David & Brenda With Their New Bikes

No….We didn’t get a new MH.  We bought bikes!  Aahhh…But what’s so interesting about new bikes you say?  Well, for one thing they fold.  Our thought is that when we are towing our vehicle behind our MH, which we always do, we can have our two folding bikes in the back.  So they stay out of the weather and we don’t have a huge bike rack on the back of our SUV.

So folding is interesting, but it still sounds like too much work you say?  Well, how about if they were electric!  Yup…we bought folding electric bikes.  Pretty cool I know.  We discovered on our various journeys that we wished, quite a few times, that we had bikes with us.  There are just some places that are better explored on a bike than through a car window.  So after lots of research, David found these.

They are the EG Vienna Folding Electric Bike.  There are not too many places around that sell folding electric bikes.  Shocking I know.  Online seems to be your best bet to get them.  David found a bike shop, ECO Wheelz, in Plymouth, Michigan (near Detroit) that sold them, plus they had free shipping when you ordered online.  So we headed towards Plymouth to take a test drive, plus it was a different way to get home.

So what does it feel like riding a folding electric bike?  Well, David has attached a short video below to give you an idea.  It’s really interesting and you get used to it pretty quickly.  The speed feels like you are going down hill all the time.  It has 4 modes to the bike.  One is regular peddling, no electric functions.  So yes, you still have to work at peddling.  The next two functions are economy and standard mode.  Those are a peddle assist mode.  So when you peddle, the motor kicks in and helps you along.  You can get up hills a lot easier and go a lot farther because you are not working as hard.  But yes, you still have to peddle.  The last mode is full electric.  You don’t have to peddle for this one.  You just hit the green button and turn your handle to work the throttle.  You can speed up and slow down depending on how far you turn the throttle.  The brakes work the same as any bike, in any mode.  The battery, they say, will allow you to go up to 30 miles in the economy mode.  The more power you use, the less mileage you can get.

Today David & I went down the Erie Canal which has a great bike path.  We are lucky enough to live only a couple miles from the Erie Canal, which runs through quite a bit of New York.  You can see the locks in action (if you time it just right), various boats and kayaks and some beautiful houses .  There’s shopping in the various villages that border the canal and many festivals that go on during the summer.  It’s quite fun to see and experience.  You can not do it all in one day though.  The canal itself is 500 miles long with 57 locks throughout the entire canal system.  Some people will rent house boats and travel along the canal for their vacations, just for a different point of view.  So we parked our car at our local town park, got our bikes out and took off.  We went down to the next village, had some Abbott’s Frozen Custard (a Rochester tradition), visited a museum that we never knew was there and headed back.  Round trip was 9 miles.  Not bad for our first trip.  We were proud of ourselves for getting outside our bubble in our home town.  I grabbed a trail map at the museum so we can plan our next outing.  Maybe this will become a weekly event.

David With Our New Bikes On The Erie Canal

Brenda Biking Down The Canal Path Towards The Town Of Spencerport, NY. Of Course David Taking The Picture Of My Best Side :)

Brenda In Front Of Spencerport, NY Sign. The Spencerport Lift Bridge Is In The Background.

David In Front Of The Canal Museum In Spencerport, NY

Here’s the video showing our bike in action. Note how fast I am going with how little I have to peddle.  This was video was shot after about 4 miles and I am not even tired at this speed.  When we got back home, about 9 miles of riding, the batteries were still showing full.

BK Enjoying The Morning Sun On The Front Dash

This is usually where we would find BK in the morning.  So night-time, when the dash has cooled from the afternoon sun, he would jump up there and sleep.  He’s usually there all night long and it’s pretty common to still find him there in the morning.

Saturday morning was no different.  We spent the night at a campground in the northern Detroit area.  Our plans were to cross into Canada via the Blue Water Bridge at Port Huron, Michigan and find a place to stay for a couple of nights in Canada.

Once we got to the border crossing this is what we found.

Canadian Border Crossing In Port Huron, MI

It took us 45 minutes to get through to Canada.  For those of you who know David, this was torturous.  He kept looking at the clock and informing me every two minutes how much time had passed.  He’s still practicing having patience.

Once on the other side, we had the hardest time trying to find any campground to stay.  The biggest factor was, a lot of what we did find only had 30amps of service.  In this heat that we’ve been having, on 30 amps, we’d only be able to run one air conditioner.  That would not be fun for anyone.  So we decided to drive straight through to home.  Once we crossed into Canada we were only 4 hours from home after all.

So drive we did.  Across from Michigan, into Canada, through Buffalo, NY and then on to Rochester, NY….home.  Aaahhh…you ask how the border crossing was once on the Buffalo, NY side?  First off, going through Niagara Falls is not a good way to go.  It’s one of the busiest, if not THE busiest entry point into the US.  So we drove to the Lewiston Bridge.  That should have been better.  I say should have been because this is what we found.

Border Crossing Into US Via Lewiston Bridge, New York

This entry point took us 1 1/2 hours!  I know this because, once again, David was counting down the time.  I reminded him that at least we had a bathroom and food, where as the guy next to me in his car just finished a large coffee, and we still had quite a distance to cover.  I kept having flashbacks to the Sandra Bullock/Hugh Grant movie, Two Weeks Notice, where she has to go to the bathroom and she runs up to an rv and asks if she could use theirs.

Anyway, we made it home safe and sound.  The kitties are running around the house like we never left.  Up to their old tricks.  Sleeping in there usual spots in the house.  This trip didn’t seem to phase them at all.  I think BK misses the open road though.  Sometimes when I go to take the dog out for a walk, BK makes a run for the door.  Like he thinks we’re going to leave him home or something.  He never did this before the trip, or during.  We’re looking to go out again in another couple of weeks. Labor Day Weekend.  We’re going to the Thousand Islands area (about 3 hours from us) with some friends of ours.  After that…who knows.

Freighter Passing Under Blue Water Bridge In Port Huron, MI / Canada Border

View From Lewsiton Bridge Border Crossing. This Is The Lewiston Hydro Dam.

American Countryside Farmers Market

We found out that the American Farmer’s Market in Elkhart, Indiana will be closing in another three weeks.  Oh no!!!!

So of course, we had to go to Immer Frish Donuts to get our fill before they leave.  Of course, just as we find something that we enjoy, they get rid of it.  Bummer.

So here’s our last picture of Immer Frish Donuts.

David With Immer Frish Donuts

We just had to share this sad sad news with you all.  And no…they are not all for us.  We were heading to Focal Wood to get some more wood working done and we brought Carlyle and his wife some donuts.  We figured we’d spread the love.

Can you tell we like to eat our way across the US?

Brenda Standing Outside A 1916 Camper Puller By A Model T

In all the times we have traveled through this part of Indiana, we never stopped at the RV/MH Museum.  Today we did.  What a neat place.  They have old campers all the way back to 1916, as you can see from the picture above.  I think my favorite part was seeing the campers from the 40′s – 60′s.  With there shag carpet to the green and gold appliances.  Makes you think, wow, that is what looked good back then?  Then again, wait a few years and people in the future will be saying the same thing about our stainless steel appliances and granite countertops.

I can easily tell you what David’s favorite was.  When he saw this he lite up like a kid in a candy store and exclaimed, “It’s the Urban Assault Vehicle!”.  It was the GMC EM-50 “Urban Assault Vehicle” used in Stripes, the Bill Murray movie.  Oh come on…don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.  “Razzle Dazzle…Boom Shacka Lacka Lacka Boom Shacka Lacka Lacka Boom Shacka Lacka Lacka Boom!”  Now picture David re-enacting the precision marching scene as he get’s lost in the memories.  You can picture it now can’t you? OK…This’ll refresh your memory, at least as far as the Urban Assault Vehicle goes…

David Standing Outside The GMC EM-50

GMC EM50 Urban Assault Vehicle From The Movie "Stripes"

OK…so maybe it wasn’t the exact one.  But it still was pretty cool. Now for those of you who think we’ve completely gone nuts, you must go rent the movie Stripes.  Then come back to this post and commence laughing.

There’s not much more to say about the museum itself.  They have lots of displays of various rv’s from various time periods.  The neat part about this museum is they let you go into quite a few of the rv’s on display.  I don’t know of many other museums that let you touch and walk into display units.  You really get the feel for how rving has drastically improved over the years.  I say now that I can’t believe people used to live in these.  There was one from the 1940′s that a couple had lived in for over 48 years.  Not changing or upgrading anything inside.  Here’s a picture.

Inside Of A Camper From The 1940's

One of the museum’s prized possessions is the 1931 Mae West Housecar.  Chevy made this custom housecar for Paramount Studios to entice Mae West away from the Vaudeville circuit to make movies.  It had a small balcony on the back that Mae West used to sit in a rocking chair when weather permitted.

Mae West Housecar From 1931

All in all it was a full afternoon of “wow’s” and “I can’t believe people used to live in these!” moments.  The rv industry is celebrating 100 years of history this year.  I can only imagine what people will be saying in another 100 years when our rv’s are on display somewhere.

1929 Covered Wagon. This Was The First Production Travel Trailer Made In The US. The Company Went Out Of Existence With WWII.

David Checking Out A Custom RV. It Was Made To Fit Into An Existing Garage Attached To A House.

Studabaker That Pulled A 41 Foot Travel Trailer.

Inside The RV/MH Museum.

Mock-Up Of The Star Ship Enterprise With Our MH In The Background. Riverside, Iowa

After the balloon fest I was looking at the atlas to find another place to go.  I found Riverside, Iowa.  What’s in Riverside, Iowa you ask?  Not much, that’s for sure.  It’s a sleepy little town that is 2 hours east of Indianola, Iowa where the balloon festival was.  What my atlas said was there made me Google it to find out more about this town.  According to my atlas, Riverside, Iowa is the “Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk” .  I kid you not!  Someone had a sense of humor when they were labeling memorials on the atlas.

Well, being sci-fi fans, we had to make this trek.  Pun intended.  After all, the back of our MH has the saying, “To Boldly Go…Because We Can!”  So we went.

Let’s just say, if it wasn’t for this memorial, there is nothing interesting about Riverside, Iowa.  Except maybe the local bakery that made wonderful turnovers…but I digress.

Once we found a place to park, we had to ask where this memorial was.  It was not well marked, online didn’t mention where it was and therefore it was very difficult to find.  To say it was hidden is an understatement.  The memorial is behind a small salon, on main street.  The town looks like it was built around this tiny little house.  You then have to go to the side of the building, between the salon and another building, around a white picket fence like you’re going into someone’s back yard, and low and behold…there it is!

David Finding The "Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk" Memorial

Also in town is a small Star Trek Museum.  I think using the term museum is a stretch.  It’s really a small building, smaller than our MH, filled with pictures that someone had printed off there computer of Star Trek movies, actors and such.  They did have some autographed memorabilia, but not much.  You can even take your picture between two cardboard cut-outs of Kirk and Spock.

Apparently, every year, the last week-end in June the town holds Trek Fest.  There’s carnival rides, vendors selling everything you could imagine and a parade.  The town has a mock-up of the Starship Enterprise and a Shuttle Craft.  They have even had some of the original actors, like the actor that played Chekov, come and take part.  Once the lady’s at the museum heard David’s Star Trek airhorn, they invited us to be in the parade next year.  Yes…David has a Star Trek airhorn. If you haven’t heard it, you don’t even have to ask.  You’ll hear it whenever we leave anywhere.  He has fun with it.  It’s all in good fun.

So next time you find yourself driving across I-80 in Iowa, and your in the Iowa City area, head south on Route 218.  You’ll find a truly unique memorial not 30 minutes away in Riverside, Iowa.  Besides, how often can you say you’ve visited a memorial of a future historical event?

After We Found The Memorial, We Found This Flag Marking The Site.

David & Brenda At The "Future Birthplace Of Captain James T. Kirk" Memorial

Shuttle Craft Outside Museum

View Looking Up From Our Hot Air Balloon

Like our saying, “When was the last time you got outside your bubble?” Well, we got outside our bubble, and literally under our bubble, Friday morning.  David took me on a hot air balloon ride.  This was a first for the both of us.  Boy…was it worth it!

We chose the 6:30am flight.  That, if I do say so myself, is the best time to go.  Not only do you get the beautiful sunrise, but you also get calmer air, mist burning off the fields and lots of wildlife.

We were there on the field, at 6am, from the very beginning.  From the unraveling of the balloon from it’s storage bag, to hooking it up to the basket that happened to be laying on it’s side and the inflation.  This was really interesting to watch the teams of people making this all happen.  They definitely had this down to a science.  There were three balloons in all going up with passengers.  Off in the distance there were another 100 balloons, with just pilots and co pilots in them, going up for the festival.  When we got up in the air, we saw the other balloons chasing us in the distance.

This truly was an amazing experience.  We were up for over an hour.  Our pilot, Andy, was great.  He had been flying balloons for over 24 years!  He had such control over the balloon.  Well, as much control as you could have with a hot air balloon.  He took us up over 1 mile.  Then he lowered us down and brushed the corn fields, taking us back up again.  The deer did not think this was so great.  We saw quite a few deer running through the fields not knowing what this giant thing is in the air.

The hour went by quickly.  Once we were ready to head down Andy had to find a nice place to land.  That’s the tricky part.  Without knowing where you will end up due to the wind conditions, you have to rely on nice people not minding if you drop down in there back yard.  Andy said most people don’t mind and you certainly don’t want to land in waste high fields.  That would be a lot harder to get the balloon, basket and people out of there.  So a nice backyard is what you aim for.  And remember the team that helped put everything together in the beginning?  Well, they were in our chase vehicle.  Once we landed they were right there ready to put everything away.  What a task.  It took about 1/2 hour to put everything together in the beginning and another 1/2 hour to put everything away.

It was a beautiful morning to go up in a balloon.  We enjoyed every minute.  Would we do it again?  Someday.  For now, we can enjoy sharing our story and our pictures.  Speaking of pictures, there were way to many for us to choose from.  So here’s a sampling complete with a video of the landing.

Inflating The Balloons For The Morning Rides

David & Brenda Getting Ready To Go Up. Our Balloon In The Background Being Inflated.

Sun Rising Over Iowa Fields

Beautiful Iowa Fields And The Sun Rise View From The Balloon.

Mist Burning Off The Iowa Fields

Our Shadow From The Air

David Enjoying The View.

The Landing Video (Don’t let the burner blast scare you!)