Flamingos
What a great experience! From touring Spanish colonial architecture, the farmland of indigenous people and Inca ruins — to hiking in the Andes and bird watching in the jungle — to snorkeling and hiking in the Galapagos — we reaped the rich diversity of an Ecuador vacation in November 2016. And it’s so easy there: the same electrical outlets and the same money, US dollars.
These are the photo albums that tell the story of our visit.
Here are photos from the week-long trip we took to Le Roy and upstate New York in July of 2016:
Here are our travel photos from this wonderful vacation we took in May and June of 2016:
5,000 miles and counting. No more white sidewalls and no more white handlebar tape. (It’ll look cleaner more of the time!)
Anybody who read my early biking days posts will understand my delight to have passed the 5,000 mile milestone. As a little reward, I bought new tires and will soon be riding with an upgraded computer.
What have I learned since 2013? A couple things.
The long evenings of summertime are a special treat during the weekend because my favorite way to relax after a day of ninja gardening or vigorous hiking or biking is to stretch out on my chaise lounge in our natural backyard habitat for a couple of hours of escape through reading. My well-stocked Kindle is truly my best friend when it comes to winding down.
The Little Paris Bookshop
Dan and Liz on Glacier Gray
Dan and I took two weeks to trek and hike near the ice fields and granite towers in the Andes of Chile and Argentina’s Patagonia National Park. Our final week was warming up on the beaches of Uruguay near Montevideo and Punta Este. It was very difficult to select the best of over 1200 photos between the two of us, but here are four password-free albums we hope you’ll enjoy.
Slideshow mode is hidden in the drop down arrow at top right of the initial view. Click Slideshow to read our travel story in photo captions.
Tomorrow (9/20/14), Dan and I will ride the medium distance loop of the Veterans Victory Velo (V3) fund raiser. Sixty miles is farther than I have ever ridden on my road bike so far. The hilly 52-mile route I did a month ago didn’t trash me, so I’m not too worried.
2014 has been a great year of advancements for me, especially when I look back at my prior bike-related posts.
Every weekend is another opportunity to test my legs and lungs.
Road cyclists who live in the East Bay area of Northern California like to test their fitness and skill by riding up and down Mount Diablo. It’s 3,848 feet high, and on a clear day, you can see the Sierra Nevada range across the Central Valley from its peak. A year ago, I swore I’d never ride on that curvy road with its long climb up and fast ride down. This is big time biking: it’s part of the Amgen Tour of California every year.
Mt. Diablo
With over 1700 miles logged, it’s time to share my latest biking revelations. I didn’t dare hope for this so soon, but my Year of Fear is gradually fading from memory. These days I even dare to brag in Facebook.
My main goal last year was to desensitize myself to the intimidating aspects of riding on streets next to fast-moving cars. I still have plenty of skills to master: hand signals, drinking from my water bottle, and fast cornering. But these weren’t at all approachable with my whole body tightened up with tension. I don’t know how many times I had to remind myself, “Don’t strangle the handlebars!” “Quit hunching!” “Pretend you’re relaxed!” (helpful to my skate students). I know it’s not safe to get too relaxed in the face of these dangers, so lately I’ve had to add “Pay attention, be here now!” when I notice I’m daydreaming.
Last February, I still had my doubts about being worthy of the expensive racing bike Dan got me for Christmas, especially after The Big Crash. But my bike riding skills and confidence slowly continued to improve as the year and miles (1200+ so far) progressed. In late summer, I finally had to admit that the feeling of terror that dominated most rides had evolved to one of FUN!
Now, holiday commitments, the ski season, loss of daylight and unfriendly weather make time on the bike difficult to fit in, so I’m back to Spin classes. The outdoor riding fantasies that get me through that intense two hours every week often result in drills and experiments to address issues I experience on the road.