Smith Rock to Sisters, OR: An Overnighter

Riding Oregon

A cyclist’s dream, the state of Oregon exudes bike friendliness. Portland, it’s most populous city, is a multitude of bike pathways and bike lanes and rates consistently in the top 5 cities in the country for most bikeable city; there are numerous websites promoting bicycle advocacy in Oregon (thepathlesspedaled, rideoregonride, traveloregon, cyclingsojourner) and there are 12 designated Scenic Bikeways dotted throughout the state. One sunny weekend this past June we did one of them: Sisters to Smith Rock.

2 Bikes, 8 Panniers, a trailer….and a Puppy?

 

Bodhi

Yes, a little Springer Spaniel has been added to the adventure. We picked up Bodhi at 8 weeks old and have been gearing him up for a life of bikes, trails and the great outdoors ever since.

At 10 weeks old in the Doggyride

We purchased a Doggyride bike trailer weeks before we even brought Bodhi home, crossing our fingers that the little guy would love bike touring as much as us! We were encouraged by blogs such as cyclinggypsies, ofpeadalsandpaws and worldsbetweenlines; these people have cycled hundreds, even thousands of kilometres with their four legged pals (so we knew we weren’t crazy!).

Day tripping-Wallace, Idaho

And now 5 months old, tipping the scales at 30lbs, Bodhi has done day long rides in Idaho, an overnighter in Oregon and spends an hour travelling in his trailer almost everyday. In the coming months we’ll post about the triumphs and challenges of touring with a dog, as well as a review of the Doggyride, as we prep for a full week long cycle tour with our Bodhi on the Olympic Peninsula.

Oregon

 

 

 

The Daily Commute

South of South

Three planes, two buses, a shuttle and many kilometres on our feet we found ourselves in the deep Patagonia of Argentina and Chile. The vast area is renowned for it’s mountain towers, rolling pampas, layers of glaciers and wind!. We spent 3 1/2 weeks trekking and navigating (not always successfully!) our way around Parque Nacional Los Glaciers and Torres del Paine Park, as well as a few days on either side in the metropolis of Buenos Aires. Over the next couple of posts we’ll share pictures and stories of our favourite highlights, struggles!, and logistics of this magical place.

http://www.scribblemaps.com

Mindfulness

“We rarely hear the inward music, but we are all dancing to it nevertheless” (Rumi)

A weekend of meditation, mindfulness and looking inward. Two days hosted by very dear friends, this was something very new to me but an area that had intrigued me for quite some time.

An Escape from the Snow: Biking SW Utah

By mid February, where we come from, the winter can seem endless. The days are a mix of grey skies and falling snow or sunny and cloudless with chilly winds and melting ice creating foot swallowing puddles along city sidewalks. The mounds of snow that have lined the streets for months have lost their sparkle and shine and are now mottled gray and black, riddled with dirt and stones. The warmth of summer still seems months away as we continue to pull on toques and mitts each morning and weekends are spent waxing up the skis (again!) for the local trails.
Around this time many friends and family jump on planes heading to far off beach resorts and exotic locales. We prefer somewhere a little quieter, a little closer, a place to recharge our souls and give our bikes a little exercise; Southwest Utah, USA.

Travels In Portugal (Part 5): The Atlantic Coast

And finally! the final instalment of our wonderful travels in Portugal. After three weeks of pedaling through the Portuguese countryside we arrived at the northwestern coast; beyond, as far as the eye could see, only blue ocean. It seemed fitting to end our travels here, we could literally not cycle any further west. You can find previous posts of our travels in Portugal here: Post 1: Lisbon, Post 2: The Beiras, Post 3: The Douro, Post 4: Tras-Os-Montes & Geres.

Travels In Portugal (Part 4): Tras-Os-Montes & Parque Nacional Da Peneda-Geres

We’ve fallen behind a bit in our recollection of stories and pictures of our adventures in Portugal. Here is Part 4 of our travels by bicycle through Portugal. Click to read Part 3, Part 2 or to start at the beginning click here.

When people ask which part of Portugal was our favourite we have a hard time naming one place. Each spot was beautiful for different reasons but definitely the north end of the country, in the Parque Nacional da Peneda-Geres, with its soaring mountains in the mist, littered with massive boulders and dotted with quiet, preserved villages, has a very fond and special spot in our memories.

Travels In Portugal (Part 3): The Douro

A third installment of our cycling trip in Portugal. To read Part 2: The Beiras click here. To start from the beginning of the trip click here.

The Douro valley: The Birthplace of Port

Travels in Portugal (Part 2): The Beiras

The second of five posts of our adventures through Portugal. To read Part 1-our time in Lisbon click here.

The Beiras: Hilltop castles & sleepy villages

Lots of hills, sun and castles; the beginning of our cycling trip in Portugal.