New England Shore Trek Gets Inside History at Mystic Seaport

Our intrepid New England Shore group reached the living history museum at Mystic Seaport early in the afternoon, so they had lots of time to explore the seaport and learn about old New England maritime life.  Our report from leader Josh included the phrase "and it was just really cool" no fewer than five times, and "the kids loved it" four more times, so apparently it was a real hit.

In addition to taking a few funny photos, the Trekkers went to the planetarium to learn about navigating on the ocean by the stars, got a demonstration from a blacksmith about how whaling harpoons were made and used, checked out ship-building exhibits, made candles, made rope, and generally poked into every corner of the site.

    

They have a long day of biking ahead of them -- almost 40 miles -- so they plan to take full advantage of the cushy beds and air conditioning at their hotel tonight, so they can wake up fresh and ready to face the next day's challenges!

Lake Ontario Trek Explores Southern Ontario

The Lake Ontario Trek group biked out of Niagara Falls and coasted down a series of beautiful hills, heading toward Toronto.  They stopped for lunch at the Museum at Lock 3, where they had a picnic lunch in the museum's park and watched a barge get lowered down beyond the canal walls.

In the afternoon, they had a great swim in the pool at their campground, then built a fire and roasted hot dogs.  They're camping out again tonight, and then they'll spend three nights in downtown Toronto before striking out on winding back roads and bike paths through Great Lakes country.

New York - Montreal Trek Has a Great Time in Albany

Our second New York - Montreal Trek enjoyed smooth biking into Albany, where they stayed in the very classy Hilton Garden Inn, right downtown.  They had a particularly fun and energetic guide for their 2.5-hour tour through the New York State Museum, and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing -- but especially the carousel:

The Trekkers had picked up a whiffle ball set, and they put it to good use in Washington Park:

They finished their day with ice cream, some much-needed laundry, games, and swimming in the hotel's pool and hot tub.  They should be well-rested, because they have their biggest biking day ahead of them: 48 miles to Moreau State Park.

Pacific Northwest Trek Gets to Know Victoria, BC

Trekker Sunny has an update for us on the Pacific Northwest Trek's travels through Canada:

The longest day for the Pacific Northwest Trekkers ended us up in Victoria, BC, Canada. We biked 63 miles on roadways, horse paths, and everything in between, finally arriving at Hostelling International Victoria where we made quality quesadillas in the kitchen. We ended our day with an evening constitutional through the lively downtown. We stumbled upon a music festival on the water where we saw the closing act of the one and only Shaggy!

The next day we visited the Royal BC Museum and then saw the Pride parade as it bounced by outside. We went to lunch at a barbeque placed called Pig. The rest of the day, we spent exploring the city. For dinner, we got pizza and ate in the hostel, and then watched a movie together in the tv room. We then finished out the night playing cards. Writing this, we are on a ferry on the way to our next adventure on the Olympic Peninsula.

 

What a view!

Our Pacific Northwest Trekkers return to the US today for two days in beautiful Olympic National Park.

Capital Times for the New York - Montreal Trek

The New York - Montreal Trek had a great time in Albany. Friday, they got in to town and went down to the plaza for the evening. They enjoyed some live music, had dinner, and watched the fireworks at the 4th of July celebration. Saturday, they visited the New York State Museum, had a picnic lunch in Washington Park, went out for Mexican food for dinner, and saw a musical performance at the park playhouse.

European Phantom Dutch Photo Blast

Here are some photos of the group's travels in the Netherlands...

Boat tour view

Boat tour

The Anne Frank Museum and Annex

Pancakes for dinner, why of course!

in the Torture Museum

Dinner time!

a well deserved afternoon at the beach in Den Haag...

The main beach area.  And that majestic building? It's a hotel-the famous Kurhaus Hotel to be exact.

The living to fine and easy in the Netherlands!...