Some final thoughts

Like a horse refusing to go into her stall, legs locked leaning against the halter and lead, I have stayed away from my home computer and this blog since we arrived in Flagstaff. I don't want to our trip to end, and yet it has. There needs to be some closure, but I have been trying to extend this walk from the freedom of the pasture to the 4 walls of the stall. It feels something like an identity crisis - as if, when the door closes that person who spent the last 2 months trotting across the country, will cease to exist. Not true, I know - but this is where my reluctance is rooted. On a table in the garage sits our list - the checklist of everything we needed to pack. I can't bear to move it - seeing it brings back the excitement of preparing for the trip, and makes me nostalgic at the same time. (Writing this I understand that leaving it there is a bit of self-torture.) Some days our trip feels like it transpired in a dream...did we really ride across the country? And other days, especially riding my bike to work, I can be transported instantly to a soybean field in Nebraska, or the top of a mountain pass - which feels like magic!

In an effort to keep that feeling alive, Mike and I rode our bikes up to the Grand Canyon last weekend and stayed overnight at Susan and Gary's house. It was a beautiful fall weekend - aspen and scrub oak leaves making a chromatic turn for winter.

I think it also helped me turn a corner away from, what I've been calling, my post-pedalum depression. (My PPD is somewhat annoying really - evidently all sorts of people go through this poor-me phase upon returning from their adventures.)

One way to make moving into the 4-walled stall more bearable is to bring along the blog. I enjoyed writing on the trip, so why not continue - especially since it seems that I've finally gotten over my unwillingness to close the trip blog. Time to start something new: http://bonnieodonnell.wordpress.com/

Elk at the Grand Canyon and next door to Susan's house.

Re-entry turbulence

My life feels ridiculous. Why do I live in this house? Why do I do my work? Why do I have 8 pairs of shorts? Why do I color my hair? It's as though I've woken up from a dream where you're a pirate, let's say - only to wake up in bed wearing an eye patch and puffy pants. The only thing to do is scream. Okay, so maybe it's not quite that bad, but I do think that ridiculous is the appropriate adjective.

Here's the problem. During our bike trip, each day I woke up and there was nowhere else I wanted to be, no one else I wanted to be with, nothing else I wanted to be doing. Such a rare and precious privilege! The problem is, now that I'm back, I want to be somewhere else, doing something else (thankfully, I still don't want to be with someone other than Mike!) It's rather depressing and grating - especially as it bumps up against the reality of the previous 60 days of pure contentment. The contrast is as jarring as hitting a pothole and flipping over your handlebars onto the pavement. You lay on the ground, aching, and wondering how you got there.

Wellsboro newspaper

Cyclists enjoy excellent adventure


(photo by Natalie Kennedy) Bicyclists Mike and Bonnie O'Donnell took a day to rest in Wellsboro as they neared the conclusion of their cross-country trek.

by Natalie Kennedy

It's been a long road - 3,100 miles of it - and a long time getting there - over six weeks - but it's been an excellent adventure for cyclists Mike and Bonnie O'Donnell.

The Flagstaff, Ariz. residents began their cross country trek on July 20 in San Francisco, Calif. They plan to continue biking to Norristown, possibly even New Jersey. They'll return home by air on Sept. 13.

So, why does one decide to bicycle from ocean to ocean?

"It's something I always wanted to do since I was a kid," said Mike, a psychiatric social worker.

Our 15 minutes of small town fame!

09/16/2008
Life Cycle
By: GARY PULEO , Norristown Times Herald Staff

Bonnie and Michael O’Donnell ride their bikes in East Norriton last Wednesday. The married couple rode their bikes cross-country from California to Michael O’Donnell’s mother’s residence in East Norriton.

EAST NORRITON - To a hard-core biker, pushing off from San Francisco to East Norriton, fully loaded and ready for the road, means something.
To Michael O'Donnell, the 51-day trip back to his hometown meant that in his early 40s and weighing in at 165 pounds, he was still up to the task.
It also meant that for he and his wife, Bonnie O'Donnell, a dream that's been put on hold for a couple of decades could come to fruition.
"I've been racing bikes as a hobby but in the last year it's been getting hard to do that - and I've always wanted to do this trip," O'Donnell said while visiting his mother in East Norriton.
"This winter we started talking about it because you don't know what the future holds. So we made it happen. But one of the fascinating things we found out is that there are a lot of people older than us, in their 70s, doing these bike trips.
"At that age they have the time and the money and it's something they've always wanted to do."
O'Donnell hadn't tackled any "loaded" touring for at least 20 years, he said.
As the term might suggest, "loaded" means you don't require a lot in the way of outside help, he explained.
"On our honeymoon we did a bike trip with support, which is not the same thing at all because you don't have to carry anything; you just ride during the day while a van follows you in case you break down or have problems. This was a lot different."
Self-sufficiency on two wheels depends on more than packing enough protein bars, O'Donnell said.
"Everything you need the whole time you're out is carried on your bike, down to your water filter," noted O'Donnell.
Though the couple lives in Flagstaff, Ariz., they chose to embark on their 3,500-mile journey from a more geographically compatible location.
"My wife has an aunt in California, so we rented a car one way and started there so we could go coast to coast," O'Donnell explained.
Bikers are apparently an important demographic in that state, he added.
"They have these tunnels just for bikers in California and it's just mind-boggling because it's like having your own road. There are even call boxes every mile for bikers ... it's like nothing I've ever seen."
The trip was fairly evenly divided between camping - "sleeping on the ground isn't easy when you're in your 40s," O'Donnell said, laughing - and staying over at people's homes and motels.
Between chatting with folks across the country and keeping an eye on tire tread, the O'Donnells detailed their route and some of their experiences on the Web site, www.crazyguyonabike.com.
Rabbit Ears Pass in the Rocky mountains of Colorado provided the setting for "high drama," O'Donnell remembered.
"We climbed up for maybe 13 miles when the weather changed halfway up. We heard thunder and the sky got dark - you don't want to be out in the high mountains during that because it can get pretty nasty very fast. We were able to beat that storm but it was our closest call to potential disaster."
Closer to home, when confronted with the potential horror of riding through rush hour traffic, the couple was thrilled to stumble upon an unexpected detour that saved the day.
"We were on the Perkiomen Trail, and up around Upper Perkiomen High School we found the Skippack Township Trail.
"We didn't even know about. It wasn't on any of the research I had done. So I called home and talked to my sister and they found it on the Internet and found out that it goes right to Evansburg State Park," O'Donnell said.
"This was during rush hour and we were thinking we didn't want to have to get off the trail and deal with rush hour traffic, but then we didn't have to because we hit this trail, which took us all the way to Skippack Creek in Evansburg Park."
Winding through the back roads by Methacton High School meant no brushes with impatient drivers anxious to get home after a long day at work.
"We rode through Southeastern Pennsylvania and never hit traffic because we were always on bike paths on country roads.
"It's really a viable way to get places if you live in that part of the county. Before we saw that trail, what we were thinking of doing is taking the Perkiomenville Trail to Oaks, at which point you can actually get on the Schuylkill River Trail and go all the way to Philadelphia and not have to deal with cars."
Planning for a long bike trip of this intensity involves some sort of physical training, which the couple credits to bike rides several times a week.
"We both ride three or four times during the week, and in the summer we both ride back and forth to work," O'Donnell said.
"It's about seven miles - downhill the whole way there and uphill the way back. So it's very easy to do.
"And for us, riding our bikes is also making a political statement," he added. "It's always been that way for me, long before the Iraq war. Riding bikes doesn't pollute the air."
Gary Puleo can be reached at 610-272-2500, ext. 205, or at gpuleo@timesherald.com.

Day 54: East Norriton to Philadelphia

46 miles: Wednesday was a tough day. The second day with no riding. By mid-afternoon I was going a bit stir crazy. We went to a couple of doctor appointments with Fran - Mike's mom. It's weird being in a car again...movement that is so passive. And I'm not in control of where we're going (obviously I wasn't the driver.) It was a bit frustrating.

I've been thinking about what it will be like going back to our other lives. We've had this life on the road that seems like it exists in another dimension. Riding through towns and other people's lives, we are mostly observers rather than participants. Time and space were different.

We occasionally became aware of time - the day traffic was light (is it Sunday today?) and when the gentleman in Indiana told us to hurry up because the restaurant would be closing at 2:00 PM (we thought it was just 1:00 PM...we never changed our clocks for Eastern Time in Indiana.) But really our time was dictated by when the sun came up and when the sun went down.

And space - sometimes we felt vulnerable on our bikes, exposed. But mostly it was liberating not to be confined in a car or an office or a shop or a house. Our space was the whole world. Walt Whitman wrote, "I am vast...I contain multitudes." You can't argue with vastness...for me it's emptiness and fullness at the same time. I think this is why I liked Nevada and Nebraska so much. Vast empty spaces that are so full of life if you slow down and look around.

Change of plans today. Decided we didn't want to fight traffic all day, so we took advantage of the miles and miles and MILES of bike path around Philadelphia. Rode the Schuykill Bike Trail (which runs from Valley Forge to the Philly Art Museum) downtown, and then rode back on the Wissahickon Bike Trail to the Forbidden Drive, and then back roads to get to Conshahocken and the Schuykill Bike Path. The bike trail brought us back to the Farm Park which leads right to Erin and Dennis' front door (where we're staying). How awesome is that?

Packing up Friday and flying home Saturday am. Down in Philly, when I asked Mike, "are we there yet?" He said, "It depends on your definition of 'there'." I like that answer - since we're not 'there' yet, it means our adventure isn't over.

Day 53: East Norriton, PA (rest day)

Just some random cycling quotes that I like...

"Bicycling is a big part of the future. It has to be. There is something wrong with a society that drives a car to work out in a gym."
~ Bill Nye

A Zen teacher saw five of his students returning from the market, riding their bicycles. When they arrived at the monastery and had dismounted, the teacher asked the students, "Why are you riding your bicycles?"
The first student replied, "The bicycle is carrying the sack of potatoes. I am glad that I do not have to carry them on my back!" The teacher praised the first student, "You are a smart boy! When you grow old, you will not walk hunched over like I do."
The second student replied, "I love to watch the trees and fields pass by as I roll down the path!" The teacher commended the second student, "Your eyes are open, and you see the world."
The third student replied, "When I ride my bicycle, I am content to chant nam myoho renge kyo." The teacher gave praise to the third student, "Your mind will roll with the ease of a newly trued wheel."
The fourth student replied, "Riding my bicycle, I live in harmony with all sentient beings." The teacher was pleased, and said to the fourth student, "You are riding on the golden path of non-harming."
The fifth student replied, "I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle." The teacher sat at the feet of the fifth student and said, "Ahh.... I am your student!"

Day 52: Norristown (rest day)

We slept in! What a treat. And Fran made us a wonderful breakfast. We've started to make preparations to go home: reserving airport shuttles, tracking down bike boxes to ship our bikes home, buying packing supplies.

We had a special treat after dinner. Fran (Mike's mom)is an active member of the Greater Norristown Art League, and she invited us to a special talk that the Art League hosted. Victoria Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth's granddaughter, gave a presentation on her family and Andrew Wyeths' work. She was a great speaker - giving us all sorts of intimate details about her grandfather and the making of his paintings. I was particularly surprised to learn that nearly all of his paintings have been done within a 10 mile radius of their home in Chadds Ford, PA (and their summer home in Maine). Here we rode 3500 miles across the country in search of adventure, beauty, knowledge, people - and Andrew Wyeth found all of these things and more without ever really leaving home. The art of paying attention...it's quite a remarkable gift. (FYI - Andrew Wyeth is still alive and painting at 91!)

As a last hurrah, we'll be riding down to the Delaware Bay at Wilmington tomorrow. I'm hoping that we'll have time to stop at the Brandywine River Museum at Chadds Ford to see some of the actual paintings!

Day 51: Parryville PA to East Norriton PA

76 miles: (Mike) An excellent day for riding, history and scenery. We went over the mountain to Bowmanstown. A really screaming downhill, the first of several today as we did 3600ft of vertical. This is less than the 5000 we would have done if not for some creative route making. At Bowmanstown we took the frontage to Palmerton; unfortunately that ended at a Zinc mine south of town. We tried to bushwack to the tracks but Aquashicola creek ended that. We backtracked to town and found remanents of the D&L canal on the other side of 248(248 is motorized only). This also ended at the creek. However the road was not barricaded so we used it to cross and road about 1/2 mile to where there was no shoulder and a hannging roadway. We heisted the bikes over the guard rail and bike/hiked 1/2 mile to 873. Not too bad as we were expecting this from a conversatin we had had with a state trooper. However he must have forgot about the creek.

After this we rode the applachin foothills into PA Dutch country. We knew we were there when we saw the township was giving PA Dutch lessons! No time to spracken ze duetsch. We went by the bear mtn ski area for a great twisting downhill to Hereford, In Green Lane we picked up the Perkiomen rail trail (awesome). In Rahns we got on the Skippack trail all the way to the old metal bridge near Evansburg. Five miles of back roads and we were home with no rush hour traffic to deal with. How now?

Day 50: Bloomsburg PA to Parryville PA

67 miles (10 mph average): Awoke to a cool and dry day - yea! As we pushed our bikes through the lobby of the Econolodge, an older woman stopped me because she noticed that the top tube of our bikes reads "Long Haul Trucker". She said, "My son is a long haul trucker and and I keep telling him that he needs to bring a bike along on his trips for exercise. I'm going to tell him that I found just the bike for him!"

Beautiful quaint and quiet roads this morning (we think everyone is at church.) The hills afford us fantastic panoramic views of ALL the hills in our future today. I don't know if you know this or not, but PA is hilly!

Our lunch choices in West Hazelton were Burger King, McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts. Naturally we chose DD. I had an epic dining experience - 2 breakfast sandwiches, 3 donuts, and 2 bottles of oj. We are redefining the meaning of a balanced diet.

Change of plans: we abandoned the route we initially planned that took us 20 miles out of our way (to access rail trail), and instead went directly to Jim Thorpe PA. Not that this way was any easier: 9% grade and and warnings for trucks on the down side to use low gears.

Jim Thorpe - I had no idea it was so nice here! Rafting, mountain biking, train up the Lehigh Gorge, and quaint downtown. So enticing, we stopped for a beer (or two in Mike's case).

We left town in search of the Delaware and Lehigh Canal Trail. The guy with the "Ithaca is Gorges" t-shirt on at the bike shop gave us some rough directions - back over the bridge, behind the Jim Thorpe Market, beside the wastewater treatment plant there is a sort of trail that will take you to the canal trail. Evidently he had ridden his cyclocross bike there, so Mike deemed it acceptable for the Surly Long Haul Truckers too. With beer in belly, we felt overconfident and ready for bushwacking. Happily Mike's directional dynamism was working. 100 yards of rocky trail turned into singletrack (hey, I miss mountain biking!), which became the canal trail - complete with remnants of the old locks. Very cool trail! The path is where the mules used to walk to pull boats through the canal. On the other side of the path is the Lehigh River. Really awesome when you stop to thinkg about what it took in manual labor to build these canals. (Mike tells me that there are working locks up around the Fingerlakes in NY and in New Hope PA.)

We ran out of trail when we hit Perryville PA. Staying at the Country Inn and Suites trying to figure out how we will get through the gap in the Appalachian. There are two main roads: Niether allows non-motorized vehicles.

We're not ready for our trip to end. I'm getting a bit sad anticipating the last days. Riding our bikes every day has become a great habit.

Day 49: Williamsport PA to Bloomsberg PA

46 miles: Rain! Tropical Storm Hannah spelled wet weather today. Rode for a few hours and then spent a couple hours in Muncy at the library and having lunch. Great Greek restaurant where Mike order saganaki (flaming fried cheese - very dramatic!) and dolmathes. Delicious.

Having only ridden about 20 miles, we decided that we needed to get a little bit further before calling it quits. Another couple hours in the rain and we got tired of riding in the rain. When your fingers are wrinkled like raisins, it's time to come in from the weather.

Stayed at an Econolodge with a washer and dryer. The bottom of our rear panniers were filled with about an inch of water. Everything got wet this time - even my journal is waterlogged. Good thing most of it's in the computer already.

Day 48: Wellsboro PA to Williamsport PA

76 miles (11.9 mph average) and just 6-1/2 hours on the bike today: Great day! 60 miles of flat bike path from Wellsboro to Jersey Shore on a PA rail trail. The path meandered along Pine Creek through the PA Grand Canyon. Spectacular scenery. We were surprised by the number of cyclists we ran into on a Friday morning. We probably saw over 20 riders just in the morning (and maybe 40 for the whole day.) Ran into a band of brothers from North Carolina(ages late 50's to early 70's) riding the whole length of the rail trail.

Along the bike path, we saw all kinds of wildlife - an otter, bald eagle, osprey, deer, mergansers, wood ducks, mallards and blue heron. We also surprised a red tail hawk whole flew just 6' above our heads with a small muscrat in his talons. Very dramatic!

We lunched at the Slate Run General Store which is right on the rail trail. They do a bit of everything - post office, restaurant, bike rental, fly fishing shop. Truly a "general" store.

Off the rail trail in Jersey Shore, we had an unpleasant close encounter with a Ford Escort. She honked at us and even tried to turn into us at the intersection. (We had the right of way, but evidently she didn't like waiting.)

Things got considerably better when we hit Williamsport. We ran into a group of cyclists riding from Buffalo to Gettysburg, and we rode into town with Tom - one of the members of the group. Mike showed him the way to the Hampton Inn. There, I got a funny picture of them "parking" their bikes by leaning them against the handicapped parking signs. While they were definitely members of the AARP, I think that riding 70+ miles disqualifies them from the handicapped designation.

We stayed at the historic Genetti Hotel downtown. Cheaper than the Hampton Inn and nicer! On the 8th floor we had panoramic views of town and the surrounding hills. We dined at the Bullfrom Brewing Co - great stout there. Mike ordered the "Burg" - the most bizzare salad I've ever seen. It's a variation of the famous(?) Pittsburg Salad. Here's the recipe:

mixed greens (the traditional version calls for iceberg lettuce of course)
tomatoes
pickled eggs
sliced beets
onions
garlic french fries
cheddar jack cheese
blackened shrimp

He claims that it's delicious, but I'm dubious.

Day 47: Wellsboro PA (rest day)

Ah, a rest day! We're staying with Mark and Sandy just outside of town. Sandy made us some delicious black bean/rice and cheese quesadillas for dinner last night. Today we rode into town for an interview with the Wellsboro newspaper, and lunch with Cathy and Steve. I got some yoga in this afternoon, and we've had time to catch up on bills and e-mails. Resting is good!

I saw a quote from one of my favorite poets, Mary Oliver, today:

Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life? --Mary Oliver

With the death of another cyclist, we're reminded that 1)we are always vulnerable, and 2)life is short. For me, this is all the more reason not to sit at home on the couch - despite the risks. Back in Fort Collins, Dick shared his favorite life philosophy with us:

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "holy shit-what a ride!"

I like this plan.

Day 46: Marshburg PA to Wellsboro PA

88 miles (11.5 mph): An absolutely beautiful day of riding. Today's route through Port Allegheny, Coudersport, and Denton Hill to Wellsboro was one of the best of the entire trip. Lovely forests, rivers, and big views. The downhill portion of the day from the top of Denton Hill to Wellsboro rivaled the days we had in CA (top of Carson Pass in the Sierras) and in Colorado (Cameron Pass down through Cache La Poudre canyon) - just awesome!

As we ate lunch in Coudersport, we received sad news from Cathy: yesterday a member of Wellsboro's cycling community was killed in an accident in Tioga. Tom Kauffman was riding his bicycle into town and had a fatal collision with a car. We are so sad for his family and the community. Such a great loss. Needless to say, it was a sober ride into Wellsboro.

Day 45: Meadville PA to Marshburg PA

80 miles (10.5 mph): Oh they have some crazy steep hills this part of PA! 10% grades make for some slow going. The culture is a bit different here. Many Amish and/or Mennonite farms.

According to Mike, this is also home to a good number of ultra-right wing rednecks. Lots of yard signs proclaiming, "Support the troops - let 'em win the war." (I guess this is in response to "support the troops - bring them home" signs.) We rode past one home where we spotted an older man working on his lawn in the front yard. Next to his driveway was a sign that read, "Vote Right, Vote White". Initially, I was trying to figure out which party was that color...as in Democrats are "blue" and Republicans are "red". Then I got it...horrifying. (Mike, momentarily as naive as I was, said at first that he thought that it referred to someone's last name.)

We stopped at a tiny market at a 4-way stop town a little while later. The sign on the door proclaimed that, effective September 1, smoking inside businesses was prohibited. So no smoking inside the market. When we approached the register, we noticed a petition on the counter requesting signatures to repeal the ridiculous "no smoking in businesses" law.

Camped at a nice KOA near Allegheny National Forest ($38 a night!) A beautiful area...awesome scenery. And Mike got his first Ylingling beer, which made him a happy camper. According to the owners of the campground, they have bears visit the campsite virtually every night. Made for some fitful sleep for me. I think Mike slept fine.

Day 44: Lyndhurst, OH to Meadville, PA

87 miles (11.4 mph): It was hard leaving Lyndhurst today. I got a little teary-eyed as we rode away from Nancy and Nikki's house. We had a great time hanging out with them. I wish we didn't live so far apart.

Today we enjoyed some of the prettiest scenery since we left Colorado. I forgot how nice northeast Ohio is. We rode past my high school, Gilmour, in Gates Mills; then down Cedar Road to River Road. Rivers, lakes, woods and hills - beautiful! Crossed into PA this afternoon...the homestretch is in sight! We think we'll be in Philly next Monday if all goes well.

Day 43: Chillin' in Lyndhurst

Resting in Lyndhurst. Nancy and Nikki continue to make us feel like royalty. Nikki made us more greek food: phyllo dough with feta and cheese and eggs. Some greek name that I can't pronounce (teerOpita?)...but tastes delicious.

A beautiful day in Cleveland. Brunch in Coventry. Learned how to play the very popular (who knew?) game of corn hole this afternoon. We think that we may have to bring this game to Flagstaff. Nancy swears that it's destined to become an Olympic sport. I'm not sure. Any game that you can play with a beer in one hand (aka horseshoes and corn holing) probably doesn't qualify. But then again, they have curling - so who knows.

Also tried my hand at Guitar Hero. What a fun game - it's very addictive! I've got a long way to go before I make it into the pages of Rolling Stone, but I do have the 1980's big hair (thanks to the added humidity in Cleveland) for the true rocker effect.

Getting very fat and happy on our rest day.

Day 42: Amherst OH to Lyndhurst OH

43 miles: We were able to ride just a half day to Nikki and Nancy's due to yesterday's good ride. We found a Hungarian Bakery with Kolachi's along the way in Lakewood. Mike was over the moon!

Upon arrival we ate like greek gods, thanks to the Nikki (who is Greek of course) and Nancy (who is wanna be Greek). Dinner was awesome!

AND - get this: Nancy treated the three of us to pedicures. And not just any pedicures...the royal treatment pedicures with the leg massage and fancy massaging recliner chair. Heavenly!

Day 41: Bowling Green, OH to Amherst, OH

92 miles today. We planned to go to Huron, but we were feeling so good that we decided to ride until it was 5 PM. That landed us in Lorain. Hmmm...We were going to stay in Lorain but something about the motel clerk encased in bullet proof plexiglass changed our minds. We decided to shuffle on a bit further. Got into a hotel in Amherst just before the skies opened up with a big ol' thunderstorm. We are evidently back in suburbia: Denny's (they have Boca Burgers!)and Dunkin Donuts! (Mike has been dreaming about Dunkin Donuts since California.)

Day 40: Monroeville IN to Bowling Green OH

The bike shelter and the people in Monroeville were great. We even got free Monroeville muskemelon! The wind changed so we could cover some ground which is very good as we are expecting rain in the next two days. Pretty uneventful except a bridge being out leading to some serious bushwacking. Bonnie has adjusted so well to my creative routing she said "Let's bushwack it!". Ok so that was just when we were looking for a restaraunt, but there is hope!

Day 39: Peru IN to Monroeville IN

August 27: We have escaped the maze of corn and we're following the Wabash River today. The woods down near the river provide some relief from the headwinds , and we are happy to be on winding roads (instead of the corn grid!)

Dogs have been the excitement in Indiana. We've been chased by dogs every one of the past three days. The first day it was a couple of big sheep dogs - they gave us a run for our money. I think they chased us for nearly a mile. Good lungs and legs on those critters! Yesterday a big rottweiler bolted across a yard toward us. The commotion awoke the doberman who was sleeping on the porch. In an instant, the doberman passed the rottweiler, and they were both chasing us down the road. They didn't last as long as the sheep dogs.

Today we passed a yard with a couple of dogs tied up in the back yard. Lots of barking but no chasing. A few moments later I heard an odd sound behind us...a clicking noise. I look back and there is a huge german shephard bearing down us. "Dog!" I shout to Mike, and we start pedalling like crazy. Mike shouts, "go home" and the dog slows but doesn't stop. Eventually, he poops out, stops and stares at us from the middle of the road as we ride away.

That's our dog excitement for the day.

Tonight we're staying at lodging in Monroeville IN (near the Ohio border) that is specifically for cyclists...yea!