Kirby Rides America

THE WRAP UP

2010-05-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

5/1/10

Well I seem to be at a loss at how to wrap this all up.

Our ride into beautiful St. Augustine was amazing, emotional, unbelievable. We stopped at the fire station on the outskirts of town for a 3 police car and 1 motorcycle escort through the town and over the bridge to Anastasia State Park where our families and friends waited with cameras rolling, welcome signs, cheers and tears. Foo, Deb Clarkson, my brother Tom, John Gleeson, Patti Appel and my college friend Donna were at the beach. We dipped our tires and posed for pictures, had a picnic in the park, a farewell banquet that night and then 2 days of St. Augustine leisure and re entry into the world.

Truly I cannot summarize this trip and still haven’t grasped the significance of it. I just felt like I was on a long bike ride and I woke everyday to get back on my bike.

I do know THANKS are in order to so many: Foo for his total support of this crazy adventure and for staying home to dog sit and keep the household going (you did pay the bills right Foo?) To Deb C. for encouraging me that I could raise money for such good causes, to all of you who donated, to Eli’ s for the cheesecake surprises in the middle of nowhere, to Judy and Jolene for their visit in the middle of nowhere, to the Everetts for that serendipitous “meetup” in Scottsdale, to all of you blog readers ( it always made me feel connected to realize you were out there wondering how I was doing), to Kay my must enthusiastic blog commenter, to Margaret for the goofy postcards and delectable pastries, to Team Sweep (don't know how to begin to express my gratitude Katie and Patti), to Barney and Sheri for the amazing signs that marked our progress, and to all of you who wished me well and kept me in your prayers. It all meant so much to me. Thanks , be safe and always wear "that hat" when you ride!

WE MADE IT!

2010-04-30T06:05:00.000-07:00

Last blog to follow soon but just wanted everyone to know we made it! 4/29/10

44 miles

ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

LAST 70 MILER (until the next)

2010-04-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

4/28 Weds. High Spring- Palatka, FL 73 miles

Mike’s Methodist prayer group is still praying hard. Last night there was a huge rain storm with rain coming down sideways which gave us today a cool breezy day with NO humidity and 10 degrees cooler than yesterday for our last 70+ mile day. Katie had a flat at about 15 miles which Team Sweep took care of in no time! Not only are we getting faster we know a thing or two about bike repair. Lovely country roads in the morning, busy SR 100 in the afternoon with bumpy shoulders and MORE MORE MORE logging trucks. But we made it, gliding into the Palatka Best Western with a big welcome sign just for us. Linda outdid herself yet again with her final dinner, appetizers, beef tenderloin you could cut with a fork (with 3 sauces) caramelized pearl onions and crepes with cherry sauce and creme anglais. Foo, Ron , Deb and Johnnie Boy arrived in St Augustine this afternoon and are partying in anticipation of my arrival. It's almost over- so many more things to say- but not for now

THE COUNTDOWN CONTINUES

2010-04-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

Perry- High Springs, FL Tues. 4/27 76 miles

Started out early today to get some fast miles in before the heat and wind started. Logging trucks continue to surround us but at least we have a wide shoulder and those good, smooth Florida roads ! Made good time and then stopped at a beautiful State Park for lunch and a little wading in a fresh water spring with water bluer than the Caribbean. Spent a few miles on a bike path. Here’s sags “Canada “ and Amy- their last sag day. Eli’s surprised us again with a Brown Cow cheesecake that everyone gobbled up. Linda’s last spaghetti dinner tonight- going back to grocery shopping and cooking, and even driving a car sounds so alien!

HAMPTON INN, PERRY, FL IT'S A WINNER

2010-04-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Wakulla Springs-Perry,FL 51.4 miles Mon. 4/26

What a ride today! We seemed to speed along and made it to the hotel by 12:15. Could the sweeps be getting faster- well it's about time! Conditions were perfect. I bought tupelo honey from this man for $4 and got a pamphlet that will save me (as in "are you saved") for free- what a deal. The jewel of Perry, FL has to be the Hampton Inn. They had free cocktails for us, choc. dipped strawberries, homemade cookies and they even set a tent up for us in the parking lot. Now that's living!

LAST REST DAY

2010-04-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday April 25th Wakulla Springs, FL last rest day

Awoke to a noisy rainstorm with thunder and lightening. Once again our weather luck has held out. Lazy day of hanging around, bike cleaning and one more new tire - front tire this time- a couple of big slits - 247 more miles- better to be safe than sorry. And just when I thought the sign elves were done- another great one arrived here yesterday.

WEATHER LUCK

2010-04-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

4/24 Saturday Quincy- Wakulla Springs 39.5 miles

Started out with threatening skies and talk from the local weather channel about “tornado conditions” around us. We rode out with anticipation of finding shelter if it all broke loose but 2 hours down the road the sun came out. There were storms all around but we missed them. Arrived in Wakulla Springs State Park, a beautiful park on the Wakulla River and several springs. The lodge is old, charming and on the National Register of Historic Buildings. We took a boat ride through the springs and a ways down the river . Beautiful flora and fauna pictured here. Forgetting how old I am I took Amy’s dare and she, Mary and I jumped off a 20 foot diving tower- it was only scary the first time! After dinner clean up was more raucous than usual with dancing and singing. I think we all realize we are going to complete this journey so we can let loose! Critters pictured from boat ride are alligator, anhinga (black bird drying his wings),nesting snowy egrets with babies. ( in the water pic, that's me in blue/black looking like I'm standing on water- what a trick!)

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

2010-04-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Marianna- Quincy, FL 4/23 54.5

Marianna- Quincy, FL 4/23 Friday 54 miles

Lynn from Traverse City, MI is with us for a few days in training as a WT chef. She has made two spectacular meals and even had time to do a little riding.

Nice "recovery ride" today. I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be. Florida panhandle has surprising number of hills but actually they make things more interesting than unrelenting flats. Live oak canopied roads. Rode into Eastern standard time zone and lunched at Miss Helen's Cafe on the square in charming Quincy. Some of these little Florida towns which are not touristy or on the coast remind me of Mt. Dora, FL and don't "feel" Florida at all.

Mike (Michele) from Oregon wins hands down the award for positive thinker and cheerleader of the group. If there is an Optimists Club in her home town, she must be the president. Always ready to help everyone with their bikes and pitch in on chores. On top of all that she is the queen mother of the go fast girls and her name... well her father always wanted a boy but ended up with 4 girls nicknamed Mike, Bob, Chuck and Pat. (Mike is in yellow shirt on left in 1st photo and on the left in the second photo)

90 ON 90

2010-04-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Thurs. 4/22 Crestview to Marianna, FL

93 miles

Not much to say about today. From hotel rode 3 miles to get to US 90 and then rode 90 miles east- 90 on 90. Long day, a bit warm but pretty great,.

I’ll catch up on some favorite quotes, old and new

*Dentally challenged man at a gas station today, “Y’all need to get motors on them things”

** Jolene when she and Judy met us at the St. Francisville ferry, “Do you have to wear those hats all day?”

***Susan B. Anthony in 1896, “I think the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world.”

****Patti talking about what it was like being home last week, “I sat in the driveway in a white plastic lawn chair and no one came out to serve me dinner.”

*****Ernest Hemingway, “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”

And that's it for today!

TEAM SWEEP BACK ON THE ROAD

2010-04-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

Pensacola - Crestview, Fl 69 miles

Rode for awhile today on a bike path, some country roads and Scenic US 90 along Pensacola Bay and then headed north east , away from the water. Slowly edging back into reality with our first Starbucks of what seems like decades. Finished off in fine fashion with Linda’s steelhead trout, quinoa salad and mashed potatoes to fuel us for our 93 (yikes!) mile ride tomorrow!!

SEVEN DOWN ONE TO GO!

2010-04-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 4/20 Dauphin Island, AL - Pensacola, FL 60 miles

Bad beach day, Great Biking day. Overcast, cool, no wind, no rain . Started our day taking a ferry from Dauphin Island across Mobile Bay. From there rode along the gulf almost all day, through Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, passed the famous FloraBama! Barney and Sheri came through with final and fantastic map - you gave us all something to look forward to the entire trip- thank you my creative friends. Have I said this- probably. For so long the journey seemed endless (not in a bad way) actually I think we were all too nervous to even think about Florida. And now every day seems to speed by to the end.

Team Sweep reunites today as Patti flies back to finish trip- so happy to see her. And another state , another margarita. Here is Roberta in her commemorative margarita shirt.

REST DAY DAUPHIN ISLAND, AL

2010-04-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Mon. 4/19

We arrived on this resort island yesterday amid cars, traffic and hordes of people on the beach. Today the crowds are gone and it is peaceful and calm. Walked to a public golf course for breakfast and strolled back along the beach. Great massages early afternoon, more lounging and a scenic bike ride around the island. A perfect relaxing day.

Rita from Minnesota, a veteran of many RAGBRAIs, another go fast girl and an encyclopedic blogger! That's Rita in the orange and on her bike.

SIX DOWN TWO TO GO

2010-04-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

Pascagoula,MS - Dauphin Island, AL 42 miles

And yet another fine riding day- well you’ve heard it before- shouldn’t talk about weather so that we won’t be jinxed but whoa have we been lucky. Passed into Alabama after our short stay in Miss.- with a Barney/Sheri hand designed sign to ease our passage.Its hard to believe that only a few weeks ago we were in the dry , brown desert and today we were wading in the Gulf of Mexico- and most unbelievably - we went from the desert to the gulf on our bikes! Dauphin island is an island just outside of Mobile Bay with a long causeway bridge connecting it to the mainland. Had a fresh grouper sandwich for lunch and celebrated Carol’s birthday tonight with Linda’s magic- Italian sausage and squash lasagna and Caesar salad. We are all living the high life tonight and rest day tomorrow in vacation condos on the Gulf.

Jo Ann from Oregon, a steady rider with safety in mind (see photo) is also our literary resource, being a retired librarian and wins the award for the most unique eyeglass chain!

WE MISS YOU SPARKLE

2010-04-17T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sat 4/17 Wiggens- Pascagoula, MS 67 miles

Rode this morning on another lovely day- not a breath of wind- as Katie said this was a ‘why we ride day' as opposed to a ‘what was I thinking' day. We missed Patti ,Team Sweep is just not the same. As we lunched at a gas station/ strange food store, our new friend in the picture described what remained of our route to Pascagoula this way ”Ain’t nothin’ between here and yonder". It totally amazes me that places I would think twice about even stopping for gas at home are now places where I order something to eat- I'm sure that won't last when I return home but the deep fried crabburger on a stale bun with old lettuce, a pink tomato and some other unidentifiable ingredients tasted just dandy! Last 5 miles of the ride we road a long wide bridge over the Singing River and then a longer and higher bridge over the port of Pascagoula with a huge Northrup Grumman ship building facility.

Happy to hear that I am not the only one unfamiliar with BTDT. It was on the Louisiana map as we were leaving the state. BEEN THERE DONE THAT! Stay tuned for another map tomorrow! Oh and the horses ... someones understated front gate- Texas has nothing over Mississippi!

FIVE DOWN THREE TO GO

2010-04-16T18:06:00.000-07:00

Friday 4/16 Bogalusa, LA- Wiggins, MS 60 miles

Started out with sad news today that Patti’s mother had died early this morning in Wisconsin. Her mom was 92 and suffered from dementia, but such hard news to get when you are so far away. She took the day to make plans and get a flight home. Carol drove her to NOLA airport. She hopes to be back with us on Tuesday.

Crossed into Mississippi today with another great map from the Daleiden map elves. We could not figure out what BTDT meant but Mr. Text King JP Fouse enlightened me. And yet another day of lovely country roads and not much traffic. This gospel radio station sign reminded me of Brother Where Art Thou. That mentally tired aura that has overtaken us seems to be making my blogs shorter and shorter. Any of you readers out there have any questions I can answer or curious about details I haven't covered? For instance who is Mr. Cool Car Man? His name is Pierre!

AZALEAS

2010-04-16T14:45:00.000-07:00

4/15 Thursday Hammond, LA - Bogalusa,LA 55 miles

And another great ride day, cool and breezy in the morning, warm and breezy in the afternoon. Mostly quiet country roads. Azaleas continue to astound. They are often used as hedges between towering pine trees along the roads. The word is that to our great fortune, they were 3 weeks late in blooming because of an unusually cold winter.OK after today I will try not to post any more azalea or cow pictures- we are on back roads so photo opportunities are limited! Included also is police escort picture and a live oak photo op.

POLICE ESCORT

2010-04-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday 4/14 St. Francisville,LA - Hammond, LA 86.5 miles

Wow things are getting wild- we were escorted out of down by the police this morning- well not as rowdy as it sounds but pretty exciting for a group of old babe bikers. Our lovely B&B (with a driveway at least a quarter mile long)was on a very busy road with construction - no shoulders and no passing possible for the cars. Our proprietress who obviously has pull in St. Francisville, decided we needed an escort through the construction on our way out. So at 6:45 am the police were waiting for us on the driveway and we started our 2+ mile escort with police lights flashing ( I was hoping for sirens) . It gave us time to practice our queenly waves for our hoped for triumphant police escorted entrance into St. Augustine.

Morning started out with lovely Louisiana rollers and trees canopied over the road. It turned into one of those "just put your head down and keep pedalling" days. It was too windy to hear the ipod even. Every little town, no matter how small has BIG Baptist churches. we lunched on the lawn of one. More junk yard dogs but no casualties thankfully. We were rewarded at the end of the long day with Linda's mushroom/sausage ragu and a giant strawberry/ spinach salad. It made the day right!

Not only do we always recognize Karen from Westchester County, NY on the road because pink is her favorite color, she is also an angel of mercy. Or perhaps an angel of good food. Before dawn a few days ago (Lafayette I think) , she hopped on her bike, rode in the dark two blocks to buy and bring back to us fresh, WARM beignets- now there is a woman who has her priorities straight!

JOLENE AND JUDY

2010-04-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Rest Day 4/13 Tues. St. Francisville, LA

Dinner the night before with Judy &Jolene was southern soul food at the Eight SIsters Restaurant in downtown St. Francisville. Perfectly fried chicken, greens, cornbread and mashed potatoes. Rest day started with laundry(always a must on rest days) at their little golf condo on the outskirts of town and then into town for lunch and antiques shopping in store after store that advertised antiques but had none. The town is a lovely little place with beautifully restored houses of several different styles .We checked out all the possibilities for dinner which didn’t take long and then spent time in the afternoon lounging at the Buttler Greenwood Plantation B&B where the bikers were staying. An old plantation run by the same family for 8 generations. The B/B part was all individual houses and cabins on the grounds, I shared a house with Patti which was the old kitchen for big house. Lovely old place with hundreds of azaleas, live oaks and a resident peacock named Humphrey. Another must see place if you are ever in the neighborhood

Katie and Patti joined us for dinner which Katie’s husband treated us to. (THANK YOU BUD!) at the gracious and blue OxBow restaurant.

CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI

2010-04-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

4/12 Mon 65 miles

Lafayette, LA - St. Francisville, LA

On tv this morning ,the local forecaster predicted today’s weather to be ”spectacular”. He was spot on. Beautiful day, beautiful ride . More magnificent live oaks along mostly quiet country roads.On one busy road, there was a 3.5 mile Morganza Spillway bridge with no shoulder and fast traffic. The van met us before the bridge for an escort across. Stopped in tiny Morganza at “Not Your Mama’s Cafe” for a crawfish poboy and Cajun fries- delicious fuel for the afternoon. If you are ever in Southern LA this is a spot not to be missed. After lunch rode 10+ miles with a huge levee on our left , holding back the Mississippi River. And then...the big adventure of the afternoon, crossing the Mississippi by ferry into St.Francisville.

But the real fun started as we departed the ferry to meet Jolene with her parasol and Judy with an ice bucket of champagne. My dear friends had flown to NOLA the previous day and came to spend our rest day with me.

ZYDECO COUNTRY

2010-04-13T06:52:00.000-07:00

Lake Charles, LA- Lafayette, LA Sunday 4/11 84 miles

Lafayette is the center of Cajun history and culture and home of the 7 day Zydeco Bike Ride which some day if I could ever get into the lottery , will do. It features not only riding but Cajun food and music everyday of the ride.

Our own ride today was LOOOONG It seems that from here on in, the only elevations we have will be bridges- our last 3 Adventure Cycling Assoc maps don't contain any elevations charts- this is Chicago lakeside riding.

So the scenery has improved-drainage ditches are filled with flowers, there are crawfish farms and rice fields and we were even chased by a 3 legged dog today! Crossed the muddy Mermentau River.

Here's Roberta from Connecticut- unflappable, steady on rider, dependable and with a great " park the car in the Harvard yard" accent. (Roberta on the left in 1st photo)

4 STATES DOWN 4 TO GO

2010-04-10T18:12:00.000-07:00

4/10 Saturday Silsbee TX- Lake Charles,LA 80miles

I thought I was going to die of old age trying to get across Texas. WHEW! Came across the welcome to Texas sign that we did not see upon entering- no welcome to Louisiana sign- thanks Barney Sheri for providing our own personal one. Other than the magnificent azaleas that are bigger than some peoples’ houses, it was an ipod day. Boring straightaways forever, scenery was mostly drainage ditches with mud crawfish towers (see photo) and lots of garbage. We have entered the land of unfenced in dogs who like to chase bicycles- well it kept us awake at least. Highlight of the day was a stop- 2 blocks from the hotel for pound of boiled crawfish--aaaaahhh that was good eating- yes we are in Louisiana!

Featuring Mary from Columbus, OH today. Another Go Fast Girl who has become a connoisseur of fine donuts and if we don’t coral her, would take off cross county on the interstates! She never stops.

LAST NIGHT IN TEXAS!

2010-04-09T17:36:00.000-07:00

Cleveland-Silsbee, TX 4/9 65 miles

Another top ten biking day except for the first few miles with no shoulder and speeding logging trucks. A big Georgia Pacific lumber mill on the route - after we passed that , better shoulders and fewer trucks. We all anxiously await tomorrow- our exit from Texas after almost 3 weeks! Dinner sign says it all! New wildflower spotting - spider lily and Texas Thistle- bigger and better than any regular nonTexas thistle. My trusty steed went through 2 back tires while in Texas -preventative- two big slits in each tire- had not gone through to tube yet(thank you thank you) and a pair of back brakes- pads had worn smooth. And I thought I was feathering down all of those hills- I must have been white knuckling.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN

2010-04-08T18:01:00.001-07:00

Navasota- Cleveland 4/8 75 miles Whoa- what a biking day- cold start, stayed cool but sunny, no humidity, wind not a factor, rode through tall pine forests of Sam Houston National Forest. Rolling roads- high gear most of the day. Could it get any better? Oh , and stopped at a restaurant that featured chicken fried chicken---what?

These biking babes loved Eli's carrot cake.

Alyane, from Rochester, NY another Go Fast Girl- we sweepers NEVER see her on the road. Here she is (on left) with her sister, Karen who surprised her in Kerrville.

REST DAY Navasota, Texas

2010-04-07T18:59:00.000-07:00

Weds. April 7th Navasota

Not much to report on Navasota, TX which is actually fine - you don’t feel the urge to be a tourist. Sleeping in, laundry, drugstore visit, napping, reading, bike cleaning and a pedicure. Some misc. Texas pictures. TE requested some additional info- things I have been thinking about as this adventure moves along. We are more than half way through. I haven’t taken a poll of the group but I personally feel that I am stronger but mentally tired. My legs know what to do each day but I’m weary. I keep thinking that each day is a new adventure and a new challenge which we will handle- sounds trite but it works. We have a few wear and tear injuries in the group - mostly saddle sores, colds, sore knees. But I do think we are all stronger. In some ways it seems like the trip is endless ( not in a bad way) but it also seems to be going too quickly. It still seems remarkable that we have ridden so many miles .It's all part of this “biking bubble” that we are in- we are suspended - this is what we do everyday and nothing else, none of the normal routines of home. OK enough of this navel gazing- I could go on and on!

WILL WE EVER GET OUT OF TEXAS?

2010-04-07T11:05:00.000-07:00

La grange-Navasota Tues 4/6 69.5 miles

we are making progress - big scenery change day today- not many signs of the desert left- REAL trees (not scrubby desert trees)everywhere and they have all leafed out. Big giant beautiful oaks- even a bit of hanging moss- yes we are heading to Louisiana. Humidity in the air- rain threatening for the last 3 days. Rolling green country roads. More farms ,fewer ranches but they still look huge. More regular looking cows , fewer Texas longhorns, Brahmas, black Angus and brangus(as if I really knew!!) We met Alva and her husband riding a tandem in the state park 2 days ago. She invited us to her Sabra Ranch (which is on our bike route)for coffee this morning. So here she is at 7:30 am at her ranch gate with a table cloth on her atv, fresh coffee and kolaches! Met another new friend today. Here I am with Mr. Shorty of Round Top, Texas. A delicious surprise of Eli’s carrot cake awaited us in Navasota. It was a perfect end to Linda’s Texas pork/chicken BBQ with fresh strawberries and homemade creme anglais

Lynn , mother of Baby Tennessee (another story for another time), from the Florida Keys is my roommate for our rest day. Here she is in her bank robber pose and in the middle at the Sabra Gate. She ably leads us in yoga on our days off.

TEXAS WILDFLOWERS

2010-04-06T17:46:00.000-07:00

Bastrop- La Grange 4/5 Monday 44 miles

Today was one of those “this is what I love about biking” days. First 12 miles out of Bastrop we rode through two state parks - one way traffic, only 2 cars, lots of short steep rollers, through a canopy of trees- great riding. Then pastoral country roads with more fields of brilliant wild flowers. Had lunch in La Grange the kolache epicenter of Texas. First sighting of road kill armadillos- 2 in fact- yep we are still in Texas. Forgot Pam picture from yesterday -here she is with her road rash- ready to ride this morning.The La Grange County Courthouse- almost as stately as the La

Grange, IN County Courthouse. Sorry - just cant get over these wildflowers . Met a woman self contained going to Florida- alone and camping- now that’s true grit!

LADY BIRD JOHNSON SAVES THE DAY

2010-04-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

Blanco- Bastrop Texas 93 miles Easter Sunday 4/4

Started out a rainy Easter morning with hills, cross winds, no shoulders and amazing amounts of fast moving traffic with lots of BIG pick up trucks.. I had figured on Easter Sunday these Texans would either be in church or at grandmas house eating baked ham, candied yams and Peeps. But they decided to go for a drive instead. Tough day but Lady Bird and her campaign to beautify Americas roadways made today all worth it. She must have started with Texas. Wildflowers everywhere along the road and exploding into nearby fields. What I could identify wild mustard, scarlet flax, primrose winecup,Indian paintbrush, blue bonnets and more-they were breathtaking.We thought chip/seal was a challenge- today we encountered “textured road surfaces” (imagine hard , bumpy corduroy going the same direction as the bike)- I think this was done to make us be thankful for chip/seal. Pam took a tumble on it- went to ER to clean abrasions but she is fine. Mike’s visiting friend brought champagne which we had with a poached salmon dinner with haricot vert, chard and a fava bean salad AND mashed potatoes for good measure. Is there a pattern in this blog of extreme food interest?!

Speaking of Pam ... She is the Queen of the Go Fast Girls-- first out first in. She loves hills, is bored with straightaways and is from Auburn, CA a land of hills (E and S - isn't Auburn our Starbucks stop on the way to Lake Tahoe?)

"I FOUND COMFORT IN TEXAS"

2010-04-05T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kerrville- Blanco Sat. 4/3 65 miles

Foo dropped me off at the bike hotel before dawn - a cold dawn in the high 30’s. They head west today as we head east. Once it warmed up - a beautiful day for a bike ride. The first 30 miles were sublime. Stopped for coffee in charming Comfort , Texas with lovely old stone houses and buildings. We were on a little country lane next to the Guadalupe River for about 9 miles. The last 35 miles brought us back to the harsh reality that indeed we are still in Hill Country. Endless ups as the heat rose- no I won’t complain about the heat-but it turned into a long arduous day but the hills continue to make the scenery lovely- when we can look up from our handlebars. Linda’s delicious chicken mole for dinner tonight

Featuring today, Barbara and Frankie who own a B& B in Georgia. They are the epitome of southern charm and grace and Barbara holds the distinction in the group of being our senior member at 75!

REST DAY Kerrville, Texas Friday 4/2

2010-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

No rest when the Fouse boys are around. At breakfast we planned their trip to Big Bend National Park backtracking on some of the routes we rode on , planning to stay at some of the neat hotels we stayed at and to avoid the not so neat(the charmers with the washers and dryers IN the parking lot). After breakfast Foo and I did the “housekeeping “tasks of a rest day- finding a laundromat first and foremost --- so much easier with a car, a trip to the post office to send home excess gear and then a leisurely drive to Fredricksburg- a tchotchke shopping town on steroids with hundreds of tourists. Then on to Luchenbach, Texas where Tony was in heaven. A beautiful back roads car ride back to Kerrville while Tony and Jack motorcycled back. A deep fried dinner near the hotel- missing Linda’s healthy food today. GREAT to spend time with Fooman! (He did not buy the hat!)

The FOUSE BROTHERS ARRIVE

2010-04-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Vanderpool- Kerrville Thurs. 3/1 50 miles

The day started out damp and misting (a sunny day in Ireland) We donned rain gear and made it up the first 13% grade hill- see photo! More hills and then more and then an apple pie break in Medina-soft ,misty, hilly,lovely scenery. As the day started to clear we ascended another grinding hill, was welcomed by Amy and the sag at the top and then surprise surprise (well we were hoping it would happen) who appear behind us but Foo, Tony and Jack on their motorcycles!! Another few miles into Kerrville, a quick shower and then a hotel change to stay with Foo (referred to on the trip as conjugal visits!) An especially great day!! First picture- the very rare Ritualistic Celebratory Large Boulder Dance of Hill Ascension performed by 2/3 of Team Sweep

TEXAS HILL COUNTRY

2010-04-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Camp Wood- Vanderpool

Weds. 3/31 39 miles

Well they don’t call it Texas Hill Country for no reason. Short but hilly day 10 to 15% grades -long pulls and short & steeps (I’m getting the biking lingo huh?) It all seems gruellingly uphill and white knuckling downhill but truly a beautiful day. This part of Texas is gorgeous- dozens of shades of spring green, yellow and chartreuse all over the hills. Flowering and aromatic mountain laurel everywhere. A breezy 75 degree day- a fine day to be on a bike. We pulled into the Fox Fire Cabins along the Sabinal River-rustic little place. Who knew Texas had so much water!

Foo, Tony and Jack arrive today in San Antonio and we meet along the road tomorrow-yeah!

On to another fearless rider Suzanne from Boulder who rides with panache and style (look at those knee socks!) on her Bike Friday. She did the 2000 Around the World Bike Tour so this is a piece of cake!

COOLING OFF

2010-03-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Bracketville-CampWood 3/30 49 miles And thankfully the energy returns - Beautiful ride today- starting to enter Texas Hill Country.That desolate brown desert is turning green, with real trees (well shrubby trees) flowering cactus, groundcover everywhere you look is purple verbena and little yellow coneflowers. First sighting of Texas bluebonnets. Crossed the Nueces River 4 miles from the hotel and stopped for a little feet soaking and sun bathing. Met a selfcontained guy going west who stopped at our sag for water and said" oh I heard about this group- they said to approach slowly and carefully"- seemed funny at the time! BIG hills tomorrow.

Back to rider profiles- Sisters Linda (Phoenix) and Lois from PA pictured together on the road and with Lois in the river today. They are a great team and they pull each other through the tough parts

NO ENERGY DAY

2010-03-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Del Rio- Bracketville 3/29 43 miles

Well we all thought this would be a breeze of a day after yesterday and although terrain, wind, temps were all about the same it was a slog for everybody. All of our adrenalin had been used up yesterday. We left late this morning, some riders stopped at Walmart for a shopping spree, and made it in around 2. Staying at Fort Clark Springs an old army base which is now on the historic register. Seems to be a retirement community with a few hotel rooms in what look like old barracks. Also a giant old, spring fed (bracing temperature) concrete swimming pool. Milestone riding day today. ..FIRST day of the trip when I started the ride with bare legs-spring has sprung in Texas. Close up photo of chip/seal- looks innocent enough- it's a curse! And Mia , special picture for you!!

PERSONAL LIFETIME RECORD

2010-03-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

Sunday 3/28- Sanderson-Del Rio 111 miles- a new record- not bad for an old babe! Tail winds a few cross, bumpy roads, perfect temps.-70 , a flat for Katie at 13 miles , 5 short sag stops,started just after dawn after, 7:45 finished at 5:45. Twenty one out of 21 did the whole ride- we rule!!! Tired -off to bed!

HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE GOING

2010-03-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

Marathon-Sanderson Sat.3/27 54 miles

Mike from Oregon has her Methodist friends doing a prayer chain for favorable winds (here I am talking about them again)-they must have prayed really hard last night because we did 54 miles today in 4 hours and 15 minutes with 2 stops YES! They need to really turn on the prayers tonight because we have a 111mile day tomorrow.

So how do we know where to go- in case that has crossed your mind. We have Adventure Cycling Association Southern Tier route maps that are like detailed road maps with extensive information on roads, each town you go through, locations of bike shops, laundromat, motels, food stores etc. The maps also include a bit of history of the lands we travel through. But what we really rely are the cue sheets. Every night after dinner we have a map meeting for our next days route. Go 20 miles on route 10, turn left at the gas station, go 4 miles on route 4 ... and so on and so on. Everyone has an odometer on their bikes so we can figure out the miles. The cue sheets work like a charm. Today’s scenery filled with rock formations, buttes, mesas, plateaus, strange hills on all sides as we sailed through the middle. Mourning doves everywhere in Marathon- a soothing, peaceful sound. Staying at the unique Outback Oasis Motel tonight which features a room full of live snakes(in cages) , next to the office-hmmmmm. Some catch up pictures today, the wild night of tattoos somewhere in NM.

Hey Mike from spinning class, did you get your bike for RAGBRAI yet. It must be time for outdoor bike riding in Chicago- WAY more fun than spinning!

PARADISE - THE GAGE HOTEL

2010-03-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

Fort Davis-Marathon Fri March 26

60 miles

I always need to put day of the week in this blog- we never have any idea what day it is - strange feeling!! So a beautiful ride out of the mountains to Alpine for a spectacular cinnamon roll at the Bread and Breakfast cafe. Alpine is the first town I have seen in West Texas that looks like a real town- more than one street- they were even protesting on the corner to bring the troops home- a bit of reality in this biking bubble. Our first 30 miles we headed south, the last 30 miles we headed east. I'm going to try to stop complaining about the wind but damn- it wears you down. And there is NO good wind except a straight on tail wind- ok that's all on that. Arrived in Marathon mid afternoon to this spectacular hotel- an old, perfectly restored railroad hotel- every detail is exquisite. Alpine and Marathon are the gateway towns to Big Bend National Park. Had time for a massage and then Linda's seafood chowder, roasted green vegetables and coleslaw with warm bread-I think I've said before- she outdoes herself every night!

And now we wrap up Wonder Women of the Sag -last but not least Shelley (aka Canada) from Prince George , BC. She is the toughest rider of us all, powers up every mountain and if it is below zero she thinks it's a good day for shorts. Great sag except for when she is looking for outlet malls or getting lost . She is here next to the tree and out on sag duty with me. What would we do without Canada?!

And Sue from Texas in pink. She is an equal opportunity rider- rides with the go fast girls, the slow sweeps and everyone in between.

REST DAY Indian Lodge Fort Davis

2010-03-25T17:59:00.000-07:00

Weds. 3/24

Oh what a beautiful rest day. Slept in, read leisurely, a casual breakfast , napping, yoga, bike cleaning, more reading and napping. A PERFECT day to introduce my biking buddies, Patti and Katie- both from Wisconsin- the midwest kids stick together . We started riding together early on, not sure how it happened but we are simpatico. At first we named ourselves the Low Riders, as compared to our High Flyers - the go fast girls who you will meet later. But since we have left California and Arizona behind, we feel that Team Sweep is more appropriate. We don't always leave last in the morning but we pretty much always arrive last in the evening but in the meantime, we have ridden the miles, taken many photos, stopped for lunch at some funky place, taken several stretch breaks (thank you Patti for starting that) and had a few laughs to top it all off. We have lots of fun together , help each other out with flats and ride to finish. I'm so lucky to have hooked up with these two jewels! Still can't figure out how to caption- That's Patti with her hand made quilt.

WINDS AND HILLS ALMOST DEFEAT US

2010-03-25T08:15:00.000-07:00

JoAnn

Van Horn- Fort Davis, TX Weds. 3/24 70 miles

Started today as the sun was rising- not much wind at first but then another 35 miles on I10 with strong tail winds. Two miles before exiting expressway, Patti had a flat accompanied by a perfect Patti quote to Katie and me. “hey is your tire going thump thump thump because mine is”. We all helped to change the flat- unfortunately we will never win the speedy flat changing contest. Made it to 44 mile mark for a delicious Linda Lunch and then Katie had a flat - her first of the trip.

We had turned south to head to Fort Davis,”the highest town in Texas” at 5050 feet. Heading south meant daunting cross winds as we started to climb. After 10 miles (and with 45 miles left to go) we bagged and took a sag ride. After 14 miles of 8 to 10 per cent grade up hills (in the sag)we came upon Mike and Alayne powering up those hills at Univ . of Texas McDonald Observatory. We stopped to give them water and Mike cheer leaded us to get out of the sag and bike the last 14 miles. Sounded like a fine idea and it was! Wind had changed a bit and we had some lovely downhills. So the wind did not totally defeat us today.

Staying tonight at Davis Mountains State Park Indian Lodge. A beautiful park with adobe buildings, some built by the CCC, large, spacious rooms.There are javelinas in the park- hoping to see some tomorrow- mountain lions too say the Rangers. And we have a rest day here tomorrow-just when we think we can go no further- perfect timing.

Sag Wonder Woman #3 JoAnn from Pittsburgh. She had her work cut out for her today dealing with us--yes we want to sag, first we need to take some pictures, no we really want to ride more. She was gracious throughout it all

THE DREADED CHIP AND SEAL!

2010-03-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Fort Hancock -Van Horn, TX 3/23 Tues. 73.5 miles

I had been warned about this by cross country veterans but the dreaded West Texas chip and seal road surfaces appeared today- and I'm sure this is just the beginning. After a leisure 20 miles on a small country road, we were on I10 for 2 miles and then 30 miles of chip and seal frontage road. Rattling and jarring our way up hill was challenging but oh those heavenly tail winds- 24 miles with a 30+mph gusts of tail winds- we flew down along that frontage road at about 25 mph- then another 8 miles on I 10 down hill into Van Horn, strong tail wind- wow - all we needed was a sail. Beautiful mountains in the distance on all sides , railroad tracks to the left, I10 to the right and desolate desert all around. We may not have wifi for a days as we get into the heartland of Texas so I will catch up as soon as I can

VACATION DAY!!

2010-03-23T15:55:00.000-07:00

El Paso- Fort Hancock, TX Monday 3/22 48.5 miles

Today must be the day to start the Texas jokes. You know you are in Texas when.... the waffles in your Comfort Inn hotel breakfast buffet are shaped like....what else... the state of Texas.

Since we have started our sojourn, a 40+ mile day means mountains. We were expecting this today and it turns out that it truly was a vacation day! Smooth roads, no traffic except border patrol trucks, helicopters, bicycles, Texas Ranger cars , Sheriff patrols, Texas State police cars( I guess they are still trying to tame the wild wild west?)and farm vehicles in this desolate desert with little towns popping up here and there. We rode the Mission Road and stopped to visit 2 lovely missions, the Socorro Mission and the San Elizario Mission. Had lunch in a little cafe -the only one in town- in Tornillo. At the hotel tonight met two self contained bikers from Mammoth Lakes Calif. headed to St Augustine. Linda made a pork roast, and mac and cheese -see picture - in her Dutch ovens with a spinach/strawberry salad- every night I'm blown away by how good her food is

And now introducing Sag Wonder Woman #2

Amy from Minneapolis- trouble maker, rabble rouser, Apples to Apples organizer, card trickster,laugh maker-,music instigator oh we love her! That's Amy with the Border Patrol Officer

Quote of the day from Mr. Foo.. I told him that Patti, Katie and I took the entire day to ride the 48 miles. And his response ... “I think if you ride 10 miles or 100 miles, it will take you 3 all day. Yes, that’s us the Sweep Team- more on that later!!

A DAY WELL DESERVED

2010-03-21T20:35:00.001-07:00

Las Cruces, NM-El Paso, TX Sunday 3/21 66.5 miles

Wow what a day! Cold start 27 degrees in Las Cruces but no hills and no wind. A lovely cruise through more pecan groves and NM farmland. Great road, no traffic, pretty scenery. Crossed the Rio Grande 3 or 4 times in the last 2 days- twice today. It took us 20+ miles to get through El Paso to end up on the east side of town. Traffic increased but apparently mild compared to a week day. At the end of the ride, 8 miles of freeway shoulder- getting used to that but those exit and entrance ramps get your attention. It warmed up enough to finally take leg warmers off- first bare legs since California I think.

No “Welcome to Texas” sign on our little road so thank you Barney and Sheri for providing one. Another celebratory margarita tonight for crossing another state- we won’t be having another one for a LONG time.

Sag Wonder Woman #1 (in no particular order) is Karen (aka Coop ), a retired Marin County Forest Ranger. She is always where she says she’ll be in the Sag Subaru aptly named Bo Beep.

KINGSTON-LAS CRUCES, NM Saturday 3/20 88 miles

2010-03-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

Left Kingston "late" at 8:30 am hoping it would warm up. The puddles from yesterday's rain storm were frozen. Official temperature 28 degrees. Wait a minute, I don't ride in the cold! First 9 miles downhill out of the mountains were soooooo cold with cross winds for good measure. I wore rain gear just to stay warm. First sag at 26 miles -operative words cold/winds. Many people sagged at 26 because it was so uncomfortable and then a miracle happened. After the sag we turned south and that horrible cross wind became a tail wind. Still cold but oh what a difference. A long ride to Las Cruces but pretty much big gears the whole way. YIPEEEE

Lunched in Hatch, NM the WORLD Capitol of Chilis. Chili ristras were everywhere. Before Hatch there were miles and miles of chili farms and pecan groves, after Hatch hundreds of acres of pecan groves all the way to Las Cruces. The thought of this ride was daunting to me, the ride was in fact daunting but I did it!!! Linda's delicious split pea soup, corn bread and quinoa salad for dinner

Falling behind on my group line up. Tomorrow I will start with Wonder Women of the Sag, 4 riders who rotate driving the sag car every four days. So they ride 3 days and drive one. More details tomorrow. Note one photo of cattle gates - the bane(pain) of bike riders- one slight turn of the wheel as you cross and you go down. They seem to be everywhere in the southwest but haven't seen many cattle- and the ones we have are behind fences. Katie and Patti among the chili ristras- someday soon I will learn how to put captions under each picture!

Did I ever mention blog comments and new followers are better than Christmas morning when I check in each day. Thank you everyone for your interest. XOXO kk

EMORY PASS - Highest elevation of the trip

2010-03-20T19:24:00.000-07:00

Silver City- Kingston, NM Friday 3/19 48.4 miles.

The day started cool but sunny with a few high clouds. We were surrounded by copper mines on both sides of the road for about 10 miles. Lots of ups and downs but the real climb started at 22 miles . In Gila National Forest, climbing through deep rock canyons, switch backs, snow everywhere but not on the road. More clouds move in. Warm in the sun but very cold when the clouds came. Lively snow fed spring brook next to road for awhile- beautiful scenery but very hard climb. Winds were mostly tail and cross, sometimes head but not really a factor. Hardest day so far. Climbed to Emory Pass 8228 elevation. Took a few pictures but couldn't stay long- too cold and windy. And then the descent - 8 miles switchbacks the whole way, a few snow flurries and aching fingers from feathering brakes. As Carol advised us, “take the lane”--- no shoulder, one lane each way, nothing else to do but claim the lane and cars have to figure it out. Luckily traffic was very light. It’s amazing how life has simplified- with major concerns of the day being wind, shoulders ,road surface, traffic and mechanical soundness of my bike. First (and I hope last) fall of the trip today slowing to a stop at the sag and didn’t get out of my clips fast enough- no harm done. Staying tonight at a cool old lodge which is also a sustainable farm, outbuildings are made from hay bales, covered with mud , lots of chickens . Delicious homemade turkey dinner in the lodge and then everyone went straight to bed.

REST DAY # 2 Silver City, NM 3/18

2010-03-18T19:51:00.000-07:00

Began our restful, warm, sunny Silver City day with bike cleaning and a derailleur and shifting lesson by Carol which leads me to my next profile...

Carol , from Washington, our guide and bike mechanic guru, 24 year Navy veteran and the woman who keeps us all in line- well someone has to! She is a real biker and knows everything there is to know and she helps us with bike questions constantly. What I think she is really doing is slowly and subtly pushing us to more and more independence when dealing with our bikes. She is giving us the confidence to figure it out for ourselves. My goal after this trip is to never bring my bike to a bike shop to change a tire or clean my bike because I will know how to do it by then. She and Linda are on every detail and completely focused on safety. They won't let us depart in the mornings until the sun is up high enough to not be in drivers eyes so they can see us on the road. Great guides!

Today's high point was a massage at the local spa where the massage therapist kept exclaiming as she massaged me over tight, knotted up muscles and proclaimed at the end of the session that I had horribly tight gluts and I had better start stretching. Well,ok then! Another bike shop visit for a a minor detail and Mexican dinner with Katie and Patty at Jalisco Cafe. Thought we had all settled down when, led by ring leader Amy, we had a quick session of faux tattoo applications- whoa this group is getting out of hand!

QUESTION OF THE DAY

2010-03-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Weds. 3/17 Lordsburg-Silver City NM 46.7 miles

And the question is... Can a biker go 3.2 mph ascending to the Continental Divide with a headwind and stay upright? I am here to testify YES you can because I did it today! Smooth, wide shoulders, blue blue sky and sparse traffic though so what's to complain about?

When I looked at the mileage sheet before the trip started, I saw those low mileage days and thought - oh piece of cake. I now realize that low mileage means big hills. Started out today at 32 degrees- I was the coldest I've been for about 6 miles- then the ascents began. Made it to the CD, then there were some lovely rollers where if you sped down the downhill you could get half way up the next up hill but yes more head winds. A gruelling uphill on the outskirts of Silver City rewarded by a fantastic 4 mile downhill, spinning the whole way and then of course more up. Visited two bike shops in town for extra gear (perhaps snow on Friday?) and then enjoyed a corn beef and cabbage dinner in the Comfort Inn parking lot accompanied by Van Morrison and the Beatles on my ipod. We rocked! (one picture is of copper mine) Climbed 3700 feet today- more on Friday I hear.

TWO STATES DOWN SIX TO GO

2010-03-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

Safford, AZ - Lordsburg, 3/16 Tues. NM 64.5 miles Well, conditions today were ditto from yesterday except for a few more uphills , a slow downhill and 30 mph gusts BUT NO FLAT TIRE !! Bill B did you send me voodoo, magic, noflat vibes for today because I made it! Saw 5 selfcontained bikers on the road , heading to San Diego and enjoying a tail wind. Thousands of yellow poppies in the picture of the hill. And today I start my Rogues Gallery of my spectacular WT group. Hope to feature someone each day. Today is Linda from Montana, one of our excellent guides who cooks breakfast , snacks and dinner for us. Her meals never fail to amaze me; creative, healthy and delicious and she does it all out of the kitchen she is sitting in in the picture. Her kitchen is in the rear of the trailer which is pulled by a 12 seat SAG van. Linda nourishes us with unflappable good humor and patience. I see a cookbook in her future--Margaret, we can write it!

GRRRRRRRRRRRR

2010-03-15T19:44:00.000-07:00

Globe-Safford AZ 77 miles A magnificent start to a potentially awesome day-- a 3 mile climb starting at 7:30 am -cool and sunny and a chance to warm up and then , except for a pesky cross/head wind, a 20 mile gradual downhill- oh what a start. It seems like the recycling plan in this part of Arizona is open window while riding in a car and toss glass bottle out window- broken glass everywhere along the road. Scenery has changed dramatically from yesterday -shrubby desert, softer peaks- not the drama of yesterday but snow capped mountains surround us as we ride in a very large , relatively flat valley. After that 20 mile start the relentless headwinds picked up to around 20-25 mph which we dealt with for the next 57 miles (8 to 9 mph speed which is agonizingly slow) and just to make sure I was paying attention- another flat tire (the trend is not my friend) This time it was a faulty tube stem and speaking of friends my saviors Patti,Katie, Amy and Suzanne helped me change it.(insert joke now? how many WT women does it take to change a flat?) Getting confident but not quite sure i can do it on my own. Stopped for lunch at an Apache Indian Reservation for fresh made Indian flat bread covered with beans and cheese. Two Native Amerians had set up a tent next to the post office and were cooking up a storm. The reservation was forlorn and impoverished and the people seemed stoic and proud . Reflected on the historical, disastrous decisions our government has made by driving these Americans to reservations.

Topped off this challenging day with a root beer float at the Pima Taylor Freeze and arrived at the motel 10 minutes before dinner- now that was a long, hard day!

FIRST FLAT!!

2010-03-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

Apache Junction- Globe AZ 44.2 miles

Today was my rite of passage day FIRST FLAT of the trip . Heading up a long hill in Tonto National Forest and just before the top- there it was .Thankfully I was not speeding down the other side . It was just one of those pesky wires- I think from radial tires. With Patti, Karen and Joanne’s expertise (see photo) we changed pretty quickly. Other than the flat the first 20 miles were a breeze, uphill but beautiful scenery red rock formations all around. We all gathered at the 23 mile mark to assess the next 25 . At which point I had another ‘will to live” moment” Next 9 miles are a 7% grade uphill with amazing traffic and tiny shoulder with rumble strips ---NO room for error. Decided to sag up half of it. We did do our first tunnel ascending. Amy drove behind us with flashing lights- the roar of the cars and trucks going through the tunnel was deafening but hey now we have tunnels under our belts. More uphills a 5 mile downhill into Miami, the copper mining capital of Arizona and ending up, with even more uphills on the east side of Globe. Day of glorious scenery, tailwinds , perfect mid50's temps and harrowing roads. To survive is to win!

WHEW, WHAT A DAY !

2010-03-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

3/13 Phoenix-Apache Junction 59 miles

Another delicious, cool, sunny day. A leisure stroll out of the city with light, Saturday morning traffic, bike lanes everywhere (Phoenix seems to be a bike friendly place - overall courteous drivers) Rode through lovely neighborhoods in Scottsdale. Sagged in a pretty park where Linda's’ (from Phoenix)bike group of at least 30 bikers showed up to send her off. Great fanfare. Rode on a bike lane through this lovely park for 4 miles. Started getting lulled into thinking this was going to be a breeze of a day. SURE. Then we hit a road detour and ended up on very busy, spotty bike lanes and not too scenic Broadway Blvd.for what seemed like 100 miles.Topped that adventure off with 6 harrowing miles up to Apache Junction on US 60, a freeway for a few miles (not bad ) but then the freeway ended, the double lanes of cars continued to speed as if it was still a freeway and the wide shoulder turned into a narrow one with rumbles strips YIKES!! We all made it, a bit frazzled and more experienced as road warriors extraordinaire! Another friend dinner tonight with Smitty and Kim from Indiana- great fun to see them and share ‘Chicago style pizza’

DONATION LETTER

2010-03-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

This is the letter I mentioned in last blog

Hello Friends,

As you may know, I have decided to act on a lifelong dream. On Friday, March 5^th at Dog Beach, San Diego, I will dip my rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean, and then ride my bicycle for 59 days and 3098 miles to St. Augustine, Florida, where I will dip my front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, April 30^th.

I hope to accomplish this feat with a group of 20 other women, all part of a Woman Tours- a tour group especially established for women over 50 who have this nutty idea to ride their bikes across the country. I have spent the last 3 months glued to a “spinning” bike, lifting weights, doing sit-ups and push ups, stumbling on the treadmill and dreaming mightily of the peaceful open road. As I have contemplated this adventure and my personal goal, I have decided the effort is bigger than just my own dream.

So this is where you come in. I am writing to you to ask if you would like to commemorate my ride with a donation. Although my dear Jeffrey Fouse thought $100 a mile would be appropriate, I think a penny a mile (that’s only $30.98) would be a reasonable request.

In this spirit, I have selected three charities close to my heart:

My 13 year old “grandniece” Mia Avramis suffers from Berger’s Disease and just last week received a kidney transplant in Children Hospital Boston. The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is dedicated to funding research and finding a cure for many types of kidney disease.

Tommy Everett, a dear college friend has been living with grace and perseverance for 3 years with ALS. In his name I have picked the ALS Association of Greater Chicago Chapter.

To commemorate my 20 year membership in my beloved book club, Babes on Books and the joy and clarity that reading brings, Open Books Chicago is a perfect fit. It is a nonprofit operating a used book store, providing community programs and mobilizing volunteers to promote literacy in Chicagoland.

My hope is that you might donate to one of these charities or of course a charity that is close to your heart. If you choose one of the above, this is how you go about it…

1. NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF IL

Send a check to address below or go to www.nkfi.org and hit the .JustGive.org button

215 W. Illinois Suite 1C

Chicago, IL 60654 tel. 312 321 1500

2. ALS ASSOCIATION GREATER CHICAGO CHAPTER

Send a check to address below or go to www.alsachicago.org and hit donation button

220 W. Huron Street #4003

Chicago, IL 60654 tel. 312 932 0000

3. OPEN BOOKS

Send check to address below or go to www.open-books.org and hit donate button

213 W. Institute Place

Chicago, IL 60610 tel. 312 475 1355

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU NOTATE ON CHECK OR ONLINE DONATION “KATHY KIRBY BIKE RIDE” (so that I can thank you personally)

A DAY OF SURPRISES

2010-03-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

Friday 3/12 Wickenburg to Phoenix 67 miles

Started out as a cold sunny morning with stops for cactus pictures. Some long gradual climbs and road construction. The desert is verdant -even the desert floor is green with snow capped mountains in the distance. We sped up the pace today and went to a bike shop in Cave Creek midday to switch out carbon seat post with an alloy post. One day of wearing back pack was enough for me - bike bag can go back on seat tomorrow. First day since we started where I arrived at the hotel room before my room mate-amazing. Then the fun began! Margaret pulling strings in Chicago has old friend Carl Retter (aka Clarkie the Clown) who I have not seen in 30 years, hand deliver the most sublime pastries Phoenix has to offer, to me at the hotel- and enough for all to share. A great visit with Carl filled with Detroit memories. Could the day get any better- well in fact yes it could. My dear friend Tom Everett (TE), his wife Diane and daughter Tam pick me up and we have a lovely dinner in Scottsdale. TE is one of my inspirations for this ride. For you new followers I will put a copy of a letter I sent to 100+ friends in the blog- which explains it all. That’s it for a very eventful, memory lane day (can you find the sheep?) My pictures somehow load backward- anyone know how to solve that?

COYOTE DAY

2010-03-11T18:36:00.000-08:00

3/15 Salome to Wickenburg 56.7 miles

My first equipment revelation today. Carol helping to adjust my seat because I am developing a bad case of monkey butt as Mr. Foo would call it or pain in the hooooo haw as this crazy group refers to it (sorry, way TMI!!) well it is important to control monkey butt sooooo working on the seat very early this morning at the Bates Motel when Carol looks at my CARBON (who knew??) seat post and advised to get my fancy REI bike pack which was attached to my seat post OFF because carbon although strong, flexible and fashionable apparently is fragile and you shouldn't be attaching things to it- soo off with my storage bags - hoping to solve the problem by changing out the seat post at some bike shop soon. As a result of no back bags I sailed along today- the whole 56.7 miles on US Route 60. Marvelous riding day- sunny but cold- wore Patti's long underwear (I didn't bring any) long tights and didn't need to shed clothes until the last 12 miles. Needed a little music today so I unveiled the ipod, put 1 earbud in the non traffic ear and sang my way through the desert- Beatles, Love Shack, Brown Eyed Girl, no no no I won’t go go go. Wow it was fun. Needed my two Debs here for a bicycle rock out. The coyotes enjoyed it- I saw 2 cross the road. Lunch at Aguila Arizona’s Coyote Cafe where the feature for dinner was Wade’s Hunk of Bulls Ass - honest- really. Linda’s tasty lasagna made with hot coals- so good and homemade brownies from Katie's daugther Kelle. On to Phoenix tomorrow and a rendezvous with TE, Diane and Tam -YEAH

ADIOS CALIFORNIA HOLA ARIZONA

2010-03-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

March 10 Weds. Blythe, CA- Salome AZ 63.6 miles

one state down 7 to go !!!!! crossed the Colorado river this morning just outside of Blythe. About 30 miles of Interstate 10 but not bad - very wide shoulders, dry pavement a lot of highway debris so had to be watchful but lovely long uphills and lovely long downhills. A few road debris flats with the group. Perfect biking day -warm when cycling, cold when standing around. Sun, big clouds, beautiful shadows on the mountains. Thank you Barney and Sheri for commemorating our state crossing! First sighting of the California golden poppy- in Arizona plus saguaros. A group stop at Sweet Darlene’s Bakery in Quartzite and a late lunch at the Hope Cafe. Riding through the land of vacation RV Resorts and ATV riders. Shelley’s quote of the day, “People need to be aware of how much we eat” Ended our 63 mile day at Shefflers hotel in Salome- our own little Bates Motel. Patti and I had single rooms but decided to bunk together just in case Norman Bates and his mother came along! Plastic under the sheets on the beds- for the bedwetters in the crowd?- Celebrated our state crossing with tasty margaritas ala Linda and Carol- apparently a WT tradition- what a good idea!!

RESTING IN BLYTHE

2010-03-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

Mon 3/9

Well I

didn't mean to blog today but tomorrow we are in Salome, AZ (1 state down, 7 to go!) where we have no Internet, no pool and no laundry - the three most important features of a hotel for a x-country bike rider. A lovely rest day- an impromptu yoga class led by Lynn, a bike maintenance class with Carol, a visit to the Rite Aid for postcards and a few hours of lounging, reading and napping. Welcome to the blog Anne from National Kidney Foundation of IL and Marcy, mom of Mia with her new kidney.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

2010-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

Monday 3/8 Brawley - Blythe 89.4 miles

Woke early to a clear sky, drying roads ,about 42 degrees and 89 miles ahead of us. Left Brawley at 7:30 am with Patti and Katie and sauntered along for the 1st 45 miles. Stopped for pictures in beautiful downtown Glamis.Road through the Imperial Valley and the desert with the Chocolate Mts. to our left. Our reward day for getting through yesterday. Bright sun then high clouds , about mid 60's (great temp to ride through the desert), cross winds and head winds but pretty light- a fine day! Not too much traffic and generally wide shoulder except for about 15 miles of "big dips and rollers and no shoulder"- fun riding up and down except for oncoming trucks which couldn't see us in the dips. We picked up the pace to get through and made it. Not too many pictures today - many miles to ride. Met a couple from Quebec who were riding self contained to where else?... Florida. Aren't we all headed to Florida on this road? Long but very fine day. Gives me hope that I can do the 111 mile in Texas. Staff Carol and Linda and sags continue to watch over us, take care of us and in general be awesome. Bill,I don't know how you did this on your own- you must be one tough hombre. Arrived in Blythe at 5:10 logging 89 miles YAAAA HOOOO!

Tomorrow is rest day and there seem to be sooo many interesting things to do in Blythe that I just might blog out until Wednesday

RAIN RAIN RAIN

2010-03-08T20:34:00.000-08:00

Sunday 3/7 Jacumba - Brawley 66.5 miles

Well my secret vow to ride every mile and never get in the SAG lasted 2 days! Not Bad! My will to live was stronger than the prospect of a 13 mile, 6 percent grade down hill on I8 in the pouring rain with the chance of "DANGEROUS CROSSWINDS" as the road sign said. All but two hardy souls (Pam and Karen) sagged the first 15 miles. we were dropped

off at the end of the I8 ride and started out in driving rain and cold. Rain subsided a bit and we were on a 22 mile straightaway through the desert. I was cruising at 24mph thinking to myself what a strong rider I have become and then when we all met at the SAG everyone said- “wow what about those tailwinds “ so i’m just the same steady on, not too fast rider I’ve always been. After SAG stop turned into a crosswind and 14 nasty - miles of really rough pavement - shoulder and road with lots of rain. Made it to Wendy’s with 6 other drowned rats as the town of El Centro seemed to be flooding where Karen’s quote for the day seemed appropriate...”this would be the time to say, what was I thinking” another soggy 13 miles into Brawley for a grand total of 52 wet miles.When we arrived at hotel we hosed down bikes with garden hose to remove amazing amounts of road gunk and then wiped down , lubed and wiped down again--thank you Jim Gasper because we know that a clean bike is a happy bike!

ALPINE TO JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS 47 Miles

2010-03-07T19:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday 3/6 day starts with looong climb out of Alpine then a 3 mile climb on I8 scary but not as bad as I imagined and not too much debris on the shoulder. Sag stop is farewell to califoo- he goes home tomorrow. Weather cold (40s?) cloudy seems to be getting colder. A lovely 3 mile descent into Pine Valley with a reward at the end of a grilled cheese sandwich and hot chocolate at the Pine Valley diner- a food combination I would generally avoid but oh did it taste good!! Put on rain gear and booties to stay warm-More and more and more climbing. LOTS of border patrol trucks zooming here and there -went through a roadblock. Picture of the wall is included- (I'm biting my political commentary tongue) - an impromptu stop at La Posta diner - here is a picture of Ms.Penny Nickels (yep that's her real name)and the Duke. Started raining after La Posta - last 17 miles rain, fog, wind but Katie and I put our shower caps over our helmets , turned on all of our blinking lights and carried on in fine fashion. Margaret - it was an Iberico ham afternoon but maybe a little colder- I thought of you the whole way! Arrived drenched and cold at Jacumba Hot spring Lodge, a motel with its own strange (je ne sais quoi??) charm??

some good daily quotes are emerging - today's was Carols description of hills---"terrain features" and Amys "this isn't a death march"

Linda's food is made with love and delectable!!

WE ARE OFF

2010-03-05T15:59:00.000-08:00

Fri 3/5 San Diego-Alpine, CA 34.5 miles
Up at 6 after a restless night- warm oatmeal ,fresh fruit at the van in the parking lot. The big weigh in- only 3 lbs. over and she let it slide - whew! 8am group take off, single file down the road to Dog Beach.Verklempt the whole way!! Foo , Barney, Sheri and lot of family/friends of the group meet us there. Photo opps galore, paparazzi all around for the rear tire dip in the PACIFIC!!!!

We start the ride, have a Sag stop in a lovely county park at 12 miles, master a few hills and make it to Alpine by 2 pm-logging in 34 miles. Weather was fantastic 45 at the beginning of the day and and shot up to 63,sun, not much wind. Talk of rain and wind tomorrow but we will deal with that then. We have begun! Foo in Alpine tonight to visit Rocky so I get to see him for dinner tonight and then another send off tomorrow

THE GATHERING DAY

2010-03-05T15:44:00.000-08:00

but before gathering yet ONE MORE emergency trip to REI. Foo does not think the duffel bags will work. As we enter the store with my full duffel , our salesman Brian from yesterday took one look at us and walked away!

Once the bag change is done we head to SD to meet in the hotel. 3 hour meeting with the group, tension , anxiety,emotion, excitement not far below the surface for everyone. The consensus is LET'S GET GOING!!! But not until tire repair class with Carol and lovely banquet at the Holiday Inn- perfectly cooked salmon, crisp veggies and a frisee salad- "at the holiday inn"- go figure! Roommate Katie from Wisc is just as nervous as me and was at the same REI yesterday, buying a new suitcase!!

THE LAST LEISURE DAY

2010-03-05T15:32:00.000-08:00

Weds.3/3 one more emergency trip to REI and the 100's of acres of blooming ranunculus in Carlsbad , a lovely Peruvian lunch in Del Mar and then a stroll to the hand gliding cliffs of DelMar. Notice hand glider with his dog (my favorite part!) Packing, unpacking ,repacking to try to meet the 50 lb WT limit on bags.

BERNIES BIKE SHOP

2010-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Tues.3/2 It all begins at Bernies! Went to OB( as the locals call it) to check on my bike. Roger who owns Bernies was there with calm words of encouragement ...and there was my bike , reassembled, tuned up and roaring to go. WT (WomanTours) will pick up bikes from Bernies on Thursday and deliver to hotel. Heard his horror stories, one bike has not arrived, being shipped 11/2 weeks ago , another , in a fancy bike box was damaged in transit. Made a trip to REI for a bike bag and additional duffel bag purchase. Just need to get on my bike and get going or I will start rethinking all of my equipment/clothing choices-oooh those second guesses are not good!

Bill, Roger remembered you!

THE BLOOMING DESERT

2010-03-03T11:10:00.000-08:00

Monday 3/1 More adventures today with a trip to Anza Borrego State Park in Borrego Springs for a hike in the desert which is starting to bloom. Extra treat- stag horn sheep and coyote sightings. Hiked into Palm Canyon where total desert surrounds groves of giant, prehistoric looking California Palms- only palm native to California. Talked to bikers on an Adventure Cycling 7 day loop ride out of San Diego. I seem to be suceeding at staying calm, being a tourist and trying not to think about my giant adventure ahead!!

SAN DIEGO ARRIVAL

2010-03-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

2/28 Sunday Arrived midday for a few days of R&R (won't I need that later?!) with friends Barney and Sheri. Lots of bikers everywhere. Spent the afternoon hiking around Cabrillo National Park in Point Loma before heading to surfers paradise, Cardiff- by- the- Sea. Shot from Point Loma shows a thumbnail of first day of biking -- the sea, the city, the mountains. Gritty details to follow on Friday!

THE TRAINING ENDS TODAY

2010-02-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

2/27 The final spin class at XSport Fitness. Spinning instructors Russell and Angie send me off with good wishes, balloons and goodies! Thanks so much to you both.

THE CELEBRATION DINNER

2010-02-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

2/26 Bidding farewell to the bicyclist, congratulations to Margaret for her new job at Peace Corps Chicago and well done to Richard who will have a Victory Gardens Theater named after him on Monday. Three fine reasons to eat homemade macaroni and cheese, Maryland crab cakes from the Narrows Restaurant , Judy's homemade apple crumble, Five Guys hamburgers bites and fries for appetizers and lots of champagne. Let the celebations begin>>>