LIFE ACROSS AMERICA 2010

Guess what?

Before I forget it … what did Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower say about his presidency?  Don’t know? 

 No problem, let me help you out!

“The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.”  Dwight D. Eisenhower, Homecoming Speech, June 22, 1945.

Abilene became a town (or a spot on the map) way back in 1857 when the Hershey’s settled into a dugout in the banks of Mud Creek.

Abilene also became the 1st cowtown when the Kansas Pacific Railroad and Chisholm Trail crossed. 

Here is Abilene’s claim to fame … “Everything you have seen or heard about cowboys happened here first!”

The town is the home to some famous lawmen:  Tom Smith and Wild Bill Hickok …

Well, that’s my walk down history and memory lane with you … about Abilene, Kansas.

What can I say about cycling into Abilene?

What an incredible day!  It was awesome!   The “wind Gods” smiled on us and gave us the “wind beneath our wheels” and a great big tailwind!  (How about a 20.6 mph average for 64 miles into Abilene?)

Thank you for a really neat lesson in “cycling strength and power’ … taught to me by Phil (one of our most consistent, safe, and strongest riders … who put the “hammer” down and dropped me on one of the rolling hills and then he was gone … although I was able to keep him in sight until we all stopped for a picture at the ABB 1/2 way point which was marked on the highway!

Also thank you to Kiwi Rick (from New Zealand) who agreed to work with me trying to keep Phil and Gerard in sight ,,,  Rick is an awesome paceline partner … way to go, Rick!  (We were doing 28 mph together only to find out later that Phil and Gerard were crusing along at 30+ mph. Darn!”

Adella started early today with Pam and their goal was to not get caught by the ABB peloton … at least until the 1/2 point of the ABB ride. (see the Facebook photos)

After that …. and another 9 miles came an awesome SAG stop … where I was able to enjoy fresh blueberries, sweet cheeries, small cupcakes … plus all of our normal stuff to eat.

As we left the SAG … I was able to get my picture taken with a local deputy sheriff … Jab Jacquart … very friendly and willing to take a picture with us. (another tiny little guy … not!)

Once again I hooked up with Kiwi Rick … and … we had a blast .. pedaling our wee little behinds off! (It was really cool because we would turn LEFT and the wind would be in our faces for about a mile … then we would turn RIGHT and we would have a tailwind for  5 miles … no way to describle it other than, AWESOME!

I then hooked up to the cycling train of:  Big John H, Larry J., Kiwi Rick, Gerard, Pam, and Joy.

Once in Abilene we stopped at the cafe … “The Dish” … great food, friendly hostess, great decor, and lots of cyclist camaraderie!

While there … I notice a framed saying titled …

FAMILY

“Let’s be grateful for those who give us happiness, they are the charming gardners who make our soul bloom.  Marcel Proust”  (I took a picture of it because it really touched my heart!)

Then back to the hotel and now to finish the blog, go to DQ, and get ready for a new day of 108 miles tomorrow … cycling into Topeka, KS. (Channel 27 out of Topeaka may give us an interview tomorrow.)

Here’s a note from the SLC reporter Hikari about the upcoming article in Mormon Times/Deseret News:

• Hi Larry and Adella!

  Just wanted to let you know that the article on you guys will go live online tomorrow (JULY 3) at mormontimes.com
  
  Also, the print edition runs on THURSDAY (JULY 8). I will make sure to grab some and send them home for you to the address that Adella gave to me!

  I have been telling people all about you guys! I’m glad to hear that things are going well!

  -Hikari

Well, that’s about it for today … talk to you tomorrow.

“Set in America’s heartland, McPherson has become one of Kansas’s most progressive communities.”(The McPherson Sentinel)

German Mennonites and Swedish immigrants settled this community.  Farmland adjacent manufacturing keeps the local economy strong, even though it’s always changing.  All the residents that I’ve met so far (including the local firemen) are very friendly and seem genuinely concerned for our safety on the road.  What I’ve seen so far is a thriving community with a “spirit of home” that is obvious to us visitors.  I love the “Main Street” atmosphere with its local shops, etc. If you have time check out the Opera House and the Museum. (adapted from the Visitor Edition of the Sentinel)

Now back to our 64 mile ride from Great Bend to McPherson, KS … it was a little chilly this morning (for me) and a little wind in your face, yet not too bad.

Adella and I rode together to the 1st SAG stop … because we had a phone interview with Brent Ferris on KZST, 100.1 FM, in Santa Rosa, CA. … we stopped at the side of the road and did our interview … giving some of the “highlights” of our ride so far … like climbing over Monarch Pass, 11312 feet … Adella racing some horses with her bicycle and then taking a picture on the same horse, and Larry meeting the mature silver haired foxy ladies of Cimarron .

We even were able to mention a couple of amazing and interesting people we have met … one of them  being Rabbi George S. … from our local hometown of Santa Rosa, CA.   I think Brent wants us to talk more about the “wild and crazy” or very unusual and interesting people we’ve met so far.   I forgot to mention to Brent … “you know we are in Kansas and that we are riding bicycles, right?”    I did tell him that we’ve cycled 1869 miles so far … Wow!  Sometimes that’s even hard for me to believe?

After the SAG stop … Adella decided to ride by herself and I started out by myself on the last 40 miles facing an “in your face” headwind …  after riding the 1st 23 miles with Adella … For the day, I still ended up with a 14.6 mph average, not bad for an old guy!

After I entered the city of McPherson, KS, I decided to stop at the local fire station at 312 E. Kansas.  I met some amazing firemen and they gave me a mini tour and who also allowed me to take a picture with them in front of their brand new fire truck … it’s more like an incredible fire-fighting machine. (rumor has it that it cost a of money … yet it’s worth it … if it protects the good people of McPherson!) 

 Basicallythe title in the local paper article should read …  a retired Oakland, CA, ”cop” stopped by to thank local firemen for the great job they do … a personal “thank you” to: Cpt. Chris Biehler, Lt. Jeff McClure (a very funny guy), FF Jeff Wendt, FF Willy Lulloff, and FF Will Krehbiel … they were amazing to me because they took the time to share two of their most precious commodities with me … their “time” and their new “fire engine”!  Thanks guys!

After a friendly photo session … (check out the Facebook account of “Give Blood”) I rode down to Braum’s Ice Cream Parlor and had a Hot Fudge Milkshake … it was awesome! 

While there Larry Johnson and I talked to a local Mennonite lady and her granddaughter … she was a 2nd generation Mennonite and had a big farm in the area.  Very friendly to us and said she used to ride bicycles where ever she needed to go somewhere, so she was amazed at what we were doing … also she had been a “blood donor” and said that her church had just held a big blood drive.

Then on to the Best Western to check in, and now Adella and some of the “ladies” have gone to the opening of the new “Twilight” movie.  We’ll see what she has to say when she returns.

I just talked to Jen Shoffner(our publicist) and she’s taking a couple days of vacation over the weekend.  (Great job Jen … you deserve it!)

I also talked to a reporter (JaNae) from the McPherson Sentinel about how “Giving Blood in the one Gift that truly comes from your heart!) … she promised to check out the website and our Facebook account.  (Thanks to Fran’s children for bringing her into the loop for his cause!)

Today started out a little slow … slow to wake up, slow to get packed up, slow to get to breakfast, slow to get loaded, and slow to get started … and yet … finally on the road.  (Adella decided to ride with Lauren today, because she’s still having challenges with her knee.)

I started off with Tony, Wade and Fran (they were gracious enough to let me ride with them)  … I rode with them to the 1st SAG stop (this is the MIDWAY point between SF and NYC) … yet the longer I rested …  the more my legs, back and muscles stiffened up, so I decided to take off on my own to give myself a chance to warm up before they caught up with me … it wasn’t too long before Larry J … caught up with me and we decided to ride together … pulling from “mile marker” to “mile marker”

Wow!  Larry’s 75 years young … yet, he’s a very strong rider … so we were cruising along between 18-19 mph and guess what?

Noone caught up with us … so after the 2nd SAG stop … we decided to do it again!

Along the highway I saw a couple of Kansas State troopers who had stopped a big rig … I stopped and talked to a Master Trooper Stanton … and he agreed to a picture with me and I gave him a big “hug” and thanked him for his service and asked him to be safe out there, he then asked me what happened to my legs, so I told him.  He then told me how he had been “hit” in the back by a passing motorist’s mirror and told me to also “be careful”.

We continued our trek and started getting blasted with more “crosswinds” yet we were both very consistent and before we knew it, we were pulling into Great Bend, and Larry pulled off for a “smoothie” and I went to the hotel to help unload our luggage.

After I was finished I rode back over to WalMart to buy some lotion (Curel) and sunblock … also to get my glasses fixed … I guess when I hugged the state trooper, the eyeglass screw fell out. (typed with  a smile!) Yet the Vision Care lady was able to fix it right away… so now I’m a happy camper!

We are now receiving lots of media contact calls from Bethlehem, PA, Kansas City and St. Joseph, MO plus Richmond, Indiana, Gainesville, FL, Atlanta, GA, Mobile, AL and Dayton, Ohio.

A special thanks to our friends at the local blood centers … you are amazing!

If you get a chance … our pictures are now updated on Facebook … at Give Blood.

Wow!  Can you believe it?  Yes, it’s true …

We are already  in Dodge City, KS … and we’ve  cycled 1720 miles and we are on Day 24.  That is amazing to me!

Great job, Adella!  You are an amazing trooper … and we are almost 1/2 way to Portsmouth, NH.

I received an email from Paul Maher (my roommate in 2008) … he will be riding 5 days with us across upstate New York … it will be great to see and ride with him again.

We took lots of very neat pictures today … make sure to check out Facebook at the Give Blood account.

I again rode with Tony, Wade and Fran … they were nice enough to let me ride with them … after Adella decided to ride with Lauren.

Today was Wade’s turn to have a “blowout” on his rear tire … we stopped and got it fixed, then Gerard rode with us to the SAG stop and we were cruising at 2s6-27 mph. (He was just taking it easy on us!)

Today was a “fun”  ride … with a 19.5 mph average to the 1st SAG stop and a 17.5 mph average for the overall day!

We stopped for a lot of pictures … saw a lot of “feedlots” for thousands of cattle, they were huge and seemed to go on for miles.

We stopped in the quaint little town of Cimarron at an old time 50″s soda fountain … it was awesome!

I had a Hot Fudge Mikeshake that was delicious and I met 5 of the town’s most famous silver haired “foxes” … I can’t remember all of their names, yet, that had lived there for years.  One had a grocery store with her husband, one was a school teacher and a librarian, another said that she “waited on” her husband, and another one was a “blood donor” … they were amazing and allowed Adella and I to take a picture with them, they were funny and had a great sense of humor. (check out the pix of Cimarron’s Five Silver Haired Foxes)

We stopped to get some interesting pictures at the Santa Fe Trail historical markers, and at the Dodge City Cowboys tribute where Tony and Wade carried their bicycles all the way to the top of the monument for a picture.

We are now at the Dodge City hotel and getting ready for some much needed fun tonight at the Boot Hill Museum.

Also we were able to wash and dry our clothes … thank goodness!  (Clean shorts are a must for this kind of cycling tour!)

While that was going on … Adella was playing piano and then Gerard and Robert decided to sing, play piano and harmonica. (They really sounded great together)

In the meantime, Adella played ping pong with Wade and it was “down to the wire” for each game … yet … they had a lot of fun playing each other!

This afternoon Gerard is teaching us some new “tips” on cycling, how to look back without falling down, how to make quick turns, how to dodge rocks, and most of all … how to make quick and much needed stops. (Boy do we need this!)

Tonight there will be a Gun Fight at 7 p.m. scheduled in honor of Michelle our cyclist “mom”, and at 7:30 we will attend the “Miss Kitty” show … a good time will be had by all in attendance or else!

The trick to Dodge City is not how easy it is to get here … it is how easy it will be to get out of Dodge City alive?

It should be a lot of fun … and … I’ll check in with you on the details later.

Note: A special thank you to Lauren Larsen for talking to Scott today … you are both amazijng.

Also this afternoon, both Adella and I did an phone interview with Gary K … from Life South in Florida … preparing for our visits in Atlanta, Gainesville, and Mobile.  (We have met before on the Five Points of Life ride in 1997 when we rode through to Gainesville, FL.

That should be enough for now.

Whoopee! 105 miles from Lamar, Colorado … to … Garden City, KS. (average speed 16.4 mph)

Yes, it’s true we are now in KANSAS! 

This is Day 23 of our trip … once again I rode with Tony, Wade and Fran …

What a beautiful state …  for us cyclists lots of “rollers” … and … unfortunately … lots of wind … mostly cross winds which means it’s really hard to develop an effective paceline, because, the “rumble strips” are always in the way for the 4th rider … because it stifles the proper echelon positioning to find the sweet spot. (the area of the draft where you are most protected from the cross wind.

Yet it was a great day!  Even though I had a flat on the road … it was right after Scott’s group also had a flat … so it must have been a “sympathy” flat!

Thanks to Tony … because he helped me fix it and Gerard came by with the pump … which saved me using a compressed air bottle.

Lots of cool pix today … both mine and Adella’s! (don’t forget to check out the pix at “Give Blood” on Facebook.

Later in the day … Tony had a real intense “blowout” which completely ruptured the tube and the tire … it was awesome!

He was able to ride it to a stop, just like the professional he is … good job, Tony!

Well, that all for right now … I may add more later.

Today started off very early … we said our prayers and read our scriptures.

Breakfast was at 5:00 a.m. and  load time was 5:45 a.m.

So we were on the road early … I rode by myself in the beginning.

Then I rode for awhile with Rand, his son, Will and his good friend … we were cruising along about 15 mph and I was waiting to see if Adella was going to catch up with me.

After a period of time I decided to move on up the road … and I guess that is when Adella caught up with Rand and he told her that I had just left because I thought she wasn’t coming … it was funny because she really sped up and caught up with me just as the SAG van appeared and she needed water and pulled off to fill up.

From that point on … I decided to hook up with Fran, Tony, and Wade … so we rode together all day … and … a total of 121 miles for me … 16.5 mph average.

We had 3 scheduled SAG stops and it was a long, long  day. 

Note: There are some very large “feedlots” in or near Lamar … with thousands of cattle being prepared for the market.  (Check out the pictures on Facebook)

Also Wade had a flat and I must say … his father, Tony is very fast and very efficient at changing a tire.

We are now at the hotel catching up on the blog and looking for a quick snack before we have our scheduled dinner.

That’s it for today … talk to you tomorrow.

Wow!  Today was a well deserved rest day.  We were picked up at 9:00 a.m. by Rudy Sosa, the Regional Director for BonFils in Pueblo, CO. area.  We were in competition with a huge annual Hot Rod car show held in Pueblo.

We spent the morning visiting with and thanking the local “blood donors” … it was awesome and we met some really incredible men and women at the BonFils blood center. (check out the pix on Facebook at “Give Blood”)

I was able to squeeze in a “haircut” in between the blood drive and the afternoon barbeque and birthday party for Kristin (one of Adella’s childhood friends from SR) which was held at her family’s home in Pueblo, CO.

We had a blast visiting with Merrill, Jody, and the rest of the family, who are friends of ours from the Santa Rosa, CA, area … you should see all the baby pictures … I loved it … surrounded by munchkins … hence the many pictures of babies on Facebook.

By 3:00 p.m. I was exhausted and returned to the hotel for a well deserved nap … Adella woke me up later and said it was time to eat dinner … so off to dinner with Fran and Rob (fellow cyclists)  in the hotel restaurant.

We are now catching up on our packing for a 3:30 a.m. wake up … hopefully in time to get a “sunrise start” on our next long 120 mile day from Pueblo to Lamar, CO.

Not sure what the weather tomorrow will be like … it seems that we are getting “conflicting” weather reports … windy, possible T-storms, rain, wind at our back, wind in our faces … just not sure?

Too much to think about … I’m going to bed!

A special thanks to Julie, Rudy and his family, and all of the blood donors who are on the “tree of life” at the Pueblo, Bonfils Blood Center … there are so many who have helped saved “lives” of those in need … just like me!

Talk to you tomorrow.

Today was another awesome day.

An early start at 5:45 a.m. because we had a 95 mile day from Salida to Pueblo.  It started fairly brisk and chilly … yet, without too much wind, and a slight downhill … which was most welcome.

Last night, Adella had some “anxiety” about a line on her bicycle frame that she hadn’t noticed before … first she checked with me and I wasn’t sure  … so she decided to check this morning, with Gerard (the mechanic) who said it wasn’t a hairline “crack”, it was just a hard plastic decal and the edge of it looked like a crack.

After loading luggage and checking our tires for 120 p.s.i. … we then rode our bikes over to Patio’s for some incredible pancakes … I personally had their “blueberry” pancakes and I must say they were loaded with blueberries and very delicious. (lots of anti-oxidants for the day)

Adella suggested I go ahead and take off and ride my own ride for the day… which I did for awhile.

At first I rode with Lauren … then watched as “Big John” came whizzing by … he was too quick for me to jump in with him.

As I settled into a rythym of about 23 mph … I was able to clearly see all of God’s beauty surrounding me in the mountains and on the river banks, as I rode down 50 East adjacent to the Arkansas River for about 21 miles.

At about mile 23 I noticed Fran, Tony and Wade as they passed me … riding along effortlessly, so I rode with them for a little while, then they stopped for pictures and I decided to continue to hold my cadence and speed.

Within a couple of miles, I came up behind ”Kiwi Rick” from New Zealand, said “hi” and he said “Oh you’ve decided to stretch out your legs today, eh?  I said “yes”  and decided to stay with my original cadence, etc.

Somehow in my mind I thought the 1st SAG was at 27 miles … so when I didn’t see it there … I was really disappointed, especially when I doublechecked the route slip and the mileage said it would be at 37.8 miles.  (Darn, I had another 10 miles to go! Maybe I started out too fast, whoops!)

As I was cruising along … I noticed a small group of cyclists coming up behind me … so I slowed up a wee bit so that I would crest the hill that I was climbing at about the same time they were passing me.

Which gave me a chance to shift up a couple of gears and use the downhill to help me jump on the paceline with Rick, Kevin and Phil, it was a welcome bit of relief for me as I worked into their paceline and they carried me to the SAG in record time … 37 miles in a 20+ mph average … not bad, eh?

At the SAG stop … I took a lot of pictures … (see Facebook for the photos of lots of scenery, cyclists and even some mountain goats.)

After the SAG I continued on to the 2nd SAG … (did I ever tell you how much I love ORANGES?)  That’s my favorite snack at the SAG stops.  I usually don’t have much competition for the oranges … except when Tony is around … he loves them almost as much as I do! (Thank you Judy and the crew for making sure there are always plenty of great snacks at the SAGS … especially oranges!)

I spent the rest of the day cycling (on and off) behind Gloria and Nancy, they always “crush me” on the hills … and… then I seem to be able to “kick it up a notch” and sometimes catch them on some of the awesome downhills, like we had today.

Later in the day, Adella called me and asked me to wait on her … which I did … she said she wasn’t feeling good and decided to SAG in with only 10 miles to go. (I was surprised because at the SAG stops, Scott, Rob, Lester and some of the other cyclists had said how strong she was riding today,  oh well, sometimes we overdo it, and there is always a “fine line” between doing really good and just being exhausted!)

We were supposed to attend a blood drive in Penrose, CO, for Bonfils … however, the timing of it didn’t work out. (Sorry Julie!)

After Adella  was safely in the SAG van … I put the hammer down and tried to get back into my original “cadence and rythym” , although it was much harder because … it was now about 98 degrees outside!

Luckily we still had a slight tailwind … so I was able to cover the last 10 miles fairly quickly.

As I came into Pueblo … I saw a Dairy Queen with several bicycles parked there … I couldn’t resist and gave in to the “sugar addiction” and stopped and ordered a LARGE chocolate milk shake … Ummmm, Gooood!

That literally was the “ice cream on top of the cake” … and a nice exclamation point to a very good and strong day for me!

Then finally on to the Holiday Inn and checked in … Adella was already there … and had moved our luggage to the room, thank you Adella!

(One minor inconvenience today for me and Adella … mosquitoe bites … where we develop “huge huge welts” which itch intensely!  Yuck!  It reminds me of my days in Vietnam … every evening the eternal battle with the mosquitoes and the intense itch that goes with it!

Wow!  Can you believe it? We’re already in Pueblo, CO, and we’ve ridden almost 1500 miles so far, in 20 days!

Tomorrow is our rest day, yet we have a blood drive to attend from 9:00 a.m. to noon.  (Rudy from Bonfils will pick us up at the hotel at 9:00 a.m.)

That pretty much covers it for today … talk to you later.

Today started off very hectic … because the “wake up call” at the hotel didn’t happen and I woke up about 45 minutes later than usual.  That meant that Adella woke up late and we were running around trying to get breakfast, and load luggage on time.

Adella went to eat breakfast with the other cyclists and I had “hot oatmeal” in our room.  I decided to skip the group breakfast and ride alone … about 5 miles into the trip I realized that we had to do our “call in” to KZST at 7:50 a.m.

Adella called me to remind me,  but she wasn’t able to catch up with me in time … so I talked to Brent at KZST (100.1 FM) in Santa Rosa, Ca., and said “hi” for her … if you visit our website … on the “How to follow the journey page?” you can click on the KZST link to listen to the interviews.

Adella caught up with me a little later and we rode together up the mountain for awhile, until she “kicked it in” and scampered away from me …

Wow!  Adella is getting to be quite a good climber and she really enjoys it!  Even Judy C., one of our co-leaders (who I rode across America with in 2008) said she even noticed how strong Adella is, and has noticed how much stronger she is getting on a daily basis.

I sure noticed it today … as I watched her pedal her way past me and several other cyclists as she pedaled up the 9 mile climb to the summit of Monarch Pass … 11,312 feet!

It took me a long time to climb the 9 miles to the summit.  Yet it was worth it!  Adella was waiting and we took our ceremonial pictures in front of the Monarch Pass sign which says 11,312 feet.  (Just like we did when Aaron and I climbed the Pass in 1996 together.)   Check out the Facebook pictures for today … they are awesome!

Once the picture taking was over … Adella and I took the Tram up to the top of the mountain to 12,000 feet and were able to take some amazing and awesome pictures!  We were able to see 14,000 Foot Peaks in all directions!

Then we bought a shirt and a sweater that says … “I climbed Monarch Pass!”

Then came the most incredible downhill of 20+ miles and then a really nice tailwind … all the way to the hotel … it was awesome!

The best descending day that we’ve had so far …

When we arrived at the hotel … there were some little kids selling lemonade at the hotel … it was really cool so we bought some lemonade and we took our pictures with them.

I thought I would share some excerpts from the journal entry in 1996 as we climbed up over Monarch and then down to Salida, CO.

• Today we started out from Gunnison and rode 66 miles to Salida, Colorado.  It was a very cold crisp morning to start out with… 36 degrees.  But the wind was either at our backs or no wind at all.  So it was a perfect riding day and then we started climbing up to the summit of Monarch Pass, a 10 mile climb up to 11,312 feet in altitude.  
•  Finally after our first sag stop we started climbing and we climbed and we climbed and we climbed!  Finally we could see the summit and we made it… we took pictures of us and the bikes. 
•  The views today were even more tremendous than yesterday.  The more we climbed the better the views. 
•  The winds at the top were really blowing so we had to dress warm for the downhill. 
•  Then Aaron and I started on our 20 mile downhill into Salida, it was awesome because we never got below 30 mph and most of the time were traveling about 38 mph even though we had to be careful because of sidewinds. 
• We arrived at the Days Inn at 1:30 pm.
•  Today was a great day and probably the high point of this Life Across America ride.

Well, that’s it for today … a day that started out “challenging” and ended up as one of the best cycling days yet!  Whoopee!

Talk to you soon.

Today started early because we had several climbs to do … up to the summit of Cerro, 7740 feet.

As usual the wind started just as siib as  we left the hotel and started our climb … the wind was very strong and in our face.(again)

This time I made up my mind early that I was climbing to the top or die trying … and … the bright side of the climb was that Adella is quickly becoming a very good cyclist and I watched her fade away in the distance as she climbed up and away from me.

The long and short of the day was that it was windy all the way to the top of the climb … then the wind settled down and we were able to enjoy a nice long downhill … all the way down  to the old general store that served “pies”. 

Everyone stopped there to enjoy the decor of the old place and the old man sitting in the store allowed us to take pictures with him. (see Adella’s pix on Facebook)

I decided to forego the piece of apple pie and started to climb up our next climb … which ended at the next summit.

Then came the downhill that we all had been waiting on … we descended all the way down to Blue Mesa Lake … it was very scenic and seemed to go on forever and ever.(lots of beautiful pictures and incredible scenery)

On the downhill I hooked up with Freddie and his friend, Sumner, for an enjoyable and quick descent … we had a lot of fun riding together. (by the way Sumner is a 4 GALLON blood donor … I made a special point to give him a “hug” and to say thank you to Sumner because it was blood donors just like him who saved my life!)

Then we stopped at the Pinnacles rest area and Adella caught up with us … then she and I rode the next 20 miles together all the way to the hotel (Days Inn)

We decided then to ride the extra 1-2 miles into downtown Gunnison … to go to the bicycle shops and get something to eat.

Neither bike shop had what I was looking for … a Cateye Strata with cadence and wireless … so I just bought some chain lubricant.

Afterwards we went to the Firestaff restaurant and had something to eat … and … there we met Randy and Heather … who were on their way to mountain bike some local peak this evening.

The 2nd bicycle shop had a little boy named Burke with a  brother named Bing … this little guy was riding a miniature 2 wheeler all around the store, in and out of the aisles and shelving etc.  He was really good and I had a heck of a time getting a picture of him.

After that we rode our bicycles to the hotel … changed and then attended route rap, mechanic’s hour and finally off to dinner at Mario’s restaurant in town.  Great food, great service and we left totally “filled up”.

Tomorrow will be another huge climb day … up and over Monarch Pass … 11,312 feet.

Gunnison is an amazing place and there are many things that you can do here:  Visit the Pioneer Museum which has an antique car collection and the first Gunnison Post Office, etc.

They also have the Cattlemen’s Days which is the Grandaddy of all Colorado rodeos … and has many events to make all your cowboys feel right at home.

This area around Gunnison has many scenic river tours with events such as: rafting, fishing, kayaking, and rock climbing.  I even saw a local notice inviting locals and tourists to go “zip lining”. 

Well that about covers it for today … talk to you tomorrow.