Intracoastal Trike Ride

April 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment
John and trike

I just did my first 'trike' ride of 2013! No I didn't steal Sandy's niece's or nephew's three-wheeler. If you're not familiar with the modern recumbent trike, you're missing out on the fringe of the cycling fringe. The 'tadpole' recumbent has two wheels in the front and one in the rear. A good friend, recumbent bike and trike rider, and recumbent dealer introduced me to them a few years ago. When I retired I found myself spending a lot of time in his shop, learning about the different … [Continue reading...]

Westy Rambles West

April 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
primrose altha

We're in the thick of our third road trip with Primrose, our 82 Westy, this time hiking the trails of Florida's Panhandle. It's a good bit different than home: hilly, which both the van and our legs notice after six days, and rural! Right now we're hiking the Panhandle Trace with friends but also slipping out to search for pitcher plant bogs in the afternoon. Much fun in Florida's other time zone! Below: Altha trailhead on the Florida Trail south of Marianna, stop at Bobbies Waffle Iron in … [Continue reading...]

Off-roading, Westy-style

February 20, 2013 By 3 Comments
Yep, this was the road

With an odd twist of fate, our Valentine's trip and the first outing in our new VW camper "Primrose" included a side trip to visit an old friend and fellow ex-space worker's old family cabin. Driving along in the pouring rain, we called Dennis just before reaching the edge of the Ocala National Forest, where we knew our cell phone service would vanish. These were our instructions, to give him time to drive out to the highway to meet us. There is no mail box, no markers, and really not much of a … [Continue reading...]

On a Dogsled

February 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Dogsled in Quebec

Dashing through the snow with no horses, just dogs. It's a new experience for both of us, spending nearly an hour in frigid temperatures in the forests of Quebec. We'd signed up for a hike at a provincial park - which this time of year means snowshoes - but the change in plans turned out to be a delight. Traveling like the French-Canadian Voyageurs meant dealing with a team of dogs bred for speed. All they wanted to do was run, and it took all the effort John had to keep them in check. … [Continue reading...]

Warm thoughts from the Hotel de Glace

February 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Hotel de Glace

Connecting the words "frigid" and "honeymoon" doesn't make sense. Unless you're in Canada, in Quebec, in the dead of winter, and are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime way to kick off a life of marital bliss. Sitting in the chapel of the Hotel de Glace, marveling at its beauty, we listened intently to our tour guide's description of the weddings that had been held there, of the surprises that brides and grooms had sprung on each other inside these walls of ice. Yes, ice. Now in its … [Continue reading...]

«Older Posts