Camping can be...well, fun!

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Since we may be doing some camping during our two and a half month ride, we decided to give it a test run by packing up some gear and cycling to Southwick Beach on the shores on Lake Ontario. To give ourselves a little break, we drove up to Joel's office in Camden and headed out from there at 6:30 am on Thursday. What a beautiful day and what a terrific ride! Google Maps now provides directions for bicycles so our 47 mile route took us through many back roads and neat little communities. Joel saved a baby turtle from certain death by moving him out of the road and Holly befriended a spider who rode on her handlebar for several miles! We arrived at the campsite by late morning and met up with our friends, Ron and Fran, who were already set up. As Joel put up our tent we got quite a chuckle because although it says it is for two people, next to Fron's, it looked puny! After a long walk on the nearly deserted beach, Fran provided us with a spectacular, gourmet picnic complete with spiedies, fresh fruit, and other cold salads...again the reward at the end of a long ride is a great meal! We had the traditional campfire then a somewhat fit full sleep...got to get this camping part down!

Anyway, morning always comes and with it a good cup of coffee. After breaking down what little we brought, it was back on the bikes and homeward bound. For variety, and as it turns out, a challenge, we decided on a different route home. Let's just say two words; ROLLING HILLS! After joyfully screaming down several then cursing and groaning up some more it became apparent that they just weren't going to go away. We stopped counting at twenty five or so...not kidding! As is always the case, however, there were high points to the day. We came across a slightly off tune guitar player who serenaded us with Jimmy Buffett and Tom Petty songs at the beach at Selkirk Shores. We ate amazingly delicious oatmeal raisin cookies at a General Store on Route 3 in Mexico, and we thought we caught a glimpse of Joel Rhein shadowing us as we saw two yellow Bajas,(with the rack lights!)one in Lacoma and one in Amboy. Speaking of shadowing, Holly's parents have jumped on board for the trip and will be our official SAG wagon providing us with support and good times along the way! Today's ride racked up another 58 or so miles and both of us felt it in our quads. It is all good, though, and we plan to ride again over the Memorial Day weekend.

About the East Coast Greenway...

Since the weather has been chilly, rainy, and even snowy we haven't been biking too much (well, alright, Joel has but Holly has been going to the gym instead!) so I thought I would educate you all on the ECG and why we have chosen to ride in support and awareness of their efforts. The Greenway Alliance is a not for profit organization that was founded in 1991 with the intention of creating an urban path for non motorized human transportation linking major cities along the Atlantic Coast from Maine all the way down to Florida. As of late 2009, 24% of the nearly 3,000 miles has been completed off road. The rest of the Greenway is a network of roads that connect cities to cities, cities to suburbs, and suburbs to rural areas. In essence the Greenway is much like an urbanized Appalachian Trail.

The Greenway relies a lot on volunteers to maintain trails, report any condition changes to Greenway users, monitor signage, and update cue sheets. This is where Joel and I come in. As we make our way south on the roads and trails we will take notes on any problems we encounter and suggestions we may have to improve the Greenway for future cyclists. In addition we can heighten awareness of the Greenway by sharing our story with people we meet along the way so they can begin to take advantage of the trails in their communities. You all can help as well by checking out the Greenway website at www.greenway.org and possibly become a member, donor, or volunteer! The benefits of the Greenway are especially significant these days because it reduces roadway congestion and provides a safe transportation option for cyclists, walkers, and the wheelchair bound. It also enhances local economic development and curbs the demand for fossil fuel while improving the air quality!

What a blast we had this weekend!

It all started on Friday night when we bumped into Tom and Patti Bates at the Delta Lake Inn and had a celebratory toast to her 39th(!!) birthday. We then went home and packed up our panniers and tuned our bikes for our first official training ride which began at 10 am on Saturday morning. Our destination...an overnight at The Canalside Inn in Little Falls, about 40 miles. It was sunny and surprisingly warm; a perfect day for a cycle! We took the canal trail from "Pic and Pay" in Oriskany all the way to Utica. Along the way we raced a train...we lost... and a motorized inflatable boat in the canal...we won! Holly had a flat tire and while Joel was fixing it a terrific cyclist named Donna stopped by to see if she could help. In fact she did by giving us accurate directions through Utica and onto old route 5S. She rode with us for awhile then branched off on her own. We encountered another biker in Herkimer, a Brit, who rode with us as well as we all searched for the trail again. We never found it but we did come across the neatest old cemetery and church! We finally arrived at the Inn by late afternoon and were welcomed by James the chef/owner. Needless to say it was time for some Cupcake (by the way, Happy Anniversary to Adam and Maria!) and some cheese and crackers! Dinner was delightful; I had duck and Joel had veal and we shared a coconut creme brulee. 6 am came early on Sunday but alas we had to get back in the saddle (ouch!) After breakfast at the cafe next door to the Inn we headed home. The ride home, for whatever reason, took alot less time but was just as enjoyable, however not without mishaps. On route 5 approaching Utica one of our panniers literally flew off the back of Joel's bike and on the Oriskany Trail Joel had two, count em, two flats! Since we were clean out of extra inner tubes Holly rode the rest of the way home to get the Flex while Joel tried to patch the hole...no luck. So I guess these training rides are teachable moments but they are also a ton of fun!! Thanks to Tom and Erv for taking care of the dogs while we adventured:) One last thing; Paige, you would have loved the wildlife we saw: several red winged blackbirds, a plethora of sunbathing turtles, geese galore, a trail trotting turkey, a kamikaze chipmunk which Holly almost ran over, a live snake, several dead snakes and tons of other road kill:(

Joel has some repairs to do and we will be back on the road. Stay tuned!

We may be coming to a town near you!

Now that the weather is finally "springlike" we are getting out on our bikes more frequently...Joel moreso than Holly. He has ridden to work in Camden and back (40 miles roundtrip) a couple of times and taken a few hilly afternoon cycles. Holly has ridden around Lake Delta and is hoping to do so again this afternoon! Today's posting is going to be devoted to a listing of all the cities and towns we will be riding through this summer/fall and the dates that we hope to be there. Many of our friends along the route have already offered to take us in for a night or so and we are THRILLED to be able to catch up with them! We are still trying to get in touch with others to see if they will be around when we pass through. Another way we hope to connect with friends and family is by inviting them to join us on the ride whenever they can. So, take a look at the following schedule and see where you may be able to catch up with us:)

Sunday, August 1st leave Calais, ME and arrive Machias, ME (50.3 miles)
Monday, August 2nd leave Machais, ME and arrive Ellsworth, ME (77.7 miles)
Tuesday, August 3rd leave Ellsworth, ME and arrive Bangor, ME (29 miles)
Wednesday, August 4th leave Bangor, ME and arrive Waterville, ME (63.5 miles)
Thursday, August 5th leave Waterville, ME and arrive Lewiston, ME (52.2 miles)
Friday, August 6th leave Lewiston, ME and arrive Portland, ME (57.1 miles)
Saturday, August 7th rest day in Portland with Julie and Rob Reusch and kids!!
Sunday, August 8th leave Portland and arrive Wells, ME (41.6 miles)
Moday, August 9th leave Wells, ME and arrive Portsmouth, NH (27.1 miles)
Tuesday, August 10th leave Portsmouth, NH and arrive Newburyport, MA (28.5miles)
overnight in Manchester with Julie and Mark Janowicz and kids!
Wednesday, August 11th leave Newburyport, MA and arrive Boston, MA (52 miles)
Thursday, August 12th leave Boston, MA and arrive Worcester, MA (52.3 miles)
Friday, August 13th leave Worcester, MA and arrive Providence, RI (53.9 miles)
Saturday, August 14th rest day in Providence with Rachael and Doug Dean!!
Sunday, August 15th leave Providence, RI and arrive Putnam, CT (51.5 miles)
Monday, August 16th leave Putnam, CT and arrive Willimantic, CT (25.2 miles)
Tuesday, August 17th leave Willimantic, CT and arrive Hartford, CT (33.5 miles)
overnight with Dan and Lesley Mara and kids!!!!
Wednesday, August 18th leave Hartford, CT and arrive New Haven, CT (69.2 miles)
Thursday, August 19th leave New Haven, CT and arrive Port Chester, NY (61.8 miles)
Friday, August 20th leave Port Chester, NY and arrive NYC (40.9 miles)
Saturday, August 21st rest day in NYC
Sunday, August 22nd leave NYC and arrive New Brunswick, NJ (40.9 miles)
Monday, August 23rd leave New Brunswick, NJ and arrive Trenton, NJ (36.9 miles)
Tuesday, August 24th leave Trenton, NJ and arrive Philadelphia, PA (32.1 miles)
Wednesday, August 25th rest day in Philly!
Thursday, August 26th leave Philadelphia, PA and arrive Elkton, MD (65.5 miles)
Friday, August 27th leave Elkton, MD and arrive Havre De Grace, MD (19.5 miles)
Saturday, August 28th leave Havre De Grace, MD and arrive Monkton, MD (37.8 miles)
Sunday, August 29th leave Monkton, MD and arrive Annapolis, MD (56.9 miles)
overnight with cousin Jill and Dino and Lexie Delviscio!!
Monday, August 30th rest day in Annapolis!
Tuesday, August 31st leave Annapolis, MD and arrive Bowie, MD (27.6 miles)
Wednesday, September 1st leave Bowie, MD and arrive Washington DC (27.6 miles)
overnight with Scott Brinitzer!!
Thursday, September 2nd leave Washington,DC and arrive Fredricksburgh, VA(67.5 miles)
Friday, September 3rd leave Fredricksburgh, VA and arrive Richmond, VA (72 miles)
Saturday, September 4th and Sunday, September 5th rest days with the Brickeys in Williamsburgh!!
Monday, September 6th leave Richmond, VA and arrive McKenney, Va (58 miles)
Tuesday, September 7th leave McKenney,Va and go 1/2 way to Henderson,NC (42.4 miles)
Wednesday, September 8th arrive Henderson, NC (42.4 miles)
Thursday, September 9th leave Henderson, NC and arrive Durham, NC (58.8 miles)
Friday, September 10th rest day in Durham with Julie and Reinhart!!
Saturday, September 11th leave Durham, NC and arrive Erwin, NC (64.9 miles)
Sunday, September 12th leave Erwin, NC and arrive Elizabethtown, NC (62.3 miles)
Monday, September 13th leave Elizabethtown, NC and arrive Wilmington, NC (55.6 miles)
Tuesday, September 14th rest day in Wilmington with Mary McLean Evans!!
Wednesday, September 15th leave Wilmington, NC and go 1/2 to Myrtle Beach, SC
(38.8 miles)
Thursday, September 16th arrive Myrtle Beach, SC (38.8 miles)
Friday, September 17th leave Myrtle Beach, SC and arrive Georgetown, SC (60 miles)
Saturday, September 18th leave Georgetown, SC and go 1/2 way to Charleston, SC
(44.8 miles)
Sunday, September 19th arrive Charleston, SC (44.8 miles)
Monday, September 20th rest day in Charleston!!
Tuesday, September 21st leave Charleston, SC and arrive Ridgeland, SC (82 miles)
Wednesday, September 22nd leave Ridgeland, SC and go 1/2 to Savannah, GA (35 miles)
Thursday, September 23rd arrive Savannah, GA (35 miles)
Friday, September 24th rest day in Savannah!!
Saturday, September 25th leave Savannah, GA and arrive Darien, GA (77.2 miles)
Sunday, September 26th leave Darien, GA and arrive FL/GA border (52.9 miles)
Monday, September 27th leave FL/GA border and arrive St. Augustine, FL (78.5 miles)
Tuesday, September 28th leave St. Augustine, FL and go 1/2 way to New Smyrna Beach, FL (35.9 miles)
Wednesday, September 29th arrive New Smyrna Beach, FL (35.9 miles)
Thursday, September 30th rest day in New Smyrna with Liz Allport!!
Friday, October 1st leave New Smyrna Beach, FL and arrive Melbourne, FL (73.3 miles)
overnight with Cathy and Steve Olney!!
Saturday, October 2nd leave Melbourne, FL and arrive Ft. Pierce, FL (49.1 miles)
Sunday, October 3rd leave Ft. Pierce, FL and arrive West Palm Beach, FL (64.3 miles)
Monday, October 4th rest day in West Palm with the Kennedy Family!!
Tuesday, October 5th leave West Palm Beach, FL and arrive Miami, FL (71.4 miles)
Wednesday, October 6th leave Miami, FL and go 1/2 way to Key Largo, FL (37.5 miles)
Thursday, October 7th arrive Key Largo, FL (37.5 miles)
Friday, October 8th leave Key Largo, FL and arrive Marathon, FL (51 miles)
Saturday, October 9th leave Marathon, FL and arrive Key West, FL (47.5 miles)
Staying in Key West at the Parrot Key Resort until Saturday, October 16th!!!!

Easter Sunday

What a beautiful day this turned out to be! We awoke before the dawn so that we could ride our bikes to the Erie Canal Village for the "Son Rise" Easter service. Paige was kind enough to get up early to snap our picture for the blog! We arrived at the outdoor gathering just in time for songs and prayer. The sun actually rose mid way through, which was beautiful. Our plan was to continue on the Erie Canal Trail to New London then head towards Sylvan Beach for a hearty breakfast which we found at Mary's Diner in Vienna...again, food!! We took a different route home and ended up with a 40 mile day. So far training has been fun:) We saw all sorts of wildlife today such as HUGE turkeys, ducks, a beaver, a chihuahua named "Taco" who chased us, and the skeleton (ribcage and skull) of either a large dog or a deer which was kind of creepy!

Easter dinner (delicious!)was at Mom and Dad's with Chris and Susan, the twins, CJ, and Paige of course. Joel Rhein is on a plane from Vietnam to Brazil today to begin part three of his spring term abroad. We missed him but SKYPED with him early this morning before we left! The day ended with a gathering up at the Big House with the Amidon/Lauri side of the family. More great food and fun!

The countdown has begun!

It is April 1st...only four months to go before our BIG ride! We have been training all winter at Planet Fitness on the stationary bike, the treadmill, the elliptical, and with the weights. In addition, we have gone cross country skiing, taken "the boys" for long walks and finally last week actually got out on our bikes for our first real ride of this year:) We did a 20 miler out in Saratoga. It was a bit chilly but tons of fun. The best part was lunch at Maestro's on Broadway. Who says it's all about the bike? It's most definitely about the food! Keep checking in on us during the spring and summer months as we will keep you posted on our route and dates and of course the big bash in Key West in October!