Hello, this is my BLOG

Way behind on my HOMEWORK!!!!!!

Just a few pics to give you an idea of what a great B&B this was!!! Yep, we have to go back, could have stayed here for DAYS!! Yep, they allow pups!!!! :)
White Buffalo Bar, no I did not have LCRNPS, I had a Saphire and Tonic!!! Yes, we got Tshirts and a hat = $100.00+++

Note: Toilet paper holder made from old mouth piece of bridel and piece of wood!!!! Need to tell Ollie about this to use at farm, cutdown on breakage!

Bathroom window!

Door to my room!

Courtyard to my room!


OK, THESE FLAGS WERE AT THE BEGINNING AND NO I CANNOT MOVE THEM!!!!!

Outside of courtyard to room!

Salt water, heated pool with waterfall!! I spent some quality time here!

The GAGE HOTEL, old railroad hotel, owned by state pks!! I could stay here for DAYS!!!!!

Barbara (oldest), me(shortest), Roberta and Frankie!

Guess Who??

Finally, the REAl welcome to Marathon, Texas sign!!

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First welcome sign you see headed into town, advertising the BIGGEST thing in town!!!

SAG SHOT OF SOME OF MY NEW FAMILY!! I'm in the middle!!!

Leaving Fort Davis and headed for MARATHON, TEXAS! 60.2 miles, leaving the state park, the wind was a HUGE head wind!! After the town we tunred left, TG!!! See flags to get wind velocity?? MPH >

OK, so I live in Marathon Fla and am headed to Marathon Texas!! Population there is 452, smaller, land locked, no bridge, has a train, No KMart, No HomeDepot, one Great Bar and one Great Hotel!!!!!

Not really a LONG ride, but the wind really beat us up today!!!!

Pics = I hope?

Another 0 mile marker, the family doens't seem to understand why I like these, of course when they see the 0 mm for KW on the bike they begin to understand. That's Baby Tennessee on my back, sh'e been on my back riding since BRAT where she was found!!!!!!

Crossing into New Mexico!




Pantry in the trailer/kitchen!! It really is amazing what she can cook out of this tiny area. Note tthe Igloo Cooler our refrigerators!




Kitchen in the back of the trailer, 2 burner stove is all there is!

Linda doing prep work for dinner!







Chef/Guide Linda at the back of the Trailer Kitchen, I'm sure I'm giving her advice on cooking!



Name that kind of cactus??



My friend Suzanne pointing to the NO GUNS sign on restaurant!!!! Az?

So Far Behind on My BLOG!!!!

"This is supposed to be a pic of me at the start?"

OK, so this is hard, ride all day, do hand laundry or machine laundry, eat dinner, and now you want me to write in the BLOG. So if the motel has WiFeeeeeee? we try an proceed. My old lap top is not happy using just anyone's wireless, have to go through procedure everytime to try and connect and then, guess what won't work!!! Won't allow me to bring in pictures I want, OK I'm pretty computer smart, but this is really pieing me off!!!!! So here goes nothing!!

Salome to Wickenberg Mar 11 =56.7 miles, flat land in Az, just like yesterday, except today we get to eat ice cream. Went into the BEST coffee shop in Az, and they have no decaf!!!! Not out, never have!?? Our hotel is at the far side of town (they all are and on the Lf side of busy street as always). Tonight, chef Linda cooks us lasagna. I have great kitchen pics to share if they ever upload?????? She cooks in Al galvanized pots with lids and spreads out charcoal under, between and over the pots. OK, I think I can do this on our next camping trip to the Tortuga's!! She does not use the grill to cook on itself!?

Wickenburg to Phoenix,, Az march 12 =68 miles = Great weather finally out of windshirt and tights. REally pretty area into West Phoenix, great bike shop on the route and I find the right size of "alligator tubes" and buy new gloves/heavier! One of my best friends Nema and her husband Randy live in Mesa, so Randy and Seth their gradnson are wiating for me in the parking lot. Off to Nema's I go to visit, do laundy and have dinner with them. We have a great visit, but short as Nema has to work (night super at hosp). Spent the night with them, took one of their cars and drove back to hotel to ride next am.

Phoenix to Apache Junction = 57 miles = More great weather, we rode though the greatest down town park, with bike lanes, ponds, ball fiends, picnic areas for miles. The Ladies join us a the SAG stop. Linda one of the girls with us is from Phoenix and these Ladies are her normal riding group, so they've come to meet and greet!!! This is a long day, all business except the park part ugh! Lunch at the Albertson Deli, sitting on the sidewalk outside!! Nema, picks me up at the hotel and back to her house. Tonight we make pumpkin bread with rasins and home made "sticky buns" for the girls breakfast. We had a great visit, I only wish she could travel with us for a few days and get out and about. Maybe someday!!!!!

Apache Juction to Globe Az = 48 mil. OK, so this is a real stupid day for me. Am at Nema's and drink 2+ cups of REAL coffee. We leave hotel have some good climbing to start, my nose is riunning off my face. So I stop and take not one Sudafed, but TWO!!!! If one works, two must be better?? Ok, we pull into the Buckhorn Rest for lunch! Well, the place is packed, only eating joint. We spend 2 hours waiting for a grilled cheese sandwich and fries! But, I manage to drink a gallon of Iced Tea!! BAck out to ride and now we are straight up!!! I can't breathe, I can't spit, and I can't pedal and I'm not sure I can walk?? OK, so we walk awhile and try to catch our breathe? Stop and PEEEE on side of rode X2 in one mile!!! Now, I know I'm in trouble. Make it to the SAG, right before the tunnel we go through. OK, so I decide I have to ride the tunnel before I die! It was so LOUD in the tunnel from the other cars, et al!! OK, so I have a great pic of me in corpse pose after the tunnel. My heart rate was over 160+. I SAGGED in and it took 2 hrs for my heart rate to get under 100. NO CAFFINE for me anymore! No wine tonight, just bed!!!

Globe to Safford, Az = 78 miles. Still don't feel great, rode portion of day and SAGGED in. Did have a Hot Nut Fudge Sundee at the Taylor Freeze!!

Safford Az to Lordsburg NM = 75 miles. Good day, still haveing some trouble with climbing, bike continues to slip in some gears?? Maybe I should fly Mike Maynor from Quality Bike out here or better yet, have him send me a new bike!
Margarita party tonight as another state goes down!!!!

Lordsburg, NM to Silver City = 47 miles . Beautiful day, not to cool, but I'm pedaling pretty slow, guess what slow up hill ALL day!! Finally, get to Silver City what a cute little down town. OK, our first lay day in 8 EIGHT days!!! OK, I have never ridden this many days and I take off for a Lynn day. Had a massage, you guessed it got my nails done, ate at cute restaurants, went to antique shop, and yes I rode the bike to town and left it at the bike shop. Today, we get a new chain for the bike and more tuneing??? Came home on bike and cleaned it!!! Today is St Paddy's day and yep, Miss Linda has fixed us Corned Beef and Cabbage et al with Ginness beer to drink! Got laundry done, another Yoga class. Shipped some uneeded junk home. Mailed Roxy her copy of Death Walks the Dry Tortuga's and Grandmom a present! I almost feel normal again. Almost!

Silver City to Kingston, NM = 48 miles STRAIGHT UP to 8228 elevation, the highest point of our ride!!! Cold starting out in the 30's (like a few of our monrnings have been) I have on my new rain/cold weather jacket from REI (emergency shipment), UnderArm gear liner with hood for COLD weather, bike jersy, sport bra, bike shorts and my regular (not for cold) tights!! OK, so that am, Frankie offer me her WOOL undershirt as she is not riding, I turn it down, STUPID!!! So we climb or walk all day, have to carry our food no lunch spot! Good SAG support!!! We see snow on the graoud about half way up! Saw wild turkeys and we walked together for quite a ways (have great pic). As I am arriving at the last mile or so, and I can tell this because of the tree line which has almost disappeared, I begin to see snow flakes falling! As I arrive at summit, wind is howling, Amy and JoAnn are waiting for me in the SAG ca, it's 1500. So we go and make pic of overlook and I decide to ride down, since it's ALL down hill to the Lodge. So off I go, I look over my shoulder and the biggest grey snow cloud is right behind me. Down the mt, it's now snowing, sleeting and raining. The SAG passed me because I've told her "only lights and sriens will take me in today". I'm now freezing, can't feel the brakes going down, so nice!!! Come up on 2 of the other girls getting in the SAG, they say its to slippery. Well, the SAG is full and I can't see freezing on the road, so I go on!!! Pull into town of Kingston population = 18, used to be the biggest town in NM!!! WE are staying at an old Hippie Lodge! I am frozen, go into lodge and can't even talk I'm shaking so badly!! OK< so the girls grab me up take me upstairs and throw me in hot shower. When I come out of shower, I'm in this cute little room under the gables with a fuzzy bathrobe for me to put on my cold body! My roommate Karn was wonderful to me, got me lots of "low class, red neck, pink shit wine". I have over half the group drinking LC, RN, PH!!!! They run this lodge as a B&B, so the inkeeper had cooked us a turkey dinner, which was good! This place has structures may of hay and clay. I'm sure someone would be interested in this. OK, the ggod news is it's stopped snowing and raining. We sleep on flannel sheet, I sleep under everything I can find!!!!!!

Kingston to Lac Cruces, NM = 88 miles = OMG it's 28 degrees this am and the wind is howling. Off I go, I'm freezing to death, I rode about 20+ miles, when I flag down the van and give up for the day!!! Many of us frozen people gave up that day. Now the intersting thing is this is usually the HOTTEST part of the ride??? But, now eveyone has usually mailed their winter clothes home. OK, so we get in and I get on the web to Colorado Biking co and order, thermal tights and rain/cold knickers (I give up on the lenght of rain pants, they don't do petite and I don't have a sewing machine). Linda, makes us Lentil Soup and cornbread and salad for dinner.

Las Cruces NM to El Paso = 66 miles. Today, I have a horrible cold, no riding for me. Maybe I can stay warm, drink liq and take LOTS of drugs!!!! Good Idea. We get into bike shop that open on Sundays at 1000, they opened early for us as we have 3 bikes in need of care!!! Oh I'm so happy, there winter wear is 25% off. So I buy, thermal lined tights, heavy winter biking gloves, winter toe covers for my sandals and heavy winter socks!!! I'm hopeing this will make the warm weather come!!!!!!! I spend $58. at the drup store on cold meds!!!!! Margarita party, lots of dancing in the street, you should see us dance at night while we wash dishes! People at the hotel look at us strangly??? Can you imagine! Did NOT fall in love with a Mexican Woman!

El Paso to Ft Hancock, Tx = 47 miles = Cold begining around 37 or so riding the Mission Trail and Texas Mountain Trail = get the pic? Was lots of flats today, bumpy rodes and yep the "wall that Bush built on my right". Everyone keeps asking how long it is?? Must research it! Ft Hancock is a hole in the wall on the I-10 corridor. Nothing there, very old motel, clean but old. We have Pork roast, Mac and cheese, great dinner. Bubba and the Coast 2 Coast ride who are behind me will be staying in this lovely metropolis! He has left JoAnn and I a C2C cap. NOw the whole family wants one of these caps?

Ft Hancock, Tx to Van Horn = 75 miles = Very cold, OK, we're still not feeling to great and give up again today!!! Did get some mailing and errands run in the town! Post Office and Drug store! Ate in Chew's "Madden's Haul of Fame"! Yea, I know. Tonight we celebrated Sue's birthday and have great turkey chili and salad. Wind is howling at least in the right direction!!!!!!! Amy is my roommate tonight and guess what she is getting a cold!

VAn Horn to Ft Davis Tx = 90 miles (Remember the part about the Texas Mountain Trail) well this is it!!! I didn't know they have mts in Texas but they do. OK, so it's cold can you imagine???? I ride for 45 miles, mostly on I-10, one would think you would love riding on the Interstatem but I can't relax, to many trucks and RV's, not to mention the merging traffic, pieces of ties, bungie cords, metal et al!!!! We have an outside picnic of tuna salad and chili et al. Now there is this HUGE climb to the top of the mt, I am not up for this. SAG into Davis Mountains State Park/Indian Lodge. We have dinner in the lodge and get to spend 2 nights here as its a LAY day again!! Yea, no laundry services?? Next am we ruck into town of Ft Davis (confederate) and go to the RV Pk to use the laundry. Most of the stores are closed, "she only opens occassionally", "she's OOT buying more stuff", didn't take me 45 min to scope of the town. Now back at Lodge. BIG signs "Mountain Lions have been seen in park, watch your children".

Bike Problems

OK, so I bought one of those expensive suitcases to ship the bike to Ca!! Took bike to bike shop in Big Pine and had it serviced, et al, and the boys packed it up for shipping for me!!! Note the right hand upper corner!







So on Monday before the ride I get a call from Bernie's Bike Shop in San Diego = "your bike was damaged in transit??? Your DROP OUT HANGER for the Rear Derailer is broken. I don't have the part and you need to find one??"



OK, so I'm in Las Vegas with my daughter, and we begin to ride around town with the phone book in my lap calling away!!! OK, so every bike shop keeps saying "can you just bring in the drop out hangar, we need to look at it" even the shops that carry GIANT! So after 4 hours and no success, I call back to Ca guy, he has found one in San Francisco to order!!! Then, I finally get my brain together and call QUALITY BIKE SHOP in Savannah, Ga where the bike came from = duh!!!!! Talked to Robert and got the real scoop on the hangar et al!! Then, he has one of the mechanics call me back and they are ready to send the part to Calif for me!! Now that's what GOOD FRIENDS are all about!!! Just be careful if you're ever there if he's helping you with BIKEPANTS!!!! So I call back to Ca and Roger has found one there in San Diego! OK, so my life is back to normal!!


Picked up the bike in San Diego, rode it to the hotel, no problems!! Am with our bike mechanic Carol and we're looking at the spare tube Roger sold and I'm saying "this is not the right size" she agrees. OK, I should have thought about this this was a SIGN!!!



OK, now flash forward to Alpine and remember the hills I couldn't bike!!!! So Carol the bike mechanic and I begin to work on my bike. Yea, for those of you who know me, scary!!!!! OK, so I have NO GRANNY gear on the center ring and no lowest gear on the cog! (So much for the Bike Mech in SD). So we begin to use tools on the bike, real scary!!!! Now, I have a Granny and NO BIG ring on the center ring!! This will be the VERY best we can do, can't fix the clog at all. So I'm w/o 12+ gears!!!!!



I leave Alpine in the am, headed up a HUGE hill, steady climb for 7+ miles, through town, so lots of stops, YEA!! Of course, I can't uncleat and lay myself and bike down at stoplight! Woman standing on corner, starts laughing and says" you did that GREAT, you should be a comedian" visions of Laugh In and the tricycle!! I was not laughing!!



So I did some more cross training, make it to the SAG stop, 12 miles. I figure I walked about half. OK, we're done for the day!! Got to get the gears worked on!!!!!



Into Jacumba, quaint hotel!! NO WiFi, no laundry, not much of anything, but we can see the WALL for Mexico, spitting distance, BIG WALL!! Cold weather, dinner out of trailer, burritos for dinner!!!! BAck to room = flooded with ground water!!! Get that taken care of and wake up at 0430 and guess what it is RAINING BIG DROPS!!!!!! Still raining at 0600 = now raining on bed and lower flood is back and rising!!! It's in the 30's, the guides decide to ferry the girls down the big hill!!! She came back for the large group pf nonriders!! OK, now it is sleeting and we're loading bikes on the top of the van! OK, now it's SNOWING!!!!!!! Oh, I'm so glad I didn't ride today!!! Road trip to Brawley!! Beef Stroganoff(sp) for dinner!!!



OK, next am we have a 90+ mile trip to Blythe. Lots of rollers, few hills and I decide to ride it!!!
What a great day, good weather, good riding, the guides fixed ua the BEST picnic on the road with all kinds of sandwich stuff, ham and bean soup, et al!!! Made it into town by 1530!! yea, Lynn!!! This is our first lay day and woo hoo they have a bike shop!!!!! We get taken out to the Wester Sizzler for dinner!!



Next am, I invite my new friends to YOGA class at 0830!! Over half of the crew showed for class, many of whom had never done Yoga!!! It was great, I even discussed Yoga moves while biking!!!!



Next on the agenda is BIKE MECHANIC Class!! OK, so we take the bike apart and clean the Jessie!! It was filthy! So this is where I say the Big Pine Bike shop did NOT clean the bike?? OK, so maybe I didn't ask the right Triage ??'s when I went there?? But, the boys at Quality Bike would have called me and said "Miss Lynn, you bike really needs a good cleaning before you start across country"!! So now we clean and clean, lube and lube. Then, we take 3 of our bikes to the Bike Shop! This bike shop sells Motorcycles, Jet Ski's, and a few bike items, no bikes?!! But, the mechanic is great and he gets all 3 of our bikes fixed!! Oh yea, and I found the nail salon (2nd one, had to make an emergency stop on the first day, you know me!!! Still got the Mardi Gras toes going!! I had had a huge lunch, so didn't go out to eat with the family!!



Next am, To Salome, Az (yep, new state already)!! 64 miles!! Ride into Sweet Darlene's Rest and Bakery!! OK, you know what comes next!!!!

























The Pie Board describes this as Lemon Marange(their spelling not mine, in fact many of the pies were spelled a little differently)!

Poor presentation = paper plate, no fork, tangy lemon taste, short meringue, would have like more of the lemon layer!!! Note the Super Bowl napkin, out of my back pocket from the Albertson's Deli on the first day! Well, ya never know when you might need a napkin in the wilderness!!!! SCORE = 2 1/2 lemons!

My new family did not quite understand the payyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeee thing!! But, they now get the picture of what eating payyyyee is all about. Did not share my payyyyyee with anyone!!!!

Lunch in Hope, great sign as you are leaving town "Your are now beyond Hope"!!!!!

Into Salome, our hotel and bar across street are it!!! We get to have a Margarita Party because we're in a new state!!!!! We have Chinese chicken cooked out of the trailer!! Great!!!!!

OK, I've caught up a bunch. Many nights I'm to tired, can't get on WiFi, no WiFi, et al!! More to come!!!!!!!

March 5 = San Diego to Alpine, Ca

The morning begins with bft at the trailer, which is where many of my ams will begin. We're riding our bikes to Dog Beach to dip our rear tires in the Pacific Ocean!! That means you get to the beach, take off shoes, socks, lay down the extra junk and carry your bike down to the water. Where's a sherpa when you need him????

Now I have to say "Goodbye" to my daughter who was so sweet to come out with me and carry all of her Mom's "crap" back to Las Vegas and mail home to Fla for me!! Anyone who knows me and has carried my luggage knows I'm over the weight limit. After stopping 3 times on the way out and moving, dropping, thinning, and leaving stuff, I still have to much. Changing from suitcase to gym bag of Ginger's really helped. I've given up many articles of clothing: like a bathrobe, heavy jacket, makeup bags, nail polish, and so much more!!!!!!

Left Dogs Beach at 0900, headed down great rails to trail along the water, so beautiful!!! Then, into downtown San Diego, Friday am traffic, oh yea merging is so fun, especially going RIGHT!!! OK, so I knew the first big hill would be hard, "SHORT FAT WOMEN WHO LIVE AT SEA LEVEL SHOULDN'T BE UPPPPPPPPPPPP HERE" I've said that many times before and just don't learn! Couldn't get into the granny gear, so we cross train and walk. Thank goodness I walk the old 7 mile bridge @ home everyday I can! I can walk and push a bike almost any grade at 3 mph, faster than most bikers on same hill!! So three times that day we cross train. Arrive in Alpine at 1430 = 34 miles at 2200 elevatio ( remember we came from sea level today)! Grat hotel, dinner outside at the trailer: tilapia, fig/bean salad, rice et al = wonderful!! First, roommate = Sue from Dallas + Great girl!! Seesuespin.blogspot.com (she writes the best BLOG)!!

San Diego = March 4, 2010

The journey begins: Ginger and I arrived last pm to San Diego, we've brought Mamie her dog with us. You know me can't travel anywhere w/o dog! Bft next am, met girls from Helen, Ga run B&B there(my dream job?), also met old friend of Bubba's = JoAnn! Lunch at Ocean Beach with Ginger, the beach girl had to see the surf and put her toes in the water!!! No ass in the sand! Returned to hotel for orientation and meet my new family for the next 2 months! Then, bicycle workshop (now you know I needed that!). Down to LaJolla for sunset, drinks and sushi on the waterfront!! Ending the evening with dinner with the new family!!