A Fun Evening with Family

 

Luke Catching Flying Seafood
Ellicott City, MD
June 12, 2024

It was an evening for celebrations and much of the family joined together for a meal at Sakura Japanese Steakhouse in Ellicott City. 

I have to admit, I am still getting used to the oppressive traffic in the Baltimore area. I had forgotten how bad traffic is on the main roads from about 3:30 PM to after 7 PM. I have been about 15 minutes late for everything I have attempted during those times. Last night was no exception. 

We had a wonderful time at the restaurant, once we arrived. The family had good fun at the table and there was so much to discuss--especially for those of us heading out on the GAP ride tomorrow. 

Of course the meal ended with the tossing of shrimp and people trying to catch it in their mouths. I do not think anyone caught the shrimp. That was lucky for me because the chef forgot I'm allergic to and I got caught in the moment of trying to catch the airborne shellfish until the cry at the table brought me to reality and I allowed the seafood to bounce off my face. 

It was truly a fun evening with family. 

It's Alive

3D Printer Printing
Glen Burnie, MD
June 10, 2024

 I was given a non-functional 3D printer a few months ago. I spent a lot of time trying to fix it and replaced a number of parts. Fortunately, my son Patrick is very good with 3D printers; he has a small 3D printer farm. 

I brought the non-functional printer with me as we journeyed north and Monday night, shortly after Chris and I returned to Maryland, Patrick gave the printer about 30 minutes of his time and then, miraculously, the printer printed its first, possibly ever, project. 

Amazing1 

For my part, I was close to the fix, but not having Patrick's depth of knowledge the obvious problem was unseen by me. Now I get to take the printer back to Florida and hopefully will start making projects. 

I am still preparing for the upcoming bike event as we depart for the GAP ride on Thursday afternoon! I may do an easy 8-11 mile ride today just to stay in shape.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

And We're Here

 Cooler temperatures and lower humidity greeted Chris and me when we finally arrived in Maryland yesterday. Who knew that 82 degrees could feel cool?

An amazing thing happened on the road yesterday. My truck turned in its best MPG ever! It hit 20.8 MPG as we were struggling in Virginia I-95 traffic. I am lucky that my smart glasses can take an image without my eyes leaving the road. The previous best was something in the 19 MPG range. I have no idea why a truck with over 91,000 miles suddenly got a bit more efficient, but I'm happy about it.

The drive yesterday, while shorter than the day before, seemed longer. Maybe it was the crazy traffic we encountered from about Richmond, VA, to our destination. 

I am happy to report that my bike arrived without any problems. I took it for a short spin around the neighborhood to do a basic check, but I'm hopeful of a longer ride later today or tomorrow just to do a complete check and keep myself in shape for the upcoming GAP ride. 

It is going to be a busy few days.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Fayetteville, North Carolina

Ground Floor Room
Fayetteville, NC
June 9, 2024

 It is perhaps the worst view ever out the hotel window. 

An obstructed view with the air conditioning unit and a view of the parking lot. I've had better, but I think never worse. We are in a first floor suite, but it is convenient since we are traveling with Finn. And, it turns out, we don't leave the shades open because people can see into the room.

Finn in the Hotel
Fayetteville, NC
June 9, 2024

Finn has adapted to the room quite well, as long as we are with him. He woke me about 5 AM with the need to go outside, which I dutifully did and at least he made the interruption of my sleep worthwhile. He came back to the room and went to sleep--I was not so lucky; drifting off only briefly. 

We are heading to breakfast soon and then it is back on the road for the most grueling 5 hours of the trip. It would be a great drive, if only we could somehow avoid the Richmond to Washington drive on I-95. It is sure to be fraught with traffic and stops. Hopefully the morning rush will be mostly over once we get to Richmond. 

-- Bob Doan, Fayetteville, NC

On the Road North

On the Road 
I-95 in Florida
June 9, 2024

 It is a beautiful Sunday morning and we have been on the road already two hours.  We still have over 230 miles remaining in Florida. Looking forward to getting into our hotel sometime about 3:30 PM. 

Finns finally settled and we just completed our first rest stop so maybe he will sleep for a while. He was funny this morning making sure that we were not leaving without him. 

Well, a long day ahead and despite the thunderstorm forecast, it is clear now.  I put my bike in the truck bed rather than have it hanging on the rack in back to protect it from the elements. 

And the road goes on  

Bob Doan, Edgewater, Fl

Closing out the Week

Dinner at Cooper's Hawk
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
June 6, 2024

 I competed my last checkout ride before traveling to Maryland in preparation for riding the GAP. It was a pleasant 17-mile ride with about 60 percent of the load I expect to drag along on the impending 150-mile ride. It was a bit strange at the beginning, but after about 5 miles, I no longer noticed the additional weight. I hope the real ride is like that. 

Before Friday even began we enjoyed a great meal, and some wine, at Cooper's Hawk on Thursday evening. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment decisions and we had a great time for a couple hours of wine tasting and then eating a very nice meal. 

And then Friday arrived. 

Chris Checking Out a Hat
Tequesta, FL
June 6, 2024

We are  preparing for the upcoming roadtrip. I continued getting my bike bags packed with what I think I'll need for the trip. Jen produced a great spreadsheet which lays out the basic necessities and I have been following through dutifully getting the items I will need for the ride. Yesterday's big purchase was a $10 small, 2-pound folding stool. I got it at, of all places, Wally World (er, umm, I mean Walmart). I actually hate going to Walmart because the parking lot is a danger zone with crazy drivers and even worse, people walking who just wander behind moving cars. But I got the stool and Chris bought a small camelback water backpack for her riding. She needs a lot of liquids when we ride.

By this time tomorrow I hope to be on the road headed north. The drive weather forecast looks ominous. There is a potential for thunderstorms and rain almost all day! Ugh. Well, the truck is big and heavy. Monday looks clear, however.

I will plan on blogging from the road to advise of the actual conditions. I guess my bike, which will be on the bike rack on the back of the truck, is going to get wet! It probably will not be the last time it gets wet as rain is forecast during the GAP ride.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#travel #biking #GAP #GreatAlleghenyPassage #CoopersHawk

Hitting the Waves

US-1 Bridge Construction
Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, FL
June 6, 2024

 A great boating day turned into a great beach day as we headed out with friends yesterday. The plan was to motor down and check out the US-1 bridge construction and then head for a beach. 

The water, as it was just after high tide, was crystal clear. Truly. We could see the bottom at 15 feet depth. That is something that does not often happen here. 

On the Beach
Tequesta, FL
June 6, 2024

The bridge construction was exciting as they have started placing the beams for the second span. We may actually have a US-1 highway bridge over the Loxahatchee River by November! That would certainly ease the wintertime traffic congestion. We saw additional beams on a barge waiting to be emplaced. 

Osprey in a Tree
Jupiter Island, FL
June 6, 2024

After passing through the bridge construction area we turned around and headed back north to a fairly secluded, accessible only by boat, beach up the ICW. There is one very popular beach, but I chose to head a bit further north to an area where boat access is easy, but most boater choose not to land because it is a narrow strip of beach that, since the tide was going out, I knew would get larger as we enjoyed ourselves. I had to adjust the boat on the beach after an hour or so as the receding tide meant that it was becoming a bit too beached for my liking. Turns out, that was a good choice. We were able to get underway after enjoying lunch and a few hours in the sun without having to resort to extreme measures to reflect the boat. 

As it was just after noon, we motored north to Bridge Road in Hobe Sound to enjoy the wild areas that can only be observed from the water. We happened upon a pair of Ospreys in a tree who did not seem to mind ur presence. I was able to get a fairly good image of one of them, but the other flew off before I could frame a shot of both of them. 

It was a very enjoyable morning and we returned to the marina about 1:30 PM after four hours of boating and beaching.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#boating #ICW #osprey #US1bridgejupiter 

Biking, Boating, and Beaching

Shooting into the Sun
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
June 3, 2024

 Yesterday's tune-up ride with my newly adjusted bike went well.

The bike worked to perfection, except for a small click in one of the gears. I may take it back in tomorrow to have the click checked if it doesn't go away during my ride. 

Now, however, my big project is that I am beginning to pack the panniers for the ride and trying to decide which items should go where. It is not easy since I have never attempted a ride with the complexity and length of the GAP. I know that I will forget something, probably something important. 

Today, however, is a boat day! We will cruise the intracoastal and get some beach time. I haven't yet decided exactly which beach to beach the boat at, but given that the tide will be high, but receding, there should be a couple of nice beaches from which to choose.  

Should be a nice Thursday. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Final Preps

Across the Dunes
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge, FL
June 4, 2024

 I am working on final preps for the Greater Allegheny Passage (GAP) ride next week with Patrick, Jen, and Jeremy. Yesterday, I rode a hard 20-mile tune-up that saw 51 percent of my 1h34m ride in Training Zones 4 and 5. 

It was a great ride along Beach Road on Jupiter Island with the ocean and the Uber-expensive properties to view. The area is a very exclusive area and many of the houses cannot be seen from either the road or the adjacent Intracoastal Waterway, but there are others that allow a glimpse as to how people live in $30M plus homes. 

Trimmed Trees
Jupiter island, FL
June 4, 2024

The winds were light yesterday, blowing mostly from the north which meant the ride back would have a small assist. The north end of the ride, and coincidentally the end of the road, is the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. I appreciate that much of Jupiter Island is devoted to the Refuge. 

On the ride back we toured some of the side roads through the neighborhoods and in pone place came upon heavily trimmed/pruned trees. They look as if they are preparing for Halloween early as they must be an eerie sight at night when the moon is bright. 

New Cassette and Chain
Tequesta, FL
June 5, 2024

After the ride and lunch, I took my bike to the local bike shop for its annual tune-up. I wanted to get it done before the ride next week and I finally made time to complete the task. I expected to be without my bike for two days, but was pleasantly surprised when they called just before closing to tell me it was ready. Awesome! I can ride it today and see if any adjustments need to be made. 

It was good I took my bike in because it needed a new chain and cassette. I expected the need for a new chain as I had over 3700 miles on the current chain. They also, as expected, adjusted my brakes and the gear shifts while giving the bike a general clean-up. They informed me that I was oiling my chain too much, which is why the collection of grime was significant. Funny, I was also informed that both the front and rear brakes were dragging a bit and that I will have more speed and power now. I am looking forward to that. 

Hopefully, my bike, and me too, is ready for the upcoming GAP ride. I will know more after this morning's ride, which will be my usual 16-mile route. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#bike #biking #GAP

Rainy Morning Evolves into a Beach Evening

Carlin Park
Jupiter, FL
 3, 2024

Down to the ocean we went yesterday afternoon. The day which began with greatly needed rain ended with blue skies and a beach afternoon. I made a special note that with the solstice approaching, the available daylight lasts later into the evening. During the winter months we would have been in darkness long before we departed the beach last evening.

The ocean was calmer; compared with Friday. I hope that it was mimicking the mood in the country after Friday's upheaval with the weekend for things to cool off. Of course the news media will keep emotions stirred as long as possible. There needs to be some rain in the news reporting to cool things off.

Temperatures are approaching summertime levels, in or near the 90s. It is a bit of a shock after spending three weeks in relatively cooler Europe. I don't think we will see morning temperatures in the 50s again until late September. The lowest temperatures expected during the next week are in the mid-70s. The ocean was already at 81 degrees yesterday, which is perfect for swimming although the sargassum washing ashore made entering the water an exercise in caution. The sargassum can be seen in the image I took both on the beach and in the waves.

And another day dawns!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL