Brandon to Shoreham Vermont

There was a chance of rain overnight and into the morning. Fortunately, it rained a bit during the night and the front had moved on by morning. Soon the sun was out, it started out in the 50's and was a beautiful 70 degree day. Donna, at the Gazebo Inn, makes the most wonderful breakfasts and she had us filled and ready to bike. She has beautiful dishes, and if you know me, I LOVE pretty dishes! She loves to cook and bake and we enjoyed eating her delicious food.  We got our luggage packed and ready, put the things we didn't need for the week in our van which we left behind at the Inn, and left our luggage for the week with Donna and someone would come by and move it to our next Inn in Shoreham. We are very thankful for the company that organizes the routes we ride (detailed maps and turn by turn directions) and gets our luggage from place to place. We took some photos of Gazebo Inn in Brandon and Donna before we left.

We started riding out of Brandon about 10 am making stops now and then

to rest or take a picture or two. We had a few up and down hills but was a pleasant day of riding.

Sometimes the hills can be very steep and I walked a few times when I got to the lowest gear and had a hard time pedaling. Life can be like that you know, sometimes we coast and sometimes circumstances can feel like an uphill battle. Sometimes we can use the power we feel from the downhill rides to power up the "mountains" in our lives and sometimes we just have to stop and walk awhile. Walking with God and realizing He is with us through the coasting, the struggles, the ups and the downs is so comforting. Today I was reminded once again

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13

 Each day we have options in the distance we ride and today we decided to take the short option of 18 miles. We passed many farms, the countryside is very beautiful. Some of the leaves on the trees are just beginning to change colors. You can see Russ riding ahead of me up the hill.

We rested in the yard of a church in Whiting. We had just climbed a steep hill into the tiny town,

just a crossroads, really, at the top of a hill. As we sat there several bikers were struggling up the hill from the north that we would soon be coasting down.  

 We arrived in Shoreham shortly after noon. The Shoreham Inn is very old (1790's) and has lots of character. Some people are staying in the "Sheep barn" out back that has nice rooms in it as well as the rooms in the main house. Molly & Dominic are the proprietors

and I believe they said they have 19 rooms.

 

We had leftover pizza from last night that we'd packed for lunch,

so we sat on the nice deck to eat. It was a beautiful day.

 Dominic told us the story of the dog a friend had carved in remembrance of a
favorite border collie they had, his name was Bran.  

 There was a colorful cow in the back yard.

 This afternoon we walked around the small town. There was a congregational church on the corner.

 Another church was down the street and just beyond that was the school

where children were playing on the playground.

 As we walked to the edge of town we had a beautiful view

of the mountains in the distance.

 We walked down the road to an apple orchard.

 The trees were loaded with red apples.

After returning from our walk we sat on the deck once again and were joined by several other cyclists that had made their way into town this afternoon. They arrived from Middlebury, we will ride there tomorrow. Their trip is also through Seth, our organizer, but is opposite of the trip we are doing. We had a great time visiting with two couples from South Dakota and three couples from Arizona. With the stories, sharing and recommendations we made to each other we all look forward to the destinations we plan to see in the days ahead.

Dominic (from Ireland) is also the chef at the Inn and we had a fabulous dinner. I should have taken some pictures of the food, it was a delicious three course meal. Russ had salmon and I had a Dijon chicken dish. We tried some apple pie ala' mode and chocolate cake with ice cream for dessert.

It's time to relax and rest for tomorrow's ride. We look forward to another great day. 

The church on the corner has a bell that rings every hour and we just heard 10 tolls.

With that I will say good night and blessings for tomorrow.

The Bike Ride Begins!

With sunlight streaming into the comfortable Gazebo Inn, we started the day with a leisurely delicious breakfast. Since the temperature started at 36 degrees this morning, we were in no hurry to get on the road.  We started the day with layers and jackets, it was cool in the shade but the sun felt warm. As the day went on, we shed some of those layers.

   

After getting our bikes ready for the ride, we headed west out of Brandon around 10 am. We rode west out of town, then south.  The roads were lined with beautiful trees. There were some hills that were challenging but we stopped now and then and took our time.

 

After turning on Beaver Pond road, we came across Beaver Pond, it was really pretty!

   

                                             Russ                                                                    Carol

We came across "marshmallow" farms again today!

 Along the way we saw LOTS of barns and farms. The countryside is beautiful!

We rode to Wilson's Castle near Proctor. It was built in the mid 19th century and has been home to five generations of Wilsons. We took pictures but did not take the tour.

We speculated that the farm buildings were across the road.

We heard sheep, it looked like a beautiful farm.

When we came into Proctor we stopped at the Vermont Marble Museum.

We spent an hour and 1/2 on the self guided tour,  it was VERY interesting!

Their company made the Tomb of the Unknown soldier.

 After the museum visit, we rode down the street to the marble bridge. It was really pretty.

After leaving Proctor, we rode back toward Brandon and

rode through three covered bridges along the way.

 The views along the way were very beautiful, the mountains were in the distance and we went up and over lots of hills. The temperature got up to a comfortable 75 degrees.

 We arrived back at Gazebo Inn in Brandon around 3:30. We rode a total of 34 miles, we could feel that we had worked our legs, the hills were challenging today. Donna had some refreshments for us when we returned. After we rested awhile, then walked downtown to a pizza restaurant and enjoyed a delicious supper.

We are spending our second night here at Gazebo Inn, tomorrow we will ride to our next Inn so our luggage will be moved to the next Inn tomorrow while we ride.

We will return to Brandon by the end of the week.

It's been a wonderful but tiring day.  Our feet are up and we're resting our legs for tomorrow. As we faced some challenging hills today, I was reminded that God is the one who gives us strength.

We are so thankful for His strength and protection as we enjoy this week of adventure.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

It is God who arms me with strength
    and keeps my way secure.

Psalm 18:32 (NIV)

Until tomorrow...

A blessed and beautiful Sunday!

The Best Western in Albany, New York had a great breakfast to get us going on a sunny, crisp, cool Sunday morning. We were on the road by 8:30 am headed north on I-87, then east on highway 149 to US 4 into Vermont. It was a beautiful drive through the countryside. We saw fields of corn on many farms along the road as well as pumpkins, orchards and vineyards. They even grow huge marshmallows here! (they are large bales of hay but I think they look like marshmallows!)

      

Since it was Sunday, we thought we might find a church along the way but we were too early for a couple of churches we went by in New York and arrived too late for the churches in Vermont.

We stopped at the visitor's center as we arrived in Vermont.

    

The drive along the tree lined hilly road was beautiful with just a few trees beginning to turn colors. Many locals we spoke with said they had their first frost last night. We drove to Rutland, stopped at a store for awhile, then made our way north on US 7. We stopped at the New England Maple Museum in Pittsford. It was very interesting and we even got to taste some of the delicious syrup and sample other goodies they sell. 

   

 They had cute little "people" dressed up and you pressed buttons to hear their stories or songs.

We arrived at the Gazebo Inn (our home for the next two nights) early in the afternoon and were greeted by owner, Donna. She made us feel right at home, fed us some snacks & we had a nice visit.

Later in the afternoon we strolled through the town. They had "people" all over town; waving, welcoming fully clothed manikins. We decided to pose by a couple of them.

    

After getting back to the Inn we met with Seth, the organizer of our ride. He explained our bike routes for the coming week. Tomorrow we bike south of here and back to the same Inn. We are excited about the adventure!

We walked downtown after our meeting with Seth and ate dinner at Cafe' Provence. Russ had a salmon dish and I had chicken pot pie. It was VERY delicious!  

I think it's time to hit the feather bed and get some rest before our biking adventures tomorrow.

We look forward to what we might see and discover.

Every day we see the beauty of the earth God created and we are in awe.

"For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing to him a psalm of praise."

Psalm 47:7 (NIV) 

Five state day!

We woke up early this morning and saw the sun rise over the beautiful Virginia mountains. Once again, the mountains had the hazy, smoky look as the clouds rose out of the valley.

     

We spent the night in the Natural Bridge Hotel, a lovely place filled with history.

The place was buzzing with activity first thing this morning as today the Natural Bridge was becoming a Virginia State park TODAY! We saw more park rangers than we had ever seen in our lives! The governor of Virginia was coming and they had planned a day full of festivities. 

We didn't stick around for the festivities, but headed down a couple of blocks to the Natural Bridge Caverns where we went down DEEP under ground and enjoyed the magnificence of the cavern. Our 45 minute tour began at 9 am with just 5 guests on the tour. It was interesting and very cool below ground, we were glad to have our jackets! It was a nice way to get some exercise before our car ride.

After the tour we headed north on I-81 to northern Virginia, then headed east on I-66. We drove into Maryland, around Washington D.C., then into Delaware. (Russ' state #47)  

 We looped south of Philadelphia and headed across New Jersey on the I-95 turnpike, through Newark and past New York City. I took a picture of the skyline as we zoomed down the freeway!

We were thankful it was Saturday, we ran across quite a bit of traffic here and there but nothing like we imagined it could be on a week day!  We headed up highway 17 to I-87 and crossed into New York state. Once again we were on a toll road but we found the roads were very good and VERY fast! Today our goal was to cover some ground and we did that! The toll roads altogether may have totaled around $25-30, but they got us easily from place to place. We are VERY thankful for GPS on our phones. The navigation lady gave us great directions today and never had to fuss at us for making a wrong turn. We drove 553 miles today and arrived in Albany, New York about 7:30 this evening. We checked into the Best Western on Wolf Rd. and crossed the street for a WONDERFULLY delicious meal at Reel Seafood. Russ enjoyed salmon and I had haddock with crab stuffing, YUMMY!

Back at the motel Russ cranked up the Nebraska game on his Dish TV app on his phone but I'm afraid he is missing the game because his eyes are closed! It was a long day but we have seen beautiful scenery along the way. Only about 100 miles remains for us to reach Brandon, Vermont where our bike ride will begin.

Until tomorrow...

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,

His love endures forever.

Psalm 118:1

Beautiful drive from Tennessee to Virginia

After breakfast we headed east out of Nashville under sunny skies. Thankfully, most drivers were headed west so heavy traffic was not a problem. The drive from Nashville to Knoxville is beautiful! Some low clouds were rising from the valleys to give a "smoky" look to the mountains. At times the road was carved out of the rocky tree covered hills. We reminisced and recognized familiar towns, roads, landscapes, motels & buildings along our route as we paralleled places we'd bicycled through in 2012.  Today we could drive an hour for what took an entire day on the bike trip! Through Tennessee and part of Virginia the highway Russ biked paralleled and crossed the interstate we were on today. It brought back wonderful memories and how much strength it took for him to bike these hills and mountains!

Sometime this morning we passed into the Eastern Time Zone. We crossed into Virginia and stopped at the welcome center there for some information on the Blue Ridge Parkway and suggestions for sights to see. We drove to Roanoke, Virginia, then traveled on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a time and enjoyed the slower pace and the beauty of the 45 mph two-lane tree lined road.  We stopped for the day at Natural Bridges, VA where there is of course, a natural bridge! We drove over it and didn't even know it! We checked into the beautiful Natural Bridge Hotel, then walked down to see the Natural Bridge and hiked the trail a mile beyond. It was a beautiful way to spend the afternoon!

   

The trail was beside a peaceful stream, it was very beautiful.

 At the end of the trail was the Lace Waterfall, it was worth the half mile trek in to see it.

As we walked along the trail I thought about how sometimes our life is on a well defined path with boundaries so our way is clear. Sometimes, however, the boundaries disappear, or there are distractions along the way (like the snake on the rock ledge at one point that nearly made us both jump out of our skin!) or we can't see what's around the bend in front of us. Just like walking down a literal path, trust is required. We must trust the creator of the path to get us safely and clearly to our destination. In our spiritual journey with God he provides boundaries, markers and guidelines to know how to follow His path. We must trust Him, our Creator, to guide us on the way even when there are distractions, the path is unclear or we fall off the trail, sometimes in the ditch! Another thing I learned on the trail - don't be so focused on getting to the end of the trail that you forget to look around and enjoy the beauty and wonder of life.

After our hike we drove down the road to the Pink Cadillac Diner and enjoyed their daily special 

a fried clam dinner, it was delicious!

 

    

Tonight we walked back down to the Natural Bridge for the Creation light show. Beautiful, peaceful music played as they read the account of creation from Genesis and colored lights illuminated the rocky cliffs and the Natural bridge. In the dark of night the sky was filled with stars, it was all very beautiful. At one point they played a recording of Tennessee Ernie Ford singing The Lord's Prayer.

It was a "Be still and know that I am God" kind of evening.

"This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

It's been a beautiful, blessed day.

Our Fall Journey Begins...

We left home - Bay City, Texas, around 8:30 am on Wednesday, September 21st. The sun was shining, the roads were good and we made it to Benton, Arkansas (just south of Little Rock) by late afternoon where we spent the night.
This morning we headed toward Tennessee. Once again it was a beautiful day and a scenic drive as made our way to Nashville, Tennessee. We arrived at The Upper Room museum, chapel & visitor's center around 3 in the afternoon. We enjoyed the beautiful artwork, stained glass, nativity displays, chapel & garden. It was interesting to learn a bit about the history of the devotional book, "The Upper Room" which we read daily. What a blessing they are to so many people!

       

 The carving of the Last Supper was VERY large, the figures were life size. It was so beautiful, this picture really doesn't do it justice. Off of the chapel was a small prayer room where you could spent some time...

 The stained glass was gorgeous, Russ should have taken a picture of me taking this picture since I was laying on the floor to get the shot!

After our visit we made our way to our hotel. Then we went back downtown to eat dinner and see the sites. We parked in a parking garage for events and when we came out of the building we realized it was the parking garage for McKendree United Methodist Church! We walked down Broadway to the river park and heard a lot of live music along the way. I especially liked this sign, "Welcome to Crazy Town" - maybe that should be a sign about my life sometime! Ha ha!

We did not stay in Crazy Town, in fact we didn't even go in! Instead we were off to the Ryman Auditorium to see an Opry Country Classic show. We'd been to the Grand Ole Opry before but this was our first time at the Ryman. The show was hosted by Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin brothers, they sounded great! The Booth Brothers, Daryle Singletary, Marty Stuart, Sunny Sweeney and The Whites were also performers for the evening. We really enjoyed the show!

It's time to get some rest and be ready for the adventures of tomorrow. We feel so blessed to be on vacation and thank God for our safety and protection each day.

Anticipating travel

Planning, packing and looking forward to an upcoming trip is almost as fun as the actual trip! A fall trip to the New England area is something that I have dreamed of for many years so my anticipation has been an ongoing process. In the past, as a teacher, fall was a "back to work" time with no time or opportunity to travel to seek the beauty of the fall foliage in states yet unexplored. Now, in my 5th year of retirement we will be embarking on a much anticipated journey! Look out Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine; here we come!