Thursday, June 29, 2006

12th Day on the Road: Destination Day!! Rudyard, MI to Rosebush Cove! (72 miles)

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED: 699.2!! Pretty close to my 700 mile estimation. This is according to my bike odometer, of course. Who knows how accurate it really is.

Hello everybody,

Well, I made it!! So I'm here now at our cottage and it feels good to have finally arrived. It was a wonderful adventure all along the way. In this entry, I'll just talk some about what happened today and in a follow-up entry I will try to make some concluding comments.

Let's go back to last night, briefly, in Rudyard, MI. I had dinner and then breakfast this morning at the Varsity Grill. In fact, it was the only restaurant in town, as far as I can tell. I wanted to mention especially the waitress Jamie, who stands out for her cheerfulness and her effective way of interacting with her customers (especially her older ones!) She plans to go into geriatric nursing - this ability should do her well. One more comment about Rudyard: as I remember "the angel" about whom I spoke last night - in my motel there, the Northern Country Inn, there was a pillow on my bed with crocheted words as follows: "Live well, laugh often, love much". Maybe that's prophetic, another work of the angel of Rudyard.

Now on to my day's trip. I returned to the Old Mackinac Trail, quickly found a detour sign and it seemed to lead to nowhere because it took me about 5 miles out of my way. I think it was the work of the devil. With the assistance of a passerby, I found my way back to the Trail and proceeded to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Now it seemed like I was starting to get close, because of the Sault. My task though, was to find out how to get across the International Bridge. With assistance from Bobbie, and her colleagues at the Comfort Inn, I was directed to the proper way to enter the International Bridge and to avoid I-75. I found that it was possible to bike over this bridge, as opposed to the Mackinaw Bridge before. So I did that, and arrived at customs. I was sandwiched between a semi and a pickup truck as I approached the custom's agent. He asked me what was in my bags and then, realizing I was not a security risk, he talked to me about my bike, my trip, how much weight I've lost (I don't know myself how much!), and the fact the he also has a Cannondale bike. The line of vehicles in back of me did not seem to be an issue in this conversation.

Upon leaving Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, via Highway 17 East, I was joined by another biker and we rode together for about 6 miles. He was about 20 years of age, from Manitoba, and was biking to Montreal to take 5 days of French classes. Elliot, the biker, talked to me about the Mariner's Code and its connection with bicyclers. He saw a connection because when sailors would pass on the open seas, they would communicate with eachother about how things were going, if there were any problems, what they had learned, so forth. So when he comes across another biker, which usually is rare, he likes to check with them and talk about how things are going. So we had a nice discussion. And then he went to toward Montreal, on his naturally faster pace.

From the Garden River Reserve, I called Lynn and asked her to call Donna, the Sault Star reporter to advise about my arrival to the Island turnoff, which I thought would be around 2:15 in the afternoon. So I continued on my trek toward the Island and encountered a very long, demanding incline at the Laird hill. I also found Highway 17 to be, in many places, quite risky for bicycling (little space, many large vehicles). I arrived at the turnoff at the anticipated time and both Donna and Lynn were there to take pictures! They took pictures at the turnoff, at the bridge entrance, at Kent's Corner (where there was a welcome to St. Joseph Island sign - not for me, for all visitors). Donna then bought me an ice cream cone which I really appreciated since I was very hungry from not eating lunch. We then met at the cottage, where there were more pictures taken. This was for me a very exciting event!! Donna conducted a one hour interview and had found material in the blog to be very helpful. She asked many very good questions.

Later in the evening, my friend Steve called and we talked for quite a while. He obviously had read all of the blog material, had followed the whole trip very closely and asked a number of very good questions as well. He was amazed that I was able to do this whole trip at such speed and being so heavily loaded with weight.

I did want to mention, because I don't think I've said this before, that the idea of going to the "Lake Area" (Petosky, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs) was Marshall Eldred's suggestion and it was a very good one. But now, it's great to be at my destination, our cottage. Lynn has everything shaped up or shaping up with some new remodeling underway. Everything looks very nice, although there is much additional work to entertain us as we get ready for the rest of the summer.

For now, I am rejoicing on having made this journey successfully and am looking forward to getting some sleep!! (Which as I have mentioned was difficult for me to get during my trip for some reason.) Finally, before I follow up with another account in the next few days, I'd like to recount that this was a 700 mile trip that I was able to do at about 70 miles per day. I was able to arrive on Thursday instead of Sunday with two days of rest that were unplanned for. So all this seems quite surprising to have been able to have done this.

I will go to bed without the thought of having to get up in the morning and bike 70 miles, which will probably be a good thing, and give myself time to digest the experience.

Until later, Bob.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

11th Day on the Road: Harbor Springs to Rudyard, MI (80 miles)

Hi, Everyone,

I was parked at the side of the road, lamenting the loss of my wonderful biking goggles somewhere along the way (and retracing my ride by 3 miles, to no avail), also having just missed two calls from Suzanne, and wondering where in the world could a motel be (aall this at 79 miles out...) when a car pulls up behind me on the berm. I couldn't quite make out who was in the car, as I was not wearing my glasses. Should I be wary? Should I be welcoming?

Closer inspection showed this driver to be wearing a big smile and he had a cheery voice. He was wondering if I needed help. In the matter of 1 minute he greatly lifted my sagging spirits. He pointed me to a motel just 1 mile up the road, sort of hidden, not on any maps, "but pretty good, just 4 rooms..." Then, he said the public library had email! I got both a room and to the library in Rudyard, where I am now. My "angel" was just sitting next to me here in the library for a few minutes, working on his own material...

Well, that is a highlight, don't you think?

I left Harbor Springs at 8:00 this morning, thinking I might get to Mackinaw City, at the foot of the Big Bridge, to spend the night. Route 119 around the lake from Harbor Springs to Mackinaw City (and Cross Village, the home of the legendary Legs Inn, which was not open when I came through) is very beautiful, and largely without traffic, kind of rolling hills, with vistas of Lake Michigan, sand dunes, and the "Tunnel of Trees" that line the road. Rain seemed to be falling ahead of me, not on me, and I was untouched, largely, all day. I got to the Big Bridge in 4 hours and found out how to get across; no bikes are allowed. I called the Bridge Crossing Authority, and after about 30 minutes an official maintenance vehicle appeared to take me across the 5 mile span. A good $2.00 spent. I decided to keep going, through St. Ignace, passing up scores of motels to take a chance on finding something along the rather forlorn back way to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan on the "Old Mackinac Road." (By the way, spelling is interchangable: Mackinac or Mackinaw). It was here, along the way, that I lost my goggles and came upon my "angel."

I stretched my trip today because I had badly overspent in Harbor Springs, at $150 per night, with the extra night to heal my derrier (it largely worked, you will be relieved to know, so I won't have to discuss it again!). By cutting out one night due to extended miles today, frugality can reappear. I tend to like frugality, usually.

So, after 630 miles now, I am now looking at the probability--again, weather permitting--of arriving at my cottage tomorrow! Not Sunday, as originally planned, not Friday, as I had begun to think, but on Thursday. I will need to alert the newspaper reporter to the change later tonight.

I began this journey on June 18, unsure about many things. I didn't know if I would have what it takes to complete it. I was afraid my PMR would prevent much of an effort and I would be in considerable pain. I wondered if my itinerary would hold up at all. I wondered if I would be able to come any where near finishing this journey within the 2 weeks I had allotted for it. I was fearful of getting hurt, of breaking down, or of my equipment breaking down out in the middle of nowhere. I was concerned about getting turned around on some back roads and losing lots of time. I was even more afraid of getting run over by a semi. Lots of angst, as you can see. (As I list these concerns I am well aware that the trip is not over yet and any of these things could still occur...hmmm). Well, to this point, anyway, my concerns have given way to a kind of brightness and joy. Hey! This has worked and it has been a wonderful adventure.

By the way, I learned while using email at Harbor Springs that the UC Board of Trustees, in its infallible wisdom, approved my appointment as Professor Emeritus. I am grateful for that, but--hey!! doesn't "Emeritus" seem really ancient?!

I hope all of you are fine and life goes well. I apologize for being unable to respond to comments many of you have posted on this Blog. I have very limited access to the Internet on this trip (and at the cottage, once there) and then just a short time is available. But, for all of you who are following along, I really appreciate your interest and support!

Til next time,

Bob

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

10th Day on the Road: Resting in Harbor Springs

Hi, All,

I am writing this entry, one of the few I've been able to write directly due to inaccessibility of Internet. Suzanne has been taking notes over the phone for all the rest and doing a wonderful job! Thanks, Suzanne!!

Today I grounded myself in Harbor Springs, Michigan. I have a flaming "saddle sore," and am generally kind of tired, so it seemed OK/necessary to take this step. Besides, Bob Wilson advised me to spend some time in this town (and in Ionia, Michigan, a previous stop of mine), so what choice did I have, anyway? I'm using Neosporin and First Aid Cream and resting, watching the Brazil-Ghana and the France-Spain World Cup matches, and the Weather Channel...

This morning I went to breakfast at a spot recommended by our neighbor, Buzz, which is "The Anchor." Sort of like "The Echo," in Cincinnati, he told Suzanne. It was wonderful, and Jessica, my waitress, was helpful telling me where to find Internet in town. I took a picture to be shared later.

Rest of the day I laid low, trying to rest and heal. Finally emerged to pick up my developed pictures, from Ohio to just south of here, and to write this Blog entry. Great pictures of Suzanne and Pete, and Chuck and other sites -- including Walter Alston's home way down in Darrtown... Somehow, very regretfully, I did not get a picture of Doug, but hope he stops by at the cottage later in July....we can make amends.

I had to buy safety pins to tighten up my pants, as I seem to be shrinking during this trip. Yes, I am eating, but burning around 4000 calories a day.

Once again, I got my biking clothes washed today at the hotel (well, it does cost $150 per night!). So, this should help my rear end problem (sorry!), with bacteria from sweaty biking pants.

The other day I provided a listing of some activities common to many small towns in the Summer. Now that I am presently in the "French Riviera" (my term) of Northern Michigan, here are some others: 44 golf courses (some 20 or so that are public), chamber music, opera, festival concerts, vesper concerts, juried art shows, Trillium Festival, soccer tournament, car show, Summer Solstice Art Show, salmon derby, jazz weekend, yacht race, summer theater, and many more. So, one can see how balance can occur in the world...

For dinner, to save some $$, I bought a bottle of cheap red wine, some cheese, and got an apple from the motel. Another form of balance, for the motel cost...

ABOUT ST. JOSEPH ISLAND...

Now, I want to conclude for today by saying something about my destination of this trip, St. Joseph Island, where we have our family cottage. Why would I travel some 750 miles by bicycle to go there?

Well, St. Joe is the opposite, I suppose, of where I am now (not that there is anything wrong with that!). It is basic, simple, harkening back to an earlier time. For those needing or wanting alot of external stimulation, other than from nature, this would not be the place to come.

I happened upon the Island in 1973 on my way to a 3-week NTL training experience in Bethel, Maine. Totally by chance. One thing led to another, as it can sometimes (Al Dye holds that my life has been one series of accidents), and I wound up buying a Lot in the Military Reserve about 5 miles from Richards Landing by putting down $50 and then paying off over a few years. Bob Courtney was the owner and we have been good friends with Bob and Jennifer and their families ever since. Then I met Lynn the next Fall at ISU and the rest is history (this is a very shortened account!). We cleared the land, had Donnie Adams put up a structure in 1976 (the same year my sister, Julie, and her husband, Bernie, trucked our old 1959 Thunderbird boat out to us from Upstate NY). We will celebrate these two events, as well as my retirement from UC, on July 15. Lynn and I were married on the back "lawn" (I use that term loosely) in 1980. Our children, Suzanne and Zack, and our dogs (sorry) Luvie, Roscoe, and now Lucy, all love this place. In fact, Suzanne and Zack have been drawing up plans for years now about how they might enhance it--there is, indeed, alot of room for enhancement but we are doing well, all the same.

But, what does the Island mean to me? To me, and all my family, it is the touchstone of our lives. Full of blood, sweat, tears and some $$. And good Island friends. Peace. Beauty. Simplicity. Cool weather. Lwelleyn Beach chapel and friends there.
So, I thought I might honor St. Joseph Island, in my way, by bicycling from my front door in Cincinnati to my cottage front door (232 Military Trail) on this trip.

I now expect to arrive, butt and weather permitting, on Friday, June 30 (what would be my Father's, who died at 49 years of age, 90th birthday). To you, too, Dad, goes this journey....

Love to all,

Bob

Monday, June 26, 2006

9th Day on the Road: Kalkaska to Harbor Springs, MI (74 miles)

Now I'm at 544.1 miles (of about 700 total)!

Hello everyone! To start off this morning, there was very good news from the motel clerk at the North Country Motel in Kalkaska, who told me that he didn't think it was going to rain today and that the trip to Charlevoix was mostly downhill as one moves toward Lake Michigan. I said to him "this is REALLY good news!" After breakfast, I set off from Kalkaska to Mancelona, which is 14 miles away on 131. It was a terrible, harrowing, scary venture because there was no space, there was a drop-off, and extremely heavy traffic and it amounted to 14 miles of terror.

At the Route 66 turnoff in Mancelona, I proceeded to Charlevoix. That trip was very beautiful with mountains around me but involving many long downgrades. So the clerk was right. In the last 10 miles of the trip there were, however, several ups and downs, but that was okay. I did, though, begin to develop a deriare problem... I got quite sore, and over the next 30 miles or so this became very painful. In fact, it may be necessary for me to take a day off tomorrow to try and heal, but we'll see.

So I entered the very upscale lake towns of Charlevoix, Petosky and Harbor Springs, where I am staying tonight. Harbor Springs does not have traditional motels; these do not fit into their self image. So finding a place to stay in Harbor Springs, which is a most beautiful place, turned out to be a challenge. I found one, and if it does not break my bank totally, I am at least grateful to have a nice place to stay. By the way, in this upscale tourist area, people who visit are called "resorters". One of the very nice things from Charlevoix to Petosky, and for part of the way from Petosky to "Harbor", was the existance of bike trails. So from Charlevoix to Petosky, I took a 17 mile bike trail, avoiding very heavy traffic. This was terrific.

On my trip today, in addition to my saddle sores, I hit a kind of "wall" at about 35 miles or so into the trip. I had to push hard to keep going. It reminded me of two things: First, a favorite poem of mine by Matthew Arnold called Thyrsis. My favorite line from that poem is the following:

Why faintest thou?
I wandered til I died.
Roam on!
The light we sought
Is shining still.

The next is the "Conyne Family theme song". This is a song by the Eagles called "Take It To The Limit!" These two rememberances also connect with Winston Churchill, who said something like "Never ever ever ever give up!" So these things all together helped me press on, as well as all the many nice things my friends and family have said to me throughout my trip.

The last point to mention is that I was just called by a reporter from the Sault Star, which is the newspaper of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Sault Star is planning to cover my entry to St. Joseph Island and to take pictures and write a story about the event. That should be a lot of fun! The reporter I talked with also told me that the St. Joseph Island Township Council Agenda this month will include my trip -- I'm not sure what that means!

When will I arrive on the island? Well, perhaps Friday of this week, weather permitting (it looks very stormy every day of the week).

Til next time, Bob.

Sunday, June 25, 2006

8th Day on the Road: Evart to Kalkaska, MI (70 miles)

I am now at a total of 470 miles and am about a day and a half ahead of schedule!

I noticed Mark Pope's recent comment about practical matters. Mark is right, I find it difficult to think big thoughts on this bike trip because it is so demanding of my continuing focus and effort. There is just a lot to get through every day. It reminds me of Forrest Gump and his three years of running. When people asked him for his big thought toward the end of his run, he said something like, "I'm pretty tired, I think I'll go home now." I find I need to just focus on coping with the various changing riding conditions every day, planning the next days ride and get organized for it, and there is not a lot of time left over for processing the meaning of it all. On the other hand I do like the simplicity of it - the ability to maintain a close focus on what you are doing and not deviate from it.

Now, regarding today's ride. Chuck rode about 50 miles with me and then Mary picked him up and they left to go home. It was a wonderful time to ride with him and to see my sister, and now there are no more planned social events or people riding with me. I made a decision to leave my sleeping bag, my pad, and my tent with Chuck and Mary instead of carry them with me. This is to lessen the weight that I am carrying, hoping that I won't need these items as I move into a more touristy area. There *should* be motels, I hope.

Along the way, today, (and I think I've seen this before) a person can buy almost anything because along the roadside so many things are for sale. Cars, boats, farm equipment... It's like a large roadway garage sale.

The temperature is in the low 60's. It's fairly nippy, so I must be in the north. The weather over the next three days is forecasted to have showers. This is not particularly welcomed in my view, because today I rode through about 25 miles of steady rain on the way to Kalkaska. Kalkaska, itself, seems to be kind of a drive through town. Many lanes for traffic so cars can just speed through, or so it seems to me. The big thing here that I've seen is the national trout memorial. A large statue of a rainbow trout leaping from the water that was dedicated in 1966 by the assistant Secretary of State.

Last night in Evart, Chuck, Mary and I went to the Relay for Life event (an event that Suzanne was in last spring at UC). There were maybe 100 luminaria bags, each one inscribed with expressions of rememberance and love for someone who has died of cancer. For example, "I love you grandma". Some people walking were cancer survivors. It was quite moving. I noticed in Kalkaska today that they are also having one of these events coming up. Here are some other events that Kalkaska has scheduled for the summer, and they may be similar those in other towns in the north: Free Fishing Weekend, Strawberry Social, Celtic Festival, Bluegrass Festival, Area Horse Pull, Pie Auction and Music, Fireworks for July 4th, Sidewalk sales, Area Antique Tractor Gathering, and County Fair.

As for my health, I have been logging a lot of miles and hours on the bike. My PMR seems to be quite in control, surprisingly. I think my legs are getting stronger so taking the hills is somewhat less fatiguing, but this is hard and demanding work at times. Nothing wrong with that!

Tomorrow, I plan to head to Charlevoix or maybe beyond to Petosky or Harbor Springs, depending on traffic, terrain, weather, etc. It's possible up in there somewhere I may take some extra time to look around, see what's there, and be a little bit of a tourist myself. We'll see.

Till next time, Bob.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

7th Day on the Road: Ionia to Evart, MI (70 miles)

I have now ridden a total of 400.07 Miles!! We left at 8:40 in the morning and got to Evart around 6. Check out this map of my progress thus far. (Also linked on the side)

First, I'd like to say a few more things about my day off yesterday. It was a good day for adjustments. As I mentioned in my last entry, I went to the very nice library here and was checking their internet service for maps of the area. While doing this, the librarian chastised me, saying that "the computer is only to be used to do library searches. Tsk tsk." This rule bound place is to be contrasted with Rob at the Amerihost, who went out of his way to be helpful. At the motel later, I used the hot tub and swam some, which was very good to do. Lynn and Lucy arrived around 8 PM, and we had dinner at the Lamp Lighter. It was a great deal at seven dollars and 95 cents. Our waitress, Missy, told us that Ionia has 5 prisons, including one maximum security prison. Ionia, this weekend, also has its annual Farm Power show full of old time tractors and tractor pulls at their magnificent fairgrounds, known as the World's Only Free Fairgrounds. Chuck and Mary arrived around 10, and we went to a Mexican Restaurant/Sports Bar for a while.

One thing I want to say that I haven't said before is that I have had a lot of trouble sleeping. Every night so far on the trip I have had trouble, and I don't know if it's from anxiety about the trip and planning routes or if it is an effect of prednisone... Not sure. One other point about Prednisone and PMR is that I was due today to reduce dosage from 8 mg daily to 7 mg for the next month; but I am delaying this because of the trip just to be safe.

Now, back to today: Ionia to Evart. Chuck had never ridden more than 25 miles at a time before today, and had not trained vigorously for this effort as I had, but was able to do 70 miles today with lots of hills! So my two riders, Suzanne and Chuck, neither of whom trained a whole lot, have both been superb bike riders and great company.

Mary and Lynn had breakfast this morning, and then Lynn went on to Fenton to pick up our new boat, which she reports is beautiful. She is now pulling it to the island. Mary joined Chuck and I for lunch at the Homestead at Six Lakes. It seemed very much like an Adirondack place, so we liked it a lot. The countryside we traveled through today reminds Chuck of his family roots (where the Dolph family has had history). The weather today contrasted with other days and was really beautiful; sunny and temperatures in the 60's. Route 66 was quite good and in the last 20 miles we deviated to a side route to get to Evart for diversity's sake. Although very pretty, this route was very hilly, chocked with ups and downs, so it was difficult. Of course, no side routes were marked, so we once again had to rely on the kindness of strangers.

We arrived at Evart and found that the Super 8 Motel, the only one in the area, was completely filled with people attending a motorcycle convention! Imagine our surprise. Chuck arranged, somehow, for us to be placed in their meeting room, where overflow sometimes is put. This is a huge space! We call it the Howard Hughes Suite. We have 3 air conditioners, a king sized bed, a cot for muah, plenty of room for our bikes, our own bath, a worktable, and all the chairs we need to actually run a meeting (which we will avoid doing). Mary just returned with snacks and beer.

Now, for two observations. First, I realized that I have not been away on this trip for a whole week yet. However, it feels like I haven't done anything else in my life! This is all consuming and either I am riding my bike, or preparing to ride my bike, or thinking about riding my bike, or dictating blog entries over the phone about my bike. Maybe this is why I can't sleep so well. On the other hand, it's been really a wonderful process so far. Second, I want to point out the value of friends and family who have gone way out of their way to join me on my journey here. And also, those people who have taken time to make comments on the blog. All of this support has been wonderful and I've really appreciated it.

Tomorrow, Chuck will be with me for a large part of the day and then needs to return home with Mary. We'll bike ever closer to the Lake Michigan area, which I understand is not only very beautiful, but very busy and hilly. The original plan was to go to Lake City, but I think I will try to get to Kalkaska or maybe Manselona. From here on out, I'm on my own, so we'll see how that goes.

Until next time, Bob.

Friday, June 23, 2006

6th Day on the Road: Staying Put in Ionia, MI

Hi, All,

Well, today I'm taking a break from my riding. My friend, Steve, had told me before my trip that, "even in the Tour de France, they take scheduled breaks." So, after 5 days of riding and about 320 miles or so, I will stay today in Ionia, Michigan. This will allow me to catch up, doing things like getting my clothes washed (thanks, Rob, at AmeriHost!), going to the local bike shop to see if they might run a quick check on my bike, and just rest up.

At the Bike shop, Gary made some adjustments on my shifting and installed a double kick stand. The latter should help better balance my bike when heavily loaded. As Doug had pointed out to me (facetiously) earlier this morning when I mentioned going to the bike shop, "Always Mr. Prevention!" [this is kind of a running joke for those who know me; while prevention in mental health is a focal area of mine, sometimes/often I may not exercise so much of it on a daily basis!). Following the bike shop, I went to the local library, a beautiful structure made of variegated Ionia Sandstone around the end of the Civil War. Here, I was still looking for an alternative, less trafficked route up north, perhaps avoiding some of SR 66.

Doug left this morning and we had a great time last night over dinner. Reminding ourselves of old times and talking about the present. Doug takes his last self-administered Interferon shot today after one year of it! Congratulations, Doug. He drove all the way from Bloomington, Illinois to here just to cheer me on. What a friend.

I also am staying here today at this nice motel because Lynn (and Lucy, our dog) and then Chuck (brother-in-law) and Mary (sister) are all arriving later today. This motel is a nice one and will be a good place for us all to gather. It looks like slim pickings for the next 100 miles or so north.

A final reason for staying today remains the weather. After today, it looks like a couple of nice days for a change, when Chuck will be riding with me! Mary will be our "support person," sort of like Pete, before. Lynn will move on to Fenton and pick up our boat and scoot up through the Border to the cottage. Wanna bet she beats me?

So, the plan is to resume the trek in the morning, aiming for around Barryton. I am about 2 days ahead of schedule right now, but all that can change in a hurry in so many ways. Life seems pretty fragile alone on a bike going upcountry, but--as long as all goes relatively well--that is part of the charm of it all.

Final note, about PMR--I notice this morning, probably because I am not riding/exercising, my legs bother me a whole lot more than they have. Guess the trick may be to get going as soon as possible to keep moving. Hey! What a retirement mantra!

Oh, and finally, now really--I saw on a post comment that Linda Pelton asked what I think about while riding all this distance. Good question. A lot of it is being aware, especially on busy highways because a small error could be very costly. Otherwise, I am noticing what is around me as much as possible. When riding conditions are less favorable (e.g., counter wind, rain, hills) then I need to become focused on setting small goals and trying to reach each one (e.g., "see that tree up there, get to that tree)" and then the distance mounts up. Sometimes, when things are going smoothly, I sing. "The Only Living Boy In NY" has been popular, for some reason. "Looking for America," too. I realize as I write this those are both Simon and Garfunkel songs. Sometimes I sing hymns.

Later,

Bob

Thursday, June 22, 2006

5th Day on the Road: Albion to Ionia, MI (61 miles)

(This is the second post of the day - see the 4th Day on the Road post below before this one!)

I left at 8 in the morning and arrived in Ionia at 3:45 in the afternoon... It was a very slow day. This morning I was off by myself since Suzanne and Pete left last night. The forecast was for showers, so I was a little wary. There was some rain along the way, and I had to use my rain jacket at times, but it wasn't terribly bad.

I rode to Charlotte (Char-LOT) by a back road that Pete identified. It worked very well but got a little confusing around Duck Lake. Secondary road maps are not always clear; neither are road signs on these roads, and they are often non-existant. Getting around Duck Lake to Charlotte entailed me talking to 3 different sets of people to finally find the correct way. Again, the kindness of strangers, though they don't always have the right information.

I arrived in Charlotte at around 11:00 and had lunch at the Gavel. I then hit 50 west, which had LOTS of hills, long grades, a counter-wind, and rain. What a combination. It was very difficult, to say the least, and I was often doing only about 8 miles an hour, slogging it through. My Camelback backpack, which carries 3 liters of water and some of my other things, was too heavy for me today and I had to strap it onto the back of my bike, which seemed to work fairly well. I connected with 60 north using 43 west and traveled into Ionia along with many tractor trailers. It reminded me of 127, sort of, back in Ohio.

I saw a UPS driver at the connection between 50 and 66 just at it was starting to rain and went to talk to him for a bit. It turns out that he is from St. Ignace, MI (just as you cross into the UP) and he knows St. Joseph Island really well. His name is Ken Belanger. He was returning to St. Ignace and I was wondering if I could put my bike in his UPS truck and ride with him, to which he responded "Isn't the rain and all this a part of your trip?"

About 10 miles south of Ionia, I stopped and called Brian from my bike shop to give him a report that all was well. I called Mark, from the Fenton Boat Shop and left him a message about Lynn picking up our new boat. I gave both of them the blog address as they seem interested to follow along.

I found a room at the Amerihost, a very nice motel, and right in town. Rob Harris, the clerk, is very helpful! He googled information for me and even is washing my clothes in the motel wash so I'll finally have some better smelling clothes. There is even a bike shop in town, which was very nice to find. They helped look up some motel possibilities for tomorrow night.

Doug arrived at 5:00, and we will have dinner and catch up with each other later tonight. Chuck, Mary and Lynn arrive to meet me whereever I end up tomorrow night, probably in Barryton.

Finally, my PMR still seems to be ok. The best its been. I have no idea why, maybe heavy bike riding is the answer. Not much else to report today. It was a tough ride, so not much time to meet people. I hear that the weather should be nice tomorrow, let's hope so! One last tidbit from today's trip: My chain came off at one point during the day, and even I, Mr. Mechanical (not), managed to get it back on successfully. I was so proud of myself!

4th Day on the Road: Holiday City, OH to Albion, MICHIGAN! (63 miles)

This is Suzanne - Pete and I made it back to Cincinnati safely last night around 2:30 AM after driving through some really serious storms and covering the 265 or so miles that my dad has biked thus far. Here I have paraphrased what he wanted to say, and updated the pictures.

We left around 9:10 from our Econolodge in Holiday City on the first day of summer wondering if we would be stuck in storms all day. We woke up around 6:30 AM to a tremendous thunderstorm that rocked and rolled with pouring rain and thunder. After waiting it out for about an hour we headed over to the Country Fare Restaurant next door for some breakfast where we had a great meal and the waitress refilled our coffee what seemed like every two minutes - we could barely get a sip in!

We were happy to leave the motel, as Suzanne discovered a roach crawling on her leg as we went to bed (which Pete disposed of for us). The weather was very menacing, but luckily the wind was at our backs from the start of the day. We had to backtrack a little from Holiday City to get back to 576 North, a great route going straight north to Hillsdale, Michigan. We had planned on celebrating upon entering Michigan, but unfortunately there were no signs to be found. We eventually saw Michigan license plates on most cars and determined that we had crossed the border!

Today was a day of two things: College Touring Day and a day of avoiding death by tornadoes.

Our first college tour took place in the beautiful and charming city of Hillsdale. The town was so wonderful that I could see myself living there someday. We even found a Fifth Third Bank, where I withdrew some of my fortune, and Suzanne and I feasted on a number of cookies and cups of juice that they had inside. We checked out Hillsdale College and met its switchboard operator, Linda. She was extremely nice and told us that the college became famous in the 70's when it rejected any federal money and decided to raise all its funds independently. We also took a picture of a large puddingstone located in the center of the quad (puddingstones are a unique type of rock that are all over St. Joseph Island, so it was cool to see one here). Linda then rerouted us to a nice route that led us directly on to our next stop, Jonesville, OH. (Another case of value of Blanche DuBois, who said "My life depends on the kindness of strangers". We have had many incidences of this thus far.) As the name Hillsdale might suggest, the road out of town was full of hills and dales - very apt! Though the sky was still sort of menacing, we hadn't run into any storms and the wind was still behind us. We were able to make great time, though the hills did slow us some. We discovered today that biking is like riding with the roadkill - we passed countless woodchucks and possums, which are ugly creatures with really vicious looking teeth. Oh, the things you notice in much more detail when not driving a car.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

In Jonesville we met up with Pete and had lunch at the Chicago Water Grill, all the while wondering about the weather which had become "the undertoad" - a la John Irving in The World According to Garp. The wind had picked up quite a bit by the time we left lunch but still no rain! We headed down Concord Rd. to our next stop, Concord, OH. There we talked to some nice people in Bingham Hardware for a few minutes. I asked them "would you like to follow me on my trip? I have a blog..." to which they responded "oh no, we couldn't do that!" They thought I meant physically follow me! I guess that would be confusing for people who don't know what a blog is.

On to Albion! There were dark skies most of the way and a few light showers but we welcomed them because they helped cool us off. Despite the temperature being only around 70 degrees, it was extremely humid which made us very hot during the afternoon. The route was beautiful all day long but this leg was especially nice. We came upon a wonderful old church that someone had turned into a house and stopped to take a picture. If any of you are looking for a house in southern Michigan you should check out Albion Road between Concord and Albion - there were at least 10 houses for sale along it!

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Our second college visit, at Albion College, was cut short as the weather suddenly turned nasty. We did manage to find and take a picture of a plaque that documented the creation of the song "the sweetheart of Sigma Chi", my friend Doug Lamb's fraternity. The undertoad was coming so we took off to find a motel. Turns out the motels were a few miles out of town (as they usually are in these small towns) and sure enough, it started to rain. Suzanne took off with a new burst of energy toward the motels and I tried to keep up with her. The directions were kind of vague and we were wondering and hoping that we were headed in the right direction as the rain was getting harder and harder. After stopping at a house and then a gas station for more directions we finally made it to the Albion Inn/Best Western! And just in time, because after going inside the storm exploded.

We found out there were both tornado and thunderstorm warnings in effect. All the workers at the motel were excited about this news because, as one of them said, "nothing exciting ever happens around here!" We were just happy to have made it to a motel - things could have been very different if we hadn't. Pete was very worried about us because in our haste to find a motel we didn't have a chance to call him so he had no idea where we were!

Once the storm died down, Pete drove us back to town so we could get a look at it and we split a huge pizza there. It's amazing how much food you can consume while on these bike trips and still be hungry for more. Then, back to the motel to get some much needed sleep and Suzanne and Pete left to head back to Cincinnati. I look forward to Doug meeting me tomorrow night and am keeping my fingers crossed for decent weather tomorrow (though the reports say otherwise). It was a great day, despite the weather at the end, and we managed to ride 63 miles and get through a chunk of Michigan. Hope it continues this way!

Quickly, in response to some of your comments:
-Unfortunately, no, there is no way to track my progress via GPS.
-Al: Your comment about the Maid Rite sandwiches is there under 1st Day on the Road. Too bad I missed out on those sandwiches!
-Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. It means a lot! Keep commenting!

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Quick Update about Day 4

This post is via phone report to Lynn.

Suzanne and I had a great day (62 miles in hilly terrain) and have reached Albion, Michigan. Hurray! Pete checked on us from time to time during the day and provided us with encouragement. We have more to report, but the computers at our motel are out due to severe storms and tornado warnings. We got rained on a little bit coming into town, but avoided the storm.

We will report with more detail later. Suzanne and Pete will return to Cincinnati tonight.

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

3rd Day on the Road: Paulding to Holiday City, OH (50 miles)

Hi, All,

I need to pick up from last night. I had dinner in Los Gallitos in Paulding and tremendous rains and hail hit--all over my bike and packs parked outside. But, better to be inside (me) than out in that mess of a storm. The staff there: Socorro, Rosy, Ashley and their friend, Olga, were terrific and helped map out a safer route out of Paulding than using the truck-infested 127!

Now, on to today, June 20--

Q: How many of you know where in the US is located the cleanest municipal drinking water????
A: Montpelier, OH, has this self-proclaimed award (actually, they won it twice recently). Hey! It's little tid bits like this that keep a biker going when the hills and wind are tough. Like today.

Day started with a great breakfast at "Bubba J's" in Paulding. Why? Good was great diner food. Better, I met Jack Moore and his friends (and later, several family members) who hang out at the restaurant every day, kibbitzing and having a wondeful time. This is a dense social connection that I was very envious of and it must be a wonderful support to them in their lives. I was honored to be a part of it for awhile.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Suzanne and Pete connected with me at the "Bitter Sweet," a B&B where I stayed. This was great. Suzanne and I took off at 10:45 and Pete would make guest appearances by car, checking and letting us know what was ahead. Suzanne had found an even better/safer/prettier route out of town (See Los Gallitos, above) Googling, and we took it. When in doubt, trust a savvy daugher who knows how to do these things--another lesson. For several miles it was fabulous. A road along the way was left out of the directions so we ended up a few miles off course, but figured out where we needed to go to get back to the route and got back on track.

Along the way, at Mark Center, we stopped in front of the Post Office for a drink. Sauntering by came the Postmaster and a town resident, Paul Curtis. We had a great time, talking about PMR and other life afflictions, the Boston Red Sox, our trip...we sometimes give people we meet the blog address for this trip so they can follow it. These two seemed very interested. (If you are reading this, HI!).

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

A little later, we came upon a young man riding his bike in the same direction, and he joined us for a portion of our trip. He was biking 20 miles to another town, Bryan, and we were on our way to Williams Center and then Montpelier. He was very nice, and kept up with us for some way, on his small trick bike even (which amazingly had cost him 2000 dollars!!). He led us to a little store, the Williams Center Carryout, where we talked with the owners for a little bit and got to use the restroom, etc.

From Mark Center on, the hills and the counter wind both picked up noticably. We had to work very hard! We traveled what we had planned, about 50 miles, had many interesting talks with people along the way, but today was some grunt work. We figure it will only get more so in Michigan. After all, we left Paulding County, the "flattest county in Ohio," to move into hills. Another point about Paulding County I like very much is its motto: "No Compromise!"

Toward the end of the day in Montpelier we had dinner at "The Maywood Restaurant" (http://www.themaywoodrestaurant.com) , which was a terrific place with wonderful staff, such as Bethany, our waitress.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

We wound up at "Holiday City," 5 miles outside of Montpelier, for the night, staying at the Econolodge. In the morning we set off to cross into Michigan, which is under 10 miles from here. I have picked up about a day so far on the trip, but facing hills and some bad weather forcasted things might go more slowly.

How about my PMR? Amazingly, many of my symptoms have decreased quite a bit! Maybe this heavy exercise has done something very positively for it. Too early to tell, but I am encouraged. Yet, I am quite sore tonight, and so is Suzanne. She did really well on her first day, a tough one, and with no preparation for it.

Suzanne has some observations and then we will close (we have sneaked into the Holiday Inn Express down the road to write this entry). We noticed today that many, many houses that we rode by had their own man-made ponds, many very large and complete with diving boards. We thought this was really interesting, and I guess more practical for Northern Ohio than swimming pools. Also, we saw literally no one outside, despite it being a beautful day, except for probably 5 different people mowing their lawns on riding mowers. We found this very odd... (Maybe they are all inside writing blogs!)

Or reading them avidly, as I am sure you are right now!

So, all is well, we have about made it out of Ohio and are staring Michigan dead in the eyes. Hope not to blink, because in the next 3 days Suzanne will leave, but I will be joined by my ISU friend, Doug, my brother-in-law, Chuck (and Mary, as support), and Lynn!!!

My best

Bob (and Suzanne)

Monday, June 19, 2006

2nd Day on the Road: Greenville to Paulding, OH (73 miles)

On the second day of the trip things continued to go well. I left at 8:40 in the morning from Greenville, OH. It rained during the night but wasn't raining this morning. I stopped in Coldwater and met Mr. Homan, who is retired, and took a picture of him and his son. We had a very nice conversation and he told me about his grandson who plays football for Ohio State. Later, his son wrote a comment on my blog that you can read (under "First Day on the Road").

Yesterday, I noticed star after star on the sides of houses. We recently got a decorative copper star to put on the side of our house above our hot tub and I thought that we were unique. Now I think we may accidentally be part of some secret cult!

The trip today was like two trips. The first part to Van Wert was on peaceful, bucolic secondary routes. It was very nice. The second part, from Van Wert to Paulding (about 18 miles on State Route 127) was quite harrowing because of the fast moving, heavy tractor trailer traffic. On one case one of these blew me off the side of the road. I'd like to avoid this scary kind of traffic, but from time to time Rt. 127 cannot be avoided. Suzanne joins me tomorrow morning, and will meet me at my bed and breakfast, The Bittersweet, that actually serves no breakfast. Unfortunately, it looks like we may have to ride on 127 for about 10 miles, not the best way to break yourself in.

Yesterday, I enjoyed a tailwind. Today, I had to battle a headwind for most of the trip. I had to work pretty hard, but managed to travel about 73 miles. Regarding my PMR, things seem surprisingly good, at least so far.

Sunday, June 18, 2006

1st Day on the Road: A Surprising Day! Cincinnati to Greenville, OH (80 miles)

I was able to travel 80 miles today, when I had anticipated only being able to do 50 miles the first day. Some of this was due to the nice rolling terrain for the last 30 miles and at times a slight tailwind. There was a lot of wind, and threatening rain the last 40 miles or so, but I just got rained on slightly.

For those of you looking at the itinerary, I had planned on staying in Eaton, but I ended up staying in Greenville, OH which is another 30 miles north (not on the itinerary). I am at a Comfort Inn. You may be interested to know that Annie Oakley was born around Greenville and I took a picture of her statue today. I was able to go for many miles today at about 20-25 miles per hour!! (Again, maybe because of the wind).

How is my PMR doing? At this point, I'm doing really quite well and I'm very surprised. Maybe I'll pay for it in the morning.

Suzanne is typing this for me right now as we talk on the phone, which I appreciate, and she has come up with some other motel possiblities further north for when she joins me for our ride together.

So, for the first day, things have gone suprisingly well. Hope it continues!!

One quick tidbit from the trip: I was going up Gray Road, an extremely hilly road just out of Cincinnati, and had to stop to rest. I took a sip of water and was standing by my bike when an old lady yelled at me off of her porch, "Are you going to be able to make those hills and those turns? It's very, very hilly and curvy, do you know that? Be very careful! Good luck!" I thought that was very sweet of her to say that.

Departure

Hi, All,

Have you ever felt as if you were stepping off into the unknown? I know you have. That's the sensation I have this morning, after a restless sleep. The good news is that I will get an early start, beating some of the heat. I have not tested my PMR this way so early in the day before, so that will add to the adventure.

Suzanne sent me a checklist of things to remember to bring with me each day--stuff I might forget and leave. Unbelievably, this list includes my helmet, cell phone...you get the idea, it's very possible for me to be forgetful.

Well, gotta get going...I hope to be able to keep up this Blog while on the road through messages sent back to Lynn and Suzanne.

My best to you,

bob

Update:

This is Bob's daughter, Suzanne. He wanted me to write a little update for you about his departure. After a little mishap with his bike odometer (he accidentally reset it and we had to do a mad search around the house for the manual to get it set back to his correct tire size) and then him almost running into my car while adjusting the odometer, he took off! He has everything packed in his various saddle bags, and even has a little note reminding him what he put in each one. I hadn't had a chance to see his bike all packed up before, and it is insanely heavy. It seems that he can handle it all pretty well, but is a little nervous about pulling all that weight up hills. Hopefully that won't be a problem once he's out of Cincinnati and moving through flat Ohio. The weather is nice so far but it is supposed to rain/storm on and off this afternoon. Hopefully he will miss most of that since he got an early start. He was officially on the road as of 8 AM this morning.



He really appreciates all of the nice messages you all have left him - he even printed some of them off to bring with him for inspiration. Feel free to keep leaving encouraging notes and I will pass them on to him. The plan is that he will dictate stories about his experience to me over the phone so there should be new updates about his progress every day or so, including one later today. Keep him in your thoughts!

I have posted pictures of his departure for those who are interested.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Entry #3, June 17, 2006

Hi, All,

I want to consider here the transition of retirement, something that so many millions experience each year.

In my own case, I am thinking about the wonderful events my colleagues organized for me as I was finishing up at UC. Linda Pelton, our "relatively new" Counseling Program Secretary, was the prime mover behind these, I think. Thank you, Linda! There were two events, a larger College-University wide one and a smaller, Counseling Program one. If it is possible to do, I will ask my daughter, Suzanne, to put up the Powerpoint program that was shown at the first event--very creative! A "remembrance book" was compiled for me, containing comments from people locally as well as nationally. These comments were especially touching. Thank you.

I certainly will miss my Counseling Program colleagues, our students, and our work together. But I know they will carry on with zest continuing to do important work. Full speed ahead!

For all of you retiring, or considering it, the transition is a big one. I am very early in its throes. My bicycle ride, as I have said, is a way I am choosing to mark this transition. I need something active, challenging, and that will "take me away," both literally and figuratively.

Anyone experiencing the retirement transition needs to consider and cope with a host of challenges. New roles, new relationships, new routines, new perspectives (as Nancy Schlossberg has written)....The first six months can be the most exciting for many, doing all those things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time. Maybe reading the NY Times in your bathrobe all morning. Maybe volunteering at a soup kitchen. Maybe starting a new business venture. Maybe seeing what Madagascar is all about, or hiking the Himalayas. More time with family. Or learning yoga and becoming deeply introspective. Or, seeing what having no specific plans is really like....whatever, research shows that there can be a big slump following six months for too many people--a period of disillusionment--that can last up to a year and a half before things are righted. For some, the dark period just continues. I don't want to be one of those people and you don't either.

I've set up a service to help people moving to or through the retirement transition, called "Charting Your Personal Future (http://www.chartingyourpersonalfuture.com). Counseling services and training workshops will address the many psychological, emotional and social issues surrounding this big move; these personal matters accompany essential financial considerations, where existing services are much more available. I hope to be of some service to others in this way during my own retirement/refirement.

But my thoughts right now are mostly on the heat (it is expected to hit 90 degrees today!), the hills, and the heavy packs I will be carting as I bicycle North. Hey! Anyone you still wants to join me on a part of this trek is welcome (itinerary available).

'Til next time,

bob

Friday, June 16, 2006

#2, June 16, 2006

Hi All,

Well, two days 'til launch. The weather here has been beautifully cool (for here) all Spring. On Sunday, June 18 when I leave, the temperature is to hit 90 degrees. Definitely unwanted, but what can you say?

If anyone wants to take a look at my planned itinerary, contact me by email in the next day and I will send it.

I bought many carb gels today to take during the first 6 days. Lynn will replenish them then, somewhere in Michigan. These are good, expect they add weight to my already heavy packs.

My trusty new bike is still in the shop. Boo. "Just can't get to it, too busy all of a sudden," Brian (my guy at the bike shop) says. So, I rode my old bike this morning, unloaded, up some hills. Hey! It works! Did I really need that expensive new thang, which sits in the shop, anyway? And, without all that weight, hills are much more doable.

How about my Polymyalgia Rheumatica? You know, this is an illness that comes on suddenly, with no known cause, is rare, afflicts people over age 50 usually, with more women than men--and it is debilitating in its pain all over the body. It can lead to Giant Cell Arteritis, which can results in sudden blindness. Not good, that. This is about all that is known about it. Prednisone, the cortico steroid, is the only known treatment. It really does help, but its side effects are not pleasant. I was fortunate. My doctor diagnosed my condition right away and put me on 20 mg of Prednisone a day. "You'll kiss me in the morning," he said to me (if the steroid worked). I was about ready for a wheel chair at the time, early December. Lynn and Zack had installed a grab bar on the wall next to the bedroom toilet because I could not get up and down. The Prednisone provided some noticeable relief. No kisses, though...I am now on 8 mgs. of Prednisone daily, tapering 1 mg per month.
Last Monday I was losing confidence in my ability to do this bike trek because I felt considerable pain. Interestingly, it was the first day of what I call my "functional retirement;" my official date is Aug. 31. Coincidence? The rest of this week has seen an upswing in my health so I am now feeling a return of some self-efficacy about this endeavor.
I will be carrying with me two banners from the National Research Foundation for Polymyalgia Rheumatica as a way to bring this strange and exremely painful illness some attention.

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

I will close today with a poem I wrote when deep in the throes of PMR pain. I wrote about 20 poems then, most of them being morbidly existential. This one is a bit more cheerful and, I think, connects with my bike ride:

Liberation


O the countless

women and men

caught up in daily

tasks captivating

their souls.

Contributing, one hopes,

yet in harness,

yoked.

Pulling weight

arising from a

source ever more distant.

Coming of age

in later times.

Creating a life

open to sky, breathing life.

Free.

Robert Conyne

February 2, 2006


Til later,


Bob

Thursday, June 15, 2006

My First Blog Entry

Hi, Everyone,

In a couple of days I set off on my 700 mile bicycle journey from my front door in Cincinnati, Ohio to the front door of my cottage on St. Joseph Island in Northern Ontario. Hey! That's the plan, anyway.

I am retiring from the University of Cincinnati and this trip is meant to mark that occasion. I have been told that "I'm nuts!" and other such exclamations. Also, "What a brave move," and other such platitudes. Most people raise their eyebrow askance and look at me kind of obliquely when I tell them what I'm doing...

The journey also is complicated due to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) that attacked me in November, 2005. I'm doing better now, thanks to Prednisone, but still have an assortment of aches and pains that are pretty rough each morning and tend to improve as the day moves on...

"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go" (said Peter, Paul, and Mary...). Two sets of bike panniers adorn my new Cannondale tourning bike. About 50 pounds worth of stuff. I have a route sketched out, about 50 miles a day, up through Western Ohio and Central Michigan, then to its Lake Michigan coast, across the Mackinaw Bridge (no bikes allowed, have to figure that one out), and into the UP headed straight for the S00s, Customs, and the Kings Highway running East about 40 miles. Hang a right, cross the beautiful St. Joseph Island bridge and, in another 12 miles or so I find myself on the last mile, this one of gravel road, leading to my cottage.

The Sault Star newspaper awaits to cover this earth shattering event! Well, we'll see how it all goes.

Highlights to look forward to are visiting rides by my daughter, Suzanne, for a couple of days in Central Ohio; my old friend, Doug, from our Illinois State days will hook up with me in crossing the Michigan line for a day and we will celebrate his 1 year of self-injected Inteferon shots (and their cessation!); my brother-in-law, Chuck, will meet up with me around that time for a couple of days ride into the center of Michigan. Maybe doctoral candidate, Mark, will join me later, around the Lake Michigan portion of the trip. And Lynn, my wife, will check in around this time (around June 23) to see how we all are, and then go to pick up our new (to us) boat in Fenton, Michigan, which she will pull to the cottage. Then, to get ready for the July 15 celebration that is planned, with family, some old friends, and friends from the Island.

Sounds pretty good, eh? Stay tuned.