Day 47 Miles: 125 Mileage from start: 4,099 We decided to give ourselves more time by getting up and out before 8 a.m. By 10, we’d covered 30 miles. I remember when crossing from New Jersey to New York on the Appalachian Trail, I was surprised by how hilly New York was. All of a […]
Day 46 Miles: 83 Mileage from start: 3,974 Why is the second day after a break so hard? Sure, we left the nice, upgrade suite around 10:30 a.m., but we had to stop to avoid thunderstorms four times. The worst episode came while we were buying cherries and blueberries at a farm stand. So, while […]
Day 45 Miles: 101 Mileage from start: 3,891 We stayed at hotel in Buffalo on our drive back after the Ohio break. Because we got in late to the hotel, we slept in until 8:30. Then came breakfast, gathering our stuff and driving to Niagara to return the car. It was a late start, but […]
Days 42, 43, 44 Miles: 15, 0, 0 Mileage from start: 3,790 Around 1 a.m. a strong storm front moved over us. The tall pines around our tent made terrific sounds as they bent against the wind. We checked the radar and saw red heading for us. Will the little tent make it? we asked. […]
Day 41 Miles: 126 Mileage from start: 3,778 We started a little earlier today, so it was cooler in the beginning. Most of the morning was foggy and even slightly chilly, especially after eating ice cream. But we put sunscreen on anyway and it’s a good thing we did because by noon it was hot […]
Day 40 Miles: 120 Mileage from start: 3,652 We slept well and dried out the tent at the hotel. The weather forecast called for heat and humidity. Come what may. As soon as we walked out of the hotel, the heat felt like a heavy weight. Oh, well. We started biking and slogged along all […]
Day 39 Miles: 122 Mileage from start: 3,532 It started raining around 1 a.m. It is pleasant to sleep in a small, well-built tent in the rain. It’s kind of cozy to know you are warm and dry even though there’s just a thin bit of fabric between you and the elements. However, sleeping in […]
Day 38 Miles: 129 Mileage from start: 3,410 Those loud teenagers raged into the night with music, fireworks and revving engines. Eventually, they went to sleep, and then so could we. We got breakfast at a convenience store (ice cream and burritos — it’s the best biking food you can find at a gas station) […]
Day 37 Miles: 121 Mileage from start: 3,281 Maybe that hotel stay was all we needed? With clean bikes and clean selves and full stomachs we left Chimney Corners Lodge and continued south on Route 22. Despite following very close to the shore of Lake Michigan for the last 300+ miles, we’ve seen very little […]
Day 36 Miles: 88 Mileage from start: 3,160 Not the longest day, but not the shortest. It was another humid one and we spent a bit of time waiting for thunderstorms to pass. It didn’t take long before we were covered in sand and road grime. Sweat plus sunscreen plus humidity plus rain all work […]