On Thanksgiving, Ed, Leslie and I traveled to Lafayette to have dinner with my 98½-year-old mom, Virginia Gardner Swanberg. It was a small festive gathering with delicious food.
Thanksgiving in Lafayette
During the party, mom reflected on growing up in the Bay Area, with stories of many outings to Marin County to visit relatives. Virginia traveled with her sister and Granny, as well as other family members on many adventures around California.
Virginia, Granny, and Helen (Virginia’s sister)
Dedication of Gardner Fire Lookout
One story revolved around an outing in 1937 when Virginia traveled to the top of Mt Tamalpais to witness the dedication of the Gardner Fire Lookout on the East Peak. The Gardner Fire Lookout is named in honor of Edwin Gardner, her father’s cousin. Edwin was the first Chief Warden of the Mill Valley Fire District. Virginia recalled:
“For the dedication in 1937, it was a very foggy day, and as my dad drove along the winding road to the top of the peak, my Granny was screaming — ‘Why did you bring me? I’m scared!’ However, we made it to the top safely and were honored to be there at the dedication of the lookout named for my uncle.”
Granny calmed down when she was back at sea level.
Granny and the StudebakerThe Winding Road To The Top of Mt. Tam
Hiking To the Gardner Lookout
With this same spirit of adventure on the day after Thanksgiving, Ed, Sydney, and I traveled to Marin to pay our respects to the Gardner Fire Lookout and to enjoy the views from the top of Mt. Tam. Friday was a glorious day, with bright sunshine, although there was a bit of haze. We drove up the Panoramic Highway to the top. We hiked around the mountain on the “Vera Dunshee” trail, an easy paved trail. Hiker describes the trail in excellent detail. (Previously the site had misspelled “Gardner”, but when I noticed this I requested a change, and the moderator fixed it promptly.)
The 360-degree vistas were stunning.
We hiked an additional half mile to the top where the Gardner Fire Lookout is perched on top of the world. Built in the mid-1930s by the California Conservation Corps, volunteers still watch for fires from this lookout during fire season.
The Gardner Fire Lookout plaque is in the lower left hand corner. During our visit, we pointed it out to other hikers during or visit.
Building the Lookout was quite an accomplishment in its day, according to this excerpt from an article posted by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.
After our hike, we had a picnic with Thanksgiving leftovers and made a “still life” of our modest feast, complete with cranberry sauce.
It was delicious, and the setting was spectacular.
History Abounds At The Top
Mt Tam holds even more history, as described by the Friends of Mt Tam. From 1896 to 1929, it was the site of the “crookedest railroad in the world” boasting 281 turns. Even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle came to Marin to take a ride. He wrote, “in all our wanderings we have never had a moreglorious experience”.
And, in 1902 another attraction was born. On the Gravity Railway, 30 souls would load into a car and gravity propelled them to the bottom. This was not for the faint at heart! Volunteers have rebuilt the car barn and it now houses a museum that is open on weekends.
Alas, both the train and the Gravity Railway are now defunct, but the twisty road to the top is still there. The 360-degree views from 2,571 feet are spectacular. We enjoyed observing the entire Bay Area from the Gardner Fire Lookout and were happy to share the memories with relatives from our past.
In 1986 when a single friend participated in the Microsoft IPO, his first purchase was a fancy second bike. At the time, we thought this was ridiculous. He already had a good bike. Why did he need two? Well, fast forward a few years: Ed and I now own four bikes each! (City bike from 1982, road bike, mountain bike, and now — gravel bike!) A gravel bike has the same shape as a road bike but is heavier and designed for riding on gravel, fire roads and trails. With Covid-19, bike riding of all types has exploded, and new bikes are in very short supply. And, gravel biking has become an emerging adventure sports category.
Once we purchased the bikes in June, we decided to sign up for a local event, “Rebecca’s Private Idaho” — a gravel bike extravaganza in Sun Valley on Labor Day weekend. Rebecca Rusch, the Ketchum-based female world champion in ultra-long distance bike racing, hosts the event.
Let the Gravel Bike Training Begin
To begin with, we signed up for an online training program where an Olympic bike coach helped us get ready for the ride. This program (RPI Basecamp) worked with the Garmin Computers on our gravel bikes and tracked our progress. But, we soon discovered that the training program was designed for 30-year-old jocks, not middle-aged, casual riders. Each week a training schedule was downloaded automatically to our bike computers and an app on our Macs:
As a result, the computers on our bikes tracked our progress.
As you can see, we quickly fell off the daily training regimen. But, we enjoyed training at our own pace on the local fire roads. The training took us to remote areas where we rarely saw any other riders.
We saw lovely vistas and infinite dirt roads.
Sometimes we shared the trail with wildlife or a flock of sheep. The scenery was quite rural, which was similar to our other rides in Idaho and Missouri but different from riding in California.
One of the aspects of gravel biking is that it is a “rain or shine” sport. On one of our training rides, we got caught in a downpour, and the backs of our jerseys displayed the dirt streak–a badge of honor.
Race Day!
The Labor Day event was a scene. Rebecca’s Private Idaho hosted 1500 riders from around the country. Riders could select from 3 distances — the Baked Potato (100 miles), the French Fry (50 miles) or the Tater Tot (20 miles). Although we had initially signed up for the French Fry, we switched to the Tater Tot; it seemed a better fit.
On “Race Day,” the riders set out in waves, depending on the distance.
We gathered with our fellow Tater Tot riders in 46-degree weather. Everyone “masked up” at the start as we were standing close together.
The ride was beautiful. The morning transitioned from chilly to sunny as the sun poked through the trees. The riders started together. Everyone rode at their own pace, and the bunch quickly separated. Our 20-mile ride climbed 1400 feet. The champion woman came in at 1:06 hours (average speed 17.4 mph). Jan clocked in at #52 out of 70 women on the Tater Tot … 1:48 hours (average speed 10.5 mph). Ed’s score was similar.
At the end of the race, there was a bike fair. There were lots of esoteric bike items for sale:
A favorite (and necessary) item for long-distance bikers is Chamois Butt’r. (You can use your imagination as to its application.) These gals were giving out free samples, which the crowd welcomed.
In addition, author Sharisse Steber was selling her book, which encourages women of all ages to try adventure sports. The book features Rebecca Rusch and other athletes.
And, as finishers, we received coupons for a free wood-fired pizza baked by Scott Mason, a local chef celebrity. Delicious!
At the end of the ride, we celebrated our participation with a pic at the podium. We might not have placed in the top ten, but we had fun and were happy to enjoy the surrounding areas with so many enthusiastic riders.
Final Notes on Gravel Biking
Before the ride, Rebecca warned all riders that there would be no “SAG” (Support and Gear) Wagon. SAG is “a vehicle that follows behind bicyclists (as in a race) to pick up those who drop out or to carry gear.” She expected everyone to finish because she describes herself as the “queen of pain.” However, if she needed a SAG Wagon, perhaps she could have selected this quaint Sun Valley wagon usually pulled by horses or a tractor!
In conclusion, for the 102-mile Baked Potato, the champion bike rider was 29-year-old Griffin Easter, a professional cyclist who finished the ride in 4 hours and 50 minutes, averaging 21 miles per hour over 6,271 feet of elevation. His Wikipedia page states that he finished 9th in the Tour d’Azerbaïdjan in 2016. I wonder how that scenery compared to this ride? (Note to self: we’ll probably never know!)
Recently we took a quick mini-break to the Monterey Peninsula. We rented an Airbnb in Pebble Beach for two nights and enjoyed the sights and tastes of Pacific Grove where the skies were cloudless and the shoreline was bursting with color.
The Windswept 17-Mile Drive
It sounded like a good idea. Bike the famous 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach and enjoy scenic vistas from two-wheeled freedom. However, we hadn’t counted on Thursday’s two quirks of Mother Nature: 29-mile per hour wind and a high temperature of 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Brrr!
We hadn’t packed thermal pants, fleece, ear muffs or full-finger bike gloves, so instead of riding, we opted to cruise the 17-Mile Drive from the comfort of our new Hybrid/Plug-in SUV. (Not a bad choice!) The positive of the strong wind was that the waves were very active. Surfers delighted, while bikers and golfers stayed inside. We had never seen the golf courses so empty.
We waved at one jogger who was decked out for the day’s conditions.
The Lone Cypress still attracts tourists, with a few other visitors willing to share picture taking opportunities.
The beach was almost empty in Carmel.
Off to Big Sur
Driving this route left us more free time, so we opted to cruise down Highway 1 to Big Sur. Again, the windswept vistas were magnificent.
At Nepenthe, we browsed the well-curated gift shop and purchased several items. Speaking to a store employee, Ed mentioned, “I love the murals on the men’s room walls.” And, Jan commented, “I really like that painting above the cash register.” We learned that all of this art was painted by Erin Lee Gafill, a local landscape artist who grew up in Big Sur. Her family built and continues to own and manage the restaurant and the gift shop. Also, we learned that a new exhibit of her work was open at the Monterey Museum of Art in Monterey.
Curated Visit to the Museum
Friday morning’s visit to the museum proved to be a lagniappe. (This was one of Jan’s fathers’ favorite words, which describes an “unexpected treat!”) The exhibit chronicles the yearly painting sessions of Erin and her uncle, Kaffe Fassett, a renowned textile artist who is the son of Nepenthe’s founders. Kaffe and Erin painted together side-by-side in Big Sur for over a decade — each painting the same subject, each exhibiting their own masterful style.
Due to the pandemic, the exhibit was almost empty, except for one small group of women led through the exhibit by an energetic docent. We were eavesdropping on the tour, and discovered that the docent was Erin herself! Erin invited us to join the group, and we spent the next hour captivated by her personal account of painting in Big Sur with her uncle.
Erin was also the exhibit curator. She worked with the staff to design an exhibit that not only shared the art, but communicated the deep lifelong relationship represented by the art. She painted this background mural.
When we asked about the differences between painting murals on plaster and painting pictures on canvas, Erin shared that she thinks quite differently about the two media. She finds painting temporary works on plaster to be liberating as she knows that they will not become part of her permanent oeuvre; thus, she can paint more freely and less self-consciously.
In the middle of the exhibit, Erin mocked up a demonstration of how she paints side by side with her uncle. Unfortunately, Kaffe currently lives in London and cannot visit the exhibit in person but will be participating in ZOOM meetings with museum members.
Kaffe pioneered new approaches in textile design, including designing all of the fabrics for this exquisite quilt.
Erin also creates quilts. We were particularly taken in by the quilt below with its subtle integration of vertical and horizontal patterns using squares of different sizes. Ed wanted to take this home, but alas, it is not for sale.
A Relaxing Staycation
As in other areas, tourism is just starting to return to the Monterey Peninsula, so we didn’t have to wait at restaurants, and parking wasn’t an issue. Ours was the only car on the main drag in Pacific Grove at 8:30 on Wednesday night.
Even though the weather encouraged us to modify our plans for this trip, we enjoyed the sights and culinary delights and felt fortunate to be able to escape our city routine for a few relaxing days around Monterey.
Ed and I just completed a four-day bike trip meandering around eastern Sonoma County. We carried a few overnight items on our road bikes and stayed at local inns.
Setting off from Healdsburg, we rode along the east side of the Russian River Valley, past vineyards and old apple orchards, and returned on the west side of the River. (Warning for fellow bicyclists: The 10% grades on Harrison Grade Road between Healdsburg and Occidental make the Old La Honda climb seem gradual.)
Beautiful Scenery Abounds
We couldn’t ask for a more beautiful route. The variety in vegetation was extraordinary. Prolific poppies graced the sides of the road.
Lush vineyards created vistas of trellised pinot noir, cabernet, and chardonnay grapes (among other varietals.) Artisanal wineries dotted the landscapes.
Lush Redwood Groves engulfed the road with “Nature’s Cathedral.” During these stretches, it became quite dark, and we were glad to have our blinking headlights and red rear lights so that cars could see us. Luckily, the traffic was light, and drivers were courteous.
The weather cooperated as well — the temperature was in the high 70’s — perfect for biking!
Cute Small Towns
The route through Sonoma County took us to some charming tiny towns, including Graton, where we enjoyed lunch at the Willow Wood Market Cafe.
We spent our nights at charming inns (which were much better than the double-wide we stayed in on our last overnight bike trip in rural Idaho. )
Tourism is Starting to Pick Up in Occidental and Guerneville
Small businesses are finding ways to creatively serve customers while staying safe and conscious of pandemic protocols. At Hazel, a delicious restaurant in Occidental, they’ve closed inside seating and have expanded into the parking lot.
Instead of china and silverware, they use take out containers and serve picnic style. And, they serve wine in cans — red, white or pink!
At the B&B, instead of a family-style breakfast, all items are served in pre-portioned paper containers, so that people can pick up what they want and then dine outside or in the socially distanced dining room. This worked really well. Even the bacon (served in a bag) was delicious!
Occidental is known for family-style Italian dining. Jan went there with her family and Grandma in the ‘50’s and ‘60s. Now the two mainrestaurants are only open on the weekend during the pandemic and serve picnic-style as well.
Relics of the Past
The Russian River has been a vacation playground for many years. Many artifacts remain along the route, harking back to some of its glory days.
Who knew that Paul Bunyan would be able to wave to us as we rode by?
Unfortunately, the Pink Elephant was closed, so we couldn’t stop in for a morning Bloody Mary.
This Rexall Drug looks just as it did in the past.
Some of the relics we saw are–or were–mobile including this 1960 Studebaker Lark.
Many older farm buildings dot the landscape.
Some of the older bridges are still carrying traffic, in this case pedestrians and bikes.
The Russian River is unfortunately quite low. California’s drought is evident, even in early Spring.
A Touch of Guerneville History
Guerneville celebrated its 150th birthday in 2020. Founded in 1870, tourists (including Jan’s grandparents) used to ride the train from San Francisco to Guerneville and Monte Rio for sun and fun along the Russian River. Jan found this photo of her mother at the Russian River in 1927. Virginia (Grandma Ginny) is in the middle, with her sister Helen and her father, Leslie Gardner. He is our daughter Leslie’s namesake! (You can see more early pictures of Virginia in Northern California here.)
The Russian River Historical Society offers photos of the very early days when the train came through Monte Rio. Good thing our bikes didn’t have this type of traffic!
Today, the welcoming overhead sign in Monte Rio greets guests as they arrive and depart.
We pedaled back to Healdsburg and were happy to celebrate the area’s history, along with its beauty and endless culinary delights. Sonoma County is truly “foodie heaven.” We calculated that we ate at 10 restaurants on our journey, and each one was delicious! Here’s just one of the many delicious salads we enjoyed — this one was complete with fresh flowers and homemade cheese.
Can’t wait to return to this vacation paradise. We might want to do some hill repeats next time to get ready to climb the Harrison Grade!
Our three-day getaway to Sutter Creek and Plymouth, in Amador County, was a visual and gastronomic feast. Based in a pet-friendly bungalow in Sutter Creek, we donned our masks to explore the rural area on bike, on foot, and by car.
Stunning Visuals
Old mining equipment and building supplies have been repurposed in creative ways. Small rail cars are now planters with pumpkin displays.
On rural routes, mailboxes sprout from old plumbing equipment and miscellaneous ironwork.
Wine barrels morph into outdoor tables, and wood pallets become fences to keep patrons safely apart from one another. In our bungalow, the headboards were old doors (complete with knobs).
Homes and shops all over Amador County are decked out with Fall and Halloween banners, flags, and mock tombstones.
Our bungalow had room for Ed to work. Since he’s coaching students in two classes this quarter, he had a lot of work to do so he brought his large monitor and set up at the table.
And Sydney enjoyed lounging around (and supervising Ed while he worked.)
Biking Around Sutter Creek
While Ed worked, I could play! (I am only coaching one class this quarter, and my assignments were due on Monday, so I had time to complete them prior to the trip.)
I biked from Sutter Creek to Amador City and beyond. The guide for the route mentioned that the ride would be “hilly”. This was an understatement. Several of the grades reached over 9.5% in certain areas. I saw two other cyclists on this route — they both were riding e-bikes! (Note to self: might not be a bad idea next time!) One e-bike rider sailed by me on an uphill. She grinned, “I’m cheating…bye bye!” I was also pretty used to riding in a mask, since I’ve been doing it during the pandemic.
I biked up a tiny lane, named “StringBean Alley”, which was quite apropos. The pavement left a bit to be desired in certain segments. Not too many cars can travel this road, even though it’s listed as county road 34! Herbertville was long gone.
Tiny Towns Among the Oaks
A casual ride through the area presents wide vistas of beautiful oak trees, nestled among the golden hills. Little towns are sprinkled throughout the region.
Amador City, founded in 1848, boasts that they are the smallest incorporated city in California, with an area of only .31 miles. It’s a charming town with one intersection. You could buy an antique arch or gazebo and other garden art in this shop.
The city council members of larger towns would grin at this posted agenda:
But the artists here are creative and thoughtful.
And, the buildings look well-preserved.
We also enjoyed exploring the tiny town of Volcano. We learned that it had over 10,000 residents during the boom of the gold mining era. Now, the town sign boasts only 85 residents. It’s hard to imagine that this town was competing with Benicia to be the original capital of the State of California in the 1850s.
Volcano was the site of the state’s first Law School and first Observatory. Now it boasts the oldest continuously operating General Store.
And, during non-pandemic times, there is an outdoor theater which looks very cool.
Wine Tasting in Amador County
The Amador valley is known for lush red wines. According to the wine pamphlet, “Amador Wine Country vineyards experience long warm days and cooler nights — creating a temperature differential of 30 degrees — allowing grapes to mature slowly while developing deep, complex flavors in elevations varying from 300 to 3,000 feet.” Who knew? We found the tasting culture to be warm and welcoming and the wines to be delicious. We enjoyed the Barbera wine at the Jeff Runquist winery.
Our favorite winery was Yorba, whose tasting room is located in Sutter Creek, right next to our bungalow. We spent a lovely hour on their patio, sampling their delicious reds under a beautiful incense Cedar tree.
Kelsey, our lovely Yorba host, grew up in the area and was able to share many details about the wine, the winery, and local history.
We learned that the Yorba family got their start in Southern California, when Jose Antonio Yorba came to California in 1769 from Spain and was “given a large chunk of Orange County as an incentive to stay in the New World.” Not a bad start! After generations of successful citrus farming in Orange County, the current family winemaker, Ann Kraemer, graduated from UC Davis in the mid 70’s (sound familiar?) and started the winery in Amador County after working at several premium wineries in Napa. She exhibits a particular passion for the unique characteristics of the soil and micro-climates. Yorba bottles 10% of their 150 acre vineyard and sells the rest of the grapes to other premium wineries. They even custom blend and bottle wine for restaurants like The French Laundry.
We were honored to be their first guests of the season, as their tasting room had been closed due to the Pandemic.
Delicious Dining
Sydney was able to join us for a prix-fix 3-course meal at Taste in nearby Plymouth. We had reserved a table in the public park across from the restaurant. This was a creative use of a socially-distanced space.
Other restaurants in Sutter Creek have set up in the parking spaces along Main Street so they can serve guests outside with social distancing.
Our quick Amador County getaway was a treat. People were doing their best to maintain social distancing, wear masks and stay safe. We will definitely return to this area once things get back to normal. We’d love to catch an amateur production at the amphitheater in Volcano and attend some intimate tastings at more wineries. Until then, mask on!
Beautiful weather. Clear skies. A day to remember the fallen … Ed and I enjoyed a peaceful Memorial Day weekend in the Bay Area. It wasn’t the exotic travel that we had planned (move over, Mozambique!) but it was still fun. We took advantage of scenic activities in our own backyard.
Socially-Distanced Picnic
On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, our first stop was Lafayette, where we had a socially-distanced picnic with my 97-year old mom. The menu was Chinese food from a local spot. First we set up the tables in her backyard with the required spacing. Of course, Sydney supervised.
Ed picked up the takeout cuisine and Jan plated it safely for all to enjoy.
The Mongolian Beef, Shrimp with Veggies, and Chicken in Black Bean Sauce were all delicious. Thanks to the chef at the nearby Kung Fu restaurant! We appreciate that they’re considered an essential business.
Memorial Day Hiking in the Foothills
Lafayette has developed an extensive trail network. After lunch, Ed and I met our friends, Todd and Barbara, at a local trailhead right across the street from my mom’s house.
We donned our masks and set forth on the trail.
The views were beautiful.
Sydney enjoyed the shade.
Hiking in a mask wasn’t too difficult, as we are all pretty used to wearing them. We passed quite a few other hikers — most of whom donned masks as well.
We feel fortunate that this land has been preserved for all to enjoy. Thank you, East Bay Regional Park District!
Biking to the Ocean
On Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, we rode through Golden Gate Park to the ocean.
No one told the roses in the Rose Garden about the coronavirus, as they seemed healthy and vigorous. The blossoms were bright and beckoning.
Quite a few families were enjoying the great weather and sunshine in Golden Gate Park. Most were gathered in their family groups, keeping 6-feet away from others.
The Great Ocean Walkway
The Great Highway along the ocean has been closed to cars, so it’s a mecca for walkers, joggers, and bikers. We saw all types of transportation — electric bikes, bikes, skateboards, scooters, you name it! The mood was festive. People were happy to be out, as everyone has had “cabin fever”.
Lots of groups congregated along the beach. A few surfers caught the waves in the distance.
The message near the Conservatory of Flowers said it all. It’s important to enjoy this Memorial Day and share hope that we’ll come out of this virus period better equipped to handle crises in the future.
Over the last few days, Ed and I volunteered for the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge in Central Idaho. Seventeen teams of dogs and mushers came through our checkpoint. Some sprinted right through; others stayed a while to rest their dogs and contemplate the next steps of the race.
There were three categories of racers — those traveling 300 (!) miles; those going 100 miles, and a junior division. The racers in the longest division were competing to qualify for the Alaska Iditarod.
Who knew there was an entire culture that revolves around dogs, mushers, raw meat, sleds, and active volunteers? The mushers were a mix of men and women, ranging from a 14-year-old girl to middle-aged men. Most of the volunteers at our checkpoint were locals and friends of the ‘Weiser River Trail’. This was the mountain bike trail that we enjoyed in the fall. (After we made a donation to the “Friends”, we received their newsletter which described the need for volunteers at the Wye Campground sled dog checkpoint. It sounded like a scene, so we signed up!)
Ed volunteered to be the checkpoint photographer. He enjoyed viewing the dog sled teams from many angles and providing photos of the local volunteers. Hopefully, the “Friends” can use these photos to recruit more volunteers for next year.
My volunteer role was as a “dog handler.” I waited near the timing line with a group of fellow dog handlers. As the mushers entered the campground, handlers took hold of the ropes between the dogs and guided the sled to a numbered waiting area–think of it as a parking space.
Often there were more than four teams resting at our checkpoint. Each musher and dog team needed their own space so the dogs could rest and recover for the next part of the race.
Being a dog handler was not as challenging as I expected. Prior to doing the job, I’d read the following disclaimer on the volunteer website:
Dog Handler – Assists in sending/receiving teams off the line, lead teams or physically park teams as needed, watch over teams resting and keep all spectators out of the parking area. NOTE OF CAUTION: Being a dog handler is challenging. You must be physically able to run a short distance beside a team while helping to hold them back, and there is a possibility that you could fall.
On our days of “duty”, the snow was packed, so no handlers fell. I positioned myself near the back of the line so all I had to do was run with the dogs and follow the lead handler, who was experienced with this job and knew exactly what to do. It was fun to be near the dogs. They seemed very well trained and up for the task at hand. The more experienced dogs knew to rest while at our stop. The musher put out hay for them to lie on, and they snacked on raw meat, kibble and drank water.
The more junior dogs were jumping up and down and singing a soprano-like howl, instead of resting. At times, there was quite the symphony of howls.
A vet made the rounds and checked all the dogs at the stop. She had a stethoscope for their hearts and checked their paws for irritation.
Most dogs were eager to go on when the musher felt the time was right. The teams could start with as many as 12 dogs; 6 dogs was the minimum at the finish line.
For the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, of the six teams competing in the 300-mile race, only two continued past the 100-mile mark. It was quite warm for the dogs, and some mushers decided not to continue. When the temperature is above freezing and the snow is soft, the dogs’ paws sink into the snow and running becomes very tiring.
The teams planned to camp at night at some of the other checkpoints. (Brrr.) On Wednesday, snow was falling, but it was in the low 30s, and it felt like rain once it hit our parkas.
On Thursday, the sun was shining — ideal conditions for the spectators and volunteers, but apparently too warm for the pooches. The fog came in around 5 pm and blanketed the rest area with an eerie glow. We opted to leave before the last mushers arrived at 9 pm. (No working under headlamps for us!)
A musher has to be very self-sufficient. They’re completely responsible for the welfare of the dogs. No volunteer could help put out the hay–or help clean it up. This was the job of the musher or part of his or her support team who were waiting at the stop. If a dog was unable to continue, a member of the support team would lead it to one of the specially-rigged doggie trailers. These trailers provided luxury accommodations for the dogs while they were not on the trail.
As for luxury accommodations, Ed and I stayed at the Hartland Inn B&B in New Meadows. We were the only residents at the B&B, so the host cooked us custom breakfasts and we were able to connect to their wifi to complete our Stanford work. The Hartland Inn’s main building dates from 1911 and was filled with antiques. The Inn also offers motel rooms around the main building, and these were more occupied by snowmobilers and other guests.
It was fun to be a part of a totally different scene. Are we hooked? Not really. It looks pretty cold and lonely out there on the sleds in the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge. I don’t think we’ll be turning in our cross country skis for dog sleds any time soon. Besides, Sydney (our pooch) might get cold out there!
Ed and I spent the week of October 10 – 16 riding the KATY trail, a 237-mile route stretching across Missouri. We followed the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as we rode beneath towering river bluffs while the Missouri River flowed by.
The trail meanders through peaceful farmland and small-town Americana. It’s America’s longest “rails-to-trail” project, formerly the MKT (Missouri Kansas Texas) rail line. We booked a six-day ride with a local outfitter — Independent Tourist — who arranged our B&B lodging along the route and contacted local SAG support (KATY Bike Rentals) to schlep our stuff between locations.
Setting Off On The KATY Trail
We set off from St Charles (near St. Louis) to start the trek. Little did we know that it would be pouring! Our “schlepper” picked us up in the downpour and drove us 200 + miles to the trailhead at Clinton. On the way, we stopped at his bike store and purchased full-finger gloves–as it was much colder than we were anticipating, a rear-view mirror for Ed’s glasses (so we could stay together) and a few other items to help with potential flat tires. When we arrived in Clinton MO and it was 35 degrees Fahrenheit and raining. Brrrr!
The first day on the trail was chilly. We donned our newly acquired gloves and put our knit hats on under our helmets. This caboose marked the beginning of the trail.
We didn’t dare stop on the trail, else we would become more chilled. We saw a few fellow riders on the first day. The original train depots display historic information.
We learned that the silent film star, Pearl White, was from Green Ridge. In her famous silent film series, The Perils of Pauline, she dangerously dangled from a cliff at the end of one film. This was the origin of our expression, “cliff hanger”. Who knew?
The Fairly Flat Trail
Riding on a gravel railroad trail is quite different from the California and Idaho trails and roads we are accustomed to. There is not much climbing or descending–due to the constraints on locomotion power, but unlike pavement, there is little opportunity to coast.
One of the largest towns on the route, Sedalia, was a (chilly) delight.
We stayed in the Hotel Bothwell, from 1923. This was a cool venue with lots of history. We had breakfast in the Harry Truman Breakfast room, where the former President had also dined.
Sedalia was also hosting a Corvette show. We took a break from the trail and enjoyed looking at the 100 Corvettes in the town square.
Each of the cars was perfectly polished. Their engines were spotless.
We each picked our favorite Corvette, in case anyone is in the market to give us a present!
Ed liked the 1957 black Corvette.Jan’s pick was a 1958 Panama Yellow coupe. Only 190 were painted in this color!
Back in the saddle, the trail twisted and turned through rural Missouri. Recent flooding had wiped out many parts of the trail, including the passage through the only tunnel on the route.
Small Towns Were Thriving
Our favorite parts were in the small, rural towns. Rocheport, population 240, was recently named one of the “Best Tiny Towns in Missouri’ by Southern Living Magazine. We learned that this accolade was the result of the efforts of our innkeeper, Conrad Yates of the Yates House B&B. In 2008, Conrad, his wife, and another couple moved to Rocheport, which was in demise. With some ingenuity and lots of sweat, the two couples set out to revitalize the town. In 2008, the town had 208 residents, and 8 worked in town. Currently, it has 240 residents, with 40 people making their living in the town. Very cool! There are cafes, restaurants, art galleries, and antique shops in a small, charming downtown. And it’s only a 15-minute drive to Columbia, the home of the University of Missouri.
Yates House would fit right into a New England town
In Rocheport, we dined at a local winery. We admit that we are California wine snobs, and did not love most of the Missouri wines as they are very sweet. However, at the Les Bourgeois Winery, we found a Syrah which was quite nice.
The label was selected from a local design contest. Isn’t this dog wearing the pope’s hat?
Along the way, there were humorous additions on the side of the trail.
Signs are posted to help the riders. Jan mistakenly read this one as ” Do not stop for 25 miles (instead of .25 miles!) She wasn’t sure she could ride for 25 miles without stopping!
Fun KATY Trail Facts
We learned some trivia from people on the trail:
The KATY Trail was enabled by the generosity of Edward “Ted” Jones, who built up the Edward Jones investment firm, whose 14,000 branches are located in small towns across America.
Missouri shares a border with eight states and is tied with Tennessee for the most adjacent states. (They are Nebraska, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Kentucky.)
The KATY Railroad put an end to a great American institution — the “cattle drive”. Prior to the railroad’s existence, cowboys would run cattle from Texas to Chicago. They bought the cattle in Texas for $2 a head and sold them in Chicago for $75 each. When the railroad started, they could bring the cattle to Sedalia and put them on the train, so fewer cowboy days were needed. Who knew?
Grain elevators near the trail reminded us of its earlier role as a railway.
Due to extreme flooding of the Missouri River this spring, many sections of the trail washed away. Rock slides cover other areas. We followed the suggestions of our outfitter and took a shuttle around these areas. The trail needs $1 million in repairs which is a huge sum for Missouri and not the highest priority for the state.
There were several beautiful rail trestles along the trail.
The KATY Trail is a “thing” for bikers. We learned that most of the riders are either locals .. or they’re from California (!) or Colorado. During the same week when we were riding, there were 32 riders from a Road Scholar group. It didn’t appear that there were any other riders with our exact itinerary, as no one else shared the van for our luggage or stayed at the same inns with us. So we didn’t pass many other riders on the trail, and most of the inns were fairly empty. But we did meet one couple, who snapped our picture.
Check it Out!
We would recommend the KATY trail for other riders. However, two or three days might suffice! The small towns on the route were very charming, but the biking route was fairly monotonous. We experienced the same small-pellet gravel and tree canopy throughout the trek. (We noted that trails that run from North to South offer much greater variety than those that run from West to East.) The trees had not really turned color yet during our week-long trek, but we heard they will be changing color soon!
We were glad to experience small-town, rural America. The fall weather was mostly cooperative, yet the colors were not as brilliant as we were expecting. We learned a lot about the history of Missouri and the travels of Lewis and Clark. The outfitters for the KATY trail were excellent and everyone was very friendly. So it was a fun week, even though we were happy to be off the saddle when the week ended.
Usually, we post about adventures abroad. Over the last few days, Ed and I have experienced interesting domestic travel — riding the 84-mile Weiser River Trail from New Meadow, Idaho to Weiser, Idaho. Never mind that we’d never heard of either town. We learned about this adventure during a moonlight dinner at Galena Lodge last winter when we sat next to a couple who had ridden this trail. It sounded cool, so we put it on our to do list
An Ambitious Mountain Bike Ride
We rode the trail over a two-day period with an overnight stop. Jan had not traveled on her bike with her overnight necessities on board since 1977 when she rode across Europe with Barb Knopes, her dear friend and college roommate. Although Ed had ridden RAGBRAI across Iowa with Jan eight times, he had never “lugged” his gear. Jan retrofitted an old bike pack for her mountain bike and Ed purchased a small pack for his mountain bike. We had our bikes tuned up and purchased a few accessories, including cool “mountain bike” shirts (au revoir spandex jerseys) from a “Club Ride”, a local Ketchum company.
While researching the trip, we noted the geography. The abandoned rail right of way had been transformed to a gravel bike path with 1,855 feet in altitude change from north to south. (While the data seemed important it barely mattered. Over 84 miles, this means that you descend 240 feet per mile with an average grade of about 5%–later we were told is that 5% overall grade is typical for old railroad lines.)
We drove four hours from Ketchum to Weiser, ID (population 5,000) and checked into the modest State Street Motel.
The room was spacious and clean– better than it looked from the outside. Later, we had dinner at Judy’s Weiser In–yes, that is how it is spelled–and enjoyed it. We dined on steak with mushrooms and splurged for the Ravenswood Zinfandel. The price was right!
Day 1: New Meadow to Cambridge
On Thursday morning, we had breakfast at a local diner, and at 8:30 am, our pre-arranged driver, Ron, picked us up to transport us to the top of the trail at New Meadow. Ron drove us in an immaculate Suburban, and we were somewhat surprised to learn that he was a retired Boeing delivery engineering manager from Seattle. He currently lives in Council Idaho (population 900) and has invested in several local businesses around town, including an RV Park.
He dropped us off at the trailhead, and we were off! The Weiser River Trail (WRT) opened in 1998 after the Union Pacific Railroad retired the freight line and conveyed ownership of the rail-bed to a non-profit, Friends of the Weiser River Trail. It’s Idaho’s longest rail-trail.
We knew we were in for a challenge when we saw our first mileage marker, which was artistically made from railroad spikes. Yikes, we had only gone a few miles. 81 to go!
The first 20 miles were glorious. We traveled mostly downhill through a forest of Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir. The trail surface ranged from gravel to lush loam with pine needles. We crossed some of the 58 trestles along the trail.
Observing Damage from Flooding
We were warned in advance that two of the trestles were out of commission, as they had been washed away by recent flooding. This one had seen better days! Ron estimated that repair will cost $30K. He said that the Friends of the Trail will be seeking grants to help pay for the repair. Luckily, signs marked the trail detours.
In Council, we learned more about the history of the trail and saw pictures of the train that carried lumber on the tracks from the early 1900s.
Over the two days, we saw only three people riding on the trail. One was a local who started at the same time as we did. He whooshed by us on the only moderately technical segment of the trail–a downhill gravel switchback which Ron had warned us about. The other two riders were a couple from Spokane who liked riding the trail so much that they rode North to South and then turned around and rode South to North! We saw them as they were riding their return leg. They snapped our picture.
Adventures in a Double Wide!
Halfway down the trail, we stayed at the Mundo HotSprings, where we had reserved the “Pool House”. It turned out to be a double-wide mobile home overlooking a pool filled with water from the local hot spring.
The best part about the Pool House was that we could use the pool after all the other day guests had left. So, around 9 pm, we soaked in the pool, restoring our biking muscles and watching the stars appear. The bed was comfy and we slept soundly.
Day 2: Riding From Cambridge to Weiser
In the morning, we biked one mile to Cambridge (population 300)–a one STOP-sign town and enjoyed a delightful breakfast. This was our second breakfast for two for under $20 including tip. The scene in Cambridge–and many scenes during the trip–reminded us of small-town Iowa, where all the elderly locals come in for coffee at the local diner.
We looked a little out of place in our bike helmets, and an older resident asked, “Where are you from?” When we said, “California”, he asked, “How are you going to get back there?” We assured him that we weren’t planning on riding all the way back, given that we had only two days worth of supplies on our bikes.
After Cambridge, we stopped in Midvale. It took us a few moments to realize that Midvale stood for Midvalley. Duh! There was a charming general store where we bought food for lunch. The American Legion Hall was quaint and colorful.
No Cell Coverage and No Water
During the next stretch, we encountered a 20-mile pristine trail that followed the Weiser River. We were warned in advance that we’d be in the wilderness in the high desert canyon. Because of the long stretches of wilderness, we needed to be self sufficient. Ed had a flat tire and we nearly ran out of water in one stretch, despite bringing Camelbacks and supplemental water bottles.
We knew we were making progress when the sign post indicated that we only had 37 miles to go.
Along the trail, we encountered a variety of obstructions — bear scat, horse poop, cow patties, a fallen tree, boulders, and an animal skeleton and lots of farm gates.
The surface ranged from sand to rock to gravel to black dirt to pine needles. We had to keep an eye out for these variations. Before we started, a trail veteran told us that 42 miles of gravel riding on a mountain bike is a lot to do in a day. Given our experience riding road bike centuries, etc., we didn’t completely internalize this advice. After riding the Weiser River Trail, we have to agree–40 miles on a nearly flat gravel path on a heavy mountain bike with gear requires a lot of hard pedaling; the rough surface impedes coasting or freewheeling. Continuous pedaling is essential, especially into the wind which blew in our faces during most of our ride. We were happy to take a break on the frequent benches on the trail.
The Weiser River Trail goes through a valley that’s a haven for wildlife. We saw Snowy Egrets, Idaho Cliff Swallows, and other birds. Sometimes, the sounds of our bike tires on the gravel path would disturb a covey of quail, and they would all fly out of a bush. Even the grazing cows seemed to notice us, as they would turn their heads and look at us as we rode by. We thought they might be counting the riders. We encountered a few horses lingering along the trail. Also, we heard there may be (friendly) bears, but we didn’t see any.
At the 80th mile, we saw that the trail paralleled the road. So, we opted for the smooth surface of the road that headed towards Weiser.
We rode back to the motel where our car was parked. Our odometer registered that we had logged 86.42 miles in the saddle.
The Weiser River Trail is a great ride. We were impressed with the maintenance of the trial — especially since it’s done by volunteers. We appreciated all the efforts of the Friends of the Weiser River Trailand have now become members. The signs were excellent and everyone we encountered was friendly and hospitable. The Fall weather was glorious. We felt fortunate to be able to discover and explore this part of rural Idaho
On the way back to Ketchum, we spent two nights in McCall, ID. The scenery around Payette Lake was beautiful. And, we enjoyed being off the saddle!
If you want to ride the Weiser River Trail (or go to McCall) , let us know, and we can provide more details.
In late May, Ed and I spent a magical week in a small village in Eastern Tuscany. No guidebooks or Trip Advisor. No “must see” tourist attractions. Instead, we savored livin’ like a local while we visited our friends Nancy and John — expats from Berkeley who have lived in a small Tuscan town since 2010. Ed worked with Nancy at Apple and was delighted to renew their friendship.
Magical Meals
Nancy chronicles her Italian life on her blog, Itch.world. On this site, she provides a weekly “3-minute escape to Italy.” (Highly recommended!) With her vast knowledge of the local area, she was able to curate fantastic local meals for us.
We enjoyed the perfectly grilled steak and Tuscan red wine in the small village of Montrechi
And, an “al fresco” lunch at an agriturismo inn. The proprietors, a brother and sister duo, opened the restaurant just for us.
On Nancy’s recommendation, we made a reservation for dinner at a communal table at Le Bindi in another small village. This restaurant has one seating for 21 people at 8:30 pm. All the other guests were Italians, mostly in their 30’s. Most did not speak English. The one gal who did speak English, probed, “How did you find this place?” This meal included over 20 courses over three hours and cost only 25 Euros. A bargain!
Following a Favorite Son
When Nancy arrived in this area of Tuscany, she overheard a question, “Did you find the PDF?” Since she had worked in Silicon Valley, Nancy thought the people were talking about a computer file. But, no … instead, “PDF” is an affectionate term for Piero della Francesca, a baroque artist who was born in this area in 1416. (!) Since we were now pretending to be locals, we decided to pay homage to him by visiting his art.
The road signs clearly show where his paintings are displayed.
In Monterchi, the Madonna del Parto is displayed in its own museum, which is an old school house owned by the town. (This is the only museum we’ve ever been to with only one piece of art.) The museum also plays a 12 minute video which describes the advanced geometry and symmetry used by “PDF” in 1460 when he painted this masterpiece.
In the painting, Mary is obviously pregnant, which apparently was quite controversial at the time of its origin. According to a New York Times article, the town (which claims to own the painting) will not loan it out for exhibits at other museums around the world, as they are afraid they won’t get it back. Other PDF masterpieces, also called “the Pieros”, are housed in nearby villages: In San Sansepolcro, you can pay homage to The Resurrection.
And in Arezzo, his intricate masterpieces adorn the walls and ceiling of the church of St Francis .
Piero della Francesca’s work is awe-inspiring, and definitely worth visiting. This area is also known as “Terre di Piero”, and you can follow a trail of his art using this itinerary.
Village Life in Eastern Tuscany
Our AirBnb apartment was nestled into the old town wall. It was centrally located so we could easily walk to the Wednesday town market, where a farmer sold the freshest vegetables imaginable. We purchased local ravioli and were able to create our own Tuscan feast at the apartment.
This old castle, which houses a pizza restaurant, is where local soccer teams come to celebrate the end of the season.
We were escorted through the Busatti textile factory in the basement of a store in town. The weavers use the same techniques that they’ve used for over 100 years. The owner told us that he was dismayed when Gumps went out of business, as they had been an excellent customer! (Apparently Jerry Brown is a good customer as well.) We purchased lovely napkins and dishtowels that were woven using traditional methods.
Most of all, we loved how Italian villagers celebrate daily life in Tuscany. Lunch is a delicious ritual. The pace is slower and not as hectic as in the city. The gelato is divine. Nancy and John have embraced this lifestyle with aplomb, and we were lucky to share it with them during this magical week.
