From Clam Chowder to Key Lime Pie

A few more pictures

2011-10-10T17:17:00.001-05:00

We are chilling out in Starbucks at the moment, because we wont have internet in our apartment for a few more days.. But I have finally uploaded the pictures from our snorkeling trip and our dolphin swim. Here's a few.

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Hello

2011-10-08T07:05:00.003-05:00

Just thought I would drop a quick note saying Hi, I haven't forgotten our blog. We've just been busy. We have finally arrived back home and now we have to unpack all of our stuff from storage, moving into our new place. Which we are going to do today.

I still promise to add pictures from snorkeling and pictures from the dolphin show soon! Here's a peek!

Later, -Katie

On our way home

2011-10-05T05:41:00.000-05:00

We drove all day yesterday, and stopped last night to camp in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Which is where Taylor used to go to school, so she got to see an old friend) For dinner last night we went to Lamberts Cafe- Home of the Thrown Rolls! that place is fun. :)

Anyway, here are a few random pictures from the Keys that I haven't posted yet.

Southern Most Point in the USA.

Parasailing

Snorkeling

Taylor

Keith

Tabatha petting a nurse shark.

Bobby the Gator

2011-10-04T06:15:00.000-05:00

We are on our way back home via the west coast of florida, which means we got to go through the everglades. Look what I found!

Baby Bobby the Alligator was so so cute, He even gave me a gator hug!

Yesterday Taylor and I got to swim with some dolphins- I haven't uploaded pictures yet, but I will asap.

Key West Sunset

2011-10-03T07:27:00.000-05:00

Every night in Key West there is a Sunset Celebration, where there are abunch of performers & artists celebrating the sun setting.

I got a couple of pics of the beautiful sunset!

Kracko in the Keys

2011-10-03T07:03:00.003-05:00

Whew, it's been a busy couple of days. I've made it almost to Cuba.

I've had to stay on my toes too. From Hammerhead sharks to Crocodile waiters, to pirates, it's a wonder I have survived.

It's been a fun time tho. I went snorkeling with the family and played at the beach. Did a little souvenir shopping and worked on my tan. oh and had a little pizza in key west.

Snorkeling

2011-10-02T06:09:00.000-05:00

I can't believe I forgot to mention this in yesterdays post..

While we were out snorkeling, Taylor and I saw a shark! Taylor spotted it and started swimming away, and I was swimming closer to get a better look! It was a 6ft long nurse shark, which don't generally bother people, but still seeing a shark was really awesome!

I wish I had gotten a picture. :(

The Florida Keys

2011-10-01T19:04:00.000-05:00

Today we made it to the florida keys- It's beautiful here!! The weather is in the 80s and the water is nice & warm! Today we took a snorkel tour, I have a couple of pictures from the 25 minute boat ride out to the coral reef. I used an underwater camera to take pictures in the water of the coral reef, so I have to wait and get those developed. (so old school, lol.)

But here are a few pics from the day..

Tonight we will be staying in this nice little treehouse hotel. cute, right?

Looking for Manatees

2011-09-30T07:35:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was fun, we went out in search of some manatees!

(whenever I think of manatees, I hear Larry singing Barbara Manatee from Veggies Tales)

We didn't see any at the manatee viewing center, but then we decided to hike down to a nearby jetty where we were told we could probably find some, which we did!

There was actually 2 of them. They were so cute, just playing in the water! We didn't get to swim with them though. :(

I'm not sure what we are doing today, Just heading a little further south down the coast. :)

Hang Gliding

2011-09-29T07:42:00.000-05:00

AMAZING. That's probably the best word to describe my hang gliding experience yesterday. I loved it!

Kennedy Space Center

2011-09-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

Kennedy Space Center was really really neat. I loved seeing how the shuttles were made, the Saturn 5, and the way NASA looked when they sent someone to the moon.

I also really loved the Star Trek Exhibition. They had abunch of the costumes from Star Trek (like Troi's dresses, Data's uniform, Kirk's uniform, etc) They had phasers & communicators, and the bridge from The Original Series! So, we all got to sit in Captain Kirk's Chair.

Awesome, right??

The Shuttle Launch simulator was pretty neat (but really bumpy) however I will NEVER be getting on a G-force simulator ever again. Never ever.

-Katie

Cocoa beach.

2011-09-29T07:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I got the chance to go to Orlando and go Hang gliding at Wallaby Ranch. It was so amazing! Soaring over the landscape at about 1000 feet up, looking down at tiny trees and cars along the road. So glad I did it.

The day before we had went to Kennedy Space center. They had an awesome museum, we met an astronaut too. Got to see the launch pad , mission control from the apollo missions, and the Star Trek exhibit. I even got to sit in Capt. Kirk's chair. So did Kracko :)

Loving this beach

2011-09-27T07:56:00.003-05:00

Hey guys, Florida is amazing! The beaches, the jungles, the tacky tourist shops, I love it all! Today we are headed to the Kennedy Space Center which is going to be AWESOME. We are going to be super nerdy and visit all the Star Trek exhibits! Our trip is going to be coming to an end in a couple weeks, but until then we are loving all this Florida sunshine!

FLORIDA

2011-09-26T18:51:00.003-05:00

Crossing into Florida gives one the impression of having stepped back in time to a Jurassic Park era. Giant palms and palmettos, jungle everywhere. One expects either monkeys or dinosaurs to stomp through at any moment.

Then just as unexpectedly the ocean breaks through with all its beauty and lovely beachfront homes line the shore.

Had a beautiful morning bike ride along the shore road out of Jacksonville Beach. Then we spent the day in St. Augustine, Fl.

Drank from the Fountain of Youth, feeling younger and more spry by the moment, lol. We also toured the Castille de San Marcos. It is still quite impressive after 400 years or so.

Ended the day at the Hilton , Daytona Beach. :)

and the photo of the day is....

2011-09-25T16:48:00.000-05:00

The Sunshine State

2011-09-25T16:02:00.001-05:00

Okay, I'm finally updating the blog, We haven't had internet access the past few days. Here's what we've been up to--

We walked around Charleston, SC, which was interesting. Not my favorite place, but I think the history buff's (taylor and dad) had fun.

We also got a hotel and spent the night in downtown historic Savannah, Georgia. I definitely liked Savannah better than Charleston, it was a nicer city.

And, Guess what?? We have finally made it to Florida!! The ocean here is so beautiful, the water is super clear. We went swimming yesterday, & built dolphin "sandcastles" in the sand. (didn't get a picture though.)

Tomorrow I think we are riding to St Augustine in the morning and than sight seeing around there for the rest of the day, Since it's the oldest city in the United States, and Fountain of Youth, etc.

Hopefully, I won't have trouble riding tomorrow, I've had a cold for the past couple of days. :(

-Katie

Playing Mini Golf in Myrtle Beach

2011-09-21T07:53:00.000-05:00

Yesterday as we were chilling out in Myrtle Beach we decided to go play some mini golf,(because Ruby has never played putt-putt before.) so we walked around and found "Captain Hooks Adventure Mini Golf" which was super fun.

I uploaded the pics onto flickr, but here are a few.

Day at the beach

2011-09-20T19:12:00.002-05:00

Today I got to go to the beach in North Carolina. I met a new friend "Crabby". He was pretty cool and could run really fast. I guess you can tell I was pretty excited to see the water. I even got to model for a sand sculpture. Not a bad likeness if I do say so myself. Katie and Ruby built it.

The family went to the aquarium today, but I didn't get to go in. They said it was because they were afraid I might end up in one of the fish tanks. Well I will talk to you guys later. Kracko.

Love the beach

2011-09-20T14:17:00.000-05:00

Hey you guyses, Don't forget to check out our flickr stream which is what I have been posting all of our pictures on!

Kracko and Kracko

crabby

We went to the North Carolina Aquarium today, that was really neat. They had lots of cool animals and fish. Including sharks! :)

fishies!

Keith, gator and Taylor

North Carolina

2011-09-18T19:24:00.000-05:00

Just thought I would share a few pictures from yesterday and today.

Yesterday it was raining which was actually quite nice, because it wasn't a pouring rain, just a light drizzle. and today we stopped at the ocean and went swimming. We didn't have our swimsuits on, but that didn't stop us from getting in in our jeans. ;)

Bike quotes

2011-09-18T18:53:00.000-05:00

Mark Twain. "Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live

H.G. Wells. "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race."

C.S. Lewis. "There is no reason why a man on a smooth road should lose his balance; but he could."

It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels. ~ Heinz Stucke

The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine. ~John Howard

A bicycle does get you there and more.... And there is always the thin edge of danger to keep you alert and comfortably apprehensive. Dogs become dogs again and snap at your raincoat; potholes become personal. And getting there is all the fun. ~Bill Emerson,

a video

2011-09-17T07:17:00.000-05:00

Dad and I recorded this the other day when we were riding, Just thought I would share it. ;)

-Katie

Kracko goes to Washington

2011-09-17T06:51:00.003-05:00

Sorry this is late , but well I have been really busy with my friends. We went to Washington D.C. and I got to go to all these cool museums and the zoo. My favorite was the Air and Space museum. I have always dreamed of being an astronaut! Flying to the moon would be so cool. I tried on a space suit and saw the lunar lander :). I even got to go in the space station sky lab. I could be the first lobster in space!

Kracko in Spaaaace :). Well a lobster can dream anyhow, lol.

I also went to the sculpture garden, and saw some interesting pieces. The red one was my favorite. Here I am with Katie.

Anyhow, today I am riding shotgun with Tabatha in North Carolina. Who knows what I will see?

What day is this? Who cares?

2011-09-16T18:43:00.002-05:00

Three weeks gone by. Three more remaining. Still having a blast! I think everyone should take extended vacations at least every 5 years. (Maybe without the daily loading & unloading of gear.)

This hasn't been at all like I planned it, but great nevertheless!

My priorities were:

1.) daily bike mileage goals to stay on schedule and do as much as possible

2.) make detours and time allotments for Taylor's independent linguistics research study

3.) lastly - have some fun.

In actuality, it has been the reverse!

Lots of fun, lots of detours, pedal the sweet spots in between (weather permitting), forget the rest!

I hope the remainder is just the same.

Mount Vernon and Manassas Battlefield!

2011-09-16T18:09:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, it's my turn to post today. Keith, Tabatha, and Katie are out riding while Ruby and I do some re-packing and I do homework. Today we are in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Either today or tomorrow we will be going to Richmond. Can't believe our trip is nearly half over!

Yesterday we stopped at Mount Vernon, the plantation estate of George Washington himself. The mansion was beautiful, we never realized how showy George Washington was. Every room in the house was painted a deep, rich blue or green. Paint was extremely expensive in the 18th century, so to have every room in the house painted an exquisite emerald green or royal blue was definitely a way of showing how wealthy and successful you were and that you wanted the best for your family and guests.

On the estate we also visited the tomb of George and Martha and the other buildings on the grounds. It is a very beautiful place with forests and fields and orchards. I think George Washington could be called the nation's first conservationist.

After Mount Vernon, we made a stop yesterday afternoon at the Manassas National Battlefield Park. Two of the civil war's most important battles were fought on these hills. It was very cool. The park itself is huge, imagine trying to win a war on the up-and-down, brush-filled hills, mountains, fields, and forests of Virginia. The young and old men of America attempted just this and hundred of lives were wasted on fighting each other.

Yesterday was a history-filled day that we wall enjoyed very much. Take a look at the pictures!

Washed out

2011-09-16T17:12:00.003-05:00

Today would be described as a wash out , lol. Last night we had to stay on Onancock, Va due to a tractor trailer accident having the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel shut down. We couldn't get off the island so we camped there and listened to the rain fall on the tent. Crossed the bay this morning and into Virginia Beach. Took some time to do a little shopping on the boardwalk and play in the sand on the beach.

We HAD intended to ride out of Kitty Hawk all the way down the outer banks. However when we got to Kitty Hawk, NC we found out the the roads south of there on the outer banks were washed completely out in places by hurricane Irene and we were diverted west and are spending the night in Plymouth , NC.

iphone pictures

2011-09-15T06:59:00.000-05:00

Sadly, I forgot my camera yesterday while we were riding through Virginia so I took some pictures using my iphone. We also took a couple of videos which I will post soon!

The sun rising

A train

Keith

Tabatha and her bike

A giant mushroom

Keith riding

Looking through my mirror.

Keith taking pictures with my iphone.

Pretty flowers.

Mom and dad riding away from me.

Mom & Dad riding.

Guess who took this picture??

Virginia by bike

2011-09-15T06:33:00.002-05:00

I have to say that I enjoyed riding in Virginia. Gentle rolling hills, pretty scenery, quiet roads. Katie will probably post a few pics soon. We made about 50 miles yesterday.

Also Taylor will be adding a post about Mount Vernon and Bull Run.

The Air and Space Museum

2011-09-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

I think the Air and Space Museum was probably my favorite thing in D.C.
Being the nerd I am, I loved getting to see the Enterprise model that was used in the filming of The Original Series!

Another cool thing at the Air and Space Museum was the SkyLab Space Station. I never knew that there was a space station before the International Space Station, so that was really neat!

Of course, in the gift shop, there were fun postcards with rockets, (I've been collecting postcards from every state) and some Star Wars items, and the best--- Star Trek stuff! There was fun things like a star trek cookbook, star trek calendar, spock ears, etc. I got a star trek thermos with an enterprise on it! :)

I know, I'm a nerd, but I loved it.

-Katie

National zoo

2011-09-12T18:10:00.002-05:00

Saw the pandas. They were cute. Somebody put the zoo on a hill though. Who would do that?

The Nation's capitol

2011-09-12T17:18:00.002-05:00

Whew , my feet are TIRED.

We spent 8.5 hrs walking around Washington, Dc today. saw the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial, WW2 Memorial, Air and Space Museum, Natural History Museum, American History Museum, Smithsonian castle, the Capitol Building. I think that covers it. The Reflecting pool was all dug up for repairs so it wasn't what you see in the movies. But Dc was really awesome. One of my favorite places so far. Especially the Air and Space Museum.
Now that the Floods are gone we are probably getting back on the bikes tomorrow. Heading south towards Richmond.

Here are the pictures from both yesterday (the national zoo) and today. (national mall)

Ocean City, Md

2011-09-12T17:15:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed visiting Ocean City, MD. It had a '50's style carnival atmosphere. Midways, Arcades, souvenir shops.

The girls enjoyed some cotton candy and the arcade games. We walked along the boardwalk and saw the atlantic ocean too.

Katie and Ruby even rode an old "haunted house" coaster.

Beach Pictures

2011-09-11T06:42:00.000-05:00

So, as mommy said in the last post, we've just been playing around the New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland beaches for the past few days. Last night though we drove up away from the beach towards Washington D.C. I can't wait to see all the neat museums in D.C.

Anyway, Here are a couple of slideshows with our pics from the past few days..

-Delaware-

-Cape May, NJ-

-Atlantic City, NJ-

I'm sure someone will blog and post pics about Ocean City, Maryland sometime soon. I think it was definitely the neatest city that we visited the past couple of days.

BTW, somedays I may not have time to update the blog, but I'm constantly uploading pictures onto flickr, There's a link to it on the blog sidebar, So you can hop over there to view all of our pictures.

New Jersey to Delaware

2011-09-10T10:30:00.002-05:00

For the past couple of days we've been on a detour away from flooded Pennsylvania. We headed east to the New Jersey coast, toured Atlantic city boardwalk, stayed in Cape May, NJ. Went on a whale watching tour, and then took the ferry to Delaware where we stayed the night at Cape Henlopen state park.

We even saw Dolphins playing in Delaware bay, picked up some pretty shells and basically hung out on the beach for the past couple of days.

The most interesting thing about Atlantic city was the fact that the streets were the inspiration for the spaces on the Monopoly board.

Philadelphia...We the People

2011-09-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

PHILADELPHIA! Home to a cracked bell that no king or dictator would value but WE THE PEOPLE venerate as a remembrance of the struggle of that brave generation who declared our independence. And later a constitution drafted to rival any existing document known to man. What a great country!

Independence Hall was inspiring and the tour was quite interesting. They even had George Washington's chair :).

Later we toured the Franklin Institute, Philly's most visited museum. It was a very hands on place, not quite as interesting as the Natural History Museum in NYC.

We also got a chance to have some real Philly cheesesteak sandwiches. MMMMM. good.

Headed off to New Jersey and Delaware due to a flood forced detour. More to come tomorrow.

Night, er, DAY at the Museum

2011-09-08T09:56:00.000-05:00

So, let me start out by saying this: NEW YORK CITY IS AMAZING! Even though I walked through pouring rain almost all day, it was still amazing! What I was most excited about, besides just being in NYC, was going to the Museum of Natural History. Seeing as its the setting in one of my favorite movies, (Night at the Museum in case you couldn't tell by the title) and I love movies, can you really blame me? Kracko shared my enthusiasm also, so we stuck together for this one!

Dum Dum likes gum gum!

Me, Rexy and Kracko: BFF's for LIFE!

We managed to squeeze in a quick Kracko family reunion! So much fun although they were all kinda stiff and quiet...

New York, New York

2011-09-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

I know most people say that you really need atleast a few days to see New York City, but since we only had 1 day, we decided that the top 3 places we wanted to see were the Metropolitan Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, and Times Square.
So we hopped the train to Grand Central Station, Walked the 40 blocks in the pouring rain from the train station to the Met and spent awhile there, Then we walked across central park (in the pouring rain) over to the Natural History Museum and since it closed in 1 and 1/2 hours, we got free admission! So we did that museum in record time and hopped the subway over to Times Square!

We were all drenched, but mom was soaked! Anyway, I posted the pictures on Flickr!

Whirlwind days

2011-09-07T19:26:00.002-05:00

Wow the last 3 days have been fun and busy.

First we enjoyed our stay at the goat dairy farm with Denis and his wife Jane. Camped out in front of their barn in beautiful massachusetts.

Then yesterday we rode a train to NYC, and walked all over the place in the rain :). Philadelphia was on today's venue. Also a little rainy but turned out nice. So many different places and things to see and do.

More later , and pics coming up.

Kracko is BACKO!

2011-09-05T20:06:00.000-05:00

I don't know if a lot of you heard, but Kracko went missing for a little while the other day! A lot of you were worried and now I'm here to tell the story!

Our story begins with us heading to historic downtown Boston.We had a fabulous time on Saturday, enjoying all the historical sites. We rode the subway for the first time into Boston which was cool. Even Kracko joined us for the ride!

I was personally excited because Revolutionary History is a personal favorite of mine. (Yes, I know I'm a nerd sometimes) We were headed to the shopping district when we discovered Kracko had disappeared, right under our noses! We searched frantically for him, asking passersby if they had seen a short, red fellow...Nobody had seen him. We went back to the car with heavy hearts...Why had Kracko left us? We tossed theories back and forth...Had he made a break for the Harbor? Gotten homesick for Maine? Met a cute chick and run off with her? We were baffled.

We were sitting at Pastors' Sue and Don's house, chatting after a delicious dinner when we heard a knock on the door. Lo and behold, there stood Kracko! Only something wasn't right...His hard shell was no where to be seen and he seemed to be a little fuzzy. Apparently, he decided he wanted to get a new look... a softer, cuddlier look, seeing as not very many people want to eat something soft and cuddly. He told us that while we were distracted visiting Paul Revere's house, he made a jump for it, out of Tabby's purse, and walked to the nearest spa. He reported, after dodging several hungry pedestrians, that he underwent an extensive exfoilation treatment, involving lots of loofahs, brushes, scrubs, lotions and moisturizers. He was very pleased with the end result...and us? Well, we're just happy we have him back... Although we personally miss his old look. What do you think?

Kracko enjoying a Boston Creme Pie Muffin in Boston!

Mass-Rhode Island-Connecticut

2011-09-05T19:36:00.002-05:00

So last night we stayed at a goat farm in Massachusetts, then got up and rode from Mass to Rhode Island and into Connecticut. Hanging out in New Haven, CT across from Yale University. Connecticut has a LOT of hills. Had to hike a bike a couple of times today.

Got a hotel room tonight due to the rain moving in.

It's been a fun week and we're looking forward to the rest of the trip. :)

BOSTON!

2011-09-04T14:13:00.004-05:00

Hey everyone, yesterday was a non-cycling day so we boarded a subway (thanks to the directions of our new friends Sue and Don) and headed into one of america's oldest cities, Boston!

Here's basically what we did:

Orange Subway Line into the city
Boston Commons Park
Old State Hall
Granary Burial Ground
King's Chapel
Lunch
Shopping!!!
Paul Revere's House
Old North Church

Boston is such a beautiful city! Everything is so OLD! The subway was a new experience for us. We rode trains and buses in Chicago a couple of years ago, but not a subway. Once in the city, we started out on the Freedom Trail in Boston Commons, the oldest city park in America. Then we took the trail to the Old state House, and down through the city streets. The Granary Burial Ground was very cool. A lot of the graves there date back to the 1600's! Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams are also buried there.

King's Chapel and the Old North Church are unlike any churches we've ever seen. Instead of pews they have what closely resembles theater boxes. It's very unique. King''s chapel also has a crypt underneath the church in which there are over 100 puritans colonists buried. Old North Church was similar to King's Chapel, and of course, had a lantern hanger. One if by land, two if by sea...

Shopping in Boston was so much fun! We ate and shopped in the Haymarket district which has so many shops and restaurants crammed into tiny spaces filled with crowds of people. After lunch it was off to Paul Revere's house. The house, owned by Paul Revere and his family for about 30 years, is one of the oldest structures in Boston. It was fairly large for its time but now looks tiny compared to the skyscrapers and high rise apartments nearby. It was a beautiful and historic home, so happy we had the chance to experience this.

Anyway, enjoy the slideshow of pictures. This morning we stopped in Concord, MA and encountered the neighborhood of America's great transcendentalists: Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, and the Alcott family. Pictures to come soon!

met an angel

2011-09-03T05:20:00.003-05:00

We met an angel by the name of Sue in East Derry, Nh. She gave us a place to sleep and directions and info galore.

Going to spend the day in Boston sightseeing today, no biking. Pictures this evening , Tab

Another day of riding down.

2011-09-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

After 3 days of riding, my *backside* is a little sore. Haha, but it has been an amazing few days..

The first day was a little crazy because we are still working out a plan, where to meet up with Taylor and Ruby etc. But day 2 was alot better. we rode about 30 miles yesterday, which isn't a whole lot, but since we are riding up and down mountains, I'm happy with it!

Today started off interesting too, we got up, packed all of the camping gear into the truck and got ready to go, and wouldn't you know the truck wont crank. : ( So we had to wait for someone named "chip" to come jump our truck so that we could cross over into New Hampshire and start riding.

Here's a slide show of our pictures from yesterday, which include pictures on the bike, our Lighthouse Picnic pictures, and pictures from Fort McClary.

FYI, for those of you having problems viewing the slideshows, I believe it's just because Bell Helicopter is blocking it. Not much I can do about that- sorry!

-Katie

Meet Kracko!

2011-09-02T13:33:00.000-05:00

Back when we were in the planning phase of our adventure, we came up with the idea to have a mascot specifically FOR our trip. We tossed around lots of ideas, different themes etc. We thought of things like a Napoleon Dynamite doll, just because we all love that movie and I suggested something completely random because Katie, Taylor and I all met on a message board called Teen Randomness! By the time the trip came around, we STILL hadn't found one, and decided perhaps we would find one during the trip. Well, we DID find one after we started and now I'd like to introduce you to...

Kracko

We met Kracko in a gas station in Maine. He was surprisingly friendly for someone who is usually caught for dinner around the area. (I think I've seen at least 20 "Lobster Pounds" since we arrived.) He enjoys swimming, long walks on the beach and most importantly, traveling, which is why he agreed to be our mascot. He gets a little demanding in the mornings...He likes coffee, so we usually stop at a gas station every morning so he can get his caffeine fix and we can get a break from his whining.

Kracko likes all of us, except maybe Keith. I think Kracko is holding a grudge against him...something having to with with his Aunt and some butter sauce a few years back... However, he's especially fond of Tabatha, seeing as she's the first human he met that didn't want to turn him into dinner. He even has a special spot on her bike!

Well, that's Kracko...Expect to see more pictures of him with us on our great adventure!

1 State Down..

2011-09-01T15:15:00.002-05:00

2nd day of pedaling. Lots of hills, none too big yet. Backroads of Maine are beautiful, especially along the coast. Coordinating the days mileages and group activities with our sagwagon is rather chaotic so far.

Portland to Kittery completed (Maine). Will start New Hampshire tomorrow. Wish us luck.

Ocean breezes

2011-09-01T15:10:00.002-05:00

So today was our first full day of riding. We rode along the seashore in Maine and enjoyed cool ocean breezes. The weather is perfect and the scenery is amazing. Flowers blooming, cute beach houses are everywhere.

-Tabatha

It's a beautiful day in Maine

2011-09-01T06:31:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone! How are you? The Smith family is doing great!

The cyclists are off riding and I'm catching up on some studying. We have had a busy couple of days with lots of unexpected thrown in. For example, just a bit of road trip trivia, there is no public restroom at any store in any of three small towns from Standish, Maine to Biddeford, Maine along the state highway (Ruby and I found this out after three separate stops). We also learned what a "lobster pound" is, and discovered we do not care for whoopie pies.

Yesterday we left Bar Harbor and

Acadia National Park after stopping and playing around the bay (marina maybe? I'm not sure). We were giggling with joy at the live starfish and clams we saw. I think we worried a fisherman because he made sure we knew not to try and eat them (as if we would, really).

Today we are going to York Beach, Maine as our stopping point. This trip has been incredible so far, I cannot wait for each day to begin so we can see something new, beautiful, and exciting! Here are a few pictures from the last two days at Acadia and Bar Harbor, with more to follow soon.

-TAYLOR

Made it to Maine

2011-08-31T07:26:00.000-05:00

We made it to Acadia National Park last night, We dont have an internet connection here in Bar Harbor so I wont be able to upload pics until we find somewhere with wifi.. Except for this picture i took with my phone (which is how I'm blogging t the moment...

New Hurricane Irene Coverage!

2011-08-30T07:06:00.000-05:00

So all this week we've been talking about how the new reporters were blowing the Hurricane waaaaaaay out of proportion, saying it was gonna be a monster storm by the time we reached Maine. It was a tropical depression by yesterday... So we decided to have a little fun at the falls... ;)

Niagara Falls USA

2011-08-30T06:06:00.002-05:00

We stopped by Niagara Falls for a few hours yesterday, and was I was blown away by how amazing it was! (Not blown over the falls.. Lol) Niagara Falls is so beautiful, I don't even know what to say.

So how about some pictures? Since we took ALOT of pictures I made a slide show, Enjoy. (Personally, I think my favorite pictures are the ones with a Rainbow in them- G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S!)

Later, -Katie
***** I think I fixed the slideshow, but if for some reason you can't see it, Go HERE to see our pictures.****

Eastward Bound!

2011-08-29T08:18:00.002-05:00

On the road again with the crew. Headed to Niagara Falls and then eastward til we get ready to spend the night.

Last night we really enjoyed spending the night under the stars on the shore of Lake Erie. It's beautiful here and it was a crisp 56 degrees last night. Highs just in the 70's. Doesn't get any better than this.

Can't wait to see the Falls. See you guys soon. Tab

Lots of pictures

2011-08-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

Okay, get ready for lots of pictures from Indiana and Ohio. Lake Erie was so beautiful, I took as many pictures as I could before my camera died. (but I am charging it before we get to Niagara Falls!

Today we are getting back in the car to stop in at Niagara Falls, and then we are back on the road to Maine.

I'm sure one of my other homie's (Taylor, Ruby, Mom or Dad) will update the blog soon.

-Katie

Country livin'

2011-08-28T08:21:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Indiana late yesterday evening and spent the night with some of my moms friends, Jeanne and Bill, who were super sweet and had the cutest little country house. (and a really cute dog name Dolly too!). I got up this morning and Jeanne was getting ready to make some delicious waffles! They also let us pick abunch of fresh peppers & tomatoes.

Anyway, We're back on the road this morning, headed to Niagara Falls, NY. We probably won't get there until after dark, but I can't wait to see the falls!

-Katie

Let's roll..

2011-08-27T07:53:00.001-05:00

Ready SET Go

2011-08-26T20:55:00.003-05:00

Well folks, we hit the road in the morning. First to Indiana , then Niagara Falls, then Maine.

Look forward to tons of pictures and posts about our epic , fun trip. Til next time.... Tab

The Last Supper

2011-08-26T17:58:00.000-05:00

The day we have been waiting for! The big to do! The big finale! The grand journey down the East Coast! The 4 Smiths + 1 Montes de Oca Excursion! (However, I changed my last name on Facebook...Tabatha says I am her adopted daughter for the next 6 weeks, so I figured what the heck.) 3 members of our quest will be riding their bikes and 2 will be riding in the car. Tabby, Keith and Katie are the insane ones. Me and Taylor are a little less insane.

For Our "last supper", we went to Cheddar's. From left to right, Ruby, Taylor, Keith, Tabby and Katie.

Well, we are heading off in the morning! Wish us luck and keep checking the blog...with 5 people, somebody is bound to post an update!

I'm heeeeeeeeere!

2011-08-23T11:26:00.000-05:00

Hey!
The sidekick of the awesome-tastic Smith family has finally arrived in Texas! I'm Ruby and I'm very excited for our trip. Taylor, Katie and I have been planning on taking a road trip from the time we were 17, 14 and 15. We are now 21, 18 and 19, but we are still excited as ever because its ACTUALLY HAPPENING!

I come from a tiny little town in Montana, so the first 2 things I noticed here were: everything is FLAT and its very BIG. And it's really warm here. As in hot. But I love it because for me to get a tan in Montana took a few hours, every few days, depending on how hot it was and I got a tan in about 15 minutes, so I thought that was pretty cool, honestly.

So yeah, I figured I'd say hi, seeing as I am a member of this great venture! Bring it on!

5 more days

2011-08-21T10:22:00.000-05:00

Only 5 more days til we escape the Texas heat :).

Let's Do This Already

2011-08-18T16:19:00.001-05:00

2 weeks left!

2011-08-13T06:50:00.001-05:00

With only 1 week until our friend Ruby gets here and 2 weeks left until our trip we are so excited!
Today we were going to be moving the last of our furniture and stuff into the storage building however when we woke up this morning it was raining for the first time since May. (At least I think it's rain, it has been so long since I've seen it. haha)

So, I just though I would update the blog a little bit. I can't wait til I actually have amazing pictures to post on here from our epic trip. Our first stop will be Niagara Falls, So I'm sure you will see quite a few waterfall pictures! :)

Later, -Katie

3 weeks to go

2011-08-05T20:29:00.002-05:00

Hard to believe we only have 3 more weeks to swelter in the extreme heat Texas is having this year. Yea, no more watering the grass, running the a/c, etc. I will surely not miss that :).

Looking forward to milder weather.

26 Days

2011-07-31T15:49:00.002-05:00

That's all we have left until takeoff. So super excited. Like can't-hardly-wait-need-something-productive-to-do excited. The garage is becoming quite empty as we put things into a storage building. And there isn't much left in the house. This is crazy because for so long we kept saying, "We're going on an epic cross-country bike trip next year" and now we say "We're leaving for an epic crazy cross-country bike tour in just over 3 weeks." We are so so ready for this.

We all kind of have slightly different goals for this trip. Because I'm really not doing a lot of riding, I'mplanning on shopping. Lots of shopping. I have sold or donated almost all my clothes so I can shop from Maine to Florida! I'm also doing a research project with my school, the University of North Texas. I'm very excited about this opportunity to get college credit for our trip. As a friend told me, "Only a homeschooler would turn a vacation into a school project!"

Anyway, this is my first but not last blog post. I'll be posting lots of pictures of the amazing sights along the East Coast. Until then, peace out.

Video ideas

2011-07-28T14:58:00.002-05:00

So today we've been brainstorming some video ideas for the trip. One of the funnier ideas is to videotape the copious and varied foods that katie will be eating and set to Weird Al's "EAT IT".

Food

2011-07-27T11:45:00.000-05:00

Since we will riding all the time I am going to be eating alot.. 6000+ calories a day, actually.

So, I just thought I would share a list of some of the things I plan on eating during our trip. :)

Pizza. Definitely going to be eating pizza.
Pie- Cherry pie, Apple Pie, and if I can find pumpkin pie!
Cheesecake.
I think I might stick a jar of Peanut Butter and a spoon on the back of my bike. In case I get hungry.
Lots of granola bars and crackers.
I really hope there are Taco Bells on the east coast.
We will be eating alot of sandwiches.

That's all I can think of right now. and yes, i know that list doesn't include Clam Chowder or key lime pie, but honestly I don't like key lime and I don't think I want to try clam chowder. I'll leave that for my dad. :)

-Katie

only a month to go

2011-07-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

With just over a month left before we head out, I've been thinking of all I still need to do:

Get a storage building for our stuff

Finish packing our stuff

Move the stuff :)

Decide what clothes I am bringing

Do a trial packing run on the truck

Get a p.o. box for my mail

and more.

oh yea, and pick up Ruby from the airport. can't forget that, lol.

Lots to do to put everything in order before we head out on the road. Can't wait until we can make some actual bike blog posts.

On that note, We did get in some riding this weekend despite the heat. That and some nice cool lake water to swim in made for a good weekend.

2011-07-12T15:13:00.000-05:00

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single, "Are we there yet?"

Tent Shopping

2011-07-09T09:47:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we went tent shopping since we sold our old tents in the garage sale. I wanted a really cool pop-up tent -You know, One that you just throw and it pops up- But they are only available in Europe. : (

Here's what we ended up with..

A Coleman Instant Tent for Mom and Dad. (Almost a pop-up.. but not as cool)

and we got a couple of these smaller Eagle Camp Crystal Canyon tents for Taylor, Ruby and I.

Also, Have you ever heard of Vapur water bottles? They're "Anti-Bottles" They roll up when empty and stand when full. I got me a pink one. :)

Later, -Katie

p.s. (Only 48 days until we leave!!)

Movies

2011-06-30T14:29:00.000-05:00

So, it will take us about 3 days to drive all the way to Maine and since our Tahoe has a VCR player, we are going to be bringing a some movies to pass the time. Just thought I would share a few them..

The Music Man

Tomb Raider (1 and 2)

Grease

and Star Trek.

I'm sure Ruby will love watching Star Trek with me. :)

Later, Katie

My Bike

2011-06-29T10:00:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share a picture of the bike that I am using for the tour. Keith just added fenders to it last week(not in the pic).

Whew!

2011-06-25T16:08:00.000-05:00

Summer is in full swing here but despite the heat and humidity, we had a very successful yard sale. Got rid of all the extra junk and made a nice little stash of cash :). the few items we didn't sell were put on the curb and gone by morning.

Now to finish packing all the stuff we are keeping ....

Following the blog

2011-06-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

Hi you guys, Just a little info for all of you..

If you want to follow our blog by email, I added a new gadget to the left sidebar.

<-----------

Just type in your email and click submit, you will have to confirm the subscription but after that you should recieve an email everytime we update the blog.

Garage Sale Thursday-Saturday

2011-06-20T09:27:00.000-05:00

Decided to have the garage sale thurs-sat instead of fri-sun. Got a lot of stuff going out the door , lol. Bikes, bike parts, furniture, housewares, books, wii games, etc.

Keith spent the weekend working on a bike he's been building. He will either ride that one or his Jamis on the tour. I don't think he's decided on which one he wants to use. We got him some new gloves and a cycling cap and a balaclava for father's day.
He also got the fenders on my bike for the tour. I might just stay a little bit cleaner that way :).

Stay tuned for further updates. Tabatha

Garage sale

2011-06-16T07:59:00.000-05:00

We are planning a garage sale on June 24-26th. I've gotten a pretty good pile of stuff already pulled out, but still need to decide if there is anything else I can part with. Hmmm.

Only 10 weeks til we go!!!

2011-06-14T19:06:00.000-05:00

So here is the new blog. We're busy packing and preparing for our long bike tour from Maine to Key West , Fl.
We've called it "Clam Chowder to Key Lime Pie" because after 6 hrs of cycling every day, we figure we can sample all the variety of cuisine the coast has to offer , lol.

Hope you can follow along as we blog. Later, Tabatha