Description: Today was Christmas day and I did not ride. I woke up around 7:30 and hit the continental breakfast in the hotel lobby. I enjoyed cereal, toast, yogurt, OJ, and coffee. After breakfast, I just hung out in the lobby and read the paper. Carl was not far behind me and also had a light breakfast as we did not need the calories today. Kevin and Theresa were up much earlier and hit the breakfast bar and then took the dog (Eve) for a walk on the beach. Eve loved the sand and had a blast chasing birds all around and even into the water. The boys then gave all of our bikes Christmas baths with Mean Green degreaser and WD-40. A quick lube of the chains and tire pressure check and we were done. Theresa was also busy setting up an awesome brunch spread that included fresh vegetables, ranch dip, nuts, shrimp, crackers, cheese, olives, cream cheese, sparking wine, and some red wine. She made these great appetizers that included taking a Triscuit cracker, cream cheese, shrimp, cocktail sauce, and a green olive. They were a taste sensation! After lunch, we just chilled out in the room, posted some pictures to my web site, took walks on the beach, and Carl even stole a nap. Kevin made a video of me riding the Mean Green Machine all dressed up with my Santa hat on and garland wrapped on the bike (thanks Sparanos). Wilson joined me and wore his Santa hat (thanks Jae) as well. I will try to post the video in the next day or so. Some folks have been wondering how Wilson and I are getting along since my friends joined me. We still get along great but I must admit, our amount of dialog has dropped significantly. I did promise Wilson to hook him up with Miss Spaulding again once we get back home and he smiled.
For dinner, we went to Bubba's Seafood House which was outstanding and a great value. Kevin, Theresa, and I all had the prime rib Christmas special with a salad and boiled potatoes. Carl enjoyed fried fish with shrimp and crab with a salad. We all shared an appetizer of fried pickles. After dinner, we went back to the room for some cupcakes that Carl had picked up. Then Kevin surprised us by pulling out a copy of the old cycling classic - Breaking Away. It was a perfect movie for the group and an excellent night cap. Throughout the day, we all were able to catch up with our families to exchange Christmas spirit.
Weather: Warm and fog in the morning. We also had a brief shower early and then the sun came out and it was real nice.
No metrics to report today.
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - I had a very relaxing Christmas day with good friends.
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
Thank to everyone who has been following my great adventure and supporting me, especially those who have been posting comments. I have really enjoyed all of the banter and encouragement as it keeps me going. I must say that Jim P's post last night had me laughing well into the night.
Take care, enjoy the day, and do not be alarmed if you do not see Spot moving today. I intended to sneak it on Santa's sleigh last night to track him on my web site but fell asleep and missed him. Maybe next year.
Steve
Take care, enjoy the day, and do not be alarmed if you do not see Spot moving today. I intended to sneak it on Santa's sleigh last night to track him on my web site but fell asleep and missed him. Maybe next year.
Steve
Day 33 - Wednesday, December 24
Description: I finished the ride today in Orange Beach Alabama after a light 48 mile ride. This is right on the Gulf coast below Mobile and is beautiful with white sand, crashing waves, and warm temps. A great place to spend Christmas for sure - especially when compared to some of the small places I have been through over the last 4+ weeks. Home with the family would be best but this will do. No riding tomorrow as I promised my Mom to take Christmas off. This will be my first and only rest day of the trek.
Teresa, Kevin, Carl, and I got up early and were at the buffet breakfast at 6:30 sharp to fuel up our tanks. The Homewoods Suites breakfast was excellent as I enjoyed eggs, sausages, biscuits with sausage gravy, a big waffle with strawberry preserves, OJ, and coffee. This was the best breakfast I have had in weeks. While eating breakfast, we plotted our attack for the day. We determined it would not be worth fighting the heavy holiday traffic through Mobile. So, we loaded up our bikes in the Sherpa van and were shuttled through town and beyond the tunnel under the bay. Once on the other side, we pulled our bikes, saddled up, and hit the road around 9. It was a smart move and my mother would be proud of me as we avoided some nasty traffic. As with prior days, we dispatched Kevin to our lunch destination and then he was to ride back to meet us. As with prior days, the wind gods were angry with us as 20+ mph winds were blowing north straight into our face. The good news was that it was very warm today. Teresa, Carl, and I rolled south and hugged the bay shoreline as we were headed for the sandy beaches of the Gulf coast. We rode through the quaint towns of Daphne, Montrose, and Fairhope which had a high concentration of coffee shops and very large homes. Believe it or not, there were a lot of big rolling hills that caught us off guard. According to a historical marker, this area (Ecor Rouge) is the highest coastal point between Maine and Mexico). Carl elected to ride slower to smell the roses and take some pictures while Teresa and I blasted forward to catch up with Kevin. At one point, we got off the route and had to ask for help. I stopped a guy in a truck and asked how to get to Point Clear or Rt 98. He quickly said 98 was just ahead but then said he had never heard of Point Clear. We said thanks and moved on. Then we immediately saw the Point Clear golf course and the Point Clear apartments. This guy must of been on drugs. We got back on course and then stopped at the Punta Claro Bakery and Candy Store for a bio break and to sample their goods. They had the highest concentration of free samples of candies, fudge, and other sweets that I have ever seen. I was almost full in 5 minutes. By the time we got out, Carl caught up with us again and the 3 of us moved on. In another mile, Kevin caught us and our whole party was riding together once again. The road turned away from the bay and went through lots of big farms (most for sale) including several sod farms. We made good time against the warm wind and rolled into Magnolia Springs for a well deserved lunch. We ate at Jeanne's Seafood restaurant. This place was a little upscale and the food was good. Kevin and I had Grouper Po Boys, Carl had a scallop Po Boy, and Teresa opted for a crab cake sandwich which was not very good. Kevin and Carl also had some cheese beer soup which they liked. Carl and I had onion rings with our sandwiches while Kevin and Teresa opted for the lower calorie cole slaw. After lunch, Teresa loaded up her bike and headed for our beach destination to await our arrival. The 3 amigos headed directly into a stiff 20+ mph wind for the remaining 25 miles. Kevin was full of energy and attacked the wind gods with all of his might. I could not let him do this all alone so I jumped on his rear wheel to witness the battle. He rode straight into the wind god's best gusts and maintained an impressive 17-18 mph pace for the rest of the ride. He was a man possessed and he beat the wind gods - at least for today. After arriving at the coast line in Gulf Shores, we stopped for some pictures of the beach and admire our accomplishment. Then we headed up the coast to the Sleep Inn to retire for the day. As I dismounted the Mean Green Machine, I reached back to turn off my Spot tracking device. Uh ohhhh, it was gone. I had no idea how far back it fell off. After some quick thinking, I asked Teresa to check on my blog site for my last data point. It was 3 miles down the road. I dropped all of my bags and blasted down the beach front road for the rescue. I found it on the bike path, right were my web site said it was - you gotta love technology! Carl rolled in about 45 minutes later and also had a great ride. The hotel is ocean front and we have rooms looking over the beach. As with prior days, Sherpa Teresa found a great hotel at a great price - well done! We all showered and then went across the street to stock up on supplies at a grocery store. Then we went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant called Grazie Pasta Pizza Seafood. Dinner was an A+. Kevin had a grouper dish with crab meat and a bowl of crab and artichoke soup, Teresa had the same soup and a house salad, Carl had eggplant parmasian, and I has spaghetti and meatballs. We had a stuffed portobello mushroom with crab and some calamari with warm bread for appetizers. This meal really hit the spot. After dinner, we retired to the hotel rooms.
Good night!
Weather: Warm, humid, windy, and overcast for the start of the day. It warmed up as the day went on and was sunny and beautiful when we reached the Gulf Shores.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 48 Trip: 2,418
Total travel time: 6:00 Trip: 252:30
Bike Riding time: 3:39 Trip: 196:08
Avg speed: 13.13 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 30.54 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 849 Trip: 55,000
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 98 Trip: 110
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 2,896 Trip: 143,798
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 77
Low temp: 63 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Major against - 20+ mph
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 22
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 9
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Comfort Inn
Total hotel nights: 31
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 106
Pints: 3 Trip: 62
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - Day before Christmas and I am taking a rest day tomorrow. I am in an awesome mood! Great ride day today and the weather cooperated very well.
Teresa, Kevin, Carl, and I got up early and were at the buffet breakfast at 6:30 sharp to fuel up our tanks. The Homewoods Suites breakfast was excellent as I enjoyed eggs, sausages, biscuits with sausage gravy, a big waffle with strawberry preserves, OJ, and coffee. This was the best breakfast I have had in weeks. While eating breakfast, we plotted our attack for the day. We determined it would not be worth fighting the heavy holiday traffic through Mobile. So, we loaded up our bikes in the Sherpa van and were shuttled through town and beyond the tunnel under the bay. Once on the other side, we pulled our bikes, saddled up, and hit the road around 9. It was a smart move and my mother would be proud of me as we avoided some nasty traffic. As with prior days, we dispatched Kevin to our lunch destination and then he was to ride back to meet us. As with prior days, the wind gods were angry with us as 20+ mph winds were blowing north straight into our face. The good news was that it was very warm today. Teresa, Carl, and I rolled south and hugged the bay shoreline as we were headed for the sandy beaches of the Gulf coast. We rode through the quaint towns of Daphne, Montrose, and Fairhope which had a high concentration of coffee shops and very large homes. Believe it or not, there were a lot of big rolling hills that caught us off guard. According to a historical marker, this area (Ecor Rouge) is the highest coastal point between Maine and Mexico). Carl elected to ride slower to smell the roses and take some pictures while Teresa and I blasted forward to catch up with Kevin. At one point, we got off the route and had to ask for help. I stopped a guy in a truck and asked how to get to Point Clear or Rt 98. He quickly said 98 was just ahead but then said he had never heard of Point Clear. We said thanks and moved on. Then we immediately saw the Point Clear golf course and the Point Clear apartments. This guy must of been on drugs. We got back on course and then stopped at the Punta Claro Bakery and Candy Store for a bio break and to sample their goods. They had the highest concentration of free samples of candies, fudge, and other sweets that I have ever seen. I was almost full in 5 minutes. By the time we got out, Carl caught up with us again and the 3 of us moved on. In another mile, Kevin caught us and our whole party was riding together once again. The road turned away from the bay and went through lots of big farms (most for sale) including several sod farms. We made good time against the warm wind and rolled into Magnolia Springs for a well deserved lunch. We ate at Jeanne's Seafood restaurant. This place was a little upscale and the food was good. Kevin and I had Grouper Po Boys, Carl had a scallop Po Boy, and Teresa opted for a crab cake sandwich which was not very good. Kevin and Carl also had some cheese beer soup which they liked. Carl and I had onion rings with our sandwiches while Kevin and Teresa opted for the lower calorie cole slaw. After lunch, Teresa loaded up her bike and headed for our beach destination to await our arrival. The 3 amigos headed directly into a stiff 20+ mph wind for the remaining 25 miles. Kevin was full of energy and attacked the wind gods with all of his might. I could not let him do this all alone so I jumped on his rear wheel to witness the battle. He rode straight into the wind god's best gusts and maintained an impressive 17-18 mph pace for the rest of the ride. He was a man possessed and he beat the wind gods - at least for today. After arriving at the coast line in Gulf Shores, we stopped for some pictures of the beach and admire our accomplishment. Then we headed up the coast to the Sleep Inn to retire for the day. As I dismounted the Mean Green Machine, I reached back to turn off my Spot tracking device. Uh ohhhh, it was gone. I had no idea how far back it fell off. After some quick thinking, I asked Teresa to check on my blog site for my last data point. It was 3 miles down the road. I dropped all of my bags and blasted down the beach front road for the rescue. I found it on the bike path, right were my web site said it was - you gotta love technology! Carl rolled in about 45 minutes later and also had a great ride. The hotel is ocean front and we have rooms looking over the beach. As with prior days, Sherpa Teresa found a great hotel at a great price - well done! We all showered and then went across the street to stock up on supplies at a grocery store. Then we went out for dinner at an Italian restaurant called Grazie Pasta Pizza Seafood. Dinner was an A+. Kevin had a grouper dish with crab meat and a bowl of crab and artichoke soup, Teresa had the same soup and a house salad, Carl had eggplant parmasian, and I has spaghetti and meatballs. We had a stuffed portobello mushroom with crab and some calamari with warm bread for appetizers. This meal really hit the spot. After dinner, we retired to the hotel rooms.
Good night!
Weather: Warm, humid, windy, and overcast for the start of the day. It warmed up as the day went on and was sunny and beautiful when we reached the Gulf Shores.
Performance Metrics:
Miles: 48 Trip: 2,418
Total travel time: 6:00 Trip: 252:30
Bike Riding time: 3:39 Trip: 196:08
Avg speed: 13.13 Trip: 12.65
Max speed: 30.54 Trip: 41.87
Total ascent (ft): 849 Trip: 55,000
Avg pedal RPMs: 86 Trip: 86
Avg heart rate: 98 Trip: 110
Max heart rate: 162 Trip: 195
Calories burned: 2,896 Trip: 143,798
Weather Statistics:
High temp 74 Trip: 77
Low temp: 63 Trip: 27
Hours of rain: 0 Trip: 13:30
Hours of snow: 0 Trip: 0
Total days of rain/snow: 3
Wind factor: Major against - 20+ mph
Total good wind days: 11
Total bad wind days: 22
Misc. Stats:
Flat tires: 0 Trip: 9
Mechanical failures: 0
Hotel or camping today: hotel - Comfort Inn
Total hotel nights: 31
Total camping nights: 2
Cups of coffee: 4 Trip: 106
Pints: 3 Trip: 62
Mood rating (1-10): 10 - Day before Christmas and I am taking a rest day tomorrow. I am in an awesome mood! Great ride day today and the weather cooperated very well.
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