Today is a day off in the pleasantly surprising town of Boise.  We wandered into the hotel breakfast with a blank-check sort of mentality… a free day!

For me, the day started with a trip to a local laundromat.  I don’t recall being in a laundromat since my days in college at Colorado State.  $3.25 for a wash and $0.25 per 6 minutes of dryer time.  Time seems to move in slow motion while clothes tumble behind round glass doors and the machines meld into a constant cacophony of industrial background noise.  A two mile round trip would be the only miles I put on the bike today.

With freshly clean clothes, I spent time meandering about town –  through Boise State University, along the Boise River (where floating downriver is a popular summer pastime), to the Boise Art Museum (BAM!), and to the Idaho state capitol building.  A very clean and welcoming city, with newly constructed blocks alongside historic brick buildings, in a picturesque mountain river valley.  A lot to like, which might explain why Boise is one of the fastest growing cities in the country.

The day was capped off with a nice dinner at a downtown Italian restaurant with several of my riding companions, each of us talking about our various travel stories and experiences.  We’ve come to discover we all have quite a bit in common, yet so much that we can learn from each other.  The pleasure of cycling combined with an epic goal has united us in ways that are difficult to describe – a psychology experiment of sorts.  I look forward to continuing the journey.

Day 10 will feature a relatively easy 54 miles to Mountain Home, ID.

~Dan

Today we crossed into Idaho, waving goodbye to Oregon.  In some ways, it seems like we just started with wheel dip in the Pacific Ocean… in other ways, it’s been a long 600 mile journey from a week ago.  Without question, Oregon has been a gracious host – beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, and smooth roads (for the most part).

Lush farmland, grand ranch homes, green golf courses, and sprawling suburbs provided today’s scenery on a mostly flat 65 mile roll into Boise.  Noticeably warmer, as temperatures climbed into the 90s.  The highlight of the day was an outdoor cafe in the trendy area of Hyde Park.  Many riders gathered to hydrate and re-fuel before the last few miles to our hotel in downtown Boise.

Tomorrow is a well-earned rest day for the riders and support crew.  It’s also a day for tuning up our bikes, doing laundry and grabbing some supplies.  And for tonight – a friendly beer pong tournament to celebrate completion of our first segment across America.

It’s been a great ride, with more to come.  ~Dan

Sometimes the best views are behind us.  Sort of a metaphoric statement, but perhaps apropos as we cycle onward.  Here’s an attempted over-the-shoulder selfie, with Oregon’s Elkhorn mountain range in the back vista (along with the morning shadow of a fellow rider).  A somewhat risky maneuver while on the bike, but traffic is virtually non-existent on this pleasant route out of Baker.  ‘Old Highway 30’ has been rendered nearly obsolete by nearby Interstate 84 – but it openly welcomed us two-wheel travelers.

Alas, the friendly old road would eventually give way to the superhighway at about mile 30 today.  We had to ride on the high-speed Interstate for several nerve-wracking miles.  Fortunately, there is a nice wide shoulder, but unfortunately, it’s littered with all sorts of weird road debris.  Thankfully, the Old Highway reappeared to deliver us into the quaint town of Huntington.  Here, the road becomes the historic Oregon Trail.  It’s a special feeling to make a self-powered journey along the same path early pioneers took over 150 years ago.

Further down the trail, as we came along the Snake river, I experienced the inevitable – the dreaded flat tire.  First of the trip for me, and probably something I picked up earlier on the Interstate (a thoughtful departing gift from I-84).  This might explain why those early pioneers used wooden wheels instead of inflated rubber tubes.  Thankfully, my repair was easy enough, but I can’t imagine what those early settlers persevered through as they experienced inevitable breakdowns on their incredible journey.  Also makes me wonder what means of transportation this route will offer 150 years henceforth… hopefully flat-proof bicycle tires will be available by then!

And finally, here’s a picture from the Huntington country store, featuring our Italian rider Maurizio, Herman and Ada from the Netherlands, and Bob – our eldest rider at 78 years young.

More pictures can be found at our touring company website:

https://blog.americabybicycle.com/aan

Tomorrow we cross into Idaho, 65 miles to the capitol city of Boise.

~Dan