September 13

Skipped the sack breakfast at the hotel and rode a few miles to The Tea Kettle where they had 20 different pancake choices. I had a banana pancake with peanut butter and syrup, and Craig had a lobster omelet – yum! Then we took roads with good shoulders across the rest of Connecticut (through Mystic – but didn’t stop for pizza) into Rhode Island. The last few miles we were on a rustic trail before we hit the last road to our destination, Mary and Tom, the sister (and husband) of a close friend.

What a treat! First of all their beautiful farmhouse was warm and inviting. We showered, then sat around, snacked, and visited as if we have always known each other for quite awhile. Then they drove us to their studio which was originally a mill, where Craig ogled all the woodworking tools, some antique but fully functional. He may have gotten some good organizational and technique ideas from them 🙂 Check out their amazing work: https://davinandkesler.com.

Back to the house for an excellent dinner; we got to meet their son, Roland, and his girlfriend, Emily, before we finally called it quits. Such gracious and genuine people, doing what they love and loving what they do. I definitely made some life notes from them!

September 12

Slow start this morning. On the road after 8 and had to stop 15 miles later for breakfast (but had great bagel sandwiches). We still managed to get to New Haven before 11 where we met Andy (another former student) at Yale where he’s a senior this year. Another beautiful campus, this one a little older than most! Things I didn’t know about Yale – most students live on campus all 4 years (Hogwarts style) and in their senior year they are inducted into secret societies!

After Yale, we meandered back to our route up the coast, mostly via Highway 1 which has good shoulders and lower speed limits. Since we only went a total of 59 miles today, we stopped 5 miles out a beautiful seaport restaurant and had a light, late lunch.

September 11

It was hard leaving Jolie today, such a short visit, and Ava left for PNW before us! We’ll actually see her the day after we get back.

We started out on the east side of Manhattan just to ride a different way but we cut back through Central Park (and stopped for breakfast) and overlapped with our incoming route before heading back to the coast. More on that…

WTC was completely blocked off today for ceremonies. The police presence everywhere on Manhattan (even 10 mile northeast) was incredible. Cops on every corner, blocking many streets (we’re guessing for the motorcades now that we know so many Presidents were there).

Riding through any city is always an experience. While a good urban trail saves lots of time, there are often still stoplights or cross-streets to slow you down, and pedestrians and other bikers/scooters to slalom around. Once we got off trail and onto the streets, we didn’t stay on the same road for more than a few tenths of a mile the next 30 miles or so. Constant turns zig-zagging across the city, over waterways, under freeways, around industrial areas, etc. Oh, and more hills than we have had for awhile. It took us over 3 hours to go the first 27 miles, which is a new slowness record for us. Eventually we got on the same roadway for more than a few miles and the busy streets gave way to residential streets which were easier to navigate and more fun to see. We also crossed paths twice with Karl, who was on his way to New Haven after spontaneously planning his 90+ mile ride that day. Now we follow each other on Strava! Hopefully he’ll come visit when he does his own cross-country trip some day.

10 miles out we stopped at a great Mexican restaurant and sat outside with our beers and a mole taco. The rest of the ride (71 miles total) to Fairfield/Southport was a snap but it was 5:30 before we arrived – one of the latest finishes yet. We were exhausted despite our previous days off… not one of our finest days.

Luckily we found a great restaurant (Craft 260) close to the hotel and had excellent burgers. Happy to end a long day on a high note.

September 10

After meeting the “kids” at Hole in the Wall for a late breakfast, Craig and I wandered around the WTC and 9/11 memorials. Lots of reporters recording, bands practicing, and throngs of people mulling about (as well as police and police dogs). Saw one fireman with his rosaries. Very surreal to compare to our own visit 19 years ago when “Ground Zero” was still a pit after the wreckage and victims had been removed. Of course, we have seen the memorials several times, but I still find them mesmerizing.

We hung out at Jolie’s apartment (they pay no heed to the fire trucks, honking cars, and people shouting, but I sat and looked out their 4th floor window for quite awhile). Then we took the subway uptown for dinner at an Italian restaurant and walked most of the way back. We stayed at her apartment (she graciously took the couch) to avoid a last night in the hotel and make for easier goodbyes in the morning…

September 9

So nice to sleep in for a change. After an early dinner last night with Jolie outside at Industry Kitchen, we let her run off to an evening class and stopped for a beer outside at another venue that had live music. Then a slice of pizza from Joe’s before watching Ted Lasso and going to sleep!

It rained off and on today – we were not bothered by it since it held off yesterday while we were riding!

Today she had more classes so we hung out at her apartment and got lots of things done – last reservations and course changes, ferry and flight reservations, and an appointment for shipping our bikes back! Then we went grocery shopping and bought most of the supplies for dinner. I made French bread at Jolie’s apartment and we prepped for butternut squash risotto, then when she got back from class we headed to her boyfriend Yanni’s apartment to make the rest of dinner. Her roommate, Ava, made it a little later as well, in time for a fashionably late dinner! Fun evening in the Big Apple. First time I have cooked in a few months and we all enjoyed it!

September 8

Last full day on the Empire State Trail into NYC. Can’t believe we have officially made it across the country (4,037 miles so far), although we are saving the ceremonial tire dip until we are further up the coast. Nice 68 miles today, more downhill than up, but offset by a direct headwind when we were out of tree coverage. Storm and rain expected tonight and tomorrow, so couldn’t have timed that much better.

We stopped briefly to see Kian at Columbia University where he starts grad school tomorrow. Then on to lower Manhattan and FiDi where Jolie met us inbetween classes on her first day back at Pace. We will see her for TWO zero days here. So incredibly grateful.

September 7

B&B’s often mean later breakfast, but today was worth it again. Not on the road until after 9, but sunny weather, and after getting a little lost in Brewster, back onto the Empire State Trail. Paved, long and gradual up and downhills, and lots of shade off and on. We crossed the Hudson River (Walkway Over the Hudson) into Poughkeepsie; the bridge is for pedestrians/bikes only and is widely used and loved for good reason. We took our time crossing and then rolled on our way to Brewster. Nearing the city, we left the main trail to get on another that took us closer to our Hotel – at one point the only way forward was down a set of steep stairs. WTH? Nearly a mile on a busy highway then but we made it. Food delivered to room tonight. Anxious to get some good sleep and get on the road/trail early to Manhattan tomorrow!

September 6

Added 10 miles today to continue on the Empire State Trail, although some of it was still roads. 74 miles total from Albany to Kingston. Back to hills (almost 3,400 ft elevation gain) but some enjoyable downhills, too, Lots of great cloud formations and not more than a few drops of rain. We rode by Bard College before crossing the Hudson River and then south to Kingston. Even though today was harder, we felt great. Warmer temps, but lots of shade off and on.

We got to Kingston before 3, quickly had a beer on the river, then checked into a nice B&B. They don’t do breakfast until 8:30, so we will just have to sleep in tomorrow and get a later start 😉 Can’t believe we will be in NYC day after tomorrow!

September 5

Much shorter day today (47 miles) so we stalled this morning while it drizzled in Amsterdam and didn’t get on the road until after 9. Unfortunately we still got caught in some rain later, but only for about 10 miles and then we dried out before we got to Albany.

The castle isn’t serving breakfast again yet, so we opted to ride 15 miles before stopping in Schnectady at a cafe/bakery called Arthur’s. Great call! Outstanding breakfast sandwiches and, of course, we had to sample a chocolate chunk cookie and a cinnamon swirl scone…

Highest temp today was only 66 degrees. But even with the rain we were never cold. Quite comfortable actually. We only had to navigate a short ways off the trail to find our hotel.

After doing laundry we had a beer at an Irish pub and then found one of the few restaurants open on a Sunday during Covid era. Cafe Capriccio delivered big time – they only had space at the bar. I had an excellent truffle pasta and Craig had the ravioli special. We also chatted quite awhile with Brad and Mallory from Chattanooga (on a road trip to move a grandparent from Arizona to New York, I believe). Brad (who has lived in Ballard among other places) has connections with glass artists in Seattle and would like to work more in stone, so he and Craig had lots to talk about… Overall an excellent evening. Just watching the US vs Canada game now. Changing our path slightly tomorrow to stay on the Empire State Trail since the trail system has been so great. So much of the trail is new enough that MapMyRide doesn’t even recognize it yet, so we have learned to follow the great signage instead of adhering to our GPS devices.

September 4

79 miles today from Rome to Amsterdam (and passing through Frankfort ha ha). Nearly all trail, mostly paved and a little sunnier today but quite comfortable. Getting spoiled by all these flat miles though. We still have a few long days left with more elevation gain. But tomorrow is an easy day to the end of the Erie Canal Trail in Albany.

Amsterdam is bigger than we expected but has a small town vibe. They have a beautiful pedestrian bridge across the canal with lots of flowers and art. We ate dinner (quinoa bowl – yum!) at Astoria Landing, where we were the only customers until we were leaving. Excellent food and service only a week before they close for the season.

We are staying in Amsterdam Castle. One of our spendier stays but I couldn’t resist! The rooms are amazing, and they have suits of armor lining the dining room. Good knight! 🙂

September 3

My eye is still bugging me, but I tried without antihistamine today. Still a little swollen and that side of my face is hot. Ugh. Still managed to ride 75 miles with relative ease. The Erie Canalway Trail (part of the Empire State Trail) is well marked, and they recently added trail and great signage through Syracuse as well, which made navigating the city in the middle much easier.

In Syracuse, we detoured just a few hundred feet to a bike shop, Advanced Cyclery, where we got Craig’s broken spoke repaired. Only about a 45 minute stop. Managed to pass the two gentlemen we met that morning again – they are doing the canal trail from Buffalo to Albany but had to get a half hour lift to a town yesterday for their flat and had just paid someone for a ride back to Weedsport. The trials and tribulations of bike touring!

We really enjoyed the trail again today – quite a variety of surfaces and many more people (walking, biking, running, and fishing) than we’ve seen before. The skies threatened off and on all day. We did get sprinkled on for a few miles outside Syracuse but not bad. Rome is bigger than we expected, so we were worried about getting wet again before we made it to the hotel, especially since we had a minor route issue when the road we were supposed to turn on was blocked by a large fence and gate. So an extra mile or two spent navigating by phone to get there.

No nearby restaurants and not up for a 2 mile walk, so we had Italian food (Luigi’s) delivered. Good choice!

September 2

Antihistamine again, but not until I had itched my eye enough that it swelled worse, below my eye as well. I think I may have been stung more than once when the MFB (use your imagination) got trapped behind my sunglasses.

Back to the Eerie Canal, which required a few miles on an urban trail in Rochester first. No free breakfast at the hotel, and yesterday’s was meh, so we opted to ride 10 miles and then stopped in Pittsford at the Coal Tower restaurant and had an excellent breakfast. When I can have eggs and toast AND a half waffle then I am content!

Even though we rode 72 miles today, they passed quickly because it was cooler (in the 60’s and 70’s), mostly flat (1,211 ft elevation gain), and nearly all trail. We rolled into Weedsport, stopped at the local brewery (Lunkenheimer’s), and then returned there for dinner after long showers at the hotel (long enough for the steam to set off the smoke alarm – woops!). The brewery had gigantic pretzels (the size of a pizza) and great pizza as well, so we were happy! Saw the two couples we had passed that day as well as the day we left Buffalo.

September 1

Forgot to mention that I got stung by a bee yesterday above my eye – second time this trip! I took an antihistamine today as it was a little tender and I was trying to avoid itching it.

Today was a working zero day. Even though we didn’t set an alarm, I didn’t sleep particularly well and we were up by 7. Then I started working on the remaining reservations for the last two weeks and changing a few routes on my Garmin. It takes way longer than it should. We took a break to get our hair cut at a funky salon called Talking Heads (taxidermy and eclectic furnishings) and Seig did a great job. Paid extra to deep condition my hair which has suffered from two months of hotel shampoos and sweaty ponytails. After that we wandered over to the Genesee Brewhouse because we had already had their lager and liked it. No tours thanks to Covid, but we still enjoyed our visit.

Back to work at the hotel. It took me a few more hours to get us booked through Cape Cod. Now I just have Provincetown and Boston to figure out, as well as the flights home and bike shipping arrangments…

We walked almost 2 miles to dinner because several people mentioned The Red Fern, a vegan/vegetarian restaurant and bakery. Great food, but small portions – didn’t surpass the previous night. So great to have dinner options that aren’t standard bar fare though!

August 31

After a second Best Western in as many days, we were pleasantly surprised this morning to have a hot breakfast and not just a sack handed to us. Didn’t stop us from a late lunch in Brockport or a fabulous dinner in Rochester, but owell!

The Erie Canal will be our route for most of the next week (after our rest day). Sometimes paved, but mostly nice, crushed gravel. Cute little towns along the way. We took our time, listened to music, made the stop in Brockport (where I also splurged on a book), and then navigated pretty easily into Rochester where we are staying downtown. 63 miles total today. Already made a hair appointment for tomorrow, but I also have the last 8 or so reservations to make and a few routes to fix.

Dinner tonight was fabulous. They had an entire second menu with vegetarian/vegan options and the tofu poke bowl was the best meal I’ve had so far on the trip (Craig had a jerk chicken curry). We also had crispy brussels sprouts and local beers. And dessert was a banana and deep-fried cheesecake. OK, we might have outdone ourselves today, but owell!

August 30

Lame sack breakfast at the hotel. A few navigation mishaps, but still made the 25 miles to Niagara Falls in good time. We were awestruck by the falls and spent a long time walking around the park and taking pictures. The mist felt great! Definitely wished we had stayed nearby so we could have done some of the up close tours, but we still enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Tried our first (and last) Tim Horton chain restaurant after a construction detour of about 5 miles. Yuck (other than the donut holes). The remainder of the 51 miles were roads with good shoulders and then our first few miles on the Eerie Canal Trail. Up a hill to our hotel, then meh dinner at another Mexican restaurant before crashing.

August 29

Breakfast at the Main Diner in Westfield before heading back to Highway 5 and our East/NorthEast journey along Lake Eerie. We stopped for snacks (peanut butter crackers and Body Armor Lyte) a few times but otherwise powered on so as not to waste our tailwind friend which got stronger as we got closer to Buffalo. We were on a good urban trail that was closed in a few places, but the forced detours led us to a farmer’s market and art along the waterfront. Since we arrived around 1, we stopped for a beer and nachos before finding our roost in the middle of the city. Not sure if we (okay I) will be able to stay up late enough to watch the Sounders, but tomorrow is a short, easy day by design. We will get to the start of the Eerie Canal Trail, but not before stopping at Niagara Falls! We also will want to time our start dependent on weather…

August 28

WiFi sucks here so will fix photos tomorrow night in Buffalo…

Today we had a great breakfast at the B&B with Rolly before getting on the road around 8:45. It was already hot, although thankfully cloudy. After a short jaunt on 20, we spent the rest of the day on Highway 5, close to the Eerie “coast” but not close enough you could see it all the time. Thankfully the highway is pretty bike friendly here – decent to great shoulders and not many big trucks. We were actually paralleling I-90 most of the way.

Best roadside attractions today were several groups of Amish in-line skaters heading west and many vegetable/fruit stands. We stopped and bought a delicious peach at one of them! Only real downside was continued heat and humidity. We talked to one bicyclist on the Eerie, PA waterfront (they must have a frog mascot) and then made it to Westfield by 2 PM, our usual finishing time.

Dinner at the Bark Grill was excellent (eggplant parmesan and shrimp diablo linguini) and then we stopped for a beer at Grace and Abe where we caught some more live, local music. A sculpture of Grace and Abe (Lincoln) outside explained how a young Grace Beddell wrote to President Abe encouraging him to grow distinguished whiskers…

August 27

Longer day today (71 miles), almost all on roads sadly. Late start because the hotel’s cook was a half hour late. Hot and humid but no predicted rain. Stopped in Geneva on the Lake (super cute town) for grilled cheese and lemonade and still made it to Conneaut (Con-ee-ott) by 2:30. Beautiful B&B (200 year old house). Then walked 2 miles (yes, 4 miles round-trip only because no Uber available 😉 to dinner at Sparky’s. Great burgers (spicy black bean for me) and beer with live music on the patio. Stopped at Heavenly Creamery on the way back (because who wouldn’t?!) and shared a brownie brownie milkshake with whipped cream and caramel sauce). Very fixated on good food today… Last night in Ohio!

August 26

Ohio has lovely trails! We worked our way back over to the Ohio to Eerie trail and followed that for all but the first 10 and the last 12 of 63 miles to Beachwood, outside Cleveland. The trail was mostly paved, sometimes crushed limestone, and generally flat and shaded. We saw a lot more people on this trail as it had quite a few trailheads including one that sold fantastic ice cream (caramel fudge brownie vanilla bean). We also saw heron, lots of ducks and geese, and one snapping turtle! Once we left the trail, we encountered a few hills in the humid head (93 degrees max) before arriving at our hotel just before an afternoon rain. More rain predicted for tomorrow but they seem to be short storms at least, so hopefully we’ll be fine!

Great Mexican dinner tonight and a beer at the Winking Lizard Tavern. Ready to call it a night!

August 25

Excellent start to our day with omelets, bagels, and odd-shaped grapes, then six miles to Kenyon College where we had a short visit with Olive who starts her freshman year tomorrow! What an honor. She seems right at home there already and eager to get started.

We continued on the Kokosing Gap Trail which led to the Holmes County Trail for most of the day. Last 15 miles were on roads, spent trying to stay ahead of the pending storms they predicted at 2 PM. But they came early… Completely drenched, riding through rivers on roads, with winds that picked up and had me looking over our shoulders for funnel clouds! Made it to our destination, although we had to order delivery pizza for dinner since the nearest restaurants were a mile away. Hoping for better weather tomorrow as we make our way north to Lake Erie.

August 24

Today was a little tougher. Hotel breakfast and not on the road until 8:20 when it was already starting to heat up. We thought we would be on trail today, but it was sadly not to be. We did reroute past some busy highway to some much nicer country roads, but added a little mileage that way. We didn’t hit any real length of trail until the last 15 miles, although it was wonderful when we did – nice and shady and mostly downhill – just what we needed as we drained our last water bottles and the heat was kicking in (max 95 degrees).

We found a sculpture park (Ariel-Foundation Park) in Mount Vernon just as we arrived, so we had to tour that naturally. Then we found a bar with outside seating and had a cold water and a beer before rolling into our homestead for the night. Looking forward to a nicer dinner tonight in town and a better breakfast in the morning!

August 23

Hard to say goodbye to our friends today, but we got up early to do so before Scott left for work at 6:30! We did manage to visit with Andrea longer, while eating more of her amazing quiche and almond tart before getting back on our bikes after 8:30! We knew we only had 58 miles, but we were also concerned about the temps and humidity. Turns out we didn’t need to worry. More than 50 miles on the nicest, paved trails we have seen yet, and much of them were frequently shaded. We sailed right a long and managed to get to our destination (London, OH, right outside Columbus) by 1 PM. Zoom!

Tomorrow we continue on the Ohio to Eerie trail in our quest to get to Lake Erie, then Niagara Falls, and then the Eerie Canal Trail. We are shocked that we are at 3,051 miles so far in our trip. That’s 71% of our total goal, probably more as we are thinking of shortening the miles between New York and Boston by taking the Provincetown ferry. We are frequently floored by how our dream trip has come to fruition, very close to what I originally planned. We are so happy we chose the route we did (especially that we went west to east and the mountain ranges and rural Montana and North Dakota are behind us!). And we still have the best parts to look forward to – seeing Jolie and Kayla!

August 22

Managed to sleep in later this morning. Breakfast and chores (I made more reservations, changed a few routes, and talked to Kayla about modifying the end of our trip – more on that later). Then we headed to the National Museum of U.S. Air Force, a giant complex that we spent less than two hours at but you could easily spend days. Craig was quite intrigued by the various types of aircraft, of course, and both Scott and Andrea know a lot about the history and specifics of everything there. Fascinating for sure! But we limited our time to get to a local bar for a free blues concert. Turns out the venue was smaller than we expected and the deck was already packed, so after having drinks and snacks in the adjacent bar, we went to the next door building and sat outside where we could hear and see quite well!

We went home to make naan pizzas and visit with their son Kellen and his girlfriend, Emma. Then we stayed up playing a game called Compatibility before calling it a night. Can’t emphasize enough what an amazing family unit they are (dogs included ;). Their love and respect for each other is evident and it shows in every thoughtful aspect of their home, from the U.S. and British flags donning the front porch to the basement for jam sessions to the organized containers of art and craft supplies to the pictures on every wall. We felt so much at home there and plan to return next time for a longer stay, for sure!

August 21

Excellent day off. Lots of relaxing and visiting after breakfast (will start poaching eggs when I get home). Felt so comfortable at Scott and Andrea’s home, and got our dog fix with Tilly and Jaeger – such well-behaved sweethearts! We ventured out to go paddleboarding in the humid 80’s then went back and barbecued salmon. Andrea went all out and made a quiche for me – yum! Stayed up late visiting and doing some fun paint crafts.

August 20

Another great day! Insufficient breakfast at B&B so after 30 miles we stopped in Brookville and ate at a Waffle House, but other than a short stretch at the beginning on a busier highway, we were on nice (paved) country roads and then a few great trails into Dayton, only 51 miles total. Hot and humid, but we rode right to Scott and Andrea’s house, a visit overdue by a few decades! We are so thrilled to be here for TWO zero days. 🙂 Lasagna for dinner – yum!

August 19

Knew we had an easy day today, so we slept in! Breakfast at the hotel (meh) then short route back to our Cardinal Greenway Trail which we were on all day except a few miles after it ends in Richmond (still Indiana). The trail is completely paved, partially shaded, and mostly flat. We listened to music most of the day and took it easy. Into Richmond before 2, stopped for a beer and a snack, and then checked into our B&B just as the first fat drops of rain began to fall.

In case you are wondering, we do realize how incredibly fortunate we are, and I’m not talking about just missing the rain! Today was one of those days when you just realize the abundance of your good fortune and are happy to be on the planet.

Excited to reach Ohio tomorrow and spend TWO zero days with our friends in Dayton!

August 18

Nice easy day. 51 miles from Kokomo to Muncie. Less headwind, no gravel, and temps in the 70’s until we got to our destination. Of course, we got to our hotel so early that our room wasn’t ready, so we ended up adding another 6 miles biking to lunch and back! Still, a lovely day overall. We rode 10 miles on the Cardinal Greenway Trail and will do all our miles tomorrow on that – another easy day.

One funny note. As Craig was packing up this morning, we found the pump we thought we’d left behind the day before. Doh! So now we have two pumps…

Lyrics that come up often on our trip (all I can think of at the moment, but there are others):

• “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…”
• “Straight on through to the other side…”
• “(Sunflower, Soybean, Corn, etc.) fields forever…”
• “Here comes the sun…”
• “Has anyone seen the confounded bridge…”
• “Breaking the law, breaking the law…”

August 17

Breakfast was lovely at our B&B. If only we could go back in time to shortly after when we left our bike pump in their yard… That dictated that last hour of our ride in Kokomo, IN, when we went in search of a bike store to buy a new pump!

The real highlight of the day was visiting Tara, my AP Calc student for the last two years, who is just embarking on her college life at Purdue. It was a minor detour for us and so great to see her smiling face as well as the beautiful campus. Lots of sculptures and lots of nods to Neil Armstrong!

The rest of the ride was eastward bound as we inch towards Dayton. We couldn’t avoid several miles of gravel, which wasn’t too bad except for the cars speeding by and dusting us. We also couldn’t avoid a minor but annoying but headwind but still managed to get in pretty early since we only went 55 miles. Nice to have several short days this week!

Forgot to mention that as we went south into Indiana, we quickly noticed a changed in drivers’ attitudes towards bicycles. While Wisconsin drivers sped past without glancing at us waiting, even at a crosswalk, Indiana drivers seem intent on stopping and waiting for us even if we are half a mile away! Refreshing change 🙂

August 16

Breakfast at the hotel (waffles are definitely a criteria of a good chain hotel and Comfort Inn delivered), then on the road shortly after 7. I was impressed by that since Craig stayed up to watch the Sounders/Timbers game (YAY, Sounders!) while I zonked early. Our path was basically short east, long south, rinse and repeat, except that we changed the turns a few times to stay on paved roads. We crossed over or under I-65 many times, and that helped keep the big rigs off our backs. Lots of relaxing cornfields, cotton cloud skies, and mesmerizing wind turbines. A little tailwind on the south sections kept us moving right along and we actually got to our B&B by 1:00! Except that it was actually 2:00 due to another time zone change. Officially in Kayla and Jolie’s time zone now!

Great dinner tonight here at the hotel. Short days the rest of this week as we added a day into the mix to get rid of an 80-mile ride. We also decided to add a second rest day in Dayton since we are detouring 300+ miles to see our friends there — seems logical to spend more than one full day with them! Rather than change the home page weeks, I am just saying “plus two” so I can keep things simple.

August 15

We started the day 10+ pounds lighter! (Sara is going to ship our sleeping bags and a few other things home for us and then donate our tent :). Woke to a gorgeous sunrise then worked on shifting our remaining gear around to create lighter but even loads in our panniers. Yay!

After another delicious breakfast (including avocado on Mark’s famous, homemade sourdough bread), we all four descended with bikes upon the streets of Chicago for our farewell ride. Stopped at the Bean for obligatory pictures, then along the Lakefront Trail. We went beyond the planetarium, which is as far south as we ever got on previous trips, all the way to South Shore Cultural Center where Barack and Michelle had their wedding reception!

Can’t say enough about Sara and Mark. They are some of the most generous and kindest people we have ever met, and their marriage of 31 years is an inspiration. Chicago and Dallas are both lucky to have them! It was sad to say goodbye but I know we will see them again!

Once we parted ways, we maneuvered a few miles of south Chicago streets, then found a series of paved, trails that included Illiana Marina Trail, the Wolf Creek Boardwalk, and our new favorite, the Erie Lackawanna Trail. That took us to within 15 miles of our hotel in Dinwiddie, IN. Back to country roads (but paved) bordered by corn and picturesque farms. This is the beginning our detour to Ohio, probably not on a lot of people’s cross-country treks if they are following the Northern Tier, but we are excited to get to Dayton on Friday and see more friends – a very long overdue visit!!

August 14

Excellent zero day. Slept in, avocado toast and eggs, got a few planning things done, salads on the rooftop, and then walked around the harbor (where we saw multiple wedding and Quinceañera parties lining up for pictures against the backdrop of the harbor and city skyline). We also walked out on Navy Pier (chatted with Bob Newhart), then more relaxing. Eventually we walked to pick up dinner and meet a small group of Sara and Mark’s friends in Millennium Park where we listened to a free concert of classic show tunes. Walked more than 5 miles in perfect Chicago weather!

Sara and Mark are the quintessential hosts! We are so grateful to them for opening their home to us and making us feel so welcome as well a feeding and entertaining us! (Their coffee gives Fasanos some competition :). We felt so very spoiled. And we hope to be lifelong friends with more adventures ahead (biking or not)!

End of week 7!

August 13

What a fun day! Breakfast at the hotel (love my avocado toast) and then headed southeast towards Chicago. We knew mileage was going to be lighter (ended up at 59 miles) so we followed our “coastal” route (I know it’s a lake, but it sure seems like an ocean!) which included some beachy trails, a few roads, the Green Bay Trail (very shady), and the Lakefront Trail right into the city. Of course, I did get a flat about halfway, but once we pulled the sharp piece of plastic out of my tire, Craig fixed it quickly :). We stopped at a bike shop shortly thereafter to get some new tubes and chatted with a few other touring bikers and wandered through their open air market.

We rode through Northwestern University (in Evanston) then down to the Lakefront Trail. Not the major headwind we had feared and so fun to see all the walkers, bikers, and rollerbladers, as well as people swimming and playing on the beach. Stopped for a juice on the beach and quickly ordered another. Then stopped a little further up the trail for a fast beer with a city view!

Last summer, biking with Trek Tours at Crater Lake, we met Sara and Mark who live here in Chicago most of the year and they have an amazing condo on the 24th floor of a residential high-rise. We parked our bikes on their balcony and had an incredible evening with them – excellent conversation, dinner, and then rooftop ice cream. So happy and grateful to have a rest day here!

August 12

No real breakfast at the hotel today so we rode 10+ miles into Waukesha and had a decent one there. 67 total miles to Kenosha today, skirting Milwaukee on the way. We have enjoyed the trails in Wisconsin, but we dislike the lack of crosswalks at many busy crossroads and the fact that most Wisconsin drivers don’t even think about stopping for bicyclists.

The morning started in the 70’s and rose steadily – hot (high of 97) and humid but the trails offered shade sometimes. I talked about milkshakes all day and we passed by a few possibilities only to arrive at our hotel and find a Scoops directly across the street. Perfect!

Nice dinner at Sazzy B’s and a stroll downtown to a free concert in the park. Looking forward to Chicago tomorrow!

August 11

Breakfast at the hotel then on the road by 8. We started on the Capital City Trail, an urban trail with an extensive garden along one stretch, and then we took a few roads to get to the Glacial Dumlin State Trail. Bought a pass at the trailhead and headed out on the mostly unpaved trail. The storms from the last few days had wreaked some havoc though, so we had to go under, over, and around quite a few blowdowns. The trees provided shade (not as necessary today since it was mostly cloudy) and protected us from the wind a lot of the time. The temps stayed in the mid-70’s until noon, where the heat index soared for our last miles. We enjoyed the trail and will take the last 5 miles of it tomorrow morning.

Stopped in the quaint town of Delafield for a light lunch (more cheese curds, of course!) before going to our AmericInn for the night. More storms expected in the region tonight, but should blow by before tomorrow’s ride, fingers crossed.

August 10

Had a fabulous breakfast at The Mill House B&B before getting on the road before 8. Back on yesterday’s trail just for 8 miles, then into the hills for quite awhile before crossing the Wisconsin River. Today’s hills brought to us by Driftless Wisconsin (just watched a documentary on that!), aided by headwinds, and a max temp of 95 degrees (but a heat index of 104 degrees). We had warm sweat dripping off every inch of us in the last few hours. We only went 63 miles today, less than the last 3 days, but it was tough. We didn’t get into Madison until 2 PM but we beat the expected thunderstorm at least and were happy to shower before heading out for our first cheese curds (at The Old Fashioned) and then dinner at the hotel. Madison is still pretty cautious – lots of people wearing masks, and many places still closed or take-out/delivery only. We’ve been avoiding indoors other than lodging and dining, but we appreciate the concern!

August 9

Third time is a charm! 76 miles again today and this time was awesome. Yay us! After a great breakfast at Rainbow Ridge Farms (have to try and remember to try making peach scones and parfaits), we donned our still damp clothes and shoes and braved the road again by 8:00. We decided against the trail that embalmed us in mud yesterday and took the highway the first 25+ miles into Sparta; even though it was no longer raining, we figured the trail could still be soupy. We were happy with that choice and figure it may have saved us an hour or even two. But we had heard so much about the Sparta-Elroy trail we decided to risk it to get to our destination of La Valle (and another B&B). We were not disappointed. Even though the trail was unpaved, it was relatively dry, shaded, and peaceful. And it included three tunnels (the only time we donned our raincoats since the first one was pretty drippy) – not as long as the Snoqualmie Pass one, but damp and eerie and interesting!

After we got to Elroy (including a few detours where the trail was “out”), we got onto the State 400 Trail, which conveniently started near a bar advertising $2 beers for bikers. Since we only had 15 miles left at that point, we had to stop! Talked to a group of 9 men biking across the state (camping, but supported). Even though we were under ominous skies the rest of the time (and a few times throughout the day), we arrived quite dry at the Mill House B&B. The host here is so gracious – she let us do laundry and drove us into nearby Reedsburg for dinner since nothing great was open here; gave us a little history and interesting facts along the way as well :).

August 8

Another tough day. We both woke up at 4:30 to the sound of thunder, branches flying, and heavy rain on the metal roof. Checked our phones to see predicted thunderstorms all day at the current location and where we were headed. Ugh! Scrapped our 6:30 start, fell back asleep for awhile, and were pleased it was only raining with new prediction of dry hours ahead. On the road by 7:40 and back on the Great River Road (Highway 36). Stopped for great breakfast in Pepin, then it dried up and became extremely humid for the next few hours. Headwind off and on but not as bad as yesterday.

The fun surprise (not) was the trail we started for the last 25 (of 76) miles. It was a limestone gravel trail, pretty nice actually, but at some point it started to rain again, and then it really let loose. We put most of our rain gear back on, but the trail got so wet at some point it became a muddy creek. We also had to go over, under, and around a few downed trees. It was so sad we laughed between complaints.

Turns out Onalaska, the town we were bound for, had had 7 inches of rain in two days with near-tornado winds that busted and toppled trees all over. We were glad to only get the rain this afternoon! Arrived at our B&B (on a hill, of course) by 3:30 after picking up sub sandwiches in town. The women who run the place were luckily outside so they let us hose ourselves and our bikes down outside before going in. Sheesh!

Tomorrow is another big day (77 miles if we stick to the plan which continues on yesterday’s trail, or 87 miles if we scrap the trails for highway if it’s still raining). Send us your good vibes! Hoping the weather and routes will improve after that. It is much harder to plan than you would think!

August 7

Oof! Tough day. We planned to get to The Hen House for their first seating at 7 but woke to not just rain, but lightining and thunder! So we took our time with breakfast, seriously debated trying to change reservations for the next 5 nights, and then decided to go for it when the weather seemed to be improving around 9. Donned all our rain gear!

The first 30 miles were quite nice when the rain let up. We were on a series of urban trails near the Mississippi, and even though the visibility wasn’t great, we enjoyed the ride. Finally we crossed the river and made our way into Wisconsin and onto the “Great River Road” for the remainder of the 76 miles. Mostly good except for a new downpour, nearly 3500 elevation gain, and a persistent headwind which kept our average speed to 11.2. We didn’t get to the house where we were staying until almost 5 PM. Pooped!

This was the first time we tried warmshowers.org which was an odd experience for us. The hosts (a young couple with two boys under 10) were extremely gracious and made a great dinner for us with eggplant parmesan, pasta, and salad. They referred to our room as “the box” but you could also call it a shed with a bed, and we stored our bikes in the garage. We were so grateful not to be camping as the weather was iffy!

August 6

Zero day in Minneapolis. Slept in, breakfast at The Hen House nearby, then walked the sculpture park and toured the Walker Modern Art Museum. Definitely some interesting stuff! We walked downtown to a cool bar to meet Addison (whom we know through Kayla and as a former student of mine!). Nice visit with him before he took us back to last night’s restaurant to retrieve my credit card – doh! Then we found an actual rooftop restaurant since last night’s Crave didn’t have theirs open. Nice relaxing day overall!

August 5

Back to highway today (“Old Highway 75”) but with good to great shoulders and some unexpected long stints on urban trails through various cities. Not as relaxing as the last few days, but great to know we are taking another day off tomorrow to see some sights in the city. Planning a rooftop dinner tonight!

August 4

Another excellent day, primarily on flat, paved trail. The Central Lakes Trail became the Lake Wobegon Trail shortly after we left Alexandria. We rode side by side and listened to a couple episodes of our podcast and then decided on music for the remainder. The weather was overcast and in the low 70’s most of the day – absolutely perfect! 71 miles today (20 more than yesterday) but still relatively easy. We only got a late start because we couldn’t skip breakfast at the B&B (we were the only guests last night) and we were very glad we didn’t! Then we stopped at local store for snacks and the bank for cash and got on the trail after 9. The trail took us through several cute little towns and then all the way into St Cloud which was awesome, and then we just had to navigate a few miles of streets to find the hotel amidst this college town.

August 3

What a lovely day! Didn’t set an alarm today and got up at 6:30. Eased onto the road after 8 and made our way to a park in Fergus Falls where we saw Otto the Otter. Otters are an inside joke for us (Craig always says he sees them) so that was special ha ha. Then we made our way to the Central Lakes Trail for 45 more miles (51 total is all today). We only passed a few other people the whole way and were able to listen to music, stop frequently, and just take our time getting to Alexandria. Tomorrow we will finish that trail and start another!

When we got to Alexandria, we detoured to see “Big Ole” and then stopped for a snack and beer at an outdoor patio before continuing to our B&B. Definitely felt like a vacation day! Looking forward to a good dinner, sleep, and breakfast.

A direct route from La Push to NYC would be around 3,000 miles, so we are well over halfway by that measure. But we are meandering across the country for 4,400 miles (including Cape Cod and Boston after NYC) so we will have to get past Minneapolis to claim that halfway mark. Still, pretty amazing to think we are this far in our journey. Keep sending us good vibes and hope the country vaccinates enough to keep us all safe!

August 2

63 miles from Fargo to Fergus Falls, MN. Hello, Minneosta! We were bummed not to see a “Welcome to Minnesota” sign as we crossed the river, but whatever… We did get to see a little more of Fargo on our way out, including a stop at Bernbaum’s for some awesome bagels that we ate later for lunch. We also saw the world’s largest dilly bar at the Dairy Queen in Moorehead but they weren’t open yet (don’t think I wouldn’t eat ice cream that early in the day!). From there we headed southeast and then south on “Old Highway 52” which became Otter Trail 88 and a few other things. Fairly level day, not too bad traffic/shoulder, reasonable temps, but still pretty smoky. Seems to be getting better the farther we get from Fargo though.

Got into Fergus Falls around 2, had an early dinner, and then a real treat this evening as Tracy Egan (from Fall City) just happened to be close enough to swing by and have a beer in the parking lot with us. She’s living the van life heading across country (again) at a much faster rate than us, her dog, May, long for the ride. She and husband, David, have property in Mazama and she was telling us about the fires that started the week after we came across Cascades Highway 20. Cyclists we had passed heading east to west coast (including Phil today!) had already told us that they were re-routing due to fires, but we had no idea how bad they had gotten. Crazy! Anyway, we thoroughly enjoyed visiting with Tracy. Be sure to let us know if you’re anywhere near our route 😉

August 1

Rest day! In Fargo (yah, you betcha!). Slept in until 6:30 (given we went to bed at 10 that’s pretty good!). Then, after good breakfast, mostly lounged all morning. I worked a few hours on hotel reservations and fixing routes accordingly, and then we walked to a sports store that did not have bike gloves and had a late lunch/beer.

Later we UBER’d to a bigger sports store (Scheels), bought gloves and a few other (small) things, then walked back to Johnny Carino’s for a decent pasta dinner. We were bummed that we missed the open hours at Fargo Visitor’s Center where the original woodchipper from the Fargo movie is inside, but luckily they have a replica outside so we took a few fun pictures. First handstand I’ve done in awhile…

Now just watching the USMNT vs Mexico game and then back on the road again tomorrow!

July 31

Today was NOT a repeat of yesterday as we had hoped it would be. We packed up camp, drank our bottled Frappuccino’s, ate a little bagel, and headed out of Napoleon to continue east on Highway 46. Unfortunately our tailwind had become a crosswind, which wasn’t too bad for 60 miles, but at one of our stops to put on sunscreen I left behind my best biking gloves, not worth going back for when we realized it 5 miles later. Fortunately we both brought 2 pairs and will hopefully replace them in Fargo. When we finally turned north, however, the crosswind became a brutal headwind and we struggled the rest of the way, including 6 miles on dirt road between crops because we would have had to go much further to stay on paved. We did chance across a car show which was amusing for a few minutes…

We were beat by the time we got to our hotel in Fargo and walked to the nearest food we could find (Applebee’s) for dinner after much needed showers, jacuzzi, and laundry. Bummed to have a Sunday rest day since so much seems to be closed those days but just grateful to not set an alarm and know we will be comfortable!

July 30

Excellent riding day. We were worried about the extra miles (87 total), especially after a late start getting a sit-down breakfast in Napoleon (with 15 truckers who were already there). On the road after 8 AM, and we covered our helmets in response to a slight mist, but the rain never materialized and the temps stayed primarily in the 70’s, only a little smoky. We had purposefully added a few miles today to bring down the 98 it would take us to get to Fargo if we didn’t. Boy are we glad we did! All day we both avoided the T word so we wouldn’t jinx ourselves, but as we sailed into Litchville around 2 PM we sang our Tailwind praises! 16.1 mph is our top average speed. Couldn’t have happened on a better day!

We found the public park that a passing cyclist told us about, which had bathrooms (no showers unfortunately) and we had it to ourselves. Despite constant cooing from doves, it was quiet and comfortable and we were able to charge our electronics (while Craig punished me at Gin Rummy). Beer at a local tavern and then dinner (and ice cream) at the Tasty Treat Drive-In. All in all a good day!

July 29

On the road again! Another meh breakfast, only because Perkins (just a few buildings down) was not open at 6AM as promised (by billboard, on their door, and online). It was noticeably cooler but also smokier than it’s been lately – you could smell it. We meandered out of Bismarck on residential roads and then a paved trail for several miles before settling in on a highway with decent shoulder.

More miles today (71) but somewhat slow going thanks to a headwind and 2,280 ft elevation gain (mostly occasional, gradual hills though). No gravel today though, so we were in good spirits, especially after stopping at a gas station in Hazelton which made great sub sandwiches.

Nearing our destination of Napoleon, we thought we saw a mirage which turned out to be an actual lake we weren’t expecting. The highway (and train) runs right through the middle of McKenna Lake. We were happy to have a cabin reserved and arrived by 2PM. Dinner at the White Maid a half hour away was a little of everything: grilled sandwiches, curly fries, side salad, tall beers, and a hot fudge sundae.

Tomorrow night we camp, so I likely won’t update the website until the next day in Fargo. Two long days on the road (80 miles apiece) that can’t be helped unless we want to camp more. This might be a good time to mention that we are camping as little as possible, but also, we are narrowing down our hotel/motel choices based on important things like a GOOD BREAKFAST. Of the chains we’ve stayed in, the best so far have been AmericInn and Holiday Inn Express. We’ve started earning free nights already… But we really like the little motels as well, which while they usually don’t have breakfast options (except for the occasional splurge B&B), they are incredibly cheap, comfortable, and efficient.

July 28

Zero day! Slept in (7:30 ;), meh breakfast at hotel, did chores (groceries, a few bike fixes, paid bills, made more hotel reservations, fixed a few routes, etc.), then I went for a pedicure and Craig went ahead to Laughing Sun Brewery where I met him after. Great beer and light lunch. More jacuzzi and lounging, then dinner at Eat Thai Cafe – some of the best Thai we’ve ever had; we were sorry not to eat it all!

July 27

Fewer miles (67) and elevation gain (2,031 ft) than yesterday, and the extreme temps we’d been warned about never materialized due to the smoke, but the last half was longer thanks to a headwind. We each had a leftover piece of pizza at the motel, and that mostly lasted us for the first half until we got to New Salem where we had an actual sit-down breakfast. We saw Sue, the “world’s largest Holstein cow” on the hill as we came and left the town. But the headwind thereafter was brutal. It took us longer to do the 67 miles today than the 76 yesterday.

But eventually we crossed the Missouri River again on a nice bike path leading into Bismarck. We wound around town to our hotel – home for two nights! Immediately showered, had a beer, did laundry, sat in the jacuzzi, and then went to a great Mexican dinner at La Carreta. So excited to sleep in tomorrow!

July 26

Happy birthday, Dad! In your honor, we rode 76 miles from Medora to Hebron, ND. 🙂 Earlier start (6:40) and smoke cover kept it from getting too hot until the end (max 97 degrees). Today was all paved roads with little traffic, and moderate elevation gain (only a few rollers). We detoured to see the “Enchanted Highway” which was a large sculpture – nice snack break there. Went through several small towns that seemed to welcome bikers (but sadly no ice cream) and met one lone cross-trekker, another Christopher, going the opposite direction. Originally we planned to either camp or motel stay in Richardton, but more Bates Motel vibes and too hot to camp, so pushed the extra 14 miles to Hebron. Also makes tomorrow into Bismarck a more reasonable day! Which is good because temps are expected to get over 100 everywhere here tomorrow…

July 25

Today was another toughie. 67 miles from Glendive to Medora, but even though we got an earlier start, we still roasted (max 100 degrees) and didn’t get to our hotel until 2 PM. More than 12 miles on dusty, gravel roads, but at least those (and the old highway 10 for the rest) we mostly had to ourselves which was lovely. As far as the scenery, North Dakota doesn’t seem too different from Montana so far!

Medora is a cute, Western-style town, a lot like Winthrop, WA. We had a great early dinner at Boots Bar and Grill (excellent mac and cheese), then bought a few groceries for the road (and our evening sweets) and walked the town a little. Braved their automated zipline which took all of one minute but was fun and now relaxing before the Sounders play again! Tomorrow will be even longer and possibly hotter. Holding out for our zero day in Bismarck day after next…

July 24

Today was almost a rest day. 51 miles with much less elevation gain (1,047 ft) most of which occurred in the first 15 miles. Then downhill and flat. Lovely! Weekend, so fewer cars. Also nice shoulder and because we started earlier (7:23) it was cooler for the whole ride.

Must have paralleled almost ten miles of dormant BNSF railcars. We stopped a lot to take pictures…

We got into Glendive by 11 AM – earliest arrival time yet. Stopped at a great cafe to have late breakfast (since we had only had bottled Frappuccino’s from a gas station and grocery store pastries) and they had amazing options for both of us. Any salad with sweet potatoes, beets, and goat cheese is a hit!

Because we got in so early, we had to sit in the lobby of our Holiday Inn Express for almost two hours before our room was ready, but we didn’t mind since it was heating up outside. Doing laundry (and website) now and then out to find early dinner. Tomorrow will be another tough day, but we will end in North Dakota! May have to rethink our planned rest days as there is a heat advisory for Monday/Tuesday. Acclimated to mid-90’s now but 108 degrees is a little extreme ha ha.

July 23

Tough day. Fewer miles than yesterday (68) but as much elevation gain (almost 3000 ft again) and nearly all rolling hills. Might look like a roller coaster, but the uphills were pure work! Still not too bad at the beginning, and even through the construction was fine: several miles of gravel, the beginning of which were eerie with no workers and little traffic, but then one stoplight and we were directed to go in front of the pilot car and just steer clear of the trucks – no problem! However, after that we lost our shoulder and started getting passed both directions by trailered sidedumpers which blew us sideways so we had to start stopping in advance every time. Made the day a lot longer. And did I mention no tailwind but rather a crosswind today?

Sometimes it’s a curse to be a math teacher on a bicycle trip. My Garmin gives me so many stats that I start doing the numbers game (although it does occupy some time). While the Garmin estimates a finish time, I do my own calculations based on average speed or current speed and then all of a sudden we hit a hill and those estimations are shot… And I’m sure Craig is tired of hearing what fraction of total distance or of a particular climb we have left, but he’s a good sport about it 😉

Needless to say, we were exhausted when we finally rolled into Circle. Bought snacks and Powerade right away and then found the Horse Creek RV Campground where they let bikers stay for free. We could have opted for the Travelers Inn (aka Bates Hotel) but the reviews scared us, and the RV park had free showers, a bathroom, and a laundry room in which we could charge all our electronics (while Craig beat me at rummy several times – I must have been wiped! ;).

Dinner from a deli was a nice change from fried food. Listened to a great playlist (thanks, Clayton!) and lights out (only figuratively because a streetlamp was right next to us) by 9:30. We have only a few more nights of camping planned. Definitely makes things a little harder!

July 22

On the road at 6:22 AM this morning, after a breakfast of grocery store pastry and breakfast sandwich and bad coffee. But still grateful for a good night’s rest and the lot. The skies were threatening and we even got a few drops of rain and saw lightening in the distance, but lucky for us it hovered but never attacked, and it kept the temps in the 70’s and 80’s nearly all day! We did have one local person stop to warn us about today’s expected storms – just a few years ago she nearly lost her home to a fire started by lightening. But our good luck pieces and all your well wishes kept us safe 🙂

Much less traffic and fewer grasshoppers smacking our legs and chest today for 68 miles. Even a light tailwind which made the ride go faster despite the ongoing rolling hills. Total 3,012 ft elevation gain (not discounting the downhills) and much of the same scenery all day. We stopped in Sand Springs at their general (only?) store – had read that they had good milkshakes and did they ever! $4 for one of the best I’ve ever had – chocolate butterscotch, hand scooped. Yum!

We rolled into Jordan about 1:00 just as it was starting to heat up. We passed some pretty seedy motels and were so happy to have splurged on an Airbnb. Less than half the cost of our Coeur d’Alene hotel room for an entire 2-bedroom apartment with full kitchen and laundry. Worth every penny! They even have ESPN so we can watch the Sounders play tonight. Happy!

We plan to mosey into downtown shortly to pick up more water and snacks for this evening, and then we’ll eat at one of their two restaurants. (Their only grocery store doubles as a meat processing plant…) Getting a little tired of burgers (for Craig) and grilled cheese (for me) but we are surviving. Maybe North Dakota will have more variety ha ha.

July 21

Took our time this morning, because we knew it would be a fast (but HOT) ride, and it was! Getting used to Highway 200 with its varying shoulders (today was decent for most of the time) and the traffic seemed a little lighter than previous days. Lots of cattle! They seem to respond to Italian, or so I’ve decided in an effort to practice the language… It was 93 degrees by the time we reached Winnett and we averaged 15.1 mph, fastest rate yet! We were dreading camping here in a local park because of the heat (and no shower, no AC, no Wi-Fi, etc.) but we chanced upon the Northern Motel which had a vacancy sign on and found out they had just had a cancellation – we were ecstatic to say the least! Great little place for only $75 a night.

We bought 7 liters of water for tomorrow since everyone has warned us not to drink the water at our next destination and we thought it smelled a little weird here as well. The room has a fridge so it will start out cold at least. Today was only 55 miles, but tomorrow will be 77 and the temps in Jordan (still MT) are expected to hit 100 degrees. We are going to sleep extra early and hopefully rise with the sun to miss as much of the heat as possible. Fingers crossed!

July 20

Later start again today because we knew we only had 50 miles to go. Breakfast nearby, then hit the backroads for the first 18 miles, chatting with the deer, cows, and antelope and enjoying the nearly complete absence of cars! But the roads were a little rough, especially the rolling, gravel hills, so we trekked back to the highway at mile 18 and zipped the rest of the way to Lewistown with a great shoulder, even through 7 miles of construction in which the pilot cars and their loyal followers gave us wide berth. It also allowed us to stop in Moore at the Big Sky Grocery, run by Amish, where we had fantastic ice cream (evidently huckleberry is a theme in Montana). Once at our destination, we ventured by a bike repair shop (one man show in a garage) for piece of mind more than anything specific and walked into town for dinner at Central Feed which everyone seemed to mention. The beer was better than the food, but we still enjoyed it. Back to our Airbnb for a good night’s relaxation and sleep! Camping tomorrow, so likely no post until Thursday…

We’ve traveled 1,218 miles so far! More than a fourth of our planned trip 🙂

July 19

Later start today (8 AM) – not excited to get back on the highway but the shoulder started extra wide and eventually deteriorated to just okay. At one point the whole shoulder was a rumble strip though – not the most encouraging as giant hay trucks and truck-trailer combos chugged by. None of yesterday’s stunning scenery, but pleasant enough fields and a few streams. Mostly rolling hills and a few tough inclines but we still made decent time of the 61 miles with multiple water and snack stops and got to Stanford, MT by 2 PM.

A few times the temps hit 95 degrees, but after we relaxed at our destination awhile we heard thunder, had a light rain, and the temperature dropped to 61 degrees! Staying at a cute 10 room motel (the Sundown) and had a great bar dinner (grilled cheese for me) at the Waterhole Saloon. Very quaint little town, particularly quiet evidently, after their most raucous rodeo weekend of the year; can’t say I’m sorry we missed that!

July 18

Earlier start today (6:45 AM) but no real breakfast until we hit Cascade where we gorged. The ride today was phenomenal. All side roads that sometimes paralleled, sometimes crossed under I-15, so only church-goers and trucks with boat trailers passing us occasionally. Also cooler until noon but of course ended in the 90’s still, which we are getting quite used to. The views were stunning of the rocky outcroppings, the Missouri River (which we were also following along with I-15). Many possible settings for “A River Runs Through It” with the White Pelicans and the fly fishers. The Garmin had as scared about climbs until we realized it just couldn’t get accurate readings near the rock cliffs and so some of them never materialized. We were sad not to see any big horn sheep as the signs suggested.

A little lost at the end of the day, but managed to get back on track and into Great Falls by 2. So many businesses (including bike shops and many restaurants) close on Sundays in Montana! But we are ecstatic to have a hotel with full amenities. Walked to a nearby pizza place (meh) but then chanced the mile walk to the Sip and Dip Lounge which we found on AtlasObscura.com (thanks, Holly!). While the mermaids were “sleeping,” a guest at the bar volunteered to go swimming to give us all the full effect. Hilarious! Now laundry and to bed…

July 17

Left the campground early (I wore my rainpants while we were packing up to avoid more bites!) – a couple bars for an early breakfast and then the real thing 11 miles later in Lincoln (long-time home of the Unabomber and where he was finally arrested). No other bikers but a few hikers chowing, chatting, and charging at the same restaurant. Lincoln is also the site of a wonderful outdoor sculpture park which we meandered around for quite awhile. I will include lots of pictures on the Photos page!

After we left Lincoln, we kept along MT200 up Rogers Pass and then at the point we would have been going downhill for miles on fast pavement (but limited shoulder), we offroaded to get to our destination for the night (7R Guest Ranch). We started by walking our bikes up a steep gravel “road” which later became a rocky road, nearly impassable; we ended up walking up and down steep sections because it was so bad and our arms (and brakes) were strained. Crossed a creek a few times and were making such slow progress that we started getting a little worried. Oh, and Craig got a slow leak in his back tire. Eventually an ATV approached us and offered us a ride but also told us the road would get better so we kept going, ego in tact, and managed to get to our destination by 3.

July 16

Started the day on a gravel then single-track trail past the UM campus then back to the grind on Highway 200 East. No fire danger and not much smoke, so fairly fast despite climbing 2644 ft. We were relieved to find a campsite at Moose Creek Campground. We’d been unable to reserve there and so we weren’t sure what to expect, but we found a site no problem, semi-bathed in the creek, ate leftover Biga pizza, hung what food we had left, and then climbed in our tent early to avoid more mosquito bites and listen to a podcast (Your Own Backyard – recommended by Heather and Chris :). Since they killed and ID’d the grizzly that had killed a camping bicyclist in Ovando, which we had just ridden through, we slept well!

July 15

Sad to leave the hot springs behind, but got an early start (7 AM) and skirted past the one area where fire and smoke were a concern with a great tailwind. After 30+ miles at the junction of Highway 200 East and 93 South we stopped at a funky place called The Bison Cafe. A little dingy looking from the outside, but one family already there and we were pleased to meet George, who was running the whole show by himself. Great coffee, huckleberry pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns, and the works (lots of meat for Craig). We finished it all! We lost our tailwind for awhile and slogged up a long 3% hill with a headwind, but then had some fast sections all the way to Missoula and ended up averaging 13.4 mph, maybe the fastest we’ve done (carrying around 30 lb a gear each). 71 miles in total.

We checked into the Missoula Campus Inn. Nothing special, but then Craig’s artist friend, John Thompson, graciously picked us up and showed us his working studio, the carousel he helped make happen (individual mounts carved by a consortium of local artists), and his beautiful house and home studio. He is a prolific artist and a consummate host!

John dropped us at Biga Pizza downtown where we gorged on the best house salad and pizza we may have ever had. Wish we had one of those close to home! Young waitress had done the whole PCT in 2016 :).

Camping tomorrow night if all goes according to plan. Hotels are not an option – didn’t realize Ovando and Lincoln are both on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. Likely won’t have any cell signal for the night if not all day. The next night we are in Wolf Creek and may not have signal there either. So signing off for a few days potentially…

July 14

Lovely “zero day” at the hot springs, newly remodeled. Slept nine hours, had a late breakfast, lounged at the hot springs most of the day. There are 6 pools that range from 62 degrees (cold water plunge) to 106 degrees. Not very crowded as they currently only allow overnight guests to use the pools.

July 13

Oof! Early start of 8 gradual miles up a gravel road to Lookout Pass. Watched the hoards of mountain bikers getting ready to ride at the ski resort and talked to a young woman camping in her Subaru who had her (doubly locked) mountain bike stolen in Portland and was so sad not a single bike was available to rent for the ski resort.

Then began a long descent into flatness that was unfortunately made tough by rough road, sometimes extremely rocky. I got too close to Craig once and our panniers locked up which sent us both crashing and he got the worst of it, reopening a gash on his leg. And the heat, of course, in the mid to upper nineties the whole time. Rather than take a detour at one point we crossed a little stream and proceeded to semi-bathe in it to cool off! But 35+ miles on gravel took its toll on our arms and legs. When we stopped for something to eat in St. Regis, we were happy to say good riddance to the gravel trail and embrace 20 miles of pavement, despite the cars and narrow shoulder. We were even happier to arrive at our destination after 5 PM – Quinn’s Hot Springs! Loving that tomorrow is a zero day!!

July 12

Breakfast was worth the late start – even took the leftover pancakes for a trail snack! It got hot though, 101.5 degrees at one point. Strange that we are getting acclimated to the heat, i.e. lots of sunscreen and (warm) water. Saw two moose (no great picture unfortunately) on the trail and made great time on the gradual ascent. We were constantly grateful for pavement and no cars!

Stopped in Mullan for early dinner then made our own campsite about 5 miles past, near a little creek. Not the best night sleeping with concerns of grizzlies and local wildfires, but Craig did an excellent job hanging the bear bag and obviously we had no issues!

July 11

Today after waffles at our non-fancy, expensive hotel we got on the road around 8 and continued down US 95 but were pleased to have a much wider, cleaner shoulder and less traffic. 37 miles past fields and granaries, and the best part was no flats! I finally quit asking Craig how my tire looked and smiled despite a few good hills.

The start of the Coeur d’Alenes Trail is in Plummer and they have a beautiful memorial and sculpture. We rested there before leaving all the cars behind — smooth sailing on a paved path that runs 73 miles between Plummer and Mullan in Idaho. The trail is awesome and includes a pedestrian/bike-only bridge that spans the south end of Coeur d’Alene Lake. So fun. We stopped after 13 miles or so in Harrison where we promptly bought ice cream in the 90+ degree weather. Harrison is hopping with boaters but we managed a seat at One Shot Charlie’s to have a beer and cheer Italy on to eventual victory over England.

At a sweet B&B tonight and risking a late start tomorrow so that we can have huckleberry pancakes at 8:30… Tomorrow we camp! So no post until Tuesday at least. Stay safe!

July 10

Today we started a little later, after the best breakfast so far at The Hoot Owl Cafe just a short walk from our hotel. We went back across the bridge on a great trail for many miles but were then forced to take US 95 for quite awhile, with a shoulder that sometimes diminished but was generally wide but with debris. I started out extremely hopeful that we had fixed my back tire problem and then 20 miles in we realized we were not that fortunate. Rather than change the tube AGAIN we proceeded to stop every 5-8 miles and pump it up, which worked fine until 10 miles from our destination the pump broke. Craig was determined to stop at a gas station and somehow make their air work with a Presto valve, but I looked up bike shops on my phone and lo and behold Two Wheeler Dealer was literally across the street from us. Bob (who has worked there for 31 years) listened to our story then patiently investigated the problem and found a tiny metal thread entrenched in the tire. After having that fixed we bought a new pump and were back on our way.

So from happy to stressed to elated. Now we are just waiting for the front desk to find us quarters so we can do wash and then off to dinner. Did I mention that Coeur d’Alene hotels run the same rate as NYC? Sheesh! Quality Inn for 3 times the normal price. But tomorrow we head down to Plummer and onto the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. Have made several calls about fires and smoke and no concerns where we are headed, but doesn’t hurt to send us good vibes :).

July 9

Thought we had the flat fixed for good, but not so much. Had to start taking fill-the-tire breaks after the first 20 miles. Fortunately no real big climbs today and enough shade for fast stops. Saw lots of wildlife this morning with an early start (on the road by 7 and still in the 50’s): deer, wild turkeys, and elk. Crossed the river three times, the last time north into Sandpoint on a wide pedestrian/bike trail. Then we stopped at “Greasy Fingers” where Brian diagnosed the tire problem, changed the flat, and replaced my chain while we stayed out of the heat and sampled the local brews. Staying at a great, small hotel and quite content. Welcome to Idaho!

July 8

Colville to Cusick was not an easy 50 miles. Started with a flat at mile 20, which Craig changed for me in a church parking lot, then proceeded to start leaking again during the 8 mile climb up Flowery Trail Pass. No flowers, average 8% grade, and heat contributed to not happy campers. Except we became happy campers at the Eagle’s Landing RV Park in Cusick (on the Pend Oreille River). We were the only tent amid RV’s but the amenities were awesome including a giant air-conditioned clubhouse with nice showers and laundry facilities. We ate pizza leftover from the night before and conked out early…

July 7

Today was an easier day but still work. Much cooler! We started around 8 in Republic after a full breakfast at 54 degrees but quickly abandoned our long sleeves after starting a 15 mile ascent at average 4% grade (some sections much steeper). The temps stayed in the low 60’s most of the ride and it even sprinkled on us a few times! The logging trucks passing us on an inconsistent shoulder were a bummer but thankfully not too frequent. I promise we are being as safe as possible 🙂

Stopped at a few “historic sites” on the way down (l-o-n-g descent) and then pedaled into Colville by 1:30. Resting before we walk to Italian food and then back to stream the Sounders game!

Trip of a lifetime indeed. Lucky us!!

July 6

Brutal. 62 miles from Omak to Republic, but started with a headwind and 72 degrees already at 6:45 AM and didn’t arrive in Republic until almost 2:00 PM at 92 degrees. Wauconda Pass not really spectacular for all the work (4,537 ft elevation gain). Planning on pizza and early bedtime tonight!

July 5

We eased back into riding today after two glorious days off (including my birthday on the 4th :). Only 47 miles from Winthrop to Omak but 3,140 ft elevation gain. Holly took our big bags for us so we set off right around 7 before it got too hot. Nice cloud cover as we ascended Loup Loup Pass, and Holly stopped to give us fresh water and oranges. We got into Omak by 11:30! Good thing as the temp was already 93 degrees and later hit 97. We were rather lazy all afternoon and then went for excellent Mexican food at Rancho Chico in Omak.