Fort Collins Visit - Family, Snow day and Cycling

I spied a wonderful Peanuts-themed book box. One afternoon, we made slab pottery at their place.

 I visit our eldest son in Fort Collins every year. My husband drove again, hauling our mountain bikes. This year was extra special because of staying at their first home, a 3-level townhouse, close to Horsetooth Reservoir, foothills trails, and a city park. The location suits them: great for walking, riding trails, and daily walks with their large dog. Their basement alone is good-sized, complete with a large bathroom - a perfect setup for guests. And their garage, well, let's just say they love cycling as much as my husband and I do.

For 10 days, we stayed near Fort Collins in general, this time around. We hung out with old friends one evening, visited a brewery for trivia night, and cycled almost every day except for the day a wild, but beautiful snowstorm dumped 5" of heavy snow, breaking limbs all over the city. We sat in recliners at a cool theater.

 On Mother's Day, we visited an amazing train museum in Greeley, complete with a humongous model train set up - per my request - and it was wonderful. But that's not all, we had lunch nearby at Weldwerks, a recommended brewery, and later my son and I mountain biked in a natural area, then we all had pizza at a low-key spot. It was likely the best Mother's Day ever!

The high desert climate speaks to me. Dry air, abundant sunshine, low-growing cactus, wildflowers, non-poisonous bull snakes, prairie dogs, deer, magpies, open landscape, cliffs, reservoirs, rivers, and canals. It is interesting in an arid climate, how water is captured, contained,  and channeled (sloped sidewalks direct water to street-side catchment areas that drain to canals). I learned that 40% of Fort Collins' water supply comes from the Colorado River! That kind of diversion wouldn't happen today. It makes me wonder how many other communities east of the Rockies rely on the same resource. Even with all that, Fort Collins and the surrounding communities are growing. Unfortunately, drought conditions were abundantly clear - a brown landscape - compared to my last visit.

We cycled most everywhere for groceries and errands. I used my son's Peugeot for city jaunts, and my hardtail on trails. We rode in Hewlett Gulch, Bobcat Ridge Natural Area, and right from their home into the hills. I went by myself a couple of times - my husband had an annoying injury - exploring Spring Creek Trail, Mason Trail, plus discovering more of the foothill network.

I'll be back next year.

Colchester Cemeteries Quest - Exploring History, Part 1

There are six public cemeteries managed by our community. Because the town is spread out and borders a large bay, I knew this quest would help me get out of a cycling rut by offering alternative routes. I also enjoy history, so as a side quest, I hoped to learn something about Colchester's history - it was chartered in 1763, one of the oldest in Vermont, and named after Colchester, England.

At the Malletts Bay Cemetery, the Coates, Prim and Mills headstones caught my eye. All are names I'm familiar with.

Isaac and Lydia Coates came from England in 1833, gradually making their way to Colchester. They farmed and fished, later residing on an island that came to be named the present-day "Coates Island." Several family members still reside on the island today. There have been several acres of wooded plot left undeveloped that I have always wondered about. If I understand both references correctly, it's been left empty in honor of Isaac and Lydia's son William, nicknamed "Gompy". 

"A 20-acre site across from Rozzi’s and still owned by the Coates family is kept open in memory of their Gompy who once had his garden there."

As for the Prim headstones, I only found that Chester's ancestry is from Canada - not surprising for many Vermonters.  A nearby road is named Prim Road.

We parked our bikes next to a gargantuan tree!

On the same day, we visited the Munson Cemetery, a corner lot adjacent to the Munson Farm and former mill. This one is notable because volunteers recently cleaned the headstones. It is the town's first and oldest cemetery, and 6 generations of Munsons are buried there, the longest family history in Colchester! It is also the only public cemetery with plenty of burial plots left, thanks to a recent land donation that doubled the available space.

Blakely is a prominent road name. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out any more information on Ithamer or Cornelia Blakely.

Other interesting facts: James Johnson has a wooden marker (upper right in photo); "In Memory of Tirzah" stone states she's a "consort" - make of that what you will! - while Chauncy Wheeler was previously married to a "Tirzy". Their stones are next to each other, but there the similarity ends. Cloud Monte's plot - the only one in the cemetery - is marked with a Revolutionary War Veteran symbol.

More to come...

Riding the Bassi Rachel on an Overnight to St. Albans

Lunch spot along the Lamoille River in Milton.

 
When spring warms, I start thinking about bike overnights. I have several easy ideas based on riding the bike ferry, which bypasses nasty, high-trafficked roads. Amtrak is also a good resource. This time I decided to revisit a trip I did 4 years ago, starting from home, northward to St. Albans, but take my Bassi Rachel, that tackles rolling terrain with aplomb. 

It's easy to pack two panniers with overnight stuff, as I had reserved a hotel room. At the last minute, my husband had a minor injury, so he promised to meet me later. Pump up tires, wipe the dust off Rachel's shiny frame, fill water bottles, bring simple snacks, requisite tools, and a lock, and I'm off! 

A peaceful interlude: mossy banks, maple sap lines, and privacy.

30 miles each way is doable, even with the forecasted headwind in each direction! The sun felt great, in the 40's F. Red-winged blackbirds serenaded my adventure. I varied my route from last time, revisiting downton Milton and cruising by Arrowhead Lake, sprayed from the dam's roaring cascade, before rolling west, curving northward through farm country and housing sprawl. Between the water-filled gullies and lack of public land, it is difficult to find a private spot, but I eventually did.

I avoided the lakeshore because of the strengthening headwind, in favor of quieter roads before reaching my destination. 

I have always loved the family-friendly ambiance of 14th Star Brewery. Too early for hotel check-in, I hung out, grabbed a snack, and a flight, and coincidentally live bands performed all afternoon. 

I love this spot with a view of the railroad high bridge over the Lamoile River.

We had a quiet evening, then enjoyed breakfast together, before I set off Sunday morning. It was considerably warmer with less wind. I was enjoying the route south, very similar to the previous adventure, past wetlands, farms, and rolling hills. 

The Rachel was the perfect companion: cushiony tires, low gears - a cruising machine. This is the third saddle I've tried, and sadly, it needs another refresh. 

Mini adventures always curb my wanderlust. With retirement on the horizon, I can't wait to spend endless time in the saddle.

2026 Philly Bike Expo

My favorite buddy and I attended the 2026 Philly Bike Expo, driving there on Friday rather than taking Amtrak. The benefits are that we carried full-size bikes and arrived in daylight, which meant bonus afternoon exploratory miles. The tough part was driving 8+ hours with many stops.

This was my third, and my husband's first time attending not only the expo, but also visiting Philadelphia, so after checking into an Airbnb we took advantage of the fine weather (I always get lucky), cruising south along the Schuylkill. My goal was to investigate the new connector, a white, cabled bridge, allowing easy passage to South Philly, which led to further meandering, finding a route near an active trolley line, a visit to the train station, then returning on another safe bridge crossing for dinner at the Airbnb.

I reserved the same place as in previous visits. Not only is it cozy with a full kitchen, but it's also convenient to the expo, easy access to the Schuylkill River trail, and walkable to museums and a grocery store, plus it has roll-in bike storage, while our car was parked a block away. I can't imagine staying anywhere else!

Ben Franklin's grave and a William Penn monument.

As mentioned in previous visits, though the expo is the main attraction, the connection with bike friends, interesting seminars, and organized bike rides is a major draw. I stay for 3 nights to also hit a few historical spots, which makes the 2 long travel days worth it.

We reconnected with an acquaintance that we met on the Cross NH Adventure Trail, who's staying in our town this summer! We plan to meet up. 

Local friend, Roberta, is a good source of ideas. The Liberty Bell had long lines (I saw that previously, but my husband hadn't), but we enjoyed ascending the Ben Franklin Bridge with views of the Delaware River and downtown Philly. Later, we walked from our accommodation and found a block-sized former prison and a defunct railcar business area with a sunken spot we imagine was where the cars "launched".

My favorite parts of this year's Expo: Tumbleweed Bikes booth, Schwalbe Tires plus their informative tubeless tire seminar, Memento Cycles creative small-wheeled creation (it won best in show), Pennsylvania Trails booth (lots of free maps), Shane Sellers bike-themed pottery, and a wonderfully comprehensive history of Schwinn Bicycles seminar, narrated by a relation, who sold the company and went on to found the Gunnar brand - since passed to a Colorado company.

Here's to the friend connections: Roberta, Pam, Leah, and finally meeting Spencer in person.

Philly, we'll be back!

The Bike Wishlist: An Orange-Colored Easy-Mount Mini Cargo Bike

Interesting concept: a step-through mini cargo bike. Paint it orange, and I'm in love. Photo credit unavailable.

I've long had a fascination with orange bikes, and I eventually want one. But it's difficult to justify a new purchase when I already own various styles. 

Enter the mini cargo bike idea. I love small-wheel bikes, so why not an orange-painted, easy-mounting, mini-velo-style? Pedal-powered only.

I've been eyeing the Tern Short Haul. On paper, it ticks all the boxes. It can be stored vertically in a garage, tipped onto its back rack. I had the opportunity to inspect one in our local bike shop. In person, the bike, to my eye, is clunky: thick tubing, moto-style tires, and overall, the length is longer than I had anticipated, especially when I sat on the saddle. It felt ungainly.

Tern Short Haul

There is always the Crust Clydesdale Fork or a similar Veloce Pick Up Fork that converts older mountain bikes into bombproof front loaders. I like this option, despite the hefty price, because it opens up various bikes for conversion. Add high-volume rear panniers, like Vincita's Skye Panniers, and, voila, lots of cargo space.

Photo credit: Veloce Pick Up fork.

What makes sense is eventually replacing my step-through commuter bike, or better yet, repainting it orange, because 20" step-throughs are hard to come by. Along with the fork conversion, I'd add Bullmoose-style bars, something else on my wishlist. They're at a similar angle to the Arc bar on my Peugeot commuter, so they'd work.

Whether or not these ideas come to fruition is anyone's guess. And honestly, I don't need a cargo bike - I just want one.

These are the musings that take up brain space. Tell me I'm not the only one.