Mike and Beth's Adventures

My brother has lived on the east coast since he graduated from college.  I'm the engineer in the family and he is the life sciences guru.  For the last 20 years or so, he has been a professor and Department Chair for the Pharmacy and Chemical Biology Department at the University of Pittsburgh. When ever we get together it's just like we are back in junior high school and we are just as goofy and irreverent and silly and full of bodily function jokes as we were as kids.  I wouldn't have it any other way. I never would have thought bike riding would be any good in urban Pittsburgh, but my brother has figured out how to take advantage of various bike paths and routes to string together fun rides.  Abandoned rail road right of ways have been converted to bike trails and former RR bridges have been reborn to allow pedestrians and bikers to cross the rivers which surround the town.  We biked from his house to Fort Pitt where   the  Monongahela  and...

Sidney has captured our hearts as the most lively, bustling, compact, everything you could want town on Vancouver Island.  Beacon Street is their main street and from the dock with the fabulous view of Mt Baker, to the many bakeries, restaurants, gift shops, grocery stores, and large grassy common area it invites you to slow down and spend the day.  If you range a bit further you will find excellent chandleries and boat yards,  We especially enjoy the Sea Glass Grill at Van Isle Marina.  It is our favorite lunch stop with many tempting and tasty menu selections. Sidney celebrates their waterfront location by preserving the view with extensive parks and broad walking paths along the shoreline.  It is a relaxing location to walk and enjoy the seaside ambiance.  No more than a couple of miles offshore is Sidney Spit.  This is an island that is almost entirely a Provincial Park and a day or overnight destination for boaters, sailors and kayakers,  The...

What could be better than docking in front of the Empress Hotel Approaching Victoria from the water is an interesting exercise.  The city is located on the southeast corner of Vancouver Island and just off the Straits of Juan de Fuca.  This is an area notorious for strong currents, confused seas, and wild winds.  It did not disappoint.  We experienced all three as we rounded the corner and wove our way through the Chatham Islands towards the inner harbor.  The sea conditions could be compared to boating inside a washing machine.  There were no waves.  That implies some semblance of order.  Instead, the water was jumping and spinning randomly.  We followed two fishing boats, on the assumption that they were locals and knew the best route through the islands, rocks, and reefs.  They were also much larger than us.  If they didn't hit anything, then we would not either.  The plan worked.  We turned to starboard, passed the cru...

On our way downstream from Chattanooga, we stopped in Decatur.  We tied up to the free dock in Ingalls Harbor, a much better location than where we stayed, at Riverwalk Marina, on the up bound trip.  Riverwalk is on an island in the middle of the river and there was no easy way to cross the bridge to town without an automobile.  We couldn't walk or bike as it just wasn't safe.  So we made an effort to stay at Ingalls Harbor on the return trip.  The compromise was we didn't have water or power.  We were OK with this as our solar would top off our batteries and we had 40 gallons of water on board. Beth at Ingalls Harbor Amy Marie and Mike in Decatur Alabama We had made plans to meet friends, who were boarding our truck and trailer for the next year,  for dinner in Decatur.  They suggested Simp McGhee's a restaurant which exuded old fashioned charm while offering fresh Cajun seafood and beef selections sure to please any palate.  Beth and I bot...