My first selfie!

The uphills are okay when we've downhills to give us a running start.

Todays ride was mostly on Wisconson state bike trails. Riding on crushed rock has its benefits, but it did slow us down a bit.  All said we made it to our destination -- Sparta, WI.

Last night looked like it was going to be stormy as there was lightning and thunder off in the distance,but we didn't fare too badly -  just a little rain.  Today was a cooler day, nice with all the cloud cover.  Our bodies are feeling good and we'll be camping near Fountain City, WI tonight.

 The Golden Delicious

 Thwak! Splash! Thwak! Sploosh! It was the middle of the night and my eyes shot open as I considered the danger lurking in the water right outside my tent.

 On this steamy summer-like day, the challenge had been to keep our yogurt and fruit cool until breakfast the next morning, so I did the logical thing - threw it all into a ziploc bag and submerged it in the lake water under two bread-loaf-sized rocks.

 Was it a He-Beaver or a She-Beaver who had defected to the White Witch and was making off with the breakfast of a son of Adam and daughter of Eve? As I crept out to the rocks by lantern light (OK,it was really a flashlight), my worst fears were confirmed: the rocks had been moved aside and the bag containing the breakfast had been laid neatly atop a pile of sticks - but with my precious Golden Delicious apple missing, where a hole had been tidily chewed through.

 Now, instead of quietly slinking away with the booty, the traitor was jubilantly celebrating this travesty, making enough noise to wake everyone in Narnia - even Ron! Breakfast was eaten with an air of solemnity this morning. After all, as my family can attest, I have always had a fondness for beavers - and for Golden Delicious apples.

The day has come and we're off. Our goal today was Bay City, WI, on the north shore of Lake Pepin. Because of a late start and the sudden summer temperatures (86F, with a pavement temperature of 96F!), we arrived much later than anticipated, pulling in to our secluded campsite at Bay City campground at around 5:30. Throughout the whole brilliant, exhilarating ride, our senses were refreshed with the beauty and fragrance of the apple blossoms and lilacs. The spring floods have done their work again, with submerged tree bases and shrubs surrounding us. The first of our friendly encounters with other cyclists was Rob, who approached and asked, "So, tell me all about your trip." He proceeded to explain that he and his wife often tour around Europe, and plan to go to France with a one-way ticket this September. _____________ As we prepared to leave home for this adventure, friends would exclaim, "All the way to Maine? How are you going to do that?" My answer: "One day at a time." Recently chatting with a friend and a relative with severe diagnoses, my heart echoed those words as I lifted them before the Father today. They're learning this lesson in a painful way, a lesson we all need to embrace - life is lived to the full one day at a time, one moment of thanks to the next moment, all in the Father's presence. Enjoy the gift of this day!

About our trip...

Ron and Mary's Northern Tier Adventure

Destination: Portland, Maine

Route:  The Adventure Cycling Northern Tier route, including the Lake Erie connector

Duration: Six to seven weeks

Transportation:  Raleigh Sojourn bikes to Maine and Amtrak back to St. Paul

Purpose: Adventure of a lifetime, vacation, enjoying God's creation, meeting new people

Hello everyone.  Welcome to our blog spot.  After three decades of dreaming and two years of preparing, this blog initiates a big adventure for us...riding a bicycle from the Mississippi River to the Atlantic coast.  Each of us had nurtured the same dream in our hearts for decades, to tour the country simply and slowly, riding back roads and meeting individuals who are each precious to God.

We'll be riding the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier bike route (adventurecycling.org), which takes us along the shores of two of the Great Lakes, and in the case of Lake Michigan, across one of them. Since we haven't yet learned to ride on water, we'll have to settle for a ferry for that ride. We're anticipating lots of beautiful views of water, hopefully not coming down on us from the sky!

This blog will be our connection to you, our loved ones and friends.  Follow us, as we will be riding for the next six to seven weeks.  Our depature date is Monday, May 26, 2014.