bicycling Archives

Istrian Peninsula: Part 4 of 4, Bale, Croatia

May 27, 2026May 8, 2026Posted in adventure travel, blogging, history, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, birding, blogging, food, travel2 Comments

Our day began with a visit to a 5th generation olive oil production, a small family operation, Grubic, producing quality olive oil. They are recognized in a 2026 competition within the top 500 olive oil producers in the world!

After an explanation of their harvesting process and seeing the centrifuges they use, we did have a tasting. Interestingly centrifuges are now used rather than the old press method! The equipment is very expensive. They do have a cooperative spirit here in providing local olive growers to pay for the use of their equipment.

We had 3 tastings each of a monoculture and the 4th was a blend. We were to warm the cup holding our olive oil and then slowly sip it with some air. That is to be the correct way to taste the oil. Also, the tasters at competitions receive each oil tasting in a blue glass as the color of olive oil has nothing to do with its quality. The first tasting has a fresh grass sort of taste and the last did not.

After our tasting we had some snacks with the olive oil drizzled on it. The biggest surprise though was vanilla ice cream with fig and plum fruit on it and a drizzle of olive oil!

We walked through the small, very quiet town of Bale. Of course, had a coffee. Everything is quite relaxed! I met a couple on their honeymoon and enjoyed talking with them. They are from northern area of Croatia.

See the barn swallow that flew in and has nest on ceiling.

I did see bicyclists throughout this trip. This day they were part of VBT tour. While many towns in the Balkan area have very bicycle-friendly lanes/paths, the roads between the towns have no bike lanes or shoulders. The cyclists with front and rear lights and colorful clothing and helmets were easier to see. Motorists also seemed to provide some distance between their vehicle and cyclists which I was happy to see!

On our way back to Poreč, we stopped at Lim Fjord. Mussels and oysters are grown in the brackish water, but very beautiful area! Water was a bit cool so no swimmers! The area does look like a fjord.

Where we are staying in Poreč does have a place for bicycle storage:

Farewell dinner is tonight and I am off to Trieste, Italy tomorrow. Here is a map of the travel so far with the Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) group I have been with these past weeks! Tomorrow I am a solo traveler for a few weeks in Italy and Greece.

Hike at Plitvice Lakes

May 16, 2026April 30, 2026Posted in bicycling, blogging, environment, history, Plants, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, blogging, environment, hiking, national parks, Nature, travel, wildlife4 Comments

It’s a couple of hours drive from Zagreb to this UNESCO World Heritage Site, Plitvice Lakes. We stopped at a small town where waterfalls were running under people’s homes! I spent some time talking with a bicyclist. He had a fully loaded bike. It is his first adventure. He is German and started in Germany with hopes to cycle through the Balkan countries and finish in Turkey in two months.

Waterfall under a home in this small town.

Bicyclist stopping for lunch at this small town. There are no bike lanes on the road to the national park, Plitvice Lakes.

I had seen a Rick Steves program about the 16 turquoise lakes linked by waterfalls which Plitvice Lakes is known for. On our day hike we only saw 4 of the lakes and the “Big Waterfall”. Plenty of wildflowers; I saw a trout in the water and others did see a frog. Only a few birds were heard. Despite it not being peak season, there were plenty of tourists on the paths and boardwalk. I think the photos show its beauty.

Off to another town in Croatia to make pasta! I’ll be back in a couple of days!

Bicycling and Wildlife: Eye-Level Adventures

February 22, 2026February 4, 2026Posted in Animals, bicycling, Birds, blogging, environment, wildlifeTagged bicycling, birds, environment, wildlife2 Comments

Bicycling is great fun … and more so when I notice new things while trying to get those cycling miles done. Recently I learned not to look too high in the sky at flying birds while I’m bicycling … were there 2 red-tailed hawks flying up there? Geez, and need to keep my eyes on the road!

So I have been thrilled with wildlife sightings at eye level or below. I’ve seen lizards run across the road and make it successfully … and others not so successful. Coyotes often walk across the road from their usual trails. Wished I had my camera available when a bobcat walked across the road! It casually looked at me and moved on. The most fun sighting was watching a mother quail step onto the road, then turn back and indicate something to her chicks, and they all followed her as she crossed the road. Wow!

What wildlife have you observed on your bicycle rides? I know some of you are under snow at the moment, but share what you have seen even in the past! You’ll be on your bicycle again in a few months!

To Bicycle Ride Again!!

November 2, 2025July 27, 2025Posted in bicycling, blogging, writingTagged Arizona, bicycling, Tour de France, Tour de Tucson, travel, TucsonLeave a comment

Bicycle riding is great fun! I have been slow in getting going. In July I was watching the Tour de France on television. Unfortunately Peacock streaming service was needed to view each day’s ride. Cable television only had 4 of the 21 riding days broadcasted.

I love watching the Tour de France each year. It gets those cycling juices in me going and brings back memories of when I was in France. Was it 2007 or 2014, not sure, but been in France both those years. We were on a bicycle tour and happened to be near Mount Ventoux. Mount Ventoux has been ridden by cyclists in various Tour de France from each side.

We decided to bicycle up one side of Mount Ventoux … because it was there and just seemed like it was worth a try. Okay, we are not professionals. We pedaled uphill for about an hour, a fraction of the uphill distance, and flew down to our starting point in 10 minutes. The uphill journey was with some switch-backs we created on the road, but the downhill ride was STRAIGHT down! To this day, I am not a fan when I am over 33 mph on my bicycle. That experience has remained a memory every time, and especially when I watch the Tour de France each July.

Had to buy myself a shirt for my tiny ride!

Now many cyclists are readying for the El Tour de Tucson. Yup, that’s right here in Tucson Arizona and the neighboring towns! Maybe you are signed up for the November 22 tour. It’s a popular event. People must register ahead for either the 102 mile Century, or the 63 mile Metric Century, or the 32 mile Half Metric Century. Someday I should ride this tour. I think about it. Would be more impressive if I actually cycled it … to bicycle ride again … a tour here in my hometown.

If you are riding the El Tour de Tucson, I wish you a great ride!!

Smell Flowers & Watch Wildlife While Mountain Biking

October 5, 2025September 24, 2025Posted in Animals, bicycling, blogging, environment, Plants, Travel, wildflowers, wildlife, writingTagged Arizona, bicycling, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

Mountain biking requires me to truly focus on what I am doing while pedaling various trails. Some are smooth, others rocky. Some uphill, some downhill. Some steep and others even less enjoyable! But as seasons change I take notice of the wildlife, plants and animals. I actually find myself stopping to photograph the flowers that sprouted after a monsoon rain:

When especially lucky, I may see a squirrel or on this particular day, elk moving through an area! I know elk migrate here in northern Arizona, but rarely do I get this opportunity to see them. By the time I pulled my camera out, they were a distance away, but still seen:

What a great day!

Ups and Downs of Mountain Biking!

September 21, 2025September 9, 2025Posted in adventure travel, bicycling, blogging, environment, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, mountain biking, Nature, travelLeave a comment

Mountain biking is not for the faint of heart! Even while riding “easy”, “green” color-coded mountain bike trails, a rider will approach short, steep hills or ridiculously rocky areas at uphill and downhill sections of the trail. I love the challenge of it all!

While exploring new areas on my mountain bike, I stop and smell the vanilla scent of Ponderosa pines in Flagstaff, Arizona and see the seasonal change of tree colors in Park City, Utah. I chat with other bikers from various areas of the USA. We commiserate about tough mountainous trail sections and smile while reminiscing about rolling, long miles through meadows.

E-bike riders are now on the scene. I have mixed emotion about them. The purist in me wants to keep me pedaling for many more years; however, I also need to acknowledge the day will come when I want to be on a mountain trail and an e-bike is what I will need too. Just thinking back 15 years ago, I easily rode the intermediate, blue-coded trails and now they can be tough for me. So we all respectfully co-exist on trails to enjoy the outdoors.

Bikes are wonderful machines when working. Recently I ended an 8 mile mountain bike ride in my smallest chain ring and with my left-hand shifter not working! Nothing allowed me to shift into my middle or big chain ring, so I could only be happy that it was in the small chain ring while on the mountain trail.

Bike repair people see and solve all kinds of mechanical issues. I had an unusual jammed derailleur that took some time to be solved. The guy discovered a small stone wedged in an area that could only remove itself when the bicycle was upside down. Once it and shifter were fixed, I was back to cycling another day!

There is the little rock causing all to jam my chain rings!

Mountain biking is great fun, despite requiring more energy from me when I compare it to riding my road bike. But the opportunity to be on a forest, desert, meadow or mountain trail away from vehicular traffic is a bonus I want to continue to enjoy for years to come!

Colorado: What’s Not to Love!?! Part 1

July 10, 2025June 26, 2025Posted in adventure travel, Animals, bicycling, blogging, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, Nature, travel, wildlifeLeave a comment

Colorado is the state I chose to, once again, drive through as I return to Arizona. This time to explore areas outside of Colorado Springs, Salida, Durango and Cortez.

For starters, I had a Harvest Host night at a brewery in downtown Colorado Springs! Great beer, easy walking the downtown area and time spent chatting with a couple from State College, PA. They left early the next morning to complete the Manitou Incline. I wish I was in shape to even think of accomplishing that!

A great day for bicycling in Colorado Springs: started on the New Santa Fe Trail from the E. Woodmen/Edmondson Trailhead. Wow, the altitude and heat made for a shortened bike ride. Another day, I visited the Fountain Creek Nature Center and took a bicycle ride at the Fountain Creek Regional Park. Very nice trail and a well – done nature center … worth a visit. (I saw a red-headed, 2.5 foot long snake… still not sure what it was!)

Drove along the Arkansas River and watched people rafting. If I had one more day here, I would have signed up for a rafting trip. Two of my Salida friends were not available, but I did catch up with my friend in Poncha Springs! Great fun for a couple of days. Bicycled on a trail in Salida, cycled right in for lunch, and watched surfers on the “standing wave” downtown. Amazing balance to ride that wave!

Surfing on the “standing wave” in the river is a challenge!

My ride from Poncha Springs to Colorado City was through the San Isabel National Forest. It rained and hailed!! The few vehicles on the road were driving half the normal speed limit. Thank you! Crazy weather! Next day, beautiful!

I stayed at a KOA, Kampgrounds of America, for 2 nights and the day in-between was a “No Drive” day. I got distracted doing too many things in the morning, so by the time I got on my bicycle it was hot. Throwing in a lunch stop was enough motivation to at least do a few miles in this altitude. I’m getting better but the heat does not help me.

Couple of Harvest Host nights … Pagosa Springs area and then Cortez … with a drive through Durango. Interesting to see how this area has changed! We had a bicycle tour across southern Colorado decades ago. We cycled from Cortez to Alamosa. Beautiful country in Colorado and it still is. But the crowds of people, developed land, and overall congestion made me wonder where it was we cycled years ago!

Before arriving in the congestion and construction traffic of Pagosa Springs, I enjoyed a short hike to Treasure Falls.

My Harvest Host location was outside of Pagosa Springs at a ranch. I am parked in their pasture with the cows just over there, goats walking toward me, and a couple of killdeer squawking as if I am to close to their nest. A deer is running across the nearby hill. It is silent here, except for the wind that continues to blow and I see a distant plane. Will check out the stars in a few hours as this is the best open sky! Good night!

My view … in silence … and wildlife stopping by …

Colorado Time … Various Places for Fun!

May 15, 2025April 30, 2025Posted in adventure travel, bicycling, blogging, environment, Travel, wildlifeTagged bicycling, travel, wildlife1 Comment

Colorado landscape varies as you travel south to north in this state. I had snow in the Pueblo area, brisk weather in Fountain and Lakewood, and finally conditions good enough for bicycle rides three days in a row!

Pueblo, Colorado did have some snow. While I was sleeping in my winter sleeping bag in my van, I chose to let solar energy melt away enough of the snow and ice from the windshield before I took off from the campground that morning. I had my newly purchased ice scraper but did not use it.

Fountain Creek Regional Park and Fountain Creek Nature Center were on my “to visit” list. While the nature center was not open, the numerous trails at the regional park were great! I need to remember this place for future “to stretch my legs” stop and hopefully visit the nature center some day.

Lakewood is where some friends live, but since they were elsewhere I stayed at a Harvest Host location. (If you camp with an RV or camper, more info about Harvest Host is a click away right here.) There I enjoyed conversation with a science teacher and natural/wildlife resource person along with a meal and beer before hitting the sack.

Fort Collins area is my favorite place to bicycle ride from a campground onto the Poudre River Trail. For 3 days I bicycled various parts of the trail plus some trails off the main trail. Temperature was 55 – 60 degrees Fahrenheit, so I kept moving! The wind was more of an issue at times, but as they say … wind at your back is great … did someone say that? Not sure.

Then drove through Nebraska and Iowa to Wisconsin to visit with friends. Here are photos from my Colorado days:

Bicycling on boardwalk section on the Poudre River Trail

Bird watched me while I was eating my entire meal!

Wow! A Must Visit: Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

May 23, 2024May 15, 2024Posted in bicycling, Bike paths, blogging, history, Travel, wildlifeTagged bicycling, history, Kentucky, Nature, travelLeave a comment

My second national park on this trip is a beautiful park with the world’s longest cave system. With over 460 miles of interlocking passageways, the Domes and Dripstones tour had hundreds of steps up and down, while we only walked 3/4 mile through the cave! No photo captures the magnificence or the hugeness of the cave system, whether I stood in large rooms or squeezed through narrow passageways.

Some cave photos:

The grounds above the cave system are green and well-maintained as was the campground. There are many hiking options, plus an almost 10 mile bicycle trail. With a sunny, 82 degree day ….great time for a bicycle ride! Or so I thought, as I headed out on my bicycle. I discovered about 4 miles in this was not enjoyable on my hybrid bike tires and wished I had my mountain bike. What took me almost a half hour one way was 14 minutes back on the road!

Staying at the national park campground with no water, electricity and wifi was wonderful. Four days to truly unplug. As I write this draft blog post, ants, centipedes and other small critters drop in on me. People from different campsites stop by and visit; tours of my van have been provided too! The birds were singing; the squirrels running around and up trees. I think we’re all enjoying the sunshine since we knew rain was in the future. At night while walking the grounds near the lodge and visitor center, the deer were asking why I was in their area. The park really does empty out at this date, but all staff here know the holiday and summer crowds are coming! The cave tour I was on typically has 100-110 people on it. Our tour group had 8 people; quite the personal tour for us!

The park service does a wonderful job of spreading the message: we need to protect and care for our national parks. I like the fact that canned water was available for purchase …. Not in plastic bottles! And no paper towels in the restrooms.

Yes the rain came and the Arkansas leak fix did not work. My van was leaking below the lights in front of my rearview mirror from the previous night’s rain. Damn! I waited for the lodge and visitor center to open. I was 15 minutes early. I decided I should eat breakfast so I stopped at a cafe in the lodge. When the woman asked what can I get you, I asked if she knew of a good auto repair place… it was a Friday; nothing would be open on the weekend. She did and a maintenance guy there also added he has had cab lights on his truck tightened. Off to the GMC place in Glasgow, Kentucky (1/2 hour away) and they tightened the lights and siliconed around them and the antennae. I was very fortunate for them to squeeze me in. I did also say I would sit there all day till they found time. I was out by noon!

Back at the campground I was fretting the upcoming rain so I booked the Historic Cave tour to be underground for 2 hours. This tour was so different! When the cave system was first discovered this was the only entrance and it was into large rooms! African American enslaved individuals mined the saltpeter used in the Civil War. You can see the hollowed-out tree trunks once used as water pipes. The history of the mine was fascinating as we walked 2 miles on this tour. The cave’s rooms on this tour were large in width and height!

There is a fungal disease affecting bats, white-nose syndrome. To protect them we walked over a bio-security mat to wash the bottoms of our shoes so we did not spread any fungi from one cave to another. Interesting!

I attended a ranger talk at night, walked some trails, birded at another and watched the Green River ferry in action. You jam so much in at a time when the rains stops! I was only a short distance away from my next campground so I visited 3 Amish-owned businesses, grabbed a sandwich, bought some items, and unfortunately was driving the back country roads in torrential rains, thunder and lightning! Yes, the van leaked. It seems a 50 mph drive through an impactful rain causes water to find its way to my misery. Will deal with it another day and hope for sun in the in-between time!

Photo of a very sweet-tasting chess cake. Bet you never heard of a “chess cake”. I purchased it at an Amish-owned bakery. Also bought a sandwich with lettuce and tomato; a luxury to enjoy when on the road.

Interesting! Tallest Flagpole in the World?

April 18, 2024April 12, 2024Posted in bicycling, Travel, writingTagged bicycling, travelLeave a comment

I was on my way to camp at the Salton Sea Recreation Area in California. I know no cold drinks are available there. I looked at the Google map to see if a store was on my route so I could buy an Arizona green tea before arriving at the campground. What’s this also on the map … the tallest flagpole in the world?

An advantage of solo travel is I can check out whatever I want. I decided to drive by this site, then buy a cold drink. Yes, and interestingly the TOP of the flagpole is at sea level! So this town of Calipatria, California is 184 feet below sea level. Okay, while they claim to have the tallest flagpole in the western hemisphere … truth be told there are taller ones in the world and USA.

I finally arrive at a store to buy my cold drink and before entering the place I am in a discussion with 2 bicyclists. A husband and wife team cycling from San Diego to Flagstaff, Arizona by way of the Grand Canyon … and this town of Calipatria. Jokingly I said, you too wanted to see the tallest flagpole in the world? Well they thought I was pulling their leg. I pointed it out to them. We laughed and talked plenty about cycling cross states and then each went our own way before the rain started to fall. All simply a fun day!

Here is the flagpole: