Travel Log

Please note that our trip statistics now have their own page that I will try to update on a weekly basis.


Day 287: Thursday, March 19, 2020
Home of Alan & Lillian in Newington, NH

Day 286: Wednesday, March 18, 2020 Weldon, NC
Days Inn

Day 285: Tuesday, March 17, 2020 44 miles to Orlando, FL
Home of Larry & Sue in Fernandino Beach, FL
I woke up at four o'clock this morning stressing about our flight home. Would all travel even within the United States be shut down? What about keeping social distance on the plane? Would Southwest cancel flights because of not enough passengers?

As I lay in bed, not able to sleep, worrying, I had an idea. What if, when we got to the Orlando airport, we just pick up a van, throw our bikes in, and hit the road, driving home? We could maybe stop for the night at Rob's cousin's house just south of the Georgia border and then on Wednesday put the pedal to the metal. I got up, turned on my tablet, looked up car rentals, and found one with Alamo that didn't have a drop-off fee, just charged $60 a day. I wasn't sure I believed that, but I booked it. I went back to bed. Rob was awake and I tried talking to him about my idea, but he didn't want to hear it. I was too wired to go back to sleep.

First thing on the road we had about ten miles of pleasant riding on a bike path, then busy roads with lots of traffic, then surprisingly - or maybe not - quiet roads on the approach to the airport.s

Day 284: Monday, March 16, 2020 69 miles to Clermont, FL
Rodeway Inn
Not a stellar day by any means. The riding was hot and boring with nothing other than desolate convenience stores to stop at. Even as we got closer to the Orlando area it didn't look like we'd have a lot of affordable lodging options so we had to settle for a slight detour to a Rodeway Inn with no services nearby, not a grocery store or a restaurant or even a McDonalds. But in the room was a menu for a pizza place that delivered so we gave that a try. The pizza and salad were surprisingly delicious. We firmed up our plans for our return to New Hampshire. Calls to Warm Showers people for help getting our bikes boxed and to the airport were fruitless, so I booked a rental van for one day. We figured we'd find a motel near the airport once we got there.

Day 283: Sunday, March 15, 2020 60 miles to Dunnellon, FL
Dinner Bell Motel
First thing in the morning we rode into Cedar Key to find a coffee shop, see the town, and make a decision.


After talking to our daughter last night and reading an article she sent us, we decided over breakfast that we really had no choice. We had to call it quits and head back to New Hampshire. Coincidentally, I also received an email from our tenant saying that if we needed to come home, she could get moved out as she had another place lined up. I sent an email to our friends in Orlando letting them know we were on our way. I looked up the Amtrak schedule.


We headed to Dunellon, 50 miles of hot, boring riding, nothing to see except Florida forests and the highway, with only an occasional convenience store along the way. It was beginning to feel like Texas with long stretches of nothing.

We had a pleasant dinner at the restaurant next to our motel where the coronavirus was talked about as something in the news, something annoying, but not a worry. Then back at the motel we made plans for our return to New Hampshire. Amtrak, without a direct connection, wasn't going to work. Southwest had $54 one-way tickets from Orlando to Boston. That worked. Our only challenge was getting the bikes boxed and to the airport. The other challenge was staying healthy on the plane and in the airports. Up until now we have mostly not been in crowds (except for Mardi Gras, but that was over two weeks ago.)


Day 282: Saturday, March 14, 2020  43 miles to Shell Mound
County Campground
We had a beautiful morning. Rode about 10 miles to Manitee Springs State Park where we rented a canoe for a couple hours and headed out of the spring area to explore the Suwanee River. The river was much wide than I expected; we stayed slose to the shore in the hopes of seeing wildlife. But it was back in the spring-fed area that we saw piles of turtles sunning themselves on rock, a couple turtles swimming and a small alligator immersed in a muddy island in the middle of the water.


Sadly the afternon was not nearly as pleasant as the morning. We thought we were going to spend the night in Cedar Key, recommended to us as an old fishing town worth a stop. It was out of our way, but we figured it would be worth a detour on what looked to be roads off the beaten path. It was hot, the scenery was uninspiring, and there was no place along the way worth stopping at. Then, it turned out that the campground Rob had picked out was not in Cedar Key, but about 10 miles before it. A couple phone calls told us that we probably wouldn’t be able to find an affordable room so we had no choice but to forgo the evening we were looking forward to, exploring an old fishing town.


When we arrived at the campground it was full, but the manager found us a spot, asking a gentleman with a camper van if he wouldn’t mind sharing. He didn’t. The campground was right on the Gulf, obviously a favorite spot for fishing and running noisy airboats. 


Day 281: Friday, March 13, 2020    
68 miles to Fanning Springs State Park, FL
The state park, located on the Suwanee River, only allows primitive camping for anyone arriving without a car - kayakers, hikers, cyclists. The park ranger who checked us in said it is rarely used. We have the park to ourselves.


No shower? Not a problem. Alligators hang out in the river, but not in the spring fed pool where we went for a swim as soon as we arrived.This was my first swim of the year. Not Rob’s though, as he went into the Gulf a week ago.


The riding wasn’t challenging today except for a sore butt and boredom. I’ve decided that 50 miles is a nice maximum to aim for. But the problem is always that the places where we want to stop are not located a convenient distance apart. So it goes.


We did see a baby alligator sunning itself on a cement culvert.


We’ve had a couple very hot days in a row, temps in the eighties. I can’t imagine doing this trip later in the spring. It will be fun to start riding north in a couple weeks and watching spring unfold. Already we’ve been enjoying lots of blooming azaleas and magnolia trees. ayThe wildflowers alongside the road are multiplying. I should probably stop now and then to take some pictures of them. White, red, yellow, purple.

Day 280: Thursday, March 12, 2020 61 miles to Perry, FL
Rocky's RV Park & Campground
Actually, we're about five miles from Perry, but I was ready to stop when we came to this campground and found out it would cost $14, a nice change from our last camping night that had a price tag of $68. Rob wanted to continue on to Perry and stay in a motel, but I've just about had it with cheap motels and it was nice enough to spend a couple hours relaxing outside. The only catch was we had nothing for dinner and this place is in the middle of nowhere except for a convenience store but we did okay with salads, chicken wings, and a fruit cup. After dinner the bugs came out and sent Rob into the tent, so maybe next time he'll get his cheap motel.

The riding was easy today, if a bit boring. No wind was a nice change, good shoulders, and light traffic. But no place of interest to stop which made the day seem long without a good reason to take a long break.

I'm obsessed with the coronavirus news. I feel badly about all the events that are cancelled, events I know my friends in Colorado and New Hampshire look forward to every year. I'm thinking we're probably in the healthiest place for Rob, with his lung disease. When I read that the virus can lead to pneumonia followed by liver and kidney failure, I thought, that's how my mother died. I don't want that to happen to Rob. Every winter he gets sick, but not this year. So far.

Days 278/9: Tue. & Wed, March 10/11, 2020
Rest days in Tallahasee, FL
Home of Rick and Linda Hyson
Rick and Rob were in graduate school together oh so many years ago. As often happens with long distance friendships, after years of keeping in touch with Christmas cards we gradually lost touch. We spent two wonderful days renewing our friendship. Tuesday Rob and I walked to the free Florida History Museum where we spent a couple hours being surprised by much of Florida's history. But the best was Wednesday when Rick and Linda joined us for a trip to Wakulla Springs State Park where we went for a boat ride down the Wakulla River and saw about 20 alligators, countless birds and turtles, and two manatees.

Day 277: Monday, March 9, 2020 76 miles to Tallahasee, FL
Warm Showers hosts Justin & Marina
With 76 miles ahead of us it was not looking good when we were hit with a steady headwind right out of the blocks this morning. Our route took us over a bridge from Apalachicola to Eastpoint lasting several miles with a relentless headwind which didn't die down as long as the road hugged the coast for the first 20 miles or so. At least we were able to maintian nine miles per hour, but we feared we would be struggling all day. Happily the wind died down when we turned inland, heading northeast, and we picked up our pace tof 13-15 mph. Flat, decent shoulder, pine forests with glimpses of tiny purple and yellow wildflowers and giant violet thistles, some three feet tall with three or four flowers atop them.

When we needed a break we stopped at a convenience store in Medart because that was all there was, but a diesel pickup truck was sitting outside with its engine running so we stayed just long enough to use the bathroom and share a chocolate milk. Six miles down the road was Crawfordville with nothing but a Hardee's. Rob wanted a strawberry shake and I wanted fries. When we got inside I decided I had to have a cheeseburger, too. Then of course Rob had to have one. And I got iced tea. I like the southern sweet tea, but sometimes it is just too sweet, so I mix it with the regular.

I was thrilled to arrive at our Warm Showers home where we were served a totally healthy vegan meal with a kale salad and chickpea/brocolli patties. It was a perfect antidote to our junk food stop.

Day 276: Sunday, March 8, 2020 25 miles to Apalachicola, FL
Coombs Inn & Suites
When we were planning our lodging on Friday, Rob found this inn in Apalachicola and decided that - budget be damned - we were going to stay here. I can't complain; it's a lovely place and reasonably priced. I'm really tired of cheap motels, hoping we can camp more, but for way less than $64.

We just gained two more hours of daylight at the end of the day, when we need it most. Yesterday we crossed into the eastern time zone, then last night we "sprang ahead" into daylight savings time. To accommodate, I slept until 8:00 and we took it easy this morning, thinking we'd have and easy ride to Apalachicola. It wasn't. Our recent good luck with the winds took the day off and we had a headwind the entire way. Thankfully Rob was able to stay with me, but sometimes his nonsensical prattling got on my nerves as I was just barely holding on. He needs to talk constantly about nonsense and it can drive me nuts. He's trying to sing instead.

Rob has been telling people that this is a beta test for retirement to see if we can get along when he is no longer working. We're together 24/7. I told him I'll start telling people the beta test is a failure. (Of course I'm joking. We are really getting along tremendously well. I can't think of anyone else I could do this trip with, and I wouldn't want to do it alone.)

We arrived at the inn around one o'clock and they were nice enough to let us check in. We had lunch on the porch, showered and relaxed, then set out to explore the town. We stopped first at the John Gorrie Museum State Park next door where Tom, the park ranger, gave us a 45-minute history lesson on the fellow who invented the first ice machine in the 1850s.

We found a casual place for dinner overlooking the water where we shared flounder and crab cakes. As we were finishing up I began talking to an older woman sitting alone next to us. She gave us advice on the best way to ride to Tallahassee and we chatted a bit. We got ready to leave and she introduced herself as Karen and Rob knew her last name. It turns out that Rob interviewed at Florida State back in the eighties and remembered her, as she was in the psychology department at the time. And I was thinking today while fighting the wind that we were due for a random meeting again. So this is the third time we've randomly run into someone we know.

Actually, what is really bizarre is that these random meetings have happened in the corners of the country - San Juan Islands (father of our son's baseball teammate), San Diego (graduate student from UNH), and Florida.

Day 275: Saturday, March 7, 2020 68 miles to Port St. Joe, FL
Presnell's Bayside Marina & RV Resort
Another day of pleasant, riding. We were on a state highway (98) that didn't see much traffic as it went through the Tyndall Airforce Base and along what is called the Forgotten Coast, with several small communities on the gulf. We saw a dolphin while we were eating lunch and lots of broken trees. In Mexico Beach there were many new homes and many destroyed buildings. Hurricane Michael hit the area hard in October, 2018, and they are still recovering. The story of Florida's - and the entire Gulf Coast - recent history seems to be tied to hurricanes.

The long day was determined, again, by lodging availability, and this time all we came up with was a very expensive campground costing $64. We stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to pick up dinner; they didn't sell beer and we were too tired to hunt down a liquor store. But, leave it to Rob, I came back from my shower to find four cans of Stella Artois sitting on the picnic table. He is not shy when it comes to asking our neighbors for beer. Rod and Annette - from Ontario - were spending the winter months in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida, They insisted we join them around their propane campfire after dinner.

Day 274: Friday, March 6, 2020 28 miles to Seacrest, FL
Warm Showers host Marty
We began our day with a walk on the beach in Henderson State Park, a lovely way to start any day.

Because our mileage is often determined by lodging availability, today was a short, relaxing day, except for spending almost two hours trying to figure out lodging along the way to Tallahasee. Florida is definitely not a friendly place for budget travelers.

But it was a beautiful day so we sat outside at a coffee shop during those two hours. Our riding took us on an 18 mile bike path through very well-heeled waterfront communities. We had lunch on a beach and Rob went for a swim in the Gulf. He was a happy guy. And we had a lovely evening visiting with Marty, our host. We know it's going to be a good night when, just after we arrive, our host asks us if we want a beer.

Day 273: Thursday, March 5, 2020   40 miles to Dentin, FL
Henderson Beach State Park
Wanting to wait out the rain, we took it easy this morning and didn’t leave Emily’s until just after noon. Even so, it was still foggy and a bit drizzly but nothing problematic.


Florida is making efforts to be bike friendly. Today we rode on a good many miles of well-marked bike lanes. Now if the drivers could be educated on the appropriate passing distance. 


Whenever a car passes too closely I try to make a mental note of it in case I can catch up and have a conversation with the driver. The opportunity presented itself this afternoon when I caught up to a car that passed me with inches to spare. It was stopped at a stoplight. I knocked on the window, scaring the bejeesus out of the old southern woman at the wheel. She was alone. I said, in a very p;olite voice, “I know you didn’t mean to, but you passed me way too close back there.”


She replied, with a lovely southern accent, “Well, I got as far away as I could but there was a car on the other side. I had no choice.”


I said, “You could have held back and waited for a safe distance to pass.”


“Oh, but I had to go.”


I can only hope that she’ll think about it when she next comes across a cyclist.


It was the drivers that made is decide to walk across the last bridge today. 


We’re definitely back in civilization, if you want to call it back. High rise after high rise towering over us on both sides of the highway, lots of traffic, and too many asshole drivers. It seems we get honked at for no reason at all. And so many of them pass within inches of us.


Am I venting?


Other than all that the riding today was terrific. We flew along, clocking 15 and 16 miles an hour. It must have been the headwind. And there are absolutely no hills.


We arrived at the state park to be told they were full. But Rob had spoken to someone this morning who said we could camp in a primitive campsite and didn’t need a reservation. Did he remember the person’s name? No. The park ranger went off to make a phone call and came back to say they had a site for us but not to expect anything at other state parks. And here I was thinking we’d be all set for camping in Florida.


For the record, the following states will not turn away bicyclists, even if they are full: Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Washington, Oregon, and California. Other states don’t care. They’ll send you packing. Or you can beg and plead and they might find a spot for you. But having to beg and plead can get old.


Day 272: Wednesday, March 4, 2020 Rest day in Gulf Breeze, F:
Home of Emily & Larry Bova
Rain and flooding in the forecast so it made sense to take advantage of a beautiful place to stay to wait out the bad weather. Emily is the sister of one of Rob's closest high school friends and has been extraordinarily gracious, taking us on a driving tour into Pensacola and feeding us terrific food. Unfortunately Larry is out of town. Nice to have a lazy day after three long riding days.

Day 271: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 69 miles to Gulf Breeze, FL
Home of Emily & Larry Bova
We flew through the miles today. Every time I looked at my odometer it registered 12-15 mph, a good clip for us. With our usual short stops and two long ones it took us 8 1/2 hours to ride 69 miles. Rob asked me how I felt about the riding. I said, "We must have had a tailwind. I feel like we've been riding downhill all day. I'm hardly pedaling." He admitted that he was working hard to keep up with me, but keep up he did. Except when we had to go over a bridge, the only hills we are encountering now.

The scariest riding on our trip has to be bridges. You never know how they will accommodate cyclists. Is there a dedicated bike lane? Is there even a shoulder? Are bicyclists even allowed? A biyclist heading west warned us that the bridge from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze does not yet have its bike/pedestrian lane complete so your only choice is to ride in the emergency lane, in the center of the bridge. It's separated from the rest of the traffic by orange posts. Okay, I can deal with that.

We arrived at the bridge and didn't see the emergency lane. There was no shoulder and the traffic was speeding along. As we hugged the jersey barrier, we stopped a construction worker in a truck on the other side of the barrier. He said to ride the center emergency lane. Where is it? It starts just ahead. We had to cross two lanes of traffic flying by. Finally - we must have looked desperate enough - the traffic stopped to let us cross. There was a lot of debris in the emergency lane, perfect for a flat tire, but then it cleared up and the riding wasn't too bad. Although I kept thinking as I approached the top of the bridge, "I hope a car doesn't come flying down this lane right at us." But the only thing that came down the lane at us was another bicyclist. The next challenge was getting back across the two lanes of traffic, which we were able to do when there was a long enough break and a pullout on the other side. We got across and I said, "Well, that was fun."

We saw our first alligator today. Our riding today included 12 beautiful miles on a bike path that took us through Alabama's Gulf State Park with beautiful marshland, lots of benches to stop for lunch, and one alligator sighting. Then on to high rises towering over the beaches along the coast.

We've heard that Florida is not safe for bicycling but so far I've noticed at least more acknoledgement that bicyclists are allowed on the roads (bike lanes, sharrows) than we've seen in the last three states. It occurred to me that if Florida is the retirement capital of the east coast, those retirees are now baby boomers who are much more active than retirees of my parents' generation. They could be pushing for more bike friendly roads.

Day 270: Monday, March 2, 2020 68 miles to Dauphin Island, AL
Dauphin Island Campground
Chuck, our Warm Showers host in Tucson, says that 40 miles can make for a good day's ride. The problem is that 40 miles doesn't always land us where we want to hang out for several hours of an afternoon and there isn't always anyplace along the way worth stopping for. So we continue riding. We might be tempted to stick around and explore Dauphin Island but the weather Wednesday is not looking to good and we have a place to stay in Gulf Breeze, Florida, 70 miles from here. So it looks like another long day tomorrow.

Lots of miles today but they went by easily enough. Mostly smooth wide shoulders. We got an early start, leaving at 7:20 this morning. I was aiming to stop after 20 miles but at 17 we came to a Waffle House. We've been seeing them a lot lately and it occurred to me that we should probably check one out before we don't see them anymore. When I stopped and asked Rob's opinion, he agreed; he was thinking the same thing. That happens so much with us. That's probably why, after 9 months of being together 24/7 we're still getting along great.

Our bodies aren't being kind to us though. My hands hurt much of the time. And you would think that by now my legs would be used to all the riding, but they are always sore. I especially have a hard time walking anything more than a miles or two. Rob's biggest complaint is his knee. He was diagnosed with arthritis, bone on bone, over a year ago, but the doctor said bicycling would be good for it. And up till now it hasn't bothered him riding, but has continued to hurt when he walks. But now it seems to hurt all the time. He's toughing it out.

Day 269: Sunday, March 1, 2020 52 miles to Biloxi, MS
Southern Comfort RV Park
It happened again. People rave about a place, I look forward to it, and then I wonder, what's the big deal? We heard that the riding along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi was gorgeous. The sand was white, but that was about it. I think Rob enjoyed the riding more than I did. We were on U.S. Hwy 90 which ran right along the shore. But the road had no shoulder and none of the drivers got the memo that the law is to leave 3 feet between their car and a cyclist. It was unnerving how close some cars passed, so unlike all down the west coast and other roads we've been on where there haven't been shoulders. I don't think drivers in Mississippi have ever seen a cyclist. A couple times Rob had drivers on bridges yell at him to "Get the F- off the road!"

At least we had another option, which was to ride on a sidewalk next to the beach. It wasn't my idea of choice riding - it was bumpy and narrow - but it worked.

The campground was right in town, cost over $30, and the tent sites overlooked a vacant lot. But we'd picked up a lot of food at the grocery store so we enjoyed hummus and chips with beer, sauteed vegies, ravioli, and chocolate chip cookies.

Day 268: Saturday, February 29, 2020  35 miles to Slidell, LA
Home of Charles Bolian
I taught one of Charles' sons, RJ, violin for a number of years. During that time Rob and I enjoyed spending a number of special occasions with both Charles and Donna, RJ's mother. Charles grew up in Slidell and kept the family home. He and Donna would visit Slidell often. 


After I stopped teaching RJ we lost touch with the Bolian family but as we were getting closer to New Orleans Rob encouraged me to try to find out if Charles and Donna were in Slidell, which is just north of New Orleans. Sadly, an online search uncovered Donna's obituary.  She was a truly fine person and I am so sorry to have missed saying good-bye to her.


But I did fiDay ly get Charles' phone number, called him, and we visited him and his lady friend Jill in Slidell. They insisted we spend the night and we enjoyed a dinner out at their favorite local restaurant. It's always fun to catch up with old friends.


We left our hotel around 8:30 in the morning, aiming to get through the city before everyone got out of church. But we didn’t get very far, just a half mile, when we passed a small neighborhood bakery/cafe, and decided it was worth a stop for a pastry. When we saw the menu, we decided it was worth a stop for a second breakfast. We had no trouble agreeing to share a crab, spinach, and brie cheese omelette.


While we were waiting in line to place our order, I got to chatting with the woman behind me who was clearly a local who frequented the restaurant. She told us that we could order a cupcake for just a dollar since we were ordering a meal. “They’re known for their cakes,” she said. Then the man in front of us said, “The frosted donuts are my favorite. They’re cake donuts.” “Too many choices,” I said. But then the choice was made for us when the man in front said, “I’ve paid for a donut for you.” It was delicious.


The riding today was lovely. We took U.S. Route 90 all the way to Slidell and it was mostly just a quiet country road, past Lake Catherine. We met a young cyclist heading west from Wilmington, North Carolina. Twenty-four years old he’d never been out of Wilmington and decided it was time to see the world and was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Day 267: Friday, February 28, 2020 Rest day in New Orleans, LA
Lamothe House
We spent a lovely day exploring New Orleans. After a late night out we slept in, then went on a walking tour, had lunch out, poked around some art galleries, popped into a free history museum, listened to some live jazz over tea and beignets, took a nap, then went out for dinner and cajun music. We'll definitely be returning to New Orleans for more.

Day 266: Thursday 63 miles to New Orleans, LA
Lamothe House
We fairly flew today with little wind and flat terrain. The fun part of the ride was about 20 miles on the top of the Mississippi River levee. The not fun part was riding the bridge over the Mississippi. But it was still exciting in its own way. After the bridge we had pleasant riding along St. Charles Ave. with its many historic mansions and Mardi-Gras decorations.

When we didn't receive any replies to our Warm Showers requests we decided to blow the budget and stay in the French Quarter which would give us easy access to music at night. We found a reasonably-priced historic hotel, went out to dinner at a restaurant Rob remembered from when Neuroscience used to be held here (before Katrina), and hunted down several jazz venues. Music is literally everywhere you turn here.

Day 265: Wednesday, February 26, 2020 12 miles around Huoma, LA
Warm Showers hosts Vanessa & Ray
After all the Mardi Gras excitement we decided a lazy day was in order. Plus, it was windy and cold, and we still hadn't firmed up plans for getting to New Orleans. We spent the morning visiting with Ray and getting advice on the best route to New Orleans. Then we caught a ride with him into Huoma where we got lunch and spent time exploring a museum dedicated to African American history.

In the evening, Vanessa fixed us a beautiful dinner - salad fixings with grilled chicken, and we enjoyed several hours of lively conversation about Iowa's RAGBRAI, other bicycling adventures, and life in Louisiana.

Day 264: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 42 miles to Huoma, LA
Warm Showers hosts Vanessa & Ray
After watching the Patterson Mardi Gras parade we decided that maybe we'd go for a bigger affair and decided to make the trek to Huoma today since we'd heard that it's a bigger city and does Mardi Gras much bigger than the surrounding towns. We arrived in Huoma at 12:30 with plenty of time to spare. Too much time, in fact. The parade didn't get to our spot on the route until 5:00. Thankfully, our Warm Showers host, Ray, had offered to come get us so we could enjoy the parade knowing we wouldn't have to ride in the dark.

Ray and Vanessa live in a tiny house about five miles outside of Huoma. Througout this year Rob and I have been impressed with the many people of modest means who are willing to invite complete strangers into their homes and often feed them dinner and breakfast, knowing full well tht bicyclists eat lots of food, and expect nothing in return but gratitude. Ray and Vanessa's house is truly tiny. They sleep in a loft above the living room and their daughter has a loft above the kitchen and bath. The bathroom has a full-size bathtub and tiny washer and dryer. The house was custom built with repuposed lumberf and beautiful craftsmanship.

We slept downstairs on a couch and a twin-size air mattress. It worked great.

Day 263: Monday, February 24, 2020 31 miles to Morgan City, LA
Days Inn
Our goal today was to catch a Mardi Gras parade in the town of Patterson. The parade was scheduled to start at two o'clock. We arrived around noon at the town park where a band and food vendors were setting up. The band was terrific, playing great Zydeco music. While we waited for the parade to start we shared a plate of fried catfish and french fries, and an order of boiled crawfish with corn on the cob and boiled potatoes. I talked with some of the woman sitting next to us. About three quarters of the spectators were African American. I noticed lots of congeniality between whites and blacks, although mostly it seemed like there was not much true intermingling. While blacks and whites would stop and talk to one another, they sat in homogeneous groups.

After the parade ended Rob and I walked over to where a block party was going on to hear more of the Zydeco band. We were the only Caucasians in the crowd but no one looked askance at us. But we would have had to pay to sit down and hear the band and had to get to Morgan City, so we decided not to stick around. As we were leaving the crowd, a young woman came runninbg up to us. "Y'all didn't hear us calling you," she said. "Come and have some chicken." She was part of the family of the group of women we were sitting next to at the parade. We walked back with the young woman and were introduced to her aunt and other family members. I couldn't keep all their names straight. They were so nice, giving us just about the best barbecued chicken I've ever eaten, and beer to wash it down. The mayor stopped by and insisted we have our picture taken with him.


Day 262: Sunday, February 23, 2020 42 miles to Franklin, LA
Warm Showers hosts Russ and Paul
Our disappointment knew no bounds today when both the bakery and restaurant that Will and Kathy highly recommended were closed. We landed in a Burger King because I had to go to the bathroom and we stayed for over an hour because we wanted some internet access. Rob asked a couple local men if there were any restaurants open in town and they said, "Why do you think we're eating here?" Apparently not. Franklin is a small town with not much except an historic downtown main street, with everything closed on a Sunday.

But the riding was lovely and, after our education at the museum yesterday, we recognized acre upon acre of sugarcane fields. We ventured away from the main highway where our Warm Showers hosts lived about nine miles out in the middle of nowhere. Russ grew up on the land, which was once all a sugarcane farm that his grandfather bought in the 1930's and his father farmed. Now the land has been divided among the heirs and the remaining farmland leased out for sugarcane.

Russ's house has an interesting story. Once upon a time it, along with many just like it, was slave quarters in Franklin. Then it became housing for sugarcane field hands before sitting empty for a number of years. A developer realized the land these houses sat on, next to a bayou, would be better suited for higher end homes. He offered each house for $500 to be removed from the property within 60 days, and you'd get $400 back. Russ had his house moved to its present location and fixed it up. It's a nice little house sitting on a beautiful piece of property. Paul joined Russ about ten years ago and together they run a stained glass studio. We had a lovely visit with them, well worth the ten mile detour. This part of the country is so new to both of us that we are eager to talk to the local folks as much as possible.

Day 261: Saturday, February 22, 2020 25 miles to New Iberia, LA
Warm Showers hosts Will and Kathy
After riding through the historic section of Abbeville we headed to New Iberia where we spent a pleasant lazy afternoon in downtown New Iberia. We enjoyed a lunch out where we shared some crawfish soup and a shrimp and crab bisque. Then we explored the Bayou Teche Museum, which turned out to be the best small-town historical museum we've visited so far. We learned that the Cajun area of Louisiana was also settled by the Spanish and I learned how sugar cane is grown and processed.

I'm always impressed when I meet someone who has a passion for something out of the ordinary. Who knew people could get excited about antique fans? There are about 7,000 antique fan collectors in an international organization. Our Warm Showers host, Will, is a member. And it just so happened that we timed our visit with Will and Kathy to happen the night of their annual "fan meet" that they host in New Iberia. So we got to meet about a dozen other folks who get excited about old fans.

Will has quite a collection of old fans, too many to count, but he gave us a brief tour. He's also and accomplished guitar player and treated us to some John Prine songs after dinner.

Kathy and Will are both of Cajun ancestry. Kathy told us that she grew up speaking French first and is bilingual.

Most of the folks hanging out at Will and Kathy's this evening are southerners and I decided to throw out a question that has been nagging at me for some time, but especially that day as I'd seen a Confederate flag flying. So I asked the group, "Why would someone fly a Confederate flag?"

One gentleman, about fifty years old, said that he grew up in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where they saw a lot of fighting during the Civil War. He said they would fly the flag out of respect for those who died in the war. He said they have monuments for both the Southern and the Northern men who died. But he also said that today he wouldn't fly the flag because of the hatred that some people express along with it.

Someone in the group said that, while they agreed that the Confederate statues should be removed from public parks, they didn't agree with them being trashed. Rather, they belong in museums as part of the history of the region.

Day 260: Friday, February 21, 2020 63 miles to Abbeville, LA
Days Inn
We're both wiped. Today goes on the list of memorable hard, difficult, challenging days. After I checked the weather forecast we knew it was coming. Temps in the low fifties and wind from the north at 15 mph. We were heading east and north. We changed our plan from camping tonight to heading to a town with an affordable motel that gets us 10 miles closer to tomorrow's destination. It was definitely too cold to camp.

The plus is that we had flat riding on quiet well-maintained roads until about the last 15 miles or so. The sun was shining and Rob was able to keep up and draft off me so, although I had the harder job, we kept each othe company. We were truly in Louisiana's outback.

Last night our Warm Showers host was a priest who offers cyclists a place to pitch a tent. We were so cold that we hoped and prayed he'd let us stay inside somewhere, anywhere, and he came through for us, letting us sleep on a couple couches in the parish hall. So now we've slept in a community center, a fire station, and a parish hall. Sure beats motels every night.

Day 259: Thursday, February 20, 2020  66 miles to Grand Chenier, LA
Warm Showers host Father Thomas
Today was rough. We kind of expected it. The forecast called for rain. It was correct.


Last night we camped under a bridge along the intercoastal waterway. I thought it was great. It only cost $4. The showers were hot and we had a covered picnic table. It was pretty cool watching all the barges going back and forth, pushed by tugboats, as we ate dinner. I thought it was a lot quieter than the night before when we had to listen to the water pump that processed all the RV sewage at the campground. It went all night. So last night I slept great. But I’m a heavy sleeper; once I fall asleep it takes a lot to wake me. In the middle of the night I did hear some ratcheting, but I went back to sleep. Not Rob. In the morning he said he hadn’t slept at all. Between the traffic going over the bridge and the barges going back and forth and then around one o’clock a tugboat broke down right in front of the campground and the guys on board were yelling at each other and banging tools. (That was what I heard.) Every night is an adventure.


We woke this morning to light rain. Then as we got on the road it came down harder. But the riding was fine for 25 miles. We sailed along, 13, 14 miles per hour, heading south with a tail wind. I think the wind got stronger when we hit the Gulf and turned east. Now we had to battle to not get blown off the road. Then we had a couple miles north directly into the wind, before getting on a ferry to the little town of Cameron.


This part of Louisiana was completely destroyed by Hurricane Rita in 2005. That was the one that came directly on the heels of Katrina, but people here don’t talk about Katrina. That wasn’t their problem. Rita wiped them out. The clerk in the small grocery store in Hackberry, when she found out we were from New Hampshire, told us how grateful they were to two Methodist Churches from New Hampshire who came down and helped them rebuild. All the building are now built ten feet off the ground. I’m thinking, I’ll bet they’ll withstand a flood, but what about hurricane force winds.


Someone in Cameron told us the town used to have lots of great Crestaurants but they haven’t come back. We were wet and cold andonly place warm was a bar and grill with a couple pool tables, a couple picnic tables, a bar, and a strong smell of smoke. I waited inside while Rob locked up the bikes but as soon as he came in I said we’d have to leave. I could feel the smoke burning my throat. I knew with his asthma there was no way he could tolerate it.


The only other choice for lunch was an outdoor grill with covered seating. I had fried catfish. Rob had the lunch plate special, beef with gravy and rice and blackeyed peas. It all came in styrofoam containers. Recycling has not come to this part of Louisiana.


We were hoping to see alligators crossing the road but when we stopped at the Holly Beach fire station to use the bathroom they told us that they don’t come out until spring. (Since staying at the fire station in Navasota we’ve decided to check into fire stations more regualarly.)


The riding this afternoon was challenging. Cold and windy, although the rain for the most part had stopped. We weren’t chased by any dogs today, so that was a positive. We’re pretty much in the middle of nowhere except for wildlife refuges and liquid natural gas plants, which are supposed to bring 6000 jobs to the area in the next few years. We’re seeing lots of marsh grass, cows sometimes up to their bellies in mud.


Day 258: Wednesday, February 19, 2020  31 miles to Intercoastal Park, LA (north of Hackberry)
Today the cold came back. We had a bit of rain this morning while the temperature dropped, then it was just overcast and cold all day. 


With only a short riding day we took our time over breakfast, stopped in Vinton at the library to do some trip planning, then had lunch at a local cafe/bar. I like to try local foods and there are a lot of them here. Rob decided to come along with me on this journey. For lunch we tried fried alligator and frog legs, jambalaya, chicken and sausage gumbo, and crawfish pie.  The frog leg was very juicy and bigger than I expected. While eating it I couldn’t get the picture of a frog out of my mind. I can’t even begin to imagine catching and cooking a frog. But I guess people do it all the time. The alligator was like chicken nuggets but a little chewier. The crawfish pie was overwhelmed by the crust.


We have many more days to give all this new food taste tests. We’ve decided to focus our travels to the southern, cajun part of the state. I’m hoping we’ll hear some cajun music and get to see some mardi-gras festivities in some of the smaller towns this weekend.


Day 257: Tuesday, February 18, 2020  48 miles to Nibblet’s Bluff Park, LA
Damn dogs. Louisiana may have Texas beat for dogs on the loose. Already only a couple hours over the state line and we lost count. The owners don’t even appear to be home, just leave their dogs out to run free. (I passed a dead dog on the road yesterday. But that was still Texas.) In Texas, as much as I hate all the fencing around people’s property, at least it keeps the dogs from chasing us. 


We have a new dog protection strategy. When I see one coming I stop, yell “Stay,” and they usually give up, go back home all dejected ‘cause they wanted a chase and didn’t get one. 


We had no trouble this morning riding the interstate over the _____ River. We were only on for one exit and there were no signs telling us we couldn’t be there. So our routing messup turned out okay after all.


What a difference just a couple hundred miiles makes. Where it was so dry in Texas, now there’s water everywhere. When we checked into the campground the woman wasn’t even happy about us pitching a tent, said the ground was too soggy. But we found a dry spot, so it worked out.


Louisiana. It smelled like a vanilla cake baking. We saw a couple magnolia trees blooming, and lots of trash - a young child’s rain boot (did I see its mate several miles back?) and countless beer cans. We passed flooded marshland and many rundown homes surrounded by pickup trucks with rusted out engines, cars with flat tires, old bicycles, and several generations worth of junk. We heard birds singing and frogs chirping. Few cars passed us on quiet country roads, the peacefulness marred only by dogs coming out after us, looking for the fun of a chase.


It’s hard to believe we were too cold to camp less than a week ago. This afternoon it felt hotter than any day since we left last June. Hot and humid, so humid the bathroom in the campground has water dripping down the walls and doors of the stalls.


Day 256: Monday, February 17, 2020    66 miles to Beaumont, TX
Econo Lodge Inn & Suites
We blew it. Upon further study of some cycling notes I found on the internet, it doesn’t look like the route we planned into Louisiana is such a good idea. It all comes down to which bridge to ride over. We shouldn’t have ridden to Beaumont after all. But here we are. None of the cycling route planners want us to ride over the river on I-10, but we’re going to give it a try anyway. 


The riding today was pretty good. All highway, but mostly decent shoulder and flat so we made good time. It was overcast and rainy all day, but not cold so the rain didn’t bother us. We stopped for lunch in a rundown diner in a nothing town (Moss Hill). I ordered fried Boudin balls - sausage and rice and spices. Boudin is often sold as sausages. It was okay. Not something I’d make a habit of. 


Everywhere it’s green again, with lots of trees lining the roads.


After our dinner last night of fast-food fried chicken and a lunch today of meat, we tried for somethiing a little healthier tonight. A couple frozen shrimp dinners. Not sure it did the trick but we rationalize our decadent diets by convincing ourselves that our daily exercise balances out all the crap we eat.

Day 255: Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020   63 miles to Cleveland, TX
Best Western
That's Cleveland, Texas, not Ohio.

Rob wanted to ride 44 miles today. I wanted to ride 63. I won.

We enjoyed our stay at the Navasota fire station. We had a peaceful night - no alarms. We shared the upstairs with a young couple (or maybe they are just friends), recent college graduates out for an adventure, riding the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier east to west. This morning we lingered a bit, as there was some fog, and chatted with Wes and Bobby, the firemen on duty. They told us that Navasota has a terrible history with regard to segregation and racism but that things have gotten a whole lot better. Bobby said that while most people vote Republican, they're not necessarily straight party line voters and will have a conversation about the issues.

We've gotten off the Adventure Cycling route for the rest of the way to Florida, as we want to stay close to the Gulf Coast. Still, we could have taken a more scenic route through the Sam Houston National Forest, but we're both ready to be done with Texas. We're riding the state highway 105 directly to Beaumont. Lots of traffic and around Conroe lots of strip malls, but the shoulder was smooth and mostly wide enough and we made good time, with easy hills to start and then mostly flat and slightly downhill. The couple we met last night said that it'll be all flat from here on out. No complaints from me. I enjoy being able to crank up the pace and get in some fast miles.

We got a really good rate for a Best Western - $50. After I checked in I said to Rob, "That Popeye's is looking pretty good to me for dinner." He said, "I was thinking the same thing."Neither of us had the energy to even walk half a mile to a Walmart Supercenter, or even a quarter miles for Mexican. Popeye's is no better than KFC, but for tonight it was good enough.

We're looking forward to getting to Louisiana day after tomorrow. We're not looking forward to the rain in the forecast for the next four days. I don't think we'll make it to New Orleans for Mardi-Gras. Probably just as well. We don't like crowds.

Day 254: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020  51 miles to Navasota, TX
Navasota Fire Station
This is a first. The Adventure Cycling map said we could camp at the fire station but Wes, the fire fighter on duty told us that everybody stays inside. Showers, beds, and kitchen, all free. Of course, if the alarm goes off in the middle of the night we'll know it. Wes said sometimes it can happen every 15 minutes. The lights go on as well. Could be an adventure.

Very lovely riding today, quiet roads, rolling hills. And lots of green. I could almost believe we were in Vermont. Not really. There aren't enough hills here. And there are prickly pear cactuses, and cattle with long horns.

We stopped for a second breakfast at a cafe in Burton, shared an eggs benedict with salmon, spinach, cream cheese, and cherry tomatoes. It was absolutely wonderful. We've figured out that sharing a second breakfast helps the budget but it also keeps us from stuffing ourselves to the point where we have trouble riding afterwards. 

We'd gotten out of the habit of second breakfasts because the budget has been eaten up by our nights in motels. Also there haven't been places to stop. Nice to get back to it.

A couple talked to us outside the cafe, curious about our ride. The woman asked what we did about injuries. I pointed to Rob and said, "He complains." Today it was his knee after our second breakfast and his toe the last ten miles. I'm sure they hurt, but he doesn't want to quit riding, nor does he seem to want to quit giving me updates. It's a good thing all my aches and pains are minor.

We stopped in Independence for a picnic lunch at the site of the original Baylor Women's College. The men were across the river.


Day 253: Friday, Feb. 14, 2020  61 miles to Round Top, TX
Camp at Stone Cellar
The day began with almost 20 miles of relentless hills through Bastrop and Buescher State Parks. The scenery was pretty bland, young pine trees growing in a burnt forest. It turned into a real forest when we got to Buescher SP, rather pretty. Then we saw more green farmland. Then pleasant riding to La Grange where we stopped for tea and a snack in the downtown square. After that we had 16 miles of terrible conditions - no shoulder, rough road, speeding traffic - to Round Top. The road on this last section was lined with places that advertised spaces for selling antiques. Evidently there is a huge antique sale that happens for 17 miles of highway for two weeks every spring.

Rount Top is a quaint village with relocated historic buildings turned into shops and offices. We were able to camp for free at the Stone Cellar. It's a restaurant, dance hall, and, during the big antique show, and RV park and antique sale venue. The owner Rob, was very gracious in letting us camp since the only other campground in town closed down. He was going to charge us $10 but let us stay for free because, he said, "I admire what you're doing." We get that sometimes.

After we cooked our camp dinner we went over to the restaurant to listen to some music and have a beer.

Day 252: Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020    37 miles to Bastrup, TX
Quality Inn
Our hope was to camp tonight at Buescher State Park, 13 miles further down the road, but obviously that didn't happen. It was just too windy and cold for camping to be much fun and with no other accommodations for the next 45 miles, we opted to stop early. Even so, it was good to be back on the road. We're looking forward to leaving Texas in our rear-view mirror. We've had many great experiences here, but the scenery lately has been pretty bland. It's time for something new. Perhaps we'll make it to New Orleans to catch a bit of Mardi-Gras (if we can find a Warm Showers host).

Overall the riding today was pleasant enough on quiet roads. Except for the dogs that came running out after us, too many to count. Texas definitely wins the prize. We've got to remember to buy some pepper spray next time we're in a city.

Days 246-251: Friday, Feb. 7 - Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020
Austin, TX
4 nights with Warm Showers host Adam
2 nights with Warm Showers hosts Brett & Nyssa
Rain and cold kept us in Austin longer than we'd planned but we didn't really mind. Rob's knee, diagnosed with serious arthritis a year ago, has begun bothering him while riding (throughout this year it has been a problem while walking) so he was happy for a few extra rest days. And I never mind the time to catch up on my blog. Without keeping a careful record I fear all the days will turn into a mush with memories hard to bring into the light to examine later on, even a week or two later.

We didn't see all there was to see in Austin, keeping some sights for a later visit. We visited the Elisabet Ney Museum, the Harry Ransom Museum, the State Capitol, and the Bullock History Museum. We found Quacks, a great bakery/coffee shop, explored the public library, went out to dinner at a vegan restaurant. We listened to jazz at the Elephant Room and bluegrass at the White Horse. We attended the celebration of the opening of a two-mile stretch of bike lane organized by Adam, our Warm Showers host. We met a friend of a friend for lunch. 

Day 245: Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020  56 miles to Austin, TX
Econolodge
The miles slipped by rather pleasantly today. We were on quiet country roads until the last ten miles as we approached Austin. We're staying tonight about ten miles north of downtown. 

Although they call this Hill Country and we've definitely been riding up and down a few hills, we never seem to see hills off in the distance. Well, maybe a few. I am trying to imagine what this looks like when it is green and filled with wildflowers, because it isn't all that pretty right now. But I guess New England isn't all that pretty in the winter without snow either. The towns our route has taken us through have ben disappointing as well, except for Fredericksburg and Gruene. Probably we would have appreciated it more if we could have camped in the state parks along the way. We're just here at the wrong time of year. But I guess we had to be somewhere during the winter and Texas hasn't treated us too badly.

It was still pretty cold today, but the sky was clear which made a huge difference. We had to ride 40 miles before we found a coffee shop. There was no place to stop for lunch except along the side of the road.  

Day 244: Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020   36 miles to Burnet, TX
Comfort Inn & Suites
After several days with temperatures in the seventies, it has turned cold, very cold. Today was the first day when we stayed bundled up all day. I did okay, but Rob complained. Fortunately we passed a couple convenience stores that had seating inside where we could warm up and eat a snack.

We've been enjoying the Adventure Cycling route as it takes us on quiet back roads but today we decided to stay on a highway to save six miles. The sky was overcast, the scenery so-so, and it was cold.

We arrived in Burnet at 2:00 and found a coffee shop with internet, called Unshakable Grounds. It was toasty warm inside. They had a nice assortment of pastries and Jesus sayings on the walls and counter. This is now two days in a row for coffee shops. I wonder if this is a southern thing or Texas, or just Hill Country. They had a selection of four different soups for under four dollars which seemed like a good thing to have to warm up. I figured we'd hang out for a while, as I'm getting tired of hanging out in motel rooms. But I felt like I was in church. The soup was good. Then I thought about getting a cup of tea but starting thinking that maybe I was in enemy territory. Maybe the profits were going to help advance the Trump agenda of putting conservative judges in lifetime appointments throughout the country. How could I find out?

I walked up to the counter and said, "I see you are obviously a Christian business. I'm wondering if your profits are supporting any organizations."

She refered me to the owner who was tying up a trash bag. I said, "I like to support local businesses and I like to know what my money is supporting when I shop."

She said, "We support the pregnancy counseling center here in town."

"Is it pro-life?" I asked.

"Yes, it is."

Dang. Now I couldn't order any tea. And it was the only game in town.

Day 243: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020  48 miles to Llano, TX
Lone Star Inn
Today was my brother's birthday. He would have been 67 today. It seems appropriate that I thought about him while riding my bike. He was my first bicycling buddy. When we were living in West Virginia we'd set out on our bikes for an all-day jaunt through the county's back roads, climbing one hill after another. He was probably in high school then and I was in junior high. We both hated living in West Virginia but our bike rides together were fun.

We had some hills today, and some wind. The scenery was a little more interesting, with some rocky outcrops. And two very large dead javelinas by the side of the road and one freshly killed skunk. There were probably more carcasses, too many to count. 

We've ridden over countless cattle crossings in the past couple days. They're easier if you go fast. The signs say "Loose Livestock," and today we came acros a line of cattle walking along both sides of the road toward us. But we spooked them and, as Rob rode ahead of me, I watched one turn and run alongside Rob and then cross the road in front of him. A couple others got confused and also started crossing the road in front of us. We had to ride slowly while they made up their minds what to do. We also saw lots of white-tailed deer bounding across the road.

We were on quiet country roads all day. It was really quite pleasant except there was no place to stop. We just ate lunch by the side of the road. It's really hard to find a place to pee in Texas because everyone has barbed wire fencing. Even where there are trees, the barbed wire is next to the road so you can't duck behind the trees because you can't get there. I just go for it and hope no cars will come by.

The thing that's really unnerving about all this barbed wire is that even the driveways and private roads have gates across them. Which is terrific when there's a dog, but not so good when you wonder what you would do if you needed help. For example, what if it were hot and we ran out of water? In other parts of the country, we've knocked on people's doors and asked for some. Not here.

We arrived in Llano around 2:30, checked into our motel, showered, had tea and a snack, and then walked around the town. There isn't much. Lots of thrift shops, a coffee shop that hosts bible studies and music and has a prayer jar, and an ammo shop that has lots of signs supporting Trump and sells anti-liberal T-shirts.

It was really nice to be able to camp Saturday and Sunday nights but it's gotten too cold again.

Day 242: Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 Rest day in Fredericksburg, TX
Warm Showers hosts John and Brenda
We didn't plan to take a rest day today; it just sort of happened. The weather was supposed to be in the seventies and maybe cloudy, in the fifties overnight so we were planning to bike to Enchanted Rock State Park and camp and maybe get in a hike. It was only 20 miles from Fredericksburg. 

And it was warm and lovely when we woke up this morning. We had breakfast while watching the sunrise, packed up, and went for a short walk on a nature trail. The ride back to town and errands brought us to 11:30 and lunch at a German restaurant. The sky was overcast and the temperature was nowhere near seventy. We went to a couple art galleries and it started raining. The weather forecast was very ambiguous. We had previously contacted John through Warm Showers and he had said we could stay tonight if necessary, so I called him and we scrapped plans to bike anywhere in favor of exploring more art galleries and spending some time in the library.

And, as so often has happened, we had a wonderful evening getting to know our Warm Showers hosts. John showed us his photograph collection which includes some of his own beautiful prints. He and Brenda have gone on many bike tours and have led many tours so of course we talked about bicycling. And we talked about the challenges brought on by old age health problems and where to live when the lack of oxygen at higher elevations becomes a problem.

I've enjoyed the last couple nights camping, waking up with warmer weather, and was looking forward to checking out Enchanted Rock. With the weather turning colder we're probably going to have to give it a miss. But we can always come back. So I'm not sorry at all when we had the chance to meet John and Brenda, two very engaging and generous people.

I should note that, as a rule, Rob and I don't bring up politics. We wait and see if our hosts bring it up. And they did. Evidently the city folks in Texas tend to vote Democratic. John and Brenda are both from Dallas. And supposedly Houston is primarily Democratic as well. My knowledge of Texas is being completely upended.

Day 241: Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020  43 miles to Fredericksburg, TX
Lady Bird Johnson County Park
More hills today; no surprise there. And, as they say, be careful what you ask for. We got the west wind we were wanting, but today we were heading west. More riding on quiet roads. Again, pleasant riding, but I wouldn't give the scenery anything more than a C+. Lots of farmland but it's very brown with many barren trees. I imagine it's much prettier in the spring when the wildflowers are out.

We stopped briefly at the LBJ historical park. The Texas Whitehouse is not open for tours so we weren't tempted to ride the 14 mile detour just to see the grounds. 

We stopped in Fredericksburg for an early dinner. I had Weiner Schnitzel with hot potato salad and red cabbage. Given the strong German culture of this area it seemed like the thing to do. My meal was delicious.

Day 240: Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020  51 miles to Blanco, TX
Blanco State Park
They don't call it hill country for nothing. We left Gruene shortly after 9 in the morning and didn't get to Blanco until after 5 o'clock. A head wind didn't help. Though challenging, the riding was pleasant enough. We started out riding along a river that, during the warm months, is very popular for tubing. We saw several fishermen out in the middle of it. But I have to say that I find it very annoying that everywhere in Texas there is barbed wire and No Trespassing signs. We passed dozens of picnic tables along the river, all fenced off, and not a single public access spot until we arrived at Blanco State Park. 

In the afternoon we rode on a quiet back road that took us through, rather than past, some small ranches. Rob said it felt like we were riding on someone's driveway. We crossed a bunch of cattle guards.

We arrived at the state park when the office was closed and the CAMPGROUND FULL sign was out. Someone told us that they don't turn away cyclists at state parks in Texas but that's not really true. The campground host kind of hemmed and hawed for a while then said we could go ahead and set up our tent on a large grassy spot. The the couple visiting with them offered to let us camp with them. Beverly and Gordan are full-time RVers from Maryland. They didn't want to visit with us - just went into their RV, but we were happy for their generosity in letting us use their picnic table and pitch out tent.

Day 239: Friday, Jan. 31, 2020  Rest day in Gruene, TX
Gruene River Inn
Rob's foot has been bothering him again. His peace of mind required another medical opinion so we decided to stay another day. While he went to urgent care, I bicycled into downtown New Braunfels to check out some of its historic buildings and murals. It's a very bustling town, and there are several museums located there, but a cursory tour sufficed for me.

The highlight of our day was a free evening concert in the historic Gruene Hall. Ezra Charles is an amazing pianist. I have no idea how old he is,  but he's up there. Evidently he tried to retire. He's written many of his own songs and plays lots of stuff that was popular when he was young. He describes his music as Texas Boogie Woogie and Blues. When he came out of retirement he put together a band with an acoustic bass, trombone, and his son on drums, who is incredible. They played three sets. We stayed for all of them


Day 238: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020  24 miles to Gruene, TX
Gruene River Inn
Gruene (pronounced 'Green') is technically part of New Braunfels, a sleepy little historic village that comes alive on weekends set in a corner several miles from the bustling downtown of New Braunfels.

We started the day with a 5 miles ride to Pape's Nutcracker Museum on the outskirts of Seguin. Kenneth Pape was an avid collector of traditional 'art' nutcrackers. We all know the Christmas nutcracker story and that is certainly the kind of nutcracker I envision. I describe them as art nutcrackers because they are totally worthless when it comes to actually cracking open a nut. But they have been made in all shapes and sizes and Kenneth collected over 8,000 of them. We saw sports figures, cartoon characters, nutcrackers dressed in traditional garb. He collected them on his travels and from perusals on the internet and ebay. He also collected thousands of true, functional nutcrackers. It was really something to see. 

From Seguin we rode to New Braunfels, settled by Germans in the mid-nineteenth century. We stopped for a tour of Conservation Village where several acres have been set aside for the relocation and restoration of historical buildings from around New Braunfels and Gruene. The Germans were cotton farmers and I was curious to know if they were also slave holders. George, our tour guide, told us they were not, but they fought on the side of the south in the Civil War because they were told that if they south lost their land would be taken away.

The day was gray and cold and we couldn't find any motivation to camp so we found a lovely inn in historic Gruene. I spent the rest of the afternoon curled up in a window seat with tea and chocolate and a good book. Rob took a nap. Then we went out to dinner.

The riding both today and yesterday has been mainly on local highways with lots of chip seal and traffic, completely uninspiring. Glad we landed somewhere fun.

Day 237: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020   37 miles to Seguin, TX
Motel 6
San Antonio has three art museums but the only one that called loudly to me was the McNay Art Museum, located several miles north of downtown. It's closed Mondays and Tuesdays so we decided to check it out as we headed north today to pick up the Adventure Cycling Hill Country Loop. And we spent two and a half very pleasant hours admiring the sculptures outside and the variety of paintings inside the beautiful mansion that was once the home of Marion McNay. We saw a couple stunning Georgia O'Keefes and several Monets, among other well-known and lesser-known artists.

We decided to take a slight detour to the town of Sequin. A good friend told me that her husband's cousin has a nutcracker museum here. We thought it would be fun to check it out and maybe meet the cousin. Unfortunately, I found out that the cousin passed away several months ago, but we're still looking forward to seeing his legacy. Then we'll head to Gruene and New Braunfels where we'll head clockwise around most of a loop published by Adventure Cycling that will take us to Austin.

Days 232-236: Friday, Jan. 24 - Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020
San Antonio, TX
We spent several hours Friday at a bike shop getting new brakes for me and new tires for Rob. Saturday morning I replaced our chains. Our kids arrived with their significant others and we had just over two days to visit and explore the city. We especially enjoyed the River Walk, not so much the crowded downtown area but the quieter section north of the city to the Pearl Brewery area. We took a bus to one of the missions and explored the Alamo, right across from our hotel. The kids left Monday night and Rob and I had a little time Tuesday to ride our bikes on the southern part of the River Walk before I had a dentist appointment. 


Day 231: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2020  49 miles to San Antonio, TX
Warm Showers host Nate
We made it across the vast emptiness of West Texas! Now Rob can apply to get his membership the to EFM club reinstated. Not me, I was pushing for us to hitchhike the last part. I’m partly glad we didn’t though. I figure that was our penance for taking the train across North Dakota. And most of Minnesota. And the boring half of Montana.


Today’s riding, just like the rest of this week, was not stellar. The morning was chip seal on a 4-lane highway with lots of traffic speeding by. At least the shoulder was wide. Then into San Antonio, the usual busy roads with lots of traffic lights and strip malls and no fun, just something to be gotten through when you are trying to get into a city. But we made it, with an extra day before our kids arrive on Saturday, with their special others.


The highlight of our day was certainly our morning stop in Castroville. We had no idea what to expect since we are not using any bike touring guide. I was hoping to find a local cafe or diner for a second breakfast; it’s been a long stretch of riding since Rob and I have shared an omelette. I passed Billy Bob’s Burgers and a DQ and a donut shop that promised to be opening soon and a number of drive-throughs for I don’t know what. But I held onto hope and when I saw a sign for “September Square” in front of what looked like a small green, and a sign for shops, I thought, “That looks promising.” I stopped and waited for Rob and we crossed the highway and just a short ways down a side road we came to a little coffee shop: The Magnolia Filling Station.

Someone outside said the hot chocolate was delicious so Rob gave that a try. I ordered earl gray tea. There was a selection of bagels and only three muffins. “What kind of muffins are those?” I asked. “Pecan pie with a drizzle of caramel.” We each ordered one.

While we were sitting outside enjoying our treats, Shelly, the owner came out and said, “I want to encourage you to take some time while you are here to explore Castroville. Many of the homes and buildings are on the Texas historic register.” She told us that the town was settled in the 1800s by a group of people from Alsace, France, who came to farm and that many of their descendents still live in the original homes. Shelly herself has only lived in the town for about five years, having grown up in Oklahoma, but she has certainly become one of the town’s strongest advocates. We’re grateful she took the time to talk to us as we spent a very enjoyable couple hours visitng cycling through the town and visiting the historic inn. Castroville’s tidiness served as an antidote to the rundown and trash-filled homes and businesses we saw in many of the other towns along our ride through West Texas.

Day 230: Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020   42 miles to Hondo, TX
Executive Inn
With rain in the forecast, mostly in the morning, we decided to sleep in and get a later start. We were on the road at 10:40, under a light drizzle, and I quickly discovered that wet roads make riding on chip seal just a little smoother. That and no wind made the riding today more bearable. However, there was still trash everywhere and - something I forgot to mention yesterday - more animal carcasses than I could possibly count, all in varying stages of decomposition. We’ve passed many freshly killed deer in the past few days, a couple armadillo, skunks, owls, raccoons, and a cat, Some animals were hit so hard their parts are scattered over several yards. Some carcasses have been there long enough that they are flatter than pancakes, becoming one with the chip seal. Rob has noticed a smell emanating from these dead animals and has said that he sure wouldn’t want to be riding these roads in warm weather when the stench might be unbearable.

We can only hope that Rob and I will make it through Texas without any of the drivers turning us into roadkill.

Day 229: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020  41 miles to Uvalde, TX
Days Inn
I woke up this morning in a bad mood. I was dreading the day's ride on Texas-style chip seal with a strong headwind. I'm tired of riding through towns with no coffee shops, riding 30 and 40 miles at a stretch with no place to stop and take a break, staying in towns where there are so many buildings in ruins, homes surrounded by trash. Don't people care?

But Rob's good mood and a hot shower got me on my bike and a smooth road improved my mood. Even a headwind didn't slow us down. Yesterday the smooth road lasted 15 miles. How long will we have it today? The answer it turned out was 19 miles. Then rough chip seal and the head wind got stronger.

While I enjoyed the first half of our ride across West Texas, since leaving Sanderson it hasn't been so fun. The mountains and mesas and hills have all gone away and what is left is barren scrub and, lately, lots of trash. Today we saw a desk chair randomly sitting on the side of the road, an old tire, and a construction hard hat; lots of paper and plastic bottles. Beginning yesterday we began seeing trees, all devoid of leaves.

Thankfully the last five miles the road smoothed out again as we came to the outskirts of Uvalde, a small city of over 15,000 people. 

Before arriving in Uvalde Rob saw the billboard advertising Billy Bob's Hamburgers and that was all he talked about. But his love for me won out when we arrived at the town square and Rob pointed out a sign for a Tea Room. When I walked inside I couldn't have been happier. It was filled with an assortment of old tables and all sorts of useful antiques. On the blackboard they listed pablano soup as the soup of the day. "What is pablano soup?" I asked, and the owner got a couple samples for us, explaining that a pablano pepper is what is used for chili rellenos. I said, "I've always liked chili rellenos but the last time I ordered it, it was too hot." She said that the heat is determined by the temperature when it is growing. The hotter the temperature, the hotter the pepper.

Rob and I both ordered a bowl of thje bsoup, shared a cobb salad, and each had our own piece of chocolate cake with a cup of tea. The owner mixes her own teas . I had a black tea and Rob chose a green one. Everything was delicious. I told the owner several times how thrilled we were to find her place as we'd ridden a very long way without a decent coffee or tea shop;. 

When we told her that we'd stayed at Fort Clark last night she said that she'd been wanting to open a shop there. She said the fort is a thriving community of military and border patrol personnel and some retirees. I asked about the abandoned homes and she said that some vacation home owners just stop coming. I told her how discouraging it has been to see so many deserted buildings all around the United States. I'd been thinking about that all morning. "Don't people care?" I said. "We're supposed to be a civilized country." She said that in a previous job working for the tax assessor she'd been surprised to find homes that looked abandoned that still had people living in them, albeit some of them squatters. We talked about how people just let trash pile up outside their homes and she said that where she lives people will dig a ditch and when the fire ban is lifted they just dump their trash in and burn it. So much for clean air.

Rob and I took off to find the Motel 6, having decided that the reviews for the cheaper local motels were too risky. But next door to the Motel 6 was a Days Inn that didn't cost too much more. We are basically out of dinners and I couldn't handle another motel room dinner anyway so we went next door to a bar and grill where we had grilled talapia that was quite good, with a nice assortment of spices.

I'll be happy when it warms up enough to start camping again. I wonder kind of camping we'll find along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts.

It's supposed to rain in the morning so we'll take our time getting on the road. We have another 40 miles day. Two more days and we'll be in San Antonio. 

Day 228: Monday, Jan. 20, 2020    35 miles to Bracketville, TX
Fort Clark Motel
We'd hoped to make 75 miles today, to Uvelde. It didn't happen.

What did happen today was 15 miles of happy riding out of Del Riol on a beautiful smooth shoulder. Then came rough chip seal. Nobody does chip seal like they do it here in Texas. The main traffic lane wasn't bad, but there were too many cars and pickup trucks racing along at 75 mph to dance back and forth across the white line. So we persevered in the shoulder, hating it.

Then came the headwind, which slowed us down to 8 mph. When we arrived in Bracketville before noon we had to make a decision. Once we continued on, the next lodging wouldn't be until Uvalde. Could we ride another 40 miles in six hours with a headwind? Rob said no and I agreed. I suggested we try to hitch a ride to Uvalde but Rob said, no, he wan'ts to try to get back into the Every F-ing Mile Club. 

We found a room at the historic Fort Clark Motel, had lunch, took naps, and explored Bracketville and Fort Clark.

Bracketville has many historic buildings and ruins, but not many people appear to be living here. And it's a good thing we had enough food for dinner because there were no eating establishments open and only a convenience store. From what people told us, the owner of Ziggy's, a barbecue place, closes as soon as he sells out. Other proprietors are open when they feel like it. 

What is confusing is that the historic Fort Clark, in addition to having a motel in the old barracks, also is a home owners association with people living in many of the old fort buildings. We saw a lot of cars driving around so we're wondering why there aren't more businesses to support the residents here.


Day 227: Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020 29 miles to Del Rio, TX
Motel 6 Studio
The miles today went quickly enough - no headwind and no big hills - but they were not fun. Lots of chip seal made the shoulders almost unrideable. We'd stay left of the white line where the road was smoother, always listening for the traffic that was going 75 miles an hour. Just as I thought I couldn't take any more of it, the road got better, just smoother enough to ride the shoulder for a while. Then it got rough again. Rob got "smoked" twice by pickup trucks hauling ATVs.

We found a Motel 6 Studio for $46, tax included, with a kitchen and living room. How could we pass that up? Rob was happy as a clam, being able to watch both NFL playoff games. (How happy is a clam anyway?)

Day 226: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020 87 miles to Comstock, TX
Comstock Motel
I'm exhausted. Today was our second longest day. We had no choice, unless we wanted to camp at a picnic area. There is nothing between Sanderson and Comstock, not even a convenience store. There used to be businesses in Dryden and Lngtry, but they've all closed down. There is a Judge Roy Bean Museum and Visitors Center in Langtry, but with 30 more miles to go we didn't even want to bike down the road to check it out.

We started out day at 7:40 just as it was light enough. A tailwind helped us out first thing then we had some cross winds. It started out flat, then we had some hills. The scenery was bland, which was probably a good thing because I wasn't tempted to stop and take pictures. Except when we crossed the Pecos River.

We arrived in Comstock after the sun set, around 6:30. The town has one motel, a bar & grill, and a convenience store.The motel was a pleasant surprise - clean and modern with a coffee maker, fridge and microwave. We couldn't handle a motel room dinner with our present dinner selection so we went across the street to the bar and grill and had burgers, fries, a salad, and cheap beer. Evidently nobody ever asks for a burger cooked medium rare so I got mine the same as Rob. I was too tired and hungry to care.

Today's ride was my biggest worry about crossing West Texas. Now I can breathe easy.

Tomorrow we'll bike 30 miles to Del Rio, the biggest city since leaving El Paso.

Days 224/225: Thursday & Friday, Jan. 16/17, 2020 Rest days in Sanderson, TX Warm Showers host Liz

These rest days are not by choice. We’re waiting for better weather. If we were in New England we would probably be out riding. But here in Texas there is no shelter for miles and miles and miles. It’s not warm enough to simply shrug off the possibility of getting wet and cold in the rain. Then there’s the possibility of thunderstorms; getting struck by lightening in the middle of Texas is not a pleasant thought. By this afternoon (Friday) the skies are clearing, so tomorrow we should be on our way, hoping the wind will be in our favor. We have 88 miles to the next town, rolling hills with a net loss in elevation.

Sanderson has a population of about 800 with a small truck stop/convenience store, one restaurant, and several local motels. When we arrived on Wednesday afternoon we went for a two-hour walk around town and were struck by the number of abandoned homes in varying states of ruin. Abandoned businesses indicated that Sanderson has likely seen better days.

We are struck by the number of people we've met in town who, recognizing us as "foreigners" have stopped to talk. We've also visited with Rebecca for a bit; Between talking to people and walking around town we've learned a bit about the history and character of Sanderson.

Jim Davis, who we met outside the convenience store Wednesday night has lived here for 62 years. He worked as an engineer on the freight trains when they had a regular stop in Sanderson. The railroad and ranching were the major drivers of the town's success. When the U.S. stopped paying subsidies to the ranchers (goats and sheep), ranching went downhill. When the railroad shut down its operation in Sanderson in the 1990s the town lost another major employer. Jim Davis told us about a flood in 1965 that killed 26 people and destroyed the town. A train crash in the 1990s killed four engineers, including his father.

Rebecca didn't grow up in Sanderson but her family ranch is nearby so she is well-acquainted with the area and decided to settle here in her retirement about a year ago. It's affordable and quiet and she loves the wide-open country. We met her neighbor who bought a house here recently. Although he's of an age to retire, he still runs a business and can do it from his home. I wonder if retired baby boomers will be the people to bring some of these forgotten communities back to life.

A word about the number of abandoned properties we've been seeing in our travels. One person told us that there are owners who don't want to sell because they have an emotional attachment to their property. And Rebecca told us that the problem is often that the properties get tied up in trusts and it becomes difficult if not impossible to find out who the owner is and who has the legal ability to make the sale. So the property just sits.

Rebecca joined us for dinner Thursday night at the Ranch House, the only restaurant in town, where they don't have a liquor license and the waitress carries a pistol. I had the fried catfish with a side salad, Mexican rice, and Texas toast. It was all delicious, especially the homemade tartar sauce. I asked Rob this morning why he didn't want to order the catfish and he said he couldn't stomach eating such an ugly fish. I said at least it wasn't served with the face attached. I was curious about how the mesquite beef brisket would taste. Rob wouldn't order but Rebecca did. It was quite tasty with a smokey flavor. Rob had pork chops.

Walking around town on Friday morning Rob and I saw the affluent part of Sanderson, modest houses that were well-cared for. We saw the high school football field and track, and a town park with a playground and swimming pool. We passed a number of small Protestant churches. There are hiking trails that go up the mesa outside of town.

Day 223: Wednesday, January 15, 2020   55 miles to Sanderson, TX
Warm Showers host Liz
We woke up this morning to Rob's tire being squishy, on its way to being flat again. But we'd have to wait until just before leaving to fix it, because it was still dark. And just as we were packing up, along came Mike with his bicycle pump. When we told him about the flat he said, "I'd be happy to fix it for you." Rob said, "No, that's okay." I said, "That would be wonderful." Mike checked the tube and found that the valve was leaking. He fixed it and we were ready to go at 9:00.

The riding today went by quickly. We've been riding on highway U.S. 90, which will take us all the way to San Antonio. The morning sky was beautiful with the sun shining through soft clouds along the horizon over the mountains. We're both enjoying riding through this part of the country, really glad we didn't decide to rent a car and drive it.

The highway has picnic areas spaced at about 20 mile intervals which we appreciate very much. With 10 miles to Sanderson Rob noticed that is tire was soft, again. We pumped it up and made it to our evening accommodation.

Our host tonight is the same Liz who hosted us in Alpine but she doesn't live here. She owns a house and casita that she doesn't live in. But she doesn't lock it and let's folks stay in it. She said, "It's okay to lock the door when you are inside, but don't lock it when you go out. I don't have a key."

Liz's sister Rebecca lives across the street. She pulled some leftovers out of her freezer for us to have for dinner. We sat outside with cups of tea and tackled Rob's flat tire. After much searching I found the metal wire that caused the flat.  


Day 222: Tuesday, January 14, 2020  31 miles to Marathon, TX
Marathon Motel and RV Park
The ride to Marathon was not as easy as yesterday's; we had some headwind starting out. Then it got easier and I coasted to the Marathon Motel, leaving Rob behind for the last couple miles. That turned out to be a mistake. I waited for him at the entrance to the motel and got talking to a woman who told me she and her husband were "workcampers." They worked part-time at the motel and, in addition to an hourly wage got to camp for free in their RV. They were about our age and chose to spend the winter in Marathon so that they could explore Big Bend, about 80 miles down the road. They'd already gone on two backpacking trips there.

I began to worry when Rob didn't show up and Twila offered to get her pickup truck and go looking for him. And, sure enough, he'd had a flat. Unfortunately after he'd put in a new tube it still wouldn't take air. We got there just in time to rescue him from his frustration.

Twila insisted that we stop by for a beer before setting up our tent in the campground. We enjoyed meeting her husband Mike while we fixed Rob's tire. They invited us over later in the evening to watch the last Democratic debate, when they plied us with wine, a sweet and spicy snack mix, and ice cream. After the debate it was hard to leave as we found we had much in common. Their next workcamping gig is in Wyoming this summer where Mike will be working in a bike shop and Twila in a visitors center. We might have to get them to come visit us in Boulder.

Day 221: Monday, January 13, 2020  25 miles to Alpine, TX
Warm Showers host Liz
We'd heard that Marfa is a quirky, artsy town so we planned to spend some time this morning perusing art galleries and popping into a coffee shop but, alas, everything was closed on a Monday. 

We only had 25 miles to get to Alpine where we had a Warm Showers place to stay. The riding was good. We'll be on Route 90 all the way to San Antonio, but the road conditions change with each county. Today it was pretty good and we had some interesting rock formations along the way, and a long downhill into Alpine. Alpine is the biggest town we've come to since leaving El Paso, and we've been told to stock up on food because we won't come to another large grocery store for many miles.

If Liz and her colleague and friend Shane are any indication, then rural Texas is not a hotbead of conservatism. They are both criminal defense lawyers and are very liberal. I told them about the work my friend does in the local jail in New Hampshire helping immigrants and they said to send her down here. They need her.

Day after tomorrow we'll arrive in Sanderson where Liz also owns a house where we can stay. With scattered thunderstorms in the forecast for a couple days we may have to make it a three-night stay.


Day 220: Sunday, January 12, 2020   75 miles to Marfa, TX
El Cosmico (hotel/campground)
Here in West Texas people don't like to restrain their dogs. Today the count was four that chased us; one just came out to look. Actually, I should say that three of them chased Rob; I only heard about it. That's because when I ride by they just wake up; then when Rob shows up they're ready for the chase.

Our route often takes us alongside railroad tracks and today was no exception. Today two of the engineers blew their whistle at us. It made Rob's day, made up for the dogs. 

We passed the Prada Store just west of Valentine. Valentine's sign says pop. 217 but given the number of abandoned buildings it has to be less. Valentine had no services, just loose dogs.

Overall the riding was good, mostly with a tail wind, very gradual uphill grade, hardly noticeable. We were on Route 90, a quiet two-lane highway. It started out very smooth. Then we crossed a county line and it was rough chip seal. Then we crossed another county line and the road got even worse. The shoulder was so rough we couldn't even ride in it. We discovered that the smoothest riding was in the rightmost wheel track of the cars.

The place we're staying is pretty interesting. It has a selection of RVs you can stay in plus yurts, teepees, and safari tents. There's a lounge where we can hang out, which is warm and has wifi. That's why we decided to camp tonight. We took the cheapest option which was to set up our own tent.

Day 219: Saturday, January 11, 2020   67 miles to Van Horn, TX
Red Roof Inn
We were out on the road early, before 8:00, with the temperature below 30 degrees. But we were bundled up and it wasn't too cold. But what really heated me up was the dog that came after me, not 10 minutes after we'd started. I didn't even see it coming. It wasn't a big dog, but it still had teeth.

Bicyclists often talk about what to do when chased by a dog. One suggestion is to let the dog get close then spray it with your water bottle. I thought about that as I was riding all over the road, trying to stay in control of my bike and at the same time get away from the dog. No way could I let go of the handlebars to pick up my water bottle.

This was actually the second dog that had come after us. The first one came after Rob, not me. When we came to a choice of riding on a country road with possible dogs or on the interstate, which was about six miles shorter, we chose the latter. Once we were on it, we were happy with our choice as the shoulder was smooth and fast. 

We stayed on the interstate, climbing about a thousand feet, until lunch then had 24 beautiful miles on a smooth frontage road. So far I can tell you that West Texas is indeed vast and desolate, but the riding has been great fun. Of course, we've had a headwind.

We're on the tightest schedule so far this year. A week or so before Christmas  our son and daughter and their significant others booked plane tickets for San Antonio for January 25. That committed us to get there by then. When we were in Tucson, we set up a schedule giving us what we thought would be plenty of time, with a mix of 30, 40, and 50 miles days and a couple really long ones. We built in two extra days. A change in our route bought us the extra days we needed in Columbus to wait for the wind to change. Today we combined two days so we now have a three-day cushion. As long as the wind keeps coming from the right direction, we're good.

Day 218: Friday, January 10, 2020  54 miles to Fort Hancock, TX
Fort Hancock Motel
The miles flew by today. We covered 54 miles in four hours. It helps when you have a tail wind and flat roads. The hardest part was all the traffic lights getting out of El Paso. We rode past lots of pecan groves and plowed up cotton fields. Otherwise nothing much of interest. A storm was brewing to the southwest our last ten miles; we arrived in Fort Hancock just as it hit.

You wouldn't think from the looks of it that the Fort Hancock Motel was still in business but it's the only game in town. Arriving at 1:00 we were ot tempted to go out and explore the town. Across the street is a diner and a convenience store/gas station. There's a post office in town. Not much else.

After showering we ate lunch, read, and took naps. Rob said, "It's a good thing we got here when we did or we might not have gotten a room." It looks like we're the only customers. It will be a quiet night.

Day 217: Thursday, January 9, 2020  10 miles around El Paso, TX
Warm Showers host Hayley
We needed a day to make sure our bikes are in order for the push through west Texas, to do laundry and to stock up on food. And I got a much needed haircut.

As we rode around El Paso, it did not impress us, but the bike shop we found certainly did. The young mechanic was very helpful, changed my tire, checked my brakes and made adjustments to my gear cable, without charging us. And the bike shop was also a cafe so we had to get lunch while we were there. I had a salad with sushi style ahi-ahi and Rob had a chicken wrap. Both our meals had a kick to them. I think they start feeding Mexican babies jalepenos when they're about six months old.

Day 216: Wednesday, January 8, 2020   84 miles to El Paso, TX
Warm Showers host Hayley
Hard to believe that this was our second longest mileage day in just over seven months of riding. Mostly flat, mostly a slight tailwind, and nothing along the way to distract us, made the miles go by easily. We began at 7:45 and arrived at Hayley's by 5:15, just as it was getting dark.

Days 214/215: Monday & Tuesday, January 6/7, 2020  Rest Days
Los Milagros Hotel
We took it easy for a couple days, not by choice, but because we were waiting for the wind to change direction. Since camping along the side of the road holds no appeal for us, we knew that we would have to ride 80 miles to El Paso in one day and we knew that we couldn't do it with a head wind.

We went out for breakfast Monday morning and ran into Bill, a 70-year-old from Michigan who recently began a bike tour around the world. We sat and chatted a while, learned that he is a seasoned cycle tourist, has been to India and other places in Europe and Asia, and is happy to stealth camp wherever he finds himself at the end of the day. He definitely is content with solitude.

On the recommendation of two cyclists we met heading west on Sunday, we checked into the Milagros Hotel and found it very comfortable and affordable. There are only six rooms and three of them are rented during the week to truckdrivers working on Trump's Wall. Rob told them that we are always impressed by how courteous truck drivers have been to us, giving us plenty of room when they pass. They told us that if they get to close, the draft can actually pull a bicyclist underneath the truck. A sobering thought.

Tuesday morning we had an interview with a reportor from the local paper in New Hampshire. Then we popped into Mexico for lunch and stopped at the Columbus history museum on our way back to our hotel. 

Day 213: Sunday, January 5, 2020  50 miles to Columbus, NM
Warm Showers host Francine
We had a fairly easy ride on Route 9 to Columbus, arriving in the early afternoon. There was no reason to stop anywhere along the way, because there was nothing along the way. The road was in good shape and there was little traffic. I stopped every 5 miles to wait for Rob. Every time I stopped how quiet it was.

Our Warm Showers accommodation tonight is certainly unique. More about that when I write about it in a post. Just let me say that, although we know that we are welcome to stay another night or two, we won't.

Day 212: Saturday, January 4, 2020  50 miles to Hachita, NM
Hachita Community Center
The Hachita Community Center has no heat, no shower, and no lights, but it has a kitchen and it's the only option between Rodeo and Columbus. And the Hachita Food Mart, a short walk away, has wifi and a place to sit and is open until 10 pm. So we're not complaining.

More headwinds today, but they quieted down after we crossed the Continental Divide. Pretty cool to think that we've now crossed it twice, going both directions, in the northern and southern United States.

We'll be riding to Columbus tomorrow, mostly downhill, with a slight headwind. Then two days of strong winds coming at us are predicted, so we may stay put in Columbus. There's no way we can make over 70 miles in one day to El Paso with strong headwinds.

Then the forecast is looking like winds from the west for the foreseeable future. Seems a shame for us to rent a car and drive east just when the winds are in our favor. So now we're back to Plan A, bicycling across west Texas.

Day 211: Friday, January 3, 2020   52 miles to Rodeo NM
Mountain Valley Lodge
This morning in Douglas the temperature was supposedly in the twenties when we set out so we bundled up, but it didn't feel that cold and we quickly started shedding clothing. Our route was very straightforward - stay on Route 80 for 50 miles until we get to the little town of Rodeo. The riding was not difficult, a couple gradual uphills followed by gradual downhills. The landscape is now pretty scruffy, still surrounded by mountains, but it is getting a little boring. Rob said, "If this is what Texas is going to be like then I'm all for skipping it."

We found out that there is a phrase that describes some cyclists - EFM. It stands for Every F____ Mile. We were kicked out of that club back in Ontario when we hitched a ride to Sault Ste. Marie. And any hopes of our membership being reinstated were dashed when we took the train from St. Paul to E. Glacier, skipping all of North Dakota.

So people ask us where we biked from we say New Hampshire. And then they say, "You didn't bike here all the way from New Hampshire, did you?" And I say, "Mostly." And I explain about the train. And the response is usually, "Good idea."

So now we are looking at West Texas with long stretches of nothing. We're seriously considering renting a car in El Paso and driving to San Antonio, with a detour to Big Bend National Park. That will give us time to cycle the Texas Hill Country Loop before meeting up with our kids for a weekend in San Antonio.

So much about this trip is serendipitous. When we checked in to our room this afternoon, the proprietor mentioned that he'd had a cyclist stay last night. And we found out that this fellow was planning to take a rural highway directly east, which we didn't think we could do because there was no place to stay for 90 miles. But apparently the community center in the little town of Hachita lets cyclists stay. So once again our plans have changed.


Day 210: Thursday, January 2, 2020  51 miles to Douglas, AZ
Motel 6
I am not a fan of Motel 6, but it was the only option and the price is right. We had to sink to a new low this afternoon. No grocery store in Tombstone or Bisbee and the only one nearby in Douglas was a Walmart Supercenter. At least we were able to get everything we needed. Motel 6 is bare bones - no coffee maker, microwave, or fridge - and it was too cold to set up our stove outside. But we had a delicious dinner anyway - rotisserie chicken, potato salad, green salad, and beer. Honestly, I usually prefer our motel and camp dinners to eating out. So often the restaurants we come across just have all-American food - lots of meat and fried foods.

The riding today was terrific. A tailwind gave us a boost all day. We climbed 2000 feet to Bisbee, most of it the last few miles, when it got steep enough that I had enough time to learn a new tune on my whistle - Haste to the Wedding - while waiting for Rob. Then a steep downhill through a tunnel that was rather scary. It was cold enough to be concerned about ice when we saw that it was wet along the side of the road and the traffic in the tunnel was pretty fast. 

Bisbee is an old mining town sitting in the mountains at 5200 feet and we did see some snow patches along the road. We were cold walking through town. Bisbee is a historic landmark town with an enormous copper mine sitting on its outskirts. The downtown is populated with historic hotels and art galleries. Rob campaigned heavily to spend the night but the trip planner in me didn't like the way it set with our next two days. So, after walking around town for a couple hours and stopping in a cafe for tea and treatsw (carrot cake for Rob, flourless chocolate cake for me), we got back on our bike to ride downhill 1500 feet to the nothing town of Douglas and an evening in a Motel 6 (instead of the Copper Queen Hotel where we could have stayed for $79 plus tax).

But the riding to Douglas couldn't have been better. It took us just over and hour and a half to ride 26 miles. We've left the saguaros behind but mountains are ever present, usually at a distance but today we rode through them to Bisbee and then out of them to Douglas. The scenery from Bisbee to Douglas was stunning with mountains off in the distance on every side.

I have to add something about Tombstone. Last night we stayed in an RV campground where the RVs were stacked so closely to one another that there wasn't even room for a picnic table between them. You could shake hands with your neighbor through the windows. I asked a fellow out walk his dog this morning if he was there on vacation or if he lived there full time. He said he was on vacation, stayed in town a couple weeks. I asked what the appeal was. He said he guessed it was that he grew up playing cowboys and enjoyed the whole cowboy theme of the place. The fellow at the visitor center yesterday didn't tell us that there are actually five shows that reenact the famous gunfight and this fellow told us that the one we went to was the worst.

We also talked to one of the actors yesterday. They all hang out in the streets to stimulate interest in their shows. He was retirement age and came from N. Carolina to play cowboy because it was a bucket list thing. He'd left his wife behind and it didn't sound like she was going to join him any time soon and it didn't sound like he had any plans to be heading back east. He was enjoying his second childhood playing shoot-em-up.

We also found out that they used to have gun fights right on the main street but had to stop when one of the cowboys came directly from a shooting range, was late, and forgot that his gun still had a bullet in it and shot one of the other cowboys in the leg. I guess it was good that he didn't shoot him somewhere else.

Day 209: Wednesday, January 1, 2020  30 miles to Tombstone, AZ
Wells Fargo RV Park
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
If you want a tacky tourist town you must visit Tombstone, Arizona. There are five places that serve up reenactments of the famous gunfight at the OK Corral. Haven't heard of it? Neither had I. The entire town is a national historic site and it's all set up like an old western town. Every business is either a saloon or old west style restaurant or a shop selling kitchy tourist stuff. Nevertheless, being from New England, we felt like we had to check it out. We paid $10 each to see a show about the history of the town and a gunfight (with very bad acting).

But the riding here was great fun, mostly flat, 13 mph, then a few hills.

Day 208: Tuesday, December 31, 2019   10 miles to Kartchner Caverns State Park, AZ
The $100 we spent last night was money well spent. We really enjoyed our evening relaxing and woke up rested and ready for a night of camping in sub-freezing temperatures.

Today was terrific. We hit the road at 9:30 and arrived at Kartchner Caverns State Park by 11, with time for lunch and a 2 1/2 miles hike before our cavern tour at 2:00. So many people suggested that we visit this state park that we felt we shouldn't miss it. The history of the cave is fascinating and Rob thought it was wonderful. It was, but not really that much different form other caves we've visited. Still, it was worth the visit. The campground was lovely and our next door neighbors, Trish and Steve, invited us to come over for drinks and their propane campfire. Visiting with them was at least a hundred times better than sitting in the dark alone in our campsite. We enjoyed red wine and great conversation (not everyone in Phoenix is politically conservative) and a warm fire. By 9:00 we were ready for bed and, although the campground was full, there were clearly no New Years Eve revelers present. We had a quiet night.

Day 207: Monday, December 30, 2019    41 miles to Benson, AZ
Comfort Inn
Today was an unmitigated disaster. We had planned to ride 48 miles to Kartchner Caverns State Park where we had a paid reservation, but we didn't make it. After 8 easy miles we got slammed with a headwind that didn't quite. Added to a steady 2500 foot climb, we struggled for every mile. And the traffic was relentless. We had 26 miles of interstate riding, with not a single rest area and a stretch of 18 miles with no services. We tried hitchhiking at several entrance ramps, but we were out in the middle of nowhere and there were just no pickup trucks with friendly drivers out today.

Previously when we've had tough headwind days we've been able to stay together. Even if I'm doing all the pulling, at least Rob has been able to keep a steady pace behind me. It was probably the climbing coupled with the elevation. We started around 2400 feet. I would stop and wait for Rob. We'd start together and I'd try to ride slow but he just couldn't stay with me. I got to where I would just stop every mile and wait. It was no fun. We ate a snack leaning against a jersey barrier on an on ramp. At one point Rob said he felt dizzy so we put our bikes down and sat on the edge of the road while trucks and cars sped by. I got out some dried mangoes and raspberry infused dark chocolate for Rob to eat. We had about 8 more miles before we'd come to an exit with lodging. But we couldn't book ahead because neither of us had a phone that had a charge.

We pressed ahead and in three more miles came to an exit with a convenience store. I charged my phone, bought a chocolate milk for Rob, and booked a room at a Comfort Inn, 10 miles short of our planned destination. We had five more miles which, thankfully, were downhill, still into a headwind. 

I had my head down all day, hating life. I didn't take any pictures. Only the last few miles could I lift my head and look around and appreciate the beauty of the mountains surrounding us.

So instead of camping out in freezing temperature, we are camping out in a cozy hotel. We arrived so tired neither of us even had the energy to take a shower for about an hour. We cooked ramen noodles with hot water from the coffee maker and munched on all our snack food, including hummus and pretzels and red pepper. We've been reviewing our itiinerary for the next few weeks. I've been checking the weather forecast, looking at the wind speed and direction. There's lots of wind, sometimes from the east, but more often from the west, which is what we need. 

We spent $100 on our room for tonight. But it really cost $135 because we'd already paid for our campsite at the state park. Our budget is $75/day. Oops! At least our tickets for the cavern tour tomorrow are for the afternoon so we'll have plenty of time to get there.

Day 206: December 29, 2019   35 miles around Tucson, AZ
Warm Showers hosts Christine & Steve
This morning our Warm Showers host Steve greeted us with, "The coldest day of the year. 29 degrees and you guys nailed it." We all bundled up, Steve, Heidi, their friends Steve and Linda, and Rob and me, and we rode a few miles to eat breakfast out. Then we crossed Tucson, riding about 15 miles, to the east side of town. We said our good-byes then Rob and I went to meet our Warm Showers hosts for tonight, Christine and Steve. Like everyone else we've met in Tucson, they are the nicest people. We were going to drop off our gear before heading off to ride the loop in Saguaro National Park, but they invited us to have lunch with them first.

Saguaro National Park was more of the beautiful desert landscape we've been enjoying for the past week and a half. And throw in a backdrop of snow-dusted mountains. The eight-mile loop was a roller coaster ride on a one-way park road .

Day 205: December 28, 2019  12 miles around Tucson, AZ
Warm Showers hosts Steve & Heidi
Today was cloudy and cold. We set out on our bikes to do some more exploring and visited the Presidio, an recreation of the original fortress built by the Spaniards in the late 1700s. Rob and I are impressed with how different the history here is from New England with its Spanish and Mexican, rather than British, influences. It got really cold so we weren't out and about for very long.

One of the things I've noticed about Westerners is that Westerners always have room on  their dance card for a new friend. You can meet a Westerner, find you have something in common, and within five minutes they are inviting you to share an experience or visit them the next time you are in town. And they truly mean it.

This morning while Rob and I were stopped, consultiing our map, a couple about our ages asked if we needed help. We got talking and found out that they split their time between Tucson and Boulder. They insisted that the next time we are in Tucson we stay with them. We exchanged contact information and plan to look them up when we are in Boulder this coming summer.

We are loving Tucson. We had no expectations about the city, just wanted to check out this part of the country. It's surrounded by mountains. The bicycle infrastructure is fantastic, the bicycling community is welcoming, the hiking possibilities are infinite, the desert is gorgeous, and the city has lots of cultural events. Rob is now telling people we might spend part of our retirement here. Boulder is still the main spot but now it's a tossup between the Oregon coast, northern California, Portsmouth, NH, and Tucson for a place at a lower elevation. Certainly if we are looking for an athletic community to fit into Tucson would be it. The city feels a lot like Boulder.

Day 204: December 27, 2019  About 10 miles walking around Tucson
Warm Showers hosts Steve & Heidi
It was raining in the morning and there was more rain in the forecast. We wanted to be tourists in Tucson and probably could have ridden our bikes but Rob wanted to walk and we've agreed that we need to do more walking so we set off to see what we could see. We walked a couple miles to the University of Arizona and the Center for Creative Photography. Then, since it wasn't raining, we set out to walk to as many murals as we could find. We did a lot of walking.

Day 203: December 26, 2019  23 miles around Tucson, AZ
Warm Showers hosts Steve & Heidi
In the morning Chuck took us for a ride up Mt. Lemmon. We rode uphill about 6 1/2 miles before turning around and sailing downill for more of Cheryl's delicious soup. Then we packed up and rode to our next Warm Showers home closer to downtown. We were planning to stay two nights but Steve and Heidi insisted we stay three. Why argue with that?

Days 201 & 202: MERRY CHRISTMAS!
December 24 &25, 2019    20 miles to Tucson
Warm Showers hosts Cheryl & Chuck
We never expected to find Warm Showers hosts who would take us in for Christmas but - what the heck - it can't hurt to ask. We couldn't possibly have had better people to spend our holiday with. Cheryl is recovering from hip replacement surgery so she can't cycle, but Chuck came out on the Loop bike path to meet us on Christmas Eve. It was cold and windy and when we arrived Cheryl had hot soup ready for a late lunch.

We had a wonderful Christmas. In the morning Chuck took us for a hike in Sabina Canyon. The Sonoran Desert is the greenest desert in the world and is just stunning. 

Then in the afternoon two other couples arrived for a game of cards and hors d'oevres, soup, and dessert. It was a very low key and pleasant way to spend the holiday.

We also spent time during these two days nailing down our route and schedule for the next month to make sure we make it to San Antonio to meet our kids there on Jan. 25.


Day 200: Monday, Dec. 23, 2019  57 miles to north Tucson, AZ
Motel 6
Today was rough. After 13 miles we had a strong headwind, about10 mph for most of the rest of the day. I had to work hard just to keep us going about 8 mph. At 20 miles, with 40 more to go, thinking about 5 more hours fighting the wind, I wanted to cry. When we stopped for lunch after 26 miles Rob triedf to convince me that the wind was dying, but it wasn't.

The scenery didn't help. We were sandwiched between traffic on the interstate and eight freight trains speeding by with no saguaros to cheer us on. Only mountains off in the distance looking down on our suffering and doing nothing to turn off the wind.

But the good news is that we made it to our evening lodging before dark. Motel 6 isn't much, but we had only a short walk to the Mexican restaurant that Brian, our Warm Showers host last night, highly recommended. I enjoyed grilled vegetable fajitas and Rob had his usual burrito.

Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow but we only have 17 miles to ride to our Warm Showers hosts who have graciously invited us to share their holiday with them and their friends.

Day 199: Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019   60 miles to Casa Grande, AZ
Warm Showers host Brian
We were on the road as soon as the sun was up, which wasn't until 7:45. Our first 30 miles were on the interstate, not as bad as you would think since the traffic was light and the shoulder was wide and the exits were miles apart. We had a gradual ascent, which would have been fine except for the headwind that kept us at an eight or nine mile per hour pace for the first three hours. But we had plenty of saguaro cactus for company. Then the wind died down and we had a slight descent so we made up time and arrived in Casa Grande around 3:00.

Day 198: Saturday, Dec. 21, 201D9   42 miles to Gila Bend, AZ
Palms Inn Motel
Rob never talks about quitting, says it never occurs to him. I guess that's why it's good to have a traveling partner. I don't know if I would still be getting on my bike every day if not for Rob. But then again, there is always something to look forward to, something new to see. We'll be in Tucson for Christmas and, surprisingly, we've been able to find Warm Showers folks who will put us up.

This morning's riding started out fast for the first twenty miles, then the wind picked up. After climbing so much for six months, it's nice to have flat, but that can get boring after a while. As we headed north the saguaro cactii disappeared and it was just scrubby brush. Narrow shoulder which we've had before on winding roads in California. Here the roads are straight so you'd think the cars would give us wide berth, but that hasn't been the case. Quite a few passed us alarmingly close, going very fast. There are no "Share the Road" with bicycles signs here.

Tomorrow we'll be back on the interstate which will probably feel safer.

We arrived in Gila Bend around 1:30 to check in to the motel we stayed in when we were here Monday night. A good price, clean, modern rooms, we were happy to spend the afternoon relaxing and doing some trip planning. We were able to cook dinner right outside our room - sauteed vegetables with cashews and instant fettucine alfredo with tuna. A pretty good meal overall.

Day 197: Friday, Dec. 20, 2019   12 miles to Ajo, AZ
Warm Showers hosts Margaret & Richard
On our way out of Ajo on Wednesday we noticed that there was more to the town than we had originally thought, so we planned today to enjoy being lazy and enjoy time in a coffee shop and doing a little exploring.

When we were picking up dinner at the Family Dollar store, a gentleman told us about the fish fry put on at the local VFW across the street. Rob said we were on a budget and he said he'd buy us both dinner and a beer. We spent the evening getting to know Larry and his friend Linda who, it turns out, are spending their winter camping at the RV park we stayed at last night.

Day 196: Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019  25 miles to Why, AZ
Coyote Howls East Campground
We went for a short hike, about 5 miles, in the morning, then headed back to Why to stay at a private campground. The riding was not as smooth as the previous days, as we had a bit of a headwind. 

Day 195: Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019  37 miles to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Twin Peaks Campground
Who has ever heard of Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument? I certainly hadn't before I looked at a map of Arizona during the early planning of this trip. I am always on the alert for national parks and monuments and this one, right on the Mexico border, caught my eye.  The ride out there was amazing - not just the occasional saguaro cactus but hundreds of them, stretching out as far as we could see with mountains in the background. And ocotillo and cholla everywhere.

We arrived at the campground with time to go for a short loop hike to watch the sunset.

Day 194: Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2019    44 miles to Ajo, AZ
Warm Showers with Margaret
Easy riding day with a tailwind all day. Nothing between Gila Bend and Ajo besides border patrol checkpoints. And one "gap" through some rock formations populated with saguaro cactus.

Tonight we've pitched our tent in Margaret's yard. She has a small bathhouse built on her property and spends her winters here living in an RV. Liviing where you can spend so much time outside, it's easy for people to call an RV home. When it got cold outside, Margaret invited us to join her inside the RV where it's cozy and warm. We assured her that we would be plenty warm inside our tent.

We'll continue our ride south tomorrow to Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument.

Day 193: Monday, Dec. 16, 2019  49 miles to Gila Bend, AZ
Palms Inn
Every campground is a new experience. The Dateland RV Park cost $12, picnic table not included. When I saw that I was crestfallen. After Rob's cardiac event last week, we decided to lighten our loads and sent our chairs home. After all, Rob said, "We haven't really been using them." We sure could have used them yesterday. But Rob, ever resourseful, went walking around the campground and borrowed a couple chairs from RVers.

The campground was not very busy. I can understand why. It's sandwiched between the interstate with trucks zooming by all night, and train tracks, with freight trains every hour all night long. I slept through them; Rob counted eight. And forget about enjoying the night sky. The campground had floodlights everywhere, on all night. I love camping. At least I had a hot shower.

I should also note that this was the only lodging option in town. RV sites cost $150 a month. Judging from the kitchen oven/stove that sat outside one of the RVs, it appears that some people likely use RV resorts as their primary residence.

The riding today was more challenging than yesterday. With a slight increase in elevation the miles went by more slowly. After 15 miles we stopped at a rest area for a break - we were on the interstate - then there was nothing until Gila Bend, 33 miles later. 33 miles is a long time to go without a proper rest, and we had a slight headwind to boot. Rob and I were both pretty exhausted. We stopped at a McD's as soon as we got into town to discuss our options for the night. It didn't make so much sense to camp at an expensive KOA when we could find a room for not that much more. All I wanted was a nap. The Palms Inn turned out to be a great choice, family owned, clean, with microwave, coffee maker, fridge, and hot shower.  We could prepare dinner in our room. And it's right across the street from the railroad tracks. 

We saw our first saguaro cacti today, off in the distance silhouetted against the mountains and sky.

Day 192: Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019  58 miles to Dateland, AZ
Dateland RV Park
We zipped through the miles today as easily as peeling the skin off a banana. We spent the entire time on the interstate, getting off once in Wellton to hang out at a Jack In The Box to get on the internet. After that we stopped at a rest area. Rob says that the riding is exactly as he'd pictured it would be. Sand, sagebrush, flat, mountains in the distance, and trains all day long.

Day 191: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019, 20 miles around Yuma, AZ
Warm Showers with Michael & Myra
We enjoyed a lazy morning then biked to Old Town Yuma for a tour of the Sanguinnetti House Museum where we learned about Yuma's history.

We've been impressed with how much the people who live here absolutely love it. One of the artist's last night raved about how friendly the people are. And it's always sunny. Our Warm Showers hosts retired here 20 years ago from outside Vancouver, Washington. They love the summers when all the "Snowbirds" leave and the 120 degree heat never bothers them. They sit outside all year long.

Michael is a retired police officer and over dinner shared many stories of his thirty years in that profession. I was struck by how much he cared about doing things by the book when other officers were more worried about getting enough arrests under their belts so they could look good.

When we are hosted by married couples we often get a glimpse into the window of their marriage and, in every case, the apparent love they have for one another. Michael and Myra got married in their teens, when they were expecting their first child. Michael was a high school dropout, but, he says, "Myra kicked my butt back in school." Myra went to college and Michael to the police academy. He said, "Then I was able to ride in the front of a police cruiser instead of the back."

When they decided to get married, the Catholic priest wouldn't marry them because he said their marriage wouldn't last two years. Over fifty years later with three grown children, eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren, they're still married. The respect and love they show for one another is inspiring.

Day 190: Friday, Dec. 13, 2019   60 miles to Yuma, AZ
Econolodge
We're falling apart. Monday Rob misjudged his distance as he passed alongside a parked truck, caught is pannier on it and fell down. I left a long-sleeved tech shirt behind in the hotel in San Diego. Tuesday, Rob's heart went into tachycardia climbing a hill and we had to pay a visit to a local ER. Then today, Rob got a bit too close to me, kissed my rear wheel and ran off the road into some bushes, falling down. And I left behind a flip-flop at the motel.

But it was a good day nonetheless. Riding over 50 miles through the desert, first on a two-lane highway, then 30 miles on Interstate I-8. We were only legally there sometimes. But we couldn't get a good read on the exact route and road conditions of the frontage roads, so we blatantly ignored signs that said Bicycles Must Exit or Bicycles Prohibited. I'm very proud of Rob for becoming a rule breaker.

The riding was flat and fast and we arrived in Yuma around 1:00 but we are in Arizona, so it was 2:00, which means it stayed light until 5:30. I can definitely live with that.

After showering and resting up we cycled to the historic part of town to check it out and get something to eat. The Yuma Art Center had a reception for a new show so we popped in there for free food and some pretty good art.

Day 189: Thursday, Dec. 12, 2019  50 miles to Calexico, CA
California Suites Motel
What's in a name? The Californai Suites Motel sounds so fancy, but it is actually a low-budget motel that cost us $55. The room is small but it does have a coffee maker, microwave, and fridge, along with wifi that actually works. But the shower was not quite hot enough. These days I'm getting to be happy if the shower is at least luke warm.

Chalk up another flat tire for Rob. But it didn't slow us down too much. And he got it when we stopped to take pictures on the interstate at a small pullout with an amazing view. 

We knocked off 50 miles with only one stop to fix the flat because there was no place to stop between Jacumba and Calexico. But that was okay because it was fast riding after one mild five mile climb first thing. Then we had ten miles of downhill on I-8 through beautiful rocky canyons before hitting the Yuba desert for 30 miles. 

We arrived in Calexico around 2:00, looking forward to having time to explore the border town, but there wasn't much to explore. The downtown was mostly discount supermarkets, discount clothing stores, and duty free shops. Nobody spoke English and around 4:00 there was a long line of people waiting to go though customs to go back to Mexicali. We didn't find a single coffee shop or restaurant in our wanderings.

Looking ahead, the budget is going to be taking a big hit. There are no public campgrounds. The private ones are only for RVs. Warm Showers hosts are few and far between. Dispersed camping on BLM lands holds no appeal to us. Budget hotels are in our immediate future.

Day 188: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019   28 miles to Jacumba, CA
Jacumba Spa & Resort
After yesterday I know that every day that Rob and I are able to get on our bikes and ride is a gift. Today the gift was wrapped and tied with a red bow.

After waiting only three minutes for a ride back in Ontario, and after yesterday getting a ride to the hospital so easily, Rob had a worried look on his face after 15 minutes of holding our sign up and thumbs out. It didn't help when a policeman honked and gave a sign that we should cut it out. But I didn't see it and at least two other police cars had already driven by so we held our ground. And after less than an hour we got a ride. Not as far as we originally wanted, but it worked out great. 

We got in 28 perfect miles. We did some climbing and Rob felt fine. We crossed the Pacific Crest Trail. We stopped for the night at the Jacumba Spa & Resort that gives a 40% discount to cyclists and soaked in their mineral spring hot tub.

Only ten more days until the Winter Solstice and the days will start getting longer again. Thankfully.

Day 187: Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2019  Not enough miles to count
Motel 6 in El Cajon, CA
This may go down as our worst day of the trip, but hopefully by tomorrow or the next day we'll just be looking at it as part of the adventure. 

The day started out fine; we were on the road by 7:45. It was a gorgeous day, blue sky, warm enough for riding shorts. We had lots more climbing to look forward to throughout the day, but we had options to stop in several places.

After a couple miles the road got steep. When I'm in my granniest gear and hitting less than 5 mph, that's usually my signal to get off and walk. I didn't have far to go before the road ended at the interstate exchange where we would get on the highway for 6 miles. I continued walking my bike over the highway while I waited for Rob to catch up. Tough guy that he is, he had opted to stay on his bike for that last steep bit, but he does have a better hill-climbing gear selection on his bike.

Even so, that last bit may have done him in. When he caught up, he complained of feeling dizzy. He sat down for a while. I told him to check his pulse. We both had trouble finding it. I played a couple tunes on my whistle. After about half an hour, Rob said his pulse was about 170.

We weighed our options. I checked my phone for a hospital nearby. We could call an ambulance, but what would we do with our bikes? (Can 't leave the bikes.) There was a children's hospital 5 miles downhill in Alpine. We could ride two or three miles downhill to the casino and call an ambulance there; at least then we might be somewhere we could leave the bikes.

We decided to try hitchhiking to a hospital in El Cajon. We rode back across the bridge to the entrance ramp for I-8 heading back to San Diego. I thought, there aren't many cars going on the highway here. It will take a while. 

It didn't. The first car stopped but didn't have room for us and our bikes. The next vehicle was a van. The driver said he was test driving it for a customer and wasn't sure he could put our bikes in but then said he would anyway. And while we were negotiating that, a pickup truck stopped. Tony, the driver, rescued us. We went to the hospital I thought was in El Cajon; the sign said no emergency patients, so Tony took us on to the next hospital in La Mesa. I told him he'd go on our blog as another pickup truck rescue. This one was probably the most important.

The medical answer is that Rob had another bout of tachycardia, what we had hoped was fixed two years ago before our bicycle trip around New England and Quebec. Is this problem going to recur? Who knows? The cardiologist prescribed a medication that he said shouldn't impact Rob's ability to ride. We'll have to see.

For now, we're not going to redo the climb we did yesterday and we're going to skip the rest of the climb over the mountains, hopefully by hitching a ride to Boulevard  Rob had a sign all made up.

Rob keeps saying I should write a book and I keep saying that it needs to be about more than just a bike ride.

Day 186: Monday, Dec. 9, 2019  42 miles to Alpine, CA
Ma-tar-awa RV Camper Park
Today was rough. Getting out of a big city means lots of stop lights, lots of traffic, and lots of having to pay attention to navigating. Then some of the roads were in really bad shape. And we had to climb all day. My odometer registered 5 hours, 18 minutes to cover the distance; Rob's was 5 hours 41 minutes, which means I had some time to practice some tunes on my whistle.

But we're on our way home. We've been on the road for six months. The Pacific Ocean is behind us.

It felt good to ride down the quiet country road on an Indian reservation into the campground this afternoon. Good to be back to our camping routine. Not so good to find out the jacuzzi advertised on the web site is closed for the season. And even more not so good to have a cold shower.

We were put in a "primitive" site with no neighbors, the only noise a running creek. The campground isn't full and it looks like a number of the people here make it their permanent home.

Days 176-185: Friday, Nov. 29 - Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019
We're still in San Diego. Seems like the halfway point in our journey is a good time to slow down and catch our breath. You would think that a year of cycling would give us plenty of time to take it slow, but as I look over photographs and write up blog posts, it feels like we've just flown by too many beautiful places.

So what have we been doing during our time in San Diego? 

We visited a bike shop where we found out that I don't need new tires. Rob replaced his front one and we replaced our rear gear cables.

Rob got a haircut. We bought hand and toe warmers for our ride over the mountains.

The day after Thanksgiving Marty took us to Balboa Park and gave us a tour of the desert garden and used guest passes for quick visits to the natural history and art museums. 

Sunday we left Marty and Jim to explore San Diego's Old Town and then stay with Warm Showers hosts Sue and Craig in Coronado. They live in a beautiful house right on the water. Monday Rob and I bicycled to Pt. Loma then in the evening joined Sue and Craig for a trivial night at their yacht club. Our team came in first place. (Mostly because the score keepers added the score wrong.)

Tuesday and Wednesday we spent more time exploring the village of Coronado, staying in a hotel there, then onto a budget motel in Chula Vista where the focus was on trying to get caught up on my blog posts while Rob researched our route heading east. 

A word about that. Several people have told us that we really should continue riding south to Baja, Mexico, rather than east. The weather will be better, they say. We gave it some thought, but decided to continue with Plan A, heading east.

With another bout of rain over the weekend and still not running out of energy to work on my blog, we were happy to find another Warm Showers host for a couple nights and continue working on my blog. Anne and Brad were wonderful to let us stay with them while Anne was still getting over a cold and Brad had to be out for some Christmas caroling gigs. I convinced Rob that his macaroni and cheese was in order and it was much appreciated.

Between our errands and the ride to Pt. Loma, our total for the last ten days is about 100 miles.

Were spending one more night in San Diego. We're taking today to try to find Christmassy things to do, even as it is a rare rainy day for San Diego. We're staying in a Comfort Inn near the harbor and we'll walk over there when it gets dark to watch the Christmas boat parade.

Then tomorrow we'll hit the road again.

Day 175: Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Home of Marty & Jim
Aside from our Thanksgiving in Australia in 2017, which was just a day like any other, this was probably the first time in many years that we did not run a Turkey Trot first thing in the morning. We were happy to sleep in and spend the day relaxing. It rained all day.

Marty and Jim deflected all our offers to help cook. They worked all day on dishes of green beans, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and a turkey that had been "butterflied" and prepared with a dry brine that was incredibly moist and delicious. The other dinner guests were the Nigerian family of a visiting scientist working in Jim's lab. They mostly have been living in Japan and speak fluent English and have two young daughters. After not being allowed to help with the food preparations, I was happy that Marty let me take charge of the cleanup. Rob and I were so glad to be able to share the holiday with new and old friends, especially as we have no idea where we will be for Christmas.

Day 174: Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2019   A Day at the Zoo
Home of Marty & Jim
We visited the San Diego Zoo, trying to see as much as possible before the rain began, forecast for an early afternoon start. The keeper talks were a highlight. First thing we saw a beaver up close, learned that their teeth are orange because they have a high iron content. In addition to cutting down trees to build their homes, they get nourishment from the cambrium of a tree. That's the layer under the bark.

I talked to a docent at the orangatan exhibit, asking the tough question about why we should be putting wild animals in zoos in the first place.She talked about education, breeding programs, and working with communities where the animals come from to help them maintain habitats for the animals so that they don't become extinct. She referred me to a website called endextinction.org.

We also went to a keeper talk with the meerkats. I think I only saw them in a cartoon and was surprised at how small they are. They reminded me of prairie dogs.

Our zoo outing was a hit for our budget but I'm glad we went. Rob loves zoos so it was a happy day for him. For me it was a chance to appreciate the incredible diversity of life on our planet.

Day 173: Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2019    35 miles to San Diego, CA
Home of Marty & Jim
It feels like we've been rushing too much. Today we were able to slow down the pace and stopped in a cafe in La Jolla for tea and a croissant. Our real mission was to figure out how to get to Marty and Jim's house in San Diego. When I called Marty to tell her we were on our way, she told us not to miss the sea lions in La Jolla Cove. They were just down the road, along with seals and pelicans. It was pretty amazing to see sea lions swimming right up to the shore, close to where kids were playing in the water.

Googlemaps let us down today when the directions didn't match the reality on the street. But eventually we found our way to Marty and Jim's house.

Day 172: Monday, Nov. 25, 2019   47 miles to Cardiff-by-Sthe-Sea, CA
San Elijo State Beach Campground
We still haven't figured out how to budget our time properly, finding ourselves still on the road as cars have their headlights on and the sun is setting. We were too complacent this morning and didn't get on the raod early enough, with a nine o'clock start.

After ten miles we met a friend in San Clemente for tea and muffins, then back on the road with a long stretch along San Onofre State Beach before coming to the fenced off Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base and a sign saying Authorized Personnel Only, Anyone Entering Premises Subject to Search. But a section of the fencing opened onto a paved bike path that beckoned. What to do? We went ahead and a short time later a drone flew overhead and a helicopter flew over the ocean to our right.  We knew we weren't allowed in Camp Pendleton without clearance, and would have to get on the interstate, but we didn't see any signs for when that would happen. Would we get stopped, arrested, have to turn back? After a few miles I saw a bicyclist ahead, and a few more. Finally, we came to a parking lot and a couple bicyclists who told us that now was the time to get on the interstate for eight miles. Even with a wide shoulder there is nothing fun about interstate riding, but at least it went quickly. Off the interstate and back to riding along beachfront property and oceanside communities. Again, I was sorry we didn't have the time to explore them, but we were on a mission to get to San Diego where friends had invited us for Thanksgiving. And a huge storm was coming on Wednesday.

We shared the hiker/biker campsite tonight with Imka and Julie from Quebec City, getting to know them a little better. I asked Julie if Quebec still wants to secede from the rest of Canada and she said that the young adults and grandparents want to, but her parents' generation doesn't care. She was very strong in her feelings about separation, saying that Quebec doesn't share any culture with the rest of Canada. 

This was Julie and Imka's first long bicycle tour, although they have traveled together before, taking a couple months to travel through India. They are both 24 years old. Julie will return to begin a masters program in biology, maybe going on for a PhD, studying plants in the arctic. Imka loves working outside and will be looking for a job when they return.

Day 171: Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019   69 miles to Laguna Beach, CA
Warm Showers host Ryan
We paid dearly for our late night visiting with Louse and Sean and not dragging ourselves out of bed for an early start. With no campgrounds and a Warm Showers place available past Laguna Beach, we had motivation to push the mileage today. Not getting on the road until 8:30 was a bad idea. Missing a turn cost us three miles. A front flat tire for Rob cost us time. From Redondo Beach we had to navigate through the city streets of Torrance and Carson to Long Beach. But we had lots of bike paths along the way, lots of riding past Sunday beach goers, volleyballers, and surfers. I cursed the short day when it started getting dark around four o'clock. We turned on our lights before Laguna Beach and I wished we would have had the time to explore the town. We only had time for short stops to grab somethng to eat out of our packs.

As seems to often be the case, we had a steep hill to climb to our Warm Showers host, this time up a dirt path. Ryan had told us: 
yes, I can host you. However, I have 4 other warmshowerers tomorrow night! I expect most riders can camp as I only have one small guest bed, a couch, and a blow up full bed. You’re welcome to join the communal experience! 

Rob wasn't sure about staying with so many people. I said, what choice do we have. Would you rather spend over a hundred dollars for a motel? I wondered if we would know any of the other cyclists.


We arrived to a party. Sam, a young cyclist from Belgium, was there. We'd stayed at a Warm Showers with him in Astoria (northern Oregon), and camped with him just north of San Francisco. Catherine, who'd begun her journey in Alaska, was there. We camped with her back in Oregon. Imka and Julie, young French Canadians from Quebec City, who'd begun their journey in Seattle, were there. We'd camped with them just before San Francisco as well. We'd spent so much time in San Francisco that I'd expectecd they would all be ahead of us, but, like us, they were taking time to savor the journey.

Ryan, our host, loved having all of us descend on him. He'd only recently bought his house, a little two bedroom with a deck and a small yard, and only just started hosting. He cooked up a pot of rice and lots of roasted veggies with a delicious sauce. There was plenty of beer and wine. Three generations were represented . Julie, Imka, and Sam in their early twenties, Ryan and Catherine i their early forties, and Rob and me in our early sixties. 

We all sat in the living room and shared stories, talked about the other cyclists we'd met along the way, wondered where they were. I couldn't believe it when Julie said, "Will told us that Connie and Rob are fast."

Did they let us have the bed and private room out of respect for our elder years? Julie said she loves to camp. She and Imka pitched their tent in the backyard. Sam slept on a sofa on the back deck. Catherine slept on the living room sofa.

Day 170: Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019 Rest day in Venice, CA
Today we slept in, then went upstaairs to visit with Sean who gave us a synopsis of the history of the area, which included the creation and covering up of canals and the birth of skateboarding, and of his career path to his present job working in the film industry for Red Bull Media. 

Then we relaxed and took a walk to the other part of Venice, away from the beach, where we found a donut shop selling an intriguing variety of donuts. I had to try one, and bought the french dark chocolate with almonds. It was pretty good, but definitely not worth the $5 price tag. Rob had an apple donut and said the same about his. While we were sitting outside enjoying them, we talked to a couple of younger gentlemen who were entertaining visitors from out of town. They said that the street had undergone a metamorphosis over the last ten years, from drug culture and freak show, to gentrified boutiques and $5 donuts. It was filled with shoppers and browsers on this beautiful Saturday afternoon.

Venice, like many towns and cities along the coast, has a huge homeless population. There was an extensive encampment right across the street from where we were staying, tents set up on a small strip between the street and sidewalk. I noticed a porta-john nearby and Rob noticed a police car drive by without stopping.

Louise came home around 4:00. I accompanied her on an errand into the city where she gave me a brief tour and we caught up on several years worth of news. Kudos to Sean and Louise for letting us stay in their beautiful apartment at the last minute, cooking us a fabulous salmon and veggie dinner, and taking the time to visit. We are so gratful we had the chance to catch a glimpse into their life in Venice.

Day 169: Friday, Nov. 22, 2019  50 miles to Venice, CA
Home of Louise & Sean
The ride today included probably the scariest nine miles of the trip. In Malibu there was no bike lane and the shoulder had cars parked willy-nilly all along the waterfront. The drivers to our left gave us nothing and to our right we had to keep our eyes peeled for car doors opening and cars pulling out. It was a nightmare. But since I am writing this, you know we survived.

Other than that, the riding was fun. Alex started out with us through farmlands and pointed out a stretch of highway along the coast where car commercials are often filmed. After Malibu we enjoyed riding on paved bike paths alongside flat sandy beaches. Much of the stretch from Santa Monica to Venice had a bike path the was completely separate from the pedestrian walkway alongside the shops, pretty nice except when a skateboard tried a fancy trick and lost control of his skateboard and it came right at me.

We weren't planning on staying in Venice, even though Alex had told us it was definitely a place to spend time to see all the interesting characters who hang out on the beach there. With no campgrounds or Warm Showers avalable, we figured we'd push ahead to Hermosa Beach and stay in a motel. But in the morning I left a message for Louise, a family friend I seldom see and I only knew that she lives somewhere in L.A. She returned my call when we were sitting on the beach about six miles from Venice and told me she lives in Venice, a short walk from the bach. She wasn't home, and wouldn't be home that night. But we figured out that her husband, Sean, could let us into an apartment they have downstairs from their home and we'd catch up tomorrow when she got home. 

With the flat terrain, Rob and I arrived in Venice by early-afternoon with plenty of time to soak up the Venice vibe along the boardwalk - really a cement strip - and enjoy one of our last sunsets over the Pacific Ocean. After dark, the buskers went home and the shops closed down and young skateboarders took over.

Day 168: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019   28 miles to Ventura, CA
Warm Showers host Alex in Oxnard
We had an easy, flat ride to Ventura where we connected with a friend for lunch. Ellen and I have a friendship dating back to our days living in the D.C. area where Rob had a post-doc at NIH. Rob and I met Ellen on a bike ride with Potomac Pedalers. 

With the shorter days, rather than risk riding in the dark, Ellen gave us a ride to Oxnard, where we were able to camp in Alex's backyard. No warm shower for us tonight, as Alex's water heater is broken, but we were happy for a cold one and a place to hang out inside to cook and relax. As is so often the case, we were impressed with how much our Warm Showers host loves where he lives. Oxnard is an agricultural area and Alex told us that after the fields are harvested he will often bicycle out to them and glean some of the vegetables that have been left behind.

Both Alex and Matt (last night's host) had nothing good to say about the commercial strawberry industry. Strawberries require massive amounts of water, not an abundant commodity in this part of the world. Unlike in New England, where small farms treat strawberry plants as perrennials, putting down mulch to keep the berries from rotting, here in southern California, the plants are plowed under after every harvest. They are planted in rows covered in plastic so every year massive amounts of plastic are pulled off the fields and thrown away. Think about that the next time you are in the grocery store considering that package of strawberries from California.

Day 167: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2019   62 miles to Santa Barbara, CA
Warm Showers hosts Stephanie and Matt
We had one major climb of about 750 feet today, but it was gradual so turned out to be no big deal. Then too many miles on major highway 101. Rob got another flat in his front tire; we changed the tire to the spare. Time for another new one. I'm going to replace my rear soon so I don't start getting a string of them.

We poked around Santa Barbara a bit before meeting up with Matt who picked us up at a McDonalds on the edge of town. He and Stephanie live about 20 miles outside Santa Barbara but are willing to pick up the cyclists who request hosting. Stephanie, a nurse, had to work, but Matt cooked us a delicious vegetable and tofu curry dinner. He works as a fire fighter for the fire service and we had a fascinating conversation about the dire future of the forests and water availability. He is seeing dramatic changes in what he calls his little domain.

We've had a difficult time in California finding Warm Showers hosts. If there are any at all, they have either not responded to our requests or have responded negatively. We are so grateful to have found Matt and Stephanie, to meet regular local people, stay in a home, and do laundry.

Day 166: Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2019   44 miles to Lompoc, CA
Motel 6
Given the cold wind that kicked up this afternoon we weren't too sorry that the campground in town is closed, even though our budget is taking a hit.

We woke up this morning to a layer of green foam on our steel cut oats. It was pretty gross. We've grown so tired of rolled oats for breakfast we switched to steel cut but they need to be pre-cooked the night before. If there's no food box at the campsite, I resort to storing our food in the bathroom. Last night I put it in one of the shower rooms. And it came out with the added bonus of green foam on top. of the oatmeal. Fortunately we had enough butter for extra cinnamon toast.

Today's weather was what I call San Francisco weather. You wear long pants and you're too hot; put on shorts and you're too cold. Shorts and a lightweight running jacket worked for me except on the long climb at the end of the day. Rob had more trouble sorting out what as going to work for him. Mostly he went with just a T-shirt. Really, the weather was better than yesterday when it got quite hot.

We were inland all day. State Highway 1 took us through farm country where dried mud caked the roads making them extremely bumpy to navigate. I could only imagine what they are like when it rains, probably covered with a sheen of mud and slick as as ice. 

People were out working in the fields. We try to figure out what is growing. I saw a cauliflower peaking out from under one plant and a bunch of celery lying on the side of the road. The other day the road was littered with random brussel sprouts and in Oregon it was cranberries.

We finished the day with one long climb. One more tomorrow, then we're done? The next map set doesn't have any elevation profile so I'm guessing it's flat.

Day 165: Monday, Nov. 18, 2019    58 miles to Pismo Beach, CA
Pismo State Beach Campground
Fast riding today with easy rolling hills and the wind at our backs. The scenery wasn't much and we were on too many busy highways but the sea otters we found in Morro Bay were great fun. We sat and watched them for about an hour while we ate a snack.

We hit some beach towns that are reminiscent of North Hampton back home in New Hampshire. But it's not a busy time of year so all is reasonably quiet. Our route also took us inland to San Luis Obispo where we had lunch in the park next to the old mission and took care of some errands - groceries, a new water bottle to replace the one Rob dropped that got run over before he could retrieve it, REI to get fuel, the post office to mail a birthday card.

We had just a few miles to go when Rob got a flat tire. Thankfully it was the front, not his brand-new rear. It wasn't completely flat, just soggy, so he pumped it up and it got us to the campground. I felt so bad for him getting so many flats that I offered to change it for him.

Sadly, we had to pay full price at the campground tonight as they shut down the hiker/biker site (whidh usually costs $5 per person) due to misuse by the homeless population. At least the showers were hot.

Day 164: Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019    41 miles to Cambria, CA
Bluebird Inn
We blew right by Hearst Castle today. With affordable housing out of reach of so many, I told Rob I had no interest in seeing yet another example of ostentatious oppulence and he agreed. Besides, we would have had to make a reservation and climb a hill.

We had more fun seeing and learning about an elephant seal colony.

We started the day with three solid climbs. North of San Francisco we'd climb a winding road up a hill, then down into a cove, then back up again, over and over. Now the hills are fewer and longer. You look up and see the road above you on the cliff and think, that's got to be the top, I can make that. Then you get to that summit, round the curve and see the road continue climbing to the top of the next curve, over and over, climbing 750 or 1000 feet. The scenery is stunning the entire way.

After the first 15 miles we had25 miles of mooth sailing. We think the toughest hills are behind us and we'll be able to pick up some more mileage tomorrow.

We had a state park campground picked out, but I wanted to explore the town of Cambria and also wanted a break from the early dark. Rob agreed. Our budget is taking a hit. After checking into our motel, we walked around the historic half of town. There are about four bakeries on two blocks. We wandered into a Mexican restaurant that had a live band playing on the back patio. We stayed and ordered beer. It looked to be a local hangout, lots of people dancing. Then we picked up some frozen dinners at the local organic store and ate in our room. We've got to save money somehow.

We haven't been able to find any Warm Showers hosts for a while.

Day 163: Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019   34 miles to USFS Plaskett Creek Campground, 9 miles south of Lucia


Even with an early start we still didn't beat the traffic. But, for the most part everyone gives us plenty of room. We had a 1000-foot climb right out of the blocks this morning, then lots of smaller ones that weren't too bad. The highway engineering is pretty amazing; lots of bridges hugging the cliffs. Apparently the road is often closed with rock slides. A sign outside Carmel-by-the-Sea indicated which segments were open.

We've returned to summer. Our last night north of San Francisco, along with a dozen other cyclists, we were about the only ones in the campground. Tonight and last night the campgrounds were full. That's not a problem for us. All down the coast the campgrounds have hiker/biker sites where we are guaranteed a spot for $5/person. Usually it's in a shared campsite, which hasn't been a problem.

We arrived at the campground around 3:00. Plenty of time to set up the tent, have a cup of tea, then walk to Sand Dollar Beach and enjoy the sunset. Then we cooked dinner in the dark, sat in our camp chairs and read with our headlamps. I'm beginning to find out what life was like before electricity. I can't say as I'm especially enamored with it. This is probably why I've never had a hankering to go winter camping. The days are just too darn short.

Day 162: Friday, Nov. 15, 2019 29 miles to Big Sur, CA
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
We got a late start today, probably a mistake as the traffic on Highway 1 was pretty intense. Lots of hills and lots of stunning ocean cliffs with no civilization along the way, nothing to tempt us to open our wallets. We camped among the Redwoods.

Day 161: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 22 miles to Carmel-by-the-Sea Clarion Collection motel
We spent the morning being tourists in Monterey, checking out the old Fisherman's Wharf, Cannery Row, the historic park in town, and the Salvadore Dali museum. Then we set off to ride around the Monterey Peninsula to Carmel-by-the-Sea where we had a room booked for the night. Dinner out topped off a perfect day.

Day 160: Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019 47 miles to Monterey, CA
Rodeway Inn
We had plans to camp at a county campground tonight, but the dark got the better of us. Rob got a flat tire this morning, his third in six days, so we had no choice but to stop at a bike shop as soon as we arrived in Monterey and get a new tire. Rob put in on while I replaced my torn handlebar tape. By then it was getting dark and we had no interest in searching for the campground somewhere up a long hill on the outskirts of town. So we found a cheap room and stopped at a Trader Joes where we picked up some frozen food to cook in a microwave. We'll explore Monterey tomorrow.


Both this morning and this afternoon we had some fun riding on country roads through California farmland that felt like we were riding through the produce section of a grocery store. We saw brussel sprouts, artichokes, cabbages, strawberries, and cauliflower. We saw brown-skinned people working in the fields, people who don't speak English. These are the people who our president doesn't want here, the people who help to put the food on our table.

Day 159: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 41 miles to Capitola, CA
New Brighton State Beach Campground
We got in some good miles this morning and arrived at Natural Bridges State Park, just north of Santa Cruz, by 11:00. Stopped to see the monarch butterflies that overwinter there, then had lunch on the beach where pelicans made their home. Then some beautiful riding along a bike path to Santa Cruz proper, the views were gorgeous but I was feeling saturated with beautiful ocean pictures so I didn't stop to take any. Lots of surfers getting out of their cars along the highway and in Santa Cruz.

We stopped for ice cream in downtown Santa Cruz and when we left our bikes locked and walked around the corner to a bike shop to pick up a gear cable, the young man at the counter immediately told us not to leave our bikes unattended for even a minute. He said, "It will get stolen." As we were riding through town to find a Trader Joes, I noticed only one or two bikes locked up. Lots of bike racks, no bikes. What a shame.

We're still adjusting to the shorter days. They are definitely cramping our style. At 3:00, when we came to the quaint downtown area of Capitola, we decided to change our plans and stay at a campground just a mile or so down the road so we could stop off to enjoy the town and have a beer. We stopped at the Paradise Beach Grille, where the hostess let us bring our bikes inside and then offered us a pile of peppermints and Andes mints and the owner gave us a T-shirt. Without a doubt one of the wonderful things about this trip is how generous and kind people have been to us. We have never stayed at a motel where we've had a problem either bringing our bikes into our room or having them safely stored.

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