Tour of Victoria and Bob's Perfect Ride Day

Sunshine and only clear skies in the forecast - at last! 

We were very excited to see the sun peeking through the clouds this morning. To make the morning even more special I saw this magnificent creature about 30 yards away perched atop a giant tree, he apparently was looking for breakfast. 

Hilary, Margaret and I left the house at 8:45 am and hit the road cycling toward downtown Victoria. Temps were in the low 60's but with the sunshine it promised to be a perfect ride day. Margaret led us to the trail and then across the bridge downtown. We passed the Naval yard, skirted Chinatown and arrived right near the Capitol building for our first photo opportunity near the harbor. 

We met some young people on bikes at one of the stop lights and they quickly told us they were from Oakland, CA, and had just arrived from Seattle on the ferry this morning. You gotta love young people and their enthusiasm. How long do you think it will take before they start off loading some of the stuff they brought along with them?

We spotted the brightly colored Tugboat brigade and  precision drill team getting ready to perform.

As we headed toward the shoreline drive, our route was diverted by an enthusiastic parade of locals participating in a fun run. After a few detours to get around the crowds we finally made it to the seaside and were treated to more lovely views.

Remember that hill climbing I wrote about yesterday? Well there was a bit more (several) today. However, I am learning that the climbs, are fairly short, so it really is just one foot in front of the other to the top. Some are pretty steep and others not so much. The good news is that once we reach the top  there is usually a pretty fun downhill making the effort spent climbing all worthwhile. At least that is what I am telling myself for now.

Once we left the coastline we were once more in wooded areas and even had a lovely stop for tea. Then we were right back down to the shoreline where there were some very exclusive and beautiful homes. I found my next home in Victoria - if only I can keep the current owners as the gardeners. This house certainly exhibits their passion for gardening.

Victoria has made a huge commitment to the cycling community and provides miles and miles of bike lanes and bike trails. Generally drivers are very respectful to the many riders that are out on the road, making it truly a cycling paradise. 

Today we rode a total of 51 miles and I do have to say we were all a bit tuckered when we arrived home. We spent time cleaning the bikes and oiling the chains getting ready for tomorrow's ride with more of the "Sister's that I met earlier. This adventure promises to be fun, approximately 45 miles, does involve a ferry and as Margaet likes to say "a bit of climbing." I can hardly wait!  

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Bob's Perfect Ride Day Report

After spending the night in Cincinnati, Sunday dawned with beautiful clear skies and a temperatures in the low 60s. I've never toured Ohio before and found it to be a wonderful ride with abundant farmlands and rolling hills.

 I kept trying to figure out what the farmers were growing, but it pretty much just all looked green to me. I've decided there should be a rule that all farmers must post signs indicating what it is that they are growing. Let's face it, corn is easy but everything else is just a mystery. 

I arrived in Cleveland and stopped for a late lunch at Whole Foods. People are so friendly in the Midwest and I was approached by complete strangers asking about my ride and bike. One woman even rounded up her husband and kids to meet me while I was at the store. When I got to the parking lot I spent even more time chatting with a gentleman who was parked next to me and was curious about the bike. Both of these lovely people sent me off with smiles and wishes for a blessed day.

I was going to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but because of the upcoming Republican convention the traffic is pretty much of a nightmare so I may have to save that tour for another trip.  Tomorrow I will ride to Hamburg, New York where the BMW motorcycle rally will take place later this week. I have promised Gail that I will take photos for the blog.