Ride Day Twenty-One: Ripley to Evangola State Park, NY

It was a pretty short, easy day today. I'd downed my first glass of my favorite post-ride recovery drink — chocolate milk — before 1:45pm and was heading for the showers by shortly after 2:00pm. A word about chocolate milk. This article from "Fitness" magazine makes the case for it being an ideal recovery drink, based on research by physiologist Joel Stager, director of the Human Performance laboratory at Indiana University. Read it, just in case you want another reason to drink chocolate milk.

The entire ride today was on the New York extension of Pennsylvania's Bike Highway Z. In this case it's 517, and while the shoulder is a little bit rougher at times, it is wide and well-marked. Once again, I rode past vast fields of grapes. While I often think of the Concord grape in this region, the Cornell Grapevine Breeding and Genetics program has identified more than 50 varieties of grape that grow well in this region along Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, and in the Finger Lakes. While there wasn't a lot of elevation gain today — less than 1050 feet — there was quite a bit of up and down over short hills, which I suspect were formerly sand dunes, as I was usually in view of Lake Erie, and often only a few yards from its shore.

I rode today without listening to music or a book. I just wanted to think a bit. I found myself asking the question "why this ride?" Not in the negative sense of "why am I doing this BLEEPING ride?" In the more introspective sense of what motivated this and what do I expect from it? I came up with several reasons for the ride.

1) I've mentioned this before. Lots of bike riders, once we figure out we can ride 50 or 75 or 100 miles, begin to think about a cross-country ride. It's a bucket list thing. Several of the folks I ride with in Bellingham have done it at least once, and our friend Dave Lippiatt has crossed the continent three times on his bike.

2) The book Younger Next Year by Chris Cowley and Dr. Henry Lodge helped me make big changes in my life. This is not a magic potion, or fountain of youth book. Instead it encourages one to exercise six days a week and eat reasonably. A few years ago I began the five to six day a week exercise regimen, and with some exceptions, have been doing it ever since. The authors talk about using a "kedge" to motivate oneself. I'd never heard of a "kedge" and expect many others have not either. Here's what the authors say about it: “A Kedge is our term for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things. It’s setting a desperate goal and working like crazy to get there. To save yourself. It doesn’t have to be a self-inflicted torture. It doesn’t even have to be long-term (how about doing something next week?) It does have to be reasonably demanding. It has to be motivating. It might well be ‘social’. And it’d better be fun!” I've had other biking "kedges" — STP, RSVP, Grand Fondo Whistler; Mount Ventoux, etc. This is my latest.

3) I wanted to slow down and smell the roses — or in this case, yesterday's opportunity to smell the grape vineyards. It's a great way to see the country from a close to the ground (but not too close, I hope) perspective.

4) I wanted to draw attention to three fabulous foundations that I care a lot about, and to raise some money for their worthy causes. This page will tell you more about the foundations and give you an opportunity to join me in supporting one or more of them.

5) Dee and I have always loved road trips and this one has been a chance for us to combine several things we love to do — visit friends, see museums and other sights, I get to ride my bike, Dee gets to read a lot.

Who would have thought that this trip would have taken me to such exotic places. A while back I was in Paris and today I arrived in Barcelona.

Alas, no Sagrada Familia or Park Güell, but there was this very nice lighthouse.

And, if that wasn't enough, it wasn't long until I saw this sign.

Which reminds me, we haven't yet seen the film. It's received great ratings (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and reviews. Here's a trailer (not for the weak of heart).

Here's something I saw today that made me wonder why these signs weren't around when we were young and dating.

I expect young lovers might be disappointed when they arrive at the top of the next hill to see a pretty typical rest area. Though I do remember once parking behind a zoo. In deference to Dee I'll not tell the story here — not because it wasn't Dee I was with, it was. It's just that I've embarrassed her more than once with this in the past 50+ years.

I came upon one of the most beautiful floral displays I've seen on the trip. Mother nature really outdoes FTD.

At one point I saw a display of a quite different nature.

It's a candy/souvenir shop with lots of "statues" and large pots out front. The one of the girl was gigantic. Shortly thereafter I came across a store with quite a claim "The Largest Western Store in the East." Take a gander at those boots on the roof to the left.

Ironically, it came shortly before this sign.

Cowboys and Indians, Eastern style.

We're in a beautiful state park this evening —Evangola State Park. One of the greatest things about it is that it has perhaps one of the largest "Little Libraries" I've seen. In this case it's a book case beside the restroom building.

But, more remarkable than the size was the selection. Here are just five of the books from the case, all great literary reads and among our favorite books. And, there were a lot more good books there.