Thanksgiving Dinner at Norwood!!

Thursday, December 8, 2011

We arrived in Powhatan, VA on Tuesday, December 6th in the rain.
We rode up on our chariots as the post arrived with a grand welcome from Ted and Connie Harriss. We placed the bikes out of the rain and went inside the family plantation called Norwood! This home had been in the family since 1830 when Beverley Randolph bought the property. Since then, the home has been added onto and still stands today.
We took showers and joined Connie and Ted for a Pot roast dinner that was extremely delicious. After dinner and catching up all the family news, Vesper and I went to bed in an 1830 Sleigh bed on the second floor. We slept soundly and awoke to coffee and breakfast. We decided to explore the grounds towards the James River.
We returned to Connie cooking up a storm for our Thanksgiving Dinner!!
Some Kennon relatives arrived to share in our Thanksgiving Dinner which consisted in: Chicken (there were not any fresh turkeys), sweet potatoes, Spaghetti 'n cheese (Mac'n Cheese), dressing, gravy, green beans, and apple/cranberry Pie with Vanilla Ice cream.
After the fantastic dinner we returned to bed with our tummies ready to burst.
Today we planned our next destination and are planning on going into town for a little shopping before we leave tomorrow.
Looking forward to the finish line of the United States of America!!
Thanks for reading,
WOS and Vesper

We have made it to Yorktown, VA!!!!

Saturday, 12-11-11

We rolled into Yorktown at about 4:30 pm just as the sun was setting.
After reaching our connection here for a place to stay with Grace Church, the oldest church still in service in the entire USA, we were introduced to the Home on the Bay. This is the location you may see in the photos.

We have had a long journey...
From Portland, OR to Yorktown, VA. We were planning on making it up to Washington D.C. but the weather got to cold and we were finished with the trip.
I only have 10 min. left to be on the computer, so I will show the time we had at Norwood as well as our final destination in photos.

We were planning on moving to Detroit, MI for a whole new adventure, but with further thought and pleading from the family in Boerne, we have decided to return to TX for at least the winter...another blog... we will see.

A special thanks to all the kind people we had met along the way as well as those that have been following us that have donated to our cause. It is hard to imagine how difficult the trip would have been without it.

Thanks for reading and following us as we shifted gears across the USA
WOS and Vesper

Virginia by bike was not as expected...

Today, Monday Nov. 28, 2011

First off, we were not able to rent a car to drive to Powhatan, VA for Thanksgiving Dinner at Norwood.
We needed a major CC or Car insurance with the use of a debit card in order to rent.
So... we pedaled on Thanksgiving Day to Whitesburg, KY. Not a long trek but we were looking for an easy ride with it being a holiday and all.
The following day we rode again looking to pass the KY border into VA. we headed north on 115 towards Jenkins, KY and turned east on the 23 towards VA. We crossed the Payne Gap towards Pound, VA on the SHOULDER LESS Hwy of 23 finally ending up in Wise, VA where we were able to get a hotel room at the Best Western where the manager gave a great deal on a $80 room for $55. Thank you Quinn!!
Please keep in mind that the route we had been taking since Hazard, KY has been off route (the ACA route across the Trans-Am). We were honked at more in VA than all the other state before. There is a good reason to stay on the route if not just for the purpose of not getting honked or yelled at.
While in Wise, we were contacted by a warmshower couple in Lebanon, VA who we had requested a warmshower from a couple days before. John and Patty Brenner are a very friendly couple who opened their home to us as if we were one of their children. We had so much fun getting to know the two of them in there cute town of Lebanon. Thank you John and Patty! We had a great time!!
After getting directions from John on the best way to return to the Trans-Am, we set off with Hayters Gap in our near future. Once we connected to Hwy 80, we back on route and on our way to Damascus, VA.
Hayters Gap, or "Haters Gap" was not that bad at all to Vesper and I. We felt like we had done worse working our way into Wise, VA than that. Some say it is harder going the other direction, which from looking at the map, I can agree.
We arrived in Damascus around 5pm and we know that the sun would be setting soon, so we started looking for a place to sleep. After watching the weather all day long, we decided that the best idea was to find indoor shelter in case it was to rain. For $10/person, we had a bunk house all to ourselves and a hot shower as well. The night was very warm around 61deg. and very calm. Vesper couldn't sleep due to my snoring and Yoshi's grooming, not to mention a nagging feeling that something was about to happen in the world of great proportions. I woke this morning with swollen fingers and sore muscles. I guess the "Haters" Gap was more than I had previously perceived. It wasn't raining, was still warm, but the dark clouds were really starting to move in. It was a gamble, but we decided to take a day off to let the rain pass before we moved on.
It still has not started to rain.
We are looking forward to getting to Norwood soon so we may have our own special Thanksgiving on the plantation.

Thanks for Reading,
WOS and Vesper
 

Appalachians in KY

Monday 11/21/11 Hazard, KY

We left Berea on a Saturday when the weather was good, sunny and DRY.
We pedaled long and hard to make it to Booneville where we knew of a Church that was kind to cyclists.
What we didn't know was that most of the cyclists camp outside in the back.
We however were able to talk the pastor into allowing us to sleep inside where there were gas heaters and a bathroom.
After waking up around 6:30am to be out of the church by 8, we went to the local cafe where we had coffee and biscuits and gravy. The biscuits came on the plate with a bowl of the gravy next to it.
We had never seen B&G served in this manor. 1st, there wasn't any sausage in the gravy! Even the Yankees in the north put sausage in the gravy.
As we set off for a grueling day of climbing the Appalachians, the trailer broke and Vesper had to rig it so that it will stay connected to the bike. All was good as we set off. Not 30 minutes into our ride, it began to rain and rain hard. we were soaked in 5 minutes.
We were faced with tackling 3 very large hills on our way towards Hazard. We were excited to get to Hazard because we knew that we had a warm place to retreat to when we got there.
The three hills were massive, but Vesper felt as if he was in the tour de France! Some kids that were playing outside were cheering him on and yelling about the cute dog he was pulling. Also, someone in a truck shoot silly string at him as the drove by with a "WooHoo"
The hills were fun for him but torture for me.
When we finally made it to Hazard, our CouchSurffer host that we had lined up the following day had not contacted us yet. It was getting dark and we were sitting at a McDonalds trying to use the "free" wi-fi for better reception. We decided to try to contact another possible host here in Hazard from couchsurffers.org.
Stephen and Ellen with an emergency couch plea.
They responded and were gracious enough to have us for the night.
Stephen was good enough to give us a ride to Enterprise so that we may rent a car and head towards Powhatan, VA to the Noorwood Plantation.
http://norwoodplantation.com/
We will be leaving today to spend Thanksgiving with my cousins Ted and Connie Harris as well as Kennon.
We look forward to visiting with the VA Kennons and spending some time in history.

We will come back to the Appalachians to finish out trek across the USA to D.C. after Thanksgiving.

Happy thanksgiving to all that follow our blog!
Thanks for reading,
WOS and Vesper

All the way to Berea, KY

Tuesday, 11-15-11
Kentucky had not changed much since I graduated from WKU in 2003, but then again it has.
I am seeing it from a new perspective of being on a bicycle as a tourist.
From a cyclists point of view, KY is not that bad as far as the vehicular traffic. The drivers are more respectful than the other state drivers in that they are more likely to slow down and give you enough room when they pass.
KY has its downs as well, in that there are tons of HILLS!!!
We have been told over and over again that the APPS are harder than the Rockies. How can this be? The Rockies reach higher altitudes, in the 9,000-11,000ft. when the Appalachians only reach about 4,000ft.
The difference I was told is the grade in which the roads are. where the Rockies were higher, they had a smaller gradual grade. The Apps have extremely steep grades for a shorter distance.
I guess it is all based on which you prefer.

After our stay with Rich and Mare who so very graciously dropped us off in KY at the hostel in Sebree.
The First Baptist Church is a cyclist mainstay. there we met Katie, a grandmother who was cycling the Trans Am on her own for the first time.
The church made dinner, our own room as well as a hot shower.
The following day, we continued through KY following the Trans Am with the ACA map.
The Falls of Rough at the Airport was our next camping destination. 80 miles we cycled even in the night.
We "Air Camped" there at the Airport in 27deg. temps.
Ready to head on down the road when once again, Vesper woke with a flat tire.
We were trying to find a warm shower for our next destination after the cold night stay and were willing to cycle out of our way for just that reason.
We were planning to go to Elizabethtown when our host suggested that we visit Leitchfield because they had a bike shop.
We contacted the owner of Embry's Bike Shop where Rick suggested that we cycle off the ACA trail to his place where he would not only give our bikes a tune up, but would put us up for the night in his home.
After traveling a short 18 miles, we arrived in Leitchfield, KY at the bike shop after long up and downs south.
Joyce had cooked a beef stew that was so tender and full of flavor. She also cooked some cornbread and a Lemon Bunt Cake. We were well stuffed and ready for bed. We also turned Rick Embry onto the Warmshowers.org website for touring as a guest as well as hosting other cyclists like they did us.
Thank you for the help and generosity you both had shown us.
The following day, we headed towards Howardstown about 50 miles away where there would be a campsite for us to rest. We stayed at the Larue County Park under an awning for shelter from the weather. A cold front was headed our way, and the wind let us know!!
All night the wind whipped and blew the tent as if a tornado was above us.
The following day we headed east again pushing through the wind on towards Bardstown where we stayed at the "My Old Kentucky Home State Park" in our tent once again.
We continued east the next morning hoping to find shelter knowing that it was only a matter of time before we got rained on. We decided to head towards Danville because they had a campground as well as it having the last known bike shop until we were over the Appalachians. As we were headed south on 127, Mark Morgan stopped and offered us a place to stay at his home there in Danville. seeing as how we were not going to make it to Berea, we agreed to his offer and headed to his home.
Mark and Joni were very nice and giving as were all of our angels along the way. They took us out to dinner and even introduced us to there son Daniel who lived there in Danville.
Joni is a quilter who makes very unique quilts that anyone would love to have across their bed.
Mark is a lawyer who is progressive and with the times. They both cycle and lead healthy lives.
We are blessed to have met them.
After a restful and warm nights sleep, we left Danville on our way to Berea where we had a warmshower lined up. The only problem is that it was raining. So with strange looks from all of Kentucky, we peddled on in the rain all day long until we finally reached Berea.
In Berea we met our warmshower connection Paige. We peddled through hill upon hill to her home about 3 miles out of town. We were greeted by her dogs and later her family.
Now with our stomachs filled with country ham, we will go to sleep and awake fresh and new for the Appalachians.

Illinois is coming close to one of the Favorites

As written in the post before, we have had a good experience with Illinois.
We left Chester on our way towards Carbondale where we were to pick up the Bike centennial.
We left thinking instead of hwy 3, we would take the alt. route on the 150.
This route on a Saturday did not look all that much safer once we arrived at a huge hill where there wasn't any shoulder and the traffic was very busy.
We turned around and decided to ask some of the locals the best way to make it to Carbondale. We were given a BACK ROAD way.
We were OK with this because there wasn't hardly any traffic, but the hills were steep and long.
Once we made it to Carbondale where we had set up a warmshower for that night, it was dark.
Joe was a young man who lived by himself and worked in a bike shop there in Carbondale.
He had been riding since he was young and cycled across the USA twice.
We gathered as much information from him as possible as well as cycling maps for the rest of our trip. We are of coarse going to mail them back to him when we reach our destination.
Thanks Joe!!

Sunday we headed out trying to follow the maps. I of coarse mess it up and we ride to far down hwy 51. We ended up riding some back roads to reach our destination of Tunnel Hills where we had another warmshowers waiting for us.

We finally make it to the Tunnel Hill Rd. where it would be another 8-10miles to get to their home. They offered a support vehicle so I called and asked if they could come and pick us up. Ann was glad to do just that and in no time we were at her home having dinner with her family.
Her daughter and son in law were visiting them before they left on their own adventure around the world. Sounds like fun to us!!!
After playing a couple rounds of Rummy, we went to bed to wake up to a wonderful breakfast of Banana Pancakes, Bacon and coffee.
THANK YOU ANN AND AL!
We wish Dustin and Theresa good luck on their travels.

Moving on towards Cave in the Rock our next destination.
I was better at reading the maps now and we were on the right path.
We had been riding for several hours and were going to make a turn when a man had stopped and asked us if we needed directions.
We asked which way to the next town of Eddyville.
He directed us and then asked if we needed anything for our ride and that his home was just up the road. we accepted and followed him.
Rich and MaryAnn live in a beautiful log cabin here in Southern Illinois.
Rich invited us to stay the night and we accepted in order to give our knees and muscles a rest from all of the S. Illinois hills we have been climbing.
After meeting all of the Pets: 4 dogs, 6 cats and 2 horses, we knew we would have a great time.
We all ate BBQ chicken, sweet potatoes, salad and beer. Mint Chocolate chip Ice Cream for desert. we were able to shower and sleep well on a comfortable bed.

The next day, Rich went golfing and we were able to visit with MaryAnn.
I was able to go ridding with her around the property on Eddie. Please see photo.
I had so much fun!! Ridding a horse instead of my bike was a nice break.
Eddie and Lilly we MaryAnn's two horses.

We are looking forward now and should be in Kentucky tomorrow.
We will miss our new friends here in Illinois. We will miss Rich and MaryAnn as well. HA, HA!
Just kidding, Thank you so much for showing us so much love!!

Another state closer to VA

Missouri was different.

With the Missouri Katy Trail, we were able to ride smoothly without any large hills or cars to fight over the road. I do think that without the KT Trail, it would have taken us a lot longer to get to Illinois.

The last time that I posted we were in Mokane, MO.
We didn't get very far seeing as how we had a late start. We made it to Hermann, MO.
On the way, Vesper's tire lost air pressure so we stopped at Rhineland for some air.

The air compressor at all Conoco's are and have always been free, but at this particular Conoco, the air looked free and on, but the compressor just let all the air out of the low tire instead of blowing it up. So there we were stuck in a small town with one gas station that was closed on the weekends and a flat tire.

The owner of the bar next door told us that the owner of the gas station was greedy mean individual who turns off the air whenever he is not there. He offered to give us a ride to the nearest gas station so we may inflate our tire.

The next town we were to visit overnight was the cute town of Hermann. We were told that they were just finishing their Octoberfest celebration and that the City Park was a great place to camp.

Octoberfest was on its last leg, there were still kids partying there with groupings of tents.

As most people know, the St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series just the day before. There were a lot of chanting and songs with "We are the champions" being the main song to sing.

Hermann was cute city.

We continued on the KT to Marthasville where we were treated to Philly's Pizza.
After telling the owner's mother that we were cycling from Portland, OR on our way towards Washington, D.C. and were on a budget, she graciously offered anything on the menu for free.
After filling our bellies with there popular Philly's Meat pizza, we headed for the city park across the street to set up tent and get some rest once the birthday party that was going on there ended.
Some local kids were hanging out there at the park keeping us up with their loud laughter and screams as they played on the playground long after the park was closed. After making it clear to them that we were not happy with them, they still did not leave so we called the police.

We had a long day of riding the next day and needed to get some rest.
The next morning we continued east on the KT towards St. Charles.
When we made it to St. Charles, it was Halloween with tons of children in their costumes running about on sugar highs. We just wanted something to eat and a place to set up camp for the night.
However, even though there was a camping symbol not only on the KT Trail map for St. Charles but also a camping symbol on the kiosk for St. Charles on the KT, there was not a location for camping in the entire city. We decided the best place to find some more information was to go to the city Library.

After pedaling to the library, picking up the charger that I left in Columbia (thanks John for dropping it there for me), we were told that we couldn't use the computer with our paying $2 just because we were out of town. Needless to say, our research was done with my phone. We were able to find a campground in St. Peters, MO about 10 miles out of our way northwest.

It was getting dark as we headed towards the Lakeside Park campgrounds. We had to ride in the dark again with our lights on and made it to the park around 7pm. After loading up on Halloween candy there at the office, we set up camp in the primitive campgrounds for tents $10. We were able to take a cold shower before getting some sleep for the hard ride to get out of the greater St. Louis area.

We headed south and found ourselves on a biking trail. On this trail we met a couple of ladies who were interested in Yoshi and us in particular. We told them of our dilemma of finding a place to stay for that evening.

Vicki Ash offered to allow us to camp in her backyard in Kirkwood, which is a suburb of St. Louis.
We accepted and were given directions to her home that was south.
On our way we had to ride alongside quite a bit of traffic to arrive at her house.
We were about five minutes from her house on Manchester when Vesper was side swiped by a blacked out Ford Expedition! I was behind him and thought that the Ford came really close to me but it was even closer to Vesper. I saw it hit him on his right shoulder as well as hit the trailer Yoshi was in.
Vesper was so angry that he continued to chase the SUV down the hill as it was obviously on the run.
Our first hit and run. MO was kind to have the KT, but the drivers are not as kind.
Vicki fed us some warming Turkey noodle soup that evening as we fell right to sleep in our tent.
The next morning, we headed to the first Panera Bread store there on Manchester. After several cups of coffee as we waited for the local bike shop to open at 10am. We were able to get my tire patched after the flat that morning; Vesper bought some new toe straps for his pedal and some good direction on how to get out of the greater St. Louis area. Thank you

After leaving late again, we were not able to make it far seeing as how we were fighting rain all day long
We were headed to St. Francis Park 40 some odd miles away. On our way a guy in a car stopped Vesper and told him about a detour up ahead and gave him $40 dollars cash. The detour was dangerous due to low visibility and No SHOULDERS. On our way we stopped at Chick-Fil-A and got warmed up with free coffee and food. They also gave us 11 free coupons good for breakfast and dinner. Thanks Chick-Fil-A!

Traveling down Hwy 67 was gruesome. LOUD and the drivers were rude. We never made it to the park due to low visibility and we were soaked and cold! We stopped again. THIS TIME TO WARM UP AT A ROADSIDE CAFE. The locals said to try the town of Valle Mines and ask for the preacher there to let us stay at the church. We made it to the grocery store next to the church to warm up again. On our way next door to knock on the Preachers door, the lights went out! We went up there and rang the doorbell. Nobody answered! So...we went back to the store. We looked up there phone number in the yellow pages and called them. The preachers wife answered and said for us that there was no way they could help us. (Their house was bigger than the church beside it) The owner of the store, AL said we could stay at the apt. Upstairs from the convenience store he owned. We were so grateful to be dry and warm.

The next morning we set out to Chester, Illinois. This wasn't as easy as it seemed. The roads over to the HWY.61 were partially gravel, mud, and limestone and paved. Some hills were at least 18% grade. But this is beautiful country. We stopped at a small market to warm up and maybe get some dog food for Yoshi. This is where we met Debbie at her store in Bloomsdale, MO. The Wittus Store had a wood fired heater where we were able to let Yoshi inside for a warm up himself. Please see the picture we posted of the store.
Debbie was so nice; she made us Bologna sandwiches and gave us $10 for the ferry across the Mississippi into Illinois. Thank you Debbie.

We finally arrived in St. Genevieve, Missouri to take a ferry across the Mississippi River to Illinois. It was getting late and we only made it to Ellis Grove, Illinois. We asked for the preacher of that town to see if we could stay at the church for shelter. He and his wife greeted us outside of their house and said we could either stay on his couch or he could give us a ride to Chester and put us in a hotel. We took the ride to the hotel. This is by far, the best room we have had yet! Chester is also home to the creator of POPEYE the Sailor Man. Thanks Rev. William McCluskey for treating us to a warm meal and hotel! Oh, and he preyed for our safety and us. WOW! Amazing man.

To those that have tried to donate...

The PayPal is now working so, if you would like to donate to our trip or designate your donation for a needed item, you may do so now.

Items Needed:

Air mattress
Water repellant gloves for cycling
Shoe insoles (inserts)
Verizon cell phone battery for a Droid Incredible 2
Repair of Northface Sleeping bag (zipper broken)
Sun Screen
Can of water repellant spray
Warm socks (wool)
Or donations for FOOD would be great!

Please continue to read and follow us as we become closer to our destination and share with anyone and everyone.

Godspeed
WOS and Vesper

MKT Trail with a detour

Today, Thursday October 27, 2011

Once we left Windsor on Tuesday the weather was very warm but very windy as well. We traveled about 45 miles to Pilot Grove where we were instructed to set up camp at the Town Park.  Normally the cyclists would be able to get a shower at the pool house, but since the pool was closed we were not able to do so. We were also instructed to call the local PD to inform them of our stay there in their town and with our history with the small town Police forces we were not going to ignore this request.
The weather was still very windy and also very muggy with the weather front that was being pushed over us. We were told that we wouldn't get rained on but we still placed out tent under an awning.
In the morning the temperature had dropped down to a frigid 45deg. which was a huge change from the 70deg. night we had. We bundled up headed to the local gas station to fill up our tires to the max and warm ourselves with a large coffee. At that point, it began to rain.
Pulling out our Gortex jackets, we continued east on the Katy Trail towards New Franklin.
We made it to Boonville, MO before we were too soaked and cold to pedal any further. We located the nearest coffee shop from the Boonville Chamber of Commerce and drank cup after cup until lunchtime where we then left to find somewhere to purchase Fuel for our pocket stove.
Wal-Mart was the only place in town to purchase what we needed. We were forced to rely on them again.
By the time we left Boonville and crossed over the Missouri River, it stopped raining.
We were now on a mission to find the next town to set up tent.
We peddled all the way to Rocheport thinking this would be a great little town to stay in. The buildings looked old and restored, the streets were clean, but there wasn't anyone outside. All of the stores were closed and it looked like a ghost town. We called the information # on the sign and heard in ringing in the building next to us. We then called the Dispatch# for some information and were referred to the State Park Ranger who then told us that Camping was not allowed anywhere in the town and that if we did it would be considered Trespassing! He then continued to tell us to call one of the B&Bs in town because that was the only lodging available to us. Even though we made it clear that we did not have the means to stay at a B&B we were still told to go there.
So, we left. We continued to pedal east even though the sun had set and we were pedaling in the dark. The up side is that we did not have to worry about cars on the Katy Trail.
We were at a stopping point at Huntsdale where there was a Campsite and we were met by two cyclists named John and Jim. John immediately said to us, "going to D.C.?"
We were amazed that he would know that and we all began talking.
John invited us to stay at his house in Columbia which was about 12 mi. away. We agreed and headed off the KT towards Columbia.
John and his wife Patti were very kind to us. They feed us and we finally were able to have a shower.
We had a great rest and were energized in the morning with oatmeal and Pet’s coffee.
Thank you John and Pattie! We had a great time meeting the two of you!

Thanks for reading,
WOS and Vesper

Continueing on the Katy Trail in MO

Today, Monday October 24, 2011

Well, we have spent a week now resting and relaxing in the cabin entrusted to us for a whole week on Wednesday. We will be leaving this getaway tomorrow and heading on down the Katy Trail through Missouri.
I know that this little VaCa has set us behind, but boy did we need it!!
We were able to take naps during the day, sleep in late and let Yoshi outside with without him needing a leash.
We are excited to get on the road again and we are looking forward to the small towns we will come to along the way. We will not finish the entire trail seeing as how we will need to leave the great state of Missouri and head on into Illinois.

I just had a visit from Officer Mike Bilbruck from the Windsor PD who came into the Library once he saw our bikes outside. My father has been unable to get in touch with me because we do not have Verizon service here in Windsor.
He called our names and said that my father was going crazy with worry looking for me. His mind was going crazy with all kinds of senarios of murder and being held captive. I was able to speak to him and let him know that I was fine and had no way of getting in touch with him. I looked for emails from him or family members, but it seemed to me that I was not the woman missing on the Katy Trail.
Thank you to everyone that took part in the search for me and Vesper. We are well and fine just needed to get off the beaten path and take a break for a while.

Thanks for reading.
WOS and Vesper

Yoshi, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore!!

Tuesday, Oct. 18th 2011

We finally left Kansas and made our way into Missouri!
West Line, MO was the entry town from across the border and we sure did have a grand welcoming!
As the sun was setting, the air was getting cooler we decided to head towards West Line on the

State Route

#2. It was either there or 10 mi. the other way to Drexel.
When we rode into town, it had the appearance of a ghost town. We continued to follow the

Main St.

until we found a grouping of cars. We assumed there was a town meeting, but found out that it was a country music concert put on every other Tuesday and we just happened to be there at the right time and day.
West Line put on a great show and even fed us. We were going to camp right outside of the meeting building when Connie and Rob Briggs offered to put us up for the night.
Everyone at the show was interested in hearing our story as well as blessing our future trip.
We were even introduced to a woman who said that her daughter and husband owned a house on the Katy Trail where we would be welcomed to stay in for a break from all the touring.
We were blessed once again by John and Debbie Walker who are cyclists themselves for providing us with a place to rest after so many days on the road.
We peddled to Clinton from West Line the following morning 55mi. to Clinton, MO where John picked us up and took us to his cabin in Windsor, MO.
This cabin blew our minds with its unique beauty! I intend to take photos with John and Debbie's permission and post them here on the blog.
We are looking at continuing our trip through MO on the Katy Trail and hope that the rest of MO is as kind and giving as the beginning.

Photos to come...

Thanks for reading.
WOS

Still in Kansas...

Today is Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Once we arrived in Tribune, KS we were directed to a gazebo which is where the cyclists usually stay whenever they are in town. This shelter was O.K., there was a really bad fly problem, and the showers were cold without any water pressure, but we were able to wash off.
The storm came that night with lightning, rain and wind. The local kids would drive by shouting obscenities at us but we figured what else they have to do in this little town.
The next morning we woke to a damp and cold morning. Packed up and headed east towards Scott City about 43 miles away. With the sun on our faces without any rain or wind, we thought that we had it made. As the day continued, we finally arrived at Scott City and went directly to the market asking for shelter. A woman in the store heard that we were from Portland, OR and told us that her daughter lived there now and that we were more than welcome to stay at her house.
Lyn Palen and her family welcomed us with open arms and a plate full of Lasagna.
We were able to wash two loads of laundry and take showers. Yoshi was stuck outside in the Kennel with the other dogs and howled all night long.
In the morning, Lyn set us up with warm clothes for the winter, including Under Amour popular thermal underwear for outdoor athletes. Four PB&J's for our ride towards Ness City. Thank you Lyn for all of your generosity!
Ness City was our next location in Kansas. We arrived 55 miles from Scott City and were greeted by Jim or "Jimmy" at the local Church. He let us in and showed us around. We ended up staying in the basement where there was two couches with a projection machine for us to watch movies. We watched "Fireproof" and "Amazing Grace" before going to sleep.
The next morning, we were off east towards Great Bend, KS.

This was the most difficult section so far of all of Kansas. It was 63 miles away, and we had the "southerly winds" at our side. We finally made it to Great Bend where we immediately went to find food!
Wendy's was our choice because of the $1.00 menu. We entered Wendy's and meet a couple that we very interested in our travels. Tim and Claudia were also cyclists who had just recently did the Cycle across Kansas in July. They were sympathetic to our cause and were eager to help us find a place to stay for the evening. We were able to get a voucher for a free night at a motel from the city Sheriff's Department. Thank you Tim and Claudia for your help and encouragement to continue our trip.

The next morning we were off again East, but decided to head north on the 156 instead of the 56 East.
From the 156 we were able to junction to the Hwy 4 which was more traveled by cyclists with less traffic. We were however fighting the "southerly winds" again at our side. We made it about 43 miles to Geneseo, KS where we were able to pitch our tent in the backyard of the Mayor of this small town.


We are currently in Lindsborg, KS known as "Little Sweden" to the locals. I must say that this is the cutest town in all of Kansas. So far, we have only seen small barely there towns that are neglected and run down.
The "southerly winds" of Kansas has thus far felt like pedaling through MUD!!

We met another cyclist on our way towards Geneseo. He was from Macedonia a small country close to Greece. Dejan Zafirov was his name and he was traveling from New York to San Francisco. He was handicapped with a leg that seemed to be a birth defect, but this didn't stop him from riding his bike across our country. Just like my handicaps are not stopping me!

We are looking to make it to Topeka, KS by Friday where we will skirt around Kansas City and begin our trip through Missouri on the KD Trail. This is a trail dedicated to Cyclists where we will not be bothered by vehicular traffic. We will see... we may choose another path through.

Thanks for reading!!

Woman of Scars and Vesper

Kansas!!

Today is Friday, 10/7/2011

From Kiowa, CO we traveled to Limon, CO, 45 miles. Up and down, up and down all the way to Limon.
Once we were in Limon, the sun had already set and we were very tired.
We had to decide to either continue through town to the KOA, which would cost us $26 to pitch a tent or to travel across the street to the T&A truck stop and camp with the truckers for free.
We chose the FREE choice.
After sleeping with the hum of the diesel engines, we woke to the sun shinning and a rumble in our tummies.
MC D's was across the street and the dollar menu was on the platter. 5 Sausage McMuffins, 1 Hash brown and 2 Small coffees later we set out west towards Hugo, CO.

We were in for a surprise!!
The wind started blowing from the south, wind that was not a soft breeze, but a hurricane force wind up to 70 mph. I have posted a video of our experience.
It was 13 miles until we reached the next town. The wind was so strong that at times it would push us into to road.
It was a life threatening day. We finally arrived in Hugo, recharged with some granola, and were looking for a ride. There was no way we were going to be able to make it to the next town in that weather.
There was construction on the 287 south and we needed a ride.
Tammy, from the Road Crew picked us up and drove us 8 miles to the nearest rest stop.
Vesper and I were alone at the rest stop thinking that a Tornado or rain was on its way. We began to walk our bikes down the road when we passed the Concrete distribution center when Vesper was stopped by one of the workers.
Luis Barraza with Castle Rock Construction Co. rescued Vesper and I from the 75mph winds.
He offered to give us a ride to Kit Carson but drove us all the way to Eads, CO where we were to pick up the

Transamerica Hwy

 that is famous for Cyclists touring across the USA.

Thank you Luis for the ride, your time, and the $20 you gave us to help us on our way to D.C.!!

Once the sun went down, the wind died down and changed direction. We were able to watch a lighting storm from an old barn that was rescued and used as a common area.

The sleep was welcome as we woke to today with a clear sky and no wind we pushed forth to Tribune, Kansas.
Tomorrow is a new day, In Kansas!!

Rest of Utah and the ROCKIES!!!

It has been quite a while since we had posted. A lot has happened.
Since Heber, UT we traveled along the 40 East towards CO. The rest of Utah was a blur.

Entering into Dinosaur, CO we met a fellow tourist with the same bike as mine a black on black a 2011 Surly LHT. He told us of a location in town that offered free camping including showers. We later found out that he did not stay there but stayed in the yard of the local store clerks Mother's House.
We followed the 40 towards Elk Springs....this is where the Woman of Scars had a seizure while riding her Bike!!!
I was feeling as if I was in a dream state just before I was laid down on the left side of the road. Vesper was ahead of me so he was not witness to the occurrence. He did however hear a voice which he pushed away telling him of what was going to occur.
He noticed a van that had passed earlier headed west had turned around and was slowing down. Another angel asked if we were O.K. because she noticed that I was lying on the side of the road as Vesper had stopped to wait for me to appear around the corner.
Vesper said, "where is she?!?!" and immediately turned and peddled back towards where I was lying.
With blood on the handlebars and in the corner of my mouth, Vesper brought me too and told me that I had just had a seizure.
I replied, "No I didn't" as he was helping me from the ground.
The woman in the Van said that she was on her way to Craig and offered us a ride. We agreed that we could use a ride after the seizure.
After loading our bikes and gear, she dropped us off at the Wal-Mart in Craig. Yoshi was full of Doritos from the daughters feeding him for tricks on the way.
Once at Wal-Mart, we washed our bikes at a carwash and looked for a Hotel to rest.
We found a great deal at the Lone Pine Motel for $35/night. We stayed there two nights so that I could visit the Hospital for a check up. All was fine. I was given a refill of my prescriptions.
We also found a bike shop for spare tubes and Mr. Tuffy's to help prevent flats which I am so prone to getting.

Onward from Craig towards our first encounter with the Rockies, Steamboat Springs. After waking up with frost covering the tent, we continued east over Rabbit Ears Pass: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_Ears_Pass
On our way to Kremmling, CO we stared at an RV Park.
Continuing on the 40 east towards Granby where WOS was pushed into the guard rail for her 3rd wreck.
Getting back on the bike, we headed all the way to Winter Park, "the Icebox of the USA" where we stayed at a campground on a bike path to take us back to the 40 and on our way to Berthoud Pass:
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berthoud_Pass
From there we peddled into Empire where we headed east through Idaho Springs and turned north on the 119 towards Central City/ Black Hawk where we graciously picked up and given a ride through a devilish road by Galen and Kim from Lakewood, CO. They saw us hiking our bikes up this crazy grade of road with Yoshi running ahead. They stopped and said that we must not be from around here. Gave us a ride past Black Hawk and dropped us off about 12 miles out of Nederland.
Back on the saddle again trying to reach a good location for our first Warmshowers.org host to pick us up at.
Riding in the dark, Ed Phelps picked us up and took us back to his house in Boulder, CO.
His house was amazing!! It is one of the oldest houses in Boulder being in the Historic District of Boulder and central to everything there in. We were taken out to dinner, Mexican, with himself and daughter.
We stayed a total of two nights and then made our way south towards Centennial, CO where we would find our 2nd Warmshowers.org host Joe. After mistakenly following the Google maps directions all the way through downtown Denver, Joe met us on the bike path 9 miles from his house and lead us all the way there.
He feed us and we talked for hours on the experiences we had. Gathered great information and went on to bed.
Waking up the next morning, I found that my upper lip was swollen from what looked like a spider bite.
The morning before in Boulder, I remember my lips feeling extremely dry as if they were chapped. All day I was slathering on the lip balm not noticing the sore that was forming on my lip. A spider had bitten me as we slept in the garage in Boulder.
We then were escorted by Joe once more by bike path down the Cherry Creek Trail South.
From there we followed the 83 to the 86 East towards Elizabeth.
While in Elizabeth, we discovered that we may camp at the Wal-Mart’s for free!!
My Father had taken a trip into CO for his birthday with Sherri as well as to pick up furniture from her family home in Centennial where she grew up. We were so close that Dad had to visit us in Elizabeth!
After driving about 30 min. to Elizabeth, the WOS saw her father once again after 3years in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
We all went to breakfast at a familiar name of Guadalajara. A Mexican restaurant that exists in hometown of Boerne, TX which is a family favorite in two states now.
The visit with my Father and Sherri was a good one, a new beginning. They rejuvenated our mission to make it across the USA! Thank you Sherri for the natural medicine it has been working like a charm.

We are so very glad to be finished with the Rockies!! I was very nervous about them, but I have found that I tackle Mountains better than I tackle the rolling hills that come after. From Elizabeth we continued south towards Kiowa.

In the town of Kiowa, we were told that there was free camping at the Fair Grounds. On our way there, I saw a group of BULLDOG PUPPIES!!! I cannot resist puppies and had to play with them.
Bobbie and Dean are the couple that lives in the house that we posted with 3 of their 4 kids.
They took us in and have allowed us to become a part of there family for 3 nights now. This came at a good time because I was sick with a cold or the effects from the spider bite. It is now the 5th of October and we are about 50 miles away from our next destination of Limon.
Hope we can update this blog better and make it more current to our experiences.

Thanks for reading,
Woman of Scars and Vesper

Since Pocatello.....

From Pocatello, ID to Preston, ID via highway 91

Preston, ID is where the film Napoleon Dynamite was filmed. Since this ride was over 76 miles, it was getting dark when we arrived in Preston. We then had to ride 5 extra miles to the campsite up and down towards Grace, ID.
We were both tired and needed to rest. I broke down and started to cry when I saw yet another hill to climb on top of the fact that it began to rain on us. We became frantic as we descended the hill we just climbed thinking we were going in the wrong direction. Once we arrived all was well.

Preston, ID to UTAH!!!

Preston onward via 91 towards Logan, UT where we received free Chick-fil-A! We also were stopped by a Logan Popo and told that we needed to ride in the shoulder and that Utah drivers are not as friendly to cyclists as they are in OR which we had already determined.

From Logan, UT to Ogden, UT via highway 89   50 miles
Lance Armstrong is in Ogden for a triathlon race happening on the 24th. We believe that we saw him as we were riding through the Canyon Gorge and on up towards Trappers Loop. (The only way to reach the 84, without riding the 84 through town was on this pass.)
Now Trappers Loop was just that, "a TRAP". This was the gnarliest hill to climb. I was dehydrated and was feeling it in my thighs!! I had to hike the bike up the entire hill pretty much. Broke down crying again!
I know, WOS is a cry baby, but these hills are hard and with an uneven load on my bike, it is even harder. 

Ogden, UT to Morgan, UT
This is the day we did Trappers Loop through Mountain Green to Morgan, UT where we were again riding in the dark; however the weather was not as bad as a couple days before. The ride was about 2 miles from the highway to the campsite. The campsite was on a Golf Coarse. We were able to tent camp for only $10 which has been the smallest amount yet in UT.

Finally, Morgan to Heber, UT via Freeway 84S, Freeway 80W, Highway 40E    62Mi.
Riding on the Freeway is a lot easier than riding on the old highways in terms of grade, distance and road quality. The noise was greater, more road debris and a lot more dangerous with cars and trucks speeding past you at 70+ mph every 2-5 seconds.
There was still a grade issue in that there was one, but the biggest issue has to be the head winds that we were experiencing from the East. This makes it extremely difficult to pedal.
The morning started off with a flat tire on my rear wheel. We were out of my size tire tube, so Vesper used on of his tubes. This lasted about 10 miles. Another flat, used his other tube which lasted till we were 3 miles away from our destination in Heber City, UT. At this point, I had to stick out my thumb for a ride into town to the Wal-Mart for a replacement tube.
A nice young couple stopped for us who had two empty bike racks on the rear of there car. Kailie (Spelling) and Kevin? I believe were there names, gave me a ride into town to the Wal-Mart where I was to then wait for Vesper to ride down the hill to meet me. It didn't take him long since the ride was all down hill.
The Wal-Mart did not have my tire size with the Presta valve!! We were stuck! The only other place to get my tire size was closed on Sunday and was to open the next day at 10:00am.
We were forced to get a hotel. $50.18. It was nice sleeping in a bed and having a television to watch.

Today, 9/19/11 MONDAY
Went to Bike store, got tubes, pump, patch kit, valve adaptor and placed an order for a front pannier set for my bike. This will enable my bike to ride easier with better balance. It had to be done otherwise; I would never be able to make it across the Rockies. The bike seems to be getting harder and harder to pedal. I have been swollen every morning and feeling very stiff. This may be due to the fact that I am getting healthier and need some adjustment on my medication, or I am becoming a whinny baby.

We could really use some donations. My SSD is going to be $114 less than normal because of Medicare and funds are running out. We are hoping to make it to Ault, CO by the time snow sets so we are not traveling in extreme weather, but we will see. The weather has been on our side thus far, why stop now!! 

Until another library,
Thanks for reading,
Woman of Scars

2nd Day in Pocatello

Last night, once we returned to our tent at the Bannock County Fair Grounds after riding in the rain, we found our tent lying in a puddle of water.
We decided to move the tent to a dryer location on higher grounds. Looking like crazies in the super windy and rainy weather drying out our tent and sleeping pads in the wind, we were able to remake our sleeping quarters.
However, Vesper's sleeping mattress which had never been able to hold air for longer than 30min. was out of commission till the wholes could be patched. He slept on only the floor mat and is now suffering with a pinched lower back which is causing him a great deal of pain.

If any readers would like to donate for the sole purpose of getting Vesper a new air mattress to sleep on it will be greatly appreciated!!

2nd day in Pocatello, Tuesday 9/13/11

We began our day with patching another hole in one of my tires. Vesper is growing tired of Idaho's thorns and road debris. We decided that we were going to look into Tuffy's which is a liner between your tube and tire to prevent punctures. With further research, we decided that the liners usually cause the tears more so than the thorns. Plus they add an additional weight to your overall load. (Not good). So, we bought more patch kits instead.

Yesterday, I had contacted the makers of my Panniers to let them know that I had only had them for less than a month and I already had a tear in one of them. Without hesitation, the customer service rep. offered a replacement for the torn bag and threw in a handle bar bag for me as a gift to be shipped overnight to my location of choice. DETOURS is the brand name, which is a woman owned and run business which makes high quality recycled panniers for cyclists. They are super cute and tuff!
So, today we called and visited the local bike shop 2 times looking for the shipment from DETOURS at Barrie's Ski and Sports here in Pocatello, ID. The manager was really nice to me yesterday, but today he seemed annoyed by us. Hey, don't tell me that I can have an item shipped to your store location and then get snooty with me just because I am looking to receive it the next day. I am sorry that I only spent $1 in your store, but I am still a customer.

We washed our bikes today at the Bangal Car Wash.

Went to Wal-Mart on the other side of town, came back the opposite direction towards ISU for use of the Library to post another days event.

I am also posting new pictures of our travels so far.

Please try to join my blog. I will try to keep the entries as entertaining as possible!

Thanks for reading.
WOS

Pocatello, ID 9/12/11

Our last stop in Mountain Home, ID was intended for a trip to Wal-Mart for spare tubes for both our bikes as well as propane for our pocket rocket stove.
After constant uphill touring with a fierce head wind, we made it to Mountain Home.

Mountain Home is a medium size town that is mainly there to support the Air Force Base down the way. We arrived the day before a huge parade honoring all veterans of the Armed forces.

The cheapest RV Park was Cottonwood RV.
Cottonwood RV had one spot for tent campers for $10 which included a shower as well.
There was also a Laundry room we could take advantage of for $1 to wash and $1 to dry.

The manager of the Park was a retired Vet of the Air force, but we believed that he wanted to really be a Cop.
After Harassing us 3 times by telling us that he could have the cops there in 1 minute and that he had detectives watching the park as we spoke, he left. Not sure if he was jealous that we were able to ride where he was not, or he just didn't like us.
Yoshi didn't like him.

The price was good, but the water had chloroform in it as was posted in the laundry room.

We were going to go to the parade where there would be free food, but we needed to get out of town and on out of Idaho.

Thankfully, my Father did come through with some sponsorship $ where we would otherwise have to find quick jobs to get us through. (There are not many if any in Mountain Home, we looked). Sooo, Thank you DAD!!

We continued on to Three Island State Campgrounds where we had called ahead in Mountain Home to check on the price and if they had a "Hike and Bike" campsite like they do in OR.
Vesper explained to whoever answered the phone what we were doing and was told that all we needed to do was pay the entrance fee to the park.

Get to the park around 7:30pm
There is NOT a hike and bike, there is NOT a designated place for tent camping and we had to pay the same amount as the campers with big RVs did. $23.25.

After a long talk with the Ranger, we went on our way towards Bliss on the old Hwy. 30
What should only be a 25 mile ride, ended up turning into an all day fight against the grade and head force wind from the East, which brought with it a rainstorm.

Sheldon Bluestein, a former Topographer for the entire state of Idaho stopped and offered us a ride into Bliss. He is the author for Exploring Idaho High Desert and published in 1986 and is in the process of updating that book with a new one for today's Idaho. He ended up being the perfect person to talk with on how to get out of Idaho.
He liked us so much, that he changed his plans so that he could take us as far as Pocatello thus avoiding the rainstorm and the winds that came with it.
Thank you Sheldon for introducing us to Costco, Cloverleaf Creamery- Ice-cream and tons of good information on Idaho.
We were going to tell all to avoid Idaho, but if ID does become more bicycle friendly there could still be hope for this Agriculture State.
Better roads, hike and bike sites at the parks and overall knowledge of sharing the roadways with cyclists.

More tomorrow, from Pocatello, ID

Woman of Scars

Dayville, OR

9/1/11 Thursday

After spending the night in the haunted Town of Mitchell, Vesper and I packed up and headed east towards Dayville on 26. It was over a 7mi. hike to the summit in the Painted Hills area. Over 4300 ft. high. Vesper's knee was stilll acting up, so we took it easy.
Once at the top, we road down the mountain which was gorgeous and easy! This is the part of Touring that I enjoy!
We stoped and had Ramen then continued down to Dayville. We were told by some other cyclists that were headed the opposite direction as us, that there was a Presbyterian Chuch in Dayville that offered to Cyclists a Place to sleep, shower, do laundry, and had a full kitchen available.
After meeting Rose, the keeper of the chuch, we decided to rent a couple of movies at the local store and feel normal for a little while.
Thank God this Church was here!!

Friday, 9/2/11

We are leaving onward East on 26 to John Day. There are camping sites avaiable for Cyclists with both water and Electricity. the cost is $5/person/day.

Warm Springs to Prineville Oregon

Monday 8/29/11

Left Warm Springs headed towards Madras first then Prineville

TINA Fuller
Our Angel gave the two of us a ride to Madras!!
she also gifted us with her first dream catcher as well as two glass hearts. She told us, "you guys stole my heart from the moment I laid eyes on you two."
She really is an Angel by feeding us when we had very little means in the bank to pay for ourselves.
Izaha always said, "everything will work out. you will see. Another angel will be there to help us when we really need it."

Thank you TINA!!

After being dropped off in Madras, we headed down Hwy. 26 towards Prineville, OR.
27 miles.
Doesn't seem that far, but when the road is through the high desert, it is extremely long and HOT!!

Found the Hacienda Grill (Mexican Food)
Econo Lodge with a discount for Bicycle Riders $54

After 10 days without a shower, it took us two hours to get cleaned up.

Subway for dinner.
Thriftway for supplies... Not thrifty at all. Overpriced.
Cleaned Bikes in the shower.
BED

 Tuesday, 8/30/11

Wake up. In hotel @ 8:30am
Continential Breakfast 1/2 Bagel, coffee, OJ

Pack....Everything.
Izaha did Laundry and shopped for supplies. Not at Thriftway.

Rite Aid for Rx
and returned tire gadge that didn't work.
Lunch next to the Rite-aid. Not impressed.... Mexican Food, AGAIN.
Off to Library in Prineville.

One hour per day per person.
theat really sucks when you are trying to set up this blog.
will write tomorrow. Camping at the Crook County RV Park tonight. Leaving for Mitchell tomorrow.