It only took a few days to get back to the midwest! We had great winds to carry us and it's mostly downhill.
Ack! I cannot live the lie! We took a train back home...a very long train. It was fun though. we got to see all the scenery again and even saw some of the same roads we rode out West. I'm not in too much of a bloggy mood right now, but in case pictures are of interest to you there are more up on my flickr. It's a stupid website and only lets me put on a few a month, so there will be more in a week or so. Right now there are photos up until Yellowstone.
We're having fun relaxing here in Illinois, and will be returning to Madison on Saturday! OMG!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
PDX
OK! Sorry for the delay. Things to do, people to see!
We made it, no buses, no rides from moms. It ended up being FAR easier than we had imagined and absolutely beautiful and we are very happy with our decision. From Walla Walla we rode to a campground on the beach just inside of Oregon which was awesome. we saw a nice sunset and woke up to the cahtter of seagulls :) We woke up the next day at 4:30 in hopes of beating whatever wind we were sure we would get, but ended up with an INCREDIBLE day of no wind/light tailwinds and made it 102 miles! We got in our century! And just when I was getting bummed because I thought it was impossible. However, that day was really really hot and we were in the desert the whole time. The next day was beautiful and again, light winds. We talked to a cyclist at this lookout point on top of a hill and we said we got into the gorge at a really good time. The next 2 days just got prettier and prettier. The hills weren't too bad, and even when there was wind we were kind of up in the trees so we got some cover from it. We rode on the Historic Columbia River Highway for the most part. It's America's first scenic road, and boy is it scenic. The developers made it a point to have the road go past all the most beautiful parts of the gorge, so there were waterfalls and deep woods and lots of lookout points way high up. We had an awesome reception by Peter and my mom here complete with champagne and fruit. Since then we've been exploring the city and eating a lot of food. Portland is awesome-such a pretty place, easy to get around and a lot to do. We're going to get to as many parks as we can and go to all the little shopping/cafe/restaurant places while we're here. I want to eat at every vegan restaurant there is!
We're a little homesick and the post-tour depression has definitely set in. It's an incredibly strange feeling being done, like, what do we do now? It's hard to describe....I'm sure once we get back into normal life (working, living, city life) we'll feel better. We got our train tickets today and are heading back to the midwest this weekend. We're not sure what will come next...we decided to NOT think about future plans while we're here. This is the end of our vacation and we're going to remain as carefree as possible!
I'll have Dylan write a blog with his deep philosophical biking thoughts, and maybe I'll write a "How My Bike Ride Changed Me" blog. And pictures will be here soon!
Until then, we can't wait to see the good ol' midwest again!
We made it, no buses, no rides from moms. It ended up being FAR easier than we had imagined and absolutely beautiful and we are very happy with our decision. From Walla Walla we rode to a campground on the beach just inside of Oregon which was awesome. we saw a nice sunset and woke up to the cahtter of seagulls :) We woke up the next day at 4:30 in hopes of beating whatever wind we were sure we would get, but ended up with an INCREDIBLE day of no wind/light tailwinds and made it 102 miles! We got in our century! And just when I was getting bummed because I thought it was impossible. However, that day was really really hot and we were in the desert the whole time. The next day was beautiful and again, light winds. We talked to a cyclist at this lookout point on top of a hill and we said we got into the gorge at a really good time. The next 2 days just got prettier and prettier. The hills weren't too bad, and even when there was wind we were kind of up in the trees so we got some cover from it. We rode on the Historic Columbia River Highway for the most part. It's America's first scenic road, and boy is it scenic. The developers made it a point to have the road go past all the most beautiful parts of the gorge, so there were waterfalls and deep woods and lots of lookout points way high up. We had an awesome reception by Peter and my mom here complete with champagne and fruit. Since then we've been exploring the city and eating a lot of food. Portland is awesome-such a pretty place, easy to get around and a lot to do. We're going to get to as many parks as we can and go to all the little shopping/cafe/restaurant places while we're here. I want to eat at every vegan restaurant there is!
We're a little homesick and the post-tour depression has definitely set in. It's an incredibly strange feeling being done, like, what do we do now? It's hard to describe....I'm sure once we get back into normal life (working, living, city life) we'll feel better. We got our train tickets today and are heading back to the midwest this weekend. We're not sure what will come next...we decided to NOT think about future plans while we're here. This is the end of our vacation and we're going to remain as carefree as possible!
I'll have Dylan write a blog with his deep philosophical biking thoughts, and maybe I'll write a "How My Bike Ride Changed Me" blog. And pictures will be here soon!
Until then, we can't wait to see the good ol' midwest again!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Walla Walla, Washington
Hey folks. I would move here just to say the name over and over! And it's a cute town...
Since We last talked in Lewiston, It's been lots of desert, hills and headwinds. We aren't making progress very fast. It doesn't help, I suppose, that Dylan and I are both just feeling sort of done with it. Mentally and physically, we're exhausted. And we keep hearing all these horror stories about the winds in the gorge...we met a couple the other day who hitch-hiked through it. I guesss the plan for now is to bike as far as we can/are able and take a bus the rest of the way. Who knows, maybe we'll get a second wind and fight our way through! But after all is said and done, we're on vacation. We're here to have fun, not to prove anything to ourselves or anyone else, and headwinds are NOT fun. We got to 3000 miles yesterday and thats good enough for me!!!
The scenery in this area is wierd. Like I said, at first it was just depressing hills of dead brown grass everywhere. It's beginning to turn a little more green, and now we're completely surrounded by wheat fields which is actually really pretty. Trees would be nice, but on the other hand I think it's cool how the land can change so dramatically in just 50 miles. It hasn't been quite so hot the last 2 days thankfully, or maybe it just seems that way because we always have a breeze on us (ok, theres one good thing about the wind...it keeps us fairly cool).
It feels very strange to be almost done. I feel like we're just starting to get good at this! We can finally bike a good distance every day, and we're getting good at setting up and taking down camp and knowing what to eat. I suppose we'll put everything we've learned on this trip into practice on the next one. What will we do every day when we don't have to bike? A lot of the time we think we're ready to get back to regular life, but there are definitely times when we consider just turning a new direction to see whats over there! We could ride forever! New York? Canada? Mexico? Across the ocean? But then I think about little Buckley and Abby, at home all alone wondering where mommy is...
In conclusion...ok, I guess I have no conclusion yet. Next time you here from Dylan and I will probably be Portland. We'll gather our thoughts and write up some kind of ending thing for you (and us). Send us strong thoughts and maybe we'll make it all the way!
Since We last talked in Lewiston, It's been lots of desert, hills and headwinds. We aren't making progress very fast. It doesn't help, I suppose, that Dylan and I are both just feeling sort of done with it. Mentally and physically, we're exhausted. And we keep hearing all these horror stories about the winds in the gorge...we met a couple the other day who hitch-hiked through it. I guesss the plan for now is to bike as far as we can/are able and take a bus the rest of the way. Who knows, maybe we'll get a second wind and fight our way through! But after all is said and done, we're on vacation. We're here to have fun, not to prove anything to ourselves or anyone else, and headwinds are NOT fun. We got to 3000 miles yesterday and thats good enough for me!!!
The scenery in this area is wierd. Like I said, at first it was just depressing hills of dead brown grass everywhere. It's beginning to turn a little more green, and now we're completely surrounded by wheat fields which is actually really pretty. Trees would be nice, but on the other hand I think it's cool how the land can change so dramatically in just 50 miles. It hasn't been quite so hot the last 2 days thankfully, or maybe it just seems that way because we always have a breeze on us (ok, theres one good thing about the wind...it keeps us fairly cool).
It feels very strange to be almost done. I feel like we're just starting to get good at this! We can finally bike a good distance every day, and we're getting good at setting up and taking down camp and knowing what to eat. I suppose we'll put everything we've learned on this trip into practice on the next one. What will we do every day when we don't have to bike? A lot of the time we think we're ready to get back to regular life, but there are definitely times when we consider just turning a new direction to see whats over there! We could ride forever! New York? Canada? Mexico? Across the ocean? But then I think about little Buckley and Abby, at home all alone wondering where mommy is...
In conclusion...ok, I guess I have no conclusion yet. Next time you here from Dylan and I will probably be Portland. We'll gather our thoughts and write up some kind of ending thing for you (and us). Send us strong thoughts and maybe we'll make it all the way!
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Clarkston, Washington
What up! We're out of Montana, which is quite bittersweet. Sweet beacuse it means we're making rad progress and are almost done, bitter because Montana was so cool and we're almost done. We're 350 miles/a weekish from Portland (OMG). We've gone over all of our mountain passes (yay!). This last map will be fuuun but hard. lots of crazy hills and upcoming headwinds in the Columbia river gorge. We're going to try and wake up really really early so we can be on our bikes by 4 or 5 to beat the winds. But people keep telling us about how absolutely beautiful that area is, so that should make up for the difficulties.
So we sadly left Missoula 3 days ago (thats right, 4 days! this was our quickest map yet-250 miles in 3 days of riding) to cross over Lolo Pass. The pass was, once again, much easier than we expexcted. We crossed into Idaho and the Clearwater National Forest which is incredible! Everyone HAS to go there! It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been-really lush forests covering the surrounding mountins, and the road runs right along the Lochsa river which is my favorite on so far I think. There are little waterfalls and streams all over the place and everything is so so so green. And I suppose the fact that we went downhill for a good100 miles didn't hurt how much we loved it. We met several cyclists along the way, including a vegan couple around our age from Portland in Kooskia. We hung out with them for awhile and talked about how hard it's been to be vegan (and all our cheats) on the road. They are radical and we got their numbers and we wish them the best! They're going all the way across the country! The next day was no good. After that the terrain changed quite rapidly to desert. We biked 75 miles in 100 degree heat along a narrow shoulderless busy river road. We made the mistake of opting for a flat alternate route to Lewiston instead of going up hills and were punished with lots of cars and lots of bike hate from the drivers. But I suppose our other option would have been going up and down hills all day in that heat which might have been no better. We've been here for 2 days now, taking a break and eating and sleeping. It's not so hot today thankfully!
Ok my time is about up here...As usual there is much more to tell, but my little brain cannot sort all of our experiences while I'm sitting at this computer. I have lots of pictures too, which unfortunately will have to wait to be posted when we're finished, so stay tuned for that. Until next time, stay cool! Go swimming! eat some ice cream! Drink some beer!
So we sadly left Missoula 3 days ago (thats right, 4 days! this was our quickest map yet-250 miles in 3 days of riding) to cross over Lolo Pass. The pass was, once again, much easier than we expexcted. We crossed into Idaho and the Clearwater National Forest which is incredible! Everyone HAS to go there! It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been-really lush forests covering the surrounding mountins, and the road runs right along the Lochsa river which is my favorite on so far I think. There are little waterfalls and streams all over the place and everything is so so so green. And I suppose the fact that we went downhill for a good100 miles didn't hurt how much we loved it. We met several cyclists along the way, including a vegan couple around our age from Portland in Kooskia. We hung out with them for awhile and talked about how hard it's been to be vegan (and all our cheats) on the road. They are radical and we got their numbers and we wish them the best! They're going all the way across the country! The next day was no good. After that the terrain changed quite rapidly to desert. We biked 75 miles in 100 degree heat along a narrow shoulderless busy river road. We made the mistake of opting for a flat alternate route to Lewiston instead of going up hills and were punished with lots of cars and lots of bike hate from the drivers. But I suppose our other option would have been going up and down hills all day in that heat which might have been no better. We've been here for 2 days now, taking a break and eating and sleeping. It's not so hot today thankfully!
Ok my time is about up here...As usual there is much more to tell, but my little brain cannot sort all of our experiences while I'm sitting at this computer. I have lots of pictures too, which unfortunately will have to wait to be posted when we're finished, so stay tuned for that. Until next time, stay cool! Go swimming! eat some ice cream! Drink some beer!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Missoula, Montana
Montana gets better!!!
It's been awhile, and there is much to say (I think...it always seems like more than it is). After our blog in Livingston (which is a RAD little town and I want to go back someday to hang out more) we went to the grocery store to stock up on sale energy bats and peanut butter, and ran into our new friends George, Gus and Sony(j?)a outside. George very graciously offered us 2 stinky dirty cyclists a place to camp out in their backyard!! We met Katherine at home and had a lovely time with this lovely family. They made us dinner AND breakfast, let us shower, had 2 dogs and a cat to play with and even had our favorite salad dressing! Yay! Thanks again, guys. Our ride out to Bozeman the next day was short and sweet, 20 miles over Bozeman Pass which turned out to be quite easy. We got to Bozeman around lunchtime and ate at the local co-op which might be better than Willy Street! Not as much vegan stuff, but it's bigger and has a huuuge Deli and a little cafe upstairs! We spent the rest of the day drinking coffee and wandering around town until 5 when we went to the Tuesday night Farmers Market. We had dinner and people watched for awhile until we met Tom and Robbie(y?) who let us stay in an empty rental apartment of theirs. Once again, thank you and our stay was wonderful. Bozeman is a cool little town...very Madisony with LOTS of bikes, but very unpretentious bikes. Just a city full of people on 2 wheels.
The next day we rode out to Lewis and Clark caverns. It was a fairly uneventful ride...we met another cyclist at the park who sat down for dinner with us. He was headed the opposite direction, so our visit was short and I hope he's doing well out there!
The next day we rode to Dillon...another nice easy ride. Dillon is a cute town, but unfortunately all the people we cam into contact with were kind of mean and we couldn't find anywhere under $30 to sleep. Laaame.
OK, the NEXT day we had not one, but 2 mountain passes to climb. I think we've been building up these passes in our heads, so they end up being easier than we expect. Obviously, it's still kind of hard, several miles up a very steep grade will be, but we made it to the other side without fault and felt invigorated at the top :) The mosquitos got worse and worse as the day went on, and in Wisdom where we slept you couldn't stand still without being compeletly enveloped in a swarm of them. We decided to eat at a restaurant to avoid them, and shared a sandwich and some soup to save money. We got chatted up by another tourer who wasn't touring at the moment, and he ended up buying our dinner for us! Niceness abound everywhere we turn in this state! We're on a section of the ride that intersects with the Transamerica route, so we've been seeing more bikers than usual, and that night there were 3 camping in the same park as us. One guy was travelling with his dog which I thought was way cool. Maybe next time I go I'll take Buckley :)
After that we had one more pass (where we crossed the continental divide) and lots of downhill all the way to Missoula. We met a couple cyclists from the Netherlands which was cool. Missoula is a really nice place...even more bikes than Bozeman, lots of vegan food and super bike friendly (not to mention quite flat). We visited the Adventure Cylcling office this morning where we got free ice cream and our picture put up on their wall o' bikers. We saw all the photos of people we've met along the way and talked to the folks that worked their. Heard a story about someone running into a bear on their bike (yikes). AND we found Curran, our backwards biking friend again!
So thats the short story, theres more stuff in between, and I could go on for pages and pages here but I'd run out of time on my computer. Everything is getting more and more beautiful (we're in the Bitteroot mountain valley now) and it's getting hotter and hotter out. We're starting to miss home a little bit. We've got about 500 miles to Portland which is a strange feeling.
Ok I have to go to the bathroom so I'm going to cut it short here...I love yous!
It's been awhile, and there is much to say (I think...it always seems like more than it is). After our blog in Livingston (which is a RAD little town and I want to go back someday to hang out more) we went to the grocery store to stock up on sale energy bats and peanut butter, and ran into our new friends George, Gus and Sony(j?)a outside. George very graciously offered us 2 stinky dirty cyclists a place to camp out in their backyard!! We met Katherine at home and had a lovely time with this lovely family. They made us dinner AND breakfast, let us shower, had 2 dogs and a cat to play with and even had our favorite salad dressing! Yay! Thanks again, guys. Our ride out to Bozeman the next day was short and sweet, 20 miles over Bozeman Pass which turned out to be quite easy. We got to Bozeman around lunchtime and ate at the local co-op which might be better than Willy Street! Not as much vegan stuff, but it's bigger and has a huuuge Deli and a little cafe upstairs! We spent the rest of the day drinking coffee and wandering around town until 5 when we went to the Tuesday night Farmers Market. We had dinner and people watched for awhile until we met Tom and Robbie(y?) who let us stay in an empty rental apartment of theirs. Once again, thank you and our stay was wonderful. Bozeman is a cool little town...very Madisony with LOTS of bikes, but very unpretentious bikes. Just a city full of people on 2 wheels.
The next day we rode out to Lewis and Clark caverns. It was a fairly uneventful ride...we met another cyclist at the park who sat down for dinner with us. He was headed the opposite direction, so our visit was short and I hope he's doing well out there!
The next day we rode to Dillon...another nice easy ride. Dillon is a cute town, but unfortunately all the people we cam into contact with were kind of mean and we couldn't find anywhere under $30 to sleep. Laaame.
OK, the NEXT day we had not one, but 2 mountain passes to climb. I think we've been building up these passes in our heads, so they end up being easier than we expect. Obviously, it's still kind of hard, several miles up a very steep grade will be, but we made it to the other side without fault and felt invigorated at the top :) The mosquitos got worse and worse as the day went on, and in Wisdom where we slept you couldn't stand still without being compeletly enveloped in a swarm of them. We decided to eat at a restaurant to avoid them, and shared a sandwich and some soup to save money. We got chatted up by another tourer who wasn't touring at the moment, and he ended up buying our dinner for us! Niceness abound everywhere we turn in this state! We're on a section of the ride that intersects with the Transamerica route, so we've been seeing more bikers than usual, and that night there were 3 camping in the same park as us. One guy was travelling with his dog which I thought was way cool. Maybe next time I go I'll take Buckley :)
After that we had one more pass (where we crossed the continental divide) and lots of downhill all the way to Missoula. We met a couple cyclists from the Netherlands which was cool. Missoula is a really nice place...even more bikes than Bozeman, lots of vegan food and super bike friendly (not to mention quite flat). We visited the Adventure Cylcling office this morning where we got free ice cream and our picture put up on their wall o' bikers. We saw all the photos of people we've met along the way and talked to the folks that worked their. Heard a story about someone running into a bear on their bike (yikes). AND we found Curran, our backwards biking friend again!
So thats the short story, theres more stuff in between, and I could go on for pages and pages here but I'd run out of time on my computer. Everything is getting more and more beautiful (we're in the Bitteroot mountain valley now) and it's getting hotter and hotter out. We're starting to miss home a little bit. We've got about 500 miles to Portland which is a strange feeling.
Ok I have to go to the bathroom so I'm going to cut it short here...I love yous!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Livingston! (for the second time)
Hey!
We're back from Yellowstone and man are our thumbs tired.
The park was sweet, I mean, as sweet as a place can be with so many tourists and that much markup. We took a day to hitch-hike around the park and see the sites, and another to hang out at the famous Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and people watch. In case you're ever curious, the state who's capitol is represented incorrectly on the giant wood inlay map in the lounge of the hotel is Delaware.
I think next time we'll try and take a car to the park, though. It really is too big to see in a couple of days on bikes.
Anyway, we're back in Livingston now, and we're going to hit the pass into Bozeman tomorrow. It's supposed to be a cool town, so we're pretty excited.
So far, Montana is being really good to us. The scenery is beautiful, the roads are well paved, and the price is right. But who knows, maybe it's just the weather.
Well it looks like my time is up here, so we're off to find some cheap (or free) camping and some grub for the night, so take care y'all!
We're back from Yellowstone and man are our thumbs tired.
The park was sweet, I mean, as sweet as a place can be with so many tourists and that much markup. We took a day to hitch-hike around the park and see the sites, and another to hang out at the famous Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and people watch. In case you're ever curious, the state who's capitol is represented incorrectly on the giant wood inlay map in the lounge of the hotel is Delaware.
I think next time we'll try and take a car to the park, though. It really is too big to see in a couple of days on bikes.
Anyway, we're back in Livingston now, and we're going to hit the pass into Bozeman tomorrow. It's supposed to be a cool town, so we're pretty excited.
So far, Montana is being really good to us. The scenery is beautiful, the roads are well paved, and the price is right. But who knows, maybe it's just the weather.
Well it looks like my time is up here, so we're off to find some cheap (or free) camping and some grub for the night, so take care y'all!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Billings, Montana
We love Montana! The weather has made an amazing turn, with light winds or tailwinds every day and lots of sun (maybe a little too much...I got burned big time yesterday). The scenery just keeps getting better, and we'll be able to see the mountains by the end of today. Lots has happened, none of which really relates to the other (except that it has to do with biking) so I'll write about it in the form of a numbered list.
1. Vegan food is good. I'll admit it...we've been bad, bad vegans out here. But hey, it's hard when you need to eat 5,000 calories a day and the only stores around are gas stations or small town food markets! We still check labels, and are as vegan as we can for the most part, but there have been many cheats along the way. Here in Billings we found a health food store and had a hummus/vegan potato salad/cous-cous/soy yogurt lunch, and stocked up on tofu jerkey for the road. Bozeman and Missoula are just a few days down the road, both of which also have vegan food stores, and then theres PORTLAND our vegan mecca. I can't WAIT to start eating real non-junk food!
2. In South Dakota I found a Batman action figure on the side of the road. Here in Montana I found Spiderman. I can only assume Superman isn't far ahead. This is a good omen, I can tell. Now whenever we're stuck in bad weather or going up a big hill I imagine I'm a superhero...it makes things easier :)
3. The world is filled with amazing people. We met a guy biking BACKWARDS across the US on a little BMX bike to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS, homelessness and medical marijuana. He's a really remarkable guy doing a really incredible thing. Check out his website! www.bikingbackwards.us. He took a video clip of me and Dylan that might be somewhere on the site. Annnnnd last night we got into Billings after a very long very hot day and met another biker named Dusty who very graciously offered us a place to stay for the night. We got a good meal, a good shower and a VERY comfortable bed! We can't thank him and his family enough!
4. Hills are remarkable easy without a headwind
5. Biking is a million times more fun to do with nice weather...with all the bad weather we'd had I had forgotten how much I love riding. Now Dylan and I wake up early and get on our bikes as soon as we can.
OK I know I had more things, but now I've forgotten. As you can guess, one has many thoughts when they're just riding a bike hour after hour. I always think about what to say to you, our adoring fans, and the blogs I have in my head are always clever and elaborate. Then I sit down in front of a computer and go blank.
We were chatting with Dusty las night and he said Portland is 850 miles away. Thats via the interstate, So obviously its a little bit farther for us, but still a lot closer than we were a month ago. It his me then that this will all actually come to an end someday. It's strange to think about. We've grown so used to doing this, setting up camp every night, breaking it down in the morning, riding, resting, riding, eating, riding, sleeping and on and on...it'll be wierd when it's over. To sleep indoors every night??? Yikes!
But We're still a few weeks from the end, and theres still much to see and do. We've only had one bottle of Montana beer so far! We need more before we leave! Yellowstone is only a few days away! Bozeman! Missoula! Mountains! Rivers! Oregon!
I swear I'll convince Dylan to write something in here sometime.
1. Vegan food is good. I'll admit it...we've been bad, bad vegans out here. But hey, it's hard when you need to eat 5,000 calories a day and the only stores around are gas stations or small town food markets! We still check labels, and are as vegan as we can for the most part, but there have been many cheats along the way. Here in Billings we found a health food store and had a hummus/vegan potato salad/cous-cous/soy yogurt lunch, and stocked up on tofu jerkey for the road. Bozeman and Missoula are just a few days down the road, both of which also have vegan food stores, and then theres PORTLAND our vegan mecca. I can't WAIT to start eating real non-junk food!
2. In South Dakota I found a Batman action figure on the side of the road. Here in Montana I found Spiderman. I can only assume Superman isn't far ahead. This is a good omen, I can tell. Now whenever we're stuck in bad weather or going up a big hill I imagine I'm a superhero...it makes things easier :)
3. The world is filled with amazing people. We met a guy biking BACKWARDS across the US on a little BMX bike to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS, homelessness and medical marijuana. He's a really remarkable guy doing a really incredible thing. Check out his website! www.bikingbackwards.us. He took a video clip of me and Dylan that might be somewhere on the site. Annnnnd last night we got into Billings after a very long very hot day and met another biker named Dusty who very graciously offered us a place to stay for the night. We got a good meal, a good shower and a VERY comfortable bed! We can't thank him and his family enough!
4. Hills are remarkable easy without a headwind
5. Biking is a million times more fun to do with nice weather...with all the bad weather we'd had I had forgotten how much I love riding. Now Dylan and I wake up early and get on our bikes as soon as we can.
OK I know I had more things, but now I've forgotten. As you can guess, one has many thoughts when they're just riding a bike hour after hour. I always think about what to say to you, our adoring fans, and the blogs I have in my head are always clever and elaborate. Then I sit down in front of a computer and go blank.
We were chatting with Dusty las night and he said Portland is 850 miles away. Thats via the interstate, So obviously its a little bit farther for us, but still a lot closer than we were a month ago. It his me then that this will all actually come to an end someday. It's strange to think about. We've grown so used to doing this, setting up camp every night, breaking it down in the morning, riding, resting, riding, eating, riding, sleeping and on and on...it'll be wierd when it's over. To sleep indoors every night??? Yikes!
But We're still a few weeks from the end, and theres still much to see and do. We've only had one bottle of Montana beer so far! We need more before we leave! Yellowstone is only a few days away! Bozeman! Missoula! Mountains! Rivers! Oregon!
I swear I'll convince Dylan to write something in here sometime.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Miles City, Montana
Just a quick update for everyone...the sun is shining, the winds are calm, the temperature is perfect. After many slow cold windy days, we're ready to get some miles in! We chatted with a woman outside the library yesterday and she told us we're not to the pretty part yet, which is exciting because the whole state has been "the pretty part" for me so far! Yesterday we had some awesome views from the highway, and today should be more of the same. whenever I look out onto the landscapa I imagine it crawling with bison and antelope and bears...it takes my mind off the hills :)
The mountains are coming up soon! Yay! I checked the weather for Yellowstone today and things are looking up. We should be in that area in just under a week.
I hope nobody gets too flooded out there in the midwest, and happy fathers day daddys!
The mountains are coming up soon! Yay! I checked the weather for Yellowstone today and things are looking up. We should be in that area in just under a week.
I hope nobody gets too flooded out there in the midwest, and happy fathers day daddys!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Glendive, Montana
Montana! Woot! Our first day here was sunny and warm. We got into Montana and it promptly started pouring rain, complete with tiny-sized hail. It lasted about 5 minutes and was followed by a PERFECT rainbow! I decided it was a good omen. The small part of the state we've seen is the most beautiful of our trip, and we can't wait for more. However, it looks like we'll have to wait on it, as the weather in this fine state is not all that agreeable at the moment. It's ok where we are - cold, but no colder than its been the past few weeks - but in the Western part it's in the 40's and snowing. We decided we don't want to think back on our trip and only remember cold gloomy days, so we're going to stay still for a few days to see if things improve. We really aren't in any rush, and we have a long time to go before summer is over so why not wait? We've got food and books and cards (I found a book of card games for sale at a library we went to recently...we'll teach ourselves canasta or something) and a grocery store near our campsite that has an excellent beer selection.
Besides that, not much to report. We've got some cool looking cities coming up - Billings, Bozeman and Missoula - that all have some delicious vegetarian thing to offer. I think Bozeman and Missoula have co-ops too! And just when peanut butter sandwiches were beginning to get boring :)
Love and hugs and kisses!!!!
Besides that, not much to report. We've got some cool looking cities coming up - Billings, Bozeman and Missoula - that all have some delicious vegetarian thing to offer. I think Bozeman and Missoula have co-ops too! And just when peanut butter sandwiches were beginning to get boring :)
Love and hugs and kisses!!!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Williston, North Dakota
Finally! Williston! It took us far longer than we would have liked to get here, but we're here! The winds have been unforgiving the past 2 days, but we rode through the best we could. Saturday was sunny and warm, but the wind was bad - 4-5 mph on flat ground, 7-10 down hills. Yesterday was more of a crosswind so we went a little faster but it was quite cold. Today we're taking the morning to do some errands then probably a short day into Montana! I checked the weather and am feeling hopeful. Just a few more cold rainy days to get through and by the weekend the sun is supposed to be out.
The night before last we stayed at a park called Little Beaver Bay right next to the river. The campground was nothing special, just an open field with some picnic tables and pit-potties and really bad water, but the surroundings were incredible. Definitely the most beautiful scenery on the trip so far. It was about 3 miles off route, down a gravel road close to the river in a very badlandsy canyon. The formations were epic. It's the only thing like it we saw...I was hoping for more, but alas there was none. I took lots of pictures to try and give others the scope of its beauty, but as usual the camera doesn't really give it justice. We noticed, as we've noticed with a lot of these campgrounds along the river, that there was a big area right next to the park that looked like it once held water. (We stayed at one a couple days ago that had a boat ramp leading into an empty grassy hole) We talked to the groundskeeper and he explained that the Corps of Engineers (who built all the dams in the Dakotas) keep letting the water out of the dams and its all flooding into the southern states. Plus there has been less snowpack in the mountains in Montana for awhile so the river's water level is getting lower and lower. He said about 10 years ago the park was a lot more touristy and pretty, but now the river up here is shallow and muddy until late July. It's kind of sad, really. I wish the river hadn't gotten so dammed up here-it would have made things a lot prettier, I think. The groundskeeper also gave us a ride up the hill to where there was drinkable water...it was our first time in a car since we left!
Last night we pulled into the park here in Williston and found some more bikers! They're doing a supported cross country trek in the opposite direction (lucky them). They're actually doing it for a cause. Heres their website - www.leavecancerinthedust.org/. Check it out! We didn't get to talk to them for too long, but they were really cool folks and we wish them all the best.
So despite some holdups we've been making really good time out here and are expecting to be done much earlier than anticipated, so we're hoping to take a side trip to Yellowstone. We'll only be a days ride away from it soon, so why not, right? Next time I write it'll be from Montana...exciting! It's the state me and Dylan were the most excited for heading into this.
Until next time, stay dry and ride a bike.
The night before last we stayed at a park called Little Beaver Bay right next to the river. The campground was nothing special, just an open field with some picnic tables and pit-potties and really bad water, but the surroundings were incredible. Definitely the most beautiful scenery on the trip so far. It was about 3 miles off route, down a gravel road close to the river in a very badlandsy canyon. The formations were epic. It's the only thing like it we saw...I was hoping for more, but alas there was none. I took lots of pictures to try and give others the scope of its beauty, but as usual the camera doesn't really give it justice. We noticed, as we've noticed with a lot of these campgrounds along the river, that there was a big area right next to the park that looked like it once held water. (We stayed at one a couple days ago that had a boat ramp leading into an empty grassy hole) We talked to the groundskeeper and he explained that the Corps of Engineers (who built all the dams in the Dakotas) keep letting the water out of the dams and its all flooding into the southern states. Plus there has been less snowpack in the mountains in Montana for awhile so the river's water level is getting lower and lower. He said about 10 years ago the park was a lot more touristy and pretty, but now the river up here is shallow and muddy until late July. It's kind of sad, really. I wish the river hadn't gotten so dammed up here-it would have made things a lot prettier, I think. The groundskeeper also gave us a ride up the hill to where there was drinkable water...it was our first time in a car since we left!
Last night we pulled into the park here in Williston and found some more bikers! They're doing a supported cross country trek in the opposite direction (lucky them). They're actually doing it for a cause. Heres their website - www.leavecancerinthedust.org/. Check it out! We didn't get to talk to them for too long, but they were really cool folks and we wish them all the best.
So despite some holdups we've been making really good time out here and are expecting to be done much earlier than anticipated, so we're hoping to take a side trip to Yellowstone. We'll only be a days ride away from it soon, so why not, right? Next time I write it'll be from Montana...exciting! It's the state me and Dylan were the most excited for heading into this.
Until next time, stay dry and ride a bike.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Washburn, ND
Another cold, gray, rainy day here in the Dakotas!! Today it was actually rainy-soaked to the bone rainy. But it sure makes us appreciate being indoors! The weather is starting to get really really ridiculous. Come on, nature! Cut us some slack! We're in discussions to wait out the storms here in Washburn. Unfortunately that could mean us being stuck here for a good week. I'm guessing tomorrow we'll be off our bikes-it's supposed to thunderstorm all day. But according to weather.com we'd have tailwinds for awhile if we kept going. Ack! What to do!
OK. Enough of me complaining about the weather. I've been trying to have a sort of zen like tude about things...concentrating on the positive and pushing away the negative. When we get stuck in these situations (rain, wind, hills, cold) I just tell myself that everything comes to end, no matter how difficult it may be. This won't kill me, and when it's over I'll forget about how painful it was! So far it's working. I've only had one minor breakdown on the whole trip! Soon enough the sun will come back, the winds will die down and we'll never want to get off our bikes!
We've made some great progress since Pierre. We had a record breaking 92 mile day, along with a record breaking 250 mile 4 days! Yay! Even with 2 days of crazy crazy headwinds we did it! We took a break in Bismarck and treated ourselves to Indiana Jones and a big tub of popcorn at the local theatre. About 20 miles outside of Bismarck we were flagged down by a fellow in an SUV. Turns out him and his wife are avid cyclists who are also doing the Lewis and Clark trail, but in shorter sections instead of all at once. They just finished Mobridge, ND to Sydney MT. They spotted us in Chaimberlin a few days ago and have been tracking us down ever since...they just missed us in Pollock and found our tent at the Beaver Bay campground but didn't want to disturb us. They finally caught us on the road! They even had a lunch packed for us! We chatted for awhile then parted ways, they said they just like talking to people crazy enough to do what they do. It's been so much fun meeting people. Even short conversations with locals is exciting. They always have some bit of advice or encouragement for us.
We can't want to get to Montana-it might be uninteresting scenery for awhile, but it'll be flat and by the end of the state we'll be in the mountains! Sweet!
As usual, love to everyone and until next time be well.
OK. Enough of me complaining about the weather. I've been trying to have a sort of zen like tude about things...concentrating on the positive and pushing away the negative. When we get stuck in these situations (rain, wind, hills, cold) I just tell myself that everything comes to end, no matter how difficult it may be. This won't kill me, and when it's over I'll forget about how painful it was! So far it's working. I've only had one minor breakdown on the whole trip! Soon enough the sun will come back, the winds will die down and we'll never want to get off our bikes!
We've made some great progress since Pierre. We had a record breaking 92 mile day, along with a record breaking 250 mile 4 days! Yay! Even with 2 days of crazy crazy headwinds we did it! We took a break in Bismarck and treated ourselves to Indiana Jones and a big tub of popcorn at the local theatre. About 20 miles outside of Bismarck we were flagged down by a fellow in an SUV. Turns out him and his wife are avid cyclists who are also doing the Lewis and Clark trail, but in shorter sections instead of all at once. They just finished Mobridge, ND to Sydney MT. They spotted us in Chaimberlin a few days ago and have been tracking us down ever since...they just missed us in Pollock and found our tent at the Beaver Bay campground but didn't want to disturb us. They finally caught us on the road! They even had a lunch packed for us! We chatted for awhile then parted ways, they said they just like talking to people crazy enough to do what they do. It's been so much fun meeting people. Even short conversations with locals is exciting. They always have some bit of advice or encouragement for us.
We can't want to get to Montana-it might be uninteresting scenery for awhile, but it'll be flat and by the end of the state we'll be in the mountains! Sweet!
As usual, love to everyone and until next time be well.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Pierre, South Dakota
So here we are in Pierre, at the end of map number 2. It's been an arduous week, and it looks like it will continue to be so...cold weather, rain, wind. Today was especially bad. In the 50's with rain and hills the whole 60 miles here. We made it though and managed to stay relatively positive. We stayed at a campground just outside of West Brule last night. Today we saw almost no sign of civilization until we got here! A few cars on the road, a house here and there and fences. The road we were on was the only one within sight, besides that it was all hills and grass and horses and cows! About halfway through our ride we found an old abandoned church to eat lunch in (it was only a little bit creepy). There was a tiny little cemetary outside of it with a couple newish graves covered in flowers and things-one had a lasso and a bunch of unopened cans of beer!
South Dakota has been pretty, but I have a feeling our memories of it will be marred by all this bad weather. We've had 2 good days out of our week here. We'll have to come back in a car someday when the weather won't affect us so much!
It looks like after we leave this town we don't have much for a little while, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to blog next. The farther northwest we go the less there is...i think we have one ride in Montana thats 90 miles between town! (don't worry mom and dad, theres a campground with water halfway...we'll be ok :)) So for now, adieu and don't let the rain get you down! We aren't!
South Dakota has been pretty, but I have a feeling our memories of it will be marred by all this bad weather. We've had 2 good days out of our week here. We'll have to come back in a car someday when the weather won't affect us so much!
It looks like after we leave this town we don't have much for a little while, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to blog next. The farther northwest we go the less there is...i think we have one ride in Montana thats 90 miles between town! (don't worry mom and dad, theres a campground with water halfway...we'll be ok :)) So for now, adieu and don't let the rain get you down! We aren't!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Burke, South Dakota
Hello all! We're here in Burke taking a day off due to the weather. It was freezing and rainy when we woke up, now its sunny and warm. Silly weather. We'll be in Pierre in a couple of days, then its onward and upward into North Dakota and Montana! It's beautiful here. So many hills (which are actually quite easy to climb) which means a lot of big views and so much sky! Besides the crappy weather we've had we're loving it. I keep trying to take pictures, but through the camera it just looks bad. It's like taking a picture of the ocean. We'll describe it all in great detail to everyone when we get home :). We've also had some nice tailwinds swooping us down the roads.
The veggie restaurant in Omaha was just wonderful. Dylan had a reuben (which gives the Chicago Diner some competiton) and I had eggplant parmesan, followed by a slice of chocolate tofu cheesecake. Yum! We didn't get to see too much of Omaha unfortunately. We ran out of time after doing all the necessaries (including laundry :)) and went back to our campground for dinner. Iowa was pretty and fun to bike through-very flat-with the exception of Sioux City, where we got extremely lost and the wind attacked us. After a very long stressful day we elected to stay in a cheap motel instead of bike 15 more miles to the next campground. Since then we've been a lot stricter with our budget-watching our food expenses and we've had great luck on free camping. I don't think we've had to pay for camping for the last 5 nights! We keep running into Justin! We have very like minds when it comes to camping spots. We got to bike with him for a day a couple days ago, then played a few games of rummy. Last night we happened to meet AGAIN at the campground here! Today he went off trail to see the badlands, so unfortunately I think our time together might be over. But who knows, at this rate I'm sure we'll see him at least one more time.
Dylan and I both can't wait to get back on the trail. While we like our break days, We'd always rather be biking. I can't imagine what it will be like to get home and NOT be required to bike every day. I'm sure we still will, but we've gotten so accustomed to going at least 50 miles in a day It'll be wierd to change those habits. We've also begun to dislike cities. It's rare that we get somewhere with over 1,000 people, and we've started to like it this way. We're also loving being able, no, required, to eat the amount of food we've been eating. It is rad.
Ok everyone! It's picture time! I finally got some pictures on a cd and sent it off to my mom, now here they are for your eyes! (they're kind of out of order, unfortunately)
Heres me running through a field on our first day
We forgot silverware, so we ate with bike tools the first day.
Our bikes with Lewis and Clark.
Dylan by a field on his birthday.
We made it!
Elly On the road.
Dylan on the road.
Trail food.
Fixing a spoke.
Bike hostel in Tebbets.
Armadillo skeleton.
Dylan and Justin.
Kansas!
Dylan building a fire.
Iowa!
Lunch on the Missouri.
These signs keep us company along the way.
Nebraska!
Loess Hills.
Bike superhero.
Klaus und Heidi.
Ok thats it for now. There are a lot more on the flickr page...link at the toip of this page!
we love you!
The veggie restaurant in Omaha was just wonderful. Dylan had a reuben (which gives the Chicago Diner some competiton) and I had eggplant parmesan, followed by a slice of chocolate tofu cheesecake. Yum! We didn't get to see too much of Omaha unfortunately. We ran out of time after doing all the necessaries (including laundry :)) and went back to our campground for dinner. Iowa was pretty and fun to bike through-very flat-with the exception of Sioux City, where we got extremely lost and the wind attacked us. After a very long stressful day we elected to stay in a cheap motel instead of bike 15 more miles to the next campground. Since then we've been a lot stricter with our budget-watching our food expenses and we've had great luck on free camping. I don't think we've had to pay for camping for the last 5 nights! We keep running into Justin! We have very like minds when it comes to camping spots. We got to bike with him for a day a couple days ago, then played a few games of rummy. Last night we happened to meet AGAIN at the campground here! Today he went off trail to see the badlands, so unfortunately I think our time together might be over. But who knows, at this rate I'm sure we'll see him at least one more time.
Dylan and I both can't wait to get back on the trail. While we like our break days, We'd always rather be biking. I can't imagine what it will be like to get home and NOT be required to bike every day. I'm sure we still will, but we've gotten so accustomed to going at least 50 miles in a day It'll be wierd to change those habits. We've also begun to dislike cities. It's rare that we get somewhere with over 1,000 people, and we've started to like it this way. We're also loving being able, no, required, to eat the amount of food we've been eating. It is rad.
Ok everyone! It's picture time! I finally got some pictures on a cd and sent it off to my mom, now here they are for your eyes! (they're kind of out of order, unfortunately)
Heres me running through a field on our first day
We forgot silverware, so we ate with bike tools the first day.
Our bikes with Lewis and Clark.
Dylan by a field on his birthday.
We made it!
Elly On the road.
Dylan on the road.
Trail food.
Fixing a spoke.
Bike hostel in Tebbets.
Armadillo skeleton.
Dylan and Justin.
Kansas!
Dylan building a fire.
Iowa!
Lunch on the Missouri.
These signs keep us company along the way.
Nebraska!
Loess Hills.
Bike superhero.
Klaus und Heidi.
Ok thats it for now. There are a lot more on the flickr page...link at the toip of this page!
we love you!
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Omaha, Nebraska
We don't have much time, so here's just a quick check-in blog. We finished our first map! Yippee! Our legs are finally ready for some real miles. We've been averaging 60-70 miles a day. We have a little bit more of Iowa, then it's on to the big states-South and North Dakota, Montana, Oregon! 'Bout to head off to our first vegetarian restaurant since we've left Madison. It will be epic.
Love vibes and hugs and kisses to everyone!!! More next time!!!
Love vibes and hugs and kisses to everyone!!! More next time!!!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Atchison, Kansas
Kansas! At last! we rolled in this morning, went to the visitors center, got insid and old train, went to an awesome bike shop, pet a cat, went to the library and after this we'll be getting food and some supplies. We like Atchison.
Here are a few pictures (from awhile back, but thats ok!)
Dylan with Mom and Pop
Dylan and I just before starting the big ride!!!
It's been 17 days since then, we've crossed missouri, gained stink and lost weight.
We've had a few hard hilly windy days so far. It was a challenge to keep our heads up and go forth but we did! we have a few more days of hills, then we get a quick rest in Iowa and Nebraska, then some mountains, then more flat, then more mountains. I think by our next batch of hills we should be good n' strong and it'll be easy as pie. My ankle is slowly getting better. We've done a lot of easy days and resting, and We plan on taking a longer break in a few days once we hit Council Bluffs. Maybe we'll find a vegetarian restaurant there! Since I last wrote we've stayed in a dumpy little campground outside Henrietta, MO (big train town...I thought about you, Ashley!), the Watkins Mill State Park (a really nice place that I have to advertise here...we biked up a giant hill to the campground to be told that they didn't have any spots left...BUT...they never turn away touring cyclists so the ranger found us some grass to pitch our tent! awesome!), and the Lewis and Clark State Park (where we met our new friend Justin who started in NYC and is doing the same route as us. We'll probably keep on seeing him along the way!). I got to pet some horses and we got chased by LOTS of dogs, including 3 tiny little yorkies who chased us about 1/4 of a mile. All the cows we pass stare us down. it's very strange. Dylan even got about 6 to chase him down a hill (in their fence, of course)
So things are going great, we're happy and having fun! We've met nothing but friendly wonderful people so far. And as usual, we miss you and love you!
*Quick thing I forgot to talk about in my last post...along the Katy Trail we stayed at the Turner Katy Trail Shelter in Tebbets. It's a hostel especially for bikers that has a DIY bike shop, ping pong tables, lots of beds, a fridge and a microwave. It was wonderful! If any of you happen to be on the Katy Trail in the future (which I would highly reccomend) make sure you stop there!
Here are a few pictures (from awhile back, but thats ok!)
Dylan with Mom and Pop
Dylan and I just before starting the big ride!!!
It's been 17 days since then, we've crossed missouri, gained stink and lost weight.
We've had a few hard hilly windy days so far. It was a challenge to keep our heads up and go forth but we did! we have a few more days of hills, then we get a quick rest in Iowa and Nebraska, then some mountains, then more flat, then more mountains. I think by our next batch of hills we should be good n' strong and it'll be easy as pie. My ankle is slowly getting better. We've done a lot of easy days and resting, and We plan on taking a longer break in a few days once we hit Council Bluffs. Maybe we'll find a vegetarian restaurant there! Since I last wrote we've stayed in a dumpy little campground outside Henrietta, MO (big train town...I thought about you, Ashley!), the Watkins Mill State Park (a really nice place that I have to advertise here...we biked up a giant hill to the campground to be told that they didn't have any spots left...BUT...they never turn away touring cyclists so the ranger found us some grass to pitch our tent! awesome!), and the Lewis and Clark State Park (where we met our new friend Justin who started in NYC and is doing the same route as us. We'll probably keep on seeing him along the way!). I got to pet some horses and we got chased by LOTS of dogs, including 3 tiny little yorkies who chased us about 1/4 of a mile. All the cows we pass stare us down. it's very strange. Dylan even got about 6 to chase him down a hill (in their fence, of course)
So things are going great, we're happy and having fun! We've met nothing but friendly wonderful people so far. And as usual, we miss you and love you!
*Quick thing I forgot to talk about in my last post...along the Katy Trail we stayed at the Turner Katy Trail Shelter in Tebbets. It's a hostel especially for bikers that has a DIY bike shop, ping pong tables, lots of beds, a fridge and a microwave. It was wonderful! If any of you happen to be on the Katy Trail in the future (which I would highly reccomend) make sure you stop there!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Marshall, MO
Now I'm at the Marshall library! this one cost me $1 to use the internet :(
Dylan and I have been camped out here for a couple days at a very icky motel. My ankle has been hurting and I'm worried about it so we decided to stay in one place for a little while to give it some. I think ultimately it'll take awhile to heal, but I changed my saddle position and we've been doing easy days so hopefully it'll be ok soon. It actually feels a lot better on the bike today, but I've only biked a couple miles from the motel to here.
We're finally off the Katy Trail which is good and bad...bad because now we're on roads with cars and we're forced to bike up hills, good because we're on pavement so it's a lot easier to bike and we get some nice views. We'll be out of Missouri in just a couple days and in South Dakota in just over a week! It's all very exciting for us. We've clocked in about 300 miles so far. It has been a slow start what with the ankle, but we'll start making good progress soon, I just know it :)
Good memories of Hartsburg, MO. It's an adorable little town with an awesome diner and really nice people. We camped for free in a city park and made friends with a little girl named Heidi. We were all very sad to part at the end of the night! For Dylan's birthday we cheated a little and had some non-vegan pie (there weren't any co-ops!) to celebrate. Today we're planning on doing an easy 30 miles and camping in Higginsville.
We miss you and love you!!! More soon!
Dylan and I have been camped out here for a couple days at a very icky motel. My ankle has been hurting and I'm worried about it so we decided to stay in one place for a little while to give it some. I think ultimately it'll take awhile to heal, but I changed my saddle position and we've been doing easy days so hopefully it'll be ok soon. It actually feels a lot better on the bike today, but I've only biked a couple miles from the motel to here.
We're finally off the Katy Trail which is good and bad...bad because now we're on roads with cars and we're forced to bike up hills, good because we're on pavement so it's a lot easier to bike and we get some nice views. We'll be out of Missouri in just a couple days and in South Dakota in just over a week! It's all very exciting for us. We've clocked in about 300 miles so far. It has been a slow start what with the ankle, but we'll start making good progress soon, I just know it :)
Good memories of Hartsburg, MO. It's an adorable little town with an awesome diner and really nice people. We camped for free in a city park and made friends with a little girl named Heidi. We were all very sad to part at the end of the night! For Dylan's birthday we cheated a little and had some non-vegan pie (there weren't any co-ops!) to celebrate. Today we're planning on doing an easy 30 miles and camping in Higginsville.
We miss you and love you!!! More soon!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Hello from Hermann
What up...Dylan and I are at a libraray here in Hermann, MO. Our first few days have been difficult but still pretty awesome.
We left from Hartford on Sunday around noon after a big plate of hash browns from the Waffle House. It started raining on us about an hour in (just a sprinkle...nothing got too wet) and rained the whole way until we stopped at the Pere Marquette state park to camp. The campground was technically closed, so we got to just pitch our tent for free! On our way there we stopped in Elsah, IL which is an adorable little town. Unfortunately it was Sunday so nothing was really open and it was raining so it was kind of a ghost town. The campground was really pretty and we were one of 2 tents in the whole place which was nice. We woke up early Monday morning with the intention of biking a long way, but due to Dylan and I both feeling a little sick (Illinois gave us colds!), the cold weather and the eventual rain and hail that started up in the morning we elected to stay one more night at the campground. The weather cleared up a little bit later in the afternoon and we wandered around, but most of the day was spent in the tent playing cards and reading. Tuesday gave us perfect weather and we got our stuff together quickly in the morning and left the park. We had to take 2 ferries that day-one across the Illinois river and one across the Mississippi into Missouri. The first onw went fine, but the second one was closed beacuse of all the flooding in this area. We biked about nine miles down a very hilly road to another boat, and the detour put us back about 30 miles (most of that on highways and busy hilly frontage roads). We FINALLY found our way to the Katy Trail about 4 hours later than we had anticipated getting there. We biked about 30 miles down to the Klondike State Park and fell fast asleep. It was a long day, but the Katy Trail is beautiful and we met some nice mountain bikers along the way who gave us tips on where to stay and what to see along our way. Yesterday was an easy day, all on the Katy Trail (which is an old railroad bed so it's really flat) with the wind at out backs.
And thats it so far. We've gone about 150 miles. Our legs are just a little sore and we got sunburned yesterday (oops) but the scenery is awesome and we're enjoying every minute...even the bad times are good!
Today we have a short ride to Tebbets, where theres a hostel especially for cyclists equipped with a DIY bike workshop. We'll tune things up on our rides and grease up our chains and sleep in a real bed for one more night.
We miss everyone back home and are thinking of you all. Postcards and letters will be in the mail soon!
We left from Hartford on Sunday around noon after a big plate of hash browns from the Waffle House. It started raining on us about an hour in (just a sprinkle...nothing got too wet) and rained the whole way until we stopped at the Pere Marquette state park to camp. The campground was technically closed, so we got to just pitch our tent for free! On our way there we stopped in Elsah, IL which is an adorable little town. Unfortunately it was Sunday so nothing was really open and it was raining so it was kind of a ghost town. The campground was really pretty and we were one of 2 tents in the whole place which was nice. We woke up early Monday morning with the intention of biking a long way, but due to Dylan and I both feeling a little sick (Illinois gave us colds!), the cold weather and the eventual rain and hail that started up in the morning we elected to stay one more night at the campground. The weather cleared up a little bit later in the afternoon and we wandered around, but most of the day was spent in the tent playing cards and reading. Tuesday gave us perfect weather and we got our stuff together quickly in the morning and left the park. We had to take 2 ferries that day-one across the Illinois river and one across the Mississippi into Missouri. The first onw went fine, but the second one was closed beacuse of all the flooding in this area. We biked about nine miles down a very hilly road to another boat, and the detour put us back about 30 miles (most of that on highways and busy hilly frontage roads). We FINALLY found our way to the Katy Trail about 4 hours later than we had anticipated getting there. We biked about 30 miles down to the Klondike State Park and fell fast asleep. It was a long day, but the Katy Trail is beautiful and we met some nice mountain bikers along the way who gave us tips on where to stay and what to see along our way. Yesterday was an easy day, all on the Katy Trail (which is an old railroad bed so it's really flat) with the wind at out backs.
And thats it so far. We've gone about 150 miles. Our legs are just a little sore and we got sunburned yesterday (oops) but the scenery is awesome and we're enjoying every minute...even the bad times are good!
Today we have a short ride to Tebbets, where theres a hostel especially for cyclists equipped with a DIY bike workshop. We'll tune things up on our rides and grease up our chains and sleep in a real bed for one more night.
We miss everyone back home and are thinking of you all. Postcards and letters will be in the mail soon!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Bike Test 1-2-3
Greetings from Joliet!
Dylan and I have been here for 4 days now, running around doing errands, sleeping a lot eating a lot and trying to get his cats to like us. The Cubs are in first place and everyone here is very happy about it. Dylan, Grace and I went to the Chicago Diner for some delicious vegan food and stuffed ourselves more than was necessary. Dylan's mom, Theresa, bought us a bunch of rad food and we love her for it.
Yesterday Dylan and I loaded up our bikes and rode about 20 miles outside of Joliet on the I&M Canal Trail. We found a hidden spot in the woods near the trail and set up camp for the night. It was pretty simple, no fire, we cooked our baked beans and hot dogs on the little stove we bought, played rummy and went to bed very early. We woke up equally early and were back home by 10:30 to go to the diner. Everything went as well as can be expected for our first ride. Dylan hadn't affixed his rear rack tight enough and we had to stop to adjust that, and I got a flat tire (probably due to our walk through the woods). My tires are proving to be not so great unofortunately. I've gotten 2 flats on my rear (due to the same piece of glass) and one on my front. I got myself a fancy fold up spare so I should be ok, I just hope I'm not stuck changing tires all the time. Dylan's bike is awesome and works great though!
Here are some pictures for everyone!!
Dylan, Daddy, Elly and Mommy right before leaving for Joliet
Dylan doing some maintenance.
Dylan with the bikes pre-ride.
Elly withe bikes pre-ride.
We saw this house in the Des Plaines river. I liked it.
Bikes along the trail!
Our first stealthy campsite!!!
Dylan making dinner.
Elly making dinner.
Dinner!
Thats all for now. I might have gone overboard on the pictures a little...oh well.
We're leaving Joliet for the trailhead on Saturday, spending the night in a hotel probably taking long hot showers and watching TV and eating pounds of food then on Sunday we're off! I'll try to get in one last post before then.
Kisses!!
Dylan and I have been here for 4 days now, running around doing errands, sleeping a lot eating a lot and trying to get his cats to like us. The Cubs are in first place and everyone here is very happy about it. Dylan, Grace and I went to the Chicago Diner for some delicious vegan food and stuffed ourselves more than was necessary. Dylan's mom, Theresa, bought us a bunch of rad food and we love her for it.
Yesterday Dylan and I loaded up our bikes and rode about 20 miles outside of Joliet on the I&M Canal Trail. We found a hidden spot in the woods near the trail and set up camp for the night. It was pretty simple, no fire, we cooked our baked beans and hot dogs on the little stove we bought, played rummy and went to bed very early. We woke up equally early and were back home by 10:30 to go to the diner. Everything went as well as can be expected for our first ride. Dylan hadn't affixed his rear rack tight enough and we had to stop to adjust that, and I got a flat tire (probably due to our walk through the woods). My tires are proving to be not so great unofortunately. I've gotten 2 flats on my rear (due to the same piece of glass) and one on my front. I got myself a fancy fold up spare so I should be ok, I just hope I'm not stuck changing tires all the time. Dylan's bike is awesome and works great though!
Here are some pictures for everyone!!
Dylan, Daddy, Elly and Mommy right before leaving for Joliet
Dylan doing some maintenance.
Dylan with the bikes pre-ride.
Elly withe bikes pre-ride.
We saw this house in the Des Plaines river. I liked it.
Bikes along the trail!
Our first stealthy campsite!!!
Dylan making dinner.
Elly making dinner.
Dinner!
Thats all for now. I might have gone overboard on the pictures a little...oh well.
We're leaving Joliet for the trailhead on Saturday, spending the night in a hotel probably taking long hot showers and watching TV and eating pounds of food then on Sunday we're off! I'll try to get in one last post before then.
Kisses!!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Last Madison Post
Hello!
Our journey is impending! Ach! We're leaving tomorrow for Illinois after a little Imsland/Evans family brunch and most likely a lot of last minute errands and organization. We'll spend some time with Dylan's family and friends and then we're off! Into the abyss! We are both EXTREMELY excited and anxious to get going. I'm still kind of in awe at myself for actually going through with this. I have a history of making big plans for myself then not doing them. Thank you Dylan for getting me going.
Not much has happened since my last entry...buying things, organizing things, bike maintenance, seeing people. Today I laid out our gear on the floor to look it over and make sure we have everything we need. Heres a picture of the stuff :
Thats more of an outline though...There are still a couple little things we have to get and some stuff i didn't throw on the pile yet. Sometimes it looks like a lot and sometimesit doesn't seem like enough. It's probably a little of both.
Thats all for now. Dylan and I are both ready to go to Illinois. It'll be like a vacation before the vacation. We have almost everything we need and no jobs to go to in the morning so we can take it easy and have fun and sleep and eat a lot before we go.
More to come sooooon!!!
Our journey is impending! Ach! We're leaving tomorrow for Illinois after a little Imsland/Evans family brunch and most likely a lot of last minute errands and organization. We'll spend some time with Dylan's family and friends and then we're off! Into the abyss! We are both EXTREMELY excited and anxious to get going. I'm still kind of in awe at myself for actually going through with this. I have a history of making big plans for myself then not doing them. Thank you Dylan for getting me going.
Not much has happened since my last entry...buying things, organizing things, bike maintenance, seeing people. Today I laid out our gear on the floor to look it over and make sure we have everything we need. Heres a picture of the stuff :
Thats more of an outline though...There are still a couple little things we have to get and some stuff i didn't throw on the pile yet. Sometimes it looks like a lot and sometimesit doesn't seem like enough. It's probably a little of both.
Thats all for now. Dylan and I are both ready to go to Illinois. It'll be like a vacation before the vacation. We have almost everything we need and no jobs to go to in the morning so we can take it easy and have fun and sleep and eat a lot before we go.
More to come sooooon!!!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
At long last, an update for all our adoring fans(?)!
I don't have much to report, just felt like writing to curb some of this anxiety and excitement I'm beginning to feel. I'm (kind of) almost fully ready now...I have a sleeping bag, racks and my front panniers on the way. I'm equipped with several pairs of cheesy biking socks, padded spandex, one very brightly colored skort and one equally bright sports bra. I have a bike, a good tent and a sturdy helmet. We've run into some troubles with Dylan's apartment and are kind of in a worried haze about it, but I have no doubt that things will work themselves out as they always do. I had my last (scheduled) day of work on Sunday and now feel extremely free if not slightly worried. The weather is another concern...it just won't warm up. I want to be able to go on some long rides before we take off and it's looking more and more unlikely that that will be possible. I have so many people I want to see so often before I go but keep being too busy to do that.
But in the end, I think I really do worry too much. We'll be ok. We'll be great!
One of these days, I'll get Dylan (Klaus) to add something to this.
I don't have much to report, just felt like writing to curb some of this anxiety and excitement I'm beginning to feel. I'm (kind of) almost fully ready now...I have a sleeping bag, racks and my front panniers on the way. I'm equipped with several pairs of cheesy biking socks, padded spandex, one very brightly colored skort and one equally bright sports bra. I have a bike, a good tent and a sturdy helmet. We've run into some troubles with Dylan's apartment and are kind of in a worried haze about it, but I have no doubt that things will work themselves out as they always do. I had my last (scheduled) day of work on Sunday and now feel extremely free if not slightly worried. The weather is another concern...it just won't warm up. I want to be able to go on some long rides before we take off and it's looking more and more unlikely that that will be possible. I have so many people I want to see so often before I go but keep being too busy to do that.
But in the end, I think I really do worry too much. We'll be ok. We'll be great!
One of these days, I'll get Dylan (Klaus) to add something to this.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
blog numba one
This has been a very lazy winter for me in every sense of the word. It's consisted mostly of sleeping, watching movies, reading western novels and eating junk food during all of it (I bet you didn't know I could eat in my sleep!). I found myself living in an apartment no more than a mile from where I work so my bike ride was about 5 minutes per day. I moved back into my mom's house this week (for good reason I swear!) on the north side, which significantly ups my daily commute. It's nothing too challenging, but it's made me realize how out of shape I am. I was ashamed at how much my legs burned yesterday on my way to work, and biking home this morning from Dylan's house on Willy St. I felt sluggish and grumpy. I turned onto N. Sherman which is a very long boring incline and started to feel a little worse. Then I heard my dad's voice in my head saying "You start to get into a cadence" and "It's more a mental thing than a physical thing" and my ride got a whole lot easier. Before I knew it I was pulling into my mom's driveway.
Anyway I guess the moral of the story is, I'm going to hurt for awhile, but it'll feel good. I can't wait to be able to be on a bike all day in the country by myself just counting off my pedal strokes. I can't wait to live the simplest life possible for just a little while.
Anyway I guess the moral of the story is, I'm going to hurt for awhile, but it'll feel good. I can't wait to be able to be on a bike all day in the country by myself just counting off my pedal strokes. I can't wait to live the simplest life possible for just a little while.
Time For Introductions!
This is Elly and Dylan!
They really enjoy biking!
So they are taking an extra long bike ride!
It will be Excellent! It will be an Adventure! It will be an Excellent Adventure!
They really enjoy biking!
So they are taking an extra long bike ride!
It will be Excellent! It will be an Adventure! It will be an Excellent Adventure!
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