Got my Ohio plate....

Got my Ohio plate from Norcross Automotive in Sandusky, Ohio. There was a dude there, let's call him Tyrell.  He was waiting for his car.

"Where you bike from," he said. I told him Halifax, Nova Scotia.

"Where's that," he asked. "Canada," I said politely.

Tyrell had what looked like a black pantyhose tight on the top of his head. He had black sweatpants and was sweating through his white t-shirt. He was nice enough... But inquisitive.

"How old are you?" I said I was 50 and he let's go with "Girl, I'm 54 and I don't even take my bike round the corner. You crazy," he said, smiling.

Then he reached out his hand to wish me good luck and he did this three-grip

shake with an explosion at the end. I obviously got it wrong. He said, "That's alright," and just laughed.

I reached in my back pocket to give him a card to follow along. The cards are in a plastic Baggie and all of a sudden he step back and says, "I don't want no weed."

I'm going to move along now. 

Vermillion, OH and Big Ed's

Already making good mileage today. Stopped in Vermillion, OH to mail some post cards and saw Big Ed's Soda Fountain on Main Street. It's in a building that used to be the old dry goods store and dates to 1872.

Has the old soda fountain and old booths lining the wall with Collectibles on the shelf above including a pair of saddle shoes, the cymbal playing wind up circus monkey and a Dixie Belle ice cream freezer.

On the window there's advertising for phosphates, egg cremes, and tin roofs.

That's as much as I can see through the window. The store is closed and doesn't open for two more hours and I have to move along.

Vermillion seems like a nice little Norman Rockwell town. 

Video Testimony: Advice for Alzheimer's Caregivers

Riding in Tribute to -

BETTY CHRISTEN

NOTE: Want to pay tribute to your loved one? 

I'll ride a day in their honor (includes mention on blog). Click HERE to learn more.

My Ohio "Sisters"

Avon Lake, Ohio - Met some great people today while pedaling out of Cleveland. 

ABOVE: James Rychak from BlazingSaddle Cycle on Detroit Street - The bike store is three  years new to the location, prior to that it was a hardware store for about 30+ years. 

BELOW:  Met Kiern as I pedaled out do downtown Cleveland. He hadn't been on his bike for a while. "I've got to do something, my knees are a wreck and I can't play soccer anymore," he said. 

Born in England, moved to U.S. at age 14.  Said it was a tough time.

UPDATE: 

Decided to expand on this story upon popular request....

Avon Lake - Holy Spirit Catholic Church opened its door to me and two nuns

adopted me, taking me out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. The evening was hilarious. 

Sister Pat was forward, had a good sense of humor, and candid for someone in the religious field as she talked about having to go out of town if they wanted to go swimming because the kids from the parish would say, "We saw Sister in her swimming suit!"

Sister Connie quietly agreed saying nuns in swimsuits wasn't a message their church was trying to send.

Both women had been at Holy Spirit Church for nearly 20 years. They said their numbers, of girls who wanted to go into a convent lifestyle, were shrinking in the states.

"Too much electronics," said Sister Pat crunching a nacho chip.

"Africa and India," said Sister Connie "that's where our numbers are soaring.... but it's a way out of poverty for those girls."

Sister Connie then laid down some harsh reality. "When those young girls leave the church to go home and visit their families, their parents try to make them work and often push them into prostitution.  So when they come back they all take a pregnancy test and if they're positive, pfft!," said Sister Connie throwing her thumb over her shoulder. "They're out."

The waitress returns with our food and says something in Spanish; that sparks another story.

"Tell her about the time it was double-bubble night here," said Sister Pat.  

Sister Connie was being picked on, but apparently she was the fall guy in a lot of Sister Pat's stories.

Sister Pat then jumps right into the story about two-for-one margaritas and how the waitress came around and said "uno mas."  "So Sister, who doesn't understand Spanish, repeats 'uno mas' thinking she's saying 'one bill' and they bring us two more drinks."

Sister Pat shakes her head at the ridiculous memory and downs another chip.

"Sisters whooping it up with margaritas in public is not the message the church wants to send either," said Sister Connie as two parents pass by the table and then stop to talk, having recognized the women who work with their children.

Back in the Midwest!

Spent a fabulous morning at the Rock 'n Roll Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

It's good to be back in the Midwest!

On a "Journey" with Alzheimer's

Testimonies like this inspire and encourage me to "pedal on" for Alzheimer's awareness:

Riding in Tribute to....

JIM MOHR

NOTE: Want to pay tribute to your loved one? I'll ride a day in their honor (includes mention on blog). Click HERE to learn more.

Tortuous hills.....and into Vermont

Southampton, MA - it's been a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda day. Follow along…….

Got stranded last night in a small community west of Concord, NH.  Two churches - nobody home; small grocery, the original Cracker Barrel.  Owner, Marilyn, is also a dementia nurse. She totally helps. Feeds me dinner out of the deli and gives me some office space upstairs to crash for the night.  In the morning she returns and drives me over the torturous hills to Keene, NH.

The front desk staff at the local Best Western let me wash my hands and they sprung for breakfast, impressed with the ride.

Richard

I set out and fail to check my water bottles.  Richard the clockmaker comes to my rescue and gives me a lift to Brattleboro, Vermont.

Richard works with his dad in the family business - The British Clockmaker. Richard is an apprentice and hopes to keep the business going another generation.

He has two daughters currently away at soccer camp. He runs with his wife and Richard feels blessed to work each day with his dad. 

Enter Robert. He was filling his car with gas and got distracted and there was a significant overflow. So much so the station staff came running and everybody was keeping a keen eye out for smokers.

Robert was driving his wife to work but said he wanted adventure and would give me a lift but he was headed north and I was not.

Peter is a construction worker with a truck. He gets me to Northampton, Mass.  Peter is very mellow. He credits meditation.

At the very old Bluebonnet Diner a kind waitress draws a map to get me out to

country roads and now I'm on my way south. 

Bargaining for a Bike

Interviewed one of the locals, Lloyd Gatzke from Campbellsport, WI, who told me how he got his first bike with this unusual bargaining technique....

Riding in Tribute to....

Robert Ledwith


NOTE: Want to pay tribute to your loved one? I'll ride a day in their honor (includes mention on blog). Click HERE to learn more.

New Hampshire: A Quick Fix, the Speedway, and a NASA Tidbit to Share

Full day of activities started with a visit to MC Cycle & Sport in Laconia, NH.

Bob took care of a couple annoying wobbles and squeaks that would help smooth

out my ride.

 

Bob

On to the great New Hampshire Motor Speedway which was prepping for this weekend's NASCAR race. (Right, and below left)

In Concord, I sought out the Discovery Museum which highlighted astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

Did you know ejection seats were used in the first four shuttle test flights but later replaced by non-ejection seats as ejection was deemed unsafe?

Docent Bob Veilleux was also part of the Teacher in Space Program. "I was at Christa's flight. Took hundreds of pictures and didn't show them to anyone for years."

Bob Veilleux

Bob was also a collector of meteorites; of course, he kept them in his pocket. 

Where's Judy?

Just a fun map so you can see where I've been so far.

View The Amazing Race for Alzheimer's in a full screen map

South to Concord, NH

Headed south on Highway 106 to Concord, NH. I'm about 18 miles out. In this

photo is a sleek biker named Jeremy. He caught me on the downhill. "Recognized your plate; I'm from New Foundland," he said referencing my Nova Scotia license plate.

"Sorry to disappoint, I'm from Wisconsin," I said.

The sweat was pouring off Jeremy. I asked him if it was tough to catch me and he said it was.

So kind.  

Then he raced off and I continued to eke along with my dinosaur tail of gear.

NOTE: He's that wisp of a biker behind the car.... Hear me pronouncing 'car' like you're from HARvard.)

Shout Out to The Amazing Ride SPONSORS

Just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all of the sponsors of The Amazing Ride!

Cedar Community
USCCA

Wiedmeyer Express

Thrivent Financial

Marine Corps League/Kettle Moraine Detachment

The Cottages On Golden Pond

Martin Jewellers

Into New Hampshire

Chris gave me a good jump on the day with a lift from Waterville, Maine to South Paris.

 

Chris (right)

I profiled him - he had a nice car, dresses nice and so fit I mistook him for a biker. "No, I'm into cross training," he said. Really a nice guy, well traveled, worked in construction and was thrilled to hear about my tour. "You make me want to quit my job and just go," he said.

(Above, left, and below)  Just a bit of scenery along Highway 117 and Hwy 302.

Waited out a pop-up storm outside the Maine Info Bureau for about an hour. They had a nice bench outside with a large overhang to protect me from the wetness. I think I nodded off before getting some rain gear/garbage bags on and crossing into New Hampshire.