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Summer 2025 Travel to Massachusetts
It is fun to spend some time in New England in the summer. July is especially nice. It is warm and sunny. We brought our bikes and a spirit of adventure with us exploring a few new trails as well as some we had been on before.
We enjoyed a new-to-us trail, the Erie to Pittsburg trail. We were on the Allegheny River Trail portion, on the way up to Massachusetts. I knew about the Rockland Tunnel (2868’ long) 10 miles into the trail, but I did not realize it would be so dark. I am glad we have bike lights, but we should have had a stronger light, as the trail guide says. It was a good experience biking in a tunnel. We enjoyed the pretty Allegheny River flowing along the trail.
We enjoyed our stop in Emlenton, Pennsylvania, and had a good dinner in town before heading to our hotel. The views of the Emlenton Bridge put the large span into perspective for us. The bridge is 270 feet above the water and is the largest in Pennsylvania, and the fifth largest span on the US interstate system. I was surprised to learn it touches three Pennsylvania counties.
One of the joys of being a grandparent is watching our grandson. From his perspective, I wonder what it is like to hang out with your grandparents. He looked like he enjoyed our time together. Since we are not enough on our own, his parents feel the need to have our grandchild play with other kids his age. That is part of the summer fun, playing in the water and keeping cool.
I am sure many other grandparents take their grandkids to the dentist. This was a first for us. We had an interesting time and, of course, ice cream afterwards for a visit “well” done.
We like to walk daily and so, when we are watching our grandchild, he also comes along for the walk. It may or may not be at the same pace we are used to, but it is sure a good time to be with him.
I remember from living in Massachusetts that almost everyone went to “the Cape” in the summer. We again visited the Old Silver Beach on Cape Cod. I know why most people come to the Cape. You should too, just not when we are planning to drive in. It is good to swim with your grandchild.
We like to stay active, and when we were not watching our grandchild, we were able to see some of the area. We biked the Coventry Greenway and Trestle Trail in Rhode Island, a new trial for us. We began with a tunnel, but we could see daylight, so it was not nearly as long as the one in Pennsylvania. This trail has several pretty stretches, and we were able to ride a 30-mile loop from Cranston.
Some days it is windy. I am a grandpa, so, let’s go fly a kite! My daughter-in-law already had kites, and it was her idea to fly kites on a windy day during our visit. I am glad to share kite flying with our grandson. Afterwards, we can blow bubbles.
The Dodgers came to Fenway, and we went into town with our kids, a friend and our grandson. We enjoyed seeing the Boston Red Sox play at Fenway. We had good seats. I am glad we got to take a train into town and enjoyed a good game against the eventual World Series champion Dodgers.
When we lived in Massachusetts, they did not have a boardwalk on Lake Williams. They do now. It was fun to explore with our grandson. He ran most of the way out and back—nearly a 2-mile run on Lake Williams.
We have two kids living within 30 minutes (driving) of each other. It is good for us; we get an extra visit each time we come. And our grandson loves his uncle.
What would you rather do? Go to the zoo in Providence with its dinosaurs exhibition or play on a playground? We were all set to take our 4-year-old grandson to the zoo. However, he was more interested in the playground. So, we had a fun morning on the playground. We also walked around the nearby Japanese Garden.
We enjoy playing games with our grandson, and he has been obsessed with playing Uno and now Candy Land. We found a candy land trail within the Hasbro Playground at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, and it inspired us to make one on his driveway. It is a good way to play and use our imagination as well.
Other Fun:
I did take a day and play Maple Hill disc golf course, the number one course in North America and ranked number 4 in the world. It is a magnificent course, and unlike that other golfing game, it costs $10.00 to play a round of 18 during the week ($18 on the weekend). No caddy or special shoes required.
Our daughter-in-law printed the book “the Blue Hippo” for our grandson so we could re-live the fun Uno games.
We took our grandson to soccer practice and kicked balls with some of his team members.
On the way back, we stopped and took a walking break at the Firestone Metro park. It was good to get out and stretch our legs.
See you on the road!
Another Wedding at Ole Miss
We drove to Mississippi for our niece’s wedding with a few stops along the way to and from. Our trip was about 1,700 miles. We had fun because of the wedding even before we left, as one of our sons came to the house on his way down to Mississippi. We were able to celebrate his birthday and spend some time with him and his dog.
Our second niece was married near the campus of the University of Mississippi, (where she met her husband) known as “Ole Miss.” We were here for her older sister’s wedding three years earlier. The ceremony was well done and the couple looked radiant together as they exchanged vows. For us, it was great to have the family together.
I was happy to learn that a rehearsal dinner could double as the reception for family and friends. The dinner was fun and all the traditional speeches that normally accompany the wedding reception were made at that time. This made the speeches more intimate as most of us in attendance knew details about the speakers or the ones they were speaking about. I would like it if more weddings I attend in the future took up this tradition.
Our big surprise was after the rehearsal dinner: seeing our daughter and son-in-law at the hotel! We did not know they were coming. For Father’s Day weekend, I was able to see three kids. Pretty special.
We enjoyed the reception. It flowed with the introduction of the newlyweds right into dinner and dancing. We could just chat with the other guests, dance, eat and celebrate with family and friends and the newlywed couple.
Lessons learned
Like our other niece, they combined the wedding speeches and rehearsal dinners, and it was enjoyable. For the family and friends not involved in the wedding directly, the opportunity for a family reunion hit me while we were at the rehearsal dinner and even more so after we were surprised that our daughter and son-in-law were also in town for the wedding. It is important to enjoy these moments.
Other fun
We enjoyed our stroll after walking to the Square in Oxford. This is a cool college town, and we see how exciting it is to visit Oxford with the whole family.
I went for a run on the Ole Miss campus with three of my kids! Apparently, it is a thing to run through campus, especially near the football stadium. It was a hot, rainy morning for a run, prior to the wedding; we saw several others running as well.
We were able to hang out with family and friends between events. On the way to celebrate our niece’s wedding, we stopped south of Nashville to visit a college friend of mine. It was a good visit, and I needed to catch-up with him. I need to get out and visit more of my friends.
After our first niece was married at Ole Miss, I wanted to see Shiloh National Military Park. I had it all planned out for this trip, and we did go. However, we did not stay that long as it began to rain and looked like it would continue raining for the rest of the time we had to spend at the park. I am glad to have viewed the visitor’s center and explore a little of the park. Since we passed through on our way to a wedding, we will have to arrange for another time to explore this park.
After the wedding, we stopped and spent the night at Hot Springs National Park. I do not recall being at this National Park before. I asked my mom and she did not remember going either. Hot Springs at one time was the most popular park because the water was said to have tremendous health benefits. Several major league baseball players spent time here, presumably, healing to get ready for the next season. The history of the bathhouses was interesting to read about, and you can see the former glory of the area, well preserved by the National Park Service.
We took a hike on the National Park grounds. The scenery was good, and along the route we read the park service stories making the hike much better. The story of how the water was bottled and sold all over America was interesting and may account for some of the area’s popularity.
In town they have a couple of natural springs that are not part of the bathhouses. They felt hot (I think they were over 130 degrees) and even the cave where the water ran from was warm.
After Hot Springs, I was able to spend the afternoon with my mom and see that she is doing well. I also saw one of my sisters.
We also stopped in St. Louis to see some of the sights. I am retired. I did get to visit the Econ Museum at the St. Louis Federal Reserve and the Gateway Arch.
We even tried to see Lincoln’s boyhood home (on a Tuesday) and found that it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. We stopped by nearby Santa Claus and enjoyed a quick visit. We plan to come back as it is on our normal route to and from St. Louis.
No bike rides this trip—just here for the wedding.
Vancouver Island
We enjoyed our biking adventure in western Canada this year. We flew into Victoria, a city in British Columbia on Vancouver Island. Before the trip, I did not know the difference between Vancouver and Vancouver Island; I had to ask a local. Vancouver is a major city in British Columbia. Vancouver Island is home to the city of Victoria and Victoria is the capital of British Columbia. Geographically, we were about 60 miles from both Vancouver and Seattle, Washington. We were in the southern portion of Canada, below the 49th parallel.
We began our journey, stopping in Montreal and arriving in Victoria after dark. A wonderful city, easy to walk and fun explore, was ready for us to see. To acclimate to the time change, being out west, we walked and enjoyed all Victoria had to offer for a full day prior to the beginning of our biking tour.
We had in mind prior to our visit to see the Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria. It was a bit of a long walk; we enjoyed the neighborhoods along the way. The “castle” was a good stop. The building itself had been a private residence and at one time a college.
The highlight of our first night on Vancouver Island was exploring the Butchart Gardens and seeing their final fireworks show at the garden for the season. Walking around the gardens at twilight and evening with lights on the pathways lent a different feeling to the gardens. We really enjoyed the experience and were glad to take part in it.
Pictures do not do justice to the grand fireworks show. It was unlike any I had seen. Sometimes it looked as if the fireworks were walking across the garden. I saw several YouTube videos filmed during one of the shows. Even they do not do justice to the amazing show set to music. They do provide some sense of the show.
At night the capital building is all lit up and looked terrific. We were staying in a hotel next to the capital building.
This is not the first adventure for our group of dedicated biking friends. VBT does a wonderful job arranging the trip and providing bikes. We show up, enjoy the tour and pedal.
Our biking group for Canada: Vancouver Island
We all started walking in downtown Victoria waiting for the bike adventure to begin. We had previously been on a bike tour to the Florida Keys and had our picture taken at Mile Zero in Florida. We were happy to have that landmark for us to walk to as we traveled around Victoria.
Our first ride was just around the streets of Victoria. It is a pretty city and we enjoyed the ride. We saw a giant totem pole, and we all stopped at the Mile Zero marker this time in our biking gear for a picture. We also pedaled though a park. They have beautiful gardens in Victoria.
On the second day we biked to the ferry and took it to Pender Island. We then rode across the island to our hotel.
Near the hotel, riding from the ferry, my wife and I could not resist stopping at the Enchanted Forest. You would have stopped as well. We took a hike to the forest after our biking adventure the next day. It was a fun place; we spotted several faerie doors hidden throughout the forest. If you find yourself on Pender Island, the view from the forest was worthwhile as is the path through the forest. It was a fun day.
I really enjoyed our time at Poets Cove Resort & Spa on Pedler Island. We could not get enough of the view from our room and the resort. The food was terrific and the accommodation was wonderful.
My wife loves kayaking. Part of this journey was a sea kayaking guided tour. We were treated to sweeping views of Boundary Pass, the Strait of Georgia, the San Juan Islands, and Mount Baker. I did not bring my phone on the kayak. But I am happy some of our friends did.
After kayaking, we went for a quiet bike ride to Brooks Point Regional Park. It was the shortest day of biking for us. We did have wonderful views and took our bikes over to the Enchanted Forest.
We were almost sorry to leave Poets Cove Resort, but we were looking to ride more and explore. We rode our bikes back to the ferry and back to Vancouver Island. After leaving a small island for a larger one, we were back on the bikes. We went to the family owned Sea Cider Farm & Cider house. After a fun lunch, we pedaled to the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria. We enjoyed taking a dip in the hotel’s heated seaside mineral pool.
We had a fun breakfast with the group and a final briefing on our last day’s big ride.
We took our longest ride from Victoria to the Butchart Gardens. We enjoyed the scenic ride and managed to get a little lost on the way; we found our way back to the path with the help of our guides and fellow bikers. We started early so we could have plenty of time to explore the gardens.
We enjoyed our second visit to Butchart Gardens. It was all in the daylight and we were able to take our time and see some of the sights we missed on our first visit.
Some of the members of our group wanted to ride the Rose Carousel. The carousel is comprised of 30 hand-carved wooden animals and two chariots. The artwork was very pretty, and it was a fun diversion from biking and walking around the gardens.
The gardens are the main attraction, and you will have to visit. It is well worth it. A beautiful layout of flowers, trees and shrubs. Every garden just flowed and it was hard to put the camera down.
We eventually got back on our bikes and pedaled back to our hotel. It was a good day at the gardens, and we were happy to visit twice.
We managed another day of wayfaring around Victoria prior to our plane leaving in the evening. The parks and inlets are gems. We enjoyed taking in the sights in and around Victoria, including palm trees in the yards.
It was sad to say goodbye to Vancouver Island. It is a place to visit again. Fortunately for us, we have signed up for another bike tour in 2026.
Other fun:
I was able to go on a few runs in and around the area. One of my favorite runs was along the water in Victoria and crossing bridges.
I was also able to run on the other side of Victoria after our return from Pender Island.
Of course, we prioritized stopping for ice cream. Or was it dinner? It was good, especially after a fun day of biking.
Getting in shape for our ride, we took a few rides on our local bike path.
See you on the road.
Celebrating 40 Years Together
We were married in the early springtime 40 years ago. It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone. We are living our great love story, my wife and me. A great love story is sweeping and dramatic. This is a simple travel blog. We decided it would be delightful to travel to celebrate our 40 years of marriage in Florida so we could bike ride together. We are happy to celebrate, and we feel excitement in reaching this milestone. Together, we are also looking forward to other milestones to celebrate.
It was enjoyable planning this trip so that our 40th anniversary would be special for the two of us. My thought was to look through some old pictures, write a little about each year from our 40 years together and put it in a book for a gift for my wife. I ended up giving her a page a day, with each page representing a specific year, leading to our leaving for our trip. On each page I wrote what was going on in the world that year, in our lives that year and one thing we could look forward to doing on our trip. I started just before Valentine’s Day, and my wife looked forward to opening a letter each day. The letters ended one day prior to our driving to Florida.
So, every day, for 40 days, my wife received a letter and pictures about each year of our marriage. It was gratifying to put together and even better to share. I enjoyed the daily rhythm of the look back at each year of our time together.
We drove on this trip, bringing our bikes. Our first stop, just south of Atlanta, was to McDonough, GA. We could not drive all the way to the Orlando area from our house, and this was a good stopping point. Also, I wanted to be mostly through Atlanta traffic starting off on our drive to Florida.
In my letters I spoke about the nice weather we anticipated in Florida. It was very nice. For the first few days it was almost exactly twice as warm in Florida as it was back home. That was a great change for us.
One of the first anniversary activities was to go into Orlando to see a show. We had a good dinner and appreciated the Sleuth’s Mystery Dinner Show “The Show Must Go On.” The action was entertaining, and it was an amusing evening out and something we talked about for a while.
My wife really enjoys kayaking. We had never been kayaking at night; we had a blast kayaking on Lake Ivanhoe, right near downtown Orlando, in clear kayaks. It was highly entertaining to be on the water at night. Although we were right near downtown, it felt as if we were miles away. I did not take out my phone to take pictures on the lake; I wanted to have a phone the next day. Thank you Epic Paddle Adventures for an epic encounter with nighttime paddling.
We took the idea of biking on this trip from our last tour in the Winter Garden area. It was near Christmas, and we thought Winter Garden was dressed up nicely for the occasion. We re-did several of the bike rides that we had done in and around the Winter Garden area at the end of 2023. Our last trip to the area is outlined in the blog: Biking the Central Florida Rail Trails. We were partial to peddling on the West Orange trail and biking in and around Winter Garden. We went for a bike ride every day. The weather was great, and the roads were good for our road bikes.
In our prior travels, we noted several pickleball courts in the area. We decided to learn so we could play in Florida. We had a blast playing together and will look to repeat the experience.
One of the things we cherish is to walk while holding hands. We took several walks. We found several places to go walking in the area.
Other Fun:
One of the benefits to the Orlando area for me was seeing my best man from the wedding. It was good to catch up with my brother and learn how he is getting ready to retire.
In one of the letters to my wife, I talked about looking forward to seeing sunrises and sunsets together. It did rain some, so, it was not always possible. However, we did have some good views from our balcony.
Once we arrived in Florida, we felt as if we were in a different world. Signs that warn about alligators and snakes are not common where I am from. Also, no snow was seen in Florida in the early springtime.
We stopped in the Charlotte area to visit our daughter and son-in-law on the way home from Florida. It was good to go for a few runs with my daughter and to see our daughter and son-in-law happy in their home. They only have about 37 years to go to catch up with us.
While in Cherryville, we took a tour of the Beam Truck Museum. Carolina Freight was one of the largest employers in Cherryville; its headquarters leaving town after it was purchased crippled the local economy for a while. The museum was very well done and the stories told by the guide made you think you were part of the company.
After we arrived back home, we went to see the trees start to blossom at the Boone County Arboretum. The heat in Florida felt to similar summer, so, we again changed seasons coming back to spring when we got home.
See you on the road.
Marengo Cave—What is a National Natural Landmark?
On our travels on Highway 64 between Louisville and St. Louis we see signs for Marengo Cave. We have passed by this several times over the years. Every now and then, you must get out of the car and explore what the attraction has to offer. We were glad we did. The tour and the caves are worth the time to stop in and see.
My first thought in seeing the entrance sign was “What is a National Natural Landmark (NNL)?” I had to look it up. From their website: “The National Natural Landmarks Program recognizes and encourages the conservation of sites that contain outstanding biological and geological resources.” Marengo Cave has been a NNL since 1984. It is privately owned. The NNL designation was interesting, and in reading about it, I discovered that over 600 sites are designated as of July, 2024.
I apparently have been to a few of the NNL’s and did not know that I had been in one. One is on a frequent bike ride route: Big Bone Lick State Park.
My next thought after seeing the entrance to the park was: “Why the name Marengo?” According to my research, eleven cities/towns in the US are named Marengo after the “Battle of Marengo.” I also had to look up the battle and Napoleon’s victory in the Italian city of Marengo which apparently (according to the internet) sealed the success of his Italian campaign in 1800.
The cave tours were informative and the caves themselves were impressive. I am glad we stopped. You cannot take many pictures in a cave. It was hot outside but the cave temperature is a constant 52 degrees all year around. So, we were comfortable on our tours. We are experienced cave walkers and did have a sweatshirt with us—and we used it.
Marengo Caves has two tours, and we walked both Crystal Palace and the Dripstone Trail. Each one was captivating. If you have the time, the continuous line from Crystal Palace to Dripstone makes sense. We were fascinated by the tours and did the Crystal Palace tour second. This arrangement allowed us to really enjoy the differences in the cave formations. I enjoyed the mirror lake feature the best; it is viewed on both the Crystal Palace and Dripstone Trail tours.
There are attractions outside of the cave that look like fun for kids. We did the Miner’s Maze and went in and around The Crawl, which was a replica of caving. I was just short enough (under six foot two) and thin enough (40-inch waistline or less) to get through, although it is best left to people younger than I am. I will keep this place in mind as a good spot to take a grandchild in the future.
We also walked around the nearby town of Corydon, IN, on our way back to the interstate. In for a penny, in for a pound as they say. We enjoyed walking the small downtown area and discovered it was the first capital of Indiana.
We would have explored the Battle of Corydon site except that it is only opened on the weekends. It looks interesting. It is a Confederate Civil War victory and we have ridden by a similar site in Ohio.
Lessons learned:
Be ready to explore on a road trip, especially one that we have taken before. I am sure on some weekend car trip we will stop back at the Battle of Corydon site.
Look for the National Natural Landmark sites. With over 600 of them, we must be passing one every now and then.
No bike riding in the caves. See you on the road.
Vermont is Green
We left a hot and humid Kentucky, where it had not rained for a few weeks, and traveled to Vermont, where we hoped the weather would be cooler. It was not. But it was green and it had rained. The green landscape was a big contrast to our brown lawn at home.
In telling a friend about the trip we had planned to Vermont, he remarked, “Well, at least it is flat.” I said he was incorrect and asked if he had heard about Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys from the Revolutionary War. Apparently, he missed that class.
Vermont is not flat. It has the Green Mountains. They are not in any way near the height of the Western State mountains, with a high point of Mount Mansfield 4,393 feet above sea level. Although we did not bike in the mountains, the terrain was still hilly as we climbed them on regular bikes. It was fun and hard work all at the same time. It did threaten to rain at the beginning of the bike trip, but the weather held out and we did not get too much rain while riding.
We participated in a self-guided bike tour in Vermont sponsored by VBT. It was a good set of daily rides, and the accommodations were wonderful. Every day we saw the Green Mountains or the Adirondack Mountains. We also rode to and from Lake Champlain. I was reminded of my travels to the Rocky Mountains as the views were great. We also saw farms and cows, as expected.
We stopped at the monument for Benedict Arnold and his Revolutionary War victory on Lake Champlain at Arnold Bay. It was good to read about this victory and see him in a positive light. Arnold is also talked about in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum we visited (pictures near the end of this blog).
We learned in our orientation for the bike rides that the state animal of Vermont is the Morgan Horse. We had a stop at the farm on our first and last day of riding. I had to look it up and found that the Kentucky state animal is the gray squirrel. I had no idea we had a state animal, let alone what it could be.
My favorite day of riding and relaxing was the day at the Basin Harbor Resort. We had a charming bike ride along Lake Champlain and enjoyed kayaking on the lake. We were taken in by the beauty of the lake as well as the resort.
Our ride to the Basin Harbor Resort was a long and hilly ride on a hot (over 86 F) and humid day for Vermont. We rode over 45 miles and climbed over 2,000 feet of elevation gain.
We were part of a group; however, as it was a self-guided tour, we used Ride with GPS and were following the routes and prompts using that app. We frequently saw the other riders, although we did not ride with them as often as we had on our guided bike tours, which also used the Ride with GPS app. It was good to know that other riders were around. I would do a self-guided ride again since my riding buddy, my wife, likes these tours as well.
The scenery was amazing, besides the mountains. We enjoyed the open roads, not too much traffic, and the destinations.
Biking or Disc Golfing?
Before traveling to Vermont for this biking trip, I looked for ways to play some disc golf. Did you know that two of the top ten courses in the world are in Vermont? Prior to starting our bike tour, I was able to play them both as they are conveniently located at Smugglers’ Notch Resort. Adding to my fun, I also played Maple Hill in Massachusetts after the bike tour was over, allowing me to notch three of the top-ten disc golf courses in the world in one trip.
The first course I played was Brewster Ridge. It was not raining at the first tee box, but we got out raincoats as it began raining on the way to the second tee box, and rained for the rest of the 17. It was a great course, although I would have enjoyed a little less water. I made the most of the time I had to play this top course.
The next morning, I played the companion course, Fox Run Meadows, another top ten course. It was an excellent disc golf course. Fox Run was a little more open (less woods) and it was the day after all the rain, so I did enjoy the experience a little better. Fox Run does not have the cement or pavers for the tee pads.
It was quite a treat to for me to go out and play Maple Hill, one of the best courses in the world. One of the reasons this and the other courses I played on this trip are so good, is that for a player like me they are accessible. I played Maple Hill a few years ago with my son and we played the red, white, and blue option, rotating from easiest (red) to a harder (blue) configuration. Maple Hill and the other courses I played also have a professional level option, all on the same course, with some different configurations.
After reflecting on playing these top courses, one of the reasons they are so good is that I was able to play them well at my level of play. I can say I played the same course as the top touring professionals in Disc Golf. Each round was enjoyable because it was challenging for me but not impossible for me to play. For the record, I played all three of the top courses at the white (novice not beginner) levels. Next time I think I will have to play at the blue level.
I also played the Basin Harbor 9-hole course. I was happy to find disc golf at Basin Harbor, but this course will not make the top 100 anytime soon.
A highlight for me was spending time with our grandson. He loves to run, and we all did a lot of that with him. He also learned to fly a kite and play baseball with a tee.
We were able to spend time with two of our kids while visiting. We enjoyed walking in Providence, and having ice cream was a bonus for us.
Other fun
We rode through a covered bridge (twice) and got to view the Middlebury Falls from a big chair.
We were excited to see the Vermont Jazz Ensemble performing near our hotel at the Middlebury Festival on the Green and took advantage of learning a swing dance from the free lesson during the performance. We enjoyed dancing on the street in Middlebury.
Near the Basin Harbor Resort is the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. We arrived after the museum closed, but we were able to walk around the museum’s outside exhibits. Some in our group went through during the day and enjoyed the exhibits; I am sure we would have as well. I am glad they had so many outdoor exhibits open for us to explore.
We rode past a road sign about Silas Wright who was known for being from the area, although he was born in Massachusetts. This was a big monument and area. I learned about him reading the sign. He would be an important early figure forgotten to history for me if not for the sign we encountered.
I did some biking with friends in Kentucky prior to starting my bike adventure. It was good training to ride with a group of friends and tackle the hills near the Ohio River.
What a fun couple of July weeks. I was able to run, kayak, bike, and swim while away from home. I participated in the Red Legs 10K in Cincinnati in June as part of my preparation for the Big Ten 10K that I ran virtually in Middlebury in July on the first day of our bike rides. I should have chosen a flatter course for the Big Ten virtual 10K.
Our two hour kayacking cruise on Lake Champlain was just what we need to contrast with the bike riding. We did enjoy kayacking from Basin Harbor. We went a few miles, saw an island, enjoyed the breezes and perspective of being on water, so different from being on a bike.
I joined one of my sons and his training buddy for an early morning swim at the YMCA. It was a different experience for me as the pool was much wider than my normal pool. This event completed the weird vacation four sport activity of swimming, running, kayaking and biking.
Vermont has a “creature” called “Champ” and we were challenged to find Champ on our rides by our local host at the start of the biking adventure. We only “saw” bigfoot. We did come to learn that Champ was the sea monster of Lake Champlain and is like the Loc Ness Monster from Scotland.
See you on the road. And as the Basin Harbor sign says, try to have a little fun every day.
Cherryville Express
Our daughter and son-in-law moved to a cute little town in North Carolina. We thought it was great that they just happen to be near a train track that runs through town. This was our first visit to their new place. Being retired, we can go anytime. It was great to go over Memorial Day weekend as the kids were able to spend time with us without needing to take time away from work, kind of like us!
We were delighted with the town of Cherryville. The downtown area boasts of several murals painted on the walls of the buildings. We had a first-rate walking (and running) tour of the downtown area.
We were also able to hike Mt. Crowder, a moderate trail nearby. The scenery was wonderful and the hiking was pleasing. We hiked about 6 miles. It is awesome to see the kids in such great shape.
In looking for a place to run, we ran on the campus of the Cleveland County Community College. I discovered the most interesting mascot–the “Yetis” or as I like to say, big foot.
I did run with my daughter at the college. However, we liked running downtown better due to the sidewalks and interesting murals. We managed to run a little over 8 miles while I was in town. It is fun to run with family members.
We did several projects with the kids around the house; their new home is looking super. I am sure that we will see them both again before too long.
Other fun:
I managed to play a round of disc golf at a short course nearby. It was satisfying to play.
We had ice cream in a few locations in town. It is refreshing on a warm Memorial Day.
No bike rides this trip. See you on the road soon.
Creeping Along the Virginia Creeper Trail
We are still biking, just not as much this year as in past years. We took a trip to Virginia to ride on the Virginia Creeper trail. We were planning on riding with a group on this trip. Unfortunately, that group trip was cancelled. So, we decided we could have some fun on our own and enjoy the trail ourselves.
After arriving in Virginia, we were struck by all the “Love” signs around. Apparently, the big marketing campaign for Virginia is that “Virginia is for lovers.” We did enjoy the many “LOVE” sculptures along the roads and towns.
We stayed in the town of Abington. The locals told me that it has more restaurants per person than any other town in the USA. It was a pretty town and we did not go hungry. We were happy to stay in Abington for our trip to the Creeper Trail.
We ended up walking all over Abington, up and down main street as well as on some of the side streets. However, our main attraction was to bike the Creeper Trail. They have a nice welcome center just outside of the trailhead in Abington as well as a visitors center in town.
We had a good day of biking from Abington and then back from Damascus. We had glorious weather. There were not too many people on the trail. It was almost impossible to get lost as the trail was well marked and maintained. On our long bike ride we had an enjoyable lunch at the Wicked Chicken in Damascus.
About halfway to Damascus was the old railway stop called Alvarado Station. It was picturesque. It was a good place to stop and reflect how the countryside has changed.
Damascus was a good destination for our ride and were happy to have a spot to stop on our ride, about mile 15 from Abington along the trail.
The ride is a good one on a crushed gravel trail. We did not bring our road bikes because of the crushed gravel. Renting bikes worked out well for us. I enjoyed the many bridges that we came across, all numbered and well maintained. Some had a story to tell. Most were picturesque as well as functional.
We did pass through a few farms with gates. I am sure the gates keep in the livestock. I do not see many gates on rail trails. It is a testament to how long it has been since the train came through.
The engine used to pull the coal car and the lumber is on display at the start of the Creeper Trail in Abington. It was restored and looked in fine shape. One of the stories on the trail name is that the train crept along at a slow pace due to the curves and grades on the path.
Other fun:
We spent a day hiking into the Channels State Forest
We enjoyed a well-done rendition of “Clue” at Barter Theatre in Abington.
I was able to play disc golf at the Virginia Highlands Community College.
We managed to bike, walk, and run on the Creeper Trail. It is a joy to see things differently as we all have a different pace we go while walking, biking, or running.
We got back home in time to participate in the first annual Luther Run. We finished first in our age groups for the 5k. A fun time.
See you on the road for our next travel adventure.
Underground Travels
We were last in Carter Caves celebrating an anniversary years ago. We really like this lesser-known state park as it has much more than just caves to explore. We had done most of the hikes on our previous travels here, and they are worthwhile exploring. This time, during our visit to Carter Caves State Park, we focused on the cave system.
We were able to stay in a cabin and explore the hiking trails as well as take a few cave tours. It does get dark in the caves. Going with a group is always fun. The rangers were so knowledgeable about the caves and the systems.
Led by the park rangers we did two cave tours:
X-CAVE: a cave with two vertical joint passages that gave us up-close viewings of the cave formations. Each section was different. We did see cave spiders. We saw the highlights in this cave which include the Great Chandelier, cave coral, and formations with descriptive names including Giant Turkey, the Pipe Organ, and Headache Rock.
Cascade Cave is the longest cave tour in the park and is noted for its large chambers and many cave formations. A highlight of the tour is a 30-foot-high underground waterfall as well as the Lake Room’s reflecting pool, the Cathedral in North Cave, and the Dance Hall where a previous owner held weekly dances. It was a nice cool temperature in the caves as it was hot outside.
We explored a little of Laural Cave on our own. It was going to rain and we did not want to get in too far and then back out due to the rising water. It is different exploring on our own as the guided tour is lit up and we only had our flashlights to assist us on this walk. I appreciate the Park System’s work making the guided caves tours so accessible to us.
We enjoyed hiking the area and exploring the creek that runs through the park.
Other fun:
We saw a live snaping turtle up close and personal as one of the rangers caught one and was moving him farther away from the camping area.
The camping area had an axe throwing demonstration and we were able to throw a few. It was good to try. We were not very good.
No bike rides on this trip. See you on the road.
Retirement Travel with Glen 