2009 was a year of crisis, change and uncertainty for our country in general and many of us in particular.
My New Year wish for you is simple - maintain hope and look for the good in those around you and be good in return.
We have a lot to be thankful for ..... no matter what the talking heads say, we have a great country filled with great people and great natural treasures in our state and national parks.
Plan a trip with your family, take a hike, take a bike ride, take a walk along a creek, river, lake or ocean..... just do it and I'll bet you'll feel better about everything.
It's right there waiting for you so just step outside and Discover America!
End of Day Totals:
Leg 2
Day 3
Date Thu, 12/31/09
From - stayed @ Lake Mineral Wells State Park
To NA
This Day's Miles Cycled = 0
This Leg Total Miles Cycled = 58
This Day's Miles Walked = 16
This Leg Total Miles Walked = 24
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled = 568
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Walked = 52
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled & Walked = 620
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Am charging cell & netbook
Am charging cell & netbook now - Will try to get webcam set up so I can visit w/ my wife & daughter.
I plan to stay @
I plan to stay @ LMWSP tomorrow because the post offc is closed & I need to mail all my camping gear to Muleshoe Tx - no state parks
Back @ camp site -
Back @ camp site - what a wonderful day - I had enough experiences and special stories to keep me busy writing for a day.
Garner Tx - Small town but Big in Texas history!
walking 3.4 mi to Garner
walking 3.4 mi to Garner eastward along Trailway to eat - called Park HQ & they said parts of trailway to Mineral Wells was washed out -
LMWSP Trailway to Mineral Wells
Reversing @ Pen Hollow and
Reversing @ Pen Hollow and heading back - getting colder - starting to drizzle on and off but dressed just right - Frogg Toggs!
FedEx just missed my drop
FedEx just missed my drop zone - burger fell in the lake - whoever sent it - Thanks - but have them reverse the delivery charge!
Penitentiary Hollow
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This is where they do the rock climbing
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Lunch Order!
Am I the only one here?
Walking to Park HQ to
Walking to Park HQ to pay for 2nd night and then 10 mile RT hike on LMWSP Trailway.
Coffee on the Lake!
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Dawn over Lake Mineral Wells
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Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway
State Parks - they're all special and have neat features and scenery - but now that I've been to a dozen or so, I realize there are State Parks and then there are State Parks.
Now don't get me wrong.... I'm not trying to dis any parks or the folks that run them.... every park I've been to has been great in its own respect.
But there's something that separates the good parks from the great parks.... it's the people!
I can always tell right off when I go into the headquarters to get my camp site. I'll talk to the ranger and strike up a conversation about the park and its features..... and you know what happens - in the really great parks, the ranger starts talking about the park and bragging about it.... it's not that they're being cocky or anything....
But it's obvious.... they take pride in their park and they love what they do!
Case in point - Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway and Ranger Edward Dollins.
First of all, I knew LMWSP was gonna be a winner because the nice folks at the Cool Cafe' talked it up and it was obvious they frequented it a lot because they described the features in detail and told me what to go see and how to get there - I figured if the locals thought it was special..... it must be special.
So I arrived at LMWSP yesterday with high expectations, go into Park HQ and ask for a camp site and meet Ranger Edward Dollins..... and after about 2 sentences of conversation I liked this guy already.
He was polite, helpful and informative - I told him I needed a tent site with water and electricity with tree shelter for my lean-to tarp setup preferably on the water.
It was obvious this guy knew the park liked the back of his hand cause he goes "Yeah - #28 in Live Oak Camping area - that's what you need!"
It turned out the campsite was everything I wanted and more - I've walked the whole Lake Trail and as far as I'm concerned this is the best camp site in the park!
Anyway, Ranger Dollins and me keep talking about hiking and trails and I ask him about this Trailway thing.... that's when the pride kicks in and Ranger Dollins opens up - he points at this State Park Award that the Park has won sitting on the counter and then goes on to explain the history, current status and future of the Trailway system.
It turns out it's kinda like the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Coast Trail and Appalachian Trail.... States are creating "trailways" which are extended hiking corridors that run from one state park to another using old railway lines. Ranger Ed tells me about a long one in Kansas, one in Caprock Canyon State Park and then this one that starts in LMWSP and runs 20 miles to Weatherford. The future plans are to link these and create another "national trail"..... is that cool or what?
Here's a link to one of the conservancies that is helping sponsor this:
http://www.traillink.com/home.aspx
and here's a link that provides details on the LMWSP Trailway:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_mineral_wells/trailway.phtml
I told you this place was special.....oh, I almost forgot.... this place has Bald Eagles!
Yeah - Ranger Dollins tells me about the eagles and tells me there's another Ranger out trying to spot and photograph them..... then as I'm pedaling to my camp site, I meet up with Ranger David Owens. He tells me he has spotted the eagles and has tried to photograph them but they're a long way off.
Ranger Owens gives me his card and I give him my e-mail and blog addresses and ask him to send me any photos he gets of the eagles so I can post them on my blog.
It's obvious this guy loves what he does too.... I mean come on - he works in one of the most beautiful State Parks in Texas and gets to locate and photograph Bald Eagles.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway - you've got to come experience this place!
Now don't get me wrong.... I'm not trying to dis any parks or the folks that run them.... every park I've been to has been great in its own respect.
But there's something that separates the good parks from the great parks.... it's the people!
I can always tell right off when I go into the headquarters to get my camp site. I'll talk to the ranger and strike up a conversation about the park and its features..... and you know what happens - in the really great parks, the ranger starts talking about the park and bragging about it.... it's not that they're being cocky or anything....
But it's obvious.... they take pride in their park and they love what they do!
Case in point - Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway and Ranger Edward Dollins.
First of all, I knew LMWSP was gonna be a winner because the nice folks at the Cool Cafe' talked it up and it was obvious they frequented it a lot because they described the features in detail and told me what to go see and how to get there - I figured if the locals thought it was special..... it must be special.
So I arrived at LMWSP yesterday with high expectations, go into Park HQ and ask for a camp site and meet Ranger Edward Dollins..... and after about 2 sentences of conversation I liked this guy already.
He was polite, helpful and informative - I told him I needed a tent site with water and electricity with tree shelter for my lean-to tarp setup preferably on the water.
It was obvious this guy knew the park liked the back of his hand cause he goes "Yeah - #28 in Live Oak Camping area - that's what you need!"
It turned out the campsite was everything I wanted and more - I've walked the whole Lake Trail and as far as I'm concerned this is the best camp site in the park!
Anyway, Ranger Dollins and me keep talking about hiking and trails and I ask him about this Trailway thing.... that's when the pride kicks in and Ranger Dollins opens up - he points at this State Park Award that the Park has won sitting on the counter and then goes on to explain the history, current status and future of the Trailway system.
It turns out it's kinda like the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Coast Trail and Appalachian Trail.... States are creating "trailways" which are extended hiking corridors that run from one state park to another using old railway lines. Ranger Ed tells me about a long one in Kansas, one in Caprock Canyon State Park and then this one that starts in LMWSP and runs 20 miles to Weatherford. The future plans are to link these and create another "national trail"..... is that cool or what?
Here's a link to one of the conservancies that is helping sponsor this:
http://www.traillink.com/home.aspx
and here's a link that provides details on the LMWSP Trailway:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/lake_mineral_wells/trailway.phtml
I told you this place was special.....oh, I almost forgot.... this place has Bald Eagles!
Yeah - Ranger Dollins tells me about the eagles and tells me there's another Ranger out trying to spot and photograph them..... then as I'm pedaling to my camp site, I meet up with Ranger David Owens. He tells me he has spotted the eagles and has tried to photograph them but they're a long way off.
Ranger Owens gives me his card and I give him my e-mail and blog addresses and ask him to send me any photos he gets of the eagles so I can post them on my blog.
It's obvious this guy loves what he does too.... I mean come on - he works in one of the most beautiful State Parks in Texas and gets to locate and photograph Bald Eagles.
Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway - you've got to come experience this place!
First things First
I don't know what you do first thing in the morning when you're camping, but the first thing I do is brush my teeth, get the fire going and put coffee water on. That's it.... I may swap items 2 and 3 if it's not cold but when it's cold it's 1-2-3.
I have to tell you yesterday was really great... I could've spent another hour writing about everything I learned but I ran out of time and temperature....but today is a new day so here's the list of things I'd like to do / talk about:
I have to tell you yesterday was really great... I could've spent another hour writing about everything I learned but I ran out of time and temperature....but today is a new day so here's the list of things I'd like to do / talk about:
- I am staying in Lake Mineral Wells State Park & Trailway (note the Trailway part) today. Like I said yesterday in one of my mobile posts, this place is special and I want to spend some more time exploring this park and writing about it.
- I am going to hike a section of the Trailway today. There's a whole story behind this that LMWSP Ranger Edward Dollins filled me in on.... I'm gonna talk about that.
- My bike and I are overloaded.... I knew it when I left North Richland Hills but thought I could handle the extra weight....I did for 58 miles but no further....I'll talk about that and the plan to address the problem.
- I want to follow up on a simple, easy, tasty campfire meal and the products that make it possible.
- Temperature / conditions during the day and night change - I have some simple ways of handling that.... I'll talk about those and some of the clothes combinations I use.
- Old school sayings - I heard 'em from my Dad and I've passed 'em down to my kids.
- ..... and about 17 other things but the items above are a start.
If you're not outside, put a coat on and walk out to the driveway or your apartment parking lot and experience the dawn unfolding around you.... we don't do that enough and it's a special thing!
Oh yeah - Good Morning!
Took shower and am now
Took shower and am now in my sleeping bag - great day spent Discovering America!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
I'm amazed at the technology - Verizon Wireless
Ok, I admit I'm old school and have fallen behind the mobile technology a little bit so when I got back to Lake Jackson from Leg 1 of my bicycling odyssey I realized if I was gonna do this right I was gonna have to upgrade my wireless capabilities. I had an old LG VX5200 which I loved dearly mainly because it was so reliable - I mean I've dropped it, I've washed it..... and the thing has never stopped working.
My wife also has an LG phone - an LG Env2 - which she loves because of the QWERTY keyboard and flip open screen.
So when I decided to upgrade I needed to be able to do quite a few things / have the following features:
- Text quickly and easily (no touch screens - I tried 'em - couldn't use 'em - didn't like 'em) so that means QWERTY keyboard.
- Great camera and video capability.
- Cell phone internet access.
- Cell phone navigation
- Bluetooth
So where do I go - the Verizon Wireless Store in Lake Jackson - and who do I talk to - Donnie "the Man".
I mean this guy must've worked there since he was 2 because he knows every single feature and every spec on every cell phone, PDA, Smartphone and computer in the store and every payment plan and package that goes with it.
Donnie spent over an hour with me answering all my questions - Will it do this? Will it do that? How much does this cost? Can I take this and send it there? ...... and Donnie just keeps on smiling and answering questions.
So what did I end up with? You guessed it.... another LG....an LG Env3.... and I love it.
I can text and take pictures and video and send them to my family, my e-mail and my blog simultaneously.....yeah that's right..... all these pics, text and blogs that post during the day are straight from my LG Env3 courtesy of the VZW network. I got a package with the phone which included a very good rubberized Body Glove case, a Bluetooth earpiece and a 4GB mini SD card. Cost of all that..... $100 after rebate w/ a 2 year plan.
Donnie tells me he just bought an LG Env3 for his wife.
....and that's not all.
I asked Donnie about netbooks - he shows me this Gateway LT2016. Come on - this thing has a 1.6 GHz processor and 160 GB hard drive, has a wireless card built in and comes with all kinds of software including a 60 day trial of Microsoft Office 2007..... all for $99.95.... got a thickly padded Body Glove Case with expandable side pocket and a wireless mouse for another $50....
....oh and Donnie tells me he just bought one of the Gateway LT2016s for himself......hey if it's good enough for "the Man" its good enough for me......great minds you know.....
So for $250 I've got a new cell phone that allows me to do a Mobile blog and a full blown computer that I can carry (weights 2.5 lbs) on my bike that allows me to sit down anytime anywhere and create Word documents, Powerpoint presentations, Excel files, edit pics and movies, access e-mail, check the weather and post to my blog.
Here I am sitting in 45 deg weather at Lake Mineral Wells State Park under the stars and the full moon 30' from the edge of the lake typing in my blog.
I'm a hard sell.....and I'm hard to impress.....but let me tell you what....I'm amazed.
The LG Env3 and the Gateway netbook have worked flawlessly from the get go in less than ideal conditions.... and they're easy to use.
.....and Verizon Wireless.....let me put it this way..... my wife and I have been all over the country in some of the most remote areas - like Yellowstone NP, Rocky Mountain NP, Canyonlands NP, Grand Canyon NP - and I can count the number of times on one hand when we've been without Verizon Wireless service for any length of time and it was always when we were down in a remote canyon or valley.
Here's the bottom line - if you can see the horizon, you can talk on Verizon!
.... and yes, I will demand royalties for that slogan when the "Can you hear me now?" thing wears out.
So how does all this stack up in the WillsOnWheels test?
Donnie "the Man" at the LJ Verizon Wireless Store - Winner!
LG Env3 - Winner!
Gateway LT2016 Netbook - Winner!
Verizon Wireless Service and Coverage - Winner!
It's 10:33 pm and the VZW network never sleeps but I have to - GOOD NIGHT!
End of Day Totals:
Leg 2
Day 2
Date Wed, 12/30/09
From Weatherford Tx
To Lake Mineral Wells State Park
This Day's Miles Cycled = 18
This Leg Total Miles Cycled = 58
This Day's Miles Walked = 4
This Leg Total Miles Walked = 8
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled = 568
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Walked = 36
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled & Walked = 604
Ain't technology grand!
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Follow up on the Cool Cafe' in Cool Tx
First of all, I had never heard of Cool Tx (population 238). Then as I enter "Cool", what do I see but the sign for the Cool Cafe'.... the sign is what caught my eye - "If we're not shut, we're open.....NOW OPEN".
So I stop to take a picture and this guy comes out of the cafe' and gets in his truck and says something to me - only I can't hear him cause the cars are whizzing by on 180 right behind me.
I go over and meet the guy - Travis Trotter and he gives me the lowdown on the Cool Cafe'. Travis tells me try the Daily Special - it's good no matter what it is.
So anyway Travis continues on and tells me that once a month, the Cool Cafe' has a ribeye cookout out in the front of the store and they have a live band and here's the funny part.... Travis says "Yeah, Chris and Jan will cook the ribeye for you and if you don't like the way they cook it, they'll give you another steak and let you cook it yourself".
Like I said, this place has style.
I knew at that point I had to try this place. I looked down at my watch and it's 12:02 so I tell Travis, "Hell - it's lunchtime.... I might as well go in and get something to eat".
I take a picture of Travis that you see here, give him my blog address and tell him to take a look at the blog tonight.
I ease my bike over to the front of the cafe' and pry my legs up and over the top tube, take the house (called a backpack) off and go in and have a seat for what turned out to be a wonderful meal and a delightful visit in a neat and down home environment.
I did have the Daily Special - it happened to be Chicken and Dumplings and they reminded me of the ones my mom used to make - good amount of chicken, soft dumplings and well-seasoned broth - Fantastic!
I visited with Chris who turns out to be an avid birdwatcher just as I am. I probably sat and shot the bull for 30 minutes and you know what..... I felt like I was sitting at home talking to my family.....
Is that cool or what? No that's the Cool Cafe'.
Next time you're on Hwy 180 going toward Mineral Wells, stop at the Cool Cafe'. You'll be glad you did.
It is definitely a WillsOnWheels Winner!
Lake Trail Pic #7
Lake Trail Pic #2
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Wow! I think I'm gonna like this place!
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Arrival to Lake Mineral Wells State Park
Cool!
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180W 4 mi west of Weatherford
leaving America's Best Value Inn
leaving America's Best Value Inn Weatherford Tx - heading west on Hwy 180 to Lake Mineral Wells State Park.
Plan for Leg 2 Day 2 - Weatherford Tx to Lake Mineral Wells State Park - 17 miles
Good morning!
Here's my plan of the day:
- Repack and hit the road by 9:00 am
- Ride to Lake Mineral Wells State Park
- Set up camp
- Explore the park
Looks like I'll start out with cloudy skies and 35 deg but will clear up and warm up to 53 deg as the day progresses.
I'm excited about getting to Lake Mineral Wells State Park because I've never been there before.
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/park_maps/pwd_mp_p4503_103f.pdf
I know.... like a kid in a candy jar.... do people say that any more?
Old sayings.... things my Dad said.... I'll save that for another post....
Planning in Detail....in general
Anybody that knows me knows I'm big on planning and organizing... it's the Engineer training in me I guess.
I like to think through stuff, figure out what I need, what can go wrong, evaluate risk and reward and make lists and all that Type A personality crap.
... and all that's OK - the thinking, planning, contemplating the mysteries of the universe....BUT.... at some point you have to pull the trigger.... just do it.
In my former life as a Project / Turnaround Manager at a major Chemical Plant site in Freeport Tx, the team I managed was required to plan the material, equipment and labor logistics for as many as 500 people in detail. After doing it for 3-1/2 years I realized that it took about 60% of the team's time to plan 90% of the activities, but that last 10% of detail required the remaining 40% of our time.... get the point?
I like to think through stuff, figure out what I need, what can go wrong, evaluate risk and reward and make lists and all that Type A personality crap.
... and all that's OK - the thinking, planning, contemplating the mysteries of the universe....BUT.... at some point you have to pull the trigger.... just do it.
In my former life as a Project / Turnaround Manager at a major Chemical Plant site in Freeport Tx, the team I managed was required to plan the material, equipment and labor logistics for as many as 500 people in detail. After doing it for 3-1/2 years I realized that it took about 60% of the team's time to plan 90% of the activities, but that last 10% of detail required the remaining 40% of our time.... get the point?
Wrong time stamp on yesterday's posts
I realized the time stamps on my posts are off by 2 hours - they were in Pacific time. I figured out how to reset them on the Blog to Central Time.... like I said.... learning as I go.... which spurs a thought...which I'll cover in my next post.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Leg 2 Day 1 - North Richland Hills Tx to Weatherford Tx - 40 miles
Well - wasn't that fun.... actually it kinda was fun.... I've never ridden a bike while it's snowing before.
All things considered, it went pretty well.
I left too late (11:30 am) from North Richland Hills so I only made 40 miles to Weatherford instead of 58 miles to Mineral Wells, but considering the weather, I did OK.
Everything worked OK (except my Rockport XCS Waterproof? boots - don't get me started again). The only thing that got cold was my feet. I didn't have any close calls and per my earlier post, I had a lot of nice experiences with strangers who were concerned about me and willing to help.
I didn't set any land speed records but I did my best to ride my bike as safely as you can on a freeway when it's snowing..... come to think of it you probably shouldn't use the words "bike", "freeway" and "snowing" with the word "safely" in the same sentence, but I didn't get hit, didn't fall down and didn't have a flat..... and to me that's a good day on a bike any day.
End of Day Totals:
Leg 2
Day 1
Date Tue, 12/29/09
From 6040 Parker Blvd, North Richland Hills, Tx 76180
To Weatherford Tx
This Day's Miles Cycled = 40
This Leg Total Miles Cycled = 40
This Day's Miles Walked = 4
This Leg Total Miles Walked = 4
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled = 550
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Walked = 32
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled & Walked = 582
All things considered, it went pretty well.
I left too late (11:30 am) from North Richland Hills so I only made 40 miles to Weatherford instead of 58 miles to Mineral Wells, but considering the weather, I did OK.
Everything worked OK (except my Rockport XCS Waterproof? boots - don't get me started again). The only thing that got cold was my feet. I didn't have any close calls and per my earlier post, I had a lot of nice experiences with strangers who were concerned about me and willing to help.
I didn't set any land speed records but I did my best to ride my bike as safely as you can on a freeway when it's snowing..... come to think of it you probably shouldn't use the words "bike", "freeway" and "snowing" with the word "safely" in the same sentence, but I didn't get hit, didn't fall down and didn't have a flat..... and to me that's a good day on a bike any day.
End of Day Totals:
Leg 2
Day 1
Date Tue, 12/29/09
From 6040 Parker Blvd, North Richland Hills, Tx 76180
To Weatherford Tx
This Day's Miles Cycled = 40
This Leg Total Miles Cycled = 40
This Day's Miles Walked = 4
This Leg Total Miles Walked = 4
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled = 550
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Walked = 32
Discovering America on 2 Wheels Total Miles Cycled & Walked = 582
The most dangerous thing I do
I was talking to my wife this evening and she expressed her concern over my safety. I reassured her by saying that.... yeah what I was doing was probably a little riskier than driving your vehicle down the street but I had 5 lights on my bike and 6' of reflective tape on the Action Packer and I ride a consistent shoulder and obey all traffic laws and I never leap before I look and all that good stuff.....yada yada yada.
Then I told her about the real danger of what I am doing..... getting on and off the bike. With the 25 - 30 lbs in the Action Packer on the back of the bike, I can't lean the bike over to mount it or straddle it because it would slam down to the ground. I have to throw my leg over (getting on) or pull my leg over (getting off) while holding the bike straight up..... that may not sound like a big deal.... but you go try it out in your driveway (assuming your bike is set up for your height).
Then strap on a backpack with 40 - 50 lbs in it and try to mount your bike. I don't know how many times I've caught my heel on the brake cables that run down the top tube of the bike..... then I set their crow hopping on one foot with the backpack trying to pull me down and the bike acting like a UFC fighter who just caught my kick.... then throw in the fact that this usually happens on the shoulder of a road with cars whizzing by at 70 mph.
I can just imagine what the people that are passing by are saying.... it's amazing I haven't been run over by some driver who's doubled over convulsing in laughter pointing at some fool with his foot jacked up in the air trying to mount a bike with a backpack on.
Anyway..... that's the most dangerous thing I do.....
Then I told her about the real danger of what I am doing..... getting on and off the bike. With the 25 - 30 lbs in the Action Packer on the back of the bike, I can't lean the bike over to mount it or straddle it because it would slam down to the ground. I have to throw my leg over (getting on) or pull my leg over (getting off) while holding the bike straight up..... that may not sound like a big deal.... but you go try it out in your driveway (assuming your bike is set up for your height).
Then strap on a backpack with 40 - 50 lbs in it and try to mount your bike. I don't know how many times I've caught my heel on the brake cables that run down the top tube of the bike..... then I set their crow hopping on one foot with the backpack trying to pull me down and the bike acting like a UFC fighter who just caught my kick.... then throw in the fact that this usually happens on the shoulder of a road with cars whizzing by at 70 mph.
I can just imagine what the people that are passing by are saying.... it's amazing I haven't been run over by some driver who's doubled over convulsing in laughter pointing at some fool with his foot jacked up in the air trying to mount a bike with a backpack on.
Anyway..... that's the most dangerous thing I do.....
Picks for a 40-mile Snowy Ride in Texas
Ok - I did the pan on the Rockport XCS Waterproof boots that aren't waterproof so here's the good news......drum roll please!
Frogg Toggs outerwear -
I have to tell you when I first saw these things I thought to myself - "looks like they cut out some cardboard and sewed some fabric to it". Well, I was wrong. These things work - I have deer and duck hunted in them. I've fished in them. I've hiked, camped, wined and dined in them..... and today I rode a bike 40 miles in sleet / snow & freezing temperatures in them. They're light and you can roll the tops and bottoms up into a roll less than 6" in diameter and 12" long. Anytime it's wet, cold or I just need an extra layer, I put on my Frogg Toggs and I've never been disappointed. I call them "Poor man's Goretex".... oh yeah.... I forgot to mention that part..... my set cost me $50.
Definitely a WillsOnWheels Winner!
Knorr's Pasta Sides
When you're backpacking or riding a bike and carrying your food with you, you have to go light which means everything is in dry form. You can do the Ramon noodle thing and the Idahoan potatoes are fantastic but the dehydrated dinners at Academy are like $5.99 or $6.99 and some of them taste like dirt you mix with water..... so I been looking for something else
I was in Kroger's in North Richland Hills last night getting the last of my suppliesand saw these Knorr's Pasta Sides - I read the instructions - you boil 2 cups of water, drop the contents of the package in and simmer for 7 minutes - just what you need at the end of the day when you're tired, cold and hunkered over a fire needing sustenance. Ok, well I wasn't hunkered over a fire in my motel rooom but I was tired and needing sustenance. My room had a kitchenette so I got out my little 1 quart pot, got some water on to boil and 7 minutes later I was eating a tasty, filling, well seasoned pasta dish. It may not sound like much to folks who get their pasta from the local Italian restaurant for $20 a plate, but for $2.12, I'll take Knorr's Pasta Sides over Raman noodles anyday.
Winner #2 - Knorr's Pasta Sides
More Random Acts of Kindness
You know I experienced the goodness of people many times in the first leg of my Discovery of America.
Well - today in the last 20 miles of the 1st 40 miles of Leg 2, I had 6 different people stop and ask me if I needed help - now granted it was snowing and 33 deg but still.... 6 people.
One guy in a Chrysler Minivan stops on the shoulder gets out of the van and offers to put my bike in the back of his van. I actually told him, "Thanks but I'm doing this on purpose!" We both laughed and I told him about my blog and told him I would write about my experience with him because he was one of the good guys.
....and then coming into Weatherford Tx I had 2 people at the same time stop me at a gas station I was passing by and asked me if I needed any help.
Then I was just randomly sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green (and yes I do stop at all red lights and stop signs) and I looked over at this lady sitting over in the left turn lane and she mouthes at me "Are you Ok?" I gave her a smile, a nod and a thumbs up.
Come on.... you have to admit that's cool! I mean I'm all choked up just writing about it. People are willing stop, leave the heated comfort of their vehicle and load my bike up in the back of their truck / van and haul me down the road to shelter.
God Bless America!
Well - today in the last 20 miles of the 1st 40 miles of Leg 2, I had 6 different people stop and ask me if I needed help - now granted it was snowing and 33 deg but still.... 6 people.
One guy in a Chrysler Minivan stops on the shoulder gets out of the van and offers to put my bike in the back of his van. I actually told him, "Thanks but I'm doing this on purpose!" We both laughed and I told him about my blog and told him I would write about my experience with him because he was one of the good guys.
....and then coming into Weatherford Tx I had 2 people at the same time stop me at a gas station I was passing by and asked me if I needed any help.
Then I was just randomly sitting at a light waiting for it to turn green (and yes I do stop at all red lights and stop signs) and I looked over at this lady sitting over in the left turn lane and she mouthes at me "Are you Ok?" I gave her a smile, a nod and a thumbs up.
Come on.... you have to admit that's cool! I mean I'm all choked up just writing about it. People are willing stop, leave the heated comfort of their vehicle and load my bike up in the back of their truck / van and haul me down the road to shelter.
God Bless America!
Leaving Las Vegas - I mean NRH - heading for Lake Mineral Wells State Park
The photo for this post was sideways and I tried to delete it and accidentally deleted the post.
It was originally posted at 11:30 this morning.
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