Flew in to Cincinnati today via some strangely empty flights–both legs were barely half-full. Secret talent: I am so great at napping on planes and in airports. In my youth I was one of those people who can’t sleep in public. That is all behind me now, and I probably doubled my night of sleep through some mega-napping.
Also, Rhiannon and I managed to assemble my bike out of the box with only small interventions from Awesome Bike Shop Man John at Biowheels, which based on this encounter I have decided is the greatest shop in the Cincinnati metro region. I learned something about brakes, but still very little about spokes. Next time!
The house in Indian Hills is beautiful, and the Lanier family are incredible hosts. Flying into Cincinnati we got a great view of the city and the surrounding countryside. It’s a lot less farms than I expected! I was envisioning fields as far as the eye could see, but after the plane dropped below the clouds, the only land devoted to agriculture (or anything else) was in the valleys and the half-mile of land right on top of the bends in the Ohio River. Lots of trees with just fingers of farmland. Pretty.
What follows are a smattering of pictures which we uploaded today for the first time in a while (read: since Day 0). Most of them I was not present for, and Rhiannon is industriously packing in the next room (which I also should be), so captions will be fun.
And then there’s our new masthead, featuring one tired biker parked in the shade of a charming gas station inspecting the contents of her water bottle. I think it sums up the situation pretty well that this gas station was memorably charming.
Route comments: tomorrow we’re wending our way through downtown Cincinnati (first time to get lost on the trip? time will tell) and making it about halfway to Louisville, our next major destination. Hopefully we will have a couch surf there, but really who can say.
Wow! Quite a journey. I have become an airport power napper myself… and also a subway, bus and train power napper… a hotel lobby and railway station power napper… pretty much everywhere. LOL! Lack of sleep, constant time zone changes, midnight sun and other elements all contribute to this newfound habit!
I am amazed at the journey you guys are doing. Very commendable and the photos are great. You are inspiring me to finally start my blog instead of reducing it to a few status updates on facebook. I hope you all continue to have a safe journey full of new sights, sounds, experiences and ideas.
Love, Gabriela
Yay for reuniting! I’m sure both of you will be having lots more fun now.
In re: your twitter from yesterday.
where and how did you end up shoeless — Manchester? Philadelphia?
WOW go girls
i’m glad you guys are together again. i was a little bit scared when rhiannon was biking by herself. but now you guys are back on track! yyEAHH!
Ooops. posted this comment in the wrong place, so here it is again:
can’t you rotate the tent image to the left — i’m getting a cramp in my neck trying to see the beautiful sunset
:-> )
Was all ready to say Go Girls when I saw someone else had said it. What else can I say other than great to know you are back together and on the road again.
A
YAYYYYYY YOU ARE ON A ROLL AGAIN KTTT
Hey! How do I comment on the Twitter posts? I really had a laugh at the “Jesus” comment, but maybe that is a bit inappropriate. I guess the bottom line is she wanted to wish you well! 😀
Anyway, sorry to hear about the crazy weather. Stay safe out there with all those storms! You aren’t near tornado alley yet, right???
As the big “sissa” and thus pseudo-surrogate mama, I have to worry!
xxoo
You are giving me such bike envy I can hardly control myself. Love all the Tweets – keep rolling along, you’re a bike star!
Hey Rhiannon and Katie!
I’m glad to hear you are back together and on the road again. Best wishes for your journey! Amelia and I are doing great. We just crossed the Mississippi yesterday, which was exciting.
Cheers,
Rox
POPEYE? You passed through the home of Popeye? And didn’t mention it?
Wow, Katie and Rhiannon, what a journey! It’s great reading your tweets, though I miss your blog posts as well. Hang in there, and don’t be afraid to get off and walk up those steep hills, but, then again, you know that. Very happy to hear that mom’s voice has slowly morphed into that internal superego and you are wearing sunblock. LMAO. I had the same phenomena happen…. for the most part 🙂 I can’t wait to see those pictures of the turtles – er, the live ones I mean!
rhiannon, your tent by lake erie storm weathering is the most impressive thing ever. ever.
and katie’s back!!!!!!!! this is the stuff of cycling urban legend, as in “yo! did you hear about that girl who biked across the country…with MONO? Yeah, i heard she also solved global warming and the JFK assassination, and her co-rider fought poseidon on the shore of lake erie”
lastly, i just wanted to note on the blog that i received a text Central message from the fine gals stating “…we will collectively blow your head off. we can do it, we are in gun country” on June 16 2009, at approximately 1:35 PM.
thomas, that was a PRIVATE MESSAGE. MEANT ONLY FOR YOU.
but seriously. when a guy mentioned offhandedly that he owned an automatic weapon i almost keeled over. and yet the walmart still does not carry pepper spray. maybe this means we will have to go into a gun store! which i feel would be an exciting/uncomfortable cultural experience.
Are you going through Salina, Kansas? If so, look up Patricia Traxler- a poet and novelist and well known in that small town and a friend of mine!
New here. Wanted to say hello.
Thanks,
Andrew McFaul
Andy McFaul