THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME!

Day 40 - Gainesville, FL to St. Augustine Beach, FL: Finally made it!!!!!!

Journey of a lifetime!!!!
Sunday May 10, 2009, 94 miles (151 km) - Total so far: 3,073 miles (4,946 km)
Weather: Temperatures 66-91, hot and humid, clear skies, no wind. Well, here we are!!!! We took a beautiful ride down the Hawthorne Bike Trail out of Gainesville to start the day. The trail was shaded and it wound around like a roller coaster. We saw a couple deer, heard a tom turkey gobble, saw a fox, and heard some bob whites as we rode along. Some of the gang skipped the Hawthorne Trail and rode in the van just past the end of it and started. I think they were trying to beat the heat or something. As it turned out, we all finished together, anyway. The rest of the ride was on mostly rural back roads. The finish was on a major highway into the beach, but only for about 12 miles. Once again, SAG was provided by the team of Anna Fox, Daniel Fox, and the two labs - Darlin' and Lady. At the last rest stop, we were met by Charles' sister, Diane, and his parents Maurice and Joan Fox, all from Charleston. We all met at a McDonalds, about 2 miles from the hotel, and rode in to the finish as a group - the ONLY time on the entire trip that we all rode as one group. I was privileged to lead the way. As we approached the Hampton Inn on the Beach, we saw family members and friends with signs, horns, and a large "Bobby" Ride banner, all out in the road to great us. It was a great way to end the journey !!!! Afterwards, we all shared a final meal featuring the excellent grillery of Daniel Fox and the great food provided from several of the family members who were there. As we ate, we watched a slide show of some of the pictures several of the riders had taken along the way. We also got to hear a poem, entitled "Bobby Ride", composed by Anna Haltiwanger. It was fantastic end to a fantastic journey. We were blessed by good weather and good fortune and great bike riding.

So actually it is Monday already when I'm finishing up the blog. Thanks for all the prayers ... Flat Stanley, Share Bear, and I are safely now back home in Tuscaloosa Alabama!

Love,

Uncle Barry

P.S.

Soon at school Wednesday!

DAY 40: May 9, 2009

HEY EVERYONE!
It's about 4 pm in Florida - 3 pm in Alabama, SATURDAY - MAY 9TH - and we just dipped our bike tires in the ocean!

The journey is complete!!!

All is well and I'll have one last blog entry later this pm to wrap it up but thanks so much for all the prayers and support!

UNCLE BARRY, FLAT STANLEY, AND SHARE BEAR ARE HEADED HOME!

Day 39: May 8, 2009

Day 39 - White Springs, FL to Gainesville, FL: Into Gator country

Friday May 8, 2009, 83 miles (134 km) - Total so far: 2,979 miles (4,794 km)

Weather: Temperatures were 69-82, light southwest winds, foggy to clear skies.

Well, this is the next to last day. The ride today was very pleasant. Mostly we rode on smooth, flat, rural back roads with almost no traffic. There were flowers everywhere, pretty rivers, several state parks, and some of the route was shaded by old moss-strewn live oaks. The last few miles of the ride, through urban Gainesville, was along a bike path. But all the roads in Gainesville seem to have well-defined bike paths. Despite heavy traffic, this is an easy town to ride in. We are staying adjacent to the University of Florida, but school is apparently out for the summer as there have been no signs of college students here about. The highlight of today's ride was that SAG was being provided by Charles' son and daughter, Daniel Fox and Anna Fox. They arrived last night with Daniel's two wonderful dogs. At the 60-mile mark, today, Daniel whipped out a charcoal grill and roasted some hot dogs and even had fresh macaroni salad on the side. That is what I call a rest stop!!!! Last night was our final dinner together as a group. We ate at the well known Dixie Grill in Live Oak,, FL. Charles was presented with a nice "Southern Tier" jersey as a tribute to all the work he did in providing food for our venture. Larry graced us with one of his famous poems. Today, after the ride, Will had laughs for everyone and Anna read a poem she had written. We have had the time of our lives on this trip. We have been blessed with good weather for the most part, as well as good fortune. Anna and Neil's tumbles turned out to be minor occurrences, and nobody missed much riding time. Everyone is anxious to see family and head home tomorrow, but first we have 100 miles yet to ride.

until the last post...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 38: May 7, 2009

Day 38: May 7, 2009 Day 38 - Monticello, FL to White Springs, FL:

"Way Down Upon the Suwanee River"Thursday May 7, 2009, 77 miles (124 km) -
Total so far: 2,896 miles (4,661 km)Weather: Temperatures 69-84, fog early then partly cloudy, winds light out of the southwest. Today's ride was through the Suwanee River area. Wildflowers were very prominent today. We crossed the Suwannee River once but rode near the river most of the day. Some of the riders went into the Suwanee River State Park. This is a very pretty area of north Florida. The Suwanee is a beautiful black water river that originates in the Okeefeenokee Swamp of south Georgia.The ride today was about half on US 90, a low traffic, very smooth road with wide shoulders. The other half of the ride was through rural, traffic less back roads. The fog in the morning and the clouds in the afternoon made the ride very pleasant, despite the high humidity. Of course, in the deep South, we ALWAYS have high humidity!!! Almost everyone did a leisurely pace today, saving up for the last two days -almost 200 miles.

until tomorrow...uncle barry, flat stanley, and share bear

Day 37: May 6, 2009

Day 37 - Chattahoochee, FL to Monticello, FL: Pretty north Florida ride

Wednesday May 6, 2009, 85 miles (137 km) - Total so far: 2,819 miles (4,537 km)

Weather: Temperatures were 71-85, winds light and variable out of the west, mostly sunny skies, very humid! I usually think of Florida as either miles of beaches and condos or miles of pine forests and swamps. But this area of Florida is very scenic. It is predominately hardwoods and the terrain is mostly gently rolling hills. Today's route went almost entirely over lonely, winding back roads. The exceptions were a ride through Tallahassee and a nine-mile ride down the Tallahassee-St. Marks Trail. This trail starts in Tallahassee and goes to St Marks on the Gulf of Mexico. We only got to ride a portion of it. It was one of the first rail-trails in the south and is well known among bikers. The ride today was very pleasant. I hope this trend continues. Only three days left!!!

Until later....

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 36: May 5, 2009

Day 36 - Crestview, FL to Chattahoochee, FL: Rain showers, humidity, and another rattlesnake

Tuesday May 5, 2009, 115 miles (185 km) - Total so far: 2,734 miles (4,400 km)

Weather: Temperatures were 73-81, skies ere mostly cloudy with occasional sun and scattered showers, winds were light and variable from the southwest. Today was a long ride, but the roads were very smooth with good shoulders and light traffic. Despite a few rolling hills, the 115 miles was not nearly as hard as our previous century rides on this trip. Or maybe we are all just in better condition? The route today was mostly on US 90, a delightful bike-riding highway that runs roughly parallel to I-10 across northern Florida. We went through a couple of historic old railroad towns of DeFuniak Springs and Marianna. These towns have mostly remained largely unchanged in the last 30 or 40 years, probably because they are largely bypassed by the intestate highways. Riding through these towns gives you a glimpse of what an old Florida railroad town looked like before the interstates were built. On another note, several of us saw a rattlesnake sunning along the side of the road. Most of us gave the snake plenty of room and rode past. OF COURSE, Larry had to pick it up!!!! We previously have a picture of Larry holding a western diamondback. Now we have one of Larry holding an eastern diamondback. This completes the diamondback rattlesnake series. And in case there are any doubters out there, I can assure you these snakes are very much alive!!!! Not sure about Larry, though.








until later....
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 35: May 4, 2009

Day 35 - Gulf Shores, AL to Crestview, FL: Our last state - a total washout!!!!

Monday May 4, 2009, 100 miles (161 km) - Total so far: 2,619 miles (4,215 km)

Weather:. Temperatures 68-72, rain and thunderstorms, morning winds at 15-25 mph and gusty from the southwest. Today's ride started out very promising and ended in a washout. It was Bobby's day to drive SAG, along with Vern, so he lucked out in a way. As we left Gulf Shores, we had a nice strong quartering tailwind to push us along and an overcast sky to keep it cool. At the first rest stop, at mile 22, after all the others had stopped and gone, the van waited for almost an hour for Curt, Woody, and I. We didn't arrive. It turned out that Curt had broken a chain only a few miles into the ride. We had stopped to fix it and it broke again a little while later. Finally we had to stop at a bike shop - there just happened to be one on the route near Pensacola - and Curt got a new chain. To top it off, Curt had a flat tire. All that stopping put us about 30 miles behind the other riders. While the "lost riders" episode was taking place, the bottom dropped out of the heavens and we had torrential rain for about two and half hours. Tom, Will, and Anna stopped and called to get picked up by the van. They were over 60 miles into the ride at the time. Then Curt called and asked to be picked up. We made just over 40 miles. So they back-tracked and found the us enjoying Blizzards at the local DQ. Finally, Neil called to be picked up. He was fine with riding in the rain - after all, he was already soaked - but as he was climbing a little hill while standing up, one of his pedals broke and he went tumbling. He was OK and his bike was OK but he couldn't ride any further this day. So, after taking the others to the motel in the van, Will drove back and picked up Neil, about 20 miles from the end of the ride. Oh,, I can't forget about Larry and Pam. Larry and Pam rode the whole 100 miles, rain and all. Larry rides no matter what, even though a normal person would have just gotten in the van. Not sure why Pam rode through that down pour, bless her heart. Draw your own conclusions about that! And well as you can see Flat Stanley wore his rain gear and was dry as could be - he was so excited when he finally got in the van. Share bear rode in the van the whole day.

Well - until tomorrow

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 34: May 3, 2009

Day 34 - Bayou La Batre, AL to Gulf Shores, AL: Short day brutal headwind

Sunday May 3, 2009, 42 miles (68 km) - Total so far: 2,519 miles (4,054 km)

Weather: Temperatures 70-84, partly cloudy skies, south winds at 20-25 mph.
The ride started with a view of a decorated fishing fleet in Bayou La Batre. Today was the annual "blessing of the fleet" day. As we turned south toward Dauphin Island, we encountered a fierce headwind, the likes of which we haven't seen since west Texas. Crossing the open expanse of Mobile Bay over to Dauphin Island was very difficult into the wind, but fortunately it was only 8 or 9 miles for the worst of it.We were joined today on the ride by Woody's daughter, Florrie. She is a strong rider like her dad. After crossing the ferry from Dauphin Island, we were joined by two riders from Tuscaloosa, Barbie and Tim. Larry, Pam, Woody, Florrie, and Bobby made the 1100 am ferry. Curt, Neil, and Vern had gone earlier on the 09:30 am ferry. Tom and I drove the van through Mobile to take Charles to the airport. Charles will be leaving the ride for 3 days on business. We will miss Charles. While waiting for the ferry, most of the riders toured around old Fort Gaines, built in 1821 as part of the US coastal defense system, much like Ft. Moultrie in Charleston. Tonight we are staying in Gulf Shores, AL.

Until tomorrow...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 33: May 2, 2009

Day 33 - Wiggins, MS to Bayou La Batre, AL: Family day in ALABAMA

Saturday May 2, 2009, 100 miles (161 km) - Total so far: 2,477 miles (3,986 km)

Weather: Temperatures 72-85, partly cloudy skies, winds south at 10-15 mph.

Today's ride was long and hard, a least for me. I think I am a little worn down after almost 2 weeks of consecutive riding. Tomorrow is a short day to the beach at Gulf Shores, and everyone is looking forward to a day of rest on the beach. The day started off foggy and remained very very humid all day. The first part of the ride out of Wiggins was pretty. After about 25 miles the route got flatter and swampier as we got into the "low country" of lower Alabama. After we got to the motel, we had a GREAT treat as Larry's brand new grandson, Rush, paid him a surprise visit. Do you remember the pictures as we left with his daughter getting ready for a new baby... guess what he's here! Larry had not yet seen Rush, but after he did we couldn't get the grin off his face for anything. His daughter and sister-in-law and grandson, River, made the trip from Tuscaloosa to Bayou La Batre as a surprise. About 30 minutes after Larry's reunion, Woody had a visit from his daughter and two granddaughters. This visit was pre-planned but no less rewarding for all concerned. Woody's daughter, a firefighter from Birmingham, is a strong rider and will ride with us tomorrow. The two granddaughters are good bike riders in their own right! The end is getting near. I loved hearing from Mrs. Yarber and Mrs. Gunter's classes yesterday too! What a nice treat to read such great comments after long days on the trial. It will not be long - Share Bear and Flat Stanley will be home.

until later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 32: May 1, 2009

Day 32 - Bogalusa, LA to Wiggins, MS: Anna - back in the saddle again!

Friday May 1, 2009, 65 miles (105 km) - Total so far: 2,377 miles (3,825 km) .

Weather: Temperatures 71-84,, winds were light out of the south, skies were mostly sunny to partly cloudy, and the humidity was lower. The big news on today's ride was that Anna decided to try to ride. She rode in the van to the first rest stop, about 20 miles out, then got on her bike (which Will had repaired) and rode the rest of the way. She said later that she felt good. In fact,, she felt better after riding than she did before riding. So I think that was great therapy. It is great to have everybody back and riding strong as we start the countdown to the end of the ride. Today's route was a typical Adventure Cycling route - rural, low-traffic back roads, lots of shade trees, and scenery. Coupled with lower humidity, light winds, and partly cloudy skies, and we had a very pleasant ride today. The terrain was slightly rolling and the roads were winding, which made the experience even better. To top it off, Charles had BBQ pork spare ribs and BBQ chicken served around the pool at the motel right after the ride. Hey, it's a tough job, this bike riding stuff, but some body's gotta do it!!!!! As we were sitting around the pool enjoying our respite, were all wondering what the working stiffs out there were doing today!

Until tomorrow...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Answers to some of your questions!

1. Where do you sleep? Motels, B&B's
2. How big is Texas? Huge, spent 14 nights, almost 1/3 of trip
3. Did the snake bite uncle Larry? No, uncle Larry is very careful and knows alots about
snakes
4. Is it raining where you are? No, we had little rain yesterday
5. Where do you wash your clothes? Sink, swimming pools,laundry
6. How many tires have you used? 3 tires and 6 tubes
7. Do you have to stop and do maintenance to your bikes? Some, change flats mostly
8. Are your legs tired? My legs get a little tired after about 90 miles
9. Has anyone had any injures? One, only cuts and bruises nothing major
10. Are you tired? No
11. Do you think you will be on time? Yes
12. How much money have your raised for your charity? Don't know yet
13. Did Uncle Larry keep the snakes? No Uncle Larry lets them go
14. Has any bulls charged at you? Only one but we ran
15. Did you know Mrs. Hocutt was from Texas? No - What part?
16. Since cowboys don't ride bikes did they like your bikes? They are very impressed with our
trip!

Be Good, see you guys soon!
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, Share Bear and Uncle Larry
Study Hard and Listen too your Teacher!

Also - Share Bear wants to know if his friends in K4 got him some Shark Teeth on their field trip!!!???!!!

Day 31: April 30, 2009

Day 31 - Amite, LA to Bogalusa, LA: Last day in Louisiana - a wet ride

Thursday April 30, 2009, 63 miles (101 km) - Total so far: 2,312 miles (3,721 km)

Weather: Temperatures were 73 to 85, mostly cloudy skies with occasional drizzle, south winds at 10 mph, and very very humid.

The ride today was relatively short and easy, and most of it was pretty as we rode through more back roads of rural southeastern Louisiana. We got a few sprinkles of rain along the way for the 1st time, but we were all soaking wet from the very high humidity. The cloud cover kept us from being steamed to death, and the breeze was enough to cool us off, but this was by far the most humid day of the ride. I suppose that is appropriate given the part of the country we are in. The terrain today was fairly hilly, with last ten miles being very winding. I much prefer riding winding country roads rather than straight and flat roads. The town of Bogalusa sits on the Pearl River, the boundary line between Louisiana and Mississippi. So, tomorrow we cross into Mississippi early on, for our sixth state (officially) on our journey. Only Alabama and Florida are left! Bogalusa is apparently a paper mill or pulp mill town. We saw several pulp wood trucks today, and the air around here smells like paper mills are here abouts.

Until tomorrow!
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 30: April 29, 2009

Day 30 - St Francisville, LA to Amite, LA: Mississippi two days early!!!!

Wednesday April 29, 2009, 85 miles (137 km) - Total so far: 2,249 miles (3,619 km)

Weather: Temperatures 70-86, winds southeast at 10 mph., skies were partly cloudy to fair.

Today was one of the nicest and most scenic rides we have had in awhile. This part of Louisiana is very pretty with lots of hills and woods. The best thing about the ride today wast that the route went though some very remote areas and we saw almost no cars. This is the area that is the 'toe of the boot' of Louisiana, north of New Orleans and just south of the Mississippi line. Also known as Jerry Clower Country. We are staying tonight in the town of Amite, LA, in Amite Parish. You may recall Jerry talking about the Amite River Swamp in some of his routines. We did have one little mishap, so to speak. About half-way through the ride as we were enjoying a smooth, traffic less, tree-shade road through rural Louisiana, we missed a critical turn. After traveling a few miles on the wrong road, we suddenly saw a "Welcome to Mississippi" sign. Uh oh, we aren't supposed to get to Mississippi for another 2 days !! I think Curt got confused after we turned around, and actually went back to Mississippi a second time, so he rode more than everybody else today. Will drove SAG today with Anna as a passenger. She felt MUCH better today. Besides a noticeable limp, Anna was her usual chipper self, and we all breathed a huge sigh of relief when we she announced at breakfast that she felt pretty good. She is such an asset to our group that it would have sad to lose her to an accident. Will spent most of his time at the rest stops today working on repairing Anna's bike. He seems to have it in pretty good shape. Hopefully, she will be able to ride some before the ride is over. We only have 10 more days!!!

Until later...

Uncle Barry, Share Bear, and Flat Stanley

Day 29: April 28, 2009

Hey Brylan - we got to meet the cops today! They said to tell you hey!

Day 29 - Ville Platte, LA to St Francisville, LA: Murphy Royal - the good Samaritan and Anna's mishap

Tuesday April 28, 2009, 95 miles (153 km) - Total so far: 2,164 miles (3,483 km)

Weather: Temperatures 71-81, winds southeast and light, skies cloudy to mostly cloudy.

Today was the most unique riding day of the whole trip. Lots of stuff happened today. First of all, most of the riders got together and decided that they didn't want to ride 125 miles. So, a route was devised that would have been about 75 miles. The route was neither scenic nor pleasant as 40 miles of it was on heavily traveled US 190. By chance, I stopped at a store, and was informed by the proprietor that the ferry across the Mississippi River to St Francisville was closed for repairs and wouldn't open until the weekend. As luck would have it, the new route headed toward Baton Rouge, the site of the closest bridge across the river. Had we ridden the original route, we would still be out there! The next thing that happened was that when we got to the US 190 bridge in Baton Rouge, we found out that it not only had no shoulders to ride on, but that it was illegal to ride a bike on it without a police escort. Just at that moment, a nice couple - Mr. Murphy Royal and his wife Patsy - pulled up in an old pick-up and offered us a ride across the bridge. So, we loaded seven bikes and seven riders in the back of the truck - Larry rode in the cab - and got a lift across a very dangerous bridge. Thanks to Mr Royal we were able to get to St Francisville. The total mileage turned out to be less than 100 miles.The third thing that happened was that as we were approaching St Francisville, Anna hit a pot hole going down a hill and took a nasty fall. After a trip to the hospital where they cleaned her up, it was determined that she had no serious injuries. She has a bad bruise on her thigh, but is otherwise going to be OK. Her bike was in a bad state, though. We all finally got to the very nice St Francisville Inn. Pam Bucy, Larry's friend from Tuscaloosa, joined us there and will be riding with us for the next week. Pam is a strong rider and a very sweet lady, and everyone was glad to have another woman on the ride. Of course it helped that she brought a box of freshly baked cookies which lasted almost 30 minutes. Neil had a some friends from Baton Rougue join us this evening. They were nice to take us to supper at a great local Cajun seafood restaurant. While we were eating, Will and Anna came back from the hospital and joined us, to a loud ovation.

well - until later....

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 28: April 27, 2009

Day 28 - DeRidder, LA to Ville Platte, LA: Craw fish and boudin

Monday April 27, 2009, 77 miles (124 km) - Total so far: 2,069 miles (3,330 km)

Weather: Temperatures 66-85, winds southeast at 15-25 mph and gusty, skies were cloudy to partly cloudy.

Today was a nice ride, despite the wind, through small Cajun villages and past many craw fish ponds. The terrain was flat, and many of the roads were rough - usually the case on Louisiana back roads. But traffic was light and the wind was mostly a cross-wind which didn't impede our progress all that much. We have had a consistent southeast wind for the past 4 days. Hopefully it will change directions before we start heading south again toward the Gulf coast. The high light of the ride today, as far as I am concerned, was at the end. Larry found a local place that sold fresh boudin and he brought us a mess of it to the motel - freshly made and still hot. Boudin is an extremely good-tasting sausage like stuff made only in Louisiana, as far as I know. It is made of cooked rice and ground pork and good Cajun spices encased in - well you don't need know what it is encased in. But I love boudin and we devoured all we had in short order. We were glad to have Curt back in the group today. Charles picked him up last night at the airport in Beaumont, TX. Thanks, Charles!!!! Tomorrow is another long day, about 128 miles. Originally I had calculated it at 110 miles, but after a re-calculation I determined the distance to be more like 128. Oh well, after 100 miles, a few more won't make much difference.


City street in Cajun country


Yes - once again Larry and once again... DO NOT DO THIS AT HOME!
Larry held this up to show Flat Stanley because he knew all the kids from his class would be getting to see the snakes at the zoo today... and he didn't have to miss out either!


uncle later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 27: April 26, 2009

Day 27 - Kountze, TX to DeRidder, LA: FINALLY out of Texas!!!!

Sunday April 26, 2009, 84 miles (135 km) - Total so far: 1,992 miles (3,206 km)

Weather: Temperatures 68-82, partly cloudy skies, southeast winds at 15-25 mph.

The ride today was mostly on good roads aided by a brisk quartering tailwind. On occasion, however, when we turned slightly south, the southeast wind made riding difficult. After yesterday, though, the 84 miles went by quickly. The terrain today was flat all the way. About 20 miles from the end of the ride, we crossed over the Sabine River into Louisiana. Everyone was so glad to finally get out of Texas that I made a group picture of the riders at the Texas state line. There was no "welcome to Louisiana" sign on the other side, however. This is a land of swampy looking forests and bayous. I am looking forward to some jambalaya and boudin sausage. Tonight, Curt is supposed to rejoin us. Charles has agreed to drive the van over 200 miles roundtrip to Beaumont, TX, to pick him up at the airport there. But everyone is glad to have Curt back in the group. We are looking forward to tonight... a local church here that just happens to have some of my relatives as members is cooking for us... it will be great to see them and to be at church on a Sunday! I think one of the kids asked that in a question a few weeks back! Also, Flat Stanley wants his friends back in Mrs. Hocutt's class to all be careful tomorrow as they go on their field trip to the zoo! He really hates to miss it but says he thinks his field trip across America has been a lot of fun too!



Leaving Texas!


Can you find Share Bear and Flat Stanley... here's a hint - they are sitting in their new found friends lap!

until later...
Uncle Barry, Share Bear, and Flat Stanley

Day 26: April 25, 2009

Day 26 - Navasota, TX to Kountze, TX: The longest day

Saturday April 25, 2009, 132 miles (212 km) - Total so far: 1,908 miles (3,071 km)

Weather: Temperatures 67-85, cloudy to partly cloudy skies, Southeast winds at 15-25 mph.

Most of us have never ridden so far in a single day. But, everybody who started the ride made it, except for Neil who didn't feel real energetic today. The remarkable thing was that despite the long mileage, everyone made it in within 20 minutes of each other, between 5:20 and 5:40 PM. Let me say this about 132 miles: it is a loooooooooooooooooooooooong way on a bike!!!!!We started the ride at 0700 after a good breakfast. The first part of the ride was pretty hilly over rough, narrow farm roads. After about 30 miles, we rode through the Sam Houston National Forest - mostly pine trees it appeared - and over the upper end of Lake Conroe on the San Jacinto River. Then we headed through the town of Coldspring, TX, on the shores of Lake Livingston. After that the terrain got real flat, and we rode mostly with a cross-wind. This area is mostly woods and lots of creeks, and not really a lot of farms and ranches. I happened to miss the van rest stops twice (I just wasn't paying attention I guess), so I ended up riding 80 miles alone and without any food. Finally, after about 100 miles, Charles found me and I had a great lunch of tuna and macaroni (prepared by Charles), which got me in the rest of the way. I didn't take any pictures today as I was concentrating on just making it to the finish. Most everyone was exhausted when we got to the motel in Kountze, so Tom and Neil went and bought a couple of large buckets of greasy fried chicken, which was devoured in, oh, about 6 minutes, as we sat around the pool with a cooler of ice cold beverages.

until later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 25: April 24, 2009

Day 25 - LaGrange, TX to Navasota, TX: Bluebonnets and history

Friday April 24, 2009, 70 miles (113 km) - Total so far: 1,776 miles (2,858 km)

Weather: Temperatures 61-71, cloudy skies, winds 10-15 mph from the south.

Today's ride was extremely pretty and extremely interesting. From the very start this morning, as we rode out of LaGrange, we started to see field after field of Texas bluebonnets, along with countless other wildflowers. The display was spectacular and went on the entire 70 miles. The locals told us that the bluebonnets are actually past peak, but they looked spectacular to me. The photos cannot capture the scope of the wildflower display we witnessed today. In addition, this part of Texas, roughly due north of Houston, is in a very historic part of the state in terms of the early American settlements here. We saw many old homes, old cemeteries, and monuments dating back to the 1820's and 1830's. The town of Independence, TX, founded in 1836, is a living museum of old buildings, and is the original site of Baylor University. We rode through the town of Washington, originally the site of Washington-on-the-Brazos, where the Texans proclaimed independence from Mexico in 1836. The riding today was pleasant as there was a heavy overcast which kept the temperatures very moderate, even though it was very humid. Tomorrow is our 130-mile ride. We are all ready to give it a go, planning to leave at first light. One final note: I enjoyed talking to the kids in Mrs. Yarber's class today. Share Bear and Flat Stanley were jealous!

until later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 24: April 23, 2009

Day 24 - Lockhart, TX to LaGrange, TX: Into the deep South

Thursday April 23, 2009, 71 miles (114 km) - Total so far: 1,706 miles (2,746 km)

Weather: Temperatures 61-83, winds south 10-25 mph, partly cloudy skies.
Today we saw Spanish moss, lots of pine trees, and deep woods. The air is humid and hot. Feels like home!!!! The ride today featured a 15-mile stretch through two Texas state parks. The park roads were up and down and roller-coaster, and very shaded. There were several steep hills in the park that measured up to 18% grade, but they were very short. Some of the riders got worn down from the constant up and down, but there were no cars and the deep woods made us feel like we we were far from civilization. After leaving the parks we rode through east Texas farm country, right into a strong headwind for the last 10 miles. There is not much in LaGrange, but the town is noted as the site of the "Best Little House in Texas" made famous by the Dolly Parton movie. We are staying at the only motel in town, the Oak Motel, which is run by a very charming couple. They gave us all a bottle of cold water when we checked in. Apparently, this is a regular stop for cross-country cyclers. They have a book containing the names of thousands of cyclers who have stayed at their motel. Some of the group took an excursion this afternoon to the brewery in Shiner, TX., where they make Shiner Boock, thanks to the efforts of Will and Anna Haltiwanger. (I stayed in LaGrange to work on the ride journal).

until later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 23: April 22, 2009

Day 23 - Blanco, TX to Lockhart, TX: Out if the Hill Country

Wednesday April 22, 2009, 63 miles (101 km) - Total so far: 1,635 miles (2,631 km)

Weather: Temperature 62-91, winds 10-25 mph out of the south, sunny skies.

This was the hottest day so far, but the ride was fairly easy as it was more down hill than up hill. We went through a series of hills to start with, with fairly heavy traffic. As we approached Lockhart, the terrain became flat and there were large open farm lands in every direction. It looks more like south Georgia except that there are bluebonnets and other flowers in proliferation in the un-tilled fields, plus the occasional cacti are present here as well. The climate is noticeably more humid as we get into East Texas. The town of Lockhart is a very pretty town of about 7000. The downtown centers around a very pretty court house you can see in the picture. Just off the square, Larry, Bobby, and I ate lunch at Black's BBQ. It was perhaps some of the best I have ever had. They smoke beef brisket over post oak coals. It is tender and flavorful. Black's claims to be the oldest BBQ in Texas and Lockart claims to be the BBQ capital of Texas. However, I am finding out that almost every town in Texas claims to be the something-or-other capital of Texas. I have to admit that this is a very unique state. I have enjoyed my journey across it.

Day 22: April 21, 2009

Day 22 - Kerrville, TX to Blanco, TX: Deep in the Heart of Texas

Tuesday April 21, 2009, 64 miles (103 km) - Total so far: 1,572 miles (2,530 km)

Weather: Temperatures 47-85, winds NW 0-5 mph, skies sunny.

Today we continued through the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The morning was cool and clear as we left Kerrville. We rode for a several miles along the Guadalupe River before turning slightly north. Along the way, we went up and down all day long on lonely back roads. There are hundreds of ranches in this area. One ranch had Texas longhorns, but they ran off before I could get a picture. Besides the little towns of Comfort, TX., and Waring, TX., there was little more than isolated cattle ranches, scrubby forests, and lots and lots of hills. This was a nice ride because there was almost no traffic all day.We had a nice rest stop, in the tiny community of Sisterdale, at a winery that once was a cotton gin. The town of Blanco is on the edge of the German area in this part of Texas. It is a small town that has almost all of its businesses in the block around the Blanco County court house. Couldn't upload pictures today, hopefully I'll get them on tomorrow.

Until Later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 21: April 20, 2009

Lobby of the ranch resort we are staying in for tonight.


Rock Ranch!



Flat Stanley eating a cheese cracker at a rest stop. Flat doesn't pedal very much, he mostly just rides along, but he eats a LOT!!!!! Wonder how he stays so thin?

Some kind of African antelopes

Day 21 - Vanderpool, TX to Kerrville, TX: Texas Hill Country

Monday April 20, 2009, 51 miles (82 km) - Total so far: 1,508 miles (2,427 km)

Weather: Temperatures cool 47 to 78, winds north at 7-10mph, sunny skies.

Today we rode through the heart of the Texas Hill Country. The ride started with a long and very steep climb followed by long downhills. Then we came down into the valley of the Guadalupe River, which we followed for miles. The road went up and down and around as we crossed the Guadalupe about a dozen times. In Hunt, TX, we stopped at a neat country store for a glass of ice tea. The whole area is a summer tourist area. The river is pretty and is heavily wooded along its banks. This is extremely pretty country. We also passed a lot of hunting ranches, some of which were stocked with exotic African animals which they kept behind high fences. Doesn't seem very sporting to me. I did see some white tail deer mixed in among the exotics. Yesterday we spooked a group of three male turkeys, 2 toms and a jake. The big one, which had a very long beard and appeared to be quite large, stopped on the side of the road and gobbled loudly as Anna rode by. The other two flew across the road right to the big tom and they all hauled tail into the forest.

until later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 20: April 19, 2009

Day 20 - Camp Wood, TX to Vanderpool, TX: HALF WAY!!!!!

Sunday April 19, 2009, 40 miles (64 km) - Total so far: 1,457 miles (2,345 km)

Weather: Temperatures 51-72, sunny skies, winds northwest at 10-12 mph.

Well, today was the half--way point. We have ridden 20 days and have 20 days left. Today was a short ride, but we had three severe climbs with grades of up to 12%. Along the way we entered the beautiful Texas Hill Country. The terrain was hilly but much greener and more heavily wooded than we have been experiencing. The further into the hills we get, the less dry it looks, and there is actually water in the creeks and rivers. Curt had too leave us today for business. He plans to be back in a week. In the meantime, we stayed in some very nice vacation cabins near Vanderpool, called Foxfire Cabins. We bought some chicken, potatoes, onions, and hamburger and had a great cookout, thanks to Charles and Larry.

until later....
uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 19: April 18, 2009

Day 19 - Del Rio, TX to Camp Wood, TX: Hills and forests

Saturday April 18, 2009, 89 miles (143 km) - Total so far: 1,417 miles (2,280 km)

Weather: Temperatures were 67 in the morning and 88 in the afternoon, winds Northwest at 10, partly cloudy to cloudy skies.

Today's ride was very hard ride. Not only did it come after a 110-mile day, but there was no tailwind, we gained altitude, and the we rode on Texas "Ranch Roads" which are ALL paved with chip-seal pavement, also known as "popcorn"" pavement or "shake-and-bake". Other than the difficulty and discomfort, the scenery changed dramatically today. We went from dry, flat scrub-brush country to a greener, hillier, and more forested landscape. We are now on the edge of the famous Texas Hill Country. Camp Wood is a small town of 800 and sort of sleepy. We had to stop and have lunch on the side of the road as you can see!

Day 18: April 17, 2009

Flat Stanley has loved every minute of the trip! He has really enjoyed the food too!


Check out this town's courthouse.

Larry holding a rattlesnake.... DO NOT TRY THAT AT HOME!

Day 18 - Sanderson, TX to Lake Amistad (Del Rio, TX): Tailwinds!!!!

Friday April 17, 2009, 110 miles (177 km) - Total so far: 1,328 miles (2,137 km)

Weather:temperatures mid 60's to mid 80's, wind northwest at 10-15 mph, mostly Sunny skies.

This update is a day late (hopefully not a dollar short!) as we had no Internet last night. But here is the scoop: This was a long day, longest ride of the trip so far, but most of us completed the 110 miles in 6 hours of riding. There was a nice tailwind most of the way, plus we lost over 2000 feet of altitude as we rode into the Rio Grande Valley once again. The ride was the fastest and easiest 110 miles you could ask for. The scenery got a little old - dry scrub desert - after awhile. The highlight of the day for me was visiting the old town of Langtry, TX, where Judge Roy Bean held court, west of the Pecos River. There is a nice museum there plus the original saloon where he held court. The other highlight was crossing the extremely beautiful Pecos River. The river is clear bright green and runs in a fairly deep canyon where the highway crosses it. As we got nearer to Del Rio, we saw more and more US Border Patrol cars. The Border Patrol is very active in this area. Del Rio is a major port of entry into the US. We didn't ride all the way into Del Rio, but instead stopped 9 miles short on the edge of beautiful Lake Amistad. Lake Amistad is formed by a dam on the Rio Grande and is partly in Mexico. It is a well-known bass-fishing lake and the site of a recent national bass tournament.

Until later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 17: April 16, 2009

Day 17 - Marathon, TX to Sanderson, TX: More West Texas expanse

Thursday April 16, 2009, 55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 1,218 miles (1,960 km)

Weather: Temperatures 47-84, winds southeast light and variable, clear skies. Today's ride was another fairly easy day, but the hottest day of the trip so far. The terrain was mostly a constant gradual downhill which made the riding very pleasurable, despite some late crosswinds and headwinds. We all hated to leave Marathon, a small but unique town. After a great breakfast, served by a transplanted Georgian, the entire route beyond Marathon was almost a devoid of towns, people, and traffic. It gives one a very lonely feeling when you are out there alone. I am struck by the vast openness of this area. The only thing we saw of note besides a few isolated ranches and a few cattle, were a small herd of the stores are closed and deer off in the distance. Like everywhere in the desert southwest in spring, flowers were everywhere. Sanderson is a sad town. Once a railroad town, the locals told us that over 70% of the houses here are now vacant. Most of the stores are closed, and there are a couple of old motels trying to survive in a dying town. Like everywhere we have been, though, the people are nice and everyone seems to have good attitudes. This bike ride is reinforcing my belief in the great American optimism that drives our culture.

Hope all is well back home.

Until later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 16: April 15, 2009

Day 16 - Fort Davis, TX to Marathon, TX: Miles and miles of Texas

Wednesday April 15, 2009, 55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 1,163 miles (1,872 km)

Weather: Sunny skies, temperatures 57 to 81, winds 10-12 mph from the south. After almost 200 miles and lots of climbing the last two days, today was a nice recovery day. After breakfast at a local cafe in Fort Davis, we did a slow ride out into the expanses of West Texas. On the way we stopped in the very nice and charming town of Alpine, Texas. In Alpine, Larry and I stopped at a cafe/bakery and had a fresh-baked sticky bun and iced tea (bike rider fare!). After Alpine, there was nothing but open spaces and a cross-wind all the way to Marathon. The purple flowers that I have been seeing were prolific in this area. The motel in Marathon is a combination motel, campground, and RV park. It is very pretty and very well done. The town of Marathon has only 500 people but has this place, another B&B, and the historic Gage Hotel (which was too costly for us poor bike riders). The town is the gateway to Big Bend National Park, about 60 miles south of here.

Day 15: April 14, 2009

Day 15 - Van Horn, TX to Fort Davis, TX: Hills

Tuesday April 14, 2009, 91 miles (146 km) - Total so far: 1,108 miles (1,783 km)

Weather: Temperatures 51-77, winds southwest at 10-12 mph, partly cloudy to clear skies. Today's ride was long and fairly difficult, but the scenery was outstanding. The time changed to Central Daylight Time just before Van Horn, so everyone got up this morning on the "new" time and it was dark outside. We all finally left Van Horn a little after 8 am. The first 20 miles were along a frontage road along I-10. Then next 17 miles were on the shoulder of I-10. The shoulder was MUCH smoother an easier to ride on, so we destroyed that 17 miles in short order. Then the "fun" began. We exited I-10, and for the next 50 miles we road through some very scenic West Texas brush country into the Davis Mountains. The road was rough, there was a headwind, and it was all up hill. The scenery made it worth the effort, though. There was a long and fairly steep climb up to the University of Texas McDonald Observatory. Most of the riders went into the visitor's center there. Larry actually rode all the way up to the dome. Some of the riders had the climbing do them in and climbed in to the van. Fort Davis is a neat little town. It was the site of a US Cavalry fort in the late 1800's. The area around here is open range cow country and is very rocky and hilly. The town itself seems to be a tourist spot. There are several dude ranches around and the Big Bend country is not far.

until later....
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 14: April 13, 2009

Day 14 - Fabens, TX to Van Horn, TX: Third time zone

Monday April 13, 2009, 98 miles (158 km) - Total so far: 1,017 miles (1,637 km)

Weather: Temperature 50- 75, winds light out of the southeast, mostly sunny skies.

Today's ride was long, but not especially hard. We left the motel in Fabens and stopped at Mickey D's for breakfast, where the local townspeople were solving the world's problems around their morning coffee. They wished us well on our journey. Everywhere we go the people are curious about our trip. All the people we meet - from American Indians to local ranchers to waiters and waitresses - are all very friendly and genuinely interested in our trip. The first 40 or so miles today were flat and fast as we rode through large unpopulated stretches of West Texas brush country. There were almost no cars on that stretch. The last 45 or 50 miles were on I-10 or on a frontage road alongside I-10. That part was boring, and the frontage road pavement was rough. In addition we picked up a mild head wind that held our speed down to under 14 mph. It made for a long, tiring day. The best part was a long down hill into Van Horn, albeit on the interstate. Tomorrow may be the toughest day on the whole trip as we ride 90 miles to Fort Davis, including a climb up to the McDonald Observatory!

Until tomorrow...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 13: April 12, 2009

Day 13 - Las Cruces, NM to Fabens, TX: The fourth state
Sunday April 12, 2009, 77 miles (124 km) - Total so far: 919 miles (1,479 km)
Weather: Temperatures 41-62, partly cloudy skies, winds westerly at 25-38 mph.

HAPPY EASTER TO EVERYONE and thanks for the comments.
I actually am posting early Monday morning for Sunday's blog - it was my day to drive the van on Sunday. It was very nice. I was actually able to call home and talk to family on Easter. Kim, Jeremy and all are well. Also was able to talk to my sister, Jan (Mrs. Yaw) and was glad to hear everyone is doing good and the kids are keeping track so well of the journey. Flat Stanley and Share Bear are having fun - the Easter bunny even found them but Share Bear did hate he missed the K4 Easter egg hunt - he said he always enjoys that! After Monday's ride I'll be able to update and hopefully have much more details and a few pictures.

Until later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 12: April 11, 2009

Day 12 - Kingston, NM to Las Cruces, NM: Down the mountain

Saturday April 11, 2009, 89 miles (143 km) - Total so far: 842 miles (1,355 km)

Weather: Partly cloudy, windy, winds from the west at 15-25 mph and gusty, temperatures 44-62.

Black Range Lodge had a HUGE breakfast this morning - omelets, home fries, lots of fresh onions, peppers and cilantro, fresh fruit, waffles, homemade bread, and great cowboy coffee. What a great place. Nobody wanted to leave. From the Lodge, we coasted 9 miles down hill to the neat little town of Hillsboro. It had the last scheduled stage coach service in the US. After Hillsboro, we had a wild down hill ride with a 25 mph tail wind, all the way to Lake Caballo on the Rio Grande River. We were averaging over 30 mph for a 10-mile stretch. The rest of the day was mostly flat, with a cross-wind, as we turned south, following the Rio Grande all the way to Las Cruces. About , 20 miles from Las Cruces, we passed a rodeo going on in an arena next to the river. Several of us stopped and watched for awhile, amazed at the skill of the calf-ropers. Las Cruces, our stopover for the night, is the second largest city in New Mexico with a population of about 75,000. Tomorrow we enter Texas, our 4th state.











Part of the Rio Grande











Open Range










Our group!



Have a great Easter!
Barry, Flat Stanley and Share Bear

Day 11: April 10, 2009

Day 11 - Silver City, NM to Kingston, NM: Highest point

Friday April 10, 2009, 47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 753 miles (1,212 km)

Weather: Temperatures 39-62, winds light and variable from the west, sunny to partly cloudy skies.

We started in a chill, but warmed quickly as we rode up out of Silver City. We passed the Santa Rita Ccpper mine as we climbed most of the morning. Along the way we passed a lot of people walking down the road. They said they were walking for Good Friday as a sort of yearly pilgrimage between villages. After passing the small town of San Lorenzo, the route entered the Gila National forest. The higher we climbed the more breathtaking the scenery became. We encountered heavy pine forests, mountain streams, and canyons. It was a strenuous climb to the top of Emory Pass in the Black Range Mountains. At 8200 feet, this was the highest point on the entire route. It is all down hill from here!!!! Tonight's lodging is in the very unique Black Range Lodge B&B. It is an old ranch house dating back to the late 1800's in Kingston, NM. At one time Kingston was the largest city in New Mexico at over 7000 residents. Today, Kingston has one street -a dead end - and 24 residents. There are a handful of old buildings left, but most of the town is gone. In it's heyday, Kingston was a center for the silver industry. Now the mines are dried up and the US dollar no longer relies on silver. But this place is still neat. Since there are no restaurants for miles around, the owners are fixing us a home made turkey dinner for supper.

Until Later...

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 10: April 9, 2009

Day 10 - Lordsburg, NM to Silver City, NM: Continental Divide

Thursday April 9, 2009, 47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 706 miles (1,136 km)

Weather: Sunny skies, temperatures 44-60, winds west at 15 mph.

Started in a slight chill in Lordsburg, at almost 5000 feet, and immediately did a slow climb followed by a steeper climb to the Continental Divide at over 6000 feet. It was even chillier up there. Afterwards, we enjoyed a looooong downhill run before making a steep climb back up to 6000 feet as we passed the Tyrone copper mine. The area around Silver City is known for two things: copper mining and as the home town of Billy the Kid. Larry and I made a tour of the town of Silver City before going to the motel. It is a neat town and looks more prosperous than most of the ones we have been through so far. That may be because of the price of copper, plus the fact that Silver City is also a college town, home to Western New Mexico University. I toured the town's museum and found that they have been hit by several devastating floods over the years. The floods have caused a massive ditch to be cut right through town, and so they have erected a nice city park around it called, appropriately, Big Ditch Park. Tonight's lodging is in a nice Comfort Inn which had a very nice hot tub that most of the bikers took advantage of. Tomorrow is the "big climb". Stay tuned!

Until later....

Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 9: April 8, 2009

Day 9 - Safford, AZ to Lorsdburg, NM: Land of Enchantment


Wednesday April 8, 2009, 79 miles (127 km) - Total so far: 659 miles (1,061 km)


Weather: Partly cloudy skies, winds southwesterly at 17 gusting to 35 mph.

We entered out third state, today.

Today's ride was very enjoyable. As we left Safford, the scenery got more and more spectacular. We did a gradual climb toward the New Mexico border, stopping at Duncan, AZ for a rest and a bite to eat. The roads were smooth and traffic almost non-existent, plus we had a quartering tailwind. Besides the town of Duncan, AZ, a few miles from the New Mexico border, there was nothing today but wide open spaces. I had the song "Don't Fence Me In" in my head all day. There were no fences, no houses, no nothing.


The town of Lorsdburg is like many we have seen out west - one time prosperous for one reason or another,, and now falling on hard times.

So far on the trip, we have had 8 flats, one broken chain, have seen 2 dead coyotes, one snake, and a bunch of road runners.

I want to take this moment to thank Eagles' Wings and U-Save Auto of Tuscaloosa, AL, for providing the van for our trip. Special thanks to Mike Dunn and Danny Butler for donating the van. The riders have all contributed $1000 to Eagles' Wings for the use of the U-Save Auto van. Thanks guys, from everybody on the ride!!!!!!

Until later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 8: April 7, 2009

Globe, AZ to Safford, AZ: Apache country

Tuesday April 7, 2009, 76 miles (122 km) - Total so far: 580 miles (933 km)
Weather: Sunny skies, temperatures 57-77, winds east at 15, changing to SW light and variable.

We left Globe to a headwind and a couple of long climbs. The terrain started to change from the last few days as we saw more vegetation and more trees. We were riding in the Gila River valley. Water from the river is used to irrigate cotton fields around the town of Pima, AZ, noted for the famous soft Pima cotton. The mountains are the highest we have seen so far. Mt Graham near Safford is over 12,000 and still has lots of snow on the top.

About 10 miles out of Globe, we entered the San Carlos Apache Reservation.
In the middle of the route we rode through the town of Geronimo, an appropriate name. At one rest stop, a local Apache came up to speak to us. He said he was a professional horse tamer and a steer wrestler in the rodeo, and had a ranch in the area.

At another rest stop, a west-bound cyclist stopped for a few minutes. His name was Garrett, a recent college grad, who was riding solo from St Augustine to his home in San Diego. He was on day 34 of his trip. In the town of Pima, we visited with Vern's cousin, a retired rancher from Arizona, and his wife. We spent some time in their living room listening to stories about the old days on the ranch. They were extraordinary people.

Overall it was a tough ride, until the winds shifted to the southwest. The scenery remains spectacular. One can understand the lure of the American West when you cycle through it. The world looks much larger out here! We are also learning that the people here are pretty much like Americans everywhere.

Answers to a few more questions:
1. Do you think you will make this an annual event? Probably not this one, but there is one may across Scotland and Ireland that would be nice. (The wives are included)
2. How long did you train before leaving? I've been riding for a number of years, I rode 10,200 miles in 2008 and started seriously training in Nov. 2008.
3. Have you ever had an injury from riding a bike? I've had a few falls but only one time taken to hospital to have stitches in my arm.
4. Did you kill the snake you saw yesterday? No, we do not kill snakes, a car must have run over the rattlesnake.
5. Is the food good? The food has been very good, we've eaten a lot of Mexican but tonight we're eating all (Buffet Chinese)
6. Have you seen any big animals? Coyote, Road Runners, cows, horses and a buffalo.
7. Did you pick out your favorite bible verse because it is about Eagles
and Wings which you like or did it just happen like that? Isaiah 40:31 is very appropriate for this journey.
8. Did ya'll go to church on Sunday? Not yet, we don't have a day off until May 10th.

Until later...
Uncle Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear

Day 7: April 6, 2009

Day 7 - Apache Junction, AZ to Globe, AZ: Headwinds and hills and trucks!

Monday April 6, 2009, 56 miles (90 km) - Total so far: 504 miles (811 km)

Weather: Sunny skies, temperature 62-72, winds east at 15-35 mph. This was one of the hardest bike rides I have ever done. The whole day was one long climb, from 1500 feet at Apache Junction to almost 5000 feet at Signal Mountain pass. The climbing was steep, but the worst part was the relentless head wind. Additionally, Globe is a major mining area and there was lots of truck traffic between Globe and the Phoenix area. Probably the worst part of the ride was going through the quarter-mile long Queen Creek tunnel. There was no shoulder and the noise from the big trucks was almost unbearable. The entire ride today was on US Highway 60. Despite the difficulties - the terrain remained scenic. We rode through some beautiful mountain passes and went through some interesting old mining towns that have since fallen on hard times. Staying tonight in a brand new Days Inn in Globe. Below is a picture of an old mining town and hotel - we come across a lot of these small towns. Also below is a picture of a unhappy camper we passed along the road today. Yep! I think we made him mad!