A welcome rest day to service the bike, wash cloths, and rest for a near century tomorrow. Most were tired from the previous week. It was also a day to sleep in, but habits are hard to break...most were up at 6:00 am. Terry was also up at 6:00 and decided he was not getting enough exercise, so went off for a one hour run around town. Go figure!
This was also an opportunity to meet my fellow bikers and trade stories over a beer. Kim, one of the women, told us that over her athletic career, she had competed in 115 triathlons! Ian, the Brit, told us he started out as a guitarists with a rock band in the 1960s in Manchester, and then switched to bike racing centuries where he completed one in just over four hours, and did a 12 hour race where he covered 228 miles! Terry and I were wondering what we were doing in this group! Then there was Boris, a veteran cross country rider, who graduated from Harvard Business School in 1975 with George W Bush (who he was unimpressed with).
I have another 40 stories to go. I'm just an ordinary retired guy biking cross country!
Now for a flash back. In 1956 my parents took my sister and I to Flagstaff to visit a memorial to the 128 people killed in a TWA/UAL midair collision over the Grand Canyon - the worst aviation accident then. Here is a pic of the memorial, a mile down the road from the hotel. It is amazing what impressionable children remember. Kim and here brother Scott (the German also biking with us) said their parents drove them to the Grand Canyon in a motor home and tied them to the roof as they drove around the canyon tosee the sights.
Yep, this trip is turning out to be stranger than fiction.
This was also an opportunity to meet my fellow bikers and trade stories over a beer. Kim, one of the women, told us that over her athletic career, she had competed in 115 triathlons! Ian, the Brit, told us he started out as a guitarists with a rock band in the 1960s in Manchester, and then switched to bike racing centuries where he completed one in just over four hours, and did a 12 hour race where he covered 228 miles! Terry and I were wondering what we were doing in this group! Then there was Boris, a veteran cross country rider, who graduated from Harvard Business School in 1975 with George W Bush (who he was unimpressed with).
I have another 40 stories to go. I'm just an ordinary retired guy biking cross country!
Now for a flash back. In 1956 my parents took my sister and I to Flagstaff to visit a memorial to the 128 people killed in a TWA/UAL midair collision over the Grand Canyon - the worst aviation accident then. Here is a pic of the memorial, a mile down the road from the hotel. It is amazing what impressionable children remember. Kim and here brother Scott (the German also biking with us) said their parents drove them to the Grand Canyon in a motor home and tied them to the roof as they drove around the canyon tosee the sights.
Yep, this trip is turning out to be stranger than fiction.
3 comments:
Yowza! that was a LONG time ago! Remember the trip to the Grand Canyon and still have the visual images of the imagined plane crash into the canyon. Yes, we were pretty impressionable. However, I am thrilled all we had to do was look at the canyon, and not drive around roped to the top of the car!
We are just back from 3 days in Fabulous Truckee! We are getting it ready for your summer vacation! Keep up all the hard work!
Dad,
I look so forward to your daily progress notes and pictures. How amazing that you have gone through Sedona. The drive seemed awfully long to me...cant imagine biking it! Keep the pictures rolling; the country is beautiful! Now watch out for those tourists....you know, I know people that have been killed on the side of the road for a nice bike like yours!!
Hi Jim,
Just finished reading your entire adventure to this point. I really enjoyed it. I had saved your blog to my favorites and promptly forgot to look at it again. Actually I thought about you several times, but never when I was on the computer and had the time. Anyway, it's great traveling along with you. Without the 100 mi. rides in 100 degree heat, up hill with head winds. As nice as that sounds.
I am looking forward to going to Reno/Fernley Raceway this weekend with my son-in-law Ivan for two days of track time in my car. I will also get to see my first wife's father and brother who I haven't been with in a long time.
This morning I have taken the morning off to got to the funeral of a 58 year old ex-neighbor and patient of mine with Cindy and Chandra.
I look forward to looking in on you again, hopefully more regularly.
Take care,
Herve
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