Vistas & Vibes from a Bicycling Odyssey: Sep 13, 2007

Minneapolis to Huntington Beach

Pedaling a bicycle to Huntington Beach, CA has been my dream for more than five years. On September 1, 2007 the journey will begin. This blog will document "people" and "places discovered" along the journey. Welcome to a different way of seeing America. Enjoy a virtual ride!
Pics from first day
More pictures from the morning take off! http://www.jonsmithers.com/dennis090107-cathy/
Some really fun pics here.... http://www.jonsmithers.com/dennis090107

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Itinerary

DAY #	DATE	MILES	TOTAL MILES	DESTINATION
1	Sat 9/1	71	71	Gaylord, MN
2	Sun 9/2	55	126	St James, MN
3	Mon 9/3	57	183	Spirit Lake, IA
4	Tue 9/4	50	233	Sheldon, IA
5	Wed 9/5	58	291	Sioux City, IA
6	Thu 9/6	56	347	Tekamah, NE
7	Fri 9/7	39	386	Elkhorn, NE
8	Sat 9/8	67	453	Milford, NE
9	Sun 9/9	80	533	Hastings, NE
10	Mon 9/10	55	588	Holdrege, NE
11	Tue 9/11	73	661	McCook, NE
12	Wed 9/12	76	737	Haigler, NE
13	Thu 9/13	71	808	Cope, CO
14	Fri 9/14	41	849	Last Chance, CO
15	Sat 9/15	61	910	Elizabeth, CO
16	Sun 9/16	34	944	Columbine Valley, CO
17	Mon 9/17	63	1007	Colorado Springs, CO
18	Tue 9/18	0	1007	Colorado Springs, CO
19	Wed 9/19	70	1077	Pueblo, CO
20	Thu 9/20	75	1152	Walsenburg, CO
21	Fri 9/21	62	1214	San Luis, CO
22	Sat 9/22	60	1274	Taos, NM
23	Sun 9/23	48	1322	Santa Cruz, NM
24	Mon 9/24	31	1353	Santa Fe, NM
25	Tue 9/25	0	1353	Santa Fe, NM
26	Wed 9/26	67	1420	Tijeras, NM
27	Thu 9/27	68	1488	Contreras, NM
28	Fri 9/28	79	1567	Highways 52, NM
29	Sati 9/29	59	1626	Quemado, NM
30	Sun 9/30	75	1701	Vernon, AZ
31	Mon 10/1	74	1775	Forest Lakes, AZ
32	Tue 10/2	70	1845	Sunflower, AZ
33	Wed 10/3	45	1890	Scottsdale, AZ
34	Thu 10/4	26	1916	Sun City West, AZ
35	Fri 10/5	82	1998	Wenden, AZ
36	Sat 10/6	61	2059	Parker, AZ
37	Sun 10/7	59	2118	Desert Center, CA
38	Mon 10/8	90	2206	Desert Hot Spgs, CA
39	Tue 10/9	45	2251	Calimesa, CA
40	Wed 10/10	38	2289	Highland, CA
41	Thu 10/11	31	2320	Anaheim, CA
42	Fri 10/12	17	2337	Huntington Beach, CA
43	Sat 10/13	0	2337	Huntington Beach, CA
44	Sun 10/14	0	2337	Huntington Beach, CA
45	Mon 10/15			Fly to Minneapolis, MN

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Crossing into Colorado (Benkelman to Yuma, CO)

4:30 pm Mountain time and I have arrived in Yuma, Colorado.

"One's destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. Henry Miller

This is a spiffy town with significant agricultural commerce. Just east of town, I passed the Three Rivers Feedlot, one of the largest commercial cattle operations in the U.S. It seems to go on for several miles and cattle can be seen everywhere.
I'm posting from a really nice Yuma City Library, staffed by two friendly librarians. They are, Tish, and Alicia. Thanks ladies, for answering all of my questions about Yuma.

Going back to last evening in Benkelman, Betty, the motel proprietor, had an interesting story about Amtrak. The passenger train operates between Chicago and Denver with a regular stop in McCook. A few weeks ago, the train made an emergency stop in Benkelman, to drop off a very ill Amish woman who was heading home to Pennsylvania. You see, Benkelman with a population of just 1006 residents has a small hospital. The local medical staff was able to save the woman's life and arrange for alternative transportation. Someday, I would enjoy traveling across the U.S. by train, and it would be fun to see this countryside again.

After breakfast this morning, I said the weather was perfect. Well, it was perfect for about an hour. As I approached Haigler, NE, dark cumulus clouds suddenly appeared, thunder was heard, and it just poured buckets of rain. And my did the temperature drop! I would estimate during the rainstorm we felt temperatures in the mid forties. As quickly as the storm arrived it departed. An hour later we were riding under clear blue skies and warmer temperatures.
Right now it's about 78 degrees and still sunny.

While crossing into Colorado, I stopped for a mandatory photo of the "Welcome to Colorado" sign. This passage rekindled good memories of my first Colorado crossing, twenty seven years ago. Cathy and I had left Clear Lake, IA for a family get-together just east of Denver.
Since this was my first time to see true mountains (not like those little ones back east), I had to stop and take a picture almost every mile. By the time we made it to Breckenridge and Estes Park, I had exhausted all my film. (What was film?)
Today, I had those same feelings of wanderlust, just like all those years ago.

While posing for pictures at the Colorado border, I met a most interesting and enthusiastic gentleman named Jay. We had a super conversation covering the gambit of bicycle touring, hiking, and mountain climbing. Jay just turned fifty and is embarking on a new phase in his working career. He and his wife have three children including an adult son in Boulder, CO.
Jay was on his way to climb Long's Peak with his son, and then head out to Portland, OR, to pick-up his wife. From there they will drive down the pacific coast for some relaxation in Napa Valley. Note: Jay had mountain climbing gear, hiking equipment, and a competitive bicycle in his car. Talk about a man that loves the outdoors!
Jay also has a blog at http://www.jaywalks.blogspot.com/.

This afternoon, a perfect tailwind expedited my arrival here in Yuma. Thank you God.

About twenty-five miles east of here, I stopped and talked with Joe, who each day cuts about twenty miles of roadway grass. His tractor and mower appeared brand new. Cutting grass alongside a highway might be dangerous, but he appeared calm and collected. I suppose you must constantly remain alert and watch for debris that could jam the mower blades.
Thanks Joe for keeping Colorado roads so beautifully maintained.

Last evening my brother, Dan, assisted with last minute trip routing adjustments. Thanks Dan for researching all the lodging possibilities within a fifty mile radius. It's probably worth mentioning, that had I not stayed in Benkelman, I would have been camping in a city park at Haigler. That's too rocky for comfort!

Best wishes for a fine evening.

PS: Seasons are a changing with crop harvesting, Friday evening high school football, and "rolly pollys crossing the highway.