Blue Mountain Lake to Ticonderoga - Tuesday

Had a great campsite at Durant Lake just outside of Blue Mountain Lake. Steve, Eric and were planning on biking to Ticonderoga, but the weather turned rainy. Steve and I made if 52 miles, and eric 70. We're in a great little hotel in Ticonderoga, waiting out the rain, which looks like it will continue through tomorrow (wed.). We may have to drive east of it to find good biking in Vermont. The climbing was the toughest yet. Eric just can't get enough of them. I'll post some pics. later. Even though it's slow-going in the mountains, they are our favorite part of the ride so far.... bring on Vermont!!!

Pittsford to Fair Haven State Park, NY

Steve, Eric and I rode 76 miles, a long day of riding, probably 20 miles longer than I wanted to go, and wouldn't you know it, the hills were at the end. Zoe got us a campsite at Fair Haven State Park, and Steve and I didn't get in until 7 p.m., because of a 1 1/2 hour rain delay in the middle of the day... showered, ate something and in bed by 10:00. Pretty tuckered out..

This is a picture the next morning, Zoe, Steve and I biking from Fair Haven State Park to Selkirk State Park near Pulaski. Lucky for us it was only a 52 mile day... The hills they are a coming...

Sunday, June 28th, our 20th day on the road. I drove this day, hit the laundromat and grocery store. The weather channel at the laundromat was painting a pretty grim picture for the evening, so I checked out a hotel in Boonville, and this is where I am writing this. we're pretty much the only ones here. Pretty sweet. The route was gorgeous, it was 54 miles, and lots of climbing. I'm hoping to be on my bike earlier than we have been, because it's going to be a 65-mile day tomorrow.

Zoe and Eric on the Erie Canal

I just have to tell you how proud I am of Zoe and Eric for coming this far on the trip. It's not easy being in such close proximity to your family 24/7. Yes, we have separate tents and separate bikes, and we all try to keep our distance when one needs it. I'm just so glad we could all share this great experience. I don't think it will become clear until the days and weeks ahead when we look back on it and all that mattered was getting yourself up and on the bike for another day of the unknown. That's what I love about bike trips. And now that we're in the mountains, it will be a challenge for us all, physically and mentally. I was very happy to hear both of them mention to me their desire to lead their own bike trip. I'm sure they'll do it differently, but will take with them the knowledge of this trip as a send-off for future adventures of their own.

Along the Erie Canal near Pittsford, NY

It was Zoe's day to drive, and she found a Barnes and Nobel just down the street from our hotel. She was in heaven reading for hours, as we continued our ride along the Erie Canal. This part of the canal had a beautiful waterfront, and there were lots of sailboats motoring up the canal looking for open water. Lots of activity on the canal.

Lockport to Albion - June 25th

We took a little skip on the roadmap from Angola, NY and drove past Buffalo onto Rochester and hoteled it for the night. The kids and I biked along the Erie Canal from Lockport to Albion, but on our ride, noticed it getting darker in the west, and became quite concerned and our pace quickened, so much so, I don't think I could have biked any faster those last 5 or 6 miles to Albion. As we pulled into town the lightning lit up the sky. Just so happened there was a coffee shop right next to a hair salon, where both Eric and I got our hair cut, as we waited for Steve to pick us up...

Moonset

I was so surprised my little digital camera caught this with such clarity. it was a magical, midsummer night.

Sunset at Angola Park - Wed. June 24th

It's really hard to leave this campsite. It's been one of the best. Steve and the kids say that I say that about everywhere we stay. Camping can be a lot of work, but we've got it down to a pretty good routine, and it's nice to be outside. After this sunset, the evening sky was clear and filled with stars. I also caught the moon setting over the lake, which you'll see in the following photo.

Niagara Falls

We made it to Niagara Falls, and what a beautiful day it was. We did the Maiden of the Mist, a great boat ride below the falls. The spray felt wonderful!!

Niagara River - Wed. June 24th

This is walking along Niagara River before it hits the falls. As you can see, the sky was so blue. The temps that day were in the low 80s, just a stellar day for viewing and getting sprayed by the water. I can't possibly post all the pictures that were taken, but I'll post a few. Quite a sight to behold.

Angola State Park, Angola, NY - June 23rd - Day 15

We took advantage of this great State Park, south of Buffalo and Niagra Falls, to spend 2 nights and drive up and see Niagra Falls. This site is very close to Lake Erie and is a beautiful spot to watch the sunset.

Geneva on the Lake, OH to Erie, PA - Mon. 6/22

Steve, Zoe and I biked 70 miles to make it to Erie, PA. Marilyn had told us of a great place to check out called Presque Isle, a beautiful 20-mile peninsula to bike/hike and swim from. Pictured here is Eric and Zoe eating the wonderful lunch Eric had bought. It was 4 o'clock, and we were done for the day. Let's say, I was done for the day. We got a hotel right outside the park and enjoyed the civilization of TV and Internet...

Sunset at Geneva on the Lake State Park, Ohio

A beautiful sunset to end a great day of biking. Tomorrow we head for Erie, PA. This was taken on Monday, June 22nd.

Cleveland Browns Stadium, Sun. June 21st

I was taking this picture while riding and following Steve and Eric through downtown Cleveland. It was one of the highlights of the day. As we left the city on Sun. morning, the traffic picked up along Lake Erie, with our destination at Geneva on the Lake State Park, a 62-mile day for us.

Dinner with Woody & Marilyn

A great meal was had at Woody & Marilyn's. They were such gracious hosts!!!!! Great fuel for the road.

River Colors Yarn Shop in Lakewood, OH

I was pedaling as fast as I could to make the 5:00 p.m. closing time, and made in there at 4:30. If only I had more time. But they were having a 20% off sale, so I had to pick up a few skeins of yarn. And the night before, they had a guest appearance by Ysvolda. Can you believe that?

I miss all my knitting friends. You know who you are. I am not getting much knitting in, as biking and camp setup and teardown is time-consuming. But there's 9 days of biking ahead, 11 days until we leave Maine, hoping to be back in Madison on Friday, June 10th.

Cleveland, OH to Geneva on the Lake - Sun. 6/21

It's hard writing this on Sunday, June 28th, a week later, but I want to post a comment and picture of Steve, Eric and I biking through downtown Cleveland. As I write this, we're at the Headwaters Motor Lodge in Boonville, NY, at the western edge of the Adirondack Mountains. More on that later.

Woody & Marilyn's in Cleveland

I finally arrived in Cleveland after the rush hour friday afternoon traffic, and found a beer waiting for me, along with one of the three dogs Woody and Marilyn have... we had a great visit and 2-night layover, with a stop at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a great Bruce Springsteen exhibit. Then Steve, Eric and I were off pedaling on Sundaymorning, June 21st, father's day and summer solstice...

More Alpacas

Aren't they just the cutest!!!!

Alpaca farm

Yes, these cute animals, I just couldn't resist snapping a few of them.

The route along Lake Erie - Fri. June 19th

Eric and I started riding from Huron, OH to Celeveland, and the scenery was beautiful, but the roads got very busy and Eric decided it was too dangerous, but I wanted to push ahead. It wasn't a lot of fun with the traffic, but did see lots of interesting things along the way, as you'll see in the photos that follow...

The Mawmee River campsite

Eric decided to go ahead with a stirfry, even though the winds were a howling....

Cold Shouwer

The cold, open shower felt good after a hot day on the bike.....

Courthouses in Ohio

Ohio has some of the most beautiful courthouses I've seen. I've been in a few, such as in Dodgeville, Richland Center, Lancaster, Darlington... This was on the Mawmee River. We took a needed break across the river from it...

The Mawmee River in Ohio

We followed this river for 2 days, and we camped along side it on June 17th. It was a very windy day, and thought we'd get caught in a thunderstorm, but it missed us. A great camping spot... no warm showers though.

Monroeville, IN to Grand Rapids, OH

The roads this day were flat and the tailwinds sweet. It started out as a bit of a foggy morning. We saw lots of wheat fields in Ohio. The pedaling was easy and we later followed the Mawmee River for more than 25 miles. It was lovely riding.

Ohio

Yes, they say I take too many pictures, but it's monumental to cross state lines, and I just can't resist a photo op.

Steve and the road ahead

Steve, Eric and I area heading to Monroeville, IN, and as you can see, Eric is nowhere to be seen. He likes to bike his own speed, which is faster than ours... He got ahead of us and the rain. We weren't so lucky, and Zoe ended picking Steve and I up that.

The Kelly Hospitality

We say farewell to Pete and Pat and Amy and head on to Monroeville, IN and then on to Ohio.

Dallas Lake - Indiana

The loveliest spot on Dallas Lake, which we had the pleasure to enjoy for a night.

Scott, IN to Dallas Lake, IN

Zoe and I were looking for reasons to stop on our 30-miler day, and these goats were just too cute. It was fun to stop and see the field of goats, and al the horses the Amish have. We bought some fresh strawberries and peas from some Amish kids. They were delicious!!

Riverside Private Camp - Sun. June 14th

The morning is my favorite time. I'm the first one up, so I make coffee and sit and knit, look at the route of the day and wait for the 8 a.m. wakeup call.

Riverside Private Camp - Sun. June 14th

Really liked this campground in the Amish countryside of Indiana. The mosquitos were the worst, but it was a lovely spot...

Who's having fun now?

Just asked Zoe where this was taken, and she said near Battle Creek, MI. I was just browsing pics. and trying to decide which one to post, and this is priceless... They couldn't be having a better time if they tried...

Dallas Lake

We all enjoyed sitting on this screen porch at Pete and Pat Kelly's lake home on Dallas Lake. They really spoiled us..

My first booties

Most of you know that not only do I love biking, but can be seen knitting from time to time. These are the first booties I've knitted, and possibly the cutest also.

Preparing another great meal

This private campground we stayed at, Riverside Campground, in Indiana had only one other camper in it. Very nice...

First day in Indiana

Zoe sacked out after a hard and fast ride with Eric and Steve. She had a well-earned nap!!

Kids having fun with the camera

The kids were having fun with the camera. I think this was in Traverse City. As you can see, it was a cool evening, back in early June.

Scott, IN - Amish Country

This is a picture from our campsite on a river at a private campground. The sound of the horse and buggy going across the bridge was such a cool sound.

Erie, PA - June 23rd, 2009 - Day 15

It's been a while since I've had time to update you all on our progress. I think I left off in Indiana.
Anyway, from Battle Creek, MI to Scott, IN (Amish Country) was great riding. We stayed with my friend, Amy and her brother, Pete and Pat Kelly at their lake home on Dallas Lake, an hour outside Fort Wayne. A lovely home, great food and conversation. They really spoiled us. Some pics. to follow.

From there, we headed to Monroeville, IN, and a free place to stay for cyclists. Great washer and dryer, shower, and kitchen.

From there, we headed into Ohio, and some of the most beautiful riding along the Maumee River. I believe I have posted about that already. Camped and lucked out on the weather.

It was time for a hotel in Huron, OH, after the kids and Steve did 77 miles. Rest for all.

On Friday, June 19th, Eric and I set out for Cleveland, after some bad thunderstorms hit the area. We were thinking the day was a wash, but it cleared enough to ride. were figuring on a 50 mile day, heading along Lake Erie. But unfortunately the traffic was pretty treacherous, and Eric decided he'd had enough. I pushed on and tried to ignore the cars as much as possible, and take in the view of the lake homes and gardens.... Getting to our friends in Lakewood, OH (near Cleveland) was a welcomed site.

We spend 2 nights with Woody and Marilyn, and took in some of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Sat on their porch for hours and relaxed. Then on Sunday, Father's Day, and Summer Solstice, Steve, Eric and I took off for Geneva on the Lake, heading east. Zoe made it through Cleveland okay and met us at the state campground.

On Monday, June 21st, Day 14, Zoe, Steve and I rode from Geneva on the Lake to Erie, PA. The riding was pretty good. I got a bit hungry and crabby, and almost went off my bike, not paying attention to the debris on the road. We decided to call it quits in Erie, PA, when we finally stopped for a lunch break at 3 p.m. With 25 mi. to go for camping, and rush hour in Erie, a hotel sounded too good to pass up.

I know you all are experiencing some heat in WI. We've been lucky so far with winds a bit out of the north, and temps. in the low 80s. we'll see how long that lasts.

We're planning on being in Buffalo/Niagra Falls tomorrow (Wed., June 24th), with an extra overnight to do some exploring. We hear Buffalo is the 2nd largest city in NY. Should be interesting navigating. That's all I have time for. Until next time,

Trudi

Sheep ......

This was my first day riding, from Boyne City to Traverse City. Couldn't let a field of sheep go unphotographed.....

Tunnel of Trees - north of Petosky

This wasn't the bike route, but Zoe and I wanted
to take this road because of its name. It was one of the most beautiful roads I've been on. It was 20 miles of this road, which is a 2-lane road, but barely room for 2 cars.

Sand Dunes south of Mackinaw City

First day biking, Zoe and I took this picture from the sag wagon. We really enjoyed the drive to Boyne City.

Mackinaw City, MI - Tues. June 9th

We drove through a lot of rain on Monday and spent the night in a hotel in St. Ignace on Lake Huron. Nobody around.

This parking lot was our launching off point, as you had to drive over the Mackinac Bridge. This is just the other side. It was 48 degrees and windy. Zoe and I drove the first day, as she had a cold. But the weather improved, and Eric and Steve biked 70 miles to Boyne City.

Driving to St. Ignace, UP

Getting ready to hit the road on our bike trip from Menomonee Falls on Monday, June 8th.
As I write this a week and a half later, a lot has happened since then. Glad the weather has warmed up.

Monday, June 8th, 2009 - Menomonee Falls

Now, that's the picture I wanted. A great picture of the kids with Grandma Delain. A great send-off.

Zoe does like to make strange faces sometimes. I should have chose a better picture. let me try that again.