Machka, I can't get the link on your first posting to work. Is it my computer or did you take it down?

Try this ...

http://www.machka.net/RTW_2012/RTW_2012.htm

Bordeaux ...

There is an area like this all along the river for a few km ... it's a pedestrian/cycling area ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8051/8...b4846bcb_z.jpg


Lacanau-Ocean ...

Enjoying the beach ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8186/8...854678aa34.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8...288df8850d.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8188/8...6e1d2ee3_z.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8...1e420e6d_z.jpg


Very narrow trail ...

We were following the Velodyssey Trail, and this was a shortcut, not the actual Velodyssey Trail. It was 2-3 km of very narrow sidewalk paver trail raised off the sand. Lots of concentration required to stay on the trail!!

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8...f6e0291c_z.jpg

Another new country ... we've now been to Australia (where we started), Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, England, Scotland, The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Canada and USA. 13 countries in 4.5 months.

On this part of the tour (North America), we're visiting lots of family and friends. I've had the opportunity to reconnect with aunts, uncles, and cousins.

I've also had the opportunity to visit friends and former coworkers as well. I hadn't seen one of my friends since probably about 1988. We have remained in touch on-and-off all that time, but it was great to see her again. If all goes well, we'll see another one tomorrow.

And we've connected with some BF members. We dropped in and surprised buglady. Really nice to see her again, and we met coldfeet as well, which was a pleasant surprise for us. And then a few days later, we had the opportunity to spend a bit of time with nancysv and family. :D

We've now driven through BC, Alberta, Montana, Idaho, and into Wyoming. If all goes well, we'll be into Colorado tomorrow.

But it hasn't been all driving ... a few days ago, we cycled in the Crowsnest Pass area, and yesterday, we stopped at the Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho and cycled the roads through all that lava. :)

Craters of the Moon in Idaho was fascinating and well worth a visit.

From there we travelled to Idaho Falls, then down to Rock Springs, next to the Grand Tetons. We would have liked to go into Yellowstone Park, but the roads were closed for winter.

On the way down to Grand Junction, we took a look at Flaming Gorge, which is quite nice.

We have been able to stay in Grand Junction for a few days. Yesterday, we visited the Colorado National Monument, and that was incredible. The road is only 26 miles long, but we spent about 4 hours there looking at everything and taking pictures. It's just one beautiful canyon after another. We were planning to do some riding up there, but it was very cold and windy, so we opted to walk a little bit instead.

Overnight it snowed ... just enough to be pretty. :)

Then today we drove out to Arches National Park, via Hwy 128 from Cisco down to Moab. I saw by the map we had that it was the scenic route, but wasn't prepared for how scenic it was! It took us about 2 hours to drive that road because we stopped so often to take photos. After a brief stop in Moab, we drove out to Arches National Park and spent about 4 hours driving around, and doing a couple short hikes amounting to about 4 km all up.

We would have liked to ride today too, but just ran out of time.

However, this is an area we would like to return to at some point in the near future ... and we'd like to spend a lot more time to have a really good look around. I'd also like to bring my good camera. I like my little camera, but would have loved to have my good camera with me.


Tomorrow we move on to the Denver area and then south to Colorado Springs, and then maybe Amarillo, or somewhere around there.

Yes, go back with lots of time, your camera and your bicycles. Great rides into Canyonlands National Park Island in the Sky as well.

Riding in Arches NP is excellent
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...r/moab2005.jpg

If you are back in the Grand Junction area in the future and you have more time I could show you some places that only the locals know about.

I've been working on the North America portion of our trip ... http://www.machka.net/RTW_2012/RTW_N...erica_2012.htm

That is definitely an area we would like to return to! It was one of the highlights of our trip. :)

A few more photos along the Velodyssey Trail, on the west coast of France (click photos for more).


The decisions we're faced with ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8063/8...89632ce1_c.jpg


Royan in the evening ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8...78f41ae2_c.jpg



View from our hotel in Royan ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8210/8...843a0dc3_c.jpg


Cycling the Velodyssey Trail ...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8348/8...ed89094e_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8350/8...e4db0418_c.jpg

This is what happens when we take a day off of travelling (we paused for a day in Texas) ... I load heaps of photos. I have finished all the Velodyssey Trail photos from Bordeaux, France to La Rochelle, France ...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7631877281412/

We left La Rochelle on Wednesday 03 October, and arrived in Paris that evening. So the next batch of photos will be Paris.

We're still travelling!

We came down through Colorado Springs, and checked out Pike's Peak ... amazing!

From there we headed into Oklahoma and cycled a bit of Route 66 ... very interesting. We took in a Route 66 museum there.

Then it was into Texas, south of Dallas, where we met StephenH, and a group of Randonneurs. We enjoyed that evening We also did a really nice 40 km ride there.

Next we travelled to Louisiana and spent a night with my brother and his family, who I have not seen in 7 years.

And then we made a quick trip to Pensacola, FL to meet qcpmsame and his family ... really nice to meet them.

Today we cycled in Florida and Alabama, and then returned to Mississippi.

Our plan is to spend Thanksgiving with my brother and family in Louisiana, and to do some cycling there.

Then we'll head back into Texas ... maybe Houston and Galveston, or maybe we'll go straight through to Austin, and then somewhere on the west side of Texas. From there our plan is to go to Arizona and maybe up into the southwest corner of Utah. :)

I've started putting together a few North American photos ... http://www.flickr.com/photos/machka-...7630063425035/

I need to do less cycling in Italy and more in France apparently.

Nice photos!

We've visted some of the east side of France in previous years (and a little bit this time too), but we're beach/ocean people, and when we got to the west coast of France, we thought it was just beautiful. The beach there is huge ... at least 400 km of sand, and not a lot of people. We liked it so much, I'm thinking of checking into what it might take to get work in that area for a year or so.

Next week ... across Texas, across New Mexico (we'll have to pause to ride there), and into Arizona!!

We'll probably head for the Phoenix area, maybe the Tucson area, and perhaps up to the Flagstaff area. We'd like to take in Grand Canyon, and perhaps also Bryce Canyon if the weather isn't too bad.

I have updated the North American portion of the story of our journey ...
http://www.machka.net/RTW_2012/RTW_N...erica_2012.htm

I have some North American photos posted as well, but am currently finishing the Europe ones.

Meeting people along the way ...


StephenH near Dallas
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8197/8...8469cd0be3.jpg


qcpmsame in Pensacola
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8...001b703bc2.jpg


RevChuck in Lake Charles
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8057/8...4777e102d7.jpg


Mev in Austin
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8...53f81599c3.jpg


We've also met/visited claire, buglady, coldfeet, and nancy-sv!


One of the most enjoyable parts of the North American section of this tour has been putting faces to online names and getting to know people a bit better. :)

Throughout the US, we've been saving money on hotel rooms by using coupon booklets which we've found in tourist information places and various restaurants. We've been able to save anywhere from just a few dollars to as much as 30% on rooms. For the most part, they've been inexpensive enough to be favourably comparable with camping.
Here's one of the most common hotel coupon collections ...
http://www.hotelcoupons.com/

Grand Junction is known as having some of the coldest winter temps in USA, one time my grandma mentioned she homesteaded there (about 100 yrs ago). A bit surprising that Grand Junction has apparently had a major population increase. Glad you enjoyed Pike's Peak--tv used to show the motor race climb competition which is a bit scary though hillsides are not too precipitous. Back in the 40's my pa cycle-camped up to Mt Evans summit & his parents met him at the top to film the high-speed descent. Didn't appreciate that fully until driving up/down Mt Evans in a car--hairpin corners with steep plunges on the side & no guard rails...gave me the willies even at slow speeds! On the descent I saw a team of pro German drivers test-driving Skoda cars--I pulled over to let them pass which they appreciated--none of the other motorists realized the deal since the Skodas were deliberately unadorned.

Today, we drove through Saguaro National Park and had a look at the multitude of saguaros!! Then we drove to Phoenix, got a nice hotel room for 40% off, and had a good dinner at Olive Garden. Then we went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert!! Good day!! :)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: http://www.trans-siberian.com/


Tomorrow we go to Prescott and, if all goes well, the next day we'll see Grand Canyon. Then we'll head up to Cedar City, or somewhere in that area so that we can see Bryce Canyon. Hopefully it is still open!

And then it's down to San Diego. And then up the coast back to Canada.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...58f_story.html

Grand Canyon is in the news with a scientific controversy about it's age. But I imagine the scenery is spectacular either way.

I noticed the article in the Australian on-line press, but didn't read it. I don't really care what age it is -- it's really, really REALLY spectacular. We did a shortish ride along the Southern Rim today. Lots and lots of photographs were taken.

A side note: I've commented a couple of times to friends that the people in charge of the Colorado River should be held to account for all the environmental damage the river is doing. I mean, you only have to look at the seriously bad erosion that has been caused by the river up in Utah through the Moab, and down through the Grand Canyon to realise what an environmental catastrophe the whole river is. The environmentalists should stand up and say "Enough is ENOUGH!", and get something done about it.

It's caught a few out with somewhat puzzled, then stunned, then "oh!" looks on their faces... :D