We started our trip on March 1, flying from the Flatwest to the border of CA and OR; going from a foot of snow on the ground to foggy and cool redwood forests.
We had 2 days of rain in Eur-tweeker-a; but we saw it comin' on our "smart-ass" phone and got up at 4am, biked into town, and stayed in a motel room. We charged up all our electronic devices - and our tired legs.
We rode through the desert in CA, AZ, NM, and into TX; where we saw some rain in the distance in the beautiful Davis Mountains - and rode on recently wet roads near the Washington Observatory. The woman at Davis Mountains SP told us it hadn't rained there since... She couldn't remember. Last summer?
We saw some rain in the distance in West Texas; but it never reached the ground. It evaporated before it reached the ground. Very weird looking, fer sure. But we stayed dry.
Keith let us stay in his trailer in Langtry for two days, avoiding the ridiculously strong winds and storm pushing through the region.
We rode over "dry wash" after dry wash (shown as "rivers" on our maps). We rode into the greenness of the Gulf of Mexico-influenced part of TX before Austin. Had an awesome stay with Jordan in Austin, arriving RIGHT before the rain.
We rode through LA, NM, AL, and into TN. We arrived at "our" motel on the 30th right before the rain, thunder and lightning.
And you know what?
Yesterday, May 31st, was
The first day
Of the trip
That we really
Rode our bikes in the rain.
Crazy, I know.
We biked from March 1 to May 31st, averaging about 50 miles/day - and never really rode in the rain - until May 31st.
I told you that you wouldn't believe me!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Fun times, old and new friends
We biked up the Natchez Trace Parkway from MilePost zero to 407, along the entire length (diagonal!) of Mississippi, through the NW corner of Alabama, and into Tennessee. It was not the entire 444 mile length, but our route took us West before Nashville ("the Trace goes close to, but not into, Nashville) - so we left "the wormhole" of "the Trace" to stay on the Great Rivers route from the ACA (Adventure Cycling Assoc).
We missed the Trace, pretty much as soon as we were off it. We went from low traffic, Speed Limit of 50 MPH (adhered to, enforced [somewhat, with the Parkway losing 9 Park Rangers due to Congress's ineptitude and their "sequester"]), smooth pavement with next to no trash where our bike tires touch the road - to busy roads with 55 MPH+ traffic, lots of debris in "our" lane, AND rumble strips pinching us into traffic or off the road surface and onto the gravel shoulder - MUCH more stressful riding conditions, no doubt.
We missed the Trace, pretty much as soon as we were off it. We went from low traffic, Speed Limit of 50 MPH (adhered to, enforced [somewhat, with the Parkway losing 9 Park Rangers due to Congress's ineptitude and their "sequester"]), smooth pavement with next to no trash where our bike tires touch the road - to busy roads with 55 MPH+ traffic, lots of debris in "our" lane, AND rumble strips pinching us into traffic or off the road surface and onto the gravel shoulder - MUCH more stressful riding conditions, no doubt.
Lucky for us we found a cheap motel just before the rain and thunder/lightning began. The only businesses surviving there in the "de-regulation frenzy" economy we have been bequeathed by recent American Administrations (Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush v2) are a gas station and a porn shop.
Luckily for us the gas station has put in a small grill since the restaurant went out of business; and we took advantage of their "food options" the next morning.
PLUS our "old" friends Eric and Anca "from" Madison drove down from Nashville and took us out to a fun dinner and beers up the road a stretch - in their car! Ah, so easy!
It was great to see them and catch up a bit, after 3 1/2 years was it? Look forward to our next beer, maybe in Madison some time?
Then, the next morning, a little, uh, tired from the late night and the beers...Heidi exclaims "Hey! There go some touring cyclists!" So I threw on my shirt and ran out the door after them, catching them just as they threw their legs over their top tubes. Now usually when I yell at people and run towards them they skeedaddle. But these nice folks actually waited till I waddled up to them with my tired cyclist legs and we chatted about our respective bike tours. They're heading South, we're heading North. And they're Canadians, eh?
We exchanged good restaurant options in the recent past of our respective directions; and I know for us it worked out great! Hope Jane and Rob have as nice a ride down the Trace as we had up it...
Friday, May 31, 2013
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Socks
We decided to buy socks from each state that we bike through; after spending a month in CA and NOT thinkin' of it!
So we have AZ, NM, and TX socks.
We looked for LA socks, but to no avail; figure we'll have to order 'em online once we're home in the Flatwest.
Then we biked into MS. Their flag has the Confederate flag embedded in it. Had a long conversation with an old white guy at one of the campgrounds along "the Trace", and while I enjoyed our conversations I also had flashbacks to the preacher in TX who put out a sign in front of his church "Vote for the Mormon capitalist, not the Muslim communist".
I brought up the fact that we had hardly seen any black people/descendants of slaves/African-Americans on our trip through MS so far and how I felt like what we were seeing wasn't a "real" representation of MS. And I asked him, gently, about the Confederate flag in the state flag; did many black people fly it? He was adamant that it was not a symbol of slavery, that it was just "a piece of history". Maybe. Maybe not.
Then he closed, much later, with "we call our little 3 acre place 'the plantation'".
Then we rode through the corner of AL. Looked up their flag, after catching a glimpse of one on a passing motor vehicle: very much like the Confederate flag. Huh.
Today, in TN, we stopped at a gas station for a cold can of Coke, and I saw a black guy. One guy. And when he walked by us, 4 times, he wouldn't look at us. Didn't seem relaxed, didn't say hello. I got the sense he was keepin' his head down, mindin' his own business; didn't want no trouble.
And that clinched it for me: I ain't buyin' MS or AL socks. Sorry.
(And I'm not sayin' "I ain't gonna buy TN socks", even though this last experience was here in TN. It just reminded me of my earlier thoughts and questions. The TN flag does not have the Confederate flag in it.)
So we have AZ, NM, and TX socks.
We looked for LA socks, but to no avail; figure we'll have to order 'em online once we're home in the Flatwest.
Then we biked into MS. Their flag has the Confederate flag embedded in it. Had a long conversation with an old white guy at one of the campgrounds along "the Trace", and while I enjoyed our conversations I also had flashbacks to the preacher in TX who put out a sign in front of his church "Vote for the Mormon capitalist, not the Muslim communist".
I brought up the fact that we had hardly seen any black people/descendants of slaves/African-Americans on our trip through MS so far and how I felt like what we were seeing wasn't a "real" representation of MS. And I asked him, gently, about the Confederate flag in the state flag; did many black people fly it? He was adamant that it was not a symbol of slavery, that it was just "a piece of history". Maybe. Maybe not.
Then he closed, much later, with "we call our little 3 acre place 'the plantation'".
Then we rode through the corner of AL. Looked up their flag, after catching a glimpse of one on a passing motor vehicle: very much like the Confederate flag. Huh.
Today, in TN, we stopped at a gas station for a cold can of Coke, and I saw a black guy. One guy. And when he walked by us, 4 times, he wouldn't look at us. Didn't seem relaxed, didn't say hello. I got the sense he was keepin' his head down, mindin' his own business; didn't want no trouble.
And that clinched it for me: I ain't buyin' MS or AL socks. Sorry.
(And I'm not sayin' "I ain't gonna buy TN socks", even though this last experience was here in TN. It just reminded me of my earlier thoughts and questions. The TN flag does not have the Confederate flag in it.)
Youch.
Hot
Humid
Landed at the Travel Inn right as the thunder started...
"Riders on the storm
Into this world we're born"
We rode on "the Trace", some nasty roads, and then a nice, smooth, quiet, swoopy road. We were on a llooonnngggg twisty fun downhill
When it started to rain a bit.
I was thinkin' "Uh oh. This could be trouble if it really opens up on us right now..."
But it was just scattered, big, splotchy rain drops; the kind that cool you off but don't get you wet, and make the road look "spotted".
I think Bobby may have been lookin' out fer us with that cooling rain and nice tailwind. Thanks Bobby. Hope yer up there swimmin' with the narwhals right now, laughin'...
Today's ride is dedicated to Bobby
Our friend's, friend Bobby, was hit and killed yesterday by a DUI motorist. We are dedicating today's ride to Bobby.
Inchworming along
I was thinking about the "Inchworm Song" by Rhonda Herdman, today when I was going 3 mph uphill sweating buckets and watching the caterpillars and beetles sprinting across the street with confidence and optimism.
The chorus goes like this:
"i'm pedaling backwards i'm pedaling backwards i'm gettin nowhere fast lil green inchworm is beating my ass"
The chorus goes like this:
"i'm pedaling backwards i'm pedaling backwards i'm gettin nowhere fast lil green inchworm is beating my ass"
We've left the worm hole
We said good bye to the Natchez Trace and hello to the rural roads of Tennessee. The positives for today are: tail winds, no thunder storms (so far), lots of friendly waves, dogs tied-up or fenced-in, and beautiful country roads. The negatives are the hills (over 10%!), the humidity, and the rumble strips in the already narrow shoulders.
Leone you've timed your services perfectly! I can't wait to ride a few days without bags!
Leone you've timed your services perfectly! I can't wait to ride a few days without bags!
Sequestration sucks
"Our" federal govt set up "the sequester", thinking it would be so awful that Congress (and the Obama Administration) would never let it happen.
Well, here we are!
And on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a National Parks property (part of the Dept of the Interior - mostly concerned with oil, gas, timber leases, but, oh yeah, we have some nice parks too), they have closed half the Restrooms Monday - Wednesday and the other half Wednesday - Friday.
I won't tell you what I idly thought about doing in front of the locked Men's restroom yesterday (I knew it would only negatively impact the NPS [contract] workers, and not who it would have been directed at - Congress, and especially Boehner, Cantor and McConnell - the three-headed obstructionists.)
And, we found out yesterday, they cut 9 Park Ranger positions here. Nine more people outta work. Great work folks.
But, of course, "we" have plenty of money to bail out the "Fix the Debt" crowd on Wall Street (who DON'T pay their fair share of taxes - pay yer taxes! THAT would fix the debt!), plenty of money to bail out the motor vehicle industry (again), and plenty of money to drop McDonnell Douglas cruise missiles on Libya - to make some Libyans safer?
Congress (and the Obama Administration) is clearly owned by big business. How many Wall Street "banksters" were arrested for crashing the American and world economy with their stupid, reckless derivatives? None. How many "Occupy Wall Street" protesters were arrested for seeking a redress of grievances from their govt? Plenty.
And? Too big to fail has gotten Bigger since 2008. Derivatives are still NOT regulated. The Glass-Steagall Act has still not been re-enacted, separating banking from investing - to prevent the kinds of meltdowns we had in 1929 and 2008. Another one is comin', that much you can be sure of.
Well, here we are!
And on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a National Parks property (part of the Dept of the Interior - mostly concerned with oil, gas, timber leases, but, oh yeah, we have some nice parks too), they have closed half the Restrooms Monday - Wednesday and the other half Wednesday - Friday.
I won't tell you what I idly thought about doing in front of the locked Men's restroom yesterday (I knew it would only negatively impact the NPS [contract] workers, and not who it would have been directed at - Congress, and especially Boehner, Cantor and McConnell - the three-headed obstructionists.)
And, we found out yesterday, they cut 9 Park Ranger positions here. Nine more people outta work. Great work folks.
But, of course, "we" have plenty of money to bail out the "Fix the Debt" crowd on Wall Street (who DON'T pay their fair share of taxes - pay yer taxes! THAT would fix the debt!), plenty of money to bail out the motor vehicle industry (again), and plenty of money to drop McDonnell Douglas cruise missiles on Libya - to make some Libyans safer?
Congress (and the Obama Administration) is clearly owned by big business. How many Wall Street "banksters" were arrested for crashing the American and world economy with their stupid, reckless derivatives? None. How many "Occupy Wall Street" protesters were arrested for seeking a redress of grievances from their govt? Plenty.
And? Too big to fail has gotten Bigger since 2008. Derivatives are still NOT regulated. The Glass-Steagall Act has still not been re-enacted, separating banking from investing - to prevent the kinds of meltdowns we had in 1929 and 2008. Another one is comin', that much you can be sure of.
If 'corporate people' like Apple would only pay their taxes, like you and I do, then those 9 Park Rangers would have jobs - and we would be safer biking the Parkway.
Check out the lengths to which Apple goes to NOT contribute to schools, parks, and "Supporting Our Troops".
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Feeling better!
Yesterday morning I was feeling so tired, I hardly ate any breakfast. Today I feel refreshed and we biked 88 mi (with 2100 ft of climbing). Everyday I'm amazed how my body recovers from the day's ride.
Today's highlight was entering the state of Tennessee, it's really starting to feel like we are on the way home. We also rode in 3 states today ... starting in Mississippi, then through the NW corner of Alabama, and ending in Tennessee.
Today we are camping at our last camp ground along the trace. I will be sad to leave the parkway, the riding has been easy and relaxing.
But leaving the Trace, also means we are getting closer to home, and I am looking forward to seeing our friends Eric and Anca tomorrow, and Leone on Friday! Leone confirmed that she will be "SAG"-ging (support and gear) for us for the next few days! We are very excited!!
Today's highlight was entering the state of Tennessee, it's really starting to feel like we are on the way home. We also rode in 3 states today ... starting in Mississippi, then through the NW corner of Alabama, and ending in Tennessee.
Today we are camping at our last camp ground along the trace. I will be sad to leave the parkway, the riding has been easy and relaxing.
But leaving the Trace, also means we are getting closer to home, and I am looking forward to seeing our friends Eric and Anca tomorrow, and Leone on Friday! Leone confirmed that she will be "SAG"-ging (support and gear) for us for the next few days! We are very excited!!
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
It must have been that gas station cheeseburger or ...
Ugh! We are both feeling sick today. I am too tired to ride today, so we are staying 2 nights at Tishomingo SP.
Riding the parkway, we don't have the convenience of towns and gas stations to stock up on calories. We are sometimes at the mercy of the one store close to the parkway, or bike off route for better selections. The last two days we ended up at stores close to the parkway and just ate whatever they had. The first was fried chicken and catfish, yesterday's was cheeseburgers that had probably been sitting out all day. In our defense, in both cases there wasn't much choice in terms of food. In hind site maybe we should have biked further off route, but that's easier said than done. So today I'm paying for it, recovering thanks to good weather and a beautiful place to spend the day, and Greg's grocery trip into town to buy real food.
Riding the parkway, we don't have the convenience of towns and gas stations to stock up on calories. We are sometimes at the mercy of the one store close to the parkway, or bike off route for better selections. The last two days we ended up at stores close to the parkway and just ate whatever they had. The first was fried chicken and catfish, yesterday's was cheeseburgers that had probably been sitting out all day. In our defense, in both cases there wasn't much choice in terms of food. In hind site maybe we should have biked further off route, but that's easier said than done. So today I'm paying for it, recovering thanks to good weather and a beautiful place to spend the day, and Greg's grocery trip into town to buy real food.
WI has a "3 foot passing law"
The WI Dept of (motorized) Transportation has a biennial budget of $7 Billion.
Yet it is left up to private bike shop owners to buy "billboard" space to try to educate users of the public roads in WI on "the law of the land".
Lame.
And from my contacts with law enforcement at home - even those charged with enforcing the law are completely unaware of the "3 feet (or more) passing" law.
Sad.
But "our" state govt added $300 million MORE to the budget for MORE road building. Did I mention that the head of the WI Road Builders Assoc was one of Gov Walker's largest (local) campaign "contributors"?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQOMS0MMpbcwi6NfEsHxYWzGCAXoas0atohqxHfcnDIyHPQV3O1R-oDHLtaBrRcbW8vS5O21qWXUyYneCgp8X1mbLeqRkxCED0Y-1MbWJF8DTkwx66R5jx_SS1T2rE9zPUNOyan_puzED/s1600/048.JPG
Yet it is left up to private bike shop owners to buy "billboard" space to try to educate users of the public roads in WI on "the law of the land".
Lame.
And from my contacts with law enforcement at home - even those charged with enforcing the law are completely unaware of the "3 feet (or more) passing" law.
Sad.
But "our" state govt added $300 million MORE to the budget for MORE road building. Did I mention that the head of the WI Road Builders Assoc was one of Gov Walker's largest (local) campaign "contributors"?
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQOMS0MMpbcwi6NfEsHxYWzGCAXoas0atohqxHfcnDIyHPQV3O1R-oDHLtaBrRcbW8vS5O21qWXUyYneCgp8X1mbLeqRkxCED0Y-1MbWJF8DTkwx66R5jx_SS1T2rE9zPUNOyan_puzED/s1600/048.JPG
Monday, May 27, 2013
Seems like dumb white guys in Mississippi still like to beat on "the weak"
(Sorry to our friend, for calling you "the weak". I trust you know what I mean.)
Just heard from a friend that a motorist stopped beside him on the Natchez Trace Parkway just north of Tupelo and yelled at him, among other things, "I pay taxes!" Then proceeded to beat him near death. Another motorist came along, 'bout 15 min into the beating, and the bully sped off in his white dualie pickup truck. Our friend is recovering at home; and would like his assailant identified and arrested.
Now, as a kid I was bullied a bunch. And I didn't appreciate it much. So on behalf of "the bullied" (the weak, in a given situation, in a given setting) I'd like to say to the cowards who do the bullying, diplomatically of course, "Fuck y'all."
And it seems like we need a national campaign to teach these ignorant assholes that cyclists are also homeowners (paying property taxes), motor vehicle owners (paying registration fees and gas taxes. In fact, if anything, the guy who got beat up in this case drives a big damn gas guzzler), income tax payers - unlike a lot of the super wealthy Romney-class people and 'corporate people' such as Google, Facebook, Starbucks, Apple, Boeing, etc. But I guess Rupert Murdoch's Faux Noise Corporation lie factory and the likes of Rush and Charlie Sykes (who's wife is a judge in WI. Awesome!) have done such a good job since Reagan and the Republicans undid the Fairness Doctrine (governing private, for-profit use of the public airwaves) that we now have a shit ton of angry, ignorant assholes. And in this day of so much information, that really is a cryin' shame.
Happy Memorial Day America!
Just heard from a friend that a motorist stopped beside him on the Natchez Trace Parkway just north of Tupelo and yelled at him, among other things, "I pay taxes!" Then proceeded to beat him near death. Another motorist came along, 'bout 15 min into the beating, and the bully sped off in his white dualie pickup truck. Our friend is recovering at home; and would like his assailant identified and arrested.
Now, as a kid I was bullied a bunch. And I didn't appreciate it much. So on behalf of "the bullied" (the weak, in a given situation, in a given setting) I'd like to say to the cowards who do the bullying, diplomatically of course, "Fuck y'all."
And it seems like we need a national campaign to teach these ignorant assholes that cyclists are also homeowners (paying property taxes), motor vehicle owners (paying registration fees and gas taxes. In fact, if anything, the guy who got beat up in this case drives a big damn gas guzzler), income tax payers - unlike a lot of the super wealthy Romney-class people and 'corporate people' such as Google, Facebook, Starbucks, Apple, Boeing, etc. But I guess Rupert Murdoch's Faux Noise Corporation lie factory and the likes of Rush and Charlie Sykes (who's wife is a judge in WI. Awesome!) have done such a good job since Reagan and the Republicans undid the Fairness Doctrine (governing private, for-profit use of the public airwaves) that we now have a shit ton of angry, ignorant assholes. And in this day of so much information, that really is a cryin' shame.
Happy Memorial Day America!
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Biking the Natchez Trace Parkway is like biking in a bubble
We honestly can't say we've biked in Mississippi. The Natchez Trace has been perfect for biking: camp grounds at regular enough intervals, great pavement, hardly any debris, low traffic, no dogs, and courteous drivers. But we can't say we've bike in real Mississippi.
Greg was a hero and biked 3 miles to a store down the road from tonight's campground to buy treats and laundry detergent. It sounds like he found more dogs than we've seen the whole trip! And after riding the extra miles and facing the dogs, he learned this county doesn't sell beer on Sunday!
I think I'll stick to biking the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Greg was a hero and biked 3 miles to a store down the road from tonight's campground to buy treats and laundry detergent. It sounds like he found more dogs than we've seen the whole trip! And after riding the extra miles and facing the dogs, he learned this county doesn't sell beer on Sunday!
I think I'll stick to biking the Natchez Trace Parkway.
Oh, the irony
Of the "No Obamacare!"
and
the "JESUS" signs
Down here in the "white" part of
"the Bible belt"
is...delicious.
Isn't Jesus the guy who took care of the sick?
I mean, even the lepers,
for God's sake?!
and
the "JESUS" signs
Down here in the "white" part of
"the Bible belt"
is...delicious.
Isn't Jesus the guy who took care of the sick?
I mean, even the lepers,
for God's sake?!
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