Tim Bishop's Blog, page 9
September 23, 2014
Kentucky Kindness
September 20, Day 80 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Leaving Owensboro
We know we are getting closer to the east coast when we had Dunkin Donuts offered at our hotel this morning. That started our day on the right foot. I wanted another donut before we left, but thankfully the clerk mentioned that it
would just make me tired. She offered me a banana for the road instead. Smart woman!
Before we left our motel room, we studied our map for the day and noticed that we would have a hard time getting to Br...
September 22, 2014
Laid Back and Friendly
September 19, Day 79 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
After a great night’s sleep in our lovely cabin in Sturgis, Kentucky, we awoke early, ambitious to pack up and get on the road. We stopped for breakfast at the restaurant that accompanied the cabins. It was Friday morning out for some of the local retirees, eight of whom had already gathered at one long table. We were immediately pulled into the social setting for some conversation and, as one might imagine, our expedition became the focal point...
September 20, 2014
Blow the Whistle
September 18, Day 78 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Travel Recap
Despite a cool and overcast start to the day, we hadwonderful weather for the remainder theday. An early morning race with a pair of deer proved too much for us, yet we persevered forour third consecutive day over 70miles.Leaving Metropolis, Illinois, and heading to Kentucky all in one day was quite an accomplishment. For some reason, I thought Illinois would be flat, but no such luck. We climbed up and down hills until we stopped fo...
September 19, 2014
New Beginnings across the Mississippi
September 17, Day 77 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Crossing the Mississippi
Today was brimming with new beginnings. Early in the day, we cycled into downtown Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and crossed the Mississippi River, which acts as an east-west divider to those who travel by latitude. We were reminded of the new beginning immediately upon entering Illinois. The rolling hills were replaced by a large, flat floodplain with bountiful crops preparing for harvest. Even after several miles in our new...
September 18, 2014
What are You Made for?
September 16, Day 76 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
A few weeks ago, after I exuberantly exclaimed how much I love this bike tour, Tim looked at me and said, “We were made for this.” That statement has stayed with me ever since. Tim is like E.F. Hutton. When he talks, people listen…probably because he is very thoughtful before he opens his mouth. I love that about him. There is nothing wiser than a person who thinks before they speak, or who says something that really sticks with you.
Today was on...
September 17, 2014
Choose Faith not Fear
September 16, Day 76 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
On Sunday, we couldn’t wait to get away from the canned bicycle maps. They were sending us farther into Ozark country, with its beauty, but also with its steep hills and lack of services. We’d had enough of that. Fast forward to today: now what? How do we get to Cape Girardeau and back on the maps?
We began our route meandering under overcast skies. It was another day for lettered routes. If a route in Missouri is denoted with one letter (A), or...
September 16, 2014
Reaching a Milestone: 3,000!
September 14, Day 74 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Toughest Road
Today, we faced the toughest road we have faced for weeks. Route 185 from Sullivan to Potosi, on the edge of the Ozark region, lived up to its billing. A local named Carl at Dairy Queen in Sullivan had briefed us on its dangerous elements the prior day and spared us from a headlamp ride on a perilously unshouldered road with poor sight lines and absolutely no services. This ride also came with a backwoods feel to it, heavily foreste...
September 15, 2014
Return to Civilization
September 13, Day 73 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Something happened today. The character of our tour changed, and we welcomed it.
After our dark ride off the Katy Trail and over the Missouri River last night, we were sluggish on short sleep this morning. We cycled to our intended morning stop: a bike shop on the other side of town. My rear tire was again in need of replacement. When you carry a lot of weight on a touring bicycle, the rear tire takes a beating, particularly when you are also tra...
September 14, 2014
The Katy Trail
September 11-12, Days 71-72 of The HopeLine Tour of 2014
It felt more like mid-October in New England than what we expected of mid-September in Missouri. Regardless, we bundled up and hit the Katy Trail.
What a beautiful two days of biking. If you’ve never heard of it, the Katy Trail State Park is the longest developed rail trail in the country. It is an amazing system that runs from Clinton, Missouri, to Machens, Missouri, a distance of 237 miles. Check out www.katytrailstatepark.com if you ar...
September 11, 2014
Bike Shop Angel
September 9, Day 69 of TheHopeLine Tour of 2014
Worn brakes can be a problem on a bicycle when riding up and down hill after hill in Missouri, or anywhere for that matter. And we have shared in the past that neither of us are bicycle mechanics. We are in search of a bicycle shop for any issue that goes beyond a flat tire. It is humbling to admit that. As much as we both love bicycling, we have never invested much time in the actual mechanics of bike maintenance.
So on our day off yesterday, I c...
