May 2, the end.

We had a lovely closing banquet last night. great conversations with joyce, liz, janine and karen c. funny speeches by nancy and carolyn. sunnye and I repeated our song with one new verse. just a general feeling of pride, contentedness and accomplishment. cathy gave a funny speech for her birthday, liz gave another one. just lots of happiness and laughs. this morning at breakfast, the atmosphere was a little more subdued. the first people started driving home. bikes were loaded for the bike shop and the remainder of us stood under the roof of the motel waiting to say our final good-byes. the realization had hit us that It truly was over and many of us would never see each other again. there were lots of hugs. some tears, and many lasting memories. I'm sure some of us will stay in touch, some of us will probably even ride together again. but there's no way that an experience such as this could be repeated. how funny that my first roommate,helen, was also my last. she just boarded her plane across from my gate. what a great way to end the trip._________unser letztes abendessen zusammen war toll. nicht traurig, sondern humorvoll mit viele gute geschichten erzaehlt. heute beim fruestueck ging es ein bisschen trauriger zu, als die ersten sich verabschiedeten. jetzt sitzte ich I'm jacksonville flughafen und warte auf meinem flug. wir haben wirklich was geleistet. wir koennen dieses erlebniss nie wiederholen.

May 1, part 2

waiting at the fire station for the police escort. we've reached the atlantic. loading up bikes the next day to get them to the bike shop for packing and shipping.

May 1, part 1

Well, it's all over now. We left the motel at 7:30 a.m. to ride the 40 miles to St. John's Fire Station, where the police were waiting to escort us the 6 miles to the beach. The sun was shining, it wasn't too warm and it was the perfect day. We all made it over the back roads into the station at 10:30 a.m. We all used the bathroom and then got ready to go. It was actually pretty exciting to be escorted through red lights. Lots of people waved and yelled encouragement. We rode in pairs and Helen was my partner. We crossed the bridge and made it to the beach, where some family members met us and took tons of pictures of us dipping our wheels in the Atlantic and dipping ourselves in the Atlantic. IT was a nice feeling to be finished, but somewhat anticlimatic because it's hard to believe it's over. I expect to be getting on my bike tomorrow morning. But I'm sure Mallory and Harnish will jerk me back to reality when they pick me up at the airport tomorrow. When I got into the motel, I decided to ride a few more miles so that I would have exactly 2800 miles on my odometer. I came back again, had a swim, showered and got everything in order for tomorrow. We have to get the bikes to the bike shop for shipping and the people to the airport for getting home. And would you believe, it poured down rain just a half an hour ago. With thunder and lightning!!! So now we're just gathering in the lobby to go to our final banquet. Thank you to everyone who followed my blog, called, texted, commented or emailed. I really appreciated everyone's support and good wishes. I hope that I can share more of my impressions with you all sometime.______________Na, es ist jetzt vorbei! Der Tag war sonnig und trocken. Wir fuhren bis zum Feuerwehrhaus am Rand der Stadt und dann fuhrte die Polizei unsere Gruppe zum Strand, wo Familie und Freunde uns troffen, machte Fotos von uns, und wir tunkten unsere Vorderraedern im Meer. Danach gab es ein Essen im Strandhaeuschen bevor wir ins Motel fuhren. Ich fuhr noch ein Paar Meilen so dass mein Kilometerzaehler genau 2800 Meilen zeigte. Danach bin ich geschwommen, habe mich geduscht und, wisst Ihr was? Es hat um 16 Uhr fuerchterlich gestuermt!! Wir haben Schwein gehabt. Danke allen, die mein Blog gefogt haben. Danke auch, fuer die Emails, Anrufe, Texte und Kommentare. Ich hoffe, dass ich gelegentlich meine Eindruecke mit Euch teilen kann.

April 30, part 1

Does this describe me, or what! Florida can be so beautiful,especially when the sun shines.

April 30, part 1

Well, well, well. This was an exciting day. First the good news. I slept well last night and it was overcast all day. The bad news. I overslept and got caught in a thunderstorm. But from the beginning. I woke up at 7 and everyone was already in the parking lot eating breakfast. I quickly got up and brushed my teach and threw my clothes into my suitcase in 2 minutes. (I do that even when I get up on time!) In any case, it was so nice and cool when we started at 7:30 a.m. because of the rain yesterday and because it was overcast. It started out as great ride. Sheila and I were stopping along the way to take lots of pictures. We came to one town and missed a turn. When we didn't see the SAG wagon at 20 miles we got suspicious. So we asked directions to the next town on our cue sheet. They were good directions, but 10 miles longer than if we had found the correct turn. After we had gone 40 miles and were back on the route, we stopped at a gas station for water and glazed donut holes to tide us over. We kept on keeping on and the sky became more and more threatening. When we had finally ridden 55 miles, we found a small plaza with a McDonald's. We went in and ordered, sat down to eat, and it started to pour. So we decided to wait it out. After about 30 minutes, Carolyn came by with the SAG wagon. We had already called her and told her we had been lost and she came back to look for us. We told her we were going to sit out the rain and keep riding. She let us know that there was a bike path somewhere around, but she didn't know where. After Sheila and I were satisfied that the rain had let up, we started out again and, lo and behold, the bike path was right across the street from McDonald's, running parallel to the road we should take. It was wonderful not riding on the street with all the cars and trucks zooming by and splashing the standing water on us. Unfortunately, however, after about 15 miles the bike path turned to dirt at about the same time a thunderstorm came up again. Hum, ride on a major road during a major thunderstorm with vehicles zipping by or stay on a dirt path? We stayed on the dirt path for as long as possible then decided to come out to the edge of the road so that the SAG wagon could find us when it drove back to look for us. We put the bikes by the side of the road so Carolyn could see them and, wouldn't you know it, she was expecting to see us on the other side of the road and she drove right past us. By this time we were soaked to the skin with no let-up in sight. We stood there for about 15 minutes until most of the storm passed over us, then took to the road to finally get into Palatka. About 7 miles out of town Carolyn caught up with us and we told her we were riding the bikes in. We weren't going to wimp out now. The rain was warm, the temperature was fine and there was no perceptible wind. We got into Palatka and first went to Dairy Queen. Then we went across the street to the bike shop, where Sheila asked the owner to hose her and her bike down. We spent some time in the shop and he showed us exactly what parts of the bike path are finished and what is still planned. As we left, it started to thunder and lightning again. But by now we only had 3 more miles to go. I hadn't planned on doing another wash on this trip, but my clothes from yesterday were still wet and everything I had on today was soaked, so when we got into the motel I put everything in the machine while we had supper. It's almost over, guys. I wasn't struck by lightning, I wasn't hit by a truck, we left Pensacola and Crestview before they got flooded out AND I DID NOT HAVE ONE PUNCTURE ON THE ROAD!!!!!!!! I shouldn't say it too loudly because I still have to ride about 50 tomorrow to get to the beach. I'm really satisfied with what I accomplished and can't wait to share pictures and stories with you all. ______________________ Eieiei. Bin spaet aufgestanden, falsch gefahren und vom Donnerwetter erwischt. Trotzdem was es ein schoener Tag. Sheila und ich blieben zusammen und wegen der Irrfahrt haben 10 Meilen zu viel gemacht. Ein Sturm haben wir bei McDonald ausgesetzt, dann aber sind wir von einem zweiten auf dem Fahrradweg erwischt worden. Alles nass von oben bis unten. Als es nachgelassen hat, fuhren wir wieder auf der Strasse bis Palatka. Im Motel musste ich alles von Gestern und Heute nochmals waschen. Nur noch einen Tag. Im allgemein ist alles ueber die 2 Monate gut gelaufen. Ich bin nicht vom Blitz getroffen, nicht von einem LKW angefahren, sind weg von Pensacola and Crestview bevor die Fluten kamen UND HABE KEINE PLATTE AUF DER STRASSE GEHABT!!!!! Aber Morgen gibt's die letzte 50 Meilen. Ich solle es noch nicht so laut sagen. Die Fahrt war wirklich ein Erlebnis. Kann kaum warten, Euch mehr Bilder zu zeigen und Geschichten zu erzaehlen.

April 29, part 2

Flower child or mermaid?

April 29, part 1

Hi, guys. This was a bittersweet day. We started at 7:30 a.m. and it was as if we were racing the rainstorm to the coast. It stayed overcast the whole hot, muggy morning. But it was a little scary because I had become complacent, thinking that the trip was almost over. So I wasn't paying attention and almost rode into the ditch. Since we were still on a pretty busy road with lots of truck traffic, I thought I should renew my concentration and watch what I'm doing until the ride is really over on Thursday. At 10:30 a.m. Lynn and I stopped for a cup of coffee and pie in Mayo. It was a nice little café and the people were friendly as usual. Then we kept on trucking to Ichetucknee Springs State Park. The pools were lovely. Sheila was smart and had her bathing suit with her. I just jumped in with my biking stuff on. It was lovely. Everyone had been there and was on their way again except Lynn and me. Nancy was driving the SAG wagon and was waiting there for awhile. I met some young people from France who also jumped in fully clothed after I did. After Lynn and I got out, The sky really darkened, the wind picked up and it started to thunder. I had wanted to ride all the way to the end today, but thought the better of it because of the oncoming storm. After we got in to the motel, it really started to pour, so on the one hand it was a wise decision on my part (Even though I was already wet from the swim, the winds had picked up and it had gotten colder.), on the other hand, I had wanted to ride every mile today. But after everyone got it, it stopped raining and some of us went over to the diner across the street. Great 50s atmosphere, good food, great root beer floats. After that I decided to see what was in town. I peeked into the door of the closed museum and, wonder of wonders, someone was there and let me in. High Springs used to be a major railway hub. Across the street I found the library, where I am sitting now to write the blog without using my thumbs on my iphone. Too bad I couldn't get all my miles in today, but it was worth it to see the town. Tomorrow is another 73 miles.______________Immer wieder bewoelkt heute. Es war als ob wir mit dem Sturm ein Wettrennen machen. Der Sturm hat schliesslich gewonnen. Lynn und ich hielten fuer Kaffee und Pie an, dann fuhren wir zu eine Quelle mit ganz sauberem Wasser. Ich bin voll gekleidet eingesprungen. Aber gleich danach, fingen der Donner und Blitz an. Gott sei Dank, war das SAG Auto noch dar. Es hat uns mitgenommen. Gleich nachdem wir ankamen, fing das Regen an. Einige sind nass geworden. Ich war auch noch vom Schwimmen nass, nur jetzt war es kalt und winding. Als es aufgehoert hat, gingen einige von uns essen. Dann besuchte ich die Stadt, wo der Mann im Museum fuer mich auf gemacht hat. Jetzt sitze ich in der Bibliothek, um mein Blog zu schreiben. Ich liebe die Bibliotheken in den am. Kleinstaedte. Morgen soll is 73 Meilen geben. War nur ein bisschen traurig, dass ich den ganzen Weg heute nicht gefahren bin. Aber dafuer habe ich die schoene Stadt geshen.

April 28, part 2

Another lower case blog tonight. We didn't even want to take breaks while riding today because the bugs just ate us up whenever we weren't moving. and they are teeny tiny little things but ,boy, are they annoying.it was just straight on down the road today and we really only made quick stops at the SAG because otherwise we were eaten alive. It was hot today but, again, mostly overcast. when we got into perry, the usual group ate at pouncey's. it was a good local place with funny sayings all over the wall. (MY HUSBAND CLEANS FISH. Why can't he clean the house?) (My wife dresses to kill and she cooks that way too.) got to the motel about two and had to buy a few things so after a quick visit to k-mart, went into the historical center of town. very attractive. perry is the forestry capital of florida. tomorrow I want to stop at ichetucknee springs state park before I roll into high springs.____________die insekten waren heute beim anhalten nicht auszuhalten. deswegen sind wir ziemlich schnell und schnurstracks geradeaus gefahren. perry ist eine huebsche kleinstadt. die holzindustrie hauptstadt floridas. morgen will ich unterwegs anhalten und ichetucknee springs state park besuchen.

April 28, part 1

Me heading down the homestretch. The sign says it all about todays ride! bug bites! how to chill after riding 50 miles.

April 27, part 5

Here's a better baby alligator picture.

April 27, part 4

Spectatcular day, guys. We are out in the middle of nowhere. Nearest town about 10 miles away. We're sitting at breakfast, deciding if we want to do anything. I had thought about kayaking, but wasn't really excited about it anymore. Then Karen C. says, "There's a lighthouse about 20 miles from here." DING DONG. That was going to be my day of rest. Karen C, Sue and I started out at about 9:30 a.m. It was a lovely, flat ride on a pleasant highway with not much traffic (Sunday morning) for 12 miles. Then came a right turn into the park. But whom should we run into on the highway before we turn into the park?. Mats, A Swedish guy that Sheila had met in Spain last year and is now walking across the US on his way from Stockholm to Sydney. (And I thought WE were making a journey!) Sheila had told us about him last night and how he was going to be in our area today. She had invited him to eat supper with us. From his description, I recognized him right away. He's been walking for more than a year and plans on being finished at the end of 2015. There's a book in there somewhere!! In any case, we took a right turn into the park along a lovely 11-mile road running through swamplands. Lots of colorful birds and other wildlife. When we got to the park entrance, it cost $1.00 per bicycle. Since I had my national park pass with me (Thanks, Kevin!), I pulled it out and he let us all in for free. We couldn't get into the lighthouse, but we walked along the beach , talked with some birders, saw a swimming alligator and enjoyed watching the people fishing from their boats in the Gulf. Then we rode back and stopped at the lodge, where I finally found postcards of Florida and the last presents I wanted to bring home. Outside the lodge, we walked down the path and say the baby 'gator on the log. We rode back out to the highway and stopped at a place that looked like a real biker dive (It advertised deep-fried oreos. No, we didn't try any.) It WAS a biker dive, but the neatest place in the world and the food was great. They were playing live blues in the pavillion next to it and I could have stayed there all day. Everyone was really friendly to everyone, there were bikers there from all over on their way to a big biker festival, nobody objected to the northern accents, and the food was great. It was basically all fried heart attack, but it tasted so good. I had fried oysters, fries and hush puppies. Tasty stuff! Tomorrow we head out to Perry. It's another short, 54-mile day. Only 4 more riding days to go. Looking forward to seeing everyone again._____________________ Heute war Ruhetag, aber einige von uns wollten nicht ruhen. Wir sind zum Leuchtturm 23 Meilen entfernt gefahren. Wir sind durch ein herrliches Sumpfgebiet mit wundschoene Voegel, Tiere und Pflanzen gefahren. Der Leuchtturm selbst war zu, aber bot ein spektakulaeres Blick und ich bin sogar mit den Fuessen ins Gulf of Mexico rein. Auf dem Rueckweg hielten wir in eine Kneipe von der unsere Eltern uns frueher gewarnt haben an. Lauter Hells Angels Typen. Aber alle waren sehr nett, die Kneipe war sehr urig und das Essen war hervorragend. Wir haben wirklich gut (aber fett!) gegessen. Alles war frittiert. Morgen fahren wir nach Perry, 54 Meilen entfernt. Nur noch 4 Tage zu fahren, dann ist es vorbei.

April 27, part 3

BABY ALLIGATOR ON A LOG. (Enlarge picture on computer.) a neat turtle.

April 27, part 2

St. Mark's lighthouse. My feet in the Gulf of Mexico.

april 27, part 1

Not my bike! The lighthouse 3!!!

April 26, part 2

What a day, guys. We were supposed to start out at 8, but the fog was so heavy, we waited until 9. It stayed overcast until 10:30 a.m. then it was just hot, hot, hot. Some of us to a slight detour today to Wakulla Springs State Park. Lovely!!! We stopped at the lodge for a quick lunch, which didn't turn out to be too quick. But then we got on the 2 p.m. boat ride over the river. And who sits down right behind me on the boat? A couple from Ingelheim, Germany! We had a great conversation while viewing the ALLIGATORS!! Yes, folks, real, live alligators in the wild. And some gorgeous birds, turtles and lots of other wildlife. Then Helen and I rode the 10 miles onto the motel. Do you remember a while ago, when I told you we saw some Germans in a camper in St. Francisville, Louisiana? Who should be driving down the road towards us but this camper! I waved but am not sure they recognized me. When I drove by the bank, I saw that the temperature was still 89 degrees Fahrenheit at 4:30 p.m. (16:30) Anyway, we're in a quiet, out-of-the-way motel and tomorrow is our last rest day. I'm doing my last wash now and tomorrow a few of us plan to go rent kayaks and paddle down the river. It was a good day._____________ Unglaublich! Nach einem spaeten Start wegen Nebel, kehrten wir in Wakulla Springs State Park ein, um zu essen und auf dem Fluss Boot zu fahren. Wer sitzt hinter mir im Boot? Ein Ehepaar aus Ingelheim. Wir haben uns gut unterhalten und viele Alligatoren gesehen. Dann ab ins abgelegene Motel, wo mir Morgen unseren letzten Rasttag machen. Morgen will ich Kayak auf dem Fluss paddeln. Jetzt aber, muss ich meine Waesche aus der Maschine holen. Es war Heute unheimlich heiss!!!

April 26, part 1

Alligators sunning themselves on shore. Werner and Sabine from Ingelheim, Germany and me on the boat at Wakulla Springs State Park.

April 25, part 2

THey had so much rain before we got here, some of the streets are flooded!

April 25, part 1

Forgot to tell you something about yesterday! I sneezed all the way down hight 90. The pollen that I got rid of in Texas is now appearing in Florida. I took a pill this morning and had a much better day. The other interesting thing was, when Sheila and I stopped for lunch yesterday, there was a guy in the restaurant who had a Surley bike just like Sheila's. He had it loaded and he was travelling self-contained by himself from St. Augustine to Seattle, Washington. Wow, long trip! Today stayed overcast the whole day, thank goodness, because the temperature was already in the mid-70s by 10:30 a.m. It was muggy and we had a few rain drops. For the most part we were out on old back country roads again. One dog sat in his driveway and watched me go by. I was happy that he wasn't interested in me. Then all of a sudden I hear panting and toenails clicking on pavement again! I took off and was able to outrun him. I wish he would have at least barked to let me know he was coming!! Rode down into the old historic district of Quincy before I went out to the motel. A bunch of us found a little cafe for lunch, then Connie and I started exploring some of the old, stately homes. In one they were preparing a banquet, so I asked the caterer if we could go inside and check it out. She said yes and we did. Some beautiful, well-preserved archtecture in town. Then rode the busy street 2.5 miles to the motel. Got to my room, put on my bathing suit and hopped into the pool for a few minutes before a shower and supper. IT was a nice, relaxing day. Tomorrow is also a short day, so most of us are going to stop along the way at Wakulla State Park. I plan on taking a boat ride and hopefully seeing some alligators._________________Es was heute, Gott sei Dank bewoelkt, sonst waere die Hitze und die Luftfeuchtigkeit nicht auszuhalten. Bin in die Altstadt von Quincy bevor ich ins Motel fuhr. Viele schoene, alte Haeuser anzushauen. In einem haben die gerade ein Festessen vorbereitet. Ich fragte ob wir reinduerften, die haben ja gesagt, und Connie und ich haben alles innendrin angeschaut (und sind aufs Klo gegangen). Nachher im Motel, bin ich schwimmengegangen, dannach duschen und dann essen. Morgen halten wir unterwegs in einem Park an. Dort will ich eine Bootsfahrt machen und hoffentlich Alligatoren sehen.

April 24, part 2

90 miles on Route 90 today! Actually, it wasn't a hard ride. There were usually shoulders and there are wasn't much traffic. Some hills but also tailwind. This morning started out very foggy. When the fog cleared up, it was still relatively cool in the morning. Then in Bonifay, I stopped in to see and old friend. She works there and I hadn't seen her in ages. I just did this on the spur of moment. First I ate lunch at the restaurant in Bonifay with Sheila, then went over to Sandy's office, where we talked for awhile before I figured I'd better get on my way because I still had 30 more miles to ride. As it turned out, I was out of the sun from about 12 until 2, which was great. After I started on my way again, a cloud cover built up, so I was never miserably hot. It worked out well. I also soaked my bandana in ice water at every possible opportunity and poured water into my helmet. It really helped keep me cool. After I got in, Sandy drove down and picked me up and we went out to dinner. I'm glad we made the connection again and we plan to keep it active! Tomorrow we ride to Quincy, Florida. It's supposed to be a very attractive town with lovely old houses. Can't wait to visit some of them. Only 54 miles tomorrow. So will have the afternoon to do some exploring.__________obwohl es heute 90 meilen waren, war die fahrt gar nicht schwer. die strasse hat meist breite schultern und nicht allzuviel verkehr. faengt an hier heiss zu werden. aber ich bliebe aus der mittagssonne raus und habe ein tuch mit kaltem wasser sonst um meinen hals gewickelt. habe auf einem impuls eine alte freundin besucht. wareine gute entscheidung. freue mich, dass die verbindung wieder da Iist.morgen geht's ab nach quincy. soll eine ganz schoene altstadt haben. kann ich dan am nachmittag viel unternehmen.

April 24, part 1

Celebrating Rona's birthday. Beautiful Florida.

April 23, part 3

that's me, guys, taking a photo op. THANK YOU, RHSACCP FOR THE WONDERFUL CARDS!! see you soon.

April 23, part 2

So, I forgot to mention yesterday that I don't like fried green tomatoes or key lime pie. Also forgot to tell you that, after crossing our last bridge yesterday, their was a great bike lane along the 182, all the way into Pensacola, and then out again on the 90. Going out of Pensacola was nice, but once we hit the 90 (even though there was a bike lane), there was a lot of traffic. There were also several construction sites. YIKES. And then, wonder of wonders, we got on the Blackwater Bike Trail for about 6 miles. Lovely. It was comparable to the Erie Canal between Brighton and Fairport, or the Schinderhannes Radweg between Simmern and Kastellaun. There were so many cardinals and other birds along the way. And I saw my first live snake (in the wild) on the trip! I saved it from certain death by roller-blade when I stopped a skater from rolling over him. (So there, Kathy and Joan!)After the bike path we got back onto country roads and, SURPRISE,SURPRISE, the Florida Panhandle can be hilly! Also surprising is the intensity of the red color of the sand. I've never seen anything like it. After the country roads, we had to get back on the 90 into Crestview. It wasn't quite as busy, but I still preferred the country roads. Going through Crestview, I noticed again how many places have gone out of business. The 90 got very busy again so I rode the sidewalk down to the motel. And it kept getting hotter, and hotter, and hotter. I was drinking a lot of water and thankful every time the sun went behind the clouds. After I got in, I just spent the rest of the time lounging at the pool until supper.At supper we celebrated Rona's birthday. So now it's blog time and then bed because tomorrow we are supposed to ride 93 miles.______________Florida ist wirklich heiss. Habe einiges gefunden, was mir nicht sondlich schmeckt, aber sonst habe ich immer einen guten Appetit. Heute ging die Fahrt teils auf viel befahrenen Strassen und teils auf einen schoenen Radweg und auf Landstrassen. Sobald ich ins Motel ankam, machte ich mich auf dem Weg zum Schwimmbad. Beim Abendessen haben wir einen Geburtstag gefeiert und jetzt gehe ich gleich schlaffen, da wir Morgen 93 Melen fahren sollen. Wenn es mir zu heiss ist, fahre ich den ganzen Weg nicht.

april 23, part 1

Look, Kathy and Joan. A snake in the road. BEAUTIFUL FERNS and really red sand.

april 22, part 3

beautiful pensacola.

april 22, part 2

my last state, guys. only about 500 more miles.

April 22, part 1

Wow. guys. The ride today was a piece of cake. We caught the 8 a.m. ferry across Mobile Bay and just ride with a tailwind all the way to Pensacola. Beautiful sunshine, beautiful white sand. But no countryside anymore. Houses everywhere. No more going to the bathroom in the bushes!! In Gulf Port, AL they have this great zip line park. (It was great, Rod!) There were about a dozen towers 30 feet high, with zip lines running between them. Over lakes, swamps and everything. Looked like the people were having a great time. Some of us stopped at a place called Triggers for lunch. I had a wonderful shrimp and crab bisque and an order of hush pupppies. Those son-of-a-guns were good. The motel is right in the middle of downtown Pensacola, about 3 blocks from the historic district. Helen, Sandy and I went exploring at 3, but unfortunately, the museums all close at 4! Rats. So we just walked around and looked at the beautiful buildings with the wrought iron decorations. It reminds me a lot of Galveston or NEw Orleans. Am now at the library so that I don't have to do a lower case blog. Sandy and I are going to go out for supper later. The weather forecast says we are going to have sunshine for the next 10 days. Can't beat that.________________ Wir waren schnell in Pensacola. Wir fuhren an einem Zip Line PArk vorbei mit ganz hohe Tuerme und Seilen dazwischen gespannt, an die die Leute entlang hoch ueber die Erde (oder ueber Wass oder Sumpfgebiet) gleiten. Pensacola is ganz huebsch, wie ein kleiner NEw ORleans. Ist auch ein grosser Militaerpraesenz hier. Die Altstadt ist wunderschoen. Wir gehen wieder dahin essen nachher. Manometer, nur noch ein Paar Tage, dann haben wir die USA ueberquert! Bilder tue ich Heute Abend uploaden.

April 21, part 2

Ok, guys. sandy, helen and I started our day with breakfast at the chevron station. (On our off days we get our own food.) remember, guys. this is the tourist off season and not everything is open yet. the lady cooked our eggs to order and we sat outside on the picnic bench and ate. then I made a trip to the post office while they explored. I didn't take too long. mailed a package, postcards and got stamps. then we headed down to ft. gaines, the site of an important civil war battle. some of the soldiers were as young as 12!! after ft. gaines, we went to the estuarium, a great display of alabama's fragile ecosystem. and all this with natural gass drillng rigs from exxon mobil right off shore. scary thought. afterthe estuarium, we went and got a pulled pork barbeque sandwich. helen came back to the condo and I hike through the sanctuary. it was so nice, with wooden walkways like tinker park and turning point park.when I was finished,I rode down past the condo to the wesd end of the island where they have hundreds of houses,I think mostly vacation houses on stilts, all packed together. no trees, only sand some tufts of grass and thehouses. I thought it looked butt-ugly. if my picture turned out, I will post it in a minute. when I got back, I chilled by the pool, literally. I was reading. dozed off and started getting chilled. then I smelled people grilling something and it made my stomach turn. to avoid another day of illness, I came in and went right to bed. everyone else ate grilled shrimp and chicken for supper. I could only manage white bread and camomille tea.but I'm ok with that because I'm feeling better. could be I didn't drink enough water today. tomorrow we take the ferry off the island to florida. glad I don't have to walk over the bridge again.___________________habe viel hetue gesehem. das beste war das estuarium, ein musem ueber alabamas ecosystem. und daneben I'm wasser stehen gasplatformen von exxon mobil!wie witzig. fuehlte mich heute abend ein bisschen elend. kann sein, dass ich tagesueber nicht genug getunken habe. jetzt gehtks mir bess. morgen fahren wir mit der faehre nach florida.

April 21, part 1

Lynn caught me lounging at the pool. Audobon Sanctuary, a lovely area for birdwatching.

April 20, part 2

OK, Guys. what a great day this was. it was an easy, sunny 40 mile ride from pascagoula, mississippi to dauphin island, alabama where we arrived early and will also have our layover day tomorrow. the route took us through bayou la batre where karen c., tanya and I discovered the sugar rush donut shop. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven.whenwe left the shop I noticed the american flag across the road was flying at half-mast. when I asked a resident why, he replied that it was because Pres. Obama had been re-elected in 2012. It was time to move on to the island! to get to the island you have to cross a 3.5-mile causeway/bridge. the causeway is long and flat, then the bridge rises like a big hill in the middle. the closer I got the more nervous and dizzier I got. when I finally got to the hill part, I had to get off and walk it up AND down. and all the time these beautiful pelicans are sailing by me! a tailwind was blowing, the abutment was low and I picture myself going head first into the gulf of mexico. sheila, janine, joyce and helen came up to me as I was almost to the flat part and sheila walked the rest of the way down with me. It was nice to have company. we are staying at a condo with 5 to a suite. nice setup. have to have a code to get in the gate! first I went back into town and bought post cards. then came back to pick up helen and we went out for lunch. mary-slade came in later and joined us.we met a couple at the restaurant who were birdwatchers. we had a really interesting conversation with them. as we were talking, dolphins swam by in the gulf! after lunch I met sunnye on the beach at 3. we had composed a silly song about the trip the night before. When we got done practicing, connie came along and we took a long walk on the beach where the cranes let us get within 10 feet of them to take pictures. after the walk it was soon time for dinner, after which sunnye and I performed our song.we got lots of laughs and applause. so I'm just closing out the day with my blog. tomorrow I will visit ft. gaines and the estuarium. it will be another good day.__________Es war wieder ein toller tag. war eine kurze fahrt. als ich die hoohe bruecke geshen habe, habe ich schiss bekommen und habe mein rad hoch und runter gedruckt. wir haben pelikane, delfine und kraniche gesehen. die straende haben weisen sand und das wetter ist herrlich. Morgen gibt es viel historisches un interessantes zu shen. Dann uebermorgen nach florida.

April 20, part 1

I'm Alabamy-bound! (I think Al Jolson sang it in the 20s) THEBEAUTIFUL BEACH ON Dauphin Island and me on it!

april 19, part 2

Today the butterflies were gorgeous as was the whole ride. wonderful country roads,lots of them through desoto national park. nice roads, occasional headwinds but mostly tailwinds. some really nice things happened today. lynn and I stopped for lunch at a gas station/food mart where I saw the bags of crawfish in the picture in part 1.I looked at them and told lynn I thought they were shrimp. a local man corrected me and started explaining all about crawfish and how they are harvested. we thanked him for the info and then ordered our lunch. when they called our names for us to pick it up at the counter, the lady said the man had already paid for it! he was so kind! after lunch we rode farther and came to the MS sandhill crane national wildlife preserve. of course I went in. the people at the visitor's center took a long time explaining everything to me. very,very interesting.learned that they do a lot of controlled burning to maintain ecological balance.rode farther over that high bridge in part 1 to pascagoula.70 miles today. tomorrow only 40 to dauphin island, alabama for easter sunday and a day of rest._____________war ein toller tag. ein mann, der uns alles ueber crawfish erklaert hat, hat unser mittagsessen bezaehlt. war unheimlich net. danach habe ich ein reservat fuer kraniche besucht. war sehr interessant. morgen und uebermorgen sind wir auf dauphin islands, alabama. nur 40 meilen.

April 19, part 1

IF YOU WANT TO GET to Pascagoula, you cross this bridge. Bagsof crawfish.

April 18, part 2

Holy crow!Some guy shot a gun off today to scare us away! Helen and I had stopped at the end of a driveway to take off our jackets.I leaned my bike against the mailbox and went across the street to the bushes. When I came back I bent down to put my jacket away and heard a gunshot. I looked up at the house and saw someone on the porch in a red shirt. I yelled that we were just taking off our jackets. Just then Cathy rode up, there was another gunshot, and we took off out of there. Whoa, Nellie! I wasn't going to stay and discuss my philosophy of life with this person! Other than that, it was a great ride today. It was chilly and overcast, which makes for good riding. The roads were quiet back roads and hilly with lots of farms and animals. Just enjoyable to ride through. At the end we picked up some headwinds and I eventually put on my rain jacket just to keep warm. When we got in, a bunch of us stopped for late lunch right over at the Mexican restaurant next to the Best Western Motel. I was glad to get into the room later and get in the shower because I was soaked in sweat. Now I've got a load in the wash machine and am just waiting for supper. Tomorrow is 69 miles and sunshine. Easter Sunday is only 41 miles. That will be a nice change._____________________Einer hat uns heute mit einem Schiessgewehr erschrecken wollen! Wir haben nur Halt am Ende seiner Ausfahrt gemacht, und er hat 2 Schuesse losgelassen, um uns wegzujagen. Sonst war die Fahrt wunderhuebsch, mit tolle Landschaften und Bauernhoefe. Sehr huegelige Landschaft und das Wetter war kuehl und trueb. Es was ideal zum Fahren. Jetzt mache ich eine Wasche und warte auf das Abendessen. Morgen 69 Meilen und 41 Meilen an Ostersonntag.

April 18, part 1

Mississippi!!! Sunnye, my singing partner, with her duct-taped shoes. Two of the several ponies we've seen along the way.

April 17, part 2

I'm glad nobody can take a picture of me while I'm cycling. Drool is running down my chin, snot's dripping from my nose and tears are rolling down my cheeks. And I'm sweating. Every pore of my body is leaking fluid. Not a pretty picture, I'm sure. Today was overcast the whole day. It was cool and comfortable. Some of the faster riders even got caught in some rain showers. I stayed dry. There were some narrow roads with heavy traffic again and we passed a safari park-type animal sanctuary. Added to the trucks, the narrow roads and the dogs, we got bugs flying up under our helmets and glasses today when we stopped for breaks. Much of the day was way out in the country past beautiful cattle and horse farms. Since we didn't start until 9 a.m., we didn't have to hurry to get in. The first thing some of did when we got in was to go over the seafood place across the street. I had some fried shrimp and gumbo. After getting cleaned up, Sandy gave us a line dancing class. We had lots of fun and lots of laughs. Then before supper we celebrated Joyce's birthday. We all sat around in a circle and just had a good time being goofy. For dessert there was cheesecake in her honor. Sunnye and I sang every old corny song we could think of. It was a nice way to end the day and our stay in Louisiana. Tomorrow we will be in Wiggins, Mississippi.____________Regen hat gedroht heute, aber ich blieb trocken. Waren wieder einige enge Strassen und viele LKWs, aber war auch viel wunderschoene Landschaft mit viele Pferde und Kuehe. Habe das locale Essen probiert und es hat gut geschmeckt. Heute vor dem Essen haben wir Linientanzen von Sandy gelernt und dann haben wir Joyces Geburtstag gefeiert. Wir haben viel gelacht und gegrinnst. Hat heute Spass gemacht.

April 17, part 1

some beautiful countryside today.

April 16

Whoa, it was a cold start to the day. It was 36 degrees when we started out this morning. The first 30 miles were hilly, but spectacularly beautiful. But then we hit a 4-lane highway which narrow to two, without shoulders, but with lots of trucks. It was nerve-wracking. When we got onto the quiet roads we were chased by dogs. With one of them, all I heard was toenails scraping on macadam before I realized he was at my left heel. I was able to outrun them all and blew my whistle or screamed at most of them. Tomorrow is a short day - 55 miles. So we won't start until 9 a.m.____________War ein kalter Tag und lang, aber nicht so anstrengend. Die erste 30 Meilen waren sehr schoen. Dan aber enge Strassen und viele LKWs oder ruhige Strassen und viele Hunde. Beides habe ich ueberlebt. Morgen ist ein kurzer Tag mit 55 Meilen. Der letzter Tag in Louisiana.

April 15, part 2

This was a great day.after the storm last night the temps dropped considerably. I was wearing 3 shirts under my rain jacket. it was still cloudy when I left my place at 8:15. I stopped at the old jewish cemetery on the way to pick up helen. by the time I got to her place the sun was shining. we went to birdman for a cup of tea and coffee before we explored. stopped fiirst at the historical society museum and got the lady to unlock the jewish temple for us so we could go inside. very simple and well-restored. went to the episcopal church and graveyard, a store called grandmother's buttons, the mississippi river. the catholic church and then rode out to a private botanical garden.cMEBACK AND HAD LUNCH AT THE MAGNOLIA CAFE, as did many of the others, beforre we rode out to rosedown plantation and took the tour. move down theroad to the myrtles where we also took the tour. rosedown has many of the original furnishings and is very well-preserved. after the myrtles, we rode down to butler greenwood where I am staying so helen could see it. then we took a quick trip down the road to sonny's pizza where we had a great lasagna dinner. then back home to pack, write postcards and get ready for tomorrow. tomorrow should be 89 miles. I did about 24 today just sightseeing. I'll see how the wind is tomorrow. ____________war eintoller tag obwohl es sehr kalt war. habe vieles gesehen inklusiv 2 plantations und gut gegessen. morgen sollen wir 89 meilen fahren. haengt vom wind ab.

april 15, part 1

ME at Rosedown Plantation. One of the nice buildings in st. Francisville.

April 14, part 2

Ok, guys. another lower case day. this was not a day for the faint-hearted. the good news was that the rain predictedfor the day did not materialize. so I started out and it was mostly a lovely ride. getting out of the city was a pain in the rear, but the countryside was truly lovely.we staRTED at 7:45 and we all really moved along. we hadfavorable winds and they were very light. by 1 pm I had done 65 miles. but about 13 of those were on a highway which went over the bridge in part 1 and then a 3.5 mile causeway (a flat bridge over land that can be flooded in case of a storm) with NO shoulder. the SAG had to turn on its blinkers and follow us over in groups. lynn, ellen, sheila and I were the last group. we kept steady at 14 mph and were glad when it was over. we got into another very attractive area again, but when I got to the SAG 65 miles, I decided I would rather bump into town and go sightseeing. I didn't really want to ride 30 more miles down a busy highway just to say I had done it. part of the group is staying aT AN INN AND I AM STAYING at a b&b on an old plantation. I stopped at the inn, picked up helen, and we went to explore the town. the historical society has a great museum and the town has a very interesting history. among other things, there is a temple and a jewish cemetery. just as we were exploring, we saw a camper with german license plates. they were from baveria. didn't talk long, but saw them several times in town. then the thunder started. so helen went back to her inn and I had to scoot 3 miles out of town to my b&b. I just made it before it started to pour. and its still raining! but tomorrow it's supposed to be cooler and dry. a great day for sightseeing.many of the woman were so glad that they rode the 96 miles that they rode around parking lots a few timesto make I an even 100. they didn't even stop for the rain. that what I call real dedication. nice job. the b&b is lovely but I'm on a fold away cot on the middle floor of a windmill-type building.hope I sleep well. meeting some others tomorrow at 9 to explore. should be a nice day.________________st. francisville ist wunderhuebsch und hat eine lange geschichte. bin 65 meilen anstatt die 96 heute gefahren. hat wenig lust, nur auf grosse strassen zu fahren. wollte lieber die kleinstadt sehen. wirklich wunderbar. haben spaetnachmittag ein gewitter gehabt. Bis dahin war Iich schon Im b&b auf dem plantation. morgen tun wir die gegend erkuendigen. soll trocken und kuehl sein.

April 14, part 1

beautiful trees in the bayous and swamps. See that bridge in the distance? we had to ride over that to cross the Atchafalaya River.

April 13, part 2

The best thing about today was that I saw several red-winged blackbirds, my favorite bird of all. The wind was so strong today, I only rode 40 of the 83 miles. But they were probably the most interesting. We rode past rice fields and crawfish farms. One nice guy at the gas station we stopped at explained a little bit about how crawfish are raised. And they really do taste good. After I got in the SAG wagon at 40 miles, we went back to get Lynn, who had gotten lost. Then we drove on to the 3rd SAG stop to make sure the other riders had everything they needed before we headed into the motel.Several other people SAGged in because of the wind. Unfortunately, like last night, the motel is on a very busy road, which does not make for a lot of fun riding into your goal. The street is way too busy and several people had close calls with cars again. We just went out to dinner at a restaurant featuring local specialties. The food was good, there was zydeco music, but the portions were not large enough. And now it has started to rain. This was not one of my favorite days. Tomorrow there is supposed to be a tailwind, but also a 100% chance of rain. And we're supposed to ride 96 miles. We'll see how that turns out. ______________War nicht der beste Tag. Bin nur 40 der 83 Meilen wegen den starken Seitenwinde gefahren. Habe Reisfelder und Crawfish Farms (Crawfish sind wie kleine Hummer) gesehen. Nur, gegen den starken Winde zu kaempfen, habe ich keine Lust gehabt. Habe auch im Restaurant gegessen mit gutem lokalen Essen. Hat gut geschmeckt aber ich bin nicht satt geworden. Heute war nicht mein Tag. Morgen soll es Rueckenwind geben aber auch Regen und wir muessen 96 Meilen fahren. Mal sehen.

April 13, part 1

Look, look. now the waffle irons have the shape of a fleur de lis, not the shape of the state of Texas! This lawn is all decorated for Easter. this is a heavily Catholic area, dating from French times. A big old turtle on the side of the road.

April 12, part 2.

Even though it was 77 miles today, it was an enjoyable day. I only got chased by one dog (still in Texas), Lynn got chased by 5 at once. Tina had for flats before 11:15. I kept checking the ditches and bayous in Louisiana for snakes, but all I found was a humongous turtle. IT was so nice that it was overcast, because at 11 it was already 72 degrees. If the sun had been shining the whole way, I would have died. As it was, I got the bejeebers scared out of me. I was about 6 miles from the motel. All of a sudden, I see a lot of colorful shirts and police cars with lights flashing up ahead of me. My first thought was that one of us had been hit. When I got closer, I realized it was a pre-Palm Sunday religious procession. (Don't say one word, Joan!) I rode around the police cars and got on my way. I stopped quickly at McDonald's for a milkshake because I hadn't had any lunch and a young man came up to me and asked me if I was from Iceland. He had seen my flag of the Aland Islands on my backpack and thought he had recognized it. I talked to him for a few minutes about our trip. It's just so nice to talk to people in general. 95% of all the people we've met so far are genuinely interested in the ride and have lots of questions about it. There are always a couple of idiots who will yell at you to get off the road, or gun their motor right in front of you. But these people are really in the minority. What surprised me today after crossing the state line was that, in the part of East Texas that we left, there seemed to be more poverty than in neighboring Louisiana. As soon as we crossed the border there were some lovely brick houses, some of which were up on blocks. This is a definite hurricane region (I took pictures of the "evacuation route" sign.) and I can't imagine that anyone would build a cellar under his house here.After supper I was looking for postcards. I had to walk two miles down and back to Walmart, and all they had was New Orleans or Baton Rouge. Oh well, it's from Louisiana. Lake Charles (the actual lake) is bordered by three chemical plants, I heard. It doesn't seem to be much of a resort area. So, now I will write my postcards and then go to bed. It's 83 miles tomorrow.--------------War Heute 77 Meilen, aber nicht unangenehm. Alles ziemlich flach und viele Luftfeuchtigkeit, aber der Himmel blieb bedeckt und die Temperaturen waren angenehm zu fahren. Diese Region ist sehr katholish gepraegt und es gab schon Heute Palmsonntagsprozessionen. Da in den Bayous das Wasser sehr hoch ist, suche ich immer nach Schlangen. Bis jetzt aber, habe ich nur eine Schildkroete gesehen. Ein Hund war Heute hinter mir her, aber hinter Lynn waren 5 auf einmal und Tina hat 4 Platten in den ersten 3 Stunden. Jetzt schreibe ich meine Ansichtskarten, dann gehe ich schlaffen.

April 12, part 1

WELCOME TO Louisiana! Azaleas and Spanish moss on the trees.