The alarm went off at 8 a.m. and Mark quickly suited up in his padded shorts, jersey, gloves, sunglasses and helmet. I readied the camera and water and penned the last set of directions that would guide Mark the 30 miles from Ellsworth to Bar Harbor. I grabbed my cup of coffee and stole a quick kiss from my husband before he took off for the last time and I cautioned him to be careful of the heavy traffic. The temperature rose into the 90's as I waited 45 minutes and then went after him. Highway 3 was littered with cars that, I'm guessing, were filled with tourists looking forward to a big day of shopping, whale watching and eating seafood.
I spotted Mark, who had already made it 17 miles down the road, so I gave him a hoot and yelled, "Woohoo!!!" while pumping my fist. I located the ending destination in Bar Harbor, but due to the crazy crowds, I had to park a 1/2 mile down the street. Grabbing the camera, I ran down to Main Street and positioned myself at the finish line. I "people-watched" for the next 15 minutes until I saw him. Dressed in red and riding his red, Giant OCR 1 bicycle, he was impossible to miss. I snapped pictures and we both smiled proudly, as he pedaled down the pier to dip his front tire into the bay as a kind of ceremonial ending to this beautiful tour that began 4,300 miles west of here on the other side of this blessed country. Surprisingly, we weren't sad that it was over. It felt like it was time.
These last two months have been such a wonderful blessing that it's hard to describe in a few short closing words. Experiencing all of this together is something that we will always treasure and carry with us throughout our marriage.
Not everything went exactly according to our original plans due to things that were simply out of our control. When we got on that train a little over four weeks ago in North Dakota, it was tempting to think that we had failed. But thankfully, we are loved by our Lord Jesus. "Well what does that have to do with anything?" You may find yourself asking. It has to do with EVERYTHING because our success isn't measured by numbers or miles or any other human standard. Rather, our success is measured by our obedience through faith to our Heavenly Father. Mark and I have both come out of this experience with the ability to say that we followed His voice as best as we can hear. Although we are certainly far from being perfect children, the Lord has been gracious in giving us both His peace and love in all of the decisions we've had to make in regards to this trip and our hearts can rest in His assurance. That is a lesson that we've learned during this adventure that we hope to take with us for the rest of our lives.
We're so thankful to Steve Peifer and his family for their ministry to the students of Kenya and for allowing us the blessing of helping Kenya Kids Can in some small way. We look forward to the day when we'll get to visit Kenya ourselves and witness this miracle of feeding 25,000 students with our own eyes!
We're also so thankful (in an indescribable way) to Tim and Jan Butorac and all of our friends at RTC that have allowed Mark to be absent from work for so long. We look forward to rejoining all of you on September 20th!
Where are we going from here? Well, we have a few more stops to make before returning to Rochester, MN. Right now we are headed to Kentucky to see my family. My younger brother is in the U.S. Air Force and is in Kentucky for a short time. We're not sure when we'll get to see him again, so we're taking this opportunity! From Kentucky, we will go to North Carolina where Mark's childhood best friend is getting married on September 18th. They haven't seen each other since our own wedding two years ago, so this is very exciting for them.
Thank you all for reading and following along with us for these two months. Thank you for your donations to us and to Kenya Kids Can. Thank you for your encouragement and support and for following us along our journey. This will be the last blog, but it's been the most fun getting to write and report our day-to-day touring. It's made us feel connected to you and has reminded us that we weren't just doing this trip for ourselves, but for dreamers everywhere! If you have a dream, even as silly as riding a bike across America, you can do it for real!!!
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Day 53
The heat is back today!!! It reached a high of 97 degrees, which is the hottest we've felt in a while. We did some driving today as Mark was in need of some rest and we're getting so close to the finish line that we can taste it!! We checked into a motel in Ellsworth for a rest day. Tomorrow will be Mark's official last day of biking, as we are only 30 miles from Bar Harbor, Maine!
Day 52
Today was Mark's last mountain to climb, the Kancamagus Pass. The elevation reached 2,855 feet and he made it up easily. He did get one flat tire, but that only set him back about 10 minutes. He was on top of the world when he reached the top and had proven to himself that he could do it. The Appalachians have nothing on him! He was one of many bikers attempting the climb today. Men and women of all ages were handling it, which I think served to spur Mark on.
We said goodbye to New Hampshire as we crossed into Maine, our final state in this journey. We're camping tonight somewhere close to Wiscasset. We're very excited because at 7:00 the owners of the campground give everyone free ice cream!
We want to give a special "thank you" to Gracepoint Church for your kind generosity. This family of people took the bill for the tires that we had to unexpectedly buy for our car when we were in Michigan. You've blessed our hearts with this sweet act of love and we thank the Lord for you! Bless you, Gracepoint!!
We said goodbye to New Hampshire as we crossed into Maine, our final state in this journey. We're camping tonight somewhere close to Wiscasset. We're very excited because at 7:00 the owners of the campground give everyone free ice cream!
We want to give a special "thank you" to Gracepoint Church for your kind generosity. This family of people took the bill for the tires that we had to unexpectedly buy for our car when we were in Michigan. You've blessed our hearts with this sweet act of love and we thank the Lord for you! Bless you, Gracepoint!!
Day 51
Our time in Vermont came to an end today as we crossed into New Hampshire which, so far, equals Vermont in its beauty. Mark biked some good mileage and I followed him closely to take some good pictures of him riding through this wonderful part of the country. The temperature never rose above 70 and now that the sun is setting, it's dropped into the 50's!! The season is changing quickly up here. We're thankful that we bought good sleeping bags that cocoon our bodies and keep us warm in 30+ degree weather.
When Mark finished riding for the day we stopped off at a place called Lost River Gorge. There were a few options for hiking trails, so we picked the shortest one (3/4 mile) that advertised a nice overlook at the end. We briefly read the warning sign that said, "For experienced hikers only!" But Mark shrugged and said, "Oh, Americans exaggerate everything. I'm sure we can handle this trail easily." So we started down the trail and, at first, it appeared that he was right. Then we came to the point where the trail went straight up and there was no longer ground to walk on, but rather giant rocks and boulders. For the next 45 minutes we climbed up while hanging onto trees and roots to pull ourselves up. Yes, we were rock climbing and using every available muscle in our bodies. You may be wondering why we just didn't turn around when we saw the difficulty that lie before us. My only answer is that we Tiu's must have a problem. We don't know when to say when. Anyway, we made it to the top and the overlook was pretty nice. The climb back down was a different story. It was some scary stuff. At first I was just trying to go backwards and descend it the way you would a ladder, but I eventually has to sit on my bottom and scoot my way down. Mark was just saying, "Huh. I guess that sign they posted was legitimate." :)
Another adventuresome day.
When Mark finished riding for the day we stopped off at a place called Lost River Gorge. There were a few options for hiking trails, so we picked the shortest one (3/4 mile) that advertised a nice overlook at the end. We briefly read the warning sign that said, "For experienced hikers only!" But Mark shrugged and said, "Oh, Americans exaggerate everything. I'm sure we can handle this trail easily." So we started down the trail and, at first, it appeared that he was right. Then we came to the point where the trail went straight up and there was no longer ground to walk on, but rather giant rocks and boulders. For the next 45 minutes we climbed up while hanging onto trees and roots to pull ourselves up. Yes, we were rock climbing and using every available muscle in our bodies. You may be wondering why we just didn't turn around when we saw the difficulty that lie before us. My only answer is that we Tiu's must have a problem. We don't know when to say when. Anyway, we made it to the top and the overlook was pretty nice. The climb back down was a different story. It was some scary stuff. At first I was just trying to go backwards and descend it the way you would a ladder, but I eventually has to sit on my bottom and scoot my way down. Mark was just saying, "Huh. I guess that sign they posted was legitimate." :)
Another adventuresome day.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Day 50
Sheesh...50 days on the road already? Craziness!
Well, we woke up to some showers this morning, but they passed for enough time that we were able to pack up our tent before they poured out again.
Mark ascended his first full mountain pass since we left the Cascades today: the Middlebury Gap which reached an elevation of 2,000 feet. He scaled it pretty well, which is good news seeing as how he still has a few more passes ahead of him and hilly terrain all the way to Bar Harbor. He says that he'd very much appreciate prayers for strength in his body and full recovery in the nights as he sleeps. We rode through another Rochester today. In the last few weeks we've been from our home in Rochester, MN to Rochester, NY to Rochester, Vermont.
Tonight we're camping in Thetford. Mark has gone meat crazy again and is currently grilling himself a steak over the fire while I watch in pretend fascination and munch on my bag of broccoli. The Grillmaster is in his element.
Well, we woke up to some showers this morning, but they passed for enough time that we were able to pack up our tent before they poured out again.
Mark ascended his first full mountain pass since we left the Cascades today: the Middlebury Gap which reached an elevation of 2,000 feet. He scaled it pretty well, which is good news seeing as how he still has a few more passes ahead of him and hilly terrain all the way to Bar Harbor. He says that he'd very much appreciate prayers for strength in his body and full recovery in the nights as he sleeps. We rode through another Rochester today. In the last few weeks we've been from our home in Rochester, MN to Rochester, NY to Rochester, Vermont.
Tonight we're camping in Thetford. Mark has gone meat crazy again and is currently grilling himself a steak over the fire while I watch in pretend fascination and munch on my bag of broccoli. The Grillmaster is in his element.
Day 49
We crossed into Vermont today by means of a ferry boat across Lake Champlain! We now have used almost every kind of transportation that is available on this trip: airplane, car, bicycle, train, feet and now boat! Are we missing anything??
I like being in Vermont because this is the setting for one of my favorite movies: Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."
This state has some of the hilliest terrain that Mark has yet to ride. He's handling it like a pro though. We're camping tonight in Middlebury, which is a really cute college town. Mark is cooking hamburgers, brats and chicken breasts over the fire right now. He's tired of our sandwich meat and wants lots of leftovers for the next few days. :)
I like being in Vermont because this is the setting for one of my favorite movies: Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."
This state has some of the hilliest terrain that Mark has yet to ride. He's handling it like a pro though. We're camping tonight in Middlebury, which is a really cute college town. Mark is cooking hamburgers, brats and chicken breasts over the fire right now. He's tired of our sandwich meat and wants lots of leftovers for the next few days. :)
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Day 48
Today was a beautiful one. In the low-80's, the sun shining and a slight breeze. Mark finished his riding for the day in the early afternoon, so we located our campground in Newcomb and found a good spot overlooking a small lake. The bugs aren't as brutal now that the weather is cooler, so it makes sitting in our camping chairs much more enjoyable. It's getting dark earlier now too, which is also good news for us because we can fall asleep quicker. We've both always liked camping, but I think after this trip, we now LOVE it! It's definitely the cheapest way to get away, but there's also something really rewarding about sleeping outside amongst the trees and critters of the earth. Only moments ago we saw a little beaver fishing in the lake just a few feet away. The only exception to all of this loveliness is when it rains all night, in which case I retract these words.:)
Day 47
Poor Marky Boy. The rain got him pretty good as he biked today. This crazy drenching of the earth finally stopped around 3:00 this afternoon. By then he was already finished riding for the day. Things have really cooled down though, which is kind of nice. We can see the beginnings of Autumn here in New York as the leaves are already beginning to change into beautiful shades of Red, Yellow and Orange. I can't wait to see what everything looks like by the first week of September! We're currently making our way through the Adirondack's, which make for some decent climbs and descents for Mark. He welcomes the challenge now that he doesn't have all that extra poundage hanging from his bike.
It's funny to see where the most random touristy towns seem to pop up. Tonight we're staying in one called Old Forge. It's home to little more than 1,000 people, but it sure is a happening place!
It's funny to see where the most random touristy towns seem to pop up. Tonight we're staying in one called Old Forge. It's home to little more than 1,000 people, but it sure is a happening place!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Day 46
Whew! No biking took place today due to monsoon rains!!! We were still sleeping in our tent when it started pouring at 3 a.m. It was still raining when our alarm went off at 8. No big deal, right? We thought we'd just sleep late and wait it out. By the time 11:00 came, it still hadn't let up. We're not just talking about a light sprinkle either. By noon we knew we had to get our tent packed up so that the campground wouldn't charge us for another night. It is not fun packing up in the mud and rain. I'm pretty sure that nothing in our trunk is dry.
So, we called around to find the cheapest motel en route and we checked in. And here we are in Redfield, NY, it's almost 8 p.m. and it's STILL raining!! Hopefully it will stop before tomorrow...otherwise Mark's rain gear is going to get some good use. I'll let you know what happens!
So, we called around to find the cheapest motel en route and we checked in. And here we are in Redfield, NY, it's almost 8 p.m. and it's STILL raining!! Hopefully it will stop before tomorrow...otherwise Mark's rain gear is going to get some good use. I'll let you know what happens!
Day 45
We're very much enjoying the parts of New York that we're traveling through. We aren't big city people, so we're loving these small, historic New England towns. I've never seen so many colonial style homes and beautiful churches. Mark got to bike today along parts of Lake Ontario (I think we've now gotten to see pieces of all of the Great Lakes). The roads took him through lots of apple and peach orchards.
We did have another little hiccup today though. Mark made it 41 miles and as he was ascending a small hill, his rear dérailleur snapped!! I picked him up and we basically had to drive back to where we began the day because that was the closest location with a bike shop. While we were driving, I felt an awful sting on my upper back and then another on my lower back. Yep, a queen bee got me. She was stuck in my t-shirt. We almost ran off the road for trying to kill her! But, I now officially know that I'm not allergic to bee stings and that's always helpful information. :)
Thankfully, the only thing that needed to be replaced on the bike was the hanger and his chain (we had a spare chain with us).
We're camping tonight in a town called Fulton and back on the road again tomorrow.
We did have another little hiccup today though. Mark made it 41 miles and as he was ascending a small hill, his rear dérailleur snapped!! I picked him up and we basically had to drive back to where we began the day because that was the closest location with a bike shop. While we were driving, I felt an awful sting on my upper back and then another on my lower back. Yep, a queen bee got me. She was stuck in my t-shirt. We almost ran off the road for trying to kill her! But, I now officially know that I'm not allergic to bee stings and that's always helpful information. :)
Thankfully, the only thing that needed to be replaced on the bike was the hanger and his chain (we had a spare chain with us).
We're camping tonight in a town called Fulton and back on the road again tomorrow.
Days 37-44
I'm compiling all of these last few days into one entry because I've kind of fallen behind on my daily journaling and can't remember which specific days certain events occurred.
Once we left Ludington someone turned on the furnace in Michigan and we had a stretch of really hot days mixed with good amounts of rain, which has made for some messy camping. Mark has done a good job of biking despite these less than ideal conditions. He cheated a little bit through Michigan and gave in to my tempting offers to give him a ride through certain stretches.:) Besides Ludington and the towns that border Lake Michigan, there's nothing too exciting about biking through this state. Mark was ready to be finished with it for sure.
On our last day in Michigan we noticed that one of the tires on our car was flat. Mark filled it with air at a gas station, but soon it was flat again. (Has this been the tour of flat tires or what??). So we made a stop at Discount Tires and the salesman told us that the tread on our front two tires was right at the borderline of being illegal for driving and we needed to replace them both. So, here we are two new tires later. After that we were even more ready to leave Michigan. (Wisconsin's beauty spoiled us!).
We crossed into Ontario, Canada 5 days ago. It was the first time for both of us being in this country, so that has been exciting! Our first night of camping here (was free!) we camped right next to another couple doing the same bike tour as us. They began in June and then the wife had an accident in eastern Montana and got a concussion, so she had to do the same thing for her husband that I'm doing now for Mark! She recovered midway through Minnesota though and is now biking again. It was fun running into them and swapping war stories from our travels.
The next night we found a campsite located right on Lake Erie. This section of it was cold and muddy and filled with seaweed though so it wasn't as difficult to leave as Lake Michigan was. We also think that we must've unknowingly pitched our tent on Spider Territory. When we awoke the following morning, there were 5 huge brown spiders on Mark's bike and countless other spiders that had spun their webs all throughout our tent poles! Even as we were trying to pack up, small spiders were literally dropping from the trees attaching their webs to any and everything. We sped out of that place and didn't look back.
We ended our Canadian adventure in Niagara Falls where we spent two days resting, looking at all the sights and and celebrating our second anniversary! Our anniversary isn't technically until September 6th, but who knows where we'll be on that day. We got to ride The Maid of the Mist, which took us right into the falls and the Journey Behind the Falls, which allowed us to go into a tunnel under the falls as well as get a closer look from the outside. It really was an amazing time and I can't wait to post the pictures!
This morning we crossed back into the U.S. and Mark picked up his biking in Lockport, New York. We're glad to be back in the country as Canada was very expensive, even in the small towns we rode through. It was a good visit though.
I have to say, once again, that we just feel so very blessed to be on this trip. The Lord continues to walk with us wherever we go and He constantly reveals His goodness and love.
You guys have all been so good to us as well. Thank you for patiently following along our journey with us and praying for us and encouraging us. We still need all of it even as we're nearing our last few weeks. Mark has another set of mountain climbing coming soon and will definitely need prayer for strength in his body and safety through the climbs and descents. Thanks again to RTC!!!!!!! We miss everyone!!!
Once we left Ludington someone turned on the furnace in Michigan and we had a stretch of really hot days mixed with good amounts of rain, which has made for some messy camping. Mark has done a good job of biking despite these less than ideal conditions. He cheated a little bit through Michigan and gave in to my tempting offers to give him a ride through certain stretches.:) Besides Ludington and the towns that border Lake Michigan, there's nothing too exciting about biking through this state. Mark was ready to be finished with it for sure.
On our last day in Michigan we noticed that one of the tires on our car was flat. Mark filled it with air at a gas station, but soon it was flat again. (Has this been the tour of flat tires or what??). So we made a stop at Discount Tires and the salesman told us that the tread on our front two tires was right at the borderline of being illegal for driving and we needed to replace them both. So, here we are two new tires later. After that we were even more ready to leave Michigan. (Wisconsin's beauty spoiled us!).
We crossed into Ontario, Canada 5 days ago. It was the first time for both of us being in this country, so that has been exciting! Our first night of camping here (was free!) we camped right next to another couple doing the same bike tour as us. They began in June and then the wife had an accident in eastern Montana and got a concussion, so she had to do the same thing for her husband that I'm doing now for Mark! She recovered midway through Minnesota though and is now biking again. It was fun running into them and swapping war stories from our travels.
The next night we found a campsite located right on Lake Erie. This section of it was cold and muddy and filled with seaweed though so it wasn't as difficult to leave as Lake Michigan was. We also think that we must've unknowingly pitched our tent on Spider Territory. When we awoke the following morning, there were 5 huge brown spiders on Mark's bike and countless other spiders that had spun their webs all throughout our tent poles! Even as we were trying to pack up, small spiders were literally dropping from the trees attaching their webs to any and everything. We sped out of that place and didn't look back.
We ended our Canadian adventure in Niagara Falls where we spent two days resting, looking at all the sights and and celebrating our second anniversary! Our anniversary isn't technically until September 6th, but who knows where we'll be on that day. We got to ride The Maid of the Mist, which took us right into the falls and the Journey Behind the Falls, which allowed us to go into a tunnel under the falls as well as get a closer look from the outside. It really was an amazing time and I can't wait to post the pictures!
This morning we crossed back into the U.S. and Mark picked up his biking in Lockport, New York. We're glad to be back in the country as Canada was very expensive, even in the small towns we rode through. It was a good visit though.
I have to say, once again, that we just feel so very blessed to be on this trip. The Lord continues to walk with us wherever we go and He constantly reveals His goodness and love.
You guys have all been so good to us as well. Thank you for patiently following along our journey with us and praying for us and encouraging us. We still need all of it even as we're nearing our last few weeks. Mark has another set of mountain climbing coming soon and will definitely need prayer for strength in his body and safety through the climbs and descents. Thanks again to RTC!!!!!!! We miss everyone!!!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 36
Alright, we're back on the bike route, which begins in the town of Ludington. However, when we arrived, it was 93 degrees and humid and Lake Michigan was calling out to us. So, we stayed the day in this pretty little town and soaked up some good beach time while we had the chance.
Tomorrow it's back to the grind!
Tomorrow it's back to the grind!
Day 35
Today was another driving day. We were originally planning on taking the Ferry across Lake Michigan, but decided that driving around would save a few bucks and allow us some extra nights in hotels. We made it to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Day 34
Well, we found out today that we were only a 30-minute drive away from Green Bay. Mark was in need of a rest day, so we decided to go check it out. We found an online deal for a cheap room at Best Western (we later found out that the reason for the low rate was that we accidentally took the Senior Citizen discount. woops).
Now is the time that we must ask our Minnesota friends for your forgiveness...the reason we went to Green Bay was to watch the Packers at training camp! We've jumped on the Vikings bandwagon, but we didn't think it would hurt to go and check out the competition. We wanted the full cultural experience as well, so we even ate dinner at Brett Favre's Steakhouse. Pretty good.
Mark got his rest.
Now is the time that we must ask our Minnesota friends for your forgiveness...the reason we went to Green Bay was to watch the Packers at training camp! We've jumped on the Vikings bandwagon, but we didn't think it would hurt to go and check out the competition. We wanted the full cultural experience as well, so we even ate dinner at Brett Favre's Steakhouse. Pretty good.
Mark got his rest.
Day 33
Today was a hot one, but Mark pedaled it out and we were able to get our tent dried out. We just love Wisconsin. The roads that our maps take us on are almost like bike trails. The trees provide a canopy most of the time and the lakes are just unbelievable!
As I was driving around one of these lakes to catch up to Mark earlier today, a huge bird caught my eye as he swooped down and landed about 10 feet away from me. It turns out it was a Bald Eagle!! I stopped the car and he looked at me and I at him...we shared a sweet little moment. Maybe it's silly, but I was so excited. I've never seen a Bald Eagle outside of a zoo or nature preserve. If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the Bald Eagle is definitely the king of the sky. He was very majestic and classy. :)
We found another nice lake to swim in tonight: Lake Shawano, which also happens to be where we're camping. The bugs here are vicious!!!!!!!
As I was driving around one of these lakes to catch up to Mark earlier today, a huge bird caught my eye as he swooped down and landed about 10 feet away from me. It turns out it was a Bald Eagle!! I stopped the car and he looked at me and I at him...we shared a sweet little moment. Maybe it's silly, but I was so excited. I've never seen a Bald Eagle outside of a zoo or nature preserve. If the lion is the king of the jungle, then the Bald Eagle is definitely the king of the sky. He was very majestic and classy. :)
We found another nice lake to swim in tonight: Lake Shawano, which also happens to be where we're camping. The bugs here are vicious!!!!!!!
Monday, August 9, 2010
A few pictures as promised...
In Anacortes, Washington at the starting point of our journey.
Still the first day...our first and second flat tire changes. This was when it was still cute and funny enough to take a picture of. From here forward, we have no more pics of the flats!
In Washington, riding closer and closer to those Cascades!
Our first night (we were waiting for it to get dark so that we could pitch our tent without being seen since it wasn't an actual campground) and morning as bike tourers!
Some foothills and the sweet little dog that I befriended. He ran alongside my bike for about a mile before he ran out of steam.
This was a pretty bridge to ride across.
Taking a Snickers break. Mark is really good at taking the action shot pictures. I'm not quite so coordinated.
Left: We would've been a lot less happy had we realized that we were on the wrong road! Right: Eating brunch the morning after a really hard downpour.
The entrance to the Cascades. This was the beginning of the HEAVY riding!
Left: Look at that scenery!! Right: That little speck of yellow is Mark hiking down to the creek to get some relief from the heat.
Some of the prettiest riding EVER!! Mark is a great photographer!
There are many more pictures that we'll eventually post on facebook. This is all I have time for right now as I need to go find Mark...he's somewhere down the road ahead of me. Hope you enjoy them!
Still the first day...our first and second flat tire changes. This was when it was still cute and funny enough to take a picture of. From here forward, we have no more pics of the flats!
In Washington, riding closer and closer to those Cascades!
Our first night (we were waiting for it to get dark so that we could pitch our tent without being seen since it wasn't an actual campground) and morning as bike tourers!
Some foothills and the sweet little dog that I befriended. He ran alongside my bike for about a mile before he ran out of steam.
This was a pretty bridge to ride across.
Taking a Snickers break. Mark is really good at taking the action shot pictures. I'm not quite so coordinated.
Left: We would've been a lot less happy had we realized that we were on the wrong road! Right: Eating brunch the morning after a really hard downpour.
The entrance to the Cascades. This was the beginning of the HEAVY riding!
Left: Look at that scenery!! Right: That little speck of yellow is Mark hiking down to the creek to get some relief from the heat.
Some of the prettiest riding EVER!! Mark is a great photographer!
There are many more pictures that we'll eventually post on facebook. This is all I have time for right now as I need to go find Mark...he's somewhere down the road ahead of me. Hope you enjoy them!
Day 32
The rain last night never let up for even a minute until sometime around 7 a.m. this morning. We had a few leaks in our tent, but it was easily fixed with our towels. The problem with that kind of rain is that it takes us twice as long to pack up camp in the morning because everything gets soaked and muddied. The moisture hung heavily in the air for the remainder of today and the sun never made an appearance, so I was unable to dry out our tent and tarp. The forecast was calling for more showers throughout the evening, so when we arrived at our destination, Crandon, we checked into the Best Western for the night. The front desk lady was even nice enough to give us the AAA discount even though we aren't AAA members. I guess we looked pitiable. :)
Mark did some good riding today. He averaged 14.9 mph, which is awesome, especially considering all of the hills and bluffs that he had to ride through. He attributes the keys to his success to the two ginormous pancakes and the biscuits and gravy that he ate this morning for breakfast. Oh yeah, and of course the leftover potatoes that he's still munching on as a snack. That's A LOT of carbs, but he never ran out of energy.
FYI from the support vehicle: I finished the first of my books today, "Till We Have Faces" and here's my review: "It's a MUST READ!"
Mark did some good riding today. He averaged 14.9 mph, which is awesome, especially considering all of the hills and bluffs that he had to ride through. He attributes the keys to his success to the two ginormous pancakes and the biscuits and gravy that he ate this morning for breakfast. Oh yeah, and of course the leftover potatoes that he's still munching on as a snack. That's A LOT of carbs, but he never ran out of energy.
FYI from the support vehicle: I finished the first of my books today, "Till We Have Faces" and here's my review: "It's a MUST READ!"
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Day 31
Wisconsin knows how to work their small towns. All of them seem like small little tourist destinations. The streets are filled with gift shops and coffee shops and putt-putt golf. It makes for some fun distractions.
Mark had a lighter day of riding today. He went 40 miles and we drove some segments in between to give him some good rest. We made it into a sweet town called Boulder Junction, where we walked around for a little while. Then it was off to set up camp and take a cold swim/bathe in Big Lake. Mark decided that he wanted to boil potatoes over our campfire tonight and just as he got them seasoned, the thunder started rumbling in the distance. Then the rain...hard rain came pouring. I quickly dove into the tent and waited for Mark to follow. When he didn't come in, I poked my head out and there he was still cooking his potatoes over the fire while the rain drenched him. He cooked every single potato, while I drifted to sleep in the warm, dry tent.
Mark had a lighter day of riding today. He went 40 miles and we drove some segments in between to give him some good rest. We made it into a sweet town called Boulder Junction, where we walked around for a little while. Then it was off to set up camp and take a cold swim/bathe in Big Lake. Mark decided that he wanted to boil potatoes over our campfire tonight and just as he got them seasoned, the thunder started rumbling in the distance. Then the rain...hard rain came pouring. I quickly dove into the tent and waited for Mark to follow. When he didn't come in, I poked my head out and there he was still cooking his potatoes over the fire while the rain drenched him. He cooked every single potato, while I drifted to sleep in the warm, dry tent.
Day 30
And today was another successful ride. Mark got a flat in his back tire in his last 20 miles or so, but I came riding in on my white horse...er...white car and rescued him. I even pumped his tire for him so that he wouldn't have to waste his energy. It took me twice as long as it takes him, but who's on a clock out here? We have a pretty good system in place. In some spots we don't get the greatest of cell phone service, so I let Mark ride for about an hour ahead of me, which let's him get 15 miles or so down the road, and then I go find him to see what he needs, give him new directions and then we begin the process again. We're camping tonight in a small town called Clam Lake. Mark is busy getting a campfire started so that we can grill some chicken and a 1 lb. sirloin steak that we found at the grocery for only $4.00!! We never would've had the time or energy to do this if we didn't have our car, so it's really nice to be able to enjoy the camping now.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Day 29
Mark's first day back to riding was a really good one. He went almost 80 miles!! I asked him to dictate a message for me (he's not a big blogger) and here's what he said: "it felt good to be on the bike again. The wind was blowing pretty strong. No problems. I like having a support vehicle, it's the way to go.Wisconsin is a pretty state to ride in." There ya have it folks. He's a man of few sentences, but he says them in all sincerity.:)
For my part, I'm really enjoying being the support vehicle...in fact, I think I've found my calling. I write down the directions for Mark, refill his water bottles and bring him food. I also drive past him with my windows down and either cheer him on or make harassing comments. That's the fun of it...he never knows which person I'm gonna be.:) The roads that we were on today were gorgeous. It's almost like being back in Washington again. Everything is really green and fertile and there's definitely no lack of trees. Lakes and rivers await us at every turn and the road terrain is very hilly and winding. That keeps things a lot more interesting and enjoyable.
We're camping tonight in Birchwood, WI and are set up right next to a lake. If anyone on Campbellsville is reading this, this area looks shockingly similar to Green River Lake.
So, definitely a successful first day. Oh yeah, and for anyone wondering how I've spent my free time, my current reading is: "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis.
For my part, I'm really enjoying being the support vehicle...in fact, I think I've found my calling. I write down the directions for Mark, refill his water bottles and bring him food. I also drive past him with my windows down and either cheer him on or make harassing comments. That's the fun of it...he never knows which person I'm gonna be.:) The roads that we were on today were gorgeous. It's almost like being back in Washington again. Everything is really green and fertile and there's definitely no lack of trees. Lakes and rivers await us at every turn and the road terrain is very hilly and winding. That keeps things a lot more interesting and enjoyable.
We're camping tonight in Birchwood, WI and are set up right next to a lake. If anyone on Campbellsville is reading this, this area looks shockingly similar to Green River Lake.
So, definitely a successful first day. Oh yeah, and for anyone wondering how I've spent my free time, my current reading is: "Till We Have Faces" by C.S. Lewis.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
and the Physical Therapist said...
Thank you all so much for your sweet and encouraging comments and messages! We've recently moved into a new apartment and don't have internet access yet, so today is the first chance we've had to check facebook, e-mail, blog, etc.
I visited the physical therapist on Monday afternoon and she confirmed that it's Tendonitus. The positive side of that is that it's not too serious and I can't really do anything to injure my knees further. The negative side is that the only treatment is rest and ice. She instructed me to ice both knees for 10 minutes, 5 times a day and she also gave me some gentle stretches and exercises to do that will strengthen my quads and keep them from flaring up again in the future. So, that's the diagnosis. :)
Meanwhile, we're staying the night tonight in Osceola, Wisconsin which is located right on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Mark will resume biking tomorrow (Thursday) morning. He's excited about our route change that will take us across this state and eventually into Michigan and then Canada! It should be some really beautiful riding. I'm excited about getting to serve him and assist him along the journey. I have 6 books checked out from the library that will keep me occupied while my knees heal. I'd appreciate prayers for a speedy recovery as I really want to be able to ride a little in this part of the country and give Mark some relief when he needs it. All in all, we ended up cutting all but about 20 miles of North Dakota and the whole of Minnesota from our trip (but we've done lots of riding in Minnesota already, so that's not a huge disappointment).
Our little respite in Rochester was a nice distraction. We met up with lots of sweet friends of ours. Mark got to work a few hours, we unpacked and set up our new apartment, we received prayer from some of you and South African chocolate from others, and two friends even blessed us with a gift card to Massage Envy! We want to especially thank Kris Allen for setting up my PT appointment and picking us up from the train station. All of you may not have even realized it, but you were the hands and feet of the Lord to Mark and I, and you showered us with His love simply by spending time with us during a time of hard disappointment. Thank you and bless you!
I visited the physical therapist on Monday afternoon and she confirmed that it's Tendonitus. The positive side of that is that it's not too serious and I can't really do anything to injure my knees further. The negative side is that the only treatment is rest and ice. She instructed me to ice both knees for 10 minutes, 5 times a day and she also gave me some gentle stretches and exercises to do that will strengthen my quads and keep them from flaring up again in the future. So, that's the diagnosis. :)
Meanwhile, we're staying the night tonight in Osceola, Wisconsin which is located right on the Minnesota/Wisconsin border. Mark will resume biking tomorrow (Thursday) morning. He's excited about our route change that will take us across this state and eventually into Michigan and then Canada! It should be some really beautiful riding. I'm excited about getting to serve him and assist him along the journey. I have 6 books checked out from the library that will keep me occupied while my knees heal. I'd appreciate prayers for a speedy recovery as I really want to be able to ride a little in this part of the country and give Mark some relief when he needs it. All in all, we ended up cutting all but about 20 miles of North Dakota and the whole of Minnesota from our trip (but we've done lots of riding in Minnesota already, so that's not a huge disappointment).
Our little respite in Rochester was a nice distraction. We met up with lots of sweet friends of ours. Mark got to work a few hours, we unpacked and set up our new apartment, we received prayer from some of you and South African chocolate from others, and two friends even blessed us with a gift card to Massage Envy! We want to especially thank Kris Allen for setting up my PT appointment and picking us up from the train station. All of you may not have even realized it, but you were the hands and feet of the Lord to Mark and I, and you showered us with His love simply by spending time with us during a time of hard disappointment. Thank you and bless you!
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