Office Cats

If they're not chasing the resident office mouse or sleeping in the swatch of sunlight streaming across the carpet, they're watching over me. Making sure I answer all the emails, update the website correctly, and pay the bills on-time. Pumpkin and Audrey -- they're the best bosses a woman could have.

Thinking back on the Cross Country Southern Tier Tour

I was out on a short bicycle ride today thinking back on the Cross Country tour and the ride I had last week with Barb Jarmosky. The road was smoothly paved and completely flat. The day was cool and the sky was clear. Best of all, we had a strong tailwind and we found ourselves flying through the miles effortlessly.

I turned to Barb and said, “Everyone should feel this.” When she replied, “Yeah, there’d be peace on earth,” I knew we were feeling the same thing.

If they could all feel as we felt -- the sheer joy of riding a bike at 20 mph with the wind at their backs -- they’d all forget their anger, their hatred, their sorrow. They’d forget their road rage and put down their arms. They’d be thankful for every moment of living and of loving.

If only we could put everyone on a bike, on a quiet road somewhere in California, in spring, with a tailwind, the world would be a much better place.

On the Road with the Cross Country Southern Tier Tour

Just got back from the beginning of our cross country tour. You never know what you'll see up ahead on a tour like this. Barb and I nearly tripped over our bikes to stop at this avocado stand. We tried hard to think of things we could do with 15 avocados. At a price like this, how could anyone pass them up?


And here is Johanna before the aptly named Chocolate Mountains. We feared the road would never turn and we'd have to go directly over them. She was getting ready.

I'm back home now and the women have all crossed California into Arizona by now. One time zone down -- two more to go. I miss them - and the road - already.

Dipping

The Southern Tier Cross Country Tour started with our first ride out of San Diego today. We always start together, ride to Dog Beach together and dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean together. Here we are waiting to leave the hotel....



And waiting to hike to Dog Beach....



And hiking to Dog Beach....



And finally dipping at Dog Beach... with the dogs!



There are 25 of us, ranging in age from 39 to 72. The average is 60. Pretty awesome!

On the Road in Arizona

We had a big group on our Arizona tour last week and I was there to guide it. I'm not in the photo because I had to shoot it. Why am I always the one to miss out? This photo was taken in Gloria's new living room. Gloria (bottom row, far left,) is the founder of WomanTours. She just designed and built herself a beautiful contemporary southwestern home south of Tucson and we all had dinner there one night during the tour. Chef extraordinaire Claudia (top row, right) cooked us a feast of sauteed shrimp in a white wine sauce, pork with braised apples and raisins, steamed broccoli, potato latkes and a ginger cabbage cole slaw. None of us went hungry!

We got to experience Arizona during the longest drought in history. There were no wildflowers in bloom, but the blue skies and warm weather were perfect for many of us northeasterners. We had a wonderful tour and many of them have taken advantage of our 10% discount for 2 tours in a year and registered for another tour this year. Looks like a lot of us will be together again on the Natchez Trace in Mississippi this fall! More sunny skies and great food....

Back at the Office

For all of you wondering who's really in charge around here, now you can see Jennifer hard at work at the office. When she's not on the phone answering one of your questions, she's sending out tour registration confirmation packets, paying the hotel bills, or keeping track of where our vans are on the map behind her.

Not only is she the greatest Office Manager a company could have, she's also my sister. We shared a bedroom growing up, so it's only appropriate that we share an office now. Sometimes her daughters stop by after a basketball practice. Sometimes our mother brings homemade soup for lunch.

I leave tomorrow to guide the Arizona Spring Training Tour and then head to San Diego to start the women off on the 3000 mile Cross Country tour to Jacksonville, Florida. So be kind to Jen, as she'll be the only one here for 3 weeks. But she'll get to have all the soup to herself.

Scouting Cape Cod & Martha's Vineyard

We had to put the finishing touches on our new Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard tour, so I took the unseasonably warm weather last week and used it to drive the route we’ll use on the tour. Even on a dreary, gray day, the beach was inviting in its vastness, the lighthouse welcoming with its red and white light.


One of the best things about this tour is the bike paths. The island of Martha’s Vineyard is full of them and the Cape Cod Rail Trail winds through most of the Cape. Here is one of the beautiful paths we’ll be on, as it crosses salt ponds near Eastham.

We had only one bike between the two of us, so we didn’t get a whole lot of riding in. Instead, we headed north on the way home and went cross-country skiing. It’s snowing outside my window as I write this. My biking in New England will have to wait for a warmer day in June. I’m looking forward to the tour. It’s another one I get to lead, and it looks like it’s going to be a sell-out. Ahhh, spring can’t come too soon.