The Great Lakes

Well we made it over The Bridge! Actually we ferried around it to Mackinac Island and spent the day doing the tourist thing. The Island was crowded but had a great bike loop that followed the coastline. Since cars aren't allowed it was a nice change of pace, except for the smell of the horse poo.
I'd say the Trolls have it when it comes to the roads that we got to sample and the beaches we got to see. I think the route we took thru the upper peninsula might not have been the best one to judge the whole by though. We rode route 2 till we crossed over The Bridge which was a little busy and had road construction in some places. That's never a great experience on the bike. But living below The Bridge seems to have it's advantages. Now being a Jersey Beach girl it may sound strange for me to say but comparing some of these beaches and resort towns along Lake Michigan to the Jersey Shore has been interesting. The town of Harbor Springs was a little crowded and touristy when we went thru but one stretch of road along the waterfront had beautiful old houses that reminded me a little of Spring Lake in N.J. with outstanding views of the lake. For you all not from N.J. it's a well to do town with big old Victorian homes on the coast. I don't think you'd see it on any of those shows starring Snooki or The Situation. Also there were nice smaller beaches and sections that could pass for any number of island resorts, except for that great salt air smell was missing. The blue shade of the water with sail boats ancored close to shore at times even had me thinking about the Mediterranean coast. OK maybe it's the heat or I just haven't been home to Belmar yet but the area has a great feel to it. We have also been sampling our fair share of ice cream and this cute town of Alden had the best so far at a place called Higgins. Dad you would have loved their fresh cherry flavor!
The route we have been following, so far, on The Mitten has been a little convoluted for us who want to go east. At times we find ourselves heading west and it's hard to relax and go with the advice on the maps. Tomorrow after the first part of the day we start in earnest heading east with a little southern drift. We'll get to ride along Lake Erie after crossing into Canada for a brief period. Locals have said it looks like a great route to follow.
Hopefully we'll be avoiding most of the big cities, Traverse City almost killed us in more ways then one. John has been doing 99% of the navigating using the maps and iPhone and has been doing great. However complicated routes through busy big cities tend to set him off, between the aggressive drivers and a lot of unsigned intersections and how on the bike paths you have to yield to every cross street even though the road you are following does not. Paired with a hot humid day and two cars that tried to run him over in a cross walk, when his chain sucked he cracked like a teen age girl who got a zit on prom night. Okay he never cried but man did he pitch a fit! Times called for me to get us out of the city. Uh-oh, me who can't navigate my way out of a closet. I love my parents but couldn't I get my Dad's sense of direction and my Mom's ability to spell instead of the other way around. Luckily we made it thru to ride another day!
It's getting hot for real now and the humidity is an interesting factor that we don't usually have to deal with in Utah. I think my summer cold has just turned into mold in my lungs, nothing is drying very easily anymore. Maybe that will mean more hotels! Wish us well with the Canooks. Kate

Colds in a heat wave

We are kinda back on our bikes after a wonderful Independence Day on Black Oak Lake. The Hoffman's were a warm welcoming group of people that we can now call friends. They shared their home and summer traditions with us and it was amazing to be part of a group again. The fireworks were awesome receiving an A+ using the high standards set by my Dad years ago. A great band was playing at the Gateway Lodge, a hotel that threw you back in time having a great rustic, nostalgic feel to it. We got to see two parades on the Fourth, one on land and one on the lake. The parade on the lake was especially enjoyable since it was 90 and sunny and we were wet from the lake wearing swimsuits. The heat wave hitting most of the country was present bring the area the hottest Forth since the 1930's. Luckily each night a rain storm would pass by and cool the place off making for great sleeping. Surprisingly there were few biting flies and even fewer mosquitoes.We will give credit, I guess, to the spiders. They were fast setting up and they were everywhere but I don't think they were interested in us. We milked our stay another day because of the heat but bucked up and peddled out on Friday the Sixth.
Ironically with our first exposure to any length of heat we got summer colds. Hopefully we didn't infect our new friends with Whooping Cough! We had set reservations in a hotel 2 days after we left Land O Lakes so we pushed forward, John mostly being over the cold but myself hacking and coughing my way thru the rides. We have all been in these shoes before when you can't stop coughing and you are so embarrassed you not only feel like you are dying but wish you would. Oh well, the ride goes on and after 3 nights in a hotel and a bottle of NyQuil I think we will be back on our feet again in the morning. Thanks to Mother Tericia for all your healing oils and concoctions at the cottage. We are still using the rosemary oil which seems to work nicely. I wonder if my great boss Julia would pay me sick time for this week instead of vacation? I think not!
We have crossed into Michigan and are heading to 'The Bridge'. People keep asking if we are going over 'The Bridge' and at first I thought wow they really like talking about their bridges but then realized they were talking about 'The Bridge'. The Mackinac Bridge! It is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere at about 5 miles long. We can't ride it, I guess in 1957 they didn't consider bike lanes important. We will probably ferry around it to Mackinac Island or we could get shuttled across. It will be the first of the trip where we will have to rely on motors. As an aside I guess The Bridge also separates the Yoopers from the Trolls. I'll let you know if I see any differences between the folks that live on the Upper Peninsula from those that live below The Bridge .
Funny how the trip feels like it's flying by, only maybe 1400 miles left to go. But looking back the Cascades seem like a whole different ride, was that last year? It's the same sensation I had as a kid when the ride to anyplace fun seemed to take so long but on the drive home it all seemed to have gone by so quickly. The trick for us now, as it has been, is to enjoy the now and not look to far forward. Maybe even slow down and milk it for all it's worth. When is the next time we'll get to cross The Bridge and hang out with Trolls! Till next time. Kate

The North Woods

We have been riding in Wisconsin for about four days now. Off to a slow start on some busier roads we finally got to some great county roads, ones with letters for names not numbers. The F, the K, the Ff, county S, you get the idea. The counties use the same letters throughout the state so the postal service must have hell of a time with mail delivery. The roads are small single lane roads that roll smoothly. They have little traffic and lots of shade and the drivers in Wisconsin are all business, no cap taps here! They are going to the lake! Yielding to the bikes and merging nicely, half are towing a small motor boat or the canoe is on top. Why ride a bike when you can play on the water?
At first I didn't quite get it, lakes are nice and all but it's not the beach. The north woods are beautiful but between mosquitoes, ticks and biting flies why bother. Many a night we have been trapped in the tent with those nasty bugs trying to get at us, taking any interest away in the greatness that may be outside. Plus most of the places we would camp at would be on the lake but you couldn't see it through the trees, so the pay off just wasn't there. One night at the Saint Croix State Park, after riding 60 miles, instead of sitting in the hot humid tent surrounded by mosquitoes we went for a bike ride. You say what a ride after a ride? Well it was the only way to see the park (walking with the swarms wasn't an option), cool down(creating our own fan) and escape the little f****** (sorry for the language Mom).
But like so many other parts of this trip things came together. Other times it was luck, chance or simple planning but this time it was our friend and neighbor Mark and his family's magical cottage on Black Oak Lake in Land O Lakes, Wisconsin. Allowing us to experience the area the right way and understanding why everybody is in a hurry to get to the lake. I'm not sure if I can do the cottage justice but the place has that feel of those old jeans that you value more then anything and would never think of getting rid of. It's simple elegance is seen thru the beautiful beams in the ceiling and the scattered family relics thru the rooms. Built in 1916 it still holds that time's vib depite electricity and modern plumbing. It's family's love of it's ancestors is felt in it's upkeep as well as photos. Mark's brother David is curator,not a caretaker, of this gem. Caretaking implies upgrades to keep things current. Curator is more accurate. Everything has been kept in good working order but has been left in period, so to speak.
I had been wondering why these homes didn't have screened in porches, and I still don't know why most look like they don't, but this cottage had a charming screened in porch with a view of the lake, a nice cool breeze and a rocker to boot, heaven! The lake is clean and quiet, with it having that neighhood feel. Other families that have been coming here as long as the Hoffman's boat by welcoming everyone back home.
So we've crashed their Fourth of July party for a few days, hoping not to step on too many toes. The timing also was perfect in that I think John and I needed to mix it up with some friends and give each other a break. Twenty four seven is hard to do no matter how much you like and love someone! So this break is great timing to recharge the batteries. Hopefully a few days off the bikes during the busy holiday drive time will also keep us a little safer.
It sounds like there is a parade and fireworks in town and with flags decorating our bikes we are celebrating our independence in more ways then one. But we also are thankful that we have great friends and family helping us to achieve this goal. So grab your kazoo and have a great yankee doodle dandy time this Fourth. Kate

Enjoying the ride

Extremes, that's what you deal with when trying to live outside of the box or in our case off the bikes. The highs are great, thrilling and make you feel alive/happy! The lows are a slap in the face, reality check time. Things get magnified, insignificant things at home take on a different importance, like clean water from a tap. We continue to cash in all the good luck chips,being way off balance, and feeling that it will be time to ante up soon.
Some good things; smooth pavement with rolling hills, partly cloudy skies with a cool tailwind, peanut butter with nutella sandwiches after riding all morning, hot showers in a clean bathroom, fresh laundry (I've already mentioned that), cold beer at the end of a ride (even if it's Miller Lite), old guys driving old trucks that smile and cap tap, little kids that yell HI! from their front yards, wildflowers in grassland, water towers (it means town is about 3-5 miles away), NOAA, birds that fly with you, getting off your bike!
Some bad things; the feel of cracked repaired black top (clunk, clunk, clunk can you feel the rhythm), cross winds that blow you into traffic, cold beer (it gets in your way of losing that weight that you swore you'd lose on this trip), shower curtains and floors in public bathrooms, skeeters, ticks, abrasions (you now where), the smell of your bike gloves, biker tan lines, uneven tent sites, a no vacancy sign at the state park campground, wide loads, old ladies driving land yachts, charlie horses.
It's all a mix and balance, with you hoping that you'll come out ahead. Accessing NOAA on the iphone has been the biggest development since our last tour. It's been invaluable with just this week it saving our hides big time! Some lucky decisions helped us skip Fargo and stay a little south. It showed heavy rain for 24 hours or more when we got to Minnesota so we decided to hold up, camping in the park at Pelican Rapids. We got about 2 inches of rain over the next 36 hours but stayed mostly dry and could walk to stores. We ate out a lot and got our hair cut by Dora who filled us in on the mashed potato wrestling that goes on in her home town during the August festival. There also is the largest pelican in the world there (yes he is a statue). Just north of us though they got baseball size hail and Duluth got 10 inches of rain in that time period! Did you hear the zoo in Duluth got hammered with eleven animals dying, the polar bear getting out of his cage, and Fiesty the seal found swimming the streets? Good luck or good decisions probably a little of both saved us a lot of headache.
We are spending our 17th anniversary in Isle, MN on Mille Lacs Lake getting some R&R. You all may think we are nuts calling this vacation but at least there are two of us doing this together. Never feel that you have been with someone too long to say thanks. Thanks to John for carrying the tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and cook kit! Thanks for letting me know I can do this and making it fun!
Off to Wisconsin for the fourth of July holiday. It seems like a ten day event, with more traffic on the roads, so we are hoping to take time at Mark Hoffman' s Land O Lakes family cabin in Wisconsin. It seems like a lot of down time recently but with over 2000 miles behind us, we are doing great in the time department and have time to slow down and enjoy the neighborhoods.
With Floods up north, floods down south, and fires in Colorado, who knows what's next? But, with a little good technology, planning ahead and talking to the locals, the experience will go on and be filled with great extremes. Here's to enjoying it all! Kate

Taking notice

Sometimes we can go through our days so distracted that you miss the the little things going on around you. There are interesting things no matter where you live, are you looking? Living off the bike brings it front and center. You search for the little things that all of a sudden go from the mundane to entertainment. That expression sometimes you're the the bug and sometimes your the windshield becomes all to real. You experience some occurrences that otherwise might not catch your attention. We have had horses run with us, dogs chase us (or are they trying to run with us also), made rocky mt goats jump over the edge, birds pretend they were injured to distract us from their nests (as well as try and shit on our heads), John howled at a coyote, it stopping and taking notice, prairie dogs complain about us, bison stare us down, ground squirrels try and get us to run them over ( kamikazes? no dumb) and mostly cows stare at us with a look in their eyes that says WHY? We also get that look from the drivers of on coming traffic. Lots seem to acknowledge us in a friendly manner whether it be the one finger wave, the cap tap, the head nod, the peace sign, the high five or the wave. Which ever style they choose, it's fun to be seen. But they do kinda look at you like the cows asking WHY?
It's a good question with the answer varying as frequently as the the wind direction. Yup there is that wind thing again! You can't get around it out here. It can help you crank out 100 miles with little to no pain or make you almost cry over a stupid things like a mushed banana. We are getting smarter though then previous tours. When the winds at your back, ride! When it's in your face keep your days short, maybe even get a hotel and if there is a detour sign talk to the locals it could save you a 30 mile unnecessary side trip.
It's definitely not the food! We cook as much as we can but sometimes grocery stores are few and far between. There is a lot of green outside but not real popular on the menus. The small towns usually have a diner or bar but the food choices are the same, who would have thought a Irish girl like me would be sick of french fries.
I think the driving force that motivates us, that keeps us doing these tours, is how it simplifies life. Lots of planning to get to this point (thanks to everyone who has helped us let go of our ties) but when you are out on the bikes the only real worries are about your next meal, where to sleep, where to clean your clothes (pure joy) and what direction do we go next? That last question is even easier for this tour, east! The iPhones are a blessing and a curse at the same time. It is great to hear from people and know what's going on but a bit of a leash with trying to find the next charge. The Dynamo hubs have been helpful but the charge controllers have issues that we'll save for another time. I've got to say though after 6-8 hours in the saddle there nothing sexier then John navigating right to the supermarket in a busy city.
If you see a person touring on their bike slow down, give them some room, maybe some local color and a salute of your choosing. We are off to skeeter land Minnesota and are trying to go off the Adventure Cycling maps for a bit, hopefully we find our way! Can you really be lost if you don't care where you are? Kate and John
PS Dinner tonight was romaine lettuce w/ ranch and microwave lasagna! We're in a hotel!!

Medora

Where are we? I look around and see rolling terrain, low dirt buttes, ranch land. Southern Utah? Nope, we've finally crossed the border into North Dakota. The churches look different, the liquor laws are definitely different from Utah but when I saw two young men in formal clothes, riding bikes I thought first oh there are the Elders. Nope, just two boys going to work at the same restaurant in uniform. John's sister Patty calls and wants to meet because she is in the area. Really! Then a Pelican flies over your head, you shake it, check your blood sugar and think where the hell am I really. Medora, ND! The confusion continues! General Custer is sitting outside his tent on the corner, there is a man walking down the street carrying a rifle (he's the the one we asked directions to the coffee shop) and the town is set up like a made for TV Western Disney movie with both a taffy store and a doll shop. Lucky me I've been dying for a good day at the mall. There are wooden planked sidewalks and another cowboy on the corner telling some stories about the good old days. You remember when the white man drove the Native Americans from their land etc...
Medora is so different from the towns we have past thru over the last few weeks. Those have been mostly older depressed smaller communities that have seen better days, when either logging or the railroads were king. Beautiful, sometimes stark landscapes, the kind of towns when Steve Earle comes up on your random shuffle as you ride you know exactly what he is singing about.
Medora is definitely a change of pace , the home of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, another grand chunk of land saved for our enjoyment. A little hokey but we all have to make a living, right? We got to see the cowboy hall of fame, where they were having a roadshow firearm evaluation going on. Hence the man with the shotgun wandering thru town.
We are dealing with some bike repairs and will be here for a few days waiting for parts. Hopefully we will see the park a little more and maybe ride some of the Maah Daah Hey trail on some mountain bikes. John guided some trips out here years ago with Western Spirit, then the weather was very hot and buggy. Thankfully now it's cool (OK I can see my breath in the tent) rainy and essential bug free (OK except for the ants and spiders).
Spending so much time on the bikes lets you think lots of deep thoughts and ask the big questions. Like if this is the 'bread basket' of America where is the good bread? Why is ground beef $ 7/pd when we just biked by the cattle and why are the tent sites in the RV/ campgrounds always set on the low ground. Signing out from our puddle in the Medora campground. Kate
'Believe you can and you're half way there'. TR

Three flats and a storm

We knew they were coming, anyone who rides bikes knows they happen, usually at the most inconvenient time. They come in clusters like cops writing speeding tickets, bug bites and death. We've gone about 1,200 miles so far without a flat but with a severe weather watch out for the area, an ominous looking blue/black sky, the timing really didn't surprise us. We had been trying to stay ahead of the weather all day, visions of whirling winds and golf size hail keeping us moving. The first flat was actually a double (2 for the price of 1) slowing us because we thought we had it fixed. Then the next flat, the rain starting and then the third. Thankfully the really bad weather was somewhere else and we just got a little wet.
These events also can lead to other opportunities if you take a look around. Glasgow, MT had one bike shop 'for small repairs' 'with irregular hours' as described on the Adventure Cycling map. It was a Sunday morning and the owner Ron came down to help us out, the most charming 78 year young gentleman. Filled with love of bikes and restoring them he told us stories and walked us through his shop or 'museum' as he called it. Not only did he have the supplies we needed (big odd size tubes most shops might not carry ) but Ron had the attitude we needed to keep us moving. Not just moving to out race the storms but to remember the simplicity of biking and the joy it can bring. That may sound corny, but after 7 straight days riding, refocusing can help avoid a lot of unnecessary frustrations that tend to cloud the big picture.
Montana is almost behind us, maybe 3 more days to North Dakota. The Hi Line, as route 2 is called in this area, follows the rail line. It's pretty much the only reason a lot of these towns are here. Trains have been our companion now for 3 weeks appearing in the middle of no where and hearing them in your dreams. Seems, like roads, campgrounds like to be right next to the tracks too.
Big skies and big terrain, the size of the state scaring me at first but with it' s diversity and the tailwinds it flew by. We had bad weather climbing Marias Pass, 3 hours of nonstop rain with it clearing after lunch, cold but no snow! We ended up riding the next 5 days, who can say no to 10-20 mile an hour tailwind. Lots of miles ridden but relative to the hours spent slowly climbing the passes earlier in the month it felt like a free ride at times.
We are taking the day off in Wolf Point, MT, home to the Lakota Sioux and Assiniboine tribes. They are very friendly and not afraid to come talk with you and find out what your doing. I've already been nicknamed Freckles and prayers are being said for our safe travels ( I think ETOH was involved with that gentleman ).
Poncho's is the RV park where we are staying. The owner told us about another biker who after a few days of rest disappeared, leaving his tent behind. They came to find out he had a change of heart and took the Amtrak back to CA telling the depot to let the RV park know he was done with the tent too and they could have it. I wonder which way he was traveling, just starting and heading east or almost done and ran into the western headwinds and he cracked? I can picture it either way.
Everything changes, for better or worse, even the winds so we'll have to keep that in mind as we head to North Dakota. I hope things are blowing the right direction for everyone. Kate

P.S. iPhone charge controller broke. Squawking may be sporadic till I get the new parts. John