November 2011

Catching the Midnight Train :: Nebraska to California

By Sheila on 11.30.11

Our weekend stay in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with warmshowers.org host, Tod, was wonderful. We had time to take in some of the local sights, like the 24th Street bridge sculptures by Albert Paley, and downtown Omaha’s Heartland of America park. On Sunday we rode our bicycles into Nebraska, a short ride from Tod’s [Read More…]

Cycling the Wabash Trace Trail :: Iowa

By Sheila on 11.29.11

After a peaceful overnight in Elmo, Missouri, we continued riding the quiet Missouri roads toward the Iowa border. Our destination was the trail head for the Wabash Trace Trail, located in Blanchard, Iowa. The trail would take us over 60 miles north to Council Bluffs, and only a few miles short of Omaha, Nebraska’s Amtrak station. [Read More…]

On the Road Again :: Look Ma, No Shoulders!

By Sheila on 11.26.11

After a decent rest with family and friends, it was time for us to head north to Omaha so that we could catch the Amtrak to California. We got a really late start and although the roads weren’t heavily travelled we were pedalling pretty slowly. You don’t realize how much a week or more off the bicycle can affect your ability to ride well. [Read More…]

A Week Off with Family :: Missouri

By Sheila on 11.23.11

After packing as much Fervere bread as would fit on our bicycles, we began cycling north toward Smithville, Missouri. Our goal was to stop by a bicycle shop on the way to pick up some small parts and then to make it to my sister’s home before dark.

The roads and headwinds had another plan for us though! We were not prepared for the Missouri roads – up [Read More…]

Westward bound on the Amtrak

By Sheila on 11.20.11

The last few weeks we’ve used the fast-forward method of travel, hopping on the Amtrak to escape the freezing rain and snow of the Northeast and to put us closer to where we would have been if we had left in April instead of October. With plenty of friends and family to visit in the midwest, we took the 13 hour Lake Shore Limited overnight train ride [Read More…]

Map Giveaway :: New York State & Canalway Trail

By Sheila on 11.12.11

The last few weeks we’ve alternated between riding our bicycles, visiting with friends and family, and Amtrak hopping across the country. We’re currently in Berkeley, California, taking a break to visit with some dear friends. Updates of the last few weeks are in the works but, for now, we wanted to post about our map giveaway.

Rather than recycle or send home the maps we used while in New York, [Read More…]