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Bike Trip now Western Tour

agosto - ottobre 2024
  • Myron Bontrager
  • Dana Bontrager
Un’avventura di 41 giorni di Myron & Dana Leggi altro
  • Myron Bontrager
  • Dana Bontrager

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  • Stati Uniti Stati Uniti
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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    The Biggest Little City in the World

    15 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Reno calls itself "The Biggest Little City in the World". I am not sure why this might be true or how you could prove it to be true. They claim to offer all the great events and advantages of large cities, just in a small city. It is a city of 264,000, so it isn't necessarily all that small, but I guess it is all about perspective.

    We are located just a few blocks from the downtown and have enjoyed walking around and seeing all the things this Biggest Little city has to offer. Casinos are the main attraction, but it is very different than Las Vegas. I would say this is a few notches below the Vegas scene, but we aren't big Vegas fans, so we might not be the ones to make the assessments.

    We got up this morning and drank some crappy hotel coffee before heading out to find the real thing. Dana found a coffee shop about half a mile from the hotel, so we dressed and headed out. The weather was a bit cool, and it felt great as we walked along the riverwalk. We found Hub Coffee, and it was all we expected it to be. It was a rustic and eclectic type of place, and the drinks were stellar. We enjoyed drinking in the sunshine and watching the people drifting in for their share of the day's pleasure.

    We left and kept walking along the riverwalk. As we walked we saw some activity across the street and crossed over and inquired about what might be happening. We were told that at noon a festival would begin and last till 2:00. She also told us that we should check out the farmers market just down the road at the park. It sounded like a great idea, and we kept walking.

    We arrived at the park and were really impressed at the market. There were food/drink trucks, small tents selling anything from artisan bread, jewelry, books, produce, and so much more. There were at least three musicians playing along the way and their soft music was a great addition to the market experience. We finally settled on a breakfast crepe which we ate on the curb as we watched people walking by.

    We left the market and walked back towards the city center. After three plus miles we returned to our hotel. We were both tired and tried to nap, but didn't have a lot of luck. We got up and had an early afternoon cortado and tea.

    Aside from our walks it has been a relatively relaxing day. We hope to head out and get some food and drinks to close out the day.

    Later and happy Sunday.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    One time One east

    16 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    It was another chilly Nevada morning. We shared a cup of lousy hotel coffee, but it was coffee albeit not delicious. We packed our bags and headed out the door. We left our bags in the truck and then walked several blocks and bought several good cups of coffee at nice little coffee shop before heading out.

    The route was simple; get on I-80 and head east. We were soon out of Reno and headed through some mountain climbs and then found ourselves in relatively flat terrain for the rest of the day. We passed rugged hills, then grasslands, and more hills in the distance. Eventually we saw cattle grazing in the hills.

    We are currently west of Salt Lake City and will arrive there tomorrow and will spend several days with my niece.

    We had our first rain on this trip. It never rained long, sometimes hard, sometimes barely a sprinkle, and then sunshine. The temperature climbed to 68 degrees and then dropped to 42 and then back up. There was a fairly strong crosswind most of the day. Welcome to the Wild, Wild West.

    Interstate travel is boring as reflected in this entry.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    Salty City

    17 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    We spent the night several hours west of Salt Lake City so we were in no hurry to head out in the morning. But we drank our coffee and had some breakfast at the hotel and were on our way by 9:00.

    We got back on I-80 and headed east and soon the terrain got flatter and flatter and we found ourselves driving along the Salt Flats of Utah. Neither of us had ever seen them before and it was quite interesting to see them. It had rained some in the morning so there was a fine layer of water on the flats making it appear as if it were a very large lake. After about 10-12 miles the flats began to disappear and all of a sudden the flats were grassy and green. We have both been amazed at how quickly the scenery changes in this part of the country.

    By the time we arrived at the Salt Lake State Park, the sky was overcast and the wind was blowing. We entered the park and looked at the lake. I climbed over the rocks, dipped my finger in water and then licked my finger. Yes the water is salty!

    We left and arrived in the city around noon, just in time for a good cup of coffee at Coffee Garden. The coffee shop was located in a non-descriptive store front and we thought “meh”. But we were totally surprised when we opened the door and entered. The ambience was great and nearly every seat was filled in the spacious dining area. We enjoyed our time at this unique place.

    We have heard a number times about this awesome burger joint called “In-and-Out”. We saw that there aren’t many east of the city so we drove six plus miles to snag some of this mythical food. We waited for our order number to be called and when our food arrived we sensed we were on the edge of a brand new life experience. To be fair, they were really good. The burger was hot, the bun was just a bit toasted, but at the same time the lettuce and pickles were cold and crisp. The fries were not soggy and cold as many fries in fast food burger joints. Not these! These were crisp, hot and really delicious. All in all it was a good food experience. Life is good once again.

    We drove through the city just seeing what there was to see and finally arrived at my niece’s place around 4:15. We chatted a while and then headed out to eat. It was a lovely evening catching up and we throughly enjoyed Oliver’s humor. He is twelve and we enjoyed getting to know him better.

    At this time it is time to hit the sack and get some rest.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour
    1

    Real Salt Lake

    18 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Yesterday we asked Carla for a “must do” before we leave SLC. She recommended we head out to Silver Lake and take a walk around the lake. But on our way, we should hit up Alpha Coffee before heading up to the lake.

    We woke, got ready, slowly, and headed out. The coffee shop was good and we were on our way. The road led us beside a small creek and some beautiful mountain scapes. I have to say that the drive was some kind of beautiful. Upon arriving at the lake, we put on our extra clothing, hat and we walked along the boardwalk as it passed through the grasses and water. We would hoping for at least a glance of a moose, but no luck.

    After the lake we took a side road that led up to a pass I’ve the next mountain. We navigated through hairpin turns, as we climbed an additional 4000ft. I was enjoying the excursion, well I would have enjoyed it more if Dana wouldn’t have squeezing the hand grip so tightly I was waiting for the blood to begin to flow. It would have been better if she hadn’t need groaning, gasping and other odd noises.

    After climbing to the mountain, took several pictures and then headed back down. We returned to the house and took naps. After our naps, we headed to a place called spilled milk. It was ice cream mixed with a cereal your choice. It was a fun experience.

    We returned to the Temple Square and walked around the facility until we found the tabernacle. We went out and enjoyed the quietness of the space. We left the tabernacle and right across the street was the genealogy facility. We went in and soon an older gentleman that explained how to use the equipment. So this was fun.

    We had ordered a pizza to take back to the house and arrived just way more pizza than we needed.

    After the pizza we headed out for a professional soccer. The weather was awesome and Salt Lake City won 3-2.

    It was such a good but we plan to head out after several great days here.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    Cowboy Country

    19 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    We slept in a bit this morning before showering and packing up for the day’s traveling. We stopped by to see the church that Carla works at. It is an interesting campus and it was good to see and connect it with her. Per her recommendation, we stopped at The Bean Yard for some coffee for the road. Dana’s drip brewed coffee and my cortado were excellent. If you ever pass through Salt Lake City you should ask her for recommendations. She is 100% spot on for great recommendations.

    We headed out of town on I-80 and headed east. Once again we were amazed at the changing landscapes. We passed through the mountains surrounding the city and before too long the mountains were behind us and the hills/mountains were lower and back to the rugged nobby sort. Then before too long we were passing through flatter grassy lands.

    You’ll see in one of the pictures the “highway to heaven”. You should be able to identify which one it is.

    We saw signs for .75 cent ice cream cones at Little America. We didn’t need ice cream but you can’t turn down a cheap cone when you have my heritage. We stopped and the exit was just for that place. It was a combo of hotel/rv parking/restaurant/gas/and ice cream cones. We walked into the front door and the woman at the reception desk said, with hardly a glance, “bathrooms to the left and cones to the right”. We went left and then right. I bought a waffle cone just to appear less cheap, and we were on our way.

    Back on the road the scenery continued to change. As we began approaching our destination, Casper, Wyoming, we suddenly saw fields of hay and several fields of corn. Then several miles later those disappeared and we were back to rugged and jagged hills.

    The drive was basically without incident but was filled with beautiful and varied scenery.

    We have landed at Casper and will spend the night at the Walmart parking lot. The other night I made the statement that has to be a website that indicates which Walmarts allow overnight parking and which do not. So I goggles and sure enough there is. According to that map we should be good for the night.

    We are heading toward Edgemont, South Dakota. There is a quite popular 100+ mile trail that begins in Edgemont and ends in Deadwood. Our plan is to find a place to park and then take two days riding north, and then maybe one day in Deadwood before taking two days heading back. There are several towns with hotels and we will take advantage of them for our lodgings. We looked at the weather and we will be riding in some chilly temps in the mornings but the day temps should be pretty good. I guess why not go from hot to cold. Go figure.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    Almost Badlands

    19 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We spent the night in a Walmarts parking lot without getting kicked out. Yay! We crawled in bed before 10:00 as we were both pretty tired. We parked close to a relatively busy street so the sound of trucks, motorcycles, and cars kept us awake for a while, then the traffic eased up and it was quiet for the rest of the night. The temperature was comfortable when we went to sleep but quickly dropped to around 50 degrees by the time we woke in the morning. We quickly dressed and headed for a local coffee shop.

    Bourgeois Pig is a very unique, did I say unique, coffee shop. The walls were filled with posters, photos and other pieces of art. The ceilings were filled with lots of hanging lights. The tables were loaded with stickers that carried no rhyme nor reason. It was nearly a sensory overload. When we entered, there was woman, possibly named Karen, in line getting some drinks. I didn’t see what was happening, but I could feel the tension. As the woman got her drinks, she asked “what’s your name?” The barista told her and the woman took her drinks and left. I approached the counter and the barista, maybe late teen or early 20 something, looked at me and said, sorry about that. I told her not to worry about it, take a deep breath and start your day again. She looked at me and said with a big smile, “Good morning, how are you today and how may I help you?” She rebounded well. I left a glowing review, mentioning her name. Some customers can be real jerks and hopefully I was able to help her reset and still end up with a good day.

    We had a short day as we were ending up in Edgewood, South Dakota. It is a small town with a lot of semi-rundown building. It is almost a stereotypical, small, rural, western, cowboy town. As we entered we went to see the trail head of the Mickelson Trail. When we arrived, the streets were filled with cars and bicyclists. It so happens they were having their annual trail ride. We hope to leave in the morning and ride to Custer, a small town about 44 miles up hill from here. The temp this afternoon was mid-80s but a cold front is coming in and we will be having some pretty chilly riding during the next several days. We left home thinking we would be fighting the heat, and here we are wishing for more clothes. Actually I think we will have the clothes we need but we will know soon enough.

    We are, ironically staying at Cowboy Inn. When we got here, I asked the owner if we could leave our truck and trailer parked here for about 5-6 days while we ride the trail. He said sure and I parked the truck and trailer next the it building and we will pick it up when we return. Very accommodating and we really appreciated it.

    Tomorrow is trail day.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    Around Edgemont

    20 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We got up this morning thinking we would be heading out for our first day towards Deadwood. The temp was in the lower 50s with a stiff 19 mile wind coming from the north. Being the wimps that we are, we decide to hang around till tomorrow morning when there will be virtually no wind and might even have a slight breeze on our backs. We decided to take the time and explore around the area while we had the chance.

    We left Edgemont and headed to Hot Springs, a small town but much larger than here. It was a rather nice place with several coffee shops, a river walk, a park that was situated next to a small river, supposedly a warm river. This turned out to be warm, simply based on one’s perspective. We both put our hands in the water and decided a swim was not in our near future. We did enjoy our time in this small town. After walking over 4 miles we returned to Edgemont where we took naps, or at least tried to.

    We lazed around the rest of the afternoon and just returned from the only open restaurant in town. Also the same place we ate at last evening, for the same reason.

    We ended up walking 6 miles today, and no cycling miles.

    We are committed to leave in the morning, unless we decide otherwise.    Leggi altro

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  • Bike Trip now Western Tour

    On the Mickelson Trail Day #1

    22 settembre 2024, Stati Uniti ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We knew we weren’t in much of a hurry this morning as the temps would be a bit chilly. When I got up I checked the temp and it was a crisp 34 degrees. That was about 10 degrees colder than predicted so we were a bit surprised. But, we packed our extra stuff and when I took it to the truck I thought “it is pretty crispy but the sun felt warm” and by 9:00 we were on our bikes heading out. By then it was a steamy 45 degrees. The first seven miles were rather flat and we chugged along. The trail was crushed gravel and we couldn’t make great time but we rode quite steadily.

    However before too long we started climbing. The hills were never steep but we had 5 + miles at a time with a steady climb. It was never hard but just wore us down. We discovered we were not well trained for this. It was really a pretty hard day for us. I carried all the luggage to give Dana a lighter load. We tried to take regular breaks for snacks and hydration.

    Some of the terrain was grassland and fairly flat, and then later we had beautiful forests. As I understand we will get into more wooded area in the next several days.

    We arrived in Custer around 2:00 and we found a coffee shop where we had our drinks and shared a cream cheese danish before heading to our hotel. We passed Mt. Rushmore Brewery as we entered and it looked like they are doing an Oktoberfest Weekend. Guess where we are heading for dinner and drinks.

    About 7 miles out, we were given a Sunday afternoon show by a group of 9 mule deer hopping along. Make sure and watch the attached video. Earlier in the day, we saw a lot of hoof-prints and droppings on the trail. They were bigger than deer so I assumed they were elk. They must have had a Saturday night party on the trail.

    We will have a super short day tomorrow. We have about 65 miles left to Deadwood and plenty of climbing. There aren’t many options for overnighting so we will do a 15 mile jaunt tomorrow and get within 40 miles of Deadwood. The short day will give us time to explore Custer and also Hill City, tomorrow’s destination.

    Now we rest our legs and hope they recover enough for the last day. That will be probably worse than this one. Yay!    Leggi altro

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