European Bike Tour

Getting ready for my big trip this summer which will be a self-contained bike tour in Europe carrying a 45-50 pound load. I'll fly to Birmingham, England and stay with friends in Market Harborough about 40 miles away. We plan to shuttle our bikes south to Portsmouth on the English Channel and catch an overnight ferry to St. Malo in northern France. From there, we'll ride our bikes south to the Loire Valley region, then travel east along the Eurovelo 6 Route, an establish bike path which meanders east from western France to the Black Sea following three of Europe's largest rivers, the Loire, Rhine and Danube Rivers. Our ending point is Passau in southern Germany, a distance of around 1,000 miles. There will be 9 riders, 4 from the U.S. and 5 from the U.K. The last time I rode with members of this group was during our 2010 End-to End Bike Tour in the U.K. Many thanks to our U.K. friends for organizing this tour. I'm definitely looking forward to our adventure. Don't know if I'll post any pictures along the way since I don't know what type of phone data service I'll get, but see how it goes. Pictured below is my Bike Friday set up for the tour before everything is disassembled for packing. Since we will be camping a lot, I decided to try using a Goalzero solar charger to keep my electronics running. I attached a Nomad 7 solar charger to the top of my rear panniers and will be charging a Guide 10 Plus Power Pack during the day. In the evening, I'll use the power pack to charge up my smartphone. This will be a good test for the product. Cheers.

Our Spring Trip Revisited

During Spring 2013, we flew to Chicago, staying 8 nights in a high-rise apartment on the 28th floor within the "Loop", followed by a second flight to Buffalo, NY and an airport shuttle to Niagara Falls, Ontario where we spent two nights. Niagara Falls wasn't part of our original plans, but I could not imagine visiting Toronto without also seeing the falls. Although it was my second trip to the falls in 3 years, its stunning power and natural beauty was a must see for Kay. From there, we rented a vehicle and drove by the scenic route, to Toronto where we had rented a 17th floor apartment for 8 nights on north end of the financial district. What I remember most is Chicago's towering city centre of majestic high-rise buildings and the friendlier than expected people while Toronto stood out with its multi-ethnic culture and vibrant street life. Both active walk able cities have a lot to offer aesthetically and are worth a visit. My original postings were done using my phone camera, these are the pictures for my Canon S100. Below are some favorites from each place. Click on the link at the bottom of the picture to see all the pictures in PICASA.

Chicago

From Chicago 2013 Revisited

Niagara Falls

From Niagara Falls

Toronto

From Toronto 2013

From Chicago to Toronto

Below are some of my favorite pictures from our Spring 2013 trip to Chicago, Niagara Falls, and Toronto. To see all my on-the-go pictures, here's a link to my trip blog: http://herbchicago.blogspot.com

Tour of the Southern Sierra Cascade Route

Our tour in the mountains of Southern California, which follows the southern most portion of the Adventure Cyclist Association's Sierra Cascade Tour route, had its share of unexpected turns. You'll have to see my photo journal for all the details. In short, there were hard days, sickness, departures and reunions. I will say that this tour is not for the 'faint of heart' or 'weak of leg' since it is a mountainous terrain with nearly 100 feet of elevation gain, overall, for every mile ridden, and a number of days that exceeded the average. In cycling jargon, it's a real "Mountain Goat". For most weekend cyclist, a "Mountain Goat" ride would be considered hard on a lightweight roadbike and here we were, carrying nearly 50 pounds of gear riding heavy touring bikes. We certainly had bitten off more than we could chew. We started the tour in San Diego on April 10th, and ended 25 days later after 781 miles and 63,875 feet of climbing. There were a number of expected turns and it was difficult, but in the end, I cherish and treasure the opportunity to do this tour, and to see and experience the mountains of Southern California as I have never before. Below are some favorite pictures from the tour. Click on the link at the bottom of this post to see the complete photo journal in PICASA.

From Southern Sierra Cascade Tour

Hiking the Auburn Cool Trail

The gang and I hiked the Auburn Cool Trail from the confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the upper American River to the sight of the once proposed Auburn Dam. Our hike was about 11.50 miles with just over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. The slightly coolish day with a light north wind was perfect for our strenuous hike.

The Immaculata Parish

This is the Immaculata Parish within the University of San Diego.

Birding in San Diego

From the surf to its inland waters, the San Diego region is a haven for birds and birders.