Saturday, August 28, 2010

We get to Tiger's and here is this 75 year old biker God standing before us still nimble, and fit. Seriously, Carol told us that Tiger still bikes over 50 miles a day and runs at night. Tiger, whose wife's name is Jane, showed us around his collection of racing recumbent bikes and his shop. and yes, Tiger still races time trials in Illinois and Wisconsin and wins them. His shop is just filled with tools, bikes, and memories. Pictures of Tiger riding dotted the walls alongside other cyclists both tourers and racers. Getting down to business, Tiger sold us each a tube, knocking off a dollar each (road discount). The flat and added detour meant we didn't have a chance in he'll making it the last 18 miles for the day, so we asked Tiger for some sage like advice. The best advice he could give us was a little pull off near a North/South bound county highway. He also pointed out the one store, Casey's, in the Village of Dakota.


While I was changing my tire, Sam went to the house nearby for water. a few minutes later he came out with Carol and Mike Johnson, a very lovely couple, who advised not only gave us water and each a delicious apple, but also directed us to one Tire Johnson who apparently operated a bike shop from his home. Now very low on tubes from Sam's double flat yesterday and my single today, we were hoping this one didn't prove a goose chase like the shops in Belvidere.


Friday, August 27, 2010

Catch up from yesterday: no reception. Another flat tire! This really frustrated the he'll out of me. a little pebble somehow got between my tire and tube and proceeded rub a vertical line on my tube. The result: a slow leak that wasn't holding the patch. arrrggghhh!


So in search of a bike shop earlier today, we came into Belvidere, Illinois. An odd backwater to begin with, we initially hit gold with a great Mexican restaurant but the good fortune ended there as we went to look for the towns two bike shops. The first shop marker on the map led us to a mural of Belvidere Bikes, which probably went out of business in 1947. The second marker led us to a faded lime green ranch style house in a residential neighborhood. We asked the neighbor, an old deaf man, if he knew of a bike shop near by. He pointed to the house again, and yelled, "Shack. I seen someone go there one day and he fixed him." Well sure enough walking int the backyard, there was a tiny one room bungalow with bike company logos in the small three by three window. there also was a very clearly displayed Sorry. We're Closed sign as well. With nobody home we moved on from the "City of Murals" (I saw six murals) in hopes of a city that doesn't just dream of bicycles.


A nice filling Mexican breakfast after the first twelve miles of the day. 50 mile or so to go before rest and dinner.


Saturday, August 21, 2010

I have a few entries for before this but I'm the meantime: welcome to Chicago Brooklyn!!


One real cool outcome from the rain is that I just met this German couple Michael and Connie from Germany who are riding motorcycles around the world. They've done Australia, Europe, South America, and are working their way around America now, aiming to finish in Vancouver. A very cool adventure to be sure.


On a side note: We're staying at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Campgrounds, well squatting really ;), and I got to say, this place is beautiful. I really recommend it if you're passing through.


Sad Michaelangelo. We've got a rain delay due to heavy rainfall, and just under sixty miles to my friend Nolan's house in Chicago. Poor Sam got flooded out and I had some leakage too. We're both fine though, but we definitely have some tent issues to address during our stop over. I'm disappointed that I won't make Chicago before 4pm like I wanted, but we'll get there soon. The rain stopped a little while ago, so now it's dry and pack time.


Hang over from yesterday: I passed through Town of Pines, one of the eeriest, most druidic, and downright coolest names for a town I've ever encountered. Sadly, the town didn't live up to the name. One motel and one gas station. Not even an over abundance of pines. Maybe they cut a lot of them down.



Friday, August 20, 2010

The little acts of kindness encountered as we go along never cease to amaze me. The latest just occurred about forty minutes ago at Trail Creek Liquors. I came in to inquire about the size of the next town over and if there was a place to buy beer, and not only did they give me a very healthy run down on what was available, the owner Scott walks me to the cooler, removes and hands me a 12 pack case of Coors Light. "On me," he says with a smile. Life is good today to be sure.


Didn't even notice but we Sam just pointed out, we are in a different timezone Brooklyn. What to do with that extra hour...maybe I'll ride my bicycle some more.


Also, at the end of every school year Notre Dame has this big sale from old to gold. All the students unwanted or unkeepable items are sold dirt cheap for charity. If you got a truck and some time, you can rack up on tons of goodies for near nothing.


A little bit of a detour. One of the bolts to Sam's rear rack rattled itself out, so we made a pit stop at The Avenue Bicycle Station. The owner, Scott gave Sam the bolt he needed and let him borrow a standing pump for his tires. He also gave me a phat (yes I did say phat) sticker for my helmet. He also told me about this program, he does every Saturday called Open Stand. Anyone can come in and work with his tools on their bike. Scott's there the whole day to run tutorials for newbees.


So something about me that very few people know. I lost my faith in Christianity, specifically Catholicism. Now before that happened, as a little boy, I wanted to become a priest, and the college that I dreamed of going to was The University of Notre Dame. Obviously, that didn't quite work out for me, but as a consolation guess where I am now. It has to be one of the loveliest campuses I've ever been to.



Feeling wonderfully refreshed and invigorated after a long ride yesterday. Good food, beer and whiskey, a great night's sleep, a hot shower and fresh clothes. Yep, that's all it took. I'm hoping Sam's shower will do the same for him. He was not anywhere approaching sunshine this morning. My grumpy day was yesterday. You see we've got this rotation thing going and... ;)




Thursday, August 19, 2010

Just scarfed a kingly meal of camping cooked asparagus, corn, red bean and saxon rice burritos! Not too bad ofter almost 82 miles. I'm stuffed and ready to shower and sleep. Tomorrow we're catching breakfast next to U of Notre Dame. I'm psyched. Sam's ambivalent but looking forward to breakfast.


Yiiiiieeeee Haaaawww!! Off-road touring! That was fun but it's great to be on solid asphalt again.


You know you're in Indiana when the county highway you've been riding on suddenly becomes a dirt road but is still marked as a highway.


Not much to tell you guys about Indiana so far, but we are in it!


Nothing like starting the morning right. Waking early. Drying off the dew from your tent. A nice hot cup of tea. Breaking into the campgrounds public restrooms because they left them locked the whole time we've been here. Ahhh!!! I love being on the road.


I'm stopped across from The Ohio Art Company, makers of the ech-a-sketch!! Can you believe it! One of my top three favorite toys ever! What do you want? I'm sentimental and I was a lonely little child (mock weeping to follow statement).




Wednesday, August 18, 2010

We are pretty much camped at the point where Ohio, Michigan and Indiana meet at a little campground called Lazy River. It's nice although a side effect of this place once being known as the Black Swamp (they still call it that but they drained most of the Marshes for cropland, very, very fertile area) is that it's moist and all the outside world has already been coated in a even early dew. I'm emailing photos, making notes and writing my big Sid before bed. Sleep well Brooklyn or not yet to all my Barland Hoppers.


Didn't make quite make it across the Indiana border today, but I can practically spit at it. What we did instead was find an all you could eat buffet that cost me ten bucks for both of us. Thankfully there was a salad bar with tons if fresh veggies so I was happy again today. Between that, finding a vegan eatery and grocer last night, the super veggie friendly Mexican place in Oberlin, and Lisa's great peepers juice and apple jelly, I've have been a very happy vegetarian this week. it more than makes up for having to suffer The Thirsty Pony.


Day 18 and we're growing sick of corn fields. By Iowa we'll know nothing else.


Wackest continental breakfast ever known to man. Shitty freezer bagels, funky milk, oh and coffee. I guess we're going to Waffle House after all!


Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Western headwinds are killing me today. I'm pedaling twenty but only going twelve. I have to tweak my drag because my front panniers are Dumbo ears right now. Ready for take off.


The Western headwinds are killing me today. I'm pedaling twenty but only going twelve. I have to tweak my drag because my front panniers are Dumbo ears right now. Ready for take off.


Stopped in Freemont for Samboy's daily Red Bull fix. We should have requested a sponsorship from them I guess (soft muffled gagging sounds accompany final statement.


Sandusky's redemption comes with the morning over the quest for breakfast. We decided to bypass Sandusky proper and I routed us to skirt the South edge of the city. Just when we lost hope of finding a real place to eat among the Burger Kings and car dealerships, we found Beraidi's Family Kitchen and the sweetest waitress you've ever met: a madam by the name of Beth.


Neither of us know what it is about the place, but after getting back from our scout and eating at the Pony, we were both drained and listless. The urge to work wasn't there, not that I could have done much because service in the town is awful and there's no wifi anywhere near us. I don't know if it was partly because Oberlin was so amazing, or what but I don't know Sandusky.



Neither of us know what it is about the place, but after getting back from our scout and eating at the Pony, we were both drained and listless. The urge to work wasn't there, not that I could have done much because phone service in the town is awful and there's no wifi anywhere near us. I don't know if it was partly because Oberlin was so amazing, or what but I don't know Sandusky.


In need of sustenance and finding little if any in downtown, we backtracked towards the hotel and settled ourselves on The Thirsty Pony (it was that or TGI Fridays). This had to be one of the most obscenely saturated displays of indoor neon I've ever seen. The place is a jammed in combination bar, restaurant , bowling alley, mini casino, OTB. I'm serious folks, slot machines next to the gumball machine displaying the kids menu. On the menu, we got meat, meat, meat charged at a premium. That's something I'm getting used to and new coming into the trip, but this place was just devoid of any redeemable quality. Overpriced drinks dry humping tacky flair and not even smiling while they're doing it.


We did a night scout of Sandusky, and, yeah...that's kind of it. The historic waterfront area is pretty sparse (I mean it is a Monday but...). Apparently, the place to be is at the chain restaurants on the strip mall wing of the city, route 250. The city sweats a combination of sleazy tourist trap strips lined with gimmick motels and that sort of vacant homogenized quick serve culture America more and more seems to be drowning in.



Sunday, August 15, 2010

Status update: we're staying at the mayor of Oberlin, Ken and his wife Lisa, two biking gurus in my book (and every biker in Brooklyn if you met them). Not only did they give us a place to crash, a very needed hot shower, great nibbles, swains advise, and lovely conversation, their friend Steve also toured us around Oberlin. I got to say today was a GREAT DAY!!


Just got into Oberlin, Ohio and a nice family of bikers offered to let us stay at their home. Sweet!


We just bike through twenty miles of strip malls!! People screaming at us to get off the road or not, I'll take rural Ohio over Akron in a heartbeat.


Hello and goodbye from Akron, OH, Brooklyn. That's kind of all I have to say about the city. Oh, it's known as the rubber city. Yeah, that's all I got about Akron.


A little curbside maintenance to make sure none of our bolts have shaken loose. last night we biked the last 15 miles in pouring rain before having to stop for the day. So far, the rains haven't comeback today, but they're supposed to be ready drop at any time. Keep your fingers crossed they don't.


I think I ate something I shouldn't have. I passed out at like ten and slept through. I feel better now. Ready to eat and ride!



Saturday, August 14, 2010

There will come soft rains, well actually there will come rapid torrential downpours passing through to say hi. Well, each state welcomes us in it's own special way, Jersey brought sandwiches from cars, Pennsylvania brought rolling mountains (lots of them) and now Ohio gives us hide and seek rainstorms. Can't wait for the Dakotas! No...really.


Mobile Blogging from here.

Nowhere sometimes suits the soul, friends. Miles of Gwen as the mountains of the East give way to waves of crops and fields extending to forested borders. Wild flowers grow and twist in the ditches as the road keeps going on.


7 + 14 Restaurant...middle of nowhere Ohio. It's my other family reunion, and I'm missing New York and The Rivera Clan (one particularly). Save some taco salad for me.


Last night we met some really great people from Manaco, PA, who treated us to some pizza and beers at the campgrounds. So, a big hello to our new friends Mike, Bess, and Kevin.


Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sam and I treated ourselves earlier to a Pittsburgh delicacy, namely a sandwich made in the Iron City Style. You can get it any way you like, for Sam that meant going for the cheesesteak, while I opted for an egg and cheese. what makes it a hallmark Pittsburgh classic is that they pile tomatoes, coleslaw, and french fries on top., an odd combination until you try it. Yum! Shit's pretty tasty Brooklyn.




Researching at the Library. I met a really amazingly sweet librarian Gwen who was very helpful and gave me a container of yogurt with blueberries. I can't ever express that although I have so many quams with my motherland, how much I do love this country! We're pursuing topography maps


Plotting our course, and packing for departure. Pittsburg tour part 2 at four...maybe. We'll see how far we get.


So, we ended the night stopping by one of the two best pizza shops in Pittsburg (it's a hotly contested title here) right before it was shutting down and got two pies for ten bucks, which after all the eight dollar pictures, ended the evening just lovely. The cost of living in this town is insanely low. Now, I'm resetting my packs for the next leg of the journey: the push to Chicago!


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

At a bar called the Squirrel Cage. I had to step outside because it was too smokey! How ironic is that to hear fr me of all people? Still, if you never been to Pittsburg, go! It's a great city with a he'll of a lot of it's own character. What more can you ask of a place?



So where here in Pittsburgh, drinking beer in a church now. I shit you not. They turned a church into a brewery! This might get even me up on Sundays. Just kidding mom.



Jim and Barbra treated us to a boat tour of the three rivers area. The historian in me is very happy eight now!



It has been a day of paranoia in regards to the lingering fear of dropping my phone in water or off a cliff.


quiet morning tending to affairs. Very peaceful. Now where at the Duquesne Incline over looking the three rivers meeting point and the downtown area. A city of bridges...I count 17 from here!


Great food and company last night after we arrived at Jim and Barbra's house. showered and clean, I got to sleep in a nice soft bed. the only problem: I'm on road time and have been trying to get back to bed since 6:30.


Monday, August 9, 2010

Google maps is a cruel and heartless bitch!! Welcome to Pittsburgh Brooklyn!



Under 30 to Pittsburgh. Unknown number of mountains remain but over twenty down so far today. Refilling water from a hose at a roadside fruit stand while waiting for Sam.



2 1/2 hour wait over in Blairsville. Now riding on a heavily congested road in the process of construction. Less than 40 to Pittsburgh.



So Samboy and tried something new, only because circumstances presented the opportunity, we split up on two separate courses. I took route 22, the highway, monster climbs and drops, while Sam took the ghost road, cool as the name is, it's a longer more scenic route that cuts through the valley, and is much less hilly. we're to meet in blairsville, where I am now chillin' at this restirant drinking a beer and a Jameson on the rocks that cost me $4.50 (wow), while Sam is still six miles out. Damn you Bob!



Roadwork...bandanas on!


An early rise for the last uphill push to Pittsburg! A lot if OJ, some bananas, and Larabars for breakfast. Real food 27 miles away. 69 miles to Pittsburg.


Sunday, August 8, 2010

No self pampering tonight. The showers at the campsite are pay operated and I have no quarters.


Beautiful scenic paths today but not as much progress as we hoped. Spirits got a little low by Ebensburg (not a fan of the town myself, not bike friendly: you go although way up the hill to the center of town, ride three level blocks only to go back down out of the town), but we rebounded by yelling at each other, drinking some beers, and eating some food. Still, don't go to Ebensburg on bike. Not fun.



Beautifully senic paths today but not as much progress as we hoped


So I've added two new animals to my roadkill seen. First, three days ago beaver, and now, porcupine. I decided to spare everyone photo documentation but I think sam has a beaver snap shot on one of his cameras. oh, and I just ran into a fly the weight of a quarter biking. The thing made an actual thud against my chest!


Granny's $7.99 all you can eat breakfast!! Carb up! it's about 100 miles to Pittsburg.


Have you worked on your bike today? Well that's what I'm up to right now! A little bit of grease, a little bit of love, a lot of bit of luck because I've never been the most confident of mechanics. ;)



Saturday, August 7, 2010

If our new friends Sandy and Carol are reading, we made it to Altoona.


I'm at at lovely T in the road waiting for Samboy. 20 miles or so to go. it was a beautifully day, so we tarried over a picture in State College, home of Penn State.


A lovely lunch that included fried pickles baby as we break to plot our course for the remainder of the day.


Good morning! Carol and Sandy made us a great breakfast if free range eggs, raw milk, yogurt, toast, pepper jelly (yum!), fresh grapes, and coffee for Sam. Energized and ready to start our rude, we shall now depart to State College (city name), the bank, Post Office, Best Buy, and then to the western beyond.


sorry fir the tune out...we rode and rode this rolling road through Amish country on our way to the what we thought was a sizable town only to find a one road strip. we ate some pretty bad Italian food and discouraged, began making our way to the next town and the hopes of lodging. That's when Sandy and Carol found us on the road. They offered us a spot to pitch camp, filled us with beer and stories, and helped ease what almost turned out a dire day's ending.


Friday, August 6, 2010

I see Amish people...


Waiting for Samboy on a mountaintop clearing with a beautiful lake and beachfront before me. Windy and windy up here: wish you were too!


Good news! Sam didn't get his helmet stolen. He just left it at the deli half a mile away when we stopped to get dinner. Whew! My faith in small town humanity has been restored.


Delay, delay. Somebody clipped Sam's helmet last night/this morning. WTF! Does my good luck just rub off on everyone I meet?


One can of sunblock down. Look guys an old dog can learn new tricks. No sunburn yet!


We came through the night mostly victorious over the rain and our neighbor, the owl. Battle scars: one wet shoe for me, interrupted sleep and owl shit on his tent for Sam.



Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Finished off dinner with campfire baked french fries. mmmmmmm!!!


That last post was delayed by several hours on account of no reception. Sorry.


Just had myself one of the most tranquil bike rides ever through Hickory Run State Park. just a smooth paved softly sunlit corridor of trees, and little old me. l hardly noticed the occasional waving as they passed nor the hills I was climbing ad I strode along.


I'm at the summit of our second real official mountain of the trip. It might not be noticeable but I'm blogging to you Brooklyn at over 1300 ft above sea level. no bar this time though.


Late breakfast...mmmmmmm...eeeggggssss. Hashbrownss. Oj. Nothing like the good old basics to get you some miles under your belt.


Goodmorning PA! Sam's getting his legs. He woke up before me today. Two states down, now we face our first real distance: crossing the width of PA. We should be able to do it in five or so days. Here's to hoping! Well, I've got to finish breaking down camp. Type to you around lunch peoples.