Keeping a Watchful Eye

Keeping a Watchful Eye
Tequesta, FL
June 22, 2024

 Finn is a great dog, let me just start with that. 

Yes, I used to refer to him as our auxiliary dog, meaning back-up, but he is now the primary dog and the only pet in our family. He has grown into the role well. 

Finn also is very pliable and by that I mean he travels well and he also stays behind well. He almost understands when he will be traveling and when he is expected to remain behind. Usually he is very good when waiting with the notable exception being the other morning in the hotel when we tried to get for breakfast without him. It was not happening. We had to go back to the room for him and take him with us. 

Sometimes, though, he just sets himself up and watches the activity of the house happening around him. This was the case the other day. I think we had decided to clean the kitchen after a meal and he was too lazy to join us. He was so cute just laying there, monitoring the activity. 

And that is the Finn-dawg.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - June 24, 2024

 

1. The last Monday of June has arrived. The year is approaching the one-half mark--it is your choice whether that is one-half gone or remaining. There are 27 Mondays remaining in the year.

Mason-Dixon Line Park
GAP Trail
June 16, 2024

2. One of the stops we made during the GAP ride was along the Mason-Dixon Line. There is a small park where the line is paved in white rock and there is a prominent marker. In the image, PA is on the left and MD is on the right side of the line.

3.  It was very good to get home after over a month of almost continuous travel. We began to feel like our home was just another temporary stop. At one point last week, I had slept in five different beds in a seven day period--and none of them were mine!

4. I continue to be amazed by the number of vehicles traveling in excess of what must be 90 mph on the highways and they weave in and out of traffic. There has to be a way to stop them as they make driving dangerous. 

5. On Thursday, Moody’s Analytics, which evaluates risk, performance, and financial modeling, compared the economic promises of President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. Authors Mark Zandi, Brendan LaCerda, and Justin Begley concluded that while a second Biden presidency would see cooling inflation and continued economic growth of 2.1%, a Trump presidency would be an economic disaster. (Letters from an American)

6. Today in History. On June 24, 1997, U.S. Air Force officials release a 231-page report dismissing long-standing claims of an alien spacecraft crash in Roswell, New Mexico, almost exactly 50 years earlier.

Public interest in Unidentified Flying Objects, or UFOs, began to flourish in the 1940s, when developments in space travel and the dawn of the atomic age caused many Americans to turn their attention to the skies. The town of Roswell, located near the Pecos River in southeastern New Mexico, became a magnet for UFO believers due to the strange events of early July 1947, when ranch foreman W.W. Brazel found a strange, shiny material scattered over some of his land. He turned the material over to the sheriff, who passed it on to authorities at the nearby Air Force base. On July 8, Air Force officials announced they had recovered the wreckage of a “flying disk.” A local newspaper put the story on its front page, launching Roswell into the spotlight of the public’s UFO fascination. 

US aircraft carrier arrives in South Korea as Russia-North Korea defense pact deepens regional fears - CNN

Unrelenting heat wave set to shift into the South today - CNN

Blaze in South Korea battery plant kills 22 workers - Reuters

Ukraine inches closer to EU dream after decade of war - Reuters

Ukraine’s Naval Drones Turn the Tide in the Battle of the Black Sea - The Wall Street Journal

The Texas Factory About to Become a Key Ammo Supplier for the U.S., Ukraine - The Wall Street Journal

Americans Are All Over Europe This Summer. Here’s How to Outsmart the Crowds. - The Wall Street Journal

Hajj heat wave deaths underscore climate threat for most vulnerable - The Washington Post

Abortion Debate Shifts as Election Nears: ‘Now It’s About Pregnancy - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#MondayMusings

Oiut the Hotel Windows: Pittsburgh and Connellsville, PA

AC Hotel
Pittsburgh, PA
June 14, 2024

 I have a twofer for today's offering. During the GAP ride, I stayed in two hotels and one hostel. As we never opened the curtain in the hostel, I did not take an image out the window of the houses and train tracks, but I did take images of the scene from windows in the hotels. 

The first is from the lobby, which interestingly enough is on the 7th floor, of the AC Hotel on the Strip in Pittsburgh, PA. What a great view! It was a Friday morning, not all that early, but yet not a lot of traffic was evident. We left the hotel and began our day on the GAP shortly after I took this image. 

Comfort Inn
Connellsville, PA
June 15, 2024

The second hotel window was in Connellsville, PA. I took this one out my room window. The hotel is right on the Youghiagheny River. I never would have believed that such a great hotel would be in a small village like Connellsville--but it is and next year when I tackle the GAP with Chris, we will spend our first night there. There is a very inviting fire pit right on the river bank. Except for the rain, it would have been a great place to enjoy the evening. 

We began our second day in Connellsville and it was a tough almost continuous uphill ride where we gained almost 1000 feet of elevation during the almost 47 mile ride. 

I got on my bike yesterday for a ride. It was my first ride after the GAP. Without all of the bags and gear, the bike felt light. Well, at least at the beginning. It was good to be back in Florida and riding although the humidity was stifling. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday Evening is Beach Time

Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, FL
June 21, 2024

 Chris and I headed to the beach last evening to enjoy Happy Hour with friends. The beach was the perfect escape from the oppressive heat. We were greeted by beautiful cloud-filled skies, bright sun, a strong surf, and a pleasant wind to keep the experience comfortable. There were even surfers to provide entertainment.

The Crew
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
June 21, 2024

Sitting on the beach at the end of the week, and especially a week in which we traveled, provided a way to relax and unwind from the activity. 

The surfers always provide a show and since I can't surf, I am always fascinated at how they balance themselves upon the ever-changing waves and avoid crashing onto the shore. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Buc-ee's - St Augustine

Buc-ee's
St Augustiine, FL
 June 20, 2024

 Beginning the day in Pooler, Georgia, meant that we had an easy 5-plus hour drive and would arrive home in the mid-afternoon with enough time to unpack and resume life before dinner.

It was a great plan--and it worked! 

One thing that Chris and I did was to stop at a Buc-ee's to better understand the mystique of the place. We visited a Buc-ee's in St Augustine, FL, for gas and to get some sandwiches for lunch. This Buc-ee's is across the street from a Costco and so the traffic is a bit heavy.

We were amazed!

The place is huge and after gassing the truck we spent about another 30 minutes exploring the store. Most importantly; the restrooms are fantastic! The selection of sandwiches and things to buy means that this is a great place to stop on a trip. One of the reasons that I was interested is that a Buc-ee's is planned for I-95 near Ft Pierce, FL. That would provide a great place to get gas and snack items as we head out on our regular treks north.

Wait, did I mention that gas was $2.99/gallon? It was the least expensive gas we found on our trip!

As for the flamingo sign, I did find the cute sign in Buc-ee's. No, I did not buy it.

We arrived home safely and I able to get my bike to the shop and have it repaired before the shop closed. I may not have mentioned it, but my bike had a problem on the GAP ride that I was able to troubleshoot. The shop covered the repair under warranty on the cassette that I had installed as part of my pre-trip maintenance. Yay!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force

Me in front of the B-17G City of Savannah
Pooler, GA
June 19, 2024

 I have driven by this museum, which sits just off I-95, on many occasions. There is a beautiful B-47 sitting outside which calls to me every time we pass it on the road. Yet, until yesterday, I had been too focused upon the destination and not the journey to stop and visit the museum.

B-17G City of Savannah
Pooler, GA
June 19, 2024

The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force is located in Pooler, Georgia. Actually, it is a Savannah exit. It is easy on and off the interstate and definitely worth a stop if your interests include the Air Force and WW2. 

Both of those topics interest me and I was assigned to Eighth Air Force for six years of my Air Force career. First to a bombardment wing in Rome, NY, and then to the Eighth Air Force Headquarters itself which was then at Barksdale AFB, LA. 

The museum presently focuses the history to the Eighth Air Force through the Berlin Airlift, but is being expanded. There are two Vietnamese era fighters on display outside: a MiG-17 and an F-4. But the items associated with WW2 and the story of the campaigns and the crews and personnel assigned are rich. The museum has the only escape and survival section, in the form of a reconstructed house, that I have seen and describes how the civilians living in Europe assisted allied airmen to evade and escape from Nazi-controlled areas--often at the price of their own lives and freedom. 

Why is the museum outside Savannah? I learned that the first headquarters of the Eighth Air Force was in Savannah, Georgia! 

The artifacts in the museum are inspiring and relevant to today. I found the Hitler Youth Oath posted on the wall of the museum. The youth are often portrayed as more like the Boy Scouts, but this oath indicates that it was much more allegiance to one man and not an ideal or a republic--but a single person, which I found scary.

Of all of the items in the museum, except for of course the B-17, one item that really caught eye was the Nazi banner. I had never seen one in real life. I had seen images of them hanging from buildings, but never fully comprehended their larger than life size and impact. 

I definitely recommend this museum. They also have a mission briefing that runs through how the aircrews were prepped for missions and the ground crews maintained the planes. It has a lot of actual footage and is well done. I was told it is soon to be replaced by  something similar which is being produced by the 100 Bomb Group organization which assisted with the series Master's of the Air.

-- Bob Doan, Pooler, GA

South for the Summer

 

Mockingbird with Nut
Welcome to North Carolina Welcome Center I-95S
June 19, 2024

Summer begins tomorrow afternoon at 4:51 PM. We should be back at our home in Florida shortly before Spring hands off the season to Summer. 

We are on the road home after a short visit to allow my assault on the GAP. 

And now I am tackling I-95. Ugh. At least things seem light so far because of the holiday. 

— Bob Doan, mm157 North Carolina

Riding the GAP - The Light at the end of the Tunnel

Brush Tunnel
Near Cumberland, MD
June 16, 2024

 The third day of the GAP ride was tunnel day. We rode through three long tunnels, one of them was almost 3300 feet. I learned that tunnels are dark and cold! Really cold!

The last tunnel was most interesting, however, not because of its particular geography or length, but because as we arrived to transit, a Western Maryland Scenic Railroad train was coming out of the tunnel. Truly, the light at the end of the tunnel was an oncoming train. 

We stopped and chatted with the runner in the image while the train passed. It was pretty exciting because we had been riding along the tracks for quite a few miles and I hoped that we would get to see the train. And we did!

I enjoyed waving to the people on the train. When we lived in Maryland I wanted to ride the train, but never was able to get it on the schedule. 

I feel fortunate that within a few miles of the end of the three-day ride to have actually arrived at the perfect moment to see the train emerge from the tunnel. Coincidence? I think not. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

The Gap - We did it!

 At about 12:30 PM, Sunday, June 16, 2024, three travelers biked into Cumberland, MD, completing a Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail ride. There were no bands or cheering crowds, just three riders on fully loaded bikes achieving the goal they had set out three-days earlier in Pittsburgh, PA, to achieve. 

Milemarker 0
Cumberland, MD
June 16, 2024
Photo by Patrick

I took an image of final day the stats, just to remember better what we had accomplished. We had climbed over 1300 feet in about 20 miles and then descended about 2300 feet in 24 miles. We were in the saddle for about 3h46m, but were out on the trail from 7:20 AM until 12:32 PM for a total ride time of 5h12m. We stopped a lot to enjoy the countryside and the beauty.

There was so much to see along the way. We saw farmland and hills. We enjoyed crossing long bridges and biking through long tunnels. We even got to experience a train passing us and coming out of a tunnel that we were about to traverse. We stopped to let the diesel smoke clear from the tunnel before proceeding through. 

Patrick and Jeremy on the Trail
Greenville Township, PA
June 16, 2024

The final day was not without equipment problems. My bike decided to go into freewheeling mode again. I think the hub, which has almost 4000 miles on it, may need replacing. I will take it into the shop when I get back to Florida for a definite diagnosis.

Atop the World coming out of the Big Savage Tunnel
June 16, 2024
Photo by Patrick

But completing the ride, actually it was a journey, was the best. Along the way we biked just shy of 160 miles. That distance includes the off-trail riding to and from hotels, bike shops, and eateries. 

I think we had a good plan, which was devised by Jen. Doing the long ride, almost 60 miles, the first day set us up for success on the tough almost completely uphill second day. It then allowed us to enjoy the assault on the summit followed by the 24-mile mostly downhill into Cumberland. To dispel a myth--yes we did pedal on the downhill, but our speeds averaged about 15-16 mph which offset the 9-10 mph on the uphill side.

Eastern Continental Divide
GAP Trail
June 16, 2024
Photo by Patrick

The Big Savage Tunnel, at 3294 feet, was an experience. It was dark, even with my sunglasses off. And it was cold. All of that made it a bit disorienting. 

This ride had been planned for a long time. And as I wrote earlier, a big thank you goes to Jen, who was not able to join us on the trip she planned. But, she was critical in helping us complete the trip after the accident. Thanks to Patrick for his advice and help in selecting gear and giving advice about how to best tackle the ride and for persevering after flying over his handlebars and impacting the ground rather roughly. It was his fifth trip on the GAP. Finally, to Jeremy for being a force of reason during the difficult time on the trail after the accident when it seemed that the ride may be over before we completed Day 1 and for leading the final 6-mile tough uphill leg during Day 2. 

I can't believe it's over, but am happy that we did it. Yesterday was my best Father's Day ever--on the trail and lunch with my boys and then having dinner with my daughter.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Day 2 - GAP

Ready to Depart
Connellsville, PA
June 15, 2024

We survived.  

It was 45 miles uphill. We gained over 1000 feet in elevation as we rode today.  Thankfully, it was at a low incline.  But all uphill. 

We left Connellsville this morning full of enthusiasm and arrived in Rockwood about 4pm after a grueling day. Along the way we crossed bridges hundreds of feel above gorges.  We saw whitewater rafters and had a broken spoke fixed at a bike shop. 

Bridge into Ohiopyle
Ohiopyle, PA
June 15, 2024

But, unlike Friday there was no major accident to slow our progress. 

The bridges we crossed were awesome. High above the river. It was fun to see the people on the river. 

Great day. 

Today our goal is Cumberland, MD. It will be a tale of two rides.  The first half will see us gain another 600 feet of elevation and the last half will be a downhill where we lose about 1600 feet of elevation. Fun. 

— Bob Doan, Rockwood, PA