tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85470309829279312142024-03-05T22:31:50.518-07:00CyclewhitneySteve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.comBlogger161125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-7523110663765697302024-03-05T06:09:00.003-07:002024-03-05T06:32:51.553-07:002024 Desert 300 Brevet<p>Ride Report</p><p>March 3, 2024</p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhyphenhyphendLjkDNB7PGSiz91kANJETAcoZgLKjKy3sFoZVRViH637cgqyH8bhGd8njSEs6NDpf3RnrETS9deEuamXysPj5lnDpLdGoMkZFjDoSc9M67PqH4lEOAAdEscJjGcMfc8vdYGLrcyIWZdukCsf-zFc12JuLyDxtBFThG7MqIfSbZagok2L4VumvEcrE/s4032/IMG_4887.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhyphenhyphendLjkDNB7PGSiz91kANJETAcoZgLKjKy3sFoZVRViH637cgqyH8bhGd8njSEs6NDpf3RnrETS9deEuamXysPj5lnDpLdGoMkZFjDoSc9M67PqH4lEOAAdEscJjGcMfc8vdYGLrcyIWZdukCsf-zFc12JuLyDxtBFThG7MqIfSbZagok2L4VumvEcrE/s320/IMG_4887.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian McGuire provides the pre-ride brief</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Here we go again; about 18 riders lined up behind the Denny's at Chandler Boulevard and I-10 for the Desert 300 and 400 km brevets. Brian McGuire pre-rode both routes and provided great support throughout the day. Both routes follow the same course until mile 142. There the 400 riders head south to Casa Grande, then return to the Chandler via Coolidge, Florence, and Queen Creek. The 300 riders continue east to Sacaton before heading back to Chandler, yours truly decided to ride the 300 version.</div><div><br /></div><div>Local Arizonans were outnumbered by riders from Wisconsin, Washington, New Jersey and 8 riders from Colorado! Stephen Kenny from Calgary, Alberta Canada gave the ride international status. Five of the Coloradans arrived at our house Friday night for the weekend. Saturday morning, we enjoyed a 5 mile warm up ride to the start. Lots of wind in the forecast, we’d better get going!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgeMRahzQ331Pwn8PZucj4KszpgVMQBt_2S5xx61U7klRYnE_TfDPU7j_Nz-uyRZ4t0Om8YnOnaAZk3tcHDbBhOuYM5CDZ7aBva-GoGonelf6adqWQqQvAYS1YWtDOFpAd86N8GzqgK1u34a_6j2D0zr5YRGAwe-NwVFoNR8ypFeFXH5Enhy3GXdys_Y/s4032/IMG_4889.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgeMRahzQ331Pwn8PZucj4KszpgVMQBt_2S5xx61U7klRYnE_TfDPU7j_Nz-uyRZ4t0Om8YnOnaAZk3tcHDbBhOuYM5CDZ7aBva-GoGonelf6adqWQqQvAYS1YWtDOFpAd86N8GzqgK1u34a_6j2D0zr5YRGAwe-NwVFoNR8ypFeFXH5Enhy3GXdys_Y/s320/IMG_4889.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out with lights and reflective gear</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Brian completed the pre-ride brief at precisely 0600 and we rolled out of the Denny’s parking lot as a large group and made our way to Riggs road before the group split into several groups. I found myself with the most of the Colorado contingent and Stephen Kenny from Calgary.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGVdlHXQeOC1w0l_dkKw0fK8y6LjepnT7T9DUXOSEm2Y3mXMmV8QsmImeHB2JvKAPUGDLPzWR9I-UgsUDPmcVc7_6sSvSsYKoj8Av6UuK97jXcqL1wwUljpxkfbMpBpRNiLyefDsfZydUE03Ppsoea70TWN5lz6UWwGXgaAolNz0HfMRq-ossc7iNNFM/s4032/IMG_4893.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGVdlHXQeOC1w0l_dkKw0fK8y6LjepnT7T9DUXOSEm2Y3mXMmV8QsmImeHB2JvKAPUGDLPzWR9I-UgsUDPmcVc7_6sSvSsYKoj8Av6UuK97jXcqL1wwUljpxkfbMpBpRNiLyefDsfZydUE03Ppsoea70TWN5lz6UWwGXgaAolNz0HfMRq-ossc7iNNFM/s320/IMG_4893.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling through farms/subdivisions of Litchfield</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_09yWQJV2DacPHHYL0C2cPZw_23Lr_GIc_wO9LxRjtFXre6f8NAAl1aGQ9uC2XXUR-2i_1dDV0d4BDp-jO4qFa_Go8mZ0Ed_nTs-1XVi5Zy5mjq4lNjrb-4EfK_92v2OQhH-qHm29M5jQQG9dLTWcoS1IYFhlO7R90sO2ormTVqfM2ub0wffQ6sCQCE/s4032/IMG_4895.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_09yWQJV2DacPHHYL0C2cPZw_23Lr_GIc_wO9LxRjtFXre6f8NAAl1aGQ9uC2XXUR-2i_1dDV0d4BDp-jO4qFa_Go8mZ0Ed_nTs-1XVi5Zy5mjq4lNjrb-4EfK_92v2OQhH-qHm29M5jQQG9dLTWcoS1IYFhlO7R90sO2ormTVqfM2ub0wffQ6sCQCE/s320/IMG_4895.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group approaches Jimmy Johnson Blvd and Phoenix Raceway</td></tr></tbody></table>Our group slowly thinned out to one Canadian, six Coloradans, and one Arizonan! We rolled through Litchfield and passed Phoenix Raceway. Next weekend NACAR fans will overrun the area for The Shriners Children’s 500! Like Randonnuers, NASCAR measures racing distances in kilometers.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B4zgWSvMGv2YkEKyPlwznUk3_8KE5J_l8RC_SE6LScPGT-rMcstROVPhPV_tuRgb5Wxk9Wmmk8ORbVphGG1saahWJUWWirX6tOaysPCm3Se_V0YfV76Q84oZ4qpJe1hbVmVx23rygrxixEdNRCCvE3dqu87N0I6btJf4BqYZeBDeOg-f7oOrmmiFffo/s4032/IMG_4898.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8B4zgWSvMGv2YkEKyPlwznUk3_8KE5J_l8RC_SE6LScPGT-rMcstROVPhPV_tuRgb5Wxk9Wmmk8ORbVphGG1saahWJUWWirX6tOaysPCm3Se_V0YfV76Q84oZ4qpJe1hbVmVx23rygrxixEdNRCCvE3dqu87N0I6btJf4BqYZeBDeOg-f7oOrmmiFffo/s320/IMG_4898.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckeye control stop</td></tr></tbody></table>Brian had a small feast and drinks available for a quick control stop in Buckeye. This year the course avoided downtown Buckeye and its traffic, and stopped here at just before crossing US 85.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhS4LaNSDBweigt2fnfiuOujlwQm2z57r54o9_1ubDlckfyN7Nh_tHqNV2lee6WbWS0tnIlrcJq4QrasE1teKi5t25t_e7lYK96OhhNDIzJepVcYflIyeKa9spMCcXbcKEEBqffF_b1Ip7JQpxE4LvDbV1ZOdy38K4HYd4spd9-vDoIqJjeHX6bt_77w/s4032/IMG_4910.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhS4LaNSDBweigt2fnfiuOujlwQm2z57r54o9_1ubDlckfyN7Nh_tHqNV2lee6WbWS0tnIlrcJq4QrasE1teKi5t25t_e7lYK96OhhNDIzJepVcYflIyeKa9spMCcXbcKEEBqffF_b1Ip7JQpxE4LvDbV1ZOdy38K4HYd4spd9-vDoIqJjeHX6bt_77w/s320/IMG_4910.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Kenny</td></tr></tbody></table>Stephen Kenny, resplendent in Arizona Randonneuring kit was amazed by the alfalfa fields in Litchfield! Just don’t ask him about American politics, he’s Canadian!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg91W6AMyH9VteHggOdJhZDLXo9Kg9imZUZIeg5fHUKa68HtSmwrQVwPRnrSX6HP8ZazWGTm_of9uc1Loi7_sbx5zzxW9FUWDMrj7b7Unah08DlbT1u2NfWFA2GrdWxegc3AuuFUQ-E6ioni6MnrKV84JtI9rKFPTCfqWelTNY5s_XXjMIUBEfDnfIaF0/s4032/IMG_4913.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg91W6AMyH9VteHggOdJhZDLXo9Kg9imZUZIeg5fHUKa68HtSmwrQVwPRnrSX6HP8ZazWGTm_of9uc1Loi7_sbx5zzxW9FUWDMrj7b7Unah08DlbT1u2NfWFA2GrdWxegc3AuuFUQ-E6ioni6MnrKV84JtI9rKFPTCfqWelTNY5s_XXjMIUBEfDnfIaF0/s320/IMG_4913.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Foley</td></tr></tbody></table>Paul Foley (also Colorado) and Stephen Kennedy took huge pulls all day long as we battled head and cross-winds all the way to Gila Bend.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xNvoJ2axCFjJ-fPbkuD50hdHDLGNKwUV8-pFyt0dfzVGdM3tRbS9buzhWnwpiSxP0opalVMB1_bp3u5xwNe9OTNlaETciUj7Kgqt9_3rXIippurWGiX-9OEGCe5jjhjtgYj4IxkVv-4rpzZev46Pd-9M1gCF2CdgVdCUtFgKYF61dxq6BOhtJyMuNAo/s4032/IMG_4917.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xNvoJ2axCFjJ-fPbkuD50hdHDLGNKwUV8-pFyt0dfzVGdM3tRbS9buzhWnwpiSxP0opalVMB1_bp3u5xwNe9OTNlaETciUj7Kgqt9_3rXIippurWGiX-9OEGCe5jjhjtgYj4IxkVv-4rpzZev46Pd-9M1gCF2CdgVdCUtFgKYF61dxq6BOhtJyMuNAo/s320/IMG_4917.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gillespie Bridge</td></tr></tbody></table>We crossed the mighty Gila River at Gillespie Bridge. There were a number of aid stations set up along the way to Gila Bend supporting another cycling event. The volunteers were very exuberant and provided support for some of our riders. It was nice to have a distraction, as the wind was providing an additional challenge to get through this section.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6iteiE7S70yQosyTfcefkv62u7bqnH5O4_olt0qIy4LyNONy_NOJq9dG2K27Z1p_SHv3MZJGwTCI83W0vC-txjiyu-xoi1Gh0MHIOET7dDA1CpZQk1lMWSdKnq-0q0EWZoeMeyNQ3nr8xTmikC95L4pUx6Tt5zdLERIMHt2hZ3zkEnXH0CMtcq4Crk0/s4032/IMG_4935.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO6iteiE7S70yQosyTfcefkv62u7bqnH5O4_olt0qIy4LyNONy_NOJq9dG2K27Z1p_SHv3MZJGwTCI83W0vC-txjiyu-xoi1Gh0MHIOET7dDA1CpZQk1lMWSdKnq-0q0EWZoeMeyNQ3nr8xTmikC95L4pUx6Tt5zdLERIMHt2hZ3zkEnXH0CMtcq4Crk0/s320/IMG_4935.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gila Bend!</td></tr></tbody></table>Mike Sturgill changed the control location in Gila Bend this year to a convenience store that was closer to Old US 80, and had less riding on the rough back roads of Gila Bend. You just had to navigate around fighting dinosaurs to get there!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaKwPyxrMwGCvJOV5TvPL9vpGIOTEo15iwnTUjbTPY1iq-f49-xsL5LfDUdMNgEc2wItPBEc7yrPkPLdyU6ZU5KVdUD69ZbJG9rz4zFoVhWIpIP_yRYKtYyNVKenlMRLTOP_pENJFLgwatAsBKBxGQi-jDhQQntj7B1VMWWnZjItAiMpufA0ypUndLBY/s4032/IMG_4938.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaKwPyxrMwGCvJOV5TvPL9vpGIOTEo15iwnTUjbTPY1iq-f49-xsL5LfDUdMNgEc2wItPBEc7yrPkPLdyU6ZU5KVdUD69ZbJG9rz4zFoVhWIpIP_yRYKtYyNVKenlMRLTOP_pENJFLgwatAsBKBxGQi-jDhQQntj7B1VMWWnZjItAiMpufA0ypUndLBY/s320/IMG_4938.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Control stop next to Rivian EV chargers</td></tr></tbody></table>John and I tried to plug our bikes into these Rivian EV chargers, but apparently they are only available to Rivian owners! Brian set up the control in the shade of a Palo Verde tree and served sandwiches, drinks, and snacks to very hungry riders. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1TQP6oPMhMWRWJiuw_34G2YH-fsaue_qIOeXumSKN8W1reLBmvYkU4kyCgXWnpTW-L7AWQYAZEVGmGQYhV_XSEKK4NOvoecIl9eBvL3COGveYygI1CPkg4vlNFWH62ednohUxCSbOHHK7_FLA4oCwXO6norDohQo_6p9wwkTFQsOPxDQNfjTjFdcf-Y/s4032/IMG_4944.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1TQP6oPMhMWRWJiuw_34G2YH-fsaue_qIOeXumSKN8W1reLBmvYkU4kyCgXWnpTW-L7AWQYAZEVGmGQYhV_XSEKK4NOvoecIl9eBvL3COGveYygI1CPkg4vlNFWH62ednohUxCSbOHHK7_FLA4oCwXO6norDohQo_6p9wwkTFQsOPxDQNfjTjFdcf-Y/s320/IMG_4944.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to Mobile</td></tr></tbody></table>It was a very flat 100 miles to Gila Bend, the next 40 miles had a 15 mile ‘climb’ up a 1-2% grade to a summit in the Sonoran National Monument. The strong wind, about 18 mph, was directly on our tail and we headed up at a strong pace aided by the gentle push from behind. We stopped for a flat tire in the group about half-way up. Stephen offered to try his new pocket mini-electric pump and it worked like a champ and we were back on our way. <div><br /></div><div>Reaching the summit, Paul and Stephen again took the lead and we headed for Mobile (fire station and school only, no services) and then the desert oasis of Maricopa. There were no services in this section, so I normally buy a spare bottle of water in Gila Bend in case of heat or unfavorable winds. On this time through, we covered the 40 miles in just over 2 hours, and I didn’t need the spare.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl-mv1Ap5BSMOlbpNjZokuVcSbcBKCLPE-juKRYzBiOzYYM5XjfiE3YQtvs1LnRTinvnbSAa8W18faqiOqW5ZZlRQrjY0_j9a1wRJpE_Tw4VItBCb_jOcfKneDLKpDVVdi4lGUJjwC6QnMkFQw0UUt7-bKefQOJ0sKcoojopqbtf1cD553o97ttUkssQ/s4032/IMG_4949.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPl-mv1Ap5BSMOlbpNjZokuVcSbcBKCLPE-juKRYzBiOzYYM5XjfiE3YQtvs1LnRTinvnbSAa8W18faqiOqW5ZZlRQrjY0_j9a1wRJpE_Tw4VItBCb_jOcfKneDLKpDVVdi4lGUJjwC6QnMkFQw0UUt7-bKefQOJ0sKcoojopqbtf1cD553o97ttUkssQ/s320/IMG_4949.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waste Management landfill</td></tr></tbody></table>Nearing Maricopa the Waste Management land fill can be seen in the distance. Each time I pass through the mound is a bit higher. Will it reach the elevation of the peaks behind, only time will tell.</div><div><br /></div><div>The section of road between Mobile and Maricopa was the hands-down <i>least </i>favorite section of this ride. The shoulder disappears and it’s a two-lane road with sometimes heavy traffic. It used to be a much quieter road. On a road trip recent trip to San Diego, Google maps suggests this route instead of taking the I-10 south to the I-8. This shortcut does save 15-30 minutes of driving time, thus the heavier traffic load. Thanks Google!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKja_swb1YFm9q0H6mxqULY6t3PEueDKrzaCuvNiGrMrgpEujM3NwpjJSfgKLyBEyyAZF2cQTnCE23CBF6P49DES12vTQVwKRLhWDk_QcApw8vJNF8bIAyWZmeugW2KqN_fNQxwrv_czmXfQBdfbtZQ-p7jEteZL2gAiNmQLBjWQPz_LBaqU-sOpoI4M/s4032/IMG_4953.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKja_swb1YFm9q0H6mxqULY6t3PEueDKrzaCuvNiGrMrgpEujM3NwpjJSfgKLyBEyyAZF2cQTnCE23CBF6P49DES12vTQVwKRLhWDk_QcApw8vJNF8bIAyWZmeugW2KqN_fNQxwrv_czmXfQBdfbtZQ-p7jEteZL2gAiNmQLBjWQPz_LBaqU-sOpoI4M/s320/IMG_4953.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Turek at Maricopa </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeFzrc2ko7gZgCAwjNG9v4XNu34gBxvs37o5QvSitKcg5JQ_zxb_1kzcUYqqrz7gpB8Ax-xb1ykaDtxizgUYemYm_vAIotNEDXQtEwXJp8CkIL1uZuaapuf3bAPu5DC2UGc-gH_z85Ade81A8iDy5qRmfx1o9CHVP19i7-kEsRsQtJeAmWSGopyezPGg/s4032/IMG_4955.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyeFzrc2ko7gZgCAwjNG9v4XNu34gBxvs37o5QvSitKcg5JQ_zxb_1kzcUYqqrz7gpB8Ax-xb1ykaDtxizgUYemYm_vAIotNEDXQtEwXJp8CkIL1uZuaapuf3bAPu5DC2UGc-gH_z85Ade81A8iDy5qRmfx1o9CHVP19i7-kEsRsQtJeAmWSGopyezPGg/s320/IMG_4955.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The riders head out in two directions</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took a break on the sidewalk of the circle K. The northern side was shady and cool, with a nice breeze from the west and we plopped down there. The group took a 30 minute break here to reload and recover. I was the only rider on the 300 in our group, so I bid the group farewell and headed out.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5rXKGzcneC8rQunEmuzvwNyi0L9orxbvtagMUoPT9wq20HQDwvp9samUXidLCRMbDV9VW3t2Q3GtPeAh5IiO9xDgh0PBJ2uZkOsyqAzdyrEUjfAWsQRnA_KAHs4dv5UHZI91wVunghSD-7jhhiesJr78myBHCScJ0uB3zv40_WdTkxl4J2o1IjbT064/s4032/IMG_4957.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5rXKGzcneC8rQunEmuzvwNyi0L9orxbvtagMUoPT9wq20HQDwvp9samUXidLCRMbDV9VW3t2Q3GtPeAh5IiO9xDgh0PBJ2uZkOsyqAzdyrEUjfAWsQRnA_KAHs4dv5UHZI91wVunghSD-7jhhiesJr78myBHCScJ0uB3zv40_WdTkxl4J2o1IjbT064/s320/IMG_4957.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction in Maricopa</td></tr></tbody></table>After the pre-rides, Mike made a detour that avoided most of a construction project on Maricopa Road. There was still about a half mile of gravel shoulder to deal with. It was hard packed, protected from traffic, and easy to ride through. Actually was smoother that some of the broken pavement on other parts of the route.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The route turns east on Casa Blanca road and back into the Gila River Indian Community. It’s a quiet pancake flat agricultural area. There were tufts of cotton rolling about from a recent harvest. It was a very enjoyable ride until I had the last of nearly a dozen loose dog encounters of the day. This particularly large pit bull was walking with its owner and about 6 other dogs near the Casa Blanca school. It charged and chased. I was already moving along with the tailwind and thought I had outrun him. Nope, I heard panting and growling and he was inches from my right calve! I yelled again and jumped into a sprint and he was still there at nearly 30 mph, so I made an hard left into the other lane. There was oncoming traffic several hundred meters away and closing, when I switched back, I think he caught a glimpse of the car and didn’t follow me back across!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdHtE6GfbpDYapAsyMcPKvnV2nHvrKQ4SoQqokb_z-DDSilYMmcQ8yqoCIAOkCN6g8hkvMCIg8oYQf6pHBc4j1DznQAFLckNr_imKYwI_ZLpffiK7pdNb12chr3gFFSuni7FMsXMphq8SrQw9nMJeFhAHrX3mEZf4Ifefum5N83yfTo0VUGg1oiwFk8w/s4032/IMG_4958.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdHtE6GfbpDYapAsyMcPKvnV2nHvrKQ4SoQqokb_z-DDSilYMmcQ8yqoCIAOkCN6g8hkvMCIg8oYQf6pHBc4j1DznQAFLckNr_imKYwI_ZLpffiK7pdNb12chr3gFFSuni7FMsXMphq8SrQw9nMJeFhAHrX3mEZf4Ifefum5N83yfTo0VUGg1oiwFk8w/s320/IMG_4958.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ira H. Hayes Memorial in Sacaton</td></tr></tbody></table>It was about a 20 mile run from Maricopa to Sacaton, and I was still enjoying a brisk tail wind and some left-over adrenaline from my pit bull sprint, and covered that ground in a little more than an hour. There is a veterans memorial park named for a local hero that fought in WWII. Ira H. Hayes grew up in Sacaton, joined the Marines and is one of the Marines in the iconic Iwo Jima flag raising photo. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Hayes" target="_blank">Click here for more of his story</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>I reloaded my bottles, bought a PayDay bar at the control convenience store, and headed back for the last 20 miles to the finish in Chandler. As you can see in the Sacaton photo, the wind was still strong, but it would be cross or headwind all the way back. I really missed having company to share the work on this segment!</div><div><br /></div><div>I rolled into the finish at 6 pm, making it 12 hour day in the saddle. Most of the day was spent with a great group of riders, and other than one particularly close dog encounter, it was a perfect day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Debby made a big pot of homemade ham/navy bean soup and cornbread for a post-ride meal. I was able to clean up, eat, and prepare for the Coloradans return. They were all in by midnight and enjoyed hot soup to close out a successful brevet.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next up is Kitt Peak, routes of 300, 400, and 600 km are available, wanna go for a bike ride? <a href="https://www.azbrevet.com/index.html" target="_blank">Click here!</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Steve</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/151724405" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br />Weather details:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEOys8uuot3TbBp7Fn_g80DgwflX94-b28qOuxiQUodO6Iocop8OFgLg5eCJY6umnn92nkaxa5kcEwiNnuisc12JsiQnhEFSMHmg43N-6kgkhIGzTpkgXSvwB-U8U8zs7_4CKnF1kHNGNhyTYfCvPf_oXr8_VjUZvmfHPSWKULPjVHBvtoDYmMYRAyWo/s2533/IMG_4966.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2533" data-original-width="2334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEOys8uuot3TbBp7Fn_g80DgwflX94-b28qOuxiQUodO6Iocop8OFgLg5eCJY6umnn92nkaxa5kcEwiNnuisc12JsiQnhEFSMHmg43N-6kgkhIGzTpkgXSvwB-U8U8zs7_4CKnF1kHNGNhyTYfCvPf_oXr8_VjUZvmfHPSWKULPjVHBvtoDYmMYRAyWo/s320/IMG_4966.PNG" width="295" /></a></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-89842610545568607372024-02-29T07:00:00.031-07:002024-02-29T13:50:18.063-07:002024 New Zealand Cycling Cruise<p>Ride Report</p><div style="text-align: left;">January 2024</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_heFjLWoYnfACTldlUXoxU56S8GJUIJX0BSACXgVHvyYS3wU1BOU6e-dwHB_yaYCb-CSSzpuWRYpFs2f6GHJPpH7k9A6wUwYydngBe_9wxO-3Q9rVU1uCPDFWbwBQ9AqBFevSp-kYjdqPCaaz2B9BgnVcBRzT6qM8uBBWS7ydMuyYrV5Qg8lR-igKeOM/s4032/IMG_4278.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_heFjLWoYnfACTldlUXoxU56S8GJUIJX0BSACXgVHvyYS3wU1BOU6e-dwHB_yaYCb-CSSzpuWRYpFs2f6GHJPpH7k9A6wUwYydngBe_9wxO-3Q9rVU1uCPDFWbwBQ9AqBFevSp-kYjdqPCaaz2B9BgnVcBRzT6qM8uBBWS7ydMuyYrV5Qg8lR-igKeOM/s320/IMG_4278.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Wakatipu</td></tr></tbody></table>We originally booked our New Zealand tour when it was scheduled only a few days after the our Australia tour last year. But COVID struck again, and the cruise ship that Santana Adventures chartered was sold by the cruise line for cash flow! No worries, Santana arranged a charter on a different cruise line, only a year later. It was actually the same ship we cruised Australia on! While we ended up making the long flights twice, we think we enjoyed the New Zealand adventure more being fully rested!<p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pretour</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRUrI7g1jE7LN71UXQ94oaetDMszm2wl7DiDlK2b2YoEGuSz1taj2mtcVpHIV3QKa0o2saF0oIbgkgOEfvaZrdq3DQ-VOvFF0E2EKmeYMWmX3DbJ7NUmifoA-RwG5WTJuCxPeZGqWkdhSoo-03TGoOCZ568ZroXUDYNB2MahBSLplF84Z_XaQinVp3as/s4032/IMG_4198.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZRUrI7g1jE7LN71UXQ94oaetDMszm2wl7DiDlK2b2YoEGuSz1taj2mtcVpHIV3QKa0o2saF0oIbgkgOEfvaZrdq3DQ-VOvFF0E2EKmeYMWmX3DbJ7NUmifoA-RwG5WTJuCxPeZGqWkdhSoo-03TGoOCZ568ZroXUDYNB2MahBSLplF84Z_XaQinVp3as/s320/IMG_4198.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in Queenstown</td></tr></tbody></table><div>As an accommodation for the one year delay, the 3 night Pretour was included in the original cruise price. We normally would arrive a day or two early to allow for jet lag possible flight or luggage delays, but for this trip we decided to arrive the day the pre-tour started. We took United flights to LAX and Auckland, then a short hop on Air New Zealand to Queenstown. We were lucky that all our flights were on time, but our luck seemed to be running out with a long customs line in Auckland. After gauging the progress (very little) of the line, we looked around and found an express line. Debby convinced the agents to allow us to use that line and got through. There was still a long way to walk/run to the domestic terminal and even with two hours to make our connection we arrived at the gate as the flight was boarding!</div><div><br /></div><div>In Queenstown, our plan was to take a cab to the hotel, but many other flights were delayed and the Santana people were still taking guests on the shuttle to the hotel so we hopped and on and got to our hotel! Our luck held out and we got a room right away!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50PiNcR95XtV-VDtLXjJCJRTkVxxxJtsXIgKjS_s70isbIDxe6PBxF8Yi8GHdPLwCruprwvSxWXpp9CFp4ACO7PkkdghmXo8H8ie48dnVs5AlTpkNxRsTw2t_fdG_spTqkQ4XNsWarswfWCjNYdIDl0KiBPuIt1U_1RSx_T3AUApuODuuPvz6qUIChis/s4032/IMG_4206.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50PiNcR95XtV-VDtLXjJCJRTkVxxxJtsXIgKjS_s70isbIDxe6PBxF8Yi8GHdPLwCruprwvSxWXpp9CFp4ACO7PkkdghmXo8H8ie48dnVs5AlTpkNxRsTw2t_fdG_spTqkQ4XNsWarswfWCjNYdIDl0KiBPuIt1U_1RSx_T3AUApuODuuPvz6qUIChis/s320/IMG_4206.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debby and Kris on the steamboat</td></tr></tbody></table>The first event of the Pretour was a steamship ride to dinner and a sheep farming demonstration. We had barely settled into our room when we needed to leave and head to the wharf and catch our steamship. Santana guests filled the whole boat and we met up with Kris and Larry for the ride across and dinner.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzbORXBt_t-_Xl9_0TRVVPA-abhHY5lxBhDdHaX5-2tjPLMWcooWu4k56-hHgMgpO9QCuHP_LizbB-TLH8U4Z6UNArrTMpgxwmvBAI5J51o_0xKiIX_06jKrg4ykjJbsZZvDRFdFpThi73hPIAA7sfsna0DppybU1_y3hNI7XYfsByYWVGhMdOso8eso/s4032/IMG_4208.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzbORXBt_t-_Xl9_0TRVVPA-abhHY5lxBhDdHaX5-2tjPLMWcooWu4k56-hHgMgpO9QCuHP_LizbB-TLH8U4Z6UNArrTMpgxwmvBAI5J51o_0xKiIX_06jKrg4ykjJbsZZvDRFdFpThi73hPIAA7sfsna0DppybU1_y3hNI7XYfsByYWVGhMdOso8eso/s320/IMG_4208.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains surround Lake Wakatipu</td></tr></tbody></table>Weather was great and the views from the ship were fantastic as we made the 45 minute trip across the lake.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgHDkJ9whFQTsAOXMUdeKwWybTcAKoOMXYmxbfQ7J4Pn2Kj4_3qtQORYePbJOKGBV18T6HHrfh2j832FXSB_f6Dd4V4iOIWJENOb9MXb61-PDiWZsxTusjpoXIRrqcuYX_1BBaGkGUpOuCkpuXlRQgfJ3ygPQx4bCXyBr-4FRqOmXJQUi4Pz1DcHPQYA/s3088/IMG_4216.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgHDkJ9whFQTsAOXMUdeKwWybTcAKoOMXYmxbfQ7J4Pn2Kj4_3qtQORYePbJOKGBV18T6HHrfh2j832FXSB_f6Dd4V4iOIWJENOb9MXb61-PDiWZsxTusjpoXIRrqcuYX_1BBaGkGUpOuCkpuXlRQgfJ3ygPQx4bCXyBr-4FRqOmXJQUi4Pz1DcHPQYA/s320/IMG_4216.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of a 24 hour travel day, and it shows!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxUHHPlHKThiDXiLcX-m5tQlG6qbD6OTUG78ev2N-wdo__aL_nsdGnW96HGwmNbHt8OZsUWuhKIp8SNByk-o8yjBJ8c40LkcnfZVbxtC4zvvyDMZeoR9nBGG8S_9M7xVo0MNbCxhRakpqYxbYbSsuv7e5uCX6yBCY74dhjIhTz7F_2vPR7d5ZxebGGC4/s4032/IMG_4227.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxUHHPlHKThiDXiLcX-m5tQlG6qbD6OTUG78ev2N-wdo__aL_nsdGnW96HGwmNbHt8OZsUWuhKIp8SNByk-o8yjBJ8c40LkcnfZVbxtC4zvvyDMZeoR9nBGG8S_9M7xVo0MNbCxhRakpqYxbYbSsuv7e5uCX6yBCY74dhjIhTz7F_2vPR7d5ZxebGGC4/s320/IMG_4227.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep shearing </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXhzD30rx8cDMizBFR8lVm6MvZqb0oovHLQ-kgvAepI3DMESYiJv9UykNj6wxER5WUwgJTvsg3siGjF9J1dmDxBomGBE2cyXSAH5EgyK5OJmPOQnc84NWzADCPHK0mf7SSk1J-VacstywyZqtgq4QviiiNdRvZpVEONLns0x9ZA9F3rIVOELLVBdF3Tg/s4032/IMG_4241.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnXhzD30rx8cDMizBFR8lVm6MvZqb0oovHLQ-kgvAepI3DMESYiJv9UykNj6wxER5WUwgJTvsg3siGjF9J1dmDxBomGBE2cyXSAH5EgyK5OJmPOQnc84NWzADCPHK0mf7SSk1J-VacstywyZqtgq4QviiiNdRvZpVEONLns0x9ZA9F3rIVOELLVBdF3Tg/s320/IMG_4241.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep Dog demonstration</td></tr></tbody></table>The TSS Earnslaw steamship’s destination is the Walter Peak Farm. Among the many exhibits at this working farm, was a sheep shearing demonstration followed by a sheep dog demonstration. The dog waited patiently through the shearing, and after a few questions, the guide released the dog that made short work of gathering a small herd of sheep from the ridge above back to the barn.<div><br /></div><div>We then enjoyed a great meal at the Farm restaurant before making our way back to the hotel. Only one task left, and that was to assemble the bikes for tomorrow’s ride! They went together without any issues and finished a very long day. Actually, two days, as we ‘lost’ a day crossing the International Date Line! We both agreed, that we had pushed our travel luck and the next time we would plan to arrive a day or two early!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pretour Day 2</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwD_QZnKPF2TCyXQr31N9yPj2tpjsR4fm9CounD9jb-74SfHJc11j2EVDuDNuHaFNnwCOgrXI8ESQLEn4C_j-5tGOeQxiMDZ3qQz_zRBR5OZdkVnAvveKVu1k1eHOm3lFjlEFC7xni7eANcCAErbxwN77WxpgyfTo4hEAj6axe3Ya1Q4-GmchLPPsGBc/s4032/IMG_4246.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzwD_QZnKPF2TCyXQr31N9yPj2tpjsR4fm9CounD9jb-74SfHJc11j2EVDuDNuHaFNnwCOgrXI8ESQLEn4C_j-5tGOeQxiMDZ3qQz_zRBR5OZdkVnAvveKVu1k1eHOm3lFjlEFC7xni7eANcCAErbxwN77WxpgyfTo4hEAj6axe3Ya1Q4-GmchLPPsGBc/s320/IMG_4246.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill gives the Route Talk outside</td></tr></tbody></table>The Pretour group was well attended and we were split into two groups. One group would ride to the Bungee Jump destination while the other rode to a Jet Boat excursion on the Dart river. The next day the destinations were reversed. We were in the group that rode to the Bungee Jump first.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bill provided the usual route talk, in an unusual setting, outside on the beach! He encouraged us to take the longer route to lunch and consider the Bungee Jump. We were not interested in doing the jump, but a number of other riders, and Bill, were going to, so we elected the longer route to check it out.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBtry9dTrgD6i17vxM1XBnqRB2v9TRS7VkI1cE_-QIJPNv_vAd0SqAt_cGJoU92OEIUOHFbjjW4_EQxkR_SGQsEnhjwILJxqAi0CpP369ulQNj_KEPlNMg9ibJoaxIC2Msag9jB0AH_eCiWDClgj20I7fZ2ENJqCc1ESk1WzEjEA531RIJkTVFyxaLrw/s3088/IMG_4250.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBtry9dTrgD6i17vxM1XBnqRB2v9TRS7VkI1cE_-QIJPNv_vAd0SqAt_cGJoU92OEIUOHFbjjW4_EQxkR_SGQsEnhjwILJxqAi0CpP369ulQNj_KEPlNMg9ibJoaxIC2Msag9jB0AH_eCiWDClgj20I7fZ2ENJqCc1ESk1WzEjEA531RIJkTVFyxaLrw/s320/IMG_4250.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding the wrong side of the road</td></tr></tbody></table>Like Australia, the cars drive on the left side of the road. It takes a bit to get used to but soon we were in the groove and headed toward Arrowtown. We stopped there for a coffee and a snack before continuing on.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuflT0qMrOAQZYYqPrdobWSM1-lwDyNw2y-QQWvL_Fbuo_awMT5-GWW6hoBQGUaMcuMrbOwZqktP8fX1S9vmWqLq_zj1TvrvVZp40RKsavB65ACFl7EuWTqj_5xzEhVR7of8QEIQcZpsthZm-vmi_TvulV9KRl81RyxkQzAOOP5NzRMvgBMBGky5V9na4/s4032/IMG_4256.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuflT0qMrOAQZYYqPrdobWSM1-lwDyNw2y-QQWvL_Fbuo_awMT5-GWW6hoBQGUaMcuMrbOwZqktP8fX1S9vmWqLq_zj1TvrvVZp40RKsavB65ACFl7EuWTqj_5xzEhVR7of8QEIQcZpsthZm-vmi_TvulV9KRl81RyxkQzAOOP5NzRMvgBMBGky5V9na4/s320/IMG_4256.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa’s reindeer ‘wintering’ in Queenstown</td></tr></tbody></table>We passed this herd of reindeer following the farmer on the ATV. He was shoveling out feed and had quite the following. We figured this is where Santa’s Reindeer holiday after their big night each year!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEe1jvhlpaexMexHm3YPNOykWLOL5cRtlHJQg6HkzuSLcFNU5mMDHi2SfzOLxxdnoluF7XdVRDGRosThAILWzZlEBPTHQnKeXPq9BnwaqXu2ouFZOr_dkBuuL5B-y4ES97kfwJD68vHF9XE5iLU5EgbUWNREWp3oHLDLLZTeClTpqMQwGcpY04y-YqpI/s4032/IMG_4257.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEe1jvhlpaexMexHm3YPNOykWLOL5cRtlHJQg6HkzuSLcFNU5mMDHi2SfzOLxxdnoluF7XdVRDGRosThAILWzZlEBPTHQnKeXPq9BnwaqXu2ouFZOr_dkBuuL5B-y4ES97kfwJD68vHF9XE5iLU5EgbUWNREWp3oHLDLLZTeClTpqMQwGcpY04y-YqpI/s320/IMG_4257.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bungee jump over the Kawarau River</td></tr></tbody></table>Bungee jumping was invented here in New Zealand at the Old Bridge over the Kawarau River. It’s now a commercial operation, and for about $265NZ you can take the plunge. We had enough excitement riding on the left side of a busy highway and passed on the opportunity.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHKaGgnwhPPf_C0BgiRxzzyP0LNpHRiuzxqHYkBGa_I83JmzCQrf-UNVZfUfiVLHGglEJmJUS3MNA9jlkcIYkARhWa7EqIZxDpenxI2qA94sx7EFc5jrdHuBhkajMyh6J4Zrifvs28P99QZffIbYL7bjYwSo8nrvsf4H2J4zsXy5Kr9o-jqcFOnpaW04/s4032/IMG_4259.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtHKaGgnwhPPf_C0BgiRxzzyP0LNpHRiuzxqHYkBGa_I83JmzCQrf-UNVZfUfiVLHGglEJmJUS3MNA9jlkcIYkARhWa7EqIZxDpenxI2qA94sx7EFc5jrdHuBhkajMyh6J4Zrifvs28P99QZffIbYL7bjYwSo8nrvsf4H2J4zsXy5Kr9o-jqcFOnpaW04/s320/IMG_4259.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shotover River on the way back to Queenstown</td></tr></tbody></table>We grabbed our provided lunch (the poor food truck operator was overwhelmed by the number of Santana riders) and decided to head back early and find dinner in Queenstown.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TZLj5_FNgnKACfFkdwEI3mrv7NRqdN5fZc4E-eHfJlITmny-ORjqLG8pdukAVeyg_pxT18Y7XYoZM-7rozQhWoRJ1z52xvw-upZ8MTWf39F1DMWD4wJO4gTG5ykqNBF3o6LJSJ6ULSdRZl89FmUU5FQPEoc-4GCPnD-bvCmnVmE7w26V8ktXsSuMvEI/s3088/IMG_4269.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5TZLj5_FNgnKACfFkdwEI3mrv7NRqdN5fZc4E-eHfJlITmny-ORjqLG8pdukAVeyg_pxT18Y7XYoZM-7rozQhWoRJ1z52xvw-upZ8MTWf39F1DMWD4wJO4gTG5ykqNBF3o6LJSJ6ULSdRZl89FmUU5FQPEoc-4GCPnD-bvCmnVmE7w26V8ktXsSuMvEI/s320/IMG_4269.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queenstown Bike Path</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We were headed back along the same busy highway and met at local rider that told us about a bike path he uses to commute to Queenstown. We exited the highway and took that all the way into town!</div><div><br /></div><div>We grabbed dinner at a lakeside pub and called it a day! In New Zealand, it was Debby's birthday, but at home...</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pretour Day 3</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GyPUEp9bpnx1tLilvLXJLgbKYsCf6n-yD1lBq4tJ_potTY7x5v35WZW5kn_hKYVtRhRG2rsTvrmz4Ctf1ECy-in8bYxqmL6KL1SejAbZdmdUZlp_Jo20jDkmGCeTFwM4KEpgZnjdJE8suj1g5IA7lXDH6w7T4i4LXYy57yextU7yrLs9B-WaltA6OiE/s3088/IMG_4270.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5GyPUEp9bpnx1tLilvLXJLgbKYsCf6n-yD1lBq4tJ_potTY7x5v35WZW5kn_hKYVtRhRG2rsTvrmz4Ctf1ECy-in8bYxqmL6KL1SejAbZdmdUZlp_Jo20jDkmGCeTFwM4KEpgZnjdJE8suj1g5IA7lXDH6w7T4i4LXYy57yextU7yrLs9B-WaltA6OiE/s320/IMG_4270.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning selfie</td></tr></tbody></table>Today Group A was split into two sub groups. One group, us included, would ride our bikes to Glenorchy, take the Jet Boat excursion up the Dart River, then return to Queenstown on a bus. It looked like a nice day, but winds were predicted to be on the nose most of the way. While the route followed the lake shore, the road was an up and down affair that included over 2,500 feet of climbing with 10- summits over 29 miles.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9G5yQUtaRJeYKl0Q_K8Tdef8TKtL460oPI-yHjlOgmO0bXSwz3doZfJ1Hzf4AUeIraRZtpzKpuPV4cyoFZsJDarWX3B8GAkAyLnIOkoqEBAw-Mg_bDgyhkCvQqMsLiYX9JRXVgaOAOK-B8zEktJs4Yx7iAak_5A7Pvm7zNj8OP-mCwbwSHLuha79fbQ/s4032/IMG_4278.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ9G5yQUtaRJeYKl0Q_K8Tdef8TKtL460oPI-yHjlOgmO0bXSwz3doZfJ1Hzf4AUeIraRZtpzKpuPV4cyoFZsJDarWX3B8GAkAyLnIOkoqEBAw-Mg_bDgyhkCvQqMsLiYX9JRXVgaOAOK-B8zEktJs4Yx7iAak_5A7Pvm7zNj8OP-mCwbwSHLuha79fbQ/s320/IMG_4278.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views around every corner</td></tr></tbody></table>With the wind on the nose, actually there was a bit of wind relief on the climbs, while we took the full force on the summits and descents!<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vexwxo6JTpo" width="320" youtube-src-id="Vexwxo6JTpo"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Wind!</div><div>At one point, the wind was so fierce, we had to dismount and walk the bikes downhill through a venturi caused by a cliff face along the road!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KiHFD8xLHtBIa27k13R7taJBO21tmyjqI1DssFIneZ2NbUkC_AkpyPoi3_o_KLAi-OUDznSy7AVYN7jCP3TBhUOr3QeLbJxP_pZEjEHk8011FvpS6Ws_GbsEGNdLvRNWq-VQFk72k9snjCRfTkyh55o8uS32O2zq54bTvGoU4NywvAOGRGh8DbsRiO0/s2532/IMG_4362.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-KiHFD8xLHtBIa27k13R7taJBO21tmyjqI1DssFIneZ2NbUkC_AkpyPoi3_o_KLAi-OUDznSy7AVYN7jCP3TBhUOr3QeLbJxP_pZEjEHk8011FvpS6Ws_GbsEGNdLvRNWq-VQFk72k9snjCRfTkyh55o8uS32O2zq54bTvGoU4NywvAOGRGh8DbsRiO0/s320/IMG_4362.PNG" width="148" /></a></div><br /><div>My Epic Ride Weather app had the wind gusts at 39 mph, and they were stronger in the venturi!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpW9a3I3lMfyxje_GwlrXc2h10HWuVU7nuA2rF0y-NtCTvxoSuej9TlQExjSHP5C8JrXhD56cqvcywGp5RQl8bVPERke4uk7by1utVWqv-2kkQoH6yKw0dDUS-RR1BscjGX8qgCCKc-ZoDJJ6TOH5VcSv2aLmHNsVkQfqYV0hf2G6GS-S2FhJoigvNps/s4032/IMG_4294.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZpW9a3I3lMfyxje_GwlrXc2h10HWuVU7nuA2rF0y-NtCTvxoSuej9TlQExjSHP5C8JrXhD56cqvcywGp5RQl8bVPERke4uk7by1utVWqv-2kkQoH6yKw0dDUS-RR1BscjGX8qgCCKc-ZoDJJ6TOH5VcSv2aLmHNsVkQfqYV0hf2G6GS-S2FhJoigvNps/s320/IMG_4294.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain in Glenorchy</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The morning group rode the bus into the wind and rode bikes back to Queenstown with a great tailwind. On the downside, they had rain for nearly all of their Jet Boat ride. When we arrived, the rain was diminishing and we had only occasional light showers. Overall, I think we had the better day!</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihCG_YHP9TWf55fkIjnYdgN_Q_ri0IzgNT-VnsQ8rVEnT64u9z1hqYDz1LvfIZeQgTAgZoKVBX7KkxI7wji-ZPifYTBPvWJ68iYa3iVaTP7OavUxCQC57S6FzuCxELM7g-Zx3RYIL0SJYU9e9XVLJyxS2JKV4hir2JzjPZNXYd0vpqbyKlatEiosdkvI/s3088/IMG_4305.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihCG_YHP9TWf55fkIjnYdgN_Q_ri0IzgNT-VnsQ8rVEnT64u9z1hqYDz1LvfIZeQgTAgZoKVBX7KkxI7wji-ZPifYTBPvWJ68iYa3iVaTP7OavUxCQC57S6FzuCxELM7g-Zx3RYIL0SJYU9e9XVLJyxS2JKV4hir2JzjPZNXYd0vpqbyKlatEiosdkvI/s320/IMG_4305.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain and wind gear</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We suited up with rain coats, life vests, and neck buffs and boarded our craft. There were 3 boats loaded with Santana guests and we raced up river. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9AHBwcHR4F5DrQ6PfuADKxPjHzTLg8vuXK-KBNwCPT8Ae35bmU3fFiLlLUOYlaHWILDRF2iitcslmZUhZZKnr3NfIdUNDItiNcEvAOoRKEODdmH2B2hvGX_6-SFKJepMtQw4494FdChcGTRMDiY1wXZscrw_-2zUxxhjLbnJWjuZAYokyV_Hdj9l26w/s4032/IMG_4326.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9AHBwcHR4F5DrQ6PfuADKxPjHzTLg8vuXK-KBNwCPT8Ae35bmU3fFiLlLUOYlaHWILDRF2iitcslmZUhZZKnr3NfIdUNDItiNcEvAOoRKEODdmH2B2hvGX_6-SFKJepMtQw4494FdChcGTRMDiY1wXZscrw_-2zUxxhjLbnJWjuZAYokyV_Hdj9l26w/s320/IMG_4326.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These boats can travel in 3-4 inches of water</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxCg2Mugwgfrhj_zQkud9ckbPcW_IX7tpyTI6SSsx7Mt5GcxWvoPruT2r89DPb4kz46fRQuTk_j8XKBlis8sbA-reUTy8Fd89IZ8uOwyHiTTbtJdggdUTJAuMpap5UjQzemIKSp8PLQk-EYwKcmv4aTgMnUXobLJ5HYSTrmX73GOPCiWSTRQb4BwBNLM/s4032/IMG_4327.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxCg2Mugwgfrhj_zQkud9ckbPcW_IX7tpyTI6SSsx7Mt5GcxWvoPruT2r89DPb4kz46fRQuTk_j8XKBlis8sbA-reUTy8Fd89IZ8uOwyHiTTbtJdggdUTJAuMpap5UjQzemIKSp8PLQk-EYwKcmv4aTgMnUXobLJ5HYSTrmX73GOPCiWSTRQb4BwBNLM/s320/IMG_4327.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle Earth from the Hobbit movies</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>The boats travel at nearly 60 mph and the ride was like a roller coaster! The views were fantastic, and our driver/guide showed us places along the river that were used in the Hobbit movies!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JJURsyf5fEREjvpdry4fwe_reD9qXOy7asGLIMFUSDtuSJPJ5oIwgW4z4emm1W2_x-EhPgjSV7CyW-jbQV3zv64ueyvku2KL-gxBsr6CJZihw1IO3nHRmOqWJSPZsphbXwRp7ov9jsnElCsEWXEkw-tsvVv5M9auY2bM_FR4FwFUcyhMfdJA8RyrFEc/s4032/IMG_4336.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8JJURsyf5fEREjvpdry4fwe_reD9qXOy7asGLIMFUSDtuSJPJ5oIwgW4z4emm1W2_x-EhPgjSV7CyW-jbQV3zv64ueyvku2KL-gxBsr6CJZihw1IO3nHRmOqWJSPZsphbXwRp7ov9jsnElCsEWXEkw-tsvVv5M9auY2bM_FR4FwFUcyhMfdJA8RyrFEc/s320/IMG_4336.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emerald Streams</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We turned around in a very small side stream that was emerald green and headed back to a forest tour. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO6_OiHI-roVTBLGAEH3vep_WJARq8qcCDh6cGo3oEMcj_Ryz6ceh03X16IGV0bTya7ITiTCSkomP15BhjBmBZF2ovoX7mO_aKtm0D8UrKBlolMQ6SwIMRYFpcYCMS3xVYGKUJZvlh8d53VXyjCvusVERHyuAt70zco_YTpk2_IzU3DW0gXFWc5PWyc0/s4032/IMG_4353.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO6_OiHI-roVTBLGAEH3vep_WJARq8qcCDh6cGo3oEMcj_Ryz6ceh03X16IGV0bTya7ITiTCSkomP15BhjBmBZF2ovoX7mO_aKtm0D8UrKBlolMQ6SwIMRYFpcYCMS3xVYGKUJZvlh8d53VXyjCvusVERHyuAt70zco_YTpk2_IzU3DW0gXFWc5PWyc0/s320/IMG_4353.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rat trap</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The only noteworthy part of the forest tour: This trap is designed to kill rats, which have no natural predators here. Yes, that's a CO2 cartridge that fires a small guillotine inside the trap to dispatch the rodent. DON'T put your fingers in there! A bus took us back to Genorchy and one more bus ride back to Queenstown to finish our day.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtf3meApgj7j-6J4676nex0gYphEYQGrEZ2gaWRdL5pxnvHdCY1tmFN4otQQAGPyRX7fd7f0_SoeKnqKdP8PhhMYvLkJ7up9WHdHJ6eulrDQV6LLWl0AAipo9pvgJ0P-XsMaJ2OG-tHw0b2mEZnmsdj42mnXwBO55UiiUPYRzlGuKYMMmMiZii3hL0Po/s3088/IMG_4356.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtf3meApgj7j-6J4676nex0gYphEYQGrEZ2gaWRdL5pxnvHdCY1tmFN4otQQAGPyRX7fd7f0_SoeKnqKdP8PhhMYvLkJ7up9WHdHJ6eulrDQV6LLWl0AAipo9pvgJ0P-XsMaJ2OG-tHw0b2mEZnmsdj42mnXwBO55UiiUPYRzlGuKYMMmMiZii3hL0Po/s320/IMG_4356.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday Dinner</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had an average meal on Debby's NZ birthday (Jan 10) and I was still suffering from jet lag and did not do the date justice. We recovered by finding a great ramen place in town and had a great meal. There was one more thing to do:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFkBM3j9-00_87qRNiMwqSTaL-3jWlxKbC-WLsJL6RYgClhjslELEGT25OpE-WF1ZoaHgA40YQlUX4rprVI2DsgLhDIZA373qsjRWsX_4vznrr2LJWvdCG4iq-L3qr7cOSqVa1oUf4LTYDULQAmEl0FC188AeFRD-DIuwhPjwp6jov89xP0Zl3eDfEpM/s4032/IMG_4359.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFkBM3j9-00_87qRNiMwqSTaL-3jWlxKbC-WLsJL6RYgClhjslELEGT25OpE-WF1ZoaHgA40YQlUX4rprVI2DsgLhDIZA373qsjRWsX_4vznrr2LJWvdCG4iq-L3qr7cOSqVa1oUf4LTYDULQAmEl0FC188AeFRD-DIuwhPjwp6jov89xP0Zl3eDfEpM/s320/IMG_4359.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday treats!</td></tr></tbody></table>When we returned to the hotel, I slipped out and asked the restaurant staff make a little Birthday Treat for Debby. A day late in New Zealand, but right on time at home!<h4 style="text-align: left;">Embark</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIQuzDvL9_YbNQW8EyztgkZdKYKABhgLvrX5z9HBiapJFFC4faONDVGz4tQyKZ3ZRNbzTudf6xQzrdP6M3TiUeSYCwGBsvcrSPwAXThyphenhyphenDPO8sK3UHmmEvFE6V1tDNV-pLPgx1phDk1sH2VxnfAASBGkmR6tsUkz_GN7LkKaeZN55J5PYXsNEIQvCEqNw/s4032/IMG_4364.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIQuzDvL9_YbNQW8EyztgkZdKYKABhgLvrX5z9HBiapJFFC4faONDVGz4tQyKZ3ZRNbzTudf6xQzrdP6M3TiUeSYCwGBsvcrSPwAXThyphenhyphenDPO8sK3UHmmEvFE6V1tDNV-pLPgx1phDk1sH2VxnfAASBGkmR6tsUkz_GN7LkKaeZN55J5PYXsNEIQvCEqNw/s320/IMG_4364.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charter flight to Christchurch</td></tr></tbody></table>Embark was a bit unusual for this cruise. We were no where near the ocean in Queenstown, so there were three charter flights to take us to Christchurch. We opted for the mid-morning flight which gave us time to pack and an opportunity to tour an Arctic Exploration museum in Christchurch before heading to the ship.</div><div><br /></div><div>We flew with Larry and Kris and upon arrival decided to skip the museum and head directly to the ship. An Uber dropped us off at the port, and after a bit of confusion, we were able to board the ship, register, and have lunch and unpack. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVfUPTLDh4ZhJM47CGtVcWoYTc07ouIrPTegjU8pyjD16tt3cbYA8D6JRMr3-MvyW0rn-zthux68K-26ao9h9jpUyT4zo1xR7k3tMURJdi_O_vv6ZsUN9YIB_juCJBOxYMvW95-vsN7TVMpL1kzq9ootFYc1g6E7RESWYdylv8y8dtpZPUfed3fmsMt8/s4032/IMG_4367.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVfUPTLDh4ZhJM47CGtVcWoYTc07ouIrPTegjU8pyjD16tt3cbYA8D6JRMr3-MvyW0rn-zthux68K-26ao9h9jpUyT4zo1xR7k3tMURJdi_O_vv6ZsUN9YIB_juCJBOxYMvW95-vsN7TVMpL1kzq9ootFYc1g6E7RESWYdylv8y8dtpZPUfed3fmsMt8/s320/IMG_4367.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at Candles on the ship</td></tr></tbody></table>Also, since we were there before the rush, we were able to make reservations at the steak house to start our cruise with a great meal!<h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Picton</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH7VJxUWXOUJa1NwnAtS32MqdZu-mvnztZxd5oLSRM6oS5yUO2yrNhHl_wh4x1IiOcM4WtRtrMiLBv48p7niXOkmtCIOGEXkF9b3Hi4ohdxLWhdZsfhKKY6j_cXby6OvVuuWHuSGEn3q_RZyDUgmuufJGzdVs1gXlkO2mRzywS5MusCaI28H0o9Q7QaU/s4032/IMG_4371.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH7VJxUWXOUJa1NwnAtS32MqdZu-mvnztZxd5oLSRM6oS5yUO2yrNhHl_wh4x1IiOcM4WtRtrMiLBv48p7niXOkmtCIOGEXkF9b3Hi4ohdxLWhdZsfhKKY6j_cXby6OvVuuWHuSGEn3q_RZyDUgmuufJGzdVs1gXlkO2mRzywS5MusCaI28H0o9Q7QaU/s320/IMG_4371.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill's signature route map</td></tr></tbody></table>Routes on offer for the day ranged from 14 miles with 1,300 feet of climbing to 41 miles with 5,000 feet of climbing. Bill McCready prepares these 'maps' each morning. They provide an overview of the day's routes and indicate where the various GPS tracks start and stop. They are never to scale, and not designed to be the main source of navigation. I have grown to like them and usually have one clipped to my aero bars for reference.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQSE88JyGnr2lK0pFbBDuiPLefAhzT6QtQ0v_M4Qk2h0lbZvZKEdGnCa3pE-QytPEeuSj5dXJaU6bhLSohNtJmlxrbA-5qvRWCoMmEjgoYPoHUOA2QP6U8pKtuAUvhTPqQxytnqpWkibudsyaXvYYb0XmZvg6B70JjNzRrBQdMoezK-AwFF4VHJDPGiE/s4032/IMG_4372.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQSE88JyGnr2lK0pFbBDuiPLefAhzT6QtQ0v_M4Qk2h0lbZvZKEdGnCa3pE-QytPEeuSj5dXJaU6bhLSohNtJmlxrbA-5qvRWCoMmEjgoYPoHUOA2QP6U8pKtuAUvhTPqQxytnqpWkibudsyaXvYYb0XmZvg6B70JjNzRrBQdMoezK-AwFF4VHJDPGiE/s320/IMG_4372.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trucks transport bikes between ports</td></tr></tbody></table>After route talk, and getting off the boat, the next order of business is to find the bikes. There are over 200 of them, and they are in no particular order. Usually I find myself walking right past ours and doubling back to find them! At the end of each day, the bikes are loaded in the trucks and the teamsters drive them to our next destination. New Zealand has very strict environmental laws, and this avoids having the bikes inspected (for dirt) at each port! In fact, we were not allowed to take any food off the ship onto shore unless it was in a sealed package and purchased elsewhere in New Zealand. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQL5TSZ7WTMCWXPPMV0W0Im9tLGEVopJBF1rizRdFsdEBkZeHijA9ila6Vu7zFXkYbXeUMPQQPkw2htUAGRA7quCqpBib8A7tRYFX7yto4-YWlBGPgvMQsDloHbPdM7aRLuhPs17dR7syi2iBKsI6_lFDAe_WTr2jpFJYFQVDlRubYNBtefR2lZhT2-8/s4032/IMG_4380.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQL5TSZ7WTMCWXPPMV0W0Im9tLGEVopJBF1rizRdFsdEBkZeHijA9ila6Vu7zFXkYbXeUMPQQPkw2htUAGRA7quCqpBib8A7tRYFX7yto4-YWlBGPgvMQsDloHbPdM7aRLuhPs17dR7syi2iBKsI6_lFDAe_WTr2jpFJYFQVDlRubYNBtefR2lZhT2-8/s320/IMG_4380.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Breeze headed to Picton</td></tr></tbody></table>We were dropped off at the Nakiwa Jetty (dock) using the ship's tender boats and the first segment of the ride was along the Queen Charlotte Road to the town of Picton.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0PdRUeORavNN6M5WMCLZmKQEVKSC6MD9kWtvea9Zk6bAd3acLPDfNfQe3CuL3XXDPTAKh1kazhMGefFHcXi3Ji46daanBsZON8CsbQf1gcVVUOjC8wEaDvW42BRgHGn-pTzv1yuWW3MLsGUDg4P8UgwmKXJ1LXuYJ6bAXIs53RCcns-fY9uaoHbQEtI/s4032/IMG_4384.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu0PdRUeORavNN6M5WMCLZmKQEVKSC6MD9kWtvea9Zk6bAd3acLPDfNfQe3CuL3XXDPTAKh1kazhMGefFHcXi3Ji46daanBsZON8CsbQf1gcVVUOjC8wEaDvW42BRgHGn-pTzv1yuWW3MLsGUDg4P8UgwmKXJ1LXuYJ6bAXIs53RCcns-fY9uaoHbQEtI/s320/IMG_4384.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great fish and chips</td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled into town and found a great Fish and Chips place for lunch. It was a bit early for lunch, and most the other Santana riders just rolled on by and we had the place to ourselves. Like most lunches we could have split one order!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbOWeHjMiNUB2I8ALRp0mNiIbZ-Y8OWuuSO1JSwOlz1aq8qQbHhgDYhNwjfaa4Mwxqh4zWzav3lRet9epWw4LWOZ4YYZbg4MEX6BYSZXNxra4PDDi_L_zN4R4MLkn9aPsxAE01iu49z8TF8Zl_bAYz_G-2TBCaGi-Y_gHJSsPimHTOTaM3zq19rOy9F4/s4032/IMG_4386.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbOWeHjMiNUB2I8ALRp0mNiIbZ-Y8OWuuSO1JSwOlz1aq8qQbHhgDYhNwjfaa4Mwxqh4zWzav3lRet9epWw4LWOZ4YYZbg4MEX6BYSZXNxra4PDDi_L_zN4R4MLkn9aPsxAE01iu49z8TF8Zl_bAYz_G-2TBCaGi-Y_gHJSsPimHTOTaM3zq19rOy9F4/s320/IMG_4386.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waikawa Harbor</td></tr></tbody></table>Debby and I rode the medium route through town and into a park with a steep climb nicknamed the Snoot by local riders. It was quite steep, and for us, not the best timing after a huge lunch of Fish and Chips. We reached the turnaround Waikawa Harbor and took a break on some shaded benches. While we were there, I received an e mail from Santana announcing the addition of a Vietnam tour in 2025. That tour uses a boat that only holds about 60 passengers, and was expected to sell out fast. We had heard great things about this tour from other Santana guests. Debby gave me the nod and we signed up right there at the harbor!</div><div><br /></div><div>We rolled back to the ship in Picton and had light snack before I set back out to ride the long route to Oyster Bay. The route backtracked some of the morning route through town, but soon I was on a quiet beautiful road climbing in a lush forest. </div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQmfjvBImrQHxq6SClNVnxzhU95hpBsjVf4or6t5g9uRT7wx8D7x1w8EZUBYaFscny6uDX6V9sFGbZCJmF0JonXjlqLUZqG0BJW_uuUYKP3H7Ws1AjLwA89pj7RB4URms_Q7xmyOZwXzo1X2YxUwfd7JdH2w0ukhXdsvZK7sDjmGV3l4N2QqL1cWheMM/s4032/IMG_4390.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxQmfjvBImrQHxq6SClNVnxzhU95hpBsjVf4or6t5g9uRT7wx8D7x1w8EZUBYaFscny6uDX6V9sFGbZCJmF0JonXjlqLUZqG0BJW_uuUYKP3H7Ws1AjLwA89pj7RB4URms_Q7xmyOZwXzo1X2YxUwfd7JdH2w0ukhXdsvZK7sDjmGV3l4N2QqL1cWheMM/s320/IMG_4390.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Oyster Bay</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPG0snlP1VsIoMFF9DFxhXZm59CtdITvoBDh-NmhXmiGCeA_K7iLygw_VUBsoB4BFTKqiPILdryipyA-KGQQez0ybkSmMLeHhdHmqPd6515xHk0NuTA94RfbBnTT00tbZXFBdwg5_smL4DJAV5X2VmUGUrvMjGyGbluJq36qKZaQE24ieqB63LsfEPo/s4032/IMG_4388.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcPG0snlP1VsIoMFF9DFxhXZm59CtdITvoBDh-NmhXmiGCeA_K7iLygw_VUBsoB4BFTKqiPILdryipyA-KGQQez0ybkSmMLeHhdHmqPd6515xHk0NuTA94RfbBnTT00tbZXFBdwg5_smL4DJAV5X2VmUGUrvMjGyGbluJq36qKZaQE24ieqB63LsfEPo/s320/IMG_4388.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rahotia Saddle above Oyster Bay</td></tr></tbody></table>There was the promise of fresh local fruit at the saddle above Oyster Bay as an incentive to get riders to take the long route. But by the time I got there the fruit was all gone! No worries, one of the mechanics was there with a support van and a cold Coke! I added that to the Pringles chips in my saddle bag and enjoyed the great views.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUFB4ly3RnXfEsDrNGPmsWnxc-THmc32ZRLj8khZUE7NlBvWm_N4X1sAUTTizgNXXyPYEJ26sy4m190a_unw81VOFHZaM4Ady_cQyJWQF3Yaz1qfBBr4XiYwClevooGFQZ3AXyEPsv7IoI8HHwzmHnOe-mdSeaB5Ba539HEqtXLBEEEp0WHgqAf5GbD4/s3088/IMG_4391.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirUFB4ly3RnXfEsDrNGPmsWnxc-THmc32ZRLj8khZUE7NlBvWm_N4X1sAUTTizgNXXyPYEJ26sy4m190a_unw81VOFHZaM4Ady_cQyJWQF3Yaz1qfBBr4XiYwClevooGFQZ3AXyEPsv7IoI8HHwzmHnOe-mdSeaB5Ba539HEqtXLBEEEp0WHgqAf5GbD4/s320/IMG_4391.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chip seal work in progress</td></tr></tbody></table>I skipped the descent into the Bay, since it would mean climbing right back to the saddle to return to the ship, so I pointed my bike downhill and very carefully descended back towards town. Extra careful, as much of the road had been ship sealed recently and the surface alternated between fresh tar and loose gravel!</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Picton</h4><div>Our ship stayed overnight in Picton, and today we have the opportunity to ride the Grape Ride route. It is a 100 kilometer ride that loops through the Marborough Valley, the heartland of New Zealand wine country. The recommended ride was to a winery at about the half-way point, where lunch and refreshments were available. Also, trucks and buses for those that had enough getting to Marborough Valley, for a cool ride back to the ship.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmhN2cCdYLcEZqZDv3EJYGZCtm3LB3eJddZj1MvmrHl-1l8Mywjznh1cfXKNdP8jW5Vk-Ib4cUWrBbo02bD2Zfpy7zH9vaa01EQcd7-W4vAkjPOpb4YIli22-I4hmWJQsmUQvqRLQQ2J4rwau2vEJ1ZIvY3CBdJQrr7i7Pn2WlR3GfzmHedgiFsa-uvQ/s4032/IMG_4407.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmhN2cCdYLcEZqZDv3EJYGZCtm3LB3eJddZj1MvmrHl-1l8Mywjznh1cfXKNdP8jW5Vk-Ib4cUWrBbo02bD2Zfpy7zH9vaa01EQcd7-W4vAkjPOpb4YIli22-I4hmWJQsmUQvqRLQQ2J4rwau2vEJ1ZIvY3CBdJQrr7i7Pn2WlR3GfzmHedgiFsa-uvQ/s320/IMG_4407.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anakiwa</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The route backtracked a few miles to where we started yesterday's ride in Anakiwa. But soon we were on our way toward Havelock on the Pelorus Sound.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkiIdDFV70bhQVlPxwxzDn4MqnZ2l5NHcWYu3t6kqFJJkaj2uUfVac3L5qUkeTW29BZr8ki2ZfOHkBjBrB8d_kpHEyVvyk7tgu4hdLXNt7HmdDQGowHzxyGxuqp-Gb7tjHTgx9PQkdtysCHC6bknXPbXeXFMjUX-10NoZpFAIpEc_tTSc4QvZ45wd2eI/s3088/IMG_4409.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkiIdDFV70bhQVlPxwxzDn4MqnZ2l5NHcWYu3t6kqFJJkaj2uUfVac3L5qUkeTW29BZr8ki2ZfOHkBjBrB8d_kpHEyVvyk7tgu4hdLXNt7HmdDQGowHzxyGxuqp-Gb7tjHTgx9PQkdtysCHC6bknXPbXeXFMjUX-10NoZpFAIpEc_tTSc4QvZ45wd2eI/s320/IMG_4409.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping at the tavern</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JsUreJugZvG9b3PCYqn2WmFbemtdJsMrN1ajhNej4tOMbs7FUG3TXEUnloOjASCS1MsG0eZ9qwJaIABYSSqnBjvPgwS7j0ljPzPP4RGYFwDuiaGXf_63GEroLhmoAJhrsF2RCd6eX8A8_hiE9zfvMNNlKdnf9KU1raQsmYfreIibVwN3R-LDeuUnjNw/s4032/IMG_4402.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JsUreJugZvG9b3PCYqn2WmFbemtdJsMrN1ajhNej4tOMbs7FUG3TXEUnloOjASCS1MsG0eZ9qwJaIABYSSqnBjvPgwS7j0ljPzPP4RGYFwDuiaGXf_63GEroLhmoAJhrsF2RCd6eX8A8_hiE9zfvMNNlKdnf9KU1raQsmYfreIibVwN3R-LDeuUnjNw/s320/IMG_4402.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Charlotte Tavern</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Bill encouraged us to stop at the historic Queen Charlotte Tavern for two reasons; one it was quite cool, and two, he encouraged them to open early for us. We stopped and had great coffee and berry and chocolate scones that were delicious!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57-OCSJKW2cMSvuyzmg61A9E26H_A6IwzdT8niSLdJrsMSjE0yRlYyMTmNUJJrBwz1KzJ441Nod65atr0HWhlzJ1RLqUa9y_Py3QBiYwqoIVPpbBAkAUs6FKaWoR30mGvJvmSS-7SYnFhMssaU2jhWtfQr4Bv4Ub-XfMw3JOg_ar9WVJV5mGhMSLWNqA/s4032/IMG_4427.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57-OCSJKW2cMSvuyzmg61A9E26H_A6IwzdT8niSLdJrsMSjE0yRlYyMTmNUJJrBwz1KzJ441Nod65atr0HWhlzJ1RLqUa9y_Py3QBiYwqoIVPpbBAkAUs6FKaWoR30mGvJvmSS-7SYnFhMssaU2jhWtfQr4Bv4Ub-XfMw3JOg_ar9WVJV5mGhMSLWNqA/s320/IMG_4427.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful farm country</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cFvZX7U2081Gh6SwNYSk6G9YTcTtKBZdXBoaYfabyFveapeSonF1_jffZZymkJNj6gPNQONnx1CPhSBGQRCJguNdnfTQrvCPD85TNvn-hTCNeGsMax0iwtbiRZrcySghQ_w1Mhu6-2f1-YFBhIBLD0d9Src3xIZC1jI7eXY0d8pRpVykmyAE0Ud7EnA/s4032/IMG_4439.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cFvZX7U2081Gh6SwNYSk6G9YTcTtKBZdXBoaYfabyFveapeSonF1_jffZZymkJNj6gPNQONnx1CPhSBGQRCJguNdnfTQrvCPD85TNvn-hTCNeGsMax0iwtbiRZrcySghQ_w1Mhu6-2f1-YFBhIBLD0d9Src3xIZC1jI7eXY0d8pRpVykmyAE0Ud7EnA/s320/IMG_4439.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marborough Vinyards</td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived at the vineyard for lunch and enjoyed some local favorites. There was wine and gin tasting but we passed on those options and found a nice table in the shade. Debby decided she had seen enough of New Zealand's wine country and with a building headwind for the return, she hopped on a bus to return to the ship.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu3bMy6vBsRzR67yCseubxDPROufAicAPt6yhZ5zD0_UvFVn__DmEaTvYy6OEt-sBNRUE4DnsdCgJUE7C6r6DgulLQTQkn3NDES2CgfjVEBFE4W5tchsjow8AecIzvquIna71CPY8P3HAqlN-RBVTPTOK1xD40aAzW3_sCT4O0D7Ylo91wJgWN2p_s-Q/s4032/IMG_4443.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxu3bMy6vBsRzR67yCseubxDPROufAicAPt6yhZ5zD0_UvFVn__DmEaTvYy6OEt-sBNRUE4DnsdCgJUE7C6r6DgulLQTQkn3NDES2CgfjVEBFE4W5tchsjow8AecIzvquIna71CPY8P3HAqlN-RBVTPTOK1xD40aAzW3_sCT4O0D7Ylo91wJgWN2p_s-Q/s320/IMG_4443.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqQmkbyo67dfC7y92kmjKxTvk_3Zp54PrNkdl6GDztmBOEAEZ_CCiD4SWlbIw0Sl447KFLvwZdhPvIqXPeqobkz4gwwbnpTaDfJkA3SXe8-v1VJIUNsiXycE7YAJSStxxT3h6mmMGsAj3dXPWUhDGouuXewEqMZ2Ca9LQGC8zppqKwfN0EKAuJfsLUAM/s4032/IMG_4444.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqQmkbyo67dfC7y92kmjKxTvk_3Zp54PrNkdl6GDztmBOEAEZ_CCiD4SWlbIw0Sl447KFLvwZdhPvIqXPeqobkz4gwwbnpTaDfJkA3SXe8-v1VJIUNsiXycE7YAJSStxxT3h6mmMGsAj3dXPWUhDGouuXewEqMZ2Ca9LQGC8zppqKwfN0EKAuJfsLUAM/s320/IMG_4444.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet highway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CdVgzHvaOOtdsMW1Ijbh7HKV-KhaHxsZ4-ji4JHwQhvgQoP7Vp7Ym6MTEHPAzMXSlRKe7Z0G9vnis9jqyJ27hKcPFVayQc0a_nwvOfAapVrXdIRQxnU-bpVGzmOMsA4Wa9hfOxfjsTsCqVKPNb_yTYU-D0ffoDmVlHgHBwUKMzKsd2bsRTAtacY4JDk/s4032/IMG_4445.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CdVgzHvaOOtdsMW1Ijbh7HKV-KhaHxsZ4-ji4JHwQhvgQoP7Vp7Ym6MTEHPAzMXSlRKe7Z0G9vnis9jqyJ27hKcPFVayQc0a_nwvOfAapVrXdIRQxnU-bpVGzmOMsA4Wa9hfOxfjsTsCqVKPNb_yTYU-D0ffoDmVlHgHBwUKMzKsd2bsRTAtacY4JDk/s320/IMG_4445.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Headwaters of the Tuamarina River</td></tr></tbody></table>Yours truly decided to continue the Grape Ride. It was windy, but most the riders returned via bus, and this highway was not too busy and I was able to complete the Grape Ride route! <div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Nelson</h4><div>Debby was ready for a rest day, and the Santana routes for the day included a lot of city riding to hit several museums and other attractions. I hopped on Ride With GPS and found a local route that would loop through the residential areas on the hilltops, then loop out to Rabbit Island. I downloaded the routes and headed out!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFTZmVSITfgsuhqb9piFiBu9YXqo3GwJy94xCSUGtU-GIUrrQu7OiYAZXwVyh1bD0FiX5BjsSkBZ2_xfK-710CTRiFaWgEVs_kePsNn9koHynpd1Jj_dW7vMz5Lmj93P5xT1DPQx30RRBV42RJ4P7qCF5PoEiyjb9pM0xDQRwv1kKLVhsUyqVCExuIEM/s4032/IMG_4456.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFTZmVSITfgsuhqb9piFiBu9YXqo3GwJy94xCSUGtU-GIUrrQu7OiYAZXwVyh1bD0FiX5BjsSkBZ2_xfK-710CTRiFaWgEVs_kePsNn9koHynpd1Jj_dW7vMz5Lmj93P5xT1DPQx30RRBV42RJ4P7qCF5PoEiyjb9pM0xDQRwv1kKLVhsUyqVCExuIEM/s320/IMG_4456.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Victorian Style Home </td></tr></tbody></table>As always, when I go off-route, a Santana rider or two would follow along. I warned several not to follow, but one couple did. I noticed them rolling up, and while he was game to follow, she wanted nothing of it and they headed back!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nNQkoZBdwBiSIY0WV7Ukie2aXnYYA1yxrt1T_NZ8IjWVbk39ZRmvpvioXb5-CXA__DFiooxYIdET0RdawAruImLhlYV1_XHuk2YuYmm1dm93IDe9f0cCIbQMN5LuMweIIIRwVPfEGP9XWiIdcTzWqjEjfHX0fw7w5B7ryme3QYcUJzjmUlfMnnV46xk/s4032/IMG_4457.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nNQkoZBdwBiSIY0WV7Ukie2aXnYYA1yxrt1T_NZ8IjWVbk39ZRmvpvioXb5-CXA__DFiooxYIdET0RdawAruImLhlYV1_XHuk2YuYmm1dm93IDe9f0cCIbQMN5LuMweIIIRwVPfEGP9XWiIdcTzWqjEjfHX0fw7w5B7ryme3QYcUJzjmUlfMnnV46xk/s320/IMG_4457.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson </td></tr></tbody></table>Good thing, there were some steep, but enjoyable climbs rolling though town. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzY6xJf79zCfSKGodv9ASUm60hc0GxLoeU2OItCSw0JKArYFGEHVNl2rokFrSb824gsb-Qx7Hr292oImfeC5dcCqABiSfH26E0ciyZZ1-Tq7pwlZCAqCQQQlX3uTwGbb7aIzfZKJvYDhrRV9YYOLHOSBNgdRpy0BXzIlswthO2jOzuHFp_ip6K0ZGIEI/s4032/IMG_4464.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzY6xJf79zCfSKGodv9ASUm60hc0GxLoeU2OItCSw0JKArYFGEHVNl2rokFrSb824gsb-Qx7Hr292oImfeC5dcCqABiSfH26E0ciyZZ1-Tq7pwlZCAqCQQQlX3uTwGbb7aIzfZKJvYDhrRV9YYOLHOSBNgdRpy0BXzIlswthO2jOzuHFp_ip6K0ZGIEI/s320/IMG_4464.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path</td></tr></tbody></table>Most of the route was on dedicated bike paths to get out of town!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI8bqtqnMGtE79blw9Sg0YXRDDY61CHRn18knDF-YUU_J_2CpsrX7y_9rX6HtlMhdCfM0Bzqk30baRmB6Zahuun7DnP99AExbBZyASGi2kWcKmAI7sJI6ohb9WAWHaW830d0cfIPwkoidtziHIawlXVtcYoJN4if0ayPbGusNAA9TZ3FBdIm6DZd2FnU/s4032/IMG_4475.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioI8bqtqnMGtE79blw9Sg0YXRDDY61CHRn18knDF-YUU_J_2CpsrX7y_9rX6HtlMhdCfM0Bzqk30baRmB6Zahuun7DnP99AExbBZyASGi2kWcKmAI7sJI6ohb9WAWHaW830d0cfIPwkoidtziHIawlXVtcYoJN4if0ayPbGusNAA9TZ3FBdIm6DZd2FnU/s320/IMG_4475.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERMbP6GYde6Hp8agQYSpzzq2005lK0P2cXOgbl1qP0avpaUwMjv_ZOR794UREf1tJgYBiUQb8uE5GhA5FhZmhR9XK33jKqQExMyBrbs_tOyX8aCQS5a5xGVm1T4eakjxUV3oZIY1cSUXJcL4M1YiA0GYOQ7EBSWgckgh1SYnxd5Wnn980K5JEOCXM6mI/s4032/IMG_4484.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERMbP6GYde6Hp8agQYSpzzq2005lK0P2cXOgbl1qP0avpaUwMjv_ZOR794UREf1tJgYBiUQb8uE5GhA5FhZmhR9XK33jKqQExMyBrbs_tOyX8aCQS5a5xGVm1T4eakjxUV3oZIY1cSUXJcL4M1YiA0GYOQ7EBSWgckgh1SYnxd5Wnn980K5JEOCXM6mI/s320/IMG_4484.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great gravel to Rabbit Island</td></tr></tbody></table>Once out of town, the route was mixed gravel and hard pack bike paths, alternating with paved country roads leading to Rabbit Island.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCZLlmtzA8ne7AwcPpQeh8p8_u8gBN2B2JjFjeJn6yIRKrpvc-7RIEZz365zqCIQ6pDYE7JAt8OilvmoLxa1GpQJvkS0IGVZEdwWKgEBLe_RQj0q7zw5gM1OpfyQcTEYDmkYNRzeZCpueLHo0IEZDzPcItUrkTHP1dZvG-Ld6P53Ey2WAvZhho93cvso/s4032/IMG_4485.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCZLlmtzA8ne7AwcPpQeh8p8_u8gBN2B2JjFjeJn6yIRKrpvc-7RIEZz365zqCIQ6pDYE7JAt8OilvmoLxa1GpQJvkS0IGVZEdwWKgEBLe_RQj0q7zw5gM1OpfyQcTEYDmkYNRzeZCpueLHo0IEZDzPcItUrkTHP1dZvG-Ld6P53Ey2WAvZhho93cvso/s320/IMG_4485.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's this?</td></tr></tbody></table>My route turned right, but I was ready for a coffee and decided to follow the signs to the Kind of Perfect Cafe, only 1 minute away!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57ePdG9XLxlZEq5Ew2eouAzOi8RFjitX2jNPXcviZjC7BhCIYgn0DjCyXKAmsLD1OKZrl5GcyG0shW6hX0BLaZxvJNFYGKGs7AGRLSchMo4x0ismMf_5FhdJ5EEmaDiqu9xOCEJb8hJ_7hp5EXbE_rFi1TiP0RRYz1crLBOL-x1lTX2N8YCCG36ME5Rw/s4032/IMG_4486.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57ePdG9XLxlZEq5Ew2eouAzOi8RFjitX2jNPXcviZjC7BhCIYgn0DjCyXKAmsLD1OKZrl5GcyG0shW6hX0BLaZxvJNFYGKGs7AGRLSchMo4x0ismMf_5FhdJ5EEmaDiqu9xOCEJb8hJ_7hp5EXbE_rFi1TiP0RRYz1crLBOL-x1lTX2N8YCCG36ME5Rw/s320/IMG_4486.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kind of Perfect Cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nQFuwrKbFh1eiNu-zzKEvLQS63ma99fNw0OPXWQ9dt21nlk2OjIjTO3OoGUphbMnK9L0uxlR8eALfL8oKOfva1FoUDmDEsDRRggAGEgv5KMrrvBwq7K-cF83h_H1h6YjK-BaagWNmVbWgKbYBAaHJKG3jS-2ClUfJLZEayxcjQNY2Hqs1unyDZpgFqY/s4032/IMG_4491.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nQFuwrKbFh1eiNu-zzKEvLQS63ma99fNw0OPXWQ9dt21nlk2OjIjTO3OoGUphbMnK9L0uxlR8eALfL8oKOfva1FoUDmDEsDRRggAGEgv5KMrrvBwq7K-cF83h_H1h6YjK-BaagWNmVbWgKbYBAaHJKG3jS-2ClUfJLZEayxcjQNY2Hqs1unyDZpgFqY/s320/IMG_4491.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee and pancakes!</td></tr></tbody></table>It was an outdoor park with a food trailer! I ordered a cappuccino and apple pancakes and, while it took a while to prepare them, I enjoyed them at a lovely table. There were lots of families and kids playing in the grass with some nice jazz music in the background. It was a great stop!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrKuxybvGdCzl3mgZPys_yZyL4zUvr3Pze4_XwnVP7_fIqwOVg9cuIM-VijgLemBHS8UuCDSK6Q4xiWRqLiVs25ZgUEewh-732eI_wtk1hMZ_QxgmnAR4MaJ8mbOltoWlIdH7z_WHfX_kpZYBUM_UeNhKeKBahsQKVoqnqqtX2sCF2iBOAxZr6Se2pfI/s4032/IMG_4500.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnrKuxybvGdCzl3mgZPys_yZyL4zUvr3Pze4_XwnVP7_fIqwOVg9cuIM-VijgLemBHS8UuCDSK6Q4xiWRqLiVs25ZgUEewh-732eI_wtk1hMZ_QxgmnAR4MaJ8mbOltoWlIdH7z_WHfX_kpZYBUM_UeNhKeKBahsQKVoqnqqtX2sCF2iBOAxZr6Se2pfI/s320/IMG_4500.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide open beach on Rabbit Island</td></tr></tbody></table>I pressed on to Rabbit Island. A large park and national forest. The entrance road gave way to gravel single and double track through beautiful forest.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjobgu98PMIpodTmYtEHeOWdtULYCapUsIQlGkxTHvfrYGIMaKIi1KFNN64lLVnFDlE9WUnk7tZgEEZ8-hn2DYAiAw3leEKL6_zFKv0v9-A65FdpgZ4O2rNpPlczEEbGRAVFE_wuzLubdKY7DvqHrHYov3XcvnrmPgm8KeaLjN-Z15lQ3wSxbh4KXZoE/s4032/IMG_4513.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYjobgu98PMIpodTmYtEHeOWdtULYCapUsIQlGkxTHvfrYGIMaKIi1KFNN64lLVnFDlE9WUnk7tZgEEZ8-hn2DYAiAw3leEKL6_zFKv0v9-A65FdpgZ4O2rNpPlczEEbGRAVFE_wuzLubdKY7DvqHrHYov3XcvnrmPgm8KeaLjN-Z15lQ3wSxbh4KXZoE/s320/IMG_4513.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mapua Ferry</td></tr></tbody></table>I thought about riding the Mapua Ferry accross and heading back from there, but the wait for the ferry was about 45 minutes. I decided instead to complete the loop of the Island and head back.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT1m627HCk0jILmZeaVKf03FKhyphenhypheng1LTxRlejpg03BdaGNNYIWLbcWO9jPK94ibE9MF3f6gq51q-tQr_snkttBHJQJbk_t2XQbJnMgOe474hm_nIl01da3BGUSgdEHzOwh0o20LmdW93jENMdu1-WYdZE4HgSLY2WlqfwcqIOiYPqFOwjqlwXwB7mxk4E/s4032/IMG_4514.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMT1m627HCk0jILmZeaVKf03FKhyphenhypheng1LTxRlejpg03BdaGNNYIWLbcWO9jPK94ibE9MF3f6gq51q-tQr_snkttBHJQJbk_t2XQbJnMgOe474hm_nIl01da3BGUSgdEHzOwh0o20LmdW93jENMdu1-WYdZE4HgSLY2WlqfwcqIOiYPqFOwjqlwXwB7mxk4E/s320/IMG_4514.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Solar Bench</td></tr></tbody></table>Just leaving the ferry waiting area, this bench appeared. Embedded with a solar panel, it had a built-in phone charger! I placed my phone on it, and it worked!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2YmU1orFpEAA5RzNE5J1AKLoLCCj4ryfC7OGToqxJgR3AkQ-N6a2OtV_8LKuSyrcS2NYLS68TajAECQSYYk5p8ZuLor-4Rd3UT_iDAwsXq6gK-miHimGjxMwbP0JlviM1RFJC8o0IlCaHJzHusbpnz8G7nibKso3mwF9J6OkGuxhAXD2NR27WEQxJrE/s4032/IMG_4519.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2YmU1orFpEAA5RzNE5J1AKLoLCCj4ryfC7OGToqxJgR3AkQ-N6a2OtV_8LKuSyrcS2NYLS68TajAECQSYYk5p8ZuLor-4Rd3UT_iDAwsXq6gK-miHimGjxMwbP0JlviM1RFJC8o0IlCaHJzHusbpnz8G7nibKso3mwF9J6OkGuxhAXD2NR27WEQxJrE/s320/IMG_4519.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest trails</td></tr></tbody></table>More great bike trails confirmed that continuing the loop through the Island was better than city riding in Mapua!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sFt7F5i5lyH3iHLKhsiVWVTuIVpwLp6zzPJltvei3ai4ybc6K3P8PNH1j0ybCuMxs4_QE3XQByX_XfLtzpVu4-nGqTf5bv_UrMV3dxker3OWhtuSOmB5BI-xf3sEx1U9hhV6zqblsjRplTGSN3ncimfeROCpos3Ec9XSJ4dWt4_qKeCSgZEw0WLaPhI/s4032/IMG_4523.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5sFt7F5i5lyH3iHLKhsiVWVTuIVpwLp6zzPJltvei3ai4ybc6K3P8PNH1j0ybCuMxs4_QE3XQByX_XfLtzpVu4-nGqTf5bv_UrMV3dxker3OWhtuSOmB5BI-xf3sEx1U9hhV6zqblsjRplTGSN3ncimfeROCpos3Ec9XSJ4dWt4_qKeCSgZEw0WLaPhI/s320/IMG_4523.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path to Nelson</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsFdApVSz77ZsbFITMRaAnFsaTeccEUQBV5IGXnVetp1Zfz9vcwJlqAi2Lq5MblNDjQk4qy99bNc-52h75SRw0sG_GC9ZxHkD7q5LLp_SNm1evS8xbU3szeaTgjYYjLsnu7L7UX1VqFSZrlklEfxIpwyFE6LdWYhjK5vBuixMniThCukykdW3bXxcQCs/s4032/IMG_4530.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsFdApVSz77ZsbFITMRaAnFsaTeccEUQBV5IGXnVetp1Zfz9vcwJlqAi2Lq5MblNDjQk4qy99bNc-52h75SRw0sG_GC9ZxHkD7q5LLp_SNm1evS8xbU3szeaTgjYYjLsnu7L7UX1VqFSZrlklEfxIpwyFE6LdWYhjK5vBuixMniThCukykdW3bXxcQCs/s320/IMG_4530.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last few kilometers to the ship</td></tr></tbody></table><div>I took the coastal bike path back to Nelson and did not have to deal with traffic until I was practically in the port! Back on board we found lunch and relaxed around the pool for the rest of the day!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Wellington</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfFaFUqMZx3YyObM2Q0_6T38YhysvmhygceN5FsH-duCn22mt8jzgfwrb0a9nUMKOdZPYnfWJruo2k37YwqvsRi5-5fqUYJg0wJErOaa3cIhYtiK3WJbc-4UELsk4DHO1-xh5Ldf-bxBEOiLodOhsYEeg07y38IhKCNS36qRf_k2gek3TbdJmBi51m_0/s4032/IMG_4532.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfFaFUqMZx3YyObM2Q0_6T38YhysvmhygceN5FsH-duCn22mt8jzgfwrb0a9nUMKOdZPYnfWJruo2k37YwqvsRi5-5fqUYJg0wJErOaa3cIhYtiK3WJbc-4UELsk4DHO1-xh5Ldf-bxBEOiLodOhsYEeg07y38IhKCNS36qRf_k2gek3TbdJmBi51m_0/s320/IMG_4532.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise in Wellington</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Wellington was our first stop on North Island of New Zealand. We decided to take the short route so we could do some shopping and get lunch in Wellington. Also, we were both ready for a nice flat costal ride.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fMpoeUwll-q4iGWWKi1vRWBdZ1bPqlZru4MvwqDUawryiWs_1ZVKvQrP3bPQKKyOZ37bgrJcFaJtNDBPSvYhqr9oo2dPAEmu9gt7xJVMBr5sDdD9AfJb-757lajKGkjGETLTOnnPO3F4f25_QoJIWFDnxtF1QFKmnQWL6jhJae-vL52aTIc1xfWRpZs/s4032/IMG_4543.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fMpoeUwll-q4iGWWKi1vRWBdZ1bPqlZru4MvwqDUawryiWs_1ZVKvQrP3bPQKKyOZ37bgrJcFaJtNDBPSvYhqr9oo2dPAEmu9gt7xJVMBr5sDdD9AfJb-757lajKGkjGETLTOnnPO3F4f25_QoJIWFDnxtF1QFKmnQWL6jhJae-vL52aTIc1xfWRpZs/s320/IMG_4543.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly protected city bike paths today</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94_oSF9Sa_RfqqxCRdq-hOKkyocfnOU9bCgttLnn-Vzv-tgWMCgELtwuV-E02dJHcVWhB18KR7cILhokupUrzukZzYjjorIdy5WUz681VPGsl1TQrfyqC5tl4IQvdUSDO3OJmtHXzpLpnqZraWoDrf4ZezXvoxgVtuBqt_wGcTRujuyog_zJFomlNBmg/s3088/IMG_4546.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94_oSF9Sa_RfqqxCRdq-hOKkyocfnOU9bCgttLnn-Vzv-tgWMCgELtwuV-E02dJHcVWhB18KR7cILhokupUrzukZzYjjorIdy5WUz681VPGsl1TQrfyqC5tl4IQvdUSDO3OJmtHXzpLpnqZraWoDrf4ZezXvoxgVtuBqt_wGcTRujuyog_zJFomlNBmg/s320/IMG_4546.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading a train out of the city</td></tr></tbody></table>Once out of the port area, we looped along the coast toward the airport. A number of Santana rides tagged along.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuPhrz7vEH5Z925LQ9WWcv5xZbD3AwOsGCPaHKx1Mfz9rM6lY_L2oGhV6Ja25F9wpHDGc-F993aAoAg5DdpB_eHvvj6SobMRJKGDAnZw7PgiA244YBTrkyhPp1vSbCKUJNoSftKiMsYn5FwlWgoXfLR6zQxmVwMQ3ShaLJ-IBt9opjZhkIkzp8-Ug2gw/s4032/IMG_4561.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuPhrz7vEH5Z925LQ9WWcv5xZbD3AwOsGCPaHKx1Mfz9rM6lY_L2oGhV6Ja25F9wpHDGc-F993aAoAg5DdpB_eHvvj6SobMRJKGDAnZw7PgiA244YBTrkyhPp1vSbCKUJNoSftKiMsYn5FwlWgoXfLR6zQxmVwMQ3ShaLJ-IBt9opjZhkIkzp8-Ug2gw/s320/IMG_4561.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful costal riding</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjhvpCe2zAgAyDybsiwUjpYgFRvxYLqp_3wWZ3m3LZ2D7R1uRVcqFDtnFSo_N8nOQWgxWFI42GqFgkUhhtn-8hy_8TdTt8fVY_tbQoCeXGO3A6eq2KMt-4OwTI3X9dTnMj0WkK-RIAuFt8FUWaVzv-bpBPbB9ca0lR2syg2Wm44sW8SgkC0C5RZVPD7Q/s3088/IMG_4548.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjhvpCe2zAgAyDybsiwUjpYgFRvxYLqp_3wWZ3m3LZ2D7R1uRVcqFDtnFSo_N8nOQWgxWFI42GqFgkUhhtn-8hy_8TdTt8fVY_tbQoCeXGO3A6eq2KMt-4OwTI3X9dTnMj0WkK-RIAuFt8FUWaVzv-bpBPbB9ca0lR2syg2Wm44sW8SgkC0C5RZVPD7Q/s320/IMG_4548.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great coffee and date scones!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>It was too early for most, but we decided to stop for coffee. This place had great tables right on the water and wonderful date scones!</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKiwtlvEJQ_htGUxwXA-xKXvvDf_GrBjTr3f_v1NuSUtghv2AEGpSO6GkxUp9PZ5PudIyD6wH7Lnuo4vz6hbJb_NdZCo2FTqBZ-a3K-NDE8_eh8jBWu7YrvbZZUIbf0gk4of_4ntNZ6fU4t8tn6KtD-qxiz7XWGTDTcLhw9bUsT01mXI4pA5bMN89bpo/s4032/IMG_4562.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKiwtlvEJQ_htGUxwXA-xKXvvDf_GrBjTr3f_v1NuSUtghv2AEGpSO6GkxUp9PZ5PudIyD6wH7Lnuo4vz6hbJb_NdZCo2FTqBZ-a3K-NDE8_eh8jBWu7YrvbZZUIbf0gk4of_4ntNZ6fU4t8tn6KtD-qxiz7XWGTDTcLhw9bUsT01mXI4pA5bMN89bpo/s320/IMG_4562.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They only come out at night!</td></tr></tbody></table>Little Blue Penguins (Fairy Penguins) inhabit this area. But they are nocturnal and we did not have time to wait for nightfall!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZYDjyxpIJwH_H94_epHREWuSUDINDyDsgdWXLYxFcRNZHGP3Bo-gJOKw0a9YiL1H8Y3V2rFn39PEnsNFRL-ZijhcKWfU7imgVxGgBF21RaOShk8CG2sjf9O-YttLop4bpHSLnLpGLlgPjRrWHN0mqc23pJz2u9qvmAcnMbcfl6mpuZIspe2bZDhQRgY/s4032/IMG_4575.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZYDjyxpIJwH_H94_epHREWuSUDINDyDsgdWXLYxFcRNZHGP3Bo-gJOKw0a9YiL1H8Y3V2rFn39PEnsNFRL-ZijhcKWfU7imgVxGgBF21RaOShk8CG2sjf9O-YttLop4bpHSLnLpGLlgPjRrWHN0mqc23pJz2u9qvmAcnMbcfl6mpuZIspe2bZDhQRgY/s320/IMG_4575.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They tiny one is the Star Breeze!</td></tr></tbody></table>We looped back into town and could compare the Star Breeze to another cruise behemoth moored nearby. Size does matter, and we prefer the small ships!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_Pf8w0nHy638HhlYmITkiqsPqi84T4avxjnavWStb40Q_1CFCUP154RDnGjrfLi4UG8VxHTrnadk4lBzaFEE6hIhIpmR6eN3sLI2Qgkxl34MHlxT42sS-23x_Xt1m7GuZs80wxdwcCSbZ4NI_q_S2WJg-pOdkAW-1GZuY6k0cGa_AUxQWgtFr739tNI/s4032/IMG_4579.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_Pf8w0nHy638HhlYmITkiqsPqi84T4avxjnavWStb40Q_1CFCUP154RDnGjrfLi4UG8VxHTrnadk4lBzaFEE6hIhIpmR6eN3sLI2Qgkxl34MHlxT42sS-23x_Xt1m7GuZs80wxdwcCSbZ4NI_q_S2WJg-pOdkAW-1GZuY6k0cGa_AUxQWgtFr739tNI/s320/IMG_4579.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers!</td></tr></tbody></table>We headed into town and parked our bikes with the Santana crew members. We did some shopping and found this great Irish pub and ordered some Fish and Chips. There were no empty tables, but this gentlemen allowed us to join him at his! He was British and visiting his daughter in Wellington. He said it was getting too loud around the house with the grand kids, so he hopped a bus into town for a pint (or two)! We had a great visit!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQx6uzDPxaafifF0XgwQq3I4TUiLuUd7PtIZ2C2majlzGPP1gcMHaxu3v6N6Xx63umWPeX9dus-ctZ7q8IUVT1GV6v7SzNhA8yZN0ITSrkRajEMCH4Yb_jCdO_2r4Q1YqzUqBXYbvPa8O4tmEdERpapanjgYQnnIlZ3VXQML21pIXHHbkXmuu318cmnQ/s4032/IMG_4581.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQx6uzDPxaafifF0XgwQq3I4TUiLuUd7PtIZ2C2majlzGPP1gcMHaxu3v6N6Xx63umWPeX9dus-ctZ7q8IUVT1GV6v7SzNhA8yZN0ITSrkRajEMCH4Yb_jCdO_2r4Q1YqzUqBXYbvPa8O4tmEdERpapanjgYQnnIlZ3VXQML21pIXHHbkXmuu318cmnQ/s320/IMG_4581.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wellington Historic Harbor </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQY8l_IoEpHKGswJUO4SoA1Ii9IlGhdWVL2m9170KEVXyhls1gmXE-VlPkpEcodj9jUEE1ZcPgUBxQEShaKv_o5zK0Rg37eG9m5JyQ4tZsUm43Z0WRhnCnpjn-9lyL_oa6LYCgkIS4WGkaU8ztqT95zWxjjuqKKFc_4hb3izAQOZ7vjc9CgGL5wpHKN8/s4032/IMG_4583.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQY8l_IoEpHKGswJUO4SoA1Ii9IlGhdWVL2m9170KEVXyhls1gmXE-VlPkpEcodj9jUEE1ZcPgUBxQEShaKv_o5zK0Rg37eG9m5JyQ4tZsUm43Z0WRhnCnpjn-9lyL_oa6LYCgkIS4WGkaU8ztqT95zWxjjuqKKFc_4hb3izAQOZ7vjc9CgGL5wpHKN8/s320/IMG_4583.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another grueling day in the books</td></tr></tbody></table>After lunch we retrieved our bikes and headed back to the harbor to finish this day around the pool!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Napier</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKmMWPCez_m83gN1-ULv8oW6FLQn9o2CrlLI9pWcgtsjBcNi5EkH6p9l0UnCwvfLLQlaDPw2uaqyH6JPUknW9PdML2GRN9IKVFAODvldhr2Ifxhh2AOv-DnrQM7UMiufkvaUX4wfkfkhyphenhyphenhH-iWyfzR6apN6-TsHS-O3NNIT8KdhmAHkx1bhA2meHgNMw/s3088/IMG_4588.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKmMWPCez_m83gN1-ULv8oW6FLQn9o2CrlLI9pWcgtsjBcNi5EkH6p9l0UnCwvfLLQlaDPw2uaqyH6JPUknW9PdML2GRN9IKVFAODvldhr2Ifxhh2AOv-DnrQM7UMiufkvaUX4wfkfkhyphenhyphenhH-iWyfzR6apN6-TsHS-O3NNIT8KdhmAHkx1bhA2meHgNMw/s320/IMG_4588.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach bike path</td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived in Napier about 9 am and we were excited to ride with Larry and Kris. We set out together on the beach bike path out of town.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdhnFa5OHyxHX1WqXxDegwpAMYDzRPUyOVwFoSZRM80iSeb8IqYvgj3Rx6Oau2SO5Ga0p929vRst7Emhq_V_WheeSwdemet58lrDs1Z9zifHDMIeyxqgMM6PDErlD7SVeLjGK6BqTikxvXGumrpAdX_u4lV2_dtMg5YJrNUm9Mb2fMW59ztmuq09wRc4/s4032/IMG_4591.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXdhnFa5OHyxHX1WqXxDegwpAMYDzRPUyOVwFoSZRM80iSeb8IqYvgj3Rx6Oau2SO5Ga0p929vRst7Emhq_V_WheeSwdemet58lrDs1Z9zifHDMIeyxqgMM6PDErlD7SVeLjGK6BqTikxvXGumrpAdX_u4lV2_dtMg5YJrNUm9Mb2fMW59ztmuq09wRc4/s320/IMG_4591.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junior Bike Track</td></tr></tbody></table>I had to stop here, to check out this cool kid's bike track. It was laid out with working traffic signals and bike lanes to teach kids how to ride on the road and safe riding. There were a bunch of kids on glider bikes learning the rules of the road!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWVdTbtJ6z3jxb72tdxAjtGLubLgkDo566gQbmlw-1gK0HYnwsOQTlQRYnj4L3eByu9w5M_DVVW1fXwcYk5IFqtf5GBD2tyghZPjL0m-3EZ5m4F0Dbw8yEr_mJl2PJ-dbG9GnKzwjoo4c_PhsGpvoowyBOVb8HtkwK7cg6IO72aVni8-NlgfjFcRkDNY/s4032/IMG_4606.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWVdTbtJ6z3jxb72tdxAjtGLubLgkDo566gQbmlw-1gK0HYnwsOQTlQRYnj4L3eByu9w5M_DVVW1fXwcYk5IFqtf5GBD2tyghZPjL0m-3EZ5m4F0Dbw8yEr_mJl2PJ-dbG9GnKzwjoo4c_PhsGpvoowyBOVb8HtkwK7cg6IO72aVni8-NlgfjFcRkDNY/s320/IMG_4606.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm house</td></tr></tbody></table>We soon left the beach and headed inland through many apple orchards and sheep farms. This Victorian style farmhouse was beautiful.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwzOz78gAK1GacGqO8ytakhcuYi_GTHxJ6POMcu6vW342ALU9gdzlHVppqq90StN2HJYazFmd8hMDR4RjMbXjQIrQbVm5EkqRoIfJqIAqcuTfhf-6jvTrdbKuqIg7y4a4Eyh8_ASdfIkNQcEOQ7rsPbxFQJia361k-__zoytD2YT6sK3y-rRJuTxeRB8/s4032/IMG_4613.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwzOz78gAK1GacGqO8ytakhcuYi_GTHxJ6POMcu6vW342ALU9gdzlHVppqq90StN2HJYazFmd8hMDR4RjMbXjQIrQbVm5EkqRoIfJqIAqcuTfhf-6jvTrdbKuqIg7y4a4Eyh8_ASdfIkNQcEOQ7rsPbxFQJia361k-__zoytD2YT6sK3y-rRJuTxeRB8/s320/IMG_4613.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">111 is 911 in New Zealand</td></tr></tbody></table>We loved this sign, warning to nefarious sheep rustlers and others who might wander into this compound!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlXFhWgH543VC29nB48vRXoPy-0zk7KNYmiSftvuufwU5rBKt50EOQBiiotYwVG8Be7njfLXoARa6Cu72eWj62lAXn4LxbzsLbwKFIzx0t1G4HHzAHXbd20qJilSgQxEFdcz7PiG1tNyuyCKLh2TIhn1U5CclTVc8_OvaDBoZn_DEfYfTwIuUgjkr5mY/s4032/IMG_4617.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlXFhWgH543VC29nB48vRXoPy-0zk7KNYmiSftvuufwU5rBKt50EOQBiiotYwVG8Be7njfLXoARa6Cu72eWj62lAXn4LxbzsLbwKFIzx0t1G4HHzAHXbd20qJilSgQxEFdcz7PiG1tNyuyCKLh2TIhn1U5CclTVc8_OvaDBoZn_DEfYfTwIuUgjkr5mY/s320/IMG_4617.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Odd seeing this in a New Zealand Tavern!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We reached a tavern where the medium route started. They had snacks and cold drinks; Debby had her Coke Zero and I tried a local cider. Both were paired nicely with a bag of sea salt chips. The relief painting was in the men’s room at the Tavern. Got me to thinking about a PacTour Route 66 tour! Editors note: I signed up for the Eastern Route 66 (Amarillo to Chicago) tour that starts May 31 this year!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63rPyPj5H0s472MbefMWSRd6R2FpI0WbhF-ugmaNFM6cz8DptumMQiLM6foGaTEw4uJSuDbAvYG7AYTgbDL7KrT0BHTBpIaZBU6AjKF0kOal4HjfJLnm_KFL7zBe6Vlhuyg1M2Z_lEX9qw7eSpMbZb9IBz9XiSWCh6SBSlVej2Lt_y63lyJVxSPv0YuM/s4032/IMG_4632.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63rPyPj5H0s472MbefMWSRd6R2FpI0WbhF-ugmaNFM6cz8DptumMQiLM6foGaTEw4uJSuDbAvYG7AYTgbDL7KrT0BHTBpIaZBU6AjKF0kOal4HjfJLnm_KFL7zBe6Vlhuyg1M2Z_lEX9qw7eSpMbZb9IBz9XiSWCh6SBSlVej2Lt_y63lyJVxSPv0YuM/s320/IMG_4632.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet single track through a marsh</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3lOihfGRQUL2QlvHGsicWCy2oe1s_gmdcu4NhvOOz7V5RCBft_Wsm-6gK0DHomrCaqKBeD2aHfXB4konPyUwIzFmW1zJ7DbvPnYWFIf0AxbDb26C3lMEl-Qvk2kD_3I72SHbvre0jJxUxJylA9at571sOHWqEW6A9wedYtfAE6lsWxwhugS0xGxVPkM/s4032/IMG_4636.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC3lOihfGRQUL2QlvHGsicWCy2oe1s_gmdcu4NhvOOz7V5RCBft_Wsm-6gK0DHomrCaqKBeD2aHfXB4konPyUwIzFmW1zJ7DbvPnYWFIf0AxbDb26C3lMEl-Qvk2kD_3I72SHbvre0jJxUxJylA9at571sOHWqEW6A9wedYtfAE6lsWxwhugS0xGxVPkM/s320/IMG_4636.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Active sheep pasture</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We continued on the short route and soon we hit this sweet gravel packed bike trail. We had to stop several times to open and close gates to active pastures. At first, these guys did not want to get off the trail and let us through! Deb and I rolled into town and completed the short route. Keith and Jeff were having lunch on the patio of a cafe and Debby joined them while I headed back out to ride the day’s medium loop.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OOWD7w0x1WYlvwyqYgvvulidg3Q5kAFaVZjejJUZfBT-IWpWP1NxRqxd1YCfShQ-0pU5ucEZh2GIdr6p40YcJfyhgwMxoh6vipFd0wGw6Is3x47KUUJ-WhS8WsqF9TCGBgEHo52aGuHtfr2V4K0nBH6TU6p1XB_nDFNXI9Tw-cJft8T9xMkYrOtivr8/s3088/IMG_4662.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OOWD7w0x1WYlvwyqYgvvulidg3Q5kAFaVZjejJUZfBT-IWpWP1NxRqxd1YCfShQ-0pU5ucEZh2GIdr6p40YcJfyhgwMxoh6vipFd0wGw6Is3x47KUUJ-WhS8WsqF9TCGBgEHo52aGuHtfr2V4K0nBH6TU6p1XB_nDFNXI9Tw-cJft8T9xMkYrOtivr8/s320/IMG_4662.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: times;">Pat had the same idea. He simply re-rode the short route from the start, and I rode it backwards to the start of the medium route. We rode it together and both got in a metric century for the day!</span></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVn6Wd4vzOwl5WMvTel3c1naOaZYJU3Kao1EqDqrxTq09yqeS5I6R5u7JlWqnhPn8keAmaoh9sVFOM9pHSZHmNG5g5K-a3RwNkXqH84A3pGwXWXkUHeaADSrLSOMmFrwZVOVkhj7TZ8KzYIieY8QdEYY0KHFQ-a9yy1jShavIosQzKResV9IbwusKlE4/s4032/IMG_4676.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVn6Wd4vzOwl5WMvTel3c1naOaZYJU3Kao1EqDqrxTq09yqeS5I6R5u7JlWqnhPn8keAmaoh9sVFOM9pHSZHmNG5g5K-a3RwNkXqH84A3pGwXWXkUHeaADSrLSOMmFrwZVOVkhj7TZ8KzYIieY8QdEYY0KHFQ-a9yy1jShavIosQzKResV9IbwusKlE4/s320/IMG_4676.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Napier from the long route</td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled into town together and I took the first shuttle back to the ship and Debby and I decided to head back into town to do some shopping and grab dinner.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQG3jSU-t3CvPq3HRgv0GvCKzRF84Ll7YYCn0jIRZbaOiGMeFyvMvusaBUyAp_Wnb3RIIXHGfWKVySv3vcbQYfVZsOiwwBqA9kGQE0HHwGd25mQO4rPgY_9C3wZ9Y3MkFLyfnjS2UOhTPzB1yR1JbRig2ALKp6qauJkfnmyCgBqrFylcje1sLicYs-nY/s4032/IMG_4681.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQG3jSU-t3CvPq3HRgv0GvCKzRF84Ll7YYCn0jIRZbaOiGMeFyvMvusaBUyAp_Wnb3RIIXHGfWKVySv3vcbQYfVZsOiwwBqA9kGQE0HHwGd25mQO4rPgY_9C3wZ9Y3MkFLyfnjS2UOhTPzB1yR1JbRig2ALKp6qauJkfnmyCgBqrFylcje1sLicYs-nY/s320/IMG_4681.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Deco architecture</td></tr></tbody></table>It is an interesting town, in 1931 it was devastated by an earthquake. When it was rebuilt, it was built in the Art Deco style. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5fe1rLMOolVvCPXjmRoYpt7WGKsBxnUlCmB1wJ6x7UJfEKyB07Sh5n2gYvq_cZUaw4yRL-AuEw5x72tNlYn9NGCbpt_iWBCA7fc6GMjg4n1Yb2hjnoMf8wVt1tCkKrwO6Ze2zSNoOgFTsDHJPMyt9QxEmzaq0B95lEGwj19EAOi4BYurr3YGmf-veU/s3088/IMG_4687.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheS5fe1rLMOolVvCPXjmRoYpt7WGKsBxnUlCmB1wJ6x7UJfEKyB07Sh5n2gYvq_cZUaw4yRL-AuEw5x72tNlYn9NGCbpt_iWBCA7fc6GMjg4n1Yb2hjnoMf8wVt1tCkKrwO6Ze2zSNoOgFTsDHJPMyt9QxEmzaq0B95lEGwj19EAOi4BYurr3YGmf-veU/s320/IMG_4687.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying dinner in town</td></tr></tbody></table>Nearly all the shops were closed, but the bars and restaurants were open. We found a great outdoor spot with cold drinks, pulled pork and poutine fries, and Green Lipped Mussels. Never heard of that variety of mussles, but they were delicious.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoAbg9K7O5SX7adu2sgNkRGvgAYR9iZuu9j_fY1o5zKU1ZqLvfz1uRv3dZNtiBjI4CW8YmM15T_g5RS_h76xsS4-86fsomPDUUeBPiMFjiBrEHGsOhx9SoUIfmPmBNRQ4vygodwYOs99iSXmJgn1rQTU7QZcffqNm5cqVfFlND1tmRbRU53osOyG-jzw/s4032/IMG_4690.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDoAbg9K7O5SX7adu2sgNkRGvgAYR9iZuu9j_fY1o5zKU1ZqLvfz1uRv3dZNtiBjI4CW8YmM15T_g5RS_h76xsS4-86fsomPDUUeBPiMFjiBrEHGsOhx9SoUIfmPmBNRQ4vygodwYOs99iSXmJgn1rQTU7QZcffqNm5cqVfFlND1tmRbRU53osOyG-jzw/s320/IMG_4690.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Deco newspaper building</td></tr></tbody></table>We headed back to the shuttle busses and were the last passengers back aboard the Star Breeze! We knew that because the shuttle bus driver wanted to know if he could go home!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 6 - Gisborn</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4TdfdN_z_RQ3DXS_QCe-48AwBgOsTaRnQQgaYDg5odILy520uMmtGvqn8FV1_y0hFWEoIJqb6cYuGNuCT7MwHykRBalA2M7-DpCWKqKOKItNSrmRkmm3vZcWusNlCEjDIusdaoivWzwG3El_DdKmbcB_vm6Usx3Io5mnNgvvwIuG6DTt5q1Wp0cZCRc/s4032/IMG_4693.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig4TdfdN_z_RQ3DXS_QCe-48AwBgOsTaRnQQgaYDg5odILy520uMmtGvqn8FV1_y0hFWEoIJqb6cYuGNuCT7MwHykRBalA2M7-DpCWKqKOKItNSrmRkmm3vZcWusNlCEjDIusdaoivWzwG3El_DdKmbcB_vm6Usx3Io5mnNgvvwIuG6DTt5q1Wp0cZCRc/s320/IMG_4693.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning tender operations begin</td></tr></tbody></table>Gisborn is not large enough for our small ship to enter, so today we would be using the tenders to go ashore.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmJUpfbuKcXeM7LDuK26K5lGZDe6PKAbC_oGf7gfNRaqabpriLoohsNTCKrxSZAHUd2TM0QYyHCVyGFwFiMv1mjp17BLReyJA4Fu2Z8L5WC5zqCwJ9Sji3jH2ThvtNKYWc3afH-FpP7AARiBbHObQzcG_SP3Sez3WaMIDovDnu2wv80DiJYTPCGfIGJI/s4032/IMG_4694.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmJUpfbuKcXeM7LDuK26K5lGZDe6PKAbC_oGf7gfNRaqabpriLoohsNTCKrxSZAHUd2TM0QYyHCVyGFwFiMv1mjp17BLReyJA4Fu2Z8L5WC5zqCwJ9Sji3jH2ThvtNKYWc3afH-FpP7AARiBbHObQzcG_SP3Sez3WaMIDovDnu2wv80DiJYTPCGfIGJI/s320/IMG_4694.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Cook looks over the harbor</td></tr></tbody></table>We found our bikes and set out on the medium route. Today would be a short day with the last tender back to the ship at 2:30! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zekxXKyANGcU-DHqknYZy02lR8UEA0RKKdqgt98KroS7f1cgCgIgFZT5VY-nnxgut6uzBJiFHFrDi4XE4X97aD_AAwC1ieiAkx4PxrEDI379-gxBqCvfwD5SePgGblcBu2Fq_91_fRRNr96lX6AfDQdQeDRcyyNO2J5D-fSBySqVNHeXy7hyphenhyphenD5EeurE/s3088/IMG_4699.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zekxXKyANGcU-DHqknYZy02lR8UEA0RKKdqgt98KroS7f1cgCgIgFZT5VY-nnxgut6uzBJiFHFrDi4XE4X97aD_AAwC1ieiAkx4PxrEDI379-gxBqCvfwD5SePgGblcBu2Fq_91_fRRNr96lX6AfDQdQeDRcyyNO2J5D-fSBySqVNHeXy7hyphenhyphenD5EeurE/s320/IMG_4699.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Day for a bike ride</td></tr></tbody></table>It was a lovely day and Debby again was in the sleeveless jersey as tempertures were nearing 80 in the afternoons.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZhTCmF5L_VKu0VXPvpoMJFvT4DiPr57dr81DPYK9x2i8X4ieR1CYec2eA24C7pU5MrPOu4cwbE9asHTMPQxTTu25PHndf0GGNZ-keIN_GXwPmNxReRcxVBXbKA11dXKMHXhxy4xEUdlW_AJgnH4yaJDZLh5yjx9RlgyPHdiW70OI-ZkVPvFjlXZgw_k/s4032/IMG_4710.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZhTCmF5L_VKu0VXPvpoMJFvT4DiPr57dr81DPYK9x2i8X4ieR1CYec2eA24C7pU5MrPOu4cwbE9asHTMPQxTTu25PHndf0GGNZ-keIN_GXwPmNxReRcxVBXbKA11dXKMHXhxy4xEUdlW_AJgnH4yaJDZLh5yjx9RlgyPHdiW70OI-ZkVPvFjlXZgw_k/s320/IMG_4710.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right at home on Atkins Street!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t0AjnxDKAoF6c3sNYzhzJCzaSjgjaja7XempvTzAExSEc1w7qlNtR6h6nlOlvl-VQ9kcndk1thK-vEoXqFs7W8i4utrobh3OEEtFYf6FWd1BrAozSK3AFIAKRyy3Ihf8g1rL7LPPOliApBd2Zo2HL1cDZ7hiiKTonxlCxVDohiiR5Qe1vPwSVwc-4m0/s3088/IMG_4718.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-t0AjnxDKAoF6c3sNYzhzJCzaSjgjaja7XempvTzAExSEc1w7qlNtR6h6nlOlvl-VQ9kcndk1thK-vEoXqFs7W8i4utrobh3OEEtFYf6FWd1BrAozSK3AFIAKRyy3Ihf8g1rL7LPPOliApBd2Zo2HL1cDZ7hiiKTonxlCxVDohiiR5Qe1vPwSVwc-4m0/s320/IMG_4718.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken and chips for breakfast #2</td></tr></tbody></table>The first stop was a tavern/store about 12 miles into the ride. They had Cokes and chicken and chips. No one else seemed interested in another breakfast, but the 2 piece box was huge and delicious!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE9cMzJyB-p34kwIDKCXk0dtoZ9yrjCeFM5R2oKvBY4N9b97rOCElk_u3mYFc44HGo4UTUHKmzZvCpLvFQsRQE5V7h6et0YTRxnbPh2Ytw8jzFH6tcvxi72-LQ5ZYIXVajpjQX66mekYs-uTMV1RT5W1a-s18I-QMxnuS75JYVjMJ3E7INV1XseCfPpE/s4032/IMG_4725.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvE9cMzJyB-p34kwIDKCXk0dtoZ9yrjCeFM5R2oKvBY4N9b97rOCElk_u3mYFc44HGo4UTUHKmzZvCpLvFQsRQE5V7h6et0YTRxnbPh2Ytw8jzFH6tcvxi72-LQ5ZYIXVajpjQX66mekYs-uTMV1RT5W1a-s18I-QMxnuS75JYVjMJ3E7INV1XseCfPpE/s320/IMG_4725.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat quiet farm roads, mostly!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK9Q6t-kY7LHJ7Rgi_PG2rT7qslDS5B2ll9BjGZAgxciVHzCaa2ktGV2kcBQsofCpiyX3X5Ahvl5PaacI6sEaIESjc6uLtXSheG2FnxR6OR4HG5kP8UWOBXDE03MS5h_l3xdsN2a35T-fxF4atH70csaSa2bRms2930dDkjaRqljcFmbmbHaL-qp5tmA/s4032/IMG_4735.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqK9Q6t-kY7LHJ7Rgi_PG2rT7qslDS5B2ll9BjGZAgxciVHzCaa2ktGV2kcBQsofCpiyX3X5Ahvl5PaacI6sEaIESjc6uLtXSheG2FnxR6OR4HG5kP8UWOBXDE03MS5h_l3xdsN2a35T-fxF4atH70csaSa2bRms2930dDkjaRqljcFmbmbHaL-qp5tmA/s320/IMG_4735.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lush vineyards</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQY1jwZizjde64MMUIehcvQrpuxIzll_qL1yqA1qel3BolsjqrBoQSxlc8aZLL2xLpVrSvqHmoAIudOx6s3w7mQWO9XJaEARyFetuTgHXv0P11t90NRNfPIXsEnCxipaNkxkE1GqsXte8my-jORlN68yU9E-CRhhgCy1dtG0oWIYWoQKJV3wnCF9fjNXE/s4032/IMG_4731.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQY1jwZizjde64MMUIehcvQrpuxIzll_qL1yqA1qel3BolsjqrBoQSxlc8aZLL2xLpVrSvqHmoAIudOx6s3w7mQWO9XJaEARyFetuTgHXv0P11t90NRNfPIXsEnCxipaNkxkE1GqsXte8my-jORlN68yU9E-CRhhgCy1dtG0oWIYWoQKJV3wnCF9fjNXE/s320/IMG_4731.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cows always seemed to be up to something!</td></tr></tbody></table>It was a good thing that today's route was relatively flat, with all that chicken on board, we were thankful for the lack of elevation and a cool tailwind that pushed us back to the ship!</div><div><br /></div><div>We rolled into the harbor area just as a tender was arriving and decided to head back to the ship and enjoy the rest of the afternoon around the pool!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 7 - Whitianga</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq6Ugpr9b0YQPAQPtz0lTFqNV8DDL2dFdD-CSdJ5NtzYIsG4ltwHV0KwVCmnv4mCFcK6djZ_AWj1utRndPUvgM2NhMh6mPbtKjlNZtyMxLU0SqbrED9_KEogown8iqZ5R_O0QOCM0PKCxyce4Mbn5z4Fs0UBPsPMP2D_DkXTPs-Ubcat_DMuSJCS0_s8/s4032/IMG_4739.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNq6Ugpr9b0YQPAQPtz0lTFqNV8DDL2dFdD-CSdJ5NtzYIsG4ltwHV0KwVCmnv4mCFcK6djZ_AWj1utRndPUvgM2NhMh6mPbtKjlNZtyMxLU0SqbrED9_KEogown8iqZ5R_O0QOCM0PKCxyce4Mbn5z4Fs0UBPsPMP2D_DkXTPs-Ubcat_DMuSJCS0_s8/s320/IMG_4739.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Whitianga at dawn</td></tr></tbody></table>We finally caught up with the rain and Debby decided to let me ride the long route and enjoy a shopping day! Another small harbor meant a tender operation to get on shore, then another short bike/pedestrian ferry to get to the start of the route. The line for the ferry was long so I decided to take Highway 25 out of town and join the Santana route. It added about 10 miles of riding and joined the I joined the Santana route about 17 miles out of town. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrvskdmgKmnvPYSNrGmV1tL1eoJSb6RWZdxFXd5WWMbJSH6sYc3RHjIYe5cWuHP9sJ1BfvgHamDKbIlzPKfbL9sHH0NxIKt7iJkOhSKa3Sp_EC3HDRwMR8ncaCMzXom6y_0LSDOqEh_QckJpR1cZQAhEVs-KnL021-d7ZgxPqcW-BgsonVW8PBdceevQ/s4032/IMG_4742.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrvskdmgKmnvPYSNrGmV1tL1eoJSb6RWZdxFXd5WWMbJSH6sYc3RHjIYe5cWuHP9sJ1BfvgHamDKbIlzPKfbL9sHH0NxIKt7iJkOhSKa3Sp_EC3HDRwMR8ncaCMzXom6y_0LSDOqEh_QckJpR1cZQAhEVs-KnL021-d7ZgxPqcW-BgsonVW8PBdceevQ/s320/IMG_4742.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highway 25, off route</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivd0gkN8DRnbtQ3oNhgl1uco17N9IdwsN9ZuAYyxE1eQL2VdMDnAQu6fuN-oG8nWngI8AkukvwLWJdGW3oXvB9gAs3YZO1XkTqdXPFlLAkJqLbGfzonMS55zq6BInFjfd9ZHCwfoRt81g1aewRB3ABFR_DVR0a7ZcIPATcokQ_htVliBqGsDhx4njrV_A/s4032/IMG_4746.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivd0gkN8DRnbtQ3oNhgl1uco17N9IdwsN9ZuAYyxE1eQL2VdMDnAQu6fuN-oG8nWngI8AkukvwLWJdGW3oXvB9gAs3YZO1XkTqdXPFlLAkJqLbGfzonMS55zq6BInFjfd9ZHCwfoRt81g1aewRB3ABFR_DVR0a7ZcIPATcokQ_htVliBqGsDhx4njrV_A/s320/IMG_4746.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastic road </td></tr></tbody></table>The turn-around was the town of Tairua and the traffic on Highway 25 was very light. The rain began just a few miles out of town, but the road was in great shape and the views were specatular. Plus there was no other bike traffic for the first 17 miles!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwKrSmtaVE7zaBnyhnxcsN9g-2eZU5sfUh6et57l9JZR_WyBVSgMUQgZgqG7BvgTCEF-AvuUsU3VLW9XeK_ZlU32TUAWvaLG1MjRJINZCSvg1YjbBaO-F10ET6Z7kii_MR76hNjqpod3yvVbxRxjCXT3e-G7Qn8oeaH2kiVspqFQCU9xIAnSlxDeGRS0/s4032/IMG_4747.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwKrSmtaVE7zaBnyhnxcsN9g-2eZU5sfUh6et57l9JZR_WyBVSgMUQgZgqG7BvgTCEF-AvuUsU3VLW9XeK_ZlU32TUAWvaLG1MjRJINZCSvg1YjbBaO-F10ET6Z7kii_MR76hNjqpod3yvVbxRxjCXT3e-G7Qn8oeaH2kiVspqFQCU9xIAnSlxDeGRS0/s320/IMG_4747.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers at a farmhouse near Tairua</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyc3RTRDUJVZpW7Z33NLAg2QAcz_K7s8Qw6bR9Ks6oReW1lze-Iil2IveT6qwUqQxDWqK4jDzrZN28Zea6CCWdHwSeRmz3MomestwRJC7YTqddrGDjYis_JU-ptR0hiqepyMOfRx-_GIOoOxZwA0MlUFNTFehQmofNUJuDRmM2IProegymQonAktcN3FQ/s4032/IMG_4748.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyc3RTRDUJVZpW7Z33NLAg2QAcz_K7s8Qw6bR9Ks6oReW1lze-Iil2IveT6qwUqQxDWqK4jDzrZN28Zea6CCWdHwSeRmz3MomestwRJC7YTqddrGDjYis_JU-ptR0hiqepyMOfRx-_GIOoOxZwA0MlUFNTFehQmofNUJuDRmM2IProegymQonAktcN3FQ/s320/IMG_4748.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route map and snacks</td></tr></tbody></table>The town of Tairua is on the water at the bottom of Pumpkin hill. One route option was to turn around there, but the rain had let up, and I was hungry, so off I went down the hill to town. The route ended at a nondescript football pitch! I loaded the return route back in the Garmin and headed out. There was a gas station/store with tables so I stopped to reload the bottles and have a snack before continuing on.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpicA8oDML3yixFG3B_9AURhXhj8ehRff1y0Cl_EK8zEbF7tLUFA7dtGSBxvbdkla_3I2Cqbh6Emoxe7ikIq-QeYdo9vbAlwtXxqDRAVYwvLfnur9zuhE4FkD4g8xd121z1JiRfBWRRxIjk2VQ2p1QK4fEtk5nvxupBc1ioNNhHGiu-z8slHPu0cBO9YI/s4032/IMG_4751.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpicA8oDML3yixFG3B_9AURhXhj8ehRff1y0Cl_EK8zEbF7tLUFA7dtGSBxvbdkla_3I2Cqbh6Emoxe7ikIq-QeYdo9vbAlwtXxqDRAVYwvLfnur9zuhE4FkD4g8xd121z1JiRfBWRRxIjk2VQ2p1QK4fEtk5nvxupBc1ioNNhHGiu-z8slHPu0cBO9YI/s320/IMG_4751.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pasture at the top of Pumpkin Hill</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUN6cqL0sbqRant3knYY0Wxp1F2hvETXJ_ipaP8cBE3W2cmMM0FReV3Yt_xHy0MsrFuKM40QNkptTnVg_ZRi1oEMc_TvAjhTPdrt1uxJjyNSVWADs6hM9MFX9MTgmwsyd_SRlUe7lGsKbT3MSRF8bYz9s-jg4unbhBvQsZEn-YyicZ3vnrfxdkzxj0qg/s4032/IMG_4754.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUN6cqL0sbqRant3knYY0Wxp1F2hvETXJ_ipaP8cBE3W2cmMM0FReV3Yt_xHy0MsrFuKM40QNkptTnVg_ZRi1oEMc_TvAjhTPdrt1uxJjyNSVWADs6hM9MFX9MTgmwsyd_SRlUe7lGsKbT3MSRF8bYz9s-jg4unbhBvQsZEn-YyicZ3vnrfxdkzxj0qg/s320/IMG_4754.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Sailors Grave</td></tr></tbody></table>There were several route options on the return to the ship, add them all up and you could get 75 miles in! This option was a steep descent to Sailors Grave, and return the same way. I was game and headed down the 10-14% down grade to check it out. There were a few other riders there and it was worth the ride down.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfhrZr8fHgVx5X13IhLf3rp2DtbARJ4JCJOHtmT0pkSiQf1jL4pewpYs_9bEhxR2olfCfYCSI9yNd8bH-15SGhFtcN5Dhb1bXRQZfpLFaTSD6TJcMmZy7wqhvTiw_R8Jl0mWBlgkdNobJ2QclWFdXMHeYOUycnn7MjwA_mlEfv8mYTtIX34JFdWNuH-o/s4032/IMG_4761.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfhrZr8fHgVx5X13IhLf3rp2DtbARJ4JCJOHtmT0pkSiQf1jL4pewpYs_9bEhxR2olfCfYCSI9yNd8bH-15SGhFtcN5Dhb1bXRQZfpLFaTSD6TJcMmZy7wqhvTiw_R8Jl0mWBlgkdNobJ2QclWFdXMHeYOUycnn7MjwA_mlEfv8mYTtIX34JFdWNuH-o/s320/IMG_4761.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean view at Sailors Grave</td></tr></tbody></table>Of course, the return was the way you came so it was an effort to climb back up Pumpkin Hill one more time. Arriving at the top, the light rain had increased to driving rain coming down horizontally in a strong wind. At least it was warm, but that pretty much sealed the deal on taking any more side trips. I pointed my steed into the wind/rain and headed back direct to the the Whitianga bike ferry.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnCBVsQG3wFe2BALUb1982pS7R545az1OY0nY_vafvVFKxWPl1s0Rkl52UF8MLL1Kh0mhyphenhyphenWIMHIGjfOxRjs6bYY5oAXz2XYNqFxZzbUuZLxb8Nvrc8DpCsp9RSlZBoNqPJEnHzOkb7VnEDKQoZxHOlNpcmXg0wevGwWcNll99DVH0cLcMmJUthwoJtU8/s4032/IMG_4762.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnCBVsQG3wFe2BALUb1982pS7R545az1OY0nY_vafvVFKxWPl1s0Rkl52UF8MLL1Kh0mhyphenhyphenWIMHIGjfOxRjs6bYY5oAXz2XYNqFxZzbUuZLxb8Nvrc8DpCsp9RSlZBoNqPJEnHzOkb7VnEDKQoZxHOlNpcmXg0wevGwWcNll99DVH0cLcMmJUthwoJtU8/s320/IMG_4762.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to pack them up...</td></tr></tbody></table>I missed the side trip to Hot Water Beach and Hahei, but still got in 48 miles and 4,500 feet of climbing. That was enough for me and I was also not looking forward to packing the bikes up in the rain! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhV3UgkkUlZkT5T1tnBg4WjT_4JiEsJG4xToSWTSttBEq0U6KIYD2e4mx5KYkf8TLmdZcDLmLlFQ9yrj95Iis7mrWlSQMholQqBagUyLnFu7IcovjPsl0QUMX2Oia135XdKRlPfwCuQ6hSLNCKQW_lb6aEL6pTrH0yeGGVuikKFjlmqOAAAJZiYLLhgU/s4032/IMG_4766.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhV3UgkkUlZkT5T1tnBg4WjT_4JiEsJG4xToSWTSttBEq0U6KIYD2e4mx5KYkf8TLmdZcDLmLlFQ9yrj95Iis7mrWlSQMholQqBagUyLnFu7IcovjPsl0QUMX2Oia135XdKRlPfwCuQ6hSLNCKQW_lb6aEL6pTrH0yeGGVuikKFjlmqOAAAJZiYLLhgU/s320/IMG_4766.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...and load on the airport shuttle truck</td></tr></tbody></table>Luckily the rain mostly abated and I was able to get the bikes back into the boxes and on the airport shuttle truck in about an hour and a half.</div><div><br /></div><div>A tender was loading as I put the bikes on the truck and headed back to the ship to call it a day and a tour!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 8 - Auckland</h4><div>Normally we spend a few days after a tour in our final location, but this trip we decided to try heading home directly from disembark. We left the ship and headed to the airport on a shuttle bus, collected our bags and checked in for the long journey home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Crossing the date line east bound we gained a day and somehow arrived home in Tempe before we even left New Zealand! That was a lot to pack into 13 days, but we loved New Zealand and had a wonderful time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Next up is France and Corsica this summer, so better keep getting in those training miles!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Steve Atkins</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/2317794?privacy_code=JZbWm1387oVchEZ9jGoELJIGj1iAoruH" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></h4><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br />Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-11532258654532337802024-02-05T16:28:00.009-07:002024-02-09T06:00:17.718-07:002024 Madera Canyon 200km Brevet<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPJcf9imLfgcsCds8UfKBiXWYkmdKx7CPJlnKZxn-ivX69ardhnKo91D7gMeNPfMQvoPizOsUrsCLkdA1CHPNhomjGtzgOGSR7euTvZatJOxN1Af0DFGZjo41X7c3UE3kUGFHIrq6tvXGrYPGoIyT-kd2j9IkcxRutukIfb3KG-DQMG3uzDPrzf9HWK0/s4032/IMG_4809.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPJcf9imLfgcsCds8UfKBiXWYkmdKx7CPJlnKZxn-ivX69ardhnKo91D7gMeNPfMQvoPizOsUrsCLkdA1CHPNhomjGtzgOGSR7euTvZatJOxN1Af0DFGZjo41X7c3UE3kUGFHIrq6tvXGrYPGoIyT-kd2j9IkcxRutukIfb3KG-DQMG3uzDPrzf9HWK0/s320/IMG_4809.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Wrightson</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Ride Report February 3, 2024</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3DrwzxnryaCJEKIJql1ElSUx34FjjiFA5l3FhaCqzboD6ZJleg3uhWz5dF_I071-qk0mHlRnS-Gi_AFi9qnE28N-RkPdJPKrymPVGR0prgovO1CKIpof8dCZ2nSOTiJK-UWXt57BLaSJ4-ht4mypLSOuM4Rb1zal27vBK7kUszZhC_hqH5lrxmXebAQ/s4032/IMG_4806.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA3DrwzxnryaCJEKIJql1ElSUx34FjjiFA5l3FhaCqzboD6ZJleg3uhWz5dF_I071-qk0mHlRnS-Gi_AFi9qnE28N-RkPdJPKrymPVGR0prgovO1CKIpof8dCZ2nSOTiJK-UWXt57BLaSJ4-ht4mypLSOuM4Rb1zal27vBK7kUszZhC_hqH5lrxmXebAQ/s320/IMG_4806.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike gives the rider brief</td></tr></tbody></table>Seven riders lined up for the Madera Canyon brevets early Saturday morning in the El Con Mall parking lot in Tucson AZ. Two routes were on offer, 6 riders selected the 300km route and yours truly selected the 200km route. Both versions are identical until mile 112, where the longer route heads to Saguaro National Park and the shorter route heads directly back to the start. This is my first brevet of the season; I skipped the Bartlett Lake 200 as we left for our New Zealand adventure the following day! (Ride report for that two week adventure to follow ;-)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvyieQ2hVLNn_BunpBj58HJ63cPiAISKVRQxARsEDU4SE-tnMjQNzYmD1FXpVY0074f5yChX3WlaiwP9u5brAnx-9_PsikWMxqmLnOzUeWZDuuM55jet2a-imt9dN7ZuQNvV90zGEoo-CJC2HwLvcPk9DAyWJTE1wZJPvzvjFM5vgyYhXMJPCkvV1zfk/s4032/IMG_4808.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvyieQ2hVLNn_BunpBj58HJ63cPiAISKVRQxARsEDU4SE-tnMjQNzYmD1FXpVY0074f5yChX3WlaiwP9u5brAnx-9_PsikWMxqmLnOzUeWZDuuM55jet2a-imt9dN7ZuQNvV90zGEoo-CJC2HwLvcPk9DAyWJTE1wZJPvzvjFM5vgyYhXMJPCkvV1zfk/s320/IMG_4808.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outbound on the Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The last several Tucson Brevets have started at the El Con mall near the University of Arizona main campus. Lots of bike lanes connect to the U of A campus and the Loop, a 100+ mile paved bike path around the city. The bike path makes the ride out of town easy and relaxed. Normally city riding is interrupted with many traffic lights and a need to stay on high alert for traffic. The loop uses underpasses to avoid many major streets, is well paved (although frost heaves are starting to form), and got us nearly to the airport before joining regular streets.</p><p>Several fast Canadians and Brian McGuire formed a fast group, with Bob Fisher and I at the back. We regrouped a few times at traffic lights, until the roads opened up and we headed on at our own pace.</p><p>It started out a bit cold at the start, so I wore my heavier SmartWool lined wind pants. They were perfect for the first hour or so. But as the temperatures started to warm, they were too hot and I made the first of many layer changes to peel them off and change to knee warmers.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzHtrRLmNDQK6diX9VDUU_-j1ZWIceazI2rpPITrTrYi9DYV_xOpg5e50I-rCgiIBHtvn7oi8dUXTmuHGTrOFwRerzj67zPVW3KmM6H1RNerNyrKmSHyXLkiiOvdLyDUPhGwqJ3sFg3OXFD_rbM8gby_TPsNysTxfibBJpVyaWX4HuB_u6nW-HCkrDL8/s4032/IMG_4811.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmzHtrRLmNDQK6diX9VDUU_-j1ZWIceazI2rpPITrTrYi9DYV_xOpg5e50I-rCgiIBHtvn7oi8dUXTmuHGTrOFwRerzj67zPVW3KmM6H1RNerNyrKmSHyXLkiiOvdLyDUPhGwqJ3sFg3OXFD_rbM8gby_TPsNysTxfibBJpVyaWX4HuB_u6nW-HCkrDL8/s320/IMG_4811.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amado, the first control</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The first control was in the town of Amado, the gateway to Arivaca! Mike was there when I arrived and Brian and Bob were just pulling out as I rolled in. Brian must have come to his senses and linked up Bob, who passed me during one of my clothing reconfigurations.</p><p>I topped off the bottles, grabbed some pocket food, and thanked Mike for staffing this control. It saved a stop at the Mini-Mart to reload! Even better the headwind that had been growing since we left Tucson would now be a tailwind for 10 miles back toward Tucson!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2emj4ENJBo96ws_Vjzpmml-QOObuJ1ubOb0oESlXTHRonuOB2GQu2vDSo86fKIDJUA6XYuQO0skT_3AfoaVaI9S-EWKC5aDyH5UTNJmXsLhSRgc5KnXwpeFNPTu7S30j02atR7GdUFBsF5Ve9DQ-a73CQOfu9aH4-FSF3h1JHUd9rnHwp-oE_-IDX80/s4032/IMG_4813.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2emj4ENJBo96ws_Vjzpmml-QOObuJ1ubOb0oESlXTHRonuOB2GQu2vDSo86fKIDJUA6XYuQO0skT_3AfoaVaI9S-EWKC5aDyH5UTNJmXsLhSRgc5KnXwpeFNPTu7S30j02atR7GdUFBsF5Ve9DQ-a73CQOfu9aH4-FSF3h1JHUd9rnHwp-oE_-IDX80/s320/IMG_4813.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect weather, great views</td></tr></tbody></table>It was easy to hold 20-23 mph with a nice tailwind and those 10 miles went by ever too fast! Reaching Continental road, a right turn followed by another right turn on Madera Canyon Road put the wind back on the nose for the 13 mile/ 2657 foot climb to the summit in Madera Canyon.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbhB4NnfykwKpjTjM4hkmbuB2rtyjuOtcrjw8yNaC1rUqtvfeZWuD1PexMeKiDtcSMKxzznSmjSVf8zLO8cW-chU9iQyuX8b5RsklNfJKnox0LesCvjAfrj-_uYNBStLZMv422Hn2KgORLK90o0yWFqh3l2fV8O1n0ncjTmZAAAmhiuSRouydxEwreXs/s4032/IMG_4814.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNbhB4NnfykwKpjTjM4hkmbuB2rtyjuOtcrjw8yNaC1rUqtvfeZWuD1PexMeKiDtcSMKxzznSmjSVf8zLO8cW-chU9iQyuX8b5RsklNfJKnox0LesCvjAfrj-_uYNBStLZMv422Hn2KgORLK90o0yWFqh3l2fV8O1n0ncjTmZAAAmhiuSRouydxEwreXs/s320/IMG_4814.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don’t be fooled by the 2% grade</td></tr></tbody></table>This was my first time up this road and Mike warned us not to spend too much energy on the easy section of the climb. It went 8 miles at a very easy grade, and the wind seemed to moderate as we went higher. The group of fast Canadians on their return flashed by while I was still on the easy section.<p></p><p>With 3.5 miles to go, the real work begins. While I could comfortably hold a 10-11 mph pace at the base of the climb with a decent cadence, my speed dropped below 3 mph on the steep ramps at the top. The views were fantastic! I thought to myself, ‘as soon as I hit a flat spot, I’ll stop and take a picture.’ But around each bend it seemed to get steeper! Bob rolled by on his return near the top, and the next thing I know, I’m at the top and pulling into the picnic area where Mike set up the control. Brian was still there, but getting ready to leave.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ff1BRRJOGj3ZL07H8R9GF9zkktSKk0K_9UG_DuTRaBf1_5JWDa-flKicjd1Sg1zB4s_Psv-x4Q1-EfLAcAFhH_r3vI1I0UvfelFqplWaPnAmSRGbTQ0ojYb0BTGV-plhKIOhXg1qFKPi88IjzA5gcuqlVGasyXZm5xqRnnWRxAStBfa5JUnkLpyT6bg/s4032/IMG_4821.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ff1BRRJOGj3ZL07H8R9GF9zkktSKk0K_9UG_DuTRaBf1_5JWDa-flKicjd1Sg1zB4s_Psv-x4Q1-EfLAcAFhH_r3vI1I0UvfelFqplWaPnAmSRGbTQ0ojYb0BTGV-plhKIOhXg1qFKPi88IjzA5gcuqlVGasyXZm5xqRnnWRxAStBfa5JUnkLpyT6bg/s320/IMG_4821.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-nosed Coati </td></tr></tbody></table>Brian headed out, and a visitor strolled through the picnic area. Looking well fed and obviously comfortable with humans, it wandered by our table then headed off!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaz_rY4pCRzir70xF4XtHs46dpAiF3i6Q1RW38LLKmuLOGqfnsb_XUTPEK-lkckYkSCmA7uSrBrm4CmLat3c6QrkbcI_LR1OXh_MkBdl41tHLYvfP3746skqQNHciJBLrMA-3aUu_0Tg6iMb_H94wnad1j7VAaKmFy-AdjME7abzQXQShxhv7s9AxChs/s4032/IMG_4822.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaz_rY4pCRzir70xF4XtHs46dpAiF3i6Q1RW38LLKmuLOGqfnsb_XUTPEK-lkckYkSCmA7uSrBrm4CmLat3c6QrkbcI_LR1OXh_MkBdl41tHLYvfP3746skqQNHciJBLrMA-3aUu_0Tg6iMb_H94wnad1j7VAaKmFy-AdjME7abzQXQShxhv7s9AxChs/s320/IMG_4822.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill RBA and great host!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Again Mike was there with refreshments at the summit picnic area. He commented about how beautiful the peak was covered in snow. I said, yes I stopped to take some photos. They would be next on the blog, but apparently I only THOUGHT about taking some photos, and did not actually stop and take them. I didn't discover that fact until I was home reviewing the photos!</div><div><br /></div>After a nice break, wonderful lunch, and visit with Mike, it was time to head down. The elevation was about 5500 feet, and when the sun went behind a cloud, it became quite cold. So back on with the heavy pants and rain coat for the 13 mile descent. It was so steep, that the first few miles I was held up by car traffic. The extra layers were the right choice for the descent, but soon I was back on Continental road and too warm.<div><br /></div><div>Another stop to layer off, and I was on my way. The route doubles back on itself on Camino del Sol and my Garmin said to take that route. I turned, but it didn't seem like the way to Helmet Peak and luckily I stopped and checked the printed cue sheet. Yes, wrong turn, so back track a few meters to the traffic circle and back on Continental toward Mission Road and Helmet Peak. For the first 300-400 meters my Garmin was convinced I had made a wrong turn and kept beeping and flashing U-Turn now. Finally it realized I was headed to Tucson, not Amado, and the arguments stopped!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliV6kVkpkQ7dYLp3m8Mjo1K-hvvPNusiRbFRNfcmV51JqG36YNmXWEU-qGzJcCYMkI-YqjZT1KggFuGV0cA3glwNVa5MCCkyfql4YVqwbs5hUVmq1MFHIfldVbT0XFxxq5OyOo2hNuKV2F03MC3fZGZF8UKTp-bEe-CjzE_RlwmGdCm6BBYB_bHyc6I4/s4032/IMG_4825.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgliV6kVkpkQ7dYLp3m8Mjo1K-hvvPNusiRbFRNfcmV51JqG36YNmXWEU-qGzJcCYMkI-YqjZT1KggFuGV0cA3glwNVa5MCCkyfql4YVqwbs5hUVmq1MFHIfldVbT0XFxxq5OyOo2hNuKV2F03MC3fZGZF8UKTp-bEe-CjzE_RlwmGdCm6BBYB_bHyc6I4/s320/IMG_4825.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission Road near the Duval Mine</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Mike mentioned that Mission Road had new pavement and was butter smooth. He was correct and finally the wind was starting to cooperate again and soon the next 10 miles to Helmet Peak were in the rearview mirror.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WAfLTVBwVwZUNq-eaiSQcCValJfJclzxXSNKwsPnXe4zmGTohZoFfn8Blo1ouutriQML1uvcQBExXC3gX3waeu-3nMnO8IWHi3AN9hVIIeHenDMAqsTNv6_Q98T5F1stDlkoBRGnQq6sL66BJVNu_kzPv9HbyLIHxS5dLOB_mwcA38QsX-BzGvL6f-c/s4032/IMG_4826.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WAfLTVBwVwZUNq-eaiSQcCValJfJclzxXSNKwsPnXe4zmGTohZoFfn8Blo1ouutriQML1uvcQBExXC3gX3waeu-3nMnO8IWHi3AN9hVIIeHenDMAqsTNv6_Q98T5F1stDlkoBRGnQq6sL66BJVNu_kzPv9HbyLIHxS5dLOB_mwcA38QsX-BzGvL6f-c/s320/IMG_4826.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helmet Peak information control</td></tr></tbody></table><div>With the climbing done, and the sun starting to get low in the sky, the temperature started to drop again. Its a long enjoyable descent into Tucson, and can be quite fast. One more time to put on the knee and arm warmers, and with one full bottle, I push off for the last run into Tucson.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpREpKFD291NOeG3jDzM572VRNibm6TAsvHMdRrPQEvLdoYI1hRyR_MVeuYuBEPDlLGE5l6zVwS8N0Da3DK6Oz2zFYCFmc2bFSc3LIy71WdOPPu_qpXWkU18a2QnhP1wxx6Cx9Ts71oU0qC25SoSBesPhmJBbKQGF2Dr0C0hkVrSIQbOZbgrS3QIRtS40/s4032/IMG_4828.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpREpKFD291NOeG3jDzM572VRNibm6TAsvHMdRrPQEvLdoYI1hRyR_MVeuYuBEPDlLGE5l6zVwS8N0Da3DK6Oz2zFYCFmc2bFSc3LIy71WdOPPu_qpXWkU18a2QnhP1wxx6Cx9Ts71oU0qC25SoSBesPhmJBbKQGF2Dr0C0hkVrSIQbOZbgrS3QIRtS40/s320/IMG_4828.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mission Road Descent</td></tr></tbody></table><div>I have ridden this section of road many times, but normally at the end of a 400 or 600 brevet, in the dark. It was a nice change to ride it in daylight with mountain views, but no city lights!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gr3QSGYdl5_yjAO7YYA0WinMRWHKKv4dct51T9hK9wdQenkaYHply88ba3Xxg9I8F3YNu4KXK-k_6AxhChJGNAP3W3hym4h24nOabRy6Sb_AaV3G3wtAdZPK5XJKTrUm3Pl-6GcI3181uXG5TKcuqDIlvou6rT9_YL-AVICjXEtGiD7L8AhabJ7mPGs/s4032/IMG_4830.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gr3QSGYdl5_yjAO7YYA0WinMRWHKKv4dct51T9hK9wdQenkaYHply88ba3Xxg9I8F3YNu4KXK-k_6AxhChJGNAP3W3hym4h24nOabRy6Sb_AaV3G3wtAdZPK5XJKTrUm3Pl-6GcI3181uXG5TKcuqDIlvou6rT9_YL-AVICjXEtGiD7L8AhabJ7mPGs/s320/IMG_4830.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ahh, back on the Loop</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Mission Road is quiet, but soon the route dumps us out on Valencia for a mile and a half of high tension city riding! Dodging all kinds of debris in the bike lane, and one asshole city bus driver that decided to pass, then enter the bike lane for a bus stop; happily I was soon on the Loop for relaxed riding to the finish.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrk5OBqLQCyGvHYHZaEDKPW81jiospkl0mrYhsd64HreVGfRILIjsOq3yVJuRQlzN9hTuArXuJ7lIcrIVy3mcxUCXWKq4xBNhp1Tz9GHcwu27leyBQUfvjAl11NhLzw8LOJjJDj2Yf_XUIHKUzwd0YfqI5qnYi2SpW9yKmvFsSKuD3vt4INk-xwrSA-qw/s4032/IMG_4831.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrk5OBqLQCyGvHYHZaEDKPW81jiospkl0mrYhsd64HreVGfRILIjsOq3yVJuRQlzN9hTuArXuJ7lIcrIVy3mcxUCXWKq4xBNhp1Tz9GHcwu27leyBQUfvjAl11NhLzw8LOJjJDj2Yf_XUIHKUzwd0YfqI5qnYi2SpW9yKmvFsSKuD3vt4INk-xwrSA-qw/s320/IMG_4831.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last hazard</td></tr></tbody></table><div>One last hazard, University Avenue at the U of A. Those trolley tracks can swallow a wheel so be careful. Its Saturday at about 5:30 pm and while some partying was going on, I didn't have to dodge the drunk students that come out in the late hours!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjSpr2en0DHUzTj1kcEiuugzEeM_Yyh3L1LEReFfwadSw2uybrg3cOZnArpi4SZkBmgK5YhD430oh8cSc5s1sHD3bYLgLkrd3mztr3NVc3MEuqavbrTCEBWOz0qMb7eaHJOQMd4zJr_b70HLApA13kNGj01zsQxfRdseHboVlJsOhTm41dgWjsawlsiU/s4032/IMG_4833.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjSpr2en0DHUzTj1kcEiuugzEeM_Yyh3L1LEReFfwadSw2uybrg3cOZnArpi4SZkBmgK5YhD430oh8cSc5s1sHD3bYLgLkrd3mztr3NVc3MEuqavbrTCEBWOz0qMb7eaHJOQMd4zJr_b70HLApA13kNGj01zsQxfRdseHboVlJsOhTm41dgWjsawlsiU/s320/IMG_4833.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the start</td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled into the El Con lot in just under 10 hours after the start of my adventure. I threw the bike in the back of the Mini, and headed over to Chic-Fil-A for fries and a sandwich for the ride home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks again to Mike Sturgill for putting on another great brevet. This route combined some familiar roads with some new ones, and as aways, its great to see old friends on an Arizona Brevet. Next up is the Around the Bend 400. Twice as long with half as much climbing as this 200! Sign up at <a href="http://Azbrevet.com" target="_blank">Azbrevet.com</a>!</div><div><br /></div><div>Steve Atkins</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/144933758" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-49170240818220612102023-09-22T07:37:00.006-07:002023-09-22T18:25:17.100-07:002023 Barcelona to Lisbon Cycling Cruise <p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s39zXd_3l_rthVa6I_feEZMVyiZMtWQpZ7n1wh3lg-Exrz6SkC_72DAEZ-6ie9XR5V_qUw5qhn_j0-vBwzAzFMQX-kBt4rntIB5VbJFhooLG8L6zetlY8xku1eIT_WutcgplrRLDl_nsW3Bpqeov17FpmnBYkC1SR0nTtuIGJplI4d7D9mHXVz7-ugc/s3088/IMG_3520.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4s39zXd_3l_rthVa6I_feEZMVyiZMtWQpZ7n1wh3lg-Exrz6SkC_72DAEZ-6ie9XR5V_qUw5qhn_j0-vBwzAzFMQX-kBt4rntIB5VbJFhooLG8L6zetlY8xku1eIT_WutcgplrRLDl_nsW3Bpqeov17FpmnBYkC1SR0nTtuIGJplI4d7D9mHXVz7-ugc/s320/IMG_3520.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gibraltar UK</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Welcome to the last stage of our European adventure. As if the <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2023/08/2023-paris-brest-paris-randonneur.html" target="_blank">PBP</a>, and a week in a <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2023/08/2023-la-vuelta-most-excellent-caravan.html" target="_blank">Euro Camper van</a>, was not enough, let’s throw in a cycling tour with Santana Adventures. This edition would include Spain, Portugal, and a day that would include Gibraltar UK and Morocco for a 2 continent 4 country journey to really give our passports a workout! Let’s get going.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Monday - Barcelona</h4><p>We booked the two-day pre tour that included a ride to Monserrat and the monastery/cathedral near the top. The ride would start in Marotell (yes where we picked up RV), but instead of adding 20 miles of city riding, we boarded busses to Marotell and rode up to Monserrat. We’ll not all the way up, we rode a cog train for the final pitch and picked up our bikes near the top. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAAaGR9kp5hN9YLT07e7mOH3cOpgNaoEiauBokkMXQUDhqksXyTw3iS3_dXPJwDcSDmv5oXrVImcPdW-UzXHZ3HP21S2NVGjqF8gr2doCc_iSuMC--KJzAloqjpBa6sCFxFTWbANCMlokPeV8zA58yZKOnOnhMsZdXOSnObLVIviaKVBT_O9eJOJJoyw/s3088/IMG_3281.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAAaGR9kp5hN9YLT07e7mOH3cOpgNaoEiauBokkMXQUDhqksXyTw3iS3_dXPJwDcSDmv5oXrVImcPdW-UzXHZ3HP21S2NVGjqF8gr2doCc_iSuMC--KJzAloqjpBa6sCFxFTWbANCMlokPeV8zA58yZKOnOnhMsZdXOSnObLVIviaKVBT_O9eJOJJoyw/s320/IMG_3281.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First morning selfie! </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFFNo1p6vSo0GCcFJR087qv-ALGFYvGmTZ3yzfP2pJ7reLPnpN11WfMo4M1YXSFrjuoFcziHf-llg98jPX_W_V6sE4Dvcx1wsctkUSm5VA8e16XxKR7gEzuxD_ZNqSFvoHHSaOhxaep0WI_di43uHaDH3YUR68jZZ_-YxXRSi4UuJ_nMS3gDTiMJdwyQ/s4032/IMG_3280.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTFFNo1p6vSo0GCcFJR087qv-ALGFYvGmTZ3yzfP2pJ7reLPnpN11WfMo4M1YXSFrjuoFcziHf-llg98jPX_W_V6sE4Dvcx1wsctkUSm5VA8e16XxKR7gEzuxD_ZNqSFvoHHSaOhxaep0WI_di43uHaDH3YUR68jZZ_-YxXRSi4UuJ_nMS3gDTiMJdwyQ/s320/IMG_3280.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks of Monserrat</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hqrDH40AfSo5A9rhyN4GQRO3uGYkN8cobhfyOM2LoRdcecMSD42sqsD6FGH3ML1PYXq1tG-91d5mYICEbYnDm74H71nqw4bY79QTWHN19aFfh6xveR2xcNIpskruiFTJm2GPfgl1LIIOGOfPAQUMQlRAb1biu8ZK3g_8uXs1w3KBSzBbpiFzSblQJO0/s4032/IMG_3278.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hqrDH40AfSo5A9rhyN4GQRO3uGYkN8cobhfyOM2LoRdcecMSD42sqsD6FGH3ML1PYXq1tG-91d5mYICEbYnDm74H71nqw4bY79QTWHN19aFfh6xveR2xcNIpskruiFTJm2GPfgl1LIIOGOfPAQUMQlRAb1biu8ZK3g_8uXs1w3KBSzBbpiFzSblQJO0/s320/IMG_3278.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral and shrine of the Black Madonna</td></tr></tbody></table>After touring the shrine, we headed back to the parking lot where our bikes awaited for the ride to the lunch spot. It was a net loss in elevation, but included lots of climbs and was a tough day of riding.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpizC_tybOpdwAe_LHJsEx49uoOQ17FXUddThpoxcEGnU66F7gsqFXKiB6eKCSs2cNq0wIuCCsszxQSdp_D6fB7x10h5A0999kUx8Lpk_wNP7RQnjZdDoPxbe7Cb3uXHpZFPlERwf9Xe9rD8Xt2fMq1LSFEAt_gzgFr8t-Mbk2UwhSE8gSsKwkwvR4Xc/s4032/IMG_3284.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpizC_tybOpdwAe_LHJsEx49uoOQ17FXUddThpoxcEGnU66F7gsqFXKiB6eKCSs2cNq0wIuCCsszxQSdp_D6fB7x10h5A0999kUx8Lpk_wNP7RQnjZdDoPxbe7Cb3uXHpZFPlERwf9Xe9rD8Xt2fMq1LSFEAt_gzgFr8t-Mbk2UwhSE8gSsKwkwvR4Xc/s320/IMG_3284.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminded us of the Queen Creek area near Superior AZ</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55ETvwEUjKLs9--auWbMW1mUQNpnJrP1-iYZAeZlcg_wHnN57fX3iq387OGHAhFWmMkSIZwuwEnb_yQIX9tmj9Kon-yma8Us7JD0kxNK5HiarxQ_EZTNW0JvUQyhoxySZPPn8_jYVtTJFZ_XLsu7LyNXJ75m4pDSq5XYLZYC9CYOAksmfe6Rnrz26nWc/s4032/IMG_3286.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55ETvwEUjKLs9--auWbMW1mUQNpnJrP1-iYZAeZlcg_wHnN57fX3iq387OGHAhFWmMkSIZwuwEnb_yQIX9tmj9Kon-yma8Us7JD0kxNK5HiarxQ_EZTNW0JvUQyhoxySZPPn8_jYVtTJFZ_XLsu7LyNXJ75m4pDSq5XYLZYC9CYOAksmfe6Rnrz26nWc/s320/IMG_3286.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only disappointing meal of the trip</td></tr></tbody></table>We stopped at a hotel that used to be famous for its lunch. According to Bill from Santana Adventures, post-COVID, this lunch is now famous for how good it used to be.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWy-7t_wMLcEtV7yBtTMxgH32crR_llovEZVLL9d9RxyrDcWL6lOWZiC_4nNOIFTHG9Qxl1ZXs17EojomiApX144eFx7VspsJT5P67G3l28EjSRuUpGg86HThccyOyPVmq0mc9w-KrZV7Fz2wogZjymDxpn92-hSW1lt4KLLkO5J73W5gHFh7rP-AiXQI/s4032/IMG_3289.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWy-7t_wMLcEtV7yBtTMxgH32crR_llovEZVLL9d9RxyrDcWL6lOWZiC_4nNOIFTHG9Qxl1ZXs17EojomiApX144eFx7VspsJT5P67G3l28EjSRuUpGg86HThccyOyPVmq0mc9w-KrZV7Fz2wogZjymDxpn92-hSW1lt4KLLkO5J73W5gHFh7rP-AiXQI/s320/IMG_3289.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards and Monserrat</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MVYcZPRRXeBo25ctVvcYi93OZxKkgItKLbplpErR3SWuYAi-j4K2Um6-aIafE950Jon2AkLfEPPJ-ruUmPFtPw5R68mrj22LVymtxpFoDY2-2_K7Ye_H9guY-FcIqF4mDPlTivYG6iamsIv6cQwVlhilleeTmS62yTvXN1Jv7U4fCdBrQPE1le759cI/s4032/IMG_3291.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-MVYcZPRRXeBo25ctVvcYi93OZxKkgItKLbplpErR3SWuYAi-j4K2Um6-aIafE950Jon2AkLfEPPJ-ruUmPFtPw5R68mrj22LVymtxpFoDY2-2_K7Ye_H9guY-FcIqF4mDPlTivYG6iamsIv6cQwVlhilleeTmS62yTvXN1Jv7U4fCdBrQPE1le759cI/s320/IMG_3291.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wine tour at Cava Codorniu</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYvR2L8o_a_GSd_Cd9NDPybWwdrA6lhwwp5Ib5hdHJ5HlykOgaQvlvxCUxKU4Vylc1kKU-9OClJ1f1F6w8qVfKwNHt-IgojlhYbdhSaT1_SF7Aou1G4CsU98ceNKiegKmpn0xYblR0Yics5p2SwFMHoYY5PZzrYVu85GOW_RDOEw-h8g0TkOGPmonrWU/s4032/IMG_3293.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBYvR2L8o_a_GSd_Cd9NDPybWwdrA6lhwwp5Ib5hdHJ5HlykOgaQvlvxCUxKU4Vylc1kKU-9OClJ1f1F6w8qVfKwNHt-IgojlhYbdhSaT1_SF7Aou1G4CsU98ceNKiegKmpn0xYblR0Yics5p2SwFMHoYY5PZzrYVu85GOW_RDOEw-h8g0TkOGPmonrWU/s320/IMG_3293.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparkling wine, second fermentation in the bottle!</td></tr></tbody></table>We usually skip vineyard tours, but this one was where we put the bikes back on the trucks and take a bus back to the hotel. So we joined in and it was actually very interesting. The best part was when we went into the nice cool cellars! The sparkling wines made here used to be called champagne, but under EU rules that date back to the 60’s; only sparking wine from that region of France can be called champagne. In Spain its called Cava.<br /><p>Back to the hotel and dinner was on our own so we found a paella place on La Rambla to finish our day!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday - Barcelona</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Embark day! We start with a guided city tour of Barcelona that lasted nearly 3 hours!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsV7Slmq9k31FoCk6kspp5w5LEj6Dm-0BKQ0d2kXIx_tA_VZH9p4IlwkhMcCUat2NOPDbXR_BX_SCyevpH3bXA-5R5MDG6XesPEgwEwSVmuDcGDFl7_He0UwitbkwgB14AtOMjp2t2HAaV1bRRGA6QrOx0OiHu10dZ6TTW2pkXuuIJd83bhyumbI_pKg/s4032/IMG_3298.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsV7Slmq9k31FoCk6kspp5w5LEj6Dm-0BKQ0d2kXIx_tA_VZH9p4IlwkhMcCUat2NOPDbXR_BX_SCyevpH3bXA-5R5MDG6XesPEgwEwSVmuDcGDFl7_He0UwitbkwgB14AtOMjp2t2HAaV1bRRGA6QrOx0OiHu10dZ6TTW2pkXuuIJd83bhyumbI_pKg/s320/IMG_3298.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started on the beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVN1QoIH3LfMQ5M4W36h9dRfaelAjgPwgVsP0BcMbeuyK2LjaRDdI-MY6aYYzGdVc9Yj237Cu3Ej3-QjqE0j4W0zB2il0Mo5iKHu7qxcUi8ViMKyIKlPPPS5rN4qDos-aRZ7yi2aFhGVccivphpa-MClCk_X_cYe2etEEYjXXPs7oru2AmfOVM-uUQ7I/s4032/IMG_3306.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVN1QoIH3LfMQ5M4W36h9dRfaelAjgPwgVsP0BcMbeuyK2LjaRDdI-MY6aYYzGdVc9Yj237Cu3Ej3-QjqE0j4W0zB2il0Mo5iKHu7qxcUi8ViMKyIKlPPPS5rN4qDos-aRZ7yi2aFhGVccivphpa-MClCk_X_cYe2etEEYjXXPs7oru2AmfOVM-uUQ7I/s320/IMG_3306.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbed to some great overlooks</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhwnhNPqzIgt44KmeUPvwMUu1diSJ7hq7TRKKU15VHDoqeCo-O6G_ftR47QGZO3F1t-sA_xR0NGj6uByGgQDR690eGgVJRHI3R3Q8q0R9_9qL2eMde3tgJCOXQQ4v78OlnEuuRgrjKNk95wYHZvSnJiaNi7dShSsqUBxtmE7GM49vMhebRC_BdUjYVNU/s4032/IMG_3310.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOhwnhNPqzIgt44KmeUPvwMUu1diSJ7hq7TRKKU15VHDoqeCo-O6G_ftR47QGZO3F1t-sA_xR0NGj6uByGgQDR690eGgVJRHI3R3Q8q0R9_9qL2eMde3tgJCOXQQ4v78OlnEuuRgrjKNk95wYHZvSnJiaNi7dShSsqUBxtmE7GM49vMhebRC_BdUjYVNU/s320/IMG_3310.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olympic Stadium grounds</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg0VWBwxkIFHleNLm6nOrltHla-GTp9Z6uv0tRDiuefHH_q5CJsazf7pcAGVoOBKmQeRhKEEIyhaoEHA6fjlxgMpimr3G-8S3HQhZ7f0IpmxQlw7pKczswSHuBxwKq40nkKChv3A7AL2eM2FPwysEtlSiXQUM4oMkQgI8kZPR_H7RX08Z4pxzEDjGOCY/s4032/IMG_3331.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg0VWBwxkIFHleNLm6nOrltHla-GTp9Z6uv0tRDiuefHH_q5CJsazf7pcAGVoOBKmQeRhKEEIyhaoEHA6fjlxgMpimr3G-8S3HQhZ7f0IpmxQlw7pKczswSHuBxwKq40nkKChv3A7AL2eM2FPwysEtlSiXQUM4oMkQgI8kZPR_H7RX08Z4pxzEDjGOCY/s320/IMG_3331.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our passionate guide Carla</td></tr></tbody></table>Our guide Carla does not normally do cycling tours, but with the huge number of cyclists, and only 14 riders allowed per guide (city rules) the organizer asked her to guide as a favor. We were lucky to have her guide our group!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_YFefKUj6LWOmIEGKVXVhnbreVJLk8v4VLxg56BWiPfJVdHGVZ-HVYTW2LjwUM-d3j_KUwBm_60_CNdEpaaimnclRzP3tP84G__jKuYNqD9EAxJuk_2lE6w914UIEq2LUdA7g3vDo_3lDe2bLXih3AXZpsnp0N4hw3h9N8_NKvkFwJ7Hm3eINUxd5pg/s4032/IMG_3339.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9_YFefKUj6LWOmIEGKVXVhnbreVJLk8v4VLxg56BWiPfJVdHGVZ-HVYTW2LjwUM-d3j_KUwBm_60_CNdEpaaimnclRzP3tP84G__jKuYNqD9EAxJuk_2lE6w914UIEq2LUdA7g3vDo_3lDe2bLXih3AXZpsnp0N4hw3h9N8_NKvkFwJ7Hm3eINUxd5pg/s320/IMG_3339.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More city riding<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb66uC37bLZm6uT12W2sHfJxzKsFkY_vFF8BJxKD0r6f-aA7B4Bc7foxeWUDYlCOdKaN5ANMdtvoXLWw9aJcWNAuSEoWKNlMuSbu8a8RrR_O1VfNfU5E_ey9kC4N8Zy9yho6E58qahXjbv4P4tiWelzQfGg50c9qihQxGA_sRuG_LypQf3EXTpgm26mw/s3088/IMG_3355.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPb66uC37bLZm6uT12W2sHfJxzKsFkY_vFF8BJxKD0r6f-aA7B4Bc7foxeWUDYlCOdKaN5ANMdtvoXLWw9aJcWNAuSEoWKNlMuSbu8a8RrR_O1VfNfU5E_ey9kC4N8Zy9yho6E58qahXjbv4P4tiWelzQfGg50c9qihQxGA_sRuG_LypQf3EXTpgm26mw/s320/IMG_3355.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the beach, near the cruise terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The tour ended at a restaurant that served a fantastic multi-course meal that included mussels, salad, seafood paella and dessert. We took our time getting to the ship, we have found that the embark lines are much shorter closer to the all-aboard time on Santana Cruises!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Ry9PjF6AO0OtrBy-4u7s0_MOoPB8NOtF-ydIBU1qXxVo_42TpvXCV37NKJiTOzztUJ-W0nXPcMKk4r3n3Lc4YvFa-aDMC1UHku3auC-mDTBDexCBGWYHuPSpYBX14ig00cn7onumXGH0pcqdIZKYzA_7MH5X_iQWDefoga7INcMzksFUYF3m_u6R2Q/s4032/IMG_3363.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0Ry9PjF6AO0OtrBy-4u7s0_MOoPB8NOtF-ydIBU1qXxVo_42TpvXCV37NKJiTOzztUJ-W0nXPcMKk4r3n3Lc4YvFa-aDMC1UHku3auC-mDTBDexCBGWYHuPSpYBX14ig00cn7onumXGH0pcqdIZKYzA_7MH5X_iQWDefoga7INcMzksFUYF3m_u6R2Q/s320/IMG_3363.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home for the next 8 days!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our line strategy worked to perfection and soon we were settled into our cabin and ready for the safety drills and the ‘Tomorrow's Overview’ presentation by Bill.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday - Palma Mallorca</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkDz00oNrBrpueh17bBe8TGFxfI7Peq5z69VBYh74M2ClUciwJToAYY7Fit9EdLt_CJVo2p1qtxVkExqeZLnqlkf-s-WAVRkvjSdoyTleoEk_qRVFrnP4maZe7Qnvlg_arqDaa6wLftbRQC-kMFD13i7Gz4z64Mmo-GL59qLy7SXwe4jprrzBtDy6afc/s3088/IMG_3365.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkDz00oNrBrpueh17bBe8TGFxfI7Peq5z69VBYh74M2ClUciwJToAYY7Fit9EdLt_CJVo2p1qtxVkExqeZLnqlkf-s-WAVRkvjSdoyTleoEk_qRVFrnP4maZe7Qnvlg_arqDaa6wLftbRQC-kMFD13i7Gz4z64Mmo-GL59qLy7SXwe4jprrzBtDy6afc/s320/IMG_3365.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning selfie</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Originally the tour itinerary had us riding across Mallorca from Palma to meet the ship at another port. However, in the post-COVID era, cruise ships are only allowed to dock only in Palma. We rode out of the cruise port and through the busy city of Palma before heading out of town. Outbound, we ended up on a freeway for about 2 km because we missed the entrance to the bike path that was right next to it. No worries, we got off at the next exit and rejoined the route.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ1_27HkK1zbGW3cH0RvAOohEuu3-kwfG0LepB2NM-hTsZY9E5npr5SyT110jOCYEAl4ayKAHVf4RCMH7KSyiP9rYw1tSZmQ2xEfjBAXnjdjp1f188_3NSzX-L1k_1jRfVmDgvavNKCNIH2_CwlaiKTZphTBS20KKn4eVW4ODQDAZ8GxW2FvbzZ5cWhI/s3088/IMG_3372.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ1_27HkK1zbGW3cH0RvAOohEuu3-kwfG0LepB2NM-hTsZY9E5npr5SyT110jOCYEAl4ayKAHVf4RCMH7KSyiP9rYw1tSZmQ2xEfjBAXnjdjp1f188_3NSzX-L1k_1jRfVmDgvavNKCNIH2_CwlaiKTZphTBS20KKn4eVW4ODQDAZ8GxW2FvbzZ5cWhI/s320/IMG_3372.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great coastal riding</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We stopped for coffee in Peguera at a coffee stop that was nearly overrun by Santana riders. But our waiter was up for the challenge and soon we had coffee and a ham and cheese croissant that was grilled in a panini press and it was delicious! </div><div><br /></div><div>We headed out toward our morning destination, Port Andratx, but instead took a side trip to Camp de Mar and enjoyed quiet riding and great beach views.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-5wISV9aPpaU_39n1rCCAjd38EqlBgfoKIIQovOBWGuiv8BDkDGPBeoaOdATV0HYbKrBZz3QbSFCA5HSWOR6deMVA9mGv_wUyUD45RlNwOOVBisEYbfThpbERyc8Emk4A-f768iAeuf5N01UcWsQOpxXwcq6MzqvsqL7HT_KWpQpDFKGS2M4e2f7Zik/s4032/IMG_3381.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-5wISV9aPpaU_39n1rCCAjd38EqlBgfoKIIQovOBWGuiv8BDkDGPBeoaOdATV0HYbKrBZz3QbSFCA5HSWOR6deMVA9mGv_wUyUD45RlNwOOVBisEYbfThpbERyc8Emk4A-f768iAeuf5N01UcWsQOpxXwcq6MzqvsqL7HT_KWpQpDFKGS2M4e2f7Zik/s320/IMG_3381.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to find, easy to follow bike path<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>Returning to Palma it was easy to find the bike path and we followed it (not the freeway) back in the busy city area.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKKkb2R8UuKr3EdNdVvykrRjLTg7xR2MMu5ZfKzAumxO6akLqgzzbfj9ay6l93apQjqCAareS87luY-S7abRkzZNOV5NSVaFMcq_LpEkGMPlPq54lzId_3UGDryABh4_1r_ri1swBIaFNFhdWcEYb_53JHNlQp5xD49-i-CU6IAaL5_1vQEq0DejLE0M/s4032/IMG_3386.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaKKkb2R8UuKr3EdNdVvykrRjLTg7xR2MMu5ZfKzAumxO6akLqgzzbfj9ay6l93apQjqCAareS87luY-S7abRkzZNOV5NSVaFMcq_LpEkGMPlPq54lzId_3UGDryABh4_1r_ri1swBIaFNFhdWcEYb_53JHNlQp5xD49-i-CU6IAaL5_1vQEq0DejLE0M/s320/IMG_3386.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship at rest </td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>My original plan was to head back out on the the long ride to the Coll de Vent, but the heat and city traffic convinced me to call it a day.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJJAURVfz1h7Q5-I93Q_zSY-_F4P6d2m3QSWvKfSZXyQpv0NphCV-pI9Xoe3b2DJfY2VFMl9tNzV6E0AmyCPSR58yVG3w85V9nUg86ik7b82cYlIkU8pLUYuoPg6h6kTBJTwicw1gadJPm-oJZGxNu4Oco-v_tprMysxR2xdFNANmZOZpQL2EgtvfFoA/s4032/IMG_3387.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJJAURVfz1h7Q5-I93Q_zSY-_F4P6d2m3QSWvKfSZXyQpv0NphCV-pI9Xoe3b2DJfY2VFMl9tNzV6E0AmyCPSR58yVG3w85V9nUg86ik7b82cYlIkU8pLUYuoPg6h6kTBJTwicw1gadJPm-oJZGxNu4Oco-v_tprMysxR2xdFNANmZOZpQL2EgtvfFoA/w320-h242/IMG_3387.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great sunset at dinner</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>We were able to catch the days La Vuelta stage relaxing in our cabin before a great dinner in the outdoor seating at the restaurant and call this a day.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Thursday - Castallon de la Plana to Valencia Spain</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaZXGCFlujnROCMRY75YhsVTiLyNdPCLNN5ODQhZlgIqbAFCMRQZA9uWrHa2LoZZP6bvZBX0UwN8VCYovMUABz7bA9QlbBdafdnSCeDi-3o3hn4kdOEwdKNqNbgVZoMzxoMyA1wT0Cc0qqu74wH7J0H0DTMxZIFS9pFZEwdPgRmyokn8w3NwVCUF78Co/s4032/IMG_3389.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAaZXGCFlujnROCMRY75YhsVTiLyNdPCLNN5ODQhZlgIqbAFCMRQZA9uWrHa2LoZZP6bvZBX0UwN8VCYovMUABz7bA9QlbBdafdnSCeDi-3o3hn4kdOEwdKNqNbgVZoMzxoMyA1wT0Cc0qqu74wH7J0H0DTMxZIFS9pFZEwdPgRmyokn8w3NwVCUF78Co/s320/IMG_3389.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Room service breakfast</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We decided to start our day with breakfast on our balcony! It was great, once we realized the small mini-milk bottle was a smoothy, not cream.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbTrFSwq2pmqwxfgBbMCK7E9UEvz8CEqC-7dyGqleAv7AvXLTFFN2MuvJB7w39E7OxIyIUAwXJ7aD1uOgSMYvZLbc8ZGbIlMrxGF-bL7Mh1vR4Br4-8sFv6C-WClT8C12tjRzX2LvfDsLS0zfZSJu8GtJI-mceOroX2lVOJBytZnUUkbRQLk6YG6T7aE/s4032/IMG_3390.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbTrFSwq2pmqwxfgBbMCK7E9UEvz8CEqC-7dyGqleAv7AvXLTFFN2MuvJB7w39E7OxIyIUAwXJ7aD1uOgSMYvZLbc8ZGbIlMrxGF-bL7Mh1vR4Br4-8sFv6C-WClT8C12tjRzX2LvfDsLS0zfZSJu8GtJI-mceOroX2lVOJBytZnUUkbRQLk6YG6T7aE/s320/IMG_3390.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding the bikes </td></tr></tbody></table><div>Today would be a long day, but since the course followed the coast, it would be flat except for a freeway overpass or two!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW09Dfj-YlD7MEx-h7_tCbUNU9j_tFlCPKzqsxpvBUv8Bb1KYGtB1F-qm3x4qo6yIejnw_sstVATRTrY9OQ3Pju4McnnjyF2r7rsfR9ZfSbAFUNbFrKGpmJl0VztbhvJAz5Jd_CAUFwGxonEtgH08qhf6L1cV0K8mmLyXlMzf6t64JSamhfEGzaGAeNs/s3088/IMG_3393.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigW09Dfj-YlD7MEx-h7_tCbUNU9j_tFlCPKzqsxpvBUv8Bb1KYGtB1F-qm3x4qo6yIejnw_sstVATRTrY9OQ3Pju4McnnjyF2r7rsfR9ZfSbAFUNbFrKGpmJl0VztbhvJAz5Jd_CAUFwGxonEtgH08qhf6L1cV0K8mmLyXlMzf6t64JSamhfEGzaGAeNs/s320/IMG_3393.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling out of the port</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had 55+ miles to cover and with the predicted afternoon heat, we wanted to get this one done before it got too hot. So we started as soon as the bikes were ready and headed out in the cool morning air.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6pYVbtHFrLOCJg5JcSMguwMqRRFA1lvXDJTPwiDpn-woUUS_QxppL_Lz2QmgyyczPy5X50RCm3E3DJJ8rTmxNo5a7I32opjnuy0mEnhfmN6dAYWFVQnXzYpn6jPEjRzwcFY9-kKuF1QPVlhkrGrPr2eHic8Xc0bjyD1tJ7jT5-oO6snH-cbX1sNJseA/s4032/IMG_3398.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6pYVbtHFrLOCJg5JcSMguwMqRRFA1lvXDJTPwiDpn-woUUS_QxppL_Lz2QmgyyczPy5X50RCm3E3DJJ8rTmxNo5a7I32opjnuy0mEnhfmN6dAYWFVQnXzYpn6jPEjRzwcFY9-kKuF1QPVlhkrGrPr2eHic8Xc0bjyD1tJ7jT5-oO6snH-cbX1sNJseA/s320/IMG_3398.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles of Valencia orange orchards today!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSOMDkcdFvrs7ATM67cZ4yRqEGyljo8V-jzO-wW9CpyBa5uHyE7KhX9O6y1qA7vGr0xDnhe9UW6NDTI6Skfs6rHHWf9-91EpkUDFhtnEKAAvZ_p76aV-XjCDQIJWbJ1w0CWW5cclwy89qf4NdTzqfX0LB7ZAKv8Wau1UX06ru1Ye78hQGyo69Dml9clY/s4032/IMG_3410.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSOMDkcdFvrs7ATM67cZ4yRqEGyljo8V-jzO-wW9CpyBa5uHyE7KhX9O6y1qA7vGr0xDnhe9UW6NDTI6Skfs6rHHWf9-91EpkUDFhtnEKAAvZ_p76aV-XjCDQIJWbJ1w0CWW5cclwy89qf4NdTzqfX0LB7ZAKv8Wau1UX06ru1Ye78hQGyo69Dml9clY/s320/IMG_3410.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short gravel section turned to sand on the beach</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmq-lxRJBuovTBA0eoLRhV5lk4GDgpc5opEIV6aJZBs3HRJ5m3MrjAtwh3wWVazPdN7KJn6UmuYGOGvQpHiW3rmwDXM8buZJPDQekZ9V7kXQn-YbWSyHJattyv7EYrx8Sa8g92e6zQNZLpv9j8hCqGYy-yWIlOPqOr9I_zEDrD2A_uWfRpSAMXRV6SLc/s4032/IMG_3405.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYmq-lxRJBuovTBA0eoLRhV5lk4GDgpc5opEIV6aJZBs3HRJ5m3MrjAtwh3wWVazPdN7KJn6UmuYGOGvQpHiW3rmwDXM8buZJPDQekZ9V7kXQn-YbWSyHJattyv7EYrx8Sa8g92e6zQNZLpv9j8hCqGYy-yWIlOPqOr9I_zEDrD2A_uWfRpSAMXRV6SLc/s320/IMG_3405.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A long but flat day</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginGwRBcXiZJ5A-BeBx9N1Zep-V78yPT_0vIDeXruKTXueo5iccUL3NED9GGfAmMt5oRwe1-GkE0kxd95JbMHa1jVQ8C_WOupbLqJVycQ9YvWC-86bJQ0s-5RmXqfS27AdJ6MYIzzG9meobi52gn9QmgVlpAm2hmc8DygFV4YW0qSTgvYfIbAzVComkzA/s4032/IMG_3418.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginGwRBcXiZJ5A-BeBx9N1Zep-V78yPT_0vIDeXruKTXueo5iccUL3NED9GGfAmMt5oRwe1-GkE0kxd95JbMHa1jVQ8C_WOupbLqJVycQ9YvWC-86bJQ0s-5RmXqfS27AdJ6MYIzzG9meobi52gn9QmgVlpAm2hmc8DygFV4YW0qSTgvYfIbAzVComkzA/s320/IMG_3418.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neighborhood restaurant </td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>We decided we would try and get at least 20 miles in before taking our first break. We passed a coffee shop or two in some beach towns, but too early to stop. Once we had 20 miles in, we found ourselves in a working town near Alamenare. We spotted this small bar/cafeteria in an apartment block in a residential section. We were ready for a break and stopped in.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfEBnW9U85zwNC35p6DNcZRNYLfByUvMOTTIZVY3BVhCHoLH4dngtH3uAmI4YHyQ9q6m2JsQepwdjAop37FfgqFC9HvdWO9Y6W8tcYbAZkAxzMX_3xIo2nEjogG2-kdc9ngRLiIweFSxooPoj8y9fDks9X4JzndXcjYKUHEQldj8boywZfjqHtKIuG4/s4032/IMG_3421.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lfEBnW9U85zwNC35p6DNcZRNYLfByUvMOTTIZVY3BVhCHoLH4dngtH3uAmI4YHyQ9q6m2JsQepwdjAop37FfgqFC9HvdWO9Y6W8tcYbAZkAxzMX_3xIo2nEjogG2-kdc9ngRLiIweFSxooPoj8y9fDks9X4JzndXcjYKUHEQldj8boywZfjqHtKIuG4/s320/IMG_3421.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the best lunches of the trip!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>It was a family place and the husband (bartender) nor the wife (waitress/hostess/cook) spoke English. With my limited high school Spanish, we were able to order cold drinks and lunch. I thought we were ordering a salad and a coke. It turned out to be a 3 course ‘complete’ lunch. Tuna salad, short rib stew, and ice cream!</div><div><br /></div><div>They offered to turn on the AC inside, but we sat outside near a playground in the shade where the outdoor tables were set up. The owners family/friends sat at the table next to us, resuming their morning conversation before they took a break to serve us lunch. We stayed much longer than planned, but it was probably the most enjoyable lunch of the trip!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EAuZRbpHCjXz3-0UtWtr8u7lOlB8Dor-aGtrFknl__i0m7fQaSzd9l2vwePIqcXPgxCPrJMaYASrqhr_0bhyq34bJZjENofawj-bkWb721KUN18ScgeqAMqRPFH8l7_Wgn_xxZRO-ITmKN7alfSNn5RBmf0dY0EJVKoYYXHZHk6iL42SJB6I6i9WNl4/s4032/IMG_3427.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EAuZRbpHCjXz3-0UtWtr8u7lOlB8Dor-aGtrFknl__i0m7fQaSzd9l2vwePIqcXPgxCPrJMaYASrqhr_0bhyq34bJZjENofawj-bkWb721KUN18ScgeqAMqRPFH8l7_Wgn_xxZRO-ITmKN7alfSNn5RBmf0dY0EJVKoYYXHZHk6iL42SJB6I6i9WNl4/s320/IMG_3427.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset departure</td></tr></tbody></table>It was another 30 miles to reach the ship, but with full stomachs, and riding at an easy pace we rolled into Valencia in the late afternoon. We decided to stay on the ship, catch the La Vuelta stage, and call it a day!<div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Friday - Cartagena Spain</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGRxoOldyslcsIcBlPkeuWrnoNrJEmSQ4Se0GiXj4vAu-G9F1CibCUNt_BvLaK2RtMsogdOXG7OSXJRnpySDp3RTLy9CYTl8syZt1_BWlq6OWDO7oi9hZb4BQEwdMgawvr_SBDSGbSN0VDvnzSnshwwBmmpL6TdPLH-4vPopx9YdzXwPqgmITpqenP38/s4032/IMG_3428.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZGRxoOldyslcsIcBlPkeuWrnoNrJEmSQ4Se0GiXj4vAu-G9F1CibCUNt_BvLaK2RtMsogdOXG7OSXJRnpySDp3RTLy9CYTl8syZt1_BWlq6OWDO7oi9hZb4BQEwdMgawvr_SBDSGbSN0VDvnzSnshwwBmmpL6TdPLH-4vPopx9YdzXwPqgmITpqenP38/s320/IMG_3428.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Military base/shipyard in Cartagena</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YtVajRpV9euTHIM0a63KLYwkVWdmJ-YzfzL0neL-g6kdGeFcvsSPF-g2N9aOIOhD3qoT-fAwQ7ssUGOG7MN_3sr9sVkChKG1HgMhrR0u-QH-V9-8IOCEiLJnLkfecGW6KzlLTssbvAMuKacwIK9PeRPif9TtojIJTU3d3-P7isZeQ7xAkJsNvyBdMac/s4032/IMG_3432.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9YtVajRpV9euTHIM0a63KLYwkVWdmJ-YzfzL0neL-g6kdGeFcvsSPF-g2N9aOIOhD3qoT-fAwQ7ssUGOG7MN_3sr9sVkChKG1HgMhrR0u-QH-V9-8IOCEiLJnLkfecGW6KzlLTssbvAMuKacwIK9PeRPif9TtojIJTU3d3-P7isZeQ7xAkJsNvyBdMac/s320/IMG_3432.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First long climb</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Debby wisely decided that after yesterdays long ride in the heat, that today would be a good for a rest day. There were ride options that included a loop to a beach town and a side trip to a military battery overlooking the entrance to Cartagena harbor that totaled about 53 miles with 4300’ of climbing. Sounds like a plan!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfh2mJ0Jl7q-WO8mRgRm0eGVvXb3c9KX64TatE4cY1d4p0dUJnb1G9OKCqIxoFAmSFp36pCVlTmW0m1YgShGUQ-F47eMIx_-LTcCeAQcpnkoSc306gZTHZxr7vWLGOqluMTrYTCfPRXPFwjLMTgUyqNVD9cIStlEuWAHS4vntWp68egoYeoo6lrhrTto/s4032/IMG_3437.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGfh2mJ0Jl7q-WO8mRgRm0eGVvXb3c9KX64TatE4cY1d4p0dUJnb1G9OKCqIxoFAmSFp36pCVlTmW0m1YgShGUQ-F47eMIx_-LTcCeAQcpnkoSc306gZTHZxr7vWLGOqluMTrYTCfPRXPFwjLMTgUyqNVD9cIStlEuWAHS4vntWp68egoYeoo6lrhrTto/s320/IMG_3437.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to The Battery</td></tr></tbody></table><div>For the morning bike brigade (guests and staff form a ‘bucket brigade’ to unload the bikes), I joined the team on the pier. Once the bikes were all off, I hopped in mine and was the first out of the port. I wanted to cover all the distance but get back early to hang out with Debby on the ship.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ8QTZcN50xz3g1ZPBii8RiFN3fAJdEoqRfZYnYOtzhSbzqIZgn1Kj6_lgShTaev829NpKxEEXPekW0k8Q8kzNyOK0f5GmWCr2fT_eg5UFJq-DqfU5vP5xd16c_7iDhi1HM8G6KQ4H5oast3qJD7nx4XdI8yFzjbt5bYxG3vra5p6ggb_8_g44yIFqPU/s4032/IMG_3440.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQ8QTZcN50xz3g1ZPBii8RiFN3fAJdEoqRfZYnYOtzhSbzqIZgn1Kj6_lgShTaev829NpKxEEXPekW0k8Q8kzNyOK0f5GmWCr2fT_eg5UFJq-DqfU5vP5xd16c_7iDhi1HM8G6KQ4H5oast3qJD7nx4XdI8yFzjbt5bYxG3vra5p6ggb_8_g44yIFqPU/s320/IMG_3440.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Military Battery</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The first 11 miles leaving the port was on a steady uphill to a viewpoint. From here, it was a fast descent to the side road that would lead out and back to the military battery. There were several stiff 8% climbs and descents along the way.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDACpcmuIxXCyU5G5zA-MbpjdZeOpUjQXzOBHCxjhfh4OEECPdUMal-9Dc4lpedS6lWQezLRs9ZU9sZX2C4M41lGy9IMi2HAqeyL1e-n0ZF3MYXocA3AS9237tKre2-Q4tgGDJS0jM4NfwQFUWq2ueS5n3QRhPKhnzSGHS2qcJraP3FcH-jw6E7LoJChA/s4032/IMG_3444.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDACpcmuIxXCyU5G5zA-MbpjdZeOpUjQXzOBHCxjhfh4OEECPdUMal-9Dc4lpedS6lWQezLRs9ZU9sZX2C4M41lGy9IMi2HAqeyL1e-n0ZF3MYXocA3AS9237tKre2-Q4tgGDJS0jM4NfwQFUWq2ueS5n3QRhPKhnzSGHS2qcJraP3FcH-jw6E7LoJChA/s320/IMG_3444.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WWII era big guns</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cBcNouKHxXsJ0wnwi8vVRXYHFWY_KnHGyotjncox3KTYaeoUcGelZKQsl0D6H0xU5WlASWgQsp2b3G5vOPMCnxwcnR8P6IF1F_HRQWkLfxn_zHEN35VdTuM1N7gDRL8BfpAvUaiv-sayqBH4C1e-fsZkCfFTS-uVNjNeDJs9nvWuQnRPwKX9PVqAovg/s4032/IMG_3451.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6cBcNouKHxXsJ0wnwi8vVRXYHFWY_KnHGyotjncox3KTYaeoUcGelZKQsl0D6H0xU5WlASWgQsp2b3G5vOPMCnxwcnR8P6IF1F_HRQWkLfxn_zHEN35VdTuM1N7gDRL8BfpAvUaiv-sayqBH4C1e-fsZkCfFTS-uVNjNeDJs9nvWuQnRPwKX9PVqAovg/s320/IMG_3451.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great command of entrance to Cartagena</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The guns and views were worth the extra effort to make the side trip. The ruins date from early days of powder cannons and tall ships to the WWII era.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhffWATcKGU1kEIYSnfuM9hshHSruzDfxn0JYvMc9SsxEyK9wgOy99b9AQJeqSVl66oS9oCyjyD7FP-son3A7wd7ENhF4xbzZwDJBC-LRav2I42X9pP3mbOm7pzGAWR2ERjnRbTilwclNzkDiM52BzfaBrtmrDIz3kPNDdm8o_Rro7mm8ebaxuH-yCdk/s4032/IMG_3452.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGhffWATcKGU1kEIYSnfuM9hshHSruzDfxn0JYvMc9SsxEyK9wgOy99b9AQJeqSVl66oS9oCyjyD7FP-son3A7wd7ENhF4xbzZwDJBC-LRav2I42X9pP3mbOm7pzGAWR2ERjnRbTilwclNzkDiM52BzfaBrtmrDIz3kPNDdm8o_Rro7mm8ebaxuH-yCdk/s320/IMG_3452.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road surface to and from the Battery</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The road surface was uneven and broken, with blind corners, so you had to be especially careful on the descents! There were uphill riders from Santana on the road, plus several tour busses heading to the battery.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYghlAQOKoDjAYei8BytzUvDVVIuOLQFPx0L_1gtTS9o0ewN5oo1y03Ki_iZNe9TsgVB6S6sND5aitWwI8tPLNSs9GeSYl2J9TTRdwNVvuFU02mJ0EuytlLRNVK3ig4dqaBHGn8IGL3ZcrtvNDwtTfCSgLK_Sa1-dEy-_5LIKHvqdRQFk0vxGx0vTPFw/s4032/IMG_3457.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYghlAQOKoDjAYei8BytzUvDVVIuOLQFPx0L_1gtTS9o0ewN5oo1y03Ki_iZNe9TsgVB6S6sND5aitWwI8tPLNSs9GeSYl2J9TTRdwNVvuFU02mJ0EuytlLRNVK3ig4dqaBHGn8IGL3ZcrtvNDwtTfCSgLK_Sa1-dEy-_5LIKHvqdRQFk0vxGx0vTPFw/s320/IMG_3457.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto de Mazarron</td></tr></tbody></table>Soon I was back on the main road and enjoyed a nice descent to the beach town of Puerto de Mazarron. There was a nice layer of morning clouds so the weather was perfect. I rolled through town and changed my Garmin route for the final segment of the day. A 6 mile climb to a coll, then a 12 mile gradual descent into Cartagena and our ship.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j-Gpz57IYuk" width="320" youtube-src-id="j-Gpz57IYuk"></iframe></div><div>Rolling out of the beach area, this group was enjoying a Beachside dance class! I only had bike shoes, so I didn’t join in ;-)</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_0rwX_cZ6zv3q27qxFWHzrOAlFEQerQyZrIKMBAEuYjYPbEcIHyJ-uE-XITTAC8H81-5i_5gMhsNyQLpCx1B5_agtRLd2OBlXd5d7re6whNdjEZVHybU1oFKbKf8JE-RZbEp_3WR5iBNBGQu2dDWikV_g8O-rbHH4zteMDYHekO3f2NbXRoSK4c_sWQ/s4032/IMG_3460.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_0rwX_cZ6zv3q27qxFWHzrOAlFEQerQyZrIKMBAEuYjYPbEcIHyJ-uE-XITTAC8H81-5i_5gMhsNyQLpCx1B5_agtRLd2OBlXd5d7re6whNdjEZVHybU1oFKbKf8JE-RZbEp_3WR5iBNBGQu2dDWikV_g8O-rbHH4zteMDYHekO3f2NbXRoSK4c_sWQ/s320/IMG_3460.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike dip in the Mediterranean Sea<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I stopped to dip the bike into the Med, then stopped at a convenience store for water, Coke, and an ice cream before heading out and up on the last segment.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsovb-6Iz3E87ap4OFEH0u0_UJrwH2ugljHjy6Pi37LGL7ljAo-ln4WCQNyi16CukMC98jFmq_2eUqHBPccjsJ1gwYvf9lk21PVcmyE9O9-S6VwzJ5DZcfEiqvp-ISNcJwVEES0pnaLYDOWzOqXAZm2E57Xnc8Op87P5VDbV5p6MqW_OiGKdoYsN3_Jw/s3088/IMG_3469.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMsovb-6Iz3E87ap4OFEH0u0_UJrwH2ugljHjy6Pi37LGL7ljAo-ln4WCQNyi16CukMC98jFmq_2eUqHBPccjsJ1gwYvf9lk21PVcmyE9O9-S6VwzJ5DZcfEiqvp-ISNcJwVEES0pnaLYDOWzOqXAZm2E57Xnc8Op87P5VDbV5p6MqW_OiGKdoYsN3_Jw/s320/IMG_3469.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of last climb</td></tr></tbody></table><div>There was a group of Santana riders leaving the summit at La Cuesta when I arrived. After a short stop, I caught and passed them on the way back to the ship and made my way through town and back to the port.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Zygexk0mTajtLPGO7qTFqWhK4BKLCXuEay5IAmGWWQa7u3Z-SHWkekI8b1WUsf9ZpE99uwDo18Jyw71inu3ycy1xflgtaZsV5JNeU7L4YucV5zGYLXFYh16nXWGZldjVUAvoiWJs60Fgw8Nx3Bodn5ltO7Xc-stRPzy0wp7BQiKqaZ-ihF4fK9eRJus/s4032/IMG_3473.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Zygexk0mTajtLPGO7qTFqWhK4BKLCXuEay5IAmGWWQa7u3Z-SHWkekI8b1WUsf9ZpE99uwDo18Jyw71inu3ycy1xflgtaZsV5JNeU7L4YucV5zGYLXFYh16nXWGZldjVUAvoiWJs60Fgw8Nx3Bodn5ltO7Xc-stRPzy0wp7BQiKqaZ-ihF4fK9eRJus/s320/IMG_3473.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in time for today’s stage!</td></tr></tbody></table>I grabbed a couple of sandwiches and refreshments and made it back to the cabin in time to enjoy the days LaVuelta stage!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saturday - Malaga Spain</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi405RMDwVsphglKfLkbk1YYqdRsE45NA6l2Y7-ntI5PMrk7klw0Q3dY3w6iZ0S7J2i-vWgHIE-sXwUyBKnh-RQP8qdKLr38o7GWpK981jZdgdEOxQyGiVPf7zyMexTJLJwba1CHYw95yx8-g8JygfmoA5RGEgMSA7W7bk84hhY0dsUnboLvnhIL5dAM0/s4032/IMG_3474.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi405RMDwVsphglKfLkbk1YYqdRsE45NA6l2Y7-ntI5PMrk7klw0Q3dY3w6iZ0S7J2i-vWgHIE-sXwUyBKnh-RQP8qdKLr38o7GWpK981jZdgdEOxQyGiVPf7zyMexTJLJwba1CHYw95yx8-g8JygfmoA5RGEgMSA7W7bk84hhY0dsUnboLvnhIL5dAM0/s320/IMG_3474.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Global Navigator in Malaga</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The ride options for today were not that appealing, a hard 48 mile loop, or a an uphill out and back on a historic truck route.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6V0pZ9Q-YJXSDu-vQHK7wD_kiCIYxXVYADQ6_XsWAXn7uaTOYf-E2y6sf6THjg4GCiFx5in3g01Bn8nbZxuk3zbXXND43-Rx1SfAS9mE_wpbMW8I9riROtMhSUd20pIEbbT-QCie_m49NsPIlSnU0DWgOo4MD-3MwGLEbQ-mq0PKfSnotF-rrJHPfzA/s3088/IMG_3481.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6V0pZ9Q-YJXSDu-vQHK7wD_kiCIYxXVYADQ6_XsWAXn7uaTOYf-E2y6sf6THjg4GCiFx5in3g01Bn8nbZxuk3zbXXND43-Rx1SfAS9mE_wpbMW8I9riROtMhSUd20pIEbbT-QCie_m49NsPIlSnU0DWgOo4MD-3MwGLEbQ-mq0PKfSnotF-rrJHPfzA/s320/IMG_3481.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy with our ride choice</td></tr></tbody></table><div>After the route talk, I hopped on Ride with GPS and created an alternate route that would follow the coast to the beach town of Rincon de la Victoria and back. We started out on a wide city boulevard with a bike/bus lane that eventually emptied us out onto a bike/pedestrian path along the beach. Full disclosure: Due to construction, we ended up on a freeway for about 1 km, but exited onto the bike path without incident!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3qIq54Fpb_f-6TnVxIL4ObzhvgdJHnpIuvYyn-HoxF4Onv9M1llt6g0HBIA84UWBuRuIHt_QT7oqvyQZvz5enr7IFoHwvWqHVGEpzypzeyCVMqw1FnLDkUTloxblT_vXu5n_OsqtZFcgYMr8Sn63aSZi4wcoR6I5ZKm0ByxRREekE5UBFNWgSVxO2i0/s4032/IMG_3482.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3qIq54Fpb_f-6TnVxIL4ObzhvgdJHnpIuvYyn-HoxF4Onv9M1llt6g0HBIA84UWBuRuIHt_QT7oqvyQZvz5enr7IFoHwvWqHVGEpzypzeyCVMqw1FnLDkUTloxblT_vXu5n_OsqtZFcgYMr8Sn63aSZi4wcoR6I5ZKm0ByxRREekE5UBFNWgSVxO2i0/s320/IMG_3482.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenic bike path</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yWiabzbvblTmgB91N1zCJhNVHdO2F9VlhPkEBJW44rMj3TpxXhqp9wEebNjR3w4z1NsqR-fVjstAA7JdCiO1_XoW1s3Qh0UilSIWM9CEJc4S183OmG_BJnt7qc0G7Bk6MyTio7zHAHPGDOGwr-j3VoPS0vHt0I9khVEXvDF7EpP7p9RWs65tPxxN_oM/s4032/IMG_3486.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7yWiabzbvblTmgB91N1zCJhNVHdO2F9VlhPkEBJW44rMj3TpxXhqp9wEebNjR3w4z1NsqR-fVjstAA7JdCiO1_XoW1s3Qh0UilSIWM9CEJc4S183OmG_BJnt7qc0G7Bk6MyTio7zHAHPGDOGwr-j3VoPS0vHt0I9khVEXvDF7EpP7p9RWs65tPxxN_oM/s320/IMG_3486.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several tunnels for the multi-use path</td></tr></tbody></table><div>There were huge rock outcroppings that reached the sea just ahead and I thought we might be at a dead end. Instead of a dead end, the bike path had several tunnels through the outcroppings that were wide and well lit, and with no motor vehicle traffic. What a great find!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzosjmN6HKQaKUrTTFlGsmb_DmdL78T7b6WeZ8R6hSYLBmW7UZtvwqrDjEn6ia9-qopzKUzqQRLxhklO0ofeeNnNcUi9aQ-kzQ1i0iING1r_L8DENSLJ-T7Ojz7fdpNM0gsHTKwLDRWIS0O3k1yRVQbmnWW_6FLjOwJ2fY_z7Vvlr08R68cG8hOb4cSM/s4032/IMG_3503.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqzosjmN6HKQaKUrTTFlGsmb_DmdL78T7b6WeZ8R6hSYLBmW7UZtvwqrDjEn6ia9-qopzKUzqQRLxhklO0ofeeNnNcUi9aQ-kzQ1i0iING1r_L8DENSLJ-T7Ojz7fdpNM0gsHTKwLDRWIS0O3k1yRVQbmnWW_6FLjOwJ2fY_z7Vvlr08R68cG8hOb4cSM/s320/IMG_3503.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brunch!</td></tr></tbody></table>After 8 miles of easy, nearly walking pace riding (many pedestrians) we stopped for coffee and a snack. These breakfast sandwiches were great and just hit the spot!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRo6rtUZ7N8zo81H81s-WujuyPGiRCNxmWDRzmaCz83cEOo5qwKR65qLc23qZM1wwyGmz1UuGaloyZ2WV9fC-zU5HC04Q0mo8G5XwtJ3aO3GhVjYjm-meyhavsx-gKIPMjEnP1UkRScfLfiv1oWjlPT60kxoAElRXE1518RdXgCjwMFxTxUg4pY_dp54/s4032/IMG_3507.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitRo6rtUZ7N8zo81H81s-WujuyPGiRCNxmWDRzmaCz83cEOo5qwKR65qLc23qZM1wwyGmz1UuGaloyZ2WV9fC-zU5HC04Q0mo8G5XwtJ3aO3GhVjYjm-meyhavsx-gKIPMjEnP1UkRScfLfiv1oWjlPT60kxoAElRXE1518RdXgCjwMFxTxUg4pY_dp54/s320/IMG_3507.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some hard pack dirt to avoid pedestrians</td></tr></tbody></table><div>To say it was a leisurely ride would be an understatement, covering just 16 miles in nearly 3 hours! But we both needed an easy day and our alternative route was perfect. On the way back, we avoided the freeway using a couple of one-way streets and made our way back to the ship.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1b0mie5nck1qxMng4x7RkX9jpAA19rqknVOpXdZIN_8I-2L4-YvkYta_14bdaridlSDjTeSjLTzI-mPeQ1d1ki718HqP5yYjPT1pL7kA2eprMivQddXuTFRDarbOXaWwsfOBe6TQWCqQ8d0Js6asOzQdFNp4EpIQ2chRX_R1IgnDS7YdO8NZLCNKxe-U/s4032/IMG_3509.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1b0mie5nck1qxMng4x7RkX9jpAA19rqknVOpXdZIN_8I-2L4-YvkYta_14bdaridlSDjTeSjLTzI-mPeQ1d1ki718HqP5yYjPT1pL7kA2eprMivQddXuTFRDarbOXaWwsfOBe6TQWCqQ8d0Js6asOzQdFNp4EpIQ2chRX_R1IgnDS7YdO8NZLCNKxe-U/s320/IMG_3509.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vigil Mass in the Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Q7zIP2v4muESkm_POLUqAw3dX-Qe8dYDrR40TwCz7mk3zVXvU3Wr2Fh_sLNprhb0bJloO4c__PRjyg1Vf8Qy0BHHQbXYYTKlV2jFPHjIAbCmkPVbQCvD4Fv14FOLW7C6ptmnP0JIW9Bj9wNiryvWBw1-GD9TO7dfL7GcZ5bLWZxRUEXSr2PoK7XLto/s4032/IMG_3510.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Q7zIP2v4muESkm_POLUqAw3dX-Qe8dYDrR40TwCz7mk3zVXvU3Wr2Fh_sLNprhb0bJloO4c__PRjyg1Vf8Qy0BHHQbXYYTKlV2jFPHjIAbCmkPVbQCvD4Fv14FOLW7C6ptmnP0JIW9Bj9wNiryvWBw1-GD9TO7dfL7GcZ5bLWZxRUEXSr2PoK7XLto/s320/IMG_3510.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Malaga Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table>We had a real lunch on the ship and headed into Malaga to explore the town and the visit the Cathedral and attend the vigil Mass. Tomorrow with be the ‘Queen Stage’ of our tour; 3 countries, two continents, and some hard riding, so we were happy to take an easy day.</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sunday - Gibraltar UK, Algeciras Spain, Tangiers Morocco</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU6msjG2SzBDuGKCG9C9Hb20DnZwmU5HP9zKS5OHbh3RDNIrh9XjAZoNpPOPdKAf-7R1yImsFl53upoCr8VnT_M5Kh262tKbxMdQBr8USG-ds3uk2H1VOLTvI2GW_hStL4-7DFh9BNiEHbzKnNDyk6b1p2Iiaq-GMfwP0oFNPjkhT6zAPYIZ7KqizB3Q/s4032/IMG_3843.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglU6msjG2SzBDuGKCG9C9Hb20DnZwmU5HP9zKS5OHbh3RDNIrh9XjAZoNpPOPdKAf-7R1yImsFl53upoCr8VnT_M5Kh262tKbxMdQBr8USG-ds3uk2H1VOLTvI2GW_hStL4-7DFh9BNiEHbzKnNDyk6b1p2Iiaq-GMfwP0oFNPjkhT6zAPYIZ7KqizB3Q/s320/IMG_3843.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handy decision tree</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWheUNMHnXBeZvE_6ng5aewjbgX0DgnqymJCCUHuFMYir2_SPEkHBMEt-acQypU3tZ3Kh_DVc9niR-YiLVkKUpy8q-4b0fU8K0UpWiViXzFkbibJu37qsHB_TS-jyuLc9xnJX9ApkFv8QPJCjqRvmzBx2foAYc5Fk-iFCTphx1XON9zBDdvFHCBEW2snQ/s4032/IMG_3842.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWheUNMHnXBeZvE_6ng5aewjbgX0DgnqymJCCUHuFMYir2_SPEkHBMEt-acQypU3tZ3Kh_DVc9niR-YiLVkKUpy8q-4b0fU8K0UpWiViXzFkbibJu37qsHB_TS-jyuLc9xnJX9ApkFv8QPJCjqRvmzBx2foAYc5Fk-iFCTphx1XON9zBDdvFHCBEW2snQ/s320/IMG_3842.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic Bill route map</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Today is the Queen Stage of the tour, riding in three countries on two continents on the same day! Logistically difficult and challenging to ride due to ship, bus, and ferry schedules. Throw in some freeway riding and limited SOS/SAG support and you have potential for an epic day. Bill even provided a handy sheet to help us decide which route to select. We decided to go for the medium ride and boarded the AWD bus to take us up the Rock of Gibraltar!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPPkoC8gP4BYrM2JMx8nvBMbUhYrSYvuNENzp6DDbY09jAsmROz_aCIliV6YvtAc9mp_yeh1dHetZn4imAqhtGx1nvv3IJFRtFC0_QznjTi4T370HWmwbl--qHIn0sQ8DWjn2Fd-n-LZky_BcSm5XmUcFTUV_Eu7xUlIAUBT5_iX6BrE-5yKL1BG3OQc/s3088/IMG_3520.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLPPkoC8gP4BYrM2JMx8nvBMbUhYrSYvuNENzp6DDbY09jAsmROz_aCIliV6YvtAc9mp_yeh1dHetZn4imAqhtGx1nvv3IJFRtFC0_QznjTi4T370HWmwbl--qHIn0sQ8DWjn2Fd-n-LZky_BcSm5XmUcFTUV_Eu7xUlIAUBT5_iX6BrE-5yKL1BG3OQc/s320/IMG_3520.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stop, the lighthouse at the base of the rock</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkNVXQ5wvl-A1PNEUjXi1k70po-DssYTQ0uBN317qZ9sPryf0V95_7sHelMuaWDMJ1woft2Ymj2GrnBTBcRoFqTAxbdbaZS8StAoFOeQ-ezuAgQjxDERq6KRKuz6SGY_4M4LkDH9cfyssC8uv64LodMbJH_dWHx7cFQFdd5AdQ6Are4wn5PIjZZ7s9ms/s4032/IMG_3524.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQkNVXQ5wvl-A1PNEUjXi1k70po-DssYTQ0uBN317qZ9sPryf0V95_7sHelMuaWDMJ1woft2Ymj2GrnBTBcRoFqTAxbdbaZS8StAoFOeQ-ezuAgQjxDERq6KRKuz6SGY_4M4LkDH9cfyssC8uv64LodMbJH_dWHx7cFQFdd5AdQ6Are4wn5PIjZZ7s9ms/s320/IMG_3524.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rock near dawn</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfs6VCB7qJqxRxXErH2pPmqUwoSZ2-oHIELl2YjZHbuN-5_71T4WlCwU20Yn6wYByBDCWT-fR-3cGpeEwoBesLCAmE6ysonyK2ab05Eu8b4jWbArJ2V26c9LnA9N1uzqrNJr52MzmOZlsFEPPLjRwBTD0hmnxqNbSIG-UYsJ0F0aCCefwAsFGBJ7Q-bE/s4032/IMG_3528.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfs6VCB7qJqxRxXErH2pPmqUwoSZ2-oHIELl2YjZHbuN-5_71T4WlCwU20Yn6wYByBDCWT-fR-3cGpeEwoBesLCAmE6ysonyK2ab05Eu8b4jWbArJ2V26c9LnA9N1uzqrNJr52MzmOZlsFEPPLjRwBTD0hmnxqNbSIG-UYsJ0F0aCCefwAsFGBJ7Q-bE/s320/IMG_3528.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Michael’s Cave</td></tr></tbody></table>The second stop on the tour up the rock was at St. Michael’s Cave, named for the likeness of the archangel. The light show was stunning and after we exited, we boarded the tour bus for the final climb into the monkey zone and final stop at the gift shop/restaurant.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0e-dvm8V1P37VVhbfbn7MBx7BYRJ4FIgVDN8MquaJiamBK8WbJbPVuXJt9psSj9uJKhg7hRYaFVvMH7ge8476goCNTNx90hJVYc4DQQXm0XB6yb5PvW8QQC9nE2YSr7L4m78fzD2VoBh6eYYlodFPccaO1bxbhLsDFcHbPP6MyMKMLPsXDIfbuOxoPU/s4032/IMG_3531.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs0e-dvm8V1P37VVhbfbn7MBx7BYRJ4FIgVDN8MquaJiamBK8WbJbPVuXJt9psSj9uJKhg7hRYaFVvMH7ge8476goCNTNx90hJVYc4DQQXm0XB6yb5PvW8QQC9nE2YSr7L4m78fzD2VoBh6eYYlodFPccaO1bxbhLsDFcHbPP6MyMKMLPsXDIfbuOxoPU/s320/IMG_3531.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking for ice cream!</td></tr></tbody></table>They warn the tourists about the aggressive monkeys, and one actually swiped an ice cream from one of the Santana staff members!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-8r11tqiTLXVbVPAqz_4qBm1aXxYeDWpqL_-oY72mVs1N5TG2CEZ_hMlQdvtV2KZKOzXWdalhuEKrbJbvVpL9fL7i7s2gps4F-7UOBfodM1x77Wo2c20OJyXPRilCXlXNAD4UtmeWBw-dpTObgSJ02YZjQ3Svv1hb74ZIWUKY5TdstRz5FsUmdg01-I/s3088/IMG_3540.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-8r11tqiTLXVbVPAqz_4qBm1aXxYeDWpqL_-oY72mVs1N5TG2CEZ_hMlQdvtV2KZKOzXWdalhuEKrbJbvVpL9fL7i7s2gps4F-7UOBfodM1x77Wo2c20OJyXPRilCXlXNAD4UtmeWBw-dpTObgSJ02YZjQ3Svv1hb74ZIWUKY5TdstRz5FsUmdg01-I/s320/IMG_3540.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding across the runway</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6jVYnwU7KvclsocDADDH7SSyU6Lmt3TLaCE2LXbxcFUD-IhPmcXl8BWCxlc_tSdDaY02ZZpbtSjJRHesQCEDI0YiR7CfMfUFK6aKmoKXyOS4pbORXaOSvI9H_WAkvYFDpGnXqD_B12KRbRkMTmb_qn8panafD2mtMVbAe6MR6kieRVVYkUFdHfQd_WU/s4032/IMG_3543.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6jVYnwU7KvclsocDADDH7SSyU6Lmt3TLaCE2LXbxcFUD-IhPmcXl8BWCxlc_tSdDaY02ZZpbtSjJRHesQCEDI0YiR7CfMfUFK6aKmoKXyOS4pbORXaOSvI9H_WAkvYFDpGnXqD_B12KRbRkMTmb_qn8panafD2mtMVbAe6MR6kieRVVYkUFdHfQd_WU/s320/IMG_3543.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The runway is clear!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We descended down the rock, through town and back to the bikes. We mounted up and rode out of the port and across the airport runway to the border checkpoint where we exited the UK. A few meters later, and we stop again at a Spanish checkpoint and re-enter Spain! The route takes us up and away from the water and we enter a freeway for 6 miles of morning freeway riding. Traffic is light and it’s no problem.</div><div><br /></div><div>We elect to take the ‘rabbit hole’ route to avoid having to exit left over two lanes of traffic at a large freeway interchange. It was all going well until we met a closed fence/gate over the roadway. I thought it was locked and looked for a way around. Another rider checked it and it was unlocked. We went through, and hit another dead end, more construction fencing, but it was not totally secure and we squeezed through a small opening in the bottom!</div><div><br /></div><div>We finally arrived at the ferry terminal and enjoyed a couple Coke Zeros and a ham and cheese sandwich!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWvfJz6Pmg-4d8TrMnqkKxCtrcn_1L0CJiyyF1of4JKg4zLcFneT3uGgCaLKjFg_JcibiogkVj0OoQ0dHGSen5DGd96H673OTeIk9QeBkAGbcdYGscA6tiO3SZSwbG1dTdKQO4hzuaMbr79KnJkxJl6A-9pTXOs-KVCcA8IngOIQSJzXBvCGGhV9Yvxk/s4032/IMG_3558.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGWvfJz6Pmg-4d8TrMnqkKxCtrcn_1L0CJiyyF1of4JKg4zLcFneT3uGgCaLKjFg_JcibiogkVj0OoQ0dHGSen5DGd96H673OTeIk9QeBkAGbcdYGscA6tiO3SZSwbG1dTdKQO4hzuaMbr79KnJkxJl6A-9pTXOs-KVCcA8IngOIQSJzXBvCGGhV9Yvxk/s320/IMG_3558.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ferry</td></tr></tbody></table>We boarded the ferry for a 1.5 hour uneventful crossing from Spain to the ferry port in Morocco called Tangier Med. It’s a huge modern port and was very busy, even for a Sunday morning. More passport controls on the ferry and one last stamp before leaving the port and we were on our way.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJi8Zr3c1OdxcKL7zgZaG23WgYcAH70BVumdphqGPPIPjaWk0GHsHT3wKoJih8fyNZeGWi1Er619UidTLWsA_a11bp_6PKrsHl0ShoDJxmgxLpCbpp1NrP_gm4f_s37ekkzKTO0Vv418SE47Dd2VbSnnOYNTRZiWPKjZ_uIiwq2RlouQemCRAGcuHFgQ/s4032/IMG_3567.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJi8Zr3c1OdxcKL7zgZaG23WgYcAH70BVumdphqGPPIPjaWk0GHsHT3wKoJih8fyNZeGWi1Er619UidTLWsA_a11bp_6PKrsHl0ShoDJxmgxLpCbpp1NrP_gm4f_s37ekkzKTO0Vv418SE47Dd2VbSnnOYNTRZiWPKjZ_uIiwq2RlouQemCRAGcuHFgQ/s320/IMG_3567.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tangier Med near the port</td></tr></tbody></table>Rolling out of the brand-new port into the town of Tangier Med was quite the study in contrast! Run-down buildings and vehicles, lots of men loitering about, many cat-calling to the women on bikes, and heavy traffic did not make a good first impression of Morocco!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIupaiNBnOm1vaq4Nll45EHuVXdRfPlj9rF_kZWgdavxje5Usjqm1Qk8cSS2NRmP2dJ94IPhqElSX5Q3vRsex6wYlHE-ygLB_UC2zSdT4SavKS3RMe3cOmlnuuLcbIgOVGgPZVqzGYHdOQUN2Z3vPNlR3I0GwVTy2_Ed2rSGrvQ8n-_FT57eCix4P8uk/s4032/IMG_3572.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGIupaiNBnOm1vaq4Nll45EHuVXdRfPlj9rF_kZWgdavxje5Usjqm1Qk8cSS2NRmP2dJ94IPhqElSX5Q3vRsex6wYlHE-ygLB_UC2zSdT4SavKS3RMe3cOmlnuuLcbIgOVGgPZVqzGYHdOQUN2Z3vPNlR3I0GwVTy2_Ed2rSGrvQ8n-_FT57eCix4P8uk/s320/IMG_3572.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water stop at a small roadside shop</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPHPG-ecZbDgfymYwGHIswNJn-WtNFhMoIiZXhl992WfIMZEgKpexfbUutNO9Vy4MM8e8J3SBuFIpbaApMx0ljvIl1ykSdPrgDXOL_NBoKWdJ5cB0V7noeUKyWVRaaGnhMnXYSzuF02lw9TolrI-0vDuZut4HmfpSY7g6xGYE1cJ-MMbhEJf2PSVVMHs/s4032/IMG_3587.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPHPG-ecZbDgfymYwGHIswNJn-WtNFhMoIiZXhl992WfIMZEgKpexfbUutNO9Vy4MM8e8J3SBuFIpbaApMx0ljvIl1ykSdPrgDXOL_NBoKWdJ5cB0V7noeUKyWVRaaGnhMnXYSzuF02lw9TolrI-0vDuZut4HmfpSY7g6xGYE1cJ-MMbhEJf2PSVVMHs/s320/IMG_3587.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views in the countryside.</td></tr></tbody></table>Once we left Tangier Med and hit the countryside, the views improved and suddenly the locals were friendly and honking their horns and cheering as we rode on. In fact, one family with a young son must have passed us three times, leaning out the window and cheering us on. On the last long climb, we saw a shady spot half-way up and decided to take a break in the shade. The family was there in their car. They had purchased big water bottles and insisted they fill our bottles. Quite a difference from our ‘welcome’ in Tangier Med!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRr944t12fcgj3-EaUvRMuNywJGzGsSWZXSWYJiCZ_8uXCH63NikHm_IupAgA8S4q2LbFf-xbYyHaAC9gedrRwfpX6kp6hwBMZbmdKiqWva5GFygJKESdYWUnXuVCuvQLSMqs2V2HIRxRu-fJ69tQwKE7RwDHyUHhDqZiAbEzKROCwEjTMqFIjc3LWbc/s3088/IMG_3601.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRr944t12fcgj3-EaUvRMuNywJGzGsSWZXSWYJiCZ_8uXCH63NikHm_IupAgA8S4q2LbFf-xbYyHaAC9gedrRwfpX6kp6hwBMZbmdKiqWva5GFygJKESdYWUnXuVCuvQLSMqs2V2HIRxRu-fJ69tQwKE7RwDHyUHhDqZiAbEzKROCwEjTMqFIjc3LWbc/s320/IMG_3601.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Immaculate streets of Tangier</td></tr></tbody></table>In what seemed like a blink of an eye, we entered the modern streets of Tangier. Wide boulevards and huge waterfront/beach parks went on for miles. We skipped the camel photos arranged by Santana and headed straight to the meeting point at the Hotel Continental.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6du3EGQ2vHWHOil6a9aQ5KYN5NS1Y2kDTwQzLP9VaABVEg_o6WuKVypB_G3ELRStimZZmQGy1yQ_YNQMVqKS7P31QZRriJL7JTGi_n-vxnDSgDzk5GIPWF1UExB50p5TCgejteR8N7L5MPCvrv-u4WBYAISrsbesjT_qTUjN_77FCmAZ1tFwJHATv35o/s4032/IMG_3604.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6du3EGQ2vHWHOil6a9aQ5KYN5NS1Y2kDTwQzLP9VaABVEg_o6WuKVypB_G3ELRStimZZmQGy1yQ_YNQMVqKS7P31QZRriJL7JTGi_n-vxnDSgDzk5GIPWF1UExB50p5TCgejteR8N7L5MPCvrv-u4WBYAISrsbesjT_qTUjN_77FCmAZ1tFwJHATv35o/s320/IMG_3604.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Hotel Continental</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw00mK7ibyNX27C1Co3a3NkKTXTIMJxBoh7rgx0ICJqeXjyuuQJs-G-ozT3T-jcpixopitEwzOav2ikTxspYW7vNmYs7pxm3FMNvIiqFQhAlfjK79C6UehUh1U7oRUJfB54Ve_-wIZejNuOoMzlFJ22Sm_QQIjiw-h8s3qxuxg5piMvpjKx76P_phqTNw/s4032/IMG_3607.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw00mK7ibyNX27C1Co3a3NkKTXTIMJxBoh7rgx0ICJqeXjyuuQJs-G-ozT3T-jcpixopitEwzOav2ikTxspYW7vNmYs7pxm3FMNvIiqFQhAlfjK79C6UehUh1U7oRUJfB54Ve_-wIZejNuOoMzlFJ22Sm_QQIjiw-h8s3qxuxg5piMvpjKx76P_phqTNw/s320/IMG_3607.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoyed lemonade, not beer to celebrate the ride!</td></tr></tbody></table>The plan was to take walking tours through the market, but with the long ride and heat, we were ready to call this a day and head back to the ship. One more passport control and we were back aboard for a midnight departure back to Spain.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-w0KcsFtTpvETebVGC-ymmd_wSftnvSBLmhKA3jXDG6-f5iOGh-o5zJ1NySoI7RUk1SBtVwlD_DqMYBmdbuUbs7iQy2xMLtJtfemNpOuYOULkBOU2QU_V69b4-QyHZBlKfUo2Taf4HEPJZmK3-trSlYupyZWVr3Ol2Vv4ieR68YW9slqUu9oATJz3Q4/s4032/IMG_3613.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-w0KcsFtTpvETebVGC-ymmd_wSftnvSBLmhKA3jXDG6-f5iOGh-o5zJ1NySoI7RUk1SBtVwlD_DqMYBmdbuUbs7iQy2xMLtJtfemNpOuYOULkBOU2QU_V69b4-QyHZBlKfUo2Taf4HEPJZmK3-trSlYupyZWVr3Ol2Vv4ieR68YW9slqUu9oATJz3Q4/s320/IMG_3613.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Tangier</td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;">Monday - Cadiz Spain</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd3QeNo1lOyUZLQoHp8DGhVpUZGJGPBZUJKFXpfVfatLyXNtuz-tagUxJxvZrAhOQzSx4EemBNiF7hHfrFRYasm9CcojdxFrXvgWA9TQj2-G9e5-B_eq5TXEiTqB252Rj_aWLtUkkcVlKJOkzJ4ihZT_sIB4WQXX74rf3rSEDg7jM6jw5l_OV7-Lmw_w/s3088/IMG_3621.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTd3QeNo1lOyUZLQoHp8DGhVpUZGJGPBZUJKFXpfVfatLyXNtuz-tagUxJxvZrAhOQzSx4EemBNiF7hHfrFRYasm9CcojdxFrXvgWA9TQj2-G9e5-B_eq5TXEiTqB252Rj_aWLtUkkcVlKJOkzJ4ihZT_sIB4WQXX74rf3rSEDg7jM6jw5l_OV7-Lmw_w/s320/IMG_3621.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just me today!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>There were several rides available today, and all the returns involved a ferry or a bus to return to Cadiz. Cadiz is located on the end of a long narrow spit and the only way is by train or freeway. Because there are no alternatives, cycling is allowed on that stretch of freeway. Debby was feeling the miles and heat from our Morocco adventure and took a rest day, so I elected to ride the A route to Jerez.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDVyPoqQx3OhsH_LvfMG9BvfgIi-8Ae2ebVDqiGqnd9GOi4HH3IknU9YLsbk1M6SMOtyEDJP6f0He3eReRZ6yJeLilegFY_QsfPlI2mJCvLloWEUI0nGeyIJVSxdonmFBWA6OC5cFsABVDaA3hP-FLXF4yJ1XOFu-L-34R9zXhfLjy7WY6OeZ6qcyua8/s4032/IMG_3622.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDVyPoqQx3OhsH_LvfMG9BvfgIi-8Ae2ebVDqiGqnd9GOi4HH3IknU9YLsbk1M6SMOtyEDJP6f0He3eReRZ6yJeLilegFY_QsfPlI2mJCvLloWEUI0nGeyIJVSxdonmFBWA6OC5cFsABVDaA3hP-FLXF4yJ1XOFu-L-34R9zXhfLjy7WY6OeZ6qcyua8/s320/IMG_3622.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaches clear in the early morning</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We picked our way along the beach where possible to avoid some the freeway outbound. Lots of turns and some dedicated bike lanes made for easy riding.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4H6XRLtWZv7eQAg8Zi4ZK-edRWWwCov7Kis2okynwdzmlVNZ-70THoMhOikjwBU9nixxi_blttO6n2to3hG4NVUO73fjVuyVu-DGXrW1eCcDjiP-b2BRLdVOBGpLHXLGCqywhezcLSxREiRrCEKwuN3VvBlYAq5Q6EZR-x2uoEWFeHJgPoshaceA3HU/s4032/IMG_3631.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4H6XRLtWZv7eQAg8Zi4ZK-edRWWwCov7Kis2okynwdzmlVNZ-70THoMhOikjwBU9nixxi_blttO6n2to3hG4NVUO73fjVuyVu-DGXrW1eCcDjiP-b2BRLdVOBGpLHXLGCqywhezcLSxREiRrCEKwuN3VvBlYAq5Q6EZR-x2uoEWFeHJgPoshaceA3HU/s320/IMG_3631.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest preserve</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Once in the country, and with the freeway behind us, the roads opened up through forests and farms.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-bCgwjZPQoGEqfIGHrqDMV8MlrnhaA3CYrMA_7ku_15W3TOZ9AbuGCJK74lHazpOTypxrEmvGzrNyfFkxEpdrucupwCOtyW3ELyNkYzu3xuGIUBn5D4A7tL8tbQbHXP56PJf_kyFSsneDEOS1JOYZgClTCe78KRY3vc1VudcDBoob3APA5UyWIEeU5Y/s4032/IMG_3635.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-bCgwjZPQoGEqfIGHrqDMV8MlrnhaA3CYrMA_7ku_15W3TOZ9AbuGCJK74lHazpOTypxrEmvGzrNyfFkxEpdrucupwCOtyW3ELyNkYzu3xuGIUBn5D4A7tL8tbQbHXP56PJf_kyFSsneDEOS1JOYZgClTCe78KRY3vc1VudcDBoob3APA5UyWIEeU5Y/s320/IMG_3635.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strange statue in Jerez</td></tr></tbody></table>I made it the 33 miles or so to Jerez and box lunches were waiting. So I grabbed a lunch and skipped horses the tour and decided to head back. To avoid waiting for the ferry, I decided to simply backtrack the A route to Cadiz. I figured I could be back at the ship before the ferry even left.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8dtemyRu3PJPHy2Zcjc8st94MQkfweYR3dR4W4ms-TpfhJSs_cyh0zSFfFlPJ6yfabMIxRQekzXfdVbrBH-0v0kztd8rm-qA2MatXGRND3EPk4_bRfdEa0Hb53napcdndRZ_ED6Rd-QW-mZVhQ8gqsvH0lX7vGf2L_UlvbLYfMs4zL33YnSCL8U3pts/s4032/IMG_3645.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8dtemyRu3PJPHy2Zcjc8st94MQkfweYR3dR4W4ms-TpfhJSs_cyh0zSFfFlPJ6yfabMIxRQekzXfdVbrBH-0v0kztd8rm-qA2MatXGRND3EPk4_bRfdEa0Hb53napcdndRZ_ED6Rd-QW-mZVhQ8gqsvH0lX7vGf2L_UlvbLYfMs4zL33YnSCL8U3pts/s320/IMG_3645.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide open roads</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8z9UscnkkKfHB99c_WYNERK6q1zDbo0pGJ20ZGw8MOS2uZqZW7pbj2ZiRDx6sw17Kz1y1m17bCQWjEPOaVg285PJVdOh5ugCdc-2z4eVwaupCpE4tfSLahtfP5E2TB2iBX_SIFgjve-4KNzbBjtITIqJaWKPE6f9ejs7RGgEHs2xqq4HLEe-CSfL8fA/s4032/IMG_3650.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio8z9UscnkkKfHB99c_WYNERK6q1zDbo0pGJ20ZGw8MOS2uZqZW7pbj2ZiRDx6sw17Kz1y1m17bCQWjEPOaVg285PJVdOh5ugCdc-2z4eVwaupCpE4tfSLahtfP5E2TB2iBX_SIFgjve-4KNzbBjtITIqJaWKPE6f9ejs7RGgEHs2xqq4HLEe-CSfL8fA/s320/IMG_3650.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little sugar helps the miles go down!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The riding was quiet, only a few trucks and the roads were good. My only issue was I backtracked on a service road that emptied onto the freeway in the wrong direction. I went another half-mile looking for an underpass, no luck. So I backtracked to an overpass, and rode the correct side of the freeway and added 5 bonus miles in the process!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuewVkXuzi6RofqNkqQiwGlLzt6dzCSLah-Okgpe1HwlhhxvKkAN5tTgulsnm4x7zmfh-qC81fLAIwdFaC8L_17iFvrHJSM1vQkS5gAcU1tw72nHpLdaK2gm0dloxHhKSrlU5hz6GH5M_oBWKNZuS-Idp5QldWH5IyZeAksa2dbWrOj054z4aMoUGdV4/s4032/IMG_3652.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuewVkXuzi6RofqNkqQiwGlLzt6dzCSLah-Okgpe1HwlhhxvKkAN5tTgulsnm4x7zmfh-qC81fLAIwdFaC8L_17iFvrHJSM1vQkS5gAcU1tw72nHpLdaK2gm0dloxHhKSrlU5hz6GH5M_oBWKNZuS-Idp5QldWH5IyZeAksa2dbWrOj054z4aMoUGdV4/s320/IMG_3652.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Freeway on the Cadiz spit</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Once on the freeway, I decided to take it all the way into town and skip the beach tours from the morning ride. I arrived back at the ship in time for lunch and a relaxing afternoon around the pool! The first ferry riders arrived about two hours after my return, so mission accomplished!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrR3-cYmB3xMD5Y1ppIWy6zHhw43eoHWO4JNXPLNMmYKbh0NGRNMWRPldMI6Uu0SeZx2MfQ1L2J0B1aKHT8ZR8Wo0E87_87fht-yVoM4-nTOgdl5ZLVnFzYzyewFWm8B-KHfa99aUrDDd9Rc-nXul0buuayNW1hMrmRhjpyahjqOzZYDQPBD4WaAm9-U/s4032/IMG_3655.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPrR3-cYmB3xMD5Y1ppIWy6zHhw43eoHWO4JNXPLNMmYKbh0NGRNMWRPldMI6Uu0SeZx2MfQ1L2J0B1aKHT8ZR8Wo0E87_87fht-yVoM4-nTOgdl5ZLVnFzYzyewFWm8B-KHfa99aUrDDd9Rc-nXul0buuayNW1hMrmRhjpyahjqOzZYDQPBD4WaAm9-U/s320/IMG_3655.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great dinner with Santana friends!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We finished the day in the outdoor section of the dining room with friends!</div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday - Portimao Portugal</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB7yMIEXFwrlH7J2pXY-xGfaquyEqr2PDN8R6e4qsgINa1O9a1efbCn_95ak8KyRv_BYAHstTwTE68MmwQYW2B2sY2Xtrh0LMTFhg07yZr9vz_f4YT2qu1hBdt9YhfUeO-clJd7kyHsyiP3nKerC9snUD4k9jeLV8yoeDO8mneKCgyi2I_SOckWaiVHM/s4032/IMG_3657.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB7yMIEXFwrlH7J2pXY-xGfaquyEqr2PDN8R6e4qsgINa1O9a1efbCn_95ak8KyRv_BYAHstTwTE68MmwQYW2B2sY2Xtrh0LMTFhg07yZr9vz_f4YT2qu1hBdt9YhfUeO-clJd7kyHsyiP3nKerC9snUD4k9jeLV8yoeDO8mneKCgyi2I_SOckWaiVHM/s320/IMG_3657.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes unloaded for the last time</td></tr></tbody></table>Our last, and only day of riding in Portugal was in the beach town of Portimao. There were rides on offer of 4, 31, 39, and 75 miles. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-MRz0KTYxj3Lhc0uMFuUov4sBIIMVRBVPVjPXJGcUM9EBFys6gBDYRqC5FGHmL62nuLqSFHO8ZpMiOc1YqvSfDrlOV76mNUEgbRvyHmizjwWvZQj6KgjpO5pNY1aLnizWJ8YtXSik9tpiFF0Ig5k8SqQ3xWT5YjAWhSOoDe2x63hFXYf1h08NSUIm0U/s3088/IMG_3660.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-MRz0KTYxj3Lhc0uMFuUov4sBIIMVRBVPVjPXJGcUM9EBFys6gBDYRqC5FGHmL62nuLqSFHO8ZpMiOc1YqvSfDrlOV76mNUEgbRvyHmizjwWvZQj6KgjpO5pNY1aLnizWJ8YtXSik9tpiFF0Ig5k8SqQ3xWT5YjAWhSOoDe2x63hFXYf1h08NSUIm0U/s320/IMG_3660.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning selfie</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lTdsv43jOVNMfhnWphtN_UJjr7trbqSfkv2HFKRW9OV1Uo3p2rvjdxS2vVqk-EVYGAicGtBIpQlWWgvLteaZqX0lxgSNcBc8h3pJO2cLscTn6JWXgctS1rpoqN36k0QMJMJFSbQjtMy_d4YrTWp5UMCZ_QuOTFylyChSaERs4pm9tMYqh5wgfKTCIfs/s4032/IMG_3663.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5lTdsv43jOVNMfhnWphtN_UJjr7trbqSfkv2HFKRW9OV1Uo3p2rvjdxS2vVqk-EVYGAicGtBIpQlWWgvLteaZqX0lxgSNcBc8h3pJO2cLscTn6JWXgctS1rpoqN36k0QMJMJFSbQjtMy_d4YrTWp5UMCZ_QuOTFylyChSaERs4pm9tMYqh5wgfKTCIfs/s320/IMG_3663.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boardwalk</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9dtP5zGBd8C9uEx5_L0m8pHCsGLjgeXrAxxFmLYreN6yHF09kL4bHParWlPK74T6r29jsXChWAd1alNlAdmPLXPY6z7qL6oSJPDKAr2lJhsmWVe2WfHdtnWqzGTDtjbynWd4URrZv6vOt3r8VIS0ZK1Lofslybr3erN9Palxz3Ev_O-otY0W_dCYcI0/s4032/IMG_3670.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9dtP5zGBd8C9uEx5_L0m8pHCsGLjgeXrAxxFmLYreN6yHF09kL4bHParWlPK74T6r29jsXChWAd1alNlAdmPLXPY6z7qL6oSJPDKAr2lJhsmWVe2WfHdtnWqzGTDtjbynWd4URrZv6vOt3r8VIS0ZK1Lofslybr3erN9Palxz3Ev_O-otY0W_dCYcI0/s320/IMG_3670.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach goers have not arrived</td></tr></tbody></table>The 4 mile boardwalk ride was highly recommended and we figured to do that one first, before the beach crowds arrived. It was a good strategy and another Santana couple had the same idea so we exchanged cameras for photos!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh984SqNLmq9yGulqVuaWdE8XQ8EWohGTbOKD11JlVODUwy00nEQIezhyrpasQbOOUUeC995vqHGYx2rOLzwIfpn5oAokij3xGJA8QaclFQVwaelNVjtDqdv4EIxKF5NSSgkqM5w8sqjuOakrk2uucciuFGYiTGbtb3QxDG8NXRo_1LI_J7n1NDhtW-3cM/s4032/IMG_3673.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh984SqNLmq9yGulqVuaWdE8XQ8EWohGTbOKD11JlVODUwy00nEQIezhyrpasQbOOUUeC995vqHGYx2rOLzwIfpn5oAokij3xGJA8QaclFQVwaelNVjtDqdv4EIxKF5NSSgkqM5w8sqjuOakrk2uucciuFGYiTGbtb3QxDG8NXRo_1LI_J7n1NDhtW-3cM/s320/IMG_3673.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning drinks!</td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled back toward the port to start the 31 mile route, but yours truly selected the inbound route instead of the outbound route by mistake. After too many (wrong way) one-way streets we figured out my mistake. We spotted a nearby beach and decided to check it out. We spent the next hour there enjoying the shade and drinks.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoDORKFySiBaFL2Ecb6FNLs1ZTFRQmwOWVs7LEN5Gk3bWAsVi56KNSl5YdpJg2MHOKb1v5H5dtKhIVsMCG6CAeCVmOzBknwgkX45UOEJtfnQSm934SZL13kU5XH9TDcp0zId7J2ahyrqhzqLXDgxVRIaOq_3VCZel8gNSNzeagMWgN-pod47mLG2zTrE/s4032/IMG_3676.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQoDORKFySiBaFL2Ecb6FNLs1ZTFRQmwOWVs7LEN5Gk3bWAsVi56KNSl5YdpJg2MHOKb1v5H5dtKhIVsMCG6CAeCVmOzBknwgkX45UOEJtfnQSm934SZL13kU5XH9TDcp0zId7J2ahyrqhzqLXDgxVRIaOq_3VCZel8gNSNzeagMWgN-pod47mLG2zTrE/s320/IMG_3676.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another cannon to lean the bike against!</td></tr></tbody></table>Instead of pressing on, we decided to head back to the ship and call it a day. Since it was the last day of riding, we would need to repack the bikes and our cabin for disembark tomorrow. I was able to find a nice spot in the shade at the port terminal, and using the bath towels we purchased for the camper weeks ago, was able to have a nice clean area to disassemble and pack the bikes. All packed, and as the undersides of the towels were now coated in seagull droppings and feathers, they went into trash!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SKoclAR_RAwacDB3L6zOG4dxBLkYvLfBgdVLdC54hlm4BbKcdJ3stigRSGYsMCIcJbmhXRlWZ-WTelHA-zOwge_510dye5OaKJgvNqCl1EFUr-uBlOchHJGDWwRGBdcF4n4I7-oV0gLkaHWpMK_UUq8fAwYivDRGCWsZt89XgNfZkvS92ZLC-aW__NQ/s4032/IMG_3678.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SKoclAR_RAwacDB3L6zOG4dxBLkYvLfBgdVLdC54hlm4BbKcdJ3stigRSGYsMCIcJbmhXRlWZ-WTelHA-zOwge_510dye5OaKJgvNqCl1EFUr-uBlOchHJGDWwRGBdcF4n4I7-oV0gLkaHWpMK_UUq8fAwYivDRGCWsZt89XgNfZkvS92ZLC-aW__NQ/s320/IMG_3678.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing out of Portimao</td></tr></tbody></table>We sailed for Lisbon at 4:30 pm and enjoyed great views of Portimao as we headed out. Another dinner in the outdoor section of the dining room, where we noted that we were using a busy shipping lane for our route to Lisbon. There were ferry’s and container ships in all directions either heading to or from our evenings destination.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday - Lisbon </h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABS6PdmD31hv4VfsbBMwfVUWdo0X1koENSf0rTGuQQEYTfJBaJeHBE9JPYL2JK7GZ-nXYlUKpQYbfAd-hlxiF0tOswWz0uhlGlzQJxQLlZ9dXUizv-TWa18AXxh_aCaXHXfNlcHNITLWB_DFM_ud7r7LFkr_CIRs8xUxEeNzlhL5qH7gbh050lrKhxDo/s4032/IMG_3698.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABS6PdmD31hv4VfsbBMwfVUWdo0X1koENSf0rTGuQQEYTfJBaJeHBE9JPYL2JK7GZ-nXYlUKpQYbfAd-hlxiF0tOswWz0uhlGlzQJxQLlZ9dXUizv-TWa18AXxh_aCaXHXfNlcHNITLWB_DFM_ud7r7LFkr_CIRs8xUxEeNzlhL5qH7gbh050lrKhxDo/s320/IMG_3698.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos, our cabbie and tour guide</td></tr></tbody></table>We had our last breakfast on the ship and headed out to the terminal to claim our luggage and grab a taxi. Carlos was next in line and he was able to fit all our bags (two large duffels and two bike cases) in his Hybrid Toyota! We gave him directions to the hotel, but he had a better offer. For 140 euros he would tour us around Lisbon, see ‘all the important sights’ and have us to our hotel by 1 pm. We dicided to give it a try; and it was a great decision!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNgrcx-jJ4hVA6a95U2Ymah2SYR4hWPTbqjYLxHZJF_QN6c3LyyzA7FWTarDUHzeOBUMK16tVz9oTeMFz0LPeA2oaRChSsMvUkJ-zRbQElZ65a1x6JVwA2UEwiA7tjdwwJ8wl4SNv91itmZLHpG7kOh61iKnyfvAG_OMflsxMlTIxxwxNlSU1GYA_G_Q/s4032/IMG_3687.HEIC"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZNgrcx-jJ4hVA6a95U2Ymah2SYR4hWPTbqjYLxHZJF_QN6c3LyyzA7FWTarDUHzeOBUMK16tVz9oTeMFz0LPeA2oaRChSsMvUkJ-zRbQElZ65a1x6JVwA2UEwiA7tjdwwJ8wl4SNv91itmZLHpG7kOh61iKnyfvAG_OMflsxMlTIxxwxNlSU1GYA_G_Q/s320/IMG_3687.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>First stop, Our Lady of the Mount overlook. Great views of the city in almost 360 degrees.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_WPw4IT4AK0FlvDKlkpHl-NpxaNsdZU9bM03HuVh7Y7uGgmlm2h1SXBTj9_c8v6BHUurathrxY3KBO5eewec89Eh3Xp-H2cKkcVKr99CQgWLgceKLuKvIC1NQUsV3qdXJMV_oGMQoix3lqqlsM5aHD9djWsi8L8gFwCsibO0sBNW7CFOULPZLqqlU08/s4032/IMG_3715.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio_WPw4IT4AK0FlvDKlkpHl-NpxaNsdZU9bM03HuVh7Y7uGgmlm2h1SXBTj9_c8v6BHUurathrxY3KBO5eewec89Eh3Xp-H2cKkcVKr99CQgWLgceKLuKvIC1NQUsV3qdXJMV_oGMQoix3lqqlsM5aHD9djWsi8L8gFwCsibO0sBNW7CFOULPZLqqlU08/s320/IMG_3715.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trolley car</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhGKzt1ohpUGSZdFCx-g-PEZJNkRYqOlbWbBDbj0Ns6vtw1uTLocVuUz_5mx-rdbT8aGoyqL_-xJL8RuXQ6CprD7mgtsBN_T137HDgf3aC5nT3wdsvyTJvLAjen1Eb2kVNSZtYk6LSX_oKW4-A86s35qmcxR7N6Q0_Y3MXnlMX5cbhwKzonZHQ1r3Im0/s4032/IMG_3726.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyhGKzt1ohpUGSZdFCx-g-PEZJNkRYqOlbWbBDbj0Ns6vtw1uTLocVuUz_5mx-rdbT8aGoyqL_-xJL8RuXQ6CprD7mgtsBN_T137HDgf3aC5nT3wdsvyTJvLAjen1Eb2kVNSZtYk6LSX_oKW4-A86s35qmcxR7N6Q0_Y3MXnlMX5cbhwKzonZHQ1r3Im0/s320/IMG_3726.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baptismal font at the Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table>We tried to get into the Monastery of Jeronimos but the lines were huge, and Carlos tried to get us in a side gate, but he could not convince the attendant to let us in. We had better luck at the Cathedral of Lisbon. Carlos worked his magic and got us in without having to buy a ticket and we were able to tour a portion of the Cathedral. We agreed with Rick Steve’s guidebook assessment that the outside is impressive, the inside not so much!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLob1oUB0p655hpC4-tqJ1JSnhu8fM9ep_Bi9TFUrqeFDcKf7NBvrT0jzpKBE2WxGURWl6GPUCpbgp4YoTtmM8DH1-8jps1e6BBkC7SwpmlX9jEcAgkP-bmeGq6KDDt-bQMerTTgzjWWlUmBCp5CnxSWFIN5BLaaFJawsjyuaJB_icCcxzdwIBjIi7DZE/s4032/IMG_3767.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLob1oUB0p655hpC4-tqJ1JSnhu8fM9ep_Bi9TFUrqeFDcKf7NBvrT0jzpKBE2WxGURWl6GPUCpbgp4YoTtmM8DH1-8jps1e6BBkC7SwpmlX9jEcAgkP-bmeGq6KDDt-bQMerTTgzjWWlUmBCp5CnxSWFIN5BLaaFJawsjyuaJB_icCcxzdwIBjIi7DZE/s320/IMG_3767.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Famous pastry</td></tr></tbody></table>Carlos again worked his magic at the Casa Pasteis de Belem, we skipped the line and he got us in and gave us a tour of the kitchen area before getting seated at a table right away. He even arranged with the waitress to give us the small espresso cup and saucer in the photo! ‘Just leave her a nice tip’ and we did!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m4ELHmFBRdQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="m4ELHmFBRdQ"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Making the pastry from the kitchen tour!</div><div>Back to the car, Carlos was always able to park in taxi stands, or double park while we toured each sight so we covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrFqgjn0STYjoCmz3O9CVfc53-CKemqQSPcD2YPe0JNl-39Vwp6nL31XvJLyo1or94vWKweBBwdezNNDEfN2bo1CIanjdV3ToIMZm7JEjdcX_1CPoJN9Fabf-09NuSI1ez1QNkPX_yiImO1_I0nAz7FlKFlUyo2VA2nLyQBUedXBmcNuUNAmzAQ8X-rM/s4032/IMG_3777.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrFqgjn0STYjoCmz3O9CVfc53-CKemqQSPcD2YPe0JNl-39Vwp6nL31XvJLyo1or94vWKweBBwdezNNDEfN2bo1CIanjdV3ToIMZm7JEjdcX_1CPoJN9Fabf-09NuSI1ez1QNkPX_yiImO1_I0nAz7FlKFlUyo2VA2nLyQBUedXBmcNuUNAmzAQ8X-rM/s320/IMG_3777.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belem tower</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkaK0Sa9rkJgSaJCvNnQBIdKnmfghJCHl6ojy9zPrcOxm_e5NlpUwhpMtWIbejzOzJueYSiUp_kRbQcDSqjBUqwFeE5IgX6FJo5Ph1pi3WYxMoKuA8dsGnfhJ8EXpRXuyLTJccUMDjgWbgyoJh5keF52CC9UsETulUwBFSCEhD1CJefwavNmnm-eTUQg/s4032/IMG_3778.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkaK0Sa9rkJgSaJCvNnQBIdKnmfghJCHl6ojy9zPrcOxm_e5NlpUwhpMtWIbejzOzJueYSiUp_kRbQcDSqjBUqwFeE5IgX6FJo5Ph1pi3WYxMoKuA8dsGnfhJ8EXpRXuyLTJccUMDjgWbgyoJh5keF52CC9UsETulUwBFSCEhD1CJefwavNmnm-eTUQg/s320/IMG_3778.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goldengate bridge’s sibling</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoG8qjDWIJ4NcCBK1h-5vwFC7TX2vf6SE59D07Tbsx-7q7ZkujURLoUhUeTHaeXL0CgoCKmtgduIODiTDI-Wk_-arMGO8Blb5Uu3KDrkI-qOdA2KLkJUVhXmLeEL06kDaQTaHqIBI-f_L_9xw64E7_ov67R8z08ded_v_eM4XpRj3pBV1kVQFigalsHBk/s4032/IMG_3783.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoG8qjDWIJ4NcCBK1h-5vwFC7TX2vf6SE59D07Tbsx-7q7ZkujURLoUhUeTHaeXL0CgoCKmtgduIODiTDI-Wk_-arMGO8Blb5Uu3KDrkI-qOdA2KLkJUVhXmLeEL06kDaQTaHqIBI-f_L_9xw64E7_ov67R8z08ded_v_eM4XpRj3pBV1kVQFigalsHBk/s320/IMG_3783.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument to the Discoveries</td></tr></tbody></table>Our next stops were the Belem tower, Monument to the Discoveries, and views of the 25th of April Bridge (same designer and time frame as the San Francisco Goldengate bridge. Here again he parked in restricted zones and either talked it up with a nearby policeman or food cart operator while we toured the sights. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOwvZBNQs7VnY5yarNvLroaRx7bPet7PwWLhdGyVn8b73kSGh6OuCusksT3GBZv_LF58_mNmRxkOGeZpj8XeUJMSZpwtXwdl221AgFdgENP_KLV3vV0ROmSv7U9nshVox0M4QYHBge7RU49O-DLDFMltwjlfmBjyL9PoyJgJDpmo15ybjYqanhQh7HwA/s4032/IMG_3791.HEIC"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTOwvZBNQs7VnY5yarNvLroaRx7bPet7PwWLhdGyVn8b73kSGh6OuCusksT3GBZv_LF58_mNmRxkOGeZpj8XeUJMSZpwtXwdl221AgFdgENP_KLV3vV0ROmSv7U9nshVox0M4QYHBge7RU49O-DLDFMltwjlfmBjyL9PoyJgJDpmo15ybjYqanhQh7HwA/s320/IMG_3791.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>We visited several churches along the way and popped inside to take a look<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEs-TgYiDEdQF_X2eHcKiBVd7tTyO1uhtkw11rZZ5IAnVfkJBRd6BlaT_-OReT15hMhPkMZItOcwcOLzvL_Kvd0br6zSSmX6H3NHMKeDsIWs0H1rMShhn_mU20zZvdy-BxqjslBrnsakj3cjp5L4lJedr-GpiGcAmuuLtmUAwyGQdksPcWauWASIhTOU/s4032/IMG_3795.HEIC"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEs-TgYiDEdQF_X2eHcKiBVd7tTyO1uhtkw11rZZ5IAnVfkJBRd6BlaT_-OReT15hMhPkMZItOcwcOLzvL_Kvd0br6zSSmX6H3NHMKeDsIWs0H1rMShhn_mU20zZvdy-BxqjslBrnsakj3cjp5L4lJedr-GpiGcAmuuLtmUAwyGQdksPcWauWASIhTOU/s320/IMG_3795.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>We covered many stops in Rick Steve’s walking tours, but didn’t have to take nearly as many steps!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxnuY2Uh3esP_jSVbzElLzHYyAsBCNH6vKgjI26R5cB0xN-nF5g7k9ZguD7MptDYydMNZe--maj3buLcZ0s7yPpEfIX29IebAgg_aDHusu8ndxtahv3Ww7SifBqSVoUTBTH6QZkEPXRQ8lzFWtPWVimtw55JTnSSy45mySGJLJWt4F7Pz4UcNFu2GAfw/s4032/IMG_3797.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghxnuY2Uh3esP_jSVbzElLzHYyAsBCNH6vKgjI26R5cB0xN-nF5g7k9ZguD7MptDYydMNZe--maj3buLcZ0s7yPpEfIX29IebAgg_aDHusu8ndxtahv3Ww7SifBqSVoUTBTH6QZkEPXRQ8lzFWtPWVimtw55JTnSSy45mySGJLJWt4F7Pz4UcNFu2GAfw/s320/IMG_3797.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">‘High School of Corruption’ (Parliament building)</td></tr></tbody></table>Carlos was not a fan of the current state of political affairs in Portugal and made that clear by his description of the Parliment Building!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLqq7AzttBVR8UZBrDuvA9XHcKnUh-rLqRRCFkrzqV6v-zwdilJabWKEtAWB8MpynF1yPQzK528Ba0laB7ubdGjlblF2rqnA7ZRSAl-DXVzb31HrJ-5sy8DhKNwuv6z-Zvy1ccI3PJZKTCkqEmapvJhkJWNMhChO6lSo8pFDBwvtmcjzLt8s0D6lavxE/s4032/IMG_3808.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLqq7AzttBVR8UZBrDuvA9XHcKnUh-rLqRRCFkrzqV6v-zwdilJabWKEtAWB8MpynF1yPQzK528Ba0laB7ubdGjlblF2rqnA7ZRSAl-DXVzb31HrJ-5sy8DhKNwuv6z-Zvy1ccI3PJZKTCkqEmapvJhkJWNMhChO6lSo8pFDBwvtmcjzLt8s0D6lavxE/s320/IMG_3808.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sao Roque church</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVLQv8Gbkk7UHOMwKAZMrrPzcBJGsEZCSr3SME8xmOwB091vPUI-JW_-lEUz3L6hlY3hivQmwca5bc-_o8Yhx-pvOvDz8g8bxR8rVI7hqzIARJJMY3jE_eY3so5QL-Bq1ILof5t1v_wcR3xo-amnmdTiubLzcKkPqR3gYXI_daMuwhzkmj4sMcfWAHXo/s4032/IMG_3812.HEIC"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVLQv8Gbkk7UHOMwKAZMrrPzcBJGsEZCSr3SME8xmOwB091vPUI-JW_-lEUz3L6hlY3hivQmwca5bc-_o8Yhx-pvOvDz8g8bxR8rVI7hqzIARJJMY3jE_eY3so5QL-Bq1ILof5t1v_wcR3xo-amnmdTiubLzcKkPqR3gYXI_daMuwhzkmj4sMcfWAHXo/s320/IMG_3812.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div>This statue in the square near the Sao Roque church is a lottery salesman we would later read about in Rick Steve’s guidebook. Apparently you are to buy a lottery ticket in a nearby kiosk and rub the bronze one he is holding for luck! We were already winners for our tour guide decision and didn’t need a ticket.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3JIylroQtxTIZ-HQUkNLg51H-81mTgJLLKdqOYX3LXUEBfNRUgySk1bXqM9b_2LegS5DfM57_xMobxhayUixiI5iX0e_MqdUX3QIQM37T438gObCUrvLG2G0FnkJPIW-i0_7srO9cT-64PBa7aG4DUigXjjZiApFVx8yj_TGdQ9GOPeBty9JITXwOd0/s4032/IMG_3821.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3JIylroQtxTIZ-HQUkNLg51H-81mTgJLLKdqOYX3LXUEBfNRUgySk1bXqM9b_2LegS5DfM57_xMobxhayUixiI5iX0e_MqdUX3QIQM37T438gObCUrvLG2G0FnkJPIW-i0_7srO9cT-64PBa7aG4DUigXjjZiApFVx8yj_TGdQ9GOPeBty9JITXwOd0/s320/IMG_3821.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div>Our last stop on our whirlwind tour was the grassy mall where the Pope recently held Mass on World Youth Day. Carlos dropped us off at our hotel at the agreed time and thanked him for a great speed tour of Lisbon and we wished each other well!</div><div><br /></div><div>Our room was not ready, but the hotel comped our lunch and drinks while we waited (nice to have Hilton Diamond status)! It gave us a chance to catch our breath from the morning tour!</div><div><br /></div><div>After settling in, and the sun began to set, we headed out for a walk and to look for a light dinner.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjst0BRYO_AADKKO8hc8Op_9tlMaS3b-5gygkgp2r9eXpT4EM3uKBp_CpN7iN6zbBF89ZueFwR5DysmVi_m8a8c4tJSFpOy6eduyGONDKAeWFjHrCZpUevPvb2Mot4-JErwY_bm3YLOD65-DUTcNgLWd6d6EfHHsq57_BFmXZwNp3H8L_KwiEWyAG3V4Tc/s4032/IMG_1033.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjst0BRYO_AADKKO8hc8Op_9tlMaS3b-5gygkgp2r9eXpT4EM3uKBp_CpN7iN6zbBF89ZueFwR5DysmVi_m8a8c4tJSFpOy6eduyGONDKAeWFjHrCZpUevPvb2Mot4-JErwY_bm3YLOD65-DUTcNgLWd6d6EfHHsq57_BFmXZwNp3H8L_KwiEWyAG3V4Tc/s320/IMG_1033.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris?</td></tr></tbody></table>This Metro entrance was fashioned like ones we have seen in Paris. This one was a one-off, others had different and more normal entrances.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xKRlbF8-uzgHU7rJIk1Be6VPW6pMv6XaPK8p1mUESnsTeFIk3UCYZxjrz3BlMRsuEnZ7AjC_eCV2acwtCssk42yMJuZ3aU5l2CuY24XnkPAR-7JGUt3klF3Ak70Scqda_O6v7aCliG94cDfLJgwyj9pLAfvXkO6AU30wUFqgKCvOqmW7yS8bWvsie_8/s4032/IMG_1038.HEIC"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xKRlbF8-uzgHU7rJIk1Be6VPW6pMv6XaPK8p1mUESnsTeFIk3UCYZxjrz3BlMRsuEnZ7AjC_eCV2acwtCssk42yMJuZ3aU5l2CuY24XnkPAR-7JGUt3klF3Ak70Scqda_O6v7aCliG94cDfLJgwyj9pLAfvXkO6AU30wUFqgKCvOqmW7yS8bWvsie_8/s320/IMG_1038.HEIC" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Nearly all the sidewalks in Lisbon are beautiful mosaic cobble stones!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TXf-Y_cTLomYmoD6w_ipc1mMwLFmlClC0Jdprfoni1mkNptDTPl0lHxUxSEIJpR8MxHNDNblcbOhAXTCys2iWGrNcPl98SS6NmYb3z-A_Q2fWQgCpl_W4sbAreARt6W1jXcBytttcEj7Nc7JvYgJYZkSdjXOa8g_OcFIh8wvq5EIaQSPoHsgJok_9Ww/s4032/IMG_1040.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TXf-Y_cTLomYmoD6w_ipc1mMwLFmlClC0Jdprfoni1mkNptDTPl0lHxUxSEIJpR8MxHNDNblcbOhAXTCys2iWGrNcPl98SS6NmYb3z-A_Q2fWQgCpl_W4sbAreARt6W1jXcBytttcEj7Nc7JvYgJYZkSdjXOa8g_OcFIh8wvq5EIaQSPoHsgJok_9Ww/s320/IMG_1040.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debby does a little shopping</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDSZha75Z27f5k-K3LMhX8F2ckcg4g3iIWIKUYqjHkO0H_mlceNi9K4OA978NPGB7N_c-axSyNF3t9d1p8Oaae9RUZuKZZcDRBT-qkaMjoI2oBoUx7jKBzbBzSOneYMv9ICaW2Mb56ooebHQStggotsrFSRL3bntqyFuumXkV3eONHXntn7UbOos0Kes/s4032/IMG_1041.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeDSZha75Z27f5k-K3LMhX8F2ckcg4g3iIWIKUYqjHkO0H_mlceNi9K4OA978NPGB7N_c-axSyNF3t9d1p8Oaae9RUZuKZZcDRBT-qkaMjoI2oBoUx7jKBzbBzSOneYMv9ICaW2Mb56ooebHQStggotsrFSRL3bntqyFuumXkV3eONHXntn7UbOos0Kes/s320/IMG_1041.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kit, if we rode a tandem!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzpOtLL52B4BAA7a-jIn_YgHfoTuXTZo0rx99WpAoYqDp97URavXeK_VYgBI4leO_nJSl1Zwno6KAdgCmL4SJzX26WmWqE2s0C6qdWAJcEL0IF2mpCsj8VpIv9-Bub5oq-45_QU6mjQUcaKl07MLTE7vgg1m5qhn0YXZlQxl8dkwLZnb30hgWJJ5nlgQ/s4032/IMG_1043.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzpOtLL52B4BAA7a-jIn_YgHfoTuXTZo0rx99WpAoYqDp97URavXeK_VYgBI4leO_nJSl1Zwno6KAdgCmL4SJzX26WmWqE2s0C6qdWAJcEL0IF2mpCsj8VpIv9-Bub5oq-45_QU6mjQUcaKl07MLTE7vgg1m5qhn0YXZlQxl8dkwLZnb30hgWJJ5nlgQ/s320/IMG_1043.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why not finish the trip with Portuguese hot dogs</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL3D-_aggfCiOVk7dwKanl5xVeEOqAXTlBFEDDihUauHnD-S0jA-zVnswy_ffM_O8nagm6TsFE-3rYP-_nLT79LJifM0DAwi_y9GAh9x9XjipwboSphjg5wAe3UBgTBD9LxFkEFaUvbrnb9laJZ-gXWhjVzZrLWHybyMFi_VQI8RUHaPyf3APf6lcy2c/s4032/IMG_3827.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNL3D-_aggfCiOVk7dwKanl5xVeEOqAXTlBFEDDihUauHnD-S0jA-zVnswy_ffM_O8nagm6TsFE-3rYP-_nLT79LJifM0DAwi_y9GAh9x9XjipwboSphjg5wAe3UBgTBD9LxFkEFaUvbrnb9laJZ-gXWhjVzZrLWHybyMFi_VQI8RUHaPyf3APf6lcy2c/s320/IMG_3827.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset in Lisbon</td></tr></tbody></table>We enjoyed our quick hit of Lisbon, and plan to return. The following morning we headed to the airport and started our journey home. We flew Air France to Paris, then non-stop to LAX. We would arrive after the last flight out to PHX on Southwest, so we planned on staying at the LAX Hilton and flying home on Friday morning. While it would have been great to get home Thursday night, it was nice to get a shower and some rest before heading back Friday morning. </div><div><br /></div><div>We arrived home Friday morning, with all our bags and Mark picked us up at the airport for the last leg of our month-long journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is Friday morning, one week later, and we both are finally over the last vestige of jet-lag. Time for a bike ride!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for following along, and we hope you enjoyed sharing our journey through France, Spain, Andorra, UK, Morocco, and Portugal!</div><div><br /></div><div>Steve Atkins</div><div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-660447559968192002023-08-25T02:48:00.012-07:002023-09-18T05:01:13.343-07:002023 La Vuelta Most Excellent Caravan Adventure<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tzKKBtE3oCjmWYPZ0TR5am_mc5uOKMqUqJ3CRmzZEsQXvAbYAbmZfownlBUZ-xzZjF7XmwARDXIxoYAbINiVBdW1tead1RrVpNNYhySFp35T716mtugvJu1ygqAfiX3De-CMJOk92ZP2uRI9KEvaueKh1q4dvJ_XI0qqdKGpoAplzmKAh8Z50TrT0Os/s4032/IMG_3249.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9tzKKBtE3oCjmWYPZ0TR5am_mc5uOKMqUqJ3CRmzZEsQXvAbYAbmZfownlBUZ-xzZjF7XmwARDXIxoYAbINiVBdW1tead1RrVpNNYhySFp35T716mtugvJu1ygqAfiX3De-CMJOk92ZP2uRI9KEvaueKh1q4dvJ_XI0qqdKGpoAplzmKAh8Z50TrT0Os/s320/IMG_3249.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caravan in the Barcelona Gothic Quarter</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">Trip Report</div><div style="text-align: left;">August 2023</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Friday</h4><p>Only hours after completing the 2023 PBP, Friday morning we took a cab to Paris Gar de Lyon for a fast train to Barcelona for the second phase of this year’s European adventure. It was a comfortable train and we arrived in Barcelona mid-afternoon. We booked a hotel that was literally above the Barcelona Sants train station that would be our home for the next two nights.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_p0YRW3WV1sOMGcQ6wAzDgwD5nDPzkdbxnN90UNUK0V6QLXjP-DreNHP8efiE7o_g13cpns_ghNDNiAJ59j8Rb5f002Wmh_2S5DbWLsKpfmiXvDOz6VjXNWNAH9Tt4zV6FfFS1NwA7NtroC-p4znPjyt6G7ZdPyuV43yQ8qKkQ6yJA67a1l189FH1_A/s4032/IMG_2974.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_p0YRW3WV1sOMGcQ6wAzDgwD5nDPzkdbxnN90UNUK0V6QLXjP-DreNHP8efiE7o_g13cpns_ghNDNiAJ59j8Rb5f002Wmh_2S5DbWLsKpfmiXvDOz6VjXNWNAH9Tt4zV6FfFS1NwA7NtroC-p4znPjyt6G7ZdPyuV43yQ8qKkQ6yJA67a1l189FH1_A/s320/IMG_2974.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Space age theme in the Hotel</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6gDw9hmR9YZLp9rPW0eBftieGt-u2zFNXQcuX1tWfvLi8zli9v_AXzK5gp0CKkKiwt4lmJANyiQ4vlGwMKfh2hMyeuri9vL4jYeoPxKFs--hK00CZEUHQCnFgWCwbUs3ByvMqW1YIuk6oOra1mv23o2nowRLzA6JkoFi5X-3FVffqsaWAjvNlBWA2GY/s4032/IMG_2969.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6gDw9hmR9YZLp9rPW0eBftieGt-u2zFNXQcuX1tWfvLi8zli9v_AXzK5gp0CKkKiwt4lmJANyiQ4vlGwMKfh2hMyeuri9vL4jYeoPxKFs--hK00CZEUHQCnFgWCwbUs3ByvMqW1YIuk6oOra1mv23o2nowRLzA6JkoFi5X-3FVffqsaWAjvNlBWA2GY/s320/IMG_2969.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Vuelta Headquarters</td></tr></tbody></table>The Barcelo Sants hotel was convenient and comfortable. It had a space age theme that seemed out of place, but we appreciated the large room (European standards) and convenient location. The first two stages of the La Vuelta bike race would pass nearby, and as it happened, it was also the hotel for the race officials!<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk2V1dVrSCeBLCjhBlwbKHZi8L0BBW7fhFu272pxJ7zFC116i32YNpQvyEKqjFcx67g1F9u4m7OZuPDd40oYdVx_Evnyy1VFv1HYfsQ_4On_zqnFsOfHpVWxgsPFABRg7IY5KCnEBuP_4S8ul35ceIp_QWjwdoXOqrLicPaU1ju0UXbuQ5kzRM9u0Vg8/s4032/71468078034__0D8DC3C6-D731-4C21-A9F7-F7B36E54E657.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk2V1dVrSCeBLCjhBlwbKHZi8L0BBW7fhFu272pxJ7zFC116i32YNpQvyEKqjFcx67g1F9u4m7OZuPDd40oYdVx_Evnyy1VFv1HYfsQ_4On_zqnFsOfHpVWxgsPFABRg7IY5KCnEBuP_4S8ul35ceIp_QWjwdoXOqrLicPaU1ju0UXbuQ5kzRM9u0Vg8/s320/71468078034__0D8DC3C6-D731-4C21-A9F7-F7B36E54E657.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gazpacho for dinner</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8Y_qUl69PxeMHOUwUNsnSibf723EynYg3q4VAJ6hqNTSsuqK-Z1ESJ85dgtLlVmghaziaGMgerdX7o_4_yKIGI6bhG1CS64O68RMjBdravFUqh9s3pF33zvs6xWI0dh3uTAQ1vbnRcaLDEr51gYvdwjx3K9Q3QVbPzvoj629miJFkNS4Yybnm-815yI/s4032/IMG_2971.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8Y_qUl69PxeMHOUwUNsnSibf723EynYg3q4VAJ6hqNTSsuqK-Z1ESJ85dgtLlVmghaziaGMgerdX7o_4_yKIGI6bhG1CS64O68RMjBdravFUqh9s3pF33zvs6xWI0dh3uTAQ1vbnRcaLDEr51gYvdwjx3K9Q3QVbPzvoj629miJFkNS4Yybnm-815yI/s320/IMG_2971.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We could have gotten the half size!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We checked in and waited for the sun to get a bit lower in the sky, it was 90+ degrees and quite uncomfortable! We were looking for a light meal and found a great little tapas place tucked into a nearby square. The Gazpacho and tapas were just what we needed to end our travel day, and we had some leftovers for the room.</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Saturday</h4><p>Stage 1 of La Vuelta was a short Team Time Trial (TTT) in the streets of Barcelona. When we were planning the trip, we found passes through Bike Spain to the VIP section at the finish line and scooped them up. The stage would not start until early evening, so we had the day to check out the area and figure out the subway system.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioy3AnDOGpz6USzf1RA-5gPKdZ0FctOSryapaRWIdG1YWXq0opsiTvwEP_CfIzQK8PXLASbpbB2k6IKGnxXgSYk360XHXWoy8U54ZuNQ0_t4BwB4Fy8OYpwjfAfw_Lwbj8cipSP6vntZwZiR96PVSDhrs4OHS3Itgi5go-sOycT-5tz88eObAaiYtZ_So/s4032/IMG_2979.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioy3AnDOGpz6USzf1RA-5gPKdZ0FctOSryapaRWIdG1YWXq0opsiTvwEP_CfIzQK8PXLASbpbB2k6IKGnxXgSYk360XHXWoy8U54ZuNQ0_t4BwB4Fy8OYpwjfAfw_Lwbj8cipSP6vntZwZiR96PVSDhrs4OHS3Itgi5go-sOycT-5tz88eObAaiYtZ_So/s320/IMG_2979.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final roundabout before the finish line</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjPYoqL8sKdym32cB0e_BTX7RL2Vr-v5SY8lY5aR54gVlawxv4akXhiTrAiLK8PQKmSwDX6NMqKu2WVIhaOdmcf9Wfnc3okJvQ2A_bqkfyO9B65jVE65UBQQhQZommDhjke7FA0co6CrLZtjPgQIpO0XL_TfE0WXqGBbQoYdRt6TAepq7x8i9wHwnQ4k/s4032/IMG_2978.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBjPYoqL8sKdym32cB0e_BTX7RL2Vr-v5SY8lY5aR54gVlawxv4akXhiTrAiLK8PQKmSwDX6NMqKu2WVIhaOdmcf9Wfnc3okJvQ2A_bqkfyO9B65jVE65UBQQhQZommDhjke7FA0co6CrLZtjPgQIpO0XL_TfE0WXqGBbQoYdRt6TAepq7x8i9wHwnQ4k/s320/IMG_2978.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Promotional banner near the finish</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7REuHTN1DydiuJBEowWHekyxKxfGrd_xLZzf6BrfAzDfVwjB-2wZUbLg3g5Lf2wq1A697-DYvpNmNcRgVJuYlPbDne_zIKuL3ErOHMveo5U75U9etas6Wbmkh-Kljiph1Nytce9elNygxmUk6dHPLjaUpeKeD6H0NK3owrSvs_f8242WzkNkhrAUuqNU/s4032/IMG_2981.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7REuHTN1DydiuJBEowWHekyxKxfGrd_xLZzf6BrfAzDfVwjB-2wZUbLg3g5Lf2wq1A697-DYvpNmNcRgVJuYlPbDne_zIKuL3ErOHMveo5U75U9etas6Wbmkh-Kljiph1Nytce9elNygxmUk6dHPLjaUpeKeD6H0NK3owrSvs_f8242WzkNkhrAUuqNU/s320/IMG_2981.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final 75 meters</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n3vrl5OXdINoJJpluCBI16kB1176PN1bCwTrPKsujc_B_0Nyd2UGkfXjftWr4DyuErkeRz1vF_wbR6qACrfuuUGGmiWrgBdhFBnFY5qiPnYfpJAY6BNdo8oOUrE9YN34PiAZTIUeKW3X6ItFrMkzRm5zkf7tAy4iyfDkNm6yp-v1NM6g63HhUdhkXcM/s4032/IMG_2989.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4n3vrl5OXdINoJJpluCBI16kB1176PN1bCwTrPKsujc_B_0Nyd2UGkfXjftWr4DyuErkeRz1vF_wbR6qACrfuuUGGmiWrgBdhFBnFY5qiPnYfpJAY6BNdo8oOUrE9YN34PiAZTIUeKW3X6ItFrMkzRm5zkf7tAy4iyfDkNm6yp-v1NM6g63HhUdhkXcM/s320/IMG_2989.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our VIP section at 75 meters to go! </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkXeDfess710pMgaiKkrSbJF-jOkIp-iehkk_-xc2Im3A2jkdUJQQnoVwGCJi8h8uPrydWipX8SD17-L-5S84WprgN4qKIAXGiQW_iSy8qy33nD0vFRnoXTiYWNBFc1KJEinQZnLUv3QXzcW4Ide4o7eiPLTLXcbVDUCorpznYO_DlCZOAibh4w65NCQ/s4032/IMG_2995.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwkXeDfess710pMgaiKkrSbJF-jOkIp-iehkk_-xc2Im3A2jkdUJQQnoVwGCJi8h8uPrydWipX8SD17-L-5S84WprgN4qKIAXGiQW_iSy8qy33nD0vFRnoXTiYWNBFc1KJEinQZnLUv3QXzcW4Ide4o7eiPLTLXcbVDUCorpznYO_DlCZOAibh4w65NCQ/s320/IMG_2995.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch on the big screen…</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECOaO-3gTdzryLV0GYHr_506sNpt_Z03xORh3Ve-YmHGySy7Ib01vd5grzXsowZ0XeKHjqq8S9LavVBJtmsIhCmbYstUooe1zt-eVFWJSykXsrzbawCTW7DhZn1cj9YBegZY3pIql1ClA5bz0BDIADNqvsrXSPXNQ-k8HOZC7mW94WAyUydak8FFPFy8/s4032/IMG_3003.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjECOaO-3gTdzryLV0GYHr_506sNpt_Z03xORh3Ve-YmHGySy7Ib01vd5grzXsowZ0XeKHjqq8S9LavVBJtmsIhCmbYstUooe1zt-eVFWJSykXsrzbawCTW7DhZn1cj9YBegZY3pIql1ClA5bz0BDIADNqvsrXSPXNQ-k8HOZC7mW94WAyUydak8FFPFy8/s320/IMG_3003.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">…or as they fly by toward the finish!</td></tr></tbody></table>It had been oppressively hot all day, and thunderstorms were predicted about the time the teams got started. We didn’t bother with umbrellas or rain gear because we actually were looking forward to getting wet and cooling off. Well it was more like a mountain storm and about an hour into the event it was pouring rain and windy and cold. We ditched the VIP area and hurried back to the room to watch the finish on TV!<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sunday</h4><div>We got up early and took an Uber to a local church that we found on the Mass Near Me app. Unfortunately the app data was old and it was closed and locked. We walked to another church and were able to get there, in the rain, just in time! We headed back to the hotel with a couple of cheap umbrellas, and pretty much soaked to the skin. Stage 2 would be a normal stage that started north of Barcelona, headed into the hills, and returned to Barcelona via Marotell. We took a late check out of the Barcelo Sants hotel and headed to Marotell via taxi to pick up our home for the next week, an Indie Campers euro caravan. We planned to follow La Vuelta into Andorra for two more stages and then head into the Pyrenees mountains for some riding and camping.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mh7YIobZF04S66gcF3wFpNzkRZ1ao8mu2fnAZC8WUTcP1yk9iSWWz_iLidB8HSG-kDLw7bRz_lSO7J6tRjEWfJqQbbqyoIVm8o-EgiNmpvYYdHmDhoUOZ-Q-3qOFU--vZIyCu1Kg9u3Uxo86ITeS1JWvpcA4yZqUHaSfybZ_XE1mW2CHYj4RzDojYe0/s4032/IMG_3005.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mh7YIobZF04S66gcF3wFpNzkRZ1ao8mu2fnAZC8WUTcP1yk9iSWWz_iLidB8HSG-kDLw7bRz_lSO7J6tRjEWfJqQbbqyoIVm8o-EgiNmpvYYdHmDhoUOZ-Q-3qOFU--vZIyCu1Kg9u3Uxo86ITeS1JWvpcA4yZqUHaSfybZ_XE1mW2CHYj4RzDojYe0/s320/IMG_3005.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route planning</td></tr></tbody></table>We picked up the camper, had the requisite orientation and training on operating the refrigerator, battery system and toilet. This was no US camper, there is no generator, minimal water supply, and a tiny bed, at least for the two of us! But is it would suit our needs, and best of all, Stage 2 would go right through the industrial park where we picked it up, only an hour or so later. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzqwSdaG0UnN7ycnQaB8-Bc0DtVkjQ3Tv_4N9rLd5A-YAJ1ow9t2uq8n8BYfwr8SpPQvwPnDNYxaltHEYfZdJ2rh5h80xWHIHOMNvsavleO9VIVZE8sgQWfSYHPrSpuYngmApoJ9nBr-TAwKjXyBt6FqtBU_-akbldl-jAFPhgr0PnBXoSt0rLNqKW5I/s4032/IMG_3007.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimzqwSdaG0UnN7ycnQaB8-Bc0DtVkjQ3Tv_4N9rLd5A-YAJ1ow9t2uq8n8BYfwr8SpPQvwPnDNYxaltHEYfZdJ2rh5h80xWHIHOMNvsavleO9VIVZE8sgQWfSYHPrSpuYngmApoJ9nBr-TAwKjXyBt6FqtBU_-akbldl-jAFPhgr0PnBXoSt0rLNqKW5I/s320/IMG_3007.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downhill roundabout, what could go wrong!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmBZuV68avxZIao8NPNJJnaY35UirmRI19kQ9zEdkTQkjR-HWsmKStpbCSKhJTWRvUEZwGshjkMeAU7mq5KpOO5_urf8qkfNvfug8BF7K700qs1c1eL9xhAsGT1FmfqMly5v0kP0-7b5ZOXwCsyevLqJ3NzRuElTAMJC4mX-i_qCAj7FRQ9_-sVvOiMI/s4032/IMG_3006.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmBZuV68avxZIao8NPNJJnaY35UirmRI19kQ9zEdkTQkjR-HWsmKStpbCSKhJTWRvUEZwGshjkMeAU7mq5KpOO5_urf8qkfNvfug8BF7K700qs1c1eL9xhAsGT1FmfqMly5v0kP0-7b5ZOXwCsyevLqJ3NzRuElTAMJC4mX-i_qCAj7FRQ9_-sVvOiMI/s320/IMG_3006.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It’s Sunday, McDonalds was the ONLY place open!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn5qxiAAlX-xf0_6--IzKx963nuyy9zXx0eJtGIPxOv1xZ9-HIt9qlFgZDfE_msD1OZe10DQyU782FfKJXU1zo2x5NBrIPNhiXP-QDUtAE0Q6Ann-uViLdqMWPVeMTVyjf_zn8hNSe2H4W4CRuF4RuA-ig6B2kQNTbM7XEyVadmSpbVoVnyVtZkPRFfw/s4032/IMG_3011.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn5qxiAAlX-xf0_6--IzKx963nuyy9zXx0eJtGIPxOv1xZ9-HIt9qlFgZDfE_msD1OZe10DQyU782FfKJXU1zo2x5NBrIPNhiXP-QDUtAE0Q6Ann-uViLdqMWPVeMTVyjf_zn8hNSe2H4W4CRuF4RuA-ig6B2kQNTbM7XEyVadmSpbVoVnyVtZkPRFfw/s320/IMG_3011.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The breakaway rolls through</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lVAQQUPKr94" width="320" youtube-src-id="lVAQQUPKr94"></iframe></div><br /><div>The main peloton flashed by a few minutes later! It took another 30 minutes or so for the remainder of the race vehicles to pass through and the police reopened the roads. We fired up the RV and headed north toward Andorra and some welcome cooler mountain temperatures.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73MlPyOBG_1X7r5ImQKGRqRspH9O389IkqdHq1yTVLQ7Vh6JMoGYFkU_xWGFc2102fH7czB80iTTwvyjUVtXyh1ykRQgV6OnwXSjsxqtggFdkwM4-rWM17KqOyoZchQyDvYVaWLCzhALpUJdZDGJiEJ6eafa9PMvuyuOnbWzZkO83xJAT_W-QYG4k7Gw/s4032/IMG_3039.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73MlPyOBG_1X7r5ImQKGRqRspH9O389IkqdHq1yTVLQ7Vh6JMoGYFkU_xWGFc2102fH7czB80iTTwvyjUVtXyh1ykRQgV6OnwXSjsxqtggFdkwM4-rWM17KqOyoZchQyDvYVaWLCzhALpUJdZDGJiEJ6eafa9PMvuyuOnbWzZkO83xJAT_W-QYG4k7Gw/s320/IMG_3039.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot dog stand open on Sunday!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Our plan was to get about 2/3rds of the way to Andorra and as evening rolled around, we started to look for restaurants. Most were closed, and the only ones that were going to open, would do so at 7pm! We were rolling through a small village and saw this hot dog and frites stand. We pulled a U turn in the rig and ordered some very tasty dogs and frites.</div><p>We spent our first night at a roadside pullout designed for caravans. Paved, level parking places and a toilet dump facility. We were tired and decided to give it a try. It worked great, but we were surprised by how low the cabin batteries were in the morning, we had only used minimal lights and the refrigerator ran on propane!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Monday</h4><div>We woke to the sound of other campers heading out. We had plenty of time and our propane refrigerator was not working. I was able to get an Indie Campers customer service rep on an internet chat and he provided a link to a video that provided a fix. To our surprise it worked on the first try! </div><div><br /></div><div>With a working fridge, we headed to Andorra to pick up groceries and supplies we needed for the camper. We had ordered the bedding, cooking, and BBQ kits; but there were many other things we would need. So Debby found a Target-like superstore outside of Andorra and we loaded up on groceries, paper towels, charcoal, lighter tabs, bath towels, and hangers (for the closet)!</div><div><br /></div><div>We had a little scare leaving the superstore, the RV started beeping, but no warning lights, and was losing power in the higher gears. It was a diesel 6 speed and I had not quite adjusted to the lower RPM shift points and think I was over-revving it. In any case we limped into the RV camp in Andorra (again steps away from the race route) and found a great spot.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was called Valira Camping and had power and water, great shower and wash facilities, a pool and jacuzzi. Our spot was shady and grassy on the edge of the camp and very quiet.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6zF0wqbj7kwmbZDbNgjNExB-pD5ZXdqkRn1nT20i42DxE-IWwhvw8YVlgagZBON1ov4y3Qu_RinQJ9iHlq_7PMlva6ACzIkKYAoxCskFjxm7uiAuWzM70IfC6d5g1IYCblW-VwvR8iKI8a16yO2mASZu4C6DrFgOHtL83QIgk-Z0TugCNMTFyVHKDN8/s4032/IMG_3055.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6zF0wqbj7kwmbZDbNgjNExB-pD5ZXdqkRn1nT20i42DxE-IWwhvw8YVlgagZBON1ov4y3Qu_RinQJ9iHlq_7PMlva6ACzIkKYAoxCskFjxm7uiAuWzM70IfC6d5g1IYCblW-VwvR8iKI8a16yO2mASZu4C6DrFgOHtL83QIgk-Z0TugCNMTFyVHKDN8/s320/IMG_3055.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Stage 3 breakaway</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/psh4nMtMyjA" width="320" youtube-src-id="psh4nMtMyjA"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stage 3 peloton </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcf0GHG6n5rOTkRAfTabiOf7SBIE6bAC3B7FBn0HCSnvLMBJ_Xaw9l75AEu5TtTWaGAYZs7b-QXlh-Ut8tdEeo9QxjfoGD-XY7iYGJltLqFFhvKflivCpMgxzkWXzrZqaFqXzTort5nxoo6gQ9Q4PuXzJdOqel-1mwmplPar9oqW4933J6_6hs3Y1SKw/s640/IMG_0959.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcf0GHG6n5rOTkRAfTabiOf7SBIE6bAC3B7FBn0HCSnvLMBJ_Xaw9l75AEu5TtTWaGAYZs7b-QXlh-Ut8tdEeo9QxjfoGD-XY7iYGJltLqFFhvKflivCpMgxzkWXzrZqaFqXzTort5nxoo6gQ9Q4PuXzJdOqel-1mwmplPar9oqW4933J6_6hs3Y1SKw/s320/IMG_0959.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">German sausage, Spanish beer!</td></tr></tbody></table>While we were cooking dinner, we decided to stay at this great campground another night. Instead of camping on the side of the road in the mountains to watch the next days stage, we would stay ‘plugged in’ and walk into town to watch the start of Stage 4.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmgLr-1frA-GGMudQ51w3_iTjUVG67Js40zHmtbQp0pvDpGSaeELF5q8_Y6uCdOBW9xUt783LiZXwe0epIwZ3zZNrqoqMlVsfh9Wm_WkYx__OW0p5iDplFVAsjefVi5JvD-zxSqWKDUDm713UGhLdKwN3K8sav6Ae8EEe8PcJ8UYfcVm9m5YoAyqef1g/s4032/IMG_3059.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivmgLr-1frA-GGMudQ51w3_iTjUVG67Js40zHmtbQp0pvDpGSaeELF5q8_Y6uCdOBW9xUt783LiZXwe0epIwZ3zZNrqoqMlVsfh9Wm_WkYx__OW0p5iDplFVAsjefVi5JvD-zxSqWKDUDm713UGhLdKwN3K8sav6Ae8EEe8PcJ8UYfcVm9m5YoAyqef1g/s320/IMG_3059.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first RV dinner!</td></tr></tbody></table>There was even a small market at the camp, and we picked up some really tasty spicy beans to add to our brat dinner.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday</h4><div>We got up early and headed into Andorra to find the race start and explore the town. We found a cafe and did some shopping before returning to the camp to relax until the race started in the late afternoon.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVeMHHK4IRoMIrL4CWPVioelNl8tE-IHymLK1Rx8Fi3DtZBa_rINDOoG05CVjlLIHy6j6nunfvUla8tgqBicFHhg94XXfwFijUolmM3QNOtghzRPQLJGa-ysHLvxT49A1_2t1AOn6PJl3ucmU7QTs7HH3fAWWWnfAKDQMIWRLWs3Lt_sCcYyqbvgr6Zk/s4032/IMG_3066.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVeMHHK4IRoMIrL4CWPVioelNl8tE-IHymLK1Rx8Fi3DtZBa_rINDOoG05CVjlLIHy6j6nunfvUla8tgqBicFHhg94XXfwFijUolmM3QNOtghzRPQLJGa-ysHLvxT49A1_2t1AOn6PJl3ucmU7QTs7HH3fAWWWnfAKDQMIWRLWs3Lt_sCcYyqbvgr6Zk/s320/IMG_3066.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Police traffic control moto’s ready for the stage</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg6pmQsxjBATdtjgs06k-bKyGRiZLoFY_u68TP0Ss0424cz1gKVFu-PpWDDHvnKPjuAzH2ggtioKS-AEaCvV3N9qYYVcOnViRZ_GyFrINdUl21kNo9QtHWiaQ0GZOCHtnpDSsojlLoTvf5zktnl2RKOoyawdHYPxZkgeJMbAH0ByfQpnQ3pqoPDscIvM/s4032/IMG_3076.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipg6pmQsxjBATdtjgs06k-bKyGRiZLoFY_u68TP0Ss0424cz1gKVFu-PpWDDHvnKPjuAzH2ggtioKS-AEaCvV3N9qYYVcOnViRZ_GyFrINdUl21kNo9QtHWiaQ0GZOCHtnpDSsojlLoTvf5zktnl2RKOoyawdHYPxZkgeJMbAH0ByfQpnQ3pqoPDscIvM/s320/IMG_3076.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Team introductions</td></tr></tbody></table>We headed back into town to the start area to hear some of the team introductions and watch the general chaos as all the teams, vehicles, and fans jammed into a very tight parking lot!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21K73DzusmH3IiT3mPiV33Opy1myLnNyuw__augiQXSyk9W2eWIC7xKukyiHVl30hpLQy-SlvmIOQftYBXgpXOb6h-9WcNPO6kM0lcdgTDNuzdD4W0FLs5hd2B_BsoAOkSkX9UnTZAML4pJWXBqfngc8xOpkgPsI3y3r_qDktmUVL8BY_4d07G27Yrjc/s4032/IMG_3082.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21K73DzusmH3IiT3mPiV33Opy1myLnNyuw__augiQXSyk9W2eWIC7xKukyiHVl30hpLQy-SlvmIOQftYBXgpXOb6h-9WcNPO6kM0lcdgTDNuzdD4W0FLs5hd2B_BsoAOkSkX9UnTZAML4pJWXBqfngc8xOpkgPsI3y3r_qDktmUVL8BY_4d07G27Yrjc/s320/IMG_3082.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race leader Remco Evenepoel</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We were able to catch a photo (telephoto) of race leader Remco Evenepoel, he won the prior stage but crashed just after the finish line due to some poor planning on the part of the organizers. He was giving the press an earful (we saw it later on race highlights via YouTube) about that and running the TTT in the dark during the downpour!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g0ZRPlyxb60HuECxxgXs2W-tqQQT0S78HNs-MPgqxbjF7p1-ruFmThYsUd3h_rtcHHDANeCuNhSOW-kP--qECt8LmXh0PhD9Wh8-dEZWdxL1ccgFP8PnC87myczSq3Dw7jpP3vx9ANKw9ucPon9gYfsUPv0Psv6o8VXGXDwezPUJP4cDjSKewnsYnw0/s4032/IMG_3098.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g0ZRPlyxb60HuECxxgXs2W-tqQQT0S78HNs-MPgqxbjF7p1-ruFmThYsUd3h_rtcHHDANeCuNhSOW-kP--qECt8LmXh0PhD9Wh8-dEZWdxL1ccgFP8PnC87myczSq3Dw7jpP3vx9ANKw9ucPon9gYfsUPv0Psv6o8VXGXDwezPUJP4cDjSKewnsYnw0/s320/IMG_3098.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race leaders roll out </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RnNeKkTQksY" width="320" youtube-src-id="RnNeKkTQksY"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Stage 4 rollout</div><div>We found a great spot to watch the start of the neutral section. The riders head through that section to warm up and get out of a congested start area before the real racing begins..</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RpmpRYoFk8ECA2YhBULJP-ZlQCEJGNY8a2SlNiwSd4paBAbprPEXRCYQOXQPv1mYJbv7mGi3JQ_ECj5iqhKdsn4OTUhBQ-dkkClUnavWmTwFJsSM9peWEPQhoUW97DHwpwPADtgDWXhoX_6sJWsFtHtPnzuqvE9Na3IJ2tIBaZSoE7zeXadq1nSdfc8/s3088/IMG_3107.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RpmpRYoFk8ECA2YhBULJP-ZlQCEJGNY8a2SlNiwSd4paBAbprPEXRCYQOXQPv1mYJbv7mGi3JQ_ECj5iqhKdsn4OTUhBQ-dkkClUnavWmTwFJsSM9peWEPQhoUW97DHwpwPADtgDWXhoX_6sJWsFtHtPnzuqvE9Na3IJ2tIBaZSoE7zeXadq1nSdfc8/s320/IMG_3107.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful stream flows through Andorra</td></tr></tbody></table><div>After the race passed through we headed back to camp to relax and plan the next couple of days and our excursion into the Pyrenees Mountains.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFjPif8AqPE3Q6NHbmei-QVn6y-2hu3n1_oSLHAEW_eDSExf2P6-N__ZWzwYK4jNXC2CILMZ2Ph5C0346vYkZqHQ3SfPXZHSYMT5eLWSKniGoKXzoFPeieVpc9ZvsBRQa9c0OdF5hA1xmEdzLt6MD-_o7oT-w0tQ-LJv6KRCwvGVN2k0rh6iNHeVw3PE/s4032/IMG_3108.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFjPif8AqPE3Q6NHbmei-QVn6y-2hu3n1_oSLHAEW_eDSExf2P6-N__ZWzwYK4jNXC2CILMZ2Ph5C0346vYkZqHQ3SfPXZHSYMT5eLWSKniGoKXzoFPeieVpc9ZvsBRQa9c0OdF5hA1xmEdzLt6MD-_o7oT-w0tQ-LJv6KRCwvGVN2k0rh6iNHeVw3PE/s320/IMG_3108.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for bike assembly</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Our neighbors had checked out so we had plenty of space to get out the bike boxes and assemble our bikes. We took them out for a very short shake-down ride of about 2-3 miles. Andorra is very hilling and it seemed like trying to ride a bike in downtown San Francisco!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAMRqlqodkd19hwgqJ34lKLsZlHmxylPklYTlLSeCkXI2KIvsVkiZVAql04Sclzm8Yhv82IOulXjsT2ZHAf25wmrfK63AUVwXbGhUz2p1gLmsIkjDVyHzcc8SJpNIzQ6AA-aADXraXw40EM6tMSKT6Wkvso4DFDlPTqRpGw0Q0HFyZLQhkYXi9yW10aY/s4032/IMG_3111.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAMRqlqodkd19hwgqJ34lKLsZlHmxylPklYTlLSeCkXI2KIvsVkiZVAql04Sclzm8Yhv82IOulXjsT2ZHAf25wmrfK63AUVwXbGhUz2p1gLmsIkjDVyHzcc8SJpNIzQ6AA-aADXraXw40EM6tMSKT6Wkvso4DFDlPTqRpGw0Q0HFyZLQhkYXi9yW10aY/s320/IMG_3111.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy steak dinner</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOnoHI95rxKHFHDdeXq158f3fwjEG4m_n-6yIGCQqYf3170ZflyNsYoy-lREjevZ0NnfjfxPOByVbweBKZp3SovdiQsC-QMeORbafHPyhG97uV9jBsrzgJ8L3j51AtR2hHdHcyyBYHeD3XOjEK1qTGjL5mRKGAzx3t1pN7eA-RqdKmY-JPIkXqlNspXk/s4032/IMG_3112.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOnoHI95rxKHFHDdeXq158f3fwjEG4m_n-6yIGCQqYf3170ZflyNsYoy-lREjevZ0NnfjfxPOByVbweBKZp3SovdiQsC-QMeORbafHPyhG97uV9jBsrzgJ8L3j51AtR2hHdHcyyBYHeD3XOjEK1qTGjL5mRKGAzx3t1pN7eA-RqdKmY-JPIkXqlNspXk/s320/IMG_3112.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were so nice, we had them twice!</td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XF8GVnCSieRQrj0UznchGRswpN1VHj5OdVegJ6YTFjupxt-cScWvKOHn-4Ia5KL0NUAW0OFQZOobo80sIv7i0D-tuhbpFEvnVt2y1AMD4yiUXyw2HklF1HcJkhGfUhpC0P5e_G4S9HXcJM2YgUpMKpQe8RyFwibpbKKFfYpnLe4JgdyMLyUG2AUb2Ek/s16348/IMG_3117.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="16348" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2XF8GVnCSieRQrj0UznchGRswpN1VHj5OdVegJ6YTFjupxt-cScWvKOHn-4Ia5KL0NUAW0OFQZOobo80sIv7i0D-tuhbpFEvnVt2y1AMD4yiUXyw2HklF1HcJkhGfUhpC0P5e_G4S9HXcJM2YgUpMKpQe8RyFwibpbKKFfYpnLe4JgdyMLyUG2AUb2Ek/s320/IMG_3117.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama view in the Pyrenees </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9oSdff4TylKkvatI6914-KrDcelwKENKdxACYNFfsiK0kVuB99aVp9HdeJthcB043kKfYJlCGD1GceWpqOI--PjZq4GqvmbQ-lTRFerQbrldXFLuVzX9pXHgeXMkquAcct37LJ8UwoApiOqGz-qEvg6hEVbgEqzQXtVkWPzh-qlz7poG127b3phuRLg/s3088/IMG_3115.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim9oSdff4TylKkvatI6914-KrDcelwKENKdxACYNFfsiK0kVuB99aVp9HdeJthcB043kKfYJlCGD1GceWpqOI--PjZq4GqvmbQ-lTRFerQbrldXFLuVzX9pXHgeXMkquAcct37LJ8UwoApiOqGz-qEvg6hEVbgEqzQXtVkWPzh-qlz7poG127b3phuRLg/s320/IMG_3115.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a blast</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatfusCJ8BtZpaB0LNbLfM-c-cQD-E8wqnlrmefxS8_ByET3iop_5qG8cbbhn4BAIj17_emZocJvkEMLO1qtsUkQWS9XoGWn7NQ4ZwWg-i21q-5NwRFZQctUVGpzSParbOF4edavg7MTrY3juthxSKeXDR5n3_wBe7ntQ5tMGjUxy3vPsOIT0h5aJ9K3I/s4032/IMG_3118.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatfusCJ8BtZpaB0LNbLfM-c-cQD-E8wqnlrmefxS8_ByET3iop_5qG8cbbhn4BAIj17_emZocJvkEMLO1qtsUkQWS9XoGWn7NQ4ZwWg-i21q-5NwRFZQctUVGpzSParbOF4edavg7MTrY3juthxSKeXDR5n3_wBe7ntQ5tMGjUxy3vPsOIT0h5aJ9K3I/s320/IMG_3118.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debby continues to rock the flannel</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm_08UiIi215l5WYcpilw1QWd78MLkW7sob9xqTkMcSKFNuuhO8No9trMqNfzhohfaezqdGlIeMLcvDcujajpJdH74jLTGL9H1NxBYhLE2NqM3tqCWHXbpLRWLCXileFakLjlSroHdWZTXd9uNuxxDOEi1p7wnSKVh24G-fuWAKl3w4Tx_KuZuK3w9H8/s4032/IMG_3119.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAm_08UiIi215l5WYcpilw1QWd78MLkW7sob9xqTkMcSKFNuuhO8No9trMqNfzhohfaezqdGlIeMLcvDcujajpJdH74jLTGL9H1NxBYhLE2NqM3tqCWHXbpLRWLCXileFakLjlSroHdWZTXd9uNuxxDOEi1p7wnSKVh24G-fuWAKl3w4Tx_KuZuK3w9H8/s320/IMG_3119.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee stop</td></tr></tbody></table>We checked out early and were very happy that the RV performed well in the mountains and we did not have a repeat of the power loss in Andorra. But, the road we selected was steep and required a lot of shifting, but with the diesel engine, our rig had no problems, after I got used to the lower shift points.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the top of a col we saw a restaurant and we were both ready for coffee so we stopped in for a break. There were a number of work trucks there and some linesman having lunch. Always a good sign! Two coffees for less than 3 euros, even better!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnNbfnaBAqiDkF47GdCTXv-TSp5-kp9dTnWbxRRsUeBnSsj8exHIOcJGrgydroIkmU1nNvVsi0bPWfs0ZY23P_WJ39K-B31hdOFqqDtZsZBmGkd9KwWu5cZgXrIseFImd-sH3xcI9QbE0cFw5bFmHLCQSYCDer9GzBAGcbQSnsfziQj_k81Gn1-Y3hSo/s4032/IMG_3125.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOnNbfnaBAqiDkF47GdCTXv-TSp5-kp9dTnWbxRRsUeBnSsj8exHIOcJGrgydroIkmU1nNvVsi0bPWfs0ZY23P_WJ39K-B31hdOFqqDtZsZBmGkd9KwWu5cZgXrIseFImd-sH3xcI9QbE0cFw5bFmHLCQSYCDer9GzBAGcbQSnsfziQj_k81Gn1-Y3hSo/s320/IMG_3125.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We camped along this river</td></tr></tbody></table>We found a municipal campground in the town of Arreau that had plenty of space. Nice, but not nearly as nice at the one in Andorra, but it was also about half the price. We walked into town to buy some groceries and headed back to camp. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZkbdxhPZl1kN7LaE21dFvMowqfsehdO48_VtaeIptk5A4ZKwOcOqB4-i3oENQC8MfAQ1DGGlyJQNmWatC-UAbehB4oXKV9GeN3JfAKfWMIrtPvTm9YCzrfmRarJ6H18jLTOw8SV1NUKKxfb65VlyM8O_iPm-ZT2LSJWAkFNww27HRPvkS7tDB39Hfis/s4032/IMG_3129.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZkbdxhPZl1kN7LaE21dFvMowqfsehdO48_VtaeIptk5A4ZKwOcOqB4-i3oENQC8MfAQ1DGGlyJQNmWatC-UAbehB4oXKV9GeN3JfAKfWMIrtPvTm9YCzrfmRarJ6H18jLTOw8SV1NUKKxfb65VlyM8O_iPm-ZT2LSJWAkFNww27HRPvkS7tDB39Hfis/s320/IMG_3129.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Col d’Aspin</td></tr></tbody></table>There was plenty of daylight left so I decided to tackle the Col d’Aspin climb before dinner. The base of the climb was only a few kilometers from our camp, so off I went.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vYBeYsBw4yxJqS9jPvkpcsKMLuOEjfsOPGt-L2OkdylXBTERsvzSeb2F8N2gup-IrGtAwLj3ULbWLZXIMoxp7yn-OyPEfI4WUd6RiFsvoV6kIn8wqSzdO-nE4sh1VeZZrXdtqvjcaM4fzBODG2kvThUGPg5WwNCLZ1phM5dgnxr3dvY_cKSn-5MkD_I/s4032/IMG_3130.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vYBeYsBw4yxJqS9jPvkpcsKMLuOEjfsOPGt-L2OkdylXBTERsvzSeb2F8N2gup-IrGtAwLj3ULbWLZXIMoxp7yn-OyPEfI4WUd6RiFsvoV6kIn8wqSzdO-nE4sh1VeZZrXdtqvjcaM4fzBODG2kvThUGPg5WwNCLZ1phM5dgnxr3dvY_cKSn-5MkD_I/s320/IMG_3130.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful views</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacpoxuzABIL52r6oEI3HH_BnpbPgLgCtSV5XX5rOt-c65CoTIxoSUO7iSTok1e_E4zOq3lJvaep1ad7ANWCP_KZCb5_vNTCvk9wEHwA5PctfyUacBojeyh-qpeaUpG8BjO3XVyJ0axaBL8mctheQNn4dhqw4-Uqhh4Rp7hTl09owlNjjD3AlD76-OLoc/s4032/IMG_3131.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacpoxuzABIL52r6oEI3HH_BnpbPgLgCtSV5XX5rOt-c65CoTIxoSUO7iSTok1e_E4zOq3lJvaep1ad7ANWCP_KZCb5_vNTCvk9wEHwA5PctfyUacBojeyh-qpeaUpG8BjO3XVyJ0axaBL8mctheQNn4dhqw4-Uqhh4Rp7hTl09owlNjjD3AlD76-OLoc/s320/IMG_3131.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handy progress signs each kilometer</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtmtNfGR3bVpNKyPXdJTP6WWkC_qB6CjsdMwarYR-skCpzemT4oYZw71PCBldLcmiM_ooOY-7fpJjKlTRQigDNHQ51MGIXbrkwltu2E2y3qBaX-1Nwz0y1yaHzAUEXRuvzxIBNH7rdXTkiR5Yiqn1wXZ142na3pQXtvJivjqCuBW9K81YZ8tR8GBd67I/s3088/IMG_3134.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtmtNfGR3bVpNKyPXdJTP6WWkC_qB6CjsdMwarYR-skCpzemT4oYZw71PCBldLcmiM_ooOY-7fpJjKlTRQigDNHQ51MGIXbrkwltu2E2y3qBaX-1Nwz0y1yaHzAUEXRuvzxIBNH7rdXTkiR5Yiqn1wXZ142na3pQXtvJivjqCuBW9K81YZ8tR8GBd67I/s320/IMG_3134.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done, in the wind and rain!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Like many days in the mountains the ride started with perfect weather. By the time I reached the Col a couple of hours later; rain, wind and cold was the order of the day. I dropped off the Col and found a spot sheltered from the wind and put on a base layer, rain jacket, and rain chaps for the wet descent back to town.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Po42DQ4yG7MGS7MX3e53n79k5AIQ2Tp1GEl70IMiM10-8HiAqS0hMcoGTlVhPUdBf6OpQMDimysPH2z-iBD15WPyWY-iFA7f9WC6RyPgfbbGMsXORaT8UZ2VwYTl7Q_s2f4LoUxW3MSiIMOMRCODg3xKxXJ633_LnmMhg7EyTk6yyP7yOgWBKQUVtZU/s4032/IMG_3139.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Po42DQ4yG7MGS7MX3e53n79k5AIQ2Tp1GEl70IMiM10-8HiAqS0hMcoGTlVhPUdBf6OpQMDimysPH2z-iBD15WPyWY-iFA7f9WC6RyPgfbbGMsXORaT8UZ2VwYTl7Q_s2f4LoUxW3MSiIMOMRCODg3xKxXJ633_LnmMhg7EyTk6yyP7yOgWBKQUVtZU/s320/IMG_3139.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb chops and ravioli</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Dinner was a team effort, Debby cooked the ravioli in the camper and I cooked the chops on our little grill outside. Happily the rain, cold, and wind did not follow me all the way down the mountain!</div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Thursday</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6st82JvythhXKcnJEMr2_QsQMxfkql_j55gkOSlU220_6eBgMXC93_Yq_gRb_iPG8TtyFgTtK-EWTuKXTzTiJm0OMkqtzQz5UjCiPfI2G4qvLF1mwuEFRAA9iGVRBgCnYh_5dobuw6vgDEItugjQN1yWGoBrqXezRhNrHvVnVMvCWpNr6zeNxTpmwBc/s4032/IMG_3142.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6st82JvythhXKcnJEMr2_QsQMxfkql_j55gkOSlU220_6eBgMXC93_Yq_gRb_iPG8TtyFgTtK-EWTuKXTzTiJm0OMkqtzQz5UjCiPfI2G4qvLF1mwuEFRAA9iGVRBgCnYh_5dobuw6vgDEItugjQN1yWGoBrqXezRhNrHvVnVMvCWpNr6zeNxTpmwBc/s320/IMG_3142.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic jam on Col d’Aspin</td></tr></tbody></table>With one of the two climbs complete, we broke camp and headed up the Col d’Aspin, much easier climbing in the RV, until we hit a traffic jam near the top. A cattleman was moving his herd up the road and all traffic was stopped!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnS0rZPIbgDetj7_zRLy8SDcRUe42Dp2wyMpEGicJqnT7wCax0ZTNxGKhOhzUmYk7wws7bS1aKSeJCLsb5DngjmFm1Xuh63KbXZi2CsagliGPh0RobsrXYQMrOcZU1sxSLcxiqTUafH-6kf_rshFTyc_St-vF4jQ0XTaewdhaM3KM83_bsVHR4Fs-nINQ/s4032/IMG_3148.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnS0rZPIbgDetj7_zRLy8SDcRUe42Dp2wyMpEGicJqnT7wCax0ZTNxGKhOhzUmYk7wws7bS1aKSeJCLsb5DngjmFm1Xuh63KbXZi2CsagliGPh0RobsrXYQMrOcZU1sxSLcxiqTUafH-6kf_rshFTyc_St-vF4jQ0XTaewdhaM3KM83_bsVHR4Fs-nINQ/s320/IMG_3148.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Base on the Col du Tourmalet</td></tr></tbody></table>We stopped at the pass to take a few photos then headed down to the base of the Tourmalet climb. This climb is longer at 17.1 km with an average grade of 7.3%, and would take a bit longer that the Col d’Aspin so we found a shady spot to park the RV and I got started.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvt9BWqpH5bV6S3qLjsiNxh5GiIpjdGkSvEFPzE3bqAiG9nCB_cwCuxtaSGJ09ybECbwwLpX_UYwfXTo23u13njbYN9o1JP46r7uZzhTWVR90eg-cWvDHcQ4hfInLXCm0gUvVQ9zMZcnMg4LLTxf_4BU_CAdaagRxnYRLWQMUI2sPUilUl2IhPLSx86U/s4032/IMG_3155.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvt9BWqpH5bV6S3qLjsiNxh5GiIpjdGkSvEFPzE3bqAiG9nCB_cwCuxtaSGJ09ybECbwwLpX_UYwfXTo23u13njbYN9o1JP46r7uZzhTWVR90eg-cWvDHcQ4hfInLXCm0gUvVQ9zMZcnMg4LLTxf_4BU_CAdaagRxnYRLWQMUI2sPUilUl2IhPLSx86U/s320/IMG_3155.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steady climbing, the steep sections are in the second half</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyBAqKQuvEzpAAszvnyVt5IiKJq5e2DSqqEjndqsSadKh5ScHfm3TF0bJ_gYL28ntaBwxk59229bZ4nGtcDuui9v5wwxhFuDDERWj-umx7ZMVRANGCzSeYmYZf9iOb9IXeu_B8i9Fg5X9OI-3-5aabUZPYmPgnefe4XPaJABfmWpmcJ3OYWSzuXRzCXg/s4032/IMG_3158.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTyBAqKQuvEzpAAszvnyVt5IiKJq5e2DSqqEjndqsSadKh5ScHfm3TF0bJ_gYL28ntaBwxk59229bZ4nGtcDuui9v5wwxhFuDDERWj-umx7ZMVRANGCzSeYmYZf9iOb9IXeu_B8i9Fg5X9OI-3-5aabUZPYmPgnefe4XPaJABfmWpmcJ3OYWSzuXRzCXg/s320/IMG_3158.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep enjoying the shade in an avalanche shelter</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ph-goSJ08NsOX9cqJmmwxGguT57q86X_jBiulGtYHCvGVt4AmGKCLqA994GQspQvNXlgHf5ghk9Jix_bUvneTL_yyhXVVStoelQNtomGpDynmKW_b-Bpg6Gm-x7GtqmVMUPRhcfzzkH1X1cbDGzNITDkLsFj-5Hamh1I71S-4wihAzrGVOirB7OQHNc/s4032/IMG_3161.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Ph-goSJ08NsOX9cqJmmwxGguT57q86X_jBiulGtYHCvGVt4AmGKCLqA994GQspQvNXlgHf5ghk9Jix_bUvneTL_yyhXVVStoelQNtomGpDynmKW_b-Bpg6Gm-x7GtqmVMUPRhcfzzkH1X1cbDGzNITDkLsFj-5Hamh1I71S-4wihAzrGVOirB7OQHNc/s320/IMG_3161.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About half-way up </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze6X281Wkp4gddsRSePskdmxAd7mg-3gzv53p276hJyWs9KXEcIOq5m4rv_VRdZHyVVNs5AD7zqs9pkAb6bDqKoP5zwHRiPQkdGQ3qDgRdJGxaqSJmXvoVqvk-Ptg3UD0ZkDU7TSq1AlAU5d7afX_6Jh7ITBmwmG9FO0I88kZaT1Ie4Pv10hCzTJA7ME/s3088/IMG_3167.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgze6X281Wkp4gddsRSePskdmxAd7mg-3gzv53p276hJyWs9KXEcIOq5m4rv_VRdZHyVVNs5AD7zqs9pkAb6bDqKoP5zwHRiPQkdGQ3qDgRdJGxaqSJmXvoVqvk-Ptg3UD0ZkDU7TSq1AlAU5d7afX_6Jh7ITBmwmG9FO0I88kZaT1Ie4Pv10hCzTJA7ME/s320/IMG_3167.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The summit</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi1WekRFwVxdDTxPkQva0eyCXTfzHP5JHF-3qPPBnEX14LWsL0ty0VKCnzQYywkymzYBsBYQk52xNucQmtD00VJUQnsN2zaqzLselMtckM0wIKTs4bIjvaMn4APLjNER9keCIWTZnDG_v-A5Znb3lyQk2VCdRq-XhaDwXS1HymxUQfUAbsPuEzHlCP70/s4032/IMG_3173.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSi1WekRFwVxdDTxPkQva0eyCXTfzHP5JHF-3qPPBnEX14LWsL0ty0VKCnzQYywkymzYBsBYQk52xNucQmtD00VJUQnsN2zaqzLselMtckM0wIKTs4bIjvaMn4APLjNER9keCIWTZnDG_v-A5Znb3lyQk2VCdRq-XhaDwXS1HymxUQfUAbsPuEzHlCP70/s320/IMG_3173.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just desserts!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6kwEIrvDQhKzha2HOWbRHvYNhBqgvf7ZBA7zZzAYl4lnFWYpmtaIs1TyoFkB1nzvy_tzCATsRlmQmguIg9Ga_e-mkl7aVOJDGIko6es17I5hco4NiAscquoa9Wss--YyKbGLUlYI0ySEwjxYP7-vv3SQU-NQbYiZy7fl6FpDcW4SLobKk5kcyJCTBLE/s4032/IMG_3175.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6kwEIrvDQhKzha2HOWbRHvYNhBqgvf7ZBA7zZzAYl4lnFWYpmtaIs1TyoFkB1nzvy_tzCATsRlmQmguIg9Ga_e-mkl7aVOJDGIko6es17I5hco4NiAscquoa9Wss--YyKbGLUlYI0ySEwjxYP7-vv3SQU-NQbYiZy7fl6FpDcW4SLobKk5kcyJCTBLE/s320/IMG_3175.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bar at the Col</td></tr></tbody></table>It took just over two hours to reach the summit and I headed to the bar for some refreshment. It was a lovely day and I enjoyed an Orange Fanta and a blueberry tart. I spend about 25 minutes at the summit then pointed my trusty steed back toward St. Marie-Claire and voila, I was back at the RV in less than 30 minutes!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke0U8BJgwHr09eqyJ7JoezdvRIZyTAwIw4zbYRMcT3E--40uZfBCiw05wXsFFsxdiJATNWSt0wYY0rVaEMjaqDaDKrK0oqhe0QwAErT_BbjjnPWMY52ROyAuew9o9XXtwn4um2KB3vpo7IQwcGXmLvRcsVkZjJFDVDwgjO0fAGx0pCdmVg5qtWdxE-sU/s4030/IMG_3179.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2108" data-original-width="4030" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke0U8BJgwHr09eqyJ7JoezdvRIZyTAwIw4zbYRMcT3E--40uZfBCiw05wXsFFsxdiJATNWSt0wYY0rVaEMjaqDaDKrK0oqhe0QwAErT_BbjjnPWMY52ROyAuew9o9XXtwn4um2KB3vpo7IQwcGXmLvRcsVkZjJFDVDwgjO0fAGx0pCdmVg5qtWdxE-sU/s320/IMG_3179.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chip seal goat track</td></tr></tbody></table>Getting back to the RV, we looked at the map and we determined that we didn’t need to backtrack all the way to Arreau via Col d’Aspin, but could instead go over the Hourquette d’Ancizan and rejoin the highway in a different way.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURQnClgJ9qnieXmxktRLbumJxG6KWASfBkSg8FLMmDJbQJAVlSSUZh-klhMAuVh0OwuXSPas8SwjJs22GZBgLL3I2wrn9mOJTRFdJYu_2_-oJd4u01opDixq5zrtL0r-3IkABa8K8gX8vxuVexiSOGUDbSKog4sgphXPpJoFKDk03rMYTKS8CM9CUgq8/s4032/IMG_3196.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURQnClgJ9qnieXmxktRLbumJxG6KWASfBkSg8FLMmDJbQJAVlSSUZh-klhMAuVh0OwuXSPas8SwjJs22GZBgLL3I2wrn9mOJTRFdJYu_2_-oJd4u01opDixq5zrtL0r-3IkABa8K8gX8vxuVexiSOGUDbSKog4sgphXPpJoFKDk03rMYTKS8CM9CUgq8/s320/IMG_3196.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Curious horses</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkTdpJNEg5rv19seGztala_VagXqPJFwN1wcaK7H0fV9eOYo1zanPZloUdE2fXvW-Pl7LmGhjP-_wnvvtFW_ChVMup8p4G4DtmF9HCUXeWHKaovLqPOdbXFtgrJ9gNphvPx9B_vryNlk7jYB5e4yDAmeJYwuw7jh68VW8WxpwfJxDHk3CgrqKK_aZp1M/s4032/IMG_3205.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkTdpJNEg5rv19seGztala_VagXqPJFwN1wcaK7H0fV9eOYo1zanPZloUdE2fXvW-Pl7LmGhjP-_wnvvtFW_ChVMup8p4G4DtmF9HCUXeWHKaovLqPOdbXFtgrJ9gNphvPx9B_vryNlk7jYB5e4yDAmeJYwuw7jh68VW8WxpwfJxDHk3CgrqKK_aZp1M/s320/IMG_3205.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hourquette d’Ancizan</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvA4ItscjZzAQIeuyB2CXbsMbKZar_MS2iBh_TUA4gyDZdfzWjXpjNwTdxgmhE8adwcusMIN6XSa3S1ufcobg8omZg4HtEPOnNpZuVyb1V_DtPb78oZQd-bKOoXjRzybf6CtuyMiMFOeplwrTgCPuaWAaVYiY2AbNdtV3Lusq5etJiPI0mtN3e6Ia-oo/s4032/IMG_3224.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzvA4ItscjZzAQIeuyB2CXbsMbKZar_MS2iBh_TUA4gyDZdfzWjXpjNwTdxgmhE8adwcusMIN6XSa3S1ufcobg8omZg4HtEPOnNpZuVyb1V_DtPb78oZQd-bKOoXjRzybf6CtuyMiMFOeplwrTgCPuaWAaVYiY2AbNdtV3Lusq5etJiPI0mtN3e6Ia-oo/s320/IMG_3224.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful views in the high French Pyrenees </td></tr></tbody></table>It was a great choice! The road was narrow and luckily there were only a few times we needed to pull part way off to allow oncoming traffic to get by. Rejoining the highway, we soon were stopped at a tunnel on the Spanish border for about 20 minutes, but then traffic cleared and we were back on our way and headed back into Spain. We stopped at a grocery and topped off the fuel for the RV and headed back toward Barcelona.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6mOjr-wxjV_YeEJepB3XC31dunhJ1uJnsq5yS8aG5VORup_HYvlrjMschQonzZe_qvMcoMgNmpe-_Q2eTqQGnz33G-03mKJKnghV1AdBSVbXV0ZrzArKG47FNoKPuYdM3sEeH6KuAVbtslMBSYTMUFIv9lwjaissXNgA3tY4UUg46ghi5-To_6ynQcA/s4032/71519458532__FFA50314-9B80-4565-8427-0C6BD2AC506A.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd6mOjr-wxjV_YeEJepB3XC31dunhJ1uJnsq5yS8aG5VORup_HYvlrjMschQonzZe_qvMcoMgNmpe-_Q2eTqQGnz33G-03mKJKnghV1AdBSVbXV0ZrzArKG47FNoKPuYdM3sEeH6KuAVbtslMBSYTMUFIv9lwjaissXNgA3tY4UUg46ghi5-To_6ynQcA/s320/71519458532__FFA50314-9B80-4565-8427-0C6BD2AC506A.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside camping</td></tr></tbody></table>It was nearing sunset and we noticed several RV’s pulled off the highway near a mountain stream. It looked flat and there was a place for our rig so we pulled in! We fired up the grill and cooked the only meat that was in stock at the grocery, brats!<div><br /></div><div>No worries it was a great day and wonderful spot to camp and finish our day!</div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Friday</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLCqioZ8zmOcVrXf13GlDRxu7vCaaKar2CW7xCf2FPftxpzND-fE4F_hGD1F0mmc6QIQ34jKv1CId5Yzlq6TZjvgb-sTp3m3A7R8kTUoPUcmPmrbaARYkZ0CAckvN0baIWPmcUPuf3KKhc7g3200SnVoxFwg8k3fqegoJLfk7EolQxBF8_5Yts5hGu8Q/s4032/IMG_3228.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLCqioZ8zmOcVrXf13GlDRxu7vCaaKar2CW7xCf2FPftxpzND-fE4F_hGD1F0mmc6QIQ34jKv1CId5Yzlq6TZjvgb-sTp3m3A7R8kTUoPUcmPmrbaARYkZ0CAckvN0baIWPmcUPuf3KKhc7g3200SnVoxFwg8k3fqegoJLfk7EolQxBF8_5Yts5hGu8Q/s320/IMG_3228.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">American Plus spot</td></tr></tbody></table>Debby booked us two nights at the Camp Barcelona campground about 30 miles from Barcelona. It was a 4 star campground and was clearly the nicest we had been to. We splurged for the ‘American Plus’ spot which included a nice wide area to relax outside the RV.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHitma6xWZMhaFPgtQCdo35Auq9LePMaSns9nh6uWUaeqvXUJIXRLw1dRVkVzaLUm0lZeKZh2PB0Iuw3zBGb86f-rjhQY3C-eXyimlW-Id7AxKDiFXpBGnQ6g6fPheTzQHcj6n1R58ZiOhQVxUHoBVaDqOWFx1qxgeC2DWk0UtXfU-TVxc88-KCIX-P0/s4032/IMG_3229.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIHitma6xWZMhaFPgtQCdo35Auq9LePMaSns9nh6uWUaeqvXUJIXRLw1dRVkVzaLUm0lZeKZh2PB0Iuw3zBGb86f-rjhQY3C-eXyimlW-Id7AxKDiFXpBGnQ6g6fPheTzQHcj6n1R58ZiOhQVxUHoBVaDqOWFx1qxgeC2DWk0UtXfU-TVxc88-KCIX-P0/s320/IMG_3229.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon snack</td></tr></tbody></table>We didn’t arrive until late afternoon and after several full days of riding and driving we were ready for a rest day and took full advantage!<h3 style="text-align: left;">Saturday</h3><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ymh9URGK6HL38F2Zp5dFPViyWHieuIIrWNlT66YO00o0JnZwzVvJYrywgd7y-ZRUe1a5o5vwmATM7pQOYQseJdKtHk7ZLunzVlGWaGXCH9o3RD9z2S6hQeZ32lqr436kTGyMOgFiI1sIIMrcVDIFzvr8_8ANIGEhj7Wo4t-XPxWqYAhhFpgdcOEXjz8/s4032/IMG_3232.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ymh9URGK6HL38F2Zp5dFPViyWHieuIIrWNlT66YO00o0JnZwzVvJYrywgd7y-ZRUe1a5o5vwmATM7pQOYQseJdKtHk7ZLunzVlGWaGXCH9o3RD9z2S6hQeZ32lqr436kTGyMOgFiI1sIIMrcVDIFzvr8_8ANIGEhj7Wo4t-XPxWqYAhhFpgdcOEXjz8/s320/IMG_3232.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Side chapel where Mass was held</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnlf-f_xIGr5PWfM8MH6zKII1RueT7XLO7fKW7BoLBbUv8lJ9dzbM7uEI8VgvIUjW5urKdhXXXPqtG7UxaZ_lIXeQQU9H1Hk2mvSiblI4ZDcle4-asdd66yy6OHf1-0VLBz2MJ4ZYpHSQqxooEXdZtiLsm_Gz4kOOoAFH6dwlEojdl7J2qzn4eMw2WQw/s4032/IMG_3234.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxnlf-f_xIGr5PWfM8MH6zKII1RueT7XLO7fKW7BoLBbUv8lJ9dzbM7uEI8VgvIUjW5urKdhXXXPqtG7UxaZ_lIXeQQU9H1Hk2mvSiblI4ZDcle4-asdd66yy6OHf1-0VLBz2MJ4ZYpHSQqxooEXdZtiLsm_Gz4kOOoAFH6dwlEojdl7J2qzn4eMw2WQw/s320/IMG_3234.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mataró Cathedral</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyasEUiQaZs1m9fNmWRWWlFW8ro2br6M9y_fejlrQVyml5a7cjoqc9X-xUok31mtbz6h8nAs6TWBzBpFYwQmqmtexUP-OfZJchfUjyP7hNgRiVUUcpTlcaBf1qDdCXPYQehRVKHF-IrjMa3pgiPU4jCEC2Y3wrjFFFs5SBIpSn5BnMij74XHAV0ZYX00M/s4032/IMG_3235.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyasEUiQaZs1m9fNmWRWWlFW8ro2br6M9y_fejlrQVyml5a7cjoqc9X-xUok31mtbz6h8nAs6TWBzBpFYwQmqmtexUP-OfZJchfUjyP7hNgRiVUUcpTlcaBf1qDdCXPYQehRVKHF-IrjMa3pgiPU4jCEC2Y3wrjFFFs5SBIpSn5BnMij74XHAV0ZYX00M/s320/IMG_3235.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organ balcony</td></tr></tbody></table>We rode into Mataró, only a few miles from the campground to find coffee and a Mass. Again we struck out at the first church, but finally found another just in time for Mass. Afterwards we relaxed in the square with a coffee, and the priest showed up a bit later and had one too!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hpkvJBG6Ss8X--bc_Bg3ytwScP0M5wNB1_XA6JIh3vUUy79NfS1pTaFt1vepfCvLYDi5ncb_Cwe-E9gsSh8jTptLjjLfyLBzdTM_7_rEs-Zbo-loJw_8-FVsw7Z7ylqo5PyYMz3UR_tCz5cLcWu7oStdgQ3nsGHqz5T4r0WHPKvzJ3YFOcPldZMQHv4/s4032/IMG_3242.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0hpkvJBG6Ss8X--bc_Bg3ytwScP0M5wNB1_XA6JIh3vUUy79NfS1pTaFt1vepfCvLYDi5ncb_Cwe-E9gsSh8jTptLjjLfyLBzdTM_7_rEs-Zbo-loJw_8-FVsw7Z7ylqo5PyYMz3UR_tCz5cLcWu7oStdgQ3nsGHqz5T4r0WHPKvzJ3YFOcPldZMQHv4/s320/IMG_3242.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mataró beach</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bmlP4KAGEBUEobB82wge-cPXMhL9K77bvfrVYh3x9FIo6fI9hB2TsiWCpI8JCw9Zz0zG1gC9hwjv2I61bM8WwZmgTI46EerIou-tOJ14R6sPqtyd4BQuz9NrBdQNKSp5773fwBvaBv5_tOLC1-ikEjyP-CERGuwy6xljpjCleEIG5hZArrR1QkC9u-0/s3088/IMG_3243.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bmlP4KAGEBUEobB82wge-cPXMhL9K77bvfrVYh3x9FIo6fI9hB2TsiWCpI8JCw9Zz0zG1gC9hwjv2I61bM8WwZmgTI46EerIou-tOJ14R6sPqtyd4BQuz9NrBdQNKSp5773fwBvaBv5_tOLC1-ikEjyP-CERGuwy6xljpjCleEIG5hZArrR1QkC9u-0/s320/IMG_3243.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to camp</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXVkliixToK9ekxd9OCAEBWB0VhrPh7vdBTnJvDKRQuk4dcBUWqcD51Q3pKXipJBMZiyzL8oOfLC4VG9eyUZYLKSSWOJG9qZ6m9l6VESUVspe__vKjaCVgbGusc6CP5WGRMgEnsYW_ekHazrnIBrpKj7AC7xp1Jzd7Vky3mjLDWTFbA0pieXGHM564pU/s4032/IMG_3246.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXVkliixToK9ekxd9OCAEBWB0VhrPh7vdBTnJvDKRQuk4dcBUWqcD51Q3pKXipJBMZiyzL8oOfLC4VG9eyUZYLKSSWOJG9qZ6m9l6VESUVspe__vKjaCVgbGusc6CP5WGRMgEnsYW_ekHazrnIBrpKj7AC7xp1Jzd7Vky3mjLDWTFbA0pieXGHM564pU/s320/IMG_3246.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry day!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We used the rest of the evening to catch up on laundry and get the rig cleaned up and organized. The pre-tour started on Sunday afternoon and we would need to drive the rig into Barcelona to drop Debby, the bags, and her bike off while I drove to Marotell to return the RV and ride back to the hotel. Sounds like an easy plan!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sunday</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeotdiPrdsu1-_XLB2h4KatXmaFQksKa3YOL6-2BzFXYpr2GOs_f8s9UcJmdGmoR1orhrg0S9ZeGPjOu9GV1lF84umRYCj8Ydv0e4-jjUP3Tsvk9EjkXrasU-M70ijqB5EZCwYGftCU4c7jyRV4FRUmYLmc3y1tn48sDYJf-msVn40qhuzM8rQJJhVD4/s4032/IMG_3249.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeotdiPrdsu1-_XLB2h4KatXmaFQksKa3YOL6-2BzFXYpr2GOs_f8s9UcJmdGmoR1orhrg0S9ZeGPjOu9GV1lF84umRYCj8Ydv0e4-jjUP3Tsvk9EjkXrasU-M70ijqB5EZCwYGftCU4c7jyRV4FRUmYLmc3y1tn48sDYJf-msVn40qhuzM8rQJJhVD4/s320/IMG_3249.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All going according to plan, that would change momentarily!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Santana Adventures keeps the pre-tour hotel name and location top secret until only a few days before arrival. This prevents guests from forwarding luggage or rushing the hotel early. Imagine our surprise when we found out the hotel was deep in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, a section with narrow restricted streets that our rig could barely fit through!</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, we could have put the bikes back in the boxes or taken a cab, but I would have none of that! We were sticking to the plan! </div><div><br /></div><div>So we got up early and arrived before 0600 when the streets were nearly empty, except for the red light district workers and partiers that were just ending their night on the nearby La Rambla. We drove into the Gothic Quarter to a park a block from the hotel, ran the bags to the hotel, turned around in the park and head out. All was going to plan, until a few moments after the photo above. As I retraced my route back, a traffic bollard had popped up after 0600 and I couldn’t get out that way!</div><div><br /></div><div>I called Debby for help as I backed the RV through the narrow street and turned around again and tried another route. Dead end! Once more in reverse and we try a third way. A young couple is making out on park bench, and Debby goes over and says ‘excuse us, we’re trapped, do you know a way out?’</div><div><br /></div><div>They were more than happy to help and guided us out. In fact they insisted on walking Debby back to the hotel, since during the late/early hours, that area gets quite rough. They were very kind and we were very grateful!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENPBTDBzTiqzZpDxCQCJZcJ-IaYMc_XQCwlI7dApyoZeoOrXXGKl5MBATmdw1qVFjBP7Pra7IiMB0vsGNg8cwN7GGMJpBeris6HsEFbeZhSbYNOdhvKDVIkupTyu3tXOsCwXQebgwfXiGD3G1kln4n15biX4RQJhmUaP1cDewwOQGpHV3E9HjXKNs4OM/s4032/IMG_3251.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENPBTDBzTiqzZpDxCQCJZcJ-IaYMc_XQCwlI7dApyoZeoOrXXGKl5MBATmdw1qVFjBP7Pra7IiMB0vsGNg8cwN7GGMJpBeris6HsEFbeZhSbYNOdhvKDVIkupTyu3tXOsCwXQebgwfXiGD3G1kln4n15biX4RQJhmUaP1cDewwOQGpHV3E9HjXKNs4OM/s320/IMG_3251.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ride to the Barcelona</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF8aDKk1e0VBsuo2k82L-yFIKWtcNi_RLw_h6dgpHH6nMhHOG610ma6vrGVcFb2JJ6YZhnRFO8yGy3eRryzB9CftewvK6fILmR6Cz9M654svUCRVpQe2Jd2HrLGwgG961s7bDFBtxNKoAbY94kihgBehueh99z8FKIcWNkVl3onGoVOGWg3TD2_O5qxQ/s4032/IMG_3254.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihF8aDKk1e0VBsuo2k82L-yFIKWtcNi_RLw_h6dgpHH6nMhHOG610ma6vrGVcFb2JJ6YZhnRFO8yGy3eRryzB9CftewvK6fILmR6Cz9M654svUCRVpQe2Jd2HrLGwgG961s7bDFBtxNKoAbY94kihgBehueh99z8FKIcWNkVl3onGoVOGWg3TD2_O5qxQ/s320/IMG_3254.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great bike paths</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXScoWC5bvT35adnCzOVWsVJR1yWy2BdFT8sU3s2y8U-btsa7Quy6eEJkQ0HB30hjiRMS6bPwDX60M9Eljqay8Y1H42imSPYDE8noGOaEowaMUvYU6YvRHD2J3HhGI3p-qpeCDzb9UlRXPU7Q_bphlNDLpHsdCzNhpXDcdk3o-8PyKFuBwHeTSsxoHyM/s4032/IMG_3257.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXScoWC5bvT35adnCzOVWsVJR1yWy2BdFT8sU3s2y8U-btsa7Quy6eEJkQ0HB30hjiRMS6bPwDX60M9Eljqay8Y1H42imSPYDE8noGOaEowaMUvYU6YvRHD2J3HhGI3p-qpeCDzb9UlRXPU7Q_bphlNDLpHsdCzNhpXDcdk3o-8PyKFuBwHeTSsxoHyM/s320/IMG_3257.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy riding</td></tr></tbody></table>After that exercise in the Gothic Quarter, the narrow two lane La Rambla seemed like a super highway! Traffic was still light and soon I was on a freeway to Marotell and dropped off the camper. They opened early and I was able to get it checked in and start my ride back to Barcelona. It was about 17 miles of city riding and the route suggested by Ride with GPS was excellent. Buy the time I got to the hotel, the room was ready and we were able to relax and laugh about the morning crisis! I dropped my bike off with the Santana Adventures team and we had the afternoon to wander around the La Rambla.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPAIFM-vvpT53n3Y1yDgN4uBIWoQmOuOKS5Ck-nLRmcs9yMzoH0LpkOMiAet6qrgGGDlIipU6sn9xeedClODIY85iDzIgCdkgfUqLpRWKNidO7sKB_0Q3NN1PFWIDu6Fy_4J4bQCE86igoqu-sSeq31GVV2ffbDcR85_XCFh-MsAOJWfD3uXfxLCyCIg/s4032/IMG_3259.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdPAIFM-vvpT53n3Y1yDgN4uBIWoQmOuOKS5Ck-nLRmcs9yMzoH0LpkOMiAet6qrgGGDlIipU6sn9xeedClODIY85iDzIgCdkgfUqLpRWKNidO7sKB_0Q3NN1PFWIDu6Fy_4J4bQCE86igoqu-sSeq31GVV2ffbDcR85_XCFh-MsAOJWfD3uXfxLCyCIg/s320/IMG_3259.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking La Rambla by day</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RNXsmliFYXNHHoe8IZUoSJovsRAlOzQaYAt1NovuEQglvbqhVjK1xowZx73NRVFWqHT4dn-ZeCF8sCMkLbf5dYArCwPfxQ7oYf3cWrQanj13pygxn1PS7mGUk2iOzDAsHjdGYEV-YOY4i4CnJtKPt45dQc1VrWHH93e-27N1n156cwxTlirlRnN1onQ/s4032/IMG_3264.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RNXsmliFYXNHHoe8IZUoSJovsRAlOzQaYAt1NovuEQglvbqhVjK1xowZx73NRVFWqHT4dn-ZeCF8sCMkLbf5dYArCwPfxQ7oYf3cWrQanj13pygxn1PS7mGUk2iOzDAsHjdGYEV-YOY4i4CnJtKPt45dQc1VrWHH93e-27N1n156cwxTlirlRnN1onQ/s320/IMG_3264.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guilty traffic bollard!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>We finished the day heading by city bus to the bike build area near the marina (ours were already built) for a welcome dinner and the start of the Santana Adventures Barcelona to Lisbon pre-tour activities. What a week!</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned!</div><div><br /></div><div>Steve Atkins</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-45059295199029404432023-08-20T10:30:00.003-07:002023-10-28T07:58:38.354-07:002023 Paris Brest Paris Randonneur<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz0ghAKeL7dj4AI7WdvBpDlD_lnh-3UVbIRqRy1uAVD77E25koSPkqP2C4usYdNDkCiVhUQOIMaOlWWPMfSMifsaPfOgO-nXTRLywqnL-3EEc-eZAcD7SlSHle_04dqCwNTkByVTEXh23V8Qr0SiYqbQG4aM3yx5jdB50d1jnZkGmG2ytlnGjjHPwvkE/s4032/IMG_2860.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiz0ghAKeL7dj4AI7WdvBpDlD_lnh-3UVbIRqRy1uAVD77E25koSPkqP2C4usYdNDkCiVhUQOIMaOlWWPMfSMifsaPfOgO-nXTRLywqnL-3EEc-eZAcD7SlSHle_04dqCwNTkByVTEXh23V8Qr0SiYqbQG4aM3yx5jdB50d1jnZkGmG2ytlnGjjHPwvkE/s320/IMG_2860.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French cows at Sunset</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">August 2023</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ride Report</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Paris Brest Paris Randonneur is the Super Bowl/Olympics of unsupported long-distance cycling sport. Held almost continuously every four years since 1891, this was the 20th PBP and my 5th start in this great event (see ride reports for <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2007/09/pbp-check-in.html" target="_blank">2007</a>, <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2011/09/paris-brest-paris-2011.html" target="_blank">2011</a>, <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2015/08/paris-brest-paris-2015.html" target="_blank">2015</a>, and <a href="http://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-paris-brest-paris.html" target="_blank">2019</a>).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In each of my previous PBP’s, I elected to start with the 84 hour time limit group that starts early Monday morning around 0500. This time I selected the 90 hour time limit group and started on Sunday evening at 1830. Grab a bidon and some pocket food and join me and 6800 of my closest friends from around the world as we take on PBP 2023!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Travel and check-in</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z9GSQhyHCc9IpY3Ggh3H8BZfQNRBmZBm5hOJKHJwiUJgR5e_EThdZOVvnLnC4uYcGTo_mbYc5zv0BP3Zd3Kxvnv17OhTegbMP8TunnBI4VxtE_UqTJpZgVuQBCgadQUkm4GK73RPU2HfnbgaBT4xrdu5k4b_vj47MHMi5viqPTOCpn3uHLDBv_qsUhE/s4032/IMG_2761.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Z9GSQhyHCc9IpY3Ggh3H8BZfQNRBmZBm5hOJKHJwiUJgR5e_EThdZOVvnLnC4uYcGTo_mbYc5zv0BP3Zd3Kxvnv17OhTegbMP8TunnBI4VxtE_UqTJpZgVuQBCgadQUkm4GK73RPU2HfnbgaBT4xrdu5k4b_vj47MHMi5viqPTOCpn3uHLDBv_qsUhE/s320/IMG_2761.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing in the LAX lounge</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Of all the travel nightmare horror stories, losing luggage on the way to an event is the worst. In addition, many of the European connection hubs are still experiencing delays, cancellations, and dreaded lost luggage. Because of board commitments, I couldn’t travel until Wednesday evening before the event. Not much time to recover from delays or lost luggage. So we found a non-stop flight from LAX to Paris that departed Thursday afternoon and arrived in Paris Friday morning. A short hop to LAX from Phoenix on Southwest Airlines Wednesday evening and overnight at the LAX airport Hilton and we were in business.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpXaoD6vDLOZnEpeDOc45Hkh3ZvOH0A0O1vcW1Nb1soi9otUDSCesU5LixAFJKhELF1BBlb7gTfASijre3vP8iJeFR6WvzkWIfwDDq3H9-nswY77A-y7FkbnbiE_FxLHdiDRt-DIpE0GyHqwM1Kt-HVCULNS0c41ow2TRFkSc6Gvv6WPOIwT72jrdxmc/s4032/IMG_2763.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpXaoD6vDLOZnEpeDOc45Hkh3ZvOH0A0O1vcW1Nb1soi9otUDSCesU5LixAFJKhELF1BBlb7gTfASijre3vP8iJeFR6WvzkWIfwDDq3H9-nswY77A-y7FkbnbiE_FxLHdiDRt-DIpE0GyHqwM1Kt-HVCULNS0c41ow2TRFkSc6Gvv6WPOIwT72jrdxmc/s320/IMG_2763.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the non-stop to Paris CDG airport</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Our Air France flight was lovely and we arrived on time and with all our luggage! We used UberX to take us to our apartment in Versailles. The plan was for Debby to stay in Versailles while I rode the PBP. It’s about 23 miles to the start from there, but there is train service. Our apartment was not ready, but we checked our luggage and set out on foot to explore the neighborhood and get some lunch.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-vWfklpQggR-h9U2KAk9oKmzvt_CBxVy9UJyZAJFhB7X1aSCN0vxF5ty9xIRk8yGTlyOcVhBddug-KB7emLfeWshAL3gxEJpr9fdipIeDIST2X1QfiJbCTewn-g9LZ3Dm4uGnp3kWXv-bKx_BEhXSwsBN3PGKlIYBZ_VLWrUcy1ULVWqc8cULBQ5nL0/s4032/IMG_2767.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq-vWfklpQggR-h9U2KAk9oKmzvt_CBxVy9UJyZAJFhB7X1aSCN0vxF5ty9xIRk8yGTlyOcVhBddug-KB7emLfeWshAL3gxEJpr9fdipIeDIST2X1QfiJbCTewn-g9LZ3Dm4uGnp3kWXv-bKx_BEhXSwsBN3PGKlIYBZ_VLWrUcy1ULVWqc8cULBQ5nL0/s320/IMG_2767.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our apartment building on the right</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSruwe8nKGHMnw8zxrLjfufnEdYkl8Bo5hROImojgNrDsy0HCZcDC42n6LsJVQxKa4iUfNdm3iBaPxdz7Bcr4UGHEJCl8je9gn4qtg5dRjyFRrVzRTQqwAO3AcD1dBeh-OfUgOqLl7NWaEngJXoWh3-wQiMpcAXDSN83waEGIrVngqReRWPKGMEsnILw/s4032/IMG_2766.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSruwe8nKGHMnw8zxrLjfufnEdYkl8Bo5hROImojgNrDsy0HCZcDC42n6LsJVQxKa4iUfNdm3iBaPxdz7Bcr4UGHEJCl8je9gn4qtg5dRjyFRrVzRTQqwAO3AcD1dBeh-OfUgOqLl7NWaEngJXoWh3-wQiMpcAXDSN83waEGIrVngqReRWPKGMEsnILw/s320/IMG_2766.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen/great room</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The room was ready in the early afternoon and I put the bike together as we settled into our room.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIRQf6ums4CFh34vAnAbQGZ8YO8zxQ4sli8vC1Ofw9cqaog2TyRpnUTab-NLBRglOPlz4T2BRyVJxSfZ-6cfh29w4NBt8AMaO6ydlYh4lWQe-DcJOKZjU1laINiKsnktlKm8JFh2jH6wng4FPC7v0nGP39FwiqNdzJI1-DvV0sUy_2xS5vnH1SuBEERY/s4032/71406826418__5E6C52DA-7B85-42CD-B9FC-C082AD13A2FB.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaIRQf6ums4CFh34vAnAbQGZ8YO8zxQ4sli8vC1Ofw9cqaog2TyRpnUTab-NLBRglOPlz4T2BRyVJxSfZ-6cfh29w4NBt8AMaO6ydlYh4lWQe-DcJOKZjU1laINiKsnktlKm8JFh2jH6wng4FPC7v0nGP39FwiqNdzJI1-DvV0sUy_2xS5vnH1SuBEERY/s320/71406826418__5E6C52DA-7B85-42CD-B9FC-C082AD13A2FB.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional pre-ride pizza!</td></tr></tbody></table>We headed back into town and enjoyed a great dinner at an outdoor cafe. <div><br /></div><div>Saturday I took the train (the station was minutes from the apartment) to Rambouillet to check in for the event and to leave my drop bag with the Randonneurs USA bag drop team. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuJCgIW0mvk2FrDY3ZNlvU2Ac6erRoSNh-tumis_LGtvYcITIcAIH_ndNeD5vU8VjNMN9deRL8o6eBriEEZelWXDhxlH1dZxuMQr4zmyQ28PZE-9jqfH1NVra58RZPwwEmlLsPm5Wcw8ig5zcxgxhb39qDLCzHc7hOvG6K3c_v5CiH6BaY5NarVxhles/s3996/IMG_2774.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2998" data-original-width="3996" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuJCgIW0mvk2FrDY3ZNlvU2Ac6erRoSNh-tumis_LGtvYcITIcAIH_ndNeD5vU8VjNMN9deRL8o6eBriEEZelWXDhxlH1dZxuMQr4zmyQ28PZE-9jqfH1NVra58RZPwwEmlLsPm5Wcw8ig5zcxgxhb39qDLCzHc7hOvG6K3c_v5CiH6BaY5NarVxhles/s320/IMG_2774.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenn and Rashid at check-in</td></tr></tbody></table>There was no ‘safety’ check this year during the check-in process so it was not necessary to bring the bike. But it was a few kilometers from the train station in Rambouillet and I figured the ride back to Versailles would be a good shake-down ride. Just arriving at the check-in, I bumped into Jenn and Rashid from Colorado, they had already checked in and were heading back to Versailles!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l-siKn_WEQqaOAcsJ5KqFNZ_u3AHywLrfwQtXIYf6gK3eHOtmtC4K8GCQfaX9wiL795PcejiZ8prDYZQFe8iSl71A1hzP3eXemnAEIUfUea08f3vvFcCOShVODqhADAaBowQ7hSa8qyc4568BbuTapctDte8cWHonSo6aRgwuc8hVNqFETdaWQ76BaU/s4032/IMG_2780.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4l-siKn_WEQqaOAcsJ5KqFNZ_u3AHywLrfwQtXIYf6gK3eHOtmtC4K8GCQfaX9wiL795PcejiZ8prDYZQFe8iSl71A1hzP3eXemnAEIUfUea08f3vvFcCOShVODqhADAaBowQ7hSa8qyc4568BbuTapctDte8cWHonSo6aRgwuc8hVNqFETdaWQ76BaU/s320/IMG_2780.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English speakers check in at the barn on the left</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIHPDsJs2tx0a0lykJNroWMVQ3rfkdOe8GPwXRwvYBAftMSuyp-dXehbrjVAJNGqaMIarDvS-_KeCgkY_5PB6sNfInRAdeKcDA186_B6jdbxcxiur63SkEdD5T8yb72utc3FvOIXQtmkNXoc9FJ1YpeYbDQ-rY4zcjIX7cs6aPhhK9e9Xlv4v4m7c00/s4032/IMG_2787.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIHPDsJs2tx0a0lykJNroWMVQ3rfkdOe8GPwXRwvYBAftMSuyp-dXehbrjVAJNGqaMIarDvS-_KeCgkY_5PB6sNfInRAdeKcDA186_B6jdbxcxiur63SkEdD5T8yb72utc3FvOIXQtmkNXoc9FJ1YpeYbDQ-rY4zcjIX7cs6aPhhK9e9Xlv4v4m7c00/s320/IMG_2787.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stopping for a Coke on the ride back to Versailles </td></tr></tbody></table><div>Check-in was easy, and my PBP Jersey fit perfectly! Soon I was on my way back to Versailles following an easy 23 mile route along quiet country roads. Getting back we wandered into town for dinner and to call it a day.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Sunday and Start</h4><div>We attended morning mass and found breakfast after in town and just relaxed for most of the day. I was starting in the K wave at 1830. There are so many riders, they start in waves of 500 every 15 minutes! I considered riding to the start to ‘warm up’ but knew I would be in several lines waiting for the start and safety check and the warm-up benefit would disappear before the start. So I took the train.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhcRsJ1U7BC91qBhfkEAyLFdDyEVMDBiYoK2DugZ47Ka5F_UCjq-5PDgvg1fJlEsdVBGpjlIFc_ts32xetFgt2OSAZHvN4qJA5R42266xKArFIRAaAlS2sTfnUleHXkBXESMkzriFkEATOkK-979-lFKdTXUTSfHPYb64bDDhcnJ1yw0cxZTBeODMHI8/s4032/IMG_2792.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhcRsJ1U7BC91qBhfkEAyLFdDyEVMDBiYoK2DugZ47Ka5F_UCjq-5PDgvg1fJlEsdVBGpjlIFc_ts32xetFgt2OSAZHvN4qJA5R42266xKArFIRAaAlS2sTfnUleHXkBXESMkzriFkEATOkK-979-lFKdTXUTSfHPYb64bDDhcnJ1yw0cxZTBeODMHI8/s320/IMG_2792.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riders packed in the train!</td></tr></tbody></table>Many other riders were also on their way to Rambouillet on the train, and we had to flip the bikes up on the rear wheels to fit on the train. Luckily, I was on the ‘express’ and it was non-stop to Rambouillet!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc3rsXX01cx_KxWFIvsue7EFxVTJnAwJYJwWu5OUbwV274G69LymYMCnhR3jGU_dGuAtnU6KrS-RbLih8768QilBLgngnL_cgW4ntyPSfVLrS6tRPT_HAWuH3FmBq0GcxLXMm1sngqGTjHczszEtd3MATZuh_R_3Xju_-BfpAPypOLK8PRQUf3xAb75c/s4032/IMG_2797.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTc3rsXX01cx_KxWFIvsue7EFxVTJnAwJYJwWu5OUbwV274G69LymYMCnhR3jGU_dGuAtnU6KrS-RbLih8768QilBLgngnL_cgW4ntyPSfVLrS6tRPT_HAWuH3FmBq0GcxLXMm1sngqGTjHczszEtd3MATZuh_R_3Xju_-BfpAPypOLK8PRQUf3xAb75c/s320/IMG_2797.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The K wave corral</td></tr></tbody></table>Arriving at the start area, the early waves were already leaving. I found a shaded grassy area near the ‘K’ wave corral and stretched out on the lawn. I wandered around the start area and found the Jenn, Rashid, Michael and Pascal from Colorado in the ‘J’ corral. They would start at 1815, in the wave before mine, and we would meet again several times over the next few days!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAP0MOcQ8H5xDvNhqtFR2ymd7Hy4-07hpB4aHVZHkZEJyamhiJ0uaDnhC6BJDck8SKBvavUQTNxaGuUY-IPclxKWLBqJbrM6jzQNSIZD33qj7fFB3Bu_H5a06ucZEA9mx0OjhxS6J0At9qWBDYziSkCB9-Pen9Pr-Rka8fRhxuJk0oSO3joenE5ICwIU/s3024/20230820_182730.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFAP0MOcQ8H5xDvNhqtFR2ymd7Hy4-07hpB4aHVZHkZEJyamhiJ0uaDnhC6BJDck8SKBvavUQTNxaGuUY-IPclxKWLBqJbrM6jzQNSIZD33qj7fFB3Bu_H5a06ucZEA9mx0OjhxS6J0At9qWBDYziSkCB9-Pen9Pr-Rka8fRhxuJk0oSO3joenE5ICwIU/s320/20230820_182730.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly</td></tr></tbody></table>Tom Altemus from Arizona was starting in the 84 hour group Monday morning and he was checking out the 90 hour starting groups and shot this picture as we were about to start!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D9eRDholdT7FGUEyAEP7A9S3FLAUWqRPCcsWOW-mvLlBi8DScZvFMUXOi34wqz8TJaAAgyW7U8EL9UrlN2N6hY3iqVpEMWMfN9QjWVk8UgYKfxeJMQCoOCy11X-r9B2HMlIMvaTQ8jMfsuHHqnu_DGa6izQ1sdzauGle_69fY7hIisgr8q4jFIvUCtU/s4032/IMG_2813.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0D9eRDholdT7FGUEyAEP7A9S3FLAUWqRPCcsWOW-mvLlBi8DScZvFMUXOi34wqz8TJaAAgyW7U8EL9UrlN2N6hY3iqVpEMWMfN9QjWVk8UgYKfxeJMQCoOCy11X-r9B2HMlIMvaTQ8jMfsuHHqnu_DGa6izQ1sdzauGle_69fY7hIisgr8q4jFIvUCtU/s320/IMG_2813.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the back of the K group, ready to start</td></tr></tbody></table>After completing the safety check we were put into the final start chute. We rolled out of the start area and soon were in open French countryside.<div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbPJ7mXjosNXdycDB05AzfOF8sFheZAIB1d0zrHUW1uign_Im4xSvc3B49UiLDUr3bFxBS-iJ4vKgZ3Rc1eaGgKIDdpLcfLihqmANWNqhoEsH6zY5XRb9DOjmZzTyB4zhp2Mhty2wSmo5b6I332nOspp9dE_rb7_aavVct9Fq7e4efBk1hVOO_aqBqw0/s3648/IMG_0352.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbPJ7mXjosNXdycDB05AzfOF8sFheZAIB1d0zrHUW1uign_Im4xSvc3B49UiLDUr3bFxBS-iJ4vKgZ3Rc1eaGgKIDdpLcfLihqmANWNqhoEsH6zY5XRb9DOjmZzTyB4zhp2Mhty2wSmo5b6I332nOspp9dE_rb7_aavVct9Fq7e4efBk1hVOO_aqBqw0/s320/IMG_0352.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">About an hour after the start</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQoEM4VKO1z5GhOHLOpqzksXwKshsjUdaq9N8Clu_lyCeFayVCOKEjfreq1Y-tduYFzy4Om4NxS_m_kY2FoHLHWaheWR2VaAKPDHi1jUEkNOpmquRnKeWLOSKPjCRQGOxKfVlBcZIgWBaCIp258IOuFHanUpiEyOi95TRF9meONhbPILRYU1ElC4tTxw/s4032/IMG_2816.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQoEM4VKO1z5GhOHLOpqzksXwKshsjUdaq9N8Clu_lyCeFayVCOKEjfreq1Y-tduYFzy4Om4NxS_m_kY2FoHLHWaheWR2VaAKPDHi1jUEkNOpmquRnKeWLOSKPjCRQGOxKfVlBcZIgWBaCIp258IOuFHanUpiEyOi95TRF9meONhbPILRYU1ElC4tTxw/s320/IMG_2816.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge pace lines</td></tr></tbody></table>With daylight time, sunset was not until nearly 9 pm. Pace lines were large and riding at a reasonable pace so I joined right in, thank you very much!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4SIz__mctqJdv0S09tCjmcMExXAXDJuvlp2o4TXHvLfi-Xmw_wTKtERFlDQJ9RzmECUILyv1-I4WNJoFoDmbB3IUVhJkkmm_LMkkUu9LRAVriLioRGmK1EEi_qfW_qihdQT2-y3t1HUf4sSSDCRFKRO-5t_vfePqpYHfZ0WGbMfqvwfjOtyI6IyjPSE/s4032/IMG_2819.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4SIz__mctqJdv0S09tCjmcMExXAXDJuvlp2o4TXHvLfi-Xmw_wTKtERFlDQJ9RzmECUILyv1-I4WNJoFoDmbB3IUVhJkkmm_LMkkUu9LRAVriLioRGmK1EEi_qfW_qihdQT2-y3t1HUf4sSSDCRFKRO-5t_vfePqpYHfZ0WGbMfqvwfjOtyI6IyjPSE/s320/IMG_2819.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Into the night!</td></tr></tbody></table>Pace lines continued into the night. Very easy to find the route, simply follow the long line of tail-lights! I don’t think I was on the front of any pace line for the whole way to the Mortagne control. Out bound it was not a required control stop, but well into the ride and I planned to stop there and get some food.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTQ3qTOSY-BYwxM5ZzzLHIFVeYRc9B6aQRajOH98T6ulMo-Pggko1tkAc82yxAIQk8BZgB8B2Vq3V62MsM2B1xllynIgCaNW07MCPxbNHy_u7aXrtV545DGDakGHs9Bs9SngrWdK5vSOV7B9vtL9DaO7Tbh4bqNaIOVI9knlnIO8LlrAKbibpXJpDw0c/s4032/IMG_0940.heic" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTQ3qTOSY-BYwxM5ZzzLHIFVeYRc9B6aQRajOH98T6ulMo-Pggko1tkAc82yxAIQk8BZgB8B2Vq3V62MsM2B1xllynIgCaNW07MCPxbNHy_u7aXrtV545DGDakGHs9Bs9SngrWdK5vSOV7B9vtL9DaO7Tbh4bqNaIOVI9knlnIO8LlrAKbibpXJpDw0c/s320/IMG_0940.heic" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Control times and ride plan</td></tr></tbody></table>I made this nifty control sheet, hid some columns, and got it to fit in a 3x5 card format. ‘Laminated’ it with packing tape and clipped it to my bars. It started to come loose, so I put it in my pocket. I think I lost it on the way to Mortagne when I put on my reflective gear! No problem Debby took a this picture of the copy I left with her and she texted it to me, problem solved! I also arrived a bit ahead of my 80 hour ride plan, so that was good!<div><br /></div><div>I had some dinner in the control and returned to my bike. I had left my gloves and hat on the aero bars when I went inside. When I returned my gloves and hat were gone! Kicking my self for leaving them out, and thinking someone had helped themselves (I have had lights disappear from the bike at controls at prior PBPs) to them. I returned to the control to buy some new ones. No gloves, but they had a neck gaitor that would work in a pinch so I bought that.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ready to go, a nearby rider pointed to my hat and gloves on the ground near his bike and asked if they were mine! They were, first late night mental error of the ride. I almost rode out without them!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCuZQum-IqvhhlJePNqVAVr7SA6Zu_043rMczKUJ3yTqQv6v-uj-_bQG3wd98h6G3nCByWDB4NUeJpItRefhhTPACBwR1GiofC1vfCkMoRig1xK_SvtG-XwidtuzpGqicmMUJoxJFxKv_agYE6zWtw_V4DCSWy_mwkXYFSb1wjuQu-8Fy5n0ogOie3sQ/s4032/IMG_2821.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCuZQum-IqvhhlJePNqVAVr7SA6Zu_043rMczKUJ3yTqQv6v-uj-_bQG3wd98h6G3nCByWDB4NUeJpItRefhhTPACBwR1GiofC1vfCkMoRig1xK_SvtG-XwidtuzpGqicmMUJoxJFxKv_agYE6zWtw_V4DCSWy_mwkXYFSb1wjuQu-8Fy5n0ogOie3sQ/s320/IMG_2821.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look who I found in Villaines</td></tr></tbody></table>The Villaines control is at 200 kilometers into the ride and I had planned on a sleep stop there. It was 0342 Monday morning when I ran into Pascal and Michael in the restaurant. They planned on taking a 1 hour sleep break. I was on schedule and could afford a 2 hour nap. So we shoveled in some food and headed to the dormirs to book cots.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Monday Morning</h4><div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcX9-hIHSL6R0WZ7kR-t0fAChIqI4y_SxKeeH7hlGTRrVtJQvIM86kF6rPS0TPEdR1bqZ4o6UhSUG-rRbgCTtrqozv4oKzTQerTZsaf44P1LIGZg14_hq8L9TyJiai6NlWRreuSImTtqSf33wD6htLwn0qq-T7PJoxhrL0wQ83QlayMur2uYXaDS92co/s4032/IMG_2823.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcX9-hIHSL6R0WZ7kR-t0fAChIqI4y_SxKeeH7hlGTRrVtJQvIM86kF6rPS0TPEdR1bqZ4o6UhSUG-rRbgCTtrqozv4oKzTQerTZsaf44P1LIGZg14_hq8L9TyJiai6NlWRreuSImTtqSf33wD6htLwn0qq-T7PJoxhrL0wQ83QlayMur2uYXaDS92co/s320/IMG_2823.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to the cafe through the bikes </td></tr></tbody></table></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45aIqKdCZR_on6K8IuVMsrDUepAE6kJhWFUT7CCgWIB0zjr2wq6P6sNdY7jS5hh8vC0U0rnCmO4PhaV2OmxpRZfRwaRVnzjbgDkRCa2IdQstc8eer99M6XEohV9fMNR0o48pBZVT0ANBl-2B7crndefTpB3eGgo-o7NKT4I075gTQdTXfAF_O8yk4fHU/s3088/IMG_2825.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45aIqKdCZR_on6K8IuVMsrDUepAE6kJhWFUT7CCgWIB0zjr2wq6P6sNdY7jS5hh8vC0U0rnCmO4PhaV2OmxpRZfRwaRVnzjbgDkRCa2IdQstc8eer99M6XEohV9fMNR0o48pBZVT0ANBl-2B7crndefTpB3eGgo-o7NKT4I075gTQdTXfAF_O8yk4fHU/s320/IMG_2825.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee and pastry to get going </td></tr></tbody></table>I got a solid 90 minutes of sleep and woke just before the attendant arrived to wake me up. It was 0620 and I grabbed another breakfast at the Villaines cafe before heading out. Still ahead of schedule I was feeling good. Although your may notice I had my reflective vest on inside-out. I did notice that before I got back on the bike and headed out with the all-important reflective tape facing out!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-HjU-u5UG-cR7aqqoEg30SSVfzI-RbX6nEE-3XnSm3Z6LchuZqpXS1HGkzn3-l02rLzBKwF2cZeBq1JVUFgl9yAoUuLQss6bhP6PZgiRqhHuxYdulJsvgHHvfWKt7ToCA23TjOhdNzhjrAVMq7tf9GRxCwaIQA8BP4YBQxiZQuskkJ4FRnwlxK5A37g/s3088/IMG_2826.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-HjU-u5UG-cR7aqqoEg30SSVfzI-RbX6nEE-3XnSm3Z6LchuZqpXS1HGkzn3-l02rLzBKwF2cZeBq1JVUFgl9yAoUuLQss6bhP6PZgiRqhHuxYdulJsvgHHvfWKt7ToCA23TjOhdNzhjrAVMq7tf9GRxCwaIQA8BP4YBQxiZQuskkJ4FRnwlxK5A37g/s320/IMG_2826.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading west at sunrise</td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled out of the control as the sun was rising and made good progress. By now the huge pace lines had dissipated and I rode mostly alone.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX0HD97tvrj1f0UFItNvDM4i3jFqLh0fGO-OxwF87h9HU9D0XpYJWcaLOEpZU0HZN3Ymi4OXACVtNBssOE9RYPg1n_6-V9ax5kkgBQxfwKj-OevwKzvTGUehgO0MLpCOqU25VvbVeMU0IWxcEHxw4Tg2yKp4mUv_Z1Z4UlQBPAulcCfgEjkS9mMZXSPA/s4032/IMG_2834.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieX0HD97tvrj1f0UFItNvDM4i3jFqLh0fGO-OxwF87h9HU9D0XpYJWcaLOEpZU0HZN3Ymi4OXACVtNBssOE9RYPg1n_6-V9ax5kkgBQxfwKj-OevwKzvTGUehgO0MLpCOqU25VvbVeMU0IWxcEHxw4Tg2yKp4mUv_Z1Z4UlQBPAulcCfgEjkS9mMZXSPA/s320/IMG_2834.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PBP display in Ribay</td></tr></tbody></table>Many folks along the way erected PBP signs and displays encouraging riders that ranged from simple posters or paint on the roadway, to large and sometimes elaborate displays. This one in Ribay, an hour or so from Villaines was especially interesting!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WWycX6_O1bMtspqQmnpnmdyaJ0mUlGKE0AGeadRm2nvRb2czXV1ZcxzEqs203P-tLx9w7iNIf1bfkrgrQy3KzOw5dlOZqgktoMaAtOC0QVHYseflJ95XPlZbgD1L2JAAtAMXKt2RbA9cR626Qr43DLCnbqAcknYvz-hF06Di58tQYgE5m9KY4HfId1U/s4032/IMG_2840.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WWycX6_O1bMtspqQmnpnmdyaJ0mUlGKE0AGeadRm2nvRb2czXV1ZcxzEqs203P-tLx9w7iNIf1bfkrgrQy3KzOw5dlOZqgktoMaAtOC0QVHYseflJ95XPlZbgD1L2JAAtAMXKt2RbA9cR626Qr43DLCnbqAcknYvz-hF06Di58tQYgE5m9KY4HfId1U/s320/IMG_2840.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical coffee/water stop</td></tr></tbody></table>Even though the PBP is nearly 4 days long, you don’t need to purchase water for your bottles. Locals along the way set up stands by their homes and provide water, coffee, and snacks to the riders and most will not accept any payments. If you stopped at every stand, you would never complete the ride in the time limit.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16PSVugLq6--0GsJJx-rvjJrk1DwHinrhUTRA5s22WUN6wI9u2EQMEAIppxQiTebpfnZt0YMwSugAhXRqfU3DLQQPn0GgCC9PCi-ehpHe_n6sI8m1iQxBM3e1lj-ZW_PculROIjz1eI6XXcAZwSFmjxPrVvvOqVQZwIeRM15vXKAd0a6jy0A6UM8wbEw/s4032/IMG_2850.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj16PSVugLq6--0GsJJx-rvjJrk1DwHinrhUTRA5s22WUN6wI9u2EQMEAIppxQiTebpfnZt0YMwSugAhXRqfU3DLQQPn0GgCC9PCi-ehpHe_n6sI8m1iQxBM3e1lj-ZW_PculROIjz1eI6XXcAZwSFmjxPrVvvOqVQZwIeRM15vXKAd0a6jy0A6UM8wbEw/s320/IMG_2850.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We meet again in Fougeres</td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled into the Fougeres control at 1040 and hit the restaurant for lunch. Pascal, Michael and a volunteer from their Rocky Mountain Cycling Club in Denver were also there and we enjoyed lunch together. I was feeling a bit sleepy and let Pascal and Michael head out, I planned a taking a short nap in the shade/grass before continuing. I rested for about 30 minutes, but it was too noisy to fall asleep so I got up and headed out.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOa0uSfXTA7OoYpRMevCZBbsaVx1sBXouLwj5WDK3hN6vH09H7vpV8ix89wIKQ3R4Yzna2MfTqvBw5MBIxAhxyHgVypfVAh0ka2y9B1tfjgIso5xDdaRo5UWguzzwkQZGN79Vg0fIHW-Uf__O6y-XEp5T8RcxsXu8VR80IrvIx0EfAcJIXoL45RF7RXo/s3648/IMG_0343.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2432" data-original-width="3648" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUOa0uSfXTA7OoYpRMevCZBbsaVx1sBXouLwj5WDK3hN6vH09H7vpV8ix89wIKQ3R4Yzna2MfTqvBw5MBIxAhxyHgVypfVAh0ka2y9B1tfjgIso5xDdaRo5UWguzzwkQZGN79Vg0fIHW-Uf__O6y-XEp5T8RcxsXu8VR80IrvIx0EfAcJIXoL45RF7RXo/s320/IMG_0343.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With Pascal and Michael at 1551</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVQHrJVyAL4SHkSgvbRfdUIPtc5xaRaJDJ9Rtkq-18DpIBkVsXPUfrxMqFcYJ8beWFOx4FLUkr697-xf0vBgIcZdoSEfqzsehPfkzN6nH4H8DiftZOHpd9jYCq6H40VB-7f2VaZ__fztk6gcldeiJLu9SVqF5JsKnsVYcq71vh6GlJGJP4yj26bRmdac/s3456/IMG_0345.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVQHrJVyAL4SHkSgvbRfdUIPtc5xaRaJDJ9Rtkq-18DpIBkVsXPUfrxMqFcYJ8beWFOx4FLUkr697-xf0vBgIcZdoSEfqzsehPfkzN6nH4H8DiftZOHpd9jYCq6H40VB-7f2VaZ__fztk6gcldeiJLu9SVqF5JsKnsVYcq71vh6GlJGJP4yj26bRmdac/s320/IMG_0345.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Event photo at 1818</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMI4We5gBHWRVkyZz1grxzglI8pGIIO9W7q5OQ9HKK2zSSsN7cYacbeyIPmEsnFxl1xb2eu2IBv5_V0usRzeRn7dyqjbnvPDjNIpLMdsvP5F7zFujuuGxcnEoyXJjh0Xvm_AcqjBkX3exy5j29a9MXJ7dWxm-4j1tr7MANFQe4iTwMJbdjfwqdPaN55c/s4032/IMG_2860.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMI4We5gBHWRVkyZz1grxzglI8pGIIO9W7q5OQ9HKK2zSSsN7cYacbeyIPmEsnFxl1xb2eu2IBv5_V0usRzeRn7dyqjbnvPDjNIpLMdsvP5F7zFujuuGxcnEoyXJjh0Xvm_AcqjBkX3exy5j29a9MXJ7dWxm-4j1tr7MANFQe4iTwMJbdjfwqdPaN55c/s320/IMG_2860.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2107 on Monday</td></tr></tbody></table><div>After Fourgeres I rolled through Tinteniac around 1300 and Loudeac at 1900. I found my drop bag and changed clothes and reloaded they food supplies on the bike. Pascal and Michael arrived about the same time and we rolled out together. My initial plan had my second sleep stop in Brest, but it looked like we would arrive in Carhaix around 0100 on Tuesday morning and we decided to take a large dinner and sleep stop there. We had to wait a bit to get checked into a cot, but we finally were checked in for a two-hour nap. They provided a light disposable sleeping bag that I thought was just a blanket. I put on my knee warmers, SmartWool 250 shirt, eye covers, ear plugs, and watch cap and caught another solid 90 minutes of sleep.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Tuesday morning</h4><div>We had plenty of food from our reload in Loudeac, so we set out right away into a very misty morning.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4wW6U-J0--14C8UOmMhjoOb32NFeWx7Pwprsav7j71QQi19dIk6wUbFkhTOZxiao6omb2AK-Wg5IK0UKtStAHN_IrcKTFhGcj-morqwVZ52o4QyDwBrLqy52dIeamCbTZl4ZtoqD6COGKAGE8QWX-NVJRfY3IXnS21D5ejgjQTRDth-J17gH5-bNCg4/s4032/IMG_2868.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4wW6U-J0--14C8UOmMhjoOb32NFeWx7Pwprsav7j71QQi19dIk6wUbFkhTOZxiao6omb2AK-Wg5IK0UKtStAHN_IrcKTFhGcj-morqwVZ52o4QyDwBrLqy52dIeamCbTZl4ZtoqD6COGKAGE8QWX-NVJRfY3IXnS21D5ejgjQTRDth-J17gH5-bNCg4/s320/IMG_2868.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael on the descent from Col de Trevezel </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfzy0mwfS9-y71E1vIwlpGyjgm6MncwlZPCgBlU4gPgVA7TAkbqie1PaJ4ukhMzcHhFw9cj9pwEAcQi2ewfQmTaDI54Vt7OED6WsGPMEeP0WhsLNjYPLgfCf32dEHOJnvazchzLFmcUBiKVk_6Ugoq3PetAgkDWE6z5dbLfDTS-WcomGy_tBna7eDTgI/s3088/IMG_2873.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfzy0mwfS9-y71E1vIwlpGyjgm6MncwlZPCgBlU4gPgVA7TAkbqie1PaJ4ukhMzcHhFw9cj9pwEAcQi2ewfQmTaDI54Vt7OED6WsGPMEeP0WhsLNjYPLgfCf32dEHOJnvazchzLFmcUBiKVk_6Ugoq3PetAgkDWE6z5dbLfDTS-WcomGy_tBna7eDTgI/s320/IMG_2873.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was wearing all my clothing here!</td></tr></tbody></table>There is a long climb to Col de Trevezel, then mostly descending rollers to the edge of Brest. In the morning mist, it was quite cold with the wind chill from the 30+ mph descent and we all started to get shiver induced bike wobble, so we pulled off on the descent and put on every piece of clothing we had (250 wool shirt, jersey, vest, raincoat, watch cap, balaclava and long gloves)! <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIwE36pF_y6Q02tTiymcV7LKWzMskTyoY7VnuXnYE954M2KZgvhbsDMr6zw6SH0rqoT9nCtDeZvtIzGitX8lq3bCEji2d5GD9og9H5MfE14REDwdyFCYLHtUZP2e6U-LgwJplE0jfrcV0PxXvpUKRsPxjTWG4SmO7nWt7vWIn_8kQqwwi38-bMC_A5HY/s4032/IMG_2877.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIwE36pF_y6Q02tTiymcV7LKWzMskTyoY7VnuXnYE954M2KZgvhbsDMr6zw6SH0rqoT9nCtDeZvtIzGitX8lq3bCEji2d5GD9og9H5MfE14REDwdyFCYLHtUZP2e6U-LgwJplE0jfrcV0PxXvpUKRsPxjTWG4SmO7nWt7vWIn_8kQqwwi38-bMC_A5HY/s320/IMG_2877.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins in Sizun</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We rolled into Sizun shortly after dawn and stopped for double expressos and some frites at a cafe on the main square. Continuing on we rode through several forests and finally entered the very urban and busy town of Brest. The 2023 route in and out of Brest was the reverse of prior years, and for me it seemed like we would never reach the control.</div><div><br /></div><div>We finally did and Pascal’s cousin met us at the control for breakfast/lunch. He rode his mountain bike with us as we headed out town.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPVpWj9tN_LOgL4fYuzWonPZmAnItGjn4qJ6VCn4FZg34k0WSaIZtJxh3WoIOTkzO9UunBpgj0srM4gnsRWFfj2Z8tBcJVXqr2chsBLa0HcC5bbCYkRCotM1gMmlp4Ry3yu6eCvaHk5gPMYILbupRhtb3ot4N3zwZXJby0uCpZKqFDmlLW9LYH0SnZg8/s2048/IMG_0353.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2048" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBPVpWj9tN_LOgL4fYuzWonPZmAnItGjn4qJ6VCn4FZg34k0WSaIZtJxh3WoIOTkzO9UunBpgj0srM4gnsRWFfj2Z8tBcJVXqr2chsBLa0HcC5bbCYkRCotM1gMmlp4Ry3yu6eCvaHk5gPMYILbupRhtb3ot4N3zwZXJby0uCpZKqFDmlLW9LYH0SnZg8/s320/IMG_0353.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team leaving Brest</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Z3KVQjZsUyjcdd9HsOS0EELNd-eLE9xsTzInqcZh0yV-lbBFN76X6KlqUJXefEnRZ4JRSpt55gb_IyNn4BglQa8QTgEr-hy-ow301jipD1gpe2LiyLZyQw8eb83BUsRymFdtbs4KHDbT6fjmnW6QyqjtlDHqm6I8r9oc3MLmMx5yhdP-QUibM4k0hX4/s3088/IMG_2883.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Z3KVQjZsUyjcdd9HsOS0EELNd-eLE9xsTzInqcZh0yV-lbBFN76X6KlqUJXefEnRZ4JRSpt55gb_IyNn4BglQa8QTgEr-hy-ow301jipD1gpe2LiyLZyQw8eb83BUsRymFdtbs4KHDbT6fjmnW6QyqjtlDHqm6I8r9oc3MLmMx5yhdP-QUibM4k0hX4/s320/IMG_2883.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half-way done!</td></tr></tbody></table>After an obligatory selfie shot with the new Brest bridge in the background, we headed out and up out of Brest.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WIbbFzGjj6XUn3jvbZzfaFdvZ5N5zrK1lxVU4_UpP8epCUr44j4_hyK-SjvS4tuWeZuAAW9d3DjAy3MziKutvD2K7s04eZ9JKrC-JOk-ILGtNFjQVkQOrMfw8yDSOTsdCiHieBEffF710860uTMg_DWbU1fzDf5r-MoAsX-hUU8_km1tUte9xbx02b8/s4032/IMG_2885.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4WIbbFzGjj6XUn3jvbZzfaFdvZ5N5zrK1lxVU4_UpP8epCUr44j4_hyK-SjvS4tuWeZuAAW9d3DjAy3MziKutvD2K7s04eZ9JKrC-JOk-ILGtNFjQVkQOrMfw8yDSOTsdCiHieBEffF710860uTMg_DWbU1fzDf5r-MoAsX-hUU8_km1tUte9xbx02b8/s320/IMG_2885.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes the best photos happen at a natural break</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQHOuo1kzLResBuFD4nk0wiztpi_yIED1zq9t2od1hkmPTq_EywsO2QVH2zwNooIdyCSfvLLV7x1DX-Dim2ai21605mD11deNgyv0Lw4KZUBuKsilLfW3Kovjg-9jlNXNEJFIsOyehezdaD5NZ7fCl-xmqZi-kVS71Hj9TlFK8HLInEguKAZJOS8IDh4/s4032/IMG_2886.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQHOuo1kzLResBuFD4nk0wiztpi_yIED1zq9t2od1hkmPTq_EywsO2QVH2zwNooIdyCSfvLLV7x1DX-Dim2ai21605mD11deNgyv0Lw4KZUBuKsilLfW3Kovjg-9jlNXNEJFIsOyehezdaD5NZ7fCl-xmqZi-kVS71Hj9TlFK8HLInEguKAZJOS8IDh4/s320/IMG_2886.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were low on water and filled up here!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprJCQfdXbsWTDTSOBDguNucZlsXM_HTSPXxTzAI995djoxv1TySWTR01c9K4Aq-DTusgjosvqR6Ckal0rwxGZpPXk23wopM-a9ieWvytOGYUCUd5y90SfSRwDFU6wFEWsKxww6-JOheDKBhKS_vLytb1JBRLk9IJ2mufsZ55BmbdXVBpnih6SZfc7mVM/s4032/IMG_2889.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprJCQfdXbsWTDTSOBDguNucZlsXM_HTSPXxTzAI995djoxv1TySWTR01c9K4Aq-DTusgjosvqR6Ckal0rwxGZpPXk23wopM-a9ieWvytOGYUCUd5y90SfSRwDFU6wFEWsKxww6-JOheDKBhKS_vLytb1JBRLk9IJ2mufsZ55BmbdXVBpnih6SZfc7mVM/s320/IMG_2889.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful day for a bike ride</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI6hsWe8rYJOZNULk5ZuQeC6Xrm50iGlXJxAvdt92Yb-0ywaVQiDn8AXd8dno1gQQhJR_9xffdolpYNPYlXcMfRvie4nmOIvNL3p-yhtGgQZwQIZfZsb-jiQ3uOplEDa-IFVSNQxCEymAPBpDnCRP_0mVZCkdz3jod8SFJA_076Jj7BMN_GIndRY0A1A/s4032/IMG_2891.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMI6hsWe8rYJOZNULk5ZuQeC6Xrm50iGlXJxAvdt92Yb-0ywaVQiDn8AXd8dno1gQQhJR_9xffdolpYNPYlXcMfRvie4nmOIvNL3p-yhtGgQZwQIZfZsb-jiQ3uOplEDa-IFVSNQxCEymAPBpDnCRP_0mVZCkdz3jod8SFJA_076Jj7BMN_GIndRY0A1A/s320/IMG_2891.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tide was out</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotxo37CXHUnbzI_1xbbch597m0puogAZcexjtitlujEp11pPd7AyYI0-K2i0FnMSsDLYRW3oaFqA16Lr_287T9vw_nWI4PJTJ3Lt-BLZEFTmeqBFptZkSQidSY8MJ-HomOikCcNynklVwfxOgZTjTzcQcUJbAA_Xk6uxdmfOiNS3LmSaLJ7bfftgOrgA/s4032/IMG_2892.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotxo37CXHUnbzI_1xbbch597m0puogAZcexjtitlujEp11pPd7AyYI0-K2i0FnMSsDLYRW3oaFqA16Lr_287T9vw_nWI4PJTJ3Lt-BLZEFTmeqBFptZkSQidSY8MJ-HomOikCcNynklVwfxOgZTjTzcQcUJbAA_Xk6uxdmfOiNS3LmSaLJ7bfftgOrgA/s320/IMG_2892.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No GPS necessary, just follow the signs!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLntzke7-49Siv_GJFar83IMrcNIW7eqWc1fqDgkhCyH4ZMGbH7qufslO52BFhD4ZxLs_QaMmgOK8uqONqO3dXCQ3JqYnmQrvsdmvofPJ7OVnw9BvaqWiJSu58CF0TN7PeZrUBFxcLP3T_dvmKKMBOCNRnLsKxX2MHPMarQH_6JWrTaRmGf0ZDfD1fRY/s4032/71439711865__D3803C7C-942B-4002-AC92-B640D4898A61.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLntzke7-49Siv_GJFar83IMrcNIW7eqWc1fqDgkhCyH4ZMGbH7qufslO52BFhD4ZxLs_QaMmgOK8uqONqO3dXCQ3JqYnmQrvsdmvofPJ7OVnw9BvaqWiJSu58CF0TN7PeZrUBFxcLP3T_dvmKKMBOCNRnLsKxX2MHPMarQH_6JWrTaRmGf0ZDfD1fRY/s320/71439711865__D3803C7C-942B-4002-AC92-B640D4898A61.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left ankle problems</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Somewhere along the way on Monday my left ankle started bothering me. Not sure why, perhaps my reflective ankle band was too tight and caused some irritation. I ditched the bands and took some Advil, at least it didn’t get worse. On the PBP it’s not a matter of if something is going to hurt, it’s a matter of what is going to hurt! This was manageable, although I couldn’t get out of the saddle as much as I would have liked.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zF88JmRoRjUmV8fNJfF9WNi7OB6aYN9gb1bC9PBREWQoq-2NGDUj2zR14KBArW-NNM8E-wWrf0-GyS76cf4PYtuQM1OhlYiz3AXzUlKLsHq40jGryebPMBqJ5qTYhMQPl_XJqAIYAxDHJ-rN8PQaPEJAzv_153lvHLsdbq7wUxFDOX356pf-CiQMlo/s4032/IMG_2900.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg56zF88JmRoRjUmV8fNJfF9WNi7OB6aYN9gb1bC9PBREWQoq-2NGDUj2zR14KBArW-NNM8E-wWrf0-GyS76cf4PYtuQM1OhlYiz3AXzUlKLsHq40jGryebPMBqJ5qTYhMQPl_XJqAIYAxDHJ-rN8PQaPEJAzv_153lvHLsdbq7wUxFDOX356pf-CiQMlo/s320/IMG_2900.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massage stop!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>For Michael, it was his sciatic nerve that flamed up due to a misaligned saddle! Even thought he corrected it, the damage was done. It was really bothering him and as we rode up this long grade an angel of mercy appeared in a RV. Maureen, a Belgian sports therapist was giving roadside massages. We put Michael on the table and she went right to work. It would have been nice for us all to get some treatment, but there is a 90 hour time limit we were starting to flirt with, so we pressed on.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm_dbFbZNfJzwh6HW0Sw0wx5VBSrlr4Fiy7Z2NUh4s1yPqWu0fcqAQ2TYvwqq8F9VS4oilJ85sBIhrPeWmYepturJsDHuVFdGikG3oy9fiejERAAiTuB1F63Vbvx8Bzv8ZVMSo8N41a3zL3PU818H359GE2oV9W95bcCs0jwNjjB_XK9KQLJikCU9GBo/s4032/IMG_2905.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm_dbFbZNfJzwh6HW0Sw0wx5VBSrlr4Fiy7Z2NUh4s1yPqWu0fcqAQ2TYvwqq8F9VS4oilJ85sBIhrPeWmYepturJsDHuVFdGikG3oy9fiejERAAiTuB1F63Vbvx8Bzv8ZVMSo8N41a3zL3PU818H359GE2oV9W95bcCs0jwNjjB_XK9KQLJikCU9GBo/s320/IMG_2905.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French cows by day</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyvnZ8NopvPZgxoUjBtVk_whKqwXbjJVB38epAB4j-CUPGmFk7wzyd52cZmCAKYEVtMqF1HpWcC2FbwP5A3Ng7fjrx2t0smAIn9p40ITFJfJH1gANTg83BrdcUh839WjhJQ0b3k8miR_5Oo79B54fa5_nFflS8GjL0MEuumeiy76naYQPVlQHhs3jKps/s4032/IMG_2908.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyvnZ8NopvPZgxoUjBtVk_whKqwXbjJVB38epAB4j-CUPGmFk7wzyd52cZmCAKYEVtMqF1HpWcC2FbwP5A3Ng7fjrx2t0smAIn9p40ITFJfJH1gANTg83BrdcUh839WjhJQ0b3k8miR_5Oo79B54fa5_nFflS8GjL0MEuumeiy76naYQPVlQHhs3jKps/s320/IMG_2908.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pascal enjoying coffee and pastry in a village</td></tr></tbody></table>With our various ailments we decided to ride at our own pace for much of the day, but we would never get too far apart and would see each other as we checked into controls or found good rest stops!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pwiosjHEe4aUtA3cV93v7wShN1T3CJ_KT9tYkr1Cmyj4h2JO7bb_x2PXb_5QIuELMxCtjTs1ZLnNPZj1Vx9M0KeWDv9uKfILEm50ahCcLlST8t0WpFuwRO4u6j00ssj6qH-3TK_q9GwGXE39tmW3BeL7AQutXWb8PAVVIVNCXh0prlOpP0oJfMCvgZs/s4032/IMG_2909.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5pwiosjHEe4aUtA3cV93v7wShN1T3CJ_KT9tYkr1Cmyj4h2JO7bb_x2PXb_5QIuELMxCtjTs1ZLnNPZj1Vx9M0KeWDv9uKfILEm50ahCcLlST8t0WpFuwRO4u6j00ssj6qH-3TK_q9GwGXE39tmW3BeL7AQutXWb8PAVVIVNCXh0prlOpP0oJfMCvgZs/s320/IMG_2909.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Farm ruins</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjbpj0Si3fA0XchZRNxnw8bNoPPvqs4tVEwJBFUpKaN17RY60c8XpFrF3dH7bX-lbQnwBRtMRz5WCPVWiL7-zmXtja-wB30Eo4hcDN6owK4zzjIECgn8_GTxKcJmQkV3ognyf6C4_km9Bj14OjgSr9hsPrxdjITtWKhyj8_7-1NCp-eL0WVW5UqcD-zs/s4032/IMG_2911.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjbpj0Si3fA0XchZRNxnw8bNoPPvqs4tVEwJBFUpKaN17RY60c8XpFrF3dH7bX-lbQnwBRtMRz5WCPVWiL7-zmXtja-wB30Eo4hcDN6owK4zzjIECgn8_GTxKcJmQkV3ognyf6C4_km9Bj14OjgSr9hsPrxdjITtWKhyj8_7-1NCp-eL0WVW5UqcD-zs/s320/IMG_2911.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner in Loudeac</td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled into Loudeac at about 11pm and went right to the restaurant for a late dinner. It may not look good, but the noodles, omelet and dark gravy was delicious, carb heavy and easy to digest. I added a yogurt and orange soda to complete the food groups! I would start shoveling in more pasta as the ride went on. I also fought the urge to hurry out and only eat part of the meal, but forced myself to slow down and finish.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLTaZH13lMXrB_oHniYEkvqY91DDevMsS101MRhdraSzY9esyW_F96FQF6QlusfgUU0GxZJZ4wawVtdYMWcuZX1Mw9mGyTsm0v0LLJ_Q5j1zktAF3RtBDBlp4HnYY2ms9zsoLagMtk2HDg4IUzn6yei-dt_xZ4KeCj6EjYATi7MkawVG4cWOih_zRsqY/s4032/IMG_2912.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLTaZH13lMXrB_oHniYEkvqY91DDevMsS101MRhdraSzY9esyW_F96FQF6QlusfgUU0GxZJZ4wawVtdYMWcuZX1Mw9mGyTsm0v0LLJ_Q5j1zktAF3RtBDBlp4HnYY2ms9zsoLagMtk2HDg4IUzn6yei-dt_xZ4KeCj6EjYATi7MkawVG4cWOih_zRsqY/w320-h240/IMG_2912.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Line leaving the restaurant</td></tr></tbody></table><div>It was a good choice going to the restaurant right after checking-in at the control. The line was out the door as I was leaving. I proceeded to the drop bag area, found a WC (toilet) and changed clothes and used my large body wipes to clean-up and head back out into the night. At this point I was only an hour or so ahead of the control close time, no time to sleep, so I pressed on into the night.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaT30A0tc9oVw9qiaVY2Xuhv6KLOgBnuWhQlFlXGG47RgZXycMw_e7keNRa2mObv3zJwnSH2MPQ8hyRB7G5FtHyO5qrdoZg2evsQqX3oNnWUjWGgpQQ2p2MiNCfJMtbdLaurloSLkc8_ro2qc--6eG4po4majM1kD4m423vvbt9q_UQaKFJ8mOUpen3w/s4032/IMG_2913.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQaT30A0tc9oVw9qiaVY2Xuhv6KLOgBnuWhQlFlXGG47RgZXycMw_e7keNRa2mObv3zJwnSH2MPQ8hyRB7G5FtHyO5qrdoZg2evsQqX3oNnWUjWGgpQQ2p2MiNCfJMtbdLaurloSLkc8_ro2qc--6eG4po4majM1kD4m423vvbt9q_UQaKFJ8mOUpen3w/s320/IMG_2913.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 am Coffee stop </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1PXMMDJm8U-aIloSBiDLZLQD_8mINOgr56SA9ik_HjhABdjezulKeIqY7AKwhHU15xUn3Xgs-YzEWIJdPy026OwgjZQd1BNHFj9s3RhK1v3WGet1O_JS35aB0QF8ubVguqBMy84qXehSyEcp84VIYKf66mISWq_UGlbRI20-Rp8akcob69M-9MdC-hY/s4032/IMG_2916.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1PXMMDJm8U-aIloSBiDLZLQD_8mINOgr56SA9ik_HjhABdjezulKeIqY7AKwhHU15xUn3Xgs-YzEWIJdPy026OwgjZQd1BNHFj9s3RhK1v3WGet1O_JS35aB0QF8ubVguqBMy84qXehSyEcp84VIYKf66mISWq_UGlbRI20-Rp8akcob69M-9MdC-hY/s320/IMG_2916.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had two coffees with 5 sugars each at this stop</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgsxwGPBnXLtjBaajGGKWEiErBH4DrZLfFGnkO68IVJS2Um8p64p-frLDwTiFYtGz1RuPKgFCHfQeZ1mUwBA1lI4slFomwygrSd_Px8P3SdCpu43T0-bz88E3XkDW44S9xSC3NnES6xm9eHJbjGVl0vdcHZS_S5buHMNJ6jG49qbzQgIHRM-jevOR5sY/s4032/IMG_2919.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgsxwGPBnXLtjBaajGGKWEiErBH4DrZLfFGnkO68IVJS2Um8p64p-frLDwTiFYtGz1RuPKgFCHfQeZ1mUwBA1lI4slFomwygrSd_Px8P3SdCpu43T0-bz88E3XkDW44S9xSC3NnES6xm9eHJbjGVl0vdcHZS_S5buHMNJ6jG49qbzQgIHRM-jevOR5sY/s320/IMG_2919.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee is free, just send a postcard from home!</td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving Loudeac just before 0100 the sleep monster started to raise its head. Luckily as I rolled into a village there was a swarm of cyclists outside a garage attached to a home. I went inside, found a chair and had two strong coffees loaded with sugar and took a 30 minute break. I took a photo of the address and will send a post card when I return to Arizona!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Wednesday morning</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mDPJuEgMEBXAkNK4qAGkk6911Vd_O-5_NdFuTe0-IVy9Fk6cG9LpOzDOJ67Q4Kj8HsciJY54ssZOEaMi3J7OzGI0fZeCg6CSk-v6jMlhARKW1gEFgji0Yi2v4Ku24Lg83fbdp-6dHvTYJE1RsjNK8IdaCav0737WS1rPl5IagE6StGK2vdghuacYuTw/s4032/71446219575__B1CB1178-CB79-4AD6-AC3D-4CDE84386A54.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mDPJuEgMEBXAkNK4qAGkk6911Vd_O-5_NdFuTe0-IVy9Fk6cG9LpOzDOJ67Q4Kj8HsciJY54ssZOEaMi3J7OzGI0fZeCg6CSk-v6jMlhARKW1gEFgji0Yi2v4Ku24Lg83fbdp-6dHvTYJE1RsjNK8IdaCav0737WS1rPl5IagE6StGK2vdghuacYuTw/s320/71446219575__B1CB1178-CB79-4AD6-AC3D-4CDE84386A54.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast in Tinteniac</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8TkABBWik2-GaNHfAglVn-Xm9Cf3OmQm_CRPj8sLLPa6r3jAnbM5jUiH0RadLtRj3EAITw1P19RWXebMi2iRYUEvh_BWKc3IKa01auAHobjZnx7-szysAZ_pDqR1ayXmNyRjOjf8yUD_BRx_Ad-m4XQI2afqDMdwaYdGBqAAWNDMlPZ1vCBmSeA9kio/s3088/IMG_2922.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn8TkABBWik2-GaNHfAglVn-Xm9Cf3OmQm_CRPj8sLLPa6r3jAnbM5jUiH0RadLtRj3EAITw1P19RWXebMi2iRYUEvh_BWKc3IKa01auAHobjZnx7-szysAZ_pDqR1ayXmNyRjOjf8yUD_BRx_Ad-m4XQI2afqDMdwaYdGBqAAWNDMlPZ1vCBmSeA9kio/s320/IMG_2922.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael and Pascal join the breakfast party</td></tr></tbody></table>Somehow I rode through the night and arrived at Tintineac 45 minutes before its close time of 0815. I’m not sure if I slept that night, but I am wearing my eye covers, and look more than a bit sleepy here. I do know that I didn’t bother trying to get a cot in Tinteniac with their less than warm disposable sleep sacks!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NFJpKm6e6MsoUO0YMZX7tcawwzpXM8sKSBzFy7zVIEaE-L3bE9GvHOTr4LX1hNYPqmGMCYGcmOXYDwk75QW75zC_GHsHrARV_98xT1hUjX9eVOueVH7QZBoIQ672HKQtCJyciqhc-DV5xB3d9Oh81nVdOnJkAh-OHxsuKHForGLblH1kfr5Fe1kwDtk/s4032/IMG_2923.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9NFJpKm6e6MsoUO0YMZX7tcawwzpXM8sKSBzFy7zVIEaE-L3bE9GvHOTr4LX1hNYPqmGMCYGcmOXYDwk75QW75zC_GHsHrARV_98xT1hUjX9eVOueVH7QZBoIQ672HKQtCJyciqhc-DV5xB3d9Oh81nVdOnJkAh-OHxsuKHForGLblH1kfr5Fe1kwDtk/s320/IMG_2923.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in Fougeres</td></tr></tbody></table>The pasta was doing the trick so more with some fruit and protein in Fourgeres. I was not making much progress against the closing times, but I was not not falling behind either. So I just settled into my own pace and enjoyed the ride.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInM5gTRFV-4jxD_XywurD7YcAXmStLzS9BY6CRATd2ilqIuVOUfwN_iCxIqIrCpdJ7AIHx1joiByJZUFLDYlxWAEAFipVeX4LOxSbsh2DsShil4QR--dTFvlAnAAtVMFvUaYd_P9w0mW1ecDBRbMt7g79yrJyccOwECYdOS7gOzRKHpGKwpd6koTUWIM/s4032/IMG_2927.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiInM5gTRFV-4jxD_XywurD7YcAXmStLzS9BY6CRATd2ilqIuVOUfwN_iCxIqIrCpdJ7AIHx1joiByJZUFLDYlxWAEAFipVeX4LOxSbsh2DsShil4QR--dTFvlAnAAtVMFvUaYd_P9w0mW1ecDBRbMt7g79yrJyccOwECYdOS7gOzRKHpGKwpd6koTUWIM/s320/IMG_2927.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cows enjoying the shade</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7nlWcTUNm2t8mQUpLMA-64fGzhWfcyw401O-25xGSY-q-SHtB-eKts-a4QXimrRAU3TTmK7HNpbuAnZqaechwK6_ak9UsN99uRnSxxF4BZSjjlpKMzZh_tXHx4XZWuKTE7-4c-7muR02_gUhTrCZQGYz5VY7eFzpogQRnr17csRBQA6KdYeWuFuBBJE/s4032/IMG_2929.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7nlWcTUNm2t8mQUpLMA-64fGzhWfcyw401O-25xGSY-q-SHtB-eKts-a4QXimrRAU3TTmK7HNpbuAnZqaechwK6_ak9UsN99uRnSxxF4BZSjjlpKMzZh_tXHx4XZWuKTE7-4c-7muR02_gUhTrCZQGYz5VY7eFzpogQRnr17csRBQA6KdYeWuFuBBJE/s320/IMG_2929.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding with Micheal and Pascal</td></tr></tbody></table>Throughout the day and the rest of the ride, I would run into Michael and Pascal. They were targeting a finish time very close to the 90 hours to earn an award that recognizes utilization of most most of the time limit.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitunJlmyGomEOp87m72wml5vDgDsjNNCevNXyiaxySDgw1LyfyTZIpQKDEi87RKwUe55laTrEbC5JqHWekIyAh3H9LMfQRU6xHYcL_GLN8l9Yef3_xpswL6NoZBpfRuPwXIWAzfMkAwVlhTregx8O8AbhQIsJ9KXqhm-R80156ne57AfpSBvvY9OzbEI/s4032/IMG_2932.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitunJlmyGomEOp87m72wml5vDgDsjNNCevNXyiaxySDgw1LyfyTZIpQKDEi87RKwUe55laTrEbC5JqHWekIyAh3H9LMfQRU6xHYcL_GLN8l9Yef3_xpswL6NoZBpfRuPwXIWAzfMkAwVlhTregx8O8AbhQIsJ9KXqhm-R80156ne57AfpSBvvY9OzbEI/s320/IMG_2932.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too bad my bottles were already full!</td></tr></tbody></table>These guys were especially enthusiastic and showed off their guns as I rolled by. I only wished my bottles needed a refill, or I had time to make another stop!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ3r5duq6vPVlCwRY-eBkDcTzskNF5B5JqS_2-mWWNkfI3KE1K67QOm448W8qPnMRR1ctFipsUHPt063YJPtQfoxOjK_o8E15Dnvc4a8x4Yo-ZHvTdUX8csjGriDb67ubffMPbh0Qer0udsRBxgMRzJWuXtrmDK80Qep60HeRDZDSwy7I7FSManhzyTk/s4032/IMG_2934.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGJ3r5duq6vPVlCwRY-eBkDcTzskNF5B5JqS_2-mWWNkfI3KE1K67QOm448W8qPnMRR1ctFipsUHPt063YJPtQfoxOjK_o8E15Dnvc4a8x4Yo-ZHvTdUX8csjGriDb67ubffMPbh0Qer0udsRBxgMRzJWuXtrmDK80Qep60HeRDZDSwy7I7FSManhzyTk/s320/IMG_2934.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paris Brest Pastry in Ribay</td></tr></tbody></table><div>I remember there being a frites stand in Ribay (near the Villaines control). This year it was a huge tent with frites and the Paris Brest pastry. The pastry resembles a bike wheel and was delicious! I figured I had plenty of time since Villaines was only a few kilometers away so I took my time. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was almost done, when I noticed a sign with the kilometers to go to Paris being much more than the 200k from Villaines. Oh no, I was 20km from Villaines and I thought the control was closing an hour before it actually did. I hopped on the bike and proceeded to hammer for the next 45 minutes to beat the control close time.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was hard up and down riding but I rolled into the control with 20 minutes to spare, but I rode much harder than I should have, burned way too many matches, and started to notice some tightening of my neck muscles. It was on my way to Villaines in 2007 when I was afflicted with Shermers Neck!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35T9o4vgGd825he5zO-KYt4U_3Kk3d5-VXq693cEci9lTv6jYzN9FBOh3DDYpbEwkNyoDvmPTGAlLzW30Bp8Iz93lOLrlmGsI_3T9vSLG9JcVY5DFnXFyiIjet5KzdGqaPaPZZukQY50KNsYzWjy-TnDR6FqUsugHqwL2sGVPAOqwNZQpwXPIK3V7GS4/s4032/IMG_2936.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj35T9o4vgGd825he5zO-KYt4U_3Kk3d5-VXq693cEci9lTv6jYzN9FBOh3DDYpbEwkNyoDvmPTGAlLzW30Bp8Iz93lOLrlmGsI_3T9vSLG9JcVY5DFnXFyiIjet5KzdGqaPaPZZukQY50KNsYzWjy-TnDR6FqUsugHqwL2sGVPAOqwNZQpwXPIK3V7GS4/s320/IMG_2936.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to sleep here in Villaines but it was too noisy</td></tr></tbody></table>Villaines is a rocking control stop. At all hours of the night and day hundreds of towns people turn out and cheer the riders coming and going from the control. In additional an announcer on a PA system announces the names and nationalities of the riders. Fun but not conducive to a grass nap! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANwceQl5pPD1DF65JdZzkWj7ceFHy_RpyG_Nd6xma9u5W7mwJih0bHko8w3xxa41SzNU2VBO7uEoL3SEFgW5oAh4BG2VOQGuQ0IDZjYQUC14mRm9zzXTshMZLrHD9bINP0N-Kcq0eWlKyd9eNFeXOBlga1I4XYV0C38dTWYNsNL-fyP-aId2zG858HgI/s4032/IMG_2938.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANwceQl5pPD1DF65JdZzkWj7ceFHy_RpyG_Nd6xma9u5W7mwJih0bHko8w3xxa41SzNU2VBO7uEoL3SEFgW5oAh4BG2VOQGuQ0IDZjYQUC14mRm9zzXTshMZLrHD9bINP0N-Kcq0eWlKyd9eNFeXOBlga1I4XYV0C38dTWYNsNL-fyP-aId2zG858HgI/s320/IMG_2938.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still very busy around the close time</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe8hDpUI261ilNv8tKecnwOnYso5bwOlYfmCJjxeHWcQxx81NvClp2Fr3UM28rD8CD2Wl_wqvAAssOao4qpWFT4Mq2nJVKGJ2A-1P4iuVIJF17rUQ_7CPpklTA3E3hE56pck23rCz8sRar3HFgAjnQDnDeuxYmPzIUPQV_Kk0vsHSQtIRHz2IWtmiA9w/s3088/IMG_2940.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRe8hDpUI261ilNv8tKecnwOnYso5bwOlYfmCJjxeHWcQxx81NvClp2Fr3UM28rD8CD2Wl_wqvAAssOao4qpWFT4Mq2nJVKGJ2A-1P4iuVIJF17rUQ_7CPpklTA3E3hE56pck23rCz8sRar3HFgAjnQDnDeuxYmPzIUPQV_Kk0vsHSQtIRHz2IWtmiA9w/s320/IMG_2940.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Villaines</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-gyc9h8VIWcM1h7hyd6f4HfTB8TPs0Y6aEMbI9_rc4ahBiwzPj32bp64Keb3_LsPyW5fAJri3qNv4yBTRQ0ZJBm1XwlhrfySXLqHtiDMhJaZLlEF0A3KEfM4pXC3vkhPECdAyMvNNlMUAW0SXt38Gj24En877yN1NH5P7LxF4WYsJGK4ivgEKO3PAFs/s4032/IMG_2943.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT-gyc9h8VIWcM1h7hyd6f4HfTB8TPs0Y6aEMbI9_rc4ahBiwzPj32bp64Keb3_LsPyW5fAJri3qNv4yBTRQ0ZJBm1XwlhrfySXLqHtiDMhJaZLlEF0A3KEfM4pXC3vkhPECdAyMvNNlMUAW0SXt38Gj24En877yN1NH5P7LxF4WYsJGK4ivgEKO3PAFs/s320/IMG_2943.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wide open riding </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcOUYByaFyarNFu_ZkgHDnEts5P-M_g2iMpC4yYyqMjLC7XRCn2R1L5ABPN4OBeS77GWjbqUkTxkSaTNYd4Am85NqbvF-tBgXzbgoellliRt-zM-dX-Gl8kJi8ADfg-AaQPO465KCfbg0ANgoRL__cyg_s_UkuNJT-NOcJtbRNc7rPWXoFGydzQ4V31g/s4032/IMG_2945.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpcOUYByaFyarNFu_ZkgHDnEts5P-M_g2iMpC4yYyqMjLC7XRCn2R1L5ABPN4OBeS77GWjbqUkTxkSaTNYd4Am85NqbvF-tBgXzbgoellliRt-zM-dX-Gl8kJi8ADfg-AaQPO465KCfbg0ANgoRL__cyg_s_UkuNJT-NOcJtbRNc7rPWXoFGydzQ4V31g/s320/IMG_2945.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sign encouraging local hero’s</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhcWUgW5Eig9RReBYvtNwPV0Rkb8Uk3I0BgycAFUt_oO6V-9iAPTWOjHzlzZtMF6Pvy4F10z462LKeJ1WtLm4PP71Aq5cFBI1q89d47krm_HHMd21FANWxf7NcCfRecdxg34es_nQTvBf54U4KAl0tYyY0VfBudUkhGayUWEV3Q_mesUFjETNWdWl-Jo/s4032/IMG_2948.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhcWUgW5Eig9RReBYvtNwPV0Rkb8Uk3I0BgycAFUt_oO6V-9iAPTWOjHzlzZtMF6Pvy4F10z462LKeJ1WtLm4PP71Aq5cFBI1q89d47krm_HHMd21FANWxf7NcCfRecdxg34es_nQTvBf54U4KAl0tYyY0VfBudUkhGayUWEV3Q_mesUFjETNWdWl-Jo/s320/IMG_2948.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late night free coffee and cake </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Next stop was Mortagne about 50 miles away. There were lots of rollers on good road surface and I made good time during daylight and tried to ride conservatively. As the sun set, the going was slower and I made a coffee stop or two and finally arrived about 30 minutes after midnight. I had a two hour time cushion, so I had another meal and went outside near the bike corral and stretched out under a tree. It was noisy but I fell right asleep and caught a solid 45 minutes of sleep and left a few minutes before the control closed.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Thursday morning and finish</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj9Pwpjh1ZitIqO1oyF4a2oyz0MCpyoux4_4RxIQ00xl0YysmubJZpmGyt2VxpGDsFycjsk3kAzEHI_qJmlhRkI1rLYtAQBqMOtGwqDh60YKGvGC7h4P9F_2IhrtRFORoLqhmXgo3ZybysEEwYx5RXDfluRWunVes8eHxTgWcgx1cV8VuvLo6W3z6nDU/s4032/IMG_2950.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZj9Pwpjh1ZitIqO1oyF4a2oyz0MCpyoux4_4RxIQ00xl0YysmubJZpmGyt2VxpGDsFycjsk3kAzEHI_qJmlhRkI1rLYtAQBqMOtGwqDh60YKGvGC7h4P9F_2IhrtRFORoLqhmXgo3ZybysEEwYx5RXDfluRWunVes8eHxTgWcgx1cV8VuvLo6W3z6nDU/s320/IMG_2950.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to Dreux</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPi5Km7YN_iTVFGs6crBQU90hfvMyXWO4OkU4W1NRFa_SykkFDZsi40o014w_4J6o3ZwMriXuplzk2AHGY-vLO8yAvuMLbZmMz0ADEYKXak47lHdUTGZX1vqREVw0ffJKdwlpx6eTwCXyIN3E534Yj6irUYNmpsu9xI0W5Sld1V8NH6SghFcallCFBDk/s4032/IMG_2952.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxPi5Km7YN_iTVFGs6crBQU90hfvMyXWO4OkU4W1NRFa_SykkFDZsi40o014w_4J6o3ZwMriXuplzk2AHGY-vLO8yAvuMLbZmMz0ADEYKXak47lHdUTGZX1vqREVw0ffJKdwlpx6eTwCXyIN3E534Yj6irUYNmpsu9xI0W5Sld1V8NH6SghFcallCFBDk/s320/IMG_2952.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open cafe</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfJjn1m1_H5eJyGujXcqe1gX2HKtVxQCAMO_T0dNDCiadj9TcjfPh14g3zAn3w3hqSQFyMaZHj2S9regPq3ZqnKgT0L-pbEOZlLIpWPss3aLOQJqGesCRhBm_q50R3baG-Z0dLBNsg6CTTptJGSwslhRwUX3kOp6VSa_64rDWJswzrQj4h4T_ETlvjLs/s4032/IMG_2955.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfJjn1m1_H5eJyGujXcqe1gX2HKtVxQCAMO_T0dNDCiadj9TcjfPh14g3zAn3w3hqSQFyMaZHj2S9regPq3ZqnKgT0L-pbEOZlLIpWPss3aLOQJqGesCRhBm_q50R3baG-Z0dLBNsg6CTTptJGSwslhRwUX3kOp6VSa_64rDWJswzrQj4h4T_ETlvjLs/s320/IMG_2955.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At least I was awake…</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxHgXJbfqCcBLOYq-xYcyDocLvhlEfYJZ1rQ-QWkasv4Xi3D-XZaJTHlrLy67ZMUhPGNUNXuWj313n1RLkrzXdXMXvhCyKNJ-_AP2yk0HulmUO6S7HMhjJBMacqCdfBdL2F-q-7YDvY8D1DY49hojoAo4l4ctJjCeRMHyNGZKWynx47hYnUOFvMhvplM/s3088/IMG_2959.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxHgXJbfqCcBLOYq-xYcyDocLvhlEfYJZ1rQ-QWkasv4Xi3D-XZaJTHlrLy67ZMUhPGNUNXuWj313n1RLkrzXdXMXvhCyKNJ-_AP2yk0HulmUO6S7HMhjJBMacqCdfBdL2F-q-7YDvY8D1DY49hojoAo4l4ctJjCeRMHyNGZKWynx47hYnUOFvMhvplM/s320/IMG_2959.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">… barely</td></tr></tbody></table>The next segment was only 48 miles, but it had lots of climbing and my neck was starting to bother me, especially on descents. We rolled into a village about 0500 and I really needed a coffee. That’s a double expresso in that cup with about 5 sugars! With the dawn light only a few hours away, I pressed on in the darkness, with a packet of Haribo gummy snacks for the push back to Dreux.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiA33FOxNX1zr-wwv4c4MESQnbqiIn0-Z30v7eoRZ0VBbg9-dkw2fQaXnGke6YKDurGZHMH1e-F9TZneZY737txTNjiRGCuNmytv1EftphiKWwxuFmdOY7HomwVmxsGP77lIzGX5wzGjomLRHVRNsal-uHaOnon3ROfqubu4Xn_t4Zn8NfndLcskmZXM/s4032/71454665899__1CF34CB6-19AE-448C-AC56-60D0065129CA.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKiA33FOxNX1zr-wwv4c4MESQnbqiIn0-Z30v7eoRZ0VBbg9-dkw2fQaXnGke6YKDurGZHMH1e-F9TZneZY737txTNjiRGCuNmytv1EftphiKWwxuFmdOY7HomwVmxsGP77lIzGX5wzGjomLRHVRNsal-uHaOnon3ROfqubu4Xn_t4Zn8NfndLcskmZXM/w320-h240/71454665899__1CF34CB6-19AE-448C-AC56-60D0065129CA.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dreux control</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeCOtSPOX2O1XaNzos2_unKLMKrIigGYLheEgnT5nHniiVD-6OqtUAt7HVRTWfK2Z9mQPX_Rt3WS39vnNDz6M1xexzui2ceQZdfdMSMnVzD6QvdwIYAO59at0h1dzv1DoSSIvQiDPN9h2Fu9FM__z1sJA1T1d3hG80NJzA_ti6FAEx33sKyiJYA2qPFA/s4032/IMG_2962.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEeCOtSPOX2O1XaNzos2_unKLMKrIigGYLheEgnT5nHniiVD-6OqtUAt7HVRTWfK2Z9mQPX_Rt3WS39vnNDz6M1xexzui2ceQZdfdMSMnVzD6QvdwIYAO59at0h1dzv1DoSSIvQiDPN9h2Fu9FM__z1sJA1T1d3hG80NJzA_ti6FAEx33sKyiJYA2qPFA/s320/IMG_2962.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Velomobiles in Dreux ready for the final push<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I rolled into Dreux just after 0700 and had two hours to spare before the closing control time and had a good breakfast. I again ran into Pascal and Michael, and also Paul from the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club (RMCC). I headed out just before them, but would see them again, as my pace was slowing as I dealt with my sore neck.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last 28 miles took about 2.5 hours to cover, not a blistering pace, but including a pastry stop, fast enough to get me into the finish at 1037, just under 2 hours to spare against the 90 hour time limit!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWP5_WR81YxnzL0PJNhwI2OzHfxJdtrav0N0kjkfWfvYDK5cRQ9k4-qWhaa3cmpPIL8GKqZii0hicEW2l40spZGCCU8kbBm36-J-NOWyoWrPO3QWW0ixIYABEpZsXUCUSUhnfLdXH_h259I6yM4RnGwNjrgQH1E6ipwbGxYQ714hG6AaPfPuMAH7VLc4/s1671/IMG_0329.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1671" data-original-width="1294" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWP5_WR81YxnzL0PJNhwI2OzHfxJdtrav0N0kjkfWfvYDK5cRQ9k4-qWhaa3cmpPIL8GKqZii0hicEW2l40spZGCCU8kbBm36-J-NOWyoWrPO3QWW0ixIYABEpZsXUCUSUhnfLdXH_h259I6yM4RnGwNjrgQH1E6ipwbGxYQ714hG6AaPfPuMAH7VLc4/s320/IMG_0329.jpeg" width="248" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unofficial control times</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>To my surprise Debby had taken the train to Rambouillet and cheered me on as I crossed the finish line. We grabbed a soda and waited for the RMCC guys to cross the finish line. Feeling really tired, and not wanting to wait in another food line, we said our congratulations and goodbyes and headed to the train station to pick up the drop bag and head back to our apartment in Versailles.</div><div><br /></div><div>Debby bought some food as I took a three hour nap. We were headed to our next adventure the following morning, so I needed to get up and get the bike disassembled and back in the box for the fast train to Barcelona.</div><div><br /></div><div>After my 2019 DNF (did not finish) I was determined to get this one done. My first 1200 was the PBP in 2007, and as I told the RMCC guys during the ride, the 2023 finish would make a good bookend for my 1200 experiences. Will I do another 1200? That question remains unanswered!</div><div><br /></div><div>Hope you enjoyed the ride!</div><div><br /></div><div>Steve Atkins</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Click here for GPS data: <a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/132406773" target="_blank">First 550 miles</a>; <a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/132407888" target="_blank">last 220 miles</a>.</div><div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-86750925586811426352023-04-22T13:54:00.393-07:002023-04-26T05:38:55.838-07:002023 Desert 600km Brevet<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8lajiadOCAIEMP8l8qq1GmSB1xmJXfLqVQkqP1lTTQu6qbU4-da4-OBYAidesokY2sxoTv7owGkLuXTCIIYwfQ3t-hvLKZRL97e8mRK7IEzHsjfTwUb4-05VL1QSfK8MhrXZGWi1coRpEZU5gh1_gTc65cgZpNlgcyWIAUxhnqQZlfwRzLDoyltw/s4032/IMG_2166.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8lajiadOCAIEMP8l8qq1GmSB1xmJXfLqVQkqP1lTTQu6qbU4-da4-OBYAidesokY2sxoTv7owGkLuXTCIIYwfQ3t-hvLKZRL97e8mRK7IEzHsjfTwUb4-05VL1QSfK8MhrXZGWi1coRpEZU5gh1_gTc65cgZpNlgcyWIAUxhnqQZlfwRzLDoyltw/s320/IMG_2166.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise over the Salt River</td></tr></tbody></table>Pre-Ride Report<div><br /></div><div>Mike Sturgill added the Desert 600km Brevet to the calendar at the end of April for a last chance Arizona 600 before it gets too hot. With my Just North of the Border fail a few weeks ago, it was nice to be able to check the 600 box and not leave town. Only a few riders have signed up so far, but Brian McGuire was game and we did the pre-ride together to check the course for the main event. Here is our story.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBA_GW-NRXbetvpkafcVs3hM9hn8AsJXhaVarWQZhN6y2LGDRIfIeIcWhsORzPWIGNEDG8VqzWX7bG8QwepBkIr7PwESFD7PvtCr1RC2PmYKa4hxMAsA4pkWqUSkFX0XoVwYWtlOaThPUqPbx-h-zNuUMRqs1prv64bR8g0hW4i3PANk8TsE0pYtW/s4032/IMG_2156.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBA_GW-NRXbetvpkafcVs3hM9hn8AsJXhaVarWQZhN6y2LGDRIfIeIcWhsORzPWIGNEDG8VqzWX7bG8QwepBkIr7PwESFD7PvtCr1RC2PmYKa4hxMAsA4pkWqUSkFX0XoVwYWtlOaThPUqPbx-h-zNuUMRqs1prv64bR8g0hW4i3PANk8TsE0pYtW/s320/IMG_2156.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian; predawn in the Gila Community<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Heat and wind are in the forecast so we decide to push out a bit early and start at 0400 Saturday morning. Traffic is light and soon we are at the first information control in Laveen Village. The normal route turns west here and continues on quiet roads through the Gila River Indian Community. The only problem was that route uses 91st Avenue to cross the normally dry Salt River. We were lucky to realize this before the ride and adjusted the route to use the bridged crossing at 51st Ave. The river is still flowing, 91st avenue is closed so the 51st Ave. bridged crossing will be used this weekend.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2FTlY9ana3ukTFbMUGeQV0bslCvV2kjvyVklMbDT2c2W1AqcWUt9y6b8aL0x0acn0ltK9CrCYzmL9cVlpsPO1p9hK8Eqwj0CpELOWI2nMpgDPH5OvcUSm7r3xa3Gre49TMwPo2ohU5MHGjjRVGe5rpRYw3c7fCcbd6DcfXAOfQTH_wT2oiq2v_Vd/s4032/IMG_2169.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2FTlY9ana3ukTFbMUGeQV0bslCvV2kjvyVklMbDT2c2W1AqcWUt9y6b8aL0x0acn0ltK9CrCYzmL9cVlpsPO1p9hK8Eqwj0CpELOWI2nMpgDPH5OvcUSm7r3xa3Gre49TMwPo2ohU5MHGjjRVGe5rpRYw3c7fCcbd6DcfXAOfQTH_wT2oiq2v_Vd/s320/IMG_2169.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do we really need to stop at every bridge?</td></tr></tbody></table>We stopped at the 51st Ave. bridge for a photo of the Salt River at sunrise (cover photo) and would continue to stop for pictures at each crossing during the ride!</div><div><br /></div><div>Actually, the 51st Ave. route was first used when Tom Baker designed the inspiration for the Desert 600; the Around the Bend 400 several years ago! The roads were good, just more traffic and stops than the run through the Gila community.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qsQufLg2FdUT_h8ylD4eglBGlxq9f_6f7mbicJMoC6ds3D5thBHAWaFPudenpB0VwEwJSkf0l53AK0_hLVcudlbFiW2SWvvgftw2fskIyJbBCl3qDEvwwctINPeUa3rjQPXXLZ5k1QjiHm1ICdNt5eN5KrDV6Q_BZ0as3Ktpx__qggKlxjlWkYlR/s4032/IMG_2173.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qsQufLg2FdUT_h8ylD4eglBGlxq9f_6f7mbicJMoC6ds3D5thBHAWaFPudenpB0VwEwJSkf0l53AK0_hLVcudlbFiW2SWvvgftw2fskIyJbBCl3qDEvwwctINPeUa3rjQPXXLZ5k1QjiHm1ICdNt5eN5KrDV6Q_BZ0as3Ktpx__qggKlxjlWkYlR/s320/IMG_2173.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gila River in Avondale</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzVVzP0-bwRsUdKAWSqhPno7HbTuOBcD5fg3PP3SqmUEgquqGMVmb7VQ1tx_GeAvdzjmeMe9YpBCCaBOqfvWU3kvRQRndTXkYtxKY5NvqHdwCIecy20ugGxpgo8-mbbOUYoeV90ERh9hfmY4Mvq89ljIUThn8Wv8JSpX6Pw7fcNXuPse7lwgt4cS8/s4032/IMG_2177.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkzVVzP0-bwRsUdKAWSqhPno7HbTuOBcD5fg3PP3SqmUEgquqGMVmb7VQ1tx_GeAvdzjmeMe9YpBCCaBOqfvWU3kvRQRndTXkYtxKY5NvqHdwCIecy20ugGxpgo8-mbbOUYoeV90ERh9hfmY4Mvq89ljIUThn8Wv8JSpX6Pw7fcNXuPse7lwgt4cS8/s320/IMG_2177.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hence the reroute !</td></tr></tbody></table>We made our first stop at the Circle K in Avondale near Phoenix International Raceway. We had good timing, as their computers went down just was we completed our purchases and they had to close the store for 30 minutes to ‘reboot.’<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_Etr7beSrCP641LrskXueDkbmrEHuGQ98WJFlST8P3r-LLp1mBnhwhGZnEl83vggFuBNMWpfQoN6ij5_0MRHrkdVOeKuXlCzahMGb7OP3jSWLMLS88vyjVYzGzKm0y5wOOLgWH4n72M8JWeBAUTepZnLbcMfpXobhiNP2sTmD1mNwkU1qJfmtjSu/s4032/IMG_2182.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_Etr7beSrCP641LrskXueDkbmrEHuGQ98WJFlST8P3r-LLp1mBnhwhGZnEl83vggFuBNMWpfQoN6ij5_0MRHrkdVOeKuXlCzahMGb7OP3jSWLMLS88vyjVYzGzKm0y5wOOLgWH4n72M8JWeBAUTepZnLbcMfpXobhiNP2sTmD1mNwkU1qJfmtjSu/s320/IMG_2182.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palo Verdes outside Estrella </td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled past the quiet raceway and through the planned community of Estrella. We pressed on to the next control in Buckeye for another Circle K snack and bottle reload. The Sheep Camp restaurant next store has great reviews, and as I stood outside consuming a breakfast muffin from the Circle K a number of folks commented that the Sheep Camp had great food. We were both concerned about the building heat in the forecast, and while a sit-down breakfast would have been great, we needed to press on and we did.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A_StMQK-NCGeY0zrNamw2Png9mN2yV--O4UdQaz3nskZ6RAe2GRppmEcW2TEzKRci7UwD1HOCrJk-BDi2uhOlDviTjEMqI5pkWKc13Vz4RjUAjx3raEmW_YNGNbxeeu75wZl-JWXVRTq3-Qpg0a-hEzga6Rt157Hy857NdbgtRQkU4w5084RJQ1M/s4032/IMG_2188.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5A_StMQK-NCGeY0zrNamw2Png9mN2yV--O4UdQaz3nskZ6RAe2GRppmEcW2TEzKRci7UwD1HOCrJk-BDi2uhOlDviTjEMqI5pkWKc13Vz4RjUAjx3raEmW_YNGNbxeeu75wZl-JWXVRTq3-Qpg0a-hEzga6Rt157Hy857NdbgtRQkU4w5084RJQ1M/s320/IMG_2188.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat in Palo Verde</td></tr></tbody></table>Just a few miles past Buckeye, I noticed Brian's rear tire looked soft and flatting. He checked it and it was. Luckily there was some nice shade by the Palo Verde school and he replaced the tube. Uh-oh, the replacement went flat too!</div><div><br /></div><div>I noticed he had brand new Vittoria tubes. I have had several where the removable valve was not fully tightened at the factory and leaked. We tightened the value and refilled the tube and were good to go for the rest of the ride.</div><div><br /></div><div>Important safety tip: Check/tighten the removable valves on new Vittoria tubes!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1a9MtQShq1o7dGzr8mtL0u8RbKfGzeb_3A8ir9FwvpKjQZn-UmP2EZ46yl98nHJW_Q3rYbVZPrsUDplWPeI-6Cklz0CMN4CREOaRY52yekHazDjJizU6h5lIxqEmiR4AvfZTC4B5plSuulHtLM66aBvXrO8jKP8fhA9e11pD7FTijZlVjTNLLXc6/s4032/IMG_2194.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU1a9MtQShq1o7dGzr8mtL0u8RbKfGzeb_3A8ir9FwvpKjQZn-UmP2EZ46yl98nHJW_Q3rYbVZPrsUDplWPeI-6Cklz0CMN4CREOaRY52yekHazDjJizU6h5lIxqEmiR4AvfZTC4B5plSuulHtLM66aBvXrO8jKP8fhA9e11pD7FTijZlVjTNLLXc6/s320/IMG_2194.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gillespie Dam/Gila River</td></tr></tbody></table>Brian was noticeably faster on the fully inflated tube and soon we were at Gillespie Dam. Normally dry, but with lots of water flowing today. An excavator was working replacing a portion of the earthen dam. The old concrete dam breached years ago and has not been repaired.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObUEZVHx-byLZdBS3nym74TvV--df4sDcXLZZhHvz8Vz2YWZsz3Gx2yTnSG31ElTH88acAxeZBcEOkmggvmoE7w65ycgfYN6Mq99mVM1-4DKfeQ35JmWWzE_89kGIsO9tiNNi2zJIkCism_J_aC9LbclIfmN-rmHtnAW7Nl2VpeHPT55NyQTJ_Ezl/s4032/IMG_2197.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObUEZVHx-byLZdBS3nym74TvV--df4sDcXLZZhHvz8Vz2YWZsz3Gx2yTnSG31ElTH88acAxeZBcEOkmggvmoE7w65ycgfYN6Mq99mVM1-4DKfeQ35JmWWzE_89kGIsO9tiNNi2zJIkCism_J_aC9LbclIfmN-rmHtnAW7Nl2VpeHPT55NyQTJ_Ezl/s320/IMG_2197.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch Break at McDonalds</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMswAXdVbVU3Te61Q7M7KeMFtP1DlgDWuFCfR7D_aYouYVf44mmC6_aRPctCTGqWP_FN2zm-Zf5-9pZ_dxMZfNts1zzsg-upzav74vc7KfBBXs2OUFlD2S8L1IZsT8I_-PbDErosyYIVKAkgwgt8penFz2YilFS7xnPn1WQQ_buqdKLIca1vuLJdHh/s4032/IMG_2199.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMswAXdVbVU3Te61Q7M7KeMFtP1DlgDWuFCfR7D_aYouYVf44mmC6_aRPctCTGqWP_FN2zm-Zf5-9pZ_dxMZfNts1zzsg-upzav74vc7KfBBXs2OUFlD2S8L1IZsT8I_-PbDErosyYIVKAkgwgt8penFz2YilFS7xnPn1WQQ_buqdKLIca1vuLJdHh/s320/IMG_2199.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The western most point of the route</td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled into Gila Bend and had lunch at the McDonalds. We both were feeling good and commented how unusual it was to have our stomachs fully intact this far into a ride.</div><div><br /></div><div>We both purchased an extra water bottle for the long run to the next control in Maricopa. There would be no services for the next 43 miles, much of it uphill! Winds were predicted to be on our tail, but our fast pace had us at the base of the climb before the winds shifted. So with building heat, and swirling winds we made our way up the 15 mile, albeit shallow, climb to the Sonoran National Monument. </div><div><br /></div><div>The heat and wind took its toll. I deployed my spare water bottle about 10 miles outside of Maricopa and limped into the Circle K. Tried some Mountain Dew and chips for sugar and salt, topped off the bottles and pushed out to Casa Grande.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn4f9ZzkdsCKWSLKvUa_1aNEq8aYzKtzjlATpH6F9f7fSfy3M4HZlCzTcM7gOuGcorv_mYGbPoOTmD8V2JxgHtSKQI7J4yiZdTlKjR0D1dhwEYbNbGj1bmCHXbB1J5bO6BMm7IS8jiyqv3ImKo4svPNuXqSnUgZNhjpw4ofPYGmXR3swBg2hIkwNT/s4032/IMG_2204.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn4f9ZzkdsCKWSLKvUa_1aNEq8aYzKtzjlATpH6F9f7fSfy3M4HZlCzTcM7gOuGcorv_mYGbPoOTmD8V2JxgHtSKQI7J4yiZdTlKjR0D1dhwEYbNbGj1bmCHXbB1J5bO6BMm7IS8jiyqv3ImKo4svPNuXqSnUgZNhjpw4ofPYGmXR3swBg2hIkwNT/s320/IMG_2204.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian at Maricopa</td></tr></tbody></table>Brian was feeling strong and would lead the way to Casa Grande with yours truly barley hanging on in the heat. We rolled in to Casa Grande and stopped again at a Circle K. I downed my first can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup (loaded with Salt), another chocolate milk, and we reloaded the bottles and pushed on.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjUPSXP7_8KshLSbcvHkL4HLydFcR9radtFIgYgsSc99F3Uj-SgJSFmHx5lznfO7Eb9c4Dx4P4NxOIlC9SvltYgYjQzpeq0Fe8oZ4GzeXrX6ZDvcXpYHkOuWJI69NTe1OoQ8MJmuppYCrhpGsqmPkhqTaPMu4PaapmUtMwcDajWohnkx6fgnmSf5k/s4032/IMG_2208.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjUPSXP7_8KshLSbcvHkL4HLydFcR9radtFIgYgsSc99F3Uj-SgJSFmHx5lznfO7Eb9c4Dx4P4NxOIlC9SvltYgYjQzpeq0Fe8oZ4GzeXrX6ZDvcXpYHkOuWJI69NTe1OoQ8MJmuppYCrhpGsqmPkhqTaPMu4PaapmUtMwcDajWohnkx6fgnmSf5k/s320/IMG_2208.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian leads the way to Florence</td></tr></tbody></table>The temperatures were starting to drop as we rolled into Florence about 6 pm. We decided to mix it up with dinner at Sonic. I was still feeling the effects of the heat, but was able to get down a Corn Dog kids meal, Coke and some ice cream. Plus seating in the picnic area was nice, although Brian’s meal took a while to get delivered. Good thing for me, I was starting to recover from the heat.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6mWw6-DitiXQl0Hx4hz6OjtRNPcRjFWnCXVIjt9cpt9NQxxVTnO6iKJd3uofvf5m8YYBPpfhB38hA5BIOUw12TjqE3mpYoofXMTFXohH7h1N9uHcisJkmzjgsPtwx4_XTV5CAPBXgHW9i5YfXKbuR-2NRVRSXHp_9D66yEKbhkdXV9CgjbVLZEbV/s4032/IMG_2215.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2136" data-original-width="4032" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6mWw6-DitiXQl0Hx4hz6OjtRNPcRjFWnCXVIjt9cpt9NQxxVTnO6iKJd3uofvf5m8YYBPpfhB38hA5BIOUw12TjqE3mpYoofXMTFXohH7h1N9uHcisJkmzjgsPtwx4_XTV5CAPBXgHW9i5YfXKbuR-2NRVRSXHp_9D66yEKbhkdXV9CgjbVLZEbV/s320/IMG_2215.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset near Florence</td></tr></tbody></table>We had 56 miles to our overnight stop to go. We rolled out with Brian in the lead and headed into the farmland. The temperatures continued to drop, and heading west there is a slight downgrade. Somewhere between Florence and Queen Creek, our roles reversed with me taking more lead pulls and Brian taking advantage of my wheel.</div><div><br /></div><div>We rolled through the main control in Chandler and headed out on the 200km loop. About 5 miles in, we took a detour to my house for the overnight stop. Debby made some navy bean soup and cornbread and also had potato salad and ice cream waiting for us (She was in bed!). Both of us had trouble downing a decent solid meal, but we stuffed in what we could and hit the sack about midnight. We both downed a couple of Ensure drinks, they were cold and seemed to hit the spot. We decided to set out for the 200 at 5 am, so we set the alarms for 0420 and tried to get some sleep.</div><div><br /></div><div>Still feeling sour, I woke up and had my normal brevet breakfast (granola, yogurt, blueberries) and a couple of Ensures. Brian had a worse night but was raring to go when we rolled out a few minutes after 5. It’s a familiar route through Tempe to ASU and another Salt River Crossing. Again our roles reversed, with Brian doing most of the work.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje33o9nl3c0AZTUtjU8FHf982hdM86mdEyjob3tWk1LzkFbCX20VqnCis-s7Nwo3L4UkW1LO41OcrECqI-_qfLwmcl3WZNPyvrSf15BbA9hR8-0QC4OIgnSxdf2ksLcWaQLZz3L144UG3zEpd-r3vIx8D-p25cvBkdUz6iiOGC24lyTjanQkGR9Tct/s4032/IMG_2221.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje33o9nl3c0AZTUtjU8FHf982hdM86mdEyjob3tWk1LzkFbCX20VqnCis-s7Nwo3L4UkW1LO41OcrECqI-_qfLwmcl3WZNPyvrSf15BbA9hR8-0QC4OIgnSxdf2ksLcWaQLZz3L144UG3zEpd-r3vIx8D-p25cvBkdUz6iiOGC24lyTjanQkGR9Tct/s320/IMG_2221.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tempe Town Lake/Salt River</td></tr></tbody></table>We stopped at the Tempe Town Lake bridge for a photo. The lake is ‘flowing’ as evidenced by the muddy color, and the water rushing out of the spillways further west. The route continues north through Scottsdale on 68th Street to Jackrabbit. Turn right and go about a mile, and its bike paths nearly to Shea boulevard.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANA3Ync1V5Fe24BOiDf15HSzJIpP-VKtnB588D1EAJQ0mCXDnyNnMOJ7am3mgneTbmz2bBvTOF0zEddxF2TjPHIZgSuObOi9V-Arr_C0hiL37fMNEn0osgz1ARcoU6uTIH5kZqRetJyd5GdgE4rOY8MP70AtdEeO3j8z2aB970fYcAZP3hmphFzeC/s4032/IMG_2226.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANA3Ync1V5Fe24BOiDf15HSzJIpP-VKtnB588D1EAJQ0mCXDnyNnMOJ7am3mgneTbmz2bBvTOF0zEddxF2TjPHIZgSuObOi9V-Arr_C0hiL37fMNEn0osgz1ARcoU6uTIH5kZqRetJyd5GdgE4rOY8MP70AtdEeO3j8z2aB970fYcAZP3hmphFzeC/s320/IMG_2226.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path in Scottsdale</td></tr></tbody></table>It took us about 2 hours to cover the 25 miles to Aztec Park and an adjacent Circle K. A good place to stop, restrooms at the park, and a table outside the Circle K. I was starting to feel better and power was coming back, and we picked up the pace. We both enjoyed Circle K breakfast sandwiches warmed in a microwave. There was a sign on the microwave indicating that the warming of fish is not allowed! We put the fish back in our pockets and continued on!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffTv5idoexC8uTS3GpiVxSHRgKv0Nx9TnwxMpjkRa9g8KLEVxFaNx_aJVGeLKq6vbvYX6r5x1bU20zr_KK3gPQZg7R1VYHmn523Ho7gqfzYkF_eQ3HR7v5GNAMgWdg8nzUM8JDVUTfHcUP_sAlBQ8Z6ha01IEJdXmry95MsryM8lWBDd9uf11iAoS/s4032/IMG_2228.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhffTv5idoexC8uTS3GpiVxSHRgKv0Nx9TnwxMpjkRa9g8KLEVxFaNx_aJVGeLKq6vbvYX6r5x1bU20zr_KK3gPQZg7R1VYHmn523Ho7gqfzYkF_eQ3HR7v5GNAMgWdg8nzUM8JDVUTfHcUP_sAlBQ8Z6ha01IEJdXmry95MsryM8lWBDd9uf11iAoS/s320/IMG_2228.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction on Pima Road</td></tr></tbody></table>There was about a mile of construction on Pima road at Pinnacle Peak road. The bike lane was gone. We decided to ride on the hard pack gravel (straight ahead from the photo above). It was fine, and better than mixing it up with the traffic. Only a mile or so, and we were back on the road.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kqWSEGR2w4SP1iOSHlU45JH6TIMaGkCArev-DqIwkYxbAnE7BOnLKXBEQjCg2NZyIogKENfTFWUUEMS5cm709XnvYyW2-xcOXMS7V2nh6V6SBP3VITJ3mFJzXGueVi3EsNXUYuY8EGDusNPjoLPD-MKnTRA7zu8bFsz4O-sq3bPkVzn5a5SWLPzg/s4032/IMG_2231.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6kqWSEGR2w4SP1iOSHlU45JH6TIMaGkCArev-DqIwkYxbAnE7BOnLKXBEQjCg2NZyIogKENfTFWUUEMS5cm709XnvYyW2-xcOXMS7V2nh6V6SBP3VITJ3mFJzXGueVi3EsNXUYuY8EGDusNPjoLPD-MKnTRA7zu8bFsz4O-sq3bPkVzn5a5SWLPzg/s320/IMG_2231.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brittlebush outside Fountain Hills </td></tr></tbody></table>We made the climb around Pinnacle Peak and the yummy 9 mile descent to Rio Verde. Temperatures were still good. The breakfast sandwich was doing the trick and I was feeling strong and we made good time in spite of some headwinds. At this point, at least they were still cool.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUbeE57Kdd9J6U-p3YICnsiqdN6Wqe6mBYHeeAbMjvQRcqcB0HsaiLWcohyIrRmbslUnbJ9wN0iSJhEq8Tx4F87J7KURRrSDzlB13xOefO-BHr-Yc8-FkC2jreMMSWvi_jgN-d7VWV_cxwEHcuR9kkW4CvfFJp-dSqA-e3Q3nga23rPrxB1rOdgGQ/s4032/IMG_2232.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUbeE57Kdd9J6U-p3YICnsiqdN6Wqe6mBYHeeAbMjvQRcqcB0HsaiLWcohyIrRmbslUnbJ9wN0iSJhEq8Tx4F87J7KURRrSDzlB13xOefO-BHr-Yc8-FkC2jreMMSWvi_jgN-d7VWV_cxwEHcuR9kkW4CvfFJp-dSqA-e3Q3nga23rPrxB1rOdgGQ/s320/IMG_2232.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best lunch ever!</td></tr></tbody></table>We had a nice tailwind from Rio Verde and if you timed the power right, you could crest the rollers with just a soft pedal! Our next stop would be the Circle K control at Shea, .2 miles after the turn from Saguaro Blvd (there is one there too!). It has shaded tables, is less busy, and best of all it had fresh hot dogs! At least they seemed fresh! I bought a back-up water bottle, since last time I rode this route I ran out of water on the Usery Pass climb.<div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibefq8orqwur4X4mRkBO-RHj2xsHjU_FIXnDy1_bHXyxWKw8h-gfPb3OmMnSpuArkPH7bcgADKc8yy0g-eZepy58z__m9JnzHoowmESuVMPg1PynuzEQa-frCELVcoBdcXGP1qH-FBzse4y9-xzSZS44hj3wyXRKaaYqHg8S057_Lw3C5cMhr-uWkk/s4032/IMG_2236.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibefq8orqwur4X4mRkBO-RHj2xsHjU_FIXnDy1_bHXyxWKw8h-gfPb3OmMnSpuArkPH7bcgADKc8yy0g-eZepy58z__m9JnzHoowmESuVMPg1PynuzEQa-frCELVcoBdcXGP1qH-FBzse4y9-xzSZS44hj3wyXRKaaYqHg8S057_Lw3C5cMhr-uWkk/s320/IMG_2236.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verde River</td></tr></tbody></table>Another photo stop at the Verde river before the 6 mile climb to Bush Highway on the Beeline. Plenty of flowers along the way. Brian mentioned wild horses were grazing just off the highway. I didn’t notice them, and wondered why a number of cars had stopped on the shoulder of the highway! Now I know!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKzmjPf2i5QcMt-yhSpSuKLjssTSLx5WhxtF0BqE6HS3ZWlERh3Ey_zCRKnKauKKHcxxPYREszt9l2gFTaT5rplEL0SeWKTTRVu2Re9aEol0eO2jo94dwPUrp_UqRhhmrPt3cwrmyKrPA4-rYLTFnwTttbQkpbjhjUT3BtK9VCAwTxRRZaMgwGGhv/s4032/IMG_2237.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKzmjPf2i5QcMt-yhSpSuKLjssTSLx5WhxtF0BqE6HS3ZWlERh3Ey_zCRKnKauKKHcxxPYREszt9l2gFTaT5rplEL0SeWKTTRVu2Re9aEol0eO2jo94dwPUrp_UqRhhmrPt3cwrmyKrPA4-rYLTFnwTttbQkpbjhjUT3BtK9VCAwTxRRZaMgwGGhv/s320/IMG_2237.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weavers Needle from Bush/Beeline Highways</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsemXwJ1N75T6wx9c7YRYerw_8H2V9dQ5JTR-ljE_O384uqkxQlq0HG8lEtRBVMEFzr3lMprokp_G5pEdgy_meGZ9_L588LpwmagMmSO83tIDefAXbK_6P1IsvY1Zc--jWARTO2r7e_rCG2UvJRQLlK3fyWTpkxKescInCEVU5JsDHWqqngSbMI5u/s4032/IMG_2243.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqsemXwJ1N75T6wx9c7YRYerw_8H2V9dQ5JTR-ljE_O384uqkxQlq0HG8lEtRBVMEFzr3lMprokp_G5pEdgy_meGZ9_L588LpwmagMmSO83tIDefAXbK_6P1IsvY1Zc--jWARTO2r7e_rCG2UvJRQLlK3fyWTpkxKescInCEVU5JsDHWqqngSbMI5u/s320/IMG_2243.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt River</td></tr></tbody></table>From the Bush/Beeline Highway intersection, it’s a fun plunge down to Saguaro lake. Traffic was not too bad. We did notice the long line of boats waiting to use the boat launch! The Butcher Jones camping and day use area was also full! Of course we stopped at Blue Point for another photo of the Salt River.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We made our way up the Usery Pass climb and decided to stop at the Usery Mountain Park visitor center. There is no fee to enter, and shade and restrooms are available.</div><div><br /></div><div>We topped off and headed for our last stop at a QT store at Baseline and Lindsey. With the heat, we wanted one last stop and chance for ice cream before hitting the Western Canal trail and the last miles of the ride. </div><div><br /></div><div>We entered the bike trail off Lindsey and about a mile later we were in the heart of downtown Gilbert. Many places to stop and eat and drink. But we were ready to get out of the heat and continued on.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh_JshNfWkZgKD610KxIoHZ7mjSTva0l6yQLUkomfVmOblzjpenwgIe9U460wrh_KrEVruO4qIPqJ6sGoyon-REF93Ona7N13Ktmbu0ulODYjV_rm9XpKn6r6uRpYWoBuNAl_GraCLYLcjNCQgGCCsITW1ZJJ68KrToZpxLJmOEuK5xUJOCApspnc/s4032/IMG_2246.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh_JshNfWkZgKD610KxIoHZ7mjSTva0l6yQLUkomfVmOblzjpenwgIe9U460wrh_KrEVruO4qIPqJ6sGoyon-REF93Ona7N13Ktmbu0ulODYjV_rm9XpKn6r6uRpYWoBuNAl_GraCLYLcjNCQgGCCsITW1ZJJ68KrToZpxLJmOEuK5xUJOCApspnc/s320/IMG_2246.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian on the new bike bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There is a new bike bridge over an active rail line that sure beats dismounting and scrambling across! Brian gave it two thumbs up and we continued into what seemed like a convection oven for the next 9 miles. Hot heavy winds on the nose…no thanks!</p><p>At least the last few miles were in a crosswind as we put this one in the books at 34 hours and 45 minutes. It was great to team up with Brian on the ride, it seemed like at least one of us was feeling good throughout the ride and could get the other through!</p><p>There is still time (midnight April 26, 2023) to register for the main event, go to <a href="http://Azbrevet.com">Azbrevet.com</a>!</p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/118890462">Click here for GPS data</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-14222468114993692262023-03-25T10:28:00.562-07:002023-03-28T07:52:36.853-07:002023 Just North of the Border 600km Brevet<p> Ride Report<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUVEqylDpulzrANj5cogkO4kS-c5s-yquZVrlfxdM1VkhP-K4OY74lM3E4L28YNkUCJsyp7rPNhd5qUeJzsqDyKSzmFedpHppkA5xc0a2rYZWdZfXfunzRxMQQElJAaE_EaFL5t3njsUzmpNFI5RjP5bPMkssZB5OJnESEaHGkM7nvLHip3r5x7Wa/s4032/IMG_1980.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNUVEqylDpulzrANj5cogkO4kS-c5s-yquZVrlfxdM1VkhP-K4OY74lM3E4L28YNkUCJsyp7rPNhd5qUeJzsqDyKSzmFedpHppkA5xc0a2rYZWdZfXfunzRxMQQElJAaE_EaFL5t3njsUzmpNFI5RjP5bPMkssZB5OJnESEaHGkM7nvLHip3r5x7Wa/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Javelina Rocks at Saguaro National Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>To qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris this summer; 4 brevets of increasing distance must be completed in the event year, each under its own time limit.The 200, 300, and 400 kilometer distances are in the books for me and only a 600km is left to ride. Mike Sturgill combined two existing routes in Southern Arizona, Just North of the Border 400 and the Madera Canyon 200 for this 40 hour event.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP2ej-8T_QyAgR5DxZofxO_1dUz-PG1csr6-PuHQdBbwnaLfSD9pQiDU9YbvODD1SX4WqOnQHYrWl3-EFck8QfCqD6iqgvUCXuyto8jfl5QbBSKFBd-MobTlvUl2lB6xOVqdhjiUETxw9tqbVTMnvjj_No4igRKNiG_Zey3D2lnoWvQZaxBdDVRmH/s4032/IMG_1972.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP2ej-8T_QyAgR5DxZofxO_1dUz-PG1csr6-PuHQdBbwnaLfSD9pQiDU9YbvODD1SX4WqOnQHYrWl3-EFck8QfCqD6iqgvUCXuyto8jfl5QbBSKFBd-MobTlvUl2lB6xOVqdhjiUETxw9tqbVTMnvjj_No4igRKNiG_Zey3D2lnoWvQZaxBdDVRmH/s320/IMG_1972.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>14 riders gathered at the El Con Mall Starbucks in Tucson for the start at 0600. 8 were riding the 600 and 6 had selected the 400. Attendance on these brevets typically declines as the distances get longer. This year, many riders were able to complete their 600 requirement for Paris in December (the PBP qualifying year begins on October 1), so a number of Arizona riders already have their 600 in the bag. <p></p><p>It was great to see some familiar faces as the riders gathered for the recap of last minute instructions and rider brief from Mike Sturgill (Regional Brevet Administrator for RUSA). Stephen Kinney and a several other fast men from Alberta Canada and Brian McGuire from Phoenix were lined up for the 600. Tom Altemus from Tucson, and an 'old racing buddy', Doug McLerran from Illinois were ready to go for the 400! The sun is about to come up, let's get going!<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymrau79KTFg9VkLu9IGkYMZ5i_s3lrHn4vQ5a8NQ5GSEbhBt0DgMBaN5dAMJ7f7Evt_UfvZzeKSFr_rgTVL3YWstfA1fEGOJMoI3s5OpnvpyrBzXKSR5NgCvxmrka5paphuVk5P7tQr8MDKtRgbIKZU7fhmKXNheKH4bc8uMa1JQlBU3HKmyUQrOc/s4032/IMG_1978.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymrau79KTFg9VkLu9IGkYMZ5i_s3lrHn4vQ5a8NQ5GSEbhBt0DgMBaN5dAMJ7f7Evt_UfvZzeKSFr_rgTVL3YWstfA1fEGOJMoI3s5OpnvpyrBzXKSR5NgCvxmrka5paphuVk5P7tQr8MDKtRgbIKZU7fhmKXNheKH4bc8uMa1JQlBU3HKmyUQrOc/s320/IMG_1978.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul Danhaus at Rincon Mountain Lookout<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled out and, as is my custom lately, I drifted back to the end of the group. I was a bit surprised to be joined by Paul Danhaus. I first met Paul at the 2008 Shenandoah 1200 somewhere in Virginia. He is an accomplished long distance rider (RAAM) and a wonderful person. He lives in Wisconsin, and winters in Yuma Arizona practicing veterinary medicine. He and his wife Jennifer often ride a tandem on Arizona brevets.<p></p><p>We had a chance to catch up as we headed toward the Saguaro National Park. Even though we were at the back of the pack, traffic lights on Broadway were holding up the fast riders, and we caught them several times during the first few miles.</p><p>In any case, it was a chance to catch up. Paul had a serious run-in with an unleashed dog last year that ended his Coulee 1200 early. Shortly after recovering from that serious incident, he fell victim to an unseen road crack that threw him again, "adding a few more broken ribs to his collection." He was not yet comfortable piloting the tandem with Jennifer and was riding the 400 at a recovery pace. Once we turned off Broadway the fast guys disappeared up the road and we enjoyed each others company to the Saguaro National Park.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPrZPo812kPNoPnN1lLC3snGnHuSFCDX-VgbTCf-43bLvrC-ABzoivMZTQwhztBcecE36wzqhUUCpwIr503JnRoAby3Q-XO5n3kdYH64tEy49op_7YPSukrxpJ9UNK8nVXRL4jfTk_g2EuT68ntorxmP0EP31mclQYM4DtdhtTQ_a0REBmEVDai_x/s4032/IMG_1990.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPrZPo812kPNoPnN1lLC3snGnHuSFCDX-VgbTCf-43bLvrC-ABzoivMZTQwhztBcecE36wzqhUUCpwIr503JnRoAby3Q-XO5n3kdYH64tEy49op_7YPSukrxpJ9UNK8nVXRL4jfTk_g2EuT68ntorxmP0EP31mclQYM4DtdhtTQ_a0REBmEVDai_x/s320/IMG_1990.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill, Doug McLerran and Tom Altemus<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rode together through the park and Paul dropped off as we made our way to the Chevron station in Vail. Tom and Doug were there getting ready to head out. Its the last stop for water for 30 miles (25 of it uphill) before reaching Sonoita. They rolled out shortly after I arrived and was able to grab some supplies and a picture!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnoucyJrSgtbyOhVBvury3vvf9yGKJbMJuN0qGPX6IO_E4FyvQ604NyODTKsNkJ4XM5o9Ak0CSJGOUQ03f17c7oArChvIqgJxoc3X8A4a1_G4wR3dDMYRfoE5etCmMXyojYbc5U861iv954y0TqIRlneTsSyj-BkISh1TZa6FUWmB-HeT4_nISAUc/s4032/IMG_1993.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTnoucyJrSgtbyOhVBvury3vvf9yGKJbMJuN0qGPX6IO_E4FyvQ604NyODTKsNkJ4XM5o9Ak0CSJGOUQ03f17c7oArChvIqgJxoc3X8A4a1_G4wR3dDMYRfoE5etCmMXyojYbc5U861iv954y0TqIRlneTsSyj-BkISh1TZa6FUWmB-HeT4_nISAUc/s320/IMG_1993.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Sonoita Highway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Its a 20 mile steady climb on AZ-83. A narrow and sometimes busy two-lane highway. This year, Mike added the Old Sonoita Highway to the route that replaced the first 6 miles of AZ-83 with a nearly deserted alternative. The road surface got rough in places, but it was a great route.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72FHCEU2z8X3Wd7Ak0okDpi1Xd1GAgKo20-QukbRs3rT9VeE7n0g-j8R5Mtbs1EuA0zzV7Qz5yeSelLrqnv4YkY5dEH_VCrPkfJwhoUZEFFBd4RfFiu-_Rk-9Ek9WBIILt--FU-E6GOf-cSUH11C2wUmYdS0h7u-jDaYLAJePFBH0r4l5od20YpmQ/s4032/IMG_1999.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj72FHCEU2z8X3Wd7Ak0okDpi1Xd1GAgKo20-QukbRs3rT9VeE7n0g-j8R5Mtbs1EuA0zzV7Qz5yeSelLrqnv4YkY5dEH_VCrPkfJwhoUZEFFBd4RfFiu-_Rk-9Ek9WBIILt--FU-E6GOf-cSUH11C2wUmYdS0h7u-jDaYLAJePFBH0r4l5od20YpmQ/s320/IMG_1999.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom leads the group<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">I played a bit of leap frog with Tom and Doug until we settled in to the real climbing on AZ 83. We stayed together to the top and the climb past the Border Patrol checkpoint on the way to Sonoita. We rode at a comfortable pace and were able to share stories, only interrupted by the the noise of passing traffic!<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTNoFDS9ymtlr4Vc9BOWMbgZsBcoIKWSqdQ0UTB8RJ2jXTK7JqfoyudBTSiTZKiJKoSabG32mCkzYEvsIPKwzw9DOQrt5ZXO3bJ_DBOTjMlr50BSaPbRqZoLEL7Kjy_64NfIE19sSqqI1cseluayQNqA_HpfjJmACiFrMnFDDiGl-9x7_P6RN3Q_v/s4032/IMG_2003.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjTNoFDS9ymtlr4Vc9BOWMbgZsBcoIKWSqdQ0UTB8RJ2jXTK7JqfoyudBTSiTZKiJKoSabG32mCkzYEvsIPKwzw9DOQrt5ZXO3bJ_DBOTjMlr50BSaPbRqZoLEL7Kjy_64NfIE19sSqqI1cseluayQNqA_HpfjJmACiFrMnFDDiGl-9x7_P6RN3Q_v/s320/IMG_2003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow on Mt. Wrightson in the distance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0bmSOr0Ng-p5aKz7EX2VuQtXI3IbLhX_h2lzDZ6TJ43kW-VF9Ayfz7BQxh2XRdFFa8DLyT0FdTkK6ZnTQ-gcD6LrwgOCB6Pg9_KFmzk6W_CEgP4GQKt1yv6lzpTBxWlyETO-8VTsxbgSMvtiFrgSqWzUcCLXfVg0HXggyViifOI2rp97z-vMLms9/s4032/IMG_2006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0bmSOr0Ng-p5aKz7EX2VuQtXI3IbLhX_h2lzDZ6TJ43kW-VF9Ayfz7BQxh2XRdFFa8DLyT0FdTkK6ZnTQ-gcD6LrwgOCB6Pg9_KFmzk6W_CEgP4GQKt1yv6lzpTBxWlyETO-8VTsxbgSMvtiFrgSqWzUcCLXfVg0HXggyViifOI2rp97z-vMLms9/s320/IMG_2006.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My two-speed bike<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">After the Border Patrol checkpoint, it is 10 miles of downhill rollers to Sonoita. Normally a section to really make up time after the long climb. Just clearing the top of the first roller, a hear/feel a pop in the real derailleur and I'm stuck in the climbing gear. I dropped off the group thinking my derailleur cable had snapped. I parked the bike near a handy road sign and dug out the repair kit with a new cable.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I tried to pull the old cable and it wouldn't budge. It was intact, but a spring in the derailleur was not. About that time Paul Danhaus rides up and stops to check on me. I tell
him the bike is done and I planned to head back to Tucson, and asked him to let Mike Sturgill know I would probably be heading back. </div><p>There was cell service there, and I called Mike Cox at Curbside Cyclery. He confirmed it was not repairable. He said this was only the second time he had heard of this failure over many years as a mechanic! SRAM derailleurs default to the largest cog and Mike suggested I use the limit screws to try to move the chain "one or two gears down" to make the bike more ride-able. His trick worked, I was able to get the chain from the 34 to the 27 tooth rear cog. The front derailleur was fine, so now I had a two-speed.</p><p>I sent Mike Sturgill a text saying I was headed back to Tucson and turned around and started to head back, and it actually was not too bad riding the two-speed, then I had an idea. What if Debby could bring another bike to Tucson. I would complete the next 300km on the two-speed then change to my old Canondale for the last 200 to Madera Canyon. I confirmed with Mike that plan was within the RUSA rules (no support allowed between controls), and decided to head to Elgin and decide then to either continue or abandon the ride.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSDz2HeG4fCVmdIp6EjOkvh4T_6ELY-eCmDZO8oR9eqqyQoqwDtpnsS2F1OFhrsFWoRoJ4czWK3Od9ilpjq-Imnomyp0m_Rp4nUx9HLd7yJAlcIQMIHejvSbBMY1PZbjk6MAJ5P6dcfxNQtca5UBSztjLoSsl8r89Z7trG3DrB0kZWp_DaLfMXsj/s4032/IMG_2013.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSDz2HeG4fCVmdIp6EjOkvh4T_6ELY-eCmDZO8oR9eqqyQoqwDtpnsS2F1OFhrsFWoRoJ4czWK3Od9ilpjq-Imnomyp0m_Rp4nUx9HLd7yJAlcIQMIHejvSbBMY1PZbjk6MAJ5P6dcfxNQtca5UBSztjLoSsl8r89Z7trG3DrB0kZWp_DaLfMXsj/s320/IMG_2013.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Elgin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDK844ilrp1wTpSb6NIBPsyPd7bbqeuljsXHX9kH9QLvqmLmZgD3Am0zpIYMIFp8Zvk8zwAVpYK85tDq-0rn_nCxtgP74JIGtY-nc1xKzrdeQ5auLD5kLhmurZ1W1GUS16KtEu19yboG9xiX_JNM-zn5VVTU-Eq8AXr94J78bOT5djczeBCfElMsc/s4032/IMG_2015.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIDK844ilrp1wTpSb6NIBPsyPd7bbqeuljsXHX9kH9QLvqmLmZgD3Am0zpIYMIFp8Zvk8zwAVpYK85tDq-0rn_nCxtgP74JIGtY-nc1xKzrdeQ5auLD5kLhmurZ1W1GUS16KtEu19yboG9xiX_JNM-zn5VVTU-Eq8AXr94J78bOT5djczeBCfElMsc/s320/IMG_2015.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elgin Information Control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Lured into a false sense of progress by a strong tailwind, I make Elgin in good time and decide to continue the ride! In the 50/27 combination I could spin at about 100 rpm and hold about 15-17 mph on the flats and faster on downhills, or with the wind. Dropping to the 34/27 I could handle climbing the moderate rollers.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRrVcxU2Xo3ewOoJqkCFgJ8y_P11VZzZs5QXfe6oi9EG_917crHU8fLRHOTh8HOBeG5fc_3GiyrnfzCli7jarK8Wmmh04uILa578o_uFgSCEUT__5bmOzPSrjnpBvmNcLmOZg9pAbeU0ueSJ0xuzKeeyTBnhRLTNwjPMpip9XgNFojRRAg0XGrS9K/s4032/IMG_2020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisRrVcxU2Xo3ewOoJqkCFgJ8y_P11VZzZs5QXfe6oi9EG_917crHU8fLRHOTh8HOBeG5fc_3GiyrnfzCli7jarK8Wmmh04uILa578o_uFgSCEUT__5bmOzPSrjnpBvmNcLmOZg9pAbeU0ueSJ0xuzKeeyTBnhRLTNwjPMpip9XgNFojRRAg0XGrS9K/s320/IMG_2020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike's control at the Longhorn in Tombstone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_WMXGRGeZhnycrGENjkqqadCJUTxOlfK2l0Jen12SK7H-MqGmBOiPgTNu_eSV5v8rINm306prWLto1jz0pu_VCnNsBp-9Bjc0W2dxtFL6wLXSm9rhLOCgPA98bUR6iYpCg5cOriGgoUlwx6T0PeCfxwyAaMIHpo_56Fks4e2AQa4A2J5K3-6DIHz/s4032/IMG_2022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_WMXGRGeZhnycrGENjkqqadCJUTxOlfK2l0Jen12SK7H-MqGmBOiPgTNu_eSV5v8rINm306prWLto1jz0pu_VCnNsBp-9Bjc0W2dxtFL6wLXSm9rhLOCgPA98bUR6iYpCg5cOriGgoUlwx6T0PeCfxwyAaMIHpo_56Fks4e2AQa4A2J5K3-6DIHz/s320/IMG_2022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gravel section in Tombstone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedXsJAK5R1GdVp7y_IeNq95Knbt4KQPA8Shy7dFQg70iuPXbEkXb35E_nU3VJy0te4VqfJguKzBQ2oDgQTdIMUUASR1qlx2wlyq_UDjCeHxOScsvNhmtKc2-g82fls1dfe0uNmlKAzYKRwNBGAWJjZ_d9B-qu85xOMiRqVtRAIYnuBsvEXsmLTU0Z/s3088/IMG_2026.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedXsJAK5R1GdVp7y_IeNq95Knbt4KQPA8Shy7dFQg70iuPXbEkXb35E_nU3VJy0te4VqfJguKzBQ2oDgQTdIMUUASR1qlx2wlyq_UDjCeHxOScsvNhmtKc2-g82fls1dfe0uNmlKAzYKRwNBGAWJjZ_d9B-qu85xOMiRqVtRAIYnuBsvEXsmLTU0Z/s320/IMG_2026.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All smiles and making progress<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I roll into Tombstone and Mike welcomes me to the control. I am about two hours ahead of the close time and about an hour behind Tom, Doug, and Paul. I make it a quick stop and continue on toward Bisbee.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi750aF8W6rN2OwXY6-KFlqx-aql_v_1cMAuJ4YB2Jphoxk7k5KSkFKwpMMoQ3DT0pHyNzreTU77UBk2llxL_B1zjfmisn-wiS20Q3zf4wlEqigAgHmWMkVtmztYAT-gnPgu5Gad78CZomo0fQvAnRudAKQW-ikrqDddqdSkcssB6xQXD2NzeaT5HIX/s4032/IMG_2027.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi750aF8W6rN2OwXY6-KFlqx-aql_v_1cMAuJ4YB2Jphoxk7k5KSkFKwpMMoQ3DT0pHyNzreTU77UBk2llxL_B1zjfmisn-wiS20Q3zf4wlEqigAgHmWMkVtmztYAT-gnPgu5Gad78CZomo0fQvAnRudAKQW-ikrqDddqdSkcssB6xQXD2NzeaT5HIX/s320/IMG_2027.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mule Pass above Bisbee<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The tailwind is now a cross wind, but manageable as I make my way to the steep climb to Bisbee. My derailleur was cooperating but I was not looking forward to doing the climb in the 27 cog. I decide to risk messing with it and adjust the screws to put it back in the 32 cog. I head up noticing that miles on the two-speed have taken a toll on the legs. Its not an easy climb normally, but today it was more difficult than usual, even with a slight tailwind.</p><p>I reach the top at Mule Pass just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, and at 6000 feet, the temperature dropped dramatically! I put on layers and tried to adjust the derailleur back to the 27. It dropped only one gear to the 30 and would not go further. Ugh!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqozYayH6326TOxvs4XSmMNcuH25pSg0WXAGx5TBAr8B1RwWomVt6iuKOL7-B3iBGdK3VwvsTNriLPiOOQzGfoTZcx4azEpR7yTOefSQ6WhPKkRx9Bupw9xFo09Bmki_W5u_HiussBAOSBZ--H7FoFkVMMO4abXJxDbjzEzvCc2zAlz4aOG4xOj6Y/s4032/IMG_2028.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqozYayH6326TOxvs4XSmMNcuH25pSg0WXAGx5TBAr8B1RwWomVt6iuKOL7-B3iBGdK3VwvsTNriLPiOOQzGfoTZcx4azEpR7yTOefSQ6WhPKkRx9Bupw9xFo09Bmki_W5u_HiussBAOSBZ--H7FoFkVMMO4abXJxDbjzEzvCc2zAlz4aOG4xOj6Y/s320/IMG_2028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closed<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Market Cafe is normally a wonderful place for dinner, but its closed. Its 30 miles to Sierra Vista and I have food and water on the bike, so I press on though town.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3RjAMNRTBpinRzRtE567ToJ2roYIaWERwZVDGPAEuKUujWoYOnzTmg7BBd9QcT3Sy29ICnnMoaBuqXodYHEyLvunIPwWe38bkddIb2AKOpiDsin4x2gea38oO8BVUkIwqSLjJG_jJ_fqc92zdkV5wrVtqIKMfp5hofWcxodIIrVm1iuOOa0B4hIg/s4032/IMG_2031.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3RjAMNRTBpinRzRtE567ToJ2roYIaWERwZVDGPAEuKUujWoYOnzTmg7BBd9QcT3Sy29ICnnMoaBuqXodYHEyLvunIPwWe38bkddIb2AKOpiDsin4x2gea38oO8BVUkIwqSLjJG_jJ_fqc92zdkV5wrVtqIKMfp5hofWcxodIIrVm1iuOOa0B4hIg/s320/IMG_2031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its not a stick-up, its cold!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs75GMufVsDm_vBq-LISQwghAQrCilr1cMMpiC5sbP9bHzmN9md4h-gJ6mUZeSJ24TdeIz19bbTlURRWkm_VIzAR-0MfteFtHzaJuhP_9-1peXjU27r9n_EMOLPkoy80iXGMGOVI_CTI6a_RdXzP_mHlancw2J39uv2KvwaGMYf326UYkMBlqVlWQ/s4032/IMG_2032.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNs75GMufVsDm_vBq-LISQwghAQrCilr1cMMpiC5sbP9bHzmN9md4h-gJ6mUZeSJ24TdeIz19bbTlURRWkm_VIzAR-0MfteFtHzaJuhP_9-1peXjU27r9n_EMOLPkoy80iXGMGOVI_CTI6a_RdXzP_mHlancw2J39uv2KvwaGMYf326UYkMBlqVlWQ/s320/IMG_2032.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lowell Arizona Time Warp<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route leaves town and detours through Lowell Arizona. Most the town was overcome by the nearby open pit copper mine. All that was left was main street, and it has been restored to its 50/60s glory!<p>The terrain is gentle long rollers to Sierra Vista. Its dark and cold and with the rear stuck on the 30 cog, my 100 cadence only yields about 13 miles per hour, and my pace slows considerably. What was really frustrating, is that I could see Paul and Tom's taillights in the distance. I would make slight progress on the climbs, but they would disappear on the descents! I make Sierra Vista before the McDonald's closed and had a hot dinner. I put on my 250 wool layer and head back out. Its another 35 miles back to Sonoita and I get there about 1 am. Mike is waiting, like a guardian angel, with food and hot ramen. I am still about 2 hours before the close time but really hurting. </p><p>The temps dropped into the low 30's; and felt much colder from the wind chill on the descent. Normally put the bike in 50/11 gears and bomb down the hill under full steam. Rolling down, not pedaling, there was no way to generate heat, other than get on the brakes to slow down and/or pedal against the brakes to stay warm. Obviously it took much longer to get down than normal.</p><p>Cold and fighting off the sleep monster, I roll into the Vail Chevron about 0400 to warm up. I was toast and decided to try to get a Uber to the finish. One pops up, but it cancelled and no others were found. I pressed on for the last 20 miles and finally reached the hotel control stop in Tucson at 0604. 24 hours of two-speed riding and cold did me in. Even though Debby and her sister Kathy drove to Tucson Saturday with a back-up bike and put it in my room; I did not think I could get the backup bike ready to ride (it was on a hook in the garage with flat tires and no pedals), get cleaned up, sleep a few hours, and finish the remaining 200km before the cutoff time at 10pm on Sunday. I pulled the pin and set the alarm to wake up an hour before checkout time at 11.<br /></p><p>The bike is at Curbside getting a new derailleur and I'm browsing the RUSA site looking for another 600!</p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/116334918" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-75916442037495500142023-03-04T05:55:00.485-07:002023-03-15T05:22:36.149-07:002023 Arivaca 400km Brevet<p>Ride Report</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnQHEznORx5FsIRDNB10Z01quZahVQrVoyfOru3ZihIjhxuuznsVSpfmh0nlbGNT6iGzLA1fR1oeI7LzpCGRlt4XIGFv4WryZ3WJbXY0DhiHPnv8HLFCRidazxx5xIaItJ7mu_RUNv3kyhHlnqe23SSEbjG5Zy5m7fhdCjJx5YT8T0yACMe6P_9aM/s4032/IMG_1851.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnQHEznORx5FsIRDNB10Z01quZahVQrVoyfOru3ZihIjhxuuznsVSpfmh0nlbGNT6iGzLA1fR1oeI7LzpCGRlt4XIGFv4WryZ3WJbXY0DhiHPnv8HLFCRidazxx5xIaItJ7mu_RUNv3kyhHlnqe23SSEbjG5Zy5m7fhdCjJx5YT8T0yACMe6P_9aM/s320/IMG_1851.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Sonoita AZ<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>For 2023 Mike Sturgill repeated this Arizona classic with a new start/finish in the heart of Tucson. Nearly thirty riders gathered at the El Con mall Starbucks to check in and participate in the 300 or 400km options of the 2023 Arivaca Brevets.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHQHl2_uKTyAS-jX2tuIn8-bw2zX5DHH1ZOAYGWRp9wARkEXZp9uaenzxhYBdjXmrScUh1RLcLoy5eCIEN6zHl6wLZ_rnnIUu4D8WuwtVJcWi4NntTrC6JffEy2C3zlyoAdSsvbZflJ1xw4KBzOEYe9pQIqhI0cPNXuzSkOgB89qV4-SMgGv6vK-G/s4032/IMG_1768.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRHQHl2_uKTyAS-jX2tuIn8-bw2zX5DHH1ZOAYGWRp9wARkEXZp9uaenzxhYBdjXmrScUh1RLcLoy5eCIEN6zHl6wLZ_rnnIUu4D8WuwtVJcWi4NntTrC6JffEy2C3zlyoAdSsvbZflJ1xw4KBzOEYe9pQIqhI0cPNXuzSkOgB89qV4-SMgGv6vK-G/s320/IMG_1768.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">In addition to the usual Arizona suspects we had riders from the frozen north of Alberta Canada, Washington, and five Colorado riders from the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club! Weather looks good, so let’s get going!</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaOAj7-kSJIuqa7-wHhvDa39SB2CxPn7CsSPcb-InjJQUM7loCUmK3-n8yJoYTF_zjq8e34dHGrsPw9GHtagSV2p46DsAKkXy9ai3EzrNg4xnGWR2Cpp6RAKfc9NuKY7pbs2Xzzi13g3zz0pyWNHeztBI7Wp9DMWW7he8stZkuCoBcIA2rfZUOeqq/s4032/IMG_1770.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGaOAj7-kSJIuqa7-wHhvDa39SB2CxPn7CsSPcb-InjJQUM7loCUmK3-n8yJoYTF_zjq8e34dHGrsPw9GHtagSV2p46DsAKkXy9ai3EzrNg4xnGWR2Cpp6RAKfc9NuKY7pbs2Xzzi13g3zz0pyWNHeztBI7Wp9DMWW7he8stZkuCoBcIA2rfZUOeqq/s320/IMG_1770.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One huge pace line at the start</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The route takes mostly back streets through the University of Arizona as we head west toward Silverbell road. University boulevard is nearly deserted in the predawn chill as we roll through just after 0600! Watch out for parallel trolly tracks embedded in the pavement! The group stays nearly intact for the 6 miles to Silverbell road. Now heading north we start to split and regroup at traffic lights headed toward Marana.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1MjYnenn4dfo701fXb4x9dnTnPqgn6T0-58vThg8oJ4fihZMXO7vC3KvnjYsvzrmqiFuqPPhlH9KcEw6oocqZNh1FsD65-WMTRJIUNQnx8dYHEI-spv6vlcDxI__5l8k4AKkilJv3yLFDk1ktrG94eNEnGe9qN_7lvZ_DgGM1BzHdtzpH_YvAm1H/s4608/SAM_1855.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ1MjYnenn4dfo701fXb4x9dnTnPqgn6T0-58vThg8oJ4fihZMXO7vC3KvnjYsvzrmqiFuqPPhlH9KcEw6oocqZNh1FsD65-WMTRJIUNQnx8dYHEI-spv6vlcDxI__5l8k4AKkilJv3yLFDk1ktrG94eNEnGe9qN_7lvZ_DgGM1BzHdtzpH_YvAm1H/s320/SAM_1855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rashid, Jenn, and Steve at first control</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The first control is a yogurt shop in a strip mall to answer a control question. For the promise of beer, Michael awarded me a day membership in the RMCC and we would ride together for the rest of the day! After we gathered the control information, we let the large group go and headed out at our own pace.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCn1Jt9Lv2a_KsxCsSopxQYEZH3aMqneO6kd7WUVNghqlZY1RKxUqgW_q5ynYuV5NSW7m5eEZwNw_uAfzyHcyTRO5EyaVevEddaxgrSPSd7m9jVVlziTfnDEb-WFpe6HrpK0XA45PQfq2ECr4VwfxhVrtXKwIhNZWMvk6q2Vt5nZ3eKvMr1miuPXz7/s4608/SAM_1856.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCn1Jt9Lv2a_KsxCsSopxQYEZH3aMqneO6kd7WUVNghqlZY1RKxUqgW_q5ynYuV5NSW7m5eEZwNw_uAfzyHcyTRO5EyaVevEddaxgrSPSd7m9jVVlziTfnDEb-WFpe6HrpK0XA45PQfq2ECr4VwfxhVrtXKwIhNZWMvk6q2Vt5nZ3eKvMr1miuPXz7/s320/SAM_1856.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leading the pack at sunrise</td></tr></tbody></table>Pascal rode ahead to take the picture with yours truly leading the pack on Twin Peaks road. We settled into a nice pace with each of us taking one mile pulls. Our group grew as we picked up riders dropping back from the lead groups.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidd7yg7oSriMhVZqJdLJD_XoRQQAIJZ6cO_HDlLbd93Fzp86E9GltECWYMmKt7SGpksVAlrL1f2om38HwNc3QssME-3a430EVgi3Xgmth-8R7xVDhaYgdj2xhkMMuS36OOBnGK32yhgSAkaN059ZNJE5LULgQ7ZDiwIvxEuNPtf7BSSeRENzS0gMYz/s4032/IMG_1777.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidd7yg7oSriMhVZqJdLJD_XoRQQAIJZ6cO_HDlLbd93Fzp86E9GltECWYMmKt7SGpksVAlrL1f2om38HwNc3QssME-3a430EVgi3Xgmth-8R7xVDhaYgdj2xhkMMuS36OOBnGK32yhgSAkaN059ZNJE5LULgQ7ZDiwIvxEuNPtf7BSSeRENzS0gMYz/s320/IMG_1777.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AZ 86W with Kitt Peak in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The pavement on Sandario road is relatively fresh and traffic was light and before we knew it, we were heading west on AZ86 toward Robles Junction/Three Points. While not an official control, we stopped there to reload calories and fluids, already nearly 50 miles into the ride. There are no services for the next 38 miles and the Three Points store has tables out front so it’s a great place to stop. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mE4Ki72Ngnj4gVe80a5f48mFIDff7XQbsqYEfQcCokaBAGzF5MCJGNLFF41MnFahKyrPMlW8cLG9n-kxV-YUUrQV4Zdy89TngTAvCc_SX3itrsvFsUfIK6ntLhcoXhhbBZsNGJPNpB2H5F5zcn5-X52-O7rg2gOLOOHfFPexYV7YdtdyirVboQg7/s4032/IMG_1788.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mE4Ki72Ngnj4gVe80a5f48mFIDff7XQbsqYEfQcCokaBAGzF5MCJGNLFF41MnFahKyrPMlW8cLG9n-kxV-YUUrQV4Zdy89TngTAvCc_SX3itrsvFsUfIK6ntLhcoXhhbBZsNGJPNpB2H5F5zcn5-X52-O7rg2gOLOOHfFPexYV7YdtdyirVboQg7/s320/IMG_1788.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John and Pascal enjoying a great AZ morning</td></tr></tbody></table>Again I rolled out with the RMCC riders and our group grew again to a dozen riders. With a building headwind, 34 miles of false flat, and nothing but a lonely boarder control checkpoint, one mile pulls made the ride much more enjoyable!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lZsWJKPaQd5nqoKcayBvv1LMLuwasigl_g8njrNpwCrUrddkBCQ0VSuuRK2NDkPWtkgyWnUoViqWMFHt6KBQSwoB6xP89A--yJsxGNBVWMD2pRbdyWC2t5Fo7H2HfSRUd-uYpl_d7w_G8JfMS5hfH7y4w_LJD-ludycmD_-p0QaE8FkNPo_ii9Qj/s4032/IMG_1794.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lZsWJKPaQd5nqoKcayBvv1LMLuwasigl_g8njrNpwCrUrddkBCQ0VSuuRK2NDkPWtkgyWnUoViqWMFHt6KBQSwoB6xP89A--yJsxGNBVWMD2pRbdyWC2t5Fo7H2HfSRUd-uYpl_d7w_G8JfMS5hfH7y4w_LJD-ludycmD_-p0QaE8FkNPo_ii9Qj/s320/IMG_1794.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch #1 in Arivaca<br />Steve, John, Michael, Pascal</td></tr></tbody></table>The new start in Tucson means that we have 20 more miles to get to Arivaca and the world famous Arivaca Mercantile. More miles = more hungry, so we enjoyed our first lunch of the day! To each his own, for me; Mountain Dew, potato chips, and potato salad from the deli section!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvunuWygV-A1v8-nrtVKo4ggNLU6NMuIgcoKkEcMCWpufdk50-yVkrLLEVhZsnYEibx71Nxr0qZRqAqAmJu0SvttXBTvDPs6Sscp82mdgCjtLALeP76UXQUQ-27MlTxpjDBIU7k9RqTSbTY3Gg2X8M1egnCRuLHxTyshQYTlkunesm3jMk_rNg4DEg/s4032/IMG_1809.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvunuWygV-A1v8-nrtVKo4ggNLU6NMuIgcoKkEcMCWpufdk50-yVkrLLEVhZsnYEibx71Nxr0qZRqAqAmJu0SvttXBTvDPs6Sscp82mdgCjtLALeP76UXQUQ-27MlTxpjDBIU7k9RqTSbTY3Gg2X8M1egnCRuLHxTyshQYTlkunesm3jMk_rNg4DEg/s320/IMG_1809.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian joins the party outside Arivaca</td></tr></tbody></table>Back on the road we climb a few miles to reach the 3955’ summit before enjoying 20 miles of downhill rollers. The wind is now at our back, so we make great progress rolling along at a recovery pace! Brian McGuire from Phoenix joined the group on this section and it was great to catch up. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD9fPtEWLMkhDshJ3vrjJAV4Xd5Oe4TEk4M5oObSfJoGz4Bdcm3S8FZSlS7KrJj2cb7EMRDV3ugGPSS9WBR4pvpHJBK_kVUj98zH_ZvCCaa9J-TbkB7MOE3O0vkphZWZMfXo00xiXTq4pABy044jKsYO51qTSLM-QMgCzIzTJsbwXBQfHZzQIXa1x/s4032/IMG_1805.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizD9fPtEWLMkhDshJ3vrjJAV4Xd5Oe4TEk4M5oObSfJoGz4Bdcm3S8FZSlS7KrJj2cb7EMRDV3ugGPSS9WBR4pvpHJBK_kVUj98zH_ZvCCaa9J-TbkB7MOE3O0vkphZWZMfXo00xiXTq4pABy044jKsYO51qTSLM-QMgCzIzTJsbwXBQfHZzQIXa1x/s320/IMG_1805.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downhill rollers with a tailwind? Yes please!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVBVm9mYeZJa8-BEpOGZ28nrh2bl-U_mPCNgwYmTwkv-avToceD93L8oskIRgGxX-a5RLiOT92IAkU9uv8X12btgzkUiZ_d12ceTVN52kxhaRmr02GqTxcuRwVk5AfkT3tWLU2xf_iLUKtlNQ8XyUW7MON2s2Y7daoUYDZR6siwygmQdlS3plEKIB/s4032/IMG_1812.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFVBVm9mYeZJa8-BEpOGZ28nrh2bl-U_mPCNgwYmTwkv-avToceD93L8oskIRgGxX-a5RLiOT92IAkU9uv8X12btgzkUiZ_d12ceTVN52kxhaRmr02GqTxcuRwVk5AfkT3tWLU2xf_iLUKtlNQ8XyUW7MON2s2Y7daoUYDZR6siwygmQdlS3plEKIB/s320/IMG_1812.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael sizes things up in Amado</td></tr></tbody></table>We roll through another Border Patrol checkpoint on the outskirts of Amado. We stop at perhaps one of the most photographed restaurants in the state… for a photo!<div><br /></div><div>We turn right and south, and our old friend Tailwind becomes annoying crosswind! It’s 8 miles of I-19/Frontage road riding to the next stop, so while taking turns at the front does not provide as much relief from the wind, the miles go right by!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEUOM-ceyq1D5svdbyymOF0_yh6mJFYLqy3co_gjhBJlWt7e7REGNseFBpWGdeSvD17ZBuaPGoWBCtNFkrIboqo72zZ9Yv3q3tInB3ykL0T00au996QH3lB9W6T9lTTECqmeYxGcRHU8SXwxjBokYzbOOaNNgO66H_U9HOgYb_YyUWjSYz0nkLeH/s4032/IMG_1826.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgblEUOM-ceyq1D5svdbyymOF0_yh6mJFYLqy3co_gjhBJlWt7e7REGNseFBpWGdeSvD17ZBuaPGoWBCtNFkrIboqo72zZ9Yv3q3tInB3ykL0T00au996QH3lB9W6T9lTTECqmeYxGcRHU8SXwxjBokYzbOOaNNgO66H_U9HOgYb_YyUWjSYz0nkLeH/s320/IMG_1826.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adventures with Friends provides Lunch #2</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFim86dJQJzUnZIBpRJBC6QJctrxeKnKU81W-bhah7tCMAtPIwJnvQAG5132ggpj-rVubRNbcdZKu6m6xtSo-H2-PCg9B_00aq7_Q-dzehxkNnpBFvuy4g12DRn4NxnSdDQUJ5EVZtxDRTUR6_iQXxVU4JVLtuD4joYK-t7JUS4KPpWc_vl0CN3mke/s4032/IMG_1816.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFim86dJQJzUnZIBpRJBC6QJctrxeKnKU81W-bhah7tCMAtPIwJnvQAG5132ggpj-rVubRNbcdZKu6m6xtSo-H2-PCg9B_00aq7_Q-dzehxkNnpBFvuy4g12DRn4NxnSdDQUJ5EVZtxDRTUR6_iQXxVU4JVLtuD4joYK-t7JUS4KPpWc_vl0CN3mke/s320/IMG_1816.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great lunch in the shade</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj0_iiVnkZ1b7FWP214Ts5EjCQCqVy_-Mv7-rjR-4pTbI-8yu2bSXwK82nPvJ5Gg5mLIt_JKhV4L8x4dA65eEJnkAvR8xFJSzRhX0AX1onxfZ8A-AYTKZJn82qAuC4xM-gsU0CYnZoFWZ4uKaI3BPjsf1rAbf1QrmUcwGD8ORl98Fu6-4AIFtYjb0/s4032/IMG_1830.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqj0_iiVnkZ1b7FWP214Ts5EjCQCqVy_-Mv7-rjR-4pTbI-8yu2bSXwK82nPvJ5Gg5mLIt_JKhV4L8x4dA65eEJnkAvR8xFJSzRhX0AX1onxfZ8A-AYTKZJn82qAuC4xM-gsU0CYnZoFWZ4uKaI3BPjsf1rAbf1QrmUcwGD8ORl98Fu6-4AIFtYjb0/s320/IMG_1830.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pascal, Michael, and Steve in the ‘team jerseys’</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Lunch #2 two is in Tubac AZ. Volunteers from Adventures with Friends manned this control and provided fantastic hospitality. Mike Sturgill pre-ordered sandwiches so we just had to find one with our name on it and select from a wide assortment of drinks and snacks. The Adventures with Friends volunteers made sure we had everything we needed and were wonderful hosts!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pzTCnt15bK-UKk1G1fSLFH1qUT_PnY6MkVUBYLOYbI-4Mj_f38n3_08zsV0TunTD-_RDjl4t4pVdqCA1zOfWHcCsXnDl9diW_zEJmJvhwG3ZfOPtqlY9848iCNhy_EZyxwFUzAvfgfKcevLKlFWP39QNSFkwO0SAgzUzV9LEPlYvpUWTdEo6cv6H/s4032/IMG_1841.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3pzTCnt15bK-UKk1G1fSLFH1qUT_PnY6MkVUBYLOYbI-4Mj_f38n3_08zsV0TunTD-_RDjl4t4pVdqCA1zOfWHcCsXnDl9diW_zEJmJvhwG3ZfOPtqlY9848iCNhy_EZyxwFUzAvfgfKcevLKlFWP39QNSFkwO0SAgzUzV9LEPlYvpUWTdEo6cv6H/s320/IMG_1841.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RMCC regroup after a mechanical<br />Michael, John, Rashid, Jennifer, Pascal</td></tr></tbody></table>The only problem with such a great control is that it is hard to get going! We rolled out for 11 more miles of mostly I-19 frontage road (with a freeway section or two) to the town of Rio Rico. Along the way John disappeared from the group as we were about to enter the freeway for the last time. He stopped for a mechanical and made a wrong turn but quickly corrected and rejoined the group.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPzcXGxzdwwNIVQDH4G4LYa-8NNIBFrtZcGKhksBnhnymN05d30eJiW6OTtz4x5U2uc4TqA-zda48TW4fk7sDg_NPC8iVgRXhnhw7EUwA-gm-lImoe9fgrF8srzwkl11ZOHtGqgjotkmsRl6i4YyPGJ0CHFO9RT6ZxsXfguRVCStbSLsB98lNnnvS/s4032/IMG_1844.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPzcXGxzdwwNIVQDH4G4LYa-8NNIBFrtZcGKhksBnhnymN05d30eJiW6OTtz4x5U2uc4TqA-zda48TW4fk7sDg_NPC8iVgRXhnhw7EUwA-gm-lImoe9fgrF8srzwkl11ZOHtGqgjotkmsRl6i4YyPGJ0CHFO9RT6ZxsXfguRVCStbSLsB98lNnnvS/s320/IMG_1844.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River road leaving Rio Rico</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhxohCVDIAAhNeVa1BEvluFcafIQpfuKaLpOAjxq5Aj22Q19evX6jPsbq0IvZ89a_JpteVpLQ9ADezzjPtEOaV4pKvvoiJ4EKRPaVzC1H3TVAgMk0szUYuXg_eXd9SA-anod0e6bpEVHppYputjAxhMOa1QHT7bgQB0HLagblYYrRy_j6iKNlLLOs/s4032/IMG_1847.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYhxohCVDIAAhNeVa1BEvluFcafIQpfuKaLpOAjxq5Aj22Q19evX6jPsbq0IvZ89a_JpteVpLQ9ADezzjPtEOaV4pKvvoiJ4EKRPaVzC1H3TVAgMk0szUYuXg_eXd9SA-anod0e6bpEVHppYputjAxhMOa1QHT7bgQB0HLagblYYrRy_j6iKNlLLOs/s320/IMG_1847.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful canyon outside Patagonia</td></tr></tbody></table>From Rio Rico we again head east and the winds are again at our tail as we head to Patagonia. While there was some loose talk early in the day of hitting the Wagon Wheel Saloon in Patagonia, we wisely chose to stop at the general store for a quick reload. While John sorts out his mechanical issue, I headed out alone for the climb to Sonoita. I had been yo-yoing off the back on the climbs to Patagonia and wanted to get a head start on the group.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jRCUI_yTJVHsGtYaET5uC2bvdrBmifh0OUyvbVULt-sIqPH9iCZtDGh1owf7-jlTojOHALcQKkle35ZAv7qp62WJ_oyLGh9rkDVbJlpPYmDoFLsHr3ctOceCMIwF-bYaMzFbIQVVDBqCJrLC5DKd1KBsBaDFHY34cKd_-_EE0YN7sStAk1VFeoz7/s4032/IMG_1849.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jRCUI_yTJVHsGtYaET5uC2bvdrBmifh0OUyvbVULt-sIqPH9iCZtDGh1owf7-jlTojOHALcQKkle35ZAv7qp62WJ_oyLGh9rkDVbJlpPYmDoFLsHr3ctOceCMIwF-bYaMzFbIQVVDBqCJrLC5DKd1KBsBaDFHY34cKd_-_EE0YN7sStAk1VFeoz7/s320/IMG_1849.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonoita Mercantile was open so we stopped in!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The group caught me just outside of Sonoita and we rolled into the Sonoita Mercantile for supplies. We arrived before closing time, so we stopped here instead of the Dollar General that stays open a few hours longer. I learned later that Brian McGuire stopped at the Dollar General and just missed our train!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tJJEuSA7QeVnLyxDb3gigw3bUaUsWdIgndUtrxX_bxd42Ckw4f787BkuIhrpnTV1Gh2kExtWvuGh-P9LvxFdWkwsqmT4NAdVDdwSILCR22B6offozdIy71r8yG9hhwH7zNfoCtpTBqE0L2RD3wqtIGgIYzFNHsPglVm-vFFFh5U-QzrKyGh2Af9X/s4032/IMG_1852.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tJJEuSA7QeVnLyxDb3gigw3bUaUsWdIgndUtrxX_bxd42Ckw4f787BkuIhrpnTV1Gh2kExtWvuGh-P9LvxFdWkwsqmT4NAdVDdwSILCR22B6offozdIy71r8yG9hhwH7zNfoCtpTBqE0L2RD3wqtIGgIYzFNHsPglVm-vFFFh5U-QzrKyGh2Af9X/s320/IMG_1852.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lights and reflective gear leaving Sonoita </td></tr></tbody></table><div>We left as a group and stayed together together with yours truly dropping off the back on the climbs and Pascal dropping back to pace me back up to the group! It’s about 9 miles of uphill rollers to the summit at 5176’ and 17 miles of fast descent on AZ 83. Its good to be in a group, especially at night!</div><div><br /></div><div>We turn west onto Sahuarita Road for the 20 mile run to the next control. Along the way we welcome Roger Peskett back to the group. Well after sunset, the winds have died down and we trade pulls into town. The only fast food with an open dining room was Taco Bell or Arby’s (too late for McDonalds or Panda Express) and Taco Bell was the choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>From here it’s 35 miles to the finish, so it was good to reload some calories for the final push to the end. The last obstacle is the Helmet Peak climb, about 6 miles of 2-3% moderate climbing before a mostly downhill finish in Tucson.</div><div><br /></div><div>A definite highlight of the route was using about 6 miles of the Loop. A dedicated bike path that circles Tucson. At midnight we had the path to ourselves before exiting and rolling through town. One last pass of University drive, but this times its well before closing time and bustling, so we add a few aimless pedestrians to the trolley track hazard, but pass through without incident.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcg9bzyfjzUZNKS0Hkhxyt1XuTMKlqSzmFtrMZKN55nDkGZGV-IUkBQglXOO_65GxS7QgaqG6JeYV02Xy_sksvHuZrLV2AWBBx1BoExl0AUoXOVyMMGVCMN625oOeKHY0WAjLbkn_cZKxdQ44h5hKRSEMUhxgFElmaYNEvxqOT2vi7ct1I3pmhaz2/s4032/DateStamper_0007.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcg9bzyfjzUZNKS0Hkhxyt1XuTMKlqSzmFtrMZKN55nDkGZGV-IUkBQglXOO_65GxS7QgaqG6JeYV02Xy_sksvHuZrLV2AWBBx1BoExl0AUoXOVyMMGVCMN625oOeKHY0WAjLbkn_cZKxdQ44h5hKRSEMUhxgFElmaYNEvxqOT2vi7ct1I3pmhaz2/s320/DateStamper_0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pascal and Michael at the finish</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last hazard was a series of enormous potholes in the El Con Mall parking lot, but we successfully navigated through them to arrive at the Starbucks start/finish control. The store is closed so we take a few photos to document our arrival. We finished this one about 12 minutes after midnight to put this one in the books at 18 hours and 12 minutes. Great day on the bike with good friends from near and far!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next up is the Just North of the Border 600 on March 25/26, come join us for two days touring Southern Arizona. Go to <a href="http://azbrevet.com">azbrevet.com</a> to register.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steve Atkins</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/114701399" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-66288499391432129812023-01-28T12:20:00.458-07:002023-01-30T06:42:58.470-07:002023 North Valley 300km<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8HLxW00r8L-BeGibRprhGN4BMvKnQ4thsi-4dH8BYFERZVJ8YFnHDRrgoBQypo7S1rj_MYsKFUZbjQFj00vWbhOBGUwfC7kCQHLatcb_cu7iqbNqR3hjXfj5QEcwu22w3_k4zXh2ja4flw5Jugtxp52nDLpwSofMpdiT0xdrDGI-eUmaSd52eBlK/s4032/IMG_1658.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8HLxW00r8L-BeGibRprhGN4BMvKnQ4thsi-4dH8BYFERZVJ8YFnHDRrgoBQypo7S1rj_MYsKFUZbjQFj00vWbhOBGUwfC7kCQHLatcb_cu7iqbNqR3hjXfj5QEcwu22w3_k4zXh2ja4flw5Jugtxp52nDLpwSofMpdiT0xdrDGI-eUmaSd52eBlK/s320/IMG_1658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise over the North Valley<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"> Pre-Ride Report<br /></div><p>16 riders are signed up for the 2023 edition of the North Valley 300km brevet on February 4, 2023. This will be the second time this route has been on the AZ Brevet Calendar, and this year I pre-rode it to check the conditions for main ride.</p><p>It was chilly at the start, my computer touched 32F at the start and topped off in the mid-sixties later in the day. Lets get started!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZabgN-0ckeB59jDMz6CNUJsWX_rPefnxdEKfYbhYaLVQCVtg0nANsmQ0W1ESOTAbjexdYc3eYsQkWtEZIWOXCL3a8cMPk0NKzJK_SIS38glzMbU9krTrvNCvTE2q20atnaWrWJ7ZXQAw5DjcoJG5RQLWCkRUOsf2PWX9Eod_WpKQ1-MhTV1zYbo3f/s4032/IMG_1655.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZabgN-0ckeB59jDMz6CNUJsWX_rPefnxdEKfYbhYaLVQCVtg0nANsmQ0W1ESOTAbjexdYc3eYsQkWtEZIWOXCL3a8cMPk0NKzJK_SIS38glzMbU9krTrvNCvTE2q20atnaWrWJ7ZXQAw5DjcoJG5RQLWCkRUOsf2PWX9Eod_WpKQ1-MhTV1zYbo3f/s320/IMG_1655.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave Creek Road Construction <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I rolled out just before 6am, the main event will start at 7am. About 4 miles into the ride, there is construction on Cave Creek Road. It appears to be a sewer line conditioning project with a pipeline off to the right and traffic is pressed into the left lane. I was able to ride inside the barriers, protected from the light traffic for most of the mile long construction zone. </p><p>Several things to be careful of. First, there was some construction tape connecting the barriers at an intersection, and I nearly rode through it. Second, there are some random pavement cuts near the bike lane to watch for. Lastly, near the end of zone, there is a pump connection in the right hand lane that will require you to enter the traffic lane for about 30 feet.</p><p>At mile 19.9 there is a left turn onto the Black Canyon Freeway (aka. South I-17). Don't worry, just after the turn, you stay to the right on the frontage road and don't have to get on the Interstate!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkuuckLjZJFIdco2wXLZYw96l9ifOFs3PQ8R4bIMLZzmUeNdf8tBlgl-bHXgOImFM4Xk_gZF0Ak-i5bkReDME-HSQuBjk8vUAOkb7flrDVHfTlvyw3jamdkoahfeHDstUXY8rx3nUhREKcoPEflVo4N0c-uaF_mSDUJDLe3Bi2pc0NMxAwDN8ABlZ/s4032/IMG_1662.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJkuuckLjZJFIdco2wXLZYw96l9ifOFs3PQ8R4bIMLZzmUeNdf8tBlgl-bHXgOImFM4Xk_gZF0Ak-i5bkReDME-HSQuBjk8vUAOkb7flrDVHfTlvyw3jamdkoahfeHDstUXY8rx3nUhREKcoPEflVo4N0c-uaF_mSDUJDLe3Bi2pc0NMxAwDN8ABlZ/s320/IMG_1662.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New River Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route enters Peoria and heads north toward Lake Pleasant Dr. The route here is the reverse of the Bartlett Lake 200 that was held a few weeks ago. There is an information control at the Paloma Park entrance along the way. If you rode the Bartlett 200, you'll be happy to know that the construction is complete near the Lake Pleasant Road intersection. From there, a quick turn and 10 miles along New River road will take you to the next control in New River.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5sEBwgnb12sTXa78_yjx1ROAwvjpKrMNI3LuyUeCHlBoI59vV1km_G9ZRo3eEN1yjYHxqea8OcmJdbzVSC3ryB_lhtdnMJJ8X0M56DeQj-U2PtrpdsWk7tYbFZZGISAd-vD4LjPNbRsIUkc5ekUQhixWpVsApmDHXMpGqug80k6qrYnhGnPw4C_a/s4032/IMG_1665.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5sEBwgnb12sTXa78_yjx1ROAwvjpKrMNI3LuyUeCHlBoI59vV1km_G9ZRo3eEN1yjYHxqea8OcmJdbzVSC3ryB_lhtdnMJJ8X0M56DeQj-U2PtrpdsWk7tYbFZZGISAd-vD4LjPNbRsIUkc5ekUQhixWpVsApmDHXMpGqug80k6qrYnhGnPw4C_a/s320/IMG_1665.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't stop here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Stop at the Mini-Mart, not the Nudist Resort. Probably no risk of seeing a nudist today in this cold weather, but you probably want to keep moving past Shangri-La road!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOcFFZ3joVKLwMWzfxjpeBohKXpX-aVsPwzKTyS9frH01KrbBKxe6QAfBd5Ln3oaHfDLGI1vqA0-9WevxJEGh9nRjP5f2stqHC3egkxx4xgTozH_Chq0_-6Fhyp3JBmXryjE96jQGtCGd7hGLjaryE4gsX9ZyRFSpvfjIwr3pJPi2Ly3uZyGq6swu/s4032/IMG_1670.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvOcFFZ3joVKLwMWzfxjpeBohKXpX-aVsPwzKTyS9frH01KrbBKxe6QAfBd5Ln3oaHfDLGI1vqA0-9WevxJEGh9nRjP5f2stqHC3egkxx4xgTozH_Chq0_-6Fhyp3JBmXryjE96jQGtCGd7hGLjaryE4gsX9ZyRFSpvfjIwr3pJPi2Ly3uZyGq6swu/s320/IMG_1670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time check in Carefree </td></tr></tbody></table><p>The route continues to back-track the Bartlett 200 route through Cave Creek and Carefree. Curios, French food, and biker bars, something for everyone in these two tourist/retirement communities! </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u0l4l_pSr9dFYNxzDC-zMtsA5IbFZJylg1vUF1Y3q3emouiKteT9C2WFN9Xv9lrr4_iQutD1VNz3Qkjix7ESwjOEpQsgBtZ_IZGh_UOvUxsV1CQ-IWdL3CmLxBlL-vj_4YzqNuFNBSYVI-zsD-mqEoSI_EEOllX0cto1gNOIGk1tokaMjcV63JNk/s4032/IMG_1674.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0u0l4l_pSr9dFYNxzDC-zMtsA5IbFZJylg1vUF1Y3q3emouiKteT9C2WFN9Xv9lrr4_iQutD1VNz3Qkjix7ESwjOEpQsgBtZ_IZGh_UOvUxsV1CQ-IWdL3CmLxBlL-vj_4YzqNuFNBSYVI-zsD-mqEoSI_EEOllX0cto1gNOIGk1tokaMjcV63JNk/s320/IMG_1674.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nine-mile Hill</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The route heads south shortly after leaving Carefree into high-end luxury homes in the Legends before turning left and down Pima to Dynamite Road. It’s time to climb back up toward Pinnacle Peak. Your reward is nine miles of downhill to the golf community of Rio Verde, with a shoulder/bike lane the whole way down.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjGz1a3K_OE371EEErKakp6lVihtG2ggN5A3Iv0ZlrrnKXCUXHp_pNWMLMFffaIOqWonqD6POgUbOPtzzjXTI679wI4qeB0NrWGrPh2U2ph8aaAwE7dI-SzWxRuUPq3pF7zyjxTni-v6DQGx-Oho9pQpExBidPaMm5R2ya1xDahMQ-3dJTjGLDzcz/s4032/IMG_1675.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjGz1a3K_OE371EEErKakp6lVihtG2ggN5A3Iv0ZlrrnKXCUXHp_pNWMLMFffaIOqWonqD6POgUbOPtzzjXTI679wI4qeB0NrWGrPh2U2ph8aaAwE7dI-SzWxRuUPq3pF7zyjxTni-v6DQGx-Oho9pQpExBidPaMm5R2ya1xDahMQ-3dJTjGLDzcz/s320/IMG_1675.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views on McDowell Mountain Road</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It’s 10 miles of scenic rollers to the planned community of Fountain Hills. This is a popular cycling route and there were quite a few riders on the road. The Fountain may be visible, but the route heads east before you get there. Down through Ft. McDowell to the Beeline highway for the run up to Bush highway. </p><p>Bush highway has been recently repaved, but the shoulders go from slim to none until reaching the Salt River below the Stewart Mountain Dam and Saguaro Lake. From here the shoulders are wide and paved through the Salt River Recreation Area. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscLi8ATg3TQzw3D02K9GUpaZ-e5ezVy-g8JQ66y2DQgtVsOdx4QSBu-v3FqVZ1uRGuBoJa3u0WaKqwQzn60OqgoVHdX2HQKxBknrckTWKXYGkdg4zehTvzB7SiU9Kc5vh-h8yepM8XrXWhqUAWN2kvb5GYgp1dqKjCLSHMOV8hkbWzv8oA4IfmpkI/s4032/IMG_1678.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscLi8ATg3TQzw3D02K9GUpaZ-e5ezVy-g8JQ66y2DQgtVsOdx4QSBu-v3FqVZ1uRGuBoJa3u0WaKqwQzn60OqgoVHdX2HQKxBknrckTWKXYGkdg4zehTvzB7SiU9Kc5vh-h8yepM8XrXWhqUAWN2kvb5GYgp1dqKjCLSHMOV8hkbWzv8oA4IfmpkI/s320/IMG_1678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views on the Usery climb</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6cK9qKzye_OwTbVCT_Ut-qDYBKbnW6-AWTuOv0Fj0WDoo0R7wmTVzvtZ43k29JFW4A3wpBMuoSLJj5cZbhrbfPi4MtWF4fzXZvll6YvSpPAnMFXtHI-56_aQ3_SigadJCkiA8RZFeJbMVZpllUGKS1hD-TSG_3mx0xxOEMAJbW2USGR61u6Tepci/s4032/IMG_1676.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6cK9qKzye_OwTbVCT_Ut-qDYBKbnW6-AWTuOv0Fj0WDoo0R7wmTVzvtZ43k29JFW4A3wpBMuoSLJj5cZbhrbfPi4MtWF4fzXZvll6YvSpPAnMFXtHI-56_aQ3_SigadJCkiA8RZFeJbMVZpllUGKS1hD-TSG_3mx0xxOEMAJbW2USGR61u6Tepci/s320/IMG_1676.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Usery Pass</td></tr></tbody></table><p>About 3 miles of steady climbing will bring you to the top of Usery Pass. If you think you are hearing gunshots, you are. There is shooting range here! At least the ranges face <i>away</i> from the road!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87jm3hLKoTrrjihnoLsLt0f8MrB55Bx2InTD3degS5Ij1DzsIbjmLSZAHlTlyMk-WmNMzXe08mtcZ3TVIZSiUXz1tlPpbtP4BaZGxgchIqdmDPSRSO5IJJL1YmYV78KTI-grFt2tJL8t6ksxF_p932-nq3pz4kVUbmpMCYhooTSITGCAEJfMiB_2O/s4032/IMG_1679.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87jm3hLKoTrrjihnoLsLt0f8MrB55Bx2InTD3degS5Ij1DzsIbjmLSZAHlTlyMk-WmNMzXe08mtcZ3TVIZSiUXz1tlPpbtP4BaZGxgchIqdmDPSRSO5IJJL1YmYV78KTI-grFt2tJL8t6ksxF_p932-nq3pz4kVUbmpMCYhooTSITGCAEJfMiB_2O/s320/IMG_1679.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike is checking on this!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>On brevet day, Mesa is running a Marathon event that will start at Usery pass. They should be well on their way before brevet riders arrive. After clearing the pass, another joyful downhill awaits. Just be careful not to miss the right hand turn on McDowell road to the next control on Power Road.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjnz_yI81z5aiTRhgTUMdz0BTKLFezdAQfEu8HkR1EXtQXwcvjiOuTM52aQ_xEel6z9JiNp_XXsu5CDh3EokayBWFv0njtW3kMbMW5ligCHsXrUd3xq7N9ZA3mi9gKo_6Eh_wGAXLF5dt0uqIVZrf1-xoQP5q5g7lBsurycVeNoUC7lu90qsVl2an/s4032/IMG_1686.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkjnz_yI81z5aiTRhgTUMdz0BTKLFezdAQfEu8HkR1EXtQXwcvjiOuTM52aQ_xEel6z9JiNp_XXsu5CDh3EokayBWFv0njtW3kMbMW5ligCHsXrUd3xq7N9ZA3mi9gKo_6Eh_wGAXLF5dt0uqIVZrf1-xoQP5q5g7lBsurycVeNoUC7lu90qsVl2an/s320/IMG_1686.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fresh pavement on Bush Highway</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Leaving the control, Power road becomes Bush Highway. This section used to be quite rough, today fresh pavement allows a fast and fun descent down King Kong hill. <br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNURebwcMDXqhbo1Q4dSCzF4F46FHY6VA2AZPlbH4gT9vWRDPjzg5NrHBGStXi8bC8ft4ijqDE_O6IV2ByDXXMhVlYqYREkn4eSVYfbdbbixvFQl1dsPNuaMAKjfVBM6BTwt8NgqNv3p542RfoJ7avc5pNXA_2aJRAO25dV_MDe7lvHnBIP9qn7l69/s4032/IMG_1687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNURebwcMDXqhbo1Q4dSCzF4F46FHY6VA2AZPlbH4gT9vWRDPjzg5NrHBGStXi8bC8ft4ijqDE_O6IV2ByDXXMhVlYqYREkn4eSVYfbdbbixvFQl1dsPNuaMAKjfVBM6BTwt8NgqNv3p542RfoJ7avc5pNXA_2aJRAO25dV_MDe7lvHnBIP9qn7l69/s320/IMG_1687.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt River below Stewart Mountain Dam<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Continuing east you will retrace the route back to the Beeline highway. I usually stop at the base of the climb out of the Salt River Recreation area. The view today was especially spectacular in the late afternoon sun!<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7PGLVLLJCzCgq-roZCPmVdaCSlBUXAo-PnyPwJWXnVJ6Q4fCNPfqF375amzMIn_mv7thT7sTbWECZr77Xv3C3c6d3_00s2Th8pI-1RXChCEnbuvYnP3HWwaVN1UwqoJkeevyf-YfrqyTySl9zSCGBbf7W6l72t0yrXXXaUgDyn5QNrNhnhR_KbV_/s4032/IMG_1688.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM7PGLVLLJCzCgq-roZCPmVdaCSlBUXAo-PnyPwJWXnVJ6Q4fCNPfqF375amzMIn_mv7thT7sTbWECZr77Xv3C3c6d3_00s2Th8pI-1RXChCEnbuvYnP3HWwaVN1UwqoJkeevyf-YfrqyTySl9zSCGBbf7W6l72t0yrXXXaUgDyn5QNrNhnhR_KbV_/s320/IMG_1688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verde River at sunset</td></tr></tbody></table><p>It’s easy to hold a fast pace on the Beeline highway with its gentle descent back to Fountain Hills. Just look out for debris and car-b-que scars on the shoulder. The good news is that some of the roughest sections had been resurfaced since last year!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>The route continues <i>past</i> the light where you entered the Beeline earlier in the day. Continue up to Shea before turning right and the next control at the Circle K at Saguaro Blvd. There is also a McDonald's and other fast food options if it’s dinnertime!</p><p>The route continues on Shea. After a couple of short climbs, its a fast downhill into Scottsdale. The bike lane disappears, but the route exits Shea at 136th Street onto quiet roads through the McDowell foothills.</p><p>15 turns over the next 20 miles will take you though Scottsdale and North Phoenix and the finish.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNdNjJ4jESPbFVs-qb8TraCvIJ0dYHKNrxaTpIzWRH69xB8v0N4b41H3VcJx6-dSU2-KEo0do-uHiJXp7UpmjboOpRfq2CFzI2iiDh7OWV_GaconDpqYYcGovTX77QQxWtkKvcrSW0q2LdoJqzg_sdtHqgonHmZRTBkh90eQG5N8M-sonK3nLBOow/s4032/TCKK0748.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNdNjJ4jESPbFVs-qb8TraCvIJ0dYHKNrxaTpIzWRH69xB8v0N4b41H3VcJx6-dSU2-KEo0do-uHiJXp7UpmjboOpRfq2CFzI2iiDh7OWV_GaconDpqYYcGovTX77QQxWtkKvcrSW0q2LdoJqzg_sdtHqgonHmZRTBkh90eQG5N8M-sonK3nLBOow/s320/TCKK0748.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat #1</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCar4NnFYTkvy7ZY2o7xNGgEGDrZm31dOpaZb893nON65hGLtWuvKEclpiCMSXhFFzDoqYwKcx2bpmON_PXzcfNslbNmX8AP-bOqmGxi9VxNbXUgDknOadWlIylFeRrKkwDe8ZJS0k691k194aLbP9pEQpiT_88-RJFsxrxaqPyn6ooOjt5FAYQwK/s4032/XSZJ5972.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCar4NnFYTkvy7ZY2o7xNGgEGDrZm31dOpaZb893nON65hGLtWuvKEclpiCMSXhFFzDoqYwKcx2bpmON_PXzcfNslbNmX8AP-bOqmGxi9VxNbXUgDknOadWlIylFeRrKkwDe8ZJS0k691k194aLbP9pEQpiT_88-RJFsxrxaqPyn6ooOjt5FAYQwK/s320/XSZJ5972.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flat #2</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I enjoyed two flat tires in this quiet and <i>dark</i> residential area. The first flat was a thorn, the second a failed stem on my spare tube. The second tube held, and I’m glad it did. I normally carry 3 on a brevet, but forgot to check my saddle bag before this one!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLMc-UCqiKkzUMjS4kA07kms7M7X07XwgUBBtedTVCZJQEGHLy4cHFprR6Si5KTiqhzecD5r4JfZ4uYcHYeEJ6T-Cpl5XPw3UHYZaGekJAApUzF6OhYrlY9NW7d8xhJRpmNdU_OTlP2xSSuYdzXPOGWwBn6TNgxfUDg8-gbjdvEKViqm-VTWbyzSj/s4032/IMG_1694.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtLMc-UCqiKkzUMjS4kA07kms7M7X07XwgUBBtedTVCZJQEGHLy4cHFprR6Si5KTiqhzecD5r4JfZ4uYcHYeEJ6T-Cpl5XPw3UHYZaGekJAApUzF6OhYrlY9NW7d8xhJRpmNdU_OTlP2xSSuYdzXPOGWwBn6TNgxfUDg8-gbjdvEKViqm-VTWbyzSj/s320/IMG_1694.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finish</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Riding hard the last 15 miles to outrun a potential third flat, I rolled into the Cortado Coffee Roastery just under 15 hours after I started. There is still time to sign-up for the main event, go to <a href="http://Azbrevet.com">Azbrevet.com</a> to sign up!</p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/112231791" target="_blank">Click here for RWGPS data</a></p><p><br /></p><p> </p><p></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-34896522618564873942023-01-07T08:00:00.350-07:002023-01-19T17:24:14.283-07:002023 Bartlett Lake 200km Brevet<div style="text-align: left;">Ride Report</div><div style="text-align: left;">January 2023 <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj356yu4wMsgEUx_9V4xSzK9j8TBb93clm_0zhUaqgc3yqIzKX0nNmaIUPwlzVb1SHM67qVpi6ewbRU0WZDNz-0RHJeYZv_3n2OqFAf15RAmobUOi0eVxQAV-AqvBRy78Nhldaa5_xmpmsWkLdM-nrrh1QGEcahkF8WZVNzCgf91z3o0z76FIaev1/s4032/IMG_1515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioj356yu4wMsgEUx_9V4xSzK9j8TBb93clm_0zhUaqgc3yqIzKX0nNmaIUPwlzVb1SHM67qVpi6ewbRU0WZDNz-0RHJeYZv_3n2OqFAf15RAmobUOi0eVxQAV-AqvBRy78Nhldaa5_xmpmsWkLdM-nrrh1QGEcahkF8WZVNzCgf91z3o0z76FIaev1/s320/IMG_1515.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on a new brevet season<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">New year, new brevet season! 2023 is also a Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) year and that usually means a large turnout for the first 200km brevet. The PBP is the longest running organized bike event in the world and runs every four years. 8000 riders from around the world will ride the 2023 edition. It will be the 20th, and completion of a full brevet series (200, 300, 400 and 600km) in 2023 is a requirement for entry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I should not have been surprised that 'only' 14 riders were starting the 200 this year, because a second 200km brevet was on offer in Arizona only two weeks later! Another 20 riders signed up for that one!<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrT_9Iad16yZkh71Da1tzdHsOJhWTDs-6JVRRU5j5coWEz630BlACWZm1pScXg8ykdlurS2vnl7n3umaQFYVo4-zzF0xsF2GHa4c_hvCW-Xf-hudJgYviDTPci3u6n4l3OV0lmAjA-YhewbVIhWrJ4mQTFWrL16Qz3PoqKb5LRLiiFDTiZDIg9pSP/s4032/IMG_1512.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLrT_9Iad16yZkh71Da1tzdHsOJhWTDs-6JVRRU5j5coWEz630BlACWZm1pScXg8ykdlurS2vnl7n3umaQFYVo4-zzF0xsF2GHa4c_hvCW-Xf-hudJgYviDTPci3u6n4l3OV0lmAjA-YhewbVIhWrJ4mQTFWrL16Qz3PoqKb5LRLiiFDTiZDIg9pSP/s320/IMG_1512.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">In addition to the 14 riders on the 200km course, four riders were taking on the 100km course. As always it was great to see some of the usual suspects (Tom Altemus, Brian McQuire, and Roger Peskett) at the start and get caught up. After Mike Sturgill (Regional Brevet Administrator for Arizona) gave the rider brief at 0755 we rolled out at 0800. Mike and Brian had pre-ridden the 100 and noted only a bit of construction on the first 5 miles of the course needed to be navigated; they both were also riding the 200 this morning!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIbfI9JBTEKA7uvWlWufGY6Y_YLlsyfCh4Ef1FZzGl-UgHHrwJQLWnL2pnln68Ev18hTYGygHvxu7ZGW5xZp9UTkgNB6K6G7JWzRVxbGCX_INtshyqTkDO3H6fFPEMXCguFZFzTYJWmyE7AgJ2myquyhHMyvluPPNth7IxHe83bLOIWFMnVP3JQU2/s4032/IMG_1514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjIbfI9JBTEKA7uvWlWufGY6Y_YLlsyfCh4Ef1FZzGl-UgHHrwJQLWnL2pnln68Ev18hTYGygHvxu7ZGW5xZp9UTkgNB6K6G7JWzRVxbGCX_INtshyqTkDO3H6fFPEMXCguFZFzTYJWmyE7AgJ2myquyhHMyvluPPNth7IxHe83bLOIWFMnVP3JQU2/s320/IMG_1514.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the construction zone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Some pipeline work is happening on Cave Creek road and traffic is pushed into one lane. However, there was no construction activity going on and we were able to ride inside the barricades to enjoy a 'protected' bike lane. My goal for this one was to ride at an even pace all day, and that meant resisting the urge to ride in the group that invariably starts fast. By the time we hit the construction zone, I thought I was lantern rouge (last rider).<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD2pUC-2_9T4XYgGXmyibqzDeio7UwZv86y2PLUcl8o0ZBu_qUTNbLWDBXa29C3NaQAeP5eRUZrVzUNiH_jJ1-DG1qtZJ73FgYR_4r53MItPLt5L5UvY1Jx0qUFp2pGL6VbT6uFrIEG2R8RiuvZAY2rA1b4OKl6jyCnitHgSy0455k6vPunq_6X0K/s4032/IMG_1516.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCD2pUC-2_9T4XYgGXmyibqzDeio7UwZv86y2PLUcl8o0ZBu_qUTNbLWDBXa29C3NaQAeP5eRUZrVzUNiH_jJ1-DG1qtZJ73FgYR_4r53MItPLt5L5UvY1Jx0qUFp2pGL6VbT6uFrIEG2R8RiuvZAY2rA1b4OKl6jyCnitHgSy0455k6vPunq_6X0K/s320/IMG_1516.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Club group in the Legends<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Waiting for a light at Scottsdale road, Luciano rode up to my surprise. I thought I was last! After the light turned, he rode off and I was now the lantern rouge! The route continued into the Legends development and I rode into a club group of riders also out enjoying a perfect morning for riding. They were riding in a regroup style, which meant they would string out, then regroup as they continued to ride. The only issue was I was riding at a steady pace, and I would catch them, only to have the faster ones then pass then see them again at the next regroup.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiePpJXhxqkCOqS15pLtgg-ha8ri14e366cyFp3kropEPr0muEkZaTgbCzxFY8EJc3NrDXial30ah5UJbejIEgDMVk1My6b46yJ1hBfhiUnbN044MKjlEsZka_14lDjCesdW9CPvcIR53AW4pGtuMW1jwVK9Xy4tBlKkIJT5dA6-kfs9Wtq2UKplF/s4032/IMG_1521.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwiePpJXhxqkCOqS15pLtgg-ha8ri14e366cyFp3kropEPr0muEkZaTgbCzxFY8EJc3NrDXial30ah5UJbejIEgDMVk1My6b46yJ1hBfhiUnbN044MKjlEsZka_14lDjCesdW9CPvcIR53AW4pGtuMW1jwVK9Xy4tBlKkIJT5dA6-kfs9Wtq2UKplF/s320/IMG_1521.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pavement ends here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">The club group stopped for coffee where Cave Creek Road becomes Seven Springs Road, and thankfully, my game of hare and tortoise was over. The course continues to the end of pavement then U-turns and heads back to the control at Sears Kay and, for the 200km riders, to Bartlett lake.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR0uhuUbyShA-eAM1jZ_GwhT0zBYIq-ryVMlv7eXfE7p6W1akNBUbHVsouCRTna0tx1zrNx_5nY-fTxM8gIBc3CNHyF1xKc9D_TK0orNi-cmpcNn7KnZ88nChZ3pF3paj8Nnbgw9O2jaZ-sN0nSRt2tR-pL9evuAMl_1CPeFzV37bSUloeR4-5hHI/s4032/IMG_1522.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoR0uhuUbyShA-eAM1jZ_GwhT0zBYIq-ryVMlv7eXfE7p6W1akNBUbHVsouCRTna0tx1zrNx_5nY-fTxM8gIBc3CNHyF1xKc9D_TK0orNi-cmpcNn7KnZ88nChZ3pF3paj8Nnbgw9O2jaZ-sN0nSRt2tR-pL9evuAMl_1CPeFzV37bSUloeR4-5hHI/s320/IMG_1522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views toward Sears Kay Ruins<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">The best part of the U-turn format, is you get to see and greet the other riders out in front as they continue on the course.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ6NP5NjXHwqIySdc1L9yib4XZzQ23Pi514pAKnS2JzjE90S0gWK_MEIDHHuI3kZYNNZSQLw_aZzTWCLrq7ERiIGl68yRTt0kee0OuPjiqekeTdG-hb-Ss9Zrc0Wc-aw-jRFbYR7LWFtx9r1avLCg-LHy23a8vwRm5G3vp-2HXuNcQ2v2Cx38adtd/s4032/IMG_1524.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ6NP5NjXHwqIySdc1L9yib4XZzQ23Pi514pAKnS2JzjE90S0gWK_MEIDHHuI3kZYNNZSQLw_aZzTWCLrq7ERiIGl68yRTt0kee0OuPjiqekeTdG-hb-Ss9Zrc0Wc-aw-jRFbYR7LWFtx9r1avLCg-LHy23a8vwRm5G3vp-2HXuNcQ2v2Cx38adtd/s320/IMG_1524.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest and refreshments at the Sears Kay control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Charles (North Dakota) and Bill (Tennessee) were riding the 100km and were in the control when I rolled in. After a quick visit, a welcome Mountain Dew (Mike said to save one for Steve, thanks Mike!), some snacks, and a handful of pocket food I was back on my way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj--4XTAJMJ12AvKpKVC0qzfZSbC-xr8EAaBSTslV6YzS5i8lMbKBbfdFY_Nt2bK-Xy6qNv53hQfwDwOZHcQRyXHY12ddeHnlCcADP6RJDHRJSRyaU1dIjhx-bT19ciAE-_S4Ly4ETyNdKyeIvXI3yDlgFNhuIQDtwjZ3JE3RGCfnSp_ClTs4eXoXpy/s4032/IMG_7243%5B1%5D.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj--4XTAJMJ12AvKpKVC0qzfZSbC-xr8EAaBSTslV6YzS5i8lMbKBbfdFY_Nt2bK-Xy6qNv53hQfwDwOZHcQRyXHY12ddeHnlCcADP6RJDHRJSRyaU1dIjhx-bT19ciAE-_S4Ly4ETyNdKyeIvXI3yDlgFNhuIQDtwjZ3JE3RGCfnSp_ClTs4eXoXpy/s320/IMG_7243%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next stop Bartlett Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">The route generally descends to the next control at the Bartlett Lake Marina. Winds were favorable and after climbing about 1000 feet to get to the last downhill, I was moving through this section at 40+ mph! The photo above, is from last year's 200, I didn't want to stop in that tailwind! Of course, the lead groups were heading up while I headed down and that would be the last time I would see the leaders.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I rolled into the Marina, picked up some food to eat, reload the pockets, and get back on the road. What goes down must go up, and every tailwind becomes a headwind, but the weather was perfect and the climb out was actually quite enjoyable.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxgLNaYEn7IIxidrKntTXxhWbjt4UV6O55dIZS4P25yL6o3p2PA2zAFOyZAunn4jIxPmKHwNzFpcSqzBUxmLpSkkBeApIqfH49YF9pMITJ-mjiNYCyA9Qg5_CesnzwvgmXtDM6fA16Ea9Rw0nyUmFcW_wbroDrqYUQowNCR5L79wP8liuS6yc5ASx/s4032/IMG_1526.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxgLNaYEn7IIxidrKntTXxhWbjt4UV6O55dIZS4P25yL6o3p2PA2zAFOyZAunn4jIxPmKHwNzFpcSqzBUxmLpSkkBeApIqfH49YF9pMITJ-mjiNYCyA9Qg5_CesnzwvgmXtDM6fA16Ea9Rw0nyUmFcW_wbroDrqYUQowNCR5L79wP8liuS6yc5ASx/s320/IMG_1526.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pot is legal in AZ!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">With plenty of water in the bottles and food in the pockets, I didn't need to stop in Carefree/ Cave Creek for supplies. I heard that Pot is now legal in AZ, and had to stop at this purveyor, who obviously had embraced the change with gusto! No room in the pockets today for one of these beauties, so I headed on! <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PXnVkBblnS68-puCF88jlYCVbcpPHZMsrzhhrtSdfBie8KrvXyZnSDrjWnqoI-4IRA0U04d99jLCVFSD0sUc7nuqkS0PiDCOFTfARC70fKHZdV_ATnbKUJeOEQYrVAZXRUW1EfHTf2-YW91_com3VV4qll-VXkEi0OY-f1GssY9LjZx9JvKpDWop/s4032/IMG_1531.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PXnVkBblnS68-puCF88jlYCVbcpPHZMsrzhhrtSdfBie8KrvXyZnSDrjWnqoI-4IRA0U04d99jLCVFSD0sUc7nuqkS0PiDCOFTfARC70fKHZdV_ATnbKUJeOEQYrVAZXRUW1EfHTf2-YW91_com3VV4qll-VXkEi0OY-f1GssY9LjZx9JvKpDWop/s320/IMG_1531.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to New River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">The next official control is in New River. But feeling hungry, I stopped for lunch at a Circle K at Carefree Highway and 7th Street. They had tables out front and a wide selection of snacks and sandwiches. In honor of the PBP, I grabbed a Jambon et Fromage (Ham and Cheese) sandwich, some chips, Mountain Dew and some Gummy Savers for pocket food! OK, the sandwich and food was nothing like the PBP. But for this brevet, my food strategy was to carry only pocket food acquired on the route and not carry carbohydrate drink mix, to mimic my food plan for PBP.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwvI6CdYzN_EHGUxLyiu9cIMiLZE58MfEZwG4GxYA02E1iW3zRaZMruGbIEUb3zI2J_UgKphIbIJ-ftL4m0AkWbKAGVx64p6GD-V6erMQpLlfAL3EDEVSydCdzuyhskI5wok81t5T0qlkYz1aGrtiqWF6HRyP6Q59nGGF7dib5leDH5GNBCF-hlLb/s4032/IMG_1534.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHwvI6CdYzN_EHGUxLyiu9cIMiLZE58MfEZwG4GxYA02E1iW3zRaZMruGbIEUb3zI2J_UgKphIbIJ-ftL4m0AkWbKAGVx64p6GD-V6erMQpLlfAL3EDEVSydCdzuyhskI5wok81t5T0qlkYz1aGrtiqWF6HRyP6Q59nGGF7dib5leDH5GNBCF-hlLb/s320/IMG_1534.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New River Control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>12 miles later, I rolled into the official control in New River and was surprised to see John and Ann there on a tandem. The last time I saw them, they were in one the lead groups heading toward the lake. Their tandem had a mechanical, and after a long delay, were back on the course. I topped off a bottle and they were already gone!<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I caught and passed them at the very tricky intersection at Lake Pleasant, and we then made our way through 300 meters of unpaved road under construction. I was looking forward to some company for the last 25 miles of the course, but alas, a staple punctured my rear tire and I stopped to repair it.<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wIQkts3BeIgx-jXMpZjMCMx0rjntO7Rd_e9kNBzxPNCphGcXzEkE0lgGmbDJHhkRTV2Cb5GRljsdu2gSuRjBdp0xUZlfb56Z2fbZjaS6FbAlld2sTTsFa8yg2eRwlRHkVPMNaDFRs8NdvAXnwoOvp24zAir954-884QFVZN-5E2EHsXq7LJ7ercs/s4032/IMG_1538.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4wIQkts3BeIgx-jXMpZjMCMx0rjntO7Rd_e9kNBzxPNCphGcXzEkE0lgGmbDJHhkRTV2Cb5GRljsdu2gSuRjBdp0xUZlfb56Z2fbZjaS6FbAlld2sTTsFa8yg2eRwlRHkVPMNaDFRs8NdvAXnwoOvp24zAir954-884QFVZN-5E2EHsXq7LJ7ercs/s320/IMG_1538.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Balloons over Peoria<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"></div><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">I was back on the road in under 10 minutes and into several planned communities of Peoria. The roads are relatively new, all have bike lanes, and while there are many turns to keep track of, there was little traffic and even a few parks with water and restrooms along the way.<br /></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpS3gncdXPsDfOvHqe230QdlHtn22zcxOeoRQHOBhtiOb-Gwy8799GqeyLarsGDN5FDULaYNX3tdR-pKSwbZmtFoGduS2r4ZHBgpErpymcVNy7ffoiJ7HfYYL4Ana_-oa8_Pinkp1FSL--uCxy4_dxAEGDPGVvlzE7oQtgVoSujJDoFh6aIEizCLR/s4032/IMG_1539.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpS3gncdXPsDfOvHqe230QdlHtn22zcxOeoRQHOBhtiOb-Gwy8799GqeyLarsGDN5FDULaYNX3tdR-pKSwbZmtFoGduS2r4ZHBgpErpymcVNy7ffoiJ7HfYYL4Ana_-oa8_Pinkp1FSL--uCxy4_dxAEGDPGVvlzE7oQtgVoSujJDoFh6aIEizCLR/s320/IMG_1539.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slow pace = Nice sunset!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>With a start at 0800 and my slow pace, I was rewarded with a great Arizona sunset. I rolled into the Cortado Coffee Roastery a few minutes before 6 pm to put this one in the books at 9 hours and 53 minutes. John and Ann were in the parking lot and Tom Altemus was there packed up as well. After a quick visit, I threw the bike in the car and headed home.</p><p>Debby had homemade soup on the stove, and my food strategy worked during the ride. I was not starving at the end and could generate consistent power to the finish. I snacked on some pocket food on the way home to an awesome dinner and a great start to the 2023 brevet season!</p><p>Next up is the <a href="https://www.azbrevet.com/index.html">North Valley 100/200/300</a>; something for everyone, come join us!<br /></p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/110667343" target="_blank">Click here</a> for GPS data<br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-61831139432162712412022-11-18T07:32:02.292-07:002023-01-20T06:34:01.046-07:002022 Austrialia Cycling Cruise; Sydney to Melbourne<p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Ride Report</div><div style="text-align: left;">November 2022</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBq46K2f2PKF0HQHtLAmCjaUjqr5bmxLzauCvjWcSzfvFGThyplx6UdOM26I_oeAudCBVyg8kj5iXucJAMtLzSPNvk8GmrnOtHjvNK6QbmORl16XQJ3S1XNNFvsnjSS8azbnADABLooB-T2ZUFG3rt1LohoRZmd83i6NlPkbKL0B2q-RKlaSZzii8/s4032/IMG_0467.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBq46K2f2PKF0HQHtLAmCjaUjqr5bmxLzauCvjWcSzfvFGThyplx6UdOM26I_oeAudCBVyg8kj5iXucJAMtLzSPNvk8GmrnOtHjvNK6QbmORl16XQJ3S1XNNFvsnjSS8azbnADABLooB-T2ZUFG3rt1LohoRZmd83i6NlPkbKL0B2q-RKlaSZzii8/s320/IMG_0467.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney Harbor Bridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>The Australia Cycling Cruse was the first Santana Adventures trip we signed up for back in 2019. This trip was postponed two times during the COVID era, and during the wait for this one we competed three other Santana trips (<a href="https://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2021/09/2021-prague-to-budapest-cycling-cruise.html" target="_blank">2021 Danube River</a>, <a href="https://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2022/08/big-river-cruise-memphis-to-new-orleans.html" target="_blank">2022 Mississippi River</a>, <a href="https://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2022/07/baltic-sea-cruise-copenhagen-to.html" target="_blank">2022 Baltic Sea</a>)! Its a long one, 12 days plus four days pre-tour and three days post-tour, let's get going!<div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Pre-tour<br /></h4></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHW3G0lHxtG2CYeRqBkoYzbAQDWKKbIj6kzD2LR_6MzLUzQ3AtTq5lV574EpahAhE337tnyzLYjj_8lTlIGmZDhkiTsfJRTFl_aOcVQkkB7U3XbehwqybqjH4rGiWELi2u2TFYJWGVBtgruEHgr_UEZBjFf9GOe72Y9NmcTG6QtS8mRkvCm5vSzVg/s4032/IMG_0373.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHW3G0lHxtG2CYeRqBkoYzbAQDWKKbIj6kzD2LR_6MzLUzQ3AtTq5lV574EpahAhE337tnyzLYjj_8lTlIGmZDhkiTsfJRTFl_aOcVQkkB7U3XbehwqybqjH4rGiWELi2u2TFYJWGVBtgruEHgr_UEZBjFf9GOe72Y9NmcTG6QtS8mRkvCm5vSzVg/s320/IMG_0373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner in the LAX United Lounge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DMy1DhxH9Dn0Bog--qlVM7ClsxwrCYBMkxN73BQDXfZer5hK0hS9wB5Mm-CTolk5hFsPiy9e_o4U5gdFQzJQ3aV8ZXy1V2AHBqggasux4pAxM0Lxr9Yjz_XyBGsEYBL7JPliUYMj1Cf3FaO7gfuE2zFmHX-UujynVTO13r7GRgpPSwxckzvcAXNs/s3088/IMG_0381.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DMy1DhxH9Dn0Bog--qlVM7ClsxwrCYBMkxN73BQDXfZer5hK0hS9wB5Mm-CTolk5hFsPiy9e_o4U5gdFQzJQ3aV8ZXy1V2AHBqggasux4pAxM0Lxr9Yjz_XyBGsEYBL7JPliUYMj1Cf3FaO7gfuE2zFmHX-UujynVTO13r7GRgpPSwxckzvcAXNs/s320/IMG_0381.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are we really finally going to Australia?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEfv5lmpuqmsqwZnkLQ7MjlxeErdU5oETTQn9drOmhK6oJfxEfcqh7jjYlHrz24qtiKI32UJCQmZKCvqb28YlFw_st3qe-HLXbcdqQmJ5skN7AAuY2HUPLh_zzwLr9P52GxeSexDLMHhFM4xRmHAg-cIXOVdkb1mgKtGaABiObKpSsSrimRk6ZwXh/s4032/IMG_0385.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEfv5lmpuqmsqwZnkLQ7MjlxeErdU5oETTQn9drOmhK6oJfxEfcqh7jjYlHrz24qtiKI32UJCQmZKCvqb28YlFw_st3qe-HLXbcdqQmJ5skN7AAuY2HUPLh_zzwLr9P52GxeSexDLMHhFM4xRmHAg-cIXOVdkb1mgKtGaABiObKpSsSrimRk6ZwXh/s320/IMG_0385.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">15 hours non-stop to Sydney!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>We arrived a day and a half after we left Phoenix (lost a day crossing the
International Date Line) with our bags and were greeted at the airport
by the Santana Adventures team. We boarded a bus with other Santana
guests and were driven to the Grace Hotel in the Sydney City Centre. The driver gave us a great tour and recounted some of the very strict COVID protocols that were in place over the last several years. Our
room wasn't ready so we checked our bags with the bell staff and headed
out to try to stay awake and adjust to our new time zone (yesterday -18 hours from home). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFPDb4Z2HMdHCnXRssgWMWiUo-P3kRem1lvuv97Hm8goN_h1ZRw3dwTVTgTXqa7e8EzNgWS2CcmswGEWP5V5QKPyfTBKiCNfVdNxwar8hQiIVE2C_6SC9h0pmYLWZNS_Y_Fg_Hn4RZVTLKLRJCWAL180qE1ewISnjy4x9zs5O5-1ifWwYuHAcGy79/s4032/IMG_0386.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFPDb4Z2HMdHCnXRssgWMWiUo-P3kRem1lvuv97Hm8goN_h1ZRw3dwTVTgTXqa7e8EzNgWS2CcmswGEWP5V5QKPyfTBKiCNfVdNxwar8hQiIVE2C_6SC9h0pmYLWZNS_Y_Fg_Hn4RZVTLKLRJCWAL180qE1ewISnjy4x9zs5O5-1ifWwYuHAcGy79/s320/IMG_0386.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> 'Grounding' in Sydney's Hyde Park<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>We learned by watching our favorite 'Christmas' movie, Diehard, that the way to beat jet lag is to walk around at your new destination with bare feet, especially directly on the ground. Hyde Park was a short walk from the hotel so we headed out to get grounded in our new time zone.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGX5HsK-QIwcRdQnDMVmANI7ndYwSvgCH2vLUvHJaE8S8vUNwMZJkVbWgdEO6JDzr_lA760xcqRlN1gYer8tK96quVEIkI4mfzAIe_aN3zvo_rtla-TejBKfjFk1ewMkm1CZFuvjX9YMuqd_jBZ3i1Y7sFk3HBn7e9rG5siXC9eWCNZg3OGgIEnaH/s4032/IMG_0391.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGX5HsK-QIwcRdQnDMVmANI7ndYwSvgCH2vLUvHJaE8S8vUNwMZJkVbWgdEO6JDzr_lA760xcqRlN1gYer8tK96quVEIkI4mfzAIe_aN3zvo_rtla-TejBKfjFk1ewMkm1CZFuvjX9YMuqd_jBZ3i1Y7sFk3HBn7e9rG5siXC9eWCNZg3OGgIEnaH/s320/IMG_0391.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captain Cook<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBAmP8Rgdp6Nl6ky039ZWvQ6gMJueKQ0gw7EPclupeyzB-0kQmB3kGgSHmhNODt2IyojS9sAthh23STMzJB15YbcOsZZVHxfNTYyywKZoEvSnu-tYTKyuEG-M6jLYcn4AJXxPjEckgP1vyWk8RNRqVUNwbCuLwCND6ywUWPCfEC23koHH_zm5iVBT/s4032/IMG_0387.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBAmP8Rgdp6Nl6ky039ZWvQ6gMJueKQ0gw7EPclupeyzB-0kQmB3kGgSHmhNODt2IyojS9sAthh23STMzJB15YbcOsZZVHxfNTYyywKZoEvSnu-tYTKyuEG-M6jLYcn4AJXxPjEckgP1vyWk8RNRqVUNwbCuLwCND6ywUWPCfEC23koHH_zm5iVBT/s320/IMG_0387.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Australian White Ibis<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a great day for a stroll in the park. We also stopped by the Queen Victoria Building on the way to the park and got oriented to our surroundings in Sydney. We spotted our first Australian bird in the park and enjoyed the perfect weather.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CikJpfpvqAy3OJptEVkaZy_DH6pu83RcYGCux6QwqPFWb_MSURMldjyG_QWR9YlCemTTjaholnsutZzAEyqfI2rn4yxu7KrZXFiPT5dGoPy0G1Cg8y62HI-a_hN6bzFKukiiJNUHhNfb0Dla6ADLmB3WhDqhStwmlGhLrXZ5TM5m9lxbpHQSXVFs/s3088/IMG_0401.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CikJpfpvqAy3OJptEVkaZy_DH6pu83RcYGCux6QwqPFWb_MSURMldjyG_QWR9YlCemTTjaholnsutZzAEyqfI2rn4yxu7KrZXFiPT5dGoPy0G1Cg8y62HI-a_hN6bzFKukiiJNUHhNfb0Dla6ADLmB3WhDqhStwmlGhLrXZ5TM5m9lxbpHQSXVFs/s320/IMG_0401.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, we look tired!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We felt great, but from this picture, we looked just like we'd been traveling for the last 24 hours! We returned to the hotel after lunch and checked into our room.
Resisting the urge to take a nap we laid out our plan for the afternoon/evening;
I would do the Sydney Bridgeclimb and Debby would do some shopping in
the Rocks nearby.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxqICdnDSfgEZg2ZPOhdrVJNhCrG5vhVgepY1BS94BSeneqcEdjI-G9PTAuxVpdRBZ3hVIqcrOe7RDK14Xjj5TDfbLISjp6mxFe6xhlfDqB181HUomJU-E0aEu_R4FFiWUkyUyRhFZv8EPMd_qNSZyGBLEtFtjMWQux6tWjoy8XqL3xxTQhdDMCAB/s3500/IMG_0411.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="3500" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuxqICdnDSfgEZg2ZPOhdrVJNhCrG5vhVgepY1BS94BSeneqcEdjI-G9PTAuxVpdRBZ3hVIqcrOe7RDK14Xjj5TDfbLISjp6mxFe6xhlfDqB181HUomJU-E0aEu_R4FFiWUkyUyRhFZv8EPMd_qNSZyGBLEtFtjMWQux6tWjoy8XqL3xxTQhdDMCAB/s320/IMG_0411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney Bridgeclimb!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My riding partner on the 2021 Southern Transcon, Jeff Bennett, said that 'you have to do the Sydney Bridgeclimb when you get to Sydney!' Debby said, 'yeah you have fun with that.' It was a great experience. It required a 45 minute pre-climb orientation that included gearing up with a harness and jumpsuit, storing personal items (nothing allowed in your pockets, including cell phones and watches), training on how to secure the harness to the safety cable, and a short simulated climb to try out the rig.<br /></p><p>The climb took nearly two hours as we ascended one span to the top, crossed over and returned down the other span. We were put in groups of about a dozen climbers with a guide. I met two guys from Switzerland that had done the climb 20 years prior and we enjoyed the climb from the back of our group.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuhEozYwa6Eqrb68eCMrC8fyVggiTBBeQql7QdB3sb-gX9Bza3dIUddxaeJ7LiJ30d5wkIW5cDoO7-v_UCvBd1GuxcJ5fGHdADOsSnbq_T5wmE6gYYEJQz4GunC7vLhNHyYogb-Fg8lTLMO_0w25Jhtfy6xpaoXGESzXW89rMVWpe_4Nm1fQQk1Xs/s4032/IMG_0413.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbuhEozYwa6Eqrb68eCMrC8fyVggiTBBeQql7QdB3sb-gX9Bza3dIUddxaeJ7LiJ30d5wkIW5cDoO7-v_UCvBd1GuxcJ5fGHdADOsSnbq_T5wmE6gYYEJQz4GunC7vLhNHyYogb-Fg8lTLMO_0w25Jhtfy6xpaoXGESzXW89rMVWpe_4Nm1fQQk1Xs/s320/IMG_0413.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the bridge, the normal way!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKBYldjElqUy64khMk0cQvxmHPJ06anqvVvUiwYax-cqkINursYD8iezQ_gAV3qO4IoM2wAWIKaTnFFBD-PZ5pSK-5jK5plnjWEGVhHJUZQ9HJ7eFECMVC--9ysobcNGw2chNY6nTLNIdpthWybFh2_9rTchWpleBH-LUeNsDQmQ1he91uNLMKDXd/s4032/IMG_0418.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqKBYldjElqUy64khMk0cQvxmHPJ06anqvVvUiwYax-cqkINursYD8iezQ_gAV3qO4IoM2wAWIKaTnFFBD-PZ5pSK-5jK5plnjWEGVhHJUZQ9HJ7eFECMVC--9ysobcNGw2chNY6nTLNIdpthWybFh2_9rTchWpleBH-LUeNsDQmQ1he91uNLMKDXd/s320/IMG_0418.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opera House, visible from many angles<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We started our second day with a ferry to Milson's point so we could walk back to the Rocks area via the Sydney Harbor Bridge.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapFg28nlfttCOpMNOyPmj8FWo1huiY5m_heCuStA41qonNnciZbRnOrO9WUTdZi8kTtvmuQHSmOSDY8G_oz9sFXe1ByCH14oukwGejgAKCaVn_rqun0W5nRSXLg4AMmy3B0lOusbBT9HEKVybXexJBb2s7S7-J7jHLRaVm7PJWEnY6bm-dzPs9MWJ/s4032/IMG_0419.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapFg28nlfttCOpMNOyPmj8FWo1huiY5m_heCuStA41qonNnciZbRnOrO9WUTdZi8kTtvmuQHSmOSDY8G_oz9sFXe1ByCH14oukwGejgAKCaVn_rqun0W5nRSXLg4AMmy3B0lOusbBT9HEKVybXexJBb2s7S7-J7jHLRaVm7PJWEnY6bm-dzPs9MWJ/s320/IMG_0419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee and scones<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We enjoyed coffee and scones and explored the Rocks area. This was the location of one of the first settlements/penal colonies and is now a tourist hot spot. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1Jl2MK_SsjDQrbGc7hh6y2-4S9hJ3pOIh5MomM0oxAZsAKar05oQ3Zz08uV175ihRId526FTkwrJ73qGM144vLu5ATDKVau4hvSRyvmMR9MTbLaXRSzxKkJGpjciQ8QOyZWX0I0p7LXuew8ISHYcToABd0Vg40Vto4_6bCkFogkK-QrakIr3uBhW/s4032/IMG_0422.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1Jl2MK_SsjDQrbGc7hh6y2-4S9hJ3pOIh5MomM0oxAZsAKar05oQ3Zz08uV175ihRId526FTkwrJ73qGM144vLu5ATDKVau4hvSRyvmMR9MTbLaXRSzxKkJGpjciQ8QOyZWX0I0p7LXuew8ISHYcToABd0Vg40Vto4_6bCkFogkK-QrakIr3uBhW/s320/IMG_0422.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group of Bridge climbers set out!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1WBycRbYsgsE5CBX9EWkJzlU_KakigiLZcICHQlvhR9Ui7Pnq-A4sZzVn8Di0hXRLbtHD6NVG-ThgAbDh4UC0znPYEPMHXMpkeDalGHcXfNTyWJO0BWZuV6tKhkMqwr8coRYBsrIJaY2zmp5-isEobs-YKzO82u5D5uZNz5Rb6Zwklxd7GHT0FdC/s4032/IMG_0423.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1WBycRbYsgsE5CBX9EWkJzlU_KakigiLZcICHQlvhR9Ui7Pnq-A4sZzVn8Di0hXRLbtHD6NVG-ThgAbDh4UC0znPYEPMHXMpkeDalGHcXfNTyWJO0BWZuV6tKhkMqwr8coRYBsrIJaY2zmp5-isEobs-YKzO82u5D5uZNz5Rb6Zwklxd7GHT0FdC/s320/IMG_0423.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Car Crash Junction'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmNXxu1hd9ZyPsjiX_c-PTGndNMf4yTuYeuKH6vrByro73MVucpUo_AyU5oYG017cRMBSHtyOdLRGt2SqXqI_V4XB8NbaFvZOZE-njElwxKCZkPg57I4kjYicJ9kk6zlTaBw8BGozE3sgW3s1bzm2la3rfG2echSgaEEHRUkr8VTB5Ij4j_O0hHOg/s4032/IMG_0425.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmNXxu1hd9ZyPsjiX_c-PTGndNMf4yTuYeuKH6vrByro73MVucpUo_AyU5oYG017cRMBSHtyOdLRGt2SqXqI_V4XB8NbaFvZOZE-njElwxKCZkPg57I4kjYicJ9kk6zlTaBw8BGozE3sgW3s1bzm2la3rfG2echSgaEEHRUkr8VTB5Ij4j_O0hHOg/s320/IMG_0425.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins in the Dawes Point area<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7tDdyMVj4evwU7D9mgCnNaKSnPzVbuJxQwjcD6EBwr6-I-p3QNW3pSNqEG-TDywRPYDZiYq8Ir85ED-H0GNIErsoxf4QXsQO1NqlWTK4dNkFxo9qtUM44dvmQsI_6DO5K2qxV-9bP6WPQrY3ryjVwNyKTsmoJABtFVqfomtciQveo1PkiVSpNith/s4032/IMG_0429.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7tDdyMVj4evwU7D9mgCnNaKSnPzVbuJxQwjcD6EBwr6-I-p3QNW3pSNqEG-TDywRPYDZiYq8Ir85ED-H0GNIErsoxf4QXsQO1NqlWTK4dNkFxo9qtUM44dvmQsI_6DO5K2qxV-9bP6WPQrY3ryjVwNyKTsmoJABtFVqfomtciQveo1PkiVSpNith/s320/IMG_0429.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too early for Beer?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnRey3DKBb19Z1tftiIED_-jCA4s5WUA7j7AaaT1OitIjc4lptSK5zFnRySQRBiWULWi9p1fbJz3TcB6SpAy84tqyhYt_kgokPzbjtqPSm1LNB8L8JPFa6MgzsMtRKWCCwP-FERYE6iYveoTcrJQDpUuszBf_rKxUyq7zHQJxKZBbKkTIvRKGBMbe/s4032/IMG_0432.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnRey3DKBb19Z1tftiIED_-jCA4s5WUA7j7AaaT1OitIjc4lptSK5zFnRySQRBiWULWi9p1fbJz3TcB6SpAy84tqyhYt_kgokPzbjtqPSm1LNB8L8JPFa6MgzsMtRKWCCwP-FERYE6iYveoTcrJQDpUuszBf_rKxUyq7zHQJxKZBbKkTIvRKGBMbe/s320/IMG_0432.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not when its at one of the 10 Best Pubs in NSW!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next up was a walking tour of the Rocks that continued to the Dawes point area. We spotted a group of Bridgeclimbers, a pubic art oddity, historical ruins and a bar. A great way to spend a long morning.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFVguyqqwlYl0qROaPbl-3_1iyFeg7EY7YF6MCDVNrbJ1GFhJHkmth0DmCn1CDrRRKFncfveZVERnOUQzBkGkPmIBAGRdNf2HBukJOs0hQZHkmFfmsDPi7UDmr2MAeYO0sKwthi6L0qv5oxbw7IftgHNarDv1B0FWlvSsP_hQT4Pra6SZ3JOH76nJ/s4032/IMG_0440.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFVguyqqwlYl0qROaPbl-3_1iyFeg7EY7YF6MCDVNrbJ1GFhJHkmth0DmCn1CDrRRKFncfveZVERnOUQzBkGkPmIBAGRdNf2HBukJOs0hQZHkmFfmsDPi7UDmr2MAeYO0sKwthi6L0qv5oxbw7IftgHNarDv1B0FWlvSsP_hQT4Pra6SZ3JOH76nJ/s320/IMG_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mrs. MacQuaries Point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0qbS4xinyo62qlTZZIgn5IkEM1jzAHyYxk_UIdWr7xrzPImu2_GQbmaH86o3kC5XtTJ9cTI1dFpVhZS2K_VCVF7gkWsXSrPASyFFJEVrC4DDMP2Xl0tL9AFbMwdKoAhUEYumvntAr_kfUhJKD0sfpo9PN6fy8RrORp-asn4haofCFLpkTtafLd3x/s4032/IMG_0448.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0qbS4xinyo62qlTZZIgn5IkEM1jzAHyYxk_UIdWr7xrzPImu2_GQbmaH86o3kC5XtTJ9cTI1dFpVhZS2K_VCVF7gkWsXSrPASyFFJEVrC4DDMP2Xl0tL9AFbMwdKoAhUEYumvntAr_kfUhJKD0sfpo9PN6fy8RrORp-asn4haofCFLpkTtafLd3x/s320/IMG_0448.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Botanical Gardens<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgyjK2LQjvpPaV7ljvVfsp0wad7PBkcLCVtet1Se5XJU0OuysBqEowOHq00GhRQCst2-LtF0lvMeynYU4IkPCDc_JTtEjM9PLdiYeIyNd09qN6w9uayg7A_nhVelswpmNQxp8KE1i7QjfoDtUDNCHHEST_i07pklh6EPfceHTVVxvYZ6Jh1UsiBp0/s4032/IMG_0451.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgyjK2LQjvpPaV7ljvVfsp0wad7PBkcLCVtet1Se5XJU0OuysBqEowOHq00GhRQCst2-LtF0lvMeynYU4IkPCDc_JTtEjM9PLdiYeIyNd09qN6w9uayg7A_nhVelswpmNQxp8KE1i7QjfoDtUDNCHHEST_i07pklh6EPfceHTVVxvYZ6Jh1UsiBp0/s320/IMG_0451.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoKtv9_DbjMUefxtjZwJ9c6DFH5ZQwXpWyh8BYHmJ5_Gh0SGF7soCNcB3UJ9Qfj26HKV42MGDa_pYZQU3zD_Ab3MkJib6u8_s6I_gsbqJrcrECLqAT87zJobTTIyhsqEXxOIoWsxNIgQLro7t3WQQwxOGPdxeUapW_FirdtHnzF34A9kJxYF1DAVB/s4032/IMG_0455.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoKtv9_DbjMUefxtjZwJ9c6DFH5ZQwXpWyh8BYHmJ5_Gh0SGF7soCNcB3UJ9Qfj26HKV42MGDa_pYZQU3zD_Ab3MkJib6u8_s6I_gsbqJrcrECLqAT87zJobTTIyhsqEXxOIoWsxNIgQLro7t3WQQwxOGPdxeUapW_FirdtHnzF34A9kJxYF1DAVB/s320/IMG_0455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge Techno Rock Festival<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_oW092Tirrc7v4eB7O175apxCOXMOw_42RwA6XdbNSJfOPuwt_3Ji-sMIwjqe-D0bQlHiCIdt493f8sQG-Ij6PxnxUJcqvu0oh09aHDWuiTqEFWY-6_mBmfT6rnfXt-7N0FU8N97LVKfwB6G5-dx-bL53cwDpe6hGZM6b1XCOTzFuCKLP8OHP86y/s4032/IMG_0456.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_oW092Tirrc7v4eB7O175apxCOXMOw_42RwA6XdbNSJfOPuwt_3Ji-sMIwjqe-D0bQlHiCIdt493f8sQG-Ij6PxnxUJcqvu0oh09aHDWuiTqEFWY-6_mBmfT6rnfXt-7N0FU8N97LVKfwB6G5-dx-bL53cwDpe6hGZM6b1XCOTzFuCKLP8OHP86y/s320/IMG_0456.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Opera House venue up close<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBf5pCKEjluCxW-ow32SvBlbtD8rw0wCaZeEdcPS-s0dX4ZCQw6PMGXm-mwKWvsM4sp1_8grIgIinS3A1KQe7O_3s9TEp-HNZXfP-8w5gq4XwuY1NCT2_twritDsUGfbitTQeBiOPNpozPF6IIf_1IK8ejyy82GBzIb2MDOZbqDfNOngpqV9gWo1Gp/s7064/IMG_0464.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3874" data-original-width="7064" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBf5pCKEjluCxW-ow32SvBlbtD8rw0wCaZeEdcPS-s0dX4ZCQw6PMGXm-mwKWvsM4sp1_8grIgIinS3A1KQe7O_3s9TEp-HNZXfP-8w5gq4XwuY1NCT2_twritDsUGfbitTQeBiOPNpozPF6IIf_1IK8ejyy82GBzIb2MDOZbqDfNOngpqV9gWo1Gp/s320/IMG_0464.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sydney Symphony<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Months prior to the trip, Deb bought tickets to the Sydney Symphony. So our afternoon/evening plan was to walk the Botanical Gardens to Mrs. MacQuaries Point, loop through the park, find dinner near the opera house and finish the day at the Symphony. It was a great day, the only drawback was a huge Techno Rock concert that was going on in the park that required a couple of detours and many extra steps! There was also an outdoor concert going on (it was Saturday night) at the Opera House, so we stopped at the first restaurant with a table nearby. It was a good thing that we bought the tickets early. The concert was sold out by the time we arrived in Sydney! The concert was great, it was a 'Peoples Choice' format, featuring popular traditional classics and a few contemporary classics by Australian composers. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs4MJtuSuXB-tMdLWlLXINtCqOipN4vGBi8hx0UXzqPM8PKXD3MbASQ18iQrEytuPzHWrWNyyYX-dYJ_mSGD_hDVCvf0XFzsQMtGJiSYxEUCySOlSQRnq62ypSlzhMmpbygmhM9t9oP_2ipfDIESZHijBKjt8RCDj0EAHWoQRtilbCSErX8dv34Op/s4032/IMG_0471.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXs4MJtuSuXB-tMdLWlLXINtCqOipN4vGBi8hx0UXzqPM8PKXD3MbASQ18iQrEytuPzHWrWNyyYX-dYJ_mSGD_hDVCvf0XFzsQMtGJiSYxEUCySOlSQRnq62ypSlzhMmpbygmhM9t9oP_2ipfDIESZHijBKjt8RCDj0EAHWoQRtilbCSErX8dv34Op/s320/IMG_0471.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Mary's Cathedral<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUb9upB0eizDtQgwFJBX8AS3xeT3SSiKKH4O-wNjaR1MEb53nBe5_wIRhMXqLgRCa7NS0jIGM1MQeHqdIyWFalIh3KBhMp9_uiXLjjJffGmjvUstG3wJ0YdiXwKtz99zMJNQjUkfAjHoQsaMJ7puSI2-p0Hfkiid4YPzLTRxoBDl9gUu900DhXMHP/s4032/IMG_0474.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUb9upB0eizDtQgwFJBX8AS3xeT3SSiKKH4O-wNjaR1MEb53nBe5_wIRhMXqLgRCa7NS0jIGM1MQeHqdIyWFalIh3KBhMp9_uiXLjjJffGmjvUstG3wJ0YdiXwKtz99zMJNQjUkfAjHoQsaMJ7puSI2-p0Hfkiid4YPzLTRxoBDl9gUu900DhXMHP/s320/IMG_0474.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning mass<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After two days with plenty of walking, we started our third day on foot with Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral. It was an easy short walk through a nearly deserted downtown on a Sunday morning.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH0dXaSzEr99mKqNfYsuJFooZPAGPISlrmX2tAv2V1kv1gZJw8jUAgTFaycHcYQm5WdxUt_k4qRmZOBT-EYNRTwVjcMVrLOhSx9fDdrcxgMDWH5nShz2CsveDWooJXekF5U7lgzQktk3AuHsA0G_KcyL9q5pj30iQ_PGC0Cmgnu1q1lMqyjPJgAMB/s3088/IMG_0480.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTH0dXaSzEr99mKqNfYsuJFooZPAGPISlrmX2tAv2V1kv1gZJw8jUAgTFaycHcYQm5WdxUt_k4qRmZOBT-EYNRTwVjcMVrLOhSx9fDdrcxgMDWH5nShz2CsveDWooJXekF5U7lgzQktk3AuHsA0G_KcyL9q5pj30iQ_PGC0Cmgnu1q1lMqyjPJgAMB/s320/IMG_0480.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bondi Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJVyVuO8xTxJhd4UZV6fNy5IBpSjR_181-S3yfDGKP9v9Nysfw2nViitU20O30mMiLNsSYIw34A2tF8cF-nM5NlydbP5oQbNCZyp1xry5ULv3EOWPC1hOAjXIkEhCWdcDSDoPQYYYiZrlEZWgqWpLh-P3qxbNCu3LtVLiIfEfQBiYnSXbclkQFQnz/s4032/IMG_0490.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYJVyVuO8xTxJhd4UZV6fNy5IBpSjR_181-S3yfDGKP9v9Nysfw2nViitU20O30mMiLNsSYIw34A2tF8cF-nM5NlydbP5oQbNCZyp1xry5ULv3EOWPC1hOAjXIkEhCWdcDSDoPQYYYiZrlEZWgqWpLh-P3qxbNCu3LtVLiIfEfQBiYnSXbclkQFQnz/s320/IMG_0490.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reminded us of a California beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPccGdgVE0pz5RvpFeZrnbjRFQr66FjubgBJ9_SiGPy_mjAKovxrRgXwNRO5EhRNPimPZ3lrdDSF86BxPRUnaArk-oPv9onmkD-2AjFZMM0MADcgPFBHEQTjvDgNqKiLEK5P7d-wQiisfIpq6AK3cdZn4rQD3MyQYwMBXygjwIfGEUeqjq9W_Zf5t/s4032/IMG_0499.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinPccGdgVE0pz5RvpFeZrnbjRFQr66FjubgBJ9_SiGPy_mjAKovxrRgXwNRO5EhRNPimPZ3lrdDSF86BxPRUnaArk-oPv9onmkD-2AjFZMM0MADcgPFBHEQTjvDgNqKiLEK5P7d-wQiisfIpq6AK3cdZn4rQD3MyQYwMBXygjwIfGEUeqjq9W_Zf5t/s320/IMG_0499.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great lunch at a beach side cafe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Santana pretour included a run to Bondi Beach and a tour of the Rocks. Since we already covered the Rocks, we decided to skip that tour and take a regular city bus to Bondi Beach. It was an easy route that went from the QVB (Queen Victoria Building) directly to the beach! We wandered about and noted that it was very much like a California beach town, except everyone drove on the wrong side of the road! After a great late lunch we returned to the City Centre for some shopping and time to assemble the bikes back at the hotel. We ended the day with an unremarkable dinner at a rotating tower restaurant with 360 degree view of the city.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm0tn_W-1PMrZMRebBcfkPLY8Fc8tPoEei0ZNq5WUPJf74HcCpY95uE2wOV326-GMBM6IHFTyUBSVJl8ZDh0S0SU2t38d37zgOBTndJFqXwojwpbn3fNUXbiLQK2lANMdDhROxO9cqZOoRvCiLNCKPxusBNbxSpvI-bMw7G2TA2fGFVFa-8Z66Rv_/s4032/IMG_0508.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCm0tn_W-1PMrZMRebBcfkPLY8Fc8tPoEei0ZNq5WUPJf74HcCpY95uE2wOV326-GMBM6IHFTyUBSVJl8ZDh0S0SU2t38d37zgOBTndJFqXwojwpbn3fNUXbiLQK2lANMdDhROxO9cqZOoRvCiLNCKPxusBNbxSpvI-bMw7G2TA2fGFVFa-8Z66Rv_/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not our cruise ship!</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUMAgnyhu0pXYHwl4nodjuF5lgnlObGcQXfKhGjX1Z88I95EDyYf8A9or8WqtUnRsO8GrbtBk3OphCFeAe76p4oHEingSuJ7IDBGEFu7mgQ0RuB2-0inO64PmUicUx6RdOf-epQ237f39VMPqJqq0i45MFd_SBkChJcorp7HiD1OimLKD9P3gr7O5/s9628/IMG_0509.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3814" data-original-width="9628" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUMAgnyhu0pXYHwl4nodjuF5lgnlObGcQXfKhGjX1Z88I95EDyYf8A9or8WqtUnRsO8GrbtBk3OphCFeAe76p4oHEingSuJ7IDBGEFu7mgQ0RuB2-0inO64PmUicUx6RdOf-epQ237f39VMPqJqq0i45MFd_SBkChJcorp7HiD1OimLKD9P3gr7O5/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manly Beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fCkxvfbfVOL_EywYR-X6v2AihzC5Fh53VpTcubu0gj2ESYPVtrmc-XZtiK3Q9fcWQWw4x_kW4nHd2SAWUG6955NkBMdif7q9nrILVftTQcj34EN4x-ZSf81V9NFbt0dmBWOgiWAMjvERve4E_tS1r55GY0Pj9sj2vay3ehbyXqRz4dh7-dsXxXA7/s4032/IMG_0512.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8fCkxvfbfVOL_EywYR-X6v2AihzC5Fh53VpTcubu0gj2ESYPVtrmc-XZtiK3Q9fcWQWw4x_kW4nHd2SAWUG6955NkBMdif7q9nrILVftTQcj34EN4x-ZSf81V9NFbt0dmBWOgiWAMjvERve4E_tS1r55GY0Pj9sj2vay3ehbyXqRz4dh7-dsXxXA7/s320/IMG_0512.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manly Scenic Walk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNHn1Uo7u8C9mq0SXuNf6lWYN8g_ZhuQasQKdVA8EUrrXdBpu-NefKOAKxYB9xDxChxeAGl7lOrXa-_4FcnuUery0Xp-k8AksUxyN6-xoDtt0quPYgTmy5Y__7OFm2incsxl6OFz4VjjVQ3vCiLzNlQc6VCidQiF5eciblXgh0YzesssQr3KGWMlA/s4032/IMG_0517.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnNHn1Uo7u8C9mq0SXuNf6lWYN8g_ZhuQasQKdVA8EUrrXdBpu-NefKOAKxYB9xDxChxeAGl7lOrXa-_4FcnuUery0Xp-k8AksUxyN6-xoDtt0quPYgTmy5Y__7OFm2incsxl6OFz4VjjVQ3vCiLzNlQc6VCidQiF5eciblXgh0YzesssQr3KGWMlA/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnh5x12fTSNkuee0mdvPCwf3KAepbTThmvgubtoxXcivOLDnpXhQa9YwwKHRYoBBOjI4iWkn92X_8JY-n7D89mnNSlKatGeVLZ0N2zV2AFPa8iXIX-P8O5S9iSkuEJRz-GfgkR8YzazpDEg5woSOtc7dilJ2rQVwrVrAbYuA0xfZHJSxjzJdDhzfN/s4032/IMG_0525.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbnh5x12fTSNkuee0mdvPCwf3KAepbTThmvgubtoxXcivOLDnpXhQa9YwwKHRYoBBOjI4iWkn92X_8JY-n7D89mnNSlKatGeVLZ0N2zV2AFPa8iXIX-P8O5S9iSkuEJRz-GfgkR8YzazpDEg5woSOtc7dilJ2rQVwrVrAbYuA0xfZHJSxjzJdDhzfN/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal grates to protect the vegetation<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vssnJc8hjwD5w_Jla5z6ajXsm_tMMdyn9T4HMw9JCZOL2V86kYhxh6pkjf510Ps2i0agbZpG0n8R391gPWiE53HLfzVHx90hJCZhPbETPDlxVSf_XxkmJ1NKb0SygarLIhk-tISzwXSZgWwLN_OnoAbBsx7arY6oQK4dbD97V04i6QIDmuDhJI2S/s4032/IMG_0529.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-vssnJc8hjwD5w_Jla5z6ajXsm_tMMdyn9T4HMw9JCZOL2V86kYhxh6pkjf510Ps2i0agbZpG0n8R391gPWiE53HLfzVHx90hJCZhPbETPDlxVSf_XxkmJ1NKb0SygarLIhk-tISzwXSZgWwLN_OnoAbBsx7arY6oQK4dbD97V04i6QIDmuDhJI2S/s320/IMG_0529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collins Beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatD2rYtk3ocSkLa9X9Z99XfCTS_164qV5qI-8v0kVFYmOxUFnLGU-gmUy95REJyTk8FbMFfGIO5oGJ-HROF7UTgaw6lWhq0418mxm8jDEOebYKM6Zj89C7AkoHNYa6XwG07oc-TYKWj9eTkhhJyvVeDybS1Lzoy8dhBZ7AnCr5SvfkhXV1HX8LVzt/s4032/IMG_0532.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjatD2rYtk3ocSkLa9X9Z99XfCTS_164qV5qI-8v0kVFYmOxUFnLGU-gmUy95REJyTk8FbMFfGIO5oGJ-HROF7UTgaw6lWhq0418mxm8jDEOebYKM6Zj89C7AkoHNYa6XwG07oc-TYKWj9eTkhhJyvVeDybS1Lzoy8dhBZ7AnCr5SvfkhXV1HX8LVzt/s320/IMG_0532.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Turkey<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RresUVY6Qr0byp3KpJocfdq-0LsKqB7TbdsKjSzQireKs4Dbdgr8ElM_N4Iz356wE0VdJwyzSNHVqU991J-8E3z2WbBk0dchxi1HCE9J-gi7kpPeI2soMBXKxac6XLvU6VmnYa708Fo5qznUp7SXTa25DZLRSSX__xybPKe-H-KkmTyzcqxTUSLm/s4032/IMG_0537.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RresUVY6Qr0byp3KpJocfdq-0LsKqB7TbdsKjSzQireKs4Dbdgr8ElM_N4Iz356wE0VdJwyzSNHVqU991J-8E3z2WbBk0dchxi1HCE9J-gi7kpPeI2soMBXKxac6XLvU6VmnYa708Fo5qznUp7SXTa25DZLRSSX__xybPKe-H-KkmTyzcqxTUSLm/s320/IMG_0537.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Fish/Calmari 'N Chips<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The next day's morning plan had us catching a ferry to Manly Beach. It was super windy and a great day for a hike. I covered about 5km of the Manly Scenic walkway, while Deb scouted out the shopping. We found another great beach side restaurant for lunch. Mandatory COVID tests were required under Australia's Cruise Ship Protocol, and were held at the hotel in the afternoon so we headed back for our tests.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOdX2Li3Ic6JmUbY5kZOm6lWfbqV50uTlDB2q4A_Rs4fVezs3bTYquBJktWFlUgxfmDrkgKCRR63Fo1RA5b4m2B1bvcBl5Dk8ue2hBH0VQ9wubbt9X7Ero7jW_MeMHQOFcwkrt6GDGjtNIaDSh6XV-s1jHQ4J9pldZF3S7csxHDS3ossg2xoIjJn9/s4032/IMG_0542.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdOdX2Li3Ic6JmUbY5kZOm6lWfbqV50uTlDB2q4A_Rs4fVezs3bTYquBJktWFlUgxfmDrkgKCRR63Fo1RA5b4m2B1bvcBl5Dk8ue2hBH0VQ9wubbt9X7Ero7jW_MeMHQOFcwkrt6GDGjtNIaDSh6XV-s1jHQ4J9pldZF3S7csxHDS3ossg2xoIjJn9/s320/IMG_0542.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to Sydney<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PjSPRsinDX06LaJUt4CpYBc1iKJ-gV95q84KPEPBVAyfHCvTd1pkhi4ViOWyTps1wi5EjLpXDoBHDDZuwSzXSkg5F-7sukHhrHt6BULMsRl76uG9brQIxB1lIRUpYa-tOWTBlSq3on1XggTBoUmzE7Vk6wbm7vM4_Y-hvmFuqNwgzaPCHKkwHBw6/s4032/IMG_0548.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PjSPRsinDX06LaJUt4CpYBc1iKJ-gV95q84KPEPBVAyfHCvTd1pkhi4ViOWyTps1wi5EjLpXDoBHDDZuwSzXSkg5F-7sukHhrHt6BULMsRl76uG9brQIxB1lIRUpYa-tOWTBlSq3on1XggTBoUmzE7Vk6wbm7vM4_Y-hvmFuqNwgzaPCHKkwHBw6/s320/IMG_0548.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert prior to show<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPQp6LxznTwe9uYNHcxrWwsy2XAEUhuTBSJpwllDGL3ePW_oLn8wpzjDLNf84zd6tg4URJ7AJS-Ks5vd5tEbd1osJ0ZlRKCaulFeoSBZU4Yz6fjBdiyGveG5NfGFfhAaiQS8EK72G9taBvr4xpy3vjZS-ZktLKx3QuWADbuNFLLYhheThEjSLV9qm/s4032/IMG_0549.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPQp6LxznTwe9uYNHcxrWwsy2XAEUhuTBSJpwllDGL3ePW_oLn8wpzjDLNf84zd6tg4URJ7AJS-Ks5vd5tEbd1osJ0ZlRKCaulFeoSBZU4Yz6fjBdiyGveG5NfGFfhAaiQS8EK72G9taBvr4xpy3vjZS-ZktLKx3QuWADbuNFLLYhheThEjSLV9qm/s320/IMG_0549.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shakespeare's The Tempest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We passed the Rapid COVID test and headed back to the Quay area for a Sydney Theatre performance of The Tempest. The dinner beforehand was outstanding, the play was a bit hard to follow, even though we read a synopsis beforehand. I think we were still adjusting to the Australian accent! Worn out from all the walking on our pre-tour, we got an Uber to take us back to the hotel! </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 1: Sydney Embark</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6lIN44ixKMI0qk_577-sNk4Z8yAkm8nLSX2lFWKTtcVrbSnzkZQcLMO1qeHRV0wGsy5d8cmjDu5BjJWxMPxDYqYu0XzEyHgdv3qTxowbiY3EESEL3QFIN4vlDE1hdrEnDsSVwLUjjB8cSZLoiBPd5SaG5n9OAFgohvXP-VFgfaG5H-VsyuYa3Y0a/s3088/IMG_0551.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6lIN44ixKMI0qk_577-sNk4Z8yAkm8nLSX2lFWKTtcVrbSnzkZQcLMO1qeHRV0wGsy5d8cmjDu5BjJWxMPxDYqYu0XzEyHgdv3qTxowbiY3EESEL3QFIN4vlDE1hdrEnDsSVwLUjjB8cSZLoiBPd5SaG5n9OAFgohvXP-VFgfaG5H-VsyuYa3Y0a/s320/IMG_0551.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge Christmas ornament<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After four days on foot, we were ready to get on the bikes! It was a very short route from the hotel to the cruise terminal in the Rocks area and followed roads we had already visited on foot. We rolled through Darling Harbor and through a huge Christmas display!</p><p>The route continued to Dawes Point and we found a coffee shop near the outstanding restaurant we visited before the Tempest performance. Wanting to let most of the riders get in front of us we stopped for coffee and a snack!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xMoy3m0H-l79H0O7qHLa0bj4s0XX0b9zWATj90S54yOkGsXrWk-5SftFgMTwj8U1jOBB6-yVu3dr4r8ha-woxfFkwsfiptScmAr-wcZmtO5KRmIjLJ2LEPIRuHeH2gbwG7c9v18WNzGSH7IW48qzitZVZqx3xxwiv-5BjClnfPAmX9zROtWlWpnz/s3088/IMG_0561.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xMoy3m0H-l79H0O7qHLa0bj4s0XX0b9zWATj90S54yOkGsXrWk-5SftFgMTwj8U1jOBB6-yVu3dr4r8ha-woxfFkwsfiptScmAr-wcZmtO5KRmIjLJ2LEPIRuHeH2gbwG7c9v18WNzGSH7IW48qzitZVZqx3xxwiv-5BjClnfPAmX9zROtWlWpnz/s320/IMG_0561.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Sydney Bridge Bike Path<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKItzzh4Ig8WidxJQqICImE-1_mHFJ-Pm42RxT29q1Q2LFaWyTuiAttJxZo6JWW2Qmj494JD21rqAS7Q36CB_uPODsHfbhWNgyl7QaGGVrosCqhJCHUd6vidPjrANzXv0fJ5N2mpNJPbG9LQ5JOEwdF7zoP4HP4fQ6enlH0XUppL55QC62oj9ve6U/s4032/IMG_0570.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKItzzh4Ig8WidxJQqICImE-1_mHFJ-Pm42RxT29q1Q2LFaWyTuiAttJxZo6JWW2Qmj494JD21rqAS7Q36CB_uPODsHfbhWNgyl7QaGGVrosCqhJCHUd6vidPjrANzXv0fJ5N2mpNJPbG9LQ5JOEwdF7zoP4HP4fQ6enlH0XUppL55QC62oj9ve6U/s320/IMG_0570.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn around point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">After our coffee stop the route featured an over and back on the Sydney Harbor bridge. This time, we were on the bike lane side of the bridge and we waved at the many Santana cyclists on the route.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhLVLmipC2YHHQlSx8BERa-xcndg7yir_CO4jqUPUVmJMM9ZLkAEYOZ-Nnd6Y5ckXSNMw7ced8M5ICMgM5sxwHVdey0PMq1JaJgje_gm276L_00NScReCkepxGDg3nUzeyDJ0iFSVvswxaMnRXqzbqLiyd9XV5GssF2NW47_z8KxF1zymB7S9cWcn/s4032/IMG_0577.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhLVLmipC2YHHQlSx8BERa-xcndg7yir_CO4jqUPUVmJMM9ZLkAEYOZ-Nnd6Y5ckXSNMw7ced8M5ICMgM5sxwHVdey0PMq1JaJgje_gm276L_00NScReCkepxGDg3nUzeyDJ0iFSVvswxaMnRXqzbqLiyd9XV5GssF2NW47_z8KxF1zymB7S9cWcn/s320/IMG_0577.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea time in the Rocks<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">To say we were riding slow would be an understatement! We covered the 9+ miles of the route at a blistering moving pace of 6.5 mph! We arrived at the Rocks and found a tea house and enjoyed tea and finger sandwiches for lunch.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1zVlbigsDqq1t5_zmxhwPo4AWa9gH7coKomwzkz4JgfYLLJ0Ob5PUU6_Gv7BrcTH4Z3c-QtdXWqYi6ro3MFU6XB3jokzuNdWSrLCBJ4vCzcdzp7mIMdFaSCSHzHdACZwPT1UrvsIKbSxbK-e34RZMufhTb-sP8E8Qd-aEBpSNNjTuVp1M3GRHv9g/s3088/IMG_0593.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir1zVlbigsDqq1t5_zmxhwPo4AWa9gH7coKomwzkz4JgfYLLJ0Ob5PUU6_Gv7BrcTH4Z3c-QtdXWqYi6ro3MFU6XB3jokzuNdWSrLCBJ4vCzcdzp7mIMdFaSCSHzHdACZwPT1UrvsIKbSxbK-e34RZMufhTb-sP8E8Qd-aEBpSNNjTuVp1M3GRHv9g/s320/IMG_0593.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our ship at the cruise terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">After lunch we rode along the Circular Quay to the east side to get a photo of our ship, the Windstar Star Breeze, then finally headed to the terminal to embark. <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoSAEGUxtiRtU3b2ZtFSYeH22LRCIliTSAbSOTrPd0N4s5cPDEUdZ-JyGFz3GcSP9-hJmDat9YA6uxsBWny6WngFeraDv8Rwa8AKrcE1aLMLeX6tgHyyxxTZktTV1Q-xgxXo3_Oijr1MtM2-n-S9IhBvMvPhYdvoZhGETFcTi_OGL9xKycBlP8rm5/s4032/IMG_0598.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoSAEGUxtiRtU3b2ZtFSYeH22LRCIliTSAbSOTrPd0N4s5cPDEUdZ-JyGFz3GcSP9-hJmDat9YA6uxsBWny6WngFeraDv8Rwa8AKrcE1aLMLeX6tgHyyxxTZktTV1Q-xgxXo3_Oijr1MtM2-n-S9IhBvMvPhYdvoZhGETFcTi_OGL9xKycBlP8rm5/s320/IMG_0598.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home for the next 12 days<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">To avoid the long embark lines we had experienced on previous Santana tours, our strategy was to take our
time and arrive at least 90 minutes after the embark started and just
before the all aboard time. With our slow pace combined with coffee and lunch stops of nearly a hour each, the plan worked to perfection. There were no embark lines in the terminal and we were on the Star Breeze literally in minutes!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7sDSpzyJmCqpBtSOPEGJ8vqKauV_LHXO1R6RVdc_4phRHsK8ParQa6ObuR5oT04vkbDvhoyM2B_oqktglIqgG6P6qmiSXNDzOTNSL6mKK9fg32_FQyi_C7Bsu0vipn_3TYgAJ6ZN-xpRDpcBOpp5iDdU783zgXba-M1K3Wyg3kfQqcnVVbcPzfk6/s4032/IMG_0603.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig7sDSpzyJmCqpBtSOPEGJ8vqKauV_LHXO1R6RVdc_4phRHsK8ParQa6ObuR5oT04vkbDvhoyM2B_oqktglIqgG6P6qmiSXNDzOTNSL6mKK9fg32_FQyi_C7Bsu0vipn_3TYgAJ6ZN-xpRDpcBOpp5iDdU783zgXba-M1K3Wyg3kfQqcnVVbcPzfk6/s320/IMG_0603.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Sydney<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVD1InywJZxfg72Xk8IIG8Bqn50WK0urqFyydSIEO8cwSKMEV0hax8uZ_VYlLCuMQiG9UtruorrC0aBy5VAia4O6dFC0ttcu4Nx-2DO17h-3TJMUftCiFNIxRGmpoP54fGDFShEeW7mkvobvvzecB_uEiWRYHWLegh1w0KxnYfaM4o4AJSvtZoIZ2k/s4032/IMG_0606.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVD1InywJZxfg72Xk8IIG8Bqn50WK0urqFyydSIEO8cwSKMEV0hax8uZ_VYlLCuMQiG9UtruorrC0aBy5VAia4O6dFC0ttcu4Nx-2DO17h-3TJMUftCiFNIxRGmpoP54fGDFShEeW7mkvobvvzecB_uEiWRYHWLegh1w0KxnYfaM4o4AJSvtZoIZ2k/s320/IMG_0606.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner at Candles<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">We unpacked and headed to the outdoor restaurant at the stern of the ship. We cruised the Baltic Sea on Windstar's sister ship the Star Legend. We were happy to see the restaurants on the Star Breeze were the same. Candles has outdoor tables and fantastic food, but it was so cold, most of the guests were inside. We ran back to the cabin and donned cold weather gear and had the outdoor section to ourselves. What a great way to start our journey!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 2: Eden<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhZ534FA7YsB7M9RbNLwQ_JHcDfv_tK6huh0yCCKXhZ4SRkyijHJafVbCHdtw346ZUcyx6u0wvWDpIq5dGBK1ZMTLP74DB6X1DStX7Pc5evbBf7abw1WKkdkhmqIho88EeYYSGNZHDzQH0T7egEVTVI_toftW87dI_l3KGZBvBWhhT3uct7ByM8l/s3088/IMG_0613.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzhZ534FA7YsB7M9RbNLwQ_JHcDfv_tK6huh0yCCKXhZ4SRkyijHJafVbCHdtw346ZUcyx6u0wvWDpIq5dGBK1ZMTLP74DB6X1DStX7Pc5evbBf7abw1WKkdkhmqIho88EeYYSGNZHDzQH0T7egEVTVI_toftW87dI_l3KGZBvBWhhT3uct7ByM8l/s320/IMG_0613.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning selfie in Eden<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">As was typical we sailed all night, and arrived in Eden at the very civilized hour of 9 am and after the morning 'route talk' we were on the bikes by 9:30. The Route talk is a daily ritual where Bill McCready, owner of Santana Adventures, outlines the days route options delivered in an entertaining Bill Belichick, grumpy lobster boat captain style. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUTGrU3R9Emp_6P_4dofbWXmD2As6zFcY6rbjc2ureMLE9hF__g9IC-QvpHW2c8UP_vhGfdQIh0Pdr2Oa9PQ8R-l9anvKDeyHkQCcRB3e8chdCJBnluCvQ4yMxUILb971-KVNOlTu8fi-cJPeiiB95b2W_-OvFTs_28uSS-jqjGfQ0LPDjKBNdZr_/s4032/IMG_0617.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilUTGrU3R9Emp_6P_4dofbWXmD2As6zFcY6rbjc2ureMLE9hF__g9IC-QvpHW2c8UP_vhGfdQIh0Pdr2Oa9PQ8R-l9anvKDeyHkQCcRB3e8chdCJBnluCvQ4yMxUILb971-KVNOlTu8fi-cJPeiiB95b2W_-OvFTs_28uSS-jqjGfQ0LPDjKBNdZr_/s320/IMG_0617.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First coffee stop and daily route map<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">The route options included a morning ride to Kiah and afternoon options to Merimbula. We selected the medium route to Merimbula to start our day and would make our first stop for coffee in Pambula. Before that we had to leave the harbor, and as a rude awakening to the fact that Australia is not flat, we were greeted with a 1/4 mile climb at 10-15% to leave the harbor! We stopped for breath about half-way up the climb and had a lovely chat with a local woman who was wondering where all the bicyclists had come from and why they were riding past her home!</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdZdhEU4vjMdlnnsAhRMqs08UgBoknZa4eM0Ii7paBNOO1Xp9wsjYMtGVdeRm8RzSVk5pkyHx-UBJHqdas_bnsW2oD0Gte3oizqJfYOYd4DBxv3FddjJLi7F1BAylwwPDbh92UxulXAoMg8a2am5SLjBbNo-pDeTtb7QLYOAbrFByGme8FwZvHnLn/s4032/IMG_0625.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdZdhEU4vjMdlnnsAhRMqs08UgBoknZa4eM0Ii7paBNOO1Xp9wsjYMtGVdeRm8RzSVk5pkyHx-UBJHqdas_bnsW2oD0Gte3oizqJfYOYd4DBxv3FddjJLi7F1BAylwwPDbh92UxulXAoMg8a2am5SLjBbNo-pDeTtb7QLYOAbrFByGme8FwZvHnLn/s320/IMG_0625.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path along highway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once we made it out of the harbor, the terrain was moderate to hilly with well over 2500 feet of climbing on the 36 mile loop!<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhPWAMn6DV-rYgIkvF3cMYaR6hUWOhHN60Xs6rORVbK9rH_FW6YTnowIhHqesd8D5HyBrESDINYgOqLQzvgIyzvy_WUfPT2y4LVg0lKjq-tCKjJi0Tc-NSm2fKG4AneH6VhkDbE3f9ngdyx1JCKRZTwugcWnl7o6OBsjXHBRqCPEOfI6w_2hn0iQv/s4032/IMG_0622.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhPWAMn6DV-rYgIkvF3cMYaR6hUWOhHN60Xs6rORVbK9rH_FW6YTnowIhHqesd8D5HyBrESDINYgOqLQzvgIyzvy_WUfPT2y4LVg0lKjq-tCKjJi0Tc-NSm2fKG4AneH6VhkDbE3f9ngdyx1JCKRZTwugcWnl7o6OBsjXHBRqCPEOfI6w_2hn0iQv/s320/IMG_0622.JPG" width="320" /> <br /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic stop in Merimbula near a Maccas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route continued along a highway with an adjacent bike path to the turn-around point in Merimbula. More of a land-mark than a destination, Merimbula was a small town on the coast with a large inlet with many oyster beds. We didn't stop at this Maccas (aka. McDonalds in Australia) but they have been around here since 1971! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-XOzV5Kpq6R6jmYooikhr7BsoKPVc8jZLNTqsTfD7Z8oJkPeVqvyR9Oq094n7VyRNJUzFOWJHuI37VI6gx0poHknQdhFVAFOYPcY1oLNzVYAHBZZ9SovGHgmeL_7HPocLGkzlxdAj82-7XGEwuiMaVN24ui_MX-5SHsMACSfaQ9g6Y-e4EJyz_8f/s4032/IMG_0626.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-XOzV5Kpq6R6jmYooikhr7BsoKPVc8jZLNTqsTfD7Z8oJkPeVqvyR9Oq094n7VyRNJUzFOWJHuI37VI6gx0poHknQdhFVAFOYPcY1oLNzVYAHBZZ9SovGHgmeL_7HPocLGkzlxdAj82-7XGEwuiMaVN24ui_MX-5SHsMACSfaQ9g6Y-e4EJyz_8f/s320/IMG_0626.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oyster sampler<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We did stop for a sampler of local oysters on the way back to Eden along as part of our tour. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIimEOBJ5r0DsA2tfVzd-cUtL3FEWAvhjy-yx-BmD3N94c3T2AfjHO9YdOzeJgSL7MRcvl0cZY-g3Az4O-U3lHvsV7qxH8I_kELVCR2zPIKlFHTkM1R85XlY_1Sd915UfQNfbuWCcwQseucWdp2QbY6nNKMAlrzjIYtKXeuqhTCOTIAwnwlypFuFJ/s4032/IMG_0632.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUIimEOBJ5r0DsA2tfVzd-cUtL3FEWAvhjy-yx-BmD3N94c3T2AfjHO9YdOzeJgSL7MRcvl0cZY-g3Az4O-U3lHvsV7qxH8I_kELVCR2zPIKlFHTkM1R85XlY_1Sd915UfQNfbuWCcwQseucWdp2QbY6nNKMAlrzjIYtKXeuqhTCOTIAwnwlypFuFJ/s320/IMG_0632.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biblical RV park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej3nMDH2ZfJ7_EAKyr-1Dv4oMhuTfhdK0j7k7x32Drj1DwuW3TqdiHPbjxACqJQ73EnUfGcqKeYxzzKZFRPF5uesoVY9P1m3J8u1sv2Zyc7DZPcoX3Xx3o1UP4Q8sLs1njzsZWCAmRNfU_OBlbPPVjf28iaC7LpsWt4SasV1yWmUP8glop0xxmAdB/s4032/IMG_0635.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhej3nMDH2ZfJ7_EAKyr-1Dv4oMhuTfhdK0j7k7x32Drj1DwuW3TqdiHPbjxACqJQ73EnUfGcqKeYxzzKZFRPF5uesoVY9P1m3J8u1sv2Zyc7DZPcoX3Xx3o1UP4Q8sLs1njzsZWCAmRNfU_OBlbPPVjf28iaC7LpsWt4SasV1yWmUP8glop0xxmAdB/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jake and Elwood<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Arriving back in Eden we noticed the Blues Brothers performing outside a tire shop. It was especially appropriate, since that was one of several movies I enjoyed on the 15 hour flight to Sydney! We decided to skip the whale museum so I could head out on the morning loop and Debby could return to the ship.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFTrczDAfv9sJVOpceL2Y8kqi8fu9UpO6DMfy-NLSCL89thHz6SCaSREJt1bk1n1qPADKzQN6EHHaeLipERTaDWL4Af2fm_ZXPKGd-I2OZiWSqLkSyu46U4LHQFJ4t5dQa789KYdai3CdZ7ngSGYXom2zZCd676fkYgqL8yXMoOVzgXt7iF0-HfWh/s4032/IMG_0645.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYFTrczDAfv9sJVOpceL2Y8kqi8fu9UpO6DMfy-NLSCL89thHz6SCaSREJt1bk1n1qPADKzQN6EHHaeLipERTaDWL4Af2fm_ZXPKGd-I2OZiWSqLkSyu46U4LHQFJ4t5dQa789KYdai3CdZ7ngSGYXom2zZCd676fkYgqL8yXMoOVzgXt7iF0-HfWh/s320/IMG_0645.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Afternoon/morning loop <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5Qq0nrfQbyFaVAZvro9JIivtS34V7v-t1ocsuXoVr_YlGmeKvSYXXiw5QqKoQx4okserfInP3xNKKjAEiGbjwM_5VWpDrpsV1ok1cYZQydxdQM6Q1f9-176Vor5Gto2eWQVe8MMasZ46Mb7KtPzsDgHo17aLf2AAhvQMnmV0uXspzGcBOrTIXQkr/s4032/IMG_0646.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5Qq0nrfQbyFaVAZvro9JIivtS34V7v-t1ocsuXoVr_YlGmeKvSYXXiw5QqKoQx4okserfInP3xNKKjAEiGbjwM_5VWpDrpsV1ok1cYZQydxdQM6Q1f9-176Vor5Gto2eWQVe8MMasZ46Mb7KtPzsDgHo17aLf2AAhvQMnmV0uXspzGcBOrTIXQkr/s320/IMG_0646.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light traffic, great road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmQ_Ux6sYNylTvg5Gfi3ht_n8hTkVRy4gCMinBKApUhps89M3skhiCS5V0ggjvKkXd95rNzjTGWOusNKVYgpxOyCfo_2OCGbvzDJ1Q-y7urbRc_95ur4xPV1j2JEg2WG2PfsSr70qC0DZ0v9JPdd79lBDgASxSfAchqD9qrhc76sLFdIVF6c9wpaf/s4032/IMG_0647.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRmQ_Ux6sYNylTvg5Gfi3ht_n8hTkVRy4gCMinBKApUhps89M3skhiCS5V0ggjvKkXd95rNzjTGWOusNKVYgpxOyCfo_2OCGbvzDJ1Q-y7urbRc_95ur4xPV1j2JEg2WG2PfsSr70qC0DZ0v9JPdd79lBDgASxSfAchqD9qrhc76sLFdIVF6c9wpaf/s320/IMG_0647.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turn around at Kiah<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniZH4adlMdfoCd3jkWkz1zMAdOQ-dM9a5amNua6eJnRsrpl9dDyNjk2XOBmDpc4ktzeJ7ektcyWo7uUV7i8qp9aDPdVy-lqCE0gupYCG4uSAWKX_x-W3_Llfo2zDx64VU7eSgjPAUPuZRjKb-TigzjF7YnSHwcTYvCPRD0rLHKCpfkeZHHWRZKy2a/s4032/IMG_0650.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhniZH4adlMdfoCd3jkWkz1zMAdOQ-dM9a5amNua6eJnRsrpl9dDyNjk2XOBmDpc4ktzeJ7ektcyWo7uUV7i8qp9aDPdVy-lqCE0gupYCG4uSAWKX_x-W3_Llfo2zDx64VU7eSgjPAUPuZRjKb-TigzjF7YnSHwcTYvCPRD0rLHKCpfkeZHHWRZKy2a/s320/IMG_0650.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildfire debris sculpture at Kiah<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The morning loop was very scenic following the Princes Highway (A1)
through very rural areas and the Nullica State Forest. Again the destination was merely a place to turn around. Since it was getting late in the afternoon, I picked up some snacks before heading back to Eden.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_ZaZplzaA83_b-wAyquHJgx9ZKYSFpowXp8zWm5B_dq0sc5ye15b6-77_QQkosGbP93RgbetnRVaPyedbgZngj7e8rTmAXXv4GNyXxDYZIoJGyRSlz18xSqxBeeaLz2MWaf4746_QFh3j3FS48EC2awkV-VNE8UWMjxB4D3eQMBSFTjYs4NJFtwj/s4032/IMG_0654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_ZaZplzaA83_b-wAyquHJgx9ZKYSFpowXp8zWm5B_dq0sc5ye15b6-77_QQkosGbP93RgbetnRVaPyedbgZngj7e8rTmAXXv4GNyXxDYZIoJGyRSlz18xSqxBeeaLz2MWaf4746_QFh3j3FS48EC2awkV-VNE8UWMjxB4D3eQMBSFTjYs4NJFtwj/s320/IMG_0654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towamba River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqRDLF7GZdxSd07X7qrgbsPmltxncOa64uv-9ifkb9NPGsO2hU4jW55mdTyqclFqFm0bS0HSJITOxXXwhkPs9FSDfe9yWbEIQSEu9r35-sHjrcy3vkiPQCpMy1eo3vMS8hk2WbuC8ulLr1eOIwclWeRzDDaXkQ-dmkMKh_j2PI5e0ffUqrgrq-sPK/s4032/IMG_0657.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifqRDLF7GZdxSd07X7qrgbsPmltxncOa64uv-9ifkb9NPGsO2hU4jW55mdTyqclFqFm0bS0HSJITOxXXwhkPs9FSDfe9yWbEIQSEu9r35-sHjrcy3vkiPQCpMy1eo3vMS8hk2WbuC8ulLr1eOIwclWeRzDDaXkQ-dmkMKh_j2PI5e0ffUqrgrq-sPK/s320/IMG_0657.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a hint of rain at the end of the ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_Xm90obfkvHcYaXjVjdQl3IiZERdlVDQC30orFvPojErtRo8xgGlVYTX1giva9AJIhsHlgosDgr2gUXGGI2WA-5XE2B9d2pNhmQgxPfl9k965uQOKZUCUvyYxGBsrbD3usOepO5daIe_9wvX9r9gc19XCbqOFpxj0iuxQX9xNHezRtrSkCeTTKj0/s4032/IMG_0658.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_Xm90obfkvHcYaXjVjdQl3IiZERdlVDQC30orFvPojErtRo8xgGlVYTX1giva9AJIhsHlgosDgr2gUXGGI2WA-5XE2B9d2pNhmQgxPfl9k965uQOKZUCUvyYxGBsrbD3usOepO5daIe_9wvX9r9gc19XCbqOFpxj0iuxQX9xNHezRtrSkCeTTKj0/s320/IMG_0658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Eden<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>All aboard was at 5:30 and I arrived back at the ship in plenty of time to clean up and enjoy the views as we sailed out of Eden and an enjoyable first day of touring rural Australia!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkm_3RN_KU_sF4M6CvpyOpl-c92lThKepuBL0imtq3oefPqgk4kMHBCgxe2s76rEZI5InlSkHLql9uspXI2X5epVOfWoU7kQ0u7gRB4pkBECQyJqANijPkFWgfCEGbTryiIxnp9-BJGyTigWPkwt4eMpotYfzFlhytRZkocE09qVs-stP9xWTitIV/s4032/IMG_0659.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkm_3RN_KU_sF4M6CvpyOpl-c92lThKepuBL0imtq3oefPqgk4kMHBCgxe2s76rEZI5InlSkHLql9uspXI2X5epVOfWoU7kQ0u7gRB4pkBECQyJqANijPkFWgfCEGbTryiIxnp9-BJGyTigWPkwt4eMpotYfzFlhytRZkocE09qVs-stP9xWTitIV/s320/IMG_0659.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great meal at the Star Grill onboard<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We capped off our day with a great meal at the Star Grill, another outdoor venue on the top deck of the ship!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 3: At Sea!</h4><p style="text-align: left;">Eden is about half-way between Sydney and our final destination in
Melbourne. Our tour includes 6 nights in Tasmania starting in the
southern town of Hobart, 502 nautical miles from Eden. At the cruising
speed of 12-15 knots, that takes a day and a half to get there. We were looking forward to spending the day around the pool and Jacuzzi! Well that didn't happen!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6gPznANrkPj-GMs3vwt98GxwKadUvXIdvGzcxeZ0UiBqwQUU_jA3RBDoM5xXyHPpKM-K9aC8gjMUqb_dOuRzTUhjtvKyrCmUKW7UONw3GPpWMB-xzpy1hkC3G99zRO10cdTE8KEK7OTSXPv1IUjCqG5sIFzOIeaEPwaQPqWR9hoxS-sy8Pjr6eR9/s3088/IMG_0661.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6gPznANrkPj-GMs3vwt98GxwKadUvXIdvGzcxeZ0UiBqwQUU_jA3RBDoM5xXyHPpKM-K9aC8gjMUqb_dOuRzTUhjtvKyrCmUKW7UONw3GPpWMB-xzpy1hkC3G99zRO10cdTE8KEK7OTSXPv1IUjCqG5sIFzOIeaEPwaQPqWR9hoxS-sy8Pjr6eR9/s320/IMG_0661.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prime Rib in Amphora dining room<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>To say
the seas were a bit rough would be an understatement! The plan was to
have a Thanksgiving feast served on the top deck, but with the wind,
rain, and heavy seas, we spent the day inside and enjoyed a prime rib dinner in the main Amphora
dining room instead.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkh4L3lCuKYgWqwzpH4spZls4Ax6ORIiHV4o7Qj2Xpm4QUIt-gQdEeUtK33tQM4ZuHHc9Q_n8vKqGkR4fGcx-lVEoUZEzNilECpiVHiRFigt0vdPCe5ou0kVfVxQ7zxjvK3v53IVp5rXfHb4Czyt-9qqmzo5ZH1QNI4QR_fGEkdLMKoesSMo-k2R8/s4032/IMG_0660.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkh4L3lCuKYgWqwzpH4spZls4Ax6ORIiHV4o7Qj2Xpm4QUIt-gQdEeUtK33tQM4ZuHHc9Q_n8vKqGkR4fGcx-lVEoUZEzNilECpiVHiRFigt0vdPCe5ou0kVfVxQ7zxjvK3v53IVp5rXfHb4Czyt-9qqmzo5ZH1QNI4QR_fGEkdLMKoesSMo-k2R8/s320/IMG_0660.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious local pilsner<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The ship acquires local food and drink along the route and they put aboard a selection of local brews. This was my favorite. Since many of the crew were not aware of this brand, I presented this photo from my phone to order 'the local blue beer' several times later during the journey!<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 4: Hobart</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNj0G8pRwr4suOAYNhZIUI-ppQTgopOwz94z24jqVOD-I9XZ6_eieQuOm2WAAeT9wxkP1H0N_3T3g91RrcWc-THtuhxMiBvsj7WNu7XK_wdOMbGgVRyLjc6B5ckCcMIcGH7fUO0MhwTnZ7YZg2r3_pEQRdMW7FaomoaFXH8puM1rkbY6ZuqBJ3nvaG/s3088/IMG_0666.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNj0G8pRwr4suOAYNhZIUI-ppQTgopOwz94z24jqVOD-I9XZ6_eieQuOm2WAAeT9wxkP1H0N_3T3g91RrcWc-THtuhxMiBvsj7WNu7XK_wdOMbGgVRyLjc6B5ckCcMIcGH7fUO0MhwTnZ7YZg2r3_pEQRdMW7FaomoaFXH8puM1rkbY6ZuqBJ3nvaG/s320/IMG_0666.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Tasmania<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had two nights in Hobart and our bikes were unloaded from the ship for the last time. For the remainder of the tour they would be transported by truck to each destination. Mainly this was due to the very strict environmental controls in Tasmania. Before they could be unloaded and inspected, they were washed by the crew to ensure no foreign biological material would be tracked in to Tasmania. When we we got the bikes, the first order of business was to lube the chains. They were covered in rust from the nearly two days exposed to rain and sea spray on the deck of the ship! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qOQd-7qkhfQsJ0qk_TsKn41OureB83eaY6PfNabr2r4CbFSLbH4N2SgMsNisu1CBr9YeYs4-ZPcYdSRtV4jJEoNP6pcRbP8nAECOf5KAjj2syKHwTzfAgqCNCyT4xzF9K-Tgu0SNOT4OwApWxRIzzWdng2LpKVaYPNJLKDImmFji8FPiljucnkEE/s4032/IMG_0669.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8qOQd-7qkhfQsJ0qk_TsKn41OureB83eaY6PfNabr2r4CbFSLbH4N2SgMsNisu1CBr9YeYs4-ZPcYdSRtV4jJEoNP6pcRbP8nAECOf5KAjj2syKHwTzfAgqCNCyT4xzF9K-Tgu0SNOT4OwApWxRIzzWdng2LpKVaYPNJLKDImmFji8FPiljucnkEE/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument in Hobart<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The morning loop took us to the town of Mona. We followed the shoreline
along a minor highway with bike paths and a dedicated rail trail for the
return to Hobart.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQGUps7nDck533aYRudxQl2fMLdQMs1sp8XhzTEZCCudF85Q1x-tVpZi4Pzbv-2t9vL2V-GGu-v4MXUmRDKzyGiosEPz8hPodl1FJQFMiul4GHya7dqLkAUsKqSKUkj81AQ4yf4MyCTDn3Cs_6o3VlCI48cSmp5JTsIt2aCqUp3u7oblt_pdNi10v/s4032/IMG_0679.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEQGUps7nDck533aYRudxQl2fMLdQMs1sp8XhzTEZCCudF85Q1x-tVpZi4Pzbv-2t9vL2V-GGu-v4MXUmRDKzyGiosEPz8hPodl1FJQFMiul4GHya7dqLkAUsKqSKUkj81AQ4yf4MyCTDn3Cs_6o3VlCI48cSmp5JTsIt2aCqUp3u7oblt_pdNi10v/s320/IMG_0679.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forbidden foot path <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Look carefully at the left post of this foot path, there is a 'no bikes' symbol. Our GPS route indicated that we follow the foot path. There was a very agitated Tasmanian gentlemen who referred to our group as a 'Yankee Invasion' because to his dismay many riders took the trail, even after he told them it was forbidden! We explained that our instructions had us following this trail, but we would be happy to take the alternative if he would be so kind to point it out. He finally did, and we took the alternative. We heard him yelling at the next group as we rode off!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EI_LVAsssnGtNimXnaDhJgp8DUX-RT4gHKdR76DpN8gXHoaenPdtSFc88AnXlGD8OkCazoAg6PPsIHBnj8XqqB-xldUkA6WwGw-PTckkw-QhaS9ifJ-sHCWISvyXnbD4jS0mv8u06jFt6MRv7EFQ7fEcpngeEgi3bLJokxJox8vfcKKZ5SKNH425/s4032/IMG_0690.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8EI_LVAsssnGtNimXnaDhJgp8DUX-RT4gHKdR76DpN8gXHoaenPdtSFc88AnXlGD8OkCazoAg6PPsIHBnj8XqqB-xldUkA6WwGw-PTckkw-QhaS9ifJ-sHCWISvyXnbD4jS0mv8u06jFt6MRv7EFQ7fEcpngeEgi3bLJokxJox8vfcKKZ5SKNH425/s320/IMG_0690.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thomas the Tank Engine?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>On the return to Hobart, the route followed a dedicated bike path along a rail line. This historical train museum had a turnstile and train barn that reminded us of the Thomas the Tank Engine videos our kids enjoyed years ago.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlagf4loWeuE6kvAHXDy-QQ8AZDLaqH-I4m0Pq8TAm_FVev-CM3VmS2S2zTeNtILqYfPctPDVgjdIavQnIwQrakW49-CAPwbE_yUK3hB3I4306xFvB-6ycDyxmn8VQ6fLS0-QKYEC2WApLxaRqMvHo4NqyOSJxrZ-OXE72MJOD7U5cAsQw3yy2YQH/s4032/IMG_0693.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlagf4loWeuE6kvAHXDy-QQ8AZDLaqH-I4m0Pq8TAm_FVev-CM3VmS2S2zTeNtILqYfPctPDVgjdIavQnIwQrakW49-CAPwbE_yUK3hB3I4306xFvB-6ycDyxmn8VQ6fLS0-QKYEC2WApLxaRqMvHo4NqyOSJxrZ-OXE72MJOD7U5cAsQw3yy2YQH/s320/IMG_0693.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shot Tower at Taroona</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shot_Tower,_Taroona" target="_blank">The Shot Tower at Taroona</a> was built in 1870 and stood for 4 years as the tallest structure in Australia. Today it is believed to be the tallest circular sandstone tower in <i>the world. </i>What is a shot tower? Lead is melted at the top, then dropped through a colander before falling nearly 200 feet into a pool of cool water. The molten lead forms perfect spheres on the way down. Shot was produced here until 1905, when it became a tea shop and tourist attraction! The tea shop was closed so we continued on to Kingston beach.<br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_jMlO2ginpOggOQ6y3v6eAaX_GktgzBp2fPKwO2GXznhUaZb0rSJwHXbpkNCpnPB8A-qKt5m3u_PTdQoZ0dJIf44i1xUBdtvjkpk0jCHfQ3S2K9GnfK9ZBqEOlJ9VsBwRxBiVzZHUQupq_xRDSpSTX9AETNa8Vqf8YEHgL89O9Q-8nwX-gKgbt0B/s4032/IMG_0701.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv_jMlO2ginpOggOQ6y3v6eAaX_GktgzBp2fPKwO2GXznhUaZb0rSJwHXbpkNCpnPB8A-qKt5m3u_PTdQoZ0dJIf44i1xUBdtvjkpk0jCHfQ3S2K9GnfK9ZBqEOlJ9VsBwRxBiVzZHUQupq_xRDSpSTX9AETNa8Vqf8YEHgL89O9Q-8nwX-gKgbt0B/s320/IMG_0701.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great fish 'n chips at Kingston Beach<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj2kddzL57Pfjslfin1m36Def7s_rk3mjRLfcx28UoG8sIlDqbVpf-TxsczPgklUahVkjica7j6VMFMqdZIYC_lydugFv1k1BWtE1iDqx0ckHwTD8c_8kDN3Y4v97D3HVB2Xw4N-CN-JlsXJx5zJHrpzVMrkMHuaMQTOqQzb2xLP0KJM-39_YNj90/s3088/IMG_0706.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSj2kddzL57Pfjslfin1m36Def7s_rk3mjRLfcx28UoG8sIlDqbVpf-TxsczPgklUahVkjica7j6VMFMqdZIYC_lydugFv1k1BWtE1iDqx0ckHwTD8c_8kDN3Y4v97D3HVB2Xw4N-CN-JlsXJx5zJHrpzVMrkMHuaMQTOqQzb2xLP0KJM-39_YNj90/s320/IMG_0706.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still in the mid fifties, temperature that is!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We found a great beach-side restaurant and sat down for a nice lunch. It was a steep descent into town, and I spotted an alternative route that would avoid much of the climb on the way out. It was on a dirt road, which may have been why it was not on the Santana route, and required a short walk to connect to the main road.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcRJBfQkTXopwP17BPc5__xhTT2laHib3AU8Hsl3Oxpd7ac1u_n2m7Ckt2qa1pfeXKqX6NEFYf3U0g9mttkVimrnN7ULQuzxS6Kiv6N925RSWjkfRxlKFGkOEl8ESB_qJlMq4QqKeiOzwMir6Vtw8j6MFHvHsjRaxH3aTNN5sdU-WYBht3FKYjMem/s3088/IMG_0709.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcRJBfQkTXopwP17BPc5__xhTT2laHib3AU8Hsl3Oxpd7ac1u_n2m7Ckt2qa1pfeXKqX6NEFYf3U0g9mttkVimrnN7ULQuzxS6Kiv6N925RSWjkfRxlKFGkOEl8ESB_qJlMq4QqKeiOzwMir6Vtw8j6MFHvHsjRaxH3aTNN5sdU-WYBht3FKYjMem/s320/IMG_0709.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravel off route option <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Debby was game to get dirty and the alternative worked great! Soon we were back in Hobart and Debby was ready to call it a day.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHwkTziPTMAalq_hQIEgDyQEUOjOXXdsDof-UQZSGoyem1FUry8yP9-KmKzdvSIG0ZVa6TOX2YIqM_6_xZA4c35DEuNvamRSVXInArZnVNtrRUfoosk91noLkSRZEGYiQR3rsoWHZi_xHcKBThaXqRZz2JNcCRWJatryR3zvgAF3sf8Mxn1o4iclU/s4032/IMG_0714.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHwkTziPTMAalq_hQIEgDyQEUOjOXXdsDof-UQZSGoyem1FUry8yP9-KmKzdvSIG0ZVa6TOX2YIqM_6_xZA4c35DEuNvamRSVXInArZnVNtrRUfoosk91noLkSRZEGYiQR3rsoWHZi_xHcKBThaXqRZz2JNcCRWJatryR3zvgAF3sf8Mxn1o4iclU/s320/IMG_0714.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stream on Mt. Wellington<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I decided to head back out on the 'Commando,' a local cycling loop out of Hobart that we used to get to Kingston. I planned to backtrack the Commando to the summit road and do the climb to the summit of Mt. Wellington.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDs1wLffbI_cMKG2Pm_Gt1bHJgPMIjU5Mkpygs4JU3xfAi4qShbiuhH3qiVMhnCT3pgYsj2ta4JgoRkyS5fFTugCMovpzFotZPPeD4FzLbtb2KNIaj179nt1gncwc28tAUBWMNW_3aj0yBRUgrcuxUDGrlCMmFLxPHsbanG0L6-WOOkTOJUEqY7gZ/s4032/IMG_0718.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDs1wLffbI_cMKG2Pm_Gt1bHJgPMIjU5Mkpygs4JU3xfAi4qShbiuhH3qiVMhnCT3pgYsj2ta4JgoRkyS5fFTugCMovpzFotZPPeD4FzLbtb2KNIaj179nt1gncwc28tAUBWMNW_3aj0yBRUgrcuxUDGrlCMmFLxPHsbanG0L6-WOOkTOJUEqY7gZ/s320/IMG_0718.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route map to the summit<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was 5 miles of climbing from Hobart to reach the turnoff for the summit road. From there it was another 7 miles at an average grade of 7.7% on a paved road with handy kilometer markings to mark progress and stay motivated!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5XASeLx1fQCFrTFcWyid1YI341mjzKMXsX0y40l6RZV_7mOEPciTwV58j8WPGjMYOpYN4kh3NlrChE5N8fKUpKIDZLupOTGdZ4qLd2CwttNkDaFYcUpfzQlgSKskZptwcTNzdyjiYpFqgi6Qs_0v-u-PKOuYKapLGGTZef_bZjfh1C9dfh5zM-b2/s4032/IMG_0719.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR5XASeLx1fQCFrTFcWyid1YI341mjzKMXsX0y40l6RZV_7mOEPciTwV58j8WPGjMYOpYN4kh3NlrChE5N8fKUpKIDZLupOTGdZ4qLd2CwttNkDaFYcUpfzQlgSKskZptwcTNzdyjiYpFqgi6Qs_0v-u-PKOuYKapLGGTZef_bZjfh1C9dfh5zM-b2/s320/IMG_0719.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handy progress markers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nybOlvnChUKxi119U0tuudG8BiW8eYFtbR77lhpbiAypUkTYQ3WidjysQ6A0Kj-IKTpWkS4zmTM9YUfgxT4ijHBPTQuqNYYsHE0rPthcFsRfwnjXk39wtKwMi1O3UxwGIx2cbzP0NL_VcJwZ8J3ch5uDpFCTbrKr_IptGcV-X1S-BoVbz-8sDy0q/s4032/IMG_0722.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nybOlvnChUKxi119U0tuudG8BiW8eYFtbR77lhpbiAypUkTYQ3WidjysQ6A0Kj-IKTpWkS4zmTM9YUfgxT4ijHBPTQuqNYYsHE0rPthcFsRfwnjXk39wtKwMi1O3UxwGIx2cbzP0NL_VcJwZ8J3ch5uDpFCTbrKr_IptGcV-X1S-BoVbz-8sDy0q/s320/IMG_0722.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes it was cold at the summit!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The temperature dropped, as advertised here, 15 degrees from Hobart and bottomed out at 41 degrees at the summit. On the way up it was quite comfortable and the jacket came off.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM2pWboZDhmbuukf1fpboQ9vziH3IG7B8KSPZPn5m4c1eCyn3Xblc73YoMqEfqlzlcqRvvuCuKLtmvmC4SjXcgEkoG5rBOT7jEy5CCz30u-_2KtcCSkz-8m0a2f6nMjJ3wPxl6aZbeFFZaihrQ3E2DyxoDT8HhFXS0CZUennuESHYbczwHS_QnWWG/s4032/IMG_0726.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBM2pWboZDhmbuukf1fpboQ9vziH3IG7B8KSPZPn5m4c1eCyn3Xblc73YoMqEfqlzlcqRvvuCuKLtmvmC4SjXcgEkoG5rBOT7jEy5CCz30u-_2KtcCSkz-8m0a2f6nMjJ3wPxl6aZbeFFZaihrQ3E2DyxoDT8HhFXS0CZUennuESHYbczwHS_QnWWG/s320/IMG_0726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alpine stream near the summit<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVP5a_uDb042al7hSt2mPJV2M283yuCTwAaWEe3N24P0Hy0YBV0a3pBHOuHMySjR95L4buHHWXJjBE_-552n1o2LY8zr1QVo1x1ogqpGw0u6zG__9Op2eGhSwoTc0tmL7B5Z7vYxQjv0cTwYN3i9y5kGoJ49lBF5WxDw00Gla4R4QJVSCgflrg9v0/s4032/IMG_0755.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwVP5a_uDb042al7hSt2mPJV2M283yuCTwAaWEe3N24P0Hy0YBV0a3pBHOuHMySjR95L4buHHWXJjBE_-552n1o2LY8zr1QVo1x1ogqpGw0u6zG__9Op2eGhSwoTc0tmL7B5Z7vYxQjv0cTwYN3i9y5kGoJ49lBF5WxDw00Gla4R4QJVSCgflrg9v0/s320/IMG_0755.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit trail<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwMOeLB16aWWfmbKpqgDBBSgLHeLb22aMiXrxOTQu3wZ4JM97mboIC-Cj7ZfFNltvfUnyahLry1FUiFRlH_CH3sugxb0yEjv8AinA8cU7EiKNvVMqmXqgc-2hzzuoxoWI8JMMue2tPd052Dru7cm445-ciWxojHDOmhdMlWRWyvGL9hFmBKNxImT9/s4032/IMG_0745.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQwMOeLB16aWWfmbKpqgDBBSgLHeLb22aMiXrxOTQu3wZ4JM97mboIC-Cj7ZfFNltvfUnyahLry1FUiFRlH_CH3sugxb0yEjv8AinA8cU7EiKNvVMqmXqgc-2hzzuoxoWI8JMMue2tPd052Dru7cm445-ciWxojHDOmhdMlWRWyvGL9hFmBKNxImT9/s320/IMG_0745.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paved trail to the summit!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Once reaching the summit, and the clouds, the jacket was back on, and with the windchill on the descent, it was more than a bit chilly!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis85ZOJXE7_RSgGm_BtJIZ2O9ckjzeDv6OCuY2WP0PuJJ7y05SDmZgGLUcc4C-1crn_Y8KZ2Bd39_Vd5yuesfdjrUTAbkjen0x6q7LyXtWvRpnIhfeWKzcwx-JKzaPp_emhXsAyRlxa56b4MjUX0eY6oxg0u88Lptigjx2ylwVkYWVWkXwASlX-JKS/s4032/IMG_0727.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis85ZOJXE7_RSgGm_BtJIZ2O9ckjzeDv6OCuY2WP0PuJJ7y05SDmZgGLUcc4C-1crn_Y8KZ2Bd39_Vd5yuesfdjrUTAbkjen0x6q7LyXtWvRpnIhfeWKzcwx-JKzaPp_emhXsAyRlxa56b4MjUX0eY6oxg0u88Lptigjx2ylwVkYWVWkXwASlX-JKS/s320/IMG_0727.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hobart harbor from Mt. Wellington<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I stopped to take this shot of Hobart, near the summit, but just under the clouds, before bombing down the hill to get back to the 'warm' air at the bottom. Rolling back to the ship, it was good to put this full day (66 miles and 6600 feet of climbing) in the books!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 5: Hobart/Cygnet Bruny Island<br /></h4><p></p><p>Today's route starts in Cygnet and finishes at Adventure Bay on Bruny Island. Its a point-to-point route, but its a bus ride that drives much of the Day 4 route to get to this beautiful area outside of Hobart. There is a short and long option on offer, so I start in Cygnet on the long route and plan to try and catch Debby on the short route before she reaches Adventure Bay.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmTq13MZeJ_lziEfw1E2oF3QEjNaTd7kmEizsCsBQBUGjKu3Lt18w5qkth7TN04mLw-UcbUsxZFU4JhLxNB22OsuPKEaDcNF1IrvexAk2-tVUDrSwOPLrS-tDNzj323x9b9wptaUf8v6hCMYwO3K72_tEh7HSohH4l0CgMXUoCAyxW937xV42WLvW/s4032/IMG_0784.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpmTq13MZeJ_lziEfw1E2oF3QEjNaTd7kmEizsCsBQBUGjKu3Lt18w5qkth7TN04mLw-UcbUsxZFU4JhLxNB22OsuPKEaDcNF1IrvexAk2-tVUDrSwOPLrS-tDNzj323x9b9wptaUf8v6hCMYwO3K72_tEh7HSohH4l0CgMXUoCAyxW937xV42WLvW/s320/IMG_0784.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lot's of sheep in these parts!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>First order of business on arriving in Cygnet is to find a power meter battery for my bike. I find a hardware store and buy the last 2032 battery they have in stock!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64hEIM9SaW8b8nDkjdSmprX4Nu14ymCb22TGFYB4KmQc6rzbjGrHQ2vBkacuPdouX-LAi5_NO0yREA7YELktMHYXkpzhs7hgRdeB0F7WMzpODH7ejPqnZsOqLc16EQOcIgyQJmgz6SmKBIAL_uq9ERI42mEnSUWiJk5xURm4EtwgY9YxcVpxdAeWp/s4032/IMG_0759.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64hEIM9SaW8b8nDkjdSmprX4Nu14ymCb22TGFYB4KmQc6rzbjGrHQ2vBkacuPdouX-LAi5_NO0yREA7YELktMHYXkpzhs7hgRdeB0F7WMzpODH7ejPqnZsOqLc16EQOcIgyQJmgz6SmKBIAL_uq9ERI42mEnSUWiJk5xURm4EtwgY9YxcVpxdAeWp/s320/IMG_0759.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastic views<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yhnbDYUHKAlrPI0m8NsrkUayxRnYtxtSEI0lxqpRY0gcSnsbH50q5JTWr_C_DvwqTc5H1Rk7VBL7LZSSqDobcWsBp_58yWtFHq-ecTaGa8WqIEMyz3IP7mHklbD5VWcabuJ9C1YWGCluL0q4KTsw0NE8fpiE22w4YkxgNIZQJ6ue_dBceBBZ-eIu/s4032/IMG_0769.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yhnbDYUHKAlrPI0m8NsrkUayxRnYtxtSEI0lxqpRY0gcSnsbH50q5JTWr_C_DvwqTc5H1Rk7VBL7LZSSqDobcWsBp_58yWtFHq-ecTaGa8WqIEMyz3IP7mHklbD5VWcabuJ9C1YWGCluL0q4KTsw0NE8fpiE22w4YkxgNIZQJ6ue_dBceBBZ-eIu/s320/IMG_0769.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect roads<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zWI0KJysnerpqrT0TuPq2i9sYBheZipwTYJb3eBLREyzlpsRqTJ1qF3XN4iYKXY2k-3rqu_Nq76GCJkExNgpADl0j0ljlbAPD7P9dVaaq9b411vh8opjUoeHmBX-IJIp5S1NkiTogHj5TmpVzAeeO8h_3z-4dZ1JY10Lknv2yBDWZ-YPE9_TSZUm/s4032/IMG_0776.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0zWI0KJysnerpqrT0TuPq2i9sYBheZipwTYJb3eBLREyzlpsRqTJ1qF3XN4iYKXY2k-3rqu_Nq76GCJkExNgpADl0j0ljlbAPD7P9dVaaq9b411vh8opjUoeHmBX-IJIp5S1NkiTogHj5TmpVzAeeO8h_3z-4dZ1JY10Lknv2yBDWZ-YPE9_TSZUm/s320/IMG_0776.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards</td></tr></tbody></table>Back on the road, I dial it up and start the pursuit through lovely vineyards, farms and pastures.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslhjqhzg9PuVymb-ZkjFZWn0-7kpE4FfiOCFmw1RSttQJckDIpUSeZNVuRZXXYLgbvbdAjMbPaKEwoKbRoppqMTuxTZx7FDf7F52BlQS_dqrAKWKa3897r190H7i3DMlnMHJqfipCz30HuXoQj2N5isZDMqIutmueOUC5QHRlAsG0lsceMdbp0QPI/s3088/IMG_0778.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhslhjqhzg9PuVymb-ZkjFZWn0-7kpE4FfiOCFmw1RSttQJckDIpUSeZNVuRZXXYLgbvbdAjMbPaKEwoKbRoppqMTuxTZx7FDf7F52BlQS_dqrAKWKa3897r190H7i3DMlnMHJqfipCz30HuXoQj2N5isZDMqIutmueOUC5QHRlAsG0lsceMdbp0QPI/s320/IMG_0778.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry to Bruny Island<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Debby had a long wait to get on the ferry, and I was lucky to basically just ride straight onto this one.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdbf68XVq5_HS9myDm_TFk5uXrHmMjXVsQrXwLYcEATs54_94t9RmD4jCLNg4lIq3vpM-iwSRsm-m7NPlAkjZjYNLOcWXlH2uhBU83mzLo-GSkRCM-IHqjUkejnnji9WpM-yfP6gFGTIG7AES9f_pUSKBzzdkVu5eCxU33ux05YOpTs7ylJPjKKNx/s4032/IMG_0792.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdbf68XVq5_HS9myDm_TFk5uXrHmMjXVsQrXwLYcEATs54_94t9RmD4jCLNg4lIq3vpM-iwSRsm-m7NPlAkjZjYNLOcWXlH2uhBU83mzLo-GSkRCM-IHqjUkejnnji9WpM-yfP6gFGTIG7AES9f_pUSKBzzdkVu5eCxU33ux05YOpTs7ylJPjKKNx/s320/IMG_0792.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach near Great Bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There was a beach near a bar/restaurant stop in Great Bay. I misread a text from Deb and thought she was waiting for me there. In fact, she was up the road nearing the turn-off to Adventure bay!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk7I5H9z2MfHB0b8-unMDoayL9ErfxP0BSNvIa_oOq46iRNJWYR4wX2ufkTtC07GcLjFiZKiMA1znv_i8EpGcGD23P2r8JpFqgZyIcvoJ3T6XEjgMSNMmFIlI88kFr0VWy5t-1PgefEsrJYOKTW7pircx82rN_vTF-yrmiOJEulT9dPE9cCndyh5D/s4032/IMG_0795.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVk7I5H9z2MfHB0b8-unMDoayL9ErfxP0BSNvIa_oOq46iRNJWYR4wX2ufkTtC07GcLjFiZKiMA1znv_i8EpGcGD23P2r8JpFqgZyIcvoJ3T6XEjgMSNMmFIlI88kFr0VWy5t-1PgefEsrJYOKTW7pircx82rN_vTF-yrmiOJEulT9dPE9cCndyh5D/s320/IMG_0795.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only a few miles behind Debby<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After wandering around the bar looking for her, I realized my mistake and got back to the chase.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRso3OykMLW4-7zNuTah-HJpoNvLTXR94fx7s7dxJZSkTs9FA4PCfokq6MWHhK4oEDp6Gz5Fxq94JzD74AvEw6YS4jwYMKBzu6jxegfvZGOj1LLnrhgTZa_3fc3DJR7WYbNoe8u9e2D-qv8pIWRrX5yF7kGX8jT8U0JxBFUXvVt_cBYVOeLPB8oVu1/s4032/IMG_0799.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRso3OykMLW4-7zNuTah-HJpoNvLTXR94fx7s7dxJZSkTs9FA4PCfokq6MWHhK4oEDp6Gz5Fxq94JzD74AvEw6YS4jwYMKBzu6jxegfvZGOj1LLnrhgTZa_3fc3DJR7WYbNoe8u9e2D-qv8pIWRrX5yF7kGX8jT8U0JxBFUXvVt_cBYVOeLPB8oVu1/s320/IMG_0799.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I caught Debby here, just before we reached Adventure Bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With my self-inflicted delay I barely caught Debby before we reached Adventure Bay. The buses were parked just outside of town. We were eager to get back and took one of the first buses to the ship.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWBSmXf8ahUk9k-z4ha5ZITH2YoJe0oVAx6udgCz-CPUL9pEy25WltlnDu91QwzeuV-eMoPFYyF-1NvmB5Xr3-5J2DTKsy4UkWOUkuKrkBatrMNBA7QCS2582zd3z7Xd4_0goVBLtniqgpq0F-frJ5PrV1m1ipxdYrLsxw5s3S_k77arxYXCKpLe/s4032/IMG_0800.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtWBSmXf8ahUk9k-z4ha5ZITH2YoJe0oVAx6udgCz-CPUL9pEy25WltlnDu91QwzeuV-eMoPFYyF-1NvmB5Xr3-5J2DTKsy4UkWOUkuKrkBatrMNBA7QCS2582zd3z7Xd4_0goVBLtniqgpq0F-frJ5PrV1m1ipxdYrLsxw5s3S_k77arxYXCKpLe/s320/IMG_0800.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monument at the bus stop!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 6: Port Arthur</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLIFMJOctX3Dn9KAviB7OC1tIDk2zPgC9ka45mmH2OC0Q4XejR54exYw6D8G80YNnsqXuyH3pPGdcbOv4CgpWUnb6PRQBU83GAlpO1lNRI-SkMiu0-ErxTjUx_u83Qrt3VZIVrrpWm0JfoHCbNC6W3hNC6IpGNI7faV0te_e3ZWh7-rvClxk4_cni/s3088/IMG_0808.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLIFMJOctX3Dn9KAviB7OC1tIDk2zPgC9ka45mmH2OC0Q4XejR54exYw6D8G80YNnsqXuyH3pPGdcbOv4CgpWUnb6PRQBU83GAlpO1lNRI-SkMiu0-ErxTjUx_u83Qrt3VZIVrrpWm0JfoHCbNC6W3hNC6IpGNI7faV0te_e3ZWh7-rvClxk4_cni/s320/IMG_0808.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First tender ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Port Arthur is not big enough for our ship to dock, so we rode tender boats to shore. Our bikes were located just up the hill (they arrived overnight via truck) and soon we were on our way. We decided to take a short spur to the Tasman National Park overlook to start the day.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAy33etJGu3lOcUyn3pLCGaxM6qJxmK9OdpL3xaNx42-6St5t9-6uCHY0DtWo25O-ekmkj9BKErpH6KzC4l6lqHynGJZAnCeT8jMYIJZ4OwZFCGTrXtNsElg2Etj_eRP32ZuBLEeH76KYRtLhU8ZWzw-QeP1ciRCE6xxuCU9pQnR5zl8CYMjJt_9G/s4032/IMG_0810.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAy33etJGu3lOcUyn3pLCGaxM6qJxmK9OdpL3xaNx42-6St5t9-6uCHY0DtWo25O-ekmkj9BKErpH6KzC4l6lqHynGJZAnCeT8jMYIJZ4OwZFCGTrXtNsElg2Etj_eRP32ZuBLEeH76KYRtLhU8ZWzw-QeP1ciRCE6xxuCU9pQnR5zl8CYMjJt_9G/s320/IMG_0810.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port Arthur ruins<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlMMaWc9vJIc34DIhlMXHOnmEjdFCPjinYCQpbjcny2-RMPqGS17qyM3JqXSM5LvLVUC8YGkg6O-seHd861JnapUceZlCGuyNW_Uu4tK-ztBmSgQanwIS0z6tekf80jFMr1L8wDbG7-ozGNy31OOOi_QwkivwCinaBS9S9k7ceLoTKuifQn1um7wc/s4032/IMG_0817.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrlMMaWc9vJIc34DIhlMXHOnmEjdFCPjinYCQpbjcny2-RMPqGS17qyM3JqXSM5LvLVUC8YGkg6O-seHd861JnapUceZlCGuyNW_Uu4tK-ztBmSgQanwIS0z6tekf80jFMr1L8wDbG7-ozGNy31OOOi_QwkivwCinaBS9S9k7ceLoTKuifQn1um7wc/s320/IMG_0817.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Breeze in the bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwTNIaRkHcD_l__DWWiEH6kX5iHvM8jVe6yEyx9OLI33AyK8dFqc4ylUfRNxCeWS04exIoORy6hcJYU7zcwPIqgToVuSCDFL40Vh6dsgKS8QRawO7dhNY8omKqikYXyB8IfmqGPimD8giIBtF25wadhW3Lq7OiFYdkccjoZFFmJu9nTsCZU-wOrcx/s3088/IMG_0821.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvwTNIaRkHcD_l__DWWiEH6kX5iHvM8jVe6yEyx9OLI33AyK8dFqc4ylUfRNxCeWS04exIoORy6hcJYU7zcwPIqgToVuSCDFL40Vh6dsgKS8QRawO7dhNY8omKqikYXyB8IfmqGPimD8giIBtF25wadhW3Lq7OiFYdkccjoZFFmJu9nTsCZU-wOrcx/s320/IMG_0821.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning selfie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzR0WFFA_whKvwsJgp6ysLCDjP8DqjKzVaWj_jNHAjVnHuv-AR7Ri7V60t5NwodtZeUZgbiP6vW5lA66JsK2IiUIzCiC7xU1gt6wz7muoWJxbppYPtDHB7nJSnh-_cC8QHogtbUoS6dFRTrKcRK0aDm6iZjyIJ_96jRphgu7aiM4vpICwZS8ZZjUo/s4032/IMG_0822.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzR0WFFA_whKvwsJgp6ysLCDjP8DqjKzVaWj_jNHAjVnHuv-AR7Ri7V60t5NwodtZeUZgbiP6vW5lA66JsK2IiUIzCiC7xU1gt6wz7muoWJxbppYPtDHB7nJSnh-_cC8QHogtbUoS6dFRTrKcRK0aDm6iZjyIJ_96jRphgu7aiM4vpICwZS8ZZjUo/s320/IMG_0822.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a short ride to the Tasman park overlook. From there a stairway leads to a cave where the surf comes in. Debby said, you have fun with that!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EPRiDKYcO9k" width="320" youtube-src-id="EPRiDKYcO9k"></iframe></div>Ok, it was a bit more impressive in person, and well worth the 15 minutes down and back!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhourem1vMkNDToTdJtmHk_31DXa-HU9WRdNqCvkS4a84efHxlo-REs3_3ncZ1fuff4ncz_Qj6RK-iT-ZUEgLMMi2hProjZhEVyv-zSAjmwsJPu_eoIap-Acp8XhmYNhf5m37gF-rQhNOpvWXVLO37KZ08wChnY7AQjZy5lfQeiQS5pyf0Cls3UqIPG/s4032/IMG_0853.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhourem1vMkNDToTdJtmHk_31DXa-HU9WRdNqCvkS4a84efHxlo-REs3_3ncZ1fuff4ncz_Qj6RK-iT-ZUEgLMMi2hProjZhEVyv-zSAjmwsJPu_eoIap-Acp8XhmYNhf5m37gF-rQhNOpvWXVLO37KZ08wChnY7AQjZy5lfQeiQS5pyf0Cls3UqIPG/s320/IMG_0853.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the overlook<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIScS_BV5sT0V3Kajh2UHXfNObiIQUpnt4unGc1KFutdy92j-ZNIltdfi_rf7FOg0uhHj8Qu6Nu7JEmc_zy8990tV4yFOJuko2ScymJCjJE55HLTngPmHTEfdL-DYyl2Txtoc7RcHXZEmHkRl_B5hWuvgrpe6QysQKPgmx7dTeLxRgZN_sVyfL9Qfv/s4032/IMG_0857.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIScS_BV5sT0V3Kajh2UHXfNObiIQUpnt4unGc1KFutdy92j-ZNIltdfi_rf7FOg0uhHj8Qu6Nu7JEmc_zy8990tV4yFOJuko2ScymJCjJE55HLTngPmHTEfdL-DYyl2Txtoc7RcHXZEmHkRl_B5hWuvgrpe6QysQKPgmx7dTeLxRgZN_sVyfL9Qfv/s320/IMG_0857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely hillside on the climb out of Port Arthur<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>By taking a later tender (we didn't want to wait in line on the ship) and taking the first route option we were at the back of the herd and didn't see many other riders for most of the day.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5YMEt2JeSC9p2IvyWAOvI_T06f987N08imY5j89R9coSV-J2RL2VYnLqwW2zk_UO8YNFrJuHkrUR4OwdlvKQbM5EDKdSN9b_2L2fAVNfEWelQfogHSB2NFgPZYoo3zNkhp6rO92l5Cc4HShI9dFmO06WKv7gpIEgWcrB-X5i-_vlobCMSrVLXjS8/s4032/IMG_0858.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK5YMEt2JeSC9p2IvyWAOvI_T06f987N08imY5j89R9coSV-J2RL2VYnLqwW2zk_UO8YNFrJuHkrUR4OwdlvKQbM5EDKdSN9b_2L2fAVNfEWelQfogHSB2NFgPZYoo3zNkhp6rO92l5Cc4HShI9dFmO06WKv7gpIEgWcrB-X5i-_vlobCMSrVLXjS8/s320/IMG_0858.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nubeena Hardware Store<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We arrived hungry in Nubeena, but both restaurants in town were closed (Sunday). Luckily this hardware store had chips and snacks to take the edge off. The clerk was curious about all the cyclists in town and we told her about our group. We mentioned we were starving and she recommended we stop at a restaurant just outside Taranna near the Unzoo, which was our next stop.</p><p>The motorist was also curious about our group and we visited with him before heading off in search of lunch!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm788Tyla5NpfhrUbzKkHB-QSAymHc-cttJGqvpvFX2FEyL2lGDSWKOvpjfMgUIqh6qoGsRReA9queWE-W6ev6ScOitZSoKuKZ2ul1hVHAIdpX_JV8IDLqsybn1-Tu0bYzXXuuOPjLHtvowD0Emfm_zcQwg96Kn7LNiQsqTgagPIGfU-1PR0XmlKkj/s4032/IMG_0860.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm788Tyla5NpfhrUbzKkHB-QSAymHc-cttJGqvpvFX2FEyL2lGDSWKOvpjfMgUIqh6qoGsRReA9queWE-W6ev6ScOitZSoKuKZ2ul1hVHAIdpX_JV8IDLqsybn1-Tu0bYzXXuuOPjLHtvowD0Emfm_zcQwg96Kn7LNiQsqTgagPIGfU-1PR0XmlKkj/s320/IMG_0860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before the horizontal rains came!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We stopped here to put on the rain gear, you can see the rain in the background, it hit us a few minutes later with wind so strong it was raining sideways! We sheltered by these hay bales and luckily the heavy rain passed quickly. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwUdrtteShbvCBSN33ITl0sYcyUTtF8g4UfLNA9JXEjeSjqnU-sdjMhBySUArOi96LJMWpxtQXerfwxuAntJhGF-XnVNZQT9Tx0O383cqOnoXL6YrLlz6xpiaqMiNId4lV084Wp4pVroWp8Zsv8glEaoBmX6rc0Lg4jYC7bAQMDa54Iet5IcSiwL6/s4032/IMG_0868.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVwUdrtteShbvCBSN33ITl0sYcyUTtF8g4UfLNA9JXEjeSjqnU-sdjMhBySUArOi96LJMWpxtQXerfwxuAntJhGF-XnVNZQT9Tx0O383cqOnoXL6YrLlz6xpiaqMiNId4lV084Wp4pVroWp8Zsv8glEaoBmX6rc0Lg4jYC7bAQMDa54Iet5IcSiwL6/s320/IMG_0868.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet road on the way to the Unzoo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The rain moderated and we stopped by the side of the road to take off a layer. A Santana staff member said we were the last on the road, but had plenty time to make the Unzoo, so we pressed on.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kmllnEUJdnI16sy8M4YAGUUKqh_8sYnAHCNlTS0zLdbD7rFD0AkdLTpkpRspYMp_5ZkpHUtwyJnvVHRzgT7ZMoeyRmGr-T0OPM-bacnsiKrW0-wyxLQw_aJ1XQKNPbayf15whRdieVf04uqG_ddLxWg2jKFhf560yqFDe5LNVbYS7XGXZqVzJ6g4/s4032/IMG_0870.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kmllnEUJdnI16sy8M4YAGUUKqh_8sYnAHCNlTS0zLdbD7rFD0AkdLTpkpRspYMp_5ZkpHUtwyJnvVHRzgT7ZMoeyRmGr-T0OPM-bacnsiKrW0-wyxLQw_aJ1XQKNPbayf15whRdieVf04uqG_ddLxWg2jKFhf560yqFDe5LNVbYS7XGXZqVzJ6g4/s320/IMG_0870.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally a restaurant open on Sunday!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Rosedale Homestead included a motel, RV park, a small wildlife exhibit and a great restaurant. Another great fish and chips for me, and Debby ordered what would be the best hamburger of the trip! We were both happy we stopped at that hardware store in Nubeena and got this recommendation.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFo7xfI_6sZUm9002BPnLexQdVevWF9tkB_BUpfQGtRJTW1BCfi00UU3txl-gEsH_CmUqL4MpyqZP-Hbcr48wZcKcKzRnVKyLMnloaf0tNagKbPipcjeld3-rqvsj_xpe7rxAZpv_SecS47efmYF0rlE9Uqf89Ak5Q5BGMHZOGiie-vXFwIB15uIn/s4032/IMG_0898.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFo7xfI_6sZUm9002BPnLexQdVevWF9tkB_BUpfQGtRJTW1BCfi00UU3txl-gEsH_CmUqL4MpyqZP-Hbcr48wZcKcKzRnVKyLMnloaf0tNagKbPipcjeld3-rqvsj_xpe7rxAZpv_SecS47efmYF0rlE9Uqf89Ak5Q5BGMHZOGiie-vXFwIB15uIn/s320/IMG_0898.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding a kangaroo<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUJvQRKCGWMa8TtlHVzbDhdTHHD3VJJ5Rt1gtJEbvPFC7UlaHt3USCpc2WS328cPjWjBBbKIkF4GCYLtxXam4h4J4Zn9hL8pVwHahkcpD8DttFmTjWSDcRu4tkF3NiOMDrYiMOS8LOywoEa2GkYkNRGkSZMdt27EBCrqXm4TFencjV9rfoQv5FWc1/s4032/IMG_0905.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJUJvQRKCGWMa8TtlHVzbDhdTHHD3VJJ5Rt1gtJEbvPFC7UlaHt3USCpc2WS328cPjWjBBbKIkF4GCYLtxXam4h4J4Zn9hL8pVwHahkcpD8DttFmTjWSDcRu4tkF3NiOMDrYiMOS8LOywoEa2GkYkNRGkSZMdt27EBCrqXm4TFencjV9rfoQv5FWc1/s320/IMG_0905.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too cute!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2WPQdrevIzN-q4T1P6j2hu26awXCdoKmT86FNbLSg8GTSSmrSi5ecxiQUj1c1coiNb-idS1-sLlB7AJV5MR86ZFvlVrcX9UJUXdQBEcNnQJem7C_2S9gSrJWv4nbJmGJTG0OXAXJbcoTXJ6sCgKzqVfFBIXGzr11fcoANlDV6JIiRouZ1jY9ATZd/s4032/IMG_0881.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK2WPQdrevIzN-q4T1P6j2hu26awXCdoKmT86FNbLSg8GTSSmrSi5ecxiQUj1c1coiNb-idS1-sLlB7AJV5MR86ZFvlVrcX9UJUXdQBEcNnQJem7C_2S9gSrJWv4nbJmGJTG0OXAXJbcoTXJ6sCgKzqVfFBIXGzr11fcoANlDV6JIiRouZ1jY9ATZd/s320/IMG_0881.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmanian Devil<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After a great lunch we rode a few hundred meters to the Unzoo. It featured several cage-less exhibits where you entered a fenced area and mingled with the wildlife. Debby fed a kangaroo or two and we stopped by the Tasmanian Devil exhibit. No mingling here, it was traditional zoo format, but we were able to get quite close to these interesting beasts. Apparently the Devils are endangered by a specific <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26711993/" target="_blank">transmissible form of cancer</a> that is reducing their numbers. <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf8zit5C1Qvz6piyUUtJtu5Db--greFbRYrsI9M-yY4wHxQGmbLI7MBNZmNcGZWSsC7o7-JWwq6jpqqXFMR1hdD-LlzXfDGObwiPFGo_oncDa8yzcKD7hvLUs64YU7IJGj0jdotWWBZzsxUP3DzJu6OTYqQFOeMLLc_5a8-nm-M5Jv19O9aUI3JE1/s3088/IMG_0923.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWf8zit5C1Qvz6piyUUtJtu5Db--greFbRYrsI9M-yY4wHxQGmbLI7MBNZmNcGZWSsC7o7-JWwq6jpqqXFMR1hdD-LlzXfDGObwiPFGo_oncDa8yzcKD7hvLUs64YU7IJGj0jdotWWBZzsxUP3DzJu6OTYqQFOeMLLc_5a8-nm-M5Jv19O9aUI3JE1/s320/IMG_0923.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling in the rain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With the rain starting to pick up, we decided to get back to the ship and skipped the scheduled feeding of the Devil. We checked our bikes with the truck drivers and headed to the tender to return to the ship.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgLaCRE0Er3RUnvDXnpHnXJsDUeVlLKO91v-eorXBJQyXTpITHuqj4zeVf9-R4TIM4HUVKJeVjg8DTuyKOXdy0l_Y1aOqNDDIRki1h6zCsCBoyiQAz33qzYOQLmdmRFAmKLcz-ONJn8NLtrnqjAdHRStR15HMXXRSZc1RpQVMeiwtaS-YMwz18BCw/s4032/IMG_0929.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgLaCRE0Er3RUnvDXnpHnXJsDUeVlLKO91v-eorXBJQyXTpITHuqj4zeVf9-R4TIM4HUVKJeVjg8DTuyKOXdy0l_Y1aOqNDDIRki1h6zCsCBoyiQAz33qzYOQLmdmRFAmKLcz-ONJn8NLtrnqjAdHRStR15HMXXRSZc1RpQVMeiwtaS-YMwz18BCw/s320/IMG_0929.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back via the tender<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev9_O1sudNZxvFteGlXItj4sQngia6pJDV5VaW7OszkDSHAd6rz9fubXwypmmxZipn7IkUqLGLRgxPpALZzNNqZSMkq-I3z4Q2fU-oPlc0OgJN2Qh1vbfFAPl-HkgZSqsMAd3judGxSfJ5Kd2_Z41K-W_NRAMY7BktfO_0messZg1A5BEpz7F2Nk2/s4032/IMG_0936.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiev9_O1sudNZxvFteGlXItj4sQngia6pJDV5VaW7OszkDSHAd6rz9fubXwypmmxZipn7IkUqLGLRgxPpALZzNNqZSMkq-I3z4Q2fU-oPlc0OgJN2Qh1vbfFAPl-HkgZSqsMAd3judGxSfJ5Kd2_Z41K-W_NRAMY7BktfO_0messZg1A5BEpz7F2Nk2/s320/IMG_0936.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing out of Port Arthur<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Of course as we sailed out of Port Arthur, the sky cleared and we enjoyed a lovely evening as we sailed to our next Tasmanian destination.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"> Day 7: Coles Bay <br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSAUvNq6tfRsK221mI9uMNcDgsiHSQozT-7n_ljA2R4VyLSgOjFC7Tw6U4KHS6qEhBkoR4BPPwdYyyWteAFkK-uh8Ue7gWnehb0LndIFw9UL7xKPgO1A0nJyuS6Aa68m1-lYOybX6CyJWJvN7lZGI9cB1ENzr1PKasnvwqfLprs8khVBE9KUz9eeq/s4032/IMG_0937.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSAUvNq6tfRsK221mI9uMNcDgsiHSQozT-7n_ljA2R4VyLSgOjFC7Tw6U4KHS6qEhBkoR4BPPwdYyyWteAFkK-uh8Ue7gWnehb0LndIFw9UL7xKPgO1A0nJyuS6Aa68m1-lYOybX6CyJWJvN7lZGI9cB1ENzr1PKasnvwqfLprs8khVBE9KUz9eeq/s320/IMG_0937.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fortifications from the Pondering Frog Cafe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After several riding days in a row, Debby was considering taking a rest day. I was able to book her a massage at the spa during my morning coffee run (plenty of appointments were available during the day) and that sealed the plan for the day. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyTTSIIGxb3GvtdyhdpsM_tzoGHPfc0B3bwMqCByHIjpJgjnj_yi2ngVWag4HDcERIeJG5xjXj38DDyJCmhMATAK6Lmvetfzw1UDgXNDYs6QFPw0HmwWBiRsEXHwgQ50Ixv80RrXhPa7KtQgDHIXvah9Gt0Aac1FT22KJQwU0l1qDsSefzH0JqBZu/s4032/IMG_0939.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpyTTSIIGxb3GvtdyhdpsM_tzoGHPfc0B3bwMqCByHIjpJgjnj_yi2ngVWag4HDcERIeJG5xjXj38DDyJCmhMATAK6Lmvetfzw1UDgXNDYs6QFPw0HmwWBiRsEXHwgQ50Ixv80RrXhPa7KtQgDHIXvah9Gt0Aac1FT22KJQwU0l1qDsSefzH0JqBZu/s320/IMG_0939.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open roads near Coles Bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPPfFq9KnUFrScUr2A9xGSb8bcgqp8mr-PAYZFD7CcRVgryi9TVnXUjeJ_n8NrJVk6TRLWTSUCJU4S3KCl5fVIP6q8EKkXdo2AjeP_ua-KGrVSnHEJJl10Ia5mEjvpUIw7QYz-qG-Ja3bj68G1IXIFWyqFACDpftWGk7MqILi1q-XEyE9ASGWqDL9/s4032/IMG_0955.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBPPfFq9KnUFrScUr2A9xGSb8bcgqp8mr-PAYZFD7CcRVgryi9TVnXUjeJ_n8NrJVk6TRLWTSUCJU4S3KCl5fVIP6q8EKkXdo2AjeP_ua-KGrVSnHEJJl10Ia5mEjvpUIw7QYz-qG-Ja3bj68G1IXIFWyqFACDpftWGk7MqILi1q-XEyE9ASGWqDL9/s320/IMG_0955.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit of Cherry Tree Hill<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>My plan was to do a mash-up of the days routes to get a 100km (about 63 miles) ride in and catch the last tender by 3:15. Again, I took a later tender from the ship to the marina in Coles bay. I picked up a sandwich headed out toward the Cherry Hill Climb. The area was quite arid and reminded me of central Arizona until reaching the summit of Cherry Hill. The decent entered a lush valley with beautiful farms and vineyards.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKgrTUMPOqVOpytM1vxMPr8QB0H5T6Of-UCde-qZVXhuAb3Au5ohM2m1geasTlGc0zanr-vaHvucjyYCFe0xsPg4Mopi1HspaBfWwhU6vcQab2vstSYNGc5X4MPfBUXkeeC5SVtlqufjqVQGNIJ2iECgmxsVKwvyYR5oJjdiPWwsXDobw4Y6Sta1q/s4032/IMG_0956.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKgrTUMPOqVOpytM1vxMPr8QB0H5T6Of-UCde-qZVXhuAb3Au5ohM2m1geasTlGc0zanr-vaHvucjyYCFe0xsPg4Mopi1HspaBfWwhU6vcQab2vstSYNGc5X4MPfBUXkeeC5SVtlqufjqVQGNIJ2iECgmxsVKwvyYR5oJjdiPWwsXDobw4Y6Sta1q/s320/IMG_0956.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lush vineyards, farms and pastures<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZfXZKLZWyL8tvh6PVW34hTiDMFVpto7yMLxeXN8NMHh4fqZpeCDVsiE7b1iLkgeTD8W0h6DCXcs-VGLfMJCcakELgcGXST5W-PWKq5nhGbA2hfXeLhVIf43LTag0auVPvljWVMFEafGlEBDzGHtID9Cpu26HAmqzVUzObRVOvJmPBe_Ri9_C4kND/s4032/IMG_0963.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZfXZKLZWyL8tvh6PVW34hTiDMFVpto7yMLxeXN8NMHh4fqZpeCDVsiE7b1iLkgeTD8W0h6DCXcs-VGLfMJCcakELgcGXST5W-PWKq5nhGbA2hfXeLhVIf43LTag0auVPvljWVMFEafGlEBDzGHtID9Cpu26HAmqzVUzObRVOvJmPBe_Ri9_C4kND/s320/IMG_0963.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards and historic cars<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjcv7gZ4zlRAeYKowj0rJLaTuSOfcqP4hh93poNIx7j5fUCvupK9ttzTo7tvGN74LCwSsBVLyvyrIdqgCWFFTaWzyD80QJZHsU2MkdonKiXmGh8kMN_nK57sHERapSOA0cGe5mrOfdcHJoet9Ko_49gs5rApScIggrtl0CGDjCPiM8lVmPZRkMEGw/s4032/IMG_0965.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjcv7gZ4zlRAeYKowj0rJLaTuSOfcqP4hh93poNIx7j5fUCvupK9ttzTo7tvGN74LCwSsBVLyvyrIdqgCWFFTaWzyD80QJZHsU2MkdonKiXmGh8kMN_nK57sHERapSOA0cGe5mrOfdcHJoet9Ko_49gs5rApScIggrtl0CGDjCPiM8lVmPZRkMEGw/s320/IMG_0965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winery <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCjzPTTvTd3A8MPttwS3HHj5XjN4Qrjqao42iAEHBzO-RvV7iCu-7Xb7hrbXMtLKCCe9g1CynNOYsDkaG4ExARz8XWogatfUdAIO-QQ_skJ-LjgNK0PR0lfMwPzjuwQqFRmyY9318HL6ZAfXxiirsJZpRjxkZt088LmF78fDrW-l_t54QYUqDlEiG/s4032/IMG_0967.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyCjzPTTvTd3A8MPttwS3HHj5XjN4Qrjqao42iAEHBzO-RvV7iCu-7Xb7hrbXMtLKCCe9g1CynNOYsDkaG4ExARz8XWogatfUdAIO-QQ_skJ-LjgNK0PR0lfMwPzjuwQqFRmyY9318HL6ZAfXxiirsJZpRjxkZt088LmF78fDrW-l_t54QYUqDlEiG/s320/IMG_0967.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey you've got to get going!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Wandering about and taking a bunch of photos, I realized that if I was to make it to Bicheno and return to Cole's Bay, I needed to get moving! So heads down with a nice tailwind I powered past the Pondering Frog Cafe and onto Bicheno.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGwrWho6P9y8mEhk61DJiFMuwy_qStO3wl2r1ROLzve3RJq7gH4POjqLHhM4rKPvM-WyaAjB4EmAzM5aYUTiegtFKCHEhN-v4P2yZhAGtdpmhkpqmEq2ZpjW5eC8CC2gCI9t4YoQD5ivxJW10HuyvQHgNj56gGI2_YrQwi1roYdVlVH3pK5J53dc-/s4032/IMG_0975.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpGwrWho6P9y8mEhk61DJiFMuwy_qStO3wl2r1ROLzve3RJq7gH4POjqLHhM4rKPvM-WyaAjB4EmAzM5aYUTiegtFKCHEhN-v4P2yZhAGtdpmhkpqmEq2ZpjW5eC8CC2gCI9t4YoQD5ivxJW10HuyvQHgNj56gGI2_YrQwi1roYdVlVH3pK5J53dc-/s320/IMG_0975.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just outside Bicheno<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFirxE3S6kZjhxkoH3o9184hwE1blj4T3mmMI6m3QqYyez_wY1y2dC2nMRRbxL5QaI2Z3oozi0oypd9X2oOyhLh2EYAB5AIv3AgsOdcj5_ozyMwYKjBrCb0Vd_5ewZ7pb-Wd5JrtRf51yUsTM5wsiPMNy-ft-prrGlpLEhwNYlmQYiGSN9ak0Rkis/s4032/IMG_0977.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOFirxE3S6kZjhxkoH3o9184hwE1blj4T3mmMI6m3QqYyez_wY1y2dC2nMRRbxL5QaI2Z3oozi0oypd9X2oOyhLh2EYAB5AIv3AgsOdcj5_ozyMwYKjBrCb0Vd_5ewZ7pb-Wd5JrtRf51yUsTM5wsiPMNy-ft-prrGlpLEhwNYlmQYiGSN9ak0Rkis/s320/IMG_0977.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bicheno city park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I rolled into Bicheno and found a shady table in the park. I had purchased a sandwich and coke at the beginning of the ride and was able to enjoy a relaxed lunch. There was a penguin exhibit nearby, but I decided to head back.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnx52zXyasuau7toZGw1RqNwqLmM9LGhdA1cQHOjQFCLJoI2Pk1bduA0mZaPCdkBfQz88QxQF8Re0YAgk_0OqMMkKcmWpNvYpRJ_V9H19jPrKM1GY4hP2vb_0cKNy56D8asZMK-2_-RpKxcBMiRLnI__94HH0hNBCS2e7eUn_uVAqg6oZmCGpJ8mW/s4032/IMG_0980.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLnx52zXyasuau7toZGw1RqNwqLmM9LGhdA1cQHOjQFCLJoI2Pk1bduA0mZaPCdkBfQz88QxQF8Re0YAgk_0OqMMkKcmWpNvYpRJ_V9H19jPrKM1GY4hP2vb_0cKNy56D8asZMK-2_-RpKxcBMiRLnI__94HH0hNBCS2e7eUn_uVAqg6oZmCGpJ8mW/s320/IMG_0980.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My view of the day!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Just before stopping for an ice cream at the Coles Bay marina I took a photo of my cockpit with GPS and trademark Santana Adventures analog map! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoftwf-5wMzxspg87qrExT9prvR2dYrwgme7wF0PnLdRlwR1Lku5IiZo9pbdFJsDcyVC14-qlmIB5HH7Kj8Zyun-Ui3dENPubTa40adydGxNIDLvD1w5IwttDHe8g-1q0sR4l_x64sOCqpG7eM25G8JIBpixGlcuqA_fH-i9KyWWd0r7jXV5lnW0pn/s4032/IMG_0991.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoftwf-5wMzxspg87qrExT9prvR2dYrwgme7wF0PnLdRlwR1Lku5IiZo9pbdFJsDcyVC14-qlmIB5HH7Kj8Zyun-Ui3dENPubTa40adydGxNIDLvD1w5IwttDHe8g-1q0sR4l_x64sOCqpG7eM25G8JIBpixGlcuqA_fH-i9KyWWd0r7jXV5lnW0pn/s320/IMG_0991.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Terrain similar to Prescott AZ, without the ocean of course!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnCuhW65i0OTsEQZbv0CNsRLr6thqYAQIxwMamhPR3CCO7s0gCYCO9_6VSKLH-apgfRYjVl2X3lfKuQG_C8EAUXy408DC13DurvgVgsc1DwqFMPFCicdUl17WoR5I_CIKzSylIvq37DX7_ZAQQm6cAFJTS1QbSK-ds8i-k4Z_CxrArAYnhAJcHS-5/s4032/IMG_0995.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvnCuhW65i0OTsEQZbv0CNsRLr6thqYAQIxwMamhPR3CCO7s0gCYCO9_6VSKLH-apgfRYjVl2X3lfKuQG_C8EAUXy408DC13DurvgVgsc1DwqFMPFCicdUl17WoR5I_CIKzSylIvq37DX7_ZAQQm6cAFJTS1QbSK-ds8i-k4Z_CxrArAYnhAJcHS-5/s320/IMG_0995.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue beer and a hot dog? Yes please!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I made it
back to the ship on the second to last tender of the day about 3 pm. After a quick clean-up we headed to the Grill for a late lunch to prepare for the afternoon tour of Wine Glass Bay. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIWlj8nVmTZDnPCdW79EpQArViIpg-my2YoPb5FpKgoce18x5ERFADJl9bCHSCVT8wji56MUlMyCNDt2xtKHeYushnrzcqYqD_qUcPmg2PiRov3j0MaTBvy-1AjsogQcxJj2QI9avfZLSNDM5aRtmNmZmHxugPPfvoLxKMUWQ6PqRI3KI1BFWIHf4/s4032/IMG_1002.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIWlj8nVmTZDnPCdW79EpQArViIpg-my2YoPb5FpKgoce18x5ERFADJl9bCHSCVT8wji56MUlMyCNDt2xtKHeYushnrzcqYqD_qUcPmg2PiRov3j0MaTBvy-1AjsogQcxJj2QI9avfZLSNDM5aRtmNmZmHxugPPfvoLxKMUWQ6PqRI3KI1BFWIHf4/s320/IMG_1002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The narrows to enter the bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BZqgXGDDMdVoi_-Do7nCLZUiu8JeH4wFuKskv4XqHtKWQl5lCMSoGbeVA87qkbUmD-l1Au4WTtVHvlnZhd86oJwNNcYDlPTrAGWItXr-W0Itim-qe6UsXhK5xWeV8rHkb2gU9p5Tn6WZqZMg_D9lTWOaX1SjOs6h62PN18oQJ3UVidiWac_vwnPk/s4032/IMG_1001.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BZqgXGDDMdVoi_-Do7nCLZUiu8JeH4wFuKskv4XqHtKWQl5lCMSoGbeVA87qkbUmD-l1Au4WTtVHvlnZhd86oJwNNcYDlPTrAGWItXr-W0Itim-qe6UsXhK5xWeV8rHkb2gU9p5Tn6WZqZMg_D9lTWOaX1SjOs6h62PN18oQJ3UVidiWac_vwnPk/s320/IMG_1001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Wine Glass Bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Only one small cruise ship is allowed to tour Wine Glass Bay per day, and ours had permission. We passed through the narrows to enter the bay and had a great idea. Why not watch the tour from the comfort of the forward hot tub on Deck 5. We ran to our cabin, suited up, and spent the next 45 minutes or so in the hot tub while the ship toured the bay! It was quite cold and no one else braved it so we had it to ourselves and a wonderful end to another great day!<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 8: Beauty Point/Launceston</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hQbLTKM51HaWrcc1xrMaAim0uE4mkoVv-XIrO14yfPHrMndfKdu8SH9s9Af78W0XIV7657gCORdpCI7vR18Cwd6RMcpKZCgC_3Tml6AiGS7NsPt26rJ_UY_lcdVS-dKQl4FQXcIZ4GUpSwnTB6okIbcis3APOBb0YwKiAT5ZPidVKajCBcEXo8An/s4032/IMG_1007.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8hQbLTKM51HaWrcc1xrMaAim0uE4mkoVv-XIrO14yfPHrMndfKdu8SH9s9Af78W0XIV7657gCORdpCI7vR18Cwd6RMcpKZCgC_3Tml6AiGS7NsPt26rJ_UY_lcdVS-dKQl4FQXcIZ4GUpSwnTB6okIbcis3APOBb0YwKiAT5ZPidVKajCBcEXo8An/s320/IMG_1007.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering Beauty Point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived at Beauty Point around 11 and took a later tender to shore. While the surrounding hillsides and riverscapes are certainly beautiful, according our guidebook, 'the name of the town drives the winsomeness of the of the bovine variety: a now immortalized bullock called the Beauty.' We were both ready for an easy recovery day of riding, so we planned to take the short ride to Beaconsfield, tour a gold mine museum then return via Launceston for an easy 21 miles of riding. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg381Feibr1svNngg_0lNxhj1JoRmZFl1_iB31kXOqgZehkkn2I0jpCpbob0SHKAnS6083ooJov2NQKuB0RNBKjt-RstroSQ3wAta00WdA_qbW9tds-1G5wfiNwajf_f_okTL0JDsyJXXsnMbm30qKZlXr55Q04bCmD6ALNvHwayPMWu6GDeIr8scll/s4032/IMG_1008.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg381Feibr1svNngg_0lNxhj1JoRmZFl1_iB31kXOqgZehkkn2I0jpCpbob0SHKAnS6083ooJov2NQKuB0RNBKjt-RstroSQ3wAta00WdA_qbW9tds-1G5wfiNwajf_f_okTL0JDsyJXXsnMbm30qKZlXr55Q04bCmD6ALNvHwayPMWu6GDeIr8scll/s320/IMG_1008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63ciktyN_DpNqy59rniBnPvgHnffI7ObfXY8zpbJ-xWbTGrlTbLrC_RDcYiD6cuDilq7TgWC9SnBdrUKRUVxNVJDdjUBWf3_bDMaHgGKR_QahDooFDjBeOB_3mvwQKd5ZiXRsLgO1BXflcOjYnESraDNf6TzOTDisV1ZlTAbJBXUgXOdVz_khV0H_/s4032/IMG_1011.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63ciktyN_DpNqy59rniBnPvgHnffI7ObfXY8zpbJ-xWbTGrlTbLrC_RDcYiD6cuDilq7TgWC9SnBdrUKRUVxNVJDdjUBWf3_bDMaHgGKR_QahDooFDjBeOB_3mvwQKd5ZiXRsLgO1BXflcOjYnESraDNf6TzOTDisV1ZlTAbJBXUgXOdVz_khV0H_/s320/IMG_1011.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A herd of Beauty's!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;">We set out hoping to spot the famous variety of bovine and were rewarded for our efforts a few miles outside of Beaconsville!</div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW-5zLcXjsZMST1ffSkP0AvedFjEH750rgALbFvDu5ceUz_Rnk_aSpK35Qj9mIlEnHwlHxemx4Z9kDrXBEoH6e-qNAlvII26S2JVs8sBLUVbvviA1AzZYMPHPK2EVErw0nL5yDKVjM-yFASymXXzhXRkbw4yYRlv39EvHAbFhuGizqy4pjBPOmlDZ/s4032/IMG_1012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxW-5zLcXjsZMST1ffSkP0AvedFjEH750rgALbFvDu5ceUz_Rnk_aSpK35Qj9mIlEnHwlHxemx4Z9kDrXBEoH6e-qNAlvII26S2JVs8sBLUVbvviA1AzZYMPHPK2EVErw0nL5yDKVjM-yFASymXXzhXRkbw4yYRlv39EvHAbFhuGizqy4pjBPOmlDZ/s320/IMG_1012.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaconsville</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-af_CgaAbKTcyeU0aGAbqC7ry-pQjh8fKC6S8uuTmR-W7ijSb92_z6n1Vksg_G-1jR08ZkWu2t5ab2TmXsra9My-u_CuHiw-jGvxAk0p-VyT2rF-X3pcQFhzFa0SP6u62zfG2QR7rkS-Mvm2bwwpoYDNzoeh_GTM2Kxfs3azXOkMGB7y1-eJJ_H6E/s4032/IMG_1016.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-af_CgaAbKTcyeU0aGAbqC7ry-pQjh8fKC6S8uuTmR-W7ijSb92_z6n1Vksg_G-1jR08ZkWu2t5ab2TmXsra9My-u_CuHiw-jGvxAk0p-VyT2rF-X3pcQFhzFa0SP6u62zfG2QR7rkS-Mvm2bwwpoYDNzoeh_GTM2Kxfs3azXOkMGB7y1-eJJ_H6E/s320/IMG_1016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold mine Museum<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In <a href="After touring the museum (" target="_blank">2006 there was a mine collapse</a> where one miner was killed and two others spent two weeks awaiting rescue more that a kilometer below the surface. The museum was interesting and we headed back into town for a light snack. There was a lovely bakery with hot meat pies, wonderful pastries, and coffee. Only 6 miles into the ride, we decided to make it a true rest day and skip the rest of the route and head back to the ship for a wonderful 11 mile recovery day!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 9: Burnie/Penguin<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpnQ9pfzR9pmJPNlltosicGQ5xvewMzb0PcQN5EBW_g4MPgtMkfbE0U8rVcPUFw3zBPQTZZWIHKVY4oJBa8Pmldb7m5oSmZAXQsjSrhqhuDEYHVoyt9s9yzz7-cAMWaQ5Plzir_LEAEa6zQo4nU0Gq1WUKdF9wGkzqWAa_mXixilj_igzjwF47RTr/s4032/IMG_1020.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOpnQ9pfzR9pmJPNlltosicGQ5xvewMzb0PcQN5EBW_g4MPgtMkfbE0U8rVcPUFw3zBPQTZZWIHKVY4oJBa8Pmldb7m5oSmZAXQsjSrhqhuDEYHVoyt9s9yzz7-cAMWaQ5Plzir_LEAEa6zQo4nU0Gq1WUKdF9wGkzqWAa_mXixilj_igzjwF47RTr/s320/IMG_1020.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Piano in the Star Lounge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Like any multi-day journey, after a day or two we fell into a 'Ground Hog Day' morning routine. I would wake up early, grab my iPad (with sheet music app installed) and head to the Star Lounge and play this piano for about an hour until the Yacht Club opened for breakfast. Then head to the Yacht Club and grab two cappuccinos to go and some pastries, cheese, and fruit. Using my iPad now as an expensive serving tray, head back to the cabin, wake up Debby and enjoy our coffee before heading to one of main restaurants for a real breakfast. Back to the cabin to put on our riding gear, gather the daily map and Garmins updated with the day's route, attend the route talk, and head out.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mK9msBck9f0q614Q8opsCfeFIRZU5ycRWQySeN_5mqvTTFwbftdWVJBeGe_mynNU07oV8pofx2KaGXuUUjqoSZLAvOmBuigv8K-NMIH571RiY2hjJT3PSohbRWELp1awJu50hpuUWVBwQeI9lhkyfwKT1gP73fCuxyXTaEcnJngIKpS0M1PE30j_/s3088/IMG_1024.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7mK9msBck9f0q614Q8opsCfeFIRZU5ycRWQySeN_5mqvTTFwbftdWVJBeGe_mynNU07oV8pofx2KaGXuUUjqoSZLAvOmBuigv8K-NMIH571RiY2hjJT3PSohbRWELp1awJu50hpuUWVBwQeI9lhkyfwKT1gP73fCuxyXTaEcnJngIKpS0M1PE30j_/s320/IMG_1024.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very happy with some flat coastal miles today<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWuNoPZVYhC-SL6IxK0jYS6717CFMSWQ8RPzgWyrljOovhA-9Z9i_cjni6V1renAWw_qSud1Cat15j9-RblS7HMjkirWRvIOKUybEsezbdLFNvt0N9bHTd8FyrhFIxdBvfq0WDiryRKezGdcNzxUFNhmBcLk87kZGGYyc9Xwrs-qC-gj_AQ58ptIX/s4032/IMG_1022.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWuNoPZVYhC-SL6IxK0jYS6717CFMSWQ8RPzgWyrljOovhA-9Z9i_cjni6V1renAWw_qSud1Cat15j9-RblS7HMjkirWRvIOKUybEsezbdLFNvt0N9bHTd8FyrhFIxdBvfq0WDiryRKezGdcNzxUFNhmBcLk87kZGGYyc9Xwrs-qC-gj_AQ58ptIX/s320/IMG_1022.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our progress was slowed only by stopping for pictures<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_CosW4EUec9k_Y_TjxR6Z1WmlilVG2Iw4Gl8f9AcnClUD9Qz8WMUS_OFcI_G6RaCrVwZSTnI5IiVgjgkStUoyjVC-OYcWpleEM5yZ7lVnGJiQZtT5JDbqwaajY1So4g5z5bYAVtR7HUJ14NTUhJlXK1Rx7R4BFNdJKHDCU4LsNq0jt0Qk19cxpwh/s4032/IMG_1027.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_CosW4EUec9k_Y_TjxR6Z1WmlilVG2Iw4Gl8f9AcnClUD9Qz8WMUS_OFcI_G6RaCrVwZSTnI5IiVgjgkStUoyjVC-OYcWpleEM5yZ7lVnGJiQZtT5JDbqwaajY1So4g5z5bYAVtR7HUJ14NTUhJlXK1Rx7R4BFNdJKHDCU4LsNq0jt0Qk19cxpwh/s320/IMG_1027.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The highway section had this guy<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Today would be a long day in Burnie, and the theme of the day was penguins. The route was an out and back through the town of Penguin, to Ulverstone then back to Burnie. After a few miles on the Bass Highway the route was along dedicated bike paths and secondary beach roads. Wildflowers were everywhere along this very scenic and enjoyable route.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1Wc2sPqwfoKETG_M2FBMW43eZX1XRwBegvS8GMCbNdOnBA6wM_APwYeCqFnpwOau4GdAOL0DcYT3uJMJvzyKPCpNG7d_g1_RlBJSq6CTpRfu6nTORjc7TtsSp3JMH6tWP6kxUQ8WJKOoteikpLPLAvWSRrk_ez0rLSF9L4_rXn-67DLX-PBoLAHJ/s4032/IMG_1054.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX1Wc2sPqwfoKETG_M2FBMW43eZX1XRwBegvS8GMCbNdOnBA6wM_APwYeCqFnpwOau4GdAOL0DcYT3uJMJvzyKPCpNG7d_g1_RlBJSq6CTpRfu6nTORjc7TtsSp3JMH6tWP6kxUQ8WJKOoteikpLPLAvWSRrk_ez0rLSF9L4_rXn-67DLX-PBoLAHJ/s320/IMG_1054.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around each bend was another great view<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiaPuRF1OFasNzP9sZdiKpE-_MkqLY77Eoy1LOPa0SHaXeoIpEbSOBNLOe9_XvepVJEDaDwYmpbUmoz7CesMm58WlhYyEwGjD8rf8QzzRsAPvbFRv0q-32QbBcQvhZ9ODk2oYlCPcVwKPb5brxtHjR3sna7_hp019gV-rQSYBQMA_MkYyjJHkMFAN/s4032/IMG_1055.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOiaPuRF1OFasNzP9sZdiKpE-_MkqLY77Eoy1LOPa0SHaXeoIpEbSOBNLOe9_XvepVJEDaDwYmpbUmoz7CesMm58WlhYyEwGjD8rf8QzzRsAPvbFRv0q-32QbBcQvhZ9ODk2oYlCPcVwKPb5brxtHjR3sna7_hp019gV-rQSYBQMA_MkYyjJHkMFAN/s320/IMG_1055.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowers everywhere<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbgjTPxoqbf6K3FgV5rwSMQYVDh1C6MMdB9iIMYHJFM6_ElC6IiBV7nRwWimTmj3VxYnx8JGrMZNYhKFGfCH8mEbqt6cIQGbquV7eD4iRcTS3BN3xUKfok3Yu5JiJRZZpYZhWQivbtzaN1NavrJZRLU-JNXZp6EER7l2p-DwUX3PV0GGAdSxSW1H6/s4032/IMG_1060.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHbgjTPxoqbf6K3FgV5rwSMQYVDh1C6MMdB9iIMYHJFM6_ElC6IiBV7nRwWimTmj3VxYnx8JGrMZNYhKFGfCH8mEbqt6cIQGbquV7eD4iRcTS3BN3xUKfok3Yu5JiJRZZpYZhWQivbtzaN1NavrJZRLU-JNXZp6EER7l2p-DwUX3PV0GGAdSxSW1H6/s320/IMG_1060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee shop in Ulverstone<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6Y6FBNgV4bjm7JKVkf5k-UsZnsO8vRmS9_IIJN09RftALr1gTarvLyEBH8e2JMCpfx-Ga9e_dmegqUccvZoZ1Rd6GKJ_grZVTpP5kdkYzvUy7wg8aLPzQC9zy5eIkL5aVqGXPy9TJqKVOZJ7fTla_Cm1nZiQz5RWhSDGbiowtYVaMHd8S4aYCLRU/s4032/IMG_1063.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil6Y6FBNgV4bjm7JKVkf5k-UsZnsO8vRmS9_IIJN09RftALr1gTarvLyEBH8e2JMCpfx-Ga9e_dmegqUccvZoZ1Rd6GKJ_grZVTpP5kdkYzvUy7wg8aLPzQC9zy5eIkL5aVqGXPy9TJqKVOZJ7fTla_Cm1nZiQz5RWhSDGbiowtYVaMHd8S4aYCLRU/s320/IMG_1063.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best coffee of the trip!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We spotted this coffee shop just a mile before the turnaround in Ulverstone and stopped in for coffee. The place was packed with locals, always a good sign! Since it was <i>before </i>the route turn-around, most of the Santana riders just kept going and we had the place to ourselves! There was a bike shop at the turn-around so I headed off to check it out while Debby chatted with a local couple that were wondering where all the bicyclists came from. By the time I got back 20 minutes later, they we were still there! We eventually finished our coffee and headed back the way we came.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqk9gypjJKP4m0v9yKVE6cj7OyPzqHaf8seW0hpICzIJ5NZpTSqgPHp5HUC8stOQItTRzbwtil2QlmSV7xWykVffPkj4VNHwa0NRd4B_Xrnk2lTkazbFKKkpsW3Kyb14EeQ0yLGDzaICBQHtq0G5oQfxvJXgWuH2d3YTQxf211HPCeLrW3g8-D5jZ/s4032/IMG_1067.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqk9gypjJKP4m0v9yKVE6cj7OyPzqHaf8seW0hpICzIJ5NZpTSqgPHp5HUC8stOQItTRzbwtil2QlmSV7xWykVffPkj4VNHwa0NRd4B_Xrnk2lTkazbFKKkpsW3Kyb14EeQ0yLGDzaICBQHtq0G5oQfxvJXgWuH2d3YTQxf211HPCeLrW3g8-D5jZ/s320/IMG_1067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three Sisters Nature Preserve<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4t6NxxQALRr-ubQTf8Vw9FDPUWJkCUHVLUpyKdyU_dhD8rmEuLm2g8wNn44vLlamIvIKUyt798TChiObBZ9UdkCr4HjYRvAmxJTKPMEmwAD5cnIp7vz4Xe64UvEz7IkDdoSAS0HPNGqcAzGh3NcTe_DFkkq-nHDOAOqcgI7AissyVYE_6rfK0aA/s4032/IMG_1071.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4t6NxxQALRr-ubQTf8Vw9FDPUWJkCUHVLUpyKdyU_dhD8rmEuLm2g8wNn44vLlamIvIKUyt798TChiObBZ9UdkCr4HjYRvAmxJTKPMEmwAD5cnIp7vz4Xe64UvEz7IkDdoSAS0HPNGqcAzGh3NcTe_DFkkq-nHDOAOqcgI7AissyVYE_6rfK0aA/s320/IMG_1071.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew cab box van RV conversion<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>We were stopped at the overlook at the Three Sisters nature preserve when this guy drove up. We were admiring his rig and he was happy to give us a tour. He purchased this box van and converted it himself in a heavy duty RV. It even had a lift gate for his Enduro motor bike stored in the rear! He just arrived from the mainland and planned to tour Tasmania for the next several weeks!<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOGtpUgC0PxVQvOIiPwXYSMhZVEvP5jrflNECnjqFQ9GuCmcS9DZO24j3AFPYSaFPVwrdDNFqn1Wv1acWdqvlht4XD9pJao6jpirLeXQqurlcfQnPFCqRwVFgIpEZo-Hxa7vHxkkRqts9r0GbB0IeM8seawNqpbfN89P0XsN20o6ThloYZ2KCKETi/s4032/IMG_1105.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOGtpUgC0PxVQvOIiPwXYSMhZVEvP5jrflNECnjqFQ9GuCmcS9DZO24j3AFPYSaFPVwrdDNFqn1Wv1acWdqvlht4XD9pJao6jpirLeXQqurlcfQnPFCqRwVFgIpEZo-Hxa7vHxkkRqts9r0GbB0IeM8seawNqpbfN89P0XsN20o6ThloYZ2KCKETi/s320/IMG_1105.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Cape in the distance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We arrived back in Burnie, and after 36 miles on the bike, I decided to head up the coast to Table Cape. After the morning route talk, I checked Ride with GPS for an afternoon ride, since none were on offer from Santana. The run to Table Cape was recommended and started nearby so I loaded it into the Garmin 'just in case.'<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75g2IH9PWj2GnVE81YJdsw2FLRgJj9lr0q3hbt2Bc73k4JZyIv1TSjLQxvWLOV7WCTYvsTZAASFTSiO66PXGKT402p2wvDsp-QjrtN1etZIT2q4-Pr0LW0RrMxyB-mqPI58Zcbx0kpW1ZTxR8ypPjZK9fF7ZA61E20OqmV4mpG2C9u1UwLw5wAtM3/s4032/IMG_1106.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75g2IH9PWj2GnVE81YJdsw2FLRgJj9lr0q3hbt2Bc73k4JZyIv1TSjLQxvWLOV7WCTYvsTZAASFTSiO66PXGKT402p2wvDsp-QjrtN1etZIT2q4-Pr0LW0RrMxyB-mqPI58Zcbx0kpW1ZTxR8ypPjZK9fF7ZA61E20OqmV4mpG2C9u1UwLw5wAtM3/s320/IMG_1106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cow Cottage in Wynyard<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PEFyuN4uifUPKSK6GZG0Dcz_0Q7DXAxRL7ExD_G7SGWTwXQZuIx-UHqR89QwrOkCAXX2B8ChdQIdXGSungIjJsIheB3yn9zfhyrdtGh2yD2BGpdOjAL7Hhbkh1yvH3PDElFxNFDq7KVtZnk6cSuO_YjgzPbpgclMsuoDtUVUFmp3WW-wJuhT254O/s4032/IMG_1109.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8PEFyuN4uifUPKSK6GZG0Dcz_0Q7DXAxRL7ExD_G7SGWTwXQZuIx-UHqR89QwrOkCAXX2B8ChdQIdXGSungIjJsIheB3yn9zfhyrdtGh2yD2BGpdOjAL7Hhbkh1yvH3PDElFxNFDq7KVtZnk6cSuO_YjgzPbpgclMsuoDtUVUFmp3WW-wJuhT254O/s320/IMG_1109.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inglis River at the base of the Table Cape climb<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>More coastal riding, but there was a section of the road under construction, and while the views were great, it was easy to see why the Santana folks chose the route to Penguin/Ulverstone.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmrGAzdpmyjFqH37L-wK8_apalwYbiE1PG68S6-jI8Oe-mqe37reZR00QvTDamMxjOjLeMsdCCagbV_HMMt0R7PHsXqD9we9ksGUsLGv442xpEtsmQX687hARvDc2yv_8gmJt96loKcVoUdf93h7n7fb7AoRewu-CZo9td1IAogBZXruN3H0yYzfB/s4032/IMG_1114.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjmrGAzdpmyjFqH37L-wK8_apalwYbiE1PG68S6-jI8Oe-mqe37reZR00QvTDamMxjOjLeMsdCCagbV_HMMt0R7PHsXqD9we9ksGUsLGv442xpEtsmQX687hARvDc2yv_8gmJt96loKcVoUdf93h7n7fb7AoRewu-CZo9td1IAogBZXruN3H0yYzfB/s320/IMG_1114.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Table Cape climb</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It was 15 miles to the base of the Table Cape climb then, 2.5 miles of 6.5% grade to the top. The climb was through beautiful farmland on a lightly traveled farm road.<br /></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjoKWbgdyf7O0WcjVp5X6qPV3Fa81Ec-7i8uhyRGtJFIy2VH2limdU4etWteIRBa78iFiV-vgZoAP0X4hhbAkJsEgQVv3G03d-NHslrSjCeVuuAlDHfMaSxjieDvVzUCdDJUj8As47uXlSdEy_wbb_YGaUQM20OspH_VWWAViksJ1LKweuL1stwKb/s4032/IMG_1116.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjoKWbgdyf7O0WcjVp5X6qPV3Fa81Ec-7i8uhyRGtJFIy2VH2limdU4etWteIRBa78iFiV-vgZoAP0X4hhbAkJsEgQVv3G03d-NHslrSjCeVuuAlDHfMaSxjieDvVzUCdDJUj8As47uXlSdEy_wbb_YGaUQM20OspH_VWWAViksJ1LKweuL1stwKb/s320/IMG_1116.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg9tjrg5B3mDNgkGyRP96R23raNHYrViwW7d79X7LwWSns8GcevBj3NCZ0YwHhnGvKVnHr7_Fw4vSrWl4Ey4eMoxSaYG3W3EJPA8jr21nUOk6c9gzKkMJade1B4XpyWQc-2ZQr4onBvEYLR_lA_MMpMV_lPM5tbh10J8v1GUAe3Dws5_kXALtXPJM/s4032/IMG_1119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVg9tjrg5B3mDNgkGyRP96R23raNHYrViwW7d79X7LwWSns8GcevBj3NCZ0YwHhnGvKVnHr7_Fw4vSrWl4Ey4eMoxSaYG3W3EJPA8jr21nUOk6c9gzKkMJade1B4XpyWQc-2ZQr4onBvEYLR_lA_MMpMV_lPM5tbh10J8v1GUAe3Dws5_kXALtXPJM/s320/IMG_1119.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookout at Table Cape<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCi9lnZ4yV7MNmblwbBAAhZMqerD-YsKuMBtq4-GyG3c8sl5-WAgEr-8E7oTddo8ltZOwUn3l5deIt7HtjJtjkHiG-L2YYZEQZ_r665UqOWUITAq_kO9TEvFdnApg5JvFIrAxVfqJRT2OvJUPcCVMNtDSzvCkjAOGkXO7HswPQWiBum5_ZxPPQfpic/s4032/IMG_1122.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCi9lnZ4yV7MNmblwbBAAhZMqerD-YsKuMBtq4-GyG3c8sl5-WAgEr-8E7oTddo8ltZOwUn3l5deIt7HtjJtjkHiG-L2YYZEQZ_r665UqOWUITAq_kO9TEvFdnApg5JvFIrAxVfqJRT2OvJUPcCVMNtDSzvCkjAOGkXO7HswPQWiBum5_ZxPPQfpic/s320/IMG_1122.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burnie in the distance <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There was a lookout at the top and several locals were enjoying a picnic lunch. After visiting with them and enjoying the views it was time to head back and enjoy the steep downhill back to Wynyard. I had purchased a replacement rear-view mirror in Ulverstone (mine had fallen off during one the truck transfers). It was not as secure as my old one and fell off somewhere on one of the steep descent sections where the the computer recorded a maximum speed of 40+ mph!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQzD2Ev953a3fai2K_5tlmqrWHN6PkPRKIl_w0rrHZEsC0uFei0SMU4S54HPbeu0QraKKF1DGdqc-rRBu6QEDmvFtFSI6NrpOQX-GARvABwpRCKQkTbqoCwpb6Pzb8mb-IDdyImxiZ5aULeBJcz4q2_rhHJ5AB6DWn-Fy2yhjeNmUDNejSeJo8msL/s4032/IMG_1127.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQzD2Ev953a3fai2K_5tlmqrWHN6PkPRKIl_w0rrHZEsC0uFei0SMU4S54HPbeu0QraKKF1DGdqc-rRBu6QEDmvFtFSI6NrpOQX-GARvABwpRCKQkTbqoCwpb6Pzb8mb-IDdyImxiZ5aULeBJcz4q2_rhHJ5AB6DWn-Fy2yhjeNmUDNejSeJo8msL/s320/IMG_1127.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hit the brakes to catch this photo on the descent<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA__VR7liIVEhxDCPsVFA2kHpqbktdLiyRJfwMs9Cl4X4WIy_XgZz20g3MzXa2Div_eHm2wR19Wud3HWdDlXr22cAyze3rQ08PJpCY-mitkYE57wDinPttgsMXVYjXWwdF1OZFD3oVJyg0IUmtGIn8sH2cbAL1XjmrpZK0KYuCCyXtOCVpX7ImE25P/s4032/IMG_1133.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA__VR7liIVEhxDCPsVFA2kHpqbktdLiyRJfwMs9Cl4X4WIy_XgZz20g3MzXa2Div_eHm2wR19Wud3HWdDlXr22cAyze3rQ08PJpCY-mitkYE57wDinPttgsMXVYjXWwdF1OZFD3oVJyg0IUmtGIn8sH2cbAL1XjmrpZK0KYuCCyXtOCVpX7ImE25P/s320/IMG_1133.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More beautiful coastal riding<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTebKXLJxgP4emUaFqUei8J3zdlJh3OoDoRQq3TFhV-zHknXas_p2iBhs-a4-RFni3lTRwjwF2y8ca8bpTe3BVNWhMw6sP3iecVmDFBR1kZBVPDp-8jsN4Pbw1hgPBrZ3UEDsgADZvgSbmQlhXacRK_bBVePquQBMizRFjc17k-8NM-HEQJKXsXZh/s4032/IMG_1134.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTebKXLJxgP4emUaFqUei8J3zdlJh3OoDoRQq3TFhV-zHknXas_p2iBhs-a4-RFni3lTRwjwF2y8ca8bpTe3BVNWhMw6sP3iecVmDFBR1kZBVPDp-8jsN4Pbw1hgPBrZ3UEDsgADZvgSbmQlhXacRK_bBVePquQBMizRFjc17k-8NM-HEQJKXsXZh/s320/IMG_1134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilot car section on return to Burnie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The ship would not leave Burnie until 11pm so we could observe the nightly arrival of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eudyptula_novaehollandiae" target="_blank">Fairy Penguins</a>. After dinner, we had representatives from the local university present a program about the Fairy Penguins before we departed to the viewing area via buses. These tiny penguins arrive nightly after dark to feed their young after a day of gorging at sea.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCROD7_h2hxlgAmu7RTbTYqyWW3K_VkWZvPVrSuwnGVcxvsK41zfoFAc6oyAfQQmQPABgzDa9KovKgFrdCOC8_fD350g_rmPljD22jKhRVBTA4xqyF9f3FUXbWSta1laOxu31mdpxKjRt7telsNcXdi3IeNAHhwIM5xoPUp0BdhhF_Qqb5pVB6FUKz/s4032/IMG_1139.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCROD7_h2hxlgAmu7RTbTYqyWW3K_VkWZvPVrSuwnGVcxvsK41zfoFAc6oyAfQQmQPABgzDa9KovKgFrdCOC8_fD350g_rmPljD22jKhRVBTA4xqyF9f3FUXbWSta1laOxu31mdpxKjRt7telsNcXdi3IeNAHhwIM5xoPUp0BdhhF_Qqb5pVB6FUKz/s320/IMG_1139.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Penguin exhibit in Burnie<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfOcVkLl86AGMxwMMUCILQwlReGxXdGZNU4m3bVXbAgVOU2e9XKhxvgYHJOcNIwgiKi1fVu36y2NSrdE-HSmiHBdCJf2dONGY-CE3JQrEnk2v7Ksb7xkVvhPZPFPAsKlcp_u_eW4ooQ_faziriSTngpZVW7bvYf32_JnYTkwGzRHmhEr4csTmv2Tx/s4032/IMG_1153.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfOcVkLl86AGMxwMMUCILQwlReGxXdGZNU4m3bVXbAgVOU2e9XKhxvgYHJOcNIwgiKi1fVu36y2NSrdE-HSmiHBdCJf2dONGY-CE3JQrEnk2v7Ksb7xkVvhPZPFPAsKlcp_u_eW4ooQ_faziriSTngpZVW7bvYf32_JnYTkwGzRHmhEr4csTmv2Tx/s320/IMG_1153.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burnie at night, waiting for the penguins arrival<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW41x1xEFfSGsmx3-fH728o7_LmPHpD2FH7z48fPsl8YG6aImGjqoB0l-AjZFokMHjXkw-_OPU8FUh7acYYpoBUJHjUsVeepbXidnx2zx7gJfoGwRxlt-CgeDZ38Tjfz5w-yo7GkAQQbmIVXnvryZ7OOq3K84c7x-ku_aiGC0iFFWVFN838A-Qwn51/s4032/IMG_1159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW41x1xEFfSGsmx3-fH728o7_LmPHpD2FH7z48fPsl8YG6aImGjqoB0l-AjZFokMHjXkw-_OPU8FUh7acYYpoBUJHjUsVeepbXidnx2zx7gJfoGwRxlt-CgeDZ38Tjfz5w-yo7GkAQQbmIVXnvryZ7OOq3K84c7x-ku_aiGC0iFFWVFN838A-Qwn51/s320/IMG_1159.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The parents arrive in groups<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbAeeWSY-SXJn4lZcDWZXxwBch8qoeaKwyKVNn1UQrFaCHN4ONVkEUtGx3qs6qbNEJjKwQsmIMqShebZPbHByi5nWKkxx0UHzdRndVez4lXwu5tjUH6CJPXZ7RE4LnqfBEBfXxInRIfpduAq9SooxLHntjFhfFAPu2eMb-GXyq60IKvyiONbRXPEl/s4032/IMG_1177.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsbAeeWSY-SXJn4lZcDWZXxwBch8qoeaKwyKVNn1UQrFaCHN4ONVkEUtGx3qs6qbNEJjKwQsmIMqShebZPbHByi5nWKkxx0UHzdRndVez4lXwu5tjUH6CJPXZ7RE4LnqfBEBfXxInRIfpduAq9SooxLHntjFhfFAPu2eMb-GXyq60IKvyiONbRXPEl/s320/IMG_1177.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBdaT2lULPPBAiccF6fMX4_Sd-Y2MXkIWLOAKHc3PqYqBds0bUKkOokXPDYrsvxX-bFwza2gKWcdgQR9QjHAWH6rROQNiwXnvB3fOdW_oGXngp01Zv8ZPxuxs_w1i1Szr22oBBvTB0C6W77qlQv5LkyictbEqBMwTe4holBnHBo3JQVJ6ysAQm5ms/s4032/IMG_1182.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitBdaT2lULPPBAiccF6fMX4_Sd-Y2MXkIWLOAKHc3PqYqBds0bUKkOokXPDYrsvxX-bFwza2gKWcdgQR9QjHAWH6rROQNiwXnvB3fOdW_oGXngp01Zv8ZPxuxs_w1i1Szr22oBBvTB0C6W77qlQv5LkyictbEqBMwTe4holBnHBo3JQVJ6ysAQm5ms/s320/IMG_1182.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To feed the young!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The guides used red torches (flashlights) to illuminate the young penguins waiting for their parents to arrive. The photos are a bit blurry using the night (non-flash) mode so as not to disturb them!<br /></p><p>We hopped back on buses to the ship and pulled out at 11pm to cap an awesome day of riding and exploring!<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 10: Devonport<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GkH_J1WEBqaFvGCm1XE8VavJ5jTfqQrrfN5a-wNYmnuH8pZ_MnBw-xqO1kpp4o8-P9idYVyw6VWUj_UufzYlme4LZwTUrmhC5naPhGrwGEStdYSi2vyqYEfAdKk4y9vC_bWR2SM2Uku0-pbAGFZX3tD2c6YuBLr3gkUNUxUhiwitzc-DBMqmA8aX/s4032/IMG_1186.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GkH_J1WEBqaFvGCm1XE8VavJ5jTfqQrrfN5a-wNYmnuH8pZ_MnBw-xqO1kpp4o8-P9idYVyw6VWUj_UufzYlme4LZwTUrmhC5naPhGrwGEStdYSi2vyqYEfAdKk4y9vC_bWR2SM2Uku0-pbAGFZX3tD2c6YuBLr3gkUNUxUhiwitzc-DBMqmA8aX/s320/IMG_1186.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the port on foot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our last cycling day in Tasmania is in Devonport. It is a bustling commercial port and somehow Santana and our captain convinced the port managers to allow us to walk from the boat to our bikes waiting just outside the security fence. Every other port required us to depart on buses for security and safety. So while it may have looked like 300 cyclists getting out on parole, we were just tourists happy to avoid shuffling onto buses for a 200 meter ride!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KJS5pAsxr0RkuzU59KZXM0sPDR8sf4O6V495PH9qtGx_RwjtVqRjUK-qbVu-jljvIrfCaWcy7c5p5LAPSCCCUeb_4mS1DzzxjmWDaqn89O6wL8ADywA4nSI-6U_5j65IkWt40FY5R3yYM4JZPyVdEHj30WRayNbU-PIgjWdojh6ZQ8eNMzWJVowC/s4032/IMG_1188.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KJS5pAsxr0RkuzU59KZXM0sPDR8sf4O6V495PH9qtGx_RwjtVqRjUK-qbVu-jljvIrfCaWcy7c5p5LAPSCCCUeb_4mS1DzzxjmWDaqn89O6wL8ADywA4nSI-6U_5j65IkWt40FY5R3yYM4JZPyVdEHj30WRayNbU-PIgjWdojh6ZQ8eNMzWJVowC/s320/IMG_1188.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We found our bikes and headed out for the short ride option. The ship would be leaving for the Australian mainland at noon and we did not want to have to hurry our ride. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyXrZyB8HDLWbJTMCij6I7-obVe6qq-M6fKcMTq0VM0R7flT_sWoFsLrAHw3P5HeBU7cF6fiGEyGia_XW-3rkFYit1haXtpl4FiQK4MuOdS2rNpp3aPd7gfIBVh_9ObTB95cZTnif3kRlPDqoJK8JvxmSKCUfb3ZVE0XrQxL7azmnvUqCuxEXYAML/s4032/IMG_1204.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyXrZyB8HDLWbJTMCij6I7-obVe6qq-M6fKcMTq0VM0R7flT_sWoFsLrAHw3P5HeBU7cF6fiGEyGia_XW-3rkFYit1haXtpl4FiQK4MuOdS2rNpp3aPd7gfIBVh_9ObTB95cZTnif3kRlPDqoJK8JvxmSKCUfb3ZVE0XrQxL7azmnvUqCuxEXYAML/s320/IMG_1204.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mersey River on our way to Latrobe<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We picked our way through town and into a quiet neighborhood when Debby noticed her power meter battery was out. As we approached a very steep grade, our hearts sank for a moment, until we realized our route took a sharp right and avoided the wall ahead. I told Deb to wait at the corner and hammered up the hill just for fun. As predicted a number of Santana cyclists stopped wondering if they should follow, then yelled 'hey you took a wrong turn!' It was steep, over 14%, but only about 100 meters, but well worth the entertainment value.</p><p>Returning to the bottom, I pulled out a fresh battery for Deb's machine and got to work on the replacement. In the meantime, a neighborhood couple came out to make sure we were OK and to find out where all the cyclists had come from. We had a lovely visit, they were recently retired farmers and were adjusting to living in the city. We recommended they take up cycle-touring!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL_qO3vNEHnnDYp8K42LSZNlEjEN32Fel0kL2-w-f2aDt4gQUoWaceCN4XtRNf6hzgArksCvKBL4XUjWs-sF9hE4BjhDb2CNAbhWhZDV7sZrhckqfhgBU1jPXQv4PEkKRIBDCrUEsbPYJqlSaCR3exBUfKTM_dXL14FrusSfyPegvhIZGTMRFxMQG/s3088/IMG_1208.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL_qO3vNEHnnDYp8K42LSZNlEjEN32Fel0kL2-w-f2aDt4gQUoWaceCN4XtRNf6hzgArksCvKBL4XUjWs-sF9hE4BjhDb2CNAbhWhZDV7sZrhckqfhgBU1jPXQv4PEkKRIBDCrUEsbPYJqlSaCR3exBUfKTM_dXL14FrusSfyPegvhIZGTMRFxMQG/s320/IMG_1208.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New bike path<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdsc9sXPJzA7vpgokGqHXraNbY_BDTPKlXGPoLR6myGSSP40xu8DRqJwsepkLdH3G9YNtkjaisxc2Teqn7T2FsED-CyTuvgsvuw65JOt4w_jzwgonf10xygdO6ZoO1tGwKwwBHH3oU4efYl9RSpnFE_m15rAl9DpyR3L_1H2wQiaRgVRVQ-SM8HnH/s4032/IMG_1214.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRdsc9sXPJzA7vpgokGqHXraNbY_BDTPKlXGPoLR6myGSSP40xu8DRqJwsepkLdH3G9YNtkjaisxc2Teqn7T2FsED-CyTuvgsvuw65JOt4w_jzwgonf10xygdO6ZoO1tGwKwwBHH3oU4efYl9RSpnFE_m15rAl9DpyR3L_1H2wQiaRgVRVQ-SM8HnH/s320/IMG_1214.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..with grade warnings!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We joined a brand-new bike path that followed the Mersey river to the half-way point of our ride in Latrobe. There was coffee shop there, and with plenty of time we stopped in for a break.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eKG_RdpVpYaka0PwiXP3Dr6kJVR5FJK2cXoeDGOYEtzz1IAuFCa0ylF1Gy2rcY31dz3Dhymboi2cdIQdOMNhs1-KYthG7FTFRMv5QAT86g9DThlW4a8I6da1FjUGjmaRzzsS4kvprls7SqbVVDipQL5ar0WxOoKydN4nu7AlG81y668plHQ6lwQv/s4032/IMG_1228.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0eKG_RdpVpYaka0PwiXP3Dr6kJVR5FJK2cXoeDGOYEtzz1IAuFCa0ylF1Gy2rcY31dz3Dhymboi2cdIQdOMNhs1-KYthG7FTFRMv5QAT86g9DThlW4a8I6da1FjUGjmaRzzsS4kvprls7SqbVVDipQL5ar0WxOoKydN4nu7AlG81y668plHQ6lwQv/s320/IMG_1228.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raspberry farms<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_4xdHrtf6OfMHlPlziJaMuMIov8Q-JG4G290nnsQPtZKvU9X3RrzpHM6FbpUSzjJr9dW7dVcrpcVUkCUFfevkPlecuJgB4gaPq-C9jxu97TDJX8W4B_HyZP94HWY69axZDTamNdgJYafQrY4t3inqFoLjWsSnMgKCsXNzfMsx7bM4eSPB7UbiBaT/s4032/IMG_1236.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_4xdHrtf6OfMHlPlziJaMuMIov8Q-JG4G290nnsQPtZKvU9X3RrzpHM6FbpUSzjJr9dW7dVcrpcVUkCUFfevkPlecuJgB4gaPq-C9jxu97TDJX8W4B_HyZP94HWY69axZDTamNdgJYafQrY4t3inqFoLjWsSnMgKCsXNzfMsx7bM4eSPB7UbiBaT/s320/IMG_1236.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to Devonport<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2sgt1FHZgKeOfJHINM_LT5Wd1RuhXFhC4bvPJus0WoN4j6PSZEmOFW-CnR_v5qaGq_CuzMqHmG4V10OCVjDkapMiXNaDsveAtuq_NCouxEUQNZaX-r-oK3N-dvs4kgOG3GpTLOcuX3hL5A3XVzqIa2Y3Bw32NhYNNe8WQERw6vioCkStnKeVzJ58/s4032/IMG_1248.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2sgt1FHZgKeOfJHINM_LT5Wd1RuhXFhC4bvPJus0WoN4j6PSZEmOFW-CnR_v5qaGq_CuzMqHmG4V10OCVjDkapMiXNaDsveAtuq_NCouxEUQNZaX-r-oK3N-dvs4kgOG3GpTLOcuX3hL5A3XVzqIa2Y3Bw32NhYNNe8WQERw6vioCkStnKeVzJ58/s320/IMG_1248.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasmanian sheep bid us farewell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving Latrobe it was a slight climb through pastures and berry farms. Cresting the hill, there were great ocean views as we passed the Devonport Airport and made our way back to the port. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AFFHJaT51I0gXHFK0UKlhh9dyLEBh-iV0fL4DG1kLPDMwXTe_ECENqSYjwtpFYpI9aIitazqVnoIdinsBE11lMLM-4oRyKHv_VYPM6ZFrXqO_FTcqoPVFSKQJoRhYE_SfKj4wnnHz2eAbjk1MSrz_SjKJj7sxkx5Qp3GvPalCL-8WBaDS2CyJS4z/s4032/IMG_1252.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-AFFHJaT51I0gXHFK0UKlhh9dyLEBh-iV0fL4DG1kLPDMwXTe_ECENqSYjwtpFYpI9aIitazqVnoIdinsBE11lMLM-4oRyKHv_VYPM6ZFrXqO_FTcqoPVFSKQJoRhYE_SfKj4wnnHz2eAbjk1MSrz_SjKJj7sxkx5Qp3GvPalCL-8WBaDS2CyJS4z/s320/IMG_1252.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Jacquelines's<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We still had plenty time before the departure, so we stopped at Miss Jacquelines's, a restaurant in a historic building. As it turned out, the restaurant was in its second day of operations and the kinks were quite evident. We decided on crepes with local fresh berries and they were wonderful. The cappuccinos, arrived when we asked for the check! Miss Jacqueline apologized profusely and they were on the house! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2hbmaqXTOndCEhn61gPlSjsOZOmfou2rHw5gGFYmtzUkipvejpmGjX2C8U63_4dG2vr0N585nx7Seyd4Cx7z9XNBnAOJMQed6oRDs2ZF3SeUIq9CtYm205QGGV1T484KYlriOuqumxK7Ro9nxI7aFyBeuwhaL49oMFUJ8GnP4_Hwn9M3Pj8CLoz2/s4032/IMG_1255.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2hbmaqXTOndCEhn61gPlSjsOZOmfou2rHw5gGFYmtzUkipvejpmGjX2C8U63_4dG2vr0N585nx7Seyd4Cx7z9XNBnAOJMQed6oRDs2ZF3SeUIq9CtYm205QGGV1T484KYlriOuqumxK7Ro9nxI7aFyBeuwhaL49oMFUJ8GnP4_Hwn9M3Pj8CLoz2/s320/IMG_1255.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dolphins playing in the bow wave<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Since we were arriving back to the port in small groups, we had to load onto a bus for a two minute ride to the ship. Back on board we were soon underway, after a wonderful week in Tasmania!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 11: Geelong<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUVUOZU0AaIEk7W_JRmNTJzzWnRC-w1HDgdlGv1W1Q30QK5ks-rsNWKf-jjrBdNJDEtl0UFM8xUtaCmI7PLILynOQ9TuwSbDL8DyGgDrrujCsvm8rYFV9jLd6SclaixkbY-4neMhc0Zzp2odopYhchu2DJIuzEV530W9tCxpBQSkyCgav5cPcird/s3088/IMG_1260.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifQUVUOZU0AaIEk7W_JRmNTJzzWnRC-w1HDgdlGv1W1Q30QK5ks-rsNWKf-jjrBdNJDEtl0UFM8xUtaCmI7PLILynOQ9TuwSbDL8DyGgDrrujCsvm8rYFV9jLd6SclaixkbY-4neMhc0Zzp2odopYhchu2DJIuzEV530W9tCxpBQSkyCgav5cPcird/s320/IMG_1260.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading our on our own<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Geelong is a major city that shares Port Arthur bay with Melbourne,it is much more conducive to cycling, and is where we spent our last two cycling days on the tour. After using Ride with GPS with success in Burnie, I scouted a route that was shorter that the 40 mile out and back and looked more interesting than the one on offer from Santana. It was, once we cleared a section of road construction getting out of town!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBZx5owUdUeuhLtenRQwT-CDPA0UslJJlcUZ33nq3qnnJtB9Be-Ejfn-qvqL0UOiEGiYo3_u-gZBIM2ze6aYq9ylYM8_WGkAZFF4Zciy4P2XTPIAr2vPKHe5QGbZFldxNbyLVSrONvpaNpadfrB2pTnX1uAngK29F1IvOnvYA5HX8XYVa1x7Z9QaH/s4032/IMG_1263.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBZx5owUdUeuhLtenRQwT-CDPA0UslJJlcUZ33nq3qnnJtB9Be-Ejfn-qvqL0UOiEGiYo3_u-gZBIM2ze6aYq9ylYM8_WGkAZFF4Zciy4P2XTPIAr2vPKHe5QGbZFldxNbyLVSrONvpaNpadfrB2pTnX1uAngK29F1IvOnvYA5HX8XYVa1x7Z9QaH/s320/IMG_1263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful country roads<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjborVzv_weORyA6xDx-2zkQY_R0LipvxcPqH9YsPpaneEhzTh0HPL4mJytw_-VJ2oYaDR8aYSA8y_lWLydh8Dj_ey5i-b8s0LaACyid92kn9pyqBQ-8dEy2Wk3hAaA7lUdAuYNc13_8ZdQQtjRlGZT-afgsPOsWxYWV6iKGkVWGb1C0GxIZWFHoxJL/s4032/IMG_1272.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjborVzv_weORyA6xDx-2zkQY_R0LipvxcPqH9YsPpaneEhzTh0HPL4mJytw_-VJ2oYaDR8aYSA8y_lWLydh8Dj_ey5i-b8s0LaACyid92kn9pyqBQ-8dEy2Wk3hAaA7lUdAuYNc13_8ZdQQtjRlGZT-afgsPOsWxYWV6iKGkVWGb1C0GxIZWFHoxJL/s320/IMG_1272.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting to forget how bad the road construction was!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We turned off the main highway onto a delightful farm road that would take us toward the beach town of Barwon. Once Debby was convinced I was not trying to get us killed in construction traffic, the ride became much more enjoyable.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-Nd0Zj_NETI2PMUXF2NilACiQxOHTiQMM7h_qi5onP9NpKExfl02QJFAQe8K84FZZdemULxTuo4g-ohTxzkDkq4o0kj_xAlmRdVJ7ts6q1MW_xrXNHPkWjGVdkE4MNJahywjTB4xWIb3FVSzYWJoSVz9CMI6hmJ3w4wIuzTGkG0LZN9SoH1qcqlI/s4032/IMG_1279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-Nd0Zj_NETI2PMUXF2NilACiQxOHTiQMM7h_qi5onP9NpKExfl02QJFAQe8K84FZZdemULxTuo4g-ohTxzkDkq4o0kj_xAlmRdVJ7ts6q1MW_xrXNHPkWjGVdkE4MNJahywjTB4xWIb3FVSzYWJoSVz9CMI6hmJ3w4wIuzTGkG0LZN9SoH1qcqlI/s320/IMG_1279.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debby's first tandem jump!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK7xGLC-XrMUaP-KWFqSbxRW8YLn5T7L89Xh7AQRKzdplztCebUjXr5YPG1zrLsz_4sjH6IqquckoDvOCmj_puA0pDxESS6LPMZWuTgU84EcEMLf2RnYDGeMtBcAZS1v7feMMiWFNU_f5LTwhSb5mAsdn5NoC18GH4QLSWJNMRMeHg5IwEt9p8n6K/s4032/IMG_1282.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHK7xGLC-XrMUaP-KWFqSbxRW8YLn5T7L89Xh7AQRKzdplztCebUjXr5YPG1zrLsz_4sjH6IqquckoDvOCmj_puA0pDxESS6LPMZWuTgU84EcEMLf2RnYDGeMtBcAZS1v7feMMiWFNU_f5LTwhSb5mAsdn5NoC18GH4QLSWJNMRMeHg5IwEt9p8n6K/s320/IMG_1282.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just kidding!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We passed an airfield just outside of Barwon and this group of tandem sky divers were just landing. Debby said something like, 'real danger is riding with you sometimes!'<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ktLDV0f3Gi1KpHXVokRZirkiq5rzKNa8_w18XfTh5IgXyOBzAjdCoTDKeYbGjTpql7Zy3-gNjZRyD1-dw-BSeextcx11IJxhV6pzuv_cZ0bJndW4VaiGk8HumLAJpaJWQwYUR4ctQDiuV-muqq10hRLYXjWlP5iBC3k714ey2bFOTspKaaz4IiBg/s4032/IMG_1291.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ktLDV0f3Gi1KpHXVokRZirkiq5rzKNa8_w18XfTh5IgXyOBzAjdCoTDKeYbGjTpql7Zy3-gNjZRyD1-dw-BSeextcx11IJxhV6pzuv_cZ0bJndW4VaiGk8HumLAJpaJWQwYUR4ctQDiuV-muqq10hRLYXjWlP5iBC3k714ey2bFOTspKaaz4IiBg/s320/IMG_1291.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wonderful beach lunch in Barwon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We were both getting to the edge of 'Hanger' when we rolled into Barwon. This wonderful beach side cafe was busy and had an open table...the perfect combination. Another great lunch, and just in time!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSU4iZ6_TUr-MhdROg5gv3Sag3ZMZIucY1pRWWawcCM4JROjPa6dc3z9usJl1Xtwb5nmaaRJ1_zn-7qwJdiz-2vp9VwQl9rT_xkYPQ-YPhB3dR1b9Wqr9_CjNUiYodxQ1MxjObr3mQ5F_2pfHTQYSjuqtfWbD1JO-1q_vA95AM7sNd_MGHC7txIkrH/s4032/IMG_1297.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSU4iZ6_TUr-MhdROg5gv3Sag3ZMZIucY1pRWWawcCM4JROjPa6dc3z9usJl1Xtwb5nmaaRJ1_zn-7qwJdiz-2vp9VwQl9rT_xkYPQ-YPhB3dR1b9Wqr9_CjNUiYodxQ1MxjObr3mQ5F_2pfHTQYSjuqtfWbD1JO-1q_vA95AM7sNd_MGHC7txIkrH/s320/IMG_1297.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">State park with RV campsites in Barwon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVbWmKEmVFjZO5WndOeg5WCZU927GCwhTia28geOoGhtUBTCW_VASapfB0aArhrmE9wg2RHeyTVB9BPYhYDMWVtZ8rkkIm_pypnkRUUF2QnNLxECdnVNN0_0zzE3Bb0K0ElxjvFQWOPhrXInpyF4dle_8GjZ_WHrQw4ChlooWkTV1xtnC1U6vUSGm/s4032/IMG_1302.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkVbWmKEmVFjZO5WndOeg5WCZU927GCwhTia28geOoGhtUBTCW_VASapfB0aArhrmE9wg2RHeyTVB9BPYhYDMWVtZ8rkkIm_pypnkRUUF2QnNLxECdnVNN0_0zzE3Bb0K0ElxjvFQWOPhrXInpyF4dle_8GjZ_WHrQw4ChlooWkTV1xtnC1U6vUSGm/s320/IMG_1302.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike trail back to the ship<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our 'bandito' route rejoined the Santana route for the last 10 miles of our 33 mile route, quite unexpected on my part, as a couple of tandem riders flashed by, wondering if were on the long route. It was a great rail trail with a consistent 1 percent down grade through farms and stables.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hdyg5tMPhJ9KfUbCGD7qVDDW6T-jYiJdYgtW1CwZISD-pX5eH6xHQfaVox6jEJVhr1zL_rYGUqzjINW-_F9ldwNkANrsW6T80cjWLhgcnrrtV5meDksstf2t42lqx2Zeo_JKPiI8RFaJ2KJ76ivulaAe-8ePSMbEZ2JkUQbNqZNak1pjdaMHLUtj/s4032/IMG_1314.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4hdyg5tMPhJ9KfUbCGD7qVDDW6T-jYiJdYgtW1CwZISD-pX5eH6xHQfaVox6jEJVhr1zL_rYGUqzjINW-_F9ldwNkANrsW6T80cjWLhgcnrrtV5meDksstf2t42lqx2Zeo_JKPiI8RFaJ2KJ76ivulaAe-8ePSMbEZ2JkUQbNqZNak1pjdaMHLUtj/s320/IMG_1314.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Geelong park with our ship in the harbor<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzUCzQ7uE0cTRRsnlusd9tmAPqTpsc1m60wPeQSYzFSDpfGhMVBoTFULpvW3VXt3B7s_60Pwwy2z55m-7h3IdkY_pjQgukt4PtKAe3oe88_53HtRkeyVghw6KrniyYabICZYcQAF0aRJA2HRM9CTTwAvoVTnw0KxB2tUo3wqdWPZMhQYrgujhRC8p/s4032/IMG_1317.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGzUCzQ7uE0cTRRsnlusd9tmAPqTpsc1m60wPeQSYzFSDpfGhMVBoTFULpvW3VXt3B7s_60Pwwy2z55m-7h3IdkY_pjQgukt4PtKAe3oe88_53HtRkeyVghw6KrniyYabICZYcQAF0aRJA2HRM9CTTwAvoVTnw0KxB2tUo3wqdWPZMhQYrgujhRC8p/s320/IMG_1317.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's totally forgotten about the construction!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived back at the start, returned our bikes to the truck team and boarded a tender back to the ship. Quite an adventure day for sure! One last highlight of the day, the Windstar Signature Deck BBQ<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdz5wRZRMsqrjHM6zWFp3ZRGLInro4SORyMWlPzDu1B_Vt2hiV15HN6LRvzyXhk0LjA4Y6KhGmyOrCAUNvvcTf2F7KWaLVIXCoHI2pVSuGIqX17Mp8l3crGsh_rMNGMMOFShULRiKGvvGoQmJOKpGkxFl0Q6ZZCC2AyCVhZgChQOMhBV7pf9b_B0Z/s4032/IMG_1326.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPdz5wRZRMsqrjHM6zWFp3ZRGLInro4SORyMWlPzDu1B_Vt2hiV15HN6LRvzyXhk0LjA4Y6KhGmyOrCAUNvvcTf2F7KWaLVIXCoHI2pVSuGIqX17Mp8l3crGsh_rMNGMMOFShULRiKGvvGoQmJOKpGkxFl0Q6ZZCC2AyCVhZgChQOMhBV7pf9b_B0Z/s320/IMG_1326.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy looked familiar!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUF4UQxiMBS1DWkXIo0nDS_Qoc5XIMq2fJSXu8S_OUk2JuiqrtUZJHClNiir_KuIjIwjOq4BdQuldgujISWDgnnrprmTV3FyKBXR8dKAZwdy64Z8z5KaMwC2N_kmaTt-ET3Ld19mXGgbES9juR16rtunKd-xzRUVLm00bbWoUiiT2cyrOBFZlAKzi/s4032/IMG_1330.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUF4UQxiMBS1DWkXIo0nDS_Qoc5XIMq2fJSXu8S_OUk2JuiqrtUZJHClNiir_KuIjIwjOq4BdQuldgujISWDgnnrprmTV3FyKBXR8dKAZwdy64Z8z5KaMwC2N_kmaTt-ET3Ld19mXGgbES9juR16rtunKd-xzRUVLm00bbWoUiiT2cyrOBFZlAKzi/s320/IMG_1330.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a great way to finish the day<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr93XVRCb3YaB8qp_aAXl7WzeoGFkD0Ls4a_S27NQ_wo4jYJW0EUfgwYuCC3QckIxi2pP7mOsMP_M65eefnnT8xiZG_1euVh_xpCB85WNN12E21q377vjjR-OfEdeQ4sLu4mxpkZv2EVGYV1h_pb835RL6DBh-NOzWG45f-Ye0e8LJW66YUErJowFL/s4032/IMG_1337.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr93XVRCb3YaB8qp_aAXl7WzeoGFkD0Ls4a_S27NQ_wo4jYJW0EUfgwYuCC3QckIxi2pP7mOsMP_M65eefnnT8xiZG_1euVh_xpCB85WNN12E21q377vjjR-OfEdeQ4sLu4mxpkZv2EVGYV1h_pb835RL6DBh-NOzWG45f-Ye0e8LJW66YUErJowFL/s320/IMG_1337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Breeze Crew perform 'YMCA"<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Windstar Signature Deck BBQ, is a tradition on most Windstar Cruises. The food was fantastic, the weather was perfect, and the crew talent show was very entertaining. A great way to end our day.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 12: Geelong/Great Otway National Park<br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Our last day of cycling would start with a two hour bus ride to the Beech Forest for a 'tree walk' among the tree tops. Then a 30 mile bike ride to Apollo Beech to pack the bikes, then a bus ride back to Geelong along the Great Ocean Road.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2QPbXTX50tNjtkhQN6nwoX7YFosNwtpUfFJEyjxECCyzIzsmoiYSN4TQ39SOVBtLoEcz0ks8VRZKltfBtSXpqaxA1LTyHJao0PSuI-OHcxsA__rQ8zp7Dx9N6JmTq61fes8UBo7tGg2crV5wojFfQZwCAfVOykBO-MzhTf8BqqMjfTeBlAE8BZyD/s4032/IMG_1349.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2QPbXTX50tNjtkhQN6nwoX7YFosNwtpUfFJEyjxECCyzIzsmoiYSN4TQ39SOVBtLoEcz0ks8VRZKltfBtSXpqaxA1LTyHJao0PSuI-OHcxsA__rQ8zp7Dx9N6JmTq61fes8UBo7tGg2crV5wojFfQZwCAfVOykBO-MzhTf8BqqMjfTeBlAE8BZyD/s320/IMG_1349.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otway Fly Tree Walk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The tree walk started a kilometer from visitor center and more climbing thereafter to reach the 600 meter walkway suspended about 100 feet off the ground. Deb wisely decided to save her feet for the ride and waited in the visitor center while I powered through. I was glad I did and was convinced she had made the right decision too!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGJZjV8XgcOYP7eKbD-jDuJ3tF-c_twvBkdo3MYWTvW2cTIgoat54UPsRwgmUWP8VLIvwg3kPmsSZW2su0HCM7IS5sRGdW474dqkzeH4PWXGsA-E0LF_ab2dF2LagJfC2ogsVR1YVfBcVudc0etDPSVmcAsgN8qY0Z2G0HIJtIiJMrE5yTGpW7KgW/s4032/IMG_1354.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGJZjV8XgcOYP7eKbD-jDuJ3tF-c_twvBkdo3MYWTvW2cTIgoat54UPsRwgmUWP8VLIvwg3kPmsSZW2su0HCM7IS5sRGdW474dqkzeH4PWXGsA-E0LF_ab2dF2LagJfC2ogsVR1YVfBcVudc0etDPSVmcAsgN8qY0Z2G0HIJtIiJMrE5yTGpW7KgW/s320/IMG_1354.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes await the last ride of the tour<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We found our bikes and headed out on the route. Only two options today, both about the same distance; one would take the Wild Dog Road which was a gravel forest road, or the state highway. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBWBZVrC44fEwyXNNFOkSfCM4-Qz2WsH_YWGOLnJrsH8itaysDAM8GbhcR_7QsapHyLQXJDMSKEfbLOED3Pvr0mEHdgxpTAJUYM_WGQ_4tOtGVk50bYltT7RdRDwWCnRldzgJmdvmMv0g1Q7-mwgpYBOg_57pTEO4T00LpIhR9uSqw0xSktx4Zz2Y/s4032/IMG_1359.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwBWBZVrC44fEwyXNNFOkSfCM4-Qz2WsH_YWGOLnJrsH8itaysDAM8GbhcR_7QsapHyLQXJDMSKEfbLOED3Pvr0mEHdgxpTAJUYM_WGQ_4tOtGVk50bYltT7RdRDwWCnRldzgJmdvmMv0g1Q7-mwgpYBOg_57pTEO4T00LpIhR9uSqw0xSktx4Zz2Y/s320/IMG_1359.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling farm land<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPnDbSp7ux0LJcEqluE1KTsiFJk7QutzXwlyYgu-NkS57S-S6TAtoGM_RTgPG9rX7LmNIvhelCGYTe9aGqHViV-osEa-9jV-FI3ID8LrsGR3kbiPyDZhE9EVgc3HfquBUZ5Ps5fR2VQ-201U7Qj_y1LD-c5R18DcnlSXagB5_08klp-QJywCZBtD1/s4032/IMG_1371.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPnDbSp7ux0LJcEqluE1KTsiFJk7QutzXwlyYgu-NkS57S-S6TAtoGM_RTgPG9rX7LmNIvhelCGYTe9aGqHViV-osEa-9jV-FI3ID8LrsGR3kbiPyDZhE9EVgc3HfquBUZ5Ps5fR2VQ-201U7Qj_y1LD-c5R18DcnlSXagB5_08klp-QJywCZBtD1/s320/IMG_1371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seemed perfectly good to me!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFuC3mgKr9z-cQVUnar7spXOh_KJPYSdeNG0y0SDtHsDuyFRSBYgizFMZIq0onoFKuCL1O1dU1cSSXFQwmf1YFyhyBY-L_uy3cE3-AMfSRZIDgQQQc3DpCKsLHY1qVjWsGY63L3TYXnIXyvw0SpxoZogPE5cGY7sEDxBrNvWa7vBxb1FKZdo5jNsk/s4032/IMG_1373.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFuC3mgKr9z-cQVUnar7spXOh_KJPYSdeNG0y0SDtHsDuyFRSBYgizFMZIq0onoFKuCL1O1dU1cSSXFQwmf1YFyhyBY-L_uy3cE3-AMfSRZIDgQQQc3DpCKsLHY1qVjWsGY63L3TYXnIXyvw0SpxoZogPE5cGY7sEDxBrNvWa7vBxb1FKZdo5jNsk/s320/IMG_1373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restricted lumber road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHX5sEb4vXpevPJVB5GIjCN2I9hWjMd0COdqzlxO9UthA575VlE2Jxaq3V54lrzpwVbWBgc82t4ueVGhp87Eu0D17oFC4ppRalfP6dXgw0_is3NN8KngSHZ3TxjLEvkYDNkXSGAumoI5FPDiRoxi34b4F5RF2tSM_9oqUFx0lR78QK40Afp2tnIcX/s4032/IMG_1377.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHX5sEb4vXpevPJVB5GIjCN2I9hWjMd0COdqzlxO9UthA575VlE2Jxaq3V54lrzpwVbWBgc82t4ueVGhp87Eu0D17oFC4ppRalfP6dXgw0_is3NN8KngSHZ3TxjLEvkYDNkXSGAumoI5FPDiRoxi34b4F5RF2tSM_9oqUFx0lR78QK40Afp2tnIcX/s320/IMG_1377.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical farmhouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was 17 miles of great riding through field and forest before we hit the junction where the routes diverged.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEL-NmTWZ5dbdAqwkCIjnThUaBYWnwqNAvkRh0yf7dBkkfei2Fl3lvc9Zbi-GB9R_KhUtBpOX2XqlNjDi4B4DtdBGzCNxcnyXqAlBcbHYh9RZuEzFuKW80KJMlwRvePazG7X3WtMX7L61ZIs58D30iYOE7scJ8frKf38ZqCPG4jclUm4nL9fDteq7/s4032/IMG_1378.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXEL-NmTWZ5dbdAqwkCIjnThUaBYWnwqNAvkRh0yf7dBkkfei2Fl3lvc9Zbi-GB9R_KhUtBpOX2XqlNjDi4B4DtdBGzCNxcnyXqAlBcbHYh9RZuEzFuKW80KJMlwRvePazG7X3WtMX7L61ZIs58D30iYOE7scJ8frKf38ZqCPG4jclUm4nL9fDteq7/s320/IMG_1378.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild Dog Road! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was decision time and we elected to get 'dirty' on the Wild Dog Road. It was great; no traffic, and like many gravel roads, it was so hard packed that it was smoother than many paved roads!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW22LXMWPbKlTX8Y6rSGYN8SCNcHASzZTwA3RpIbZ8S3wG2AXbBwSI-IAW3n4aw5hMiq63a1x83EKuJdoaFAWD1TzySiBaM0wznkkKWcoIEE2EIZu_r09VPYbQ1Wi9kiY82Trx-696r3LmU9cgkraro_AoXfwIioj-837kH4x3aqjSRR00qDevkcx-/s4032/IMG_1386.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW22LXMWPbKlTX8Y6rSGYN8SCNcHASzZTwA3RpIbZ8S3wG2AXbBwSI-IAW3n4aw5hMiq63a1x83EKuJdoaFAWD1TzySiBaM0wznkkKWcoIEE2EIZu_r09VPYbQ1Wi9kiY82Trx-696r3LmU9cgkraro_AoXfwIioj-837kH4x3aqjSRR00qDevkcx-/s320/IMG_1386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views on the Wild Dog!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6dghsKaqKGm51JVDPmsdlmQhHkwqE7YUFOEmEpuV7QKFhVqfMNWJCBV-Ewp_Y68tDxuMZh5iuoQSEhMjQh_S24cIcsjMYCV5mil2uHpemH5lKO82nk31KavknIg5c3BqLvyr7wGnzHDH_y4XWe6TEJtjb9xzi6XR8kfW2bl0vbGj13yg064pdEyj/s4032/IMG_1392.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6dghsKaqKGm51JVDPmsdlmQhHkwqE7YUFOEmEpuV7QKFhVqfMNWJCBV-Ewp_Y68tDxuMZh5iuoQSEhMjQh_S24cIcsjMYCV5mil2uHpemH5lKO82nk31KavknIg5c3BqLvyr7wGnzHDH_y4XWe6TEJtjb9xzi6XR8kfW2bl0vbGj13yg064pdEyj/s320/IMG_1392.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few miles on the Great Ocean Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Both routes joined the Great Ocean road for the last 3 miles to Apollo Bay and the ride finish. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QV7zPqzCRhQAo4rSucsH4zRSeyb4x6Jr3eLHL_K-Zq-nkenhHupMFlayIjOCJZBB0AbaKjg4j7m2Td5-rlK-TGbbuiShC1zkUx-hk7s-9tXgkUmdfzivuI9TNlBFYnYbHKDraSRcZ0CGwhbF1Y6wvMH3_UCa61CuTrZilxxdWq6YKMmWus1rvdHC/s4032/IMG_1393.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6QV7zPqzCRhQAo4rSucsH4zRSeyb4x6Jr3eLHL_K-Zq-nkenhHupMFlayIjOCJZBB0AbaKjg4j7m2Td5-rlK-TGbbuiShC1zkUx-hk7s-9tXgkUmdfzivuI9TNlBFYnYbHKDraSRcZ0CGwhbF1Y6wvMH3_UCa61CuTrZilxxdWq6YKMmWus1rvdHC/s320/IMG_1393.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing the bikes in the park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The plan was to pack the bikes, load them in trucks, and board the bus for a scenic ride along the Great Ocean road back to Geelong. I found the cases and started the packing process while Deb found carry out pizza and refreshments to enjoy while we packed the bikes.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfafpm1Lx59YbiALtii3jqiSXrgdjJGl4tgcrFRAmQJWSpkCijo9io-ZqroiTWp-jC4KxBm-2hLIhkGmciWDVBoayjGD6QKUReBBeINi8DQZVkBBK_-NXfEv2X2dEVruDNx0IEBC3MB_lvO-68d0jD_DZmhaVYJRlnTM2oBGyHXLvQ0IngnUQHX7fZ/s4032/IMG_1398.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfafpm1Lx59YbiALtii3jqiSXrgdjJGl4tgcrFRAmQJWSpkCijo9io-ZqroiTWp-jC4KxBm-2hLIhkGmciWDVBoayjGD6QKUReBBeINi8DQZVkBBK_-NXfEv2X2dEVruDNx0IEBC3MB_lvO-68d0jD_DZmhaVYJRlnTM2oBGyHXLvQ0IngnUQHX7fZ/s320/IMG_1398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apollo Bay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We boarded the bus and started our journey and the first few miles were great until the A/C unit on the bus stopped working! It was a three hour ride, the first two of which were unbearable. We stopped about an hour from Geelong at a park/rest area and I literally was checking my phone for an Uber! Meanwhile the bus driver decided to power off the entire bus and see if the A/C would come back on. Miraculously it did! We were thankful but wondered why he had not tried that hours ago!</p><p>One more tender ride back to the ship to pack up and get ready to disembark in Melborne!<br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;">Disembark and Melbourne Post-tour<br /></h4></div><div style="text-align: left;">We booked three nights in Melbourne to spend independently touring the city. And like Sydney, we packed in quite a few activities before heading home! Here's a few:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPLCbI1RInCijm9YXb0OAMrbgESxw300hTh5PF_z_jjlkIuqJ6Qoz-Jzv7euZelG57KVSn_VA65vxs8B4A8uTZ7JPOXs0YuqZqCH8gY9bd12GifRa0MbYN6myTwwACiZ58eF3bmD64Mr72p84wVD3MJe2MClFv8mRuXf9IM2kTu47_r5n1uFD7adu/s4032/IMG_1400.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghPLCbI1RInCijm9YXb0OAMrbgESxw300hTh5PF_z_jjlkIuqJ6Qoz-Jzv7euZelG57KVSn_VA65vxs8B4A8uTZ7JPOXs0YuqZqCH8gY9bd12GifRa0MbYN6myTwwACiZ58eF3bmD64Mr72p84wVD3MJe2MClFv8mRuXf9IM2kTu47_r5n1uFD7adu/s320/IMG_1400.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Patrick's Cathedral<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zb-XNGAvwFHmje2DNIAt57DgrhY9XKHZBF8l3sJX8a3HxqOqYdTTd30Yv5o-_5QxZnCwsPZUrUsO5qhc-YKLYPqi0o6keLn4heWF-Gwr7bCEsLgASnDu_EAKD_dy1fapPojcWJxJvMfQQuKAWKG6CcJY4IcvungfuA0wnjR0vv-DRN89keZnV2dr/s4032/IMG_1402.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zb-XNGAvwFHmje2DNIAt57DgrhY9XKHZBF8l3sJX8a3HxqOqYdTTd30Yv5o-_5QxZnCwsPZUrUsO5qhc-YKLYPqi0o6keLn4heWF-Gwr7bCEsLgASnDu_EAKD_dy1fapPojcWJxJvMfQQuKAWKG6CcJY4IcvungfuA0wnjR0vv-DRN89keZnV2dr/s320/IMG_1402.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving for Sunday Mass</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: left;">It was Sunday and a short walk to Mass, but we were moving slowly and half-way we jumped in
a cab so we wouldn't be late. We had a lovely cab driver who pointed
out that it was only a few more blocks walking. After I told him that we
would be late for the start of Mass if we walked, he rushed us to
church. He was excited to hear about our journey and refused to charge
us a fare or accept a tip. He said, it was his pleasure to get travelers
to church on time! <br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIT5kt7ZjTmGEmcqo6xhtnUo0tJueWkHNguR28K1mQ4KFflJKRleN1y4hDzMOccx5rFAfHZNn7eyjA4wGhjmaqBZjo9UWU3B10Q5kEMdBmzRlGD4MVljiCfUGU5DeNrBuvG-90AzFST_pXCbu2EchoPoEh1KEOrDJlrlp1RPqv2OWyNm2esj359Dc/s4032/IMG_1407.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilIT5kt7ZjTmGEmcqo6xhtnUo0tJueWkHNguR28K1mQ4KFflJKRleN1y4hDzMOccx5rFAfHZNn7eyjA4wGhjmaqBZjo9UWU3B10Q5kEMdBmzRlGD4MVljiCfUGU5DeNrBuvG-90AzFST_pXCbu2EchoPoEh1KEOrDJlrlp1RPqv2OWyNm2esj359Dc/s320/IMG_1407.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of shopping<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBjjiriD-Q-oUY387awgMJpPwVD8ShD3PBMT5I-mzdKggliQDZRHAEhfNQjFMPM2WO3y5skLbWQAiI9PeFp_Ns7Zkdepgz0AY1ABYrAruTqebOk6dUQBZNxL9fccVekpclhITy5Xsu1KzcJljPTm1yT1mFxqFD8YE6Wq_z-d4Yqptcv08pku2A96B/s4032/IMG_1408.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQBjjiriD-Q-oUY387awgMJpPwVD8ShD3PBMT5I-mzdKggliQDZRHAEhfNQjFMPM2WO3y5skLbWQAiI9PeFp_Ns7Zkdepgz0AY1ABYrAruTqebOk6dUQBZNxL9fccVekpclhITy5Xsu1KzcJljPTm1yT1mFxqFD8YE6Wq_z-d4Yqptcv08pku2A96B/s320/IMG_1408.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't wait in this line for Santa<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdoWilwc1BGEyswGH7q-5jYTKu9bcbiTNmqOQ7UEv5jVcsO4RlqdaAyeD3mB7WmnuSp19eGk-h8y0pRwloHieZAP0wC6siE9F73VxYkXj_0wjtWBTw5Rg4EQGpSQ7s_rELRtfmuhJBjE6roIcz2NWnKLPawY0m99hJrWRqrqrkcZ-sscdG55GMZmS/s4032/IMG_1414.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdoWilwc1BGEyswGH7q-5jYTKu9bcbiTNmqOQ7UEv5jVcsO4RlqdaAyeD3mB7WmnuSp19eGk-h8y0pRwloHieZAP0wC6siE9F73VxYkXj_0wjtWBTw5Rg4EQGpSQ7s_rELRtfmuhJBjE6roIcz2NWnKLPawY0m99hJrWRqrqrkcZ-sscdG55GMZmS/s320/IMG_1414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMhbhGjwRDpyYTONAEHtytztoho_zcXC8_obE3MsCKX2PucSQ5nfwmC1QbrrvARbRb-u6BnTvdjOJQxvclqdGAP3EUEkRZ_BbTSw6LQDV1PQNuZ8HoWqSxmGVsvZOuLF4lPXwSBWIXi4Tf6VEH458N3NxhbuhlOJVFLzVGFiarsvjzzi6C4SxuXRC/s4032/IMG_1411.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMhbhGjwRDpyYTONAEHtytztoho_zcXC8_obE3MsCKX2PucSQ5nfwmC1QbrrvARbRb-u6BnTvdjOJQxvclqdGAP3EUEkRZ_BbTSw6LQDV1PQNuZ8HoWqSxmGVsvZOuLF4lPXwSBWIXi4Tf6VEH458N3NxhbuhlOJVFLzVGFiarsvjzzi6C4SxuXRC/s320/IMG_1411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great performance of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k1H9UDriFwMT3eGgSNBh3vsoBZxF-NZkjvaEQOuRsqGOq7MA25IKBhEQmYMih0IQTwbAqdAlCdNji7GPLRtTshs3SUDMn2kq-1Y0hwvsfWhv946gq0vJ310ILoRU0lQjOQCp3zejSjYl0d1xEtmANX-lCwWBt1Z02iIv67GKdvdln6iDJw5J4fXS/s4032/IMG_1416.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4k1H9UDriFwMT3eGgSNBh3vsoBZxF-NZkjvaEQOuRsqGOq7MA25IKBhEQmYMih0IQTwbAqdAlCdNji7GPLRtTshs3SUDMn2kq-1Y0hwvsfWhv946gq0vJ310ILoRU0lQjOQCp3zejSjYl0d1xEtmANX-lCwWBt1Z02iIv67GKdvdln6iDJw5J4fXS/s320/IMG_1416.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring the city on foot<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TQkdSCgjlpUBvEmOrO0T6kQnx1Ezlgi9rwsu4RstdFcdI7x8MhhTF-79eH47L0te_8fAFP_TXBr21aFXSTEzeZzDUFK9NmBfU_pSUqVIl8qT5NZG4Sjh6kU2p0KfFW6lXFvb7NpnoBMqcpIjqD9dOYYwvArSav_A3zGeSGr3GnKHgTe-C6ax7WdD/s4032/IMG_1419.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_TQkdSCgjlpUBvEmOrO0T6kQnx1Ezlgi9rwsu4RstdFcdI7x8MhhTF-79eH47L0te_8fAFP_TXBr21aFXSTEzeZzDUFK9NmBfU_pSUqVIl8qT5NZG4Sjh6kU2p0KfFW6lXFvb7NpnoBMqcpIjqD9dOYYwvArSav_A3zGeSGr3GnKHgTe-C6ax7WdD/s320/IMG_1419.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too bad I didn't need a haircut<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcLsHJHmnF_2XsaBeUn26JslIWbVx9nfHCEmSoMSyhhK0illduNWiELgNDe_y93g-qdsBmNxEM6gV-0H1wn-vpzvmJLw3j8F2snSQ008equup9DnjunRBRg6I_PNhFU_exBzsTQmNcY0VOrHv73Vwq8LWWX5g7-IDrhhVOTBOOYk27-H_1F4Hxbjk/s4032/IMG_1421.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcLsHJHmnF_2XsaBeUn26JslIWbVx9nfHCEmSoMSyhhK0illduNWiELgNDe_y93g-qdsBmNxEM6gV-0H1wn-vpzvmJLw3j8F2snSQ008equup9DnjunRBRg6I_PNhFU_exBzsTQmNcY0VOrHv73Vwq8LWWX5g7-IDrhhVOTBOOYk27-H_1F4Hxbjk/s320/IMG_1421.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many great meals<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3y9S5XWIYq56RVBrQaebc25aoGkYDTZ2Agu3iKDOaWnyNqC6YUFysZmv_EFKhxycbgQkwBdGErsiox67zGt8TUxc3bOUhmaVmh1C5UAFw5TX_YsLzN-Nf7RtNM4YkESHfY0GDDg9IKtMbi_WB6Z_5AT9c95rTaa8wdKU5RXq7y35bZBl1BsnUEPk/s4032/IMG_1433.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3y9S5XWIYq56RVBrQaebc25aoGkYDTZ2Agu3iKDOaWnyNqC6YUFysZmv_EFKhxycbgQkwBdGErsiox67zGt8TUxc3bOUhmaVmh1C5UAFw5TX_YsLzN-Nf7RtNM4YkESHfY0GDDg9IKtMbi_WB6Z_5AT9c95rTaa8wdKU5RXq7y35bZBl1BsnUEPk/s320/IMG_1433.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Botanical Gardens<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupgYpVXtOSf7anDgzBrrwtG7sgGasr2ClQWx_F4V_EE1SR2KrcXXL7eRRh0zYdD9nhMhqx2Ffn-B8OwYUSeO5DicTr16hDLNCYv7mPGDwlTqMGoENjsREM5x1B9rdFnBAPLUs5gWoOvT6fjCR4n_9IvSRDy6W3zdvMmLiUeQNjO_T5HdZD5TEgnWG/s4032/IMG_1440.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhupgYpVXtOSf7anDgzBrrwtG7sgGasr2ClQWx_F4V_EE1SR2KrcXXL7eRRh0zYdD9nhMhqx2Ffn-B8OwYUSeO5DicTr16hDLNCYv7mPGDwlTqMGoENjsREM5x1B9rdFnBAPLUs5gWoOvT6fjCR4n_9IvSRDy6W3zdvMmLiUeQNjO_T5HdZD5TEgnWG/s320/IMG_1440.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crew teams working out<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Melbourne was a wonderful town and the only thing we didn't get done was an evening harbor kayak dinner tour recommended by a former Deloitte colleague of my Dad's. The weather turn cold and windy and was cancelled by the outfitter. </p><p>That was probably the best, as we were pretty exhausted by this point in the trip and ready to get home, and perhaps like you; ready for this blog/adventure to end too!</p><p>What a trip! Thanks for following along!</p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/1762711?privacy_code=BDgzV51GZLvS2jOb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS and ride details</a><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-43611072578799957232022-07-01T14:00:00.628-07:002022-11-10T06:28:33.117-07:00Baltic Sea Cruise: Copenhagen to Stockholm 2022<div class="separator"><br /></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V804YX3M5YNP4jpB3yMSvVzMvsxl2footvGc2Pgcwe8gUGjfHiCPpMsD43tsgdkTFDd35NlVVUsElwFfasmSUPjGeWfzF1cczRSq7FlRrvBD-bgo2e0L9v1cETM0mkWEgqVZpZ6hxLaWMH0w7srjmy746W-5CvuNrtwIPsSSvoqaov6aaXns1U8q/s4032/IMG_9792.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-V804YX3M5YNP4jpB3yMSvVzMvsxl2footvGc2Pgcwe8gUGjfHiCPpMsD43tsgdkTFDd35NlVVUsElwFfasmSUPjGeWfzF1cczRSq7FlRrvBD-bgo2e0L9v1cETM0mkWEgqVZpZ6hxLaWMH0w7srjmy746W-5CvuNrtwIPsSSvoqaov6aaXns1U8q/s320/IMG_9792.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baltic Sea near Turku Finland</td></tr></tbody></table>Ride Report July 2022<p></p><p>This is our third Santana Adventures cycling cruise and featured eight Baltic countries; Denmark, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Sweden. We selected this cruise because, except for Germany, we had not toured any of these countries. This 'sampler' cruise omitted Norway and Russia. Norway is a bit out of the way and is featured in its own Santana Cruise, and while Russia was on the original itinerary when we signed up two years ago, Putin's war in Ukraine meant we traded St. Petersburg for an extra day in Finland! </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Copenhagen Pre-tour</h4><p>We added the two-night pre-tour in Copenhagen to adjust to the time change, assemble the bikes, and spend a couple extra days in Denmark. An added benefit to this cruise, the Tour de France Grand Depart was scheduled for our embark day on July 1 in Copenhagen. It was not contemplated when the tour was scheduled two years ago, it was just lucky for us!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGleMKR_WZiYR2ECd1Rgs2cIkxbAqSAxOkmIEhvwjni1wAEUArTO_iiciXuJRimAiiXJCent1SIIsMN0QmPxWUbeeRklli9Br2AzXyCf92IFwnS8e3TpEo2Sym7Q86VaGQEfWv8xTkLmRneH919nNVNLgoxzf9KYPtaA4XrWKR-oIC1WhgsUpZS7a/s3088/IMG_8816.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGleMKR_WZiYR2ECd1Rgs2cIkxbAqSAxOkmIEhvwjni1wAEUArTO_iiciXuJRimAiiXJCent1SIIsMN0QmPxWUbeeRklli9Br2AzXyCf92IFwnS8e3TpEo2Sym7Q86VaGQEfWv8xTkLmRneH919nNVNLgoxzf9KYPtaA4XrWKR-oIC1WhgsUpZS7a/s320/IMG_8816.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the next adventure!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhSGkjUBPP7ektzmIdqNGems483SzRFAxvJEayQnDxX6eWZsUdw3Iek8uT62LQi5bPG4uDzcGFLSyvghnUx1-ula9dvUuZcTCHH3LcKVLCYkWZyruQQRQ_Rv8MohcQ8U28F-qPzVJli2nPIYk6cWNlszCd71eSjFlYfUlDdXL5BHoYybRNar5HN_E/s4032/IMG_8817.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBhSGkjUBPP7ektzmIdqNGems483SzRFAxvJEayQnDxX6eWZsUdw3Iek8uT62LQi5bPG4uDzcGFLSyvghnUx1-ula9dvUuZcTCHH3LcKVLCYkWZyruQQRQ_Rv8MohcQ8U28F-qPzVJli2nPIYk6cWNlszCd71eSjFlYfUlDdXL5BHoYybRNar5HN_E/s320/IMG_8817.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice direct flight from LA</td></tr></tbody></table>SAS Airlines had a direct flight from LA to Copenhagen, and it was on sale, so we scooped up those tickets. With all the post-COVID travel chaos, we decided to drive to LA a day early and spend time with Debby's sister Kathy before heading to Europe. Of course, the SAS Pilots' union was threatening to strike at midnight on June 29. Our flight was departing June 28, but only a few minutes earlier than the midnight deadline in Copenhagen! Luckily we departed on time, had a wonderful flight and arrived without incident! <div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiTTx6cnoUACrsSW0htZQiGfFrnur_DzYPvRfL39m3O908PA-wYXfCzXYoWyyMSI-zApQzaQFIaDSTv4WXJ2G9sLTE0-JKhBXe42b4wagjDwqLd8EDFtabxh3wBBfazwE3fn_NLryKotv3zn7kBx_xaAHdJiRiTbPey0MJVWwUqjfDzkXGD98pjrJ/s4032/IMG_8819.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiTTx6cnoUACrsSW0htZQiGfFrnur_DzYPvRfL39m3O908PA-wYXfCzXYoWyyMSI-zApQzaQFIaDSTv4WXJ2G9sLTE0-JKhBXe42b4wagjDwqLd8EDFtabxh3wBBfazwE3fn_NLryKotv3zn7kBx_xaAHdJiRiTbPey0MJVWwUqjfDzkXGD98pjrJ/s320/IMG_8819.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copenhagen was ready for the Tour!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had some time between arriving at the hotel and the opening of the garage for bike assembly so we headed out on foot to get our bearings in the city. Our hotel was centrally located and near the Tour start/finish area and other Tour activities. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2LxhLHPmdvLR1evguM2_HZbI3jr0GeUSpz7DIMCUF6rUn9Oo5PACKJXjwzSe4VLTXfiUF6-kXOs5WN9enSEn806ihEg4johLNkCd_F6JtHiI7N0lTwABgeclm8esMIh4TMskljGEr56_vXpuAk2R2aYLmkVLovfJ55cmbWymUOfxka3lX1wV8cPV/s4032/IMG_8820.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2LxhLHPmdvLR1evguM2_HZbI3jr0GeUSpz7DIMCUF6rUn9Oo5PACKJXjwzSe4VLTXfiUF6-kXOs5WN9enSEn806ihEg4johLNkCd_F6JtHiI7N0lTwABgeclm8esMIh4TMskljGEr56_vXpuAk2R2aYLmkVLovfJ55cmbWymUOfxka3lX1wV8cPV/s320/IMG_8820.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to assemble the bikes</td></tr></tbody></table><div>I put together my bike first and did a test lap in the garage. Debby’s bike was next, but it failed the test drive. It felt like a broken spoke.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiO8NtxHY1xac3_Cr-xIDtC1BYTdXW1hhRzUEBlWjxDIFYub2zCyChK_xpfwfoDVl2Iu7s2-gW2J_Dz3nQ6LRbReJp93IE3P_Ajr1663Dyah8isUoCQ4dcEFTl3Ijbj3ybUxNXoh9EDGvHhUAI12irz0ODPLEiSlcS6c5CmKsZG1jpqVRDwoRAJGQ/s4032/IMG_8822.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQiO8NtxHY1xac3_Cr-xIDtC1BYTdXW1hhRzUEBlWjxDIFYub2zCyChK_xpfwfoDVl2Iu7s2-gW2J_Dz3nQ6LRbReJp93IE3P_Ajr1663Dyah8isUoCQ4dcEFTl3Ijbj3ybUxNXoh9EDGvHhUAI12irz0ODPLEiSlcS6c5CmKsZG1jpqVRDwoRAJGQ/s320/IMG_8822.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D'oh! </td></tr></tbody></table>Worse that a broken spoke, the wheel split where one of the drive side spokes connects to the rim. It’s after 5 by the time I get back to the room and most the local bike shops were closed!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGE-B65-XiEo3GwFl5Asa8oSan-GAkT1NVzF7ZoZ9ElfuEPkApbro__IuaO3TJUfh4uXvz1PjyXK_GUaEGPsizDHfFHU4Gutgk92z2IWiM73vvsM2J697vcFGF5hY2pQTGYA-dxfUaZXamDxj2RtahNLegPyWEchx42Y75CS1eyYPzKUOimSxoH7G6/s4032/IMG_8826.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGE-B65-XiEo3GwFl5Asa8oSan-GAkT1NVzF7ZoZ9ElfuEPkApbro__IuaO3TJUfh4uXvz1PjyXK_GUaEGPsizDHfFHU4Gutgk92z2IWiM73vvsM2J697vcFGF5hY2pQTGYA-dxfUaZXamDxj2RtahNLegPyWEchx42Y75CS1eyYPzKUOimSxoH7G6/s320/IMG_8826.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shop had an 11 speed rim brake wheel set</td></tr></tbody></table>We skipped the next morning’s group ride to get on the phone and look for a rim. Since it was Saturday and the Tour started on Sunday, this was our only chance to find a wheel. Luckily, our friends Larry and Kris were aware of our predicament. They started the group tour, but dropped off to check out some bike shops.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rim brakes are rapidly becoming ‘old school’ as disk brakes seem to be the new standard. It took several tries, but Larry found a shop that had a Mavic wheel set that would work. I had called a half-dozen shops with no joy.</div><div><br /></div><div>I put Debby’s broken wheel on my bike and headed to the A-H shop. It wobbled, but was fine for a short low speed ride to the shop. Thanks to Larry, they gave me a small discount since I only needed the rear wheel, and quickly swapped out the cassette to the new wheel and we were back in business!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Dcb8sFBnxFua1pyY5nGfclezViUMWzKIGIkXoh21WfP-In7mSnVXtlkLncvUSro036k20AU2nRrh20E5V23piBD3gAan-RMGq4xJZ3SrqLz9ZzD-z3eL06L3JTtzQ3idh7m6EcCPo5nODAubYY9co3HM8AjvXGRyBzkCbPPal3JLCf8Itb20vwD4/s3088/IMG_8829.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Dcb8sFBnxFua1pyY5nGfclezViUMWzKIGIkXoh21WfP-In7mSnVXtlkLncvUSro036k20AU2nRrh20E5V23piBD3gAan-RMGq4xJZ3SrqLz9ZzD-z3eL06L3JTtzQ3idh7m6EcCPo5nODAubYY9co3HM8AjvXGRyBzkCbPPal3JLCf8Itb20vwD4/s320/IMG_8829.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great bike trail for our shake down ride</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIbYcFGDy-O822l_JqK9Gpxc0WMLVadQabrZIcDdbJFtrqaEWOuT9bcOM5jnIP6rEDAvX6jfIfH0k6FLxzsyk42-mZ68dlnc9-BELEzAtjedyxEneTJC7OcID321_CSUPK9xWGIAXCO1DAjBp_h1EdQRTSX6-M76vMNVRCKwhcgj4nAQ2FnuyBjC_/s4032/IMG_8840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIbYcFGDy-O822l_JqK9Gpxc0WMLVadQabrZIcDdbJFtrqaEWOuT9bcOM5jnIP6rEDAvX6jfIfH0k6FLxzsyk42-mZ68dlnc9-BELEzAtjedyxEneTJC7OcID321_CSUPK9xWGIAXCO1DAjBp_h1EdQRTSX6-M76vMNVRCKwhcgj4nAQ2FnuyBjC_/s320/IMG_8840.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restaurants, bars, and a skate park!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOdfTBrSo9HzPqIypJqkKCgjWp1xQwWwA32hcRFlmCR_FvqYrbbNDYEiXowbuuiPbAoAq2RylEeBNcLjHTNzWAuxZlrZXP9i9Vgphndgcyf3MXGS2GF5L6fZiDXna1ukjhi9REQHYNtGDGaPrY4Snwmd9tWYX-sN7njBpxBxydDzLgiY5f5FggR7R/s4032/IMG_8838.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOdfTBrSo9HzPqIypJqkKCgjWp1xQwWwA32hcRFlmCR_FvqYrbbNDYEiXowbuuiPbAoAq2RylEeBNcLjHTNzWAuxZlrZXP9i9Vgphndgcyf3MXGS2GF5L6fZiDXna1ukjhi9REQHYNtGDGaPrY4Snwmd9tWYX-sN7njBpxBxydDzLgiY5f5FggR7R/s320/IMG_8838.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World Famous Danish Hot Dog!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We returned to the hotel, picked up Debby and decided to take our own self-guided tour of the area and find some lunch. We happened on an outdoor collection of shipping containers turned into a dining/drinking/music venue by chance and had a great meal! It even had a skate park!</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWgfWLsMucTmH8OtE1x7N9Ifr_OWZH3MAROYQsDJVjRYfDPx8JVyhuF_uUYKj4OhKfFmQDPDZ9fwTjLG_dITtaq9Gxh3pgPs4x-AajGvKm4FpCAMREQtegGZTHsibp79UdZ0cO25jGXAh_J2iKVxuQgaPM_8Z3ctn4Czhjt3Z1nGd3_Bt3bzrP2ZJ/s4032/IMG_8849.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWgfWLsMucTmH8OtE1x7N9Ifr_OWZH3MAROYQsDJVjRYfDPx8JVyhuF_uUYKj4OhKfFmQDPDZ9fwTjLG_dITtaq9Gxh3pgPs4x-AajGvKm4FpCAMREQtegGZTHsibp79UdZ0cO25jGXAh_J2iKVxuQgaPM_8Z3ctn4Czhjt3Z1nGd3_Bt3bzrP2ZJ/s320/IMG_8849.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trash incinerator </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_YMhiTXm8cSuuIqrocbCKUxh4TY4wOG0UKDDnQvub9f_FaJybwyWmHfqkUE4HnRhqR7VT_8cWMO8GympFLph325aNaT-2M78GOYZ6tiCbkndr8gfrMnwmhxUz7ieIvipmvvuC5xDW2_zoC8rDIf6YV87XfJoon6SX8A4wPc2PpmsasM8DgR3Duzw/s4032/IMG_8851.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV_YMhiTXm8cSuuIqrocbCKUxh4TY4wOG0UKDDnQvub9f_FaJybwyWmHfqkUE4HnRhqR7VT_8cWMO8GympFLph325aNaT-2M78GOYZ6tiCbkndr8gfrMnwmhxUz7ieIvipmvvuC5xDW2_zoC8rDIf6YV87XfJoon6SX8A4wPc2PpmsasM8DgR3Duzw/s320/IMG_8851.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ski Slope</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWclk_bLJtdoc3hssMDFUCms1dAWPu2ZHlVERcc6AvOvvjyqkTTozT0czZKDsin0ovrBmkNkgAApUt3TZhWllXmc_0s5MQuk1QPy8OKmjCNthsDFhk43Z86slSDF9bQMT73FsCNJHC4GLv2ILBbHOEFuulRI0zZBtik3RPauEMnSXRc-HrI71LFlo_/s4032/IMG_8852.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWclk_bLJtdoc3hssMDFUCms1dAWPu2ZHlVERcc6AvOvvjyqkTTozT0czZKDsin0ovrBmkNkgAApUt3TZhWllXmc_0s5MQuk1QPy8OKmjCNthsDFhk43Z86slSDF9bQMT73FsCNJHC4GLv2ILBbHOEFuulRI0zZBtik3RPauEMnSXRc-HrI71LFlo_/s320/IMG_8852.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing wall</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Returning from lunch, we noticed a tall building that looked interesting. It was! The steam was from the municipal trash incinerator. The structure was also a high rise apartment building, with a ski slope for a roof. There was no snow this time of year, but the skiers were on special skis that worked on the artificial grass. Oh, one more thing. It had a sport climbing wall that went all the way to the top of the building. World Sport Climbing championships have been held here!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJq24fkUvIVNIRkpBtca9odG175pbaaR1cbedPvQnQ0uYDKCO03NWlPhL6RSnD3B4_Xhxd5c44lnuG1uv2BPMJhAxqvYaOZb0Qsmj4YgW_hvqTwi4NpCGWCPLDpa3qv23r_wf66q3H0QiYkkdveGL4dSIYYXRDxJe9dVTo3Tc_szx0osIBcyR4ahr/s4032/IMG_8861.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsJq24fkUvIVNIRkpBtca9odG175pbaaR1cbedPvQnQ0uYDKCO03NWlPhL6RSnD3B4_Xhxd5c44lnuG1uv2BPMJhAxqvYaOZb0Qsmj4YgW_hvqTwi4NpCGWCPLDpa3qv23r_wf66q3H0QiYkkdveGL4dSIYYXRDxJe9dVTo3Tc_szx0osIBcyR4ahr/s320/IMG_8861.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Debby, Kris, and Larry</td></tr></tbody></table>We made our way back to the hotel after a very productive morning and afternoon! I must admit, we were greatly relieved that Debby’s wheel problem was solved and we were ready to go. Thanks again to Larry and Kris for springing into action to find the wheel!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Next up was our mandatory COVID test. We headed back to the hotel bar to wait for the line to go down, it finally did and we hopped in for our test. After the test you were to linger in a waiting area until the test cleared. They kept recalling passengers, and we wondered if a bunch failed. They just needed to re-test, and everyone passed!</div><div><br /></div><div>Wheel repair? Check! COVID? Check! We are relieved to have those potential tour ending milestones behind us and decide to head back to the waterfront area to find the restaurant we noticed when we arrived yesterday.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OEFZ5RapxbJQO16Z6UTVoLhq01VbTgv8X2BnRFPZ_b1qjw8EyLp-2jWgI8lMxGpqKfESpj44CQxwHVSTG-2GRSb7xqFdN2LLOjPdQFcVyWnI3V0loqa2ep3NHxT7sd9ItBKjy-PNgtpN7GblHoaqXzcxW6Rax16nY_0Bf_qspHPm9lyFzgsSonVN/s4032/IMG_8866.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2OEFZ5RapxbJQO16Z6UTVoLhq01VbTgv8X2BnRFPZ_b1qjw8EyLp-2jWgI8lMxGpqKfESpj44CQxwHVSTG-2GRSb7xqFdN2LLOjPdQFcVyWnI3V0loqa2ep3NHxT7sd9ItBKjy-PNgtpN7GblHoaqXzcxW6Rax16nY_0Bf_qspHPm9lyFzgsSonVN/s320/IMG_8866.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the local heroes were ready for the race!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were Tour de France (TdF) decorations everywhere and a bunch of promotional booths were set up in a square on the way to the waterfront. We picked up some great TdF promotional hats and other SWAG. Best of all it was all free!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlT2-ML7U0PRoRLmdGlStmBJMzX-D2rdk3YwE7B7V0MwbG85lgRi-HmYyMem9LJ0q5l1WHE6C80TTArnRIByxQiQU9kSQKnRSv0YOCTOQkpE33wm1FwyuBw7d3PqB2wRye4D9ID-i7uiNTgvG7AbQTgddiRWM0IswSsA4yYebcfZnEf1sgFuYysTl/s4032/IMG_8863.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDlT2-ML7U0PRoRLmdGlStmBJMzX-D2rdk3YwE7B7V0MwbG85lgRi-HmYyMem9LJ0q5l1WHE6C80TTArnRIByxQiQU9kSQKnRSv0YOCTOQkpE33wm1FwyuBw7d3PqB2wRye4D9ID-i7uiNTgvG7AbQTgddiRWM0IswSsA4yYebcfZnEf1sgFuYysTl/s320/IMG_8863.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1G2eDB2gVObOlLUdOghP8HNQ2AQAL7leFAjy0A086E8FE-ASyUggSWNsYOD3mNpmvL4uoq4xYrsxMhxYUPIvepeuRJleGskgZQU8SO5KMDoTJgQmME8Jqc5yTBx68t1Pm5-TlRmlw6UwT9aQ-jdUycTi2fWkv09Vf6a20RDQXENCjHMKFh6iuzMc/s4032/IMG_8868.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia1G2eDB2gVObOlLUdOghP8HNQ2AQAL7leFAjy0A086E8FE-ASyUggSWNsYOD3mNpmvL4uoq4xYrsxMhxYUPIvepeuRJleGskgZQU8SO5KMDoTJgQmME8Jqc5yTBx68t1Pm5-TlRmlw6UwT9aQ-jdUycTi2fWkv09Vf6a20RDQXENCjHMKFh6iuzMc/s320/IMG_8868.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pleasant curbside seating!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAChFBWg-T8B9lcw5pUSc9xKMcMrqM3j5Q1t26RB7YQkxf1yNb1PAIVL14C87Y3w-_6RZaJ4XAtKFnmklgqQEAeOSzDZ79p_WW9PRkSzUrzkVmbX_M_pJNXO_wCIEUn5IXjxny9TSUQO8U3m-EygsRpgD3qp4SEEvqzoaz1Y1ThXWOEXcXy5cKt9U9/s4032/IMG_8878.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAChFBWg-T8B9lcw5pUSc9xKMcMrqM3j5Q1t26RB7YQkxf1yNb1PAIVL14C87Y3w-_6RZaJ4XAtKFnmklgqQEAeOSzDZ79p_WW9PRkSzUrzkVmbX_M_pJNXO_wCIEUn5IXjxny9TSUQO8U3m-EygsRpgD3qp4SEEvqzoaz1Y1ThXWOEXcXy5cKt9U9/s320/IMG_8878.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fans busy painting the route</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxor8T_Ht85L7C5BLucS7giOVtOMRF8rzMkLBPDyubp7CbI4jWuepjKJYNaZ4jagha-VpjbH4uz_qQIDMebC9n_fBy0NtaeRSCZzMuWvtq-Kar9UnjAhD8iW4WtVYBLzJGF24w_-gyRMqeRQn1c_Ks92rWcZuAM2_xPlLYkrirDTs-keo6JffV7oa/s4032/IMG_8867.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxor8T_Ht85L7C5BLucS7giOVtOMRF8rzMkLBPDyubp7CbI4jWuepjKJYNaZ4jagha-VpjbH4uz_qQIDMebC9n_fBy0NtaeRSCZzMuWvtq-Kar9UnjAhD8iW4WtVYBLzJGF24w_-gyRMqeRQn1c_Ks92rWcZuAM2_xPlLYkrirDTs-keo6JffV7oa/s320/IMG_8867.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copenhagen waterfront</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The meal was fantastic, and set along a postcard perfect view of the old waterfront. We made our way back to the hotel to call this a day!</div></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Copenhagen Denmark</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83JZX4C5plaSNiTx8GtAijDaIuiCh4v5E0mNYn8y7aspWRIyA0C9urNB-PNM693Az7g30mI211Zs3FBeXt_NMUqKBj0GvUiDcCXctCDmdd-jjw48cGIvrjMSLtuYexCmVoA7M0C172o3A_Xam7OsjKMkGj0xFAQUwBO-XW105muHHUrWhrdUY73jH/s4032/IMG_8894.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh83JZX4C5plaSNiTx8GtAijDaIuiCh4v5E0mNYn8y7aspWRIyA0C9urNB-PNM693Az7g30mI211Zs3FBeXt_NMUqKBj0GvUiDcCXctCDmdd-jjw48cGIvrjMSLtuYexCmVoA7M0C172o3A_Xam7OsjKMkGj0xFAQUwBO-XW105muHHUrWhrdUY73jH/s320/IMG_8894.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tdf Podium</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W5eDaP-lDewmrEVlKkelVGfeTJ9-FBIYZQ1grJnr3Qt2LPtVrNp9A1MWn7G6JAOGFOE3959xTftszm7pw9QZzoKecY0y1YQc-ItaKaZEQNCIjGGo310l07VrfGruLx4WyXw7h5_0MjyWOSK9DCcpfqTWPDz57pp9h1WeObww4lGjb77J10Es67k1/s4032/IMG_8898.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W5eDaP-lDewmrEVlKkelVGfeTJ9-FBIYZQ1grJnr3Qt2LPtVrNp9A1MWn7G6JAOGFOE3959xTftszm7pw9QZzoKecY0y1YQc-ItaKaZEQNCIjGGo310l07VrfGruLx4WyXw7h5_0MjyWOSK9DCcpfqTWPDz57pp9h1WeObww4lGjb77J10Es67k1/s320/IMG_8898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Town Square with TdF Jumbotron</td></tr></tbody></table>We noticed at breakfast a number of riders with very cool Tour de France jerseys celebrating the Copenhagen Grand Depart. This is the first time the TdF has started in Denmark and the local fans, and numerous visitors were very fired up.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sfqM4krlCOGxfFto0g69McklBSUZs0TPh9cCb3euPCf7HQj-ZZAiKY6a7ZwWwV32S34y5QLgcbSqKUaMAa0wJqYDfeQNVm8BmEctSUKnzZhwUEZIhSo_pqW6otNne817-zeQXmy_8xNay1i7iMq_G27Iv4wZNDHAdxwlil9rzgUU-BL1kjJv5MAf/s4032/IMG_8906.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0sfqM4krlCOGxfFto0g69McklBSUZs0TPh9cCb3euPCf7HQj-ZZAiKY6a7ZwWwV32S34y5QLgcbSqKUaMAa0wJqYDfeQNVm8BmEctSUKnzZhwUEZIhSo_pqW6otNne817-zeQXmy_8xNay1i7iMq_G27Iv4wZNDHAdxwlil9rzgUU-BL1kjJv5MAf/s320/IMG_8906.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great TdF Jersey</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The TdF popup store was out of stock and the kiosk near the start/finish was sold out. Luckily, a local sporting good store had them in stock and we snapped them up right away. Our other jerseys went into the saddlebag and we toured the city in our snappy red jerseys!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXBY2Q10DUPSyTqrJPm0YSL6XEYU-QGJw1gtsXECWfA6gcuF_vw9nmDkJejpHVF-aPpQzCy6MyUZQepmdbgr1i5cH0HZYindBxMrHIYmc8LrZldZlaBJPHC_MtFZXAAjDhJcalWlCF4YVVEl4jHi2xmdaq3dcS-a4yvYqr3A5ViRE2CsJxckRhvGx/s4032/IMG_8908.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXBY2Q10DUPSyTqrJPm0YSL6XEYU-QGJw1gtsXECWfA6gcuF_vw9nmDkJejpHVF-aPpQzCy6MyUZQepmdbgr1i5cH0HZYindBxMrHIYmc8LrZldZlaBJPHC_MtFZXAAjDhJcalWlCF4YVVEl4jHi2xmdaq3dcS-a4yvYqr3A5ViRE2CsJxckRhvGx/s320/IMG_8908.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handy course map</td></tr></tbody></table>We used a signboard on the pedestrian mall to to find the course and make our way back to the ship for an early afternoon embark.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0-qpQT0CaSXKziOdKTd31ftOz60B-3AUAsUazDEjnZrpl2nT_Z6A7ykAv2Oiy0-eh0sFWpC3a4PIuTu9G2WY1CrmqKvaMph5QEOTpcdvuSYOXM1nt_XwxDqWMnTzLXKvtGT2QcagGJYzBTq5AKVWf2LDFcxC9xz9Ar4h_VLfQNBnK05R-P_C-epu/s4032/IMG_8913.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ0-qpQT0CaSXKziOdKTd31ftOz60B-3AUAsUazDEjnZrpl2nT_Z6A7ykAv2Oiy0-eh0sFWpC3a4PIuTu9G2WY1CrmqKvaMph5QEOTpcdvuSYOXM1nt_XwxDqWMnTzLXKvtGT2QcagGJYzBTq5AKVWf2LDFcxC9xz9Ar4h_VLfQNBnK05R-P_C-epu/s320/IMG_8913.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making our way on the course</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTkv0GvW-UNvDpWEEvO2Qn41CvpYsTtYGn9ZOhLT4SvqlfMyc1JFyGueMjdiE5vvEnqdWg_bDaap8Bu9QU6HWu4wwQo_CuVz358uG3edcDL1lNn2VJ6VG6avNtRg2lxIMuDx2eJjqXdGMqZTReM462zlv6kJcsxgRTd0hG-9fLznWU9FEu4knGm-Z/s4032/IMG_8929.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTkv0GvW-UNvDpWEEvO2Qn41CvpYsTtYGn9ZOhLT4SvqlfMyc1JFyGueMjdiE5vvEnqdWg_bDaap8Bu9QU6HWu4wwQo_CuVz358uG3edcDL1lNn2VJ6VG6avNtRg2lxIMuDx2eJjqXdGMqZTReM462zlv6kJcsxgRTd0hG-9fLznWU9FEu4knGm-Z/s320/IMG_8929.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10km to go banner</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpcZzFsbe4MuXK1TS_KlKk1Y7PCZI5ZiGhNsC89nqgP_p9Z9WPI0j_jl4u9eeVy1XPLrDLhV6OIFcdBm1y5vBZr0fMoJ1yV9eoCNg8v5_KgYaDKdBdJs5K8TRdHUm1EtLhonfJLj7LifArg64G8YB1sA5w3OcvUdijZFjXGDVT4NoBbNo5Sk_0AQk/s4032/IMG_8930.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpcZzFsbe4MuXK1TS_KlKk1Y7PCZI5ZiGhNsC89nqgP_p9Z9WPI0j_jl4u9eeVy1XPLrDLhV6OIFcdBm1y5vBZr0fMoJ1yV9eoCNg8v5_KgYaDKdBdJs5K8TRdHUm1EtLhonfJLj7LifArg64G8YB1sA5w3OcvUdijZFjXGDVT4NoBbNo5Sk_0AQk/s320/IMG_8930.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danish corner</td></tr></tbody></table>To our surprise the course was open (it was still hours until the race) and we hopped on and followed along, cheered on by the fans that had staked out their spots early. Later we would discover why they were there so early. Most had provisions (some were using grills) and refreshments and were getting an early start to enjoy the race.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first stage is an individual time trial, so each rider covers the course separated by a few minutes. Fastest around the course is the winner of the first stage! Its a great way to enjoy a stage since the action is constant, once the race begins.</div><div><br /></div><div>We covered a good portion of the course and exited near the cruise terminal. We arrived at the embark time, along with all the other passengers and overwhelmed the ships crew! Everyone was trying to check-in and get back to the course to watch the race!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQxj2uB2U4SY6zHFIB0cvqVhsS6QuH5jOTAA-0cqucET-mgZ6d9D9UNKFdlC_g3Tw2zT-Bgtr0EHolSBG95IrHTANC5kYmQEPCNTacGAVvInGhKZTWRQndISm4Hp0r9dzayLCKIUM5iP5V-ha6-c5d9h-TtR6CQ6y_2z-DaoYcfNANxfwku-tDrDp/s4032/IMG_8937.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQQxj2uB2U4SY6zHFIB0cvqVhsS6QuH5jOTAA-0cqucET-mgZ6d9D9UNKFdlC_g3Tw2zT-Bgtr0EHolSBG95IrHTANC5kYmQEPCNTacGAVvInGhKZTWRQndISm4Hp0r9dzayLCKIUM5iP5V-ha6-c5d9h-TtR6CQ6y_2z-DaoYcfNANxfwku-tDrDp/s320/IMG_8937.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Embark line</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf_iFw21UgF3iyEpK1Oac5G_7mfG5P6zh85w6Zd8QnMb5wjslZLASVN7q1N6Jm5zshdQwg6RGvMCnRpUs-IiPo6Ig5owpjTE11IayS9v75g8-DzFYWR7rU7UVLi7lmFvyOCd16gWzTtAAv5a8YMKTemMBiUfoPip-spn-vnHlWyUQj6drSa0TtkVV/s4032/IMG_8939.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyf_iFw21UgF3iyEpK1Oac5G_7mfG5P6zh85w6Zd8QnMb5wjslZLASVN7q1N6Jm5zshdQwg6RGvMCnRpUs-IiPo6Ig5owpjTE11IayS9v75g8-DzFYWR7rU7UVLi7lmFvyOCd16gWzTtAAv5a8YMKTemMBiUfoPip-spn-vnHlWyUQj6drSa0TtkVV/s320/IMG_8939.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our home for the next 11 days</td></tr></tbody></table>It took some time to get through the embark process, but soon we were in our cabin. No time to linger, we headed back to the course to find a place to watch the race.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYORxJZaeKs5B0Addylc99W66ud5xiUtkv3IeNumiU45_MdAKlHT0Io4TDmAwIMA99neQKAdgrRA1esPfGwT8Wei1HzdF9cwGXznCWEMSbjw8qWik91mZYi-px_Z85-_AKlDtPugmNxUONjT-dfKd9-B6IKWL6o-SYJDlapxnNvPX84EewH67hHU8/s4032/IMG_8942.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLYORxJZaeKs5B0Addylc99W66ud5xiUtkv3IeNumiU45_MdAKlHT0Io4TDmAwIMA99neQKAdgrRA1esPfGwT8Wei1HzdF9cwGXznCWEMSbjw8qWik91mZYi-px_Z85-_AKlDtPugmNxUONjT-dfKd9-B6IKWL6o-SYJDlapxnNvPX84EewH67hHU8/s320/IMG_8942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fans were 6-deep on the bridge!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Of course all of Copenhagen, and many from around the world, had the same idea. We found a bridge that had a great view of a corner before the course turned right and up into a park. The park was already swarming with fans and loud techno music. We were behind a couple of local guys, but by the time the race was going, the fans were 6 deep!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j4jo7geO07I" width="320" youtube-src-id="j4jo7geO07I"></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Finally one of the first riders (a Dane) rolled through to the delight of the crowd!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKUsj3gySphmrSkT84TkWn7IOeTw6KOr1l2Q4ksxoCxhS3WpPDothz0cU5giU13HlzLGlDzror2fHf6yvaWp923F8fA4h0IrFFnlWVb7-kYlPxcNy8VACNhS3bqKVGD48i_FSDZteby-x9VnaRZkpBoo0CaBhuhzWijNlwu5pxeDJLI4p36l34cqH/s4032/IMG_8961.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKUsj3gySphmrSkT84TkWn7IOeTw6KOr1l2Q4ksxoCxhS3WpPDothz0cU5giU13HlzLGlDzror2fHf6yvaWp923F8fA4h0IrFFnlWVb7-kYlPxcNy8VACNhS3bqKVGD48i_FSDZteby-x9VnaRZkpBoo0CaBhuhzWijNlwu5pxeDJLI4p36l34cqH/s320/IMG_8961.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rain for most of the stage!</td></tr></tbody></table>We were able to see many of the riders on course, and the fans thinned out somewhat when the rains came. But we had to be back on the ship before all the riders completed the time trial. That was fine with us, we were starting to get a bit waterlogged and had been on our feet most of the afternoon!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGh1u92S8HRacYrei2B3oNX8nFT6ADTbmjR0ch0QapHxlfdmiSoO_hskwdL4gmQw0daLwJfESUGnGehdDWeGBAP9S398O_FQtsnVvQ_HXaY08H3GmLGAyneEXOdzRx00zywPHacrNlqWrbMHVuOx_wWQfeI3VKSyKYZWjClyi-QALbcEr8shdj44uP/s4032/IMG_8963.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGh1u92S8HRacYrei2B3oNX8nFT6ADTbmjR0ch0QapHxlfdmiSoO_hskwdL4gmQw0daLwJfESUGnGehdDWeGBAP9S398O_FQtsnVvQ_HXaY08H3GmLGAyneEXOdzRx00zywPHacrNlqWrbMHVuOx_wWQfeI3VKSyKYZWjClyi-QALbcEr8shdj44uP/s320/IMG_8963.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High tech raingear</td></tr></tbody></table><h4 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MFlSrnvZMfaqIpCQH48LMEQNmyinbf4uKODd88BWSbDakxpmMOB4NWtZ5_Fe4M4kvtpP3dvymUSRvXGmZlgyL3Fwk_9S9JLrjgsdc3Zac2SeZ6YQNbfKsfh8EgUiyUgV8ijpI-kspyxVyh3AywKKWiE3JpRxGPDca3oE_fNkDEmlFyDFMCMN81-w/s4032/IMG_8967.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4MFlSrnvZMfaqIpCQH48LMEQNmyinbf4uKODd88BWSbDakxpmMOB4NWtZ5_Fe4M4kvtpP3dvymUSRvXGmZlgyL3Fwk_9S9JLrjgsdc3Zac2SeZ6YQNbfKsfh8EgUiyUgV8ijpI-kspyxVyh3AywKKWiE3JpRxGPDca3oE_fNkDEmlFyDFMCMN81-w/s320/IMG_8967.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Legend<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We returned to the ship for the all aboard and soon we were underway. We had dinner with Jay and Alisa (we met on the Danube tour last year) and their friends Kolin and Michele in the main dining room. As we headed out the seas became quite rough and we were really rocking during dinner. Jay had forgotten his Dramamine and was concerned about getting sea sick. We had two bottles so after dinner I made my way to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">their</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> cabin to donate one to the cause. Heading back to our cabin, I had to brace against the wall a few times! That would be as rough as it would get for the remainder of the trip, and no one suffered sea sickness!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We woke up the next morning in Germany!</span></div></h4></div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Mukran Germany</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWT0As_hCY8dNkGfvRU--qH426hznIV1uJFYMoyvZvUwQvBzjMd3oab2pMxzi8PyhH-KkqMzmCcfW_frl7ztV0TxsE5-sa9IkNP_SN6BpyFzYJykRhmu9Exgnp8fjppKFBY9Uxtz6fGkMa945fbVh9EN-DJfSTNgK71F7bSVj_tIqvEqg08XDhW66/s3088/IMG_8970.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWT0As_hCY8dNkGfvRU--qH426hznIV1uJFYMoyvZvUwQvBzjMd3oab2pMxzi8PyhH-KkqMzmCcfW_frl7ztV0TxsE5-sa9IkNP_SN6BpyFzYJykRhmu9Exgnp8fjppKFBY9Uxtz6fGkMa945fbVh9EN-DJfSTNgK71F7bSVj_tIqvEqg08XDhW66/s320/IMG_8970.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of bike paths today!</td></tr></tbody></table>Overnight the ship sailed to Mukran Germany. A full day of riding was available with morning and afternoon routes covering about 70 miles, so we hit the road right after breakfast.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeiZDP9cFb4gnCcMAIKthiZ_55tqhI9qIFDMTfO4RsyuyTEQ2XBYgz__UvID0Z8IBy1POs4XeLWeKXAdRecSZB10qoJtLC7u3BjwvY7ncBu_dnTKXKNTNt6Xs_TsoZoT8FVgZHcFzMmyn27nckQdf9sPWqmr-Ckh5IDNUBlJc8EVWavcHlOlQCli9/s4032/IMG_8975.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeiZDP9cFb4gnCcMAIKthiZ_55tqhI9qIFDMTfO4RsyuyTEQ2XBYgz__UvID0Z8IBy1POs4XeLWeKXAdRecSZB10qoJtLC7u3BjwvY7ncBu_dnTKXKNTNt6Xs_TsoZoT8FVgZHcFzMmyn27nckQdf9sPWqmr-Ckh5IDNUBlJc8EVWavcHlOlQCli9/s320/IMG_8975.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach town of Binz</td></tr></tbody></table>Lots of other cyclists had the same idea and the locals might have been a bit perplexed by the sudden appearance of so many American cyclists, many on tandems, and all with cruise line name tags!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDW8BOrHm84VL3gHMFnTQlt2ykaCYrwrzeFDXQo1lO-mqlJMb9hY5508Eh7AA1MArpZeCS1hoIckRIauhEl224ue2gwDMSM9WGvdJZDiXeaiuKkAmRSxKTuzeVlR8pLBsFeDXFHLEc56NemATgVGgMYdozZJhV8RiETtAMrCcLPsbbX_W_fJhYd4KO/s4032/IMG_8980.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDW8BOrHm84VL3gHMFnTQlt2ykaCYrwrzeFDXQo1lO-mqlJMb9hY5508Eh7AA1MArpZeCS1hoIckRIauhEl224ue2gwDMSM9WGvdJZDiXeaiuKkAmRSxKTuzeVlR8pLBsFeDXFHLEc56NemATgVGgMYdozZJhV8RiETtAMrCcLPsbbX_W_fJhYd4KO/s320/IMG_8980.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unpaved bike path leaving the Hunting Lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The first objective of the day was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granitz_Hunting_Lodge" target="_blank">Granitz Hunting Lodge</a>. It was 10 miles of riding, much of it through a forest preserve. The lodge sat at the top of a ridge and after a stout climb we arrived. We spotted an outdoor cafe and decided to relax and enjoy some coffee and snacks before touring the lodge. We met a lovely German couple and ended up chatting with them and skipped the Lodge tour. Larry and Kris arrived and joined us.</div><div><br /></div><div>They were going to ride the short loop to Sellin and I was interested in the longer ride to Gager. So I headed out for the long ride and Debby joined Larry and Kris later for the shorter ride.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qXmbGEnisgJNjvnPCdpXJM2YtW1VYKN5Oj_HNfWyr-e8XOtZujrOTDfNW-aBWtlR6x9xocbBSP_bWlYyHF_Y7Zfk8BoDT3lbPyWMZzw96Xrrc1PIh3KefDox1ohJQXXDe_tnAoLCZRsiqAFlMfpffCXtDm2kMAM_6skqIkGGUzGQ2cuHEf7CulFQ/s4032/IMG_8991.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qXmbGEnisgJNjvnPCdpXJM2YtW1VYKN5Oj_HNfWyr-e8XOtZujrOTDfNW-aBWtlR6x9xocbBSP_bWlYyHF_Y7Zfk8BoDT3lbPyWMZzw96Xrrc1PIh3KefDox1ohJQXXDe_tnAoLCZRsiqAFlMfpffCXtDm2kMAM_6skqIkGGUzGQ2cuHEf7CulFQ/s320/IMG_8991.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sellin Pier</td></tr></tbody></table>Sellin was the next stop. There was an interesting Pier on the beach, but way too many steps to navigate with bike shoes, so I headed out for the 10 mile run to Gager. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A5nWu-tgytyKbY5B8vFbOPAiwpr3aFaBYvnBfuNqtMmlEgcfpF5m38IeMPt_e4YgiDLwPZ8im5-_JuwWSfl_9KiEI_PaWZcsPx0l-DY88c7M0TAXhjDE8aX8_3sma4HdKW7HbfJWTeSpZWTkOqH8HnNFvQV7pfuCH9Sl1HkmKwKwvZ6sFtf2lsAQ/s4032/IMG_8997.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4A5nWu-tgytyKbY5B8vFbOPAiwpr3aFaBYvnBfuNqtMmlEgcfpF5m38IeMPt_e4YgiDLwPZ8im5-_JuwWSfl_9KiEI_PaWZcsPx0l-DY88c7M0TAXhjDE8aX8_3sma4HdKW7HbfJWTeSpZWTkOqH8HnNFvQV7pfuCH9Sl1HkmKwKwvZ6sFtf2lsAQ/s320/IMG_8997.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful wildflowers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXjfBdecQOphcrQDl80_06kYX-g2h_HYXVF-3jBr08h_t7SvTiRCoBaETPHsYUgWNfok8OC-TV3rqAU1_V0g2IgBAbeyWVTH41EEnljXm3i4bnIoc78x7bmHtTxbgB6aDlu5hGolIGUygXrZBKgK6qKAYhq-GbmON8QTi-bSHg1QE6FEmgs29SFyc/s4032/IMG_9012.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXjfBdecQOphcrQDl80_06kYX-g2h_HYXVF-3jBr08h_t7SvTiRCoBaETPHsYUgWNfok8OC-TV3rqAU1_V0g2IgBAbeyWVTH41EEnljXm3i4bnIoc78x7bmHtTxbgB6aDlu5hGolIGUygXrZBKgK6qKAYhq-GbmON8QTi-bSHg1QE6FEmgs29SFyc/s320/IMG_9012.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Short and steep</td></tr></tbody></table>The route headed across a peninsula through fields and farm land. There was a short punchy climb over a ridge, but mostly smooth flat bike paths, with very few riders!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rwHM15GtzQWSr4GVsVH7sQqKnh6hM4K0DTWGwhrkx3qBACQeWs6lI9RpXtwCCOY2aAPqYHUKLX9fBZuhojkR-rS3-1AkylmlDLyNABWW5hEbqDaQ1VUD-RB83tKssiryswjn3VWXeros96v8e9hXT4JR4ywCjxZo_VgqSNFrwy8Z1UrCR3b-2p_t/s4032/IMG_8998.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rwHM15GtzQWSr4GVsVH7sQqKnh6hM4K0DTWGwhrkx3qBACQeWs6lI9RpXtwCCOY2aAPqYHUKLX9fBZuhojkR-rS3-1AkylmlDLyNABWW5hEbqDaQ1VUD-RB83tKssiryswjn3VWXeros96v8e9hXT4JR4ywCjxZo_VgqSNFrwy8Z1UrCR3b-2p_t/s320/IMG_8998.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gager</td></tr></tbody></table>Gager, was a tiny beach town and the route ended at a boat ramp and marina. Not much to see so I turned around and headed back to the ship.<br /><br />The route doubles back and soon I was back in Sellin. Not interested in seeing the pier again, I stopped to check the GPS to make sure I was on the right track. There were several other riders from the tour at that intersection and one was convinced we were on the wrong road. It was clear to me we were on the right way back. I must have been convincing, as I was about to head out a couple asked if they could tag along. I said sure, but I planned to ride hard to get back for lunch. They had E bikes and tagged along until we left the forest in Binz.<br /><br />Back at the ship, Debby and I had a nice lunch. Since the ship would not depart until 7:30, there was plenty of time to head out for an afternoon ride, or some pool/spa time. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqgqhzwfCvhgbJeLxeJk8dxO1vWZNn1Fv0q2fha-U7j7YeIibDNybSRvx-z_oVuqe7hGT9jNL5WSZ43nIIvpcuDV80XtkkDhH1A80u0Hw8g5OqQ-xwS7kxWrdSLRjD-DYEZWNNiYnY7fHmepqrqaiFzeRwaBLEMi1Tht5Tn-9THlITATdYTmSRUhN/s4032/IMG_9021.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbqgqhzwfCvhgbJeLxeJk8dxO1vWZNn1Fv0q2fha-U7j7YeIibDNybSRvx-z_oVuqe7hGT9jNL5WSZ43nIIvpcuDV80XtkkDhH1A80u0Hw8g5OqQ-xwS7kxWrdSLRjD-DYEZWNNiYnY7fHmepqrqaiFzeRwaBLEMi1Tht5Tn-9THlITATdYTmSRUhN/s320/IMG_9021.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jasmund National Park</td></tr></tbody></table>A 20 mile out and back to the Jasmund National Park with about 1000 feet of climbing on great roads was the afternoon route. The weather was perfect, traffic was light, and the roads were in excellent condition. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrCHWa3rjtZzQWGWpbD393OzQLU1Hs9LXwsu7s_SK7oiGMmglxku1UV0PjXC6jhANRBp3dl5uJe8dXWv66rXEZ3DUIMF18lYhU8MsDZnH3w05iYCMqmG74AfMO4Pczj3sSMv9jhLG00l37cL_enQxOxOy3qOG8h0LG_hkXjyExe1GlIoImYBs3Dub/s4032/IMG_9029.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrCHWa3rjtZzQWGWpbD393OzQLU1Hs9LXwsu7s_SK7oiGMmglxku1UV0PjXC6jhANRBp3dl5uJe8dXWv66rXEZ3DUIMF18lYhU8MsDZnH3w05iYCMqmG74AfMO4Pczj3sSMv9jhLG00l37cL_enQxOxOy3qOG8h0LG_hkXjyExe1GlIoImYBs3Dub/s320/IMG_9029.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sassnitz bike/pedestrian bridge</td></tr></tbody></table>There were some rough cobblestones on the climb out of the port town of Sassnitz that was interesting. On the way back, I passed under a bike pedestrian bridge that may have been a way to avoid that climb. I was ready to head back and passed on checking out bridge to test my theory.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh2JN8Azz90kLsyViNwlskcBolzK0sqp1LYjCkfRZUQBNbOfpWuCKQNNtyt7D8j8VXA3g9OJmx1WdFNbZ2s_EQqg7a16IeD35gjERhmfhAXqOt8aZaKMBpkn7wPxdN6FYFxnB4psY_T6I3WT41jWVuV99lvSaXlIlNIQwSeSoWaA-x-Z0yOMCONhs/s4032/IMG_9030.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh2JN8Azz90kLsyViNwlskcBolzK0sqp1LYjCkfRZUQBNbOfpWuCKQNNtyt7D8j8VXA3g9OJmx1WdFNbZ2s_EQqg7a16IeD35gjERhmfhAXqOt8aZaKMBpkn7wPxdN6FYFxnB4psY_T6I3WT41jWVuV99lvSaXlIlNIQwSeSoWaA-x-Z0yOMCONhs/s320/IMG_9030.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British U Boat in Germany?</td></tr></tbody></table><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNAp781_xsqX-R5VW5NKG27sSxuSru-ZEvQWZfRGSpJcS7uIWsmRHgXYyTgqaG580SgSZQIMs8eeEPWGDJh44mNbSWiLXN7Fw1Gs1ogabtEVkyvvIQZHqD7epNmVNdSMpqMFWKIa4muPiFse7VsaV59-IqvocHbkvbannJep8seUtvAzm3MGIG_g8/s4032/IMG_9031.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNAp781_xsqX-R5VW5NKG27sSxuSru-ZEvQWZfRGSpJcS7uIWsmRHgXYyTgqaG580SgSZQIMs8eeEPWGDJh44mNbSWiLXN7Fw1Gs1ogabtEVkyvvIQZHqD7epNmVNdSMpqMFWKIa4muPiFse7VsaV59-IqvocHbkvbannJep8seUtvAzm3MGIG_g8/s320/IMG_9031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No time for this museum</td></tr></tbody></table>This is the HMS Otus. A cold war boat launched in 1962 and decommissioned in the 1990s. It sat in a shipyard until 2002, when German entrepreneur purchased it and created this floating museum! No time for a tour, I wanted to get back and enjoy some time at the pool/spa with Debby, so off I went!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQBlyOu_jAvvvIHg2uBY7Ue04KYl89LmpbEN3ODEH1JIRsrtRvsZ4EIBcO87E-tQgQyYUTejkkSXvmYW9kV-zslS6qP0B2GKXMmIXrGmtD40QDFD90XR_YR9JxD_Z2vDfPxwONz0XC4ZvbBXr364YtQZVV0bIrCoMu7kdkdMNyaRoUVe8kh_R-okd/s4032/IMG_9038.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQBlyOu_jAvvvIHg2uBY7Ue04KYl89LmpbEN3ODEH1JIRsrtRvsZ4EIBcO87E-tQgQyYUTejkkSXvmYW9kV-zslS6qP0B2GKXMmIXrGmtD40QDFD90XR_YR9JxD_Z2vDfPxwONz0XC4ZvbBXr364YtQZVV0bIrCoMu7kdkdMNyaRoUVe8kh_R-okd/s320/IMG_9038.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely dinner at Candles</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Arriving back at the Star Legend, we enjoyed our first night at the Candles restaurant terrace!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Bornholm Island, Ronne Denmark</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iFRn-Tc4y-MrOzL-9rPLfXYoJtODn44xMcYozThcMh7LdVeGYfMnIvl6hYuyEeJYZE8MScXSRVQQZkWVsT_yIxgDIwcZ37uU9j2WQ6jpXrFFAmdTg5M7-t8ukxenWweCCsgnm3rAm5me8h0UkvAr8taDwPBLZyDJu_u01TSPYc_3XoiBir0xsB6N/s4032/IMG_0267.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0iFRn-Tc4y-MrOzL-9rPLfXYoJtODn44xMcYozThcMh7LdVeGYfMnIvl6hYuyEeJYZE8MScXSRVQQZkWVsT_yIxgDIwcZ37uU9j2WQ6jpXrFFAmdTg5M7-t8ukxenWweCCsgnm3rAm5me8h0UkvAr8taDwPBLZyDJu_u01TSPYc_3XoiBir0xsB6N/s320/IMG_0267.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day 3 Route Map</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Bornholm Island is closer to Germany and Poland, but is part of Denmark! As noted on the Santana Adventures daily route map there are many options, but because our next port will be in Lithuania we need to sail early to get there by morning. Like all Santana Adventures tours, each morning there is a 'route talk' where the daily route map is distributed and the route options explained. Meanwhile, the staff loads all the daily routes GPS tracks into our Garmin units, and we pick them up after the route talk. Then you just select the route you want to ride and get going! With the early all aboard time of 1 PM, we opted for the shorter AM and PM routes.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJvphv5M5lI1WQRd7vtBVqITHoYKuAh5WJYH-moOh3TdYAPkGjHoNhJMmcbOv4HKc4bA_Dg7MoQdx0YI6VHjma2geX5Eghtb7_qoKzoeCY32Rs2w1tlqaL4BTb-hLVckXIWjlkq4INRLrNnbqE4ffNFj-op7Q9S3AXY8p3439YPot1r67fGdlza5x/s4032/IMG_9042.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJvphv5M5lI1WQRd7vtBVqITHoYKuAh5WJYH-moOh3TdYAPkGjHoNhJMmcbOv4HKc4bA_Dg7MoQdx0YI6VHjma2geX5Eghtb7_qoKzoeCY32Rs2w1tlqaL4BTb-hLVckXIWjlkq4INRLrNnbqE4ffNFj-op7Q9S3AXY8p3439YPot1r67fGdlza5x/s320/IMG_9042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly agriculture here; farms and forests</td></tr></tbody></table>It was a short climb out of the port area as we reentered Denmark. Soon we were out of town and on quiet farm roads.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUHrLznT0CM34kcUjgh16wPVLaWm3cDtZpURzdxQhA5_VC8E12-loqBYtmyRDWd4wkb0zPavcN7W88Z_qjhCFLHLOUvq4js4oWiAD6NXSQTV5UICqCCV2pL5y8cjykKU0aC8eyknhbRwhax33ZBGgGj99RfbVCZjROzwzUi7yQ6WIOT_7XG4XSuvn/s3088/IMG_9054.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYUHrLznT0CM34kcUjgh16wPVLaWm3cDtZpURzdxQhA5_VC8E12-loqBYtmyRDWd4wkb0zPavcN7W88Z_qjhCFLHLOUvq4js4oWiAD6NXSQTV5UICqCCV2pL5y8cjykKU0aC8eyknhbRwhax33ZBGgGj99RfbVCZjROzwzUi7yQ6WIOT_7XG4XSuvn/s320/IMG_9054.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great morning for a bike ride!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0b8XBVBVsbrw7lBgz2El6FX9Wt45zAi7hMvCLxvljH3jANNC9UooZMSqRN9k21CkJwQuWNUGZcy70MximxDMvaIhJcw9PcIzQgvc4TfbazdQUxc8asAzsJI-gcrttX7DmhwgWzKKZ52AiAgGJfhCSyncw4tHlQOPdTVf4plky0UswZ1lJMR3t4t-/s4032/IMG_9059.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0b8XBVBVsbrw7lBgz2El6FX9Wt45zAi7hMvCLxvljH3jANNC9UooZMSqRN9k21CkJwQuWNUGZcy70MximxDMvaIhJcw9PcIzQgvc4TfbazdQUxc8asAzsJI-gcrttX7DmhwgWzKKZ52AiAgGJfhCSyncw4tHlQOPdTVf4plky0UswZ1lJMR3t4t-/s320/IMG_9059.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit windy on the open roads</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyQJUR3HAnAcwfesq1ZqkjvDZdbKbuhgWQtqRuCW5LxauroxhO-heOGbuQ610Zvb3-dR7-9DMhbeZwySvadad1jlj8hiy6VbJpDg-3vNN33ljYTVX8SZY_Z40m3jF4NXKg8yNF_WpvW1O_3omT8HuKnx6QfPVQ-wdPLR2kRz1xTXHNfxc39VDn1QW/s4032/IMG_9065.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyQJUR3HAnAcwfesq1ZqkjvDZdbKbuhgWQtqRuCW5LxauroxhO-heOGbuQ610Zvb3-dR7-9DMhbeZwySvadad1jlj8hiy6VbJpDg-3vNN33ljYTVX8SZY_Z40m3jF4NXKg8yNF_WpvW1O_3omT8HuKnx6QfPVQ-wdPLR2kRz1xTXHNfxc39VDn1QW/s320/IMG_9065.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No traffic, great roads!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtJFPb8WwABDQZQUvKT2H1E0SJH9TeXqsmn1DCwSIvp5Qe54o6WWoLxNN5BYyB2wZCFovvSyxuvzdpepgvP39KmK7rl-74aMQ5_sE4EoPGu8-g9KXSSMwGz_JbHgjMrkG2dZGaF27rf4x8ML0tWVCXqUSuUDVNtaVVQ-Z7x2uZ3okWsYEPe2dgMRd/s4032/IMG_9074.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPtJFPb8WwABDQZQUvKT2H1E0SJH9TeXqsmn1DCwSIvp5Qe54o6WWoLxNN5BYyB2wZCFovvSyxuvzdpepgvP39KmK7rl-74aMQ5_sE4EoPGu8-g9KXSSMwGz_JbHgjMrkG2dZGaF27rf4x8ML0tWVCXqUSuUDVNtaVVQ-Z7x2uZ3okWsYEPe2dgMRd/s320/IMG_9074.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round Church</td></tr></tbody></table>The AM and PM routes converge at the Osterlars Round Church. <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">A </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">round church</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> is a church construction with a completely circular plan. There are many </span>Nordic round churches<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> in </span>Sweden <span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> and </span>Denmark<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;"> (notably the island of </span>Bornholm<span style="background-color: white; color: #202122;">); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the 11th and early 12th centuries. Services were being held so we couldn't go inside.</span></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Tyc35rTdXnoeHP229U7s2-wxQenhelYBMTV4I3FmxktVpHXhQ5bKTTGygCJz3kgTP04KwLxR2tbTvO3MQzFhUGs4ZX54tRioZbvCP_SXtI-OE3TVkklJftZRcm7mJGacEdX7UUbiJxMvWnk91IhKfPUu6RTTbBZWF6mMZaN5X0f0zJNSr_Y4lcKM/s4032/IMG_9084.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Tyc35rTdXnoeHP229U7s2-wxQenhelYBMTV4I3FmxktVpHXhQ5bKTTGygCJz3kgTP04KwLxR2tbTvO3MQzFhUGs4ZX54tRioZbvCP_SXtI-OE3TVkklJftZRcm7mJGacEdX7UUbiJxMvWnk91IhKfPUu6RTTbBZWF6mMZaN5X0f0zJNSr_Y4lcKM/s320/IMG_9084.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">French press coffee and Danish cookies!</td></tr></tbody></table>But, right next door was a farm shop boutique and coffee shop. We didn't see any items in the boutique we couldn't live without but they had coffee and fresh cookies. Best of all, the coffee was served in a French press and we spent nearly an hour relaxing in the shade as the cyclists passed by.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfctXPTNKGFy9JlVCAx2Qo2YnqfqVUPagOiw7KkCOOZnxuRdyzcdIFkSPVQ5oHrH_j-7ithBjlAgih4PoCJAcl-B2cQD6OI1xdJallJIviNwvHD8QEp9AhRjhBscRhzgDKm4nCyso9nkh1j9jYrTB_RFd-NpI-m9yiRZorUUX90e6JURK_G3aLwPVA/s4032/IMG_9087.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfctXPTNKGFy9JlVCAx2Qo2YnqfqVUPagOiw7KkCOOZnxuRdyzcdIFkSPVQ5oHrH_j-7ithBjlAgih4PoCJAcl-B2cQD6OI1xdJallJIviNwvHD8QEp9AhRjhBscRhzgDKm4nCyso9nkh1j9jYrTB_RFd-NpI-m9yiRZorUUX90e6JURK_G3aLwPVA/s320/IMG_9087.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excellent short-cut </td></tr></tbody></table>Ok, maybe we lingered a bit too long. We decided to head back on the short afternoon route, but bypass the town of Gudhjem. That would save a few miles, but more importantly avoid a steep descent to the port town, and the requisite climb to return. The map showed a farm trail and we took it. It had been freshly chip sealed and was butter smooth. Good choice!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDdCXsbhtPkIDV12O5UNDeyhb5pOVt1MOJ1S02rL4VrCadVA4OJI_gKnb0FMREFOUISA1dtulrLAopS8by3fIKi_sOgiCHVT17fcaWQrYstTAYExSSsdkcvnXCqJnvbgYLTHqT1d82A_qtmXFxLMmVzx5X7mv1sA8xAy5S1mCOcAjyeYqFmm2waX0/s4032/IMG_9097.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZDdCXsbhtPkIDV12O5UNDeyhb5pOVt1MOJ1S02rL4VrCadVA4OJI_gKnb0FMREFOUISA1dtulrLAopS8by3fIKi_sOgiCHVT17fcaWQrYstTAYExSSsdkcvnXCqJnvbgYLTHqT1d82A_qtmXFxLMmVzx5X7mv1sA8xAy5S1mCOcAjyeYqFmm2waX0/s320/IMG_9097.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest sections gave relief from the wind!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q8T_QPgAmKz8mRjayvg2uyI130ylcZJRbhzyvxxO9Q2Gn4K3ol0Ef_tIFD6QdYhyUH0-6mVMx1OT6B1eyr7kD_HAZnUoIhbpjgFMIfsgL4gatpvC_JcJc3uL7b5ASiKpAo84HmttEnl3-W-x5Ue6ysQxRQxS_IX3IY1iY24Glr9vz09Mg7W7dyg_/s4032/IMG_9050.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0q8T_QPgAmKz8mRjayvg2uyI130ylcZJRbhzyvxxO9Q2Gn4K3ol0Ef_tIFD6QdYhyUH0-6mVMx1OT6B1eyr7kD_HAZnUoIhbpjgFMIfsgL4gatpvC_JcJc3uL7b5ASiKpAo84HmttEnl3-W-x5Ue6ysQxRQxS_IX3IY1iY24Glr9vz09Mg7W7dyg_/s320/IMG_9050.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet pond in the forest</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CFlRtrxUoZpoJhbbvZ0Z_-jbs2MbLnfSJhCp7a_aSI2CaDwXahp17pOxwpiejz-zt3D5fIuQO7Z3WqmpICE1Td22UDtv3h6xAKehhKAFHosYnFWjYeUJXR_1_dCv6MIANthBkWEQsz0NaRoCT1-LfdHMM1LzyTRAHbfwAqJQWcz7fsKM7l4ssvyQ/s4032/IMG_9104.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CFlRtrxUoZpoJhbbvZ0Z_-jbs2MbLnfSJhCp7a_aSI2CaDwXahp17pOxwpiejz-zt3D5fIuQO7Z3WqmpICE1Td22UDtv3h6xAKehhKAFHosYnFWjYeUJXR_1_dCv6MIANthBkWEQsz0NaRoCT1-LfdHMM1LzyTRAHbfwAqJQWcz7fsKM7l4ssvyQ/s320/IMG_9104.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of cross-wind heading back</td></tr></tbody></table>As predicted the cross-winds increased throughout the day, as the route basically did an over and back across the island from Ronne City to Gudjem and back.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibab7JtZMhW5r9dC-Xv7Y9EI9-_MewK8F9M20mSyVEyi_HR6E3ZuaH6lzvVH1DVx4rEmFX33Z6XJswfFj6ChL55xbdpN3om-D5yZOf53YgcfJqbCFZZ84_AvQVuN5dTQaHDKilrWyibSbq6Mm-oVrshQ9eN1W_GNuKtFmdJRSj08ICcC9kGHc7bUVU/s3088/IMG_9111.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibab7JtZMhW5r9dC-Xv7Y9EI9-_MewK8F9M20mSyVEyi_HR6E3ZuaH6lzvVH1DVx4rEmFX33Z6XJswfFj6ChL55xbdpN3om-D5yZOf53YgcfJqbCFZZ84_AvQVuN5dTQaHDKilrWyibSbq6Mm-oVrshQ9eN1W_GNuKtFmdJRSj08ICcC9kGHc7bUVU/s320/IMG_9111.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nate and his entourage in tow</td></tr></tbody></table>In a small village about 9 miles from the ship, we noticed a group of Santana riders on the side of the road. We stopped to see if they needed help. One of the riders had a rear wheel that was rubbing the frame and causing constant braking. It sounded like a broken spoke and it was. Gentle readers of this blog probably know what happened next. Lucky for Nate, he was riding a rental bike with an 11-speed wheel that was compatible with my bike. I swapped my good wheel for his and he was back in business. Since my bike can accommodate wider tires, his taco wheel wobbled, but didn't rub my frame. So I rode the taco wheel back to the ship with Debby, Nate, and his entourage in tow. </div><div><br /></div><div>When we got back we swapped wheels and Nate took his wheel to the mechanics and was back in business the next day. I think that is at least 3 times now my Calfee Adventure has saved the day with others' broken wheels/spokes!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2E16yf2JMqu7-lpwM8EbhW1LF_Hp5XcPIXKHhlRu5yzdKKVTVCimhQc1eFN9Sgjg2P9tiE7HRotUBKVeKBBZaUryFMwDj09M4RKLloPhPKJdN0mQpfdGAiYhYzKNDnKyDj3Q7eN9zqeidYgNIjscPZfk5s5PCy5iE4yPzw3etQoT5Cm25Ervkmhm/s4032/IMG_9116.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2E16yf2JMqu7-lpwM8EbhW1LF_Hp5XcPIXKHhlRu5yzdKKVTVCimhQc1eFN9Sgjg2P9tiE7HRotUBKVeKBBZaUryFMwDj09M4RKLloPhPKJdN0mQpfdGAiYhYzKNDnKyDj3Q7eN9zqeidYgNIjscPZfk5s5PCy5iE4yPzw3etQoT5Cm25Ervkmhm/s320/IMG_9116.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ronne City from our Ship</td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_jeaV5m7k8TupT0jQvxCUWa2eX64aNwlIEwPcapep9zZiX-FofoCn-T7JKbQhNhc_P6TYp3X8XpMKNtVu3uuL4svHxc0J6PttwyCBI7NEzPPlgjgHkr9HL_fHdCzlPAD77igLN8c3c6ivscmmoYgQmIRTY7wir_1Nc-FMla3sI1LkZesWkIl9Oin/s4032/IMG_9118.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq_jeaV5m7k8TupT0jQvxCUWa2eX64aNwlIEwPcapep9zZiX-FofoCn-T7JKbQhNhc_P6TYp3X8XpMKNtVu3uuL4svHxc0J6PttwyCBI7NEzPPlgjgHkr9HL_fHdCzlPAD77igLN8c3c6ivscmmoYgQmIRTY7wir_1Nc-FMla3sI1LkZesWkIl9Oin/s320/IMG_9118.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy arrived to guide us out of the harbor</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had plenty of time to grab lunch and relax on the ship. A tug boat appeared outside our window as we were completing the laundry chores and soon we were on our way to Lithuania.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Klaipeda Lithuania (also July 4th)</h4><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-QHmKzy8JOUDYspTUhEQ5d71xKiE_0tIRdFxhQEXqkhQFWG5rbI7I8sFIME6xUIzf2_nAOJ3ZoqlLGKysnzOV-olB6bepxjEqQrh7T2z0jrGrlm9OZ3kIPa5lQLO--jhYuLdOJolE3LwVfZBTT_InL4SUt6Ic4l6egDKZZi0VbbYzu3YSvSkNm-t/s3088/IMG_9119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-QHmKzy8JOUDYspTUhEQ5d71xKiE_0tIRdFxhQEXqkhQFWG5rbI7I8sFIME6xUIzf2_nAOJ3ZoqlLGKysnzOV-olB6bepxjEqQrh7T2z0jrGrlm9OZ3kIPa5lQLO--jhYuLdOJolE3LwVfZBTT_InL4SUt6Ic4l6egDKZZi0VbbYzu3YSvSkNm-t/s320/IMG_9119.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry ride to start the day</td></tr></tbody></table>Two routes are on offer for today. The PM route takes a ferry to cross to the Curonian Spit. From there its about 15 miles of narrow, often unpaved bike path through the National Park. We decided to make the PM route our AM route!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlQRTx7Ubqq2z0S5ds9PoZtErYfLeFJ74mLGx6JrCsSxxt2KOXpcYAPWIQEmlU5-cy9BX_Qqk-T1chXrEm_-dZzZPKu4SoRyCkW0c51SW6Jmo5htgfKs1Rn0K5ZDVMbJsdHWdMg-SA5V9CEVrT6MaZCymsuk_hlIRSE2sCX2uHYPm4XSV11O_5s4b/s3088/IMG_9133.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlQRTx7Ubqq2z0S5ds9PoZtErYfLeFJ74mLGx6JrCsSxxt2KOXpcYAPWIQEmlU5-cy9BX_Qqk-T1chXrEm_-dZzZPKu4SoRyCkW0c51SW6Jmo5htgfKs1Rn0K5ZDVMbJsdHWdMg-SA5V9CEVrT6MaZCymsuk_hlIRSE2sCX2uHYPm4XSV11O_5s4b/s320/IMG_9133.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Forest bike path most of the day</td></tr></tbody></table><div>The Curonian Spit continues to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad Oblast. No worries we will turn around well before the security teams send us back! The trail winds through the forest and is used for access to the beaches along the spit. Its narrow, and we pull aside for fast groups, and had a few hangers-on to our wheels as well.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3YK88EQGuLq1zrOeMJWzc_bFr9_r8H9rEas6VG3gld2xqmDeT39UC3tNMEy2v_RhxqsOro6XWeMIb9QcYi1F8zmktjJtbZNqtTI9b55HDmtaDFkhuSnq2u-RDwZxxagDN2yeTOClhr9l6CYbIN2wtQzRPuPF2AJzxvmNwnGszyZKlXvtUnYMmmxJ/s4032/IMG_9136.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA3YK88EQGuLq1zrOeMJWzc_bFr9_r8H9rEas6VG3gld2xqmDeT39UC3tNMEy2v_RhxqsOro6XWeMIb9QcYi1F8zmktjJtbZNqtTI9b55HDmtaDFkhuSnq2u-RDwZxxagDN2yeTOClhr9l6CYbIN2wtQzRPuPF2AJzxvmNwnGszyZKlXvtUnYMmmxJ/s320/IMG_9136.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great views!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We arrived in the village of Juokrante and spotted a wonderful outdoor cafe. We ordered some liquid refreshments and a local favorite, fried bread. It was fantastic. While we were there, many other Santana riders spotted the place and soon it was overrun!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyxmJ7CdatVIEv8c5Odo7MKp5DjyR15sgbQMw3vsenM-w6Cy7JMP2IHtShnq02vH7OBs_uZscCKEp3lGfv48hi-pnyU0un69cd5ia7LjIjQFPXbI6tBeMmaZwT__uBlMLUqlG6ccv8V7vB0unBw7xKF7HX_jcDz55LJlcpBR3Eqcz4-8OpKPEOOMP/s4032/IMG_9137.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiyxmJ7CdatVIEv8c5Odo7MKp5DjyR15sgbQMw3vsenM-w6Cy7JMP2IHtShnq02vH7OBs_uZscCKEp3lGfv48hi-pnyU0un69cd5ia7LjIjQFPXbI6tBeMmaZwT__uBlMLUqlG6ccv8V7vB0unBw7xKF7HX_jcDz55LJlcpBR3Eqcz4-8OpKPEOOMP/s320/IMG_9137.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike racks were full when we left</td></tr></tbody></table><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrwwQbZ_lY2C1-o8-HnTPXEtf-xVFXxWFL75xCEQBVWmaHdGxDAzOEcIxcyt6JDxv3qFti36oGnPxmhBPfD1cyuoNh7lvZnPRi7wQ2jmLprke8c5rZbfgK0BuhIfMC1V0wdbCN9TUObfXxFiBp9ZVC85lHNN7PbYXp12EJGZzDDoYScgGrMTxh31p/s3088/IMG_9145.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLrwwQbZ_lY2C1-o8-HnTPXEtf-xVFXxWFL75xCEQBVWmaHdGxDAzOEcIxcyt6JDxv3qFti36oGnPxmhBPfD1cyuoNh7lvZnPRi7wQ2jmLprke8c5rZbfgK0BuhIfMC1V0wdbCN9TUObfXxFiBp9ZVC85lHNN7PbYXp12EJGZzDDoYScgGrMTxh31p/s320/IMG_9145.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside oddity</td></tr></tbody></table>The thought of returning via the narrow bike lane with other Santana riders still heading to Juokrante, made us consider another route. We took the two-lane road, and traffic was light. It was the right choice. We stopped at a roadside table on the way back for a break and spotted this odd sculpture.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5ivEt4eSMlfs-zNS10EQhgpOtlw-R0T0rGeHyacEhbuqKzzXvOfVvtDTXZZ3mIP2V5TUV0yevYl3hxvRqrp5RX1ex4qsU6WkH73rLMhSzfOJAu2YlleN4Jfzj3LSaBqReUa9Hg99lgFTHy1oIuYzvTxy37d1aKokR_f_EJVYA8s-JLQYpoxwFsND/s4032/IMG_9147.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5ivEt4eSMlfs-zNS10EQhgpOtlw-R0T0rGeHyacEhbuqKzzXvOfVvtDTXZZ3mIP2V5TUV0yevYl3hxvRqrp5RX1ex4qsU6WkH73rLMhSzfOJAu2YlleN4Jfzj3LSaBqReUa9Hg99lgFTHy1oIuYzvTxy37d1aKokR_f_EJVYA8s-JLQYpoxwFsND/s320/IMG_9147.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Views of the Baltic</td></tr></tbody></table>On the road, we were clear of the forest and had great views of the Baltic.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QnYXzygm1DBc0qWP_4gkqgKPpdrF_dj8Rfikl61XNpvnKA1LI9LdzEjuEdt24ivdapwWMQcT8MCtSPVG4hsGbGhm8-nD6e5YY0hYdvdQUc_je_qpib8xrhkmoV4kwhxOBruqAThNy98RDko7xl8VPlPnTgD_yPfLIk1BmFSnw8WcDMt4ZIjBAgMn/s4032/IMG_9151.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8QnYXzygm1DBc0qWP_4gkqgKPpdrF_dj8Rfikl61XNpvnKA1LI9LdzEjuEdt24ivdapwWMQcT8MCtSPVG4hsGbGhm8-nD6e5YY0hYdvdQUc_je_qpib8xrhkmoV4kwhxOBruqAThNy98RDko7xl8VPlPnTgD_yPfLIk1BmFSnw8WcDMt4ZIjBAgMn/s320/IMG_9151.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ferry ride #2</td></tr></tbody></table>One more ferry ride would take us back to the ship for lunch. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6I-_pzelEaHkb_BUX3sRkPDa4QBfyeMFFoL-19kBS3TRV9fPT1nEuGu17N5phFo-Tvm9Xtpnl5FXy5ftJ7L76gMx4zEs6db4NXbhTb0KoGmRkQ1AvWm1HhW7CrnmtAQnh8QkycN4kSe8w92R090BVIwBgh-jSHdJtLWzKmhOmHCoEq96MzXNRB3t/s4032/IMG_9156.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm6I-_pzelEaHkb_BUX3sRkPDa4QBfyeMFFoL-19kBS3TRV9fPT1nEuGu17N5phFo-Tvm9Xtpnl5FXy5ftJ7L76gMx4zEs6db4NXbhTb0KoGmRkQ1AvWm1HhW7CrnmtAQnh8QkycN4kSe8w92R090BVIwBgh-jSHdJtLWzKmhOmHCoEq96MzXNRB3t/s320/IMG_9156.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Klaipeda</td></tr></tbody></table>Since we selected the PM route to ride in the AM, the AM route was still undone! So while Debby chilled on the Star Breeze, I headed back out and covered most of the AM route before the all aboard call at 5:30<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aqCIBsSdwMrqJUYTHZvqyyTWr4Z-b0_nqp92mP3WchnObTOe9Pa9i5GsSxJUPvUonO5blamRP4CSUYWQMOz1uHExvaHqJZY_5RGQsf7cmGFiE0PJjUBMNfFT_mQx_rDWcn5qb5e58PGKU1o8fjFH5sm0k7ljWbMKaSEUsb4wA8AkslTVpfILJQ7A/s4032/IMG_9159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3aqCIBsSdwMrqJUYTHZvqyyTWr4Z-b0_nqp92mP3WchnObTOe9Pa9i5GsSxJUPvUonO5blamRP4CSUYWQMOz1uHExvaHqJZY_5RGQsf7cmGFiE0PJjUBMNfFT_mQx_rDWcn5qb5e58PGKU1o8fjFH5sm0k7ljWbMKaSEUsb4wA8AkslTVpfILJQ7A/s320/IMG_9159.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paved bike path</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBdL-Jxi7vbzCLk2PosrORwogD9MYudZzd4TUMvhkFiXRJ8fO8-vILZOjt9nLzFsHEffU9MRNIkOY0NfsMUIuA6rnJtXVICBSHriEWuH11QwnzR_VXVyyWXaZ7Xt98emtncKzumLuh1MUbij1llq5o8D0g7zLY-O6xLb8IvcnZw-RR1H1tpwrpYd9/s4032/IMG_9167.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBdL-Jxi7vbzCLk2PosrORwogD9MYudZzd4TUMvhkFiXRJ8fO8-vILZOjt9nLzFsHEffU9MRNIkOY0NfsMUIuA6rnJtXVICBSHriEWuH11QwnzR_VXVyyWXaZ7Xt98emtncKzumLuh1MUbij1llq5o8D0g7zLY-O6xLb8IvcnZw-RR1H1tpwrpYd9/s320/IMG_9167.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">60's East European Chic housing</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCR0dnfxPlbB6D5fU1hFZNQY5xYdw298UAEPiK3egNGK3aPKfm9y-rsf1XEtfCxYNYVTBwW14ayH1DuAdv5gUe51uiWi_RsiC8Kwm8pc3JMdHqgPW4ZuHpNIyqPI-z4yytpE6RFrX3mfXT0E6JQWKK03szHdzmKXLLcQPG4yaLVxqitVb5-8bvbDok/s4032/IMG_9178.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCR0dnfxPlbB6D5fU1hFZNQY5xYdw298UAEPiK3egNGK3aPKfm9y-rsf1XEtfCxYNYVTBwW14ayH1DuAdv5gUe51uiWi_RsiC8Kwm8pc3JMdHqgPW4ZuHpNIyqPI-z4yytpE6RFrX3mfXT0E6JQWKK03szHdzmKXLLcQPG4yaLVxqitVb5-8bvbDok/s320/IMG_9178.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klaipeda waterfront</td></tr></tbody></table>The route picked its way through Klaipeda before entering a large city park north of the city. From there it was high speed riding on nicely paved bike paths. To give myself a bit of time cushion, I turned around a few miles early and headed back to the ship.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPZpJXFpo01MyxzYynqFKFE4-nMoiet6NhZ_hP-g3s2489azm4EFUhHnW6DRYLVwy49aaHFs5ioG-CUul1JZJncbqiak9DH_tGbpzySXOCDus6rlvAat0Bgo1SeBpXOoqDlieLQnaWofAW9PISwg6nKrOofD781no4urXABuadBcBM34JhbCfRze2/s4032/IMG_9190.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPZpJXFpo01MyxzYynqFKFE4-nMoiet6NhZ_hP-g3s2489azm4EFUhHnW6DRYLVwy49aaHFs5ioG-CUul1JZJncbqiak9DH_tGbpzySXOCDus6rlvAat0Bgo1SeBpXOoqDlieLQnaWofAW9PISwg6nKrOofD781no4urXABuadBcBM34JhbCfRze2/s320/IMG_9190.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Breeze</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY418DSA-w5zjecMkz1uKC8FTtnIy60qZW7sjAZUIdhlY5UzTLDSaMHnbi6GP428CwOGMYRiVWjPgEbrQ4Jz7piFa85ZryUdvBXxzsQK6uHdTYMuoXQbkLSEiaP3sNLSheQX4Pz3WmKbI2gMJXyWkctH0s1h1xnX9kOQp7oan28iWNnvjJcAjVwMT8/s4032/IMG_9191.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY418DSA-w5zjecMkz1uKC8FTtnIy60qZW7sjAZUIdhlY5UzTLDSaMHnbi6GP428CwOGMYRiVWjPgEbrQ4Jz7piFa85ZryUdvBXxzsQK6uHdTYMuoXQbkLSEiaP3sNLSheQX4Pz3WmKbI2gMJXyWkctH0s1h1xnX9kOQp7oan28iWNnvjJcAjVwMT8/s320/IMG_9191.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cycling ghetto</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back at the ship we did our laundry and used the balcony to dry the kit. Dinner was a Fourth of July themed cookout with burgers, hot dogs, and ribs on the pool deck. We were underway and headed to Poland, it was quite breezy up there. We found a table out of the wind, and enjoyed a great barbeque feast!</div><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Day 5 - Gdansk Poland</h4></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbM-FfiYuOfUqcvOm4rjPMXtv_E8yaaNtxeIaWa0jimWvixBExGocZwHiZ7lXfFIzI8Jgsb8Yh__uLHCb7volU5mWy3epUtwxwntnFoP2aFtgVR13ZIHj0yD81YknxDBZpJWKtkwZo9kcY1hOC1dyfo6RijQCJQnNSuPdgxK_oItgmEDVmyWXJ7U28/s1080/1009px-Baltic_Sea_map.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1009" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbM-FfiYuOfUqcvOm4rjPMXtv_E8yaaNtxeIaWa0jimWvixBExGocZwHiZ7lXfFIzI8Jgsb8Yh__uLHCb7volU5mWy3epUtwxwntnFoP2aFtgVR13ZIHj0yD81YknxDBZpJWKtkwZo9kcY1hOC1dyfo6RijQCJQnNSuPdgxK_oItgmEDVmyWXJ7U28/s320/1009px-Baltic_Sea_map.png" width="299" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our area of operations </td></tr></tbody></table><div>You might wonder why we sailed from Germany to Lithuania and skipped Poland. It was because Gdansk is an extremely busy port and the ship could not get a slot in the port on Day 4. So we sailed past to Lithuania, then doubled back to Poland for Day 5. That also would make for a long journey to get to Gotland Island (Sweden) so Day 5 would also have an early 'all aboard' time of 3:30PM.</div><div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFqIwyDLMXQgz4ZVApvL7HwFw3T-1y4K7gmKn1iuoGlFdXFNwdufnrqXmIbGClpsFDNKkuVGKdXmSlDBFHUy8PhbHX2Ibh99JTdvnuPgEFgNdlfibzhWsJZuonoZAtFyei0Qv_ce2IdF59kXLtd2yAIw8kWPAFWmo-tg8ptEAf_CthrjR8zR-Lwe8/s4032/IMG_9197.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzFqIwyDLMXQgz4ZVApvL7HwFw3T-1y4K7gmKn1iuoGlFdXFNwdufnrqXmIbGClpsFDNKkuVGKdXmSlDBFHUy8PhbHX2Ibh99JTdvnuPgEFgNdlfibzhWsJZuonoZAtFyei0Qv_ce2IdF59kXLtd2yAIw8kWPAFWmo-tg8ptEAf_CthrjR8zR-Lwe8/s320/IMG_9197.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All lined up and ready to ride!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We arrived in Gdansk after breakfast and the bikes were neatly lined up for today's ride. The short ride would go to Old Town and back, about 12 miles, and the longer route would add a run to Sopot, a classic resort beach town for a total of about 30 miles. Of course, Debby was more interested in shopping in Old Town than riding so we headed into town together and I set out for Sopot.</div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9_anlXreKXFzX9PZ-NsCningB8ViByrbgaiQRUXamVBSV9rjKv-Xxku_VMEBnpg8CCZsHumnAh6nV97z7Jrk_kSRrDf2SVvpkSSNRpAQMrrcnxDrypuJfB2fpllqg-uEvhorrxzUzqaZfQTmH7PjmcUGSBlmYFmRdEVZSVCE9xIfqZeKpky3VOyq/s4032/IMG_9198.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH9_anlXreKXFzX9PZ-NsCningB8ViByrbgaiQRUXamVBSV9rjKv-Xxku_VMEBnpg8CCZsHumnAh6nV97z7Jrk_kSRrDf2SVvpkSSNRpAQMrrcnxDrypuJfB2fpllqg-uEvhorrxzUzqaZfQTmH7PjmcUGSBlmYFmRdEVZSVCE9xIfqZeKpky3VOyq/s320/IMG_9198.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path in the industrial port of Gdansk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ccuisAorNQymM8bPz7NGbE2xJ6BWhUUEMpSIi6iTA1NYXXk463HsCy896UJM1u3kdFqDPZh9QAmFWWn7z02hnqFLK8Vi_2bJh9pTtAsbO5DbN5R_suVAP1dqqvoUNavsRqQQcdDzlbrsJ56X60ryolLwJlAQbK1b_bQxexCOCOSCViao_pe18pr4/s4032/IMG_9202.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ccuisAorNQymM8bPz7NGbE2xJ6BWhUUEMpSIi6iTA1NYXXk463HsCy896UJM1u3kdFqDPZh9QAmFWWn7z02hnqFLK8Vi_2bJh9pTtAsbO5DbN5R_suVAP1dqqvoUNavsRqQQcdDzlbrsJ56X60ryolLwJlAQbK1b_bQxexCOCOSCViao_pe18pr4/s320/IMG_9202.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing into Old Town</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEumNvhkpN_ZhMc_P6prEH4ZAzFPp9RQU54Hcmb9dRfpZ8gf5EciP3kNYezR0WXeaLZU-nCZoe1rHmd_pkjoOrBH66b8wxv6YbSiVdpu8Jup2jUvGj37ibpZL7lXVAdyejyzm5k1Zk_g6zqo9Uag5s0ufm83wf-6IoE1qxHk5e87L5K6fEzHll-Xo/s4032/IMG_9209.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEumNvhkpN_ZhMc_P6prEH4ZAzFPp9RQU54Hcmb9dRfpZ8gf5EciP3kNYezR0WXeaLZU-nCZoe1rHmd_pkjoOrBH66b8wxv6YbSiVdpu8Jup2jUvGj37ibpZL7lXVAdyejyzm5k1Zk_g6zqo9Uag5s0ufm83wf-6IoE1qxHk5e87L5K6fEzHll-Xo/s320/IMG_9209.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many of the streets are closed to traffic</td></tr></tbody></table>We split in the heart of Old Town. Santana had some staff members keeping an eye on the bikes in a park, so Debby parked her bike and explored the town while I headed up the coast to Sopot<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5n0hLkxBde5Hp3yftwQ8vekhb-iQifcwXQ38YDkfeAYweFE9Kbwi3oT6jfAc6OQ1N4Ux4SLuc_qkvyync4mpCa3ii53vyYLDX3V9mh4ndwJ6w2BdLmHgQHuwQ-Ex7lxEwb6ZtHIko1g_H05DP-F7MVZTwREAi_bdPxu8L9JaBjGAanvzvlSC_pXZ/s4032/IMG_9219.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT5n0hLkxBde5Hp3yftwQ8vekhb-iQifcwXQ38YDkfeAYweFE9Kbwi3oT6jfAc6OQ1N4Ux4SLuc_qkvyync4mpCa3ii53vyYLDX3V9mh4ndwJ6w2BdLmHgQHuwQ-Ex7lxEwb6ZtHIko1g_H05DP-F7MVZTwREAi_bdPxu8L9JaBjGAanvzvlSC_pXZ/s320/IMG_9219.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Memorial on road to Sopot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhv_3tG-JBdZV8L0E-GyyUP4PvGZWPR__2ZMSxDlFun1d8pYEKZOkXhn-KsjYy5dwG54nop0EiP-YMpgYaO5N5Y9HrwN6oOODse0zrcpdZyHha8i3wniBUolRW-rNa7N3CvLMnCu7UjsNkZ2-W-LB6w3CMYBFXwcfHtN4Fq2tn7Fg3z-7NJtVGuSX8/s4032/IMG_9220.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhv_3tG-JBdZV8L0E-GyyUP4PvGZWPR__2ZMSxDlFun1d8pYEKZOkXhn-KsjYy5dwG54nop0EiP-YMpgYaO5N5Y9HrwN6oOODse0zrcpdZyHha8i3wniBUolRW-rNa7N3CvLMnCu7UjsNkZ2-W-LB6w3CMYBFXwcfHtN4Fq2tn7Fg3z-7NJtVGuSX8/s320/IMG_9220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sopot bike path</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaad18fBjohHdE_Xrs0eABNEKZMLCMGiANV1xQN5lupRA276ldZXvvrkwlEDWy7HgMw9zj26ByE6maRI6XfdWn-DDsSstIBs_RTIsnX8yR_omC7QoP5s5PAIKja5vbCFvBFKUrJgOaO9RWS0diqVsbGyFzIaNJsRoQU6Byt2ZfRZiwGKofyHHqV6k/s4032/IMG_9230.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaad18fBjohHdE_Xrs0eABNEKZMLCMGiANV1xQN5lupRA276ldZXvvrkwlEDWy7HgMw9zj26ByE6maRI6XfdWn-DDsSstIBs_RTIsnX8yR_omC7QoP5s5PAIKja5vbCFvBFKUrJgOaO9RWS0diqVsbGyFzIaNJsRoQU6Byt2ZfRZiwGKofyHHqV6k/s320/IMG_9230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Hotel of Sopot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdT9OX2SAviU7ElX_S34_oNRVyQaEaJNCcndUFBsJTN5ThMYNWg8UUJG2ju5Eskv4C5ByVDlSw1MiQYgPsE9l5463b5JbpqwB85WiqUE2p0PPD-nzgSlfoqrdw9Kp8l-l9lhAVF15aw_N5hnvL0yT1N-6hOUpR0RSDJO2X3Qok3w9VNr7saHJmJvq/s4032/IMG_9232.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdT9OX2SAviU7ElX_S34_oNRVyQaEaJNCcndUFBsJTN5ThMYNWg8UUJG2ju5Eskv4C5ByVDlSw1MiQYgPsE9l5463b5JbpqwB85WiqUE2p0PPD-nzgSlfoqrdw9Kp8l-l9lhAVF15aw_N5hnvL0yT1N-6hOUpR0RSDJO2X3Qok3w9VNr7saHJmJvq/s320/IMG_9232.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sopot Beach</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopot" target="_blank">Sopot</a> is a popular beach and resort town about 10 miles from Gdansk. It is a major tourist and vacation destination. The coastline here is fully developed and other than Warsaw, this area sports the highest property values in Poland! The bike path was certainly nice, nearly a two-lane road for most of the way from Gdansk. The longest wooden pier in the EU is also here. It was covered with tourists, so I decided to head back to catch up with Debby.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhqIPmmvqYo4c2FLyL0LZpjaGPjNTD7I5LUrwgCI8dExYuDoub7ktkXzBy-vAxZkfKbZI8ahZ_9Le5_o2W-I8ni_aim5uUsLeLkQFkzKAg_m9AEXB8jeVrZWnFAlNUwlJd1nPHTpgS6xPfMFCfj2Ipuj__peO14aQtYtBngARty7qlIicGDBtTXNi/s4032/IMG_9244.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhqIPmmvqYo4c2FLyL0LZpjaGPjNTD7I5LUrwgCI8dExYuDoub7ktkXzBy-vAxZkfKbZI8ahZ_9Le5_o2W-I8ni_aim5uUsLeLkQFkzKAg_m9AEXB8jeVrZWnFAlNUwlJd1nPHTpgS6xPfMFCfj2Ipuj__peO14aQtYtBngARty7qlIicGDBtTXNi/s320/IMG_9244.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Pirate' ship loaded with tourists</td></tr></tbody></table>There is a pedestrian draw bridge that crosses the river to a peninsula where the bikes were parked. It only opens for about 20 minutes per hour, and I had to wait for it to open to get across!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIeSz4pNyOIZTed65NZppseLls80svetBQ6Hjjtj-K8z9SIp7cXJ8m4sLiBdtF1THFsfhFGEf02eQDrvXYD4FjnHpc3pTydM7JvNuk10bFbEXkgZsF4Q-uVdOaW5WIKs5x08amrkVPKtw6w27fq-QxZ_vLtE6DTluv4ydgeU5ejCH_jFxRqK3vHT-/s4032/IMG_9252.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcIeSz4pNyOIZTed65NZppseLls80svetBQ6Hjjtj-K8z9SIp7cXJ8m4sLiBdtF1THFsfhFGEf02eQDrvXYD4FjnHpc3pTydM7JvNuk10bFbEXkgZsF4Q-uVdOaW5WIKs5x08amrkVPKtw6w27fq-QxZ_vLtE6DTluv4ydgeU5ejCH_jFxRqK3vHT-/s320/IMG_9252.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy pierogi samplers!</td></tr></tbody></table>We try to sample the local fare on these trips and found a nice outdoor restaurant with a great selection of traditional dishes. These pierogis were delicious!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHWI08c_ijdL13kQHlugUVk81uJlv0E5lkECpWPdh-keZYgSKAdzRObPVQSeC7m_jSU4DT5kAgvtC95C6CKqyTk3X7WZkof290I_Swg6v5eHYU2KKXWWHfoxINM-UoIRAp7EuMlvpUohVhYb_CU85XJN3qmGoBf9QAZdpU2n5fn8HTIyQMvw4C9yM/s4032/IMG_9253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHWI08c_ijdL13kQHlugUVk81uJlv0E5lkECpWPdh-keZYgSKAdzRObPVQSeC7m_jSU4DT5kAgvtC95C6CKqyTk3X7WZkof290I_Swg6v5eHYU2KKXWWHfoxINM-UoIRAp7EuMlvpUohVhYb_CU85XJN3qmGoBf9QAZdpU2n5fn8HTIyQMvw4C9yM/s320/IMG_9253.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cobbled shopping street</td></tr></tbody></table>Debby had a productive shopping morning while I journeyed to Sopot. We still needed Poland stickers for the bike cases and we found some here!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXkbSIz8Y6LRvz923fvaZQQdL9TwSSD8bab8DJvSSCoxmRdhhyxxaAWklVEV1_XCMHl2wNbP67NGh8K9BSCBqgde2lvOZ1Kif6eucW1q8lJwAP9YtW60JPb_BzogAXJvV73phORFWeJMjWi2A_gqPdpPxJlVb_SX2JGdpyk8JM8s2-X_IB7OS0TaR/s4032/IMG_9261.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKXkbSIz8Y6LRvz923fvaZQQdL9TwSSD8bab8DJvSSCoxmRdhhyxxaAWklVEV1_XCMHl2wNbP67NGh8K9BSCBqgde2lvOZ1Kif6eucW1q8lJwAP9YtW60JPb_BzogAXJvV73phORFWeJMjWi2A_gqPdpPxJlVb_SX2JGdpyk8JM8s2-X_IB7OS0TaR/s320/IMG_9261.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't ride this!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3Ay_o2uuW7UV32EQSORHLh6IxT6QJela4BdvpohdHwosGGIqPg0mrEUnNPOd4Ol4EyHFQcrsF9DZE6ro2NVz85TSNBWyrhigpdolwYuZi88o-d8ZnI_aoFNXH5w5yZcASWzy6ElEMiASo-LQ0V9fzj9g8X-mCLkMm8TbCSieaNwtQ92D-UokvHd3/s4032/IMG_9258.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3Ay_o2uuW7UV32EQSORHLh6IxT6QJela4BdvpohdHwosGGIqPg0mrEUnNPOd4Ol4EyHFQcrsF9DZE6ro2NVz85TSNBWyrhigpdolwYuZi88o-d8ZnI_aoFNXH5w5yZcASWzy6ElEMiASo-LQ0V9fzj9g8X-mCLkMm8TbCSieaNwtQ92D-UokvHd3/s320/IMG_9258.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No shame in an afternoon cappuccino! <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had some extra time before the draw drawbridge opened, so we found a café along the river to enjoy coffee and a lovely pastry. We like to joke about our Italian tour guides that advised us that only tourists and Americans ordered cappuccinos in the afternoon. Well, we check both boxes so here we are!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDcOlkiGnLNkXahBxYrAFe9RghYjxLTqyoUSE625Nm4hpjeDI5yVYJXz-C2kQUIpjrO_vGVV6eMivWGTlj6_ezISrOUimkVChF8fWEPuK_7nIuRXONjBmpf9vb7SvZcbIW3wYjeTRFsx-EiXnau2bB5AMkiygaibE8LPbV4izEJ0ITvhQHhyZBAJY/s4032/IMG_9266.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDcOlkiGnLNkXahBxYrAFe9RghYjxLTqyoUSE625Nm4hpjeDI5yVYJXz-C2kQUIpjrO_vGVV6eMivWGTlj6_ezISrOUimkVChF8fWEPuK_7nIuRXONjBmpf9vb7SvZcbIW3wYjeTRFsx-EiXnau2bB5AMkiygaibE8LPbV4izEJ0ITvhQHhyZBAJY/s320/IMG_9266.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free Chopin sheet music!</td></tr></tbody></table>Heading back to the bikes we passed a concert hall and music conservatory named for local hero Frederic Chopin. This piece was one of several up for grabs on murals around the hall!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtdnXGv5qmpRI8hMW4bjW8_M91wYgsJheerWcEyyfhYYviPdZKfHJybBf05KmxcCrcECZ5Psp3SifobAfiGEpBTGxzrmIuBrvd1JIutZucXWzVvcRMMCushiO1T4x5xgb6E2sLSECPwTNgmcWI7zYB5PTyXEGtZLFje_SgDxN_5zDrIX36vLaQWYO/s3088/IMG_9268.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBtdnXGv5qmpRI8hMW4bjW8_M91wYgsJheerWcEyyfhYYviPdZKfHJybBf05KmxcCrcECZ5Psp3SifobAfiGEpBTGxzrmIuBrvd1JIutZucXWzVvcRMMCushiO1T4x5xgb6E2sLSECPwTNgmcWI7zYB5PTyXEGtZLFje_SgDxN_5zDrIX36vLaQWYO/s320/IMG_9268.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading back to the ship </td></tr></tbody></table><div>We met Larry, Kris, Nate and his entourage on the way back, and soon they were all in tow as we headed through the industrial port and returned to the ship.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 6 - Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAgjZr6Qz0_6k5fcxRiQMo_dam7Wl2fpYcAljIyqWy2h9Oef8YZ-ANwHwZHpg99MWzszDWP3StD-pPPy3mxY-EcXNC6OoKiU_Oa_-mugnlJSerlwbBmfT91M9mLPPE751508yM9lLYJ3fedhIYAQEGJNpfP4WmaMydRmgc9wm4I9tkLCmWDmB3kaL/s4032/IMG_9281.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAgjZr6Qz0_6k5fcxRiQMo_dam7Wl2fpYcAljIyqWy2h9Oef8YZ-ANwHwZHpg99MWzszDWP3StD-pPPy3mxY-EcXNC6OoKiU_Oa_-mugnlJSerlwbBmfT91M9mLPPE751508yM9lLYJ3fedhIYAQEGJNpfP4WmaMydRmgc9wm4I9tkLCmWDmB3kaL/s320/IMG_9281.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div>We will end the tour in Sweden, but get a taste of rural Sweden on the island of Gotland. There were three riding options on offer; all loops of 27, 43 and 66 miles. We selected the 27 mile route to ride together, and with a 5:30 all aboard, there was time for me to get in the 43 mile loop as well.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3ri64U8Z3cC4N3OD0PYRQCz-H5KWxbeowXjwNl2c1B3JCiUKb1s5qEl-Oe9fI8pcqadhp4njsLrXKSnQmopjwgBvWSUqF5nEG4JHtSc5Ik6ZX1DMMnkIUtDVWsjQ3FzaZJ1mXLlDf0WqLqYOtNTyudZq9iJh0OKiu65dsc0MeS5NwMrbhHjEe7UQ/s4032/IMG_9283.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha3ri64U8Z3cC4N3OD0PYRQCz-H5KWxbeowXjwNl2c1B3JCiUKb1s5qEl-Oe9fI8pcqadhp4njsLrXKSnQmopjwgBvWSUqF5nEG4JHtSc5Ik6ZX1DMMnkIUtDVWsjQ3FzaZJ1mXLlDf0WqLqYOtNTyudZq9iJh0OKiu65dsc0MeS5NwMrbhHjEe7UQ/s320/IMG_9283.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost no traffic on these roads</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV8av-9qUv3TRaF2VN9E36MIYUUK-tr-taKN4jVjOqvrfHxF0PC7DKAmysLnSG_qM3rM8LpmrDCVyMQVS6vRMnrlH3tevUSDqWQ78hyhH6kMHImR8hDPGM3tFFhlfXM3QK-8Yp6Ls85tAqr7hL65BPCgQFOe1U743b2ZiPXFlhlLRFh4v5Aj6TRBG/s4032/IMG_9294.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtV8av-9qUv3TRaF2VN9E36MIYUUK-tr-taKN4jVjOqvrfHxF0PC7DKAmysLnSG_qM3rM8LpmrDCVyMQVS6vRMnrlH3tevUSDqWQ78hyhH6kMHImR8hDPGM3tFFhlfXM3QK-8Yp6Ls85tAqr7hL65BPCgQFOe1U743b2ZiPXFlhlLRFh4v5Aj6TRBG/s320/IMG_9294.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly farmland on this island</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvA0lHJYZTadbMKmMEscyI26JRAXcPa4A1M8q7YV6pABhf9MnQLs8aF7J1l0WiH5hAI0utLO3J5yaF8GhjArFQyA964BDaGLfXDLXx-prVFQaU8ieK_HHPwrobDDQI3nTdswcqnSqAm85Ink-sapsvwrEQrlkDs_eF7F3k2iF2Q3ZopqJr8wAbToC/s4032/IMG_9300.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvA0lHJYZTadbMKmMEscyI26JRAXcPa4A1M8q7YV6pABhf9MnQLs8aF7J1l0WiH5hAI0utLO3J5yaF8GhjArFQyA964BDaGLfXDLXx-prVFQaU8ieK_HHPwrobDDQI3nTdswcqnSqAm85Ink-sapsvwrEQrlkDs_eF7F3k2iF2Q3ZopqJr8wAbToC/s320/IMG_9300.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many lovely local churches on the route</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVu8tudf6kGEtPHCTQvlqHIqaOFgYkbiq7ecoi_3-sEf_D02L9P6WYH6E5XiSJgKUfOZmVOc378OQ2P8xvKt6hjYACddEo106pXreyYqwWbIZGWBVW1Ca_4KA6C2lfKLIjrMRioBdZQk5WL5el4U0HQ-lLmxvIrF8aGInqzaBdtOX7b14jDGoHPDw/s4032/IMG_9322.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVu8tudf6kGEtPHCTQvlqHIqaOFgYkbiq7ecoi_3-sEf_D02L9P6WYH6E5XiSJgKUfOZmVOc378OQ2P8xvKt6hjYACddEo106pXreyYqwWbIZGWBVW1Ca_4KA6C2lfKLIjrMRioBdZQk5WL5el4U0HQ-lLmxvIrF8aGInqzaBdtOX7b14jDGoHPDw/s320/IMG_9322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotland Sheep</td></tr></tbody></table><div>A couple of Santana riders were pulled off the road checking out this herd of sheep. They are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gotland_sheep" target="_blank">Gotland Sheep</a>, a breed started on this island!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dVyDV0Joyun_7ds2KOxXuF1UropFdOtTR1GM240CMr8EImSHTXpvlZfz3D6g6UzinPO2PPkj_RCK1xQP1ylvhisSSgDs0v_SJt6OVfZQz6D9zjwnfTOuHUTfBm5Gw4RZee-u01QKVeSZKDJWyjO0kNRQ7K74_VLsFg3WLJDslUU9bXY8uK71LUbR/s4032/IMG_9302.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dVyDV0Joyun_7ds2KOxXuF1UropFdOtTR1GM240CMr8EImSHTXpvlZfz3D6g6UzinPO2PPkj_RCK1xQP1ylvhisSSgDs0v_SJt6OVfZQz6D9zjwnfTOuHUTfBm5Gw4RZee-u01QKVeSZKDJWyjO0kNRQ7K74_VLsFg3WLJDslUU9bXY8uK71LUbR/s320/IMG_9302.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpEhlH0p9tuxtGT9DfG4ZmW8dmdJgCph4Qx-EuV-Vd5sCyEz_WdJ44arkHTqVQ9eRW7Hm63LHrgD6vf_romEwXyHQVzA880ZLTePnVlD-QzitbVcUpgfIuNkQt-g_DlRKLEb3tRRPPcr1wBLbO65lZ6fjtw9zejkK8iOHqAmJvE5eMRFERUMVSi-F/s4032/IMG_9313.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpEhlH0p9tuxtGT9DfG4ZmW8dmdJgCph4Qx-EuV-Vd5sCyEz_WdJ44arkHTqVQ9eRW7Hm63LHrgD6vf_romEwXyHQVzA880ZLTePnVlD-QzitbVcUpgfIuNkQt-g_DlRKLEb3tRRPPcr1wBLbO65lZ6fjtw9zejkK8iOHqAmJvE5eMRFERUMVSi-F/s320/IMG_9313.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Landing strip?</td></tr></tbody></table>About half-way along the first loop, the road widened with huge shoulders and was perfectly flat. We wondered if it doubled an emergency runway for the nearby airport or was a military pop-up airfield. Either way, it was nice to have so much room on a great road with no traffic.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LOFjxzHxJGAoaMbwEgTy6k-so20wOq1Gdh5-nBA1JB-BpDaekmGmQ6HRcadtQbXTkNeXfnaDYzioFr3A7f-rHjhQvdrZGrR2ljMUMm5R334brnYDf3yYg0RO88TWW6Se2mFPTdY1J5O5TzOJX9qzIxQIFGmErt3NnmhrhZ9MiQu_nbo4ZZ2kZDaJ/s4032/IMG_9341.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6LOFjxzHxJGAoaMbwEgTy6k-so20wOq1Gdh5-nBA1JB-BpDaekmGmQ6HRcadtQbXTkNeXfnaDYzioFr3A7f-rHjhQvdrZGrR2ljMUMm5R334brnYDf3yYg0RO88TWW6Se2mFPTdY1J5O5TzOJX9qzIxQIFGmErt3NnmhrhZ9MiQu_nbo4ZZ2kZDaJ/s320/IMG_9341.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the coast heading into Visby</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmfJCKTlCIvJ39rwBkSx4DXdpDL4L74_HGX0VCjEKBMewwbpOZ4sjRjUSMumgW-28fvFmASD9i1HUVuvHEKDGwglhXtTx976quNtYB-bMN2y8PbZkqZnpH4c6icSMhm-sVOukTs7kpD_hUXlX4hH-kk0tzK_ZtBGWCQaaKumV-QHDy-EuG0-Ee5EQ/s4032/IMG_9347.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmfJCKTlCIvJ39rwBkSx4DXdpDL4L74_HGX0VCjEKBMewwbpOZ4sjRjUSMumgW-28fvFmASD9i1HUVuvHEKDGwglhXtTx976quNtYB-bMN2y8PbZkqZnpH4c6icSMhm-sVOukTs7kpD_hUXlX4hH-kk0tzK_ZtBGWCQaaKumV-QHDy-EuG0-Ee5EQ/s320/IMG_9347.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins in Visby</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkDDVv7WCBJFa-_4xw3bhPo4Xc2rUubOKHC6cTGh0vj6G-Kqk7miP5D6qKKBP0Z3EfpaxyBAjwQLPgyJ3jtjfXw3ELhHF-cddzR3xAUDnz19QsbpIBSuy53C06byoei5pAO5zrO3EOzqMlJDN6T1CMogvbwb3G-s-Ykekz4qe1a0f6Rcrc-ypTfrc/s4032/IMG_9353.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglkDDVv7WCBJFa-_4xw3bhPo4Xc2rUubOKHC6cTGh0vj6G-Kqk7miP5D6qKKBP0Z3EfpaxyBAjwQLPgyJ3jtjfXw3ELhHF-cddzR3xAUDnz19QsbpIBSuy53C06byoei5pAO5zrO3EOzqMlJDN6T1CMogvbwb3G-s-Ykekz4qe1a0f6Rcrc-ypTfrc/s320/IMG_9353.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Town Square politics</td></tr></tbody></table>Our plan was to find lunch in Visby then head back to the ship. But the little village was overrun with a political convention. All the restaurants were packed. Even a hamburger stand had a line out the door and well into the street. We met one activist that was representing a minor political party. We thought he was interested in our vote, but what he really wanted to talk about was our bikes. Now that's a party we could get behind! We decided to head back to the ship and grab lunch there. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDc-y14T44UctIykQy9_pvCa8sGuJdqHz91ALx_5LqMYdIiOmI9lGbPPu6nsLRjsNPZbWhaya7e8lRbXfvuySPBsvdgdyR8dQom3GqOt99VR6r9GIYqhSnAn9P2S9RdfDIJqBt_PiSK9DcDXFMq1upjwUZl4AJaZnsA40tDuZ-V-ZgUckE7ykI-ybV/s4032/IMG_9354.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDc-y14T44UctIykQy9_pvCa8sGuJdqHz91ALx_5LqMYdIiOmI9lGbPPu6nsLRjsNPZbWhaya7e8lRbXfvuySPBsvdgdyR8dQom3GqOt99VR6r9GIYqhSnAn9P2S9RdfDIJqBt_PiSK9DcDXFMq1upjwUZl4AJaZnsA40tDuZ-V-ZgUckE7ykI-ybV/s320/IMG_9354.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No line here!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We grabbed sandwiches in the lounge on board and had a nice quiet lunch, and no politics! After lunch, I mounted up and headed back out for loop#2.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDvX_DG6EWbxlfMjqDgdB-jAMozvHjFFi41HTF24v1DFkRc0CZ4TS3OBINvqnI_GMV-330u1rW7oqujJ2omuzspq7zfZj-wvD9G8sWA_iHi76bOUltcjLdqi-CHU8IN-nMG1fA35JnrIK__PfMBd_iPlqAtR_J-VXQEhD4G_KUpkB2JwmtTFhs4n4/s4032/IMG_9355.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDvX_DG6EWbxlfMjqDgdB-jAMozvHjFFi41HTF24v1DFkRc0CZ4TS3OBINvqnI_GMV-330u1rW7oqujJ2omuzspq7zfZj-wvD9G8sWA_iHi76bOUltcjLdqi-CHU8IN-nMG1fA35JnrIK__PfMBd_iPlqAtR_J-VXQEhD4G_KUpkB2JwmtTFhs4n4/s320/IMG_9355.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anytown USA?</td></tr></tbody></table>Visby's port, like most we visited, are industrial ports and are very modern, even down to the American cuisine options! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6fF9DdYAgBGp92U0RG6Z3QE-J6tSZlpf_lJrAjH_g4VfAFwP8h1W0Ijc7PFDRpwRLoE3ofzAIF3a6XaJYBVE8OCCaqnXYo6G4sAJndCIE0zQk1E0WCtR7UDd9QM29LcvZKj3OJQdurje1Gn34n8HaAKInql3NhKgWoHx1Ozv2NL4-bEI0AJqnLc3/s4032/IMG_9365.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS6fF9DdYAgBGp92U0RG6Z3QE-J6tSZlpf_lJrAjH_g4VfAFwP8h1W0Ijc7PFDRpwRLoE3ofzAIF3a6XaJYBVE8OCCaqnXYo6G4sAJndCIE0zQk1E0WCtR7UDd9QM29LcvZKj3OJQdurje1Gn34n8HaAKInql3NhKgWoHx1Ozv2NL4-bEI0AJqnLc3/s320/IMG_9365.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local cemetery</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguklgeDZZ9au-JvcTRU0ZTP2BIuVxvhvx28DZPAUn7WxAOHn9lHzxj_PIkkDY3BDIxQW7ya96wX5oim6OdlnmbS0xE1u8dyUPDXsBUy7OdhqvpaYdt0RYk-SD_auoXObfO_hx23ekwgiZdFWpiUIi8HYU7l0ThTHUr_1MRCKFyTWDdgH5IHGEEUHHN/s4032/IMG_9392.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguklgeDZZ9au-JvcTRU0ZTP2BIuVxvhvx28DZPAUn7WxAOHn9lHzxj_PIkkDY3BDIxQW7ya96wX5oim6OdlnmbS0xE1u8dyUPDXsBUy7OdhqvpaYdt0RYk-SD_auoXObfO_hx23ekwgiZdFWpiUIi8HYU7l0ThTHUr_1MRCKFyTWDdgH5IHGEEUHHN/s320/IMG_9392.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles of farmland </td></tr></tbody></table>The medium route followed the same exit from Visby then headed back out into the countryside. It was very similar to the morning route, just covering a bit more ground.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRilWLalDdPBbKeiA6UZ7dLAvdORVDIVZt3MEiAQ-zscH8XLYMHODm65V4Bo2SeLFpALt71SB0B3ahLnWjVvaOs2QsDV-g5fUlwGdr0JSfLxMm9B7sU6AF2RugvOU38sf1fEBaxwxyb7ZEd3fErjlKdpbaG0H6Y-2DsJ2vdRTO89FPS4ZKESgE_XM/s4032/IMG_9406.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCRilWLalDdPBbKeiA6UZ7dLAvdORVDIVZt3MEiAQ-zscH8XLYMHODm65V4Bo2SeLFpALt71SB0B3ahLnWjVvaOs2QsDV-g5fUlwGdr0JSfLxMm9B7sU6AF2RugvOU38sf1fEBaxwxyb7ZEd3fErjlKdpbaG0H6Y-2DsJ2vdRTO89FPS4ZKESgE_XM/s320/IMG_9406.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highway warning sign in Swedish national colors</td></tr></tbody></table>In Poland I noticed the chevrons on traffic warning signs were red and white. I had noticed that color configuration before, then seeing the blue and gold chevrons here in Sweden, I wondered if both were keyed to each countries national colors. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXZ6glwGCq8DuttPvULo3HgiwTlggedbZe0H6beOpP1jVBrUqHBgCGfgNm-3iRBMCMfL6svXHzgaS7cOE5gCUHhSYujOIjqLUj9PyeP8DxqVKn96O8TM1pYDKQnIIUptqdAivif31yHXxf4P4hx-XeiEiCuGP1QXdmxwTFWPs26An3Rav1OkuHFjF/s4032/IMG_9417.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDXZ6glwGCq8DuttPvULo3HgiwTlggedbZe0H6beOpP1jVBrUqHBgCGfgNm-3iRBMCMfL6svXHzgaS7cOE5gCUHhSYujOIjqLUj9PyeP8DxqVKn96O8TM1pYDKQnIIUptqdAivif31yHXxf4P4hx-XeiEiCuGP1QXdmxwTFWPs26An3Rav1OkuHFjF/s320/IMG_9417.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely farmhouse</td></tr></tbody></table>I used the opportunity to ride at a brisk tempo pace to cover the 41 miles in about 2.5 hours. It would have been quicker perhaps, if I didn't stop so often to take a few pictures.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqtlkHo2PuEh6gLQUdR1_bJmq8m_OVFtYuonL4V44Lo5S-T4qVaL9WhXipAtbGVjPKZqU9vZCFC7Oye_eFOivECCZzbBXC2PYa2vvdtSsvTUHYPDB9BQWTrKWY3x9Ai6uRoKNhSDbOsjDdUuusJgC-koXx2oP_nSXeuJDXUCWSSVkpOaUqu08A0F4/s4032/IMG_9423.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqtlkHo2PuEh6gLQUdR1_bJmq8m_OVFtYuonL4V44Lo5S-T4qVaL9WhXipAtbGVjPKZqU9vZCFC7Oye_eFOivECCZzbBXC2PYa2vvdtSsvTUHYPDB9BQWTrKWY3x9Ai6uRoKNhSDbOsjDdUuusJgC-koXx2oP_nSXeuJDXUCWSSVkpOaUqu08A0F4/s320/IMG_9423.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sofie riding into Visby</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Entering Visby, I stopped to take a photo, and Sofie rode up. Her company provides the rental bikes for most of the Santana's European tours. This was her largest rental effort, as this was the largest ship Santana had chartered. Over 100 rental bikes! She still found time to get out and ride. She was headed to the town square too so I could ignore the Garmin and follow her wheel through town.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlqMw5Kkui1HN7xAv5aON5s6SPhPe7UCS8z1P7rIg7At4_eQB8FFIVRX_zCDq9Zktf6S2XsxVarHSM4yJFrQfZ4yqClHn4s4DJn3rtrbHG4Ni05tBkVjIh_CtVZG1aSTR1An1yZmBgd6frb36D8_ehd1NC5k89iyGGJeFccY3aQjJqqQhW1p0urDa/s4032/IMG_9427.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlqMw5Kkui1HN7xAv5aON5s6SPhPe7UCS8z1P7rIg7At4_eQB8FFIVRX_zCDq9Zktf6S2XsxVarHSM4yJFrQfZ4yqClHn4s4DJn3rtrbHG4Ni05tBkVjIh_CtVZG1aSTR1An1yZmBgd6frb36D8_ehd1NC5k89iyGGJeFccY3aQjJqqQhW1p0urDa/s320/IMG_9427.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Security checkpoint on the pier</td></tr></tbody></table>At most ports, we would simply ride up to the ship and board. Here we had to stop and present our cruise boarding cards to clear a security checkpoint.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZiWC3vX4O_ZUD8QZ5HgBGrIxJU2DRTI_GjRcvRCXm3Mf10iMCUWHVbF_woN_5jmp2i-P-g4coYsUEaZNGWyeN4ps1UHnzlIou-tpJYlTbyzBV0WXZMUq-tFzMuC5DY5Ahhfe_cu3Y3gmVGOM3U546EbjTPAZPepcNUktsfG1129ErJGis99nSA-R/s4032/IMG_9431.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ZiWC3vX4O_ZUD8QZ5HgBGrIxJU2DRTI_GjRcvRCXm3Mf10iMCUWHVbF_woN_5jmp2i-P-g4coYsUEaZNGWyeN4ps1UHnzlIou-tpJYlTbyzBV0WXZMUq-tFzMuC5DY5Ahhfe_cu3Y3gmVGOM3U546EbjTPAZPepcNUktsfG1129ErJGis99nSA-R/s320/IMG_9431.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch #2 - Room service!</td></tr></tbody></table>Too late for lunch and too early for dinner? We tried the 24 hour room service and it was great!<h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 7 - Ventspils Latvia</h4><div>We woke as the ship was entering the industrial port of Ventspils Latvia. Our route would takes us on a short loop past old town before heading into a natural park and then into the countryside.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0xe8gSGTIzZLBgl6AMaX0DEqY4FBAmYHoO0Q1jcLWa26iZRZ-QhekTwP8dk9HU-_imU_NLwao18p5EnNPY_U8w7qVhebPoZzCAwS-5By3UDSptJKZ3Rv9Vqriu0_SLb7oHdoonFihnEsWhNR8JzI8zUpF_17mJ5iVb-fU_C06mc6LQsBjrIPuJ9c/s4032/IMG_9433.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU0xe8gSGTIzZLBgl6AMaX0DEqY4FBAmYHoO0Q1jcLWa26iZRZ-QhekTwP8dk9HU-_imU_NLwao18p5EnNPY_U8w7qVhebPoZzCAwS-5By3UDSptJKZ3Rv9Vqriu0_SLb7oHdoonFihnEsWhNR8JzI8zUpF_17mJ5iVb-fU_C06mc6LQsBjrIPuJ9c/s320/IMG_9433.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X-rated cow?</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Leaving the ship we were treated to a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CowParade" target="_blank">Cow Parade</a>. What's that? An international public art exhibit. Fiberglass cow shapes are painted by local artists. This one was a bit racy!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvrr5XcSEsgsZXRNqC-ASBiemmqYLadDg1gKy0sMstJAuVL3jl7Nj0SVISRgUd1dDmv8JXwYpSiMQ5KSEpDVofuMt6nmRhsMojdOmV97C32TpB5CDKelIx6QI2_W0ttOrityRGNN5x0Xen9FqXZxu0fDjAsWjIge85PZoNWneF89x6sZJ3TZ95u_u/s4032/IMG_9442.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFvrr5XcSEsgsZXRNqC-ASBiemmqYLadDg1gKy0sMstJAuVL3jl7Nj0SVISRgUd1dDmv8JXwYpSiMQ5KSEpDVofuMt6nmRhsMojdOmV97C32TpB5CDKelIx6QI2_W0ttOrityRGNN5x0Xen9FqXZxu0fDjAsWjIge85PZoNWneF89x6sZJ3TZ95u_u/s320/IMG_9442.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nautical buoys</td></tr></tbody></table>There were several nautical displays as we left the port. This one was the most colorful!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb6uXxaSE6tRrb8xxIN9OEs_8lJZYZKi1tNJOByUlUGwB_kWGrQEZ3EHMwhV1iyYEFzE9uy7fAm_MP-yxWC55GBwwxiOSxtvyirR_KXsjsGBCdhxBs57d7U5BWjqD4KBU7q8ofeUscPBfa_ko5mlEsf4nkpCYi61O0hK26PrGkout3CXEcX8swA_6/s3088/IMG_9450.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb6uXxaSE6tRrb8xxIN9OEs_8lJZYZKi1tNJOByUlUGwB_kWGrQEZ3EHMwhV1iyYEFzE9uy7fAm_MP-yxWC55GBwwxiOSxtvyirR_KXsjsGBCdhxBs57d7U5BWjqD4KBU7q8ofeUscPBfa_ko5mlEsf4nkpCYi61O0hK26PrGkout3CXEcX8swA_6/s320/IMG_9450.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature park</td></tr></tbody></table>Soon we were on an unpaved bike trail through a nature park. It was wide, well packed, and smoother than some of the paved paths we had experienced so far.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0gt53mPe5E2cM_b6efS6MOsQiukseSrhm0OB33TO7Kz3sregEIR4u9rJQnbBiQoOokar_xk3vQLth7-EBQtsz--BwPV-bTE44_1Suj2zVWA37eAgGm-FFULUIvXDH3rDmy1qjkfdw-AGyOntZ-G9c8W8dgWDSP5Aq5-Z96wknOc531-wGfTsasHg/s4032/IMG_9458.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm0gt53mPe5E2cM_b6efS6MOsQiukseSrhm0OB33TO7Kz3sregEIR4u9rJQnbBiQoOokar_xk3vQLth7-EBQtsz--BwPV-bTE44_1Suj2zVWA37eAgGm-FFULUIvXDH3rDmy1qjkfdw-AGyOntZ-G9c8W8dgWDSP5Aq5-Z96wknOc531-wGfTsasHg/s320/IMG_9458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Highway strawberry stand</td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving the park we headed onto a relatively busy highway that had only intermittent shoulders. Better than most by US standards, but we had become accustomed to low traffic farm roads. Since all the routes started together, we had decided at breakfast to make a game time-route decision. Many riders took the short route back to get off the road and have more time in the local science museum. We decided to take the medium route of 30 miles.</div><div><br /></div><div>We spotted this strawberry stand and pulled over. It was 3 Euros for a kilo of strawberry's. How much is a kilo? Who knows, but he sold us this small container for 1.5 Euros! They were fantastic but too many for just the two of us. So we offered them to passing Santana cyclists and soon they were gone!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z1BsdZ0yEGHZkNFOLxTDdRTquWD95At_uohmEqgRMtz8rL3DIwb1nbF8ukTgMy1KkgrsKd2E92Gq1JtFwFuUbij2GDLPZANFzIJztMWQw7qoYVthMW2i6jGT6_3BWfbRdMoohtOZTtmvjoU05NRsdGj9RN98aIcxCM6rDJi0IPqoUvtstayM7H0X/s4032/IMG_9471.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z1BsdZ0yEGHZkNFOLxTDdRTquWD95At_uohmEqgRMtz8rL3DIwb1nbF8ukTgMy1KkgrsKd2E92Gq1JtFwFuUbij2GDLPZANFzIJztMWQw7qoYVthMW2i6jGT6_3BWfbRdMoohtOZTtmvjoU05NRsdGj9RN98aIcxCM6rDJi0IPqoUvtstayM7H0X/s320/IMG_9471.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Zurns hunting lodge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_0jdLT7eNOAGdXNN4NQ4Qu-V2a1H9AkOfAe8rToVBKJzxmhmTZL6XqVdlibTsy_9B_pO6o5wBShAJa3M8YWihzuwBsidZ9Yt31ZWDAKdh8DTXvPewTbqKsGo7bJ10BYkbmt0GSRU2a9wSYWzw6EM_MqginqQbnBMFxP5DL-TKL1Au8Q5O5EBw50a/s4032/IMG_9479.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg_0jdLT7eNOAGdXNN4NQ4Qu-V2a1H9AkOfAe8rToVBKJzxmhmTZL6XqVdlibTsy_9B_pO6o5wBShAJa3M8YWihzuwBsidZ9Yt31ZWDAKdh8DTXvPewTbqKsGo7bJ10BYkbmt0GSRU2a9wSYWzw6EM_MqginqQbnBMFxP5DL-TKL1Au8Q5O5EBw50a/s320/IMG_9479.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many bird nests along the highway </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB04iAdPjOuk5Yv_scfdww8jupMvGdDTtge158cEtWn6HoDGYYz-6zoKpKuQl22x141CivKkzXFafxNoQPznuiA2s6Kep-4KDWFvo765gJ4MzPXLXQglRgg3NhEbWCZUayVPfB3LwcWSMNzye1ZxJbcPCr0_Wm7-L_eJ-vGER2C7YXERgEsgR_L62y/s4032/IMG_9481.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB04iAdPjOuk5Yv_scfdww8jupMvGdDTtge158cEtWn6HoDGYYz-6zoKpKuQl22x141CivKkzXFafxNoQPznuiA2s6Kep-4KDWFvo765gJ4MzPXLXQglRgg3NhEbWCZUayVPfB3LwcWSMNzye1ZxJbcPCr0_Wm7-L_eJ-vGER2C7YXERgEsgR_L62y/s320/IMG_9481.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The turnaround gave us a few miles of country road</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqd50Tekuyc2-GM9o_MGjc6dBXI_joawppnLeuUKGqdvpc9PeeD7S8JAtLApBqiYaDoPuSCBYIgm8WHMCgAuSC4k9VGVqaS9qd54f8VQGyBVBUigASvHP6cjY_JtqMACWal0uiYJhqvu9Qsj4QAG852CVrEh_tbeAUZHtjKHopi8Em1Z8ffu7XquH/s4032/IMG_9491.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFqd50Tekuyc2-GM9o_MGjc6dBXI_joawppnLeuUKGqdvpc9PeeD7S8JAtLApBqiYaDoPuSCBYIgm8WHMCgAuSC4k9VGVqaS9qd54f8VQGyBVBUigASvHP6cjY_JtqMACWal0uiYJhqvu9Qsj4QAG852CVrEh_tbeAUZHtjKHopi8Em1Z8ffu7XquH/s320/IMG_9491.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic chevrons in Latvian colors! </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuV28dfo8ferJcQ2wzULPp7qMe_WXxWlTYYuaaBPvy8W9GajJyvOvAEejrUPl-oZr0CdGOD3nGbGaMVYL-JO2ml7EhThwy9cUFsLD-RgQxdefqaB-S9-gt0ouT3fqb8dPa4BsyqUw2Stc1mYzwFs75GNH8bCj1Nxv7tFrr3d6-Xws96N0VoTw0lqf/s4032/IMG_9492.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKuV28dfo8ferJcQ2wzULPp7qMe_WXxWlTYYuaaBPvy8W9GajJyvOvAEejrUPl-oZr0CdGOD3nGbGaMVYL-JO2ml7EhThwy9cUFsLD-RgQxdefqaB-S9-gt0ouT3fqb8dPa4BsyqUw2Stc1mYzwFs75GNH8bCj1Nxv7tFrr3d6-Xws96N0VoTw0lqf/s320/IMG_9492.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venta River </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfRag0AwYHqeR2cXmqxkUWQ-kBLRPx4Ni39u_3c1ubOO8DeSpJ0z4z3N9v7HrpZEg3BJ0If1HGb6HF1O-oRdN9HwxOttMrrb16IV-kTGmNGa706dFELGUNgu6gG5hnhVpKPKX4h3_vSDghviDW_NRvjYmSI0QHPwmIgpws5VHyzJKAnaDQkYuXkNG/s3088/IMG_9494.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNfRag0AwYHqeR2cXmqxkUWQ-kBLRPx4Ni39u_3c1ubOO8DeSpJ0z4z3N9v7HrpZEg3BJ0If1HGb6HF1O-oRdN9HwxOttMrrb16IV-kTGmNGa706dFELGUNgu6gG5hnhVpKPKX4h3_vSDghviDW_NRvjYmSI0QHPwmIgpws5VHyzJKAnaDQkYuXkNG/s320/IMG_9494.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Heading back the way we came, we found a nice pull out to view the Venta River and take a little break before the our next stop at a windmill/coffee house!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJLGflCUJv6g7yD50GUU4e3LpiFQ_B9_ix60Z0nPAvsBG1q2_7rQcnIdlRFvssCeo1Y-8O-Nlmp9GvP6W3i824WTiTtRx7hIU_82MUg6yR4GwFHCAro7uUcu6BoAGv5owcsQmkpDedLHDZfo8HUsS_8jQdQWzTb1cDIobouND0RssIufaO9cKFYCP/s4032/IMG_9507.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJLGflCUJv6g7yD50GUU4e3LpiFQ_B9_ix60Z0nPAvsBG1q2_7rQcnIdlRFvssCeo1Y-8O-Nlmp9GvP6W3i824WTiTtRx7hIU_82MUg6yR4GwFHCAro7uUcu6BoAGv5owcsQmkpDedLHDZfo8HUsS_8jQdQWzTb1cDIobouND0RssIufaO9cKFYCP/s320/IMG_9507.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windmill coffee stop</td></tr></tbody></table>The Windmill coffee shop was also the turn-around for the shorter loop. Many of the riders had taken the shorter route, so by the time we got there many of the riders had already passed through. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfFDIjob_3OnmDsgAsYMmSllSxPAhoBDwceDToz8sLCWYJUahK7jZ33MBayGglpE5eYV5-uTvaO2zqAUrSAaDr00HxQQYf_NCa5D52Yjabdk47jMjmDL3A75IjEmD_kZnnQFUAXbYZQcJ_gt92kyfNVZSFgptUuGdQGoYY2NMuzeaZ50Vsx73ZkUM/s4032/IMG_9508.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfFDIjob_3OnmDsgAsYMmSllSxPAhoBDwceDToz8sLCWYJUahK7jZ33MBayGglpE5eYV5-uTvaO2zqAUrSAaDr00HxQQYf_NCa5D52Yjabdk47jMjmDL3A75IjEmD_kZnnQFUAXbYZQcJ_gt92kyfNVZSFgptUuGdQGoYY2NMuzeaZ50Vsx73ZkUM/s320/IMG_9508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enough selfies already!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We enjoyed some local pastries and coffee before heading back to town.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKjas3YMhAInCLO-7MgmaRrSTL4TYYQ9VC7EmkkuU1Y7QUzbaciJk8boWPCkNRAxhN5vDr_OLVdeipV9GsAuaX_yT1swgxj4FTI9xMI5v1M0RM_nMGipYJfYvUwrpqfiu3l4zVu2HzDVMLwQ-TLqfIpdnjcU7anNV9TxrAQZrcS6jlP93Y99fxd7_/s4032/IMG_9514.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKjas3YMhAInCLO-7MgmaRrSTL4TYYQ9VC7EmkkuU1Y7QUzbaciJk8boWPCkNRAxhN5vDr_OLVdeipV9GsAuaX_yT1swgxj4FTI9xMI5v1M0RM_nMGipYJfYvUwrpqfiu3l4zVu2HzDVMLwQ-TLqfIpdnjcU7anNV9TxrAQZrcS6jlP93Y99fxd7_/s320/IMG_9514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ventspils Science Museum</td></tr></tbody></table>The route took us past the Ventspils Science Museum, which was included in our tour. <div>We decided to pass and head into Old Town to find an ornate church we spotted from the ship as we sailed into town.<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GBFocaKhYkt1ozs7sQWaBm3IjmoFvCIQ5rszlt6FaNAuQ1sHmP_GKVrsBjmGchuzQp6fixbFI44MFs5fTY18PPtlgPaZqg0kPixkAaVFxCN2gw8XQ3-khk66Xhwj0TgPpCsmGcX3c9FnBKAeAOBACBGk_U1-3AegAZZ9rBURGdr7xu-nniDzUDAe/s4032/IMG_9526.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7GBFocaKhYkt1ozs7sQWaBm3IjmoFvCIQ5rszlt6FaNAuQ1sHmP_GKVrsBjmGchuzQp6fixbFI44MFs5fTY18PPtlgPaZqg0kPixkAaVFxCN2gw8XQ3-khk66Xhwj0TgPpCsmGcX3c9FnBKAeAOBACBGk_U1-3AegAZZ9rBURGdr7xu-nniDzUDAe/s320/IMG_9526.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another visit to the Cow Parade</td></tr></tbody></table>Before reaching old town, we caught more of the Cow Parade!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BUS1xDuZuojrb_CwDxaekHq2WqbRh0jbExsN5BPAOO8JcUf55oxEAoE6pYtwvklB_afySJ2PHireIvlzKcvKSBB8ogt0QJU7GacG3RMK2x2f04BbzXLYCdEjvfle4horHs1LkI1hxexkaGyr1wzSqtMZ_crwolfCdMs6m8xu_BnRux3rth8kvOz_/s4032/IMG_9538.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5BUS1xDuZuojrb_CwDxaekHq2WqbRh0jbExsN5BPAOO8JcUf55oxEAoE6pYtwvklB_afySJ2PHireIvlzKcvKSBB8ogt0QJU7GacG3RMK2x2f04BbzXLYCdEjvfle4horHs1LkI1hxexkaGyr1wzSqtMZ_crwolfCdMs6m8xu_BnRux3rth8kvOz_/s320/IMG_9538.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Orthodox Church</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXj92aeDOsySz5aN-oQCVfbbbfAyAbamFUvFOj_nr5gl-6jtCAX9VBomJ6KRNoejsYw7UoDrltEbGr50qdrd-suikq7-NdhZFzg9BjWBKeHYsWe2D9tEnlabmXK3cH87ACefvdU0mAp1yHtLRgRg8uFV6UjC4N51yWocF21jpshkBQcGcoggyltc/s4032/IMG_9535.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8CXj92aeDOsySz5aN-oQCVfbbbfAyAbamFUvFOj_nr5gl-6jtCAX9VBomJ6KRNoejsYw7UoDrltEbGr50qdrd-suikq7-NdhZFzg9BjWBKeHYsWe2D9tEnlabmXK3cH87ACefvdU0mAp1yHtLRgRg8uFV6UjC4N51yWocF21jpshkBQcGcoggyltc/s320/IMG_9535.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing room only<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It took several tries, and we were about to give up on our search, but we found the church! It was on lovely grounds and lucky for us it was open and we were able to go inside. It was quite spectacular and the volunteers inside were very welcoming. They had a small gift shop and Debby bought a nice little icon to show our appreciation!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhLL39yLqNdUz6peFTBfUcvUz7H1iiTVtMKleVVywmXHay7je91aFORIJDGEytbJ9XSns9FHWYJBUei0pShRcg51_KYAuPwiZY1hHShANjn3nSlQF43hyPYj75qgXmKsNFroAMmTwGRHXdlWdz2G7wgYBjsstRflHlIW7EvJQs68LmX8963foXLcb/s4032/IMG_9551.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxhLL39yLqNdUz6peFTBfUcvUz7H1iiTVtMKleVVywmXHay7je91aFORIJDGEytbJ9XSns9FHWYJBUei0pShRcg51_KYAuPwiZY1hHShANjn3nSlQF43hyPYj75qgXmKsNFroAMmTwGRHXdlWdz2G7wgYBjsstRflHlIW7EvJQs68LmX8963foXLcb/s320/IMG_9551.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coal Terminal in Ventspils and pilot boat</td></tr></tbody></table><div>Ventspils has one of the largest coal terminals in Europe. It mostly deals in Russian coal, so the port was not nearly as busy as it would normally be. The seas leaving the port became somewhat rough, so we were treated to an entertaining disembark by the harbor pilot! The local pilot boards the ship outside of the harbor and disembarks when we reach open water. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/snMBsSk7RA0" width="320" youtube-src-id="snMBsSk7RA0"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Today with the rough seas it took several tries for the pilot to literally jump onto the pilot boat while we were underway! With the pilot safely aboard the pilot boat, it came about and headed back to port as we sailed toward Estonia. Larry took this video of the process a few days earlier in calmer seas!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 8 - Tallinn Estonia</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBj1NUyZgyWHlZ1ycmnRGOksMzN3h9f2uoYbvGxB02ef1un0YJUdVbG4S9kzbJgv0qHK8jvn_o_NCfycD6xPf7-blZ3GoRFB1rwCRnY-riKLmPttVp4ghquB-OzNTtMURQfcMRarh5kKCl_6AHQ6C7I-8s42SdG9GonzrWJBHe9e09zU1klPRbGcx/s4032/IMG_9554.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmBj1NUyZgyWHlZ1ycmnRGOksMzN3h9f2uoYbvGxB02ef1un0YJUdVbG4S9kzbJgv0qHK8jvn_o_NCfycD6xPf7-blZ3GoRFB1rwCRnY-riKLmPttVp4ghquB-OzNTtMURQfcMRarh5kKCl_6AHQ6C7I-8s42SdG9GonzrWJBHe9e09zU1klPRbGcx/s320/IMG_9554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in Tallinn</td></tr></tbody></table>After a week of picture perfect weather, the rain finally caught up with us in Estonia! we arrived mid-morning in the capital of Estonia. Today a shuttle bus was available to get us to old town. Debby elected to make it a rest day and skip the available ride and take an early bus to do some shopping. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCUsyyan_geEzPgVRLkDAkjAr-alfnAKrWiots71cp38nhq8UAjKx37ZAZiCnTOUiJTz-y3-s3y7zz2ztHfDElTgcfwRyB4KgEywYOIZ4ve1v4wiJ9I7q6e54SH7n7xrBPfKkYONI2-XPddnCBvajiaOmP7fAlE0CioEmMsHa90oGcDpwoJcQsaM8/s3088/IMG_9557.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwCUsyyan_geEzPgVRLkDAkjAr-alfnAKrWiots71cp38nhq8UAjKx37ZAZiCnTOUiJTz-y3-s3y7zz2ztHfDElTgcfwRyB4KgEywYOIZ4ve1v4wiJ9I7q6e54SH7n7xrBPfKkYONI2-XPddnCBvajiaOmP7fAlE0CioEmMsHa90oGcDpwoJcQsaM8/s320/IMG_9557.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High tech rain cover </td></tr></tbody></table>There was a bit of a chill in the air, so a base layer of Smartwool, watch cap, and gloves were in order for the morning! The shower cap in our cabin was a perfect fit for an affordable helmet rain cover!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_dZ51kzFksPHVp0SoWXAciG_r_cbra27vlYCB4e7Hv1kHsgZg9uwYbWe_EonJZ-O5XsjOMtwILyl0EfC1LP47pN9GOQsRA84dsPHsRU4AGwiNNJfDJXxGP6d8vgCBuZG0EIJAMU-_du0Mto5RIwWr6B0jCBTqo0ePUseyrhVmqkbSdWn5CmJR0ZY/s4032/IMG_9562.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_dZ51kzFksPHVp0SoWXAciG_r_cbra27vlYCB4e7Hv1kHsgZg9uwYbWe_EonJZ-O5XsjOMtwILyl0EfC1LP47pN9GOQsRA84dsPHsRU4AGwiNNJfDJXxGP6d8vgCBuZG0EIJAMU-_du0Mto5RIwWr6B0jCBTqo0ePUseyrhVmqkbSdWn5CmJR0ZY/s320/IMG_9562.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agriculture museum</td></tr></tbody></table>The cruise terminal was modern and huge. It was quite a distance just to get to the shore. The rain was moderate to heavy as I rolled through town. I even stopped to put on the rain legs! There was a wide bike path through town along the shoreline. Reaching the edge of town the route joined a highway for a tour of farms, forests, and beach homes! The first sight (after the rain began to lighten up) was an agriculture museum. These guys also put on their wool this morning!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5RI4S7e6RWYEErCoCifRjNGn2vWcnomAEd4SiMNnMRP3LNNwwzy4p6KLpicXA96wi5EyvCsUpaAnyLT5Vsn_ULpG1CKmVFjaY2Z39ZBr5-QL52a1o1OG8MXhfuEhukWMDJxn8tgyNoMUn6aszVPpOQ663m9wNBxLGZIhWqz_UYY-V-eED9CK9AXS/s4032/IMG_9564.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5RI4S7e6RWYEErCoCifRjNGn2vWcnomAEd4SiMNnMRP3LNNwwzy4p6KLpicXA96wi5EyvCsUpaAnyLT5Vsn_ULpG1CKmVFjaY2Z39ZBr5-QL52a1o1OG8MXhfuEhukWMDJxn8tgyNoMUn6aszVPpOQ663m9wNBxLGZIhWqz_UYY-V-eED9CK9AXS/s320/IMG_9564.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path adjacent to the highway</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIjbWFheU7qlPkaN7yBL0JbTtQuk2kj6ZM1das6H932-wZBbD3_UDhgddtAHTHMjvSt6JgeOm7a3gZBPtZrcuddViIuTmLLfeZhAhU-DTUcRuTFFlCWnbobWeqXbAEnStxlZqGYLAAtGyVN7bHGBuQfq8YY1f_AElOzAetb1w8WK_-AVSKeNz6ESt/s4032/IMG_9571.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtIjbWFheU7qlPkaN7yBL0JbTtQuk2kj6ZM1das6H932-wZBbD3_UDhgddtAHTHMjvSt6JgeOm7a3gZBPtZrcuddViIuTmLLfeZhAhU-DTUcRuTFFlCWnbobWeqXbAEnStxlZqGYLAAtGyVN7bHGBuQfq8YY1f_AElOzAetb1w8WK_-AVSKeNz6ESt/s320/IMG_9571.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Home over looking the sea</td></tr></tbody></table>The roads were in fantastic shape. On the main roads, there was a bike path or dedicated bike lane. The route also went through some residential areas with beautiful homes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Hr51GBWXM2YmgSRwX106hrjG-L4wnjnkdKNyUDN_lYJx1zGg4WI60MuZf8yIPEz9enq0TiOt1i7WpcPQUrwrq5faCTbGrBJm02i4Ro3FPmyrKrX0IdHd8kY5rlNqnTz182dP51PicbweCuVXMzH1wow3KNG0AJZCVSrfALrWZZw6eQml-5TgadYE/s4032/IMG_9579.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Hr51GBWXM2YmgSRwX106hrjG-L4wnjnkdKNyUDN_lYJx1zGg4WI60MuZf8yIPEz9enq0TiOt1i7WpcPQUrwrq5faCTbGrBJm02i4Ro3FPmyrKrX0IdHd8kY5rlNqnTz182dP51PicbweCuVXMzH1wow3KNG0AJZCVSrfALrWZZw6eQml-5TgadYE/s320/IMG_9579.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoreline with Tallinn in the distance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum_1i3HZ66u2cCceq2vHRBIQZw2UljVeNbTVn_B808q6c73plhjrRii3i7gmud-3DUcxnqCf5lU2eIzCqAWFrkNTYzPMfl3idK9w_ad7RvBrcK8MRZJykJB0TuUpKTcoLwW5q5IXyBw3fNTBSZbfeJG7lDDeUmpIXvJ3WMuI9BvD_lFe_eQ9zhhM4/s3088/IMG_9584.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjum_1i3HZ66u2cCceq2vHRBIQZw2UljVeNbTVn_B808q6c73plhjrRii3i7gmud-3DUcxnqCf5lU2eIzCqAWFrkNTYzPMfl3idK9w_ad7RvBrcK8MRZJykJB0TuUpKTcoLwW5q5IXyBw3fNTBSZbfeJG7lDDeUmpIXvJ3WMuI9BvD_lFe_eQ9zhhM4/s320/IMG_9584.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bike path in wooded park</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKlBW63Y7czCzWGX4bEc1vgGL7ywaXdrl_o2my_uTSYZqYbnKe--YvghdD2C8QRX3gp_cYXM7yBQcnbRtIzhnEC85Go1wvP53lr2FumVPPu5PWicDuBuzIV0KZzppzXLtxt3l0JWW4ui7oB9HtcP9BodNUTmJNH2v6zGSr1Rb4zKBlBOknaDM42j3/s4032/IMG_9586.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKlBW63Y7czCzWGX4bEc1vgGL7ywaXdrl_o2my_uTSYZqYbnKe--YvghdD2C8QRX3gp_cYXM7yBQcnbRtIzhnEC85Go1wvP53lr2FumVPPu5PWicDuBuzIV0KZzppzXLtxt3l0JWW4ui7oB9HtcP9BodNUTmJNH2v6zGSr1Rb4zKBlBOknaDM42j3/s320/IMG_9586.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoreline park</td></tr></tbody></table>The route followed the shoreline from town, and part-way along a peninsula before crossing over and back. On the return, we exchanged a few miles of city riding for more bike paths in a city park. It was heavily wooded and was nice to be out of the traffic. The rain was easing and it was easier to take pictures without my phone's touch screen locking up!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jtP8eEGLJbEY0nMLNrTvC72tIKKP31AnB6oZTu2LSU1aWn5rEBgm6Bs6T0W93BZgxCEVVdSBFEVvxY9eenykYbAGncuW1Mta2c87e9k9ehLIHAUv_6nBjV_oIcJMp5_HS9SptRzkDbiB4w7N53BcyISkICvz5nqUNmnpAQF2AR4VzlX26tjUaQ6q/s4032/IMG_9592.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1jtP8eEGLJbEY0nMLNrTvC72tIKKP31AnB6oZTu2LSU1aWn5rEBgm6Bs6T0W93BZgxCEVVdSBFEVvxY9eenykYbAGncuW1Mta2c87e9k9ehLIHAUv_6nBjV_oIcJMp5_HS9SptRzkDbiB4w7N53BcyISkICvz5nqUNmnpAQF2AR4VzlX26tjUaQ6q/s320/IMG_9592.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church in old town</td></tr></tbody></table>Back to the ship through the cruise terminal, I cleaned up and headed back out to meet Debby in old town. The shuttle bus dropped me at the end of old town furthest from the ship. Debby found me and we headed to the main square to find some lunch.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIxM7dgHsuvfWdwDeMGF2dZe2-7Y-YWG8_THSGXBHHAh2Jy0SaT2SFEGZQutQi85UjiMhp5ElnqFurdzs-bz48KpzrxJnKPo_vYvGcBM98nDU1EF085abHwlHQz_rbRMNjC7wf_ZwkMEmGxQY6JqpxSh9qajofdiaVfTl_eijhgr78WydUhlZXT6z/s4032/IMG_9594.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeIxM7dgHsuvfWdwDeMGF2dZe2-7Y-YWG8_THSGXBHHAh2Jy0SaT2SFEGZQutQi85UjiMhp5ElnqFurdzs-bz48KpzrxJnKPo_vYvGcBM98nDU1EF085abHwlHQz_rbRMNjC7wf_ZwkMEmGxQY6JqpxSh9qajofdiaVfTl_eijhgr78WydUhlZXT6z/s320/IMG_9594.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice lunch in Tallinn</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG9LoJTieI9y0ihS-oUJP7HSv-rrafmXc502vaCIgHb7anAM0lml9Hx9FrHFu5IFfVraeRzQylSPqNHQZxPndKZMydk4nMLRKDLANmFfD29MPfHMpVCMyIm5xlDJiEJcOFsrsYU-x_MEqnj3Kf_vZ6OE-ncOuEWQRzcM9wSIEf14e23-_qUm7rkOf/s4032/IMG_9598.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyG9LoJTieI9y0ihS-oUJP7HSv-rrafmXc502vaCIgHb7anAM0lml9Hx9FrHFu5IFfVraeRzQylSPqNHQZxPndKZMydk4nMLRKDLANmFfD29MPfHMpVCMyIm5xlDJiEJcOFsrsYU-x_MEqnj3Kf_vZ6OE-ncOuEWQRzcM9wSIEf14e23-_qUm7rkOf/s320/IMG_9598.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Market in main square</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtGyq4lhj8YwGJ2CbUuR-VByTtztDmCo29bYZLhoGKg7Vc0vjK0NHI3The_AH7qGfjXMSsfshz0dQW3aE1xIeMYpJQTFBfB4KdowvZpag3c4ONcYDDjttkEkM1l1N-Ym6AR0ayRq3JEtajtFkhyTJJFao1KtEKmZ90nr2zFzF0lW21ZvA4GAOYJvm/s4032/IMG_9599.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXtGyq4lhj8YwGJ2CbUuR-VByTtztDmCo29bYZLhoGKg7Vc0vjK0NHI3The_AH7qGfjXMSsfshz0dQW3aE1xIeMYpJQTFBfB4KdowvZpag3c4ONcYDDjttkEkM1l1N-Ym6AR0ayRq3JEtajtFkhyTJJFao1KtEKmZ90nr2zFzF0lW21ZvA4GAOYJvm/s320/IMG_9599.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Band with folk instruments</td></tr></tbody></table>We found the main square and a restaurant with local specialties. They had covered outdoor seating with heaters to take the damp edge off. The rain stopped and we enjoyed a nice lunch and the local entertainment in the square.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoLFdt-eVq1o9qoMKN5DhDOjBexRnQ4QEYTD4ZSGflXCPzjNdXSkQC0Fzc2AAPUUJZFJX6xZ1MKopQ7UkxdLxg3zteX4dP5pEFOZGQnEpK35ke6mUuOGKJ4Pg2eMVzJoWsFpnoUHLCc9jPYfjgX_jhIQ2cOYv8Z3cWtDTG5ngLF0O6bc7Vo0zZZd8/s4032/IMG_9602.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNoLFdt-eVq1o9qoMKN5DhDOjBexRnQ4QEYTD4ZSGflXCPzjNdXSkQC0Fzc2AAPUUJZFJX6xZ1MKopQ7UkxdLxg3zteX4dP5pEFOZGQnEpK35ke6mUuOGKJ4Pg2eMVzJoWsFpnoUHLCc9jPYfjgX_jhIQ2cOYv8Z3cWtDTG5ngLF0O6bc7Vo0zZZd8/s320/IMG_9602.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/2 of Route 66?</td></tr></tbody></table>We were not looking for an American Diner, and already had lunch, but its good to know there is one in Tallinn Estonia! There is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_33" target="_blank">US Route 33</a>, but its goes from Indiana to Virginia, and we had not heard of it. It is only 709 miles compared to the more famous <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66" target="_blank">Route 66</a> that covers 2,448 miles!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFI7-gXhJ6UnXS6IjSDBIaKIlTPnYeOPXepeBM6yWuuQ8d5I_aJmKIhlpsk4fsFMtR9F-1F66LREbjNH9ydf2k8LxVR0q_2_8v3pOHoAYwx41gqrKs8-2yuin-RHAqtcJ6obMEwvz9RyYbG7W08DAv_f3Jp-2jDAFCOsF8tpG4kfH6rsC6DVjVsPvm/s4032/IMG_9611.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFI7-gXhJ6UnXS6IjSDBIaKIlTPnYeOPXepeBM6yWuuQ8d5I_aJmKIhlpsk4fsFMtR9F-1F66LREbjNH9ydf2k8LxVR0q_2_8v3pOHoAYwx41gqrKs8-2yuin-RHAqtcJ6obMEwvz9RyYbG7W08DAv_f3Jp-2jDAFCOsF8tpG4kfH6rsC6DVjVsPvm/s320/IMG_9611.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No bull!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllzvBXZonzMqN9SmoMljNjsrDsAgSN7szn2rCjzk1tu38xs5hgcWOQISB8ehJXpLSUd-thD4dCjSfq-IuVF5me0X1F7NH0bcppzNFH-aB3qbYeQlTnynHFdWiagGzjE83W0aJ_dG4TG4MAQhU-j-_RjUI28bhkfrNHiPvzT_NOrwvoZixpfZK6lqQ/s4032/IMG_9617.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllzvBXZonzMqN9SmoMljNjsrDsAgSN7szn2rCjzk1tu38xs5hgcWOQISB8ehJXpLSUd-thD4dCjSfq-IuVF5me0X1F7NH0bcppzNFH-aB3qbYeQlTnynHFdWiagGzjE83W0aJ_dG4TG4MAQhU-j-_RjUI28bhkfrNHiPvzT_NOrwvoZixpfZK6lqQ/s320/IMG_9617.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower shops just outside old town</td></tr></tbody></table>After lunch we continued to wander around old town and enjoy the cooler and drying conditions. No need to try and get back to do laundry, nothing would dry on the line today.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAUtuKFvBmwjTe9qZIT5PU7Nzg0NK05ckb23byH_VsjKs9EqwvOYAdyuCuXrPXhP55Zb40w-lke2baZlg_nahCph5uLd-RzI992mxmExq5nmarLfeY2M-qsHdqLva-TvfEXjU04BdJlyG9xEai_1W9OSWCXIcDALUAXOcF9wEAFV-YHXPpS5_oRxa/s4032/IMG_9619.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDAUtuKFvBmwjTe9qZIT5PU7Nzg0NK05ckb23byH_VsjKs9EqwvOYAdyuCuXrPXhP55Zb40w-lke2baZlg_nahCph5uLd-RzI992mxmExq5nmarLfeY2M-qsHdqLva-TvfEXjU04BdJlyG9xEai_1W9OSWCXIcDALUAXOcF9wEAFV-YHXPpS5_oRxa/s320/IMG_9619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Military helicopters near the cruise terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hWjPRLvJvdPRnNj844FSopHx2WtYfvuPtmL2_oif6oCacQ0xWPyAaVGV8DZDTZynpl1fRL9iIRKtVlE5v_7vErcuMvYu6N4XvDLpNGP5BKMYC7QOyjU9rYR48BTJZK8wjojIlyHzQm0b18eCWhcOcPseFjPrx0zXdSbaquluvdJjBoEGjZTMpz0O/s4032/IMG_9625.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hWjPRLvJvdPRnNj844FSopHx2WtYfvuPtmL2_oif6oCacQ0xWPyAaVGV8DZDTZynpl1fRL9iIRKtVlE5v_7vErcuMvYu6N4XvDLpNGP5BKMYC7QOyjU9rYR48BTJZK8wjojIlyHzQm0b18eCWhcOcPseFjPrx0zXdSbaquluvdJjBoEGjZTMpz0O/s320/IMG_9625.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of 7 new luggage stickers!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We walked back to the ship well before the all aboard call of 10:30pm to call this a day!</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 9 - Helsinki Finland</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85mBmM-23Dmqx31niHnYCyWDmqQnOlTTIv1J7tgB3xMO4ZbW1ovRCMHx8Kt3_50BvlyoyuyDO5_xUAscerT1M6Z-RxinGiwgeOahSKYJT1VaNdeyXApiZ0iOP27YZRO6dW_ool7U6WVjPbBrUks5xQj6v52VBVa_0P63z9DZEKvharx3IgdmoaiuO/s4032/IMG_9626.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85mBmM-23Dmqx31niHnYCyWDmqQnOlTTIv1J7tgB3xMO4ZbW1ovRCMHx8Kt3_50BvlyoyuyDO5_xUAscerT1M6Z-RxinGiwgeOahSKYJT1VaNdeyXApiZ0iOP27YZRO6dW_ool7U6WVjPbBrUks5xQj6v52VBVa_0P63z9DZEKvharx3IgdmoaiuO/s320/IMG_9626.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helsinki </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuT1vQG8t1KUrGtLQanvDWaPbfKAVdp3nbOlr9fRSpTqSDPSCuKGJ8sZYk9eslsDllSa5c99FK4-xRp5nKDghjFF6xhSvFq1Bj3HLG-94w4mKRYbAMg_FL1yWspbfBY0Y4-D1cKhJWeFqOtcZKF1VyFFogfE99JidQ5_xX734SFX0yCCtTABmrkDd/s4032/IMG_9627.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuT1vQG8t1KUrGtLQanvDWaPbfKAVdp3nbOlr9fRSpTqSDPSCuKGJ8sZYk9eslsDllSa5c99FK4-xRp5nKDghjFF6xhSvFq1Bj3HLG-94w4mKRYbAMg_FL1yWspbfBY0Y4-D1cKhJWeFqOtcZKF1VyFFogfE99JidQ5_xX734SFX0yCCtTABmrkDd/s320/IMG_9627.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uspensky Cathedral near the cruise terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNpY1dUiOtnF_ecRFDnfNRECKGbWnBNthoMxDySaTBp4Bq6wpKs_RSiwmCQhdgCMowFdejgjgUQybX4ozxm190sM6otcVVKWPmAiPNB0wQYvOaSBr2HBcJ5XBphaoLZMlVDtiS5TBw88bnxDOJrgTHb6I-L-kKvrO5nvDi5GySVjmj8iJv-L33dw9/s4032/IMG_9629.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNpY1dUiOtnF_ecRFDnfNRECKGbWnBNthoMxDySaTBp4Bq6wpKs_RSiwmCQhdgCMowFdejgjgUQybX4ozxm190sM6otcVVKWPmAiPNB0wQYvOaSBr2HBcJ5XBphaoLZMlVDtiS5TBw88bnxDOJrgTHb6I-L-kKvrO5nvDi5GySVjmj8iJv-L33dw9/s320/IMG_9629.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many islands!</td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived in Helsinki early in the morning and were able to catch some photos as we sailed into town! The forecast was for light rain and while the roads were mostly wet, we missed most of the showers! Our smaller cruise ship was able to dock in old town and our route took us to the edge of town and back.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJqWlt4nonLGDldIiJsUJI401iEEhMHgsCl1lv0smeR0Vtr0shTbYxZ2CAzE8MxdXBDicqT12iE9e5MhfEbvVdE0nzxfMDSMZ03QSslyiFcDpXAJDQ9NBWvInNFxBAUqdxJa9S7oap11rIcaN6wmWrhlW-Tnlf8lwORn0CGKjzWr6Kg0F_MHZtsiX/s3088/IMG_9635.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJqWlt4nonLGDldIiJsUJI401iEEhMHgsCl1lv0smeR0Vtr0shTbYxZ2CAzE8MxdXBDicqT12iE9e5MhfEbvVdE0nzxfMDSMZ03QSslyiFcDpXAJDQ9NBWvInNFxBAUqdxJa9S7oap11rIcaN6wmWrhlW-Tnlf8lwORn0CGKjzWr6Kg0F_MHZtsiX/s320/IMG_9635.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City bike paths</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlLdf62_6Vtlq4g4Zvi2sqiG5eMyfModGx8lWyWKlmyEaJBHM-ASzaFxRAhOoXoh7GKqRBUHqzg4CubmBBRb7op_omJ0uhzyhDsdzycR4yGejvziHm-4Mks7JvgqnGeh3tGH7T06GbFjT_FJdPqAFpVAl3cpNk64cVOKPD9J_WHqLiSriUhvw4bBn/s4032/IMG_9645.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlLdf62_6Vtlq4g4Zvi2sqiG5eMyfModGx8lWyWKlmyEaJBHM-ASzaFxRAhOoXoh7GKqRBUHqzg4CubmBBRb7op_omJ0uhzyhDsdzycR4yGejvziHm-4Mks7JvgqnGeh3tGH7T06GbFjT_FJdPqAFpVAl3cpNk64cVOKPD9J_WHqLiSriUhvw4bBn/s320/IMG_9645.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Award winning bike bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJCsgwQ3OB1SKghQfJ0lt9eqZMq3Hy2S0h7eDzZfKZdEMUS9cORqq7EfvX4Rh0P4m8YEkhD66veyxYHssaBQ-KWXdsMEqiEkJmQTTd25744PWWkxfJEsrgYUwVpEC5vw97eGB8A1utrYOW3Xh4PO-f4fzIkV_-YoX5jFCyFR5cEy7pjBT8CoNnnW5/s3088/IMG_9663.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuJCsgwQ3OB1SKghQfJ0lt9eqZMq3Hy2S0h7eDzZfKZdEMUS9cORqq7EfvX4Rh0P4m8YEkhD66veyxYHssaBQ-KWXdsMEqiEkJmQTTd25744PWWkxfJEsrgYUwVpEC5vw97eGB8A1utrYOW3Xh4PO-f4fzIkV_-YoX5jFCyFR5cEy7pjBT8CoNnnW5/s320/IMG_9663.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many bridge crossings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASIerqtoCfBTwWxyc8GFhrZL-gO3yoWJFgL2BFoXq9a8qm4-ASnMS4wLzsRNgugDhSckgEJ6kUGhYRFQfUCoUwsVKI6Ql0x3qo9KnzvoUvMUcXvpBTVCHAOcwiU3b5YkyVoT8NSiERwAtkkOd8Lqy6PUy4rL34Crj4Q4mOvza5k_AvQNuGtQi-Uug/s4032/IMG_9667.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhASIerqtoCfBTwWxyc8GFhrZL-gO3yoWJFgL2BFoXq9a8qm4-ASnMS4wLzsRNgugDhSckgEJ6kUGhYRFQfUCoUwsVKI6Ql0x3qo9KnzvoUvMUcXvpBTVCHAOcwiU3b5YkyVoT8NSiERwAtkkOd8Lqy6PUy4rL34Crj4Q4mOvza5k_AvQNuGtQi-Uug/s320/IMG_9667.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coffee shop </td></tr></tbody></table>Leaving old town, the route took us through a large city park that had a great coffee shop. It was a perfect time for a break and the hot coffee really hit the spot on this damp morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>We continued through the park to the Olympic Stadium in town before heading out for a loop through suburban Helsinki.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuRmRUKXd5JfxHWWjYyFgCuspOU-SWjZB7JC-IeUligG1RHSbSzY2RWyEL_tFinjF3bzA3xgX4PNx4WCI4kKhwBkbKKkbMlPaEyTsxhZMWBkVqXdXm88tDuveCaDBOS3w5pU112ET7BwgHpncI4AvcFfYYb14QhNyvdmkLOSKPPYH90kZf6Hpwk3d/s4032/IMG_9674.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuRmRUKXd5JfxHWWjYyFgCuspOU-SWjZB7JC-IeUligG1RHSbSzY2RWyEL_tFinjF3bzA3xgX4PNx4WCI4kKhwBkbKKkbMlPaEyTsxhZMWBkVqXdXm88tDuveCaDBOS3w5pU112ET7BwgHpncI4AvcFfYYb14QhNyvdmkLOSKPPYH90kZf6Hpwk3d/s320/IMG_9674.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urban bike lane</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMUHmHKMMHIUStS_8Mm_FIbIs7AAVap-FmbnYWO9dIKhGIcVa9kmBxN4ZxgQYFoKPq0myy4IWbcZtQnXnMXtceFW219IXs-p19t5JWXTaTh7tb_CDzdlxGRoDx2Ezk6IEX10ZtawnixUxKv14K2O-gXokHlc7RCAdZviQxCfmg6nGyEW_dEWp9jT4/s4032/IMG_9675.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivMUHmHKMMHIUStS_8Mm_FIbIs7AAVap-FmbnYWO9dIKhGIcVa9kmBxN4ZxgQYFoKPq0myy4IWbcZtQnXnMXtceFW219IXs-p19t5JWXTaTh7tb_CDzdlxGRoDx2Ezk6IEX10ZtawnixUxKv14K2O-gXokHlc7RCAdZviQxCfmg6nGyEW_dEWp9jT4/s320/IMG_9675.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City riding</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrofK3D6RPM-LZ6LpQWlA8Kpwa6-on-7JhGnkEoZgr5OMCCErBglalRB9tfIb8SVt5kU8aI4g-JkrPGCwERjfW95Yg7gxiVXsh-r1B660QsjrxCFnznjXKQ3VGXI4tYw1VXfgOUaiqNyq76FelbaWJxw0aYtOAm6oCKt-VlOMEQ-8ucYmu_iXYsAs/s4032/IMG_9680.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrofK3D6RPM-LZ6LpQWlA8Kpwa6-on-7JhGnkEoZgr5OMCCErBglalRB9tfIb8SVt5kU8aI4g-JkrPGCwERjfW95Yg7gxiVXsh-r1B660QsjrxCFnznjXKQ3VGXI4tYw1VXfgOUaiqNyq76FelbaWJxw0aYtOAm6oCKt-VlOMEQ-8ucYmu_iXYsAs/s320/IMG_9680.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely parks</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8U3GkezQFrHJeHQBTHhgj5ONuqxSX-lW6aWCwSS50CPXNeeMIipNSvXwIgOuZ0bsTkXVAEVQNCwP-QTfIKHBhXle-IlWyGdD8_3H4FiMXqlfecpBuvVlMTPy1P7dPCvFT8l6WdmPriDgAdjUD4o6nvKDE60c7ukVxrvsNXcD9iNFV1v9VMJH4vw0t/s3088/IMG_9683.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8U3GkezQFrHJeHQBTHhgj5ONuqxSX-lW6aWCwSS50CPXNeeMIipNSvXwIgOuZ0bsTkXVAEVQNCwP-QTfIKHBhXle-IlWyGdD8_3H4FiMXqlfecpBuvVlMTPy1P7dPCvFT8l6WdmPriDgAdjUD4o6nvKDE60c7ukVxrvsNXcD9iNFV1v9VMJH4vw0t/s320/IMG_9683.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden bike bridge</td></tr></tbody></table>The loop alternated between city, suburban and park riding. You never knew what would be around the next bend, it was a great route!</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWxBwcn_es_GMj5Evdsu0cbXb0wDnG5DsDO154W19fJxdGFjXgYoL39tWgBXZvCksO7vdlgsQmMrx04FhSJz3DcOzp7xakifBtlSDRP4ExzVsAcmmFSvmq6K_NrZUneC7-Yz1QWw22O2Rz6mEDXc-OXZVnCPdTaHggIoE7V62QShT6XntkQiaDmZk/s4032/IMG_9688.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWWxBwcn_es_GMj5Evdsu0cbXb0wDnG5DsDO154W19fJxdGFjXgYoL39tWgBXZvCksO7vdlgsQmMrx04FhSJz3DcOzp7xakifBtlSDRP4ExzVsAcmmFSvmq6K_NrZUneC7-Yz1QWw22O2Rz6mEDXc-OXZVnCPdTaHggIoE7V62QShT6XntkQiaDmZk/s320/IMG_9688.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Bike bridge</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5lNiDkgsFEoLO89jpkHhRDeFsl8P8JCE-DTOCY5kI3h6PpNJyBwkICHVyOcYYJfwW16yPbssHJmXqyYttStgj-an33_JTRsHRelBJQUbBmnP64O3eajxLFb12AvKfL1mWzFbZP-OFLUfvzaHK03pnbM47ks_lN36G9p71f0zrGnv5Ni4lFwZXI2g/s4032/IMG_9699.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5lNiDkgsFEoLO89jpkHhRDeFsl8P8JCE-DTOCY5kI3h6PpNJyBwkICHVyOcYYJfwW16yPbssHJmXqyYttStgj-an33_JTRsHRelBJQUbBmnP64O3eajxLFb12AvKfL1mWzFbZP-OFLUfvzaHK03pnbM47ks_lN36G9p71f0zrGnv5Ni4lFwZXI2g/s320/IMG_9699.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big city bike path</td></tr></tbody></table>After crossing the 'award winning' bike bridge a second time, we returned to the ship on a more direct route through town. We cleaned up and headed back out on foot to explore the city and find lunch.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKWtwFQwg9XIyOvAg4KbFLvCZ_f39zjkkdEVqqSZsV01Lu2Kv5Yl-RuZ17zVmKTRPoj5gMx7EvulVkl84o3pLZvW5APT11DIIf5nvZpK28wfjXtTKxpYUt9fzLLyigzMULQDr8ya2n1p3l0tS6iCCOFJg_QIdfz3rdMQvykdBjPUBnUWnkYQJw8Z_/s4032/IMG_9708.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbKWtwFQwg9XIyOvAg4KbFLvCZ_f39zjkkdEVqqSZsV01Lu2Kv5Yl-RuZ17zVmKTRPoj5gMx7EvulVkl84o3pLZvW5APT11DIIf5nvZpK28wfjXtTKxpYUt9fzLLyigzMULQDr8ya2n1p3l0tS6iCCOFJg_QIdfz3rdMQvykdBjPUBnUWnkYQJw8Z_/s320/IMG_9708.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional Finnish restaurant</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWRQSk7s6Q0erESnoDgT_-6mum77IZHd2yd-gY0PMyNyH1w6_APvpko4EtMCRKQO-eaEt1mJC5zs3HkNY1dhDVIXM_52Wv0bsK_v7Dbm2cNe5ocxZAW-AkmP4V4OilhH2OYltLdDaXRtnMfK9i_YUjLXhzHhfioUT9moDNHKd7C1UzX0QZB91uPso/s4032/IMG_9711.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWRQSk7s6Q0erESnoDgT_-6mum77IZHd2yd-gY0PMyNyH1w6_APvpko4EtMCRKQO-eaEt1mJC5zs3HkNY1dhDVIXM_52Wv0bsK_v7Dbm2cNe5ocxZAW-AkmP4V4OilhH2OYltLdDaXRtnMfK9i_YUjLXhzHhfioUT9moDNHKd7C1UzX0QZB91uPso/s320/IMG_9711.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground (traditional) and Reindeer Filet</td></tr></tbody></table>We found a traditional Finnish restaurant across from the capitol building and had our most adventurous meal, and one of the best meals of the trip. Appetizers of fish, cheese, reindeer and bear sausage. Followed by a second small course of bear stew. Finally two reindeer dishes. One ground in the traditional way and one filet served with potatoes, cranberry, and vegetables. We were so stuffed, we had to pass on a traditional dessert!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Vb8SfhRapO_cIHnIXBzVQWP0ZZwLR2h4W-eWm9e_wxNVQ-XYs5UnQce5HsrOotnPuSi5p0w1u6ouUlaDqRdJ3b4wIi-eqZg6hCjiDNuxXKZJ-kecyLr5jdqy9kvSETEvGXQNh1Rg6wnUa3b5b_8hlO4vXY9lFA6vPiq_z4BX-xI8VTql_CeDVl_/s4032/IMG_9726.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Vb8SfhRapO_cIHnIXBzVQWP0ZZwLR2h4W-eWm9e_wxNVQ-XYs5UnQce5HsrOotnPuSi5p0w1u6ouUlaDqRdJ3b4wIi-eqZg6hCjiDNuxXKZJ-kecyLr5jdqy9kvSETEvGXQNh1Rg6wnUa3b5b_8hlO4vXY9lFA6vPiq_z4BX-xI8VTql_CeDVl_/s320/IMG_9726.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Island hotel, with ferry of course!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNL2pOdRNil9PTIVcv9JBXYp1NgusPk2eqzOQFbBXhVyObwHvuk1hjyQf9WH07YbpYEmIQmup3jcPa9Xp6Pwji1t16V3LJYkTAbs5RBDhDEPdBwdS55JKraKsrDv6mHzraqsgVtK7Sf6otXALpd7VagR-HrUY_Xh99kL2N-9ohk19NcsRFPuTvyUdf/s4032/IMG_9732.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNL2pOdRNil9PTIVcv9JBXYp1NgusPk2eqzOQFbBXhVyObwHvuk1hjyQf9WH07YbpYEmIQmup3jcPa9Xp6Pwji1t16V3LJYkTAbs5RBDhDEPdBwdS55JKraKsrDv6mHzraqsgVtK7Sf6otXALpd7VagR-HrUY_Xh99kL2N-9ohk19NcsRFPuTvyUdf/s320/IMG_9732.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passport control!</td></tr></tbody></table><div>We wandered through town and made our way back to the ship for our 4:00 pm departure. With the long days there was still plenty of light as we sailed past many islands to reach the Baltic sea. </div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 10 - Turku Finland</h4><div>We were treated to a second day in Finland to replace the originally scheduled stop in St. Petersburg. It was a treat to ride and experience Turku, quite a contrast to Helsinki! After two days of wet weather, the skies cleared and it was perfect for our last day of riding.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP2zOy44JryWweU1g9PVx3LejZ143iDKgq-UQA-KDNHILne8j1r57c8mga66OS5KjWbj1SnC7MQbam5ID8dRK2AGg2UL44TntjoyNR9Ae5_xYtqJS_F9tlLKUwnyicGpLas-hp2p0sZs-PKDXtSDdOaP4v3QoBLvfc9K2RnU2ByJtj8l1IKkEGCCP/s4032/IMG_9756.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvP2zOy44JryWweU1g9PVx3LejZ143iDKgq-UQA-KDNHILne8j1r57c8mga66OS5KjWbj1SnC7MQbam5ID8dRK2AGg2UL44TntjoyNR9Ae5_xYtqJS_F9tlLKUwnyicGpLas-hp2p0sZs-PKDXtSDdOaP4v3QoBLvfc9K2RnU2ByJtj8l1IKkEGCCP/s320/IMG_9756.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First bridge crossing</td></tr></tbody></table>Our route was a smash up of the short and long routes on a "Three Island Tour." Leaving the city, we were in beautiful farm land with excellent roads, most of which had adjacent bike paths.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm-sYdrS9FswHjcFDG1URct2HPJoUTVPB5nl1ggdQl4IHknJXIlL93r35bGGpOiGwS0_7dQiKjQILH8LPylBCujczobnky4ysfukQzzmEPKVpe96Rxo8-bu4zEAzTmq8HQBIqn8ZBWZ7X8oi5ReVhJ929Zy9UT00GKyQbJP_EgT-Bql3ht1z_zuJ8/s4032/IMG_9785.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpm-sYdrS9FswHjcFDG1URct2HPJoUTVPB5nl1ggdQl4IHknJXIlL93r35bGGpOiGwS0_7dQiKjQILH8LPylBCujczobnky4ysfukQzzmEPKVpe96Rxo8-bu4zEAzTmq8HQBIqn8ZBWZ7X8oi5ReVhJ929Zy9UT00GKyQbJP_EgT-Bql3ht1z_zuJ8/s320/IMG_9785.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhonh0Z-hGuni_noD7sO47oc6gt8_nToNqv8MBEhXBjhv7p7rzT_vIlo18sw-hnIcO3Jyb2gGqgQPrh7i2QiGXF2yrxhEfK4bnL1i85Ghvj6nC-0uesiirBldypaOX0kHXzT_3k99HfGj2Ced3FCtcBKTU789GWkkiRySdj1RF-Iu3Vj265k3qzNI/s4032/IMG_9764.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhonh0Z-hGuni_noD7sO47oc6gt8_nToNqv8MBEhXBjhv7p7rzT_vIlo18sw-hnIcO3Jyb2gGqgQPrh7i2QiGXF2yrxhEfK4bnL1i85Ghvj6nC-0uesiirBldypaOX0kHXzT_3k99HfGj2Ced3FCtcBKTU789GWkkiRySdj1RF-Iu3Vj265k3qzNI/s320/IMG_9764.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical bike path</td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnAvk2fUU9uVrPuYZyBtuTqrA3hgQ63rVCw1G3CN0Fnx7SDIuUCbIy08wAHE7p8onx9GBhaX44LRkYR-RpqYi1Z9KSNpTFH3_J6n57bGQwj-Iw9OWfh29jvpP22QjlPkxeiPUYd1arwd67abnO6p7NLSzYV214A4JBHOQGb-_212Vo1j5NQlXHwnl/s4032/IMG_9792.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnAvk2fUU9uVrPuYZyBtuTqrA3hgQ63rVCw1G3CN0Fnx7SDIuUCbIy08wAHE7p8onx9GBhaX44LRkYR-RpqYi1Z9KSNpTFH3_J6n57bGQwj-Iw9OWfh29jvpP22QjlPkxeiPUYd1arwd67abnO6p7NLSzYV214A4JBHOQGb-_212Vo1j5NQlXHwnl/s320/IMG_9792.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge crossings made great photo opportunities</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqn-zL2o8DPokMJPQeea9yrsw7ghvrAjPPPSLF_hQJkhdUclc1jGjdlxsYEZm-W7ThHDhKqLGAveKcKbY4SZD3XGCJFaj4pVfgZeoEFvRplksABvGviu8tJ0PZ0N_U9r8Sp2awPe1fVEX8IfDXpQbzP4lP3a4FzhO-5JVzZB0BrwC3_-_LMiZz3Rnu/s4032/IMG_9795.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqn-zL2o8DPokMJPQeea9yrsw7ghvrAjPPPSLF_hQJkhdUclc1jGjdlxsYEZm-W7ThHDhKqLGAveKcKbY4SZD3XGCJFaj4pVfgZeoEFvRplksABvGviu8tJ0PZ0N_U9r8Sp2awPe1fVEX8IfDXpQbzP4lP3a4FzhO-5JVzZB0BrwC3_-_LMiZz3Rnu/s320/IMG_9795.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randonneuring motto!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNorTlpbuzjfu56shSML2xf3C1eVsBIY9J8endXibnOULoh6_1236p1RvzgGOW-xJBg9w0XRLGRPpFPB4XhGE-vt9lrxva-vKMFUYhvMHoG71L-v67Qduc91u1jLYBSvrdoQQRNOrvieNQd1cF4YILzesDfCQ7EPU-O5_q89B5ZIlWEFRo8xuUxL9/s4032/IMG_9807.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirNorTlpbuzjfu56shSML2xf3C1eVsBIY9J8endXibnOULoh6_1236p1RvzgGOW-xJBg9w0XRLGRPpFPB4XhGE-vt9lrxva-vKMFUYhvMHoG71L-v67Qduc91u1jLYBSvrdoQQRNOrvieNQd1cF4YILzesDfCQ7EPU-O5_q89B5ZIlWEFRo8xuUxL9/s320/IMG_9807.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last bridge before ending our ride</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzM0gjFxc63EL3XFiiFWdAp3K8_FGA4fMk_MUfZEj0uxMw9yl1cXSWvj5j7wH5muOAVq4jjHa7FXJJGeRvqzvZYXA1FANLZx5VKutQK2vectptMuDfwuJ1zDA4qQbATziIN7AoQccqbQ8SQmcVLLtzhJI3C7LuJoGQrgz_fmBaD7Ft9SOugXQ47Id/s4032/IMG_9812.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNzM0gjFxc63EL3XFiiFWdAp3K8_FGA4fMk_MUfZEj0uxMw9yl1cXSWvj5j7wH5muOAVq4jjHa7FXJJGeRvqzvZYXA1FANLZx5VKutQK2vectptMuDfwuJ1zDA4qQbATziIN7AoQccqbQ8SQmcVLLtzhJI3C7LuJoGQrgz_fmBaD7Ft9SOugXQ47Id/s320/IMG_9812.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turku Castle</td></tr></tbody></table>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turku_Castle" rel="nofollow">Turku Castle</a> was near the port and available to tour. We were hungry and decided to head back to the ship to pack the bikes and get some lunch. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRWcWVNsJGOgKsS-rNiWITPYjOu0chM2C62OoDiidqnN59qA9ysU1a2VG-EN6weHis17Yyy3lJQGZpVHMzp_pdUtKLlZ7f8dhTcCo0EjrpJeMi9Wg818nlaH1FZB0Di9UmHRU3zo9MELAGC-AYTskbY0MdFkq4bhIi_YNVpo5GQAuBj-1MThkYpJk/s4032/IMG_9813.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRWcWVNsJGOgKsS-rNiWITPYjOu0chM2C62OoDiidqnN59qA9ysU1a2VG-EN6weHis17Yyy3lJQGZpVHMzp_pdUtKLlZ7f8dhTcCo0EjrpJeMi9Wg818nlaH1FZB0Di9UmHRU3zo9MELAGC-AYTskbY0MdFkq4bhIi_YNVpo5GQAuBj-1MThkYpJk/s320/IMG_9813.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great outdoor dining at the Grill</td></tr></tbody></table>After lunch, I headed down to the dock to pack the bikes and get ready for our disembark in Stockholm. With the bikes packed, all we had to worry about was if the SAS pilot strike would end in time for our departure in three days time!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiKmQIQDIOFXNJPiAwLuYarsqQBbPAaVTkRTEjMPjzfjG7qGHgwpLLF5o9ACSoVQ1jXFElDShairJk92drg6fprxwJh0gASsNmSIucF73vmRuRxtaSAz3Z4idYjp6vdmAnrv1naWCxI3H38Pv0SOwr3cUsD9lNPgTGPiWnNF92Q0w9-pBt2dV5Myg/s4032/IMG_9822.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhiKmQIQDIOFXNJPiAwLuYarsqQBbPAaVTkRTEjMPjzfjG7qGHgwpLLF5o9ACSoVQ1jXFElDShairJk92drg6fprxwJh0gASsNmSIucF73vmRuRxtaSAz3Z4idYjp6vdmAnrv1naWCxI3H38Pv0SOwr3cUsD9lNPgTGPiWnNF92Q0w9-pBt2dV5Myg/s320/IMG_9822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock festival on the banks of Ruissalo Island</td></tr></tbody></table>We returned to the room to begin the packing process. We would pack a bit, then hang out on the balcony as we floated by many Finnish islands. We were treated to competing rock bands at two concert venues only several hundred meters apart!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTlc3swZzPHn7XnREs0NbUyERYmZZP0XcNLIkMaub4uAa-APWeXdCvYmAbIN9aIfneMkBaV1XOwFA14f7d0TbqZXlVrpYykDD1g5gq9zG4yu7-8AE6G6oU2z2K5xh4L4KfpZk0ivHKq1pvtBvsvBAeTyVk1B7RI8vQuXzpr1h0HGBqWI5RHIh0-j8/s4032/IMG_9830.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTlc3swZzPHn7XnREs0NbUyERYmZZP0XcNLIkMaub4uAa-APWeXdCvYmAbIN9aIfneMkBaV1XOwFA14f7d0TbqZXlVrpYykDD1g5gq9zG4yu7-8AE6G6oU2z2K5xh4L4KfpZk0ivHKq1pvtBvsvBAeTyVk1B7RI8vQuXzpr1h0HGBqWI5RHIh0-j8/s320/IMG_9830.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boat houses match the main houses</td></tr></tbody></table>At first glance, we wondered why there were tiny houses dotted along the shoreline. As we passed openings in the trees, we could see they were boat/beach houses decorated to match the main house just a bit further from shore!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRw99Px38n9F-Acfu9T6dJwIaAHot_u807343EW2KYRvWNG2brPfFJo9ZuTrD7r4giqew98qMWFKyKfkHGVmSW5MbPw-yIGSlcnt8Ksqh-3yYkgKObvA-bt-DJV3hJOqJ2Pv-P1M8jvpN4C3JMGz6HTIQs-nduTmkyBTSFuU4AVk9hobcQa31Ydgp/s4032/IMG_9833.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRw99Px38n9F-Acfu9T6dJwIaAHot_u807343EW2KYRvWNG2brPfFJo9ZuTrD7r4giqew98qMWFKyKfkHGVmSW5MbPw-yIGSlcnt8Ksqh-3yYkgKObvA-bt-DJV3hJOqJ2Pv-P1M8jvpN4C3JMGz6HTIQs-nduTmkyBTSFuU4AVk9hobcQa31Ydgp/s320/IMG_9833.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Turku</td></tr></tbody></table>We sailed out of Turku, and passed many islands before reaching open water for our final overnight voyage to Stockholm Sweden.<h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 11- Stockholm Sweden</h4><div>We disembarked and piled on tour buses to the main post-tour attraction, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasa_Museum" rel="nofollow">Vasa Museum</a>. The museum features the sailing ship Vasa that was completed in 1628. It was not at all seaworthy and sank in the Stockholm harbor, only a 1000 meters after it was launched! It sank into the muck at the bottom of the harbor, where it sat for years. Lucky for it, the place it sank was very polluted and lacked oxygen that would support sea life that would consume it. It was raised in 1961, nearly intact, and treated continually with polyethylene glycol in a temporary exhibit. The chemicals seeped into the wood as the water evaporated and stabilized the structure!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-ESp7zrm-KmGZ07Cam2rIwykxEF4ywabGaXxKRuVXOMsqC_1ggxRHykidDc7hrr9v9mbaVPZkgIUVOBc15hzxq8XEkl0IEfY3iauquvnIvsyDYfjPvRjJLMKgAUVoX9Rceplac5YIGLRck-NwVqyUgUFujn84iouZhd7EMbV9R0TGrHddd2vrIQ0/s4032/IMG_9844.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0-ESp7zrm-KmGZ07Cam2rIwykxEF4ywabGaXxKRuVXOMsqC_1ggxRHykidDc7hrr9v9mbaVPZkgIUVOBc15hzxq8XEkl0IEfY3iauquvnIvsyDYfjPvRjJLMKgAUVoX9Rceplac5YIGLRck-NwVqyUgUFujn84iouZhd7EMbV9R0TGrHddd2vrIQ0/s320/IMG_9844.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaetpTXSJbW8m1kkaW19uO7YluMcnft-Gf2e-0RuF6ih4BD18K70RxXVGFKgRIH-kOQSTqVVz3BUROpykBa_rAwSNOgxUs7ohazPMT-sBKXOXB_X2U58Bdygv5KZ0SCL_yc4LuXSYwLqTgdIDbu6rjovdypZLT1wXRZHzi13Cw_-wCG1QAU4BcI_x3/s4032/IMG_9840.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaetpTXSJbW8m1kkaW19uO7YluMcnft-Gf2e-0RuF6ih4BD18K70RxXVGFKgRIH-kOQSTqVVz3BUROpykBa_rAwSNOgxUs7ohazPMT-sBKXOXB_X2U58Bdygv5KZ0SCL_yc4LuXSYwLqTgdIDbu6rjovdypZLT1wXRZHzi13Cw_-wCG1QAU4BcI_x3/s320/IMG_9840.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bow of the Vasa</td></tr></tbody></table>The current museum was completed in 1990, and over 25 million visitors have passed through. There were many interesting exhibits and we spent several hours there! After lunch we took the bus to our final group lunch in a downtown restaurant near our hotel. We checked in after lunch, and waited for all our bags to arrive from the boat. Of course our last bag was on the last cart, but at least they all made it! </div><div><br /></div><div>We purchased Hop-on Hop-off bus tickets and spent the next two days touring Stockholm.</div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib256A9semkjTv6Mvh4BDXtk08FiMEJZ87Fx105Ko72IH5dWQvnC-lK6wJbubZTsOQ-VuFw1I-cXDA3OneX9_Ums1wbOeKjGpLahEO0-HeADGH8K9VFxWVkBiBNnZIfK92D8br9XUJ9ajFSTHJ1Z7KthhMt1C3NODVf1ihCn9Axi65sAwNjcoWUwhr/s3088/IMG_9847.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib256A9semkjTv6Mvh4BDXtk08FiMEJZ87Fx105Ko72IH5dWQvnC-lK6wJbubZTsOQ-VuFw1I-cXDA3OneX9_Ums1wbOeKjGpLahEO0-HeADGH8K9VFxWVkBiBNnZIfK92D8br9XUJ9ajFSTHJ1Z7KthhMt1C3NODVf1ihCn9Axi65sAwNjcoWUwhr/s320/IMG_9847.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading to old town via the Palace</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbn9mfoYyYDEgMCNQ7M1a4G4Jz5-eMEKcAeztlLi8GSt1tqbRWh6PsXWYOS7O3SywboOSt1wEa5EexWg60b7ax3PUU5erNppNEcuOoOTtwxvT5AReVfe1EY6wWjYv_ZafkEV-47WfdkT4ZRqRaWKUFEmkpZJQJ9bWcZ0V-Tubglvjzsn5qkqNgHPY/s4032/IMG_9853.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbn9mfoYyYDEgMCNQ7M1a4G4Jz5-eMEKcAeztlLi8GSt1tqbRWh6PsXWYOS7O3SywboOSt1wEa5EexWg60b7ax3PUU5erNppNEcuOoOTtwxvT5AReVfe1EY6wWjYv_ZafkEV-47WfdkT4ZRqRaWKUFEmkpZJQJ9bWcZ0V-Tubglvjzsn5qkqNgHPY/s320/IMG_9853.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Changing of the guard</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRmRKhCb9Pr9XhTUkPkJimLL_L7U8NTb9pItGEnt7LCVoORcyCEac5b9uikh7O7NdJ8WOLm2WOZqznlFF6e-HBglV4E6FvaWujm-ayTSF031Lr_BGUp495eO1uypDPf-HQsj2VqbJtTLMNM2sfyQ9KFLhaCGdXaLJajQaRjBokTj-U0HIjJbgKYcA/s4032/IMG_9860.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRmRKhCb9Pr9XhTUkPkJimLL_L7U8NTb9pItGEnt7LCVoORcyCEac5b9uikh7O7NdJ8WOLm2WOZqznlFF6e-HBglV4E6FvaWujm-ayTSF031Lr_BGUp495eO1uypDPf-HQsj2VqbJtTLMNM2sfyQ9KFLhaCGdXaLJajQaRjBokTj-U0HIjJbgKYcA/s320/IMG_9860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parliament building (Riksdagshuset)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirexGkUB3G5oKYDEof69FYkFlMMSDNrA7EiF1r3E_MD59XE96bVaCG0gEYGorrakxtMeOOl9FYjnSiL599itBbwzhp-XLGbqOSpgR2Bxq1kbmYOmcew-YscQyvSsAPS7gN_L0S57Phn-w5h9ToTB1t7tfPSlIraeIctahrwTqgECYHa10cG4lICOcm/s4032/IMG_9865.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirexGkUB3G5oKYDEof69FYkFlMMSDNrA7EiF1r3E_MD59XE96bVaCG0gEYGorrakxtMeOOl9FYjnSiL599itBbwzhp-XLGbqOSpgR2Bxq1kbmYOmcew-YscQyvSsAPS7gN_L0S57Phn-w5h9ToTB1t7tfPSlIraeIctahrwTqgECYHa10cG4lICOcm/s320/IMG_9865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Ruben sandwich</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMNi-4B62IzyXwpggqlkCFpB8fjSZeDkmJ3ZizmNYbNrzT--taLuiSW0vuoPIBHYu8M1Rns0zyVvnW8wHUTLVNCKutnsKAYuMWtdYYDXj_wsLzRVJU0MnfqlsSkbn49w3_tITzqBV372xacQZcC5_Qx8OUarY71YB5GBZmWPDQ9WPmPdhnfTQ-zJw/s4032/IMG_9867.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMNi-4B62IzyXwpggqlkCFpB8fjSZeDkmJ3ZizmNYbNrzT--taLuiSW0vuoPIBHYu8M1Rns0zyVvnW8wHUTLVNCKutnsKAYuMWtdYYDXj_wsLzRVJU0MnfqlsSkbn49w3_tITzqBV372xacQZcC5_Qx8OUarY71YB5GBZmWPDQ9WPmPdhnfTQ-zJw/s320/IMG_9867.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many statues of Kings!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD8ApPyVkuBx86IHAO7t6RArt3YeH8XKpTG41PMBRRVnUMHRxqtUCgC4F7LB3RnMjeKCSMkdaQOnthkcq1DTe9B7r2yDz2VidlHb6qaIXvmImS__LNEzkQHVN2vPEMfnYmDZ3ZB68hyhAmlQMsEh6xL8vKJqpPRLk7jGHUj7TdmokydvAtmSTWbjT/s4032/IMG_9869.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD8ApPyVkuBx86IHAO7t6RArt3YeH8XKpTG41PMBRRVnUMHRxqtUCgC4F7LB3RnMjeKCSMkdaQOnthkcq1DTe9B7r2yDz2VidlHb6qaIXvmImS__LNEzkQHVN2vPEMfnYmDZ3ZB68hyhAmlQMsEh6xL8vKJqpPRLk7jGHUj7TdmokydvAtmSTWbjT/s320/IMG_9869.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Hotel </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWi9H4ML_LZ2rC2DTJGPBSPPar2aDO4C0u2sYTJ2-c_RS6fv4L-CRziRWeAs_xIhl9fs18sqTSAbnYGtZVGE1c6bY-cwqogFW1Ow9OYNMht5lAndusrML4wkxO3_EiTFmczVYEGCviLc1RhzB2veSjHj5jWL1w5uV3KQnlEU2BqqsBn9e8ypv2Vfp/s4032/IMG_9876.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWi9H4ML_LZ2rC2DTJGPBSPPar2aDO4C0u2sYTJ2-c_RS6fv4L-CRziRWeAs_xIhl9fs18sqTSAbnYGtZVGE1c6bY-cwqogFW1Ow9OYNMht5lAndusrML4wkxO3_EiTFmczVYEGCviLc1RhzB2veSjHj5jWL1w5uV3KQnlEU2BqqsBn9e8ypv2Vfp/s320/IMG_9876.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park near Nordic Museum</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pVjvX6PlI1B-BoJzFngqVR-AICEKN8obvjJmpMea_HsG1-Q80lFXS5jHy31kqzPro_j8q4G6z9qWccpP25K9kYugtmOxxmYEpcwPsJMYV7dHpwix6x8Sdpt7Dncm7AVeBFnCOhTtH7JZNNbj85kVwQsL-4jGkzOi8WOE0vO1vHnirSYjGwiBtsjh/s4032/IMG_9892.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pVjvX6PlI1B-BoJzFngqVR-AICEKN8obvjJmpMea_HsG1-Q80lFXS5jHy31kqzPro_j8q4G6z9qWccpP25K9kYugtmOxxmYEpcwPsJMYV7dHpwix6x8Sdpt7Dncm7AVeBFnCOhTtH7JZNNbj85kVwQsL-4jGkzOi8WOE0vO1vHnirSYjGwiBtsjh/s320/IMG_9892.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMGtyxyZSuhHTBqKXJGylQSbQe8g8gL8wUJ8FdkCs6Fl6xXSZaj0RoiF-ZY0BTUG8GCUX_5vPtZr_rmh1Hr0yB6Qu1ejRoheZWF70Vhk2ddqbowqj-_i8TjR8xIhPS32lVTiv8MU3FGojStx39czwPaSZhVMzvzaYy_afvFCEbJnsyElypNAa66Ow/s3088/IMG_9900.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMGtyxyZSuhHTBqKXJGylQSbQe8g8gL8wUJ8FdkCs6Fl6xXSZaj0RoiF-ZY0BTUG8GCUX_5vPtZr_rmh1Hr0yB6Qu1ejRoheZWF70Vhk2ddqbowqj-_i8TjR8xIhPS32lVTiv8MU3FGojStx39czwPaSZhVMzvzaYy_afvFCEbJnsyElypNAa66Ow/s320/IMG_9900.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'Rodeo Drive' of Stockholm</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Okdx23vIajgIdfgx6ZVPZItiaCq_Px-s87BT1F73YQ_RRsOgw26PBIMuWi7EFcAFhdl2T3taOkOQVpq7JUp3CV9QBLyg2m1D8zKoJSeXRnENzDpjL4143Z6a1qBsAArWq92BGpR55K0lt2qkkFvFZ9ohdsuRIS1FHxmJMCNmnipQaLPM9hwzoUfL/s4032/IMG_9901.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Okdx23vIajgIdfgx6ZVPZItiaCq_Px-s87BT1F73YQ_RRsOgw26PBIMuWi7EFcAFhdl2T3taOkOQVpq7JUp3CV9QBLyg2m1D8zKoJSeXRnENzDpjL4143Z6a1qBsAArWq92BGpR55K0lt2qkkFvFZ9ohdsuRIS1FHxmJMCNmnipQaLPM9hwzoUfL/s320/IMG_9901.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kungstrad gardens</td></tr></tbody></table>36 hours before our departure, the SAS pilots were still on strike and we received a text from SAS informing us our flight home was cancelled. The rest of the message basically said; 'you are on your own, we're too busy to help!' We sprung into action and were able to book flights on Air France/American through Paris to get home. We had a long overnight layover in Paris, so we added an extra night at the Paris Airport Hilton. With our arrangements finalized we headed back to old town to a traditional Swedish restaurant for dinner.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1akzRdZjlT2hpGMjpTDLu4CUoEROfMAY89ofxXcm7GPsyoRo4k-_DsNILV_vdbMIn1Tvwtw94LD5sInyslGE8fFjhBQ4V6zmsO-Zs26dVFKI7GIfxOtQfHCtYbyMpfIqDoraRbf9IAoMzTB8uljIOs87DX7Wk5hhjozyekVC8huNn1mcIwo79Cem/s4032/IMG_9916.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1akzRdZjlT2hpGMjpTDLu4CUoEROfMAY89ofxXcm7GPsyoRo4k-_DsNILV_vdbMIn1Tvwtw94LD5sInyslGE8fFjhBQ4V6zmsO-Zs26dVFKI7GIfxOtQfHCtYbyMpfIqDoraRbf9IAoMzTB8uljIOs87DX7Wk5hhjozyekVC8huNn1mcIwo79Cem/s320/IMG_9916.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Town<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-q7alVvawhA9Xl7NCPpD4db-VulL5HCD9dFvLZmIGcOpaowTZ-NIebYQAeowKLNXsMJJFiSL7H7Zy8f7hgepc_qqFi-3b8tCS-7oR___7rs5dimf0FgcFOEIjvOjfxnyZmUOUQBMH8oqDRaV3l0lJoWrEsD5FclZW0HvFcYGlGWDRBnBPWbpwhPe/s4032/IMG_9914.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-q7alVvawhA9Xl7NCPpD4db-VulL5HCD9dFvLZmIGcOpaowTZ-NIebYQAeowKLNXsMJJFiSL7H7Zy8f7hgepc_qqFi-3b8tCS-7oR___7rs5dimf0FgcFOEIjvOjfxnyZmUOUQBMH8oqDRaV3l0lJoWrEsD5FclZW0HvFcYGlGWDRBnBPWbpwhPe/s320/IMG_9914.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy we have flights home!</td></tr></tbody></table>It was another great meal on a lovely outdoor patio. Returning to the hotel, we received another text from SAS; they had rebooked us on another SAS flight through Copenhagen. Apparently it was one of a few that were still flying with replacement pilots. We could take their offer and risk another cancellation and/or the chaos at the Copenhagen airport where thousands were stranded, or take a refund for the unused portion of our SAS ticket. It was an easy choice, and we took door #2 to Paris on Air France. Our return started with an early evening hop to Paris. So we had one more morning to tour Stockholm. </div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtN7wD52lc1iVHWpCVHC7ShHlktz2AedTtNocfjLET1nNfJvvRiIxK7_iK-H-XKNy29phkrivggoTyoHQFnSaCGujSYYJeNkPUQ_ti5leCSM448YuJRTT3NMPqWsaZYW9k-i3wduytdI9M1Z_qYRMv56630DhpMIxvXoDnPUw0kq6jn2E3L464MHV/s4032/IMG_9924.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtN7wD52lc1iVHWpCVHC7ShHlktz2AedTtNocfjLET1nNfJvvRiIxK7_iK-H-XKNy29phkrivggoTyoHQFnSaCGujSYYJeNkPUQ_ti5leCSM448YuJRTT3NMPqWsaZYW9k-i3wduytdI9M1Z_qYRMv56630DhpMIxvXoDnPUw0kq6jn2E3L464MHV/s320/IMG_9924.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City Hall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hYPhaEe5W3zGZ_ixCsw_7MIjAvoAYxWEqdgovVixcjNm8gLU3unJyMRmf25nt_emvjdYHZWmtqlZBQF792GjGOIPOUqZLPbTHhK2e-1gXpqKo5oGo12OuKyfuppoigrelrwBeqTYFEWMGrAQzFOzLSj3wGqKZSBuqHRYBN0YMjzH0yw9BBv6CgeL/s4032/IMG_9934.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7hYPhaEe5W3zGZ_ixCsw_7MIjAvoAYxWEqdgovVixcjNm8gLU3unJyMRmf25nt_emvjdYHZWmtqlZBQF792GjGOIPOUqZLPbTHhK2e-1gXpqKo5oGo12OuKyfuppoigrelrwBeqTYFEWMGrAQzFOzLSj3wGqKZSBuqHRYBN0YMjzH0yw9BBv6CgeL/s320/IMG_9934.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the City Hall tower</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEIzMjWZ3roVBAHI5TcvM8ZVKlemuV4DOFO5O1UTqlXx3Rg6_5A0AhF2hwWr5PFblopC1JROqjGicwPKFNzGm9x765NJ81jPglQyYdTA04puKPJblBdsANf9tDkDTZddww7Nugzzplni-pI0jU_eiLsBsuK4hstXRS134j3GD4mh5L-XhYwoS5rCy/s4032/IMG_9947.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEIzMjWZ3roVBAHI5TcvM8ZVKlemuV4DOFO5O1UTqlXx3Rg6_5A0AhF2hwWr5PFblopC1JROqjGicwPKFNzGm9x765NJ81jPglQyYdTA04puKPJblBdsANf9tDkDTZddww7Nugzzplni-pI0jU_eiLsBsuK4hstXRS134j3GD4mh5L-XhYwoS5rCy/s320/IMG_9947.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City council chambers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy7D24LPAvjrt79KIbMD9Gulml7ewIH-D0x-pn678jcnxcICCfzy_YJ0eQqQqM1VyBWfM18OeEpVqyov3EDMvaafL3S25bbP9D2PoNts-9GRUXz6fUY3E28wKPieTj5f_9kdKPp5hEyR42H9-E31dMIWKfBWnWvGN6UdOntUodB61nRvOWoXNjArl/s4032/IMG_9955.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfy7D24LPAvjrt79KIbMD9Gulml7ewIH-D0x-pn678jcnxcICCfzy_YJ0eQqQqM1VyBWfM18OeEpVqyov3EDMvaafL3S25bbP9D2PoNts-9GRUXz6fUY3E28wKPieTj5f_9kdKPp5hEyR42H9-E31dMIWKfBWnWvGN6UdOntUodB61nRvOWoXNjArl/s320/IMG_9955.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ornate hallways</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bUTWDTCDDphBaz45kMG6knAc9C0kqfihM6ID0h4cy4uB0mElon5vaoTzOBkJHrbZcdyM9oNNTrgtBDfcndKQqC4CL9KweX_eantSJ9pyZq5FCSoFBh9XTyFR--eXbxo4EXuwKGcmcxpWGDK8f0nQVQp3giN6IL74QO5c8rym0w2p9JPMLKEwxNlh/s4032/IMG_9967.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3bUTWDTCDDphBaz45kMG6knAc9C0kqfihM6ID0h4cy4uB0mElon5vaoTzOBkJHrbZcdyM9oNNTrgtBDfcndKQqC4CL9KweX_eantSJ9pyZq5FCSoFBh9XTyFR--eXbxo4EXuwKGcmcxpWGDK8f0nQVQp3giN6IL74QO5c8rym0w2p9JPMLKEwxNlh/s320/IMG_9967.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mosaic depicting Stockholm history</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We checked our luggage with the bellman and used our last morning in Stockholm to tour the City Hall. It was a great, and relaxing way to end the tour. We returned to the hotel, collected our bags, and started the journey home. We arrived home only one day late, and with all our bags!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our third Santana Adventure was in the books. Next week we head to Australia. We booked the Australia Santana Adventure over three years ago. With COVID lockdowns and shipyard delays, the first Santana Adventure we booked will be our fourth with Santana! It has been a crazy few years!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you enjoyed the tour of the Baltics, we'll see you 'down-under' soon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steve Atkins</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/57162?privacy_code=7gx08xlxsPSRpwTr" target="_blank">Click here for GPS files</a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-15300324743801884252022-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:002022-11-09T19:30:37.476-07:00Big River Cruise: Memphis to New Orleans<div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3lHxeUlbTDpmC2CtS-fNa5ibEk6P8AouW5q67CEjNehoXzLK2W-oUg-dOEdG2pBDvYGtWGNJEkW5k2aqmGVtmy_s3ZfdrbPb5nLeNL77JwyZoJI8Qw7E9h24ehdUeE_2nrDXyo2oH8jeL4s1ZHjry0WDuuJro4tPgozbSIaPBTh5t4-1AN-zdSP-/s4032/IMG_8138.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3lHxeUlbTDpmC2CtS-fNa5ibEk6P8AouW5q67CEjNehoXzLK2W-oUg-dOEdG2pBDvYGtWGNJEkW5k2aqmGVtmy_s3ZfdrbPb5nLeNL77JwyZoJI8Qw7E9h24ehdUeE_2nrDXyo2oH8jeL4s1ZHjry0WDuuJro4tPgozbSIaPBTh5t4-1AN-zdSP-/s320/IMG_8138.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big River Paddle Wheeler!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Ride Report April 2022 </p><p>Our second Santana Adventure cycling cruse featured the Mississippi River on a cycling tour through the heartland of American music. We started in Memphis, traveled the Mississippi Blues Trail and finished in New Orleans with many interesting stops along the way. </p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Memphis Pre-Tour<br /></h4><p>We opted for two extra nights at the pre-tour hotel, the historic Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. There is much to see, do, and eat in Memphis and we got started right away!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KRXDOLfu_cQ8-3v1usU0Ug3X4WXCCrL-QRg4k5tPenC_kBnNNpZCuDXcfH-xrVJF7OU2oxNIFMAmWXCeT132LbbGMd0v02FGCQ3EE5uck3UGEnp4B2n50Ll3rqZRsuZItE-kDVmzbaZY6eONUAsTjh93bxLPK0c_gW0LtA-iGgmMkFLa_w6MeAVh/s4032/IMG_7938.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KRXDOLfu_cQ8-3v1usU0Ug3X4WXCCrL-QRg4k5tPenC_kBnNNpZCuDXcfH-xrVJF7OU2oxNIFMAmWXCeT132LbbGMd0v02FGCQ3EE5uck3UGEnp4B2n50Ll3rqZRsuZItE-kDVmzbaZY6eONUAsTjh93bxLPK0c_gW0LtA-iGgmMkFLa_w6MeAVh/s320/IMG_7938.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dyers World Famous Burgers!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After checking into the Peabody Hotel, we walked down to Beale Street to get our bearings and to find Dyers World Famous Burgers for lunch. Lunch was great and one of the Top 10 things to do in our Memphis guide book was done! We wandered about the city for the balance of the afternoon.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLxeNOZlNarrjHlY1YvDHb-Ojy05gG449DUBksoy7VeZ-_WxXpNpgZVPZmFh9XvI6gwu0kVWzvXYqcIWp_oibnbjJG6PjFZuWPaykwpgqbU1L0bOOhU7ExdiZ8KVKczmW9438eIefox4QLRMZ5s6M_FHSA0PfOKGFI710vHKY0MUW6qkxrRvAY1_m/s4032/IMG_7941.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipLxeNOZlNarrjHlY1YvDHb-Ojy05gG449DUBksoy7VeZ-_WxXpNpgZVPZmFh9XvI6gwu0kVWzvXYqcIWp_oibnbjJG6PjFZuWPaykwpgqbU1L0bOOhU7ExdiZ8KVKczmW9438eIefox4QLRMZ5s6M_FHSA0PfOKGFI710vHKY0MUW6qkxrRvAY1_m/s320/IMG_7941.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peters Church<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbnWBiFetVF6c1rOtkX82ZBcB0JUeMwnkZSyH3Z3InO1CTsuEJ55zr4AtNewkEcjgjVna3g4MmgJ8rnJJtyOJnFipSObWcjRsHcuXjBsL1KTTHJ4dcwm0kKqbH-1KH5haIytm5E6pjAMkoeJFzHrFIjcTRpvPREJzBt1MxOkBvrAc3V6rE-e91kwa/s4032/IMG_7942.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbnWBiFetVF6c1rOtkX82ZBcB0JUeMwnkZSyH3Z3InO1CTsuEJ55zr4AtNewkEcjgjVna3g4MmgJ8rnJJtyOJnFipSObWcjRsHcuXjBsL1KTTHJ4dcwm0kKqbH-1KH5haIytm5E6pjAMkoeJFzHrFIjcTRpvPREJzBt1MxOkBvrAc3V6rE-e91kwa/s320/IMG_7942.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gathering for theVigil Mass<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>St. Peters church was also just a short walk from the Peabody, in the opposite direction from Beale Street, literally and spiritually! <br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDKYLRymWazz7-U0vs985NBeSvFcV_Bbfe3VK39nXMTt8Lw1CqHAZ9qxRtYTxzxdXkNM47_gSyqTWehbZASFb85wO-CwtCl76RuFfgNxD21MiBLlPji2J_hQirg4TPDm6WXU9yVM79RjZ0EqR-UpjCtpSsB1a5EBUxbAqjA2nuWD0Jb8ZE5IxcBPP/s4032/IMG_7947.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUDKYLRymWazz7-U0vs985NBeSvFcV_Bbfe3VK39nXMTt8Lw1CqHAZ9qxRtYTxzxdXkNM47_gSyqTWehbZASFb85wO-CwtCl76RuFfgNxD21MiBLlPji2J_hQirg4TPDm6WXU9yVM79RjZ0EqR-UpjCtpSsB1a5EBUxbAqjA2nuWD0Jb8ZE5IxcBPP/s320/IMG_7947.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good advice!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was a great Mass and we passed this sign-board on the way to back to Beal Street for dinner.<span> </span><br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgI0KC5onuvL8Tn0VFedaAdhzbQuaHu7Xmx_te0vZnTL3fGaV4v8cABnn7cMTGsp86NqGczzQ9X3WXTUmuz2o0cKHfHUNukTmWxDNdMSsCkPhLOKPb61-HA5xx9pXAZCWpa21Ow9tBw5RSEJMDkXH3k4kh6hoMTKeHoRM1jVKkq0mIoxziAGe_lKW/s4032/IMG_7947.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgI0KC5onuvL8Tn0VFedaAdhzbQuaHu7Xmx_te0vZnTL3fGaV4v8cABnn7cMTGsp86NqGczzQ9X3WXTUmuz2o0cKHfHUNukTmWxDNdMSsCkPhLOKPb61-HA5xx9pXAZCWpa21Ow9tBw5RSEJMDkXH3k4kh6hoMTKeHoRM1jVKkq0mIoxziAGe_lKW/s320/IMG_7947.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old South Chips and Fried Pickles<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dhdp7wvA0su-KwHZ3KtRvxlxw1-_wVLrLSL2em1ucHn_EvS8jmOx0l-cxAmLYHhrTgAXYv1Z4UJyiSEc-vNvGdq7Oamnu50KzEdCwfaK2bcJICTQsajE3o7XNSKhGYvbvvr4K16NLUv11GUu9MxmhXqXlIklK5hUhuSgnjqRLrXjb6329KeXeWlj/s4032/IMG_7952.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8dhdp7wvA0su-KwHZ3KtRvxlxw1-_wVLrLSL2em1ucHn_EvS8jmOx0l-cxAmLYHhrTgAXYv1Z4UJyiSEc-vNvGdq7Oamnu50KzEdCwfaK2bcJICTQsajE3o7XNSKhGYvbvvr4K16NLUv11GUu9MxmhXqXlIklK5hUhuSgnjqRLrXjb6329KeXeWlj/s320/IMG_7952.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Memphis Attraction<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We passed on the whisky shots, but spotted an Irish Pub on Beale street and figured it would be a great spot for dinner after Mass, and it was. Also the patio area features a goat exhibit, also on the must-see list from the guide book!<br /><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/705Y06QzTR4" width="320" youtube-src-id="705Y06QzTR4"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Memphis Street Flippers <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We capped off the night watching the street flippers on Beal Street before heading back to Peabody. Its slightly downhill and these street performers really accelerate as they flip down the block!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqKMiAgN75qG00gD1p2cWp_kWnGWc44NBvjf7T1R6NCW6YlbnbsdJpk5KZ8gr0wev6k9dtDnRLQD0By7UK-PDGzO8JhGRlhoBiRyfAIkW1ofAZgFVmD0-oUBmZu7ppXl2VDU6JCmRRjcFKu-qQpYHPZI7_jbUUIFd6qwkmzOVnqdk2R30gMlw8bLf/s4032/IMG_7961.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqKMiAgN75qG00gD1p2cWp_kWnGWc44NBvjf7T1R6NCW6YlbnbsdJpk5KZ8gr0wev6k9dtDnRLQD0By7UK-PDGzO8JhGRlhoBiRyfAIkW1ofAZgFVmD0-oUBmZu7ppXl2VDU6JCmRRjcFKu-qQpYHPZI7_jbUUIFd6qwkmzOVnqdk2R30gMlw8bLf/s320/IMG_7961.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hands down, best biscuits and gravy!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>We started the second day of the pre-tour in the Peabody restaurant and our waiter recommended the biscuits and gravy, they were so good we returned again for an encore the next day!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-IGnt31Tyx2bzgcFkLw1xItqvB0Sck5IwvjUOA_Sqa0xvUlI6pD26L0X64hwOnWv7OZH4D9mvEasUytceQsE5XVAwxdJQamBull5BzeYedC1NiX9EaknTLXV1a3c3iRfq2_SFx-CIepoJPwQnyzIULqutH0i_G4daCEh8GKb5YhFGtQky_7wwf84/s4032/IMG_7977.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-IGnt31Tyx2bzgcFkLw1xItqvB0Sck5IwvjUOA_Sqa0xvUlI6pD26L0X64hwOnWv7OZH4D9mvEasUytceQsE5XVAwxdJQamBull5BzeYedC1NiX9EaknTLXV1a3c3iRfq2_SFx-CIepoJPwQnyzIULqutH0i_G4daCEh8GKb5YhFGtQky_7wwf84/s320/IMG_7977.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spicy and delicious<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We toured the Rock and Soul museum in the morning and had lunch at
Gus's Fried Chicken; another two items checked off the Top 10 list!</p><p>We were looking forward to BB King Blues club for dinner. We had heard about their ribs and live music. There was a long wait <i>and</i> they were out of ribs! The host said the ribs were great across the street at the Blues Cafe so we went there and got right in.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglJfBuwl0iw0GvrJL60SR7qbvJVoCslful6qnJJpj7WauEPsi8BU_JE0vbQWwE-_ZgV3_Lq8Ubtr5LA9YAQzmp-8KUd_1_9PfQpSApMgra8p7WQ-Ln13-cI3T4rnSyIfDjATh3LkRggoYhekFXP8EXuSc_Ax-mhrGDlDIONLsDwCsTlEO9tLZVfTT/s4032/IMG_7986.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglJfBuwl0iw0GvrJL60SR7qbvJVoCslful6qnJJpj7WauEPsi8BU_JE0vbQWwE-_ZgV3_Lq8Ubtr5LA9YAQzmp-8KUd_1_9PfQpSApMgra8p7WQ-Ln13-cI3T4rnSyIfDjATh3LkRggoYhekFXP8EXuSc_Ax-mhrGDlDIONLsDwCsTlEO9tLZVfTT/s320/IMG_7986.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Put Some South Your Mouth"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktIRYpUL4yRbdqMciKThggt6ctB7qe1cwzbdWyK_6JzJvyMJ9eFQSRjiX09JHoJ4IOilpTypdA0spwbieouWBEZsYnbk8OzsZNLl0kFx5iSH3inGy2x0DP6ihjLPfOqkVO2JBuBcvgHqnAZ1o24rhQDD2RkCtibGT7sFXlSD6f8m82EZuXi9S6H2Z/s4032/IMG_7981.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktIRYpUL4yRbdqMciKThggt6ctB7qe1cwzbdWyK_6JzJvyMJ9eFQSRjiX09JHoJ4IOilpTypdA0spwbieouWBEZsYnbk8OzsZNLl0kFx5iSH3inGy2x0DP6ihjLPfOqkVO2JBuBcvgHqnAZ1o24rhQDD2RkCtibGT7sFXlSD6f8m82EZuXi9S6H2Z/s320/IMG_7981.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Jesse Jackson<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The meal was great and we even bumped into Rev. Jesse Jackson on the way out. We decided to put BB Kings on the agenda for tomorrow and called it a day!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfu799-JWR2qizklinv0bXnC3IcXjOTCXVgvNf632gkzCJAHmh73MNt7vAhMGCVQCj2rG0KOG0m3sZPBS7qItVJxWK7xb6kl7YiCtMyt1itpEzduetsKIH8zHa2wLpWmFXoJ8Jb_rNLyVyInk6CiBvqgU0i1TN14JKt7PfA_UyjYVHTH6UXFzweKUF/s3088/IMG_7994.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfu799-JWR2qizklinv0bXnC3IcXjOTCXVgvNf632gkzCJAHmh73MNt7vAhMGCVQCj2rG0KOG0m3sZPBS7qItVJxWK7xb6kl7YiCtMyt1itpEzduetsKIH8zHa2wLpWmFXoJ8Jb_rNLyVyInk6CiBvqgU0i1TN14JKt7PfA_UyjYVHTH6UXFzweKUF/s320/IMG_7994.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beale Street at night<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The last day of the pre-tour included a ride to the Sun Studios. Many greats, including Elvis Presley, recorded and/or were discovered here! First order of business was to assemble the bikes. So after another great breakfast of Peabody Hotel Biscuits and Gravy, I headed down to the exhibit hall to assemble the bikes, and Debby staked out a table in the lobby bar to watch the morning Duck March!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcvRBNg1YCU6GQ6YD7RGH8yobru9soA3TrnL4Xv9Iy75u0XiIHmi_r35UBGascRyl0wBlZWE7Mfr93C6lAPpxIGhCPWxwBVIwXXyIX4dC0-njajwrgQkySVMChqTFWZ2D28BUtIdxBtlts0EqfdhKnO4Gaq31AZrlbXmlc4SRn2AVb3sQAlQDot8W/s4032/IMG_7995.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcvRBNg1YCU6GQ6YD7RGH8yobru9soA3TrnL4Xv9Iy75u0XiIHmi_r35UBGascRyl0wBlZWE7Mfr93C6lAPpxIGhCPWxwBVIwXXyIX4dC0-njajwrgQkySVMChqTFWZ2D28BUtIdxBtlts0EqfdhKnO4Gaq31AZrlbXmlc4SRn2AVb3sQAlQDot8W/s320/IMG_7995.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes assembled and ready to roll<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhOojOpjUBk3YgC_LSRZHm6k3wBJ_lWEp8n2hDTaEWG92DmxuXj6Vj0DxWhnhFKLEPc1CQ1AKdRwXBKkG1KI_NKuBPZwKrOGBJAe1fJ-gb3NaisJluuW6uN1lU7YKduRp__IPYn59R7_l4IANbpl_POnwjAU6T1mzrhn6jJ8kqCnRyYO-cpBhqK09/s4032/IMG_7994.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbhOojOpjUBk3YgC_LSRZHm6k3wBJ_lWEp8n2hDTaEWG92DmxuXj6Vj0DxWhnhFKLEPc1CQ1AKdRwXBKkG1KI_NKuBPZwKrOGBJAe1fJ-gb3NaisJluuW6uN1lU7YKduRp__IPYn59R7_l4IANbpl_POnwjAU6T1mzrhn6jJ8kqCnRyYO-cpBhqK09/s320/IMG_7994.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I arrived just in time for the Duck Wrangler <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yLdIsWpgyhk" width="320" youtube-src-id="yLdIsWpgyhk"></iframe></div><p><span>Debby found a great spot to watch the morning Duck March. Each morning they bring the ducks down from their rooftop penthouse to spend their day in the lobby fountain. Each afternoon, they march back to the elevator and return to their rooftop digs. As you can see, since there is ample duck feed in the fountain, the March is more of a run in the morning!</span></p><p><span>Legend has it that the initial ducks were live decoys the hotel owner used for hunting. On a whim, he brought the ducks to the lobby. It was a hit and another Memphis tradition was born!</span></p><p><span>After lunch, we mounted our bikes and headed to Sun Studios. At less than 10 miles it was a perfect shake down test for the bikes.</span><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbZhi4PGbL_xXRWOx3XKBDynHARih1DKcj3pBbR_JiJghF72tYQ4AmLiGGBzObIlpyZVsrHvheUhyprjURmMM70Xg9g7v2ak_MADnOQft95hEHWETi_PGng8AdUEAi2_qfp4JRNA6YP9slA3YpW29Y1qAvVOT9mqRyLSkp1XXeQXGYB8i725eQmUX/s4032/IMG_8021.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcbZhi4PGbL_xXRWOx3XKBDynHARih1DKcj3pBbR_JiJghF72tYQ4AmLiGGBzObIlpyZVsrHvheUhyprjURmMM70Xg9g7v2ak_MADnOQft95hEHWETi_PGng8AdUEAi2_qfp4JRNA6YP9slA3YpW29Y1qAvVOT9mqRyLSkp1XXeQXGYB8i725eQmUX/s320/IMG_8021.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First stop on the pre-tour<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf9-T8mAfZWiFAdy07Q7eVxweVKlnQaTgrDmV6dXB9Ej92uk3Cr46BuiPo8zBkv0babBGJwqv26KJtUvL21V94cpW87oNys1i7CC2tnyerFm3MgYeeFKLgf51sGM1wzMpnHl_wbMlPpPEprZBHRch0IXdXDDPShW7sFx8VfPn9zYNPxC-x5ScKMfI/s4032/IMG_8004.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCf9-T8mAfZWiFAdy07Q7eVxweVKlnQaTgrDmV6dXB9Ej92uk3Cr46BuiPo8zBkv0babBGJwqv26KJtUvL21V94cpW87oNys1i7CC2tnyerFm3MgYeeFKLgf51sGM1wzMpnHl_wbMlPpPEprZBHRch0IXdXDDPShW7sFx8VfPn9zYNPxC-x5ScKMfI/s320/IMG_8004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great museum upstairs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QYzoivCJJrSxgJi06uMzR4xVgL642yOCNLbpDQ_9TR0-W5Z7JrWyw2eeLGV0blzW6lshpXlksrJhKQ2jOLRN41XqFsub7ayPiLSa0lhI9tGzLjpXGLP86Y3bZ1v4sbTBCtABDjqOrC-vUpbwoJYfvHIhI82xjoUN8zTfJGjO1R1exyB3biFDqCUl/s4032/IMG_8014.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2QYzoivCJJrSxgJi06uMzR4xVgL642yOCNLbpDQ_9TR0-W5Z7JrWyw2eeLGV0blzW6lshpXlksrJhKQ2jOLRN41XqFsub7ayPiLSa0lhI9tGzLjpXGLP86Y3bZ1v4sbTBCtABDjqOrC-vUpbwoJYfvHIhI82xjoUN8zTfJGjO1R1exyB3biFDqCUl/s320/IMG_8014.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">U2's drum set in the Sun Recording Studio<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLxwlCw63TEs7xnvYfRceR0WQy8t0AfqlNNxQhKznYjvseTFwXxordOU_B1XdKES1s2cWxUpzgYSuzbkiAMpfpP8DwIcLt_ucH-922Ik7zVSfFhBxvHD6pxQYhaLP3UdZkO7FeJYf8IFBbn19nOip4WYxVJHjprXsM80yqeOd4BMWoR1cRES0mT5A/s4032/IMG_8015.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLxwlCw63TEs7xnvYfRceR0WQy8t0AfqlNNxQhKznYjvseTFwXxordOU_B1XdKES1s2cWxUpzgYSuzbkiAMpfpP8DwIcLt_ucH-922Ik7zVSfFhBxvHD6pxQYhaLP3UdZkO7FeJYf8IFBbn19nOip4WYxVJHjprXsM80yqeOd4BMWoR1cRES0mT5A/s320/IMG_8015.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The studio was packed with instruments and is still in use<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>Not on the pre-tour, but only a few miles past Sun Studios, the Elmwood Cemetery beckoned and we answered the call. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yFFYZZLOCJZ4Jkx3O-Vi1q7nBNluaelIRBjDL2At_7fgcgsMmtrvJnhS9hkh6r5r6Z_wiNTMTHI2tev7A79_ozItbAqD8Ja_6ICeIQ7Xu8qWp5oXgrI0_QP41hOPZZzKk5MXvSZSsxWe_Qitlfd2d7_HOxuoQ9Mo0c71nDVVXeJY0St-J-pumK4r/s4032/IMG_8026.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1yFFYZZLOCJZ4Jkx3O-Vi1q7nBNluaelIRBjDL2At_7fgcgsMmtrvJnhS9hkh6r5r6Z_wiNTMTHI2tev7A79_ozItbAqD8Ja_6ICeIQ7Xu8qWp5oXgrI0_QP41hOPZZzKk5MXvSZSsxWe_Qitlfd2d7_HOxuoQ9Mo0c71nDVVXeJY0St-J-pumK4r/s320/IMG_8026.JPG" width="240" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVpiA_9Eg-drALVIfvkNJ3Y18pI9rAAG0L8obVDm63bB1IVPjTqkdc1VTDCIG3nTa_ImvxcyvCr98Z8jqw2ptciUWAy0sivvqOuQl5lP6Rd_cNYJTJZ3DJ-Ps5CXIZLMhqDbr_gSs_6fJ0UENl3qul0syvNPXM6ZsA2vmMRPSDoqtSD7_Pu0vDyqE/s4032/IMG_7929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVpiA_9Eg-drALVIfvkNJ3Y18pI9rAAG0L8obVDm63bB1IVPjTqkdc1VTDCIG3nTa_ImvxcyvCr98Z8jqw2ptciUWAy0sivvqOuQl5lP6Rd_cNYJTJZ3DJ-Ps5CXIZLMhqDbr_gSs_6fJ0UENl3qul0syvNPXM6ZsA2vmMRPSDoqtSD7_Pu0vDyqE/s320/IMG_7929.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUCXUua7YZS9sGnaYI0KHD01fXXd_UYR2zOunstXZM1keiMUD3PdoGSi-yUQnfq9WLMK52WcZruT8jCAks4cftA2ivA7-lfJpd_f1ajeWkpC5w_15ade-vgzWQVgoJkhA8Gq7qk8YhdA3klbK2EaudTWREHKudZ6oW06MBp9u75PjuyZOQ23qt_-k/s4032/IMG_8028.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDUCXUua7YZS9sGnaYI0KHD01fXXd_UYR2zOunstXZM1keiMUD3PdoGSi-yUQnfq9WLMK52WcZruT8jCAks4cftA2ivA7-lfJpd_f1ajeWkpC5w_15ade-vgzWQVgoJkhA8Gq7qk8YhdA3klbK2EaudTWREHKudZ6oW06MBp9u75PjuyZOQ23qt_-k/s320/IMG_8028.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another 'must see' in the guidebook<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Many old graves in this rolling historic cemetery. We skipped the audio tour, and just rode through on the bikes. We headed back to the hotel and inadvertently wandered through a rough part of town to complete our tour!</p><p>Arriving back at the hotel we lined up in hallways and a small meeting room for the pre-tour COVID test. It was a new protocol for the cruise line and quite disorganized! While everyone tested negative, the process certainly didn't adhere to distancing standards!<br /></p><p>We decided to head to BB Kings early and we caught the last set of the afternoon act and the first two sets of the evening band. The first band was good, and they said we probably would not remember their name after the next act, and they were right!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMNEaI2Lhqi5ytMKAfKuv5ro_ijUj-29zeMBO8IRrQFRQ-o-Jk53LmMYYUFejXKFBq5_zV8soCz_MZ70IxC6Aephx_2HzQK7EZVo0kaLmyAfe837BhQ-nCgD5Es7LFY4ZYHc8Lkw10vuzzA3foMmiiM9TXP7tZadIaaW9_3jvFqSo6fbbxo9mUIf_/s4032/IMG_8040.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMNEaI2Lhqi5ytMKAfKuv5ro_ijUj-29zeMBO8IRrQFRQ-o-Jk53LmMYYUFejXKFBq5_zV8soCz_MZ70IxC6Aephx_2HzQK7EZVo0kaLmyAfe837BhQ-nCgD5Es7LFY4ZYHc8Lkw10vuzzA3foMmiiM9TXP7tZadIaaW9_3jvFqSo6fbbxo9mUIf_/s320/IMG_8040.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BB King All Stars<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RzXlYFWDBrAaZN1-YxOJh8TFYYs7K1hMly70lML7RnVnke1O8linHzaVPD0xdylAEj0RKD6_oLtAMcJcIAtgvF4TE68d7_w-Pqi4-vL7T4AJMZkJ3LDnoYOjUXHQPjhXNw-CIegf0UE66TcqCg7OPmWRGs_BPBjd3u30XTkGPXVNLjz-ieptHxqa/s4032/IMG_8042.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5RzXlYFWDBrAaZN1-YxOJh8TFYYs7K1hMly70lML7RnVnke1O8linHzaVPD0xdylAEj0RKD6_oLtAMcJcIAtgvF4TE68d7_w-Pqi4-vL7T4AJMZkJ3LDnoYOjUXHQPjhXNw-CIegf0UE66TcqCg7OPmWRGs_BPBjd3u30XTkGPXVNLjz-ieptHxqa/s320/IMG_8042.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was daylight when we arrived!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>They were still out of ribs, but the food was great and the music was better! Another packed day. We headed back to the hotel to rest up. The official tour and embark starts tomorrow.</p><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 1 - Graceland and Embark</h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFF042trAy4RgYgWFKSrNLdaL1AAE8MrBfcmYz5cNjm1aMhIElsJBDJ3e5utBb4zBvZv2UK5HS4p7uvADbo2cCYCVTRsi9ZNbRy49pBAlinxS88F9JnCRP9sjj7sdiweYjM3uzPIL3AU7Bs_bBjLr3SNqm6YUmyM7Ojuzj4IzTyOq5XvO4umEYLLY/s3088/IMG_8049.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOFF042trAy4RgYgWFKSrNLdaL1AAE8MrBfcmYz5cNjm1aMhIElsJBDJ3e5utBb4zBvZv2UK5HS4p7uvADbo2cCYCVTRsi9ZNbRy49pBAlinxS88F9JnCRP9sjj7sdiweYjM3uzPIL3AU7Bs_bBjLr3SNqm6YUmyM7Ojuzj4IzTyOq5XvO4umEYLLY/s320/IMG_8049.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of rain on the ride to Graceland<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The group breakfast was in a meeting room on the top floor and was good, but we had been spoiled by the outstanding biscuits and gravy in the main restaurant. The rain was heavy during breakfast, but by the time we were ready to go, it had lightened considerably and we had a damp ride for the 8 mile trek to Graceland!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4QjCLuKhJKaaqQ01um7ChL5s8PBokpJPEekYAvpp7FW0i8iTUsssnwHFSg64Pdkh3mWJjPxRHHQAKeNy2QbbORVYp1_ZrfCmuRNNCGGFkgZcuacb9RXboyo_JioTwxhqo5QiID1JFtcSirQjAV2r3D0-6wKhUg8DdP8low3C5sGThfePeymP2Ht/s4032/IMG_8051.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk4QjCLuKhJKaaqQ01um7ChL5s8PBokpJPEekYAvpp7FW0i8iTUsssnwHFSg64Pdkh3mWJjPxRHHQAKeNy2QbbORVYp1_ZrfCmuRNNCGGFkgZcuacb9RXboyo_JioTwxhqo5QiID1JFtcSirQjAV2r3D0-6wKhUg8DdP8low3C5sGThfePeymP2Ht/s320/IMG_8051.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving early, crowds were light<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We decided to take the mansion tour first and were able to get into a small group of only about a dozen folks so we were able to take our time and enjoy the tour.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8f15akUBtLobL003kV1hKfDDwJf7JXJTD6y2kZZs8xL2mEs4CcZ9Whb3CQURVVHYw-1eQIxfi8oAHNyxbzMbCtxhoASPfTF45G5r6UAsVmp_Eaf8N51vPBubBcDZ1_6tvO6_tovmmIxFGnQ1P_U6u9Utr34ppx1ShS2XPkuE6JkexdnbQwFSSXOh/s4032/IMG_8088.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8f15akUBtLobL003kV1hKfDDwJf7JXJTD6y2kZZs8xL2mEs4CcZ9Whb3CQURVVHYw-1eQIxfi8oAHNyxbzMbCtxhoASPfTF45G5r6UAsVmp_Eaf8N51vPBubBcDZ1_6tvO6_tovmmIxFGnQ1P_U6u9Utr34ppx1ShS2XPkuE6JkexdnbQwFSSXOh/s320/IMG_8088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graceland Mansion</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXOw8Dp-lWSsqW0W3HGwUh5VxxVRZolUNDzb7c926b-ZHm2sjXq1EyLYsGhKTZQfhTx4q-s2E7e7Y49JFt6I32bJu5Z2WU3V71K_h3aT6DWVjUZ7PUHAh51kIWkRHPjYNRGS0H6CJpEclewIcpBjIbFSvXFDGHrCRVZVqWRGZnPdtrd3HqzHkuJ1_/s4032/IMG_8053.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXOw8Dp-lWSsqW0W3HGwUh5VxxVRZolUNDzb7c926b-ZHm2sjXq1EyLYsGhKTZQfhTx4q-s2E7e7Y49JFt6I32bJu5Z2WU3V71K_h3aT6DWVjUZ7PUHAh51kIWkRHPjYNRGS0H6CJpEclewIcpBjIbFSvXFDGHrCRVZVqWRGZnPdtrd3HqzHkuJ1_/s320/IMG_8053.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room in Graceland Mansion<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Restored to its 60's glory, it was a very interesting tour. Much smaller than we expected.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbO7_D38A9HpNpwXTH8ZGFNYjsTFuUEsCx2sEcjX27NUejx_jlQ8kF_rFLvuiRv43FaHS4pKU0qM-WFC4Jwmh7h2pt_IrR0tuFPGwKMJW5s4NcAx69Oc-d27fSS6_NsuQpYjJdRj2hpSkNeZEZKobfxuTJGmpSLWLHYGRP7DCh3PyqcyYHWCCs_reo/s4032/IMG_8087.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbO7_D38A9HpNpwXTH8ZGFNYjsTFuUEsCx2sEcjX27NUejx_jlQ8kF_rFLvuiRv43FaHS4pKU0qM-WFC4Jwmh7h2pt_IrR0tuFPGwKMJW5s4NcAx69Oc-d27fSS6_NsuQpYjJdRj2hpSkNeZEZKobfxuTJGmpSLWLHYGRP7DCh3PyqcyYHWCCs_reo/s320/IMG_8087.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elvis and his family rest here<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We saw the Elvis movie after we returned home, and it was great to see many of the sites we visited in Memphis and Graceland during our visit!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44Ff0BW7797pJKUrFz3-X4EsriR6XmEeDw0VxingnzFkqkRlPAtOD_IpWKsOzS_XqpHSJh9uOMoJvNPXxcpZS62ssAx24ipYOB3zPxMueiUZvznt5ngj7oLVhy6hmQNv0YLWYj4imdiIFbAh2zKI4XEn73W7nhMfEr__0FEsjhH_z_aCNhm6QDz_C/s4032/IMG_8094.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44Ff0BW7797pJKUrFz3-X4EsriR6XmEeDw0VxingnzFkqkRlPAtOD_IpWKsOzS_XqpHSJh9uOMoJvNPXxcpZS62ssAx24ipYOB3zPxMueiUZvznt5ngj7oLVhy6hmQNv0YLWYj4imdiIFbAh2zKI4XEn73W7nhMfEr__0FEsjhH_z_aCNhm6QDz_C/s320/IMG_8094.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Marie private jet<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnaf0DzFrvjDgEmGMcq20mYnKCaSTvQwD_nUHCUli7XuFg6cqMeUabKewOOb3nfEKWXnUlzV_FRiOpK9Rv42wxqFqQb9WoXosziVM10ZUepNktpEiAIUK6OZ-EG_qPCHWo9CMSGAKjDnL-O0OIFCBSQaWp6a66XyPCyTZph4wn-NaOtFYsEWKJoor/s4032/IMG_8098.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnaf0DzFrvjDgEmGMcq20mYnKCaSTvQwD_nUHCUli7XuFg6cqMeUabKewOOb3nfEKWXnUlzV_FRiOpK9Rv42wxqFqQb9WoXosziVM10ZUepNktpEiAIUK6OZ-EG_qPCHWo9CMSGAKjDnL-O0OIFCBSQaWp6a66XyPCyTZph4wn-NaOtFYsEWKJoor/s320/IMG_8098.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were able to walk through the length of the cabin<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Elvis had two jets, the large Lisa Marie and a smaller corporate jet for short hops to and from Graceland. We were still ahead of the crowds so we toured both and then headed to the car collection.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGHasRqlquuSniSviX4BGmHv_t-n7ibDL3kHLkWWMj8CAlk3qWVBjSXdabXtXkLWK0mwCU1O41KaWCC9zQyvjeIl1nm_Msd4Rhv5AvFGNhDUBNdDxMA7ZoM0ESD6M-rGuPxLgNsmHQd3z-XO4ZWmklKpLjg8IHhOwFhU6f-ZASnM8xGzpzRTFFLmy/s4032/IMG_8115.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGHasRqlquuSniSviX4BGmHv_t-n7ibDL3kHLkWWMj8CAlk3qWVBjSXdabXtXkLWK0mwCU1O41KaWCC9zQyvjeIl1nm_Msd4Rhv5AvFGNhDUBNdDxMA7ZoM0ESD6M-rGuPxLgNsmHQd3z-XO4ZWmklKpLjg8IHhOwFhU6f-ZASnM8xGzpzRTFFLmy/s320/IMG_8115.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty Wallace NASCAR<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrauUmL8jQxIQyhQ618NANx-G_f_NCGbmkVZ8o0dvH7LpGVcZSR5BMCaZij_dLiQx92_18jvKf3_28_B_4tZBiaIztQtDxs4dwH9R7aU4IBZTyY3R5F5tzm7P2H3KSeyhjDvWlDEPp1-ur3_Rrj66i5S1C0SB83OuZzizSTaDZGg8zxf0KR6aMnAE/s4032/IMG_8105.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrauUmL8jQxIQyhQ618NANx-G_f_NCGbmkVZ8o0dvH7LpGVcZSR5BMCaZij_dLiQx92_18jvKf3_28_B_4tZBiaIztQtDxs4dwH9R7aU4IBZTyY3R5F5tzm7P2H3KSeyhjDvWlDEPp1-ur3_Rrj66i5S1C0SB83OuZzizSTaDZGg8zxf0KR6aMnAE/s320/IMG_8105.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>From a NASCAR race car to pink a Cadillac and everything in between, Elvis' toy collection was quite impressive. We enjoyed a great Memphis BBQ lunch in the Graceland convention center and more Elvis and American music exhibits before heading back to the bikes and the short ride to Mud Island and our home for the next week or so, the American Countess.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebIRBbPktoc4Tce-NOgEkjxOmzToa3C5Y5M6JXlyBoq5djVPQZPXA9n2diiwj5GVEp4w0-uoSFI_cgAwIOGCKoOidPz1UoiQsR9c5Yzb-4JmK-mS8hDo0RSOCsN6VOiIfKWYbvlS5XH2Alj3t9Vbm1fGFKejyAPSHkkGT5H7zyzK7_Chgq7z-F8x9/s4032/IMG_8123.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebIRBbPktoc4Tce-NOgEkjxOmzToa3C5Y5M6JXlyBoq5djVPQZPXA9n2diiwj5GVEp4w0-uoSFI_cgAwIOGCKoOidPz1UoiQsR9c5Yzb-4JmK-mS8hDo0RSOCsN6VOiIfKWYbvlS5XH2Alj3t9Vbm1fGFKejyAPSHkkGT5H7zyzK7_Chgq7z-F8x9/s320/IMG_8123.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing to Mud Island<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WXU96iVvPdlCANPUfxYlpRExBZoJoZ-3vX7bku8lDeqKrh7lXjjZnvg5PbtkV07tbomyZH2dswJs4wdh_AMHFN67gvTAbUfnwfGXAQ2yLyoTw86tGn9D0z0AX-HV8iBwQ4sMYPbk7zDjcrHT1Vv_mdUsOz7qBoPhe2VLf6abkmQSNjblIQPLdx1L/s4032/IMG_8131.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WXU96iVvPdlCANPUfxYlpRExBZoJoZ-3vX7bku8lDeqKrh7lXjjZnvg5PbtkV07tbomyZH2dswJs4wdh_AMHFN67gvTAbUfnwfGXAQ2yLyoTw86tGn9D0z0AX-HV8iBwQ4sMYPbk7zDjcrHT1Vv_mdUsOz7qBoPhe2VLf6abkmQSNjblIQPLdx1L/s320/IMG_8131.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Embark on the American Countess<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It was only about 13 miles from Graceland to the boat and the morning rain had given way to perfect weather for an easy afternoon ride. Since the bikes were stored on the top deck, we had a few flights of stairs after each ride to get them stowed. Our cabin was on the third deck facing the huge paddle wheels and was very comfortable.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjznIg2ej33sA0tO9lN614jt9NuCmrUD1tWoWNZ4LFb_rfK6Vo7nzQpXFuLpm9tqF5gW4AHnYr-Z4ywcUK4t7LSfwehadEtYH6tC6d7w2jrLnhxYsizz-73rOQaaiXO1iaC2s4dbuKn1uRFqlfQhmm3mc43cM9Fc8fwH35C6YexgGTov_GnEUODAS/s4032/IMG_8139.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjznIg2ej33sA0tO9lN614jt9NuCmrUD1tWoWNZ4LFb_rfK6Vo7nzQpXFuLpm9tqF5gW4AHnYr-Z4ywcUK4t7LSfwehadEtYH6tC6d7w2jrLnhxYsizz-73rOQaaiXO1iaC2s4dbuKn1uRFqlfQhmm3mc43cM9Fc8fwH35C6YexgGTov_GnEUODAS/s320/IMG_8139.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great view from our cabin terrace<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We enjoyed our first great meal as the Countess cast off and headed downstream. After several days of pre-touring we were ready to get going.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Helena Arkansas - Clarksdale and Rosedale Mississippi<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikhhi1WuYPkQIoYvvfNrvRmzDYfjmTvRgoZZLngC6C8kyVoZClYiniESvXBbGl6gtSyFcbyfrDpkCrZlnLETigx5UIUL1xVjq-cseMrLlED3cq8BKzssxrnGOezY_EDRHjwSDpFGS_CmuhnBDAfsnPcOQ6hAlIcuNzsZFsICVqJcANS22oUI7X6rJ/s4032/IMG_8141.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgikhhi1WuYPkQIoYvvfNrvRmzDYfjmTvRgoZZLngC6C8kyVoZClYiniESvXBbGl6gtSyFcbyfrDpkCrZlnLETigx5UIUL1xVjq-cseMrLlED3cq8BKzssxrnGOezY_EDRHjwSDpFGS_CmuhnBDAfsnPcOQ6hAlIcuNzsZFsICVqJcANS22oUI7X6rJ/s320/IMG_8141.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helena Arkansas<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We wake up in Arkansas just outside the small town of Helena. The plan for today is ride into town and enjoy a Gospel Music performance and receive a blessing from a local minister. Then cross the Big River into Mississippi and follow along the Blues Trail to Clarksdale, also known as the Crossroads of the Delta Blues. There will be lunch and a performance at Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club. Let's get going!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcxz_WB1WuVL1CdP65zGH6Ss_asypjobyUHaagzxrtq1s0fGY4TTzGhI-uv7hv6_7AGHWPCL58q8XqlwbUwVMiCj5plWbbuNNl0CdmHzzQtI0Ta4zyxqlHibxaJv8gl05dPTO55mrJ0Kbjr2_i8nShng_rGAYpfG7pBkzWP6KZsu0XTTmwfqg6_H8/s4032/IMG_8148.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcxz_WB1WuVL1CdP65zGH6Ss_asypjobyUHaagzxrtq1s0fGY4TTzGhI-uv7hv6_7AGHWPCL58q8XqlwbUwVMiCj5plWbbuNNl0CdmHzzQtI0Ta4zyxqlHibxaJv8gl05dPTO55mrJ0Kbjr2_i8nShng_rGAYpfG7pBkzWP6KZsu0XTTmwfqg6_H8/s320/IMG_8148.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High tech route map!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p>Typical Santana Adventures daily route map. Never to scale, but shows the various route alternatives for the day in a big picture format. Since the daily route may change due to river levels and/or boat traffic, the map is generally drawn and distributed at the morning route talk. Also, the highly accurate GPS tracks can be had by downloading from the internet or memory chips, also finalized and distributed early each morning!</p><p>I must admit, that being an over-functioning planning analytic, it took some time to get used to this format! Also different from our 2021 <a href="https://cyclewhitney.blogspot.com/2021/09/2021-prague-to-budapest-cycling-cruise.html" target="_blank">Danube River Cruise,</a> most lunches were served inland miles away from the boat. So to select a shorter route, you simply rode to the stop that matched your desired distance. Load your bike into a waiting truck and hop on a tour bus to return to the boat and complete the day's route.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8U-0dzAbMXLlao4tajSCwFkcEhDwB2nlKB9rsdI2ew-MGHlGylCOEWDKXa_l-bcXWjuqHSAObXgzamYevTQ35X4_zpP8ybCFXxN1Y4fJRt8A9kUcUXaXs2XoSPpT7vB1oOwHNKWFSJ5TuVR89Nv8emR_WiTUtDXE84S1z_ehgKkxyuhpIUWceUTc/s4032/IMG_8145.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr8U-0dzAbMXLlao4tajSCwFkcEhDwB2nlKB9rsdI2ew-MGHlGylCOEWDKXa_l-bcXWjuqHSAObXgzamYevTQ35X4_zpP8ybCFXxN1Y4fJRt8A9kUcUXaXs2XoSPpT7vB1oOwHNKWFSJ5TuVR89Nv8emR_WiTUtDXE84S1z_ehgKkxyuhpIUWceUTc/s320/IMG_8145.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, we're in Arkansas!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We docked across from a grain terminal and followed the service road toward the town of Helena. A cold front was moving in, but temps were perfect in the low 60's most of the day.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-g3GI1Vn10BwjradF9Nkn1TQF5QmNSDaVxsd1bv8mDMoq_VYXwNie23hJJbB4dcGq-TUn7RFgaQk4oye7pX5CgYViowHYhFMpdahPw8OdMru5AmiEQ8aOFFz87DNbRos8MtE_LPR0zamEQSUY6xKarl6jFslG3PHlkb4_8vcHoebJYeJlOypZSyp/s4032/IMG_8152.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-g3GI1Vn10BwjradF9Nkn1TQF5QmNSDaVxsd1bv8mDMoq_VYXwNie23hJJbB4dcGq-TUn7RFgaQk4oye7pX5CgYViowHYhFMpdahPw8OdMru5AmiEQ8aOFFz87DNbRos8MtE_LPR0zamEQSUY6xKarl6jFslG3PHlkb4_8vcHoebJYeJlOypZSyp/s320/IMG_8152.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main Street Helena<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Like many main streets in the rural US, many boarded windows. We would loop through town and stop at the Helena Community Center. Formally a Jewish synagogue, it is now a community center. The local Chamber of Commerce official welcomed the group as we settled in for a fantastic gospel music performance. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreMphZV3WatfA_clAD6QEFela7HcK8U3jbVCKES1heLwcesABoELoxy6LJGbLk2j_YlTzae3XVVV7VQi8qlNBp7K1sxKx_l7F999yCgmdRMV7E1tltoRG9bu1I5xDFAuMXZwd_ivUKA4SIqnlmx-7LOcJNKf4zL676yBv99YQBmbR74wJwvb2kknv/s4032/IMG_8150.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreMphZV3WatfA_clAD6QEFela7HcK8U3jbVCKES1heLwcesABoELoxy6LJGbLk2j_YlTzae3XVVV7VQi8qlNBp7K1sxKx_l7F999yCgmdRMV7E1tltoRG9bu1I5xDFAuMXZwd_ivUKA4SIqnlmx-7LOcJNKf4zL676yBv99YQBmbR74wJwvb2kknv/s320/IMG_8150.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gospel Singers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YtL3jRDdKN8" width="320" youtube-src-id="YtL3jRDdKN8"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>What a great performance! The young man is also a minister and after the performance he prayed for our safety and blessed the group. What a great start to the tour!<br /></p><p>Big winds were in the forecast for today, luckily they would be mostly on the tail. Except for crossing the mighty Mississippi, where there was a huge cross wind. Gusting over 30mph, it was strong enough to make us slow down and consider walking!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCpQhY01KzrMmsIsxCpZpduyKLEbw7J-IuQ-RA3xSXkHeOMEg0PjACiTgjAUtLwtfcIBvblRzcXWYFBWpz8QfLNyiKpusJ_ZGiqMOZxVNEQMvfWzLioTvxaVRss8unLgPiNt1A8HrhlEbmHen4ZC67mZzDs0IEezNmI5KNDOW0JnN02PEa4SMyBvi/s3088/IMG_8176.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOCpQhY01KzrMmsIsxCpZpduyKLEbw7J-IuQ-RA3xSXkHeOMEg0PjACiTgjAUtLwtfcIBvblRzcXWYFBWpz8QfLNyiKpusJ_ZGiqMOZxVNEQMvfWzLioTvxaVRss8unLgPiNt1A8HrhlEbmHen4ZC67mZzDs0IEezNmI5KNDOW0JnN02PEa4SMyBvi/s320/IMG_8176.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's still smiling after killer crosswinds on the bridge!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We are in the Mississippi Delta country. Flat as a pancake and very little wind protection because of all the agriculture. Actually an advantage for today's forecast!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlcCuVqy9v__kjJxjoUI5h7zxxPJGxMrIMILJNOB8VHHdU1ZQiIkkeZejd6t7QZOD6OGYFPU4fbQSo1SlTfe1neG5XFTa-qRigzgA1TtCFN3WtiBLBHMbg_npcBw5sm9wvdJ6rCSaobH5uUKySCciJlShI7TPaPIjXJVdnrAsH38wqvTZEV7AbI3Q/s2532/IMG_8182.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlcCuVqy9v__kjJxjoUI5h7zxxPJGxMrIMILJNOB8VHHdU1ZQiIkkeZejd6t7QZOD6OGYFPU4fbQSo1SlTfe1neG5XFTa-qRigzgA1TtCFN3WtiBLBHMbg_npcBw5sm9wvdJ6rCSaobH5uUKySCciJlShI7TPaPIjXJVdnrAsH38wqvTZEV7AbI3Q/s320/IMG_8182.PNG" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It official, mostly tailwinds all morning!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The forecast was for sustained winds at 15-18 mph gusting to over 30! Once we were over the bridge, it was smooth sailing (literally) to the coffee stop at Uncle Henry's, about 13 miles into the ride.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6v9DhbLqZOWD7BoYp-dGCPrfpwz0TVgvJX4yj1M1RaNyI9hpJT3uaKxnssdlKmUsitQ4-SpHcf6U82Rc8aabodFcLHKQD-Ltr2V9DBSUYed3FFGtRQNXv4l84VvXuTh0ojI_bhBvirkEUemptVsyDPAvtsHoWnxlD27bcMzKicUlZcXWF8fEU8Sr/s4032/IMG_8187.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6v9DhbLqZOWD7BoYp-dGCPrfpwz0TVgvJX4yj1M1RaNyI9hpJT3uaKxnssdlKmUsitQ4-SpHcf6U82Rc8aabodFcLHKQD-Ltr2V9DBSUYed3FFGtRQNXv4l84VvXuTh0ojI_bhBvirkEUemptVsyDPAvtsHoWnxlD27bcMzKicUlZcXWF8fEU8Sr/s320/IMG_8187.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning coffee stop on Moon Lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We were among the first to arrive and hurried in to get some coffee and use the facilities before the rest of the herd arrived!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwL9kromI6YYfa-ojZVTmLcTqHuJR179jM6utntct4TRr_nZBEN0_U93ag3TD7L4E9DWM7zcVxWTuAt5VrLhigjI35LPrabMu33BgkwoycecP6_5VRch9pyy6vhQ_s9qeo3X_SN5gWKkltCAAf0ugREdzNBYjm4G0SFUxMhuf3jz8a39oSdijcPVS/s4032/IMG_8184.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwL9kromI6YYfa-ojZVTmLcTqHuJR179jM6utntct4TRr_nZBEN0_U93ag3TD7L4E9DWM7zcVxWTuAt5VrLhigjI35LPrabMu33BgkwoycecP6_5VRch9pyy6vhQ_s9qeo3X_SN5gWKkltCAAf0ugREdzNBYjm4G0SFUxMhuf3jz8a39oSdijcPVS/s320/IMG_8184.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Helpful restroom directions<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQo5nihBgQcjYGGna6hwoeX4VrhZcNY80Uj2a9uk-vlF_IcWab650m2zaccFtuflwTJRt7I6fqRQJ91L9Hh-riCdzW4iofqJW2-RavhETeiLnz3bFJ2v2a_oyRfISx3xs6clRTksgNaahucEaMcSz8OSJOJaIoA0tPwNIrUftIxDz6RUA380FXpUe/s4032/IMG_8208.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQo5nihBgQcjYGGna6hwoeX4VrhZcNY80Uj2a9uk-vlF_IcWab650m2zaccFtuflwTJRt7I6fqRQJ91L9Hh-riCdzW4iofqJW2-RavhETeiLnz3bFJ2v2a_oyRfISx3xs6clRTksgNaahucEaMcSz8OSJOJaIoA0tPwNIrUftIxDz6RUA380FXpUe/s320/IMG_8208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rustic and modern farms along the way<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2acD1fLJVeQ6_B020-Z8mZMnQmyOcNFum32edbKZlujSSFF5sxkH9wBAeesDWl-1qSbK-F3ImQrTe1CRAsvT9a778WVUjHIgCiTUId2tk5_xF4QVQctkLnVjrth-5F9ccBGme_4MN1Q_QC3f2NLbwqPIiRcV0RLKvLlMElMQGFvOXBItmQHgzZyw/s4032/IMG_8211.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2acD1fLJVeQ6_B020-Z8mZMnQmyOcNFum32edbKZlujSSFF5sxkH9wBAeesDWl-1qSbK-F3ImQrTe1CRAsvT9a778WVUjHIgCiTUId2tk5_xF4QVQctkLnVjrth-5F9ccBGme_4MN1Q_QC3f2NLbwqPIiRcV0RLKvLlMElMQGFvOXBItmQHgzZyw/s320/IMG_8211.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling into downtown Clarksdale<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Fortified and rested, we hop back on the bikes for 22 miles of tailwind
assisted delta country riding to Clarksdale and and lunch. We rolled into town and our group had overrun the Delta Blues Museum. We decided to go to lunch right away and had a great meal and awesome entertainment.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlLno5YjThzlC5j8HYN4OI5fRzf61pPv5T_BWViHIRWIE1zDOc5v7R76y9cUxIoBUCmyah3EyzNgJSrwHQZcO8zs95X89OJJVJ0Y0hKCOqIbVuMUw5qEBZ8ymaUG_mB-qcppTFVNuBQJ4sGrAUgZ8r4eEDyU6viKBuTo7z4L8VPGzW4J4VBm1XgfX/s4032/IMG_8233.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRlLno5YjThzlC5j8HYN4OI5fRzf61pPv5T_BWViHIRWIE1zDOc5v7R76y9cUxIoBUCmyah3EyzNgJSrwHQZcO8zs95X89OJJVJ0Y0hKCOqIbVuMUw5qEBZ8ymaUG_mB-qcppTFVNuBQJ4sGrAUgZ8r4eEDyU6viKBuTo7z4L8VPGzW4J4VBm1XgfX/s320/IMG_8233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great lunchtime entertainment!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozK0_BJtjdi6mY5dKtC7vSzbuS4Z6QWvs-23jKTTWn1xswVchU6W1SiU3L3G8kHdqmdHcJMWLCws9-lB_XiwbFz29NikrOiHyl6ujFY2PMnKy2uGGi_Z6H39C9BSlAtPpVn98_D_us5KQ7CkVeCx7xaNttuh2mHg1ndFgOvwVqjsogDFim6FRpQyn/s4032/IMG_8236.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozK0_BJtjdi6mY5dKtC7vSzbuS4Z6QWvs-23jKTTWn1xswVchU6W1SiU3L3G8kHdqmdHcJMWLCws9-lB_XiwbFz29NikrOiHyl6ujFY2PMnKy2uGGi_Z6H39C9BSlAtPpVn98_D_us5KQ7CkVeCx7xaNttuh2mHg1ndFgOvwVqjsogDFim6FRpQyn/s320/IMG_8236.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHcYtD5VNX2dEOqH6HqIKCXRDX2Z7io1gMBfjHU1_OgcmhbCxkPolsjgfRtYjCECsbDTJEAB5gJUc8bOyMCpeAhJZiD0nYPIM57XrnqrdE77DEIbMsitkGLOtu5TaYHiEez_PDLKbaI-YV4Ao4S4Nmqxr53f6QN9MY-A4ZwHhf6_CgavLoKumUcIN/s4032/IMG_8238.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHcYtD5VNX2dEOqH6HqIKCXRDX2Z7io1gMBfjHU1_OgcmhbCxkPolsjgfRtYjCECsbDTJEAB5gJUc8bOyMCpeAhJZiD0nYPIM57XrnqrdE77DEIbMsitkGLOtu5TaYHiEez_PDLKbaI-YV4Ao4S4Nmqxr53f6QN9MY-A4ZwHhf6_CgavLoKumUcIN/s320/IMG_8238.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Escape buses at Clarksdale<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Our favorable tailwind was forecast to turn to a strong cross wind for the next section. Debby wisely decided she would stow the bike in the U Haul and take a bus back to the boat. So after lunch we explored the town for a bit, then I saddled up and rolled out of town.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzUe3KhNyu6t-UDrOzS8G2CIMv6axI-ZpP7sNsW_uJhU-OOnj599KWGDPp5ZOJB5JX8NGeBTeV_ewpgK3kRY0btqNwIqso7PdxlJ2-LZk4tRgzFNybFWIAde0alcM1vDj0PLZLHkOTLMblvis1LR0IOK7_dC91-M39OvjYqkLwCKWsV7ACdlhfaoZ/s4032/IMG_8245.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAzUe3KhNyu6t-UDrOzS8G2CIMv6axI-ZpP7sNsW_uJhU-OOnj599KWGDPp5ZOJB5JX8NGeBTeV_ewpgK3kRY0btqNwIqso7PdxlJ2-LZk4tRgzFNybFWIAde0alcM1vDj0PLZLHkOTLMblvis1LR0IOK7_dC91-M39OvjYqkLwCKWsV7ACdlhfaoZ/s320/IMG_8245.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's been there a while!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The race was on. The bus would wait for more riders before heading to the boat at Rosedale MS, so I put the hammer down to try to get there first! I had to stop and get this great picture. There were two old pickups at the entrance to a farm just outside of town.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQbudXpDYrtQ2I2DGIDgHHpR-3Mwo5RmUt-rtO6B_9yp2CpTu_GR_0b4ZoaJTAcVWNFgAw64WgSXe3_h6hBQFtPXYv7p7zr-fQNBdN2zPB2_JkA8KKG0f36WyFVzQvephVwnOB3XP8BQe77bD9WGhO2CfP5mywrNhEa0-lvKNSzHhQz0NAEb66TJV/s4032/IMG_8249.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYQbudXpDYrtQ2I2DGIDgHHpR-3Mwo5RmUt-rtO6B_9yp2CpTu_GR_0b4ZoaJTAcVWNFgAw64WgSXe3_h6hBQFtPXYv7p7zr-fQNBdN2zPB2_JkA8KKG0f36WyFVzQvephVwnOB3XP8BQe77bD9WGhO2CfP5mywrNhEa0-lvKNSzHhQz0NAEb66TJV/s320/IMG_8249.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lost stoker!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The advantage of not riding a tandem, is that if your partner has had enough and decides to take the bus, and you still want to ride, you don't have to ride a tandem solo! I saw this more that a few times that afternoon and later during the trip.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBcq6bU1EqIdTSSg8GMfZDI7E6eFdy7rSIGWapfk6FdAAKs0lXS8WtrsrUw39xJBWtf-DfCPFwhjM7M7EAGEsMiFNfA6eN5NGg83J84G-h3JGzQlq2leFVDHlZMK9Nwjy7cNJc3fy4x2PzR1UcyYNyOdCYYNIn7moYGXnpDrZQXlGdU5CAbORSd-x/s4032/IMG_8253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBcq6bU1EqIdTSSg8GMfZDI7E6eFdy7rSIGWapfk6FdAAKs0lXS8WtrsrUw39xJBWtf-DfCPFwhjM7M7EAGEsMiFNfA6eN5NGg83J84G-h3JGzQlq2leFVDHlZMK9Nwjy7cNJc3fy4x2PzR1UcyYNyOdCYYNIn7moYGXnpDrZQXlGdU5CAbORSd-x/s320/IMG_8253.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of gravel to reach the boat<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">I covered the 40 miles in just over 2 hours, and was only a few miles from the boat when Debby's bus passed. It was good that she was out in front, because the road turned to gravel and I was not sure I was on route. I called Deb, and she confirmed (via my Garmin Live Track) that I was on route and only a short way from the boat. A number of other riders turned back, not sure of the route, but with my ride controller guiding me in, not a pedal stroke was wasted!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0I2DjQw-iIUaVvOcqD0_ei15GeXvmOdGzVfgXTHKHEFKDYavjHys8WIBLWH3dKH1_ibWkWBdoAbX3-zIhSxzLvHmXolhOuLUA7IgWdGQ16FVTPW_Ss5LdPPfvpU_vTnVswcmnb_nOu58KvnJ-muxYHmS3XH2UAOlpy-UMt86aCRtML26ac7Q-WrY/s4032/IMG_8255.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0I2DjQw-iIUaVvOcqD0_ei15GeXvmOdGzVfgXTHKHEFKDYavjHys8WIBLWH3dKH1_ibWkWBdoAbX3-zIhSxzLvHmXolhOuLUA7IgWdGQ16FVTPW_Ss5LdPPfvpU_vTnVswcmnb_nOu58KvnJ-muxYHmS3XH2UAOlpy-UMt86aCRtML26ac7Q-WrY/s320/IMG_8255.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entertainment in the lounge before dinner</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;">Back at the boat we grabbed some refreshments before heading to the early dinner seating. There was quite a line every evening for the early seating, but we passed the time in the lounge enjoying more great music.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRitfp95OwGOnOlRRUOTiawej5TDVrRp7gHOtdPmFibauNeEZfAIbnll9vSF1rl8arasB2bZSTUGaOMJUmWA50jS9wydWtCUxTF5tqLH5OYoGb18yCB_vreWAumQmnubwc7L3NsPWuXhId9f67jJEhcbwP5ZBDlQtDpfzFfS4E_T_VrFLfvyerz2sd/s4032/IMG_8257.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRitfp95OwGOnOlRRUOTiawej5TDVrRp7gHOtdPmFibauNeEZfAIbnll9vSF1rl8arasB2bZSTUGaOMJUmWA50jS9wydWtCUxTF5tqLH5OYoGb18yCB_vreWAumQmnubwc7L3NsPWuXhId9f67jJEhcbwP5ZBDlQtDpfzFfS4E_T_VrFLfvyerz2sd/s320/IMG_8257.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local blues group<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_vf9AvlR3xJsfBuyP9sUcrfa6O54tsBwtAaKTKr_BCKV3aJkeM10c3BAjp9Fzvfem0Asjo3GOc1RhQkY6nH8qSe0cYj76kM47bRqyWc_aYsCPL-KaHK0t-I-F5eUE0yVBqwxH5UViq4m6F8be9WlzdpO254Z_gJ5EkxZnBl3iJ9A_jvM1ZmA2H6E/s4032/IMG_8260.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2_vf9AvlR3xJsfBuyP9sUcrfa6O54tsBwtAaKTKr_BCKV3aJkeM10c3BAjp9Fzvfem0Asjo3GOc1RhQkY6nH8qSe0cYj76kM47bRqyWc_aYsCPL-KaHK0t-I-F5eUE0yVBqwxH5UViq4m6F8be9WlzdpO254Z_gJ5EkxZnBl3iJ9A_jvM1ZmA2H6E/s320/IMG_8260.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That was a full day!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">After a great meal, we headed to the show room where a local blues group gave a great performance before calling this a day.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 2 - Port Gibson to Natchez MS<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpy3ee7x89XVnsAdrzELXb4udqvAL-yqcxCHV0uhZJRxREgDPr6gb_x7wNI7r5voL82BjVsjN5j8BbGGrTytdgx7vlHcSw2Pkls14EIBghB_mYYpMy1bdzhjzU4UprKB1ihmaidywspmtuhGp6CWZhvZ-sOj8uoosmSn6fr5emQ8TP3cfWnd0tIpfQ/s4032/IMG_8261.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpy3ee7x89XVnsAdrzELXb4udqvAL-yqcxCHV0uhZJRxREgDPr6gb_x7wNI7r5voL82BjVsjN5j8BbGGrTytdgx7vlHcSw2Pkls14EIBghB_mYYpMy1bdzhjzU4UprKB1ihmaidywspmtuhGp6CWZhvZ-sOj8uoosmSn6fr5emQ8TP3cfWnd0tIpfQ/s320/IMG_8261.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of options for today!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvYO3ym3ITYVVIxvJjpSgYxs7l0OXDu24e3HRlIPztfh5NfSYBzp6FfgNxxlwqIJ4-2Tl3BSE1Zmlbo0asO_2AS_n3EuQhRzNDsIdrrs1mcAW-_t_z9BeNhkuvjMcx5JTnSr7r2kZ9od-VOaBMxMQoj7lzXGjE_lkePhddm9meTGFLAKsxZn1KsaJ/s4032/IMG_8262.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirvYO3ym3ITYVVIxvJjpSgYxs7l0OXDu24e3HRlIPztfh5NfSYBzp6FfgNxxlwqIJ4-2Tl3BSE1Zmlbo0asO_2AS_n3EuQhRzNDsIdrrs1mcAW-_t_z9BeNhkuvjMcx5JTnSr7r2kZ9od-VOaBMxMQoj7lzXGjE_lkePhddm9meTGFLAKsxZn1KsaJ/s320/IMG_8262.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loading the steeds into a livestock trailer<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Another day with big mile options. The only drawback, is there is no good way to get from the boat harbor to Port Gibson. The normal landing at Port Gibson was underwater, and the alternative port was just off a major highway with no riding shoulder. So everyone rode the bus ride to Port Gibson to start the day!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DoGbbxLDRpZx9TVpCvpmNQE-qCfZ6olmBkCdb5VnEw15Kj0VdfVDy7TlzbES2TgJeqclhUGxIo3SRlN5hKiPq7XlnptoZGoWNq8gVjKX_rNlDLtc3bA9vrJxe1lGTkpZ1LeAsGvmi8GDYUc49_DjcL607FI6tRnKvJm9MS1rUAspTn145fj_-qjF/s4032/IMG_8263.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9DoGbbxLDRpZx9TVpCvpmNQE-qCfZ6olmBkCdb5VnEw15Kj0VdfVDy7TlzbES2TgJeqclhUGxIo3SRlN5hKiPq7XlnptoZGoWNq8gVjKX_rNlDLtc3bA9vrJxe1lGTkpZ1LeAsGvmi8GDYUc49_DjcL607FI6tRnKvJm9MS1rUAspTn145fj_-qjF/s320/IMG_8263.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We hit most these Clairborne County sites<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Clairborne County is where General Grant started the Vicksburg campaign. He famously stated that Port Gibson was too beautiful to burn and left it standing!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLuhSSdRCwhukkAOdy0GZVhEAA1_WLNFOl9GAXSxYj71faUrWHyaJcW4i190ne1ndbeEU9LTuE_67C53tkJsVldQ7lLZ_K1YZ5OXPUyl4jlevaFCQo2DfzhZWm8Sv0CyRY6LxdAFH7cnhMquITlMLIJDTWovrQKwi1pAg1AObfO72fDoy317d-AyV/s4032/IMG_8265.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaLuhSSdRCwhukkAOdy0GZVhEAA1_WLNFOl9GAXSxYj71faUrWHyaJcW4i190ne1ndbeEU9LTuE_67C53tkJsVldQ7lLZ_K1YZ5OXPUyl4jlevaFCQo2DfzhZWm8Sv0CyRY6LxdAFH7cnhMquITlMLIJDTWovrQKwi1pAg1AObfO72fDoy317d-AyV/s320/IMG_8265.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clairborne County Courthouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5_CmopAXbhovgsZilOtkYY0jY1Uut1jFk_DieC32m01qnyjlZbqzssr6YybS_p51EcfZ_cvMxqB1L8PFiUJ_U_LVgHR0L6OlgCBeOPHdR-ouFYnYPjTeL1oALAl-n1Quk2lfVy8BVQL5z6mZdpZx71H3P-6agNQfDinXyjQeHO7v3y93HQy-kgr/s4032/IMG_8269.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkx5_CmopAXbhovgsZilOtkYY0jY1Uut1jFk_DieC32m01qnyjlZbqzssr6YybS_p51EcfZ_cvMxqB1L8PFiUJ_U_LVgHR0L6OlgCBeOPHdR-ouFYnYPjTeL1oALAl-n1Quk2lfVy8BVQL5z6mZdpZx71H3P-6agNQfDinXyjQeHO7v3y93HQy-kgr/s320/IMG_8269.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old mansion in Port Gibson<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mm-jK1pyzzxMiAu7d4VVqAPkyZrzqyqgR6EgxuFe5HWKpw4rWhSwacnhCWius4iVx3aV9wTSkhiReOPsVm-fZNQ0Xl9t2VnDwX5EUYP0tKcAnaXTLSuS7RB1ubp3znjXL8eOYvlj0AJ7qQXIyV2wvupTpOZzEkP7cgLitH52EBtClaeLosg-megz/s4032/IMG_8271.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mm-jK1pyzzxMiAu7d4VVqAPkyZrzqyqgR6EgxuFe5HWKpw4rWhSwacnhCWius4iVx3aV9wTSkhiReOPsVm-fZNQ0Xl9t2VnDwX5EUYP0tKcAnaXTLSuS7RB1ubp3znjXL8eOYvlj0AJ7qQXIyV2wvupTpOZzEkP7cgLitH52EBtClaeLosg-megz/s320/IMG_8271.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Presbyterian Church <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We grabbed some snacks at a convenience store in Port Gibson since we were going to do the long ride to lunch, about 33 miles. Leaving town we were soon on quiet back roads in beautiful rolling country.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCnJPQ9Y2wvnqnJMKytc_4AxS-R_Yb0X9JXXfPFytSRwhrGg3GOZasRiX2IVQoJAPvQzX_XaDliwwpZAnoCEXmCrcfhBrc34j791zxNOGCThJdl-2HFiufO61TsvWndjocP0IMEm_rkMMg8CTGOYK7bdj-KwRvr9dL1sToJR2Kg6-QIIGl5Pwr2xj/s4032/IMG_8272.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCnJPQ9Y2wvnqnJMKytc_4AxS-R_Yb0X9JXXfPFytSRwhrGg3GOZasRiX2IVQoJAPvQzX_XaDliwwpZAnoCEXmCrcfhBrc34j791zxNOGCThJdl-2HFiufO61TsvWndjocP0IMEm_rkMMg8CTGOYK7bdj-KwRvr9dL1sToJR2Kg6-QIIGl5Pwr2xj/s320/IMG_8272.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice back roads <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjla1Cazh2okFHnD34B7wJaOP8PGvCTU7krmPx0ewnGmqv0boNVY4ut0z2Pv4v9WFKpkNtiks99pKLMxiBd3gWbvtnJ1fIhB_1KapQhP6jT0OemsihPhbv5uG7YKaFH9Ecvrxe1AVSOBpQDWx6o9BvQQyKPQe1K1J49baRHlJ8rF2d1xu-MRsVGUJYA/s4032/IMG_8282.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjla1Cazh2okFHnD34B7wJaOP8PGvCTU7krmPx0ewnGmqv0boNVY4ut0z2Pv4v9WFKpkNtiks99pKLMxiBd3gWbvtnJ1fIhB_1KapQhP6jT0OemsihPhbv5uG7YKaFH9Ecvrxe1AVSOBpQDWx6o9BvQQyKPQe1K1J49baRHlJ8rF2d1xu-MRsVGUJYA/s320/IMG_8282.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJ47v_7x7IRWcI5rKxJZvkc6L0SRa3Qm706LlZnMxYTPQu1GmAw5xu_Ff66umaNrG-yNN99x0EL_SvDaR0FusvEO0olQX5zc82tTwLuU5Pea2NAZhiyHKlKJNxQQAhOplhaQyr3ElcL0Nmq2FBf30rBNdx1VU1njhPt_oz3HZesul8rPkSvPc5YJ5/s4032/IMG_8286.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJ47v_7x7IRWcI5rKxJZvkc6L0SRa3Qm706LlZnMxYTPQu1GmAw5xu_Ff66umaNrG-yNN99x0EL_SvDaR0FusvEO0olQX5zc82tTwLuU5Pea2NAZhiyHKlKJNxQQAhOplhaQyr3ElcL0Nmq2FBf30rBNdx1VU1njhPt_oz3HZesul8rPkSvPc5YJ5/s320/IMG_8286.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windsor Ruins<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our first stop was the Windsor Ruins. A old plantation house that survived the Civil War, but was destroyed by accidental fire in 1890. The owner ironically died only a few weeks after it was completed! His family continued to live in the mansion and the family's descendants donated it to the Mississippi Parks department in 1970. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCou4f7R-nqxvBwV8utAqu_9rrUFY6ee8uO0W4gHQYtSyN3X3bSBRMoPUXxkRp3C5vCyEmBRMYGmbRmgYDa6cxkfKhylLFQEcIFDng-SJ-xaTD2Fzwc_-zpmAbv3b0aFsZhv2oKszVBRpWLspsVIMPtl0-py5-Rd9nvtGRk3dtSho0wtdnP2QpsDe-/s4032/IMG_8287.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCou4f7R-nqxvBwV8utAqu_9rrUFY6ee8uO0W4gHQYtSyN3X3bSBRMoPUXxkRp3C5vCyEmBRMYGmbRmgYDa6cxkfKhylLFQEcIFDng-SJ-xaTD2Fzwc_-zpmAbv3b0aFsZhv2oKszVBRpWLspsVIMPtl0-py5-Rd9nvtGRk3dtSho0wtdnP2QpsDe-/s320/IMG_8287.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaMZ3tSjQRWpVvJEaEMfUBtMIEIRHGykTsZiec53SExo4I09ueWFUYzcNuPVcOZxcopCyLR8Im1y_n4OmhGyIFZfogkDpFBlOo-U8w0ZUHZnwidobbaTJhkd-f5eFTxnSjCfVjVR4O4ZLKItMQM5uwkvL6bA8wT85NYFC--fVVebRiAhSTst50GGd/s4032/IMG_8289.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaMZ3tSjQRWpVvJEaEMfUBtMIEIRHGykTsZiec53SExo4I09ueWFUYzcNuPVcOZxcopCyLR8Im1y_n4OmhGyIFZfogkDpFBlOo-U8w0ZUHZnwidobbaTJhkd-f5eFTxnSjCfVjVR4O4ZLKItMQM5uwkvL6bA8wT85NYFC--fVVebRiAhSTst50GGd/s320/IMG_8289.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYDoiPFyBPRosYhCWElk6NSl3U6CaEF3MFXPL-w6KokhXnTtOilCHya8YyOLK9_VCABnr8FICYhRoF6FftCwgQatY6bu0l9iPxf12rgQbbZCtFGwTa5TQ4QO0Mu5NVzK-9P69lkNOEdq-r6ppDrsD_6vomIbtd-e74umb3N1WQfZsgMTFNjbrovgO/s4032/IMG_8290.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSYDoiPFyBPRosYhCWElk6NSl3U6CaEF3MFXPL-w6KokhXnTtOilCHya8YyOLK9_VCABnr8FICYhRoF6FftCwgQatY6bu0l9iPxf12rgQbbZCtFGwTa5TQ4QO0Mu5NVzK-9P69lkNOEdq-r6ppDrsD_6vomIbtd-e74umb3N1WQfZsgMTFNjbrovgO/s320/IMG_8290.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bethel Church<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We stopped at the Bethel Church, thinking it was the one with a cannonball embedded in the wall. There was none here, but it was a nice stop at this church that was built c. 1845!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh0-bzH4EN6MaZuz6lwIEfog9bAoG9F-gBER65knLiYpZ0UJmIdA8SPTtTx2UEhEDqQb18AWX4mBhFXS_fhaTfmSvNVEtc4ZLNa_6yecpwdWpfMetHVtwdEhfGaY8x3hfHxYjRaDf0_LL9o-PDhEQvEh7T34HbIV96B0EjWllwqlEEl5gQWdeBGca/s4032/IMG_8291.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLh0-bzH4EN6MaZuz6lwIEfog9bAoG9F-gBER65knLiYpZ0UJmIdA8SPTtTx2UEhEDqQb18AWX4mBhFXS_fhaTfmSvNVEtc4ZLNa_6yecpwdWpfMetHVtwdEhfGaY8x3hfHxYjRaDf0_LL9o-PDhEQvEh7T34HbIV96B0EjWllwqlEEl5gQWdeBGca/s320/IMG_8291.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyguWkcxI03BeepMJUqpxj1Wq-ZKTZYW2Q1KetCrfmUii-rNs0CBisWMJVmIE0PygLPdlApmoeQbAZJ4v4NcgPzsHKfaZ1me4OXbfCYxc-Zbchz_315SQFkR7u0JNiaL-CoagnKBOO2obqXNJA_hFCLuKqrniNFwVtqRSMF8kxZ8jCz62SifNdB4Q0/s4032/IMG_8293.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyguWkcxI03BeepMJUqpxj1Wq-ZKTZYW2Q1KetCrfmUii-rNs0CBisWMJVmIE0PygLPdlApmoeQbAZJ4v4NcgPzsHKfaZ1me4OXbfCYxc-Zbchz_315SQFkR7u0JNiaL-CoagnKBOO2obqXNJA_hFCLuKqrniNFwVtqRSMF8kxZ8jCz62SifNdB4Q0/s320/IMG_8293.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alcorn College<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Next stop is the oldest public land-grant historically black Alcorn College. This is where the route splits. The choice is 24 miles paved direct to lunch, or a 33 mile ride, including about 10 miles of gravel roads to the Rodney Ghost Town. Debby is up for the adventure, so we head out on the tiny dirt road to Rodney that is hidden behind a parking lot at the college.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZNM2JN4v6Or_-ftEyg1qpXxYnJfyasNhO2boPmrpj3T8rKGG7MnmT1oS8tLrWxqEHmas6hCW2T2YObRwRXFkGaC9sjnhnpHyhOGlGTLpHCH6bg1BZ3kpRHYoZipzPO_mB-T147OYEkUxkWuuMxz5CtQbVD-oiJ7BSeRDk-c6FJzR5abLKplVsgmO/s3088/IMG_8297.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZNM2JN4v6Or_-ftEyg1qpXxYnJfyasNhO2boPmrpj3T8rKGG7MnmT1oS8tLrWxqEHmas6hCW2T2YObRwRXFkGaC9sjnhnpHyhOGlGTLpHCH6bg1BZ3kpRHYoZipzPO_mB-T147OYEkUxkWuuMxz5CtQbVD-oiJ7BSeRDk-c6FJzR5abLKplVsgmO/s320/IMG_8297.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail to Rodney<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>\<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnQR67yMbR_ar8s2ToG9SAnpJqkXZ9f6AiN6Zx89HadOnOfcDLN7MEwpGr36BpsJUFhPUesA3kOl7CxyyDRPe_xE5w-Pqlj2jwt6FDnwFe_b3w7qM9G7VRI8hq5Zz_3UISwgVfhmIYhUyPOtKP1p5Mjl3uAByAUhLR5NgsjedK_022VkSMskRDpNe/s4032/IMG_8299.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitnQR67yMbR_ar8s2ToG9SAnpJqkXZ9f6AiN6Zx89HadOnOfcDLN7MEwpGr36BpsJUFhPUesA3kOl7CxyyDRPe_xE5w-Pqlj2jwt6FDnwFe_b3w7qM9G7VRI8hq5Zz_3UISwgVfhmIYhUyPOtKP1p5Mjl3uAByAUhLR5NgsjedK_022VkSMskRDpNe/s320/IMG_8299.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She rode this section like a champ<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>So proud of how Debby took on the trail to Rodney! With recent rains, the road was quite muddy in places, and we often found ourselves dodging puddles, rocks and other debris. Based on the lack of tracks in the mud, we were the first riders of the group down this trail!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8QyWusuFmpTLNKdbdUIsEXkqpFomczimnf1be1g_6hvxqqZs-T20PYaKehFHmLDCC-mm0RshS-0LxdgiEepI26FNgiOkYF9BiYWH9TkZDO1mymOSjFC4VDo_TTLPUI6oMG4y6ySspokcwRARKBZx7Tq5tIx1QPW0qr2wwQ279nPNphxvitd2o0ut/s4032/IMG_8306.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8QyWusuFmpTLNKdbdUIsEXkqpFomczimnf1be1g_6hvxqqZs-T20PYaKehFHmLDCC-mm0RshS-0LxdgiEepI26FNgiOkYF9BiYWH9TkZDO1mymOSjFC4VDo_TTLPUI6oMG4y6ySspokcwRARKBZx7Tq5tIx1QPW0qr2wwQ279nPNphxvitd2o0ut/s320/IMG_8306.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ruins in Rodney<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNZJs_s9hvtYulBujEppMr3IJPIKyeDZaMvemya5-P5bqAMyI0WLh3_OXmdNy-D2FlKnSHkPylx9yNd9IOS8HYHCSXC9oFZ32blMD8sPbimfutR9TxT2nWYkVwA9swZ8PQZSnt9WYR6gx_3cWvV7B-MXUWrZTEDZwb7m-endFjmUmkKVn7HdVIp2l/s4032/IMG_8314.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoNZJs_s9hvtYulBujEppMr3IJPIKyeDZaMvemya5-P5bqAMyI0WLh3_OXmdNy-D2FlKnSHkPylx9yNd9IOS8HYHCSXC9oFZ32blMD8sPbimfutR9TxT2nWYkVwA9swZ8PQZSnt9WYR6gx_3cWvV7B-MXUWrZTEDZwb7m-endFjmUmkKVn7HdVIp2l/s320/IMG_8314.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pilzqs2WYemrv8BGIPQt4LiE51OJr9u-C8Q05CwW04ofOSlc0lOw1TgJvM7Qo0raea9lmfq9z5jJaAQdXjUkLU9vatsfqF1sknJgrXKo83vvxzo39eEfXSSfzeqFjKWnwz_zMWpynI2S91ONxtHLtNaoqUwR7teP6oHiIOueOLFWlKfO1A2Y1O8b/s4032/IMG_8319.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pilzqs2WYemrv8BGIPQt4LiE51OJr9u-C8Q05CwW04ofOSlc0lOw1TgJvM7Qo0raea9lmfq9z5jJaAQdXjUkLU9vatsfqF1sknJgrXKo83vvxzo39eEfXSSfzeqFjKWnwz_zMWpynI2S91ONxtHLtNaoqUwR7teP6oHiIOueOLFWlKfO1A2Y1O8b/s320/IMG_8319.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's the cannonball! (above middle top window)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>As we were taking in the sights of Rodney another group from the tour rolled up and offered to take our picture. They were happy to return a favor after following our 'line' through the muddy road to get here.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNn6ZUy6cddw8quW7rpbZp50-BDuHdbAecTcM-xmQPH7waQHptJkMdzUt-ZvdXQOmG1zk8mLRcWorocbFNygWA3a21ZDd0Gcm-UBOiZTtBaTE7cKXiCHtHK_lW8zJhvdtT7UQs3eiDC7IAm6Q-wcl7gT9OgP4wdEDS30y0-7XtK8Lm2pjnd71VvXe/s4032/IMG_8321.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNn6ZUy6cddw8quW7rpbZp50-BDuHdbAecTcM-xmQPH7waQHptJkMdzUt-ZvdXQOmG1zk8mLRcWorocbFNygWA3a21ZDd0Gcm-UBOiZTtBaTE7cKXiCHtHK_lW8zJhvdtT7UQs3eiDC7IAm6Q-wcl7gT9OgP4wdEDS30y0-7XtK8Lm2pjnd71VvXe/s320/IMG_8321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rodney Convenience Store<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It was quite a climb out of Rodney, but well worth the trip. We head back toward US Highway 61 and lunch at the Old Country Store in Lorman MS. World famous fried chicken was on offer, but most of the group elected to bypass the trip to Rodney, so by the time we arrived the chicken was gone! No worries, the cook promised more was on the way in a minute. So we stood in line snacking on other lunch items.</p><p>About 15 minutes passed and the cook reappeared. I asked again about the chicken, he said it'd be a minute more. Recognizing me and his earlier prediction, he qualified by adding, 'another Mississippi minute' with a loud belly laugh! About 10 minutes later we enjoyed some outstanding fried chicken.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh0hgyLb3y-05PRplBQMPXX4789nVLqFC1JJsqBacCYjBiNWtbDx3FG7k6X2-YNbJVIQHuw6S1o6hAOHCQilJe7wT1KNIi-QjCF3BiKSb3COyy7jyE6ceGMano9lgmI6x33S9t7iXTf5XMaRcjiXFXGT51VEAuUFEwqCijOB3yMpFfCzlpND-g2Xg/s4032/IMG_8322.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyh0hgyLb3y-05PRplBQMPXX4789nVLqFC1JJsqBacCYjBiNWtbDx3FG7k6X2-YNbJVIQHuw6S1o6hAOHCQilJe7wT1KNIi-QjCF3BiKSb3COyy7jyE6ceGMano9lgmI6x33S9t7iXTf5XMaRcjiXFXGT51VEAuUFEwqCijOB3yMpFfCzlpND-g2Xg/s320/IMG_8322.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natchez Trace<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With 33 miles in the bag and building heat, Deb wisely decided to take the bus to Natchez and skip the last 35 miles on the Natchez Trace. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgsSVwiNfZhb3cJPv0Qe67tSQggzi15qe8a1pjSR72rfEptlteKbVtKmGnwFuuWwY4R5jSaxX-kv6oFT7w1aZ7Zzhw9vDlhEqrHg6TTmb6kAUyjPwCYJDHGWgLO53JBMnzlUgp4W3SpP5_8qgA8a8rpczuD45OWwi_c4PC6V_AwSX3bS-t9TEDNCH/s4032/IMG_8329.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgsSVwiNfZhb3cJPv0Qe67tSQggzi15qe8a1pjSR72rfEptlteKbVtKmGnwFuuWwY4R5jSaxX-kv6oFT7w1aZ7Zzhw9vDlhEqrHg6TTmb6kAUyjPwCYJDHGWgLO53JBMnzlUgp4W3SpP5_8qgA8a8rpczuD45OWwi_c4PC6V_AwSX3bS-t9TEDNCH/s320/IMG_8329.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River crossing along the Trace<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mDlz5ibiLPpHK0cAtvovqHM8OVvJFDkiuk00RFxAq4XisAKwE2kA-d1KEOwIaIrxv-zByfDhYFj8OyayuSAtwKzk9sL8u111yFO5AC12VrkAcZwTXcnBf6w11KwdkfwOrf4chTSSuRNXBxydSa_ML_mvQgGPk1AoYu0oRzdTr8R3qdPDraGp3bZG/s4032/IMG_8334.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mDlz5ibiLPpHK0cAtvovqHM8OVvJFDkiuk00RFxAq4XisAKwE2kA-d1KEOwIaIrxv-zByfDhYFj8OyayuSAtwKzk9sL8u111yFO5AC12VrkAcZwTXcnBf6w11KwdkfwOrf4chTSSuRNXBxydSa_ML_mvQgGPk1AoYu0oRzdTr8R3qdPDraGp3bZG/s320/IMG_8334.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect roads, little traffic<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HJXC9Pk_hpBiLx2V82jGCgH6ZfDTQxD8HbLe6w27DkSbfv7qmYeHV30PYymY65nQYkAzaVFMujGn1pWHXpUoSlHyH3Rbvd1mVi5TsjahIyPR7sNifLSCX4xdm17Z3J_f33AGJiO_JwKhilt7v95WYjZfT9Ave_r6GO17kT_-rdfr376FhsUgv71R/s4032/IMG_8336.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2HJXC9Pk_hpBiLx2V82jGCgH6ZfDTQxD8HbLe6w27DkSbfv7qmYeHV30PYymY65nQYkAzaVFMujGn1pWHXpUoSlHyH3Rbvd1mVi5TsjahIyPR7sNifLSCX4xdm17Z3J_f33AGJiO_JwKhilt7v95WYjZfT9Ave_r6GO17kT_-rdfr376FhsUgv71R/s320/IMG_8336.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We covered the last 35 miles to Natchez<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The Trace is now a national parkway and commercial traffic is restricted. The road is in excellent condition and traffic was light. Since we among the last to leave the lunch stop, there were many riders up the road. I'd spot them in the distance, catch them, say hello, and then ride up to the next group. Before I knew it, the 35 miles were done! A group was taking a photos at the parkway entrance, and we exchanged cameras to get this shot!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWjg0mjzKdP0WjMGKGEQCyk1oW_Oa_cu16HeASKuMyJyE6ckf_0TTkiwpiooeWoQ70oEMPVuILlzdxjPbS__1OzXJcvhND5uqX1QSo0T0NhpCZYt0cSV8Hk5QzFt1Ea4s4zIUiyk5fljoA7QHYLbBdp9725yLe3N13GwnoUj9P2xAloTTdMWRw9tF/s4032/IMG_8337.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUWjg0mjzKdP0WjMGKGEQCyk1oW_Oa_cu16HeASKuMyJyE6ckf_0TTkiwpiooeWoQ70oEMPVuILlzdxjPbS__1OzXJcvhND5uqX1QSo0T0NhpCZYt0cSV8Hk5QzFt1Ea4s4zIUiyk5fljoA7QHYLbBdp9725yLe3N13GwnoUj9P2xAloTTdMWRw9tF/s320/IMG_8337.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Natchez<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Debby pinged me with her location in town and we found a quiet bar across from the park overlooking the river. We grabbed a table just inside to get out of the heat and enjoyed some refreshments while we waited for the boat to arrive and we could board!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lxzGyazpSvfDUUC0a2ci8YdYPNk8IW15U2n6eTNvDy-6glUNpzcs4PXhm6zkna-UbKByTG-jcl7Ecv4caCu2caOd9MBsif_OYs2S2_pwQA8wloImsqLCKOUMn-xpXLaqQ3CL6MvKmxHylKHLvexqyTIEddGmkSqEaP3FTRkw-haMHdDShSYAoqCM/s4032/IMG_8339.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lxzGyazpSvfDUUC0a2ci8YdYPNk8IW15U2n6eTNvDy-6glUNpzcs4PXhm6zkna-UbKByTG-jcl7Ecv4caCu2caOd9MBsif_OYs2S2_pwQA8wloImsqLCKOUMn-xpXLaqQ3CL6MvKmxHylKHLvexqyTIEddGmkSqEaP3FTRkw-haMHdDShSYAoqCM/s320/IMG_8339.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boat just pulling in to Natchez<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We finished our drinks and headed down to the lower landing where the boat was preparing to moor. We spent some time visiting with other riders in the long line of folks waiting to board. Another great day on the bikes!</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 3 - Natchez MS loop<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaE0zXmGG9zwvwu0Z4d0dPmc_nOx2IiebuOtTbla-s7Q-LqP5oUw-iTjOlb3jJL352T5oULUBA-Q6o8cVsLitHe8Twyl0Nfh0FXFpHkThxODyo_XN-fjXOpL54NdJe3oX6ctOM2t-cBffakzHavwB62wxjjZBOsjQVIqwaxYapSIrUFw33Wql-vwM/s4032/IMG_8341.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaE0zXmGG9zwvwu0Z4d0dPmc_nOx2IiebuOtTbla-s7Q-LqP5oUw-iTjOlb3jJL352T5oULUBA-Q6o8cVsLitHe8Twyl0Nfh0FXFpHkThxODyo_XN-fjXOpL54NdJe3oX6ctOM2t-cBffakzHavwB62wxjjZBOsjQVIqwaxYapSIrUFw33Wql-vwM/s320/IMG_8341.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loop to lunch and back!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9_AtayL3fLHLtKF3H-93Spo5dfCxoSaMc8qBlsXMBfru55awYLU6_u4WrqLqObx2Pznkx-jfF9ZPjq8emHgdfGFZunfB7VGS4Jybam_TGmTUHxmwWGsT3q1IY6ufoxSUsQjF59O3uKZc4Y9ayj-gVHxz8qu_ggrN2q_o1xpMrAPIuQrYDZE1oJko/s4032/IMG_8342.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9_AtayL3fLHLtKF3H-93Spo5dfCxoSaMc8qBlsXMBfru55awYLU6_u4WrqLqObx2Pznkx-jfF9ZPjq8emHgdfGFZunfB7VGS4Jybam_TGmTUHxmwWGsT3q1IY6ufoxSUsQjF59O3uKZc4Y9ayj-gVHxz8qu_ggrN2q_o1xpMrAPIuQrYDZE1oJko/s320/IMG_8342.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stanton Hall<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>All the routes head into the heart of Natchez and we arrive at Stanton Hall for a guided tour of this historic 'town house.' During the plantation/slave era, it was common for wealthy plantation owners to also have a house in town. This one was quite impressive.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWobQixnWz1or8SXVucEXsoNqIrnxhhzqi0MmVAaVp_Wqzd2PtFOqpVNWAtdWhrQwOthtL_kdvqFzVF4W6IQoF07nhJqX-Li3wKgjBTmVXoY859K-UxR3L041eVPEYpLRVrDrT_Qwvl4HUZDkVcHyEGdU5WVPnsDH7fFfDolG04rJUV9qrGgkT-rw/s4032/IMG_8343.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWobQixnWz1or8SXVucEXsoNqIrnxhhzqi0MmVAaVp_Wqzd2PtFOqpVNWAtdWhrQwOthtL_kdvqFzVF4W6IQoF07nhJqX-Li3wKgjBTmVXoY859K-UxR3L041eVPEYpLRVrDrT_Qwvl4HUZDkVcHyEGdU5WVPnsDH7fFfDolG04rJUV9qrGgkT-rw/s320/IMG_8343.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many furnishings are original<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The house is now operated by a historic society. The house changed owners several times after the civil war and even became an inn for a time before it was restored. Many of the furnishings, and some of the fixtures have been located and purchased or donated back to the house to present it as was in the mid 1800s.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjpy0xmgoLirAh3YMUpMKBsCy2r0CMm9cvFVQasdZZrYfAwt_icDX5fXq7rWRyoPBWMkXZn6Uizy8dGAnoC-n99HIk_jC7OSt4opceuCK_ScBlPsNm-y8juvb4zx0E02Q09SRgOfUADcOo7lCHZIoWm8KKPUhvw87nl-9n0k64EHC1w-poZwF-6Mh/s4032/IMG_8355.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggjpy0xmgoLirAh3YMUpMKBsCy2r0CMm9cvFVQasdZZrYfAwt_icDX5fXq7rWRyoPBWMkXZn6Uizy8dGAnoC-n99HIk_jC7OSt4opceuCK_ScBlPsNm-y8juvb4zx0E02Q09SRgOfUADcOo7lCHZIoWm8KKPUhvw87nl-9n0k64EHC1w-poZwF-6Mh/s320/IMG_8355.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice chill in the morning!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblDwk_T9ea_42kLBp0tw_ONN26NnsAke0_TsQhJYYeNuUnQBPccStQNW1Y3O3N_dtAnEv9zFk8DA_f1TibaqbWP-AKzsOPhPlvIgFWlZaTghgqutcANAt4Dr4qZBBEa_IWGZSncNcOq_46CNvOMlLzShuBhMCK3W08mK4EyEy_bfqcqvarz-fB8qS/s4032/IMG_8365.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjblDwk_T9ea_42kLBp0tw_ONN26NnsAke0_TsQhJYYeNuUnQBPccStQNW1Y3O3N_dtAnEv9zFk8DA_f1TibaqbWP-AKzsOPhPlvIgFWlZaTghgqutcANAt4Dr4qZBBEa_IWGZSncNcOq_46CNvOMlLzShuBhMCK3W08mK4EyEy_bfqcqvarz-fB8qS/s320/IMG_8365.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More country roads<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We enjoyed the tour, but were happy to be on our own and headed out on the short route to lunch. We were out of town and soon in the rolling countryside making our way through farms and forest.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4YPvRwRlmox_j-ilaFBTY3BwQd1tvMiCJIC8ccADZZN_zZzln7RmEjI_qcg9KWHIM9C4XZ82DO8IT0YDUcMJng-7dkWUyJS2r_Q5VE5tzprpATtEG4s_i5AV7ACr3CeBAMsmM_GJHAwYWVY0G0VyaXiCGwwo8q3JVaLZzUCzOVCMSSQuatwsHemY/s4032/IMG_8366.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4YPvRwRlmox_j-ilaFBTY3BwQd1tvMiCJIC8ccADZZN_zZzln7RmEjI_qcg9KWHIM9C4XZ82DO8IT0YDUcMJng-7dkWUyJS2r_Q5VE5tzprpATtEG4s_i5AV7ACr3CeBAMsmM_GJHAwYWVY0G0VyaXiCGwwo8q3JVaLZzUCzOVCMSSQuatwsHemY/s320/IMG_8366.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Working farmhouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Lunch was a transition from southern barbecue to Cajun creole and was delicious! It was quite windy and we found refuge in the garden on the leeward side of the house to enjoy our meal. Since we took the short outbound loop, we were first in line at lunch this time, and were able to high tail it back to the boat in front of the crowd!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HKWWdC5d3cbwfjPmD4uXtkfutPWxi40qq_JH-chfYiHIsRXDt7DUxH7HAEHvfh7KGiw7Rzk8xI8ZARO7o6AxjXiZUSvevmInL1tCfhnZuwibUHEPXLbdHBSS9Qx7cgAS3DYlW7DyZDsJLfXAyoDBHvRyywnbqmKxyXhGeckyyj8a4sK7qahRi_NR/s4032/IMG_8367.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HKWWdC5d3cbwfjPmD4uXtkfutPWxi40qq_JH-chfYiHIsRXDt7DUxH7HAEHvfh7KGiw7Rzk8xI8ZARO7o6AxjXiZUSvevmInL1tCfhnZuwibUHEPXLbdHBSS9Qx7cgAS3DYlW7DyZDsJLfXAyoDBHvRyywnbqmKxyXhGeckyyj8a4sK7qahRi_NR/s320/IMG_8367.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kudzu vines lose their leaves in the winter, who knew!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We had been noticing these strange web-like branches covering trees and shrubs everywhere. We finally realized they were Kudzu vines that were just coming out of the winter dormant period. Later, and further south we would find them back to their leafy invasive ways!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2I_eebUeh5i4uunr-ISpfsaqQ0mW1TgPIY8dzjWeMT3VGeo97v2RfSTIWWgBb-93C9s012wXH8ZrUp5wB-vya6FTWSJYG78wo4XL0q5E5HFtuH7w9HjvVL-plKI_IGHJBt_Hlxyc8H7BqesbPgo_9veyYf84XfCRpxwTAmxkRj1u2HHapd68NDXlq/s4032/IMG_8371.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2I_eebUeh5i4uunr-ISpfsaqQ0mW1TgPIY8dzjWeMT3VGeo97v2RfSTIWWgBb-93C9s012wXH8ZrUp5wB-vya6FTWSJYG78wo4XL0q5E5HFtuH7w9HjvVL-plKI_IGHJBt_Hlxyc8H7BqesbPgo_9veyYf84XfCRpxwTAmxkRj1u2HHapd68NDXlq/s320/IMG_8371.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not a road cut!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We learned during the morning route talk that the soil is so loamy in these parts, that the roads actually sink over time. Here is a good example. It looks like a road cut, but over the years the road bed has sunk into the earth!<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3izLmcpAwIxWoamJY8wahZT9Vh38i9j4Ro05df_NxEtINsTtd-LkzMmZX4MMWAq34yhvXNf2uCU9T9DonpFWkO4L64JEZCXVUl6fusOfKbAzH20aWIzrfh-dtvVqMnaozwaC6sy0mWxiWLSVpnHC4l_vB7k8B3gBYT9BDqZ98rZWpKipL-VYCB5N/s4032/IMG_8372.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3izLmcpAwIxWoamJY8wahZT9Vh38i9j4Ro05df_NxEtINsTtd-LkzMmZX4MMWAq34yhvXNf2uCU9T9DonpFWkO4L64JEZCXVUl6fusOfKbAzH20aWIzrfh-dtvVqMnaozwaC6sy0mWxiWLSVpnHC4l_vB7k8B3gBYT9BDqZ98rZWpKipL-VYCB5N/s320/IMG_8372.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently we could retire here<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We decided to skip the tour of the Longwood mansion on the way back. It was under construction at the start of the Civil War but was never completed. Some of the uncompleted sections display tools and construction processes of the era. We decided to head back to the boat, and relax in the sun on our veranda, and catch up on the laundry!<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckoQhtRll7_2Cs-0UyEciRAKazf0O3nkZvTgZYdDr_ZJ4EWEhiVmzszxlYdYOc5e7DNe_pbyH2AT8UYeXFXZC_-OCO8zSBKcsaiIYxA2dUYvmr-3hsdFJ_vi8vn_kom27oHyCkZR2uqPLdafNVnaCCNsY6lhadnvm7P8_85S9ZaATWAjaPXPn0zUx/s4032/IMG_8373.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckoQhtRll7_2Cs-0UyEciRAKazf0O3nkZvTgZYdDr_ZJ4EWEhiVmzszxlYdYOc5e7DNe_pbyH2AT8UYeXFXZC_-OCO8zSBKcsaiIYxA2dUYvmr-3hsdFJ_vi8vn_kom27oHyCkZR2uqPLdafNVnaCCNsY6lhadnvm7P8_85S9ZaATWAjaPXPn0zUx/s320/IMG_8373.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laundry day in the cycling ghetto!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 4 - Pointe Coupee Louisiana loop<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb3j6geyrUMTXvF_uojLmDDEPisWtDWXLVgqpYYvOq_DHR1YFesXrvWuqUbOXGHb7nwSbv-uSnrQZFnm8p_b3gxIKlFHEiFp4U0LP0SsdWhpxgaMAYGH0aWxIVBXauRQJYfd2ispLYnHpOpkAS9AK5VUEvK3UpJyyHP1V1Tvr5Gg7C9xUXyVPY9Gp/s3088/IMG_8390.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfb3j6geyrUMTXvF_uojLmDDEPisWtDWXLVgqpYYvOq_DHR1YFesXrvWuqUbOXGHb7nwSbv-uSnrQZFnm8p_b3gxIKlFHEiFp4U0LP0SsdWhpxgaMAYGH0aWxIVBXauRQJYfd2ispLYnHpOpkAS9AK5VUEvK3UpJyyHP1V1Tvr5Gg7C9xUXyVPY9Gp/s320/IMG_8390.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John James Audubon Bridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Deb decided to take a well deserved rest day so yours truly headed out on the long route for about 50 miles of great riding. Just a few pedal strokes from the boat, my power meter battery died. Luckily I had a spare and was able to get back on the road in short order. We would be crossing a relatively new suspension bridge over the River. <br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl6Xur_grMzH5IiH7XRCorVh5o1mgaCCiYLR51A7OrGcxnMb5QmszR14CXFa6kWuDmKKKalN8pr0uOJ1AYxAkXz3nMYBexde7jvlCHZZpguuBa0713XgZ7xRCZK3BMXSZ1RRebZRrPnT61xfBDHGXFaxRa04ezi0bj4zUn0_EhXZO_FD4nvbIQ_6G/s4032/IMG_8437.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl6Xur_grMzH5IiH7XRCorVh5o1mgaCCiYLR51A7OrGcxnMb5QmszR14CXFa6kWuDmKKKalN8pr0uOJ1AYxAkXz3nMYBexde7jvlCHZZpguuBa0713XgZ7xRCZK3BMXSZ1RRebZRrPnT61xfBDHGXFaxRa04ezi0bj4zUn0_EhXZO_FD4nvbIQ_6G/s320/IMG_8437.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Avoid riding over these!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It had road crews doing maintenance which forced us off the bike lane
and onto a traffic lane that was closed to cars. I remembered the huge
wheel eating expansion joints from the 2021 Southern Transcontinental
ride on a similar looking 'new bridge' and was extra careful to avoid them. A tandem from our group unfortunately hit one and they were on the side of the road with a taco for a rear wheel. Luckily they were fine, and only suffered a broken rear spoke. The were in need of a spoke wrench to get the wheel back into true and I was happy to lend them mine. They were going to wait for a mechanic, so I continued on.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxQRLo-b-IrmDFYNH79Rn-cvaWEOMcunjLDycAN5lhJv412pywKVHWJheAi_BagtidjcFv_83YyZCY7MuwfynfxX7-GZkCMd12nX6Qtrq9LrO5cw6YdJRQxjnKQxcezC4EVCmU3iecao8JioKNYaV8s1W-ZxMmJ902J7NTchA9GocSHaXOajEzBLA/s4032/IMG_8392.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxQRLo-b-IrmDFYNH79Rn-cvaWEOMcunjLDycAN5lhJv412pywKVHWJheAi_BagtidjcFv_83YyZCY7MuwfynfxX7-GZkCMd12nX6Qtrq9LrO5cw6YdJRQxjnKQxcezC4EVCmU3iecao8JioKNYaV8s1W-ZxMmJ902J7NTchA9GocSHaXOajEzBLA/s320/IMG_8392.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perfect morning for a ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUMs9QomKIkEiH3E8fuf4eaUQZFvVm8hMyhsBqlAKIR5aObzf9j1tBTmMci3LQvxRCGJep7RkfUD8z_ey-rizg5vTPArCaNsSHjd458wxTWb6gRghNcGXEhKNAvyI-MNln-ootcCwZAWhNWywBWt1EjB057sehgjNMGFQVU2pUgWvqRB5NN18XSCq/s4032/IMG_8396.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUMs9QomKIkEiH3E8fuf4eaUQZFvVm8hMyhsBqlAKIR5aObzf9j1tBTmMci3LQvxRCGJep7RkfUD8z_ey-rizg5vTPArCaNsSHjd458wxTWb6gRghNcGXEhKNAvyI-MNln-ootcCwZAWhNWywBWt1EjB057sehgjNMGFQVU2pUgWvqRB5NN18XSCq/s320/IMG_8396.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first stop was the Oakley Plantation<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBLW-tI-EYS9z827GpOwjJoURXOLDTR1lKpvLH4E28eGVDezKJK8OHoSse-jo0WqTi0fvs-J16x25r7-NC88GhX0cLvOt70TSSWxNh0drwV7b_d7f_WSyPRVAm2KuG8cZd0IrAwjE42IKn3o3l5dfbuuQTG4bxa6-Eqcj8V_mDNKrPkAihA5CvIlt/s4032/IMG_8400.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBLW-tI-EYS9z827GpOwjJoURXOLDTR1lKpvLH4E28eGVDezKJK8OHoSse-jo0WqTi0fvs-J16x25r7-NC88GhX0cLvOt70TSSWxNh0drwV7b_d7f_WSyPRVAm2KuG8cZd0IrAwjE42IKn3o3l5dfbuuQTG4bxa6-Eqcj8V_mDNKrPkAihA5CvIlt/s320/IMG_8400.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not that impressive<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Maybe it was more impressive on the inside, but I was eager to get back on the road and enjoy the very impressive roads, forest and farms of the area! I skipped the tour and pressed on.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU74ixuqhOtrBvpxXGzCQ3xw3_Nh1QnE4nl80_LuXZA1948mBETKRfsUWk2_OpQxoVQEY3T-kV6umHWpjgv7CG0qVUxj70uhpcuFJUIOCTEyDfH80Me8GRioU7DUFG5CmNZWtuixsbNDow-YLlVVfR5Qu1pBXCqzGaKvNy-GfXjCAQ8t4KUP9-4en7/s4032/IMG_8401.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU74ixuqhOtrBvpxXGzCQ3xw3_Nh1QnE4nl80_LuXZA1948mBETKRfsUWk2_OpQxoVQEY3T-kV6umHWpjgv7CG0qVUxj70uhpcuFJUIOCTEyDfH80Me8GRioU7DUFG5CmNZWtuixsbNDow-YLlVVfR5Qu1pBXCqzGaKvNy-GfXjCAQ8t4KUP9-4en7/s320/IMG_8401.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barn ruins on the way to Rosedown<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWVo9RwBTD_Z-C8-8FaD9JZLPMHl7xCQpJKG6UDF97cRh_E-Q3opjvbTI0BzGC-6zz84q4tuLR3ICii_pWxIkVqUPRZHTVW0Fn3yXmxmCLYtAS6lBfMCN9Oy3oDPFH5M7o28kIYv3DbxfX8vBAh4zM_kGEMPj5sv7KkhbJ6pZ_89NndejSRqJpTvE/s4032/IMG_8420.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWVo9RwBTD_Z-C8-8FaD9JZLPMHl7xCQpJKG6UDF97cRh_E-Q3opjvbTI0BzGC-6zz84q4tuLR3ICii_pWxIkVqUPRZHTVW0Fn3yXmxmCLYtAS6lBfMCN9Oy3oDPFH5M7o28kIYv3DbxfX8vBAh4zM_kGEMPj5sv7KkhbJ6pZ_89NndejSRqJpTvE/s320/IMG_8420.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wFjCqkzBuFNheER_WWWq1KP60-UU19hOY5ZUzCfte7LoNGLoZuHAwe6Lqd0en81z_VrkQ1otskZV-RlqcIu8PK7Zg2W05TXsOr4swNnPR74JWkTpiet_FJWS8ODSFfh4YNG91CMrVQ9X86tsTJm3fESrE7p42hJOdvOggJ42e3_5Akqgqsbc6f5I/s4032/IMG_8414.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wFjCqkzBuFNheER_WWWq1KP60-UU19hOY5ZUzCfte7LoNGLoZuHAwe6Lqd0en81z_VrkQ1otskZV-RlqcIu8PK7Zg2W05TXsOr4swNnPR74JWkTpiet_FJWS8ODSFfh4YNG91CMrVQ9X86tsTJm3fESrE7p42hJOdvOggJ42e3_5Akqgqsbc6f5I/s320/IMG_8414.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosedown Plantation <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The big stop of the day was the Rosedown Plantation. Now a park and
restored to the Slave era, it had beautiful grounds and exhibits. Our
admission was paid for by Santana, but the park ranger informed me that
to tour inside the house I would need to remove my cycling shoes. Something about protecting the original floors. I decided to wander around the grounds instead of going inside.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGlQCUIpOH57GlrXH3cODp9O9YIiXTu2GjKZ-e9CEvHsL_ARhozyXXS-49bKLXZMaXxMOutif4RLXWt4FKPu6Fn2zoOMUHTZK4To5p-4x4cBnGLoaPV3ROF-1hcbyYVuIaQIm2exkakHZMZVyTRG_95A3d0iiSZoIV6EhTHi8pn2pZ1Sgo7cmn07V/s4032/IMG_8412.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGlQCUIpOH57GlrXH3cODp9O9YIiXTu2GjKZ-e9CEvHsL_ARhozyXXS-49bKLXZMaXxMOutif4RLXWt4FKPu6Fn2zoOMUHTZK4To5p-4x4cBnGLoaPV3ROF-1hcbyYVuIaQIm2exkakHZMZVyTRG_95A3d0iiSZoIV6EhTHi8pn2pZ1Sgo7cmn07V/s320/IMG_8412.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosedale Gardens<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DGSBW8OQs8hl2Oi9BrvzLFRsnYXzPquYWL1Quo2kBeTIYiD4pbSE16jkwqNkDIp3zdVt-A3Gfv0k3GLo8AtYhAuKttzseF3KO-lbQ4Ez_cvHXChthEAWRXNR-FbTwZBP-9Y3ZbgSDVAhpABT-xE9m45w8j9VL8mJPzsg1vme2nMfAV3xBXbT5E1L/s4032/IMG_8417.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2DGSBW8OQs8hl2Oi9BrvzLFRsnYXzPquYWL1Quo2kBeTIYiD4pbSE16jkwqNkDIp3zdVt-A3Gfv0k3GLo8AtYhAuKttzseF3KO-lbQ4Ez_cvHXChthEAWRXNR-FbTwZBP-9Y3ZbgSDVAhpABT-xE9m45w8j9VL8mJPzsg1vme2nMfAV3xBXbT5E1L/s320/IMG_8417.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fantastic Lunch!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I was a bit early for lunch, but the food was ready so they served me anyway. A perfect Cajun pasta and sausage meal that would satisfy any randonneur! It really hit the spot and I was again back on the road, and fully fortified. They even gave me a couple extra cookies for the road!<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RBEZAqy6sgAsJT9ShSGKRoBaqmNnioahUQO-h2F7nSNF7CPwgwJzARCrpZo8G4fv-s1f-RjqYS8r3AlDvdumyC_8Oo12-eHP-7rcTCBrWpM88AO7Z_4QZECTTWilRFvsms5zVt-slKm8f-a83Jg_vvATGJOSLxkDj8ddIEV1uciG58eXEVmF6tdX/s4032/IMG_8419.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0RBEZAqy6sgAsJT9ShSGKRoBaqmNnioahUQO-h2F7nSNF7CPwgwJzARCrpZo8G4fv-s1f-RjqYS8r3AlDvdumyC_8Oo12-eHP-7rcTCBrWpM88AO7Z_4QZECTTWilRFvsms5zVt-slKm8f-a83Jg_vvATGJOSLxkDj8ddIEV1uciG58eXEVmF6tdX/s320/IMG_8419.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Rosedown<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-VFhiUwKkBc9VQkamWz5pL5Anvq1htGknxJjXrfl2v4JnXCxj_6FO3LPqxWzEo6K1GBuar2E_vGYM2zQU5ie-qsUAYOcSG8EJ4onABOlFoC-FF7GzBt-7YVDIH5f3MjoCXIHEr-_4Tm4Ialue-NCqvtAbp42x7aDzoXxydl_NvJDRIsxnYLuKny-/s4032/IMG_8425.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj-VFhiUwKkBc9VQkamWz5pL5Anvq1htGknxJjXrfl2v4JnXCxj_6FO3LPqxWzEo6K1GBuar2E_vGYM2zQU5ie-qsUAYOcSG8EJ4onABOlFoC-FF7GzBt-7YVDIH5f3MjoCXIHEr-_4Tm4Ialue-NCqvtAbp42x7aDzoXxydl_NvJDRIsxnYLuKny-/s320/IMG_8425.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Francisville War Memorial<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Next stop is the town of St. Francisville. I stopped at this war memorial in town before heading to Myrtles (another plantation exhibit, but very touristy), the Chill Mill and Grandmother Buttons. Some say the journey is more important than the destination, today they would have been correct!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxcC8zPWQOyig_m1XUByovt8ywkqwICq3jl7wBx6AgObB0U3uU9qFXE5E5cSbG2ItiGShQDu4yAx3Qs6LfL4FuIMh7vIg-iRlZ1Yr98ZpTW0qSmUu0gqf93nAcB0GjuCfKodJKMe_UZPw1_UsjeNj5QkwhxsPIPTWv_4tpWH-JVpz6U8doNHcUEmB/s4032/IMG_8426.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxcC8zPWQOyig_m1XUByovt8ywkqwICq3jl7wBx6AgObB0U3uU9qFXE5E5cSbG2ItiGShQDu4yAx3Qs6LfL4FuIMh7vIg-iRlZ1Yr98ZpTW0qSmUu0gqf93nAcB0GjuCfKodJKMe_UZPw1_UsjeNj5QkwhxsPIPTWv_4tpWH-JVpz6U8doNHcUEmB/s320/IMG_8426.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandmother Buttons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Not in need of buttons, historic or otherwise, I continued on.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTgkDuEWtPZjBQ7jkQ2V29UwacJUMYepHSSL2k6ZRB5StXC7B8j_rarlREpf0MyyPwGBP53CXXWs4r3MjLQWdbtsrfQUJLD-KT-c8IeETRX-vd67ZL4QPi-p6h4Xykq__6B3lcSqm5yAXFDkxJw4uRrw8p_uIUi1FvCVWK9kC19FRw93360Jk8W02/s4032/IMG_8427.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTgkDuEWtPZjBQ7jkQ2V29UwacJUMYepHSSL2k6ZRB5StXC7B8j_rarlREpf0MyyPwGBP53CXXWs4r3MjLQWdbtsrfQUJLD-KT-c8IeETRX-vd67ZL4QPi-p6h4Xykq__6B3lcSqm5yAXFDkxJw4uRrw8p_uIUi1FvCVWK9kC19FRw93360Jk8W02/s320/IMG_8427.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Francisville Courthouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>This courthouse was built in 1903, next to the site where the original was destroyed by Union gunboats in the Civil War!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAdz90iaEeF96zFDBdSA2U9lxTXXZ7NMPxrZVl5gLUf-xiykZyDv-Q0SZghvGNyZW1u3xqgtk594eWOMzu9aWJRSELMkPUGs-hQi691hzOkr02b8nKrRKDw-4Lddj9lqOEjRii_KjBbkBTATAD_BALiiqyN_i0yEhpHX9E4YFYZkzeRvyRfTz_Ifq/s4032/IMG_8430.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUAdz90iaEeF96zFDBdSA2U9lxTXXZ7NMPxrZVl5gLUf-xiykZyDv-Q0SZghvGNyZW1u3xqgtk594eWOMzu9aWJRSELMkPUGs-hQi691hzOkr02b8nKrRKDw-4Lddj9lqOEjRii_KjBbkBTATAD_BALiiqyN_i0yEhpHX9E4YFYZkzeRvyRfTz_Ifq/s320/IMG_8430.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are your ready for a Fixer Upper?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The extra loop took us off US 61 on a great loop through rural roads, swamp land, and a nuclear reactor!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAbbK4vmQfeyYgPFSR-GOp2PprxTN5mEUw214ltL8qFbZ15zJ9siMwEGQW3IPHORlcUwyD7d0-bAkxz-JlpFL3GQlJqEo6ul2OO95tCvDfTp8wqqFlgEzuN5R4PUvzUBRnmmlq47GT87ob4gcXnb7NKarLBqEE05fbkJf8rhWcLla8a-HLiSEkO16/s4032/IMG_8433.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAbbK4vmQfeyYgPFSR-GOp2PprxTN5mEUw214ltL8qFbZ15zJ9siMwEGQW3IPHORlcUwyD7d0-bAkxz-JlpFL3GQlJqEo6ul2OO95tCvDfTp8wqqFlgEzuN5R4PUvzUBRnmmlq47GT87ob4gcXnb7NKarLBqEE05fbkJf8rhWcLla8a-HLiSEkO16/s320/IMG_8433.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bayou swamp<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Uc0Dp6PWgD0DuRvYSywqqHmWUiS7emth4Ybf6LjLayWQSBsVKbia50Uo1PL6a9tttLwax-MSDObvMrYP_XOajPiisJU-vKb7JxOxFdgk8xu6rsUnME9jcYeXs6wt2urRTZ1VNVZ5hO8Gz8UXIj8iF3C3ofqH6jUs_Q_VkGlPhMMk3X5oW2R38Sv/s4032/IMG_8431.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-Uc0Dp6PWgD0DuRvYSywqqHmWUiS7emth4Ybf6LjLayWQSBsVKbia50Uo1PL6a9tttLwax-MSDObvMrYP_XOajPiisJU-vKb7JxOxFdgk8xu6rsUnME9jcYeXs6wt2urRTZ1VNVZ5hO8Gz8UXIj8iF3C3ofqH6jUs_Q_VkGlPhMMk3X5oW2R38Sv/s320/IMG_8431.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Bend Station Warning Sign <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>I arrived at this sign first, and assumed it related to some military base nearby. The signage was quite vague.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdkzfLSpz4hvZcpL90JNOhU5go9bygTcPnsgHaIwSg1RmugIgfDG0VHZYF09aen2KfQt34kGI0edKMQRn-3YmZuimIwSqTaqPfpzBE5COm7heaAO4osQvQVosMXtGninoz9i1empvIQGbxCvmq4VSSBnoJbr_Psa3ILL-2-nSzkx3gEh4nWRrZEqV/s4032/IMG_8434.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdkzfLSpz4hvZcpL90JNOhU5go9bygTcPnsgHaIwSg1RmugIgfDG0VHZYF09aen2KfQt34kGI0edKMQRn-3YmZuimIwSqTaqPfpzBE5COm7heaAO4osQvQVosMXtGninoz9i1empvIQGbxCvmq4VSSBnoJbr_Psa3ILL-2-nSzkx3gEh4nWRrZEqV/s320/IMG_8434.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Bend Nuclear Facility<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A few more miles and bingo, its a nuke! This is Unit 1 of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Bend_Nuclear_Generating_Station" target="_blank">River Bend Nuclear Generating Station</a>. It generates just under 1000 mw of power (that would be equivalent to 3 large utility grade solar facilities). Unit 2 and and even larger Unit 3 were never built. This one came online in 1986.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-tqyARKy1ugm9MlHHy_Z6XHEuGfJpiK2YCD_ZFR_lGld-XdC1uDl2OFzW3eeLw8gaAJe2Lh32x3ZEGApj1OUwuigptil14C5vsAcDSY3edpoBIiEWwFCLcljgjWxp-LF_AwN0b-ieSHNUiW9mntc6PGbbAJqQP1gttzzOoyNc9sbZRplSZWxHtU7/s4032/IMG_8436.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-tqyARKy1ugm9MlHHy_Z6XHEuGfJpiK2YCD_ZFR_lGld-XdC1uDl2OFzW3eeLw8gaAJe2Lh32x3ZEGApj1OUwuigptil14C5vsAcDSY3edpoBIiEWwFCLcljgjWxp-LF_AwN0b-ieSHNUiW9mntc6PGbbAJqQP1gttzzOoyNc9sbZRplSZWxHtU7/s320/IMG_8436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road kill or radiation poisoning?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Soon we are back on US 61 for a few miles before linking up to Louisiana 10 and we retrace our route over the Audubon Bridge and back to the boat.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZJ_w5cI75BgBKfKAp6p7zNiI9UsjV2li2VaBghxojMENs1kSAZWMfygl1lExxFwe2xnNdrVYud7lQM8zzk6OqWhzHRmJvxhv6zaDxq5ombbFYY8wnE89wOGfXODO10KwAZGhFRpZ3IBAsJ-OWbWL3LW5MIERUs-pgAdtgs6TCeXhyGnyVMC5jQ3R/s4032/IMG_8442.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZJ_w5cI75BgBKfKAp6p7zNiI9UsjV2li2VaBghxojMENs1kSAZWMfygl1lExxFwe2xnNdrVYud7lQM8zzk6OqWhzHRmJvxhv6zaDxq5ombbFYY8wnE89wOGfXODO10KwAZGhFRpZ3IBAsJ-OWbWL3LW5MIERUs-pgAdtgs6TCeXhyGnyVMC5jQ3R/s320/IMG_8442.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The American Countess in the distance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIMZgxlBUsjWRblOoRiuAZIeITrmVLvijJyL-SNjkzdk68r1WO-XFC0KnOr-71yILV_q_o_RZiW9VzONLhBjhFxnVLaTqktnTcuvy6sSdpY8TQtNEfpvD-F6cMp5wLzzQlrdWuC2EImMtEZc3Cp4EBnPllwgikf_hPMBmsYlV3cpUPhc_2uGNYGJ-/s4032/IMG_8444.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIMZgxlBUsjWRblOoRiuAZIeITrmVLvijJyL-SNjkzdk68r1WO-XFC0KnOr-71yILV_q_o_RZiW9VzONLhBjhFxnVLaTqktnTcuvy6sSdpY8TQtNEfpvD-F6cMp5wLzzQlrdWuC2EImMtEZc3Cp4EBnPllwgikf_hPMBmsYlV3cpUPhc_2uGNYGJ-/s320/IMG_8444.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stay in the bike lane!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4dGK9LE7Nc4Zw68gzCwzjRgVOCCFuyotee1DwjNggsM9DDCEHtOE_96XmnC7z9FxMSPmwhmeRaIW4xWS1hNi-qbM5QJXiVgKwzK2a4JyOz6Ey8hZeDXWzLYQMhkAoFzgqmH4pEbexxREjttsWxakBUHjPTnt24tofGyYVSmF7iLCUPc18S-bLPEf/s4032/IMG_8445.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG4dGK9LE7Nc4Zw68gzCwzjRgVOCCFuyotee1DwjNggsM9DDCEHtOE_96XmnC7z9FxMSPmwhmeRaIW4xWS1hNi-qbM5QJXiVgKwzK2a4JyOz6Ey8hZeDXWzLYQMhkAoFzgqmH4pEbexxREjttsWxakBUHjPTnt24tofGyYVSmF7iLCUPc18S-bLPEf/s320/IMG_8445.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattle and Big Cajun II Power plant<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Didn't expect this to be a tour of power plants, but the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Bend_Nuclear_Generating_Station" rel="nofollow">Big Cajun II power plant </a>was located near the boat landing. This three unit plant was designed to burn coal, but unit 2 was converted to natural gas in 2015. Each unit generates about 550 mw of power. The coal storage is tucked away out of sight behind the plant shielded by a tree-lined man-made hill!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BLWwacd7pYv01AFre8sxU6lLS9MD6dj3BfTu1bgSf1gGfpMVuAo0DdrKnWBu3CN9xU2RiyOQW0S66a-OCqKeV_AmoG3Kv18a6aRWpVnoe8iYfysloQFX07ql782e_Sf3GtJPZNDAlzaODSL4c0fXeF8VaWrO6PZOMu19y1UWrN-xCP1y8WGnlvBG/s4032/IMG_8448.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BLWwacd7pYv01AFre8sxU6lLS9MD6dj3BfTu1bgSf1gGfpMVuAo0DdrKnWBu3CN9xU2RiyOQW0S66a-OCqKeV_AmoG3Kv18a6aRWpVnoe8iYfysloQFX07ql782e_Sf3GtJPZNDAlzaODSL4c0fXeF8VaWrO6PZOMu19y1UWrN-xCP1y8WGnlvBG/s320/IMG_8448.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Audubon Bridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43yllLk4JBiODiQ6cC6srh5CCnBMG1dxke7Qje4LZ6s03kwFbQ5YinQWdipouH7UErXqSnLSyFIWfaPLAUY7XwhShxKL1b2FJDHCKfmzIUv-vul0CKDzgK1mbHA6ojfqYQHPhdRbj_BKZZHL6uOMHyLkkhXxHPXzgs8boWBN63ruk7_cjp29jf13i/s4032/IMG_8450.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi43yllLk4JBiODiQ6cC6srh5CCnBMG1dxke7Qje4LZ6s03kwFbQ5YinQWdipouH7UErXqSnLSyFIWfaPLAUY7XwhShxKL1b2FJDHCKfmzIUv-vul0CKDzgK1mbHA6ojfqYQHPhdRbj_BKZZHL6uOMHyLkkhXxHPXzgs8boWBN63ruk7_cjp29jf13i/s320/IMG_8450.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving early, no line to board the Countess!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"> Back on board we enjoyed another great meal as we headed downriver to Baton Rouge!<br /></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 5 - Baton Rouge to White Castle<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SFQGEckEKy7zJbmi9WKN2ia7UYA20AJ9PMCw7Z51KZAN4DZDkkIXInWhjyCGf9OT5I4vAME4OxT5P1Gh9R8g2GSkjGtkh4LKKYg0s8qnFW-yWX81p6RYIEt6QE-JPooO7DGNnXIfNtPIvlhsh212Teo41DYF5iFoOSg-QLg23SjU_sA1mxVwAF4E/s4032/IMG_8452.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SFQGEckEKy7zJbmi9WKN2ia7UYA20AJ9PMCw7Z51KZAN4DZDkkIXInWhjyCGf9OT5I4vAME4OxT5P1Gh9R8g2GSkjGtkh4LKKYg0s8qnFW-yWX81p6RYIEt6QE-JPooO7DGNnXIfNtPIvlhsh212Teo41DYF5iFoOSg-QLg23SjU_sA1mxVwAF4E/s320/IMG_8452.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">38 or 55 miles<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBOterfeT8ncons1u9NuLGPF1ZEJGT8wneOD-cnu6jPa-e7-1wVwHWq6MOlgiJ8pxR-oK41eqPaDMighK_UuTJIXtGfD9zrLVo7e_1I53HaphQWHvOv_MqpDIUrQ3tZh4Dw88NOSxEqQXPUk3kTHQsdaTD2fqMeV7m4V3Epa_vbQSZ8-vqbKCgxvG/s2532/IMG_8520.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2532" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBOterfeT8ncons1u9NuLGPF1ZEJGT8wneOD-cnu6jPa-e7-1wVwHWq6MOlgiJ8pxR-oK41eqPaDMighK_UuTJIXtGfD9zrLVo7e_1I53HaphQWHvOv_MqpDIUrQ3tZh4Dw88NOSxEqQXPUk3kTHQsdaTD2fqMeV7m4V3Epa_vbQSZ8-vqbKCgxvG/s320/IMG_8520.PNG" width="148" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you say head/crosswind?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We sailed overnight and arrived in Baton Rouge sometime before dawn. Some days are easier than others to pick the route option for the day. Today was a no-brainer, with building head/cross winds all day, we selected the 38 mile option!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUboCN27_-PSM8rGfuJou0xdQkPAIy9tvh9ZEN7b9x8ZIaKp5_2oiRMYLTvijXYReSHWjMOxw7pUkfpzIvwfjDYkycaXpzlI4Nn7a563wK1rk2E2D9TTr_nWcnZ2ZnZlN9fTbvjol4gtjO797U101MNxEEjS2CFdelIxeT9dSft1tqDbc9PGiFigU/s4032/IMG_8455.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUboCN27_-PSM8rGfuJou0xdQkPAIy9tvh9ZEN7b9x8ZIaKp5_2oiRMYLTvijXYReSHWjMOxw7pUkfpzIvwfjDYkycaXpzlI4Nn7a563wK1rk2E2D9TTr_nWcnZ2ZnZlN9fTbvjol4gtjO797U101MNxEEjS2CFdelIxeT9dSft1tqDbc9PGiFigU/s320/IMG_8455.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the cruise terminal in Baton Rouge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNjN5ZZNGYsKorIx33MgvK6O0QI-kpvvU1XsP6lFzzk1BmIZQguTD-m331g5DqOVW354F6J1aopTN5KD9VSog54eokfB6EMp6bSG3UxnSD_42fWFwDXcN7zqdMFhyuFpBkMXf09A_iih5gZKGyy2Wqo9ap0N3bAINnk7PEcbl3i83qnMzHSZdNQQ3/s3088/IMG_8461.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfNjN5ZZNGYsKorIx33MgvK6O0QI-kpvvU1XsP6lFzzk1BmIZQguTD-m331g5DqOVW354F6J1aopTN5KD9VSog54eokfB6EMp6bSG3UxnSD_42fWFwDXcN7zqdMFhyuFpBkMXf09A_iih5gZKGyy2Wqo9ap0N3bAINnk7PEcbl3i83qnMzHSZdNQQ3/s320/IMG_8461.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mostly smooth roads on levees <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho78VlyzzuPyjIiTzZvuAykG76G6oPLY6bNYJNOFaPL57Sk6v9-8UrMi6fIRUEXjuiXtL-tNyRSG6mOUsvSBQhfIsi74ZpxYbCRnD6_lWTbXWtp9cL71FF1ZfvZyMnEng0SQ1Mt83XyKLlB2BExeT2rpgBVILl0mt9Pr3WiOuBN-ENLY6XYdTKk9OU/s4032/IMG_8466.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho78VlyzzuPyjIiTzZvuAykG76G6oPLY6bNYJNOFaPL57Sk6v9-8UrMi6fIRUEXjuiXtL-tNyRSG6mOUsvSBQhfIsi74ZpxYbCRnD6_lWTbXWtp9cL71FF1ZfvZyMnEng0SQ1Mt83XyKLlB2BExeT2rpgBVILl0mt9Pr3WiOuBN-ENLY6XYdTKk9OU/s320/IMG_8466.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exposed levee that is!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Weather was great, but you could really feel the building headwind! Much of the morning route was on a fantastic bike path built on a levee. Occasionally the route would descend a few feet back to a road, then the route would return to the levee. Generally, the detour was caused by pipelines or other nautical obstacles along the way. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5qdl-fROw2w" width="320" youtube-src-id="5qdl-fROw2w"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Running of the cows!<br /></div>Of course if the levee was on grazing land, we would also drop down to the road. Along this stretch a herd of cows decided to run along with our two-member peloton! Check out the wind noise in the video!<br /><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SJhNApdzpHJn-hkfUvkK-SwG7frZGcb6Ih2DyjKD412d9OBoN6EkshmyhlYtKRmnjlE3i1DVMWesJQbAhczgh2Wt3tE0Un385oyVBQQolxItKvMH1BqT0oRb92gk9YGgYmz20juEyDZLuQWYJhIMN5mduIvOFRvd6RWiLKeJLVS3DMtNJ3gCJtLd/s4032/IMG_8484.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4SJhNApdzpHJn-hkfUvkK-SwG7frZGcb6Ih2DyjKD412d9OBoN6EkshmyhlYtKRmnjlE3i1DVMWesJQbAhczgh2Wt3tE0Un385oyVBQQolxItKvMH1BqT0oRb92gk9YGgYmz20juEyDZLuQWYJhIMN5mduIvOFRvd6RWiLKeJLVS3DMtNJ3gCJtLd/s320/IMG_8484.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boarding the ferry to Plaquemine<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB1qe7B1EkvSqCUiy3SIt7gN0nv_rcwewkMZpcddfJQFVLZdqh0d6rhXc6RItnL8PHqebSFqvkeNbwvZxtPjVblZF4K9BUI3xyL3Ck-5QvmLSxAf8yyGG7KO0PwmndtK3fmelQ3v7IOB-v7dBXNz653Ay1uhgxkLDPx87REKDhBlt_xa8v2fVgAEZ/s4032/IMG_8486.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtB1qe7B1EkvSqCUiy3SIt7gN0nv_rcwewkMZpcddfJQFVLZdqh0d6rhXc6RItnL8PHqebSFqvkeNbwvZxtPjVblZF4K9BUI3xyL3Ck-5QvmLSxAf8yyGG7KO0PwmndtK3fmelQ3v7IOB-v7dBXNz653Ay1uhgxkLDPx87REKDhBlt_xa8v2fVgAEZ/s320/IMG_8486.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More bikes than cars<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoG4OrSL-64j8qAjcODhgbMtb2J3C8bwTEHUXBIc68E75YxUJBUYlWxhWqmgiIkfqB35ouwGHHA9Cy3x43b5AP_Y38IH1x3EC8EhuibJRqvEdmapIVCD_WTb39HnACjs89aJathOzpVZpZa5ov3VAjBJzaKDw4BXhyIDNGZvrD4mOFAsRJA28it2h/s3088/IMG_8488.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoG4OrSL-64j8qAjcODhgbMtb2J3C8bwTEHUXBIc68E75YxUJBUYlWxhWqmgiIkfqB35ouwGHHA9Cy3x43b5AP_Y38IH1x3EC8EhuibJRqvEdmapIVCD_WTb39HnACjs89aJathOzpVZpZa5ov3VAjBJzaKDw4BXhyIDNGZvrD4mOFAsRJA28it2h/s320/IMG_8488.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ferry to Plaquemine<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> <br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdOf2w-HN31Y745D0gI8gluMoifOilRMmjeJd-XclecByvM8JQXV-ChvrcFbOsGGwcfJfC8SmKRI9_NtkQ25BUqaNoiOBmq-1EdWaWNHywP2Dcw1_M4BdX3SIAc1daLX-hch_DL61rT7_tgK0taXwMr-ASztdYDqgEzGjA_gdzB4NssKNMNJoXhBZ/s4032/IMG_8489.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdOf2w-HN31Y745D0gI8gluMoifOilRMmjeJd-XclecByvM8JQXV-ChvrcFbOsGGwcfJfC8SmKRI9_NtkQ25BUqaNoiOBmq-1EdWaWNHywP2Dcw1_M4BdX3SIAc1daLX-hch_DL61rT7_tgK0taXwMr-ASztdYDqgEzGjA_gdzB4NssKNMNJoXhBZ/s320/IMG_8489.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch in Plaquemine<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While on the ferry, I looked up lunch/snack options in Plaquemine. There
was a local doughnut shop on Google maps that looked interesting, but we rode in circles trying
to find it. Finally giving up, and getting way hungry, we hopped into a Burger King for our only fast food meal of the trip!</div><div><br /></div><div>Back on the road, there two two sights left on the agenda; the Smallest Church in the World, and the Nottoway Mansion. With full tummies we get back on the road!<br /></div><div></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMCJz-jLu7qM7tL8uO3IGx3GJ9L2Yphh2U2m1XRONCLh2z4ZxCYJ9pUNxxVxKcOBIf3BTsXaoOGC3i5LUwht1RtwKcYHeDtXWXPol3LZgZaETcOoDzThjJ1NNGG4TZ-itDYy-K4eBUnd8zwJpMwEYe2mgiIcpom89XIRBq8PqGWLo1N77hkWNvPzL/s4032/IMG_8494.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMCJz-jLu7qM7tL8uO3IGx3GJ9L2Yphh2U2m1XRONCLh2z4ZxCYJ9pUNxxVxKcOBIf3BTsXaoOGC3i5LUwht1RtwKcYHeDtXWXPol3LZgZaETcOoDzThjJ1NNGG4TZ-itDYy-K4eBUnd8zwJpMwEYe2mgiIcpom89XIRBq8PqGWLo1N77hkWNvPzL/s320/IMG_8494.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many local cemeteries...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8zmK_XYvPUJj6ixVwDTjs37CyrWw35Luju_6MZNpmEkZVNdaLp0BAEmoyl9P6aKD786mBZ8qKCji7wevhNXew2BfrG3twK9I39ZJr57mmQrJDUXJ-k7K-V9cWa_HbbD8HtbZQJ19jLOM_wgaMo59SfO_Mlolu1JmMkgw7nirdgiw4f3qPGOvBZas/s4032/IMG_8490.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx8zmK_XYvPUJj6ixVwDTjs37CyrWw35Luju_6MZNpmEkZVNdaLp0BAEmoyl9P6aKD786mBZ8qKCji7wevhNXew2BfrG3twK9I39ZJr57mmQrJDUXJ-k7K-V9cWa_HbbD8HtbZQJ19jLOM_wgaMo59SfO_Mlolu1JmMkgw7nirdgiw4f3qPGOvBZas/s320/IMG_8490.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... chemical and petroleum refineries<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeh5WqpoyP1qOfUlPydr8WUuNTB2c8lawXKY0a4OyXE7yEUqBcRbga8W71XvCdD7ris7-GCCINkHblCpG1xRR7a-c4TDfG9cUTr3YzYVodAJRYhABnZFxtPAgYs8KEbwxxUTJVeyHfiHurk9DAw2NTCXHY_8WMu_5vcD5Q_IFvCgIdisNo4bxN62nr/s4032/IMG_8516.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeh5WqpoyP1qOfUlPydr8WUuNTB2c8lawXKY0a4OyXE7yEUqBcRbga8W71XvCdD7ris7-GCCINkHblCpG1xRR7a-c4TDfG9cUTr3YzYVodAJRYhABnZFxtPAgYs8KEbwxxUTJVeyHfiHurk9DAw2NTCXHY_8WMu_5vcD5Q_IFvCgIdisNo4bxN62nr/s320/IMG_8516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice neighborhoods...<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ47NgEH4jKXot1gUz3sVje7U1xa5-0-ms5n0WOLSxGUwPNckYW-hWLQNOBqXLDeq0klRv02GwT0HtqSpQ972QBVCKAESNG6TfWZsd3bN3NiiiI5RTjLXX52CyfSbzD6ImS-TS1cWm-UAkyIRTiwVWbcCcf6neNz8-EvdaPc2EAcec5L2THe4iQvA/s4032/IMG_8497.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifZ47NgEH4jKXot1gUz3sVje7U1xa5-0-ms5n0WOLSxGUwPNckYW-hWLQNOBqXLDeq0klRv02GwT0HtqSpQ972QBVCKAESNG6TfWZsd3bN3NiiiI5RTjLXX52CyfSbzD6ImS-TS1cWm-UAkyIRTiwVWbcCcf6neNz8-EvdaPc2EAcec5L2THe4iQvA/s320/IMG_8497.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">..and neighborhoods in ruins!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR38992sBAID1s3vEmAiwGs4PZFgDmNBYVkNmxp8LjwOTfRa7tb6HfuXnN7rEh3JKClY9jZK6Q4nW424tEwnkevD5uIP71u7jbbnAtEEYNSDJujGA3ZyWYbzi6k-AWrHeRVGV6Vz6ADtTuNRnv1M54N23fAAAt17oYBiyqnfL3aCxgxdnS0wyEqapd/s4032/IMG_8503.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR38992sBAID1s3vEmAiwGs4PZFgDmNBYVkNmxp8LjwOTfRa7tb6HfuXnN7rEh3JKClY9jZK6Q4nW424tEwnkevD5uIP71u7jbbnAtEEYNSDJujGA3ZyWYbzi6k-AWrHeRVGV6Vz6ADtTuNRnv1M54N23fAAAt17oYBiyqnfL3aCxgxdnS0wyEqapd/s320/IMG_8503.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We would have missed it if not for this sign!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEF0gR7a0gLbaHVMdSqG4aA1T6-vrprpNcTJzc8DsT7wfzwH8ZfRWY5Qhb3O-HRQIaXSH_WccFAZ7jxt0s04ZstuV5l1ZJZVhvqJE8WNQ0rqkurXbVl2tyRsoQCn4oxYoZVt7vJBZXgkLirxmueddcWkVEWw3zqtY4gpfMEH-rwS4Oa5czT3X3yVw/s2592/IMG_8502.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2592" data-original-width="1827" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEF0gR7a0gLbaHVMdSqG4aA1T6-vrprpNcTJzc8DsT7wfzwH8ZfRWY5Qhb3O-HRQIaXSH_WccFAZ7jxt0s04ZstuV5l1ZJZVhvqJE8WNQ0rqkurXbVl2tyRsoQCn4oxYoZVt7vJBZXgkLirxmueddcWkVEWw3zqtY4gpfMEH-rwS4Oa5czT3X3yVw/s320/IMG_8502.JPG" width="226" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuGWZ3y401Bc9snbaAwgstNrsxKMS0w4q6H2NBv01WRwIDV-OfcDj1Wd7AovXed3-TmYmrMPrGm3D_dYgCJFKuh6XIshuyly0QHdrf8U1ySh7WcQBLfygL9Xoz4Z0jTRzc8XFx6g5ZMguMc6KHDhiO7eu5ENZf7Ap4wb0yWJRj4eyljTX66lomjOd/s4032/IMG_8498.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKuGWZ3y401Bc9snbaAwgstNrsxKMS0w4q6H2NBv01WRwIDV-OfcDj1Wd7AovXed3-TmYmrMPrGm3D_dYgCJFKuh6XIshuyly0QHdrf8U1ySh7WcQBLfygL9Xoz4Z0jTRzc8XFx6g5ZMguMc6KHDhiO7eu5ENZf7Ap4wb0yWJRj4eyljTX66lomjOd/s320/IMG_8498.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volunteers were painting the interior!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDll9vE-CWdKlkzUY9kea4-BhF4kuCaLAfimG9vVuLvCDQ4XyF3VxhTjnIEeR9OQA7Acin2oII5wzcM2GZ2Wp0XSF0B5BcnGegyLj3P125poSBxjQoN17cuM_Ob2rvZXGQiNTqLC4UPJzBokMOF7bO6sItP5eJKSleadfcjsGvggfZWRSH0PpsJkLs/s320/IMG_8500.JPG" width="320" /></div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Pleasant Mary garden at the Chapel<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We blew past the Smallest Church in the World, but circled back to check it out! There was a volunteer couple repainting the interior, so we just took a few pictures around the chapel and relaxed in the shade of the Mary Garden. It was Palm Sunday, but there is no Mass here today. The Chapel holds Mass only once a year, during the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother!<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Next stop, Nottoway Mansion.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-WM0ijdP8vCOY84ToB-MGPH_sLWPJhOMpgqB5PF3ca91rtp9BozPHCDDyvgXfT39kdhj4DkkN9thcSwtCYDAW-o4YUWizUIDYSuxKYDWmfTKCkNt2EBpHnAsqyqaaCGHtmz95g9qfem7IkzzRMFI8GEZslbnIF2V-KZ8Ttd43Z5bukbtnft0fP7V/s4032/IMG_8509.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-WM0ijdP8vCOY84ToB-MGPH_sLWPJhOMpgqB5PF3ca91rtp9BozPHCDDyvgXfT39kdhj4DkkN9thcSwtCYDAW-o4YUWizUIDYSuxKYDWmfTKCkNt2EBpHnAsqyqaaCGHtmz95g9qfem7IkzzRMFI8GEZslbnIF2V-KZ8Ttd43Z5bukbtnft0fP7V/s320/IMG_8509.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nottoway Mansion<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>The Nottoway mansion (aka. White Castle) is billed as the South's most magnificent mansion remaining from the antebellum era. Built in 1844 by a successful sugar magnate, its been an evolving museum of the era since 1980.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNwi0OcJqXgnV3GrvtIpy_a7D4fcrod9IyCU88wLsbOZ8_wyZQSyyRdeq6ZTOrWXQpqT5n50FLZB4xKSy2lACXOk7gmvXlYPx1sEW8XyYRSaVe5qXGTPz5LZNHR2bhOvPlPuAitb4Mb_O-QK5DC51YftkfYEbwezqAs4RFadvPkRhocwAN44An-9y/s4032/IMG_8513.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNwi0OcJqXgnV3GrvtIpy_a7D4fcrod9IyCU88wLsbOZ8_wyZQSyyRdeq6ZTOrWXQpqT5n50FLZB4xKSy2lACXOk7gmvXlYPx1sEW8XyYRSaVe5qXGTPz5LZNHR2bhOvPlPuAitb4Mb_O-QK5DC51YftkfYEbwezqAs4RFadvPkRhocwAN44An-9y/s320/IMG_8513.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the turnoff to the White Castle ferry landing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div> </div><div>With the building heat and wind, we decided to pass on the Nottoway tour and head directly to the boat to finish our day!<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5FSdj3FRDlDkjt2P_zbt-DQyvVHt2mFm_ZvGsDzkcU1K6whK_JUFs16VdlOrZwHJjOzGWdBtDQADdTr3GHBGEU2okLu-rNUYY-G-yfY7E5b092hSqO-2aLHBU1g63yvsoCswDw7mfw0eWDkr-iSbnZ3J2oZ9jzIzHqg22Q8G8ear8k_-OoygyPHi/s4032/IMG_8519.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5FSdj3FRDlDkjt2P_zbt-DQyvVHt2mFm_ZvGsDzkcU1K6whK_JUFs16VdlOrZwHJjOzGWdBtDQADdTr3GHBGEU2okLu-rNUYY-G-yfY7E5b092hSqO-2aLHBU1g63yvsoCswDw7mfw0eWDkr-iSbnZ3J2oZ9jzIzHqg22Q8G8ear8k_-OoygyPHi/s320/IMG_8519.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of a windy, but worthwhile day!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Don't be fooled by the flat terrain, and short distance. This was one of the more difficult days on the bikes. We were both very happy we elected the shorter route.<br /><h4 style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDAsP4KVTsHbLtzyJO_2Ke9xVo8YpK02N3rWKVIGbFC16n42ZI5_mYE5x6Jx9cjkGGSs60DBe8QaSS77ekD-GX_tWcy2kGuzYWNoKaFIdoEu7EP_gWh9i5FlXXVeuqVdW1sblRtpe4cKKb_B_xyy0p4deedtkTjSZL8mV0AqxJqWDyBAAFT0aDzQb/s4032/IMG_8522.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDAsP4KVTsHbLtzyJO_2Ke9xVo8YpK02N3rWKVIGbFC16n42ZI5_mYE5x6Jx9cjkGGSs60DBe8QaSS77ekD-GX_tWcy2kGuzYWNoKaFIdoEu7EP_gWh9i5FlXXVeuqVdW1sblRtpe4cKKb_B_xyy0p4deedtkTjSZL8mV0AqxJqWDyBAAFT0aDzQb/s320/IMG_8522.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bikes enjoyed the shade of our veranda too!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></h4><p style="text-align: left;">The best part of the day, the stern of the boat was shaded, so we were able to relax and recover in the shade of our room's veranda!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFUS0qoW2RFf44Rf9d-o80qhNAvP-tjGuTbKFKrjtvrmjSabKZ5e2VQPpBY-_7V4tl8Vk_PoPUpB4lgdU665_qIXtKxxHY9gVshIhHk-DuxG1s9WYrij7_gNX5a7IofPxn7YP9JkDqy6H-wx4O74w9FapUCHqK-yHX_Xtopyvtau7ha3RCP-BZfYg/s4032/IMG_8523.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFUS0qoW2RFf44Rf9d-o80qhNAvP-tjGuTbKFKrjtvrmjSabKZ5e2VQPpBY-_7V4tl8Vk_PoPUpB4lgdU665_qIXtKxxHY9gVshIhHk-DuxG1s9WYrij7_gNX5a7IofPxn7YP9JkDqy6H-wx4O74w9FapUCHqK-yHX_Xtopyvtau7ha3RCP-BZfYg/s320/IMG_8523.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomorrow we will wake up in New Orleans!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 6 - New Orleans<br /></h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83KWiuneH5Thlm_fHDhkZA_wD63aB7Ej5_fOKb-6P7_msW-ZT2Cj11ZTwnxogpmEs3qTg61yvRYdwq7miewv_iOBdiPAkWf-86LivuLx1GegBOAmKRF_-h7KZVbhjPPhqsVZwv859OFcjp_ycLv_exjoodWsr5MOr7AZGg5ymvL74AOfoIIflOOzt/s4032/IMG_8524.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83KWiuneH5Thlm_fHDhkZA_wD63aB7Ej5_fOKb-6P7_msW-ZT2Cj11ZTwnxogpmEs3qTg61yvRYdwq7miewv_iOBdiPAkWf-86LivuLx1GegBOAmKRF_-h7KZVbhjPPhqsVZwv859OFcjp_ycLv_exjoodWsr5MOr7AZGg5ymvL74AOfoIIflOOzt/s320/IMG_8524.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Critical mass ride area<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />We awake in New Orleans at the cruise terminal. This morning's ride is a critical mass ride/city tour of the French Quarter and surrounding area. We'll be guided by 'Kenny the Hero.' Kenny was a professional cyclist competing in South America when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. He flew home right away to help in any way he could. Shortly after arriving, he and a small group of others, 'borrowed' a boat and spent the next several days rescuing over 400 stranded residents!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0OYihIrc5ocCXHJtacua33DebLem4P4846Iq60P_bF5taNOKpwlD-1ej1l9KTfzHpdhve-O_YzlQgusFWfEm9Bu1VgurujYeBG2yyInk9vT7rFEBx2qISCd4NQh7EHbDZgBz6Ldd97s8rabNndxESZDjk4D-7oK3PUyZHD4B2lMYF936Z79QeqDH/s3088/IMG_8525.JPEG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2316" data-original-width="3088" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho0OYihIrc5ocCXHJtacua33DebLem4P4846Iq60P_bF5taNOKpwlD-1ej1l9KTfzHpdhve-O_YzlQgusFWfEm9Bu1VgurujYeBG2yyInk9vT7rFEBx2qISCd4NQh7EHbDZgBz6Ldd97s8rabNndxESZDjk4D-7oK3PUyZHD4B2lMYF936Z79QeqDH/s320/IMG_8525.JPEG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ty and yours truly lining up for the ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>So what is a Critical Mass ride anyway? Basically enough cyclists take the over the road so that the whole group can ride as one. If a light turns red while part of the group passes, the whole group continues. Sometimes not to the delight of motorists and pedestrians. Debby was not up for a hectic group ride so I headed out on my own with Ty.<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9CZ0AiynAtX7nLEg_SrEmakL-S-JZN1xeXrDxrMSgZ9QtY2eVRExogyDDCd_kOhOiNBsikUHH4JK15fGAGbAkiekSsbr8jmLMKtgka-uuqRca7qqZ8Sn-GZYFrVII7xtCcjjS7Dwc7nKHCoydejLeNHgsKctQsoC6pOouL_KkL6r8QmI4PeumPRb/s3088/IMG_8535.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx9CZ0AiynAtX7nLEg_SrEmakL-S-JZN1xeXrDxrMSgZ9QtY2eVRExogyDDCd_kOhOiNBsikUHH4JK15fGAGbAkiekSsbr8jmLMKtgka-uuqRca7qqZ8Sn-GZYFrVII7xtCcjjS7Dwc7nKHCoydejLeNHgsKctQsoC6pOouL_KkL6r8QmI4PeumPRb/s320/IMG_8535.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wet Bourbon Street!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div><br />We met Ty in the Peabody Bar in Memphis for the morning Duck march and suffered together through the chaos of the COVID testing later that day. Ty was the only one of our small group that didn't get COVID after the trip. He attributed his immunity to time spent in the bar!</div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Our strategy on the ride was to stay on the front near Kenny and we had a great ride!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMlEGkF4EivtZO2DK7CKQiEAgHD7RT8Jpx3AWO2DaIZlWdXeyeWHiKGh-1so46jw954u_dRzD1r3OO8_asTfXIc8xFiRkaYmOGgKq8HlV_dpBkTHKxkTWC7b2dTo6IFtBU3gQzm5T-xwo5BelZUraoZSf-W3032Uc73o-45d_1oTs1GeCSTJBIoqW/s4032/IMG_8554.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMlEGkF4EivtZO2DK7CKQiEAgHD7RT8Jpx3AWO2DaIZlWdXeyeWHiKGh-1so46jw954u_dRzD1r3OO8_asTfXIc8xFiRkaYmOGgKq8HlV_dpBkTHKxkTWC7b2dTo6IFtBU3gQzm5T-xwo5BelZUraoZSf-W3032Uc73o-45d_1oTs1GeCSTJBIoqW/s320/IMG_8554.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kelly Bellau<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br />Kenny tells the story of how he and a bunch of guys from a half-way house 'borrowed' a boat and rescued hundreds of people stranded on rooftops during the aftermath of Katrina. He thought the parolees were firemen, and they thought he was a cop. Anyway they made a great team. His racing days are over, but he has become a legend in New Orleans<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL59RA2X0mY7c8tiXnT2dyV7-3n5gXeoh9s3ZirJWuM_C2OMoRYXRN9JtvmdhWag4s0JpXMaIw93vikiAqX5YTq08AB_HCUWDc01BKboI9jUEOj4WzbXkrhNwTobuzFuMh7CAU84DPpc6DVn_b_tZ3UmRWEZ35_XjR6ZJxHgEAIp62JWHYGR-RCKo1/s4032/IMG_8561.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL59RA2X0mY7c8tiXnT2dyV7-3n5gXeoh9s3ZirJWuM_C2OMoRYXRN9JtvmdhWag4s0JpXMaIw93vikiAqX5YTq08AB_HCUWDc01BKboI9jUEOj4WzbXkrhNwTobuzFuMh7CAU84DPpc6DVn_b_tZ3UmRWEZ35_XjR6ZJxHgEAIp62JWHYGR-RCKo1/s320/IMG_8561.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Touring through New Orleans City Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>There were several stoker-less tandems on the tour!</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCaHwo6D87gXrr7u2Luyf-LFR5cCFGTsm4Pd-O74RuviJQKvK8K4T0jcf9gBVvX11FjI-WG9-cDb-FI9LNHWHbgW6rCPmpZPilEi6G_lpdfQyTwJkh0J98-u4di4HF9p8EAv41XPMhIaX5NjnbxGls-9Y-9nRVjLQqLsTSWQWpteMfM9LrhvW3e7n/s4032/IMG_8569.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHCaHwo6D87gXrr7u2Luyf-LFR5cCFGTsm4Pd-O74RuviJQKvK8K4T0jcf9gBVvX11FjI-WG9-cDb-FI9LNHWHbgW6rCPmpZPilEi6G_lpdfQyTwJkh0J98-u4di4HF9p8EAv41XPMhIaX5NjnbxGls-9Y-9nRVjLQqLsTSWQWpteMfM9LrhvW3e7n/s320/IMG_8569.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the last stops on the tour<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>We returned to the boat in time for lunch after our two hour city tour that covered nearly 30 miles! After lunch it was time to pack up the bikes and get ready to disembark. We decided to go to the show after dinner on the boat, but headed out before the end of the first set!<br /></div><div><h4 style="text-align: left;">Day 7 - Disembark and post-tour</h4></div><div>We decided to book our own hotel for the next three nights to tour New Orleans. We stayed at the historic Roosevelt Hotel, now a Waldorf Astoria Hilton, and cashed in some of our Hilton points!</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a great old hotel with a classic lobby. Located just outside the French Quarter, we could walk to most places we wanted to visit. The room was ready early so we checked in and started our post-tour. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2ZP0Xk95PrVQ2Knt0FfvtiENbXjHWvCAVVdtifOskMvITR-Iy57Xy-NasUPpXkNNqujD7oyQIm4PcDAbpSEn-4a-pLnTH2V5dPlGP2P6qi28S5baym8h5GdsZDTtKV7mv18pw9TiFY4pVp9fD91Wzky-WpirGi9eZAqc6s6p7sz7LnCu9EqrvGVr/s4032/IMG_8575.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2ZP0Xk95PrVQ2Knt0FfvtiENbXjHWvCAVVdtifOskMvITR-Iy57Xy-NasUPpXkNNqujD7oyQIm4PcDAbpSEn-4a-pLnTH2V5dPlGP2P6qi28S5baym8h5GdsZDTtKV7mv18pw9TiFY4pVp9fD91Wzky-WpirGi9eZAqc6s6p7sz7LnCu9EqrvGVr/s320/IMG_8575.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lobby Piano at the Roosevelt Hotel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKioC5pcrxjA08chc62YKaUFD_El5f-UzB2qw1h7XN1LbMTJ8bbv17hadV4Us-EuFDe7E9dKgW-MXbVw17f6wOQX92gug9ljR6JmdlZHutP5OAFm-ge5EvXrt9V_H_3wUmFNa67GHsAr2TzhkwxjpnyQfW0o7HICbRp-2rVlsZNQ5a4an_BoxX3kpP/s4032/IMG_8576.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKioC5pcrxjA08chc62YKaUFD_El5f-UzB2qw1h7XN1LbMTJ8bbv17hadV4Us-EuFDe7E9dKgW-MXbVw17f6wOQX92gug9ljR6JmdlZHutP5OAFm-ge5EvXrt9V_H_3wUmFNa67GHsAr2TzhkwxjpnyQfW0o7HICbRp-2rVlsZNQ5a4an_BoxX3kpP/s320/IMG_8576.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The piano's history, built in 1893!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We headed out to the French Quarter to start our post-tour tour. We shopped at the French Market and found a great restaurant there with live music, for lunch!<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mEvYKbNJQ8I32OGPe8jQj0Z2eHuc6_-zwEz8pq9K6jBqb2sFu4p8lc4iL4uf5vxAZ4bHueYEp2DiVlCxfIVztCHwUvrGdAxTP_tGI9I8yslyNX2pvZ9rG8L6POakDXPhjy0irLq6MqB28EHt-2rQAF4U4iRPGgOjS5YbC7Ek955Fa2sk0PS5jFvu/s4032/IMG_8579.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-mEvYKbNJQ8I32OGPe8jQj0Z2eHuc6_-zwEz8pq9K6jBqb2sFu4p8lc4iL4uf5vxAZ4bHueYEp2DiVlCxfIVztCHwUvrGdAxTP_tGI9I8yslyNX2pvZ9rG8L6POakDXPhjy0irLq6MqB28EHt-2rQAF4U4iRPGgOjS5YbC7Ek955Fa2sk0PS5jFvu/s320/IMG_8579.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Muffaletta's in the French Market<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMclxmPhsl5ghscpZcH2Wh4URyBhqO2HnRzoLe5bhtdO6hIP8EI8OvHwKRCiIq1V0FCFtyPpUbJI8HPrmFltT9H8jAsEwRJE8A7E1taVk2AYHKTvruiOddfC_S1P-BJeCtkLloom97Me8YmHyJvQu31ot4i-hz0MMK9ViFL2JuVRc9rLb_sJowlx7/s4032/IMG_8582.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMclxmPhsl5ghscpZcH2Wh4URyBhqO2HnRzoLe5bhtdO6hIP8EI8OvHwKRCiIq1V0FCFtyPpUbJI8HPrmFltT9H8jAsEwRJE8A7E1taVk2AYHKTvruiOddfC_S1P-BJeCtkLloom97Me8YmHyJvQu31ot4i-hz0MMK9ViFL2JuVRc9rLb_sJowlx7/s320/IMG_8582.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great band for lunch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div>We would spend the next three days enjoying the city, but getting progressively more exhausted each day. By the time we got home we both had come down with COVID! Who knows where we picked it up! Several of the folks we had dinner with on the boat also tested positive after the trip. My guess it that we picked it up on the boat near the end of the tour. Debby's guess was that it was at Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club.<br /><div></div><div></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u6BxI3onk0FNeqPSFkCTPCQBdFljeomBJyXSf3UJpEzcFGgv1xZ2uRI9LkW3AT5GSWUdmep7exIdEH31baqkdQ9lPyMvJ3fxH5HwwhKa-UkqNHtnoa5vRJFbZdGJLW-V5LefdfNpPwdnV-LhD9epuNF6W06ifGfTg0MHsbAvSUKoyisdAtoZaPko/s4032/IMG_8588.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_u6BxI3onk0FNeqPSFkCTPCQBdFljeomBJyXSf3UJpEzcFGgv1xZ2uRI9LkW3AT5GSWUdmep7exIdEH31baqkdQ9lPyMvJ3fxH5HwwhKa-UkqNHtnoa5vRJFbZdGJLW-V5LefdfNpPwdnV-LhD9epuNF6W06ifGfTg0MHsbAvSUKoyisdAtoZaPko/s320/IMG_8588.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAvArWuvw_HQL-O8zJyskXq5FLg47GKUsv9uyszvdm5VcluxhH_SnlkiTKPr3Dnhw_HrDGmsa9Bxkwol06vvBnJ-9VOeyB1Iv-LTSpy-AMnA3z32dXW1LmiTkjXVYwcQe-IgXv6x2Hj9jvcafJxqQwH4ZNzUxsN8qYtRjh83WEFQ45Y1tZ9RNne4Q/s4032/IMG_8594.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAvArWuvw_HQL-O8zJyskXq5FLg47GKUsv9uyszvdm5VcluxhH_SnlkiTKPr3Dnhw_HrDGmsa9Bxkwol06vvBnJ-9VOeyB1Iv-LTSpy-AMnA3z32dXW1LmiTkjXVYwcQe-IgXv6x2Hj9jvcafJxqQwH4ZNzUxsN8qYtRjh83WEFQ45Y1tZ9RNne4Q/s320/IMG_8594.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZSCI4_lsgzSPRhqpeoHrIH_676kvEzMdalpHgG8zP55mRgUe4fN8vaxX7O33l5TbsqGkviAQ6TFEy_GUhN3TOAObQtIo1G7IEYdfRnxIHddv-JcTnXbCsfnfnurclQ2mxX1EwulBiClsfqx-yS4fNdF4CQpzNDCZeq-4tzJxsKS5_jSxzlLP4Zi6/s4032/IMG_8595.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWZSCI4_lsgzSPRhqpeoHrIH_676kvEzMdalpHgG8zP55mRgUe4fN8vaxX7O33l5TbsqGkviAQ6TFEy_GUhN3TOAObQtIo1G7IEYdfRnxIHddv-JcTnXbCsfnfnurclQ2mxX1EwulBiClsfqx-yS4fNdF4CQpzNDCZeq-4tzJxsKS5_jSxzlLP4Zi6/s320/IMG_8595.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cafe Beignets<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div>We tried to get into the Cafe du Monde for their beignets, but it was packed. The Cafe Beignet was just down the street from our hotel and they were awesome. Even better because there was no wait! The Bloody Mary was OK too!<br /></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbDsCj0LkaWVFEKM-LSDvH271y0L3QUgzCEdiRN7ioxdAEuxo1_qSopclNPZItCbEjUvfbs6BAzRg6LHkJkWw2wjYy0IxLuBQkYzr7pSW2dXn3xGbgfgaVKHODjUVhfwd-9lLG3ZyHmkjvlRIrFvnJBKBMkQH7-64190xmeiXaPHFZ_K0EPaknCxJ/s4032/IMG_8597.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbDsCj0LkaWVFEKM-LSDvH271y0L3QUgzCEdiRN7ioxdAEuxo1_qSopclNPZItCbEjUvfbs6BAzRg6LHkJkWw2wjYy0IxLuBQkYzr7pSW2dXn3xGbgfgaVKHODjUVhfwd-9lLG3ZyHmkjvlRIrFvnJBKBMkQH7-64190xmeiXaPHFZ_K0EPaknCxJ/s320/IMG_8597.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe I picked up COVID from this guy!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmNcLBMFKxiTGlIyjQrfNdWIaPZ0eCXB3BKLFa6pLllJdkKwMfYkr-0IPPXAOpHqQo6XPdq5Exxm0EO3pK12lce5MvMw4gb1PhXjvNGRxwpN2NhtTVy6n_wojt0ftat4cTc608f8hZ88hN7OynOed6ngkqVAnEt4gTDZbrVNSOYRKzHMzSe2VYWHq/s4032/IMG_8599.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlmNcLBMFKxiTGlIyjQrfNdWIaPZ0eCXB3BKLFa6pLllJdkKwMfYkr-0IPPXAOpHqQo6XPdq5Exxm0EO3pK12lce5MvMw4gb1PhXjvNGRxwpN2NhtTVy6n_wojt0ftat4cTc608f8hZ88hN7OynOed6ngkqVAnEt4gTDZbrVNSOYRKzHMzSe2VYWHq/s320/IMG_8599.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best music of the trip was here with these guys!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">A helpful vendor in the French Market recommended that we get off the beaten path and head to Frenchman street and check out some of the clubs and hang-outs that the locals prefer. She recommended the Spotted Cat Jazz Club and it was fantastic. We stayed for three sets!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxZXGYamDDsbU3hcm8vegLdXGofc7mDo-cGQGJak-0PSrsFg6rGsZyrucvDlUJgfi0Lqv4c9cbttJKhAxmSI64K9Nnqk53o8N6eaRnaRBgXyGWTSps7zywaOrjFQzz6FW2zScd91hCLqb-IWeFivQyhCQJj2W58xe2QLpsv0JGzNZHSyEt9M4UVoI/s4032/IMG_8635.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxZXGYamDDsbU3hcm8vegLdXGofc7mDo-cGQGJak-0PSrsFg6rGsZyrucvDlUJgfi0Lqv4c9cbttJKhAxmSI64K9Nnqk53o8N6eaRnaRBgXyGWTSps7zywaOrjFQzz6FW2zScd91hCLqb-IWeFivQyhCQJj2W58xe2QLpsv0JGzNZHSyEt9M4UVoI/s320/IMG_8635.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Louis Cemetery <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrK1wv6wNsBtLXbKqId0KKn56er61ENugiO-pK1d9ZSgbysbymZdgcMtO7Z6I99ZlWazjccJjcFaI5g01db8dOuOKA-Io4GZIVvCxGIeA3rpIKf0lq4GBX3ZGFgOphmK1bDrORwqbEePs3UQo_fYjcggY0szV4SQgJTYtZ1II0DHIteLTkQuVI7D4/s4032/IMG_8617.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbrK1wv6wNsBtLXbKqId0KKn56er61ENugiO-pK1d9ZSgbysbymZdgcMtO7Z6I99ZlWazjccJjcFaI5g01db8dOuOKA-Io4GZIVvCxGIeA3rpIKf0lq4GBX3ZGFgOphmK1bDrORwqbEePs3UQo_fYjcggY0szV4SQgJTYtZ1II0DHIteLTkQuVI7D4/s320/IMG_8617.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Lady of Guadalupe Church<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YoCL0P9mA8TkRbNP2Kx2nEjPf5968wtGZARhe1IpAabiV5cxkaWY31AOIKsWKG8AYamPhcMqn4nSsyuMwJg01Kv9-Lhf_MAAsDVqU65fZb8GDWuKOGKhsFZ8O8aBK7XfDQMq09jUsjmVJ_H_p9-nQlhf7K7xMn0D2hXHKFmzZcUuJfBZ9kFmxYcU/s4032/IMG_8619.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YoCL0P9mA8TkRbNP2Kx2nEjPf5968wtGZARhe1IpAabiV5cxkaWY31AOIKsWKG8AYamPhcMqn4nSsyuMwJg01Kv9-Lhf_MAAsDVqU65fZb8GDWuKOGKhsFZ8O8aBK7XfDQMq09jUsjmVJ_H_p9-nQlhf7K7xMn0D2hXHKFmzZcUuJfBZ9kFmxYcU/s320/IMG_8619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louis Armstrong park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0TRu9knQ1s2nP0uI4u1Vrxz5l82sPHv2R5CsbibQ9u2u3QrOqpEI_wD93NCyPhzQbAAZmQ0h5uIslN0g0lCX8r5OGIZ5CDNJxuQIT96Cc5hMkNl-P33yBtMRxpBlevs_7FcnV0eJWFt_ILmRQIiwr-HwjOzGjeS0fz46tnQ9_-EYLSYYB4ddm-Fe/s4032/IMG_8621.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0TRu9knQ1s2nP0uI4u1Vrxz5l82sPHv2R5CsbibQ9u2u3QrOqpEI_wD93NCyPhzQbAAZmQ0h5uIslN0g0lCX8r5OGIZ5CDNJxuQIT96Cc5hMkNl-P33yBtMRxpBlevs_7FcnV0eJWFt_ILmRQIiwr-HwjOzGjeS0fz46tnQ9_-EYLSYYB4ddm-Fe/s320/IMG_8621.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Louis Armstrong Monument<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We took a walking tour of the Foubourge Treme area including Louis Armstrong Park, Congo Square, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, and the St. Louis Cemetery's. We had all day passes for the street cars which made the it easy to get around.<br /><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9C4txIyS5Lu9MmenL1eb652QMOwKbnxz_2zEHo6hAlXhAxfZL-KRlXr9b815_UeKnzLLIjngu_c0SIEToW4NxaA5GCneJutTyyAMec1O8f2iUT1OJ3YR_9Y-5oMqG4S1lyEUJBvSl58_f_ZYMvS0thBkthGf2yQQuKTfShcXwlbiBfmwgNDgvAvF/s4032/IMG_8605.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9C4txIyS5Lu9MmenL1eb652QMOwKbnxz_2zEHo6hAlXhAxfZL-KRlXr9b815_UeKnzLLIjngu_c0SIEToW4NxaA5GCneJutTyyAMec1O8f2iUT1OJ3YR_9Y-5oMqG4S1lyEUJBvSl58_f_ZYMvS0thBkthGf2yQQuKTfShcXwlbiBfmwgNDgvAvF/s320/IMG_8605.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cajun specialties<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p></div><div></div><div></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauJRi5Q4P16pD4iyWf83M7EXBR2CtHJXOu66kd_Rl7Qpvtkq6sh-XeHGDYqYfUD1_vE7ArEZ02Xp6uE8jjpXmlOV9d_m8_Sp7EfNAr2ig9yjxVjJip4htDoqNQd-lLOc7ZCpnAzKBO_AzlGv7vEKUHvtHJr7xgekOmAN6Hrnne_Lxn8_rRTHYNdGg/s3088/IMG_8608.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauJRi5Q4P16pD4iyWf83M7EXBR2CtHJXOu66kd_Rl7Qpvtkq6sh-XeHGDYqYfUD1_vE7ArEZ02Xp6uE8jjpXmlOV9d_m8_Sp7EfNAr2ig9yjxVjJip4htDoqNQd-lLOc7ZCpnAzKBO_AzlGv7vEKUHvtHJr7xgekOmAN6Hrnne_Lxn8_rRTHYNdGg/s320/IMG_8608.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bourbon Street<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We found a recommended Cajun restaurant near Bourbon street that was fantastic for our second night in New Orleans.<p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXhsCxKHhB1s2evULdhGQgpdpzWQE0t6gfcnuCq0CN_Pq34i9aaJDU_60jUMPRpectDDiXRTqA3quJq8JlKA3RN5iVVnCtccsvukZlg2-7eHhGE5u5b3CKewanfIYoHIdi0zuNrfHnDnGqHpToUafkM2Ob5JjL0zZ1597KUX8T3XaVrjIUZo1Qerz/s4032/IMG_8643.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXhsCxKHhB1s2evULdhGQgpdpzWQE0t6gfcnuCq0CN_Pq34i9aaJDU_60jUMPRpectDDiXRTqA3quJq8JlKA3RN5iVVnCtccsvukZlg2-7eHhGE5u5b3CKewanfIYoHIdi0zuNrfHnDnGqHpToUafkM2Ob5JjL0zZ1597KUX8T3XaVrjIUZo1Qerz/s320/IMG_8643.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the ferry to Algiers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8SpP-Cssg8lh24BrDjs6hsmW2hFdBijOfJYhaTHMtYl8t6FiygylZsHL5-QJNsS4iW8duS67zoeQcoWFGUZKPs6vdY2AxTu8a6GtYpoZuTX6DZam1S514kCzSuPnT5sPWo395SRaFoGaSjkpoM00zAqlusn4WDTaw5q7Lsa8Xc83VY6JNkxZDuYr/s4032/IMG_8651.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8SpP-Cssg8lh24BrDjs6hsmW2hFdBijOfJYhaTHMtYl8t6FiygylZsHL5-QJNsS4iW8duS67zoeQcoWFGUZKPs6vdY2AxTu8a6GtYpoZuTX6DZam1S514kCzSuPnT5sPWo395SRaFoGaSjkpoM00zAqlusn4WDTaw5q7Lsa8Xc83VY6JNkxZDuYr/s320/IMG_8651.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keyboard steps in Algiers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvE_gO2kL3U2pi4auaA6b4olBCPVa0jf4PpnuBXY2rwfNqq3f1XaTMfdjqipYt6o3N-0V38xasAuYaE6S04p4lu8Zxh30SNe4e69nuElrEYXx0C0MVT95LFXJG-M-ZENy0z6KtwtCgyBzBglDXvt7ELHIkKdcvUff4IWFmRcGF6sHVcJSEfAIysvTQ/s4032/IMG_8654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvE_gO2kL3U2pi4auaA6b4olBCPVa0jf4PpnuBXY2rwfNqq3f1XaTMfdjqipYt6o3N-0V38xasAuYaE6S04p4lu8Zxh30SNe4e69nuElrEYXx0C0MVT95LFXJG-M-ZENy0z6KtwtCgyBzBglDXvt7ELHIkKdcvUff4IWFmRcGF6sHVcJSEfAIysvTQ/s320/IMG_8654.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar in Algiers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>They were filming a movie across the street and this place was overrun with movie crew and support, so we couldn't stop in!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVVhU0DrNOZjaXUS75tPkDuhCjg1L7wy8aqrvYgoxCDUMM9HVGEuSeDp2EjZUTCxnORBrw3McWFDEJ8tms32cTPBLkvEUEv26aWtp_LvSJyHW2Pv6emdT4dq9M_5IzLKZ0rkQREQMhFwr_LqflSc8_I-NhxiPxE8bp2OhLQbCElF6MAobsVZmCO_M/s4032/IMG_8657.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVVhU0DrNOZjaXUS75tPkDuhCjg1L7wy8aqrvYgoxCDUMM9HVGEuSeDp2EjZUTCxnORBrw3McWFDEJ8tms32cTPBLkvEUEv26aWtp_LvSJyHW2Pv6emdT4dq9M_5IzLKZ0rkQREQMhFwr_LqflSc8_I-NhxiPxE8bp2OhLQbCElF6MAobsVZmCO_M/s320/IMG_8657.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Distinctive colorfully painted shotgun houses in Algiers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Our final day had us taking the ferry to Algiers and following a walking tour. Cute houses and a throwback vibe well away from the tourist bustle of the French Quarter, made this a nice way to wrap up our last afternoon of the trip.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqAHSYOiICaDmNEXpTfX05R1jLHLmPWcK2P-Vsp-4yBibFpIgBozXBbwsHtq30nRVZeaWxWDhC15yEHEmbC8ajZ4LA4PHBzpmzdZ2CgE5KNjk_LWiEmWSNwusvBhFgQRxnITsGbl1ot0k1wtShtWWQKNjdvN0wankMy_zbVzTyUp3g2_bP8Y259LB/s4032/IMG_8665.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqAHSYOiICaDmNEXpTfX05R1jLHLmPWcK2P-Vsp-4yBibFpIgBozXBbwsHtq30nRVZeaWxWDhC15yEHEmbC8ajZ4LA4PHBzpmzdZ2CgE5KNjk_LWiEmWSNwusvBhFgQRxnITsGbl1ot0k1wtShtWWQKNjdvN0wankMy_zbVzTyUp3g2_bP8Y259LB/s320/IMG_8665.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Too tired (or sick) we picked up Fried Chicken for dinner<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">We were so tired on the last day, we decided to get some highly recommended Willies fried chicken and dine in the room. We packed up and headed home the next morning. <br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">We both arrived home feeling worse (flu-like). We had COVID PCR rests scheduled for our Israel trip the following week, but we moved them up and both of us tested positive the next morning. That nixed the Israel trip, and knocked us both out for about a week and a half.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally recovered, and testing negative, we spend some time with our grandson. He ended up with the stomach flu, and we both went down again for another week. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Before I knew it, in June we headed out to Copenhagen Denmark for another Santana Cruise, the Baltic Sea 2022.<br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">So those are my excuses for the tardy timing of this blog update. Hopefully you'll read about our Baltic adventure in a few weeks!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Until then, thanks for following along!</p><p style="text-align: left;">Steve Atkins</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/55281" target="_blank">Click here for the GPS files </a><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p></div><br />Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-67258228995832962232022-03-28T19:57:00.002-07:002022-03-28T19:58:42.503-07:002022 Scorpion 600km Brevet<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKfBJwlDizChZZ8WWgOs3UGc9hx-9nQB02TFxkGROgBBP9waWBlJSm0HDJNsePt1Ai-YNmpTqfuIdeMCRO2fY63Uw6qWHd1AB6Nssmjls-bi2eKbcJ5wBIl7N6hccwcEbMnFWK2eqUH-WeUlrcjMzNsOZWLoZmY_E3pAvaNqAQmocO8b3LDrgg2SV/s4032/IMG_7793.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJKfBJwlDizChZZ8WWgOs3UGc9hx-9nQB02TFxkGROgBBP9waWBlJSm0HDJNsePt1Ai-YNmpTqfuIdeMCRO2fY63Uw6qWHd1AB6Nssmjls-bi2eKbcJ5wBIl7N6hccwcEbMnFWK2eqUH-WeUlrcjMzNsOZWLoZmY_E3pAvaNqAQmocO8b3LDrgg2SV/s320/IMG_7793.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise at Sonora Desert Preserve<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i7VtskzYEXeKEoAwEPiNa_58v8-GCoflX99nIyn2QEdZGlZnXWGeIyQzxOWr3KzUPBf3hntDkJEwt4LTFn80emdrRVZ-2Nyjc0Xgwrg8zFeJxx9lWNGuKJnbA4j6gS9liwVDxWCUq31dzv4wg_6DsNjEmfQOvp24LBmWJOGKq9dxEfsQD4F4wxed/s4032/IMG_7781.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1i7VtskzYEXeKEoAwEPiNa_58v8-GCoflX99nIyn2QEdZGlZnXWGeIyQzxOWr3KzUPBf3hntDkJEwt4LTFn80emdrRVZ-2Nyjc0Xgwrg8zFeJxx9lWNGuKJnbA4j6gS9liwVDxWCUq31dzv4wg_6DsNjEmfQOvp24LBmWJOGKq9dxEfsQD4F4wxed/s320/IMG_7781.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>Day 1</b><br /></p><p>Just under a dozen riders lined up for the unsupported Scorpion 300/400/600 events. Mike Sturgill was riding the 300, and once he completed the instructions, we all rode out together just before dawn.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Q_-JVUbCltchqNxV27Qtln_nQO6evmthtTEsEYQU-rbvufSv1LBvpFOVLzNvWJEm9DlTiiMNBkigRCMvydAY1RwPsrtAASj738VR7ROSHvV_kNefYRNLHKh-1gJYnmVRwirH7908_PGeyCVq8MWIU5lEGVmh2PAcFYwy9lRUwoSRyFOd-YxwVlJA/s4032/IMG_7787.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Q_-JVUbCltchqNxV27Qtln_nQO6evmthtTEsEYQU-rbvufSv1LBvpFOVLzNvWJEm9DlTiiMNBkigRCMvydAY1RwPsrtAASj738VR7ROSHvV_kNefYRNLHKh-1gJYnmVRwirH7908_PGeyCVq8MWIU5lEGVmh2PAcFYwy9lRUwoSRyFOd-YxwVlJA/s320/IMG_7787.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James and Debbie from Green Valley<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At the start of most brevets, the group is fired up and heads out like a bullet from a gun. Today I decided to start at a very easy warm-up pace and try to keep that pace all weekend. James and Debbie were using a 'slow but steady' pace also and we rode together at the back of the group.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsuPzKcAaUAVyyLOZVl48eQYf-i4t_c5w9__smYQGez19gHJfQS_azHwGn1ax8XV_BTNjt3hHRgQ7u_ZRVOJ0ZeUXK7KzO0HmgGDKMcDoIewCNCsv2wOomVW9jSBU7Fv4EB7JlltnXTxXFpoVQjVuf0JnGpDNmMXlrtuTEAPFjCpiD37HO64mvFzP/s4032/IMG_7797.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGsuPzKcAaUAVyyLOZVl48eQYf-i4t_c5w9__smYQGez19gHJfQS_azHwGn1ax8XV_BTNjt3hHRgQ7u_ZRVOJ0ZeUXK7KzO0HmgGDKMcDoIewCNCsv2wOomVW9jSBU7Fv4EB7JlltnXTxXFpoVQjVuf0JnGpDNmMXlrtuTEAPFjCpiD37HO64mvFzP/s320/IMG_7797.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many balloons launching in the park.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I dropped off the pace about an hour after the start for a nature break and spotted a mass balloon launch over the shoulder! James and Debbie were caught at the light on Cave Creek and we were back together.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF4yJYICKHq68CBBTv1JQOjJ30fXsdbaPLR2oHrLVB-tPxLH2Z6ZXQzs7cDfgRzHtIO1CWlXz2DCZ039v6Jd250CHYrI-WD2mUAmGLulTwRGtxim3olssGkqmsvect7N69JHD8qOiEKc-rqYV4BXFDmts7_SNsoSp6L2vpgEt0fjMFePSfPh-RiWp/s4032/IMG_7802.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF4yJYICKHq68CBBTv1JQOjJ30fXsdbaPLR2oHrLVB-tPxLH2Z6ZXQzs7cDfgRzHtIO1CWlXz2DCZ039v6Jd250CHYrI-WD2mUAmGLulTwRGtxim3olssGkqmsvect7N69JHD8qOiEKc-rqYV4BXFDmts7_SNsoSp6L2vpgEt0fjMFePSfPh-RiWp/s320/IMG_7802.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First control in Carefree<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We reached the first control in Carefree about 2 hours after the start. James and Debbie rolled through but I stopped to fill bottles and grab some provisions. It's 45 miles to the next control in Wickenburg, and my goal was to make it there non-stop. Top off the bottle, grab a Frappuchino and some Oreo cookies, and I'm back on the road.<br /><p></p><p>Rolling though Cave Creek and back to the Carefree highway, the route turns west for the 40 mile run to US 60. Traffic is heavy until we pass Lake Pleasant but thins out in the open desert. Winds that were on the nose all morning are now light and favorable as we head west and north!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJnVZKYRMK_sDJPJg9jY94TyVGbiarIFb_pTvrWytspLZnXcP1lCBijB_36J2iuLl0TdeWGJstgQSEJxpQpvbg-r-vNgL9eUJubERiqW9uE0huZjUSCQhyOyNDRhUt-Rc_cMvBV9kvi-y9bN2OSfhVRW9KDv1leFk2pgH6TM6PWaj1qSHPmpz3Jj0/s4032/IMG_7807.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJnVZKYRMK_sDJPJg9jY94TyVGbiarIFb_pTvrWytspLZnXcP1lCBijB_36J2iuLl0TdeWGJstgQSEJxpQpvbg-r-vNgL9eUJubERiqW9uE0huZjUSCQhyOyNDRhUt-Rc_cMvBV9kvi-y9bN2OSfhVRW9KDv1leFk2pgH6TM6PWaj1qSHPmpz3Jj0/s320/IMG_7807.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yarnell Hill Sentinel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I arrived in Wickenburg around 11am and stopped at a convenience store for a quick sandwich and a 15 minute break before heading toward Congress and the Yarnell hill. It is starting to warm up, so I stop 16 miles later in Congress to top off the bottles with ice and grab some chips and a Mountain Dew!<p></p><p>The Green Toad is on watch at the base of the climb, but does not appear to notice my passing, and I roll right by! Its 6 miles of steady climbing up Yarnell hill. The views are fantastic, and we reach Yarnell, but not before the temperatures hit 90!<br /></p><p></p><p>Its a bit cooler in Peeples Valley and I stop at the Mountainaire Convenience store. Its only another 30 miles to Prescott, but those miles go over the White Spar mountains, so I grabbed a cold drink and took a break in the shade and visited with a motorcyclist who was also passing through.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISGsjcybKcmx7Xf1mksI2kT7nOsQ_zuNfSlymPqhvfWOCfkwpVyah6m0KbCTLxJk726rgcNLTdNjPO6SV04eUyz50GVA5MqDQZOKHSiueEmI8pQ3E4zK-cV-i0PiFOaI3cmJSVSzpM_5ZM1sRlPTeo1byXtg2xskIv3kA8ckp9y2eRV9OXWUpdX4p/s4032/IMG_7822.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhISGsjcybKcmx7Xf1mksI2kT7nOsQ_zuNfSlymPqhvfWOCfkwpVyah6m0KbCTLxJk726rgcNLTdNjPO6SV04eUyz50GVA5MqDQZOKHSiueEmI8pQ3E4zK-cV-i0PiFOaI3cmJSVSzpM_5ZM1sRlPTeo1byXtg2xskIv3kA8ckp9y2eRV9OXWUpdX4p/s320/IMG_7822.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White Spar Mountains<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Back on the road, I enjoyed a gentle tailwind through Peeples Valley and the climb to Wilhoit. Just past the town, a few twists and turns bring you to great views of the White Spar Mountains. Today, even a little snow is still visible.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRV02W17fspqr7jDxMNoiJBMcaY0FnquMXJmHDpC77NG9c1NdnxT07SFEquRbyhS_PCFxKwD5uSHHlTvoYnkWAmFjV6TZmta-24F14carnIrzl-0S4QRm-xuymDze_SL_eCOwYLgRemqTBB4x7EE2SjQxnlN6JFsVjB7JFBu2nSmW-ijt_YidgLJXP/s4032/IMG_7826.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRV02W17fspqr7jDxMNoiJBMcaY0FnquMXJmHDpC77NG9c1NdnxT07SFEquRbyhS_PCFxKwD5uSHHlTvoYnkWAmFjV6TZmta-24F14carnIrzl-0S4QRm-xuymDze_SL_eCOwYLgRemqTBB4x7EE2SjQxnlN6JFsVjB7JFBu2nSmW-ijt_YidgLJXP/s320/IMG_7826.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High point of the ride!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Don't be fooled by the descent, its only one of several 'intermissions' on the climb to 6100 feet outside of Prescott! Reaching the high point, its only one more roller before the 3 mile descent into town and the turn around at the Yavapai County Courthouse.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUrOGdxvxNjdvZohj0uYW66NJrUUKUzHnNbRsn1KzeR40VgwtsgrTsiE7Q6pczNcpt6l4EJgnx_W_UMT1FjYHDbfwpe7k9zBXyUUcGj86f_F-Yed5M8OFjzwI4cgDLW4A2t1wpeGZd4r9ckac1PA69kRrGMQN_zDBKuDE1N1lV2l-X2N24yL5_q4z/s4032/IMG_7830.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUrOGdxvxNjdvZohj0uYW66NJrUUKUzHnNbRsn1KzeR40VgwtsgrTsiE7Q6pczNcpt6l4EJgnx_W_UMT1FjYHDbfwpe7k9zBXyUUcGj86f_F-Yed5M8OFjzwI4cgDLW4A2t1wpeGZd4r9ckac1PA69kRrGMQN_zDBKuDE1N1lV2l-X2N24yL5_q4z/s320/IMG_7830.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yavapai County Courthouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There are many places for a sit-down meal in Prescott. I opt for speed and stop at a convenience store on the way out of town for a can of Hearty Campbell soup. Feeling the salt stains all over my body and kit, I figure a sodium reload is necessary, so a V8 Juice and more chips are the 'side dish.' The sun is going down, so I finish my sidewalk meal and saddle up to head back the way I came!<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXpB1mFJT_ym3s70CHBBRew9P9uIuCd_Chk3cBDZXXpAGERvqvkQgbYDNrv-1ALSio1NtrkIeCs86xLgORs32HyZIINnRZjtIrARZVQ1bV15ghLAXfHCI8fSH36Xhf8MNaRUzeqGL4XedJaf3AXXumbkagKTzrju6Vqo91_hAb_QeTDxo8FBY001F/s4032/IMG_7838.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXpB1mFJT_ym3s70CHBBRew9P9uIuCd_Chk3cBDZXXpAGERvqvkQgbYDNrv-1ALSio1NtrkIeCs86xLgORs32HyZIINnRZjtIrARZVQ1bV15ghLAXfHCI8fSH36Xhf8MNaRUzeqGL4XedJaf3AXXumbkagKTzrju6Vqo91_hAb_QeTDxo8FBY001F/s320/IMG_7838.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the 'Spars'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT182W3L78csliYCAtl6Dt3Ww0YbeOxKXkScdm7fXq4I5TOoEbZ4ZWAUUgBXTM3RL7spdwDF1EI-zWKX-y_EWsu25Px4E16wr-IPbCi7PL7tTyk7VfvtHy7MQK7kWeRXFmK0IdPwZ1Tdg7vPltMqeG-FqTWh9qcdtb3Qc6rWM18sgOWR0zlcHOuiIn/s4032/IMG_7841.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT182W3L78csliYCAtl6Dt3Ww0YbeOxKXkScdm7fXq4I5TOoEbZ4ZWAUUgBXTM3RL7spdwDF1EI-zWKX-y_EWsu25Px4E16wr-IPbCi7PL7tTyk7VfvtHy7MQK7kWeRXFmK0IdPwZ1Tdg7vPltMqeG-FqTWh9qcdtb3Qc6rWM18sgOWR0zlcHOuiIn/s320/IMG_7841.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Spars in a light show!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Back in the mountains for the return, the sunset provides new and spectacular lighting around nearly every corner! This was clearly the high point of the ride!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXzoI3Tccu7uRnLsCFmB0b7b9P5zmWkyame__Ggr2nGJTDdk2HLz1Y1cI_oh50Ci2LZHsUXuJXHymOJ8-HDwIW46TsGJ_lQkvDKGb61mZZkOcdmHaFfBhAYKTGg1ZmBQYI4j5pEmxG0TDfvC5Q3wnBx8s9xHkaLZXyQG9eE7Y5i6nPglpqGXT7bBr/s4032/IMG_7842.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzXzoI3Tccu7uRnLsCFmB0b7b9P5zmWkyame__Ggr2nGJTDdk2HLz1Y1cI_oh50Ci2LZHsUXuJXHymOJ8-HDwIW46TsGJ_lQkvDKGb61mZZkOcdmHaFfBhAYKTGg1ZmBQYI4j5pEmxG0TDfvC5Q3wnBx8s9xHkaLZXyQG9eE7Y5i6nPglpqGXT7bBr/s320/IMG_7842.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peeples Valley at Sunset<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With the sun fully beyond the horizon, and the air rapidly cooling, I stop to add a clothing layer at Kirkland Junction. With all the descending, we are back in Peeples Valley in no time. So with a full bottle I skip the stop at the Mountainaire store and press on through Yarnell and the descent to Congress for the next stop.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6mWfsyxGR1TuSu6V5mXkYbwc_bScwJirVDxs_Y2-VQ34NP5sdPHu_CFgmq7X0EqoMyEZQtavprlGPmJdQQ-H15f36cNlmQ8Tij-d-1uUsIU6dszc5svVW9j-I90R9pNORy6rV2Ezw3Ic52m3wmzhvXxjIRAJzwLmWJDCtBwUCyhWwIwZ_cN1qPpf/s4032/IMG_7845.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV6mWfsyxGR1TuSu6V5mXkYbwc_bScwJirVDxs_Y2-VQ34NP5sdPHu_CFgmq7X0EqoMyEZQtavprlGPmJdQQ-H15f36cNlmQ8Tij-d-1uUsIU6dszc5svVW9j-I90R9pNORy6rV2Ezw3Ic52m3wmzhvXxjIRAJzwLmWJDCtBwUCyhWwIwZ_cN1qPpf/s320/IMG_7845.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of this went down the hatch!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A banana and another Frappuchino in Congress held me over until the big feast in Wickenburg. Luckily, I arrived a few minutes before the McDonalds dining room closed at 10pm! After that reload, the only stop I made before the hotel was to pick up a couple of chocolate milks for the room. I checked in about 0130, cleaned up, made some soup, tossed down a chocolate milk, and was in the sack by 0230.<br /><p><b>Day 2</b><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf0llXW691RKzJn3PpUWZtUer-lcEDTaE9Dm8FQ6ovf8RnDr0jLbvlBEc1FtzjDPoYj3O1jSvs2bsR4O4QAJ5ZoqyGvzvqi3YqVkczbWlUG0sSiwMHbxsfNC-f5_yxaiAhbb_kJYDKx8lr_WNs9fUic9tdr7x3pAuRijIc1EzOe74nVT7MRxkDYOK/s4032/IMG_7850.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXf0llXW691RKzJn3PpUWZtUer-lcEDTaE9Dm8FQ6ovf8RnDr0jLbvlBEc1FtzjDPoYj3O1jSvs2bsR4O4QAJ5ZoqyGvzvqi3YqVkczbWlUG0sSiwMHbxsfNC-f5_yxaiAhbb_kJYDKx8lr_WNs9fUic9tdr7x3pAuRijIc1EzOe74nVT7MRxkDYOK/s320/IMG_7850.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another sunrise on Sonoran Desert Drive<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I woke a few minutes before the alarm went off at 0600 and cooked some oatmeal in the room microwave. Kinda rubbery, but better with some chocolate milk mixed in! Checked out, packed the drop bag and headed back out on the road at 0640.<p></p><p>The plan was to ride to the Circle K at Pinnacle Peak and have a hot breakfast there. Its 24 miles into the day, but more importantly, at the top of 9 mile hill. Easy downhill riding after a good breakfast is a great way to start the day.</p><p>I found a hot croissant sandwich and a large Frappuchino and settled in at the shaded picnic table for a great meal. It was delicious and in retrospect, maybe I should have gotten two sandwiches! Another rider, not on the brevet, who was visiting from New Hampshire on a rented bike joined me for breakfast.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTObnx3Rcq_5A-RSvBzjn4Jz0NOMJYBbBzxis3PYlHfrQ6H62PhM7BIKLoo0wRO_HHJBIeyMnoYED6X14l7XGpVXwSrWp2ctFQVilY-NL-c_x5EYKdTooZiS3186vMNP3jcXdQU3BwtdebmKuSAUw5c61D-jTo1GC8s8NRGSnE5K0_TXex1C4mAv2A/s4032/IMG_7852.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTObnx3Rcq_5A-RSvBzjn4Jz0NOMJYBbBzxis3PYlHfrQ6H62PhM7BIKLoo0wRO_HHJBIeyMnoYED6X14l7XGpVXwSrWp2ctFQVilY-NL-c_x5EYKdTooZiS3186vMNP3jcXdQU3BwtdebmKuSAUw5c61D-jTo1GC8s8NRGSnE5K0_TXex1C4mAv2A/s320/IMG_7852.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers near Fountain Hills<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It took about 20 minutes to descend the 9 miles toward the Verde River, I was in no rush and enjoyed the easy riding. Turning toward Fountain Hills, one of the few tailwinds of the day kicked in and soon I was rolling through town. I decided to continue to Fort McDowell, about 5 miles further along the route, to make another snack/water stop.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq341TpgDo5kcmJCjUh8kAZx1acWNb3L7sx0_pOxHNbHwcAc5GSRCc_9A8shFwHA5oUdm3nWri9M0-lW7GkRSjbW-y9Aj3mt0ee1a22tlvpi-WlAFHHhYuPA40s4WjVQ6WvAQkniYnYEnsiZ5wiYfB7R4zXmfDUwedT7quiqQEMzXV4ipBRJYEjFjI/s4032/IMG_7856.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq341TpgDo5kcmJCjUh8kAZx1acWNb3L7sx0_pOxHNbHwcAc5GSRCc_9A8shFwHA5oUdm3nWri9M0-lW7GkRSjbW-y9Aj3mt0ee1a22tlvpi-WlAFHHhYuPA40s4WjVQ6WvAQkniYnYEnsiZ5wiYfB7R4zXmfDUwedT7quiqQEMzXV4ipBRJYEjFjI/s320/IMG_7856.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verde River at Ft. McDowell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The heat was on and building on the run up the Beeline Highway. I spotted another rider up the road and caught him about a mile from the top of the climb. He was not on the brevet, but seemed eager for company and we visited until the road tilted up at the Bush Highway exit ramp. It was over 90F by the time I reached top and with the wind it felt like a convection oven!<p></p><p>Its a nice descent to Saguaro Lake and trying to build speed for a steep roller the front wheel feels a tad mushy. A few minutes later, at the top of the roller I check the tire and its almost flat. I found a shady spot to change the tube and was soon back on the road and the building heat.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlX73lvXZOPdwq6oOcM4woZIP4k1yH7m5MlH-zPPMaEfMi0VU1Breng5WVodd62lneXduETS5A8OnfHU0IKrM293wLFiMJI4qq51Gnnj8h6dJV5-oMsZBfJYX5OlVYhW8ZHW9zyMU7VzxWNpkajKHVsKwY9YpNUCUCW70wqu1cEcqtYtQtl4KDwEp/s4032/IMG_7857.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlX73lvXZOPdwq6oOcM4woZIP4k1yH7m5MlH-zPPMaEfMi0VU1Breng5WVodd62lneXduETS5A8OnfHU0IKrM293wLFiMJI4qq51Gnnj8h6dJV5-oMsZBfJYX5OlVYhW8ZHW9zyMU7VzxWNpkajKHVsKwY9YpNUCUCW70wqu1cEcqtYtQtl4KDwEp/s320/IMG_7857.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chez Circle K, sidewalk seating in the shade please!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last official control was in Mesa with 50 miles to go. I rolled into a Circle K for a brevet dog and some chips. I figured to make one more water stop before the finish, but ended up missing timing the stop and running low on water in the residential 'desert' of Sweetwater Ave and 56th Street between 104th Street and Bell Road!<p></p><p>Two Circle Ks on opposite corners were my oasis at 56th and Bell! I topped off the bottles at one, and enjoyed an ice cream at the other ( the first one's freezer was broken!) before putting the last 15 hot miles of this one in books.</p><p>Rolling into the hotel at 5:27, this one was done in 35 hours and 27 minutes! This completes my brevet Super Randonner series for 2022, but there is still time sign up for the 'near' Kitt Peak 400 and 600 brevets on April 9. Check out <a href="http://Azbrevet.com">Azbrevet.com</a> for all the details!</p><p>Thanks for riding along!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE4vm5H1UQq8a0tjdi9YsMerZGGqYgkmd5OTIqAw80ETpPCGrnd7HGTcg2MwMtvoa0ciw5lhGpoictiBjZ6WHIbyuU62az3kO-npGPildbvr0kiEtIrUF_YeckC11N4BuiHNx-vrlmL_z30Q9AaMUXhxHMrstikFDLVXsAZkIfWB9h4RkJAlmbWkw/s4032/IMG_7859.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE4vm5H1UQq8a0tjdi9YsMerZGGqYgkmd5OTIqAw80ETpPCGrnd7HGTcg2MwMtvoa0ciw5lhGpoictiBjZ6WHIbyuU62az3kO-npGPildbvr0kiEtIrUF_YeckC11N4BuiHNx-vrlmL_z30Q9AaMUXhxHMrstikFDLVXsAZkIfWB9h4RkJAlmbWkw/s320/IMG_7859.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final statistics<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0DUNwu38MDq3RpeNKkGYrpCSrRSTmsT5LPz4AcpHLziClnTSGirp42mEds2w1ezi2jq-SRu9V-YwORyWakRNniCGGLBluojcov4S81j3TIyU2XA9tE-RJeMNoLDZGyGFbIyZ_DRZYTu_2oM1NLmOUX1CYX3LCXObSXQqLQnng7J5YnlK4GOzDAMG/s4032/IMG_7863.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0DUNwu38MDq3RpeNKkGYrpCSrRSTmsT5LPz4AcpHLziClnTSGirp42mEds2w1ezi2jq-SRu9V-YwORyWakRNniCGGLBluojcov4S81j3TIyU2XA9tE-RJeMNoLDZGyGFbIyZ_DRZYTu_2oM1NLmOUX1CYX3LCXObSXQqLQnng7J5YnlK4GOzDAMG/s320/IMG_7863.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scorpion 600 is in the bag!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/85833194" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-41971934868928030112022-03-10T14:29:00.003-07:002022-03-11T06:17:24.963-07:002022 Arivaca 400km Brevet<p>Ride Report</p><p>March 2022<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBRSurMIDHeBNkJzSbCQBN9IClChA9aUPm-QlJeWPvnYjhW44zv7s77ksQBtOcLi03AK2NGXpDb3oRMPXejZjKZG5w-wUUwf53xHkppPBO_baxZmgChgw-lAw6S9BkPRL9AFm6UOrZnalmrRxP8LbbRZHRjfiFe50irMYuDfy8MiVy6SNc8oWvO2sm=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBRSurMIDHeBNkJzSbCQBN9IClChA9aUPm-QlJeWPvnYjhW44zv7s77ksQBtOcLi03AK2NGXpDb3oRMPXejZjKZG5w-wUUwf53xHkppPBO_baxZmgChgw-lAw6S9BkPRL9AFm6UOrZnalmrRxP8LbbRZHRjfiFe50irMYuDfy8MiVy6SNc8oWvO2sm=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise in the Saguaro National Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIL7HjDWehtpvwDgPZQeeGFxpvT5FD7d09RPS5XlaQB0YGhE1ATPq4wBDErmaNv9_fQY0jcIyx2oKK23LTu8yOz8ptm80AskVVhjKZTp27eEmQG5tYpg2QFwiTsvNRmmT63-Zu9xEX_iWixyCs8uwK2fGwQLrbdLEx4bUBj_iUSM9goOqOAbuF0Iec=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIL7HjDWehtpvwDgPZQeeGFxpvT5FD7d09RPS5XlaQB0YGhE1ATPq4wBDErmaNv9_fQY0jcIyx2oKK23LTu8yOz8ptm80AskVVhjKZTp27eEmQG5tYpg2QFwiTsvNRmmT63-Zu9xEX_iWixyCs8uwK2fGwQLrbdLEx4bUBj_iUSM9goOqOAbuF0Iec=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rider meeting before the start<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Two dozen riders assembled in the Marana Starbucks parking lot for the 2022 Arivaca brevets. 15 riders selected the 300km distance and 9 of us went for the larger helping of 400km. We would all start together and share the same route to the lunch stop in Tubac 113 miles down the road.<br /></p><p>I decided to drive down and not stay in a local hotel, so the alarm went off at 0400 and I was on the road at 0415. Timing my arrival perfectly I had 15 minutes to unload the bike and check the lights and Garmin. DANG! Power meter battery was dead. Mike was starting the rider brief and I grabbed the spare out of the repair kit and replaced it with a minute or two before we started at 0600.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwFRDqY4mGh-6jGEor7XHwtV__hSCcWOH5dUWgtpYAHtAGGCEccHxxPoAT--4DN0czs-_kEopcqq3BpP6BS4_ucAenrELGyIr77IUen_cKW_2FbwwWxnYU7pf-q6YYebVei4mZBz_OucyPS9V-OcNAdRj1snHOqJOxVKx_JJbX2SjHlfjp9wNr0f6j=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwFRDqY4mGh-6jGEor7XHwtV__hSCcWOH5dUWgtpYAHtAGGCEccHxxPoAT--4DN0czs-_kEopcqq3BpP6BS4_ucAenrELGyIr77IUen_cKW_2FbwwWxnYU7pf-q6YYebVei4mZBz_OucyPS9V-OcNAdRj1snHOqJOxVKx_JJbX2SjHlfjp9wNr0f6j=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paul and Jennifer Danhaus</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We rolled out of the parking lot and by the time we hit Picture Rocks Road a couple of miles later, the hammer was down and the group took off. I drifted back and soon was the Lantern Rouge as we rolled through the beautiful north section of the Saguaro National Park. There are steep rollers here and I could see the group's lights extending into the distance.</p><p>Paul and Jennifer Danhaus were on their tandem and at a great disadvantage on the steep rollers so I was able to catch them at Picture Rocks and spend a few minutes catching up. Once the road flattened out they dialed it up and I dropped off. </p><p>Winds were building as predicted from the south, and even though the sun was up, the temperature continued to drop to 37F! <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4wI6QlKs7oi0V-_kAo8Zj8mtGpOHr8IM5jHe-ovLrVjiLmmL05WVnI-kTiVf1Bzm0krZUEutMUDHLpkcHjK6cl1Dt0dESfAzR2HWJ-jvrCrewl5kKyoeiXZ4tcVQdNk6iyBPNCWd2nmS9IOVU8h9t-_TxCA7FWDKcicCXToTpCDBXEcVPvX6FaSu9=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4wI6QlKs7oi0V-_kAo8Zj8mtGpOHr8IM5jHe-ovLrVjiLmmL05WVnI-kTiVf1Bzm0krZUEutMUDHLpkcHjK6cl1Dt0dESfAzR2HWJ-jvrCrewl5kKyoeiXZ4tcVQdNk6iyBPNCWd2nmS9IOVU8h9t-_TxCA7FWDKcicCXToTpCDBXEcVPvX6FaSu9=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AZ86 with Kitt Peak in the distance<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Riding alone I passed a few riders that had dropped from the main group as I made my way to AZ86. Its slightly downhill to 3 Points and the first control. The road surface is good and traffic is light.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeuoArlWjme52ezq7YTx5onuj-Le7xpSlGQcbqsaU2oF0o6bQQmNGCIf9qjwwZCOeHh3FSaUfxc8ls5ehg3Qvj9rDc8_tow9Rp2F0Kzz_N-FDcTTwBYmqQPQyMVA6Gk7oAZBpWnuDvELTtdUrm8eg8szySLTNCwqbrbwvv-R1u0Vorj9dGlP7Edgmk=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeuoArlWjme52ezq7YTx5onuj-Le7xpSlGQcbqsaU2oF0o6bQQmNGCIf9qjwwZCOeHh3FSaUfxc8ls5ehg3Qvj9rDc8_tow9Rp2F0Kzz_N-FDcTTwBYmqQPQyMVA6Gk7oAZBpWnuDvELTtdUrm8eg8szySLTNCwqbrbwvv-R1u0Vorj9dGlP7Edgmk=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ray volunteers at the 3 Points Control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>I roll into the control and about an hour and a half into the ride. Normally too early to stop, but its 35 miles of headwind and open desert to Arivaca, so its wise to stop top off the bottles and grab a snack. Still too cold to strip off layers, I fill the bottles, grab a banana and roll out after a 2 minute stop.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaSX300KSLjrZa2UCBdZm589gptAXp4WFpbftOK5PbE51ykSPbvvFMmG6D5LtYJ0exO82QifvUsj-rbh1KHH2LbW-oW7s9tF3APBENCXV7TjVxXY251M-zpuW7UKubt1pMif3_jsni1KBQLiSo3ZcNWEb1vzZyVgEeV_2-C4ADVOeG3wfZ3G7lp1wi=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaSX300KSLjrZa2UCBdZm589gptAXp4WFpbftOK5PbE51ykSPbvvFMmG6D5LtYJ0exO82QifvUsj-rbh1KHH2LbW-oW7s9tF3APBENCXV7TjVxXY251M-zpuW7UKubt1pMif3_jsni1KBQLiSo3ZcNWEb1vzZyVgEeV_2-C4ADVOeG3wfZ3G7lp1wi=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice pace line<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I have ridden this route many times and cannot recall a ride where there wasn't headwind along this section. Shortly after leaving the control a group of 6 roll by and I hop on. We picked up another rider or two from the front group and soon are a group of 9. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ4K33HZbqDLwFvB_O9-vg-LsjwX34uHIuq5RSonXXGmGKaFOR9rkzxjV-1geR7g1wj-jOu7h8JLT5h-ASUzhZmanrTvF__bft9ay3Zvj7s-1IHjZz-1ziXJsZiMbpDOWQDMo6nJT_F0yXlv5K8gXHfoTey1bIiZU8fAcRRRHTvuJoayurB8G5IlsM=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZ4K33HZbqDLwFvB_O9-vg-LsjwX34uHIuq5RSonXXGmGKaFOR9rkzxjV-1geR7g1wj-jOu7h8JLT5h-ASUzhZmanrTvF__bft9ay3Zvj7s-1IHjZz-1ziXJsZiMbpDOWQDMo6nJT_F0yXlv5K8gXHfoTey1bIiZU8fAcRRRHTvuJoayurB8G5IlsM=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yours truly (photo by Bob Fisher)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Bob Fisher had the group organized and we each took one mile pulls into the wind. Its 35 miles to the next turn, and relief from the wind, so only having to go to front every 8-9 miles and have some company made this section easier to handle.</p><p>We made a group nature stop that also allowed a few layers to come off before making the much anticipated left turn onto Arivaca road. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgntVrw6A_USrpVp_TQfjrUxjVxD4o4ZWfL4JijZCTbYuwkzmRsHPaWLbrIlGf2qtA8RMLFqG4eIeCRTYwhFg1x_iCkABfUhz0OqCdANeiCJu-cbrxKr4fouOX7j7COrpX5iehXRGXoI1bE4K92Gc5UXOUSOoQI03xBaL_i-iS1sednykB2Ko0aS_3-=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgntVrw6A_USrpVp_TQfjrUxjVxD4o4ZWfL4JijZCTbYuwkzmRsHPaWLbrIlGf2qtA8RMLFqG4eIeCRTYwhFg1x_iCkABfUhz0OqCdANeiCJu-cbrxKr4fouOX7j7COrpX5iehXRGXoI1bE4K92Gc5UXOUSOoQI03xBaL_i-iS1sednykB2Ko0aS_3-=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group heads off on new pavement!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Butter smooth new pavement greeted us for the next 12 miles to Arivaca. Readers of previous reports may recall this road was so patched and rough it rivaled Belgian cobblestones! The group was riding harder than I preferred, so with a cross-wind, and new pavement to enjoy, I dropped off the pace to tried and recover.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZCUWQH78Fkh2BNAj21ZYYLVt0OdivgQdFHlaCb3RHqsiJOLEjG9Z0E0KrQ94ZbIn9Znhtqcn4Koy_bTGIBENOEQ_YYWabqqaSkIZXCDElSdaPHACG55akdZ-N9XKSjJaQm8EixLf98zr2EhvGBu_Dql0E-QYxrs0CpcoKE1NDWawG-n8UBzmnS-dg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZCUWQH78Fkh2BNAj21ZYYLVt0OdivgQdFHlaCb3RHqsiJOLEjG9Z0E0KrQ94ZbIn9Znhtqcn4Koy_bTGIBENOEQ_YYWabqqaSkIZXCDElSdaPHACG55akdZ-N9XKSjJaQm8EixLf98zr2EhvGBu_Dql0E-QYxrs0CpcoKE1NDWawG-n8UBzmnS-dg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian and Chris leaving Arivaca<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Again, I made it a quick stop at the control in Arivaca, since lunch will be down the road in Tubac. So I top off the bottles, grab a Frappucchino and some PB&J crackers. Brian and Chris are ready to go so we leave before the rest of the group. The road turns north-east, and after about 3 miles of climbing, its descending rollers with a tailwind for the next 20 miles to Amado. With the wind, and pedaling through the descents, we were able to soft pedal or coast over the top of a bunch of the rollers. We covered those 20 miles in about 50 minutes!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7jekbwtBECL0g-EQ8wdHAYh-n8iOdd8GM-7AtLC-g0KwpGLDo4t_lwSMY3ve6I99he39WcsefYdhVNewOcYH1pKqNV9gPrfiswqt-9LYZ2RXS85NQnye8Yq6DfMjaVvKVLTIxba7dwMJxTY6VlCsL2_zE6nrwvOK0g41I6uCv4np-G839bMcVdUq5=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7jekbwtBECL0g-EQ8wdHAYh-n8iOdd8GM-7AtLC-g0KwpGLDo4t_lwSMY3ve6I99he39WcsefYdhVNewOcYH1pKqNV9gPrfiswqt-9LYZ2RXS85NQnye8Yq6DfMjaVvKVLTIxba7dwMJxTY6VlCsL2_zE6nrwvOK0g41I6uCv4np-G839bMcVdUq5=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling into Amado (photo by Chris)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>All good things come to an end, and with the right turn at Amado, its back into the wind for the run to Tubac and lunch. The route follows the I-19 frontage road and actually merges onto the freeway for a few miles. No worry, the shoulder is wide, and the truck traffic actually broke up some of the headwind. Our group of three (Brian and Chris) worked together to the lunch stop in Tubac.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWvF48MbBKmdMJjjmLCD330TeqL6CRYiKRDuIHOXbk3NNHBsuBqs0rWmMQgTAHlrrcREAp70hoBV1Q7JUDbwVtqfWhL3cahAsLvELiiOcSXLeUZd60_9-DlhzRm0Ej6j9K2d4fYtPWAfwKxcLDOp59ljUgFBfDCSFBc1l4pLx7lI8ym0ASqq1BN5L=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfWvF48MbBKmdMJjjmLCD330TeqL6CRYiKRDuIHOXbk3NNHBsuBqs0rWmMQgTAHlrrcREAp70hoBV1Q7JUDbwVtqfWhL3cahAsLvELiiOcSXLeUZd60_9-DlhzRm0Ej6j9K2d4fYtPWAfwKxcLDOp59ljUgFBfDCSFBc1l4pLx7lI8ym0ASqq1BN5L=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling into Tubac (photo by Chris)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUd25wR_BRYMObi0T_VsSXiEGXlpIwGtbFeaTIZZS7bVfM1cE2NH8JtCp2r9IcKd2N5bhSX7I6f8qG_WryMzt-HqN38DQcBMJOqmHK6TqUE0nwBDSJxW63CIPL6NP_gZAu6oGtA5NIrARarnVCd_SQUWc8j7eTegQzh2Tq5dSMIkIhsFEhMyak_cz=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPUd25wR_BRYMObi0T_VsSXiEGXlpIwGtbFeaTIZZS7bVfM1cE2NH8JtCp2r9IcKd2N5bhSX7I6f8qG_WryMzt-HqN38DQcBMJOqmHK6TqUE0nwBDSJxW63CIPL6NP_gZAu6oGtA5NIrARarnVCd_SQUWc8j7eTegQzh2Tq5dSMIkIhsFEhMyak_cz=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch, great volunteers, and live music<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We rolled into the Tubac control and were greeted by Vicki and Penny. They were leaders of 2 youth groups called Friends for Life and Adventures with Friends. The kids checked us in and gave us our pre-ordered sandwiches. Cokes, chips, a break from the wind and encouragement were also on offer at this great control stop. It was located in a Mercado near a bar, so we also enjoyed live country music!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG4xHj-KBnsNJhEjWCHe5x5lg8kLR5K2r-DY0NS3KzM9Q2aLFGfIo09uOtBOEHxFJ1jBNoNJHyT58J3e2JzDpZg3lR4k4nw0rHfC_w61hqas5XmXRJI8IMYV9syUv0BE4k41CS9y1MvRdXq6AIGv9EnTNZ6k8aFln0Ole3X6NaIQVUqUwfYdPaCnH1=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhG4xHj-KBnsNJhEjWCHe5x5lg8kLR5K2r-DY0NS3KzM9Q2aLFGfIo09uOtBOEHxFJ1jBNoNJHyT58J3e2JzDpZg3lR4k4nw0rHfC_w61hqas5XmXRJI8IMYV9syUv0BE4k41CS9y1MvRdXq6AIGv9EnTNZ6k8aFln0Ole3X6NaIQVUqUwfYdPaCnH1=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chris and Brian on River Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our group of 3 rolled out together and back into the wind for some more Interstate and frontage road riding to Rio Rico. We decide to make a quick water stop before heading east and the climb toward Sonoita. Roger catches us and we ride as a group for a few miles before turning north-east on AZ83. Another nice tailwind as we begin the 25 mile climb to Sonoita. Brian and I settle into a slower pace as Chris and Roger disappear into the distance!</p><p>We roll through Patagonia and continue into the high grasslands surrounding Sonoita. The views are spectacular and we arrive in Sonoita and stop at the Dollar General Store. I select a can of soup and some Chocolate Milk. Brian wants to complete the descent in the daylight so he rolls out while I put on layers and enjoy a can of creamy chicken soup!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIgLmEVRVBwMHZX8FbS648pwKbQxdd3WcGnkkRznff1rIMpldGUXQ9kzJdKyLrwVpP8IvFW3JqsPLmr17QGTGUkSE3jvOWVDdE37TeoegJVohQTkNATg--7UTXnAZV9hJO4q4FRMzGRkyBw_HqMyncxYahkbtiNYC-PeZf-JlM3E0jWKJKk4AYOW8M=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIgLmEVRVBwMHZX8FbS648pwKbQxdd3WcGnkkRznff1rIMpldGUXQ9kzJdKyLrwVpP8IvFW3JqsPLmr17QGTGUkSE3jvOWVDdE37TeoegJVohQTkNATg--7UTXnAZV9hJO4q4FRMzGRkyBw_HqMyncxYahkbtiNYC-PeZf-JlM3E0jWKJKk4AYOW8M=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A most welcome sign!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiysArjibLDdE3InmTA2YoJ6ITD4VIz1jb0_tCRKYbgUqyAfbRyUWnSQ2xCPELl2aXU-Op8k_ifM3t-VZ29bIIBOXhgayu4I0EEDVWt7wWTgy1Ep4BXeR_zyxh0APGpQEGKtsaOo6SrcVDaBmhP_QYrDjouulwueihGb4Zp-TFJdthfbYLmScoMbH8=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiysArjibLDdE3InmTA2YoJ6ITD4VIz1jb0_tCRKYbgUqyAfbRyUWnSQ2xCPELl2aXU-Op8k_ifM3t-VZ29bIIBOXhgayu4I0EEDVWt7wWTgy1Ep4BXeR_zyxh0APGpQEGKtsaOo6SrcVDaBmhP_QYrDjouulwueihGb4Zp-TFJdthfbYLmScoMbH8=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset, but plenty of light for the descent<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Its a 12 mile descent on a twisty desert highway, but with twilight and my Schmidt Dynamo generator and E-Lux headlamp, there is plenty of light and no reason to use the brakes! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghgpsd4FLhnilzI28F_bIWvFBeY0jb4zS_i4L_zsYKOLp9boR50kMDPAxrlTXyphqWitp8u7Lsiw0i_YN_UKgyAhOSrHTz2konkIrfhJnH42gt9SOzBq-MLX4OedJmjnjc43EZ_-xLaWJI55_1udw-ZMtKKYEv-hmzgUALCyx3zm3MzHWdmQWV-xcL=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghgpsd4FLhnilzI28F_bIWvFBeY0jb4zS_i4L_zsYKOLp9boR50kMDPAxrlTXyphqWitp8u7Lsiw0i_YN_UKgyAhOSrHTz2konkIrfhJnH42gt9SOzBq-MLX4OedJmjnjc43EZ_-xLaWJI55_1udw-ZMtKKYEv-hmzgUALCyx3zm3MzHWdmQWV-xcL=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sahuarita Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Another 22 miles go by in about an hour before turning west on to Sahuarita Road. The sun has set, but the wind is still strong and back on the nose for the next 20 miles to the Sahuarita control. I see Brian up ahead and catch him just outside town.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBmwVOM4aE1w5mCiKdAuHp27FzxA2xWMaP5SKX_w8FZrY5CIsl98Zt_c-THhMod4v304FRCCIBlPy6fBz-u3Mik3Vmmf9DoJQqIbE8kLd9FFRcwW0lOP0VP4C5yvpTJBnOF_pJ1MpH0EmnFaS6yfjdVdtcj6XH83b_9OjVJqZm2zvdEl3_6fpMyY41=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBmwVOM4aE1w5mCiKdAuHp27FzxA2xWMaP5SKX_w8FZrY5CIsl98Zt_c-THhMod4v304FRCCIBlPy6fBz-u3Mik3Vmmf9DoJQqIbE8kLd9FFRcwW0lOP0VP4C5yvpTJBnOF_pJ1MpH0EmnFaS6yfjdVdtcj6XH83b_9OjVJqZm2zvdEl3_6fpMyY41=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One last obstacle before dinner!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We take a short break at a RR crossing before rolling into an Arby's for dinner. We loaded up and ate about half of what we ordered! Note: If you are looking for coffee, don't stop at Arby's! Its not on the menu!<br /></p><p>Leaving town its a 5 mile climb up Helmet Peak road and we each rode at our own pace to the top. We regrouped in the hills outside of Tuscon, but I was still craving coffee, and stopped at the Circle K on Kinney road while Brian went on ahead. Lots of cream and 6 sugar packets makes a warm high-powered beverage. Starting to chill while enjoying the coffee curbside, I dump it into one of my thermal water bottles, and get back on the road.</p><p>The road through the Tucson Mountain Park is bad and gets worse with every passing. Eventually, we turn into the Saguaro National Park and enjoy smooth roads (I could finally take a hand off the handlebar and enjoy the still warm coffee) there and all the way to Picture Rocks. We still have ten miles to go when I catch Brian again just outside Picture Rocks. I offer to pull but he decides to ride it in at his own pace.</p><p>I rolled into the finish at 0030 (12:30 am) putting this one in the books at 18 hours 30 minutes. I quickly load up the truck and am about to head out when Brian rolls up (he booked a room in Marana). We said our good-byes and I pointed the truck toward Tempe for the 90 minute drive home. I packed a sleeping bag in case the sleep monster made a showing, but the caffeine from the Sugar Coffee would keep him at bay until I rolled into the driveway at 0200!<br /></p><p>Next up for me, the Scorpion 600. Another array of new routes around Kitt Peak will be offered two weeks after that, so there is something for everyone! Go to <a href="http://Azbrevet.com">Azbrevet.com</a> to check them out.</p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/84282248" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-87913749991034639382022-02-11T09:49:00.001-07:002022-02-12T05:06:08.387-07:002022 North Valley 300km Brevet<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYzloDbJ-L26BGo3IxZ474xtv1Vq-d_-OUuuB08HfjYu-68-FOk3SmyQZW4HCOTs9n4W8x6lNhgcuux3Hz3zsQ9KnFfaeRW_dGlaTjVrN4th250LUfYim9oqfj4enpp8mmOwA-FoIHtdKpU60PenpnuL_JwxilcaZFEhiCNLrmErV0hSs-vFvKOtBx=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYzloDbJ-L26BGo3IxZ474xtv1Vq-d_-OUuuB08HfjYu-68-FOk3SmyQZW4HCOTs9n4W8x6lNhgcuux3Hz3zsQ9KnFfaeRW_dGlaTjVrN4th250LUfYim9oqfj4enpp8mmOwA-FoIHtdKpU60PenpnuL_JwxilcaZFEhiCNLrmErV0hSs-vFvKOtBx=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt River in the Tonto National Forest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Ride Report</p><p>February 2022 </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8gh5TEcJmZYl6SKMiwjITXBadqBszwUR-GehyqKYyXARSGmuwK8mTGuRRji8GKtowykYQC-6udnDA1rIqUM4-0zWaookYWWZVtGnpkuxaMm8lwAMeE_0AvVviRJdrWvM9uJSmzTwUeghkTB4od54kue2qpicDVL6Oqy0kgv2gwJxBwaVkoV3E98gZ=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8gh5TEcJmZYl6SKMiwjITXBadqBszwUR-GehyqKYyXARSGmuwK8mTGuRRji8GKtowykYQC-6udnDA1rIqUM4-0zWaookYWWZVtGnpkuxaMm8lwAMeE_0AvVviRJdrWvM9uJSmzTwUeghkTB4od54kue2qpicDVL6Oqy0kgv2gwJxBwaVkoV3E98gZ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider briefing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The AZ Brevet Series continues with three new routes on offer, the North Valley 123km, 200km, and 300km Brevets. About two dozen riders lined up at the Coffee King parking lot in North Phoenix in the pre-dawn twilight and nippy temperatures. No takers for the 123km, and the rest were roughly evenly split between the 200km and 300km distances.</p><p>Our Regional Brevet Administrator, Mike Sturgill designed the new courses and pre-rode all of them! The routes are new, but on many of the best roads for cycling north and east of Phoenix. The 200 and 300 riders would share the same course to the lunch control at about 100 miles. So, after the safety brief at 0700 we rolled out and headed north into the desert.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg70mb5HB25xrGEBhOpOeKs1EU0HNOYfikVp8lgM5kcgLM4xaFMvpkANaDevgX_CEa0pYHUmQHNArJ3asqgdmTQ1v1fpH0kqkM20jqGAOjcy0ywITGhqlziKLQphQkHpAY6HXjXn0p_PsfKyL48wiQXjilxjeFZ5UJrskyVJjHdtN3WUSGscBOZ_4UO=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg70mb5HB25xrGEBhOpOeKs1EU0HNOYfikVp8lgM5kcgLM4xaFMvpkANaDevgX_CEa0pYHUmQHNArJ3asqgdmTQ1v1fpH0kqkM20jqGAOjcy0ywITGhqlziKLQphQkHpAY6HXjXn0p_PsfKyL48wiQXjilxjeFZ5UJrskyVJjHdtN3WUSGscBOZ_4UO=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn on the Sonoran Desert Drive<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>More than half the riders formed one large group as we headed out from the start. A chance to say hello to old friends and meet a few new ones. Also a chance to figure out who was riding the 200 vs. 300 distances. The most common answer? "I'm not really in shape, so I'm only doing the 200!"<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw-rzdM2ZugC0BGqI38zQK71TRwk1VKHm0yS15nLtllNdb-1jK5kP0xEXm6S-FXB33SHPyukYzqaULor3_3Ge7OnC-osrQl9Kh4svuHe4jo40eZWVFUEfO6n193Tue8y9OGkbD0nPvFzZyKqpHTNvDbD03tJRwFq2vAjq3n8W2SniTPqVfLEFcCISz=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw-rzdM2ZugC0BGqI38zQK71TRwk1VKHm0yS15nLtllNdb-1jK5kP0xEXm6S-FXB33SHPyukYzqaULor3_3Ge7OnC-osrQl9Kh4svuHe4jo40eZWVFUEfO6n193Tue8y9OGkbD0nPvFzZyKqpHTNvDbD03tJRwFq2vAjq3n8W2SniTPqVfLEFcCISz=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group splits at first information control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>All of the controls for the day were informational, meaning that instead of getting a receipt for proof of passage, you simply answered a question that would prove you were at that spot. Most were at convenience stores and related to the price of fuel. Also handy spots to refill bottles and procure food along the way.</p><p>The first control was only 15 miles into the ride, a bit early to stop for supplies, so I take of a photo of the Circle K sign with the gas price, and continue on. Of course, you can also simply submit your GPS track as proof of passage, so a number riders didn't even slow down and continued on! The GPS is clean and easy, until your computer craps out, so I always take a photo for back-up!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUzxZMpMeRHE43xoXiJKKujoKQsqNqWwLW0Ybm9Kom5p9EnCWd3eZPOHO721iktIxDkS67J0cqkBfAm8mKPAAFsn3GTDUWm-Z5g0ZIOrqZ9rplfOvtpVtHRdWFnH2c8ykR_boeLlDs0d2mMMyO37ye5TkC8_sfndTFazZPJR3pYk3tpMAWc5gvPzt6=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUzxZMpMeRHE43xoXiJKKujoKQsqNqWwLW0Ybm9Kom5p9EnCWd3eZPOHO721iktIxDkS67J0cqkBfAm8mKPAAFsn3GTDUWm-Z5g0ZIOrqZ9rplfOvtpVtHRdWFnH2c8ykR_boeLlDs0d2mMMyO37ye5TkC8_sfndTFazZPJR3pYk3tpMAWc5gvPzt6=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Peoria<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route uses many of the roads from last month's brevet. As we headed out of Peoria I took a picture of the lovely Welcome to Peoria sign that I meant to photograph on last month's Bartlett Lake 200!<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKtX9tUy1AkOy4F3JMR7lgjR6QsTk84Crw5k2CEnhppgC_4eitX0u5C0R4rNYYQuX4ee22FSu8vpGCRVOQyHwkjdg0HuXXfQWoifKgzoqcBUCgM0QdO8qhaXdeD-3YhRtTWf_ouNPxqQvDVHFUYEkZnkajJWhVtuBIhuQ6GAgYMCMjdif9At8iUsHW=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKtX9tUy1AkOy4F3JMR7lgjR6QsTk84Crw5k2CEnhppgC_4eitX0u5C0R4rNYYQuX4ee22FSu8vpGCRVOQyHwkjdg0HuXXfQWoifKgzoqcBUCgM0QdO8qhaXdeD-3YhRtTWf_ouNPxqQvDVHFUYEkZnkajJWhVtuBIhuQ6GAgYMCMjdif9At8iUsHW=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun up with big headwinds!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjknxREHQQrmhZV9bxkTemhd8sh-_EsOh0lWj9qpG04swhZsJ3f_C4711cfOWtqcT3wcWVof4IdvW0wKQiZSTpBrGhWdo98D-oHueCeEfeqTKal3ArZtia5exLOR-lpZFU-6tBR9qNRmsx0Z_PiTstpGcr0aa1dHNwt3vVL0JVd4-tYBh42QQYaDGeE=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjknxREHQQrmhZV9bxkTemhd8sh-_EsOh0lWj9qpG04swhZsJ3f_C4711cfOWtqcT3wcWVof4IdvW0wKQiZSTpBrGhWdo98D-oHueCeEfeqTKal3ArZtia5exLOR-lpZFU-6tBR9qNRmsx0Z_PiTstpGcr0aa1dHNwt3vVL0JVd4-tYBh42QQYaDGeE=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 miles of light traffic, heavy winds!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The course leaves Peoria and heads northeast past Lake Pleasant toward the next control in New River. Earlier in the week, the winds were predicted to be unfavorable, but light. Today they were right on the nose, and anything but light, gusting past 20 mph! Rolling past Lake Pleasant, the route turns onto N. New River road for 10.5 mile march into the wind. <p></p><p>50 minutes later, after pushing 200 watts at a blistering pace of 11.7 mph, I roll into the control at New River. Mike is there with snacks and water. A number of riders were there also checking in and getting supplies. Mike's well stocked snack table included many favorites (Oreo cookies and Starbucks Fappuchinos) and a new treat, Individually wrapped Hostess Ding Dongs! Haven't had one of those in years, so after a quick reload its back on the road.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiJLQ0jJuDDods9SgxYUGJ-pQOGcho-MUIWMtZZ012EQhbwCESSKorNxU0pl5FHFfw7N5XVp-rexNU7Ke5SB04b_oQkTTrYgF5pvNU8H70jMrOPwGblkJeEdGso_Ony9aDTK9Mj6yUanO1gvK_FFWKr9XVigVQjyO8hWXMRfYH14Fbtw5DAOCCtdVV=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiJLQ0jJuDDods9SgxYUGJ-pQOGcho-MUIWMtZZ012EQhbwCESSKorNxU0pl5FHFfw7N5XVp-rexNU7Ke5SB04b_oQkTTrYgF5pvNU8H70jMrOPwGblkJeEdGso_Ony9aDTK9Mj6yUanO1gvK_FFWKr9XVigVQjyO8hWXMRfYH14Fbtw5DAOCCtdVV=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy Mountain Fire Department<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The route makes its way through New River and turns south. Finally, the evil wind becomes my best friend for the next 12 miles! This section takes 37 minutes and pushing 170 watts yields 19 mph! Best of all, time to eat that yummy Ding Dong and a few Oreo cookies to reload the system.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-TQecQ3p_C9sb-6GIer5MqEyIOTCdR9WgC3N5tEUOpGTpWIHwoh8LVsm_0OoKh4eyMIw42QhM94KtOAJKk8rrl8zNpbQoDEvax3NfT1IMhhov46bIst-4IjO31zoBFgKIUJMWrtibkXTs5LPCv9Yt_uvAMCXd1pQT8FpxMlN6R613VFF8OcLoXrvi=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-TQecQ3p_C9sb-6GIer5MqEyIOTCdR9WgC3N5tEUOpGTpWIHwoh8LVsm_0OoKh4eyMIw42QhM94KtOAJKk8rrl8zNpbQoDEvax3NfT1IMhhov46bIst-4IjO31zoBFgKIUJMWrtibkXTs5LPCv9Yt_uvAMCXd1pQT8FpxMlN6R613VFF8OcLoXrvi=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger, Lee, and Cliff<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>While I was busy working on my sugar fix; Roger, Lee and Cliff flashed by. Lucky for me, they got caught at the light on the left turn onto the Carefree Highway. I made it through and after a short chase I was able to catch and tack onto their pace line. More wind, but easier to take sharing the load with friends!<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSnQrYo0JBqQ2NdtCX31cLDZNuAXUvuorC3AFjclp1bPVp3iQwWeB4lXmXZpSgd3fPkZH5iRbhANGrmswCemxfAjIGrBbFd3X20ymf388qGvU7qzVp9LUWVXM3nJ6IGxWEtmB2jmSiR3zARC-ctdQi_lmlB79OQhA2tRd2g3DsFXDHXoirBm0F9Pi7=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSnQrYo0JBqQ2NdtCX31cLDZNuAXUvuorC3AFjclp1bPVp3iQwWeB4lXmXZpSgd3fPkZH5iRbhANGrmswCemxfAjIGrBbFd3X20ymf388qGvU7qzVp9LUWVXM3nJ6IGxWEtmB2jmSiR3zARC-ctdQi_lmlB79OQhA2tRd2g3DsFXDHXoirBm0F9Pi7=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carefree Sun Dial</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVUSuUpjOo0a44bp6H_OPImsCxUu3FtgLfMtX8Z3IbiuKkTEtK8B2tPOJiCvpkaPzYdrZCMfzWTtvXSsNiMBDOfObInHgfTE8RwTVdwDWiOMhmTuB3i76O8kjHbljkCcXvzwOplAw8Y2Y7uzBtQ6g_wRZ26y1CYqJQzEcnRzXJMVxAPdwQPiSvghXk=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVUSuUpjOo0a44bp6H_OPImsCxUu3FtgLfMtX8Z3IbiuKkTEtK8B2tPOJiCvpkaPzYdrZCMfzWTtvXSsNiMBDOfObInHgfTE8RwTVdwDWiOMhmTuB3i76O8kjHbljkCcXvzwOplAw8Y2Y7uzBtQ6g_wRZ26y1CYqJQzEcnRzXJMVxAPdwQPiSvghXk=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling through the Legends<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We worked together all the way to Carefree. Lee and Cliff stopped for supplies but quickly rejoined as we continued east toward Bartlett Lake before turning south and a loop along Romping Road among luxury homes in The Legends development.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqzCrtGMnQvkyZQCZVXF6zQq3ck7RCn2PyWHTKkgtnxOZ768cpaUFbSAlMIGNhFPyAqEVyTXswXgdeYOZy92-HCN7cALl8lFTOVJNTekX36S9h_OTJPnLTXwDyOxeOxXsz_n-FkM5e7Pbxp4Y45RwtzbeU___NBhVAraXQKttYGWhC8Z6aYpaMplEZ=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqzCrtGMnQvkyZQCZVXF6zQq3ck7RCn2PyWHTKkgtnxOZ768cpaUFbSAlMIGNhFPyAqEVyTXswXgdeYOZy92-HCN7cALl8lFTOVJNTekX36S9h_OTJPnLTXwDyOxeOxXsz_n-FkM5e7Pbxp4Y45RwtzbeU___NBhVAraXQKttYGWhC8Z6aYpaMplEZ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pinnacle Peak<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rejoined Pima road and headed south, and down, to Dynamite Road. Again turning east into the wind and the first climb of the day. We all settled into our own pace and our group split apart. Needing a nature break I pull off onto a utility trail for a quick stop and a photo!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJkMgn-qlCCH9WpWIF4K9NVeAW6_zBVJ2T7RmNMA4su4atcPoSz_CtQj0rYX7uc2J1-dhOk6e1Hs_P_m90hLDMIaMO54oq6UXZ0sX_88WQj4FHf8QpKOFKXrPgLckzqTtJ800Pm5qPB_SLt9gyxdmQCCTmjVvTumci9S3Bp7D7Hdnk46FLou0ktlZ3=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJkMgn-qlCCH9WpWIF4K9NVeAW6_zBVJ2T7RmNMA4su4atcPoSz_CtQj0rYX7uc2J1-dhOk6e1Hs_P_m90hLDMIaMO54oq6UXZ0sX_88WQj4FHf8QpKOFKXrPgLckzqTtJ800Pm5qPB_SLt9gyxdmQCCTmjVvTumci9S3Bp7D7Hdnk46FLou0ktlZ3=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four Peaks from McDowell Mountain Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Back on the road, its only a few more miles of climbing before reaching the 9-Mile Hill <i>descent! </i>Best of all, the bike/lane shoulder is complete all the way to Rio Verde, so no more mixing with 60 mph traffic while descending at 25-30mph!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi3sMAeOwJ51KUPA17jtft4Pc8NGlHNk2IOB9vIkI4c7smI_goiZLTl_gEfwGAPXpkuf6av2Ue9xAz5kbUzGsLt-ffG0oIYp2HQ9ZBOoz250gfauYQrVAc8-8K6vuEE69acnNrnV-Gelw436f4K07aioYDvlh9XF_WTULGoVdZOycJiZ5YJa3LFAoi=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhi3sMAeOwJ51KUPA17jtft4Pc8NGlHNk2IOB9vIkI4c7smI_goiZLTl_gEfwGAPXpkuf6av2Ue9xAz5kbUzGsLt-ffG0oIYp2HQ9ZBOoz250gfauYQrVAc8-8K6vuEE69acnNrnV-Gelw436f4K07aioYDvlh9XF_WTULGoVdZOycJiZ5YJa3LFAoi=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike at the lunch control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Reaching the bottom, we again head south and the fun rollers on McDowell Mountain Road. I catch a mountain biker (not on the brevet) and he says hello and asks to hop on my wheel. He tacks on and we make our way to the edge of Fountain Hills and the next climb of the day, a short but steep effort just before town. We have a chance to talk and he asks how far I am into my ride. "101 miles done 86 to go." Then the inevitable conversation about randonneuring ensues as we cover the climb!<p></p><p>Mike has the lunch control set up at a bike shop in strip mall just inside Fountain Hills City limits. The lead group missed it, so I was one of his early customers. Reload and enjoy a turkey wrap and its back on the road for me. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL0Qy4D7hY27BsAayJSPmDQrPTKaADctOQIlbQ_kThRMhDAWSvNouq32ekBTRwhYcm7D3M-cTRlhYZpSdkr6lu9W5eosSPPgA_gN5wX_cGFmfs8qnlW8QjqM5jnYmrJUS8sJ7UHLdvTa_8Mid9TnyaqKv18P9dTHq_6CBN4nk7s8kxbdWo4g3ELfHf=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL0Qy4D7hY27BsAayJSPmDQrPTKaADctOQIlbQ_kThRMhDAWSvNouq32ekBTRwhYcm7D3M-cTRlhYZpSdkr6lu9W5eosSPPgA_gN5wX_cGFmfs8qnlW8QjqM5jnYmrJUS8sJ7UHLdvTa_8Mid9TnyaqKv18P9dTHq_6CBN4nk7s8kxbdWo4g3ELfHf=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Verde River at Ft. McDowell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route skirts the Fountain Hills commercial area and heads back into the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation to connect with AZ87, also known as the Beeline Highway. Shortly after crossing the Verde River, we enter the Tonto National Forest as 8 miles of gentle climbing puts us in the Saguaro Lake/Bush Highway exit.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ010GR1B8OphniRDBsZKrzcntTm2WUUfC21H8OtBh3qkilMRO6GG-Tgt2MJ3tMoVqmy1n2eV460PUNZq5riKypw760CpjxyB5X6oEqL4BCPyaHSGQ-utCmX6FQCYkhfpMzOadfo88ny5imLA3NCuvqaxWTEZNcC_bThj0n6GmBYvzaP7D3XHsnzIL=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJ010GR1B8OphniRDBsZKrzcntTm2WUUfC21H8OtBh3qkilMRO6GG-Tgt2MJ3tMoVqmy1n2eV460PUNZq5riKypw760CpjxyB5X6oEqL4BCPyaHSGQ-utCmX6FQCYkhfpMzOadfo88ny5imLA3NCuvqaxWTEZNcC_bThj0n6GmBYvzaP7D3XHsnzIL=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fire scar on Bush Highway, Weavers Needle <br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Great views of the Tonto National Forest greet us as we descend to Saguaro Lake and the Salt River. Four peaks to the east, and the Superstition Wilderness to the south are easily visible. I stopped on the opposite shoulder to take a photo of a recent fire scar with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weavers_Needle" target="_blank">Weavers Needle</a> in the distance. Stephen Kinney and two other riders passed by checking to see that I was OK. By the time I got back on the right side of the road they had already disappeared!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDjTwZ_5hU9_wwQI-zoECCAaQxSbs0_YyRldnX1mZpwfdeoZk5R-dm773GOF7_O8eFwQoqcYYGKyiKvKrIhpREG0MlCt1wgHQ19Txu7wmZUZ9wo0u1CgNc2Rut3GBFXBZafUAtgi-JnEm_qdKhYXmadp136QlPz_sEu_qVM2Kerp8-3TDZXe49WriQ=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDjTwZ_5hU9_wwQI-zoECCAaQxSbs0_YyRldnX1mZpwfdeoZk5R-dm773GOF7_O8eFwQoqcYYGKyiKvKrIhpREG0MlCt1wgHQ19Txu7wmZUZ9wo0u1CgNc2Rut3GBFXBZafUAtgi-JnEm_qdKhYXmadp136QlPz_sEu_qVM2Kerp8-3TDZXe49WriQ=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ugly fencing on the Blue Point Bridge<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>A few steep rollers and we are past Saguaro Lake and are entering the Salt River Recreation Area. On warmer days the area would be teeming with tubers and kayakers enjoying the river. We cross the Salt River at the Blue Point Bridge. It has fencing installed to prevent fishing and jumping from the bridge. Today, the river flow was very low, not much of an opportunity for either pursuit!<br /><p></p><p>The route turns left and up toward Usery Pass. All the roads in the recreation area have great shoulders and relatively new pavement, making it especially popular for cyclists, especially in the morning. But at the end of day there are only a few riders on the road.<br /></p><p>Clearing the pass, with the always startling gun shots from the nearby shooting range, we descend out of the Tonto Forest and into Mesa Arizona for the next control.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt8v6n86v9mwdrzop7h8cpAz8xVT4jBVjKihc4T_1B7dMYQg69GqkJgQCZLFNq_9_4fMbjtMgwO2Deio-CP4A6xJtfliNnL8s8728zMnoPKnMGVA1SIavG_fLo-R0rO1ElTMTalrwHykAEKFEgCTtOZNgxVfrNZNU9Ih2dE252XIbhlmMzYJ0eUvio=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgt8v6n86v9mwdrzop7h8cpAz8xVT4jBVjKihc4T_1B7dMYQg69GqkJgQCZLFNq_9_4fMbjtMgwO2Deio-CP4A6xJtfliNnL8s8728zMnoPKnMGVA1SIavG_fLo-R0rO1ElTMTalrwHykAEKFEgCTtOZNgxVfrNZNU9Ih2dE252XIbhlmMzYJ0eUvio=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen Kinney heading toward Red Mountain<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>I roll into the control, another Circle K, and Stephen Kinney is there with a couple of other riders. I make it a quick stop, wanting to get back on the road and back down the Beeline Highway before dark. Stephen joins me and we head out Power Road back to the Bush Highway and the Salt River Recreation Area. We descend King Kong hill and rejoin the Salt River at the Verde River confluence. Years ago, a controversial proposal to build the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orme_Dam">Orm Dam</a> here would have put much of today's route under water! They ditched the Orm in 1981 and opted for other water storage projects including improving the Stewart Mountain and Roosevelt dams.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVjQPiab5pO8Q0NrfvEwYtg0mQHoeSX3IIMOh3SYo0R0IHfxzaw6yywjvJI5NlV8mloy0CyfMpu4Ic7nUQROi0iQslZx7OUAMByIuLkKv8SgThf7Gd1UEStMl4zecrWyba6RHY9FqD-Weuu2OIuNXCsU9nxLetjdSmEzrIQOFyLmBX5-Rah-tlO3iT=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVjQPiab5pO8Q0NrfvEwYtg0mQHoeSX3IIMOh3SYo0R0IHfxzaw6yywjvJI5NlV8mloy0CyfMpu4Ic7nUQROi0iQslZx7OUAMByIuLkKv8SgThf7Gd1UEStMl4zecrWyba6RHY9FqD-Weuu2OIuNXCsU9nxLetjdSmEzrIQOFyLmBX5-Rah-tlO3iT=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More great views of the Salt River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Stephen's riding partners rejoin us and we ride as a group of along the scenic Salt River. Just below Saguaro Lake, a few sharp rollers mark the beginning of the climb back to the Beeline Highway. I slip off the back and head up at my own pace.<p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzuF-GQIVWzEqM-s9VsV7trYnWSP1DryPsann2pu-M3m-0tMXyeUfXyiiQ4XdXvOJdaRPohyCmm2eURny_TbYtw7JaeZhFEWJLl1INAfYQlbj41t62Dlo2NLU-YBTmk4jvc_vVCwjekGnY_ndWvKY9Ao7pRSVkfBU38cwlIIB2ShnMMJtz9QM24xyy=s3022" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1968" data-original-width="3022" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzuF-GQIVWzEqM-s9VsV7trYnWSP1DryPsann2pu-M3m-0tMXyeUfXyiiQ4XdXvOJdaRPohyCmm2eURny_TbYtw7JaeZhFEWJLl1INAfYQlbj41t62Dlo2NLU-YBTmk4jvc_vVCwjekGnY_ndWvKY9Ao7pRSVkfBU38cwlIIB2ShnMMJtz9QM24xyy=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weavers Needle<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>At 5 pm the shadows begin to cover the highway, and the temperature in the shade is noticeably cooler. I pause on the bridge over the Beeline to put most of my layers back on. Its a nice descent back to Fountain Hills, and with the setting sun and wind chill, I expected the temperature to drop quickly, and it did!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxA9nbukRxZap82PdEu2NOMKCo9PfHpAP8gqMix5Y__JBRjHlEL25C1xu14Mq50uGhSQBzGvBHvZASotFwKgQiXbuy_5LeXLBevU3b8GpcevZGer_8k23YeBG05R6dF7pnrwOU6osm9IRHJNMhSGatEUUlEjuKWIAlINbeV1lLF35NHxuZzMb68aeh=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxA9nbukRxZap82PdEu2NOMKCo9PfHpAP8gqMix5Y__JBRjHlEL25C1xu14Mq50uGhSQBzGvBHvZASotFwKgQiXbuy_5LeXLBevU3b8GpcevZGer_8k23YeBG05R6dF7pnrwOU6osm9IRHJNMhSGatEUUlEjuKWIAlINbeV1lLF35NHxuZzMb68aeh=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sun sets on the Verde River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The shoulder on the Beeline returning to Ft. McDowell can be quite rough (car-b-que scars, rocks, and highway debris). My goal was to complete this section of the ride in daylight to be able to maximize speed on the descent. I reached Ft. McDowell at sunset and rolled into the second Fountain Hills control, another Circle K!</p><p>In retrospect, I should have eaten more solid fuel at the Mesa control, because I was starting to feel a bit OD'd on sugar. With only 24 miles to go and not wanting to linger with a solid food stop, I downed a chocolate milk and was back on the road. It worked and after few short climbs on Shea Boulevard, I was back in the city for the final run through Scottsdale to the finish in North Phoenix.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2kCKYQ7gsSzj3wMMZgjiMQ15m7Q9RXIk-sf1zTIrVbFWdj7NZqCHSyD2BjqqGFq2KnUtx1QQgDyV4VamVA1EI4rVQ826d66FOg9ns9dzxYqFJkgp2MHDt7M-Em3oCxWQXb9BKi1YkXIo80tPWMNsTb8JfPLHnWzbW-yj-7ofMDNBv0ZAZldCUg9Ww=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2kCKYQ7gsSzj3wMMZgjiMQ15m7Q9RXIk-sf1zTIrVbFWdj7NZqCHSyD2BjqqGFq2KnUtx1QQgDyV4VamVA1EI4rVQ826d66FOg9ns9dzxYqFJkgp2MHDt7M-Em3oCxWQXb9BKi1YkXIo80tPWMNsTb8JfPLHnWzbW-yj-7ofMDNBv0ZAZldCUg9Ww=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just another wonderful sunset<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Happily, the route exits heavy traffic on Shea at 136th street, but takes 15 turns over the next 20 miles to the finish! With all the 'stop and go' riding its hard to build momentum. But with 165 miles in the legs, I'm not sure I could have ridden much faster!<p></p><p>The Phoenix Open is coming to town next week. But in preparation the tents, temporary parking lots, and road closures were already in place. No worries, just jump on the sidewalk and roll through. The last few miles pass the Mayo Health complex before rejoining Union Hills road and the finish at the Coffee King Roastery. </p><p>Brevet #2 is in the books at just under 13 hours. Another great day on the bike. Thanks again to Mike Sturgill for putting together this new route and great support throughout the day.</p><p>Next up is the world famous <a href="https://www.azbrevet.com/events.php?brevet_id=19" target="_blank">Arivaca 400</a>. It could be Epic, don't miss it! </p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/82651747" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-24311675822067850652022-01-11T08:57:00.002-07:002022-01-12T06:19:12.115-07:002022 Bartlett Lake 200km Brevet<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8tpM-06HOuyhmpSbaQjWVTt0H4ZX4j3GJEpfjy4Njk81Qw9awTJn3yeuttORUUnpeXBc6OdDR0w28-M_QD2-XspEx10-1STy4NIQ3CLjw9JqV0GMU-KShBqKIqMAeH8HSBkAf5fxnHHPwqveNZqsICm_TffuCwxi3lm2whYKllHa59cv_l2ySyhWS=s4032" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8tpM-06HOuyhmpSbaQjWVTt0H4ZX4j3GJEpfjy4Njk81Qw9awTJn3yeuttORUUnpeXBc6OdDR0w28-M_QD2-XspEx10-1STy4NIQ3CLjw9JqV0GMU-KShBqKIqMAeH8HSBkAf5fxnHHPwqveNZqsICm_TffuCwxi3lm2whYKllHa59cv_l2ySyhWS=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>Ride report</p><p>January 8, 2022<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibsZzBHwB23G3_7ECnPGaljnE_UK9KqQ-TRfUEUL_rCCeVMgIqMnxBYIT3aof6ZAS7qsnpFyLd9Uu3eSUxRiD4zzzyfZiDuB7pxcX-4ULsTiJdNcGrCU1NGOhdRTs-xBIUaJcwojxcWT93O0uhw1-Mdd3IiuNWeACMCOn303j6Xdak7BPlvsODYKYX=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibsZzBHwB23G3_7ECnPGaljnE_UK9KqQ-TRfUEUL_rCCeVMgIqMnxBYIT3aof6ZAS7qsnpFyLd9Uu3eSUxRiD4zzzyfZiDuB7pxcX-4ULsTiJdNcGrCU1NGOhdRTs-xBIUaJcwojxcWT93O0uhw1-Mdd3IiuNWeACMCOn303j6Xdak7BPlvsODYKYX=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Happy New Year! The 2022 Brevet season in Arizona kicks off with the Sears Kay 100/Bartlett Lake 200 routes. 35 riders signed up for the events with a little more than half selecting the 200km version. Of course our dedicated Regional Brevet Coordinator, Mike Sturgill, pre-rode both courses and provided a great pre-ride report with what to expect. We rolled out of the North Phoenix King Coffee Roastery parking lot a minute or two after 0700.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtPGRQvFOuuF-ZjcaxiJMKAbZSkj0Bi9vVPgyX1uv8Mr19_Iwu7ygHkH4cJYnE9YxTY_S07CCS3rwF5cSnRURxzNlipY_XJf9OXuDJAgveoFLWRlSgD8WWV8SsRnvJy7A0qjmjZECzdbe6NFlDTVBkVMNm1eUO6chICSGd44KtNYt3Xypu_Ih-u3DG=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtPGRQvFOuuF-ZjcaxiJMKAbZSkj0Bi9vVPgyX1uv8Mr19_Iwu7ygHkH4cJYnE9YxTY_S07CCS3rwF5cSnRURxzNlipY_XJf9OXuDJAgveoFLWRlSgD8WWV8SsRnvJy7A0qjmjZECzdbe6NFlDTVBkVMNm1eUO6chICSGd44KtNYt3Xypu_Ih-u3DG=s320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the 'climb' toward Sears Kay<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p>With just a few traffic lights and turns we are soon in the North Phoenix desert climbing toward the first control at the Sears Kay ruins. The road appears flat but climbs at a mostly steady grade of 1-2%, with a few steep rollers tossed in near the summit. A few eager riders roll off the front and I fall in with a large second group of riders going at an easier pace. Its a good time to catch up with friends and meet some folks that traveled here to enjoy a fantastic day of winter desert riding.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCypN5AqYeJlAbvo62VSP7QiXE7RhRURnshifLHU0ial1UW7d1DQ2swAWktXwfAbEThTD1DRUTDbsMGiuMhtGT-JC_IkbVKuKMFY4l1B9leRcW8DsWYKe1L8XYp_63SJBS7qa6LmpRv-7EHi70sMhDWUD8mJn7W_3VPS7t59LD3OAWLODoMaPCIjH_=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCypN5AqYeJlAbvo62VSP7QiXE7RhRURnshifLHU0ial1UW7d1DQ2swAWktXwfAbEThTD1DRUTDbsMGiuMhtGT-JC_IkbVKuKMFY4l1B9leRcW8DsWYKe1L8XYp_63SJBS7qa6LmpRv-7EHi70sMhDWUD8mJn7W_3VPS7t59LD3OAWLODoMaPCIjH_=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rollers to the turn-around<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5x0GNot3v2InnhVWtHDyHxTBBa32R2Rw3uTSBfYby2d-nOkm5GeDhAW5EvYrijTzURZz_BdcAJCeRdERcgp0GX3tGwWO8kygywqT_g5h06h8E-YJTaGubatIAfEMUhJ0PYT4koZrLkv9PL0gRBKSY-E87Xh8l6lTwT87GHKBfpsTtbsaFr_WuTxZX=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5x0GNot3v2InnhVWtHDyHxTBBa32R2Rw3uTSBfYby2d-nOkm5GeDhAW5EvYrijTzURZz_BdcAJCeRdERcgp0GX3tGwWO8kygywqT_g5h06h8E-YJTaGubatIAfEMUhJ0PYT4koZrLkv9PL0gRBKSY-E87Xh8l6lTwT87GHKBfpsTtbsaFr_WuTxZX=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennifer and Rashid near the end of pavement<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The group splinters as we enter the rollers of the Legends development about half-way to the first control. By the time we hit the turn-around at the end of the pavement on Seven Springs Road, the riders are in groups of one, two, and three all over the course.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJ-SxUDBqTNOLSKZJ2yOH6hBRNfVLX2zqt9tg1XL781H2ndhCzDSRm4jxNiawNzQ4v1cKzhC-aDJ8h_QTbh_JmcfSsdPHmGQBLyo8n0u426eUH3kP83mghoE_hSzk83e7JlKzXUtaSey4KVblfvIBWVPQohy1IQ8LcJdfSYGxzOSVXm1FVI-wuvrs=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmJ-SxUDBqTNOLSKZJ2yOH6hBRNfVLX2zqt9tg1XL781H2ndhCzDSRm4jxNiawNzQ4v1cKzhC-aDJ8h_QTbh_JmcfSsdPHmGQBLyo8n0u426eUH3kP83mghoE_hSzk83e7JlKzXUtaSey4KVblfvIBWVPQohy1IQ8LcJdfSYGxzOSVXm1FVI-wuvrs=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mike checks us in at the Sears Kay control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Mike and his faithful companion Aztec, set up the staffed control at the parking/picnic area of the Sears Kay ruins. I grab some Oreo cookies for the pocket, toss down a Starbucks Frappuccino, top off the bottles and head out.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB4JzRCUGpPV6w20iRRdAW6r-24i51Td8n-vSS_Y_wNtyqdNIeHtxpgPRBg25uArL7Z2N_DmdeYxTeEa2A9xM5wn5v-LAU_lkeH1lEE3DTQGd6GKp3_c_COPwSppm80z5dxnZgepXICce1_xXyrpu7NznuMkx4yD_Q7khkJkEEmF-QKPAYAI-dkWK2=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB4JzRCUGpPV6w20iRRdAW6r-24i51Td8n-vSS_Y_wNtyqdNIeHtxpgPRBg25uArL7Z2N_DmdeYxTeEa2A9xM5wn5v-LAU_lkeH1lEE3DTQGd6GKp3_c_COPwSppm80z5dxnZgepXICce1_xXyrpu7NznuMkx4yD_Q7khkJkEEmF-QKPAYAI-dkWK2=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pavement on Bartlett Dam Road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It is just a few miles past the control where the two routes split. The 200km road turns and heads 'down' to Bartlett Lake. The good news is that the first half of 14 miles to the lake is on new pavement. This section used to be very rough and challenging dodging pot holes and lake traffic. The new pavement even has a bit of room outside the fog line and was butter smooth!<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg15OoZI7Qhatfzjy3RwNYUGQjUhGux3JqB9fndgQoKCR1jcIIFBP4FQy7OK3F4NnJ0Xv5_Ugqc6n9ySngqy48S1Yb2aekWlfSwJiG-M7z001rfCTUTRfNGMazSMcD9YsIeKe9emhZlk1PURumGvF_TuETBuWWtHkchdBMefxYEbAPftBOUGOkuspZL=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg15OoZI7Qhatfzjy3RwNYUGQjUhGux3JqB9fndgQoKCR1jcIIFBP4FQy7OK3F4NnJ0Xv5_Ugqc6n9ySngqy48S1Yb2aekWlfSwJiG-M7z001rfCTUTRfNGMazSMcD9YsIeKe9emhZlk1PURumGvF_TuETBuWWtHkchdBMefxYEbAPftBOUGOkuspZL=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearing the top of the first climb out of the lake area<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>One might think its all downhill to the lake, not so! There a few miles of climbing that gain 1000 feet on the way 'down' to the lake! Finally on the last descent to the lake, we start to see the lead riders returning from the control at the marina. <p></p><p>The lake is very low and the clerk at the marina store is sharing fishing information with a few customers at the check out. Not interested in the fishing report, I purchase a can of V-8 juice, some water, and peel off a layer of clothing and reload the pockets, as other riders arrive and depart.<br /></p><p>Heading back up the hill, the sun is out and warming nicely. One more stop to remove another clothing layer and we make our way back the way we came!</p><p>There is a Forest Service Information kiosk and water fountain at the top of the climb. I stop there and reload a bottle with CarboPro/water for the run to the next control in New River. Its mostly downhill for the next 30 miles, except for a small climb out of Cave Creek to the Carefree Highway.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3zprBJtSw7eFNi2oZ7Mv3fVl6na9EvWbrFkTcxIjVwmbn7gdX3y3pITiRumRGiM0BCyozSSL5DkaPm0zy7GAikXdjsxHJMmB27BrpbISfTV77KJsS67Z9ZWyzDMVPRauH0k9fpgJ3HRO2ijtMZNwW17K-I3RitynhaTXEEsAQcffREUd1ysQ82zzM=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3zprBJtSw7eFNi2oZ7Mv3fVl6na9EvWbrFkTcxIjVwmbn7gdX3y3pITiRumRGiM0BCyozSSL5DkaPm0zy7GAikXdjsxHJMmB27BrpbISfTV77KJsS67Z9ZWyzDMVPRauH0k9fpgJ3HRO2ijtMZNwW17K-I3RitynhaTXEEsAQcffREUd1ysQ82zzM=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New River Control<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>After six miles of Carefree Highway riding, we turn right on 7th Street and head north toward New River and the next control. Its 13 miles away, and at mile 91, New River should be the last stop I need to make before the finish. One last bottle reload, toss down a chocolate milk from the store, and its back on the road for the final segment.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJLntkUx185FHmUWLIhx2KphcWI2zGKDcSkVf5BmbWYWbSPlBAiDs0ObKjaEsZwikR2QH4Jqb4Pd-rwTNf3PJNsrkkPdCQEP5sPQEsal7kICoIwq2BLDS2X9gwWjI-r9v2EYLjhRlRH2o64twu4dWNiXO2B8Uj_eUSgJkR-8Up12c6JwxzlVzCVxyH=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJLntkUx185FHmUWLIhx2KphcWI2zGKDcSkVf5BmbWYWbSPlBAiDs0ObKjaEsZwikR2QH4Jqb4Pd-rwTNf3PJNsrkkPdCQEP5sPQEsal7kICoIwq2BLDS2X9gwWjI-r9v2EYLjhRlRH2o64twu4dWNiXO2B8Uj_eUSgJkR-8Up12c6JwxzlVzCVxyH=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open desert near Lake Pleasant<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route crosses the I-17 and heads west for 10 miles toward Lake Pleasant. Traffic was light while the cross/head winds picked up, and we soon pass the Welcome to Peoria sign and return to urban riding for the last 25 miles to the finish.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiWVzM32WGxgMgqcBZl6wo1T9-anSf4p5NTa9rTp4LbIBZf19dfbeX2SlgaqLnXckkZXagTT2aC41uP9f5vwaA8zoaWuj4Ny0k1Ojaow8AuFMcdRShLckxDTrJb_MxiL7yCOeOLei-I8Nz1XSVRTL9v9OjJeBdWgMtZk-4TxzQj4Z1amOoMkH7cJmg=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiWVzM32WGxgMgqcBZl6wo1T9-anSf4p5NTa9rTp4LbIBZf19dfbeX2SlgaqLnXckkZXagTT2aC41uP9f5vwaA8zoaWuj4Ny0k1Ojaow8AuFMcdRShLckxDTrJb_MxiL7yCOeOLei-I8Nz1XSVRTL9v9OjJeBdWgMtZk-4TxzQj4Z1amOoMkH7cJmg=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quiet roads in Peoria AZ<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The route Mike selected includes many turns, but follows mostly quiet roads through planned communities. A little construction on the last leg of Deer Valley Road and soon we are back in the King Coffee Roastery parking lot. Mike included a complimentary lunch at the Subway next door with the entry fee. I traded my AZ Brevet ticket for a 6" sub, chips, and a drink. A nice way to finish a great day on the bike. Thanks Mike for another great brevet!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6orgF4lF9tCjTSI2QAaDfPNJYyVr8oQxX8ptmDqvCj7OdgM3IgN6s32Iv6zrXxFzooBwSrWSkboGt0hXvXtnoySTyYwl3KnzdaP4lK3Br71pRqbiCUn1jtTmP_62i6mQK0pE7DUn2iEKrlc27vvk89xZT36MqnMWUC-a2a5S0dOVQPSxyCkcA4qWo=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh6orgF4lF9tCjTSI2QAaDfPNJYyVr8oQxX8ptmDqvCj7OdgM3IgN6s32Iv6zrXxFzooBwSrWSkboGt0hXvXtnoySTyYwl3KnzdaP4lK3Br71pRqbiCUn1jtTmP_62i6mQK0pE7DUn2iEKrlc27vvk89xZT36MqnMWUC-a2a5S0dOVQPSxyCkcA4qWo=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the next brevet!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Next on the 2022 brevet schedule is the North Valley 123/200/300 on February 5, 2022. <a href="https://www.azbrevet.com/index.html" target="_blank">Click here for information</a> and to sign up. Hope to see you there!<p></p><p>Steve Atkins</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/trips/81182497" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p> </p><p> </p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-49491255263802728702021-10-04T19:33:00.001-07:002021-10-08T06:04:40.184-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 27: Tybee Island GA<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SQfuFLKdRScbDHRvxujH6kBY44uFkINHPoY5hhmNq5RUTerPoThRqC0l16LjvLT9GpZV0RgVCuaJLI0fa2jeCpJqi2yhoYVy1FHcYoJV_E_RK5tQ6dmAyQY5eRfBGXXfFrZ10K33eZQ/s4032/IMG_6825.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SQfuFLKdRScbDHRvxujH6kBY44uFkINHPoY5hhmNq5RUTerPoThRqC0l16LjvLT9GpZV0RgVCuaJLI0fa2jeCpJqi2yhoYVy1FHcYoJV_E_RK5tQ6dmAyQY5eRfBGXXfFrZ10K33eZQ/s320/IMG_6825.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise in Metter GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We enjoyed our last parking lot breakfast at 6:45 this morning. World famous PacTour oatmeal and all the fixin's washed down with coffee and OJ. We threw our bags in the trailer at 7:15 and hit the road. Again, we had heavy 'rush hour' traffic leaving Metter GA.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyeI9_8MlJ1rqgk5rx1Uel8UsDYIIpNgPhsIBle_wDljqs4TWKZN7Zw1balX36FmM4oLzMha8L8X6Gc24VdRi7fMMztXzHSKYgOLIAfDQLN_syen85pi2rcPXbOYs9nnyVUsUqg0VPBU/s4032/IMG_6828.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzyeI9_8MlJ1rqgk5rx1Uel8UsDYIIpNgPhsIBle_wDljqs4TWKZN7Zw1balX36FmM4oLzMha8L8X6Gc24VdRi7fMMztXzHSKYgOLIAfDQLN_syen85pi2rcPXbOYs9nnyVUsUqg0VPBU/s320/IMG_6828.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice field behind the first SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Route 46 had heavy morning traffic and a tiny shoulder. After all the days of riding in wide open country, we were a little out of practice riding in traffic. We pushed through and made the first SAG in about an hour and a half. <br /><p></p><p>Just out of the SAG we were back on a county road for about 15 miles. Nice riding on a quiet road, until we joined route 80.<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1ySHln9iQODj2LFmslkdmkhDJVz94LlcPPvptnNcPCa-zT3grVcOosrLNQoUQFZICrM0yOrFBT7D9LrY7BfTAF0msg1biWIjlC6rUeUBlZjcQHXuithK9z3x6P2J5hQ2E9t5dUUjkag/s4032/IMG_6829.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1ySHln9iQODj2LFmslkdmkhDJVz94LlcPPvptnNcPCa-zT3grVcOosrLNQoUQFZICrM0yOrFBT7D9LrY7BfTAF0msg1biWIjlC6rUeUBlZjcQHXuithK9z3x6P2J5hQ2E9t5dUUjkag/s320/IMG_6829.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic stacked up on Route 80<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The second SAG at 42 miles was also on Route 80, at least at mile 55 the highway expanded to four lanes. Still a tiny shoulder, but at least the traffic was a little more spread out. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlTS1JoG5baWU746yRmFEPhejkCg5p-r3o3_xjq9FinBe-Y11B-9aX96CcUs_gxSPyAAWujo8UtQ3XwFjxHSFpl1YIdrAro8v4M2jy7sWc8l2KeVXOaV64DHzIijVKJOBwFs8eCiwyTs/s4032/IMG_6832.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIlTS1JoG5baWU746yRmFEPhejkCg5p-r3o3_xjq9FinBe-Y11B-9aX96CcUs_gxSPyAAWujo8UtQ3XwFjxHSFpl1YIdrAro8v4M2jy7sWc8l2KeVXOaV64DHzIijVKJOBwFs8eCiwyTs/s320/IMG_6832.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Triplet Community Park for Lunch SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN7k4ewdlsXrUiRepjyTyOH0zqLhoNbkNtesLTUaWwi9tSHhRoaFGvg6ZhCkMRzs1J2DDuagY2Gm3rKoW0MXRxVhFKMUoybK1qWaWrUHXIvQCvAC5Esbb9sh9saKa4frfOQQsj7PR18Y/s4032/IMG_6833.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN7k4ewdlsXrUiRepjyTyOH0zqLhoNbkNtesLTUaWwi9tSHhRoaFGvg6ZhCkMRzs1J2DDuagY2Gm3rKoW0MXRxVhFKMUoybK1qWaWrUHXIvQCvAC5Esbb9sh9saKa4frfOQQsj7PR18Y/s320/IMG_6833.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bikes parked at the lunch SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had deli sandwiches and were eager to get off Route 80, so Jeff and I made it a quick stop and rolled out at the front of the group.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6OSZ4vKupqNvU0ARjC4VjcisH1k1sD5uN3MKX55ojFw1ixbHm6FRF0u3ahc7a5yAPCoDtxTuZugYMFd3RazOocanSXBjs-dasBZ8O-D8gftv5siAIOnnJzE6CSoEVxKf55L_K4wQLgU/s4032/IMG_6838.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6OSZ4vKupqNvU0ARjC4VjcisH1k1sD5uN3MKX55ojFw1ixbHm6FRF0u3ahc7a5yAPCoDtxTuZugYMFd3RazOocanSXBjs-dasBZ8O-D8gftv5siAIOnnJzE6CSoEVxKf55L_K4wQLgU/s320/IMG_6838.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 minutes at this RR crossing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was only 5 miles on Route 80 and soon we were in an industrial area moving along nicely. Then we hit a traffic back up do to a train crossing. It took 30 minutes to clear. We got through before the crossing opened to traffic so at least we didn't have to deal with frustrated drivers! Mikael and Carl joined us as we picked our way through Savanna.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLeQJcUekRSk8oLnZF5JUoOAzaus_vggYPhb3fXuNqgilk8UAn-TLa0a2SF8GUrLdCq21xyimvDSp1M6ISToiTRpRwWdTdNihYFYfLXCexGRGnBs1bDD4f8msUGL2fjqvBWE0jBwDN7k/s4032/IMG_6843.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPLeQJcUekRSk8oLnZF5JUoOAzaus_vggYPhb3fXuNqgilk8UAn-TLa0a2SF8GUrLdCq21xyimvDSp1M6ISToiTRpRwWdTdNihYFYfLXCexGRGnBs1bDD4f8msUGL2fjqvBWE0jBwDN7k/s320/IMG_6843.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Savanna <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tJmjMDgJeJuip1pWbSFR6flq02YhXnJbC_AaTsqKKcUbeKzItHQ9J_jU-o3hvuPI3_wxnyrlaCdxj6rmayxrnGlYkVpMSJNsrjSinMWG-BMqIHpSC1y3W8o242HqlIZrzP54-x87jJM/s4032/IMG_6844.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tJmjMDgJeJuip1pWbSFR6flq02YhXnJbC_AaTsqKKcUbeKzItHQ9J_jU-o3hvuPI3_wxnyrlaCdxj6rmayxrnGlYkVpMSJNsrjSinMWG-BMqIHpSC1y3W8o242HqlIZrzP54-x87jJM/s320/IMG_6844.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice riding in the old section of Savanna<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2jNJ_eR0uFm5tDdY65xu0-u7w73hiWTym9AXOwknPf2IUHfvJZ06fCuECPLq2264msJhLY4DZKK8f36lnlIJEV63RNgz83CVa_y9v9pBW9lTB6pdZ5UxpQfEez8LnUXAnDAOTqzvw-Y/s4032/IMG_6848.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2jNJ_eR0uFm5tDdY65xu0-u7w73hiWTym9AXOwknPf2IUHfvJZ06fCuECPLq2264msJhLY4DZKK8f36lnlIJEV63RNgz83CVa_y9v9pBW9lTB6pdZ5UxpQfEez8LnUXAnDAOTqzvw-Y/s320/IMG_6848.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilmington River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>With heavy traffic and the will to get this done, we dialed up the pace until we got the the regroup point at the Welcome to Tybee Island with Mikael and Carl still on our wheels.<br /><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_noduObk-RU_Ap68iO2X6at-skPWcD-3P5YXwJdqzs4fFVRFJJZW-LEV9gGVZ9-gIjDFPLH2jBwJYJwBUetso2MWvPVDz0fDivj8XKnZrIDMxcpMQ6ssnk5C6Q-S0QCLWoa3i-xkwNk/s4032/IMG_6852.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB_noduObk-RU_Ap68iO2X6at-skPWcD-3P5YXwJdqzs4fFVRFJJZW-LEV9gGVZ9-gIjDFPLH2jBwJYJwBUetso2MWvPVDz0fDivj8XKnZrIDMxcpMQ6ssnk5C6Q-S0QCLWoa3i-xkwNk/s320/IMG_6852.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the regroup point<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WIow0W7Y0qdYgpEtyDfshuZrI_XDtKnePeeM6zoKQchIeqAZceaOr1ld2LEDKrpAmpYnMiQIRhyphenhyphen5oKWbl-orr3ku28BdhYcQNhYeVa4QmsBxLjrW1sEsfOMw7ojPyYZpJ3sTc1ZM27s/s1635/IMG_6859.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1635" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8WIow0W7Y0qdYgpEtyDfshuZrI_XDtKnePeeM6zoKQchIeqAZceaOr1ld2LEDKrpAmpYnMiQIRhyphenhyphen5oKWbl-orr3ku28BdhYcQNhYeVa4QmsBxLjrW1sEsfOMw7ojPyYZpJ3sTc1ZM27s/s320/IMG_6859.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The traditional wheel dip in the Atlantic!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the regroup photo, we continued as a group to the Hotel Tybee and the beach. We all dipped our wheels in the ocean and took the final group photo on the beach. We had a group dinner and enjoyed a slide show of the photos that the crew had taken during the trip.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZLFN1X9qRCVe2kfYsBUWMVOBG98ZdkvhJyxzM63guJV7T3OE_bfCSLDH0LvF0qg2ocgG2kALx8KcCjHqcDSmO7jsnvPieY0n8TkSkl3FkO4YmLzp8eB82GxPmB-vPmjlLl6UcHPnIBg/s3088/IMG_6862.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZLFN1X9qRCVe2kfYsBUWMVOBG98ZdkvhJyxzM63guJV7T3OE_bfCSLDH0LvF0qg2ocgG2kALx8KcCjHqcDSmO7jsnvPieY0n8TkSkl3FkO4YmLzp8eB82GxPmB-vPmjlLl6UcHPnIBg/s320/IMG_6862.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks for following along!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>It has been quite a month. The days on the tour seemed to run together, some days you felt like the hammer, some days like the nail! Some days were memorable for the good or the bad, others were days were just 'get across' days to get to the next town that fade into a blur. I saw many things and made some great new friends. Having you follow my journey via these updates gave me motivation and encouragement to press on. <br /></p><p>Thank you and I hope you enjoyed 'riding along' on this adventure!<br /></p><p>Steve</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwBqK9JAP_9RIehH3Y26VG01a6_oypYda2m966IdHSiNmovRZF7nRJvzlBqoFLfGX2IRmbIbBEmtuNdYOwR8umzqQ9DAi_vdJby-T49XkwwAIQoTZfoocJD4gcmMbk-BuE36B4L-QLRI/s4032/IMG_6887.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkwBqK9JAP_9RIehH3Y26VG01a6_oypYda2m966IdHSiNmovRZF7nRJvzlBqoFLfGX2IRmbIbBEmtuNdYOwR8umzqQ9DAi_vdJby-T49XkwwAIQoTZfoocJD4gcmMbk-BuE36B4L-QLRI/s320/IMG_6887.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Done!</td></tr></tbody></table>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-48019355425287938612021-10-03T18:46:00.005-07:002021-10-03T18:46:43.372-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 26: Metter GA<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYycXzWWI_i7dv4fogcXqvblrGSLXfnaDRGWqf58qhUr0Ymso2kFRI8PRl4NbeUfeT_s9QqZ1A2W0kdM00FpJc6YBPpZDXHQVrDY87Ss3giyvGYFINjfg3qkCMxM5g5TpmvD51r_EKiP8/s4032/IMG_6787.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYycXzWWI_i7dv4fogcXqvblrGSLXfnaDRGWqf58qhUr0Ymso2kFRI8PRl4NbeUfeT_s9QqZ1A2W0kdM00FpJc6YBPpZDXHQVrDY87Ss3giyvGYFINjfg3qkCMxM5g5TpmvD51r_EKiP8/s320/IMG_6787.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dawn in Cordele GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p></p><p>Today's ride is 126 miles with 4,200 feet of climbing. Again the climbing will be of the short roller variety we have seen the last few days. Today will also be the last long ride of the tour. Tomorrow will be under 90 miles with only a few rollers out of the start at Metter, then pancake flat as we approach the Atlantic.</p><p>Jeff's fiance (Lori) and Wes' wife (Elizabeth) will be at the finish line so we have some incentive to get this one done. We have been riding at a conservative pace for the whole tour, so today we decided to dial it up.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jiVRSofn-JzWTl98IidHLYBjP9-el-Q3vWl27JdMlJehfXqX0LaqfN9MlcvUVZ8VUZJeWRXjvZoRCQFK6Ch9NBuBy5LGWEGhEnPMFOpm2O2iR8jZrnXl5eG_ciZtkwKb3UpLnrausck/s4032/IMG_6788.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jiVRSofn-JzWTl98IidHLYBjP9-el-Q3vWl27JdMlJehfXqX0LaqfN9MlcvUVZ8VUZJeWRXjvZoRCQFK6Ch9NBuBy5LGWEGhEnPMFOpm2O2iR8jZrnXl5eG_ciZtkwKb3UpLnrausck/s320/IMG_6788.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff and Wes take a pull<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We rolled out at our normal conservative warm-up pace and attracted quite the train as we left town. After 30 minutes we slowly dialed it up and soon it was just 4. Doug L. was riding 4th wheel with us and was doing great. He has ridden many PacTours, but had double knee replacements earlier this year. He normally rode alone, but we were happy to have him join the party.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zdaGETpALmmqyZYGNi3xR_iQ-DFtByt7k3pdIP0AIh0tTnzlzuBFEovOyha-xD2Ql_PUmMu-yL14kjw1eux2xi69snpNBIiVOvLZD0HDokJU5S88YmfLaPV9yzhVq30fx04PeT3YblM/s4032/IMG_6792.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zdaGETpALmmqyZYGNi3xR_iQ-DFtByt7k3pdIP0AIh0tTnzlzuBFEovOyha-xD2Ql_PUmMu-yL14kjw1eux2xi69snpNBIiVOvLZD0HDokJU5S88YmfLaPV9yzhVq30fx04PeT3YblM/s320/IMG_6792.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wilcox County Courthouse<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We rolled in together to the first SAG at 22 miles at a sports complex just as the crew was setting up. We reloaded quickly and were leaving as other riders rolled in. Soon we arrived in Abbyville and stopped for a courthouse photo!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AbY9yJs0v2RNnUeQDcCHslghgP6DWYnjL0WK0AE1vO39u9kHrj18F9YCHoOOfC5wyfT1cTB3DELn248L2PTZZPSfmoWIaH1pGZTp7yZ6BbXJFqSw5MZRNMov0q-jQodz5dI4mjfVB8w/s3088/IMG_6795.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0AbY9yJs0v2RNnUeQDcCHslghgP6DWYnjL0WK0AE1vO39u9kHrj18F9YCHoOOfC5wyfT1cTB3DELn248L2PTZZPSfmoWIaH1pGZTp7yZ6BbXJFqSw5MZRNMov0q-jQodz5dI4mjfVB8w/s320/IMG_6795.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning train, Jeff, Wes, and Doug L.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Our group stayed together for the first 50 miles. A few miles from the second SAG, the rollers got steeper and longer and Doug wisely dropped off to ride at his own pace.<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ktf8we_sMp2QR_DZ4KQjeCh95An3fAzyt1bRSZuAebi5QxVb1zQ05JfQy3rOVjnufKcje8cu8445oLY40bx-49kc2XHPxvzdgmqU3On1msFTB-m0TJ6SKJjJk1_D7cZ6fpeU9CGWi0/s4032/IMG_6800.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3ktf8we_sMp2QR_DZ4KQjeCh95An3fAzyt1bRSZuAebi5QxVb1zQ05JfQy3rOVjnufKcje8cu8445oLY40bx-49kc2XHPxvzdgmqU3On1msFTB-m0TJ6SKJjJk1_D7cZ6fpeU9CGWi0/s320/IMG_6800.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second SAG near some abandoned buildings<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Again, we arrived just as the SAG was setting up. Jeff's fiance Lori was there waiting for us to cheer us on. We again did a quick reload and got right back on the road. The temperature was cool and we were eager to get as miles in as possible before it started to get hot!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkD-vJ7morz0tBwYSZj56pKkSNUY3POvAGD-0gXvUuRGCg4cAuu4UF8PRJvGavFgZUOuByvKlroiDKjkAa0iyTNafqUh9hZbTin8EDNzaesHeBWMWozNJcNEQCKiqJ6jY-ZeIJ-Kyb2Q/s4032/IMG_6803.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSkD-vJ7morz0tBwYSZj56pKkSNUY3POvAGD-0gXvUuRGCg4cAuu4UF8PRJvGavFgZUOuByvKlroiDKjkAa0iyTNafqUh9hZbTin8EDNzaesHeBWMWozNJcNEQCKiqJ6jY-ZeIJ-Kyb2Q/s320/IMG_6803.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open roads toward the Lunch SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDLtJEDAlxt5sX2Ug-KLv4uulRsI5BpctDw-CRVJPU2XfGJVMaIW3dsja0UHaqO26iG3RMZkUbLQxUFFaZoIDfquCTCqTId6plHjnWkQflhhErGJQ9oZtyw2-OEd45ypjLeo0BIZnBNQ/s4032/IMG_6805.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDLtJEDAlxt5sX2Ug-KLv4uulRsI5BpctDw-CRVJPU2XfGJVMaIW3dsja0UHaqO26iG3RMZkUbLQxUFFaZoIDfquCTCqTId6plHjnWkQflhhErGJQ9oZtyw2-OEd45ypjLeo0BIZnBNQ/s320/IMG_6805.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hog dog? Yes Please<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived at the lunch SAG just as the first dogs came off the grill. We again chowed down, reloaded and got on with the ride.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1a8y2qs1p5nThjDAft5X5HwXi-D2FyyQfklbObKWOfV7UL9MaTziXNwVpXet0ggsQ7p9FmItzDsAGB7TZG89SNmlrOLEtkQdZgNalEwLbEtpHYRGouFs0uCcR2efoL_KNpK6KcthErU/s4032/IMG_6807.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1a8y2qs1p5nThjDAft5X5HwXi-D2FyyQfklbObKWOfV7UL9MaTziXNwVpXet0ggsQ7p9FmItzDsAGB7TZG89SNmlrOLEtkQdZgNalEwLbEtpHYRGouFs0uCcR2efoL_KNpK6KcthErU/s320/IMG_6807.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New pines growing<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>It was pretty much a head-down day to get this one in the books, as evidenced by the dearth of photos in the camera at the end of the ride! <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjlwI5ih90Ii4jGrRfgaPhVkYYypGGIr15k2ZM1KGXlTvp1cw0CKZHAfRcPDb81J8spEQXGFmR_I_TgwFadFSnRhJV0Nt1CUSZ2JXE-YE3kgWLURghrmy1drBUVH7DmBk8dTHGV3eYOU/s4032/IMG_6809.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjlwI5ih90Ii4jGrRfgaPhVkYYypGGIr15k2ZM1KGXlTvp1cw0CKZHAfRcPDb81J8spEQXGFmR_I_TgwFadFSnRhJV0Nt1CUSZ2JXE-YE3kgWLURghrmy1drBUVH7DmBk8dTHGV3eYOU/s320/IMG_6809.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading for Metter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>The last SAG was 15 miles from Metter. Again we popped in and out quickly as the staff was setting up.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7-TQ1R9qZ8s80yHi5UjELrWaUsrDx94uu-oH50BZjOrzcKIZRzOyHK_DQvY5kq9Z583vKECeQEIc6_ngL9Xz9MR20T4RsanB0aN1j_ZDzQwANgfJQIrotO4jDoXZqZivlP8AfeBOiH8/s4032/IMG_6811.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7-TQ1R9qZ8s80yHi5UjELrWaUsrDx94uu-oH50BZjOrzcKIZRzOyHK_DQvY5kq9Z583vKECeQEIc6_ngL9Xz9MR20T4RsanB0aN1j_ZDzQwANgfJQIrotO4jDoXZqZivlP8AfeBOiH8/s320/IMG_6811.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice shade for much of the afternoon<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU9TSscalQ1khAMWl6uS0ueX_97kmIfqA_LPRuHTxJ88GU_nseiPIso0-sWzICdu4Ierr6Cc-faSwgQnG9_R6pYo5WbZmc8daV447eawJGCbmmdjXqDlFFo5ZZiCcVe56jRcTPwUkFUE/s4032/IMG_6812.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLU9TSscalQ1khAMWl6uS0ueX_97kmIfqA_LPRuHTxJ88GU_nseiPIso0-sWzICdu4Ierr6Cc-faSwgQnG9_R6pYo5WbZmc8daV447eawJGCbmmdjXqDlFFo5ZZiCcVe56jRcTPwUkFUE/s320/IMG_6812.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That horse has been workin'<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>It really didn't get as hot as we expected, with some cloud cover and shade from the tall pines along the way, so we continued to work hard together until we got about 5 miles from town. Dropping back as we cooled down, I noticed all the salt stains on Jeff's jersey!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoEaOaiH2N8vhRkoXtCMJyP15VuMtxAFwRELKJFTXXXjVgivwWvH2SbsK6cBipa-NxvNdLZJlw77BBTKqqMsr5bpMyD8KfLCdGxGPz0uhsMfKDEgbYZJnEhvpAj7Y2wG-cypNJ5JOsxc/s4032/IMG_6814.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinoEaOaiH2N8vhRkoXtCMJyP15VuMtxAFwRELKJFTXXXjVgivwWvH2SbsK6cBipa-NxvNdLZJlw77BBTKqqMsr5bpMyD8KfLCdGxGPz0uhsMfKDEgbYZJnEhvpAj7Y2wG-cypNJ5JOsxc/s320/IMG_6814.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candler County Courthouse, Metter GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQaocAZXXJmsXEuBA_-lmJb0_H05RyNjAwfXwm9KodYGViho7dKA9NX6CBk5o-EZMTOORLycWshdYKWcF5yOl1SzD2QYhutZIQGHx_BG4dnodu_DBqbLQ9ft2Pma1KlxQWZvkYzdNUwk/s4032/IMG_6817.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigQaocAZXXJmsXEuBA_-lmJb0_H05RyNjAwfXwm9KodYGViho7dKA9NX6CBk5o-EZMTOORLycWshdYKWcF5yOl1SzD2QYhutZIQGHx_BG4dnodu_DBqbLQ9ft2Pma1KlxQWZvkYzdNUwk/s320/IMG_6817.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another residential approach to the hotel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We again rolled past a county courthouse and routed through a nice residential area as we closed in on the finish. We rolled in at 8 hours and 11 minutes for 126 miles. With 4,200 feet of climbing, that was not nothin'!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK7GnMJHoMGEzH80b8B5a8p1PYrGj0jbzytqVkKsAkwVvVSJ-AO5KFRm6YQ6vL4O-sDjYpYvU9m46epjsJxygYYY1szwTvrWYvzd3pbu9va2QkqEsVniRA691wJMzJiz9Hvj6vqmYWkM/s4032/IMG_6819.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1992" data-original-width="4032" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdK7GnMJHoMGEzH80b8B5a8p1PYrGj0jbzytqVkKsAkwVvVSJ-AO5KFRm6YQ6vL4O-sDjYpYvU9m46epjsJxygYYY1szwTvrWYvzd3pbu9va2QkqEsVniRA691wJMzJiz9Hvj6vqmYWkM/s320/IMG_6819.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">87 miles left to go!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2cp1B_t6eEq2sEd4toPwVtKiOJXwxg9DQoaK591JdmdOnkLc38sFBlHi8-zjXBhdvy44z1l520mGhnOcyKks0ywYl8ztt7hRuJ0QvOX8CK4BVbExDXcwV7rjzNX0z-izbhJJhFlwCuQ/s4032/IMG_6820.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2cp1B_t6eEq2sEd4toPwVtKiOJXwxg9DQoaK591JdmdOnkLc38sFBlHi8-zjXBhdvy44z1l520mGhnOcyKks0ywYl8ztt7hRuJ0QvOX8CK4BVbExDXcwV7rjzNX0z-izbhJJhFlwCuQ/s320/IMG_6820.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, Mexican food again!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP61-lMSCzHQGz5FGEtOsdhizJTb_gxUn0Zx2KkIKGSysM8Kihy6ipl09LP-Zy95NgllaGCE749QM7oMctFigfaYwZT7zLJloqv6oe4qfMVq3cFgM7Pu6bqrFRYKXUHxKayxaBolEzUdQ/s1600/IMG_6821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP61-lMSCzHQGz5FGEtOsdhizJTb_gxUn0Zx2KkIKGSysM8Kihy6ipl09LP-Zy95NgllaGCE749QM7oMctFigfaYwZT7zLJloqv6oe4qfMVq3cFgM7Pu6bqrFRYKXUHxKayxaBolEzUdQ/s320/IMG_6821.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wes, Doug L, Steve A, Steve P, Lori, Jeff, John, Tim, Elizabeth<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>We put this tour in the books tomorrow, breakfast at 6:45, load/depart at 7:15; double check your alarm!</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-66011165970541641622021-10-02T19:22:00.003-07:002021-10-03T14:21:00.711-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 25: Cordele GA<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsD9nduq2QvR6DNefSKigWYBHVxgrGsOTq_fh-cab5OeSzacTUDKMIC8L2hVhfFqOf6Xe3Vh1wG6RnrdHKvAqibJf2EZhuoADzectqt9-Q8fiR7n9z8kwI9APgAI5BQmvwQAs2cns4fog/s4032/IMG_6777.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsD9nduq2QvR6DNefSKigWYBHVxgrGsOTq_fh-cab5OeSzacTUDKMIC8L2hVhfFqOf6Xe3Vh1wG6RnrdHKvAqibJf2EZhuoADzectqt9-Q8fiR7n9z8kwI9APgAI5BQmvwQAs2cns4fog/s320/IMG_6777.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild flowers and pine trees<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We may have stayed in Alabama overnight, but Georgia was only a few miles away! The final state we will cross as we close in on Tybee Island and the Atlantic Ocean! We will 'lose' an hour today as well when we leave Central Daylight Time and go to Eastern Daylight Time. Of course on the PacTour, time changes don't happen until we arrive in the destination parking lot, so we'll worry about that when we get there!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-mcZW2L4gI12glQj4oxNDqZHKJNDDmgk1Er5dJudseD8WsI6Wc4lb7_7ZNm_NrGFtvWLYsuv23PLwsNQ9oypbp_DWcMChCADoSQ4svFLp4GihwG8adsCwvdueyvVXivHK1czkh9pBR0/s3088/IMG_6738.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-mcZW2L4gI12glQj4oxNDqZHKJNDDmgk1Er5dJudseD8WsI6Wc4lb7_7ZNm_NrGFtvWLYsuv23PLwsNQ9oypbp_DWcMChCADoSQ4svFLp4GihwG8adsCwvdueyvVXivHK1czkh9pBR0/s320/IMG_6738.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3.2 miles into the ride!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We roll out of the motel and of course my Garmin locks up. I am pretty sure we are on the right course and we soft pedal through Eufaula while it reboots. Presto, it fires back up as we lead a small group out of town and to the Chattahooche River/Lake Eufaula. I was a bit surprised that the state line was on the Alabama bank of the river. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFtthuX7xjpfBb-Hg905rBVUidTN9_mLbPxo3smVjBtnx3VqsJqEKXSTetP3dBQmiLq748sX1MkOgrAzOLVLwg9L0vSiLtFCVEk8UxoVatNnT_Ndo7oVrwm3YEz3SiK99yWmFTFi_8A/s4032/IMG_6743.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifOFtthuX7xjpfBb-Hg905rBVUidTN9_mLbPxo3smVjBtnx3VqsJqEKXSTetP3dBQmiLq748sX1MkOgrAzOLVLwg9L0vSiLtFCVEk8UxoVatNnT_Ndo7oVrwm3YEz3SiK99yWmFTFi_8A/s320/IMG_6743.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the causeway crossing the river/lake<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>No worries, we all stopped and took the requisite photos and pressed on into Georgia! We settled into a reasonable warm up pace as we climbed out of the river basin, hopped a ridge, and then had 10 miles of relatively flat farm land riding.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIj5s8uF4FZORIeLIQPL_q2QDaxNohyphenhyphenhgGT68zfOQH4yNva9rpbuZD0SgQ9dupk8y4WGFjYGZ9U3TUMA4Jb4TsGQA_zYluiStLh-V03_h1KGxJg7ZNJSg29eLZd19tHH1yf0ZAkvCdUk/s4032/IMG_6745.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieIj5s8uF4FZORIeLIQPL_q2QDaxNohyphenhyphenhgGT68zfOQH4yNva9rpbuZD0SgQ9dupk8y4WGFjYGZ9U3TUMA4Jb4TsGQA_zYluiStLh-V03_h1KGxJg7ZNJSg29eLZd19tHH1yf0ZAkvCdUk/s320/IMG_6745.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First SAG at Providence Canyon State Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The road tilted up for the second named climb of the day that would lead us to the first SAG at the Providence Canyon State park. Not to sound like an Arizona Grand Canyon snob, but the canyon was little more than a red clay ditch (from the photos other riders took, yours truly was more interested in loading up and heading out!)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YSQ-puOPz_-rBmHlyuUoy8DWx0g3wE07dbkVOOMdclWaUH0d6NCjYZOXPbtulFZFM2Iv173wlQIOaNozPnLoY9HfJPgpudMazju3s_7hRP2c6f3zV-Ozfknce1QS_bY5sG-GlnSV_dA/s4032/IMG_6746.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YSQ-puOPz_-rBmHlyuUoy8DWx0g3wE07dbkVOOMdclWaUH0d6NCjYZOXPbtulFZFM2Iv173wlQIOaNozPnLoY9HfJPgpudMazju3s_7hRP2c6f3zV-Ozfknce1QS_bY5sG-GlnSV_dA/s320/IMG_6746.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read the BBQ sign: Our Butts Smell Good<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5wZqQXWrJJ35t0u6x1rYlgsSK5Eez-u37lCXn9nFwPS_tc-6TYvY-W8_Wxlq-2EHSdb_n_V2-pDNNVU01Ha1QJ4IIkRkaKgFZ-WGbb5VSKs7Tn0cFrjKUULYhVpBjxMjCrjt874O1H8/s3338/IMG_6748.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3338" data-original-width="2505" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5wZqQXWrJJ35t0u6x1rYlgsSK5Eez-u37lCXn9nFwPS_tc-6TYvY-W8_Wxlq-2EHSdb_n_V2-pDNNVU01Ha1QJ4IIkRkaKgFZ-WGbb5VSKs7Tn0cFrjKUULYhVpBjxMjCrjt874O1H8/s320/IMG_6748.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courthouse in Lumpkin GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>First city after the stop is Lumpkin. It had an interesting BBQ joint, too bad it was so early! The town was set up with a traditional town square and was nice to ride through.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQ96_qzdWd6F2Mq2ZUq9HrwJ7aupxEypjFqeBVhijcT_NVtAGDT2zVqPy0Jwz1Yf5hquy95WfcI4A1lGAH7Mkhmsc5ERGUwD7-fMKl7Oh1xi4YHnyyFQo9dsIJB2dQt9TetneQFc-NJY/s4032/IMG_6750.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQ96_qzdWd6F2Mq2ZUq9HrwJ7aupxEypjFqeBVhijcT_NVtAGDT2zVqPy0Jwz1Yf5hquy95WfcI4A1lGAH7Mkhmsc5ERGUwD7-fMKl7Oh1xi4YHnyyFQo9dsIJB2dQt9TetneQFc-NJY/s320/IMG_6750.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More pine trees and farms<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wwea0Rn6B_SxWGMe6h0ntA66a00lf1KOcy7UWW9w7_1HaN2CxK4CNIch2_I07UdCu1lNMwmuZxvsmAC7DUsR42a1Xh92sJ42CD2bWh90WEDrqZJ181PUtUktNXVva6HiTzvjERBKxOI/s3088/IMG_6752.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Wwea0Rn6B_SxWGMe6h0ntA66a00lf1KOcy7UWW9w7_1HaN2CxK4CNIch2_I07UdCu1lNMwmuZxvsmAC7DUsR42a1Xh92sJ42CD2bWh90WEDrqZJ181PUtUktNXVva6HiTzvjERBKxOI/s320/IMG_6752.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our group for most of the day; Jeff and Wes<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCc6DSN4VE4Gzt-8vVvnmbHLhrQHLPP0hyphenhyphenPpHu9qyupFEmAY6KMn_jg3DgWtyM0kZLUsgr-UtfslU6dKumFgeKnWQ7sAZTVGFReFjr_X7W6y8gDEymfUVOXnf9ks8LNOSQQqv32BBVeVE/s4032/IMG_6755.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCc6DSN4VE4Gzt-8vVvnmbHLhrQHLPP0hyphenhyphenPpHu9qyupFEmAY6KMn_jg3DgWtyM0kZLUsgr-UtfslU6dKumFgeKnWQ7sAZTVGFReFjr_X7W6y8gDEymfUVOXnf9ks8LNOSQQqv32BBVeVE/s320/IMG_6755.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Truck SAG at Weston GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxrx0keUZxB7WJTRW_gT7n0ZmMUFfOz3ZQNo7ia7KSP4bwrl3BzkGSwJSdpy1X8bwBMDWJ4WWo86zbOy9AhjBQCnKTk9T_nutJYFE6AYNpNX1yuFVh0BUZB1-wGM-ATdqJt4xe1iwz_U/s4032/IMG_6762.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaxrx0keUZxB7WJTRW_gT7n0ZmMUFfOz3ZQNo7ia7KSP4bwrl3BzkGSwJSdpy1X8bwBMDWJ4WWo86zbOy9AhjBQCnKTk9T_nutJYFE6AYNpNX1yuFVh0BUZB1-wGM-ATdqJt4xe1iwz_U/s320/IMG_6762.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Caravan, reloading with V-8 juice<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled into the second SAG at 54 miles and went right to the cooler. They were out of V-8 Juice at the first Caravan SAG, and I really needed the V-8 fix. Jeff and I had been splitting 12 oz cans at each stop. We both grabbed full cans and tossed them down. Soothing to the stomach and loaded with sodium, it has become a staple for us at the SAGs. We loaded the bottles and filled our pockets with crunchy sugar (cookies, candy, etc) and were on our way.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M99IO4ydVJkNeuwTpe5ANmWm34SfPXQHfhCYJJzPVFeQtV8cu8iR4zn4ccfZfAGXI9e6bI-clR7bkI9zBG7AAMPG9gxQZj-sllhOzoIeB6T9QQ3UThtLPRVQiQwebKsXj7OunYg1pBs/s4032/IMG_6763.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_M99IO4ydVJkNeuwTpe5ANmWm34SfPXQHfhCYJJzPVFeQtV8cu8iR4zn4ccfZfAGXI9e6bI-clR7bkI9zBG7AAMPG9gxQZj-sllhOzoIeB6T9QQ3UThtLPRVQiQwebKsXj7OunYg1pBs/s320/IMG_6763.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great pavement for most of the day!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qyKyPeknzfjuODd_cbzRRISRtsA14uCX8lnyz3ZV0zS36uI2-h5hhXB1c1shoL48Y65SUwoK7Ndo_ZOeBQTRO6Fe5B9qUdBSY9J53BE-8XTirQoRkYPqb8heRF6bmi2EEref0p1igqc/s4032/IMG_6765.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2qyKyPeknzfjuODd_cbzRRISRtsA14uCX8lnyz3ZV0zS36uI2-h5hhXB1c1shoL48Y65SUwoK7Ndo_ZOeBQTRO6Fe5B9qUdBSY9J53BE-8XTirQoRkYPqb8heRF6bmi2EEref0p1igqc/s320/IMG_6765.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pecan Groves were plentiful on the ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We were rolling through one of many Pecan Groves when a white pickup truck coming from the other direction slowed down and the driver rolled down his window and leans out. I'm thinking here it comes, he is going to complain about us being on his road. </p><p>I was totally wrong; he yells out, "Hey are y'all on the ride across Georgia?" I reply; "No we are riding across the US!" He slams has hand on the outside of his door and yells out; " HAIL-YYEES! <br /></p><p>That plus the hunger in our stomachs was all the motivation we needed to dial up the pace and get to lunch.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwiHI8lbGAxOMpxYO29gDmwOicHbuCOfO6Z2SIT3pziR9DP4xo70JTotNlGVOvbxqGWOwureP4NEiXAD6lbqIKoJB7VCZWn7ecl5tRcGn8PMVTyEBhpW8LhZllJm_umrbtTJB0pNi1Yw/s320/IMG_6768.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There is chicken under the rice, beans, guacamole, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. It may not be much to look at, but it was a great meal. The SAG was set up in a city park, and we enjoyed lunch on picnic tables in the shade!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5VQGd9H9c1fFVE6KmQK62ZoBgWo_Rhdc-ODbEyCeo2Cq5zUpKETti86CoJYZGhzEKD5OSLRT_4BxzZxhIoQjpzbF8RFhLK16fx4OUcwm5lNJbsPwBBprrHQQ4cBO_UV0YZNzl3JDLcc/s3679/IMG_6771.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2759" data-original-width="3679" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe5VQGd9H9c1fFVE6KmQK62ZoBgWo_Rhdc-ODbEyCeo2Cq5zUpKETti86CoJYZGhzEKD5OSLRT_4BxzZxhIoQjpzbF8RFhLK16fx4OUcwm5lNJbsPwBBprrHQQ4cBO_UV0YZNzl3JDLcc/s320/IMG_6771.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool houses in Americus GA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We still have 35 miles to go, so we are about to push out but my front tire is flat. I make a quick change and we are back on the road in 10 minutes. Later I would determine the valve had failed, glad it happened in the parking lot!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG52yApyQxjpVmLBrvFPPLuZYHnj90SxVwoUcHMlfV1YnrNGvRdCrsqIIg6ITI5FiVxYkKTKmFKYB3-6APHOCdJ6FT2xcLJzv75jHhp0Kb2Eez0OOdx8FYeAN-cnUxVMB0fZa1IVfT86Y/s4032/IMG_6774.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG52yApyQxjpVmLBrvFPPLuZYHnj90SxVwoUcHMlfV1YnrNGvRdCrsqIIg6ITI5FiVxYkKTKmFKYB3-6APHOCdJ6FT2xcLJzv75jHhp0Kb2Eez0OOdx8FYeAN-cnUxVMB0fZa1IVfT86Y/s320/IMG_6774.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add soybeans to the crop list<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We stop for a natural break outside of town in a farmer's field and catch this photo of soybeans, that stretch nearly to the horizon!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5oF16ezKyKONe2SsH3BfHmzWTW7lFQdOREjpEsuETZnNXw1RA9C_siEZ5LsznHi5rQqALMVNDrz8jnQ6zAPUu_OkVsVlgOFNEzxYDBubtxpjUL8GY-bHHceLhTCnlLtsTgvBBC_pgto/s4032/IMG_6778.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5oF16ezKyKONe2SsH3BfHmzWTW7lFQdOREjpEsuETZnNXw1RA9C_siEZ5LsznHi5rQqALMVNDrz8jnQ6zAPUu_OkVsVlgOFNEzxYDBubtxpjUL8GY-bHHceLhTCnlLtsTgvBBC_pgto/s320/IMG_6778.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luis joins the party<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We encounter some headwinds as we make our way to the last SAG just as we catch Luis. He joins our group as we pull together for about 10 miles through open and breezy fields. Nice to have friends in windy conditions!</p><p>We hit the SAG and reload quickly. After savoring another full V-8, we are back on the road for the last 13 miles to Cordele.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fPQfYZ9g5OYHd8Wh4Ptc7M1wPinK8WgbTKlfAVeoqsytyKNw-PsYRbLtgacz_grmmtHIKtcUcvu-USdr95khSsaA9Dk_LOi0Q8lQcfq1JbcHFaUOo_DytW5H8NNwq4sd69h90yxd39o/s4032/IMG_6782.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fPQfYZ9g5OYHd8Wh4Ptc7M1wPinK8WgbTKlfAVeoqsytyKNw-PsYRbLtgacz_grmmtHIKtcUcvu-USdr95khSsaA9Dk_LOi0Q8lQcfq1JbcHFaUOo_DytW5H8NNwq4sd69h90yxd39o/s320/IMG_6782.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Blackshear<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Lake Blackshear is only a few miles out of Cordele, and we were moving at a brisk pace headed toward the barn, so I squeezed off a shot on the fly as we put our heads down to put this one in the books. Just under 9 hours, 116 miles, and 4,475 feet of climbing.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7tQys1nVAxsK6JgRIMwc-25FLL8myZFX9CRhzCuUX6GJAzbrs0HrhsZiphLB9iRPc_GVWjIOuxGqIDHYZH2ofIdrMRvERobky7TNDpr0qsrs-czVy-4dyz6l_RbxfExbb9CQqqDc9DM/s4032/IMG_6785.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7tQys1nVAxsK6JgRIMwc-25FLL8myZFX9CRhzCuUX6GJAzbrs0HrhsZiphLB9iRPc_GVWjIOuxGqIDHYZH2ofIdrMRvERobky7TNDpr0qsrs-czVy-4dyz6l_RbxfExbb9CQqqDc9DM/s320/IMG_6785.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting closer!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Tomorrow is another long one, 126 miles, so better get some sleep! With the time change, we start 30 minutes later, see you in the parking lot at 7:30!</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data </a><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-40327400180497535572021-10-01T19:37:00.000-07:002021-10-01T19:37:22.783-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 24: Eufaula AL<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhti_hhqnMreOFboRRjp9xbrSukbY8d4nZhwCZoLf8zmqf0yhfxhAibfDwkjWmx4n7o1-xn0jVQ9-EULYIyaEuKrBS8cJKJAx-pnlbrmgM6ONBN5EAIPSJFUXy8hY_h0zC7FDjACH1UEjU/s4032/IMG_6734.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhti_hhqnMreOFboRRjp9xbrSukbY8d4nZhwCZoLf8zmqf0yhfxhAibfDwkjWmx4n7o1-xn0jVQ9-EULYIyaEuKrBS8cJKJAx-pnlbrmgM6ONBN5EAIPSJFUXy8hY_h0zC7FDjACH1UEjU/s320/IMG_6734.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eufaula Lake, AL<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>What a difference a day makes, no rain in the forecast. At 7:25 the sun was streaming into the room as I did my final check to make sure everything was packed. We threw the bags in the trailer and hit the road at 7:30.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb3VYRJtCTriuQgL88lTLx0kpbx7k3gLp-wzd03pI0HdXC-l52px6KcosWKj4YzxbHntMQXlVQ3SzI1sPq30g2WZxToJmGT1ZtcZOYYdC3vJms3FuTzFDEVkf1EQdrBxbLwlFBgD5vJo/s4032/IMG_6697.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb3VYRJtCTriuQgL88lTLx0kpbx7k3gLp-wzd03pI0HdXC-l52px6KcosWKj4YzxbHntMQXlVQ3SzI1sPq30g2WZxToJmGT1ZtcZOYYdC3vJms3FuTzFDEVkf1EQdrBxbLwlFBgD5vJo/s320/IMG_6697.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A bit of fog on a perfect morning<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We started off at an easy warm-up pace for the first 30 minutes of the ride. Jeff and I both had legs that were not that interested in cooperating, so we extended the warm-up for a full hour! Lots of big rollers at the start of the ride did not help the cause. Tim was back on the bike and itching to go so he headed up the road with another group.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3E01eLqOKW6NEASif-ZijBuORS1YyKufk-V_q9UhuRAfBGzK0Vf7BqD89707xENLjZe_JQqvZyMCiKAxFD-WHVFmepmpYUSegx3SeZCSoAHX4jq7syx3rlOlglq-4BUO-qlwnDUSa68/s4032/IMG_6699.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3E01eLqOKW6NEASif-ZijBuORS1YyKufk-V_q9UhuRAfBGzK0Vf7BqD89707xENLjZe_JQqvZyMCiKAxFD-WHVFmepmpYUSegx3SeZCSoAHX4jq7syx3rlOlglq-4BUO-qlwnDUSa68/s320/IMG_6699.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tranquil cabin on a pond<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The route would climb up a ridge and then over a plateau before diving down and repeating. There were great farms and ranches all along the way. The Magoo Ranch had a cabin set on a pond, it was well worth the stop to grab a photo.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1FmrMe4aSC5xTyYlv_SgPX3yUtE3daeK39qzA4VjDdN5uQCbgX5lNM79GERC2angUTVWx-PlRGnbXuEfqGgrt_uEdqLbxS-RfNy4WeljUTKS3zZReIdEpdZRB_amjB5Xcth4P9lu5cs/s4032/IMG_6701.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE1FmrMe4aSC5xTyYlv_SgPX3yUtE3daeK39qzA4VjDdN5uQCbgX5lNM79GERC2angUTVWx-PlRGnbXuEfqGgrt_uEdqLbxS-RfNy4WeljUTKS3zZReIdEpdZRB_amjB5Xcth4P9lu5cs/s320/IMG_6701.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First SAG near Bulldozer under tree!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The first SAG came at 28 miles in the town of White Oak. John set up the SAG at rusting bulldozer that has been there for years. A local hound was interested in the goings on and stopped by looking for snacks. There was toilet paper on the dozer. At the time, I just thought it must have been a prank. Later in the day Jeff let me in on the local tradition (read on).<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvY5jDVWfs1BFoAOaSzwcjPxdNNol74zA50qJppfN2D3UQM_tmloZPumOM6k8sZMq-0bhQrRErlMmBgH_zKtvk7UZcgTHvI5X6p4TIsXpOm0SczcW5LbbQAIRJQsIzrA6ZCikf2uf4mE/s4032/IMG_6703.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvY5jDVWfs1BFoAOaSzwcjPxdNNol74zA50qJppfN2D3UQM_tmloZPumOM6k8sZMq-0bhQrRErlMmBgH_zKtvk7UZcgTHvI5X6p4TIsXpOm0SczcW5LbbQAIRJQsIzrA6ZCikf2uf4mE/s320/IMG_6703.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped for this cool display<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hpd7sJPieAmZ53imEyb-QzdaC5jDGpU1nhE9vCmv4VUBmxc1EhBFBf3s91tnkXzX0FREXEvzgbXpK2x6TSj4CQp3RoZrQqNA2h7_o9JejWgIH7gUXsCiSZX31ayp2E3_STO9ey0E-vg/s4032/IMG_6704.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hpd7sJPieAmZ53imEyb-QzdaC5jDGpU1nhE9vCmv4VUBmxc1EhBFBf3s91tnkXzX0FREXEvzgbXpK2x6TSj4CQp3RoZrQqNA2h7_o9JejWgIH7gUXsCiSZX31ayp2E3_STO9ey0E-vg/s320/IMG_6704.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My steed added to the display<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After the SAG we continued on and noted various decorations on the driveway entrances of the farms and ranches. We had to stop at this particularly interesting truck display. Then we saw the bike display and had to add my machine (temporarily) to the action! <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71L6tb-67Ksy8b2FKb8TuoRDUA2Jp_tj5t9wpLvpogCCne8jLW3yBe-7M2wGrLrEqC4SuWDzJK7rBeiF51EZMEhERAfQRObJzQcwF4JTqIssIZp03Pq6RLVS4uLls8pUPSR16CzmxgW0/s4032/IMG_0004.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi71L6tb-67Ksy8b2FKb8TuoRDUA2Jp_tj5t9wpLvpogCCne8jLW3yBe-7M2wGrLrEqC4SuWDzJK7rBeiF51EZMEhERAfQRObJzQcwF4JTqIssIZp03Pq6RLVS4uLls8pUPSR16CzmxgW0/s320/IMG_0004.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok time to get back on the road!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Enough screwing around we have nearly 200km to ride today, so we get back on the bikes and press on!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3QROTOGvv3WeTywzHT77Nj0EI4lpcsl4D9cn4Hi_bNOKCkAl1fTPFL_yU_eFU9FdvIypPKQR6YDbR22LsgtPvVTR_SNbPx9RRuajLwBH7xMZdrLMbr2Cd1-FKwZRYzJoXmR75Zz-yU8/s4032/IMG_6706.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3QROTOGvv3WeTywzHT77Nj0EI4lpcsl4D9cn4Hi_bNOKCkAl1fTPFL_yU_eFU9FdvIypPKQR6YDbR22LsgtPvVTR_SNbPx9RRuajLwBH7xMZdrLMbr2Cd1-FKwZRYzJoXmR75Zz-yU8/s320/IMG_6706.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare flat stretch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>While the GPS recorded 5,800 feet of climbing today, no one climb was longer that 1.5 miles. It was just roller after roller. I think the photo above may have been the only flat section of the day!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP_h8JB9DzkGywdmPxZzWoVE9Dg2tcxPJBMqQ5KlpRQRzDvVRArCpXuP8AfcWftvYK_0uVjtM0hvtL71eBcAKA_bORnmZfZStq270-Pn0sfe3p-RyumsizQNgGWOyIx-GBCUEecD-ONw/s4032/IMG_6709.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDP_h8JB9DzkGywdmPxZzWoVE9Dg2tcxPJBMqQ5KlpRQRzDvVRArCpXuP8AfcWftvYK_0uVjtM0hvtL71eBcAKA_bORnmZfZStq270-Pn0sfe3p-RyumsizQNgGWOyIx-GBCUEecD-ONw/s320/IMG_6709.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lon and Susan waiting for the pilot car<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>After the second SAG, we encountered a construction section where traffic was restricted to one lane controlled by a pilot car. When we arrived Lon, Susan, and Doug L. had been waiting for at least 10 minutes. Finally the pilot car came and we followed through after all the waiting cars/trucks had passed. No wonder it took so long, it was a couple of miles before we hit the actual construction, and another mile before we got to the other end of the controlled zone!<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQW26p08Np9Ay7XSLScdl-e0D1PbGykHOcKS0DYiXWwEqkpD5YIZdcvEtIcS86xzOxf4BW5Vcfe6Wa7PPwF63AQJZDWYGHiinX-kHnzyxvAfP2AACa8me8R8xUD92g_ibEDjhoNtwAQI/s4032/IMG_6711.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVQW26p08Np9Ay7XSLScdl-e0D1PbGykHOcKS0DYiXWwEqkpD5YIZdcvEtIcS86xzOxf4BW5Vcfe6Wa7PPwF63AQJZDWYGHiinX-kHnzyxvAfP2AACa8me8R8xUD92g_ibEDjhoNtwAQI/s320/IMG_6711.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of livestock along the road today<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzFoV4g5Awlepi-iwlhnewULMINlMdzmNYcxeP0W597hvFiTjNa48Zvt8cEiNLF-EsDASS2ay4HwhpRTLLjt9u4TUjFz0M5p-emJPteswiqnjxJTAvKu7sty_k6QbETyYfUaRirC8WZs/s4032/IMG_6718.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWzFoV4g5Awlepi-iwlhnewULMINlMdzmNYcxeP0W597hvFiTjNa48Zvt8cEiNLF-EsDASS2ay4HwhpRTLLjt9u4TUjFz0M5p-emJPteswiqnjxJTAvKu7sty_k6QbETyYfUaRirC8WZs/s320/IMG_6718.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice roadside wild flowers</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9G9vIp53MjWyl-juf23snNqFLm3cowGvJsbfyUs7uR0DGX6QdYvKZo1y4Syt5o7p5Ta01bBKU_M884TEfSYls0Jg8Mt7em80EYwVH7SY4aSzNFFC_l9meS-Po4p2Jy-doNMEc3nchy0/s4032/IMG_6720.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq9G9vIp53MjWyl-juf23snNqFLm3cowGvJsbfyUs7uR0DGX6QdYvKZo1y4Syt5o7p5Ta01bBKU_M884TEfSYls0Jg8Mt7em80EYwVH7SY4aSzNFFC_l9meS-Po4p2Jy-doNMEc3nchy0/s320/IMG_6720.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huge Walmart distribution center in Brundidge AL<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Great views of wild flowers, farms, and ranches were suddenly interrupted by a HUGE Walmart distribution center. It would have taken the panorama feature to capture the whole building in a single frame! With lunch just up the road we squeezed off a picture on the fly and continued on.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVX0B33nD0-RHlURt45e7vXp048NqFp-k2y1pf5KMeOT0saXS2vfXbSydTWUIRCVaPKJvgnhWakUDuRRfh6HLvNK7IDZqZQCr6A5SC1WmleFYtP9o9rGyUfscR2FCsX48vXtyMyDsEQ/s4032/IMG_6721.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4NVX0B33nD0-RHlURt45e7vXp048NqFp-k2y1pf5KMeOT0saXS2vfXbSydTWUIRCVaPKJvgnhWakUDuRRfh6HLvNK7IDZqZQCr6A5SC1WmleFYtP9o9rGyUfscR2FCsX48vXtyMyDsEQ/s320/IMG_6721.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled cheese with bacon and tomato<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Oh yes, grilled cheese, tomato, and today's added ingredient: Bacon! Add some potato salad, hummus, and guacamole and you have a true feast. The SAG was set up in an old school yard with plenty of shade trees. We both thought this would be a great way to end the day, but we had 35 miles to go, so we loaded the bikes and rolled on.<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpNdzVBO-8zqxByJBWVd0UMC6_wzBhQ2uPB62i1ST1M6jsycXYE0YeOKiaFFCfVlw1_H81lhQXdJLW81seenqz-J8Qi-cc-SgYK_ZcRQ6dIxgT6yW2R6O190lI9gHSn6vv5ElDieNExk/s4032/IMG_6723.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXpNdzVBO-8zqxByJBWVd0UMC6_wzBhQ2uPB62i1ST1M6jsycXYE0YeOKiaFFCfVlw1_H81lhQXdJLW81seenqz-J8Qi-cc-SgYK_ZcRQ6dIxgT6yW2R6O190lI9gHSn6vv5ElDieNExk/s320/IMG_6723.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cotton<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The topography was still rolling, but the rollers were less steep and further apart and we started to get bigger views. The fields were also larger and we saw many cotton fields.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKLxMujrtET_5pXK1bKWU8xrn9tUq2p6FdNTnWPRWGcrvN88PX71BLyzDGLRMrXHOb-3moq1drIdZnQMTY8kNY7K6G5wlr00Gm0cUTqsLJRRGGqUUS6NIr6NqGc-YLtWAWHkFiZ5VJmo/s4032/IMG_6726.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBKLxMujrtET_5pXK1bKWU8xrn9tUq2p6FdNTnWPRWGcrvN88PX71BLyzDGLRMrXHOb-3moq1drIdZnQMTY8kNY7K6G5wlr00Gm0cUTqsLJRRGGqUUS6NIr6NqGc-YLtWAWHkFiZ5VJmo/s320/IMG_6726.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big ranch with chicken houses<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Also the number of chicken houses seemed to increase. We were rolling along and noticed the signature smell of said operations, but didn't see any. We come around and up a roller and we see this huge ranch with an array of chicken houses that confirmed our suspicion. <br /></p><p>There were lots of trucks because of the Walmart center a few miles away, but there were also many chicken haulers (both full and empty) heading to and from processing plants. They too have that distinctive odor!<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyYN4lVSbx1bZ7n_AjcQcnvYAbgEkUdogatuvsM-x6aDzMz9d5oHL823zS0DMXaAgjirLLY6KYs7aKdMRAuLs3f-rHVFaLqxmLUK0oMhOBMy__WI8pdedNtxvV_9718k4hn-iJQHjWZY/s4032/IMG_6728.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyYN4lVSbx1bZ7n_AjcQcnvYAbgEkUdogatuvsM-x6aDzMz9d5oHL823zS0DMXaAgjirLLY6KYs7aKdMRAuLs3f-rHVFaLqxmLUK0oMhOBMy__WI8pdedNtxvV_9718k4hn-iJQHjWZY/s320/IMG_6728.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Choctawhatchee River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p>We crossed the Choctawhatchee River twice today. We missed it the first time, so we stopped at the second to grab a photo!<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0-dPTShyphenhyphenyBf6ky2fWISjZX-tXt6A5jZ9dMHWSQ3KCgMiT1bUT3Nv15I-Py669TJc-ZC7JMM6uJLuzoVUWgUpRXeK0nsx3R1BfAQr_xeF9C3OSHwsrfUKEvYHxkd7OzNRo4Fkp0CQvEk/s4032/IMG_6732.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0-dPTShyphenhyphenyBf6ky2fWISjZX-tXt6A5jZ9dMHWSQ3KCgMiT1bUT3Nv15I-Py669TJc-ZC7JMM6uJLuzoVUWgUpRXeK0nsx3R1BfAQr_xeF9C3OSHwsrfUKEvYHxkd7OzNRo4Fkp0CQvEk/s320/IMG_6732.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Auburn Fan?<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last few miles into town again route through a nice neighborhood as Lon tries to avoid as much city traffic as possible. We stopped at this house because it had the best toilet paper display. Jeff said it is a tradition when Auburn wins a big game, they throw toilet paper. This looked about a week old. It makes sense, they beat Georgia State last Saturday!</p><p>A few more twists and turns and we rolled over the Eufaula Lake bridge and into town. Another Mexican dinner and this day is in the books! 110 miles, 5,800 feet of climbing in just over 9 hours.<br /></p><p></p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-20503404395926038302021-09-30T19:55:00.002-07:002021-09-30T19:55:53.476-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 23: Greenville AL<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBiSPkwGTp2vwbzCd0Td3PwxG2X5fUaN-ibzVeold2hMF2-h-OaGB9msQzMYkXoPWMWxzdk_vszz5UznIBD5yDz3J0eIQNqVidiat7-sZBrIPRQ8QFsHY4JLPHb9FJfZzRZa34ezEvaI/s4032/IMG_6667.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBiSPkwGTp2vwbzCd0Td3PwxG2X5fUaN-ibzVeold2hMF2-h-OaGB9msQzMYkXoPWMWxzdk_vszz5UznIBD5yDz3J0eIQNqVidiat7-sZBrIPRQ8QFsHY4JLPHb9FJfZzRZa34ezEvaI/s320/IMG_6667.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflections on the Alabama River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Another 7:00 am start. When I took the bike to the trailer at 6:15 am before breakfast it was raining steadily. Breakfast was moved inside because of the rain. By the time we finished breakfast and it was time to load and depart, the rain was now barely a drizzle.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_0IhMOkjzI9OA6XsnnDXx3flAFjYnl7KWM7O5M6Hav66JnJuSX2ymBtyOPEyZRhkS0gdqIGgP91MW3mIruDqvK6wtv-WOqMgDfEqUfe74L5XSgHVROm9HlKWgOzG69uzWjJiiTzK8c/s4032/IMG_6656.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2m_0IhMOkjzI9OA6XsnnDXx3flAFjYnl7KWM7O5M6Hav66JnJuSX2ymBtyOPEyZRhkS0gdqIGgP91MW3mIruDqvK6wtv-WOqMgDfEqUfe74L5XSgHVROm9HlKWgOzG69uzWjJiiTzK8c/s320/IMG_6656.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet roads in Livingston<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The rain had stopped, but the humidity was still 100% and the roads were soaked. Passing cars and trucks kicked up huge clouds of mist as they passed. We decided not to wear the rain jackets since it was in the low 70's. But with the moisture in the air, and from the road traffic, we were soaked to the skin in minutes.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhgwCToM5FUe_99nfTi7N67OhfMs5wT6S92QuWbLfuP8P5qGYBDx2h7B4djfEoJC5qfCH3LKIc4qjxUIWUX0nZI5ww9QqdP0EUQdsnikLPBghj6KEfRzLJJbEWbW2lXcWB56lelXA8BY/s4032/IMG_6658.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMhgwCToM5FUe_99nfTi7N67OhfMs5wT6S92QuWbLfuP8P5qGYBDx2h7B4djfEoJC5qfCH3LKIc4qjxUIWUX0nZI5ww9QqdP0EUQdsnikLPBghj6KEfRzLJJbEWbW2lXcWB56lelXA8BY/s320/IMG_6658.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tombigbee Waterway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Traffic was unusually heavy, with lots of logging traffic during the morning 'rush hour' as we left town. As normal, once we were about 20 miles out of town, the traffic became lighter. However, there were still many logging trucks going in all directions!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXMwevtKmVg3oyqGYBqmM-k9uup7746ZTj_Lt28JnvyqDHqvsd6J-lTEHMQUcHYgmwxh-ayvOLXujPkWCSTFDg-3yF6Sq2IR6TH4fqp9yL007u8K4byYq7-ZAY45iG2eKerI8wPT-zfc/s4032/IMG_6660.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXMwevtKmVg3oyqGYBqmM-k9uup7746ZTj_Lt28JnvyqDHqvsd6J-lTEHMQUcHYgmwxh-ayvOLXujPkWCSTFDg-3yF6Sq2IR6TH4fqp9yL007u8K4byYq7-ZAY45iG2eKerI8wPT-zfc/s320/IMG_6660.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Path to hay fields and timber stands<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Ranches (horse and cattle) shared the landscape with many sections of forest in various stages of growth.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ksI-K8HoXL4pxtL8KP0ysUgpwSh88yVGqPQS7bDNjd0iPtUj6OP01jyJ3lq3g09yPfZRQu-VFe3QvxAVkb3JM09-MidQOBKCN4pmiahj3h36tYiWM4FVy_MiZhUg6NtjTHSSSNMTvGg/s4032/IMG_6661.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ksI-K8HoXL4pxtL8KP0ysUgpwSh88yVGqPQS7bDNjd0iPtUj6OP01jyJ3lq3g09yPfZRQu-VFe3QvxAVkb3JM09-MidQOBKCN4pmiahj3h36tYiWM4FVy_MiZhUg6NtjTHSSSNMTvGg/s320/IMG_6661.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferson first SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The first SAG was in Jefferson at the community center. This cool general store was right next to the center. Check out the guy in the canoe!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdGJposoMqHgD9rcLVfZVpCxM83pZsd1Dsu_FKB31h6l-AAZ_YC5gXURBOCtVFyLa9voTSZ-971l6iLy-XP5CH_bysw099Fz_EIPUpCuvePJgGfDKWijiYDvmDQSmcD7oJNBPuTMvRm0/s4032/IMG_6663.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNdGJposoMqHgD9rcLVfZVpCxM83pZsd1Dsu_FKB31h6l-AAZ_YC5gXURBOCtVFyLa9voTSZ-971l6iLy-XP5CH_bysw099Fz_EIPUpCuvePJgGfDKWijiYDvmDQSmcD7oJNBPuTMvRm0/s320/IMG_6663.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton is back<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had not seen large cotton fields since we left the Delta country in Mississippi, today there were many acres planted. Bases on the partially brown leaves, it looks like the defoliant has been applied and harvest time will be soon.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhZDmielZwrMqS3TiH9V0YiCZ5W78kycvCvi6vz_HJxxWW1rXdQYqHNwlo_QC6faXq4wu1cVUu2U8JeV-CKncZDw0l-hXe9-jWB2FnnGFWttUzoRYZWDJwRVwa-_LG42NEehaUyUb8eE/s4032/IMG_6666.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhZDmielZwrMqS3TiH9V0YiCZ5W78kycvCvi6vz_HJxxWW1rXdQYqHNwlo_QC6faXq4wu1cVUu2U8JeV-CKncZDw0l-hXe9-jWB2FnnGFWttUzoRYZWDJwRVwa-_LG42NEehaUyUb8eE/s320/IMG_6666.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red truck SAG at Thomaston Park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The Red truck SAG was in a city park in Thomaston. It was set back and we almost missed the turn when we were distracted by a Cheetos delivery truck at the Dollar General store across the way!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXcVcebZTqQyCbvFqzueNiS-Z0fJIfABawjM7RT_vNkOCvSzajPi3Ee2mf4SODjnRxQDaSIige1nmHGN0WthAvDi4CFchHLmjer6wrWxt5Si3B6D1DtQ4NpBZHQ31j3cVqnU2m9oNg6s/s4032/IMG_9968.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXcVcebZTqQyCbvFqzueNiS-Z0fJIfABawjM7RT_vNkOCvSzajPi3Ee2mf4SODjnRxQDaSIige1nmHGN0WthAvDi4CFchHLmjer6wrWxt5Si3B6D1DtQ4NpBZHQ31j3cVqnU2m9oNg6s/s320/IMG_9968.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's head to the SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Another 20 miles would take us to the lunch SAG on the banks of the Alabama River. It looks more like a huge lake because it is dammed just a mile or so down stream. <br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfp4997Ws7kx_NYYYf9qt4EVJL_ZVP8wtGovsMl-vGe8l0c-9N38lKGZ1aVo7HS4Vc3useFRzWbmdy6q8SwEoxoGnYOEnm3wQzvkIJX6RcGEKMGNoC29SGoa4pyojTPeW9jJ9GkpCP6c/s4032/IMG_6672.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBfp4997Ws7kx_NYYYf9qt4EVJL_ZVP8wtGovsMl-vGe8l0c-9N38lKGZ1aVo7HS4Vc3useFRzWbmdy6q8SwEoxoGnYOEnm3wQzvkIJX6RcGEKMGNoC29SGoa4pyojTPeW9jJ9GkpCP6c/s320/IMG_6672.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAG on the banks of the Alabama River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The SAG was in a state park on the banks of the river, and we had a covered picnic tables to enjoy our hamburgers on ! Its a long day at127 miles; so we dined, filled our bottles, our pockets with snacks, and dashed back out on the road.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9YKtFP82Oj_mLQRJi5DrqmylqoodXAVg2ULMZpammqKnIKpzFK9PEzppl3sH-HTSxhIZDL_MLpi1lc7zC8lqoQ8OcePDGOfgXJhluSnEC4bn4goramWP7GU5D3snNv_G6M-DSFHtUFI/s4032/IMG_6675.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9YKtFP82Oj_mLQRJi5DrqmylqoodXAVg2ULMZpammqKnIKpzFK9PEzppl3sH-HTSxhIZDL_MLpi1lc7zC8lqoQ8OcePDGOfgXJhluSnEC4bn4goramWP7GU5D3snNv_G6M-DSFHtUFI/s320/IMG_6675.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was pouring here!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Its 32 miles to the next SAG so we settle into a steady pace. We can see the storm cells building around us. At first it looks like we may dodge between two of them. But we take a turn to the north, and then from behind we start to feel the sprinkles. </p><p>Soon its pouring rain. Its not cold, but its coming down so hard its
hard to see through the glasses. Jeff decides to pull off and put on
his rain jacket. I slowed down and noticed the rain running down my back
into the shorts and thought, yeah, its time to put on the jacket. <br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpHgKRX61p9SbBK5Gbl_1fr1bfcSoaQCc-n0aHuYGLFIXuCROo66ItvwNKZL5l88A7vu8P7dWplQ5l13z1uGfRZwg7HoXEIEtHBGIk2tfqvYKdrk4hTkzEzrfxtbmLqUvdBWraEw6lv8/s4032/IMG_6676.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVpHgKRX61p9SbBK5Gbl_1fr1bfcSoaQCc-n0aHuYGLFIXuCROo66ItvwNKZL5l88A7vu8P7dWplQ5l13z1uGfRZwg7HoXEIEtHBGIk2tfqvYKdrk4hTkzEzrfxtbmLqUvdBWraEw6lv8/s320/IMG_6676.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff takes a call<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We continue on for a while then Jeff calls out that his fiance, Lori has called him three times in a row so we stop so he can call her back. It turns out that Jeff stopped so suddenly to put on his jacket that his Garmin sent out an emergency alert to Lori! Its hard to tell from the photo, but it was really coming down in sheets here! He convinced her everything was fine, but it was really raining so we had to go.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oqeLPGufy5hi8oX15pIbWEj4lBGM2MXKyYl5mTZl588R8aeFfOxNRm9FCbX_X_3OwrekYaHHsTSOIgR16vi3sByDPW85jwhE24devg50a-iplsBZA2bXSpHAoocQ3NPuf8qlbAN_0bI/s4032/IMG_6679.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oqeLPGufy5hi8oX15pIbWEj4lBGM2MXKyYl5mTZl588R8aeFfOxNRm9FCbX_X_3OwrekYaHHsTSOIgR16vi3sByDPW85jwhE24devg50a-iplsBZA2bXSpHAoocQ3NPuf8qlbAN_0bI/s320/IMG_6679.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Timber operations by the highway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The heavy rain lasted about 30 minutes. It had stopped raining when we passed this timber operation. Unfortunately, my camera/phone was foggy from all the moisture!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2Mc2Q1Qmnvqq0og1IY2_eaj3CuSjJneuLTbspzEg0kEagB_Tiil1qirR7oXP7Hmua9QJBBwX5Jlo9lZ4NS1WkGCiBL-v5eAoP_5iV1ZizNiHODPjrO0LknlDulU-PFpGQViwpV1jc8s/s4032/IMG_6682.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq2Mc2Q1Qmnvqq0og1IY2_eaj3CuSjJneuLTbspzEg0kEagB_Tiil1qirR7oXP7Hmua9QJBBwX5Jlo9lZ4NS1WkGCiBL-v5eAoP_5iV1ZizNiHODPjrO0LknlDulU-PFpGQViwpV1jc8s/s320/IMG_6682.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Apple AL<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpWvmZok6AM7dMVIAqK_RDGC_EJIbuC6Ewk50Is3gQF3a1pfll7prQ_I5MIlu4BJzcBAbeICM_oWG6UTJADsmapae_e5scw7999tVKvYNJiSDuASTZkcgfBGluY9CbmPOOgzmRObPR4/s4032/IMG_6683.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkpWvmZok6AM7dMVIAqK_RDGC_EJIbuC6Ewk50Is3gQF3a1pfll7prQ_I5MIlu4BJzcBAbeICM_oWG6UTJADsmapae_e5scw7999tVKvYNJiSDuASTZkcgfBGluY9CbmPOOgzmRObPR4/s320/IMG_6683.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pine Apple SAG and decorations<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>The last SAG was in Pine Apple. A cute small town where Veronica had set up the SAG under an abandoned storefront with an awning. We still had 32 miles to go, so again we refilled and got out of there quickly.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUZtPqPF-c5BVfVAcrEa1-4nzQ2slo-CrYak7mRZI7cmvFq3QVvYZ34NKz2lGA_hdi_Y2VwP6aLF8-YILnO4DqD3o05v8iKSzeJxwWXUBlN-T36JU0LkeszegX1ZBvvK6h3lpdHzPjE/s4032/IMG_6684.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMGUZtPqPF-c5BVfVAcrEa1-4nzQ2slo-CrYak7mRZI7cmvFq3QVvYZ34NKz2lGA_hdi_Y2VwP6aLF8-YILnO4DqD3o05v8iKSzeJxwWXUBlN-T36JU0LkeszegX1ZBvvK6h3lpdHzPjE/s320/IMG_6684.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in cotton country<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8na5Wp26uIx88AjtaxVPhbJooMT1X_6Uk27qESHK70RiqlRStBoJC9D657jbaoElVd6lxLVzZxIcaMot2JdWHmNu0BVji30K-aHzC9zMNhFLpa96AbIPL6PrI710Eysr6dj5rlYasF0/s4032/IMG_6687.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw8na5Wp26uIx88AjtaxVPhbJooMT1X_6Uk27qESHK70RiqlRStBoJC9D657jbaoElVd6lxLVzZxIcaMot2JdWHmNu0BVji30K-aHzC9zMNhFLpa96AbIPL6PrI710Eysr6dj5rlYasF0/s320/IMG_6687.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken houses near Greenville<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>More cotton, cattle, and now chicken houses dotted the landscape as we headed into Greenville! The last 10 miles had plenty of rollers to remind our legs that we had been in the saddle for 9 hours today. We finally rolled in at about 4:30pm. 127 miles and 3400 feet of climbing in 9.5 hours!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnwKKKV9R3VvpLhKQwmwDVG1q96E9xJHHk_uVOu1Y0YBzafW3Q332K6d0ga_1gUOWxTpmMTfsQ2B9jLixZyFF0yotBqVzU4AjQ7s3OHAFG1En0PJtu0yoNSO_hAXQoqYnFeC3__omLcg/s4032/IMG_6692.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQnwKKKV9R3VvpLhKQwmwDVG1q96E9xJHHk_uVOu1Y0YBzafW3Q332K6d0ga_1gUOWxTpmMTfsQ2B9jLixZyFF0yotBqVzU4AjQ7s3OHAFG1En0PJtu0yoNSO_hAXQoqYnFeC3__omLcg/s320/IMG_6692.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another 128 miles closer!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Tim was in the parking lot to greet us and we went a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner. He is in great spirits and we are very happy to have him back. Tomorrow he will ease back into the tour and ride a few sections with SAG van bumps and see how it goes. </p><p>Most the gear is almost dry, so its time to call it a night. See you in the parking lot at 7!</p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-34007968028237563802021-09-29T19:26:00.001-07:002021-09-29T19:26:36.539-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 22: Livingston AL<p> </p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkCejIziOIKXk7aDkZRR4JaBW3JBruCtWi9oJkaeAVI8t6a6JfuF6gmXawJvRPsA1LyoQtRtb8pSZE4YUw22TqwfC6KrRnKVXWqt9zVEdR_UxqohzldXnVbRiEs3pAoQpn2wk6c9rgDA/s11150/IMG_6622.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3628" data-original-width="11150" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkCejIziOIKXk7aDkZRR4JaBW3JBruCtWi9oJkaeAVI8t6a6JfuF6gmXawJvRPsA1LyoQtRtb8pSZE4YUw22TqwfC6KrRnKVXWqt9zVEdR_UxqohzldXnVbRiEs3pAoQpn2wk6c9rgDA/w428-h139/IMG_6622.HEIC" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolling pasture near Herbert MS<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRHMBGZ9srZqiYvlTdzF9Z7dtuXQXyIvf18UD43OtQ6vW0pLmL58ZBEFCLfIAXMzIBxTiTn7H9ireqWUdVNXdhJot-wNtBabzcXCGil0u_eW7B54hggUqbLGDV4t1MgSAZpOZpqPWuGA/s1334/IMG_6608.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVRHMBGZ9srZqiYvlTdzF9Z7dtuXQXyIvf18UD43OtQ6vW0pLmL58ZBEFCLfIAXMzIBxTiTn7H9ireqWUdVNXdhJot-wNtBabzcXCGil0u_eW7B54hggUqbLGDV4t1MgSAZpOZpqPWuGA/s320/IMG_6608.PNG" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confirmed 100% Humidity!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rolled out at 7:30am in a balmy Mississippi fog this morning, the roads were damp from the humidity and light fog hung in the air! We backtracked toward the Natchez Trace then headed out of town on a country road.<br /><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEg14INRlYKjImIBDPNHdfp5QMF4MepQNulccCVdA5O21tp7d3CaIeMWEjrGFjOYMfDz-UccQc4y7Uq01_lvT1qpyAFUbOXN20gJ-uGdGnc44YBfNFB0jQwwAbyFSdX3f0TzlLc_P1lQ/s4032/IMG_6609.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrEg14INRlYKjImIBDPNHdfp5QMF4MepQNulccCVdA5O21tp7d3CaIeMWEjrGFjOYMfDz-UccQc4y7Uq01_lvT1qpyAFUbOXN20gJ-uGdGnc44YBfNFB0jQwwAbyFSdX3f0TzlLc_P1lQ/s320/IMG_6609.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route 14 outside Kosciusko MS<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>No shoulder, but with light traffic, we rolled out of town and back into the countryside.<br /></p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_0B4449zwl-huHNLzaLhipt_K2aPmSq1g3pJ_dfc86WyvPr-IXeeDVPxfWFKj3nbU1N0G4tWNZDQUYJ7Ey1YodYSxVyVTlx3-U-H4RFCfJyV7p4AHasdiFXSGMgEZp_Rs64cBPXdkEc/s4032/IMG_6612.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_0B4449zwl-huHNLzaLhipt_K2aPmSq1g3pJ_dfc86WyvPr-IXeeDVPxfWFKj3nbU1N0G4tWNZDQUYJ7Ey1YodYSxVyVTlx3-U-H4RFCfJyV7p4AHasdiFXSGMgEZp_Rs64cBPXdkEc/s320/IMG_6612.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swamp crossing at 14 miles<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtJ4BXg-7tfKRbJvNXUAuCjjJwzYQUTPY_wEu3od8vAi88us5pRU0QaBtZ5kOI-v8kUvKBNOAMIaWnkMOEXUP3nvhqIc6bkAT73MhxTkEuvvy4hTGTg9ZynNqINCzTtb8nsk1s_rmhoQ/s4032/IMG_6616.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtJ4BXg-7tfKRbJvNXUAuCjjJwzYQUTPY_wEu3od8vAi88us5pRU0QaBtZ5kOI-v8kUvKBNOAMIaWnkMOEXUP3nvhqIc6bkAT73MhxTkEuvvy4hTGTg9ZynNqINCzTtb8nsk1s_rmhoQ/s320/IMG_6616.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miles of country roads<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We rode many miles today on rolling country roads. Mostly small farms and ranches separated by stands of forest in various stages of harvest. As in the photo above nearly all the yards around the farm houses had neatly cut grass, all the way to the edge of the highway!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbOD5s3BbVLhY6NW8yZ3c3tYmXh-SRiIQD-WDQbNNbvBczxAQl9yP7jTL7q74rn03vIKnjh4DUksWl7047oSPa0Ad-hK_E8_CpqIRWlP6H24ATdhJ3rzOan87fhJR-IVDHVo_mdZuvR8/s4032/IMG_6618.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmbOD5s3BbVLhY6NW8yZ3c3tYmXh-SRiIQD-WDQbNNbvBczxAQl9yP7jTL7q74rn03vIKnjh4DUksWl7047oSPa0Ad-hK_E8_CpqIRWlP6H24ATdhJ3rzOan87fhJR-IVDHVo_mdZuvR8/s320/IMG_6618.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neshoba County Courthouse in Philadelphia MS<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>After the first SAG near Edinburg we rolled through Laurel Hill and then Philadelphia. Philadelphia is large enough for the highway to separate into two 2-lane one-way streets through downtown. There were two short but very steep climbs, but soon we were downtown and stopped at the County Courthouse.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTau-zieJBpp3GvrrP16G0jOuUP0XmT3egsWZ3kFizJKPXuxSPElEqrw0plXbmZpxrpO8BEb0Au7wryn6b00qZu1BBFcU0AFhsg20uBZUwGZPmYyKtjYoklz55CkS2123CJXk9Ytc7Cuc/s4032/IMG_6619.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTau-zieJBpp3GvrrP16G0jOuUP0XmT3egsWZ3kFizJKPXuxSPElEqrw0plXbmZpxrpO8BEb0Au7wryn6b00qZu1BBFcU0AFhsg20uBZUwGZPmYyKtjYoklz55CkS2123CJXk9Ytc7Cuc/s320/IMG_6619.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SAG at abandoned service station<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Next stop was the SAG near Hebert. In an abandoned service station, with a closed restaurant. No need to set up a pop-up tent here, the service island cover is still intact! We made it a quick stop and pressed on.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqoroZuFGBFkMRuYt_HNEH2GhSFS2Vpd-BGIp15WA4Q79RLcJgpXoQ1HTQL6iKiVbetGkGFe_NXrzxgy6_PsGIWL2duS51sLYEs5XFYXioS4u0OIPhelMPHT6xKhzd9Z85Ya7RjClWyU/s4032/IMG_6630.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEqoroZuFGBFkMRuYt_HNEH2GhSFS2Vpd-BGIp15WA4Q79RLcJgpXoQ1HTQL6iKiVbetGkGFe_NXrzxgy6_PsGIWL2duS51sLYEs5XFYXioS4u0OIPhelMPHT6xKhzd9Z85Ya7RjClWyU/s320/IMG_6630.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wildflowers in clear cut section<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>There is quite a bit of logging going on in this area. Many sections were clear cut, with others containing early wild flower growth, saplings and small pines, then larger ones that appear ready to harvest. There were only a few log trucks, but plenty of log debris on the road to watch out for.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqlVN3EKMUwI8gIvb9TaRmYCv5llPExJFWNDxiSPQFyQdTT3fKNcrc8HUev4RUvRsDPnf5R1LpDCduwEMdHR73xXtwSl7FeGnQ1wQpAbr_edhuqn1mg48IPtzWVEY96QHPyWJwpiFT78/s4032/IMG_6629.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqlVN3EKMUwI8gIvb9TaRmYCv5llPExJFWNDxiSPQFyQdTT3fKNcrc8HUev4RUvRsDPnf5R1LpDCduwEMdHR73xXtwSl7FeGnQ1wQpAbr_edhuqn1mg48IPtzWVEY96QHPyWJwpiFT78/s320/IMG_6629.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch was in the Dekalb city park<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We had a nice lunch in the Dekalb city park. There was a 'health walk' with helpful signs like this along the path. This one was near where we set up lunch. We skipped the walk and got back on the bikes with about 37 miles still to go!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nGf3Fpt60lY7ltK37bZc2VDFTAoYkixnaKe3-qptw_F49z9tZGS2FLvRcygaWfQw0h5ik5rQJB0YKKiDBVxktz35L80VAF0m6Fru7D5H-nJicYMRiHDoFeqkN07BxPbvM5_gUV7eCLQ/s4032/IMG_6634.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3nGf3Fpt60lY7ltK37bZc2VDFTAoYkixnaKe3-qptw_F49z9tZGS2FLvRcygaWfQw0h5ik5rQJB0YKKiDBVxktz35L80VAF0m6Fru7D5H-nJicYMRiHDoFeqkN07BxPbvM5_gUV7eCLQ/s320/IMG_6634.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porterville Post Officec<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The last SAG was in Porterville MS in an area around a train crossing. Several abandoned buildings and the town's working post office were in the area. Well working if you are there M-F from 7:30 - 11:30am!<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfnVGRfK6-VFEQUY6E_lpE20N9UXrn4buzBydrTkiu0T2ukmGU9ZONqOu4fum9M-uiBhAidg-Rb_hav-ZBr9DhE6RM_2ui7U3ipx2mkK_1Tkkfv5YYJJtn8NC-N1rBt6i0-8ps3oZGfo/s4032/IMG_6642.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrfnVGRfK6-VFEQUY6E_lpE20N9UXrn4buzBydrTkiu0T2ukmGU9ZONqOu4fum9M-uiBhAidg-Rb_hav-ZBr9DhE6RM_2ui7U3ipx2mkK_1Tkkfv5YYJJtn8NC-N1rBt6i0-8ps3oZGfo/s320/IMG_6642.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wes and Jeff<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Wes and Jeff cruising through another clear-cut section on the way to the state line.<br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08fF3QVC5tSErhB5JAZdvJb2RPiASeUv4NZBJW-EsjNzeRcizVzgsbsdTHTeTP3xUllFrD40i8qfjxD_-6z7UXUy4zffL01ndGYvCZrEeAUUB1OcOsg5bijkXdDvA_nRZ7WthxmW_tBE/s4032/IMG_6645.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg08fF3QVC5tSErhB5JAZdvJb2RPiASeUv4NZBJW-EsjNzeRcizVzgsbsdTHTeTP3xUllFrD40i8qfjxD_-6z7UXUy4zffL01ndGYvCZrEeAUUB1OcOsg5bijkXdDvA_nRZ7WthxmW_tBE/s320/IMG_6645.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Briggs Chapel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-_xatvqDA6W1pR-3DNiXAN8dikBLBMgqGyT3aSktuSsVB3TTXN5xFh5A3NDT8mpzUUiaAtQRlY0pn19bFcB6NtCJV5Jf22DP1ZwmVO1R-TpnBx_t-ilX3sy-gJ2aS2WKj-Adf8E1rYM/s4032/IMG_6650.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig-_xatvqDA6W1pR-3DNiXAN8dikBLBMgqGyT3aSktuSsVB3TTXN5xFh5A3NDT8mpzUUiaAtQRlY0pn19bFcB6NtCJV5Jf22DP1ZwmVO1R-TpnBx_t-ilX3sy-gJ2aS2WKj-Adf8E1rYM/s320/IMG_6650.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Briggs Chapel<br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Just before the state line, we noted the Old Briggs Chapel and its more contemporary and spacious replacement as we headed for the next state on our journey.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtOnSdAa3LLwNMVpDIpGHoltGA4ctATV9WY_UYuJVURXbNJSEuOTsV1SpZEp90OS7D6V1pd1foYfLlahyphenhyphenGqGceOE26FYHfSQTkJ5TuzDBRDsCszSGcn_aSHZTCVS0hgghK0YG1qrp2kM/s3088/IMG_6652.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtOnSdAa3LLwNMVpDIpGHoltGA4ctATV9WY_UYuJVURXbNJSEuOTsV1SpZEp90OS7D6V1pd1foYfLlahyphenhyphenGqGceOE26FYHfSQTkJ5TuzDBRDsCszSGcn_aSHZTCVS0hgghK0YG1qrp2kM/s320/IMG_6652.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alabama State Line <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>No 'Welcome to Alabama' sign, but this Country road marker is on the state line and indicates that our country road changed its name from MS Route 39, to Sumter County Alabama Road 12.<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUQkHVZC2Q02f99pKNXNihxT7hpAhTDp882ioldcCKxU5dkuw6lGHSJqEGeqIj6_Vis0VFgl-MnzFfK21mWpKMic4JTJPsFyXL_wG1FKK5jRqfikXnAtHlBGETsmsmgEnZkfPndRM27M/s4032/IMG_6653.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUQkHVZC2Q02f99pKNXNihxT7hpAhTDp882ioldcCKxU5dkuw6lGHSJqEGeqIj6_Vis0VFgl-MnzFfK21mWpKMic4JTJPsFyXL_wG1FKK5jRqfikXnAtHlBGETsmsmgEnZkfPndRM27M/s320/IMG_6653.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alabama shaded country road<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Another 12 miles of nice Alabama roads took us to a truck stop just outside of Livingston AL with a Comfort Inn. We had a few sprinkles just as we rolled in. We stopped for an ice cream at the convenience store before checking in and starting the after-ride routine. </p><p>Not wanting to risk dinner at the Taste of India in the truck stop, we opted for our first chain food at the Burger King. We donned our rain gear and hoped that the rain will finish tonight and be done by morning. </p><p>We start 30 minutes earlier tomorrow. It will be a long day, 130 miles with 4,000 feet of climbing, rain or shine!<br /></p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8547030982927931214.post-81214611355259947692021-09-28T17:21:00.001-07:002021-09-29T04:03:44.786-07:002021 Southern Transcon Day 21: Kosciusko MS<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lSfFvTLz9e2xfRXxUs3MFjoBvddG2p4T-_4ME2T6HNLnY3SGO2PWP8eH_9VwP6FkPl4JE2oxAb4XChKjQvnIw_CWOZ-UR1mNvuaZNbVih34Xt7f_hx819dazFVzH84AOGeLjvyPn4MI/s4032/IMG_6588.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2lSfFvTLz9e2xfRXxUs3MFjoBvddG2p4T-_4ME2T6HNLnY3SGO2PWP8eH_9VwP6FkPl4JE2oxAb4XChKjQvnIw_CWOZ-UR1mNvuaZNbVih34Xt7f_hx819dazFVzH84AOGeLjvyPn4MI/s320/IMG_6588.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hillside Wildlife Preserve<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <p></p><p>There was a chance of rain today as we left Indianola, and we had cloud cover most of the day. It didn't rain, but by the time we got to the lunch sag, we were all soaking wet and had dishpan hands from the 90+% humidity! But first we need to get rolling!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mIN4qvI8jEII7Jn7y5JF9EAQDzSEXDHxn4NadMivzdAsDuPc1WFdctwRzav-tKQY1Bslkd-Gs9eJKTCEiwjoTu7seO5EMkzuBMe98j9GNICe0R2E-2S2H-qnmB_04HNI59b2NL_6oGM/s4032/IMG_6576.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mIN4qvI8jEII7Jn7y5JF9EAQDzSEXDHxn4NadMivzdAsDuPc1WFdctwRzav-tKQY1Bslkd-Gs9eJKTCEiwjoTu7seO5EMkzuBMe98j9GNICe0R2E-2S2H-qnmB_04HNI59b2NL_6oGM/s320/IMG_6576.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We didn't stop<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We rolled out at 7:30 and just a mile down the road we passed the BB King Museum. Not on the agenda for today, we headed out of town on Route 49. Its a 4 lane highway with no shoulder, but traffic was light leaving town, and what little traffic there was gave us plenty of space.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9ClHm68beHwkzYSckCa7SVCHDGbpHPxfFhDs0hwMHmq1qdw-WXhmlmPYfPQG0I_a4bkVloR4L4-jyzazRYoYOyLcE00sZwlE3FX8rSN0glAF1z_eGeJFJL0CykDS0d7dRKbo8frDyXo/s4032/IMG_6578.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9ClHm68beHwkzYSckCa7SVCHDGbpHPxfFhDs0hwMHmq1qdw-WXhmlmPYfPQG0I_a4bkVloR4L4-jyzazRYoYOyLcE00sZwlE3FX8rSN0glAF1z_eGeJFJL0CykDS0d7dRKbo8frDyXo/s320/IMG_6578.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delta Country farms to the horizon!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwwJMzZKRWXZ2Zy2ZfR3c1U8zechU1vw3NYDXfc2KU1GRQcX0YUjvYDa0SRMRZ862UwEJKQQScESqUnRIaGuc8-TLPWqVVwTyIY8SCzvoFPM-uIAR6GQi9mhG_OY6hxJyf7N9x_l9RdQ/s4032/IMG_6580.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwwJMzZKRWXZ2Zy2ZfR3c1U8zechU1vw3NYDXfc2KU1GRQcX0YUjvYDa0SRMRZ862UwEJKQQScESqUnRIaGuc8-TLPWqVVwTyIY8SCzvoFPM-uIAR6GQi9mhG_OY6hxJyf7N9x_l9RdQ/s320/IMG_6580.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeff and Wes take a pull<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We started easy and slowly dialed up the pace, soon we caught Wes and got organized into a pace line. We worked together into the headwind for about 20 miles.<br /></p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PPmO9cGT0S8vmjkddhV6eqbNlPv8oVx8CwfKFWx39XWbj2gCsCzEQZt1Fniom6j9gjl-dlgQJWbyrFumvRh-nHlaQdAtqSgnfMq5hCi-VabK6oR8xxqip3DOXu6bMQGiJ1_Ga3FLeBg/s4032/IMG_6582.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0PPmO9cGT0S8vmjkddhV6eqbNlPv8oVx8CwfKFWx39XWbj2gCsCzEQZt1Fniom6j9gjl-dlgQJWbyrFumvRh-nHlaQdAtqSgnfMq5hCi-VabK6oR8xxqip3DOXu6bMQGiJ1_Ga3FLeBg/s320/IMG_6582.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yazoo River<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTDw1j1B8dgckPWAmDBSJA-us9f5aTTJRcJbKPbcRpsdYKlCyDN-jelJXqqRixoHviQrbjZSdNevCKHr90sOhlso3MwDNdbCUkwwx3_Ocnq6iiEtiQm6QPuHGET8I0mhK4kbaJ5Ym5hg/s4032/IMG_6584.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTDw1j1B8dgckPWAmDBSJA-us9f5aTTJRcJbKPbcRpsdYKlCyDN-jelJXqqRixoHviQrbjZSdNevCKHr90sOhlso3MwDNdbCUkwwx3_Ocnq6iiEtiQm6QPuHGET8I0mhK4kbaJ5Ym5hg/s320/IMG_6584.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Delta country for 20 miles after the SAG<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Mark B. and Alessandra joined the pace line after the SAG and we worked together until the road tilted up and into Hillside Wildlife Preserve<br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x08AeuFPdrpSF9Pw15ntyavpwtCaagg8crZyIl1WCOS8WLHZ1vIRjxefa3mU31Jai33lkG4xh_YQeGrKwKpGCmmQEXBaje_ISl3ejLqWE5itVFkS55jJq-3_2crsjAXPWwYWRXnh3k/s4032/IMG_6591.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13x08AeuFPdrpSF9Pw15ntyavpwtCaagg8crZyIl1WCOS8WLHZ1vIRjxefa3mU31Jai33lkG4xh_YQeGrKwKpGCmmQEXBaje_ISl3ejLqWE5itVFkS55jJq-3_2crsjAXPWwYWRXnh3k/s320/IMG_6591.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vine covered forest in the Hillside Wildlife Preserve<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusj2GQ0mg7Jpgzeq2W9FZxmOneVysxbc8wA115wd7CEy-hsLSK7bYmXBEwCE9M0dYZ83qPfrDMJU4TED_XKA6HV3s7KJk-a2TkrMgrLtRD8hw_BJAikET3wrjX2LHsXXKa41DR2c5E2Y/s4032/IMG_6593.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhusj2GQ0mg7Jpgzeq2W9FZxmOneVysxbc8wA115wd7CEy-hsLSK7bYmXBEwCE9M0dYZ83qPfrDMJU4TED_XKA6HV3s7KJk-a2TkrMgrLtRD8hw_BJAikET3wrjX2LHsXXKa41DR2c5E2Y/s320/IMG_6593.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back in the forest<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Three miles of climbing brought us to the SAG at 50 miles. At this point in the ride the humidity was so bad that wet fingers could not operate the touchscreen on the Garmin or the iPhone! It wasn't raining, but everything was soaked!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNI9vZkw-TxsI89w0h0HyqzD6oQklEx7M2zZxn2KRnIdjMsHJ2FR5DAgYsg3v9w0dAbwXFymy6Qd0K6WSorv-Lgg8SgyDd02Lw9B5lzhSUN0n9CNLeEzb6JJOENVKLLklYXx56lv-a-Y/s4032/IMG_6596.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGNI9vZkw-TxsI89w0h0HyqzD6oQklEx7M2zZxn2KRnIdjMsHJ2FR5DAgYsg3v9w0dAbwXFymy6Qd0K6WSorv-Lgg8SgyDd02Lw9B5lzhSUN0n9CNLeEzb6JJOENVKLLklYXx56lv-a-Y/s320/IMG_6596.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">50 mile SAG at church and cemetery<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The 50 mile SAG was at the Oak Grove Church. It had beautiful grounds, and other than the gardener tending to the grounds, we had the parking lot to ourselves. Standard procedure at every SAG is to wash your hands at the soapy water station before entering. Today, I took extra paper towels to try and mop up the sweat on my glasses and face!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NoeqjF_tciryQ9IyyIVbaDmtIXANwCsxIR3eWGLkP5IoGhNyXk_pEn1ht8SxirEyhma4uPz9zoahS3uCD00lNHzs2dx98cXHFybr7yMA30xEga5jUM5zZmS3PV8zbAnNEsFnA3t4nJw/s4032/IMG_6597.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NoeqjF_tciryQ9IyyIVbaDmtIXANwCsxIR3eWGLkP5IoGhNyXk_pEn1ht8SxirEyhma4uPz9zoahS3uCD00lNHzs2dx98cXHFybr7yMA30xEga5jUM5zZmS3PV8zbAnNEsFnA3t4nJw/s320/IMG_6597.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More rollers for the rest of the ride<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6gxY0EFc-GF_YlJ2SmpYwo0Xxl2Jxr0b2dwptFXmxj7gVTVpUkM-yKADgzeyKEdvlhLz5Tm55pTX44TRyIK6v2p9-f6g6pNj0kSrZZAJsuGNugwqml7Utv1X4kx6d_8_eVg4sxAkHeo/s4032/IMG_6600.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO6gxY0EFc-GF_YlJ2SmpYwo0Xxl2Jxr0b2dwptFXmxj7gVTVpUkM-yKADgzeyKEdvlhLz5Tm55pTX44TRyIK6v2p9-f6g6pNj0kSrZZAJsuGNugwqml7Utv1X4kx6d_8_eVg4sxAkHeo/s320/IMG_6600.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ebenezer Big Store<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We continued along more miles of rollers passing through the town of Ebenezer. We noted this was the Big store, and wondered where the small one was!<br /></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoGZdh5uBQF5lrErq2UU2frBmLTreMgHXQQ4P9p4DUUcCxCFAyoSOyfij6RdY82e7H3cTxbMFrZNWwquKEOGXsU-Fs6_OvPfuL773XZpLWQ5y0NBB2R278UgcKTbieq2zQIj2dutepJ0/s4032/IMG_6602.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdoGZdh5uBQF5lrErq2UU2frBmLTreMgHXQQ4P9p4DUUcCxCFAyoSOyfij6RdY82e7H3cTxbMFrZNWwquKEOGXsU-Fs6_OvPfuL773XZpLWQ5y0NBB2R278UgcKTbieq2zQIj2dutepJ0/s320/IMG_6602.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tuna (or catfish?) salad for lunch<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />We continued on to Goodman and stopped for the lunch SAG at the city park. The lunch trailer was set up near the basketball court and we set up our chairs on the court. Each of us, soaking wet from the humidity were wringing out gloves and caps as our kits stuck to us like it had been raining.<br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQVY9kD5E23cbcDk6vsTu-WjGXNqNpL0RH-at2mdBZbIrc9Jz8696U8dz4_0fYA7QNcAUF5rh8whRybxmWQkkk08ELu5VP1n4-kvP5z9TIQmwlAan-8I_UMoLcpWWcENxIhmERr5n1Gg/s4032/IMG_6603.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQVY9kD5E23cbcDk6vsTu-WjGXNqNpL0RH-at2mdBZbIrc9Jz8696U8dz4_0fYA7QNcAUF5rh8whRybxmWQkkk08ELu5VP1n4-kvP5z9TIQmwlAan-8I_UMoLcpWWcENxIhmERr5n1Gg/s320/IMG_6603.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Road to Kosciusko<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>We had two hours to cover the last 25 miles and end of the day in Kosciusko at 3pm. We dialed back the pace and covered the distance in about an hour and a half. <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUiQjKFFYrVwQQFwbhndTb8c250UiihqlCyLSZOpLKIVP5QJHwQu9QQB-y27B-vjh9aqq7oV36T5JGgBCnPw4_e1huygPf_7v835Ai7T6cKmI3V0dYlEwE42_mJRtSEnjgR8r8L9vjgk/s4032/IMG_6604.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUiQjKFFYrVwQQFwbhndTb8c250UiihqlCyLSZOpLKIVP5QJHwQu9QQB-y27B-vjh9aqq7oV36T5JGgBCnPw4_e1huygPf_7v835Ai7T6cKmI3V0dYlEwE42_mJRtSEnjgR8r8L9vjgk/s320/IMG_6604.HEIC" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natchez Trace Parkway<br /></td></tr></tbody></table>We arrived in Kosciusko about 2:30. The Natchez Trace Parkway passes through here. We rolled to the entrance to get a photo. Its not on our route for tomorrow.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGciuXsO2o_BgfIIUPx9zP0Ny1IkiLazYYqpRseCXmj26zfVnvgkghHbnXaCHAW0CM25aHB9iEXVdZEd8-7h41CoUTnSBRQc8xgl_QYA02Debr_NscYi84U_UcpwmKsSV7VuytOi9nOUo/s3088/IMG_6605.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGciuXsO2o_BgfIIUPx9zP0Ny1IkiLazYYqpRseCXmj26zfVnvgkghHbnXaCHAW0CM25aHB9iEXVdZEd8-7h41CoUTnSBRQc8xgl_QYA02Debr_NscYi84U_UcpwmKsSV7VuytOi9nOUo/s320/IMG_6605.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Cream at Chez Sidewalk<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We arrived 30 minutes early so we checked to see if a Dairy Queen, Sonic, or McDonald's was nearby. No luck, but there was a convenience store across the street, so we rolled over to check it out. Score! M&M Ice Cream Sandwiches and Gatorade for now, and chocolate milk for later. We savored the frosty snacks on a shady curb in the parking lot brevet style. We rolled back to the hotel after our treat to start the end of day routine just before 3! Great food at Rodeo Family Mexican to call it a day!<br /></p><p>Good news, we got word today that Tim will be rejoining the group in a couple of days in Greenville Alabama! </p><p><a href="https://ridewithgps.com/collections/34127?privacy_code=UuMCVi4ykNGrUMUb" target="_blank">Click here for GPS data </a><br /></p>Steve Atkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11397966495685879620noreply@blogger.com0