2010 Road and Bike Trip: Thoughts and Reminiscences

John at Custer, South Dakota on the George S. Mickelson path which runs 109 exhilarating miles south from Deadwood 

Janet and I want to thank the organization Rails-to-Trails Conservancy:   http://www.railstotrails.org/index.html  for the great work they are doing in promoting the use of abandoned railroad rights of way for biking, running and walking in towns and in remote places throughout our country. We also much appreciate the guidance their website gave us in choosing bike paths to experience during our six week journey, from mid-September to the beginning of November. As a result of information on the rails to trails website, we rode through some of the most interesting and beautiful countryside we have ever experienced. If you have not done so, please take a few minutes to review our earlier postings on this blog. We try to keep our comments brief. Above: a shot that does not appear earlier in the blogging of this trip. Along the route, we visited friends and relatives in New York, Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, New Mexico, Missouri and Indiana. We also made many new friends by staying with Evergreen Travel Club members wherever they happened to be on the route and available. Evergreen is another great organization that you should seriously consider joining if you are over  50 years of age. Here is the website:  http://www.evergreenclub.com/  Although our stays with "Evergreeners" were just for a night two, we learned about areas that were new to us and made some  friends along the way.

so silent, a feeling of timelessness

A Patriot Deserving Greater Recognition

We visited Ipswitch, Massachusetts, and walked among some of its homes, the earliest of which having been built in the 1650s. I was surprised to learn about a patriot who deserves far more recognition than he seems to have received, Rev. John Wise. This man led a protest against taxation without representation a century before our revolution. He risked his life when he took action based on his beliefs. He wrote, "[t]he end of all good government is to cultivate humanity and promote the happiness of all, and the good of  every man in all his rights, his life, liberty, estate, honor, etc., without injury or abuse done to any."
http://www.bwlord.com/Ipswich/Waters/TwoPatriots/JohnWise.htm#JOHN%20WISE%20OF%20CHEBACCO

1936 Ford convertible with rumble seat - much like my father's car

It was in a car like this that I first traveled with my parents during the summers of 1946-1948. Pretty neat car - wish I had it today. In good condition it would be worth over $50,000!

Looking Back

I remember the Albuquerque airport looking like this in 1953 when I first flew in an airplane. It was a much bigger TWA plane, a four engine Constellation. My sister Reva met me with her family. It was quite an experience - I got to sit with the pilots on the flight deck!

Teddy Roosevelt under construction at Mt. Rushmore

Our 2010 road and bike trip was Janet's first long distance road trip. My parents took me on three long trips in our sky blue 1936 Ford convertible with a rumble seat. The car had leather seats, a sturdy luggage rack and a 1946 100 horsepower engine. My much older half brother and his older daughter rode in the rumble seat. I thought it would be interesting to post a few pictures from dad's scrapbook of the trip  which show places which Janet and I visited sixty-four years later.

Home Again

- Posted from my iPad

Location:Cambridge, MA

Favorite Photo On George S. Mickelson Bike Trail in the Black Hills, SD

Notes on the road & biking trip

Someone asked about the meaning of Coeur d'Alene. Here is some info about this delightful region of Idaho, a place to have fun, exercise your limbs and heart, enjoy local art and meditate.

"French fur traders named the tribe Coeur d'Alene--"heart of an awl"--saying they were the finest traders in the world. The tribe's trade involved year-long trips to the Pacific coast as well as to the Great Plains to exchange goods. They called themselves Schee chu'umsch, which, in their native Salish language, means "those who are found here." http://www.anglerguide.com/articles/18c.html

- Posted from my iPad

Location:3rd St,Cambridge,United States

New York State to Cambridge, Massachusetts

Luna observing our bikes in Chatham, NY

Alpaca farm in Upstate NY

Farm in the Catskill region of New York

Home in Pittsfield Massachusetts

We arrived home midday on the 45th day of our road and biking trip, having traversed over nine thousand miles of our country's roads in sixteen states. It was a lot of fun and we managed to get some exercise along the way. We were greeted warmly by many friends and relatives.

Indianapolis, Indiana to Newfield, New York

Keuka Lake, seen from one of the vineyards

On the way to Newfield, located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, we visited with son Brendan in Buffalo and passed through the beautiful rolling hills and vineyards of this region in upstate New York. We sampled some of the wines produced by three of the vineyards.

Bloomington Indiana to Indianapolis-October 27-28

After visiting Janet's Alma Mater in Bloomington, we biked on the Monon Greenway in Carmel and Westfield - today, we experienced our first really cold weather. Hot coffee was a pleasure after the ride.


The Monon Greenway at Carmel, Indiana


Seen in Westfield, Indiana, along the Greenway-what kind of automobile is this?

Location:Indianpolis

Hays, Kansas to Columbia, Missouri to Bloomington, Indiana

Janet approaching the bridge over Perche Creek

Kansas Wind Farm

October 25-27: In Columbia, Janet held her 36-hour old great nephew Evan and discussed cars, including Saab and rumble seats, with Evan's big brother Jim. We biked the MKT (Missouri, Kansas, Texas RR) bike path, which at Hindman Junction, joins the Katy Bike Trail. We want to return to do the whole of the Katy Trail some day.

Colorado Springs to Hays, Kansas-Oct 23-24

Among the waterfalls of Williams Canyon, near Manitou Springs, Colorado

Williams Canyon, so peaceful and beautiful

Pikes Peak seen from the Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs

Eastern Colorado

 

Main Street, Sunday afternoon in Hays, Kansas

Yesterday, we hiked Williams Canyon in Pike National Forest. In the evening, our relatives prepared a delicious tieboudienne, or, fish and rice - the national dish of Senegal. Today, we crossed the plains of eastern Colorado and western Kansas to arrive in Hays, Kansas. We passed vast fields of harvested corn and wheat (now stored in the many silos along the way).

Colorado Springs

"Kissing Camels"

We visited the Garden of the Gods and biked along Monument Creek in Colorado Springs.

Albuquerque, continued

In Albuquerque, we were hosted by family and friends; we have had a fine time here. This evening, we dined at the Slate Street Cafe; we have also enjoyed dining at Duran Station. These restaurants are owned and operated by cousins of Janet.

John and Janet on the Paseo de Bosque Bike Path

Our bike trail selection here in New Mexico is the Paseo de Bosque Bike Path which runs through Albuquerque, near the Rio Grande River, through cottonwood forest. Last evening we took a ride on the longest aerial tramway in the world, it is said, and enjoyed dinner with a great view of the City from Sandia Peak (elev. 10, 378).

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Kasha-Katuwe (meaning, "white rocks" in the traditional Keresan language of the Pueblo) Tent Rocks National Monument:

The "tent" rock formations were produced by volcanic eruptions. "Precariously perched on many of the tapering hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuff below." (quotation from the Trail Guide).

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

After leaving Darrow at his conference near Moab, Utah, we passed an enjoyable evening with our Evergreen Travel Club hosts in Montrose, Colorado, and viewed with awe the chasm of the nearby Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Yesterday, we drove over the 10,000+ feet  high mountain passes of southwestern Colorado, into Durango, and then on to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Here, in Albuquerque, we are staying with Janet's cousin and family. Today, we were flown to Sante Fe by friends, where we visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum and strolled about the town, window shopping.

On the way to Sante Fe

Utah

Our view while dining with Darrow at the Red Cliffs Lodge, Moab, Utah

Janet entering the narrows of Bell Canyon

Janet climbing down a boulder in Little Wild Horse

Darrow negotiating a turn in Little Wild Horse

We enjoyed having Darrow with us for three days in Utah. He got to know his cousin Wendall and others in the family at Salt Lake City. After a few hours' drive south, we lodged at Hanksville, near the Henry Mountains and Capitol Reef National Park. After a solid breakfast at Blondie's, we hiked and climbed through truly fun, beautiful slot canyons near Goblin Valley: Little Wild Horse Canyon and Bell Canyon. When we left Darrow, he was just about to participate in a conference of naturopathic physicians at Moab.

Central Utah, on the way to Hanksville

Coeur d'Alene to Sun Valley Idaho-October 10-11

These two shots above show the trail and scenery on the third day's ride in the region of Coeur d'Alene.

Even in remote mountain towns in central Idaho, one finds espresso coffee drive-through stations; we got ours at about 6:30 Sunday morning.

As we progressed south into central Idaho, the countryside changed radically to huge rolling hills of wheat fields. Below, we see our hosts cycling ahead of us near Sun Valley, Idaho.

Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes continued

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We have had one rainy day while biking. Still, it was fun since we had the necessary clothing.

The third and last day on the Trail here was blue skies and plenty of sun. We passed fishermen, wild turkeys, deer, and several other cyclists.

Downtown Coeur d'Alene

After biking, we discovered the art scene in Coeur d'Alene, which opens its many art galleries the second Friday of each month. We especially enjoyed bronzes depicting Native Americans.

Continuing on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

The hilly portion of our day's ride took us into a forest with warnings against shooting; but such restrictions, of course, merely encourage people to show off their prowess.

John ascending the bridge over Lake Coeur d'Alene

It was quite cool today on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes.

Sharing the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene

Please click here to read about the honor this trail has just received.

Coeur d'Alene Lake, Idaho - Wednesday, October 7th

Janet on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene (following the right-of-way of the Union Pacific Railway)

We really appreciate this small mountain / lake city in the panhandle of Idaho, not far from the border with Canada. We biked until the pouring rain and wind made us too uncomfortable to continue. This evening, we dined with our Evergreen hosts at the White House, a Mediterranean restaurant in Post Falls, Idaho.