Day 51: Takin' It Easy
Posted by the girls on Tuesday, May 24, 2011
It's a good thing we made an appointment at the Great Divide bike shop. We got there a few minutes before they opened and there already were two other people waiting with their needed-to-be-looked-at bikes. As soon as we told them who we were, they took our bicycles and started to work on them. They had plenty of employees, all of whom were very friendly and knowledgeable. For $50, Michelle and Emily had the best tune-ups ever; their bikes looked and felt brand new! Rebekah had to spend a little more, but she got her rear wheel completely re-built (new rim, spokes, and a cassette).
After the bike shop, we rode a few miles north to Olive Garden. We had been looking forward to this meal for several weeks: all you can eat salad, soup, and bread sticks. An hour later, we were satisfied and stuffed (but still stuck a few bread sticks in one of our panniers for later).
Our next stop was the library. We had a lot of planning to do. We didn't get our entire new route planned, but definitely made some progress. We also made some color copies of state maps since we will be going a few weeks off of ACA (Adventure Cycling Association) maps. By the time we finished up, we were ready for another little snack. We stopped at a self-serve frozen yogurt place where you choose your own flavors/toppings for $0.39/ounce. We even made it during their happy hours for an extra 20% off!!
We made a quick stop at the bike shop again; Rebekah's wheel was supposed to be re-trued after riding around on it for a few miles. While waiting, a younger guy came up to us and asked if we were the three girls riding across America. His name was Mark, from the Netherlands, and he had been a few days behind us. He started following our blog (we always leave our web site address in guestbooks). He started biking in Miami, FL and plans to end in Seattle, WA. After our 2 days off, we hope to bike with him from Pueblo to Canon City.
We were able to store our bikes in the basement of the bike shop. Then we walked over to Enterprise car rental. We quickly got ourselves a Honda Civic and were off to Denver! Emily is thinking about moving to Denver after the bike trip, so we decided to take a little road trip. On the way to Denver, we stopped at Garden of the Gods, an awesome array of rock formations.
Once in Denver, we went to Rebekah's high school friend's apartment. Her name is Mariah and she has two roommates, Tessa and Matt. After chatting and catching up for awhile, it was time to call it a night.
After the bike shop, we rode a few miles north to Olive Garden. We had been looking forward to this meal for several weeks: all you can eat salad, soup, and bread sticks. An hour later, we were satisfied and stuffed (but still stuck a few bread sticks in one of our panniers for later).
Our next stop was the library. We had a lot of planning to do. We didn't get our entire new route planned, but definitely made some progress. We also made some color copies of state maps since we will be going a few weeks off of ACA (Adventure Cycling Association) maps. By the time we finished up, we were ready for another little snack. We stopped at a self-serve frozen yogurt place where you choose your own flavors/toppings for $0.39/ounce. We even made it during their happy hours for an extra 20% off!!
We made a quick stop at the bike shop again; Rebekah's wheel was supposed to be re-trued after riding around on it for a few miles. While waiting, a younger guy came up to us and asked if we were the three girls riding across America. His name was Mark, from the Netherlands, and he had been a few days behind us. He started following our blog (we always leave our web site address in guestbooks). He started biking in Miami, FL and plans to end in Seattle, WA. After our 2 days off, we hope to bike with him from Pueblo to Canon City.
We were able to store our bikes in the basement of the bike shop. Then we walked over to Enterprise car rental. We quickly got ourselves a Honda Civic and were off to Denver! Emily is thinking about moving to Denver after the bike trip, so we decided to take a little road trip. On the way to Denver, we stopped at Garden of the Gods, an awesome array of rock formations.
Once in Denver, we went to Rebekah's high school friend's apartment. Her name is Mariah and she has two roommates, Tessa and Matt. After chatting and catching up for awhile, it was time to call it a night.
