Fixed big breakfast this morning, recovering from our evening ride yesterday. Landen “helped” Lenny get the bikes ready. We had a storm last night with lots of rain and thunder. Bikes stayed dry under awning.
We are off to ride the Bruce Freeman R/T. We started from a park in Acton. MA. This was a very hot day but this trail is nicely shaded and we had a little breeze.
Beautiful shade under tall trees on Bruce Freeman R/T. This was pretty typical of trail.
We rode thru beautiful areas with ponds, wetlands, tall pines and one small lakefront community. There was a beach with public access and a very tempting hotdog stand. Drivers were always very courteous at the well marked road crossings.
Welcome shade on hot day riding Bruce L Freeman R/T near Lowell, MA.
There were some long up and down grades. As always love those downhills!! We stopped at a swim and tennis club for lunch break. Landen so happy running and laughing but eager to get back on the trail .
Sometimes he sleeps!! We are so thankful Landen is enjoying this adventure with us.
This was really a beautiful trail, well maintained and smooth. Somewhat busy the closer we got to Lowell.
We have now completed 80 miles in Massachusetts. We are off to New Hampshire on Tuesday. We plan to complete our Massachusetts 100 as we pass thru on our return to Ohio.
We left Traveler’s Woods on Friday afternoon. Spent the morning doing some laundry, playing with Landen and packing up motorhome. We were off to Hudson, MA to spend night at a Cabelas.
Landen was frightened by the large fish in aquarium and animals (taxidermy) in Cabelas. Loved sitting on 4-wheelers. Large RV parking area and Landen spent time riding his Strider bike in the parking lot.
Walmart shopping and off to Boston Minuteman (not in Boston) Campground in Littleton for 3 nights.
Our home at Boston Minuteman campground in Littleton, MA. Sites all very wooded with tall pines and oaks. Moved to site near pool and wifi for last night here.
Everywhere we have gone in Massachusetts we pass through quaint little towns. Many of these small towns have banners honoring “hometown heros” who have served in the armed forces. We loved seeing that! Littleton was one of those towns.
After getting settled we packed up the Fiat and headed for Nashua River R/T trailhead in Groton, MA. We headed north for Nashua, New Hampshire.
We passed through wetlands, forest and meadows. Enough shade to keep us comfortable.
New Hampshire/Massachusetts state line on Nashua River R/T. Trail goes 1 mile into New Hampshire.
We passed thru the small town of Pepperell, MA where there was a bike station. Passed a pond and Pepperell dam. We had a late start so we felt rushed to finish trail before mosquitos arrived.
Someone remarked at the trailhead, “You got all that into that little car?” We make it work! Sign near Groton trailhead. North to Nashua, NH and south to Ayer, MA. Planned to start in Ayer but parking under construction.
We were both really exhausted after pushing so hard to finish this ride. Landen seemed tired too and he had taken a nap along the way.
We all slept in this morning until 9 AM – so thankful Landen is a good sleeper. We are off to Northampton to ride the Manhan Rail Trail
Northampton is a nice little town with beautiful planters all around, many shops and restaurants. Union Station along the trail has been refurbished and houses restaurants. Very tempting, but if we stop we may not get on the trail again. I had read somewhere that the trail was shaded but most of it was not and it was a hot day.
We road the trail south to Easthampton thru parks and community gardens. One park was busy with food bank distribution.
Mural along Manhan R/T in Easthampton.This mural was really incredible. I wish I could have gotten it all on one picture.Lunch stop on our return to Northampton. Landen loves those PB&Js.
One leg of the trail followed the Connecticut River. As we passed by a small lake the temperature dropped and we felt cool for a few brief minutes. It didn’t last long. These rides have been very hot so far.
Wednesday August 14, 2019 and we have a nice ride on the Canalside Trail scheduled. Lenny had an issue with his derailleur so he spent the morning fixing that issue. Landen rode his bike around the park and went down the slide many, many times.
We began our ride in Montague. We passed Turner Falls Dam and Fishway which are ladders that allow fish to travel up stream. The trail then followed the canal where we saw several trestle bridges, ducks and blue heron.
Near the end of the trail we were on the street for a short distance then into a heavily wooded area and over an awesome trestle bridge.
Beautiful trestle bridge on Canalside Rail Trail.
The views from the bridge were gorgeous. Since it was a short trail and Landen had fallen asleep we rode part of the trail twice.
View from trestle bridge on Canalside R/T near confluence of Conneticut and Deerfield Rivers.
So good to be starting out northeastern miles. Tomorrow we will ride The Manhan Rail Trail
Sherry and Lea joined us in Custer to attend the Buffalo Roundup. We were camped at French Creek RV in Custer. It was raining when they arrived and sleeting by the time we went to bed.
Up early for Buffalo Roundup with 6 inches of snow.
By the time we arrived at the viewing area there was almost no snow on the ground. We were layered up but it was a cold wait for those bison.
This valley would soon fill with bison.
We really enjoyed seeing the horses and riders. Sherry and I were jealous. We would have loved to be out there.
And the bison came.
And kept coming.
A closer view of bison and horses.
Binoculars are a must. Glad we had ours. It was a really great experience. I would go again and hope for warmer temperatures.
After the bison are corralled they check the new calfs and tag them. There were about 350 new calfs this year. Some of the bison are removed from the herd and sold at auction in a couple weeks. They try to keep the herd at 1300 to 1400.
Sherry and Lea visited Mount Rushmore on Saturday morning. We all spent the afternoon in Custer seeing the bison there.
Sherry and Lea with one of the many Custer bison.
O-H-I-O
These bison were so creative.
This may have been our favorite. So many images to see.
Saturday evening Sherry and I were glued to the TV watching the Buckeyes silence the “white out”. Sunday morning Sherry and Lea headed for Denver and we headed for Ohio. Our next adventure will take us to the northeastern states.
We left the RV Park about noon and were off to Richland to see Trish. We hadn’t seen her in almost 35 years.
Trish and her husband Ray have a beautiful home with plenty of room for us to park and plug in. We had a wonderful time reminiscing and catching up. Who knew we could talk so much. Lots of laughter! We really enjoyed our time with both Trish and Ray.
Ray and Trish- biggest pancake we’ve ever seen.
We had breakfast at a fun little restaurant. Huge servings.
This was hanging from the ceiling.
Sunday we headed for the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. It was so enjoyable following the river. At a couple places we saw wind surfers and kite sailing. There seemed to be 100s of them.
We were fortunate to get a beautiful campsite at the Memaloose State Park. It was on the river and we had a nice shaded site.
View from campground.
Nice place for walking Flo. Lots of squirrels to tease her.
Tuesday morning we road the twin tunnel section of the Historic Columbia River Trail. The trail is part of the original road built between 1913 and 1922. When the interstate was built in the 1950s the old highway was abandoned. For the past 30 years efforts have been made to restore the road. Some sections are drivable and others are for biking and hiking only. The section we road did not allow cars.
The views were incredible. This was just east of the tunnels.
There were some long climbs (over a mile) but going down was just plain fun!!
We were thrilled to have blue skies! It’s been a while.
We stopped at the RV for a PB&J and then went to ride the Riverfront Trail at The Dalles. We parked at the Discovery Center. We had expected a flat trail but it was not to be. Leaving the Discovery Center we headed downhill on a series of switchbacks. It was more downhill then up the entire 8 miles and I was dreading our return.
Houseboats at The Dalles Marina.
Our return trip was not as strenuous as I thought. The views along the river were beautiful.
Near site where Lewis and Clark were said to have camped.
We returned to RV hot and tired. The place smelled yummy as we had pork chops cooking in the crockpot. We were tired – we burned a lot of calories climbing all those hills.
Home sweet home – Memaloose State Park
Tomorrow we are headed for Stub Stewart State Park – it’s right on the Banks-Vernonia State Trail.
We were off early to bike Gateway to Glacier Trail. We parked in Hungry Horse and headed up the mountain. I was Huffin and Lenny was Puffin. Our hearts had a good workout within the first mile – I reached a high of 155 bpm. Sorry to say we did not ride the 10 miles. We went 5 miles out and headed back for a total of 10 miles. Good workout though.
Interesting shop in Hungry Horse
We had lunch at a deli/cafe in Hungry Horse – Lenny had a big bison burger! Since we had plenty of day remaining we decided to visit Glacier National Park and drive Going-to-the-Sun Road. It was an awesome drive. Unfortunately haze from the fires in Idaho, California and Oregon made it difficult to see the mountains clearly.
We planned to leave Kalispell early on Friday but had a delay due to issues with our surge protector/power plug. Someone had tried to take the unit during the night and it was jammed in the receiver. It had shorted out, so it’s fortunate we didn’t have a fire.
The trip from Kalispell to Missoula was very scenic. The haze seemed to clear some south of Flathead Lake. We saw a large herd of bison at the National Bison Range. We were able to get parts for a new plug in Missoula and Lenny rebuild the outlet.
Our home for a couple nights. Black Rabbit RV in Hamilton – on the Bitterroot Trail.
The drive from Missoula to Hamilton was beautiful. The temperature was 100 + most of the afternoon. Planned to get out on the Bitterroot Trail early on Saturday morning to beat the heat.
Bitterroot Range from trail.
Saturday morning was in the 50s, how refreshing. We had a really nice ride on the Bitterroot Trail. Saw a girl practicing roping – her steer was green and pulled by an ATV.
Bitterroot River
There were beautiful views of the Bitterroot Range to the west and Sapphire Mountains to the east. Some haze but better than north of Missoula. We really enjoyed this easy ride – did our first 15 miles in an hour and 4 minutes. There were horse, cattle, burros and a nice herd of sheep, breed we’d never seen before.
Someone we met along the river.
Highlight of day is that we completed our Montana 100!!
We are on two wheels again. Yay!! Riding the Great Northern Historical Trail . On Tuesday we rode from Kalispell through Flathead Valley to Smith Lake. Fun ride with some rolling hills to challenge our heart rate a bit. The trail traveled through pasture land and passed a small water fowl reserve. We went on the road for a mile or so to reach Smith Lake.
Happy Bikers!
We were happy to do 30 miles on our first ride in Montana. On the trail into Kalispell there was an old wooden trestle from the original railroad. It was a hot day and the days ahead are forecast to be even hotter.
Railroad trestle near Kalispell.
Wednesday we headed from Kalispell to Somers and Flathead Lake. This was a fun ride. Not as many hills but more variety in scenery. Somers and Flathead Lake were the highlights of the trail.
Somers trailhead
There was one of the original train engines on display at the trail head in Somers. We road through town and rejoined the trail along the highway. The trail ended and we were able to ride along the north shore of the lake on some hilly streets.
Fathead Lake is the largest body of fresh water west of the Mississippi. The lake is 28 miles long and in one place 15 miles wide. It was refreshing to see in this tinder dry region. No rain here in 35 days. Lots of sail boats, pontoon boats, and we even saw a couple of house boats.
Bike in front of church in Somers.
We took a wrong turn in Somers and climbed a few big hills before getting directions back to the trail from some friendly residents. Without that wrong turn we would have missed this beautiful bike.
I really enjoyed seeing a herd of cows by the trailhead. They were so curious.
Curious cows
We made it another 30 miles today and it was hot as predicted. We were both feeling a bit weary on our return. Tomorrow we plan to ride the Gateway to Glacier Trail. We may have some hills in store tomorrow.
After finishing our Tennessee 100 in Chattanooga we headed for Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Spent one night at a Walmart in Bowling Green, KY and then traveled to Cave City. We found a really nice, small campground called Singing Hills. Quiet with a big field for Flo to run and close to Mammoth Railroad Trail.
After getting settled into our campsite we headed for Mammoth Cave, the world’s largest cave. There was lots of interesting history of the area and informative video in visitors center. We left Mammoth Cave and headed for Detweiler’s Country Store, an Amish store recommended by owners of the campground. We enjoyed seeing all the things in the store and bought a few items we couldn’t live without. It was a fun side trip as we had to take a ferry to cross the Green River to and from the store. Nice to be tourists for the day.
Green River Ferry
We were on the Mammoth Railroad Trail at 9:30 the next morning. This is not your typical rail trail – there were many hills and steep grades. Loose gravel and some sand made it a bit sketchy in some places. We road from Zion Cemetery Road to visitors center and returned. It was a beautiful and shaded ride.
Mammoth Cave Railroad Trail
Mammoth Railroad Trail Map
October 6, 2017 – our 44th anniversary! We headed for Grandma’s RV in Shepherdsville, KY which would locate us close to the Louisville Loop. We got settled into our campsite and headed for the Loop. I was a bit skeptical about this trail thinking it would be too close to the city. We were in for a wonderful surprise. Louisville has a real jewel in this trail. This beautiful trail is so well planned with different sections connecting parks along the way. The landscaping was beautiful and trail was concrete and in perfect condition.
Stone wall along Louisville Loop –
We rode the trail two days, day one on the north section and day two on southern section. We worked hard on this trail as there are some good climbs that challenged us. Love those downhills though!
Brown-Forman Observation Silo – Turkey Run Park
Beautiful bridges along trail.
Really can’t say enough good things about this trail – nicely planned, well maintained and beautiful. We will definitely return. Our plan was to ride the Legacy Trail near Lexington but the rain sent us heading for home. We have been on the road for more than 6 weeks and looking forward to being home.
We spent 30 days at home, closed up the house, packed the RV and headed to Florida for the winter. West Jupiter RV Resort was our home for the winter.
Our winter home -West Jupiter RV Resort
Singer Island fun with Landon.
Scott, Martina and Landon – our reason for being in Florida
After a 5 month stay in Florida (November to April) we decided it was time to head north. Before leaving Florida we stopped in Valrico to visit the Millers. We camped at Lazydays RV Resort. This place had it all and it was a good opportunity to have our RV washed and waxed while we were being tourists. As always Connie and Sam showed us a good time, good food and lots of laughs.
The Valrico Millers
Legacy Trail – Lexington
We road the Legacy Trail on our trip north. Fortunately for us the weather cooperated. We camped at the Kentucky Horse Park Campground. Awesome place to stay, lucky to get campsite. We were right on the bike trail. Once again, YAY!
We enjoyed the Legacy Trail and the hills reminded us we were not in Florida any longer. The horse farms were beautiful.
Beautiful Kentucky countryside.
The highlight of this area was really the Kentucky Horse Park.
Kentucky Horse Park
We were able to ride our bikes throughout the entire park. It was interesting seeing the preparations they were making for a upcoming 3 day event. We loved this ride.
Tennessee September 29 – October 3, 2017 100 miles
So here it is April 12, 2018 and I am just publishing our Tennessee ride from September 2017. No excuses. Guess it is better late then never. So here it goes.
On our road to Nashville, TN we stopped in Farmington, AR to visit the Pittmans. We parked in their driveway for a couple nights and used their electricity and internet! We were able to meet their foreign exchange student “Flip”. He makes an incredible chocolate fondue. We also went to a new restaurant called Pieology , where you build your own pizza. Yummy!!
Chocolate fondue by Felippi
We had a chance to watch Brittany play volleyball. She’s awesome – on varsity as a freshman. What a fun evening and popcorn too.
Awesome Brittany!
Time to head for Nashville, TN after a stop in Little Rock, AR to get the oil changed in the ACE. I spent the time researching trails, campsites and friendly Walmarts. We arrived in Nashville late and after some setbacks ended up getting a site at the State Fairgrounds. Water, electric and stock car races. Who could ask for more? It was a cool night and we needed heat in the morning.
Awoke in the morning discouraged! Really feeling like I would like to head home and stop chasing trails and campsites. We took off for a ride – I honestly wasn’t anticipating much, as our welcome to Tennessee hadn’t gone too well.
To my surprise we had a great ride on Stones River Greenway , Shelby Bottoms and Music City Greenway. These trails all seamlessly connect with one another. We crossed a beautiful pedestrian bridge with river boats going past. We rode into downtown Nashville to Titans Stadium. The bridge across the Cumberland River was a perfect place to view the city and activity on the river. There were some challenging hills but the scenery and beautiful parks made it all worth the effort. Sorry I was discouraged – I am blessed to be biking!! Lenny went to the stock car races in the evening and returned with the world’s best corn dogs!
Nashville from bridge over Cumberland River.
Titan’s Stadium from pedestrian bridge.
Our second day in Nashville we rode the Cumberland River Bicentennial Trail. A rail trail, so no big hills. We road to Cheatham Lock and Dam. It was a fun ride with only four miles of asphalt. There was significant root damage and some washed out hills where I needed to walk my bike. Lots of shade, beautiful high bluffs, some waterfalls and wetlands.
Long bridge over wetlands.
Looks like a Hobbit home. Bilbo Baggins was off on an adventure.
We were up early the next day to head for Murfreesboro to ride the Murfreesboro Stones River Greenway. This trail was beautiful with lots of history. Trail was in excellent condition.
Cannonsburgh Village gristmill.
Along the trail we passed Stones River National Battlefield – battle of Stones River is the 6th costliest land battle of the American Civil War (24,645 casualties). We also visited Cannonsburgh Village, representative of early Tennessee.
Cannonsburgh Village church
After our ride we headed for Chattanooga to spend the night at a Walmart. We had an early dinner at 3 Amigos and headed out first thing in the morning to ride the Chattanooga River Walk. What a fun ride. We parked near downtown and rode to the TVA Dam where we saw many Blue Heron fishing. The section in downtown Chattanooga passed over a glass bridge near the American History Museum. What a strange sensation riding across the glass bridge.
Glass bridge downtown Chattanooga.
Cast bronze statue at American History Museum.
This beautiful statue looked like it was made out of drift wood.
The Chattanooga River walk also connects to the South Chickmauga Creek Greenway. We road on long elevated boardwalks over wetlands with steep inclines along the creek. These boardwalks were breathtaking – steep, long and sometimes high above the creek. Lenny felt like he was riding on a rollercoaster. What great way to finish our Tennessee 100. We are now headed for Kentucky and the Mammoth Cave National Park.
A closer view of bison and horses.
