Our Rhode Island Cycling Adventure

Think of quiet New England coastlines dotted with beaches, quaint villages, and picturesque countryside, Mystic Seaport, Block Island, and historic Newport and you have Fall cycling in Rhode Island and Connecticut.
We began our cycling tour on a Sunday in late September 2009 with a group called Bike and the Like. Our tour hosts, Suzie and Roger Knable, welcomed us along with about 30 other cyclists. We had rain showers all day on Sunday so everyone took the day off as this was more of a "meet and greet" day anyway. Weather the remainder of the week couldn't have been better. We had cool starts with it warming up every afternoon.

Our first day of riding took us into Connecticut. We followed along the beaches and waterfront of the Block Island sound, making a few sightseeing stops along the way. BF Clydes Cider Mill offers some of the best cider around... whether you like it hot, cold, or even spiked. From there we headed into Mystic and Mystic Seaport. Settled in the 1650's, Mystic is known for its maritime heritage and, of course, Mystic Pizza (famous from the Julia Roberts movie "Mystic Pizza"). Cyclists could spend the day sightseeing around Mystic or add a few extra miles and ride down to Noank and Groton Long Point. We opted for the extra miles.

On Tuesday, we caught the ferry to Block Island. Once there, we explored the island on bicycle riding along the coastline to the lighthouse on the south end of the island, the Mohegan Bluffs, a stop for lunch at the island airport, more cycling, a tour of the Block Island historical museum, and ice cream to finish off the afternoon.

Heading to Newport on Wednesday, we first take the ferry back to the mainland. We cycle along the ocean road, passing beautiful Narragansett and crossing over the bridge to the small island of Jamestown. Once in historic downtown Jamestown, we cycled to the south end of the island to Beavertail Lighthouse, the third oldest lighthouse in the U.S. We lunched at the Ferry Deli and took a bus over the toll bridge to Newport.

With Newport's miles of scenic coastlines, mansions, museums, walking history tours, local vineyards, quaint wharfs, and cobblestone streets, there is plenty to do and see. Of course, we chose to cycle. We cycled the Scenic Coast Road along the coastline making short stops at Fort Adams and the old Newport harbor, passing a few of the "summer cottages" (early 1900's mansions), the Cliffwalk, and numerous beaches along the way to the wildlife conservatory in Middletown.

Our last day of cycling was fairly uneventful as we headed back to where we started in Westerly, RI. We shuttled back across both the Newport and Jamestown bridges, then started cycling through rolling and wooded Rhode Island countryside back to Misquamicut Beach. Once back, we collected our luggage and headed toward Cincinnati to visit family.

This has been one of our favorite trips. We saw a few leaves changing color but we were probably just a couple weeks early for the real "fall foliage". The terrain was flat to gently rolling. We had a couple good hills but, otherwise, just some long gradual climbs. The wind blows in Rhode Island just as it does here in Texas. We highly recommend this trip to anyone wanting to ride about 40 miles a day and also take in some great sightseeing along the way.

Cycling the Kentucky Bluegrass

The Bluegrass Region ..... The heart of Kentucky.

The Kentucky Bluegrass region is a beautiful place with great country roads and low traffic to cycle. You can ride short or long distances, rolling terrain to challenging hills, horse farms and open farm land. It's all beautiful and just waiting to be enjoyed.

We think of large horse farms with miles of plank fencing when thinking of the Kentucky Bluegrass. The horse farms are magnificent but the bluegrass region is more than that. It's miles of country roads with smooth pavement, low traffic, and some of the best scenery in the country. Throw in a country market or deli here and there and it becomes a cyclists dream.

Our small group met in Lexington for lunch on Monday before taking a short ride around the horse farms surrounding Keeneland Race Track, including Calumet Farms which claims over 700 acres and more derby winners than any other farm.

We had planned to ride from Lexington to Berea but due to heavy rains and flooding the ferry was shutdown. We drove to Berea instead and did a nice valley ride which took us along the south side of the Bluegrass Army Depot and into Irvine where we lunched. The return ride meandered around Haystack Mountain and back to Berea.

The following day we rode along the Trans-America trail from Berea to Harrodsburg. As we started a long climb a couple miles out of town, we ran into some sprinkling of rain. The rain was forecasted for late afternoon. A couple miles further and couple more long climbs and the rain got heavier and heavier. We stopped at a small grocery about 20 miles out, soaked to the skin. The rain stopped after a short while and the afternoon turned out to be beautiful. There was a lot of open farmland on this route as well as tobacco barns. But don't let the open farmland fool you; this was a very hilly ride.

With 80% chance of rain predicted for the following day, we took the day off from cycling and did some sightseeing. First, we toured the Perryville Battlefield and later Shaker Village. Both sights were very interesting and we highly recommend anyone visiting the area to take advantage of the history.

Back on our bikes the next day, we rode from Harrodsburg to our B&B in Loretto, just south of Bardstown. This day took us through all three subregions of the bluegrass ... the smooth Inner Bluegrass, the Shale Belt region of ridges and v-shaped valleys, and the open farmlands of the Outer Bluegrass.

We experience the Bourbon Trail on Saturday, stopping at several distilleries, as we made our way back to Lexington. Gotta' have a taste of that real Kentucky Bourbon.

Our last ride was Sunday morning, the Jot 'em Down ride, named after the Grocery Store on the corner. We skirted some of the most famous horse farms in the Bluegrass and wandered along some of the most beautiful farmland in the country. We saw new foals on all the farms. I think this was my favorite ride because of the beauty of it.

We hope you'll take some time and experience Kentucky as we did. There's nothing better than cycling beautiful countryside with your friends. We promise you'll love it.

"Cyclists in Suits" Day at the Capital - Austin, TX

It's time once again to head to Austin, while the legislature is in session, to lobby our Representatives and Senators to pass the Safe Passing Law. Basically, the Safe Passing Bill will require motorists to allow at least 3-feet of distance before overtaking and passing a cyclist as well as other vulnerable road users, ie. wheelchairs, pedestrians, tractors, etc. Thirty one of us boarded the BikeDFW bus early Monday morning, April 20th, for the trip to the capital. We arrived in Austin about 8:00am and met with a delegation from BikeTexas as well as other cycling clubs in Texas.

First, we were welcomed and briefed by Robin Stallings, Exec Dir of BikeTexas. Next, a lobbyist discussed tips for visiting elected officials and their staff. We broke into our assigned groups, each which had a team leader that had participated in this event in previous years. Each was assigned particular representatives and senators to visit.

We headed to the capital and the House Chamber where they were meeting in session. Representative Linda Harper-Brown, co-author of the Safe Passing Bill, recognized our group and, boy, we were an impressive group. Next, we are off to the Senate Chamber where Senator Rodney Ellis, co-author of the Safe Passing Bill, recognized our group. Again, we were quite the impressive group of cyclists.

Most of the Representatives were in conference or on the House Floor but we did talk to two Representatives and many of their staffers. The staff are who review the legislation and make recommendations to their bosses on what to support. Everyone was extremely friendly and seemed to be receptive to the Safe Passing Bill. Some had little knowledge of the bill while others were very familiar with it due to the number of emails and phone calls they had received from cyclists.

After completing our lobby efforts, everyone met at the north entrance of the capital where BikeTexas had arranged for photographs of the group. Our day is now complete at the capital and we head to the BikeTexas offices. On the way, Robin Stallings announces that the bill will go to the Senate Floor for a vote tomorrow.

The event, once again, was very educational and we felt we did some good in making our position known on bicycle safety and the Safe Passing Law.

The RESULT is good news, bad news. The bill passed both the Senate and the House and was ready for approval by Governor Perry. Thinking that Gov. Perry was not signing the bill but going to let it pass without his signature, we were all very disappointed when, on the last day, our governor VETOED the bill. He vetoed 31 other bills that all passed both the House and Senate.

The cities of Austin and San Antonio have since implemented "the safe passing law" for their cities. We expect more Texas cities to do the same in the near future.

Natchez Trace from Natchez, MS, to Nashville, TN

Just imagine cycling for 445 miles with smooth roads and very low traffic but without a single stop sign, billboard, or trash on the side of the road. You will not have any loose dogs, stores, gas stations, or large trucks. This is the Natchez Trace Scenic Byway which travels from Natchez, MS, in the south and goes all the way north to Nashville, TN.

Along with 5 other couples from our cycling club and Black Bear Adventures, we cycled the Natchez Trace in May 2008. We started our journey from the Monmouth Plantation, took a quick tour of Natchez, and almost immediately we entered the Trace. This is the Deep South. As we cycle the Trace, we see Spanish moss hanging from the trees, pass historical sites of Emerald Mound and Mount Locust, the old Sunken Trace, and more. We stop in Port Gibson for a late lunch, take a side trip to the Windsor Ruins, reminisce over the day's events, and enjoy a delightful dinner at a local B&B.

Day 2 took us 69 miles to Jackson, MS. This day was very HOT and there were times when the miles and miles of trees and grass along this portion of the Trace could seem monotonous. But there is so much history and the road is so smooth that it makes for great cycling.

The next 3 days of cycling included 80-90 miles of riding each day. We cycled the shoreline along the Ross Barnett Reservoir and stayed in the rustic cabins at the French Camp B&B. The next morning we cycled to Tupelo, the birthplace of Elvis Presley, passing more historic Native American sites. This was our last night in Mississippi. As we began riding the next day, we experienced the rolling terrain of northwest Alabama, passing more Indian mounds and crossing the Tennessee River before reaching our home for the next 2 nights in Florence, AL. Here, we had a choice of cycling or spending the day sightseeing or pampering ourselves with a massage or just whatever we wanted to do. Paul and I elected to do a short 20 mile ride with a few others, then a massage in the afternoon, and relaxation the rest of the day.

Once on the road again, we are headed to Linden, TN, where we pick up our U-Haul for taking our bikes/luggage back to Texas. This was our last stop before reaching Nashville. This day was fairly uneventful but we did notice the terrain is starting to become a little hillier.

Our last day, we are headed to the Loveless Cafe at the northern terminus of the Trace in Nashville. We were all feeling good today and Paul was leading the pack. However, due to some unforeseen events, we had to miss the last 40 miles of the Trace, which is by far the hilliest portion.

We'll have to return one day just to do the last 40 miles and eat at the famous Loveless Cafe.

Bicycling Missouri's Katy Trail

In May 2008, we had the pleasure of cycling the Katy Trail in Missouri with 2 other couples. We began our travels in Clinton and headed east toward St. Charles.

Day 1 took us 65 miles along the trail to Pilot Grove. We read that Texas folks would consider this part of the trail as "hilly" whereas people in the Ozarks consider it "flat". This was definitely the hilliest part of the trail with the remainder being relatively flat. We started riding about 9:30am and about 6 miles out, it started raining. This caused parts of the trail to get soft which made it feel as if we were trying to ride through mashed potatoes at times.

Day 2 took us from Booneville to Jefferson City. This isn't the type ride you get on your bikes and see how fast you can finish but, rather, one in which we took our time to explore the trailheads, little towns and cafes, and historical sites such as Daniel Boone's gravesite and Judgement Tree. Just as we reached the Jefferson City trailhead, it started to rain again.

It continued to storm through the night but the weather had cleared before we started out on our bikes on Day 3. We woke up that morning to 45 degrees and a 30 mph north wind. The storm left downed trees across the path every few miles but we learned to maneuver over, through, and around the trees and debris on the trail. This really added to our trail experience. We rode 43 miles from Jefferson City to Hermann/McKittrick this day.

Day 4 was beautiful. The rains were gone and the further east we rode, the harder packed the trail became. We stopped at Weldon Springs so we would have time to visit with friends in the area. But we all agreed that riding to St. Charles, the end of the trail, would have been very easy that day.

In summary, we rode 204 miles in 4 days. Now that may not seem like a lot of miles to some but the fact that we were on our mountain bikes and the trail was soft made it much more difficult than had we been on pavement with our road bikes. We stayed in hotels the first and last nights and enjoyed 3 wonderful bed & breakfast inns in between. We all had a really great time.

Easter Hill Country Tour

The Easter Hill Country Tour (EHCT) takes place in, you guessed it, the Texas Hill Country... specifically the areas surrounding Kerrville and Fredricksburg and is held Easter weekend every year. Just imagine a multitude of 2-lane country roads dissected by green valleys, rolling hills, rushing creeks, limestone cliffs, a small town or village here or there, and you have the Texas Hill Country. This is also cattle country and there are many historic ranches, including the LBJ ranch, that continue to remind us we are in Texas.

The EHCT is 3 days of riding on some of the most beautiful and challenging roads in the state of Texas. We ride primarily on lightly traveled ranch roads with short distances on any highways. The rides are fully supported with SAG support and numerous rest stops stocked with lots of goodies.

Friday's ride usually leaves out of Fredricksburg with 3 different routes ranging from 25-65 miles in distance. Saturday's ride leaves out of Kerrville with 3 distances ranging from 35-100 miles. Since most people head home on Sunday, the ride is shorter with a choice of 20 or 30 miles.

The EHCT is sponsored by four area bicycling clubs: Fort Worth Bicycling Association, Houston Bicycle Club, San Antonio Wheelmen, and the Austin Cycling Association. Each club hosts the ride every four years. For the last 37 years, this event has been noted one of the premier cycling events in Texas and we expect that tradition to continue for years to come.

Enchanted Circle - Red River, NM

The Enchanted Circle ride is a century circle which starts in Red River, NM, and circles around to Taos, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, and back to Red River. This ride is always the weekend after Labor Day in September. If you are looking for beautiful scenery and some challenging hills, this is the ride for you.

The Sitzmark Lodge on Main Street is usually our home for a few days. The ride normally takes place on Saturday now so we make a little vacation out of the trip. We usually arrive on Wednesday to give us a couple days to get accustomed to the altitude and take advantage of some of the best Mexican food in the area.

There's a short ride up the canyon that is nice with rolling hills. These seem a little more like small mountains since the oxygen is a little thinner in Red River. Another training ride we will do before the 'real' ride on Saturday is to head down to Questa and back. It's downhill for almost 13 miles so that means we have to climb the same 13 miles to get back to town.


On Saturday, we start early in Red River, usually with tights and jackets to keep us warm. We shed some of this by the time we get to the rest stop, 25 miles out, at Arroyo Hondo. From there, we ride another 10-12 miles to Taos where there is another rest stop at the Kit Carson Park. Now it's decision time. Do we try to find a ride back to Red River or do we continue on the trek. Okay, let's continue the ride this year. We'll ride 18 miles uphill to the top of Palo Flechada. We are definitely ready for another rest stop at this point. The next few miles are downhill but be careful, there are some pretty hairy turns on the way down toward Angel Fire.

We'll pass by the Vietnam Memorial as we skip the out and back section of 14 miles going toward Angel Fire Ski Resort and back. This will make our trek only 86 miles but with these tough climbs, 86 miles is plenty. This section is relatively flat but typically straight in to the wind. Once we get to Eagle Nest, we head up toward Bob Cat Pass and then the last 4 miles to Red River will be downhill. It's 17 miles to the top of Bob Cat Pass but the last 2 miles are by far the most difficult. The downhill makes for a nice finish to a long, challenging ride.

Of course, there are things to do here besides cycle. In addition to visiting Taos and a few historical sites, there is the Wild Rivers Recreation Area with some great hiking trails, located just north of Questa.