Reginald Spittle's Blog: See my book blog, page 22
October 20, 2021
Alps Map
Here is a sneak peek at one of four maps by Susan Spittle that will appear in my next book, Trippin’ Through My Sixties, coming soon to Amazon. Click on the title to get the best view.
Tour du Mont Blanc
October 19, 2021
Scotland Map
Here is a sneak peek at one of four maps by Susan Spittle that appear in my next book, Trippin’ Through My 60s, coming soon to Amazon. Click on the title to get the best view.
The West Highland Way and Great Glen Way.
June 9, 2021
The President Becomes a Superhero
What if the world wide web disappeared? And all its data on every device was gone? Your bank accounts. The power grid. Medical records. Everything online. Backups erased. No way to bring any of it back.
In The President is Missing, President Jonathan Duncan goes undercover in a desperate attempt to save the world from cyberterrorists.
Impossible? In Bill Clinton’s and James Patterson’s thriller, the plot has enough plausibility to make the book a page turner.
The former president created the leader he wished he could be. War hero. James Bond-like tactician. A man who could not be distracted from his purpose.
Duncan battles the death of his wife, a nagging disease, and a speaker of the House who plots to have him removed from office. The Russians are bad guys and the plot involves the Saudi royal family. There is also an enemy within, a traitor in the president’s inner circle.
If you are a James Patterson fan, you will recognize the storytelling style. I was drawn to the idea that the president of the United States could transform himself into an unrecognizable character who could use his or her talents to do good outside of the political world.
A president by day. A superhero by night?
June 5, 2021
The Katy: America’s Premier Rail Trail
Good fortune greeted us on Missouri’s Katy Trail today. After we rode our hybrids on the prettiest, most shaded section from Rocheport to McBaine and back, Katy granted us an exclusive interview.
Question: How did you get your name?
Katy: I wish it was more romantic, but I am named after the stock exchange symbol of the former Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad. It was KT. Hope you like it!
Q: How long are you?
A: 240 miles. I am the longest hiking, biking and equestrian trail in the United States.
Q: What is your favorite part of being a trail?
A: Fame. People from all over the world come to see me. It all started when I was inducted into the Rail Trail Hall of Fame.
Q: How can people meet you?
A: Easy. I almost stretch across the entire state. I start in Machens and go west to Clinton. But some people first see me in Clinton. People also meet me at 26 trailheads.
Q: Could I share a compliment?
A: Why sure.
Q: You may be mostly compact rock, but you are almost as smooth as pavement.
A: Aw, thanks. Actually, I hear that even from riders with road bicycles. I think wider tires work better, though.
Katy: May I ask you a question?
Go right ahead.
Katy: What are your favorite things about me?
Let me think; there are so many. You are mostly level and there are great views of the Missouri River. You pass through places with food and rooms if I want to spend the night. I even passed a beer garden today.
Katy: Stop! You’re making me thirsty!
Previous rail-trail posts, with photos by Sue (as always):
Make Tracks on the Best Rail Trails in America. (Review of guidebook)
June 2, 2021
Why Is Minnie Returning to Colorado?
Why the photo of our rig from when we paused a few weeks ago on Colorado’s Wolf Creek Pass at 10,800 feet? Two reasons. First, my mom’s name, like our trailer, was Minnie, so our cross-country adventure has been dedicated to her memory.
Second, Sue and I turned around in West Virginia and are heading back to Colorado. This time we will camp at 10,000 feet, near Breckenridge, to hike as many high-altitude trails as we can do in eight days. Why the heights? We are conditioning. Can you guess the trail we are planning to backpack in August? Hints: 243 miles, mostly above 10,000 feet, named after a pioneer.
At the end, we will have camped for 30 days straight. The tent-camping part is new for two hikers used to a bed and shower, even after grueling days on the trail. Can we do it? That is what I wondered in 2013 before our first distance trek, Spain’s Camino de Santiago.
May 27, 2021
Ohio Rail Trail: What a Bike Ride!
The Rail Trail Hall of Fame book (click for earlier review) led us to a campground near Lebanon, Ohio, where we parked our trailer on May 24 and rode our bikes on another of the USA’s top 33 rail trails.
The Little Miami Scenic Trail was our favorite of our cross-country journey. The fourth-longest paved trail in the country, it runs 78 miles from Cincinnati to Springfield, almost entirely in the shade and near-level as it follows the Little Miami River. We started in Morrow and rode north to Caesar Creek State Park.
The multi-use path exudes tranquility, especially on weekdays. It travels through several state parks, charming villages and places to pause for cool or hot drinks. It is part of a 340-mile network of paved trails that makes Ohio a great state to explore on two wheels or on two feet.
The Little Miami is part of the North Country Trail (click for earlier post), the nation’s longest hiking path, which we had walked in Wisconsin.
In case you are wondering, we are riding the same Giant steel-frame hybrid bikes that Sue’s parents rode in Europe and around America. They are sturdy and reliable, but weigh 40 pounds, which adds to the work load a bit.
We have used the TrailLink and AllTrails apps throughout our trip for hiking and biking guidance.
May 14, 2021
Walk the Longest National Scenic Trail
Of the 11 National Scenic Trails, which is the longest? The Appalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest Trail?
The answer (Neither) may be a surprise, unless you are a fan of the North Country Trail, which stretches 4,700 miles from Vermont to North Dakota. We walked two spectacular sections of the path in Wisconsin today within Copper Falls State Park. Hikers in the northern Wisconsin park can view Copper Falls, Brownstone Falls (pictured above) and Red Granite Falls from the trail’s viewpoints, which are accessed via several bridges.
May 12, 2021
What If Masks Were Frightening?
I want to share something that has been on my mind for a while.
I have read that anxiety is a chemical reaction triggered by stress hormones. It helps explain my body’s reaction when I see someone wearing a mask…it is almost as if I am face to face with a mountain lion. And when I see or hear the term “mask up,” my body tenses. “Get over it,” people tell me. “Masks are no big deal,” others say. Some assume I am a deranged anti-masker. I want to say, “Sure, just go hug a mountain lion.”
Mental health challenges continue to be misunderstood, don’t you think?
I have recently discussed several excellent books about anxiety and depression. (See the list of book reviews on my site’s drop-down menu.)
Make Tracks on the Best Rail Trails in America
Begin the bicycle journey of a lifetime (or perhaps several lifetimes) on the rail trails of America, all 24,000 miles of them. If that sounds beyond your pedaling endurance, a book, the Rail Trail Hall of Fame, will show you the 33 premier paths spread across the country.
Setting off from our campsite at Rafter J Bar Ranch in South Dakota’s Black Hills earlier in May, we rode south on the 109-mile George S Mickelson path that begins in Deadwood and ends in Edgemont. First, Sue deposited our payments of $4 each per day at the self-pay station, which offered trail brochures, including an elevation chart.
It was all uphill from there. Until our turnaround point, that is. After six miles of battling the crushed rock surface rutted with tire tracks and horse-hoof divots, we ran out of power, stopping for lunch at a shady bench on our downhill return.
It was a beautiful trail, but we prefer smoother, flatter surfaces, and our second trail from the book was perfect. Beginning in the charming village of Nisswa, Minnesota, we pedaled north on the 119-mile Paul Bunyan State Trail. Paved, mostly flat, with weather to match the beauty of several of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes. We turned around after 11 enjoyable miles, pausing for lunch at a trailside park in the inviting village of Pequot Lakes.
The guidebook includes maps, directions, and a summary of each trail. If the book is not enough for you, there is a TrailLink App and so much more available online. AllTrails also has biking information on some of its hiking trails.
Lifetimes of rail-trail bicycling await.
May 8, 2021
Black Hills: Can You Top This?
If you are scouring the atlas for adventure and beauty, the Black Hills of South Dakota may end your search. The 4.6-mile Lover’s Leap loop trail climbs nearly 700 feet to this view of Custer State Park and beyond.
Many more trails, lakes, a wildlife drive, and four presidents at Mount Rushmore invite exploration. Bring your hybrid or mountain bike and plenty of pedaling power for the 110-mile Mickelson rail trail.
Pitch your tent or park your RV at one of a seemingly unlimited number of campsites. Our favorite is the Rafter J Bar Resort, with more green space than any park we have visited. In May, we almost had the place to ourselves, with views of forested hills and pristine (except for clusters of deer poop) green fields.
Finally, you will be close enough to explore Badlands National Park, another one of our favorite hiking destinations.
