Yes, We Have Migrated South for the Winter

I realize this is rather after the fact, however, I am confirming, that indeed, the Williamson/Reed household has migrated south for the winter.  Although Edmonton had not had any snow until the day before we left, the falling temperature and shortening days told us it was time to hit the road.

Benny and Rockie (in crate) ready to travel

With the vehicle loaded, and the dogs in their places, we started our three day migration on October 29. Unlike Edmonton, Calgary and southern Alberta had already had lots of snow. We stopped at the A&W in Claresholm, south of Calgary, for a late lunch.  We were in time to catch a number of old farmers in for their afternoon coffee.  One of the old boys said that with the previous night’s three inches of snow, he had already had just over 4 feet of the white stuff at his place since September.

On the road, south of Calgary

Despite some patches of snowy roads, our first day’s drive was uneventful. Our bikes now have to travel outside on the bike rack. Unlike last year, we didn’t plastic wrap them, so we were pleased that the mostly dry roads meant the bikes weren’t getting a lot of tire spray on them.

Vehicle shadow, with bikes on back

We spent the first night in Great Falls, Montana where it was bone chillingly cold. We stayed at the same dog friendly hotel we had the previous two years.  The dogs recognized the place and promptly walked through the front door and around the check-in counter to greet the attendant. Considering how cold and windy it was, I thought I’d take them out for a short walk.  Was I wrong.  They had to check out the entire property to see who had been there lately before they could empty everything that needed emptying. Finally, Benny’s feet started getting cold, so I scooped him up, and we got back inside where it was nice and warm. I mean, really, the purpose behind this migration is to avoid all this cold stuff!!!  A quick check of my weather app showed it was -13C in Great Falls while Edmonton was rather balmy in comparison at +1C. 

We started Day Two’s drive while it was still dark and very cold.  When the sun came up, it showed off beautiful blue skies.  There was lots of snow about, making the scenery quite pretty. We passed a huge herd of pronghorn (antelope), however, by the time I was able to get a photo taken, we had passed the main group.   You can see some of them in amongst the cattle in this image.  

We made our way into Utah, with the objective of getting through the greater Salt Lake City area before stopping for the night. With mountains on one side, and the Great Salt Lake on the other, there is only one major highway through the area that moves massive amounts of traffic … traffic that travels bumper to bumper at 60+mph.  Lucky us, we arrived in the middle of rush hour. Even with no delays, it takes close to two hours to get from Ogden on the north side to Provo on the south. We almost had our front end clipped five(!) times by traffic weavers. Needless to say, Sandy had a few choice words for those drivers!

There are eight traffic lanes here

We spent the night at a small hotel in Nephi, south of SLC, where we got the last dog-friendly room. Sandy checked us in and was happy to report she was given the family rate. Seems the attendant was also named Williamson, and was delighted to find a long lost relative. Though they weren’t really related, as far as either one of them could tell, she still put Sandy into the system as family, so we’ll always get a discount there. I guess that’s one way of building customer loyalty. While this “family reunion” was happening, I took the dogs out for their relief break. Hardly a relief to be out of the vehicle, as it was still bloody cold!   

Practically a heat wave in Edmonton!

We went to a nearby restaurant, recommended by Sandy’s new “relative.”  She advised us to show the server our hotel key card. Just like that, we got a 10% discount on our dinner. Wow, this town is saving us money everywhere we go! Not only that, but there was even reading material to enjoy while waiting for our meals to arrive. 

The morning of Day Three was still cold, but we were again met with a crystal blue sky and snow-free roads, so we didn’t complain too much. As always, it is beautiful to drive through the Virgin River Gorge, where I tend to take lots of photos. I think this image is different from others I have posted over the years, and gives one an idea of the depth of the gorge walls. 

Going through the gorge

We stopped for a break in Cedar City so Sandy could get a cup of tea. The tea shop was right next door to a very cool independent grocery store where we spent some time wandering the aisles while we stretched our legs a bit.  Grocery stores aren’t Sandy’s thing, and I might find them a little too interesting, but really, how can one find a produce display like this anything but attention grabbing?

Our next stop was in Las Vegas.  Usually we do some shopping in REI, the outdoor equipment store, but we both decided we didn’t really need anything. The dogs, however, got out for a relief break. As it was October 31, they wore their Hallowe’en t-shirts.

Just outside of Vegas, Sandy pulled over to check out these sculptures. The Seven Magic Mountains, over 30 feet tall, are a privately funded (to the tune of $3.5 million) public art installation, created with vividly painted massive limestone boulders, which has become a Vegas must see attraction.  As it was really windy, we just stopped for a quick photo.

Once back on the road, it wasn’t long before we got a weather alert on our iPhones.

What the heck???!!  

Benny found this news to be so upsetting, he got sick. Well, actually, he got sick on the exact same stretch of rolling hilly road that has done him in the last two times going home. Poor guy.  After a quick stop to clean things up and place my fire pit jacket in his bed for him to lay on, we carried on. To be honest, this time, those constant rolling hills were making my stomach queazy, too.

Benny after his eruption

This was the first trip down where it was too cold to get into our shorts for the Day Three drive. We actually had to wear long pants all the way to La Quinta! Fortunately, the day after we arrived, it was sunny and beautiful. 

Sandy enjoys her tea outside

The weekend after we got here, the golf course in our community hosted their annual welcome back party. Free food, live band, and an excellent fireworks display.

After a couple of days unpacking, settling in, and catching up with friends, we were ready to face winter.  I can't believe we have been here seven weeks, already. Now, I just have to keep the blog up to date!

Lest We Forget

I have been negligent in my blogging, but could not possibly let Remembrance Day pass without acknowledging those many to whom we owe so much.

I was in Calgary in late October and my sister, Patti, took me to the Field of Crosses. If you haven't been, I highly recommend a visit to this very moving tribute to over 3000 members of the Canadian Armed Forces from southern Alberta who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy and take for granted.

Each cross provides the name, rank, regiment, age, and date of death. 

Many are adorned with a note describing the service and circumstance of the passing of the member being honoured  researched and written by school kids. 

Just a few of the crosses

Religion, when know, is acknowledged by the marker.  

Stars of David amongst the crosses

Some of the markers are adorned with additional information attached by family members, friends, or acquaintances.  This letter home, describing some of the trials and tribulations of the action at Vimy Ridge during WWI, was attached to the marker of Sergeant Leo Griffith.

Wounded September 28th, 1918. Died September 29th

My father, Harry, volunteered to fight in WWII. While waiting to be called up, he was blinded in one eye in a farming accident and deemed medically unfit to serve. He always felt he failed to fulfill his duty to Canada. Two of his brothers, Joe, and Jay, served in the Army with Uncle Jay sustaining, but surviving life threatening injuries. Sandy's father, Hugh, also volunteered to join the Army and saw action in Europe.  Her mom, Margaret, served with the Air Force in Halifax, Nova Scotia, assigned to Flight Control. 

And this is why Canadians wear poppies in the days leading up to the Remembrance Day services on November 11th.

"In Flanders Fields" is very popular in Canada, where it is a staple of Remembrance Day ceremonies and may be the most well known literary piece among English Canadians.  (Quoted from Wikipedia)

So that was Spring, Eh?

After Sandy flew back to Palm Springs following her epic ride across the USA, we had to wait just over a week for her bike to arrive. As we waited, we had lots of season ending events to attend.  Our lemon tree was still loaded with fruit so everywhere we went, we brought along 2-3 dozen lemons to share. And since our lemons get to be over half a pound in size, that made for a whole lot of lemon to deal with!

One of our super lemons

In the meantime, spring arrived in our La Quinta back yard in a big way. We have lots of bougainvillea, roses, hibiscus, rosemary, and a few cacti that we wait all winter to bloom.  When our yard is in bloom, however, we can’t enjoy it too long as that is the signal it is time for us to start the drive home to Edmonton.  

Back yard blossoms in the morning light

One of our hibiscus plants

A gorgeous yellow rose

We usually take a few days to get the yard and house all packed up for summer. That seems to get the dogs clued into the fact that we are going to be on the go. The day before we left, we start loading up the vehicle, under the watchful eyes of our four legged supervisors.

Rockie and Benny making sure the packing is properly done and they don’t get left behind 

We have many good friends in our La Quinta neighbourhood, including our super neighbours, Ron and Joanne from across the street. It is always good to get back south to catch up with them, and sad to leave everyone when we head home. 

Ron and Joanne sending us off with
their wish list for our return

As we left, we made our way up through the high desert area. There were still many flowers in bloom, part of the super bloom that we had after all the winter rain. 

Roadside flowers

Up in the high desert, the winter was very cold, with a lot of snow. One side effect of the cold winter up there is that the Joshua trees, which need to experience quite low temperatures in order to bloom, were loaded with blossoms.

Joshua trees in bloom

Our journey home took us along part of the iconic Route 66. Naturally, we had to stop to take a couple of classic photos.

As usual, on Day One we stopped in Las Vegas to go shopping at REI, the American equivalent of Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada.  After our little shopping spree, we had lunch nearby at Panera Bread. Once we sat down, right across from our table we noticed a very appropriate art poster.

Day Two saw us make our way through Utah, Idaho, and into Montana. We passed this turnoff in Utah.

If there are no services, why stop to browse??

Once again, the dogs had an uneventful journey home. That is if we discount the fact that for the third year in a row Benny got car sick on exactly the same stretch of road! I have made a mental note to hold back his breakfast that day on next year’s trip. Otherwise, they were very content and enjoyed three days of long car rides.

Benny showing off that he can curl his tongue!
Note Rockie’s “Oh, spare me!” look.

We had a nice lunch in Idaho Falls before spending night two in Great Falls, Montana. Although it had been nice up until this point, we awoke to misty rain and heavy fog to start the last day of our drive home.  

Day Two, sunny and pleasant

Leaving Great Falls on Day Three,
not so sunny nor pleasant

Day Three of our drive saw us cross the border at Coutts, Alberta.

Entering Canada

And no matter what the weather, or how the journey has been, it is always great to be back on home turf!

We stopped for lunch at the A&W in Lethbridge and enjoyed a classic Canadian dish that is pretty darn difficult to find in the USA. Poutine! Yup, poutine at A&W and it was pretty darn good, too!!

Poutine!!

We arrived home, safe and sound, during the Easter long weekend. All the snow had melted and I was pleasantly surprised to see that our tulips were up in front of the house and some pansies had volunteered in the back yard.

A couple of days later, we were able to get out for our first bike ride after getting home.  

Happy to be out for a ride west of Edmonton

Rockie loves spending the day in our yard, and wasted no time putting her newly acquired barn hunting skills to work looking for vermin under the deck.

Rockie Hunting 

The joy of getting out on our bikes soon turned into disappointment, as less than a week after we got home, we had more snow!  

Spring snow

With the snow, which was followed by rain and very cool temperatures, we resigned ourselves to getting on our bikes in the basement!

Riding indoors.  Even Rockie was annoyed with the weather!

Springtime on the Canadian Prairies was brutal this year. Snow, rain, cool temperatures, wind. Is it no wonder we hardly got on our bikes and didn’t get out on any adventures? Hopefully, we will have something interesting to report, soon. In the mean time, here’s a thought to hold you over until our next installment, courtesy of Rockie and Benny.

Week 6 The Epic Ride Concludes!

Day 38

Gulf Shores LA to Ft Walton FL, Plan:  77 miles 

There was no rain in the forecast but of course the wind was blowing right at us, making for a rough start to the day.  We crossed into Florida at Perdido and stopped for the ceremonial pictures.  Jona has been a gracious friend and made sure we were together at each of the state crossings.  

We rode through Pensacola, out to the Pensacola Beach through parts of Navarre, and then over another bridge back on to the main land.  That part of the ride was amazing.  The speed limit for vehicles was only 25 mph as it is a coastal bird nesting area.  We cyclists appreciated the slower traffic, as well.

The Gulf of Mexico coastline was something else.  But there is a reason why all the houses are built up on at least 20 ft pilings. (no thank you).  

Houses on stilts

The sand is white and fine, like table salt, which is not good for one’s bicycle chain.  

Sandy beach

Very fine sand

This map shows the little strip of land we rode on.

760 feet up, 763 feet down

Day 39

Ft. Walton Fl to Chipley FL , Plan:  86 miles

Hello wind, you’re back again!  Another tough day for all the riders.  We encountered lots of traffic in the morning, construction zones with no shoulders, and pissed off drivers.  We did, however, ride through some interesting countryside and found a nice ranch with this old cabin front and centre.

My bike made a lot of noise, today, so it got stripped and cleaned once I finally got to the lousy hotel in Chipley.  I didn’t go for supper with the group as I got in late and spent time cleaning my bike.  I went across the street with Cherrie where we ate and debriefed each other on the day’s activities.

I hope this street is named for the bird!

Day 40

Chipley FL to Midway FL, Plan:  78 miles 

Headed out with Jona and we hit the road running hard, hoping to get in as many miles as possible before the winds started.  We moved along at a fun pace and, like clock work, around 10 AM the winds started to pick up.  There was evidence of lots of hurricane damage in this area from last year's storms.  Huge trees still lay across homes and businesses.  I wish I had shares in the blue tarp industry as house after house is still covered with tarp.  One could see where people are living in RVs and houses that looked like people should not be living in them.  Those who can afford to keep rebuilding.  Here are just a few photos of the damage.  

With less than 20 miles to go, Jona and I headed off again.  She said we should be done in 1½ hours.   Well, that didn’t happen because hills did.  The down hills were fun, but that was killed by the up hills.  The hills did not stop.   Every down was followed by a nasty up to the point I just let gravity bring me down and will power get me up.  That 1½ hours grew to over 2 hours.  

Old fashioned gas station

Once at the hotel, it was time for laundry and a girls’ debriefing while enjoying a gift of wine from Cherrie.  Supper was excellent Italian food, and then it was time for bed.  We finally entered the eastern time zone hence we lost an hour today.  2000 feet of climbing.

DAY 41

Midway FL to Madison FL, Plan:  76 miles  

1600 feet up, 1500 feet down.

After yesterday’s misery, I decided to enjoy today and maybe even take a bump (van ride) through the hilly section.  I headed out with Jona, who advised me she had decided to find a spot for us to stop for coffee/tea then she wanted to bump also.  It just so happened that at mile 6, out popped a Dunkin’ Donut for us to pop into.

We passed through the city of Tallahassee where we got onto some rather hilly countryside with beautiful trees hanging over the road.  

Canopy of trees 

It was along here that Jona decided we should bump and into the van to the next stop we went.  The van ride was a good idea as it saved my legs about 10 miles and I was able to get back on my bike and ride comfortably the rest of the way.  We rode through the childhood town of Ray Charles in Greenville, FL.  After lunch I rode a bit with Cherrie, taking pictures and stopping to get ice cream for her and a slice of pizza for me.  I squeezed the pizza into my handle bar bag and away to the hotel we went.  It was a warm and somewhat humid day today.  We will see what the weather has in store for us tomorrow.  The weather channel showed big storms where we had just been riding, with more big storms heading our way for the next day.  Come on, weather gods, just two and a half more days and we will have made it without any significant rain.  

This should help

Day 42 

Madison Fl to High Springs FL, Plan:  77 miles

The morning was overcast and rain was starting.  By the time we got ready to head out, though, the rain stopped and the wind was minimal.  The roads were nice and FLAT for the most part, with beautiful foliage in some areas.  

Beautiful, flat road

Down the road some, I pulled into a driveway to clean my glasses and checked out a type of farm we would never see at home. 

Lee Peanut Farm

Further along I came across a home, surrounded by big oak trees, that reminded me of a plantation from the movies.  Next was a swampy area; we looked, but still no ‘gators to be spotted.  

Southern mansion

I was keeping an eye on a big grey cloud that was following us. At the lunch stop, it looked really ominous and within moments we were running for cover.  Rain came down hard but the worst of it passed on as quickly as it arrived.  Tom and I headed out in a light rain.  Within 10 minutes it stopped and I came across a motorcycle for sale.  I contemplated trading in my pedal bike for the motor bike.  

Hmmm, should I trade?

A little later I came across another warning sign about trespassing. 

I was starting to get hungry when we passed through a small community, about 14 miles out from our destination, to find a gas station selling pizza … so in I went with poor Tom in tow.  

Tom, the guide, on his recumbent bicycle

The last 14 miles were quite enjoyable as there was a bike lane next to the road that made for a sweet trip without traffic to listen to whizzing by.  I pulled in to the hotel to find Jona had made a trip to Win Dixie and picked up supplies for a debriefing:  wine, cheese, crackers.  Ahhh, a nice way to unwind.

Day 43

High Springs FL to Palatka FL, Plan:  70 miles

My legs are getting a little tired and they want a rest!  Just another day and a half and they can rest for as long as they want.  

I started out with Jona today, but fell off the pace as the first part was up and down again.  She waited along the way, taking pictures until I caught up.  We rode around the edge of Gainsville this morning. The directions were a bit confusing then, about the time we figured everything out, Jona decided it was time to pick up the pace and we sure did.  It’s funny how the faster you go the miles also go by faster, but I knew I couldn’t carry this pace on for long.  I thought, man I can’t do this for another 40 miles then I looked at my computer and said, man I can’t carry this on for another 30 miles.  Hey, where did that 10 miles go?  Who cares it was fun!  

Who knew we had grocers in the family?  

Just as I was willing Jona to pull over and take some pictures, she did. Good, as I needed to change my headlight and tail light.  At this point, we crossed the road to use the park facilities when we met a local cyclist having a snack.  We got to talking and he told us about a brand new bike path that would take us right to our hotel.  So off we went on this path, along an old railroad right of away.  It was glorious as it ran alongside the road, away from the traffic, in and out of nice quiet neighbourhoods. 

As we were checking this body of water for alligators we saw two sandhill cranes with two babies that were, oh, so cute.    

Nope, no 'gators here

I tried to get a good photo of the cranes, but they kept moving away from the crazy cyclist trying to take their picture. Trust me, they were pretty cute with their gangly stilt-like legs and fuzzy feathers.  Here they are:

The route our new friend took us on brought us out to the bottom of the bridge, yes another damn bridge, that took us to our next hotel.  We weren’t in our rooms 15 minutes before the sky opened up and thunder shook the building.  We made it across the parking lot for supper where I had my first blackened catfish, which I enjoyed.  Back at my room, there was a bit of time left to watch some basketball before I headed off to sleep.  

DAY 44:  Finale!

East Palatka FL to St. Augustine FL, Plan:   43 miles, flat

The day we had been waiting for finally arrived.  We sort of headed out as a group but as usual that did not last long.  We rode out of town then got back onto the continuation of yesterday’s bike path.  The path was awesome.  Half the group took off and we never saw them again until we regrouped at the meet up point before heading to the ocean to dip our wheels.

Jona once again graciously stayed with me which meant stopping for pictures and trying to finally see an alligator, which I never did.  Maybe that was a good thing.  The last half was along the river and it was very calming, unlike some of the roads we had been on.  After stopping to take our customary photos and selfies at the city’s sign we met up with the other half of the group.  

Sandy, Jona, and Tom 

Then, as was customary, I had to lead the group over the bridge.  Unfortunately it was not the kind of bridge where we could stop and take photos.  

Happy day!  We arrived at the beach and dipped our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean.

Atlantic wheel dip 

Next, we took some photos, dragged Jona into the ocean, then headed off to the bike shop to ship our bikes home.  This was kind of an anti-climatic end to the ride compared to the celebration we had for the Canada ride 11 years ago, now that was a party atmosphere.  

Dennis, one of the owners, dropped us off in downtown St. Augustine to walk around before dinner.  It’s a touristy place for sure.  We met up at a nice restaurant and I had a wonderful tuna dish for supper.  Back at the hotel, it was the usual routine:  organize the suitcases then off to bed, except this time I didn't have to lay out my cycling kit for the next day.

Day 45  Look out, I’m coming home!! 

We all flew out of the Jacksonville airport, and I had the first departure. My journey had three segments as there was no easy way to get back to California:  Jacksonville, FL to Charlotte, NC to Phoenix, AZ to Palm Springs, CA.  

I flew first class all the way and I loved it. I may never travel in steerage, again! 

Kate tracked my flights home, segment 2

My flight into Palm Springs was just a short hop from Phoenix, but even at that, the pilot managed to get us to our destination 20 minutes ahead of schedule. Good thing Kate decided to be at the airport early to pick me up and get me back to our La Quinta home. The dogs made a fuss over me as I came in the door.  Good thing 'cuz I gave Rockie the only alligator I saw ... a stuffed squeaky toy.  It’s nice to have our little family back together and to sleep in my own bed!

I hope you enjoyed following this adventure, in which I rode a total of 4495 km, or 2793 miles.  I am happy I did it, and even happier it is over with! I have no more cross-country trips in the plans, unless they are in Boxy, our RV.  Kate and I look forward to doing one week cycle tours from here on in.

The End