Extreme riding
By Dianne
June 30, 2009
The temps are getting higher here
in Arizona… 108 today. WOW!!! Riding during the day here is getting very rare so not much riding news for you ladies this week. When I moved here from New Jersey I thought, Ahh… riding all
year long, this is going to be great! My bike will no longer be cooped up in the garage due to snow and ice. Well, that was true. However, I did not realize the difficulty in riding in the extreme
heat and why you don’t see many bikes on the road when the temps reach 105 and higher during the day.
The best time to ride right now is after sundown. So I go to work, get home, eat dinner and rest. Around 9:00 p.m. is the witching hour! Time to get out on a short hop and make a run for some cool
refreshing ice cream! The amazing part about this as you are riding through certain farm areas you do experience a certain coolness on the bike. Cool of course being 90 as opposed to being 110!!
Just goes to show how dedicated people who ride can be. We go out and get every minute we can!
In New Jersey we used to walk the bikes down the back street covered with snow and as long as the main roads were clear we would take a ride. There may have been a blizzard a few days before but if
you could see black top, we were riding!! It may have been a short ride but nonetheless it was a ride. So on that note ladies, the point is to never get discouraged. When you want to ride you
will ride no matter what… hot or cold! Feel the passion and just do it!!
Locks and Dams of the Upper Mississippi
By Natalie
June 29, 2009
I find riding along the Mississippi River to be
relaxing and often tranquil. The roads following the river are winding and full of scenic views. There are also engineering marvels to see. Along the river are a series of locks
and dams allowing for easier and safer navigation. On Sunday, Terry and I headed on a day ride and we happened to stop at Lock and Dam #2 in Hastings as a number of boats moved into the lock
to head upstream. This blog may seem a bit like science class, but the lock and dam system is very important to travel on the Mississippi and watching the process is popular. Many of
the lock and dam locations even have parks and observations decks.
Terry and I have spent many summer weekends boating on the river often traveling through one or more of the locks and dams to get to our destination. There are 29 Locks and Dams from Upper
St. Anthony Falls (Minneapolis) to Granite City, IL (near St. Louis). These dams were built to hold back water and form deeper navigation “pools” in the river. At each dam is a lock,
which allow ships to either “step up” or “step down” the river from one water level to another. Ships enter a lock, which is then closed off to allow water levels to increase by filling up
with water or decrease by draining. When the water level matches the level of the river in the direction the ship is traveling, the lock is opened and the ship exits. This process can
take a long time and a vessel could wait a couple of hours to get through during busy times on the river. These pictures were taken near Lock and Dam #2 in Hastings, MN. On the other
side of the bridge is Wisconsin.
Questions or comments for Dianne, Natalie or Darnell?
Submit below!
Leave a Comment