Mustard Seed Tutorial Center

Day #67
Today: Port Jervis, NY, to West Point, NY (48 miles)
Total miles: 3651
Tomorrow (plan): Rest Day (trip completed !!)

Yesterday, I contacted LTC Mike Stoneham, Officer-in-Charge of the West Point Cadet Cycling Team, and he informed me that some of the cadets would like to ride out to meet us and accompany us on our final leg of the trip to West Point, assuming their class schedules would permit. We decided that we needed to be on the road earlier than usual in order to try and mesh with the cadets' schedules. We departed the motel after breakfast at 7:30 AM, and the temperature was already in the low 70s. The forecast was for another day in the 90s, and we heated up immediately as we climbed the steep four-mile grade from along the Delaware River where Port Jervis is located. The route included some fairly short stretches on major roads with heavy traffic, but most of it was through the picturesque countryside and small towns located along US 6 in the area east of Port Jervis. We stopped in the town of Monroe for lunch, and I left a phone message for Mike to advise him of our location and progress. After lunch, we encountered another long, steep section of US 6 before the turn-off for West Point. Since this was the hottest part of the day, we stopped a couple of times during the climb to rest in the shade and cool off. There was a little bit of a breeze, so Susan poured water on both of us to act as natural air-conditioning, and it worked wonders. Mike returned my call and we both concluded that the tandem was making better time than expected. He was attempting to get the cadets who were available to meet us on the road, so we agreed that we would just keep on pedaling. When we were within a mile or so of the gate, we were met by Danielle Sweet of the Association of Graduates, and she took some pictures of our arrival. Shortly thereafter we were met by Cadets Alex Krienke and Derek Merkler, both Firstclassmen (seniors) and members of the Cycling Team. We paused at the gate for some more photos and then continued to ride on to Cullum Hall where we were met by Mike, and another Firstclass member of the Cadet Cycling Team, Cadet Courtney Rehwoldt. The group presented Cycling Team jerseys to both of us, and this certainly was a pleasant surprise and an honor. We then rode to the hotel just outside the gate in the town of Highland Falls, and Susan was able to walk to a local beauty shop for a haircut. Now we both have our shaggy manes ready for the 50th reunion activities which start Thursday afternoon. If the weather forecast is correct, we will ride the tandem to the reunion hotel in NJ, and turn it in at a local bike shop for shipping. The reunion activities will be completed by Sunday noon, and we will fly from Newark to LA on Sunday evening. It has been a great adventure and one we will always remember.

Additional information: I am writing this on 4/29, and we learned today that Cadet Courtney Rehwoldt was hurt in a bicycle accident yesterday after we met her. The Cycling Team was conducting time trials along the same road on which we rode into West Point, and during her time trial she hit a goose which quickly and unexpectedly appeared on the course, causing her to crash. Previously yesterday we had seen geese as we were pedaling toward the gate. She is in the hospital with a concussion and contusions; however, I talked with Mike Stoneham who was en route to visit her, and he told me the hospital reported that she was improving rapidly. Obviously our thoughts and prayers are with her.

We want to thank Courtney Sweet, Kim McDermott, and Gail Yeaple, all of the Association of Graduates, for providing photos and transmitting photos that had been taken at West Point and earlier in our trip.

Day #66
Today: Riverton, PA, to Port Jervis, NY (59 miles)
Total miles: 3603
Tomorrow (plan): West Point, NY

More unseasonably hot weather was forecast for today, and it was obvious from early in the morning that the temperature would climb into the 90s again. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, so before departing at 9:00 AM we had some of the fruit we normally carry with us, planning to eat breakfast in the next town along the route. Just ten miles down the road we had a good breakfast at a great price, went across the street to replenish our fruit supply at the market, and were on the road again. We crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey, entered the Delaware River Gap National Recreation Area, and then began a day that would see us climb lots of hills. I don't think we have had a day with so many steep hills. The scenery was beautiful, and it is interesting to see how the river has cut its way through the area, leaving very rugged terrain. In the summer, there is probably more traffic, but we had very little as we crept up some of the steeper hills. There were no restaurants, markets, or convenience stores within the National Recreation Area, so we managed with the food we were carrying. We were consuming lots of water because of the heat, and we were about to run out when we came to the town of Layton at about 5:30 PM. We stopped at the local restaurant to refill our water bottles and eat a sandwich, and then we were on our way, hoping to make it to Port Jervis before dark. Luckily, the last fifteen miles was mostly level, and we found a motel at 7:30 PM, just as visibility was getting poor. We ate fruit and energy bars, had our showers, and went to bed right away, since we wanted to be on the road early in the morning.

Day #65
Today: Ambler, PA, to Riverton, PA (61 miles)
Total miles: 3544
Tomorrow (plan): Port Jervis, NY

The temperature yesterday was in the low 90s, and the forecast for today was for more of the same. Cait and Bill were up and around the house fairly early getting things ready, not only breakfast, but they were going to ride their tandem and accompany us for the first part of our day's ride. Since they're cyclists, they know what cyclists need for breakfast, and Cait did a great job in providing a delicious and nourishing meal. We had decided to ride on PA 611, and last night Bill had given me a virtual ride on the computer along that route. We departed this morning at 8:30 AM, and they rode along to help us get to PA 611 as easily as possible. We saw several cyclists, and we commented that we had seen more cyclists since we entered Pennsylvania than we had seen on the rest of the entire trip. Of course, the warm weekend weather contributed to this, but Bill and Cait confirmed that there are a lot of active cyclists and cycling clubs in the area. After getting us near our planned route, they headed off on their own ride and we headed north. Part of the route was through small towns, and part was along country roads through farming and dairy country. Our destination was a small town that had a restaurant and hotel right by the Delaware River, the only one in town. The restaurant turned out to be a great choice, but the hotel left much to be desired. It consoled us to know that we only had a couple of more nights when we'd be forced to spend the night in the only hotel in town.

Day # 64
Today: Kennett Square, PA, to Ambler, PA (39 miles)
Total miles: 3483
Tomorrow (plan): Riverton, PA

Jane bid us farewell at about 9:45 AM after providing a tasty, substantial breakfast. By that time, it was obvious the weather predictions were accurate, as it was heating up rapidly. The first part of the route to West Chester was on winding country roads through farming country, and we thoroughly enjoyed the ride. We entered the town of Paoli near lunch time and first considered going into a shop that featured sandwiches made with bagels; however, the waiting line was too long, so we decided to go next door to a pizza shop. Great decision: excellent pizza, great salad, and we even gave in to sharing a mouth-watering piece of cheese cake with a chocolate topping. When we continued our pedaling, we discovered that finding your way in the area is definitely a challenge. While looking for Upper Gulph Road, we encountered several Gulph Roads (Old Gulph, New Gulph, South Gulph, etc.), stopped frequently to look at the map, and asked anyone we could find before finally locating the correct route. The area is also a challenge because of the abrupt, steep hills. I have heard cyclists say that riding in the eastern part of the country is a really tough, and now I can understand why. We both regret that we don't have more time to spend in this historic area, but we probably would have had to leave from California in January or December in order to be able to explore all the areas we have traveled through. We arrived at the home of Bill and Cait Ruhling, Warm Showers hosts who live in Ambler, and we didn't realize how lucky we were to have asked them to host us. First, they are tandem riders. Cait loves to cook, and she prepares delicious, different dishes. Bill is a consultant who works with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, so he is very familiar with routes in the area. We had an excellent roast beef dinner, with a wide selection of vegetables, topped off with ice cream and home-made cookies. Bill gave me some suggestions about a route, and then we were ready for bed.

Day # 63
Today: Bel Air, MD, to Kennett Square, PA (54 miles)
Total miles: 3444
Tomorrow (plan): Ambler, PA

Ed was up and about fairly early, since he was going to be working on a Habitat for Humanity house today. We were able to have breakfast and see him off before getting the tandem loaded and ready to go, but we had a daunting task looming before us: locating, buying, writing, and mailing post cards about Maryland before leaving the state. I believe we have mentioned that Susan has decided to mail an appropriate post card to each of our two young granddaughters in each of the states we travel through. The word appropriate is the kicker here: the card must provide information about the state, and finding such cards can be a challenge. We said goodbye to Lee at about 9:30 AM, but by the time the completed post cards were safely mailed, it was time for lunch. We ate at a fast food restaurant and finally headed out of Bel Air at about 12:30 PM. It was great weather for cycling, and the route took us through the beautiful countryside in that area of Maryland and Pennsylvania. The terrain was a repeat of the roller-coasters we had most recently encountered in Virginia, so it was apparent we were going to be considerably late in arriving at our destination. I called Jane Irwin, our Warm Showers host, to tell her of our situation and to get some directions, and we finally pulled up at her home at about 6:30 PM. Jane treated us to some chili, corn bread, and salad; all delicious. She had made a cross-country bike tour some years before, and we enjoyed exchanging stories. It was also interesting to hear that her daughter had called earlier in the day to tell Jane she had seen us pedaling through Baltimore in the area of the Johns Hopkins medical buildings. We listened to the weather report that predicted a near record-breaking heat wave for the next few days and went to bed fairly early.

Day #62
Today: Linthicum, MD, to Bel Air, MD (38 miles)
Total miles: 3390
Tomorrow (plan): Kennett Square, PA

We had a good breakfast, Barb went off on her way to a school conference, and Butch gave us some pointers about getting through Baltimore. When we departed at 9:30 AM, it was pretty good cycling weather: clear and cool, but with enough wind to be annoying. After listening to a strange noise coming from the tandem for a few miles, we pulled over and I discovered I had made a truly bone-head mistake after cleaning and lubricating the chain last night. In the dim light and the rush to get in for dinner, I had not threaded it properly. This meant that I had to disconnect a link, re thread the chain properly, and reconnect the link. This took longer than I had anticipated, but everything worked out well. We negotiated our way right through the middle of Baltimore without any problems and arrived at the beautiful new home of my classmate Ed Stauch and his wife, Lee, at about 3:30 PM. We were stationed together at the University of Delaware back in the early 60s while Ed and I were doing graduate work. After talking about old times and washing our biking clothes, we got cleaned up and went out to a local Italian restaurant for a delicious dinner. Then it was back to find that their beagle, Sam, had been lured upstairs by the smell of some energy bars in a bag I had forgotten to close. The bars had a few chocolate chips in them, but, thankfully, they were not solid chocolate, since a substantial amount of chocolate can be fatal to a dog. Sam appeared to be no worse for the episode, so we went to bed, looking forward to entering Pennsylvania tomorrow.

Day #61
Today: Rest day #7, Linthicum, MD (0 miles)
Total miles: 3352
Tomorrow (plan): Bel Air, MD

Today was a day to catch up on lots of things. First, I made a trip to the library to use a computer and update our journal; then I went to a local barbershop to get a long overdue haircut; and finally, I decided to do some work on the tandem. The set of tires I put on in Tyler, TX (1,754 miles ago) are wearing thin, although we have not had a single flat since putting them on the bike. For good measure, I decided to put on two new tires, and the chain and other parts of the drive train were in need of cleaning and lubrication, especially after our recent rides in the rain and mud. All that took up a good portion of the day. Barb prepared a delicious dinner for the four of us, and we enjoyed good conversation during the meal. In fact we stayed up talking too late, but it was great fun getting together with our friends. Tomorrow we're supposed to have clear weather, and it will be a short day for a change.

Day #60
Today: Alexandria, VA, to Linthicum, MD (53 miles)
Total miles: 3299
Tomorrow (plan): Rest day #7 in Linthicum, MD

As we departed after breakfast at about 10:30 AM, we were expecting fair weather in the morning, with the possibility of thundershowers later in the day. The Mt. Vernon Trail runs through Alexandria, so we got on it right away. We had traveled on it yesterday from Mount Vernon to Alexandria, but we were so miserable from the terrible weather that we failed to appreciate how nice it is. We crossed over into the District of Columbia and spent some time taking pictures of the monuments, the White House, and the Capitol. We walked the tandem most of the time because of the large crowds, even though some of the routes in that part of DC are listed as bike routes. We managed to stay on bike routes as we departed DC and crossed over into Maryland, but it was rush hour by that time. Many of the roads had wide, paved shoulders; but needless to say, it was fairly nerve-wracking as we challenged the cars and trucks for space on those narrow roads with no shoulders. We finally came to the bike path that runs around Baltimore Washington International Airport and were able to feel much safer on the last leg of our trip to Linthicum. However, the weather had deteriorated, and the ugly black clouds told us we were in for some more rain. Just as we arrived at our final destination at 7:00 PM, the rain came. We are staying at the home of Butch and Barb Young, college classmates of Susan and good friends. Susan, a native Marylander, had been anticipating going out to have crab cakes when we arrived in Maryland, so that was the plan. It was so late that we kept on our bike clothes when we went to the restaurant. It's a casual place, and my tight shorts did not draw as much attention as they did in West Texas, but there were some stares. After an excellent meal, we sat around talking, probably for too long since Barb has to get up and teach tomorrow, her 48th year as a high school English teacher.

Day #59
Today: Fredericksburg, VA, to Alexandria, VA (83 miles)
Total miles: 3299
Tomorrow (plan): Linthicum, MD

Miserable weather for the entire day – that's about the best I can say. It was raining when we awoke, and it continued to rain while we got ready, had breakfast, and were transported in the van back to the coffee shop in the center of Fredericksburg. We departed at about 8:00 AM after donning all our rain gear and preparing ourselves for the long ride to Alexandria. Of course, putting on our magic rain jackets is supposed to make the rain stop, but it certainly didn't work this time. The temperature was in the low 50s, and as we rode we also got a bit chilled. The rain came down hard most of the morning, and when it slacked off a bit, it was only for a short time. The three of us rode together until about noon, at which time I think Bob began to appreciate my assessment that it is hard for a single bike rider to poke along with a fully loaded tandem, so we parted ways. It finally stopped raining at about 5:30 PM, but we were thoroughly soaked. In fact, this was one of those soakings when you can wring water out of your socks. It was also one of those times when you discover that when the word "rain proof" is used to describe a garment, there is probably some fine print somewhere you should have read. After experiencing considerable difficulty finding part of the recommended Adventure Cycling Association route near Ft. Belvoir, VA, we finally arrived in Alexandria at about 7:30 PM. John Wilson, a West Point classmate and roommate, and his wife Sharyn hosted us for the evening, and we had a very enjoyable time over dinner talking about old times, our children, and the bike ride.

Day #58
Today: Glenn Allen, VA, to Fredericksburg, VA (67 miles)
Total miles: 3216
Tomorrow (plan): Alexandria, VA

The weather forecast last night and this morning called for the possibility of rain (it didn't happen), so we weren't surprised at the overcast sky. The weather was great for cycling. Irv demonstrated his outstanding culinary skills while preparing an excellent dish for breakfast, and we were on our way by 9:00 AM. Our route took us through the winding back roads north and east of Richmond, and we were definitely seeing some of the beautiful horse country in the area. It's a part of the country which has seen so much of America's history, and we can understand why people love it so much. There were no restaurants along the route, and we considered ourselves lucky to find a convenience store in Cedon, VA. We tried some barbeque sandwiches for lunch and were pleasantly surprised at the quality, since we're not sure this area is noted for that particular food. I had heard that US 1 is not a recommended bicycle route in this area, so shortly after leaving Glenn Allen we joined a route prepared by Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), an organization that promotes touring by bicycle and designs bike routes. Part of the time we also found ourselves on US Bike Route 1, a route I was not able to find out much about when I was researching for the trip. We had arranged to meet Bob Weekley, a classmate who is cycling to West Point from his home in Virginia as a fund raiser for a non-profit boys and girls club in his area. Bob's wife Elaine had driven over in their van prepared to take us to the nearby home of another classmate, Carl Groth, and his wife Chris. The Groths were out of town, but they had opened up their home to us for the evening. We met Bob and Elaine at a coffee shop in the center of Fredericksburg at about 5:30 PM, and I had doubts about being able to put the tandem, Bob's single bike, and the four of us in the van. Not to worry; we were even able to close the rear door, and off we went. After nice warm showers we went to a local restaurant, then returned to the beautiful and comfortable Groth home for a very restful evening.

Day #57
Today: Chesterfield, VA, to Glenn Allen, VA (37 miles)
Total miles: 3149
Tomorrow (plan): Glenn Allen, VA, to Fredericksburg, VA

We spent the first part of the morning talking with Tom, Ann, and Sam as we ate breakfast, and then we started pedaling at about 10:30 AM. It was a clear, warm morning, and it heated up as the day progressed. The ride across Richmond didn't turn out to be as daunting as we had feared, thanks to the recommended revisions to our route. It always pays to consult the locals about a route. We continued to see beautiful dogwood trees, and now we are beginning to see more red bud trees. In Georgia we thought we had seen the "mother of all magnolias," but Ann told us about another one along our route into Richmond. We checked it out, and we think it may definitely challenge the one in Georgia. The magnolias are not in bloom yet, but we have seen some huge trees on this trip. We arrived in Glenn Allen at 4:00 PM at the home of Irv Broocke, a West Point classmate, and his wife Phyllis. After talking about old times (we were assigned together in the Army at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, and Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD) we sat down to the great meal Phyllis had prepared. She is a member of a cooking group, and she loves to try new recipes; she definitely picked some good ones for this meal. After working on some journal updates and looking at the weather forecast, we called it a day.

Day #56
Today: Blackstone, VA, to Chesterfield, VA (46 miles)
Total miles: 3112
Tomorrow (plan): Chesterfield, VA, to Glenn Allen, VA

This morning we awoke to another clear day, but there was very little wind and it was not as cold as yesterday. After breakfast at a local restaurant we started out at about 9:00 AM on our day's journey along the winding country roads of Virginia. There was very little traffic on the roads I had selected, so the lack of a paved shoulder didn't present much of a problem and we made good time. Along one of the back roads, we encountered a group of five dogs that apparently decided we had invaded their territory, so they came out after us with vigor. The leader, a large black dog, seemed to be serious about catching up with us, and there was no way we were going to outrun him. I stopped the tandem, turned, and yelled at the pack, and this caused a couple of the dogs to at least slow down. Then Susan let out a shrill blast on the whistle we have been saving up for such a situation, and that did the trick. The leader stopped, and the other dogs followed suit. We had wondered if the whistle would be effective in a situation like this, and now we have confidence that it will be. We arrived in Chesterfield at the beautiful home of my West Point classmate Tom Russell and his wife Ann at 3:00 PM, so this was one of the shorter rides of our trip. We were ready for a short day after averaging almost 75 miles per day since our last rest day. We were pleased to meet one of the Russell's two sons, Sam, an Army Lieutenant Colonel who just recently returned from Iraq and is en route to move his family from Savannah, GA, to Ft. Lee, VA. We also met one of their two daughters, Lillian, her husband, and their son who is going to Clemson next year on a baseball scholarship. Ann treated the whole crowd to a delicious meal, quite a feat in itself. I got some suggestions about how to revise tomorrow's planned route across Richmond, and we then called it a night.

Day #55
Today: Henderson, NC, to Blackstone, VA (76 miles)
Total miles: 3066
Tomorrow (plan): Chesterfield, VA

Last night, I used the computer in the hotel business center to update our journal entries; but I was unable to finish, so I got up early to complete the task. This put us a little behind schedule, and our route for the day had become a little bit longer yesterday when we decided to go to Henderson rather than Warrenton. Bottom line: from the beginning we knew today was going to be a long day. We left at 10:00 AM after breakfast at the motel, and there was not a cloud in the sky. However, there was a strong, cold north wind of about 15 - 20 mph with gusts up to at least 30 mph, and this blew directly in our faces for the entire day. After we had pedaled for about an hour we stopped at a convenience store, and I happened to glance at the odometer; it read 3000 miles, the last time on this trip that we'll see triple zeros. Our route took us along part of US Bike Route 1, including the impressive dam at Kerr Reservoir. As we encountered more rolling hills and the wind continued to blow, we started to wonder if we could make it to Blackstone before dark. We had learned there was a motel in a town about 12 miles before Blackstone, so we knew we could stop there if necessary. When we got into that town and found the motel, Susan assumed her normal duties as chief motel room inspector. Both rooms she inspected failed to meet her standards, so she announced that we would have to press on to Blackstone. It was 7:15 PM by that time, and I was afraid we would not be able to get there before dark. In spite of my protestations, she decreed that if it got dark we would "stealth camp" in a pasture by the road rather than stay in the motel. Having learned from almost fifty years of marriage that "yes, dear" is the answer that seems to cover all situations, I wholeheartedly agreed and off we went. Luckily, there were only about two other challenging hills in the next 12 miles, and we were able to make it to Blackstone by 8:00 PM, just as it was getting dark. We found a motel that met the inspector's standards, went to the nearby Pizza Hut for a late dinner, and then retired for the evening.

The infamous April 15th arrived, and we celebrated by pedaling some 70-plus miles in North Carolina. Jennifer served up an excellent breakfast for us, and we were on our way by 9:00 AM. I had decided to change our route and go to Henderson, NC, instead of Warrenton, NC, because of the availability of motels, and Don had helped with figuring out the route. The forecast included more rain, and that proved to be accurate. The downpour was fairly light, so we only put on our magic rain jackets, and that proved to be enough to stop the rain after an hour or so. I was not exactly sure what the ambient temperature was, but I estimate it was in the low to mid 50s. We encountered a head wind of 10 - 15 mph, so we were chilled during our ride for most of the day. Later in the afternoon we stopped for a cup of hot coffee which warmed us up for the remainder of the trip. We continued to admire the beautiful dogwoods, the NC state flower, and the wild wisteria which adorns many of the trees along the highway. We arrived in Henderson at 7:00 PM, found a motel, and had a quick dinner at McDonalds before retiring.

Day #53
Today: Pinebluff, NC to Cary, NC (76 miles)
Total miles: 2917
Tomorrow (plan): Henderson, NC

Last night's weather forecast for the area called for rain during the afternoon, and it was overcast as we departed Pinebluff at 9:00 AM. The rain came a little earlier than expected and it was a much harder downpour than we experienced yesterday. We ducked under the overhang of an auto repair shop along the way, hoping to wait it out. After about an hour, we put on our full complement of rain gear, including booties, determined to get on our way. It was probably only thirty minutes later that the rain stopped, the sun came out, and we were too hot in all our gear. So, it was off with the rain gear, pack it away, and start pedaling again. A couple of hours later the rain came again, and we repeated the same routine. We decided that the way to avoid the rain is to put on all our rain gear. This is somewhat similar to washing your car to make sure it rains. The route was a circuitous one, primarily on US 1, but one necessitating many detours because there are sections of US 1 on which bicycles are not allowed. We arrived in Cary, NC, at the home of West Point classmate and company mate Don Gruschow and his wife Jennifer at 7:00 PM, considerably later than what we had planned, but we chalked it up to a rain delay. As former Pan Am employees (pilot and flight attendant) they could relate to that. Azaleas and dogwood are abundant in both the front and back yards of their beautiful home, and they did all the landscaping themselves. Of course there were the discussions about "old times" as we enjoyed the delicious meal Jennifer had prepared. Sue was able to do the laundry and I had the opportunity for a little work on their computer before it was time to call it a day.

Day #52
Today: Hartsville, SC to Pinebluff, NC (75 miles)
Total miles: 2841
Tomorrow (plan): Cary, NC

After breakfast at the motel, we started pedaling north under threatening skies. Someone at the motel informed us that it was already raining just to the south of Hartsville, so we expected that we might get wet during the day. By 11:30 AM we arrived at the town of Cheraw, SC, the last town before we would cross the border into North Carolina. We started a search for South Carolina post cards to send to our granddaughters and discovered that the type of card we wanted was not to be found. Cheraw is the home of jazz great Dizzy Gillespie, so we were able to find post cards heralding his accomplishments, but there were no cards giving a synopsis of the state's flower, bird, etc. We finally settled on what was available, wrote notes to the girls, and mailed the cards at the Cheraw Post Office. Then we were on our way, again under threatening skies. At about 3:00 PM the rain began falling, we stopped to put on our rain jackets, and we then resumed our pedaling in the fairly light rain.

As we passed through one section with wisteria growing in the trees on either side of the highway, we enjoyed the fragrant smell made even more intense by the moisture. Hugh O'Connor, a West Point classmate, and his wife Jackie live in Pinebluff, NC, and their home was our day's destination. We were again encountering roller coaster hills, and that, along with the light rain, slowed us down to a crawl. As we entered Pinebluff at about 6:00 PM, I called Hugh to get directions, and he drove out to meet us on US 1 and escort us for the final couple of miles. They operated their home as a B&B for a few years, and it is the lovely, quaint type home you might imagine as a B&B. We enjoyed talking with them, learning about the other classmates who live in the area around them, and discussing the upcoming Class Reunion. After enjoying the delicious dinner Jackie had prepared, I retired for the evening; but Susan stayed up, sitting around the fireplace, and talking with Jackie. By the time she came to bed I was dead to the world.

Day #51
Today: Columbia, SC to Hartsville, SC(80 miles)
Total miles: 2766
Tomorrow (plan): Cary, NC

We had originally planned to ride from Columbia along US 1, with McBee, SC, as our day's destination; however, after some discussion last night we decided to change our plans and head for Hartsville, SC, in which we would find a wider selection of motels. A local gentleman I talked with at a convenience store informed me that I would not find any of the roads with a paved shoulder, so that was not much of a consideration. I was pleased to find that the road was in good condition and that most of the time the traffic was light. It was also fairly flat for a good portion of the time, and this put a hole in my theory that for the rest of the trip we would either be going up or down. We made good time along the route, arriving at Hartsville by 6:00 PM. This allowed us to find a motel, eat at a local Chinese buffet, and return to the motel before dark.

Day #50
Today: Augusta, GA to Columbia, SC (91 miles)
Total miles: 2686
Tomorrow (plan): Hartsville, SC

We learned from the morning news that a tornado had touched down last night in nearby Aiken, SC, and that two people had been killed. Augusta had been spared, and the weather was now clear and beautiful. After another terrific meal prepared by Judy, we said goodbyes to our hosts, Judy and Buzz, and to Mike and Anita who will visit another cousin in North Augusta, SC, before heading back to Tampa. We departed at 9:00 AM and made good time as we pedaled through Augusta, avoiding the traffic from the Masters, thanks to a route suggested by Buzz and Judy. We crossed into South Carolina and passed through Aiken, but along our route we did not see any evidence of last night's tornado. As soon as we headed north out of Aiken, we hit a head wind of about 10 mph, and it stayed with us the entire day. Our destination was the Columbia, SC, home of Loretta Johnson, another of Susan's cousins, and our route included the road over the impressive Lake Murray Dam. Loretta had invited her sisters, Carolyn and Marie and their husbands over for the evening, and the ladies had each prepared a dish for the meal. Our 7:15 PM arrival had made them wait too long for dinner, so as soon as we arrived we suggested they should not have to wait any longer and we sat right down and ate. Janet, Loretta's daughter, had driven down from the Atlanta area, and we enjoyed visiting with her also. We were tired as a result of our ride of 91 miles, the longest of the trip thus far, so after showers we were ready for a good night's sleep.

Day #49
Today: Augusta, GA (rest day)
Total miles: 2595
Tomorrow (plan): Columbia, SC

Susan and her brother Mike wanted to see if they could locate the site of the old family homestead near Warrenton, GA, where their mother grew up and the site of the family cemetery, so today was a rest day in which we first spent time at the Warrenton library and the Warren county courthouse.

After lunch at the local Chinese restaurant Mike drove us out to Little Briar Creek Baptist Church, the church their mother attended when she was a young girl. The church was founded in 1777 and is believed to be one of the oldest Baptist churches in Georgia. The church is also unique because there is a spring on the church grounds from which water can be pumped into the outdoor baptistry. In the area around the spring, the church has placed benches, built a gazebo, and planted several azalea bushes. It is a very attractive site and one which offers lots of opportunities for church activities. We also visited the cemetery across from the church, and Susan and Mike were able to identify the names of several relatives engraved on the grave stones. We then attempted to locate the site of the family homestead and cemetery, but we were not successful. We did locate two family cemeteries in the area, but they were for other families. We were expecting rain during the afternoon, but there was none, making us wonder if the front which was supposed to pass through the area might be delayed for a day. While we were out tromping around in the bushes, Judy and Buzz were getting a sumptuous dinner ready for a crowd including the four of us, their two sons and their families, and Judy's mother. It was a real treat for us to see and talk with Susan's relatives, and we both had a great time. Later that evening at about 10:00 PM, the weather radio in the house sounded the alarm and notified us of a tornado watch for the area. Shortly thereafter, the status was changed to a tornado warning, and we began to hear thunder. There was also quite a downpour, and we went to bed wondering if the weather would allow us to start out on our trip the first thing in the morning.

Today has been much warmer, starting from the first thing in the morning when we awakened to clear, sunny skies and a light, variable wind. We departed the motel at about 8:45 AM after a breakfast, we assembled from the local convenience store. Our biggest challenge was to avoid the traffic heading to the Masters golf tournament in Augusta, and, with the help of Judy and Buzz Hankinson, our hosts in Augusta, we had put together a route which did exactly that and allowed us to arrive at their beautiful home by 1:30 PM. Judy is Susan's cousin on her mother's side of the family, and it has been several years since they last saw each other. Susan's brother Mike and his wife Anita drove up to Augusta from the Tampa area, so it was a mini-reunion for the cousins. After sharing lots of memories, planning activities for the next day, and enjoying the delicious meal Judy prepared, we called it a day.

Day #47
Today: Milledgeville, GA, to Warrenton, GA (66 miles)
Total miles: 2554
Tomorrow (plan): Augusta, GA

I can't get over how close the weather forecasters have been the last few days. This morning the ambient temperature was 33 degrees, and it was clear and calm. Although the temperature was seven degrees lower than yesterday, the absence of wind made it more pleasant. Phil had suggested a route to Warrenton that passed near Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee, a route that included a Georgia Scenic Byway and proved to be great for cycling. There were more rolling hills and lots of beautiful scenery. The abundance of rain during the past couple of weeks has made every low spot muddy, with many of those spots still holding standing water. The vegetation is beautiful, with lots of wild flowers, wisteria, and dogwood. The azaleas around the homes are of a wide variety of colors, and they appear to be in full bloom. Of course, there is also the full spectrum of coniferous and deciduous trees. It was a very enjoyable ride on which we made good time, arriving at Warrenton by about 3:30 PM. Warrenton is the county seat of Warren County, where Susan's mother was born, so our first stop was at the courthouse where Susan hoped to find out more information and locate the old home site. We didn't have enough time to accomplish much, but we plan to return on Friday during our rest day in Augusta. We located a motel, ate at the local Chinese restaurant, and then retired for the evening.

Day #46
Today: Ft. Valley, GA, to Milledgeville, GA (63 miles)
Total miles: 2488
Tomorrow (plan): Warrenton, GA

After seeing what the weather was like this morning, I broke out another layer of clothes, and Susan put on every layer she had packed for the trip. The predicted cold front had arrived during the night, and at 8:30 AM as we started pedaling, the ambient temperature was 40 degrees after a low of 34 during the night. Strong winds in the 20 - 25 mph range gave us a wind chill that was well down into the 30's. The roller coaster hills were almost welcome, since they warmed us up as we pedaled away, inching up the steep grades in the area. The area into, through, and around Macon was also hilly, so by the time we ate lunch there we were fairly well warmed up as a result of climbing the hills. Last night I had contacted Phil Wise, a Warm Showers member who lives with his wife Dianne about 10 miles north of Milledgeville at Lake Sinclair, and I told him we expected to be there in mid-afternoon. We arrived at about 4:00 PM at their beautiful lake-front home, and after getting cleaned up we were treated to a tour of Milledgeville by Dianne. This is one of those towns you wish you had the time to spend a few days exploring. It is a college town, the site of Georgia Military College, Georgia College and State University, and Central Georgia Technical College. The old governor's mansion gives proof that it was a former capital of Georgia (1806 to 1868), and beautiful antebellum homes can be found throughout the town. After our tour of the town we went to the Italian restaurant owned by Phil and Dianne, where we were treated to a delicious meal. We then returned to their home, swapped cycling stories, and watched the Weather Channel before retiring for the evening. The forecast is for colder temperatures, but no wind.

Day #45
Today: Phenix City, AL, to Ft. Valley, GA (76 miles)
Total miles: 2425
Tomorrow (plan): Milledgeville, GA

Last night's weather forecast was for dry, colder weather, and the winds were predicted to be fairly strong. The forecasters were pretty accurate, as we departed with winds from the NNW in the 10-15 mph range with gusts to about 25 mph. The temperature was in the low-to-mid 40's, so Susan had on more layers than she had put on for a few days. I think I have mentioned that one of her greatest fears is being the least bit cold. It's obvious that twenty-six years of Southern California weather have had their effect on this Maryland girl. We continued to follow US 80 through Columbus, GA, and for about 20 miles east of there; then, at Geneva, GA, we changed our route to GA 96. Our ability to observe life in the small towns seemed to change abruptly at this point. In Louisiana, Mississippi, and much of Alabama our route on US 80 had put us right through the small towns, and we had been able to see and meet a greater cross-section of the people. We were also able to see the impact the Interstate highway network has had on small towns and how the current economic situation is affecting the people. Now our route is a primarily a four-lane divided highway which bypasses the towns. It's better for cycling, but not that good for seeing the local people. In Box Springs we were able to find an excellent cafe owned by a lady originally from Germany, and our lunch of roast pork and dressing, cabbage, and black-eyed peas was delicious. We arrived in Ft. Valley at about 5:00 PM, found a motel, and ate at a McDonald's before watching the weather forecast. The forecast is for colder weather and stronger winds. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Day #44
Today: Rest day in Phenix City, AL (bad weather)
Total miles: 2349
Tomorrow (plan): Ft. Valley, GA

We peeked out of the motel window and saw that it was completely overcast. It was not raining, and there was no thunder, so we decided to get ready to go. After a continental breakfast in the motel lobby, we were greeted to light rain as we returned to the room. The updated forecast called for rain and thunderstorms (and even the possibility of hail) for the entire day, so we changed our plans and decided to take an unscheduled rest day to wait out the bad weather. We were convinced our decision was the right when we heard the nearby crackling of lightning and claps of thunder. The rain was steady and heavy at times, so we stayed in the motel watching TV and getting our second rest day in three days. Lunch was our stock of fruit and energy bars. Not exactly what we had planned. The rain stopped late in the evening, allowing us to walk to a nearby fast-food place for dinner. The forecast for tomorrow calls for good weather, and we're hoping to be on the road again in the morning.

Day #43
Today: Montgomery, AL, to Phenix City, AL (80 miles)
Total miles: 2349
Tomorrow (plan): Ft. Valley, GA

Now that the front wheel of the tandem had been repaired and we were ready to go, we felt confident in telling Anita goodbye. The weather was beautiful as we departed Montgomery, with the morning temperature in the mid-50's and a predicted high in the 70's. The road was good and relatively flat until we approached Tuskegee; that's when we encountered more of the rolling hills we have now begun to expect. After having lunch at a Subway in Tuskegee, we decided to press on because it was only 1:00 PM and the weather was good. We made it into Phenix City, just across the Chattahoochee River from Columbus, GA, by 4:00 PM and were able to find a motel shortly thereafter. We had spotted a Chinese restaurant advertising a buffet, so we decided to go there in order to get the vegetables we crave. We picked another good dining spot where we had an enjoyable dinner, and then returned to the motel to watch the weather forecast. It was not encouraging, but it appeared the predicted thunderstorms might not hit the area until late afternoon tomorrow.

Day #42
Today: Rest Day in Montgomery, AL (10 miles)
Total miles: 2269
Tomorrow (plan): Tuskeegee, AL

Today was originally planned as a rest day; however, yesterday we decided to ride to Tuskeegee today because of the predicted good weather. After breakfast we bid Anita farewell and started pedaling eastward under such angry looking clouds that we wondered if the weatherman had actually given the report for the Montgomery area. Only ten miles down the road we discovered a broken spoke in the front wheel, so we stopped to replace it. After replacing the spoke I was unable to true the wheel so that the brakes would not drag, so we decided to cancel the ride for today and get the wheel trued at a bike shop. We then called Anita to ask if we could spend another night, and she graciously agreed. She then offered to come get us in the pickup, and even let us drive to the bike shop in her vehicle. When we returned, Anita prepared some delicious spaghetti and we got everything ready for what we hope will be a good riding day tomorrow. By the way, the weatherman was right; the afternoon was sunny and beautiful.

Day #41
Today: Selma, AL, to Montgomery, AL (61 miles)
Total miles: 2259
Tomorrow (plan): Tuskeegee, AL

We had breakfast with Jim and Clara at the motel, and then they got on the road to Tyler. After loading up the tandem, we departed at 8:30 AM. There was no rain, but it was a foggy, humid morning, and we were expecting that it would rain during the day. After about an hour on the road, we experienced a steady drizzle which actually felt pretty good. As the rain began to fall a little harder, Susan put on her rain jacket; but I decided to wait, since I knew that I would wish I didn't have it on as soon as I heated up after climbing the first hill. US 80 in this area is a divided four-lane road, and it has a good surface most of the way. There is little if any shoulder, but the traffic was light. We were riding on the historic route of the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march of 1965, and we saw markers designating the areas where the marchers camped along the route. At about the half-way point we began to encounter roller-coaster hills of the type we last experienced back in north central Texas, and the SSE wind made the climbs even tougher. Because the severe weather was predicted to hit the area in the afternoon, we wanted to reach Montgomery as soon as possible, so we only stopped for lunch by the road and ate the fruit and energy bars we had carried along with us. We arrived at the southwest city limits by about 2:00 PM, early enough to be ahead of the rush hour traffic as we made our way to the northeast area of the city, arriving at our final destination by 3:30 PM. We are being hosted by Anita Taylor who, along with her husband Dick, is a member of Warm Showers. Dick is currently on a cycling tour of the east coast, from Key West to Maine, and Anita graciously agreed to host us. After we came back from eating an outstanding meal at Anita's favorite Mexican restaurant, Susan put in a load of wash while I updated the journal. Although our original schedule calls for a rest day here in Montgomery tomorrow, we have decided that we will keep riding if the weather is good, as the weatherman currently predicts. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day #40
Today: Demopolis, AL, to Selma, AL (48 miles)
Total miles: 2198
Tomorrow (plan): Montgomery, AL

We departed Demopolis at 9:00 AM under threatening skies, but again no rain. US 80 is fairly flat in this area, so we made good time even though the road leaves a lot to be desired. As we pulled into Uniontown to look for a place to eat, we asked someone at a convenience store if there was a restaurant in town, and they directed us to what they said was the only one in town. On our way to the restaurant, we noticed the public library in the center of town and decided to make a stop there after lunch. When we stepped inside the restaurant and saw the line waiting to be served, we probably should have returned to the convenience store for a cold sandwich, but we decided to stay. The food turned out to be good, but I'm not convinced it was worth the long wait. At the library after lunch, we updated our journal entries for the past three or four days and got on our way toward Selma. We arrived in Selma at 5:00 PM and were met by our good friends Jim and Clara Hill who live in the Huntsville, AL, area. They were on their way to Tyler, TX, for Jim's 55th high school reunion, and they had offered to meet us in Selma and host us at a local motel for the evening. Now, are those good friends, or not? Jim and I are West Point classmates, both from Tyler, and took our entrance exams at the same time back in 1955. We were also stationed together a couple of times during our Army careers. Clara had found a wonderful restaurant in the Selma area where we had delicious food and great conversation, recalling the past good times we have had together. We thought we were going to have a late-night soak in the sauna, but it turned out that the water was only lukewarm, so we sat around talking a little longer before retiring for the evening. Before going to sleep, we watched the weather forecast and saw that severe weather was predicted for the area later in the afternoon tomorrow, leading us to decide that we would try to depart a little earlier in the morning.

Day # 39
Today: Meridian, MS, to Demopolis, AL (58 miles)
Total miles: 2150
Tomorrow (plan): Selma, AL

The weather forecast we heard last night made us wonder if we would be able to ride today, although it sounded like the lightning and thunderstorms might not occur until later in the day. We awoke to overcast and threatening skies but no rain, so we had breakfast at the local McDonalds and headed eastward. About an hour into our journey, while we were stopped at a convenience store looking for bananas and Mississippi post cards, there was a brief shower that caused us to break out our rain jackets. No luck at that store, so we went to the next one, and while we were in the store, there was another brief shower. We found the post cards, but had to wait for many miles to find the bananas. Our luck continues to be phenomenal, as that was the only rain for the whole day. There are not many towns in this part of Alabama, so we were prepared when lunch time came around, pausing along the road to eat what we had brought with us. We encountered one of those new sections of US 80, and made excellent time into Demopolis, arriving there at about 4:30 PM. We checked out a couple of motels before settling on one right across the highway from a Taco Bell. After dinner and hot showers we watched a little TV to catch up on the news and weather and then retired for the night.

Day # 38
Today: Morton, MS, to Meridian, MS (75 miles)
Total miles: 2092
Tomorrow (plan): Demopolis, AL

We broke camp and were able to leave Roosevelt State Park by 8:30 AM, but by the time we had breakfast and talked to the people at the restaurant it was 10:00 AM. US 80 has been very rough most of the time, and today was no exception. The asphalt pavement is ed from one side of the road to the other about every 30 feet or so, and the is raised, resulting in a very bumpy ride. I suspect that the are due to the continual expansion and contraction caused by changes in temperature. One local summed it up this way, "When they put in I-20 they forgot about US 80." Our experience pretty well substantiates his observation, although there are short, infrequent sections that are in good repair. We stopped in Newton for lunch, and we were fortunate enough to find a Chinese buffet with just about anything a hungry person could want. When we arrived on the outskirts of Meridian I called Margaret Rula, the widow of Adam Rula, whom I had worked with in TRW many years ago. I had told Margaret we would stop by to see her in her retirement home, but I didn't know the exact location. As it turned out, it was at the far north side of Meridian, and we had entered town at the far south end. By the time we managed to reach our destination, there was only about an hour or so of daylight left. We had a short but very enjoyable visit with her, put on our emergency lighting, and headed back to where the motels are located. Our trip was smooth and fast, allowing us to find a motel before dark. After checking in, we had a little hike to the closest restaurant where we enjoyed the salad bar before returning to the motel for hot showers (actually, Susan prefers a hot soak in the tub) and turning in for the night.

Day #37
Today: Madison, MS, to Morton, MS (48 miles)
Total miles: 2017
Tomorrow (plan): Meridian, MS

We awoke to great weather and learned that the storm forecast for our area had passed to the north of us. We dodged another bullet! Pete sent us on our way with a delicious breakfast and suggested directions about how to get to Morton. We took his advice and went back to the Natchez Trace Parkway, heading north along the shores of the Ross Barnett Reservoir, a very large body of water. The scenery continued to be beautiful along this little strip called "the Trace," and the road was smooth and relatively flat. We crossed over the north end of the reservoir and headed to the southwest, stopping at a bait shop/convenience store shortly after the change in direction. As I entered the shop, a local gentleman said, "Aren't you cold in those little ol' short pants?" I laughed and said that I thought it would warm up later in the day. As in all the other states, my cycling shorts continue to get some stares. When we got into the area of the town of Morton at about 3:30 PM, we began looking for a place to eat, and to our surprise we found a Chinese restaurant in the center of town. After a good meal with lots of vegetables and even some hot green tea (we have been unable to find hot tea throughout the trip until now), we asked the owner how to get to Roosevelt State Park, and he gave us directions for a shortcut. We checked into the park and discovered that there was only one other camper, an RV, in the entire camping area. The park is in a beautiful location a swimming pool and waterslide, and we understand that in warmer months it is a very popular camping area. We set up our tent and decided we didn't want to ride the two miles back into town to get something to eat. Our late lunch was probably enough, but we did break into our bag of granola while we sat and watched three or four squirrels scampering around. We were snug in our sleeping bags by 8:30 PM, probably the earliest time we have been to bed on the trip.

Day #36
Today: Vicksburg, MS, to Madison, MS (57 miles)
Total miles: 1969
Tomorrow (plan): Forest, MS

Our original plan was to travel to Jackson, MS, but we were contacted by Pete Vozzo, a 1982 West Point graduate, who invited us to stay at his home for the night. Pete lives a few miles north of Jackson in Madison, so we amended our itinerary to be able to accept his invitation. We also changed our route, meaning that we would travel on the Natchez Trace Parkway, a route I understood to be a favorite with cyclists. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast prepared by Nancy and Burhman: grits, pancakes with walnuts, crepes with strawberries and blueberries, bacon, and homemade muffins. We even packed a couple of the muffins for a snack later in the day.
The predicted storm had bypassed the area, so we had clear weather as we departed at 10:30 AM, although it was very windy and much cooler. Part of the time we even had the wind at our back, so we sailed along at a pretty good rate. When we reached "the Trace," the road was in excellent condition, although there was no shoulder. Motorists are accustomed to sharing the road with cyclists, and we had no problems. The weather was clear, windy, and cool the entire trip, and we arrived at Pete's home at 4:30 PM. He had invited a cycling enthusiast friend and his wife over for the evening, so we talked cycling and had a delicious meal. For the first time in almost a week the weather forecast does not call for a storm; let's hope it's right.

Day #35
Today: Delhi, LA, to Delta, LA/Vicksburg, MS (36 miles)
Total miles: 1912
Tomorrow (plan): Jackson, MS

The story about today begins several months ago when I learned that the old US 80 bridge at Vicksburg no longer allows any automobile, bicycle, or pedestrian traffic on it. I contacted my friend George Mason, a Department of the Army civilian who works at the Waterways Experiment Station in Vicksburg, and someone I had worked with many years ago when I was with TRW. Bicycles are not allowed on the I-20 bridge, so George agreed to transport us and the tandem across the bridge. After he picked us up in Delta, LA, he took us by his office where we met one of his office mates, Burhman Gates. Burhman and his wife Nancy invited us to stay at their home in Vicksburg for the night, and we accepted their kind invitation. The word in the office was that Nancy was a great cook, and that certainly proved to be true. There were lots of dark clouds in the sky as we arrived at their home, and the weather forecast for tomorrow looks pretty bad. Again it is questionable whether or not we'll be in the middle of a storm tomorrow.

Day #34
Today: Ruston, LA, to Delhi, LA (75 miles)
Total miles: 1876
Tomorrow (plan): Vicksburg, MS

Yesterday I forgot to mention why we went so far (87 miles), a record for the trip to this date. We were tired and wanted to stop sooner, but we couldn't find a place to stay before we reached Ruston. We found a motel shortly after getting into town, and about fifteen minutes later the rain began pouring down. There was a restaurant adjacent to the motel, so we didn't have to venture out into the downpour. We slept very soundly after the long day and were relieved when we looked out the window this morning to see that the rain had stopped. There was a fairly heavy fog as we pulled away at about 9:00 AM with our blinking red light attached to the rear of the tandem. After about an hour, the fog cleared away but the sky continued to look threatening. Later in the morning the sun came out and we thought we might be able to finish another day without getting soaked. We stopped for lunch in West Monroe and pressed on toward Delhi, arriving there at 6:00 PM. We knew that the weather forecast was for more rain and thunderstorms, so we didn't even consider trying to find a camping area. We found a motel, and sure enough, within an hour the rain started again. It's hard to believe how fortunate we have been during this episode of bad weather.

Day #33
Today: Shreveport, LA, to Ruston, LA (87 miles)
Total miles: 1801
Tomorrow: Delhi, LA

The rain stopped overnight, and we awoke to clear skies and a temperature in the mid-50s. We departed Shreveport at 9:30 AM after a great breakfast prepared by Bart who wanted to make sure we were well fortified for our trip. Sue has been giving me a hard time because I always write about riding conditions (hills, etc) and the weather (wind speed and direction), so today I'll try to mention something else. How about people? Well, we've been very fortunate to be able to visit the children of my sister Mary and her husband Walter. First, in Chandler, AZ, and then in Shreveport, LA; all three of their children and all nine of their grandchildren. Also, we continue to meet great people along our route. Everyone we meet is interested in our trip and wants to find out what motivates us to do this (that is another way of saying that some people think we're crazy). Now, how about the countryside along the way. Well, obviously as we have progressed eastward from the more arid western part of the country, we have observed quite a change in the vegetation. We are a little early for the full display of wild flowers (blue bonnets, Indian paint brushes, etc), but we have seen the beginnings. In East Texas and Louisiana we have seen lots of dogwood (even some pink ones) and wisteria along the roadside, and lots of azaleas around people's houses. We now see the full spectrum of types of trees, including all kinds of deciduous trees and lots of pine trees.

By the way, the route was relatively flat, although we did have some roller-coaster areas, and the wind was from the southeast at about a steady 10 mph, as usual, a head wind.

Day #32
Today: Carthage, TX, to Shreveport, LA (47 miles)
Total miles: 1714
Tomorrow (plan): Ruston, LA

We enjoyed the much flatter route out of Carthage, and the weather was perfect for cycling. It was completely overcast, the temperature was in the low 60s, and there was a mild wind. We departed Carthage at 9:00 AM, and were able to make really good time. Later in the afternoon the weather became more threatening, and we began to wonder if we would make it to Shreveport before the predicted rain came. As it happened, at 2:30 PM we arrived at the home of Nichol and Bart, my nephew, and their three children, just as it began to sprinkle. They had invited Bryan and Leeann, my niece, and their two children to come over for barbeque, and we had a feast. By about 5:00 PM, it began to rain extremely hard and we learned that the forecast is for two more days of rain. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day #31
Today: Tyler, TX, to Carthage, TX (69 miles)
Total miles: 1667
Tomorrow (plan): Shreveport, LA

Mary prepared an excellent breakfast and sent us on our way with lots of fruit and two big pieces of her banana nut cake we enjoyed so much. Even though we stayed up too late last night watching the Rogers on local TV, we managed to depart Tyler by 8:45 AM. Within the first hour or so on the road we saw three of my high school classmates and stopped to talk with them. Also, several people honked at us and yelled that they had seen us on TV. It was completely overcast, the temperature was in the low 60s, and there was a light wind as we headed eastward. We experienced more of the roller coaster hills, although not as many or as severe as we had seen before. In the afternoon the wind increased, reaching the predicted speed of 15 - 20 mph with gusts of 25 - 30 mph. By the time we reached Carthage at 6:30 PM, we had been fighting the wind and the hills most of the day, so we were ready to call it a day. We found a motel and then went to a buffet with lots of salads and vegetables. After returning to the motel and enjoying warm showers, we went to bed right away.

Day #30
Today: Rest day in Tyler, TX
Total miles: 1598
Tomorrow (plan): Carthage, TX

Mary and Walter had contacted the local TV station before we arrived, and a reporter had made an appointment to interview us at 2:00 PM. She showed up at the stroke of the hour, talked with us, and shot some video for perhaps 30 or 45 minutes. She told us she planned to have it on the local Tyler TV station at 10:00 PM tonight, so we'll be watching. The rest of the day was spent visiting with our hosts, lounging around, washing clothes, and putting on the new set of tires which had been mailed to Tyler.

To check out the Rogers' TV interview Click Here.

Day #29
Today: Corsicana, TX, to Tyler, TX (77 miles)
Total miles: 1598
Tomorrow (plan): Rest day in Tyler, TX

We started getting ready early today and we were able to have breakfast and depart Corsicana by 8:30 AM. The weather was good and there was a very mild breeze as we started out. The 35-mile stretch from Corsicana to Athens was pretty flat, so we made good time. As we arrived in Athens, the frequency and grade of the hills increased, slowing us down considerably for the 40-mile "home stretch" into Tyler. Tyler is where I spent the first 18 years of my life, but it's a completely different town now. I knew from my last few visits to Tyler that there was a short-cut from TX 31 (which we were following from Athens) to the loop which goes around Tyler, so I decided to take it to shorten our ride. Bad decision. When you ride on a road in a car, you don't see everything that will affect a cyclist, unless you are consciously scouting the road for cycling. So, on my previous trips across this short-cut I hadn't noticed that: (1) there is absolutely no shoulder on this two-lane road; (2) it has some killer hills, at least for a fully loaded tandem; and (3) everybody likes to take this short-cut, so that there is lots of traffic. Needless to say, the distance may have been less, but it took a substantially longer time to traverse it. We arrived at the home of my sister Mary and her husband Walter at about 5:30 PM, probably 45 minutes to an hour later than we might have if it had not been for the route I chose. We were still early as far as they were concerned, since I had told Mary to expect us between 6:00 and 7:00 PM. After a delicious meal topped off with banana nut cake (two slices for me) we showered and got ready for a much needed rest day. Our last one was when we sat out the bad weather in Ft. Stockton on 3/10, so we're ready for a day out of the saddle.

Day #28
Today: Lake Whitney State Park, TX, to Corsicana, TX (69 miles)
Total miles: 1521
Tomorrow (plan): Tyler, TX

Whenever we camp, it is difficult to make an early get-away because of the time required to pack up everything and get it loaded back on the tandem. That was the case again today, so when we finally finished breakfast in the town of Whitney and headed eastward, it was about 11:00 AM. Right away, that made it attractive to shoot for a destination closer than Kerens, and Corsicana was the most likely target. We decided to stay in a motel there, get an early start in the morning, and try to make Tyler before sunset. We had excellent cycling weather again, and the wind, although from the SE, was only in the 10 mph range. When we arrived in Corsicana, we went through the town to the eastern edge, but the two motels we checked with charged more than we were willing to pay. A helpful clerk at one of the motels suggested a motel on the west side of town, and when we called we found out there was a vacancy and the rate was much better. So, we back-tracked the three miles and were very satisfied with our decision. Across the highway was a restaurant offering a buffet, and we loaded up on salads and vegetables, something we had not been able to find for several days.

Day #27
Today: Hico, TX, to Whitney, TX (55 miles)
Total miles: 1452
Tomorrow (plan): Kerens, TX

Sunny prepared a delicious breakfast: orange juice; sliced bananas dusted with cinnamon; eggs (fresh from their hens); sausage; a grits casserole with pepper jack cheese; light, fluffy biscuits (nothing like the hockey-puck biscuits we have had at motels that serve breakfast); and flavored coffee. Truly a gourmet meal! After loading up the tandem, we stopped by the local newspaper office for an interview Sunny had arranged, and then we went through the old downtown area before departing Hico. Another beautiful day for cycling, and more hills to be climbed on a fully-laden vintage tandem pedaled by vintage riders. Our contact in Whitney is Cliff Partney, brother of Richard Partney of McCamey. This is Spring Break, so we were wondering if we would have trouble getting a camping spot at Lake Whitney State Park. Cliff was kind enough to drive out to the State Park and make reservations, so when we arrived everybody knew we were the Californians headed to New York on a bicycle. There are lots of campers at this large, beautiful lake with excellent camping facilities. We were able to get the tent set up and the tandem secured before Cliff came out to the camp site, drove us back into town, and hosted us at the local Tres Hermanos restaurant where we had some excellent Mexican food.

Day #26
Today: Brownwood, TX, to Hico, TX (70 miles)
Total miles: 1397
Tomorrow (plan): Whitney, TX

We departed Brownwood at about 9:45 AM, and for the first ten miles or so the road was surprisingly flat. That was not to last for long. We stopped in Comanche for a Chinese buffet lunch which was excellent, and about 20 miles farther we reached the town of Dublin where we left US 67 and turned southeast on TX 6 right into the wind. After creeping up the innumerable hills into Hico in the face of this 15 - 20 mph wind, we decided that Hico was short for Hill Country. We know that the Texas Hill Country is farther to the south, but locals tell us this is the head of the hill country, and we believe them. We had previously contacted Sunny at the "Nothin' But Time" B&B, and with the assistance of a couple of helpful folks, we arrived at the B&B at about 7:30 PM. Because it was late, we went to the local restaurant dressed in our cycling clothes, thus garnering several stares, as usual. Sunny and her husband John have transformed an older house into a beautiful home. They owned a lot in Hico and then had the house moved (in two pieces) from another location in town. The result is one of the nicest and most beautiful B&Bs we have ever stayed in.

Day #25
Today: Ballinger, TX, to Brownwood, TX (65 miles)
Total miles: 1327
Tomorrow (plan): Hico, TX

We ate breakfast at the restaurant adjacent to the hotel, and after breakfast we were interviewed in the restaurant by a reporter from the local newspaper. Jeanette had contacted the reporter and set up the interview. We then departed the hotel and headed for the local Wal-Mart to buy a spare tire. We were in luck: they had a 27-inch tire. It was almost noon when we departed Ballinger. Just about everything was the same as yesterday: the temperature, the wind, and the hills. It seemed that the vegetation was beginning to change. It was not strictly mesquite bushes, as we had seen farther west; there was some scrub cedar and other vegetation. After stopping in mid-afternoon for some delicious Texas barbeque in the little town of Valera, we arrived in Brownwood just before sunset at about 7:30 PM. We found a motel on the east side of town, located across the street from a small restaurant where we ate, still dressed in our cycling clothes. The sight of a man in tight shorts seems to evoke a few stares from the folks who are off the beaten cycling paths. In fact, yesterday in the grocery store in Ballinger, while standing in the check-out line behind a very young (6-8 yr-old) girl, I was subjected to her observation, "Now that's embarrassing!" That was one of the few times I was at a loss for words.

Day #24
Today: San Angelo, TX, to Ballinger, TX (47 miles)
Total miles: 1262
Tomorrow (plan): Brownwood, TX

We're trying a little different format by pointing out our daily location at the beginning of our report. Hope this helps.

We decided to take some time to ride around San Angelo, so we went to the historic downtown section and to the site of Ft. Concho, an Army fort established in 1867 and a post where the Buffalo Soldiers were stationed. Although it was a very brief tour, it gave us a snapshot of San Angelo, the largest city we have been in since we were in the El Paso area. It was around noon when we departed.

As we sat around talking last night at Steve and Debra's home, the comment was made that we would encounter some hills as we headed eastward from San Angelo. That proved to be an accurate prediction. Our ride today was reminiscent of the "roller coaster" sections we had ridden in Arizona. It was a beautiful day: clear, morning temperatures in the low 50s and afternoon high in the high 70s. The only "drawback" was that the wind was from the southeast instead of the predicted southwest; guess you can't have everything.

About 15 miles into the day's journey we had a rear tire blow-out. I now understand why some touring cyclists recommend the smaller 26-inch wheels used on mountain bikes. Heavy-duty tires are more readily available for those wheels, and that would certainly help on a trip like this. It is almost impossible to avoid tire debris and large-sized pieces of gravel while riding on the shoulder, and those can play havoc with traditional, thinner road tires. Our blow-out was probably caused by a sharp-edged piece of gravel, and the tire was destroyed. I put on the spare and off we went, hoping we would not have a similar incident before we could buy another spare tire. When we arrived in Ballinger about 5:00 PM, we headed for the city park because we had information we could camp there and that there were showers. There are, in fact, showers; however, there is only cold water, since the showers are at the swimming pool and used in the summer for showering before entering the pool. We tested the water temperature and immediately began to look for other lodging for the night. We were fortunate to find the Olde Park Hotel right across from the courthouse in downtown Ballinger. Jeanette runs an antique store downstairs and rents out a few rooms upstairs in a building originally owned by her great grandfather. In earlier times it served as a bunk house for workers building the railroad. It is a very interesting place, and Jeanette was helpful in every way that can be imagined, even allowing us to put the tandem inside her antique shop for the night. She also recommended an Italian restaurant just a couple of blocks away, where we had a delicious meal. All in all it was a good day; our good fortune in Ballinger made it turn out that way.

As we stepped outside this morning it was immediately obvious that the cold front had passed through and that warmer weather had finally reached us. Ramona served a delicious egg casserole for breakfast, and later we loaded up the tandem with all our gear in preparation for departure from Mertzon. As we said our goodbyes to David and Ramona and rode off at 10:30 AM, we could feel the push of a tail-wind, as the wind had shifted to the south. We made excellent time, arriving on the outskirts of San Angelo by noon and at the location of the Celebration Church by 12:30 PM. Our hosts, Steve and Debra Lawhone, had invited us to join them at the church for a barbeque, and there was quite a spread of food. Debra is the daughter of Richard and Mary Ann Partney of McCamey, and she obviously learned about West Texas hospitality from her parents. She and Steve were the perfect hosts, setting us up in a local motel, inviting us over to their home to meet their children, and hosting us at a local restaurant for dinner. We are still amazed at the good fortune we have experienced in McCamey, Big Lake, and San Angelo. Although this was not a rest day, we feel fairly rested, only having covered 33 miles. Tomorrow's weather forecast is for continued warming, with favorable winds out of the southwest, so we're looking forward to another good day.

The weather report from last evening predicted stronger winds (primarily from the north), no precipitation, but low temperatures in the 30s. When we awoke, we found out that the prediction was pretty accurate. The low temperature had been 38 degrees, but the wind chill made it feel like 28 degrees. We began to wonder if the strong wind would prevent us from making the 70-mile ride to San Angelo as planned, and Jamie said she would call friends who lived in Mertzon, about 45 miles down the road, to see if we might stay with them. The croissants Jamie prepared for breakfast were delicious, tasting like they each were made with a stick of butter. Bill returned us to the convenience store in Big Lake, we loaded up the tandem with all our gear, and we were ready to head eastward.
As we started out, the north wind didn't seem too bad because we were headed due east and it was entirely a cross wind. We stopped in Barnhart, about 18 miles down the road to warm up with some hot chocolate, and as we departed, US 67 turned more to the northeast, making the wind give us increased resistance. As we stopped on the highway at about 1:00 PM, right after we had called ahead to San Angelo to say that we definitely would not make it there today, up drove the friend of Bill and Jamie Strauss, David Werst, who lives in Mertzon. He invited us to stay with him and his wife Ramona, and we immediately accepted his kind invitation. We pedaled the remaining 20 miles, arriving at their beautiful home at about 4:30 PM and completing a ride of 45 miles for the day. Ramona loves to cook, and she prepared a delicious meal of corned beef and cabbage, thus assuring us we would have an appropriate St. Patrick's day meal while on the road. The weather forecast calls for a warming trend starting tomorrow, and we are ready for that.

There was more of the same bad weather this morning as we departed from McCamey at 9:30 AM, headed for Big Lake: overcast, a cold drizzle, and a head-wind. After about twenty miles we stopped for lunch in Rankin and had excellent burritos and hot peach cobbler topped with ice cream. We also managed to stay long enough to warm up for the rest of the trip. As we pulled into Big Lake, the first building we saw was one of the two motels in town, and we stopped to check it out. Sue went in and asked the girl at the desk what the charge was for a room. The girl could speak very little English, so she asked Sue to wait five minutes until the manager returned. We decided to go across the street to the convenience store and return to the motel later. As Sue went into the convenience store and I waited outside with the bike, a gentleman named Bill Strauss asked me where we were going, and I responded, "New York." However, he wanted to know where we were headed today. I told him that we were going to stay in Big Lake, but that I wasn't sure where. He then invited us to stay at his ranch about ten miles south of town. When Sue joined us outside, I told her of the offer, and we both immediately accepted. We put the tandem into the back of his pickup, and as we departed he called his wife on his cell phone and said, "I've done it again." Bill and his wife Jamie have taken in cyclists and bikers before, and he said he saw how tired we looked and just couldn't pass us up. We had a delicious meal at their beautiful ranch house and talked with them on into the late evening about many topics. Bill is a fifth generation rancher on their cattle and sheep ranch, and he said that a ranch the size of theirs (18,000 acres) is about what is needed to support one family in this particular area. We went to sleep as soon as we got in bed after a day which saw us cover only 49 miles, but in some really cold, wet, and windy weather.

When I awoke, I peeked out of the window of the motel in Ft. Stockton and saw that the pavement in the parking lot was wet, but I couldn't tell if there was any ice. Later I learned that the lowest overnight temperature was 34 degrees, so we got ready to head for McCamey. We put on so many layers of clothing under our yellow rain gear (our HAZMAT jackets, pants, and boots) that we looked like the Pillsbury dough boys. We also had skull caps under our helmets and another pair of gloves over our biking gloves. It was completely overcast, with visibility of about one-half mile, and a cold drizzle falling, but when we started out there was little if any wind. That was good news, considering how the weather had been yesterday. We departed Ft. Stockton at 10:00 AM, rode for our last few miles on the Interstate, and then headed north on US 67. Shortly thereafter the wind started up again, and of course, it was a partial head-wind, primarily out of the north, but with enough of an easterly component to made it harder to pedal. All the locals tell us the wind is normally out of the south and that this is a very unusual weather pattern. About ten miles from McCamey the drizzle stopped, and the wind died down noticeably.

Jamie Daniel of First Baptist Redlands had previously contacted her relatives in McCamey, Richard and Mary Ann Partney, and we had communicated with them about our trip. Richard had talked with the mayor, Sherrie Phillips, who drove out to meet us and escort us into town. We learned that the plan was to send the fire truck to escort us in, but shortly before we were to arrive the truck had to respond to an actual fire. At 3:30 PM and the conclusion of our 47 mile trip we stopped at the local restaurant to warm up with hot chocolate, and we were hosted by several McCamey residents. Susan and I each received a McCamey T-shirt and a bag of "goodies" from the Chamber of Commerce. After checking into the local motel where Richard had made reservations for us, we returned to the restaurant for dinner where we again were hosted by several members of the community. Needless to say we were very grateful to everyone for their hospitality and interest, and it was certainly more of a reception than we had ever imagined.

A cold front ("norther" as Texans call it) has pushed down into this area, temperatures have dropped, and the very light rain we experienced yesterday has increased considerably. So, we've decided that today will be a rest day while we try to wait out the weather. It could be that tomorrow will be worse and we'll have to stay here another day. That's because there's a possibility of freezing rain overnight and tomorrow morning, and that is definitely something which is not compatible with cycling. Our decision to push on during the good weather is paying off - - otherwise we would be waiting out this weather a day's ride west of here.

After breakfast at the convenience store, we parted ways with Joe and Bryan who were following a different route which would take them farther south to Austin. We left Kent at 10:30 AM, and the weather had cleared, making it again just about perfect for cycling: overcast and cool. We even had a moderate tail wind again. We have heard people say that West Texas in this area looks like a lunar landscape, but we think there is a real beauty to the area. We would probably have to spend some time during the summer to form an accurate opinion. We had previously decided that we would try to make it to Ft. Stockton if the good riding conditions continued, and at the exit for Balmorhea we decided to push on and bypass Balmorhea, the town where we originally planned to spend the night. By doing this we would be a day ahead of our planned itinerary. Not too long after we committed to do this, we began to feel a few raindrops, and we hoped we would not get a downpour. The weather was threatening for the rest of the trip, but we only had a very light rain that did not keep us from pedaling on. About 30 miles from Ft. Stockton we noticed that both tires were getting soft, and we discovered slow leaks in both, apparently caused by the wires from truck tire debris on the Interstate. Since both were slow leaks, we decided to just pump up the tires when they lost too much air and not take the time to change them until that night. This meant that about every 20-30 minutes we had to stop and add air to the tires. With threatening weather and two near-flats we made it to Ft. Stockton at 5:30 PM, completing our trip of 83 miles for the day. The forecast was for rain, so we decided to splurge and stay in a motel. After a great soup and salad bar dinner at a nearby restaurant we took on the task of changing both tires in preparation for tomorrow's ride to McCamey.

We spent about an hour after breakfast asking about a public library, finding out there wasn't one, and finally being able to use the high school computer room to make our daily report. We got on the road at about 9:30 AM, and soon we entered the Central Time Zone, meaning we lost an hour. The weather was perfect for cycling: overcast, cool, and no wind. Later we picked up a moderate tail wind, and when we arrived in Van Horn for a quick lunch we decided to take advantage of the great weather and push on for Kent. At 5:00 PM, just as we completed our 73 miles for the day, we met Joe and Bryan, two cyclists from Santa Clara who were also headed for NY. They said that the only place to stay was behind the gas station/convenience store and that it was a site only about 50 feet from the railroad track, and a spot where customers at the gas station exercise their dogs. They decided to look for another spot. We checked out the potential camping site and reached the same decision. We picked up some sandwiches and chips at the convenience store and that was our gourmet dinner. Then we headed for the ruins of an old school which had only the perimeter walls standing, the same "stealth" camping site the other cyclists had chosen. This was our first "stealth" camping for the trip, but we didn't really have to be too stealthy to stay hidden. The forecast was for rain, and that was accurate; however, we were so tired we slept right through the rain and the trains which we understand came through.

We awoke to cooler temperatures, overcast skies, and almost no wind. What a relief. After a hearty breakfast of granola and home-made bread, Charley and Kamala, avid tandem cyclists, were kind enough to escort us through some road construction to the main road we followed out of town. The road was a good one: flat, smooth, and an adequate shoulder for most of the way. We made good time, departing at 7:30 AM and arriving 40 miles south in Fort Hancock at 11:30. There we stopped for lunch at Angies's Cafe, a place that a Texas travel magazine claimed to have the best salsa and chicken fried steak in the state. We tried both and had to agree. A motorcycle club which had passed us earlier on the road had invaded the small cafe, and when we entered asked us what had taken us so long. Sue replied that we were fighting off a couple of dogs, which was, in fact, the truth. After lunch we again got on I-10 and headed east. We had originally planned to stay overnight in the ONE motel in Ft. Hancock, but the weather was so good that we decided to press on to Sierra Blanca, about 34 miles down the road. We were glad we made that decision because we again were able to make good time and even had a tail wind for part of the journey. We completed our total trip of 77 miles and arrived at Sierra Blanca at 4:30 PM, in time to check in at a motel and eat at the local restaurant before dark. The weather forecast for tomorrow called for the possibility of showers and moderate winds, so we'll see how tomorrow goes.

We could not have chosen better hosts than Charley and Kamala. Of course, it would take at least two rest days just to see all their primitive antiques and collectibles, let alone their unique home and property. And we could not have chosen a better day for a rest day. The wind was ferocious, and I doubt that we could have ridden. Winds had increased to at least 20 mph with gusts in the 35 - 40 mph range. It was so strong that when we went out to a restaurant for dinner, you could see the traffic signs vibrating and swinging. We had a great rest day, and the weather forecast called for better riding conditions the next day.

We had met the family of the owner of the mini-mart and talked fairly late into the previous evening, so we didn't get a particularly early start this morning. He is also a collector and dealer of gem stones and collectible rocks, and we spent the first part of the morning admiring the collection of stones owned by his family. We finally departed Mesilla at 10:00 AM and then we stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant which is well-known in the area. Bottom line: we had a late start, and we were in for a long day. Then, to add to our late start, a strong 20 mph wind with gusts to 30 mph hit us in the early afternoon. The wind was variable in direction, but almost never a tailwind. As we climbed a steep grade through what is known as Anthony's Gap, the front tire began to get soft, and sure enough: another flat caused by a "goat head." We were lucky because it was the front tire, but the wind made it more difficult to change the tire. In fact, Susan was holding the tandem while I did the repair, and it was all she could do to keep it upright. We took off again after the tire change, but the strong wind kept our speed down to a crawl. We crossed over the Texas line and made it into El Paso at about 5:00 PM. Our Warm Showers hosts were already worried about us, so they had set out to locate us. When we called them to let them know where we were, they said we were at least 20 miles from their home and they offered to come and get us in their truck. We had traveled 52 miles, much of it against a strong head wind, so we welcomed their invitation. When we arrived at their home on the outskirts of El Paso, they prepared a delicious meal for us, we exchanged tandem stories, and settled in for a relaxing evening to be followed by a rest day. Yes!! We're ready for that!

I suspected that the rear tire had a slow leak the night before, and that was confirmed when I woke up and peeked out of the tent this morning. A small piece of wire from a piece of a steel-belted tire had penetrated our tire, so we replaced the tube. A great way to start the morning. We finally departed at 10:30 AM and were soon faced with a fairly strong wind which varied from a cross-wind to a slight head-wind. We arrived in Las Cruces at about 4:30 PM, but we were unable to make contact with the Warm Showers host we were expecting to stay with. We decided to keep on going south toward El Paso, but we soon found out there were no RV parks, campgrounds, or motels to speak of between Las Cruces and El Paso. It was getting dark, so we stopped at a mini-mart in Mesilla, NM, to get something to eat. The owner asked how we were doing and we told him. After we explained our situation, he invited us to stay at his house on the screened-in porch, and we accepted without hesitation. Our 67-mile ride for the day ended in Mesilla at the house of a Good Samaritan who allowed us to use his bathroom and shower. The weather was mild, and we went off to sleep in our sleeping bags on the porch right away.

We departed Lordsburg, NM, at 9:30 AM, and we got back on I-10 for the ride to Deming. The grade to the Continental Divide was a gentle one, and we had a slight tail wind, so we made good time. We arrived in Deming after a 67-mile ride and found out that the Roadrunner RV Park was the only place in town that would accept tents, so we headed for it. After setting up our tent we went to an all-you-can-eat barbeque buffet which was great.

We departed Thatcher, AZ, at 8:20 AM, and again we hit lots of "roller coaster" hills, but they were not as frequent or as severe. The weather was great again, and the wind was light and variable. There was a big swing in the temperature: 45 when we departed and 87 at about 2 PM. The countryside in the Gila Valley was beautiful and completely different from anything else we had seen in Arizona. We stopped for lunch in Duncan, the last place for services in AZ. We again were riding late in the day, so we stopped and put on our lights. Our 80-mile day was finally concluded at 6:30 PM when we reached Lordsburg, NM, after 7 hours and 20 minutes in the saddle. We weren't aware of any campgrounds in the area, so we settled for one of the first motels we saw.

We departed the hotel at the Apache Gold Casino at 9:20 AM after a good breakfast. The weather was clear, and the wind had died down so that it was not a factor as we headed out. We stopped at a super market on the reservation not far down the road and asked a local about the road to Safford. He said it was like a roller coaster. He was right, and our speed reflected it. When we reached Bylas we stopped for a late lunch and stocked up on food for what we knew would be a long ride. Just a couple of miles before Pima the front tire began to lose air, so we stopped. Sure enough, we had run over a "goat head," a thorn which cyclists in and traveling through Arizona claim was only created to puncture bicycle tires. After replacing the tube, we were still a few miles from an RV park which would accept tents, so we put on our lights. After a 69-mile day we arrived at an RV park in the town of Thatcher where the manager offered us a vacant RV for not much more than the cost of a tent site, so we accepted. We were about four miles short of our planned destination of Safford, but it was dark and we were ready to stop.

Today was our toughest day so far. Last night the wind was blowing pretty hard and we wondered if it would continue today: it did, only stronger. US 60 from Superior to Globe appears to be carved right out of the mountains, and the path of the highway forms a perfect wind tunnel when the winds are blowing in the direction they were today, that is, a direct head wind.

After a good breakfast we started up the mountain, and the first three miles were the beginning of a challenging day. For those first three miles we averaged a whopping 3.7 mph, only occasionally being able to break the 5 mph barrier. The grade itself is probably about 6%, but added to this were the winds which I estimate at a steady 20 - 25 mph with frequent gusts of 35 - 40 mph. There is little if any shoulder most of the way, so it was nerve-wracking to hear the motorcycles (lots of those out for a Sunday cruise), cars, trucks, and RVs zooming up behind us and hoping they would move to the center to give us some room. Most did, although the RVs seem to think the yellow line is absolutely sacred and not to be violated for any reason.

Just before the three-mile mark there is the Queen Creek Tunnel, again with no bike lane or adequate shoulder, We put on our lights before entering it, and all went smoothly . . . slowly, but smoothly. We finally arrived on the outskirts of Globe at about 2:30 PM and paused for rest and a late lunch. We then decided to add on a few more miles in order to make tomorrow more manageable, so we rode another 10 miles to the Apache Gold Indian Casino where we're spending the night in a Best Western Motel. We checked into the motel just before dark after riding the toughest 34 miles of the trip so far.

We had some pretty good elevation gains for the day. In Superior we camped at an elevation of 2652 ft, and after 3 miles at the end of the tunnel we were at 3474 ft. About 10 miles from Superior we completed the long climb and topped out at 4614 ft. There were lots of intermediate climbs along the way, also. Needless to say we'll sleep well tonight. The winds don't seem to be as bad right now, so we hope that will continue tomorrow.

We departed Chandler, AZ at 8:15 AM and arrived in Superior at 5:15 PM after a 63-mile ride. The weather was beautiful: clear with a high in the upper 80s. It was a great ride along US 60 from Apache Junction to Superior with beautiful scenery the whole way. The steady climb made us work. We went over Gonzales Pass at 2615 feet, and we camped in an RV park at 2652 feet. That was quite a change from when we entered I-10 at 28 feet below sea level, and there have been a lot of ups and downs since then. There is a tough climb to Globe tomorrow, so we hope to get an early start. Yesterday's rest day in Chandler was the greatest, and we certainly were ready for it.

Today during our first rest day we'll try to update, chronologically, the things we've forgotten to put in our reports up to this date.

Yesterday was another beautiful day for cycling; in fact, for just about anything. The high temperature was in the low-to-mid 80s, it was clear throughout the day, and there were only occasional periods in the latter part of the day when there were noticeable wind gusts. We departed Tonopah at about 9:15 AM after a good breakfast and headed for the town of Buckeye and points to the east.

We were making such good time that we thought we would make it to Chandler before the sun went down - - wrong again. When we got into the greater Phoenix area traffic snarl at rush hour, things slowed down to an absolute crawl. Just think of stop-and-go traffic....for bikes. Our plans don't include travel at night, but we do carry lights in the event of an emergency. For the first time during the trip we had to stop and attach the lights. This was for about the last 30 minutes of our 85-mile day We arrived at the home of Dick's niece, her husband and four children at about 6:30 PM, completing our longest day in terms of both riding time (6 hrs, 28 min) and distance.

This will be very short. It’s Thursday morning and we need to get on the road. Will update when we get to Chandler tonight (Thursday). Arrived in Tonopah at 6:30 last evening (Wednesday) after 69 mile ride from Brenda. Weather is perfect again today.

Addition:The trip from Brenda to Tonopah was an interesting one. As we exited US 60 and on to I-10, we met a young cyclist named Joshua who was headed back where we had come from. He yelled out something, and we stopped to talk with him. He was headed to Tucson, but someone had told him he couldn't travel on the Interstate, so he was taking US 60 and going quite a bit out of his way. He asked if he could go along with us, we agreed, and we headed east toward Phoenix with him trailing us. Not too far down the road he stopped (turned out he had a flat), but we didn't know he wasn't right behind us. When we finally realized it, he looked like a tiny speck back in the distance. He had told us his cell phone had been stolen, so the only option was to go back to him. Not wanting to upset every east-bound driver on I-10 by riding against the traffic, I decided to break the law in another way by walking back to try and help him. After all, it looked like less than a mile, right? I'll never win a contest estimating distance, because it turned out to be almost two miles, and as I finally reached him, he was just finishing up the repair of his tire. Then I trudged back to where Sue waited for me.

We then proceeded on our way, but in just a few miles Joshua yelled out that he had another flat. We stopped, but it turned out that his pack had shifted and we waited while he adjusted it. Then, not many miles down the route, he yelled out again that he had a flat, and it turned out that he did, in fact. We told him that we would go on our way and let him catch up with us, and that was the last we saw of him. In Tonopah in the restaurant that evening a gentleman told us that he had passed a highway patrolman stopped on the side of the road assisting a cyclist holding up a flat tire.

The Warm Showers members who hosted us in Tonopah have hot mineral springs on their property, so we soaked in a claw-footed bathtub filled with the water. No sulfur odor as you sometimes have with hot springs. It was a great way to relax after a day of cycling.

We soaked for about an hour under a star-filled sky, while the hot mineral water soothed our tired bodies. We were serenaded to sleep by a wind chime in the tree by our tent.

Rode 85 miles yesterday

Things didn't go exactly as planned today, but all has worked out well so far. We got a late start from Blythe (telling people in the restaurant about our trip), then we lost an hour because we entered the Mountain Time Zone, and we had our first tire "incident" (a blow-out). Bottom line: not enough time to make it to Salome, as we had planned. So when it started to get late, we concluded that 42 miles was enough for the day and decided to stay in Brenda, about 25 miles short of our planned overnight.

At the local General Store, we began to ask if there were any RV parks that would accept tents, and it looked promising. Then one of the ladies we had asked came riding back on her ATV and told us she had found us a place; it turned out to be a 45-ft RV. Now isn't that an upgrade from our pup-tent! Talking about plush!

This will probably cause a change in our routing. We'll have to make the decision tomorrow, based on the time we depart, but we'll likely cancel the ride on US60 to Salome and instead go directly from Brenda to Tonopah via I10.

Another beautiful day: dry, clear, and high in the upper 70s.

Arrived in Blythe at 4 PM Monday. Rode 72 miles from Chiriaco Summit. Perfect cycling weather for the third day in a row. Glad we didn't make it to Desert Center on Sunday night. We stopped there yesterday, and there's almost nothing in the "town". We did meet an inspirational 88-yr old man on a bike, and he said he cycles every day, even in summer. He must have to do it at the break of dawn then. Pitched our tent for the third night, this time in the backyard of a Warm Showers host. Weather is great again today. Getting a late start, so don't know if we'll make it to Salome for the night. There are a couple of other towns before Salome.

A few miles before we started up the grueling "Indio Grade," Sue noticed in her rear view mirror that a highway patrol car with flashing lights was inviting us to pull over - - - no, it wasn't for speeding. The officer didn't look like a rookie, but I suppose he had never seen a bike on the Interstate. I told him that the CALTRANS District 8 Bike Map allowed bikes between Indio and Blythe, he radioed his desk sergeant who confirmed that information, and he sent us on our way with the best of wishes Some people have told me that they can't believe we ride on the Interstate, but I find it to be safer than many secondary roads with little or no shoulder. The two main problems on the Interstate are: (1) the noise, and (2) the debris, especially pieces of old tires.

Late leaving Indio on Sunday so only made 38 miles to Chiriaco Summit by 5PM. Tough 3 mph climb up" Indio grade". Camped behind Patton Museum. Still hope to make the 70 miles to Blythe today (Monday). Good cycling weather.

We rode from Redlands, CA to Indio, CA today, a distance of 70 miles.

Most of the day was near-perfect for cycling: it was pleasantly cool and overcast. The only thing that marred an otherwise perfect day was a fairly strong head wind for much of the route.

We departed our house in Redlands at 7:20 AM, after picture-taking by Jason Hine and our faithful neighbors Chuck and Shirley Rieger. Also part of the send-off crew was our son David, his wife Judith, and their daughter Sarah-Maude. Jason then cycled with us on the first several miles of our day's ride, and later we were joined by Matt DeDoes and Brian Zander who had scouted ahead to check out road construction on our route. They rode with us for a few miles and then went on to more challenging cycling.

About 15 miles into our travel we encountered fairly stiff head winds, which I would estimate to be about 20 mph. This continued for the next 20 or so miles, and then just as we entered the Palm Springs area, the winds died down. We arrived at a very nice private campground in Indio shortly before 5:00 PM and had the tent set up and ready for the night before dark.

[We were invigorated by the morning send-off group, but needless to say we were glad to get beyond Banning and ride mostly downhill the rest of the time to Indio. At the RV park where we camped I made a valiant effort to put together the daily report, but I would doze off occasionally (now perhaps you can understand why we have to fill in the gaps of the things we forgot). Finally the park manager came into the library and told me he had to close down at 10:00 PM, thus ending my misery.]

All in all, a great day!

Dick and Susan

Fri, Feb 20: Many belated thanks to Deena for hosting the send-off party Friday evening at her beautiful home, and to Eric, Laura, Nathan, and Elise of the Mustard Seed staff for the delicious food and refreshments. Also, many thanks to all of you who were able to attend and give us words of support and encouragement.

After the party we went home and I began the final loading-up of the tandem. While trying to move it around and thereby finding out how heavy it was, I imagined how much extra "stuff" we must be carrying. So, we unloaded everything, unpacked every bag, and culled out anything which we thought we could get along without. Result: about 12 - 15 pounds less weight to pedal around. By the time we finished re-loading the tandem and packing the clothes, etc. to be mailed to West Point, it was Saturday morning and time to leave. That's right: an all-nighter. A great way to start out a 67 day trip.