Trippin' with Susan Straley

  September 14, 2023 We got to Four-mile Creek in New York yesterday after driving each of our trucks and trailers through Canada from north of Detroit to South of Buffalo. We enjoyed a stroll and then went to Youngstown to the Stone Jug tavern where there was live music and open Mic night.  At one point I smiled and turned to Steve.   "Why are you smiling," he asked. "I love doing this kind of stuff with you," I said. "Me too," he said, and my smile grew. Late last night, Steve got a text.  His mom had an infection and was back in the hospital.  Steve felt the desire/need to stay with me and the desire/need to go home and oversee his Mom's care.  We are only a day away from his New York home. He waffled and was having a hard time deciding.  I finally said, "Go, I want a day to myself in LILAC." At first the task felt overwhelming to get all my stuff out of Steves trailer and into Lilac. My poor Lilac has been neglected.  I noticed that one o

September 10, 2023 You should feel special because I could have given up after I lost the looong letter I wrote to you.   Then when I recreated the looong post, it must have went to most everyones junk mail or spam inbox because the open rate was down to almost zero.  I miss my friends.  I am really looking forward to reconnecting with my Florida friends.  I didn't want to leave you hanging.  I don't want to be forgotten. I want to keep in touch with you.   I am back in Wisconsin, near my Sister.  It is a rainy day.  Steve is reading a very funny book.  Every once in a while he starts laughing and laughing.   Anxious People  is the title.  And I am at my computer writing and writing and up loading pictures.   I hope I didn't bore you with all the pictures and stories of these past few days. Tomorrow we head back to New York.  Taking five days to do it.  Then we will start preparing for our third bicycle tour of the year.  Washington DC to Pittsburgh all on trail... unless a

  Back to Trempeleau Our time in Madison was too brief, but we had a wedding to go to.  I had reserved a U-haul and on a Monday, we loaded it with our bikes and gear and drove back to where we started our bike tour in Perrot State Park. On our drive back north, we were passing Sparta when I asked Steve if he wanted to try again to see the Bicycle and Space Museum.    You may recall that when we came through Sparta on our bikes we tried going to the Bicycle and Space Museum, but couldn't see it because it was about to close. So I asked Steve if he wanted to stop. He said "sure!" We parked and walked up to the museum.  A sign told us it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Well, ok then!  We went for a stroll and stopped at a coffee shop.  Instead of coffee I enjoyed a kale and fruit smoothie. We drove into Perrot State park wondering if Big Blue would still be there. I was glad to see Big Blue.  Other than a few spiderwebs, it was just as I had left it. We stayed in Trempel

Our first morning in Madison was a Saturday.  We biked to the Capital.  All around the square on Saturday mornings during the summer is a great farmers market. The capital dome is the tallest in the county except for the one in Washington, DC. Joe loves to eat vegetables and asked us to take a picture of him by some of the colorful fresh veggies. Being around the governing seat of Wisconsin, there was more political activity.  We saw two topless young women holding signs high above their heads supporting reproductive rights.  And we enjoyed songs by the Raging Grannies. One of the grannies had a crocheted womb and ovaries attached to a flowery apron she wore.  Another apron was covered in political buttons. It reminds me of a quote from... who?  Don't underestimate the power of older women in tennis shoes... or something like that. That night we all went to have dinner with my son and his wife at a restaurant near Kathi's home.  I am so grateful that it worked out that Jeremy a

Spring Green to Governor Dodge State Park, 100 degrees. The day we left Spring Green it was still quite warm and of course much of our ride was up hill out of the river valley. Steve was using a very thin old bandana to mop the sweat from his face.  I gave him my purple bandana that I wasn't using.  In addition to the ambiance of the hills and the heat, there were several miles of road construction going on.  A layer of tar was followed by a layer of crushed gravel.  We had to watch for loose gravel, and the semis whipped up a cloud of dust when they passed, turning our sweat into a paste. Fortunately, we had a short day planned of 12 miles (according to Googlemaps.) Our route went right by the entrance to House on the Rock.  It is a must-see, quirky tourist attraction.  I had been to it and knew Steve would enjoy it.  But I had enough of looking at collections of stuff the last time I went to House on the Rock.   Entrance to House on the Rock off Hwy 23 South of Spring Green, WI.

 It is Thursday, September 14, 2023 I have just removed my things from Steve's trailer and put them back in My truck and Weeroll. My weeroll was full of stuff because I made toom in my truck bed or Steve's bike. My home is looking  more like home now. I am at 4-mile Creek State Park Campground near Niagra Falls, NY. I will tell you why I moved my stuff out later. That has nothing to do with the do over. I noticed that my last post was way too long.  I had said I would post every day of our bike tour. That didn't happen for so many reasons, time, energy, lack of cell service, among them. The do-over is breaking up the post into smaller, hopefully more iinteresting posts So here goes. Cooling off in Spring Green, Wisconsin Hurricane Idalia missed our friends' homes and Steve's house in Florida.  Yay!  Though there was a lot of damage in our county (Citrus) along the coast from the surge.  I hope you and yours are OK. I posted something on Facebook about our hike on Mt