WE ARE A CATRIKE CONCEPT STORE & FLORIDA'S ONLY AZUB DEALER

Come and test ride a Made in the USA Catrike on our beautiful 46 mile long rail trail.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Babe I'm leavin' must be on my way

      Yep, looks like its high time we start heading South on our voyage homeward bound.  Always feel a bit melancholy when its this time in the trip, even though our gig isn't bad at all.  I mean getting people on bikes, talking to people from all over the country and sometimes getting invitations to stay with them if we roll through their town, again thanks, Bill and Ruth, George and Sue, Leroy and Diane, Lance and Arlene, and of course Mike Cooper/Coop for putting in 30 amp and letting us park in his driveway, whats better than that.  And, not to mention we get to bike or walk to work, hey I've driven 1 hour each way for years to the work 20 and believe me, its no picnic.
      To catch up on the last few days or week as it may lets see;;;;;;;;;; did a bunch of rides to Yellow Springs of course, but one day we rode to Springfield, some trail some streets. Another we wanted to find the Jamestown connector route so rode from Yellow Springs to Xenia then to where they were working on a tunnel under SR 35, turned back and found our way to the other side of the highway by roads then back on the trail to Jamestown where we found not much going on. Maybe once they get the tunnel finished and more people ride there things will pick up. Anyway that ended up being a 50 mile day.  The next day, wait, the memory is charging, Friday we came at Dayton from the West from Taylorsville Metro Park.  A nice ride but cool and the threat of rain. Saturday was reserved for the Cyclops Festival in YS and celebration and sales of all things local and hand made, and The Gathering of Wool at Young's Jersey Dairy, an all things wool, sheep, alpaca, llama, and what to make from these animals fur. There were rugs, rope, shawls, gloves, hats, sweaters, and demonstrations on how to do the various arts.  A very warm experience.  Today a ride to YS and back, and may I say on a perfect day, sunny and 72 degrees.  Hope the heat is over when we get home, I'm spoiled.  Seems like a long time ago we left in a hurry but at the same time it went too fast.  I know quit your damn crying!  WAAAAH!
      Most of all I'd like to thank Greg Emlinger for keeping the shop open a couple days a week so that we could do this and not go completely broke in the process.  Thankx Greg.

Monday, September 10, 2012

      Another beautiful cool day in Ohio and another  great ride this time on the Great Miami River  Trail  from Taylorsville Metro Park  to  Troy and back to Tipp City where we had lunch at Sam &  Ethel's. 
      Found out we now own a dog again, a dog we haven't even met yet, a black  lab that our friend Deb thought was Tanus  and  opened her car  where it jumped in and she took it to work with her. Well  it is a female and well behaved, trained,  and healthy but not chipped.  After a few days someone put up a "lost black lab" sign but when  Deb took her to the owners the lady said they were moving out of the country and won't be able to take her with them so would Deb like to keep her, name being "Chalice".  Deb has 2 dogs and 2 cats already so looks like we own Chalice.  Wanted to think of another name for her as I'm not keen in naming a dog after a gold cup that holds the body of Christ at a Catholic mass so as not to add any more confusion to this poor dogs life we'll just drop the Ch and call her Alice.  Hope she doesn't chase any white rabbits.  So when we return home we'll have another mascot for the shop and a good dog. We both agree we're ready and always said a dog will avail itself to us when the time is right.   I guess that time has come.
      Got to mention that I am reading a book that will go down as one of my favorites of all books,
that being "South of Superior" by Ellen Airgood.  Probably a lot of guys won't like it but it's a story of life's struggles, and rewards of a simpler life for one Madeline Stone.  I thought of naming Alice Madeline but after 6 years as Chalice, I think Alice would be more in line for the dog's benefit.
Check out this book on line.  I think you'll be as captivated as I was with the cast of characters in this story of the UP.  Helps we were in Grand Marais where Ellen lives and modeled her fictional town after, and signed our book.   Prairie Evers is another book she'd written as a children's book but a good story for adults as well. 
      Tomorrow, no we won't ride to Morrow, but to Springfield and the Frank Lloyde Wright house. Cindy read the book "Loving Frank" and it has peaked her interest.  So awaaaaay we go.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Grand ride, Grand Rapids

      While riding down the White Pines trail we ran into a couple of guys,  John, and Ray , that we know from Fl. And they saw Dick Marr so we got a hold of him and met for a ride on the Millennium park trails, Johnson park trail, and Kent's trail, along with some streets around Grand Rapids.  Thanks to Dick knowing his way around made for a wonderful 38 mile ride.  This is an area where we'll have to explore further.  Lakeside Camp Park was one of the cleanest well maintained campgrounds we've seen so we'll base out of there when we do.
      On the drive south we decided to stop at the RV museum in Elkheart IN. Lots of history and examples of RV's through the years. They've come a long way since the beginning way back in the early 1900s.
      Now back in what feels like a second home in Yellow Springs OH. Sitting here in the Emporium enjoying an organic Columbian coffee, with our camper parked at Bass Lake cg a nice wake me up 10 mile bike ride from here, with 6 miles on the roads and 4 miles on the Little Miami River trail.
Plan is to head south around the 19th. Lots to do once home.
      Again, thanks Dick Marr for the guided tour of the Grand Rapids area and making for a superb day of riding.

Monday, September 3, 2012

      Been a while since we've had wifi or a good cell signal because we were in the bliss of the woods at Pender's Paradise private camp ground mainly for equestrians but close enough to the White Pine  and Pere Marquette trails to ride bikes and get a good ride on some very nice trails.  Reed  City had a restaurant that was especially interesting to me called the "Seven Slot Grille" with a Jeep theme the seven slots being the slots in a Jeeps grill.  They were right off the trail head and had decent food, good friendly service and ice cream. From there we rode toward Evert but got bored with the long straight trail in the sun and turned around and went to do some much needed laundry.  Lance and Arlene Pender took us on a ride from Rapid City to Reed City and back, a personal best for Arlene, and this time we went into a bakery that had many delectable delights which some made it to our mouths and into our panniers for breakfast coffee the next day. 
      The next day, and don't ask what day it was, Lance and Arlene took us to the Muskegon River where we got to do a little kayaking a nice diversion from biking.  A few small rapids was all but, makes me want to venture further into white water kayaking.  Was a whole lot of fun.  Two friends of theirs who have been into our shop and rented bikes, Joan and Sue were camping and horseback riding that weekend also.  Great people to sit around a campfire with and Joan with her story telling ability was a hoot.  I feel very lucky to know Lance, Arlene, Joan, and Sue.



      Camped at the Lakeside Camp Park CG in Cedar Springs MI and tomorrow we will ride with a friend from FL , Dick Marr starting at Millennium Park and hope Rick and Mary McNiece can make it too.  Also saw two people we know from the Withlacoochee trail, John and Raymond.  It's a small world after all.