bring an extra screw for this so we were worried about what we could possibly do.<br>
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Luckily, Don and I headed downstairs to talk to the concierge after we checked in, and he directed us to another Yellowstone employee who happened to be an avid cyclist himself! Not only did this guy (named Wim) have exactly the screw we needed, but he also gave us a ton of advice on biking in Yellowstone. Apparently all the volcanic rock in the park will damage our bikes if we don't clean off our brake pads and rims after we leave - it sticks onto different parts of the bike and will carve grooves into the metal and carbon. Definitely some important advice - thanks!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dpvTqEF8CCw/U7kyq1c_RWI/AAAAAAAAAo8/vy-isNCfVUM/s640/blogger-image--879877262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-dpvTqEF8CCw/U7kyq1c_RWI/AAAAAAAAAo8/vy-isNCfVUM/s640/blogger-image--879877262.jpg"></a></div><br>
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Not too much else to report, but we are excited to sleep a full 8 hours in comfort tonight and get an early start to riding in the morning.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MX2VikvbUNQ/U7jJBgg73eI/AAAAAAAAAoc/PgOsY8kiwXc/s640/blogger-image--1753442951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MX2VikvbUNQ/U7jJBgg73eI/AAAAAAAAAoc/PgOsY8kiwXc/s640/blogger-image--1753442951.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MhS6dpcZsJU/U7kyoZVtCeI/AAAAAAAAAos/JbxUCPCCueo/s640/blogger-image--1115969821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MhS6dpcZsJU/U7kyoZVtCeI/AAAAAAAAAos/JbxUCPCCueo/s640/blogger-image--1115969821.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iysVzJ6yR1Q/U7kyppxebRI/AAAAAAAAAo0/Q6xh9ckTX2I/s640/blogger-image--1230428037.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iysVzJ6yR1Q/U7kyppxebRI/AAAAAAAAAo0/Q6xh9ckTX2I/s640/blogger-image--1230428037.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Justin de Benedictis-Kessnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01814598713743004911noreply@blogger.com5Yellowstone National Park (null)44.54993 -110.399255tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-51104727259756595802014-07-05T16:38:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:35:21.378-04:00DAY 7 - THE DAY OF TWO PARADESJuly 4th. <div>The day started out with clean riding clothes, although when we had them on, we noticed much of the road grime hadn't washed out, but the clothes felt and smelled great. We ate leftover PB&Js from dinner, grabbed coffee from the KOA and were on the road before 7am. <br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOY_06SoQadjPXxiGQdWROu9z7-KTWqnFkzo3p7zIcZ-d2sKzO2Mh3GaqmC3Aud6Z88kmezkVax5MtZuoxs6oX5O7WKY1tQM1DCwSLcl7u_gi82eiRz4HAPbMl46xUgA9Iq6aHRInb72E/s640/blogger-image--1897263067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOY_06SoQadjPXxiGQdWROu9z7-KTWqnFkzo3p7zIcZ-d2sKzO2Mh3GaqmC3Aud6Z88kmezkVax5MtZuoxs6oX5O7WKY1tQM1DCwSLcl7u_gi82eiRz4HAPbMl46xUgA9Iq6aHRInb72E/s640/blogger-image--1897263067.jpg"></a></div>
Now that we are in the western part of the time zone, the sun rises later by the clock making very early departures a little harder.<br>
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The plan was breakfast in Ennis which was 22 miles away. The ride took us through two ghost towns<br>
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and from there we could see the road winding downhill for miles with Ennis in sight.<br>
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When we entered town we noticed people gathering and chairs lining the road. We found the grocery store, bought fruit, yogurt and hard boiled eggs. By the time we were done, the Ennis Fourth of July parade had started. Justin led the way and found a path along the parade route and out of town. </div>
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We had packed lunch as the next town was West Yellowstone 71 miles away. The ride was a gradual climb of 2000 feet along route 287 with a strong headwind making it a struggle to maintain 10 miles per hour. The group became very discouraged when the sheriff of Madison county pulled the three of us over. He had seen us on the parade route and wanted us to know that in Montana bikes must follow the same rules as cars. He was a cyclist himself and encouraged us to be good stewards for the sport. We thanked him and continued into the headwind. There is no picture of the sheriff as we didn't feel comfortable asking him to pose.<br>
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We stopped for lunch halfway, took very quick naps and when we started again out luck had changed. The road took an easterly turn, still climbing, but we now had a tail wind and beautiful terrain. </div>
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We got to West Yellowstone, ate at the Slippery Otter and while we were at dinner they closed the roads for another Fourth of July parade. We were still in Madison county and could see an emergency vehicle in the distance. Could this be the same sheriff from earlier? We needed to hurry and get in out way before we were caught in a second parade. Luckily they were still letting some cars through and we were able to find an open side street that reconnected with our route. My sister had made us a reservation at Madison campground 14 miles away inside of Yellowstone. We entered the park and entered another state.<br>
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Planning the trip to go through Yellowstone had added miles, but the beauty of the untouched landscape made us realize we were had planned correctly.<br>
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We've made it to the campground <br>
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and are trying to get to bed early as our bodies need rest. </div>
</div>Donald Hesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00494079380307000031noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127768273540972491.post-57377424323924573482014-07-04T01:20:00.001-04:002014-07-12T14:39:32.318-04:00DAY 6 - UPHILL ON A DIRT ROAD IN A STORM<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We had an early start from Boulder Creek Lodge and made good time to Philipsburg. We didn't bother stopping there in the interest of time, and charged up a huge hill to Georgetown Lake. It was a brutal climb, but there was a heart shape in the mountain face which made us feel warm inside. We love you too Montana. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4nn_YT0mzR6zENKwvsDbpVvSDjAfV1P-1pibpVmyB0_z_6MjFnp9tdRKJ_orRoQ9js_7lkicpWw6t_E7-3DdKOR2R_hwaSFmm_8p9jhe3OxISkwCsFMukw8rgRUxlYPeE3AUpH8n5afz/s640/blogger-image--1184717354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC4nn_YT0mzR6zENKwvsDbpVvSDjAfV1P-1pibpVmyB0_z_6MjFnp9tdRKJ_orRoQ9js_7lkicpWw6t_E7-3DdKOR2R_hwaSFmm_8p9jhe3OxISkwCsFMukw8rgRUxlYPeE3AUpH8n5afz/s640/blogger-image--1184717354.jpg"></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrrsOeZ3k6_90lnCUDMO2BpYoM5QNodstR8OToG-Iq8oWMkCMdp8p6i-NXIj3z-u0MOIPK0zoz_SSwR_J5dNn3oLFcCYM2TNIt5gitsnWq7Ro0Je7v5tDLTB4fLDRIiBgxFnCY0wsMEfJ/s640/blogger-image-1958328976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrrsOeZ3k6_90lnCUDMO2BpYoM5QNodstR8OToG-Iq8oWMkCMdp8p6i-NXIj3z-u0MOIPK0zoz_SSwR_J5dNn3oLFcCYM2TNIt5gitsnWq7Ro0Je7v5tDLTB4fLDRIiBgxFnCY0wsMEfJ/s640/blogger-image-1958328976.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVJODMogb6OLmlyc915x_nHzTLWm4XkDvdoEHb7iHXVwLoJyiG0zVorRor7NHipYy-YYeRglYtVGaGZ4H_35JATfPzl8_isuvz0KI93oKbAHgjXd1XwyQ8mrEbHWEC4DiwzngJ0piNEBv/s640/blogger-image--91145786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVJODMogb6OLmlyc915x_nHzTLWm4XkDvdoEHb7iHXVwLoJyiG0zVorRor7NHipYy-YYeRglYtVGaGZ4H_35JATfPzl8_isuvz0KI93oKbAHgjXd1XwyQ8mrEbHWEC4DiwzngJ0piNEBv/s640/blogger-image--91145786.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>From there was continued on and eventually took our first break in Anaconda, 38 miles in. After the break, we has a hard time finding another spot to eat, stopping at the Hitching Post finally at 98 miles. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EC_FCCiOS6a-vDMmp-m9pzPYuVqZsMDhyphenhyphenlL0JEwoJF4os4eIx_BVDKmywx7Q7R65MVYGRB2e7BB41U3G0LHZmtuHhGvcpC0T-aQ2l_DgzvgvmpFy-XSZFAtYUQKkNUjw0XLJ_QlRZdMk/s640/blogger-image--578544013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EC_FCCiOS6a-vDMmp-m9pzPYuVqZsMDhyphenhyphenlL0JEwoJF4os4eIx_BVDKmywx7Q7R65MVYGRB2e7BB41U3G0LHZmtuHhGvcpC0T-aQ2l_DgzvgvmpFy-XSZFAtYUQKkNUjw0XLJ_QlRZdMk/s640/blogger-image--578544013.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>After a 15 minute nap, we hit the road again, well more like a trail. We were told to ride an unimproved road to Twin Bridges by our friends at Adventure Cycling. Unfortunately, the road was basically a wide mountain biking trail with tons of rocks and loose gravel. Our road wheels were not made for this. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi31lTpqnqEvDaLvFYKkNF1gtcsGMx9iY0HcXEOZRvSPNGj5EG9Vdw3u1AUtBndtBnY9zqzPlY5jwcA675xMtMjoLByr9Ub2v2jjvwgV5-hIyU_bMIHviiKjaZc7DS6wYJfqynXONs-us/s640/blogger-image-937299111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWi31lTpqnqEvDaLvFYKkNF1gtcsGMx9iY0HcXEOZRvSPNGj5EG9Vdw3u1AUtBndtBnY9zqzPlY5jwcA675xMtMjoLByr9Ub2v2jjvwgV5-hIyU_bMIHviiKjaZc7DS6wYJfqynXONs-us/s640/blogger-image-937299111.jpg"></a></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw3hEKi5olrh25x7g1pooRsgQ1Gl-66eLULexnpmAX9S80SJKZwbMwzC_AELTQPjY78Ws6LjAHovjDW6oztcIYOsME42G-2eA3EV3c6PzOQO4COfx2yTPddoHlj4eC1IureEc7g7c93KE/s640/blogger-image--559593284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw3hEKi5olrh25x7g1pooRsgQ1Gl-66eLULexnpmAX9S80SJKZwbMwzC_AELTQPjY78Ws6LjAHovjDW6oztcIYOsME42G-2eA3EV3c6PzOQO4COfx2yTPddoHlj4eC1IureEc7g7c93KE/s640/blogger-image--559593284.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Besides, as we climbed a huge mountain at about 4-5 miles per hour, we realized we were colliding with a fast moving storm cell, with lightning strikes about a mile away from us. The rain was hitting hard like hail. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YmHbbn3iSQ_ULytH4sZC7S0yvZt9FiPv7Ok3p0LQ1iYytDbKv-n0WOTEBkrCrBb_cCsvyULh4Fmr9H04n51-nqKwuRsoWvnoNlEGXV_wzph30UFAJiOKpybCHIaaFbhfraSybFJAU9i/s640/blogger-image-1406094677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18YmHbbn3iSQ_ULytH4sZC7S0yvZt9FiPv7Ok3p0LQ1iYytDbKv-n0WOTEBkrCrBb_cCsvyULh4Fmr9H04n51-nqKwuRsoWvnoNlEGXV_wzph30UFAJiOKpybCHIaaFbhfraSybFJAU9i/s640/blogger-image-1406094677.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Just as we were about to take cover in lightning position, a big truck came rolling over the hill. We waved them down and asked if they had room to bring us the few miles we had left down the mountain. They had just finished a fishing trip and were towing a boat; they told us to throw the bikes in the back and jump on the truck bed. We were saved from the storm and the end of the brutal rocky downhill. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-73DwBIr0-XEU62JA8LSiXezYsKmOJB2Hcgc9jWdMBbuAqujqHBxk5AVKL9uP1iGh8JuZNkKsvvdNBt-yNod_wuomNpfavgfyqSae3folhyhWgp7jBaOYtOq8AeAy1M6apS20rQDEQHjP/s640/blogger-image-581833294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-73DwBIr0-XEU62JA8LSiXezYsKmOJB2Hcgc9jWdMBbuAqujqHBxk5AVKL9uP1iGh8JuZNkKsvvdNBt-yNod_wuomNpfavgfyqSae3folhyhWgp7jBaOYtOq8AeAy1M6apS20rQDEQHjP/s640/blogger-image-581833294.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFY3UijqPqmWlFsS6VB5DwiexO0bIgKnKqlOyzC6BUa2Og8RcvFKsHkbr_2P53AAz4alcWRYUTOHu8ATnLXxl7RRXaNWh_b6leelWbkMgWz_60pz-wDuZ9uFP4bh8Vgi4i6LlUnH5IXxq/s640/blogger-image--1666366162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPFY3UijqPqmWlFsS6VB5DwiexO0bIgKnKqlOyzC6BUa2Og8RcvFKsHkbr_2P53AAz4alcWRYUTOHu8ATnLXxl7RRXaNWh_b6leelWbkMgWz_60pz-wDuZ9uFP4bh8Vgi4i6LlUnH5IXxq/s640/blogger-image--1666366162.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We took cover in a grocery store and took comfort in hot chocolate goodness before setting out for the final 20 miles to Alder, MT, where and RV/campground was located. We ransacked the little camp stored for all things edible including a six pack. We were able to do laundry here for the first time of the trip and stole a quick shower before bed. Tomorrow is expected to be longer than the 132 miles we covered today. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdL0x8nFnrJyUmW-lXY2UYVaSJHEvtelqdcnLFLlGFxl_RwQLG_mnTURItVSJ2GopkpBD9Uq-Nz_6_q73pYQ7NY87WSacnoJO8IYANErtcdugKKjPTMAPtCgzPSJbFJz7m2w05heEcqB2/s640/blogger-image-270583240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdL0x8nFnrJyUmW-lXY2UYVaSJHEvtelqdcnLFLlGFxl_RwQLG_mnTURItVSJ2GopkpBD9Uq-Nz_6_q73pYQ7NY87WSacnoJO8IYANErtcdugKKjPTMAPtCgzPSJbFJz7m2w05heEcqB2/s640/blogger-image-270583240.jpg"></a></div></div>Dave Younghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10428926145576911202noreply@blogger.com8