Coffeeneuring/Teaneuring 2015

(To learn about this challenge, see my post for October 2014)

Number 1

• Thursday, October 8, 2015
• Village Center near home in Mukilteo (Tea without walls)
• 18 miles total (rode some loops from my front door)
• Brought my green Sencha tea from home

 

 

Teaneuring got me out and on my bike for a nice ride in my neighborhood. It was cloudy but not cold yet, so I enjoyed a cool ride in the mid-morning. My place of choice is very bike friendly as there are tables and chairs set out in the square for just such an activitiy as tea/coffeeneuring.

Having recently returned from a bike tour in New Mexico (on the weekend that this challenege began) I had concerns that I might not get a tea ride in and would in essence miss the challenge. But Mary, the coordinator for this challenge, has made it "easy" for us by allowing two trips in a week. That meant I could get in today's ride and make up one in a future week. Last year I did two every week for a total of 14 trips and loved each one. I doubt I will have time to do that again this year as I am off to Michigan for biking and visiting with Vickie and Gerry for ten days. But may at least get more than the seven required ;'-)

Number 2

• Saturday, October 10, 2015
• Elementary School Garden (Tea without walls)
• 7.5 miles
• Brought Kukicha tea (also known as stick tea) this time

Weather was calling for a lot of rain, heavy clouds and big wind. Looking out my early morning window showed some blue in the sky and a sun. I quickly got out on my bike for a morning tea stop at the local elementary school garden.

I have visited this garden several times a year since I first saw it being constructed by the Boy Scouts as a community project. The school classes take good care of the garden and apparently art is part of the curriculum carried over for creative hands and minds. It seems there is always something new added each year. First the variety of vegetable plants, then the hand decorated used CDs (wind break or decoration), then the scarecrow, and this year painted rocks.

I got to chat briefly with two separate women walking their dogs. It's always a treat to meet someone on my outings. Just as I had put away my camera and was draining the last drops of my tea --- a rain drop was falling on my head. The sky had darkened and the wind had picked up as a light rain began in earnest. I headed home.

Number 3

• Wednesday, October 14, 2015
• Legendary Grind, Middlebury Michigan
• 35 miles
• Earl Grey tea only because there was no other choice I liked

This is the third year I have come to Michigan to visit with my friend Vickie. Her dad lives here and she visits several times a year. She has invited me and another friend, Gerry, to come adventuring (mostly bicycling) with her whenever we can. This year we first drove to Shipshewana, Indiana to cycle in Amish Country (I have blogged about this trip in another post). Near the end of this day's route we meandered into the connecting town of Middlebury for our coffee and tea stop.

Number 4

• Monday, October 19, 2015
• Riverdale Tavern, Riverdale, Michigan
• It's not about the tea (Lipton)
• 40 miles

It is truly not about the tea! Our ride on the Heartland Trail from Alma MI was a wonderful outing. On the way back we looked for a coffee/tea stop and all we spotted was the tavern. The bartender said yes, they have tea, so each of the three of us ordered up the lipton they have "on tap" and drank it at the outdoor picnic table.

Number 5

• Sunday, October 25, 2015
• Lake Serene, Mukilteo WA
• Kukicha tea from home
• 20.5 miles

Weatherman called for rain in the mid afternoon but I had none as I got a bit of a late start for my ride. It was cloudy and rather warm so I had to peel off some of my layers.

I had the beach side to myself on this day with plenty of bike parking ;'-).

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Bandelier National Monument

Wednesday 9/30/2015 -- no bike ride ;'-(

I was unhappy to not get in a ride today. Our itinerary had said (in two or three places) That we would "shuttle to Los Alomos , ... get on our bikes to ride to Bandelier National Monument". It would only be about a 16 mile ride, then "a quick walk brings us to striking cliff dwellings ... of the ancient Pueblo people". Our leaders discourged us from ridng because it was not very scenic, there was a lot of traffic with little shoulder, a steep hill down to the monument grounds and back out again, there was a lot of burned out area that was unattractive, and we would see a lot of unfriendly signs in Los Alomos telling us to "keep out" "no tresspassing" etc.. So none of us got to ride today.

The walk through the grounds was nice enough and I am not sorry I did it, but I have been to several cliff dwellings and ruins. I feel I would not have missed much if I had skipped this and done a bike ride -- even someplace else. If we were not to do this (advertised) ride, I feel it should have been taken off the itinerary. I will stop my rant now.

 

 

 

How the village looked thousands of years ago

 

The ruins now

 

The "big" picture of the ruins

 

Walking the trail by the cliff dwellings

 

 

WiFi here will not let me download the few more photos I have. I will post what I have now, and try later or tomorrow to complete it. We will be driving home now and I don't know if there will be anything to post about. If there is, I will.

Our drive to home has been very beautiful, but I did not feel that photos would do it justice. Majestic, overwhelming rugged and craggy mountains surrounded us as we drove through them on the "red" road (as opposed to the Interstate) through Utah. As well, we had beautiful, colorful mountains to view on our drive through New Mexico.

Here are the other photos from Bandelier:

 

Ladders lead up to some of the swellings

 

Jeanie walking some of the trail

 

Bette-Ann, Jeanie and me sniffing the cinnamon scent of the Ponderosa Pine.

This will be my last post unitl my trip in Michigan in a couple of weeks.

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