Aug. 11th-White River Junction, VT, 68 Miles.

It was a beautiful ride today!!  I flew on my bike!  I began riding at 7:40 a.m.  Leaving Middlebury was hard, since it is such a booming town, and absolutely gorgeous! I was in White River at 12:30 pm!! I only hit one SAG stop at the 20 mile mark, then I never saw the SAG again until it too arrived at the Motel 8,  2.5 hours later after me.  I rode along the White River, it was beautiful! I didn't take any pictures because I was very focused, and so into the ride, plus the roads were pretty narrow, with minimal shoulder in spots, rough roads, so I really had to pay attention.  Once here, I checked into the Super 8 Motel.  It is in the process of having an over haul, but still the room I have looks great, and I am just happy to have a shower, and put on clean clothes.  I went over to the mini mart, and bought some macaroni salad, which I inhaled, then showered.  Con Con arrived after she and Annie took an alternative route which they loved.  Connie said she caught air on one of the descents!  Oh man!  She rides down hills like a Tour de France racer!  The temps were great today ,mid 70's some sun/clouds. It is hard to believe, but only 5 more riding days until we get into Bar harbor, ME.  I am so excited to meet this goal, of saying I have rode my bike across the USA!.  But mostly, am so happy to know I get to see my family; Paje, and my dog Cash in Maine, waiting for me.  I could not have gone this far without the support of Paje, my parents, my sister, brother, sister in law, brother in law, niece, and all of my friends.  I only wish my aunt, Annie, was alive to see this finish. I know she is with me.  I wear her St. Jude medal around my neck and kiss it each morning as I jump on my bike.  She has protected me thus far and I know will continue to until I reach Bar Harbor. 
Love,
Kit  

Rest Day, Aug. 10th, Middlebury, VT.

It's been an awesome rest day so far!  I slept until 9:30 this morning. I made it just in time to have bfast at the Inn.  I ate cherrios, a banana, and scrambled eggs with tea.  I then gathered all my laundry, and headed across the way to the laundry mat.  It was really crowded, as the carnival is in town.  I finished my laundry, and then ventured into the charming town of Middlebury.  Beautiful shops, restaurants, bakeries, bike shops, gift shops.  The vibe here is au natural, and everything is pure Vermont...all good whole ingredients in everything you eat.  There was a farmers market today, that Con Con and I walked through, and then we came upon a delicious deli, called Noonies.  I had a great turkey club sandwich with avocado, and banana peppers on home made oat bread.  Scrumptuous! Mom & Dad, you would've loved it!!  Then we hit the ice cream parlor, and I had a vanilla ice cream cone.  At 5:00, a bunch of us are heading back into town for dinner.  Tomorrow's ride is 68 miles into White River Junction, VT.  It is going to be a very hilly, challenging ride with steep climbs and descents.  I am really babying myself today, by resting, eating, and drinking a lot of fluids.  The day after that we cross into New Hampshire!  I am posting more photos, some of these are from last week, when we biked through Rochester, NY and had brunch at the womantours headquarters. One of our riders, Katie, a College Prof. from CA., flew back west today, as she starts teaching in a few days.  Katie is a nice person, and super rider.  I had some great rides, and laughs with her!  I will really miss her, but know I'll see her again since she still owns a condo in Boston.  Her friend, Beth
from NC., has taken her place, and she seems very friendly and kind.

Love, Kit

Old Forge, NY-Aug. 7, 76 Miles. Schroon Lake, NY-Aug. 8th, 86 Miles. Middlebury, VT,, Aug. 9th, 42 Miles.

I'm finally back in New England!!  And I'm in the college town of Middlebury, VT.  Very beautiful, full of shops, restaurants, pubs.   Just arrived, after a hilly ride in, but beautiful.  This is, God's country!  Lush, green mountains.  Incredible.  Mom, I wish you were here.   I couldn't blog the past couple of days because we were in the Adirondack Mts. and in small towns with no service.  I've been riding really well and hard through the hills.  My total mileage ridden thus far is 1,908 miles!  Yesterdays ride was challenging, pouring rain, and lots of climbs. The Adirondacks is beautiful.  I could live there too!  Paje and Cash, our black and tan coon hound, would love it!  There were a lot of racoons around, unfortunately, road kill.  Tomorrow, we finally get a rest day!!  We've been riding 6 days straight without one since we left Niagara Falls, NY back on Aug. 4th.  Everone is pretty tired, and I think getting the itch to be back with their loved ones.  I am having a blast still, and even though the rides are now full of climbing--which I am really liking.  Some of the women have been in the sag wagon on/off during our recent rides due to being too tired, or injured with knee pain--the hills we are climbing do not help a bum knee!  I am pretty tired, and just checked into my room, here at the Middlebury Inn.  I need to do laundry, shower.  Tomorrow is our rest day!!  Yippee! 6  more riding days until we reach our goal of Bar Harbor, ME on Aug. 16th.  Only about 340 more miles to go.  Here's a bunch of pictures from the past few days!  

Sodus Point, NY Aug. 5th-76 miles & Pulaski, NY Aug. 6th-66 Miles

We had a long day yesterday, but fun and sunny.  We left Brockport, NY and set on our way for Sodus Point, 76 miles down the road.  It was a lovely ride, sunny, and we stopped at the 25 mile mark in Rochester, NY for a lovely brunch put on by the Womantours Head quarters!  Quiche, Slamon and bagels, cookies, breakfast breads, juices coffees.  We then continued on to Sodus Point.  My friend, Rebecca from last years trip met us at the 50 mile mark, and she biked in with Milano and I.  We stopped for lunch in Palwenty (sp?) another little lovely town for lunch, right on the water.  Once into Sodus Point, we got all nestled into our digs.  We stayed in 2 different hotels/B&B's /fishing bait houses!  The pictures will explain!  Still, it was all good!  For dinner, Linda, our chef made salmon!  Oh man, it was good!!!  Then, Rebecca purchased an awesome huge cake and ice cream for dessert.  Yes, we eat really well, and burn it all right off!  That is the best thing!  We awoke today, and biked 66 miles into Pulaski, NY, another cute town.  There were a lot of rolling hills to get over, and some, pretty steep.  Once into Pulaski, I showered and fell asleep for an hour.  My body is kind of tired these past 2 days.  It must've been all the excitement in Niagara Falls, NY.  I biked with Connie and Milano, and it was a good ride.  We rode really hard.  We had pizza, salad and cheese cake for dinner today.  It is now raining, and is suppose to rain tomorrow.  Hey, anything beats the heat we had in the Mid West!  Tomorrow, we ride 76 miles into Old Forge, NY.  Total mileage:  1,704.  I will try to print pictures, but it looks like my AT&T carrier might not work here.
Love, Kit 

Leaving Niagara Falls, NY. Hello! Brockport, NY-68 Miles

Yesterday was a blast!  My family, parents, sister, brother in law hosted all 29 of us for a barbeque.  Delicious food---Whistle Pigs (Sahlens hotdogs wrappped in bacon and cheddar cheese) Trusellos old world Italian Pizza, Buffalo chicken wings, Beef on Kimmelweck, salads, cakes, Italian cookies, cannolis!  Everone had a great time and they loved my family, and my family loved all 29 of them!  Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera to my sister's house in the excitement, so no photos...

I awoke today in my childhood home in Lewiston, NY @ my parents home at 5:30 a.m.  My Dad drove me up to the Falls where I met all the other riders.  The Niagara Gazette Newspaper did a nice article on me, and my cross country ride.  It was in yesterday's paper. If you google it, you can probaby see it.  It is in the local section of theNiagara Gazette.  We rode to Brockport today, just 68 miles down the road.  The ride was monotonous....a lot of straight roads, and I was pretty tired from our party last night with the familia! I think I had too many beergaritas!  It was hard to leave my family back in Lewiston, NY, but I have my eye on the prize...getting to Bar Harbor, ME where my beautiful girl friend, Paje, and sweet dog, Cash await me at the finish on Aug. 16th.  Once at the hotel , Milano and I ate lunch at Friendly's, then I went over to Wegman's grocery store across the street and bought some more sun screen, doritos, and Jujy fruit candy.  Yes, I  know, once this ride is over I need to curb my junk food craving.  But on this trip you eat what you want, you burn it right off.  Tomorrw we head to Sodus Point, NY 76 miles away.  We will be stopping for brunch on our way at the Womantours headquarters in Rochester, NY.  Hmm, I hope they have some donuts for us.  Pictures below are of the Erie Canal and the Locks in Lockport, NY.
Love, Kit

Niagara Falls, NY 45 Miles: What a day!!

I awoke with such excitement!  Knowing that I would be riding into my childhood home town!  We all left Hamburg, NY @ 7:40 a.m. headed to the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, NY.  The ride through the city was fun, and the city of Buffalo looked better than I remember.  The City & water front looked especially refined from what I recall as a wild College kid, headed to Buffalo to party in the bars.  We then crossed the Peace Bridge in Buffalo, where we crossed into Canada, and biked along The Niagara Parkway where we cycled along the Niagara River into Niagara Ontario where we then crossed the Rainbow Bridge into the USA, Niagara Falls, NY.  This was a beautiful ride along a bike path.  Beautiful mansions, and we could begin to see the mist of the Falls from miles away.  My riding friends were getting so excited as we neared the Falls.  Once there, it was crowded with hundreds upon hundreds of tourists, all amazed at the roaring Falls before them!  Once we made it across the bridge, the photographer from the Niagara Gazette Newspaper snapped photos of me and my cycling posse, and then I was interviewed about the cross country journey I have been on.  It was a thrilling day!!  My parents picked me up at the Days Inn Hotel, I will be spending the next 2 nights here with them in Lewiston since we have a lay over day.  I'll be back on my bike Thursday morning to bike 68 miles to Brockport, NY.  We have about 900 more miles to go until we reach Bar Harbor, ME.  Total mileage so far:  1,495 miles.  Below are pictures from today at the Falls, and pictures of my parents & brother Joey, who came down to see my this evening in Lewiston.  Tomorrow, my sister, Mary Lynn is hosting a barbeque at her home for all 28 of us!!  Oh man!! 

New York! New York! Hamburg, NY 91 Miles

Entering into NYS this morning at 8:20 a.m. was a very happy moment for me.  This is my home state.  This is where I was born and bred for 21 years.  This is where my parents, brother, sister in law, sister, brother in law, niece, Uncle, cousin and other relatives live.  This is where I eat the best chicken wings in all the world.  This is where the people I love the most in my life live.  Tomorrow, will without doubt, be one of the most exciting days of my life.  We will be riding into Niagara Falls, NY.  As I mentioned, I grew up here for the first 9 years of my life.  My parents live just 6 miles away in Lewiston, NY.  I will be seeing them tomorrow.  Today, I was on the bike at 6:20 a.m.  We left Erie, PA headed for Hamburg NY 90 miles later.  I arrived at 12:40 p.m.  It was a beautiful ride, although some of the roads had a lot of treacherous pot holes--by no means a bikers friend. I now am at the Motel 8 right off the NYS Thruway.  Tomorrow, a reporter from the Niagara Gazette newspaper, Dan Capalazo, will be photographing us, and interviewing for a story. I am so excited!!  He wants to get a photo of us as we cross the Rainbow bridge, as we will be coming into Niagara Falls via the Canadian side.  Truly thrilling stuff!!  Todays ride was pretty, I rode with Annie, Milano, Jean, Carolyn, Mary. Tomorrow, is a short ride just 45 miles.  Total Miles:  1,453.