Chicago to Pittsburgh

In 2023 I rode the Gap and C&O Canal from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. In 2023-2024 I rode from Fargo, ND to Milwaukee, WI, and last year I did the Lake Michigan Circle Tour, connecting Milwaukee to Chicago and Chicago to Indiana. This trip will complete Chicago to Pittsburgh, so that I will have collectively ridden from Fargo to Washington, D.C.

Palatine to Valparaiso

Day 1: 42 miles. 500 feet of elevation gain.

Since I did Chicago to Indiana last year, I'm cheating a bit and taking the UPNW train to Chicago and then the South Shore Line to Hammond, IN and starting there. It saves a day of riding that I’ve already completed.

The other part of the logistics I want to point out early is that I have designed this trip as a "credit card tour." I'm planning mostly hotel stays, but bringing camping gear in case I can't find other lodging or the camping opportunity is too good to pass up. Hotel options in northeastern Indiana are very limited. The only good way to make the rest of the miles work is to spend the first night in Valparaiso.

This deviates from the Adventure Cycling Association Chicago to New York map, which goes from Hammond to Crown Point and then across and down Indiana. Unfortunately, there is a baseball tournament of some type in Crown Point this weekend and hotels were three times more expensive there than Valparaiso, so Valparaiso it is.

The train rides today were fine. I’ve found the best way to get on the UPNW is to remove the panniers and throw them on first, then carry / lift the bike up. The South Shore Line is easier. All station platforms are at train height so you can just roll on and off.

Leaving the Hammond train station, I started out by heading west. The state line is only a quarter mile away, so I crossed over into Illinois and turned around to make it a full state crossing. The first 20 miles of today's ride are very familiar. It's the same route Le Tour de Shore follows to Hobart.  It includes the Erie Lackawanna Trail and the Oak Savannah Trail. Both are very nice, smooth, and paved. 

I only got about an hour in before thunderstorms caught up with me. So I stopped at a Casey’s for lunch and waited out the storm. Then I continued on. Parts of Main Street in Griffith don’t have a shoulder. I’d recommend staying on the trails all the way to Hobart instead. When I got to Hobart, I followed the trail about a mile further than I should have and had to backtrack a bit.

After Hobart, I’d summarize the roads as east-west good, north-south not safe. I’m not sure why, but there was a real difference in driver behavior between the two directions. If you follow this route, look for lower-speed alternatives on the north-south passages. Once I got to the bike trails near Valparaiso, everything was fine.

The hotel for the evening is the Hampton Inn. It’s a nice hotel, but not very close to restaurants. The Fairfield Inn might be better if you want to save a mile of walking for dinner. I went to Bob Evans. It was that or Wendy’s, and Bob Evens turned out to be pretty good.

Valparaiso to Rochester

Day 2: 66 miles, 1,300 feet of elevation gain. Weather was good, relatively cool, but with a northeast wind that brought in some smoke haze and created a bit of a headwind for several segments.

Today’s route was very different from yesterday. I don’t think I would change anything about this route. It was just about as rural and isolated as one can be in the Midwest. Lots of watching corn and soybeans grow. There were occasional streams, rivers, and woods as well. I did see a couple of deer, four wild turkeys, a fox, and several groundhogs.

There were a few cars here and there, but almost all of them moved over and gave plenty of space. I only remember seeing three cyclists. There were no food options near the route for the first 50 miles. I had extra water, so I was good there. I also had food, but would have selected other options if I realized there weren’t going to be any convenience stores along the way.

In all of my miles of touring, this is the first time I had to deal with an irrigation rig watering across the road. That was a new experience, and a lot of wasted water.

Hotel options in Rochester are limited. There is a Super 8 and a Quality Inn side by side. I went with the Quality Inn. Seeing them both, the Super 8 might be better. But my room was okay. I went to the Pizza Inn for dinner and it was very good.

Rochester to Marion

Day 3: 58 miles, 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Weather started out cool but got quite warm in the afternoon. There was an air quality alert as well. Every once in a while I could smell smoke, but mostly it was just hazy.

The first 25 miles of today’s ride down to Peru were wonderful. It’s a nice, secluded bike path. I saw one other rider for the whole section. Unfortunately, the trail ends about a mile from Peru and you have to take side roads into town. On the other side of town, another five or more miles are fairly busy back roads before you’re on country roads again. Then it alternates roads and trails all the way to Marion.

I don’t think I would change anything about the route, other than to note that Peru is the only real food and water option and to be sure to carry extra and/or fill up while you’re there. Wildlife was more limited today. I saw one deer with velvet antlers and one small frog. The rest were the usual squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, etc.

One note on hotel searches. Be sure to get Marion, IN and not Marion, OH. For some reason, my first search came up with an Ohio reservation. Fortunately, I noticed while I could still cancel it. I ended up staying at the Hampton Inn. It seems fine, but it’s a bit far north relative to the bike path and there aren’t any good food options around. I took an Uber to Don’s Tap for dinner. The beer was good, the burger was just okay. 

Marion to Richmond

Day 4: 77 miles, 1,700 feet of elevation gain. Rain threatened all morning but never got heavy enough to put on a raincoat. The afternoon was sunny and hot.

Most of today’s ride was on the Cardinal Greenway. There are about 15 miles toward the north end that are back roads, but the roads are very well marked with “Share the Road” signs and all traffic cooperated. I wouldn’t change any of the route. But, beware that there are multiple sections of the trail where they have ground up the asphalt and left it as 2” loose gravel. I had to walk several sections where it wasn’t packed enough to ride safely.

There was a gas station in Matthews, plenty of food options in Muncie, and a water stop at the Losantville trailhead. That’s about it. Bring extra water and plan your food carefully. I stopped at Mr. and Mrs. B Champs sports bar in Muncie and it was good.

I didn’t see a lot of wildlife today. There was one spot where I thought I saw a deer off the trail, but that was about it. I didn’t see any cyclists in the morning. I did meet an adventure cyclist at the last trailhead before Richmond. He was headed north. He started in Washington, DC and was going to Seattle. He gave me some suggestions for Ohio and West Virginia, and I returned the favor for Indiana and Illinois.

There are a lot of hotel options in Richmond, but most of them are further east than I wanted. I chose the Baymont. There is quite a hill to get to the hotel from the trail, but it seemed better than an extra five miles riding. Dinner was at Bob Evans again, and it was very good.

Richmond to Cincinnati

Day 5: 72 miles, 3,500 feet of elevation gain. The weather was very cool today. Low to mid 70s for the high and a strong tailwind. The first 50 miles of the route were great, very remote and little traffic. After I crossed the Miami River and hit Blue Rock Road it became very stressful. Blue Rock is fairly narrow, twisty-turny, hilly, no shoulder, and almost constant traffic. Everyone who could moved over. There were several times where I bailed out onto the grass or a driveway to avoid a beer truck or similar.

Once I got into Cincinnati, it was a bike lane on a six-lane street. Safe, but still very stressful. Busses were the worst part, because the bike lane was also their lane. So, 50 good miles and 20 miles I wouldn’t repeat. If you follow this route, consider other options for the last 20 miles into Cincinnati.

Now for the good parts. Once I got down to the Ohio River, I stopped for a snow cone. Right after that, I saw an adventure cyclist waiting for his friend. He had just completed his ride down the OTET from Cleveland. We talked rides for 15 or 20 minutes until his friend was close enough to go meet up.

The hotel this evening is the Hampton Inn in Newport, Kentucky. It turns out the hotels on the Kentucky side of the river are half the price of those on the Ohio side. Also, anyone coming this way, there is a Purple People Bridge across the river that is closed to vehicles. Joggers, pedestrians, and bikes only. Much less stressful.

For dinner I went to the Hofbrauhaus. While waiting in line, the gentleman in front of me was also alone and I asked if it was okay for me to join him. He said yes, and it turns out that he has a computer background and works in electronics equipment sales for the medical industry. He is retiring later this year. He and his wife have five grown children and 18 grandchildren. All are very successful in their fields. It was great to share stories and enjoy dinner together. Food and beer were both excellent. The Hofbrauhaus is highly recommended.

Cincinnati to Xenia

Day 6: 70 miles, 1,500 feet of elevation gain. The weather was sunny and cool to start with and warm in the afternoon with a moderate headwind. Today was my bonus day. The Little Miami River Trail is supposed to be the best part of the OTET, so that was the reason for riding to Cincinnati instead of Richmond directly to Xenia.

Regarding the route, be sure to download the official route from the OTET website. That includes a flatter route and any construction detours. Both Google and Ride With GPS wanted me to do extra hundreds of feet of elevation gain leaving Cincinnati. The official route is a little longer, but stays at river grade the whole way.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night and was very tired today. So, while the route is certainly pretty, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I might have. The afternoon was more of a grind. Turn on the tunes and get it done.

The first part of the route is heavily used by bikers and pedestrians. Very different from the Indiana ride. The usage lightens up a bit as you go north. Interestingly, I’ve also seen more recumbent bikes on this trail than I have anywhere else.

I met three guys on e-bikes who were also headed north. They were following a stop-for-food-and-beer-frequently approach. They’d stop, I’d pass them. I’d stop, they’d catch up and stop to eat and/or drink, etc. Last I saw them they had stopped for dinner and still had 30 miles to go.

I stopped for lunch at Ramsey’s in Loveland, which is highly recommended. The hotel for the evening is the Hampton Inn in Xenia. There is a Butterbee’s restaurant across the street. The food was very good but the service was slow.

Xenia to Columbus

Day 7: 71 miles, 1,400 feet of elevation gain. The weather was more of the same, cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. The headwind was lighter today. I only really noticed it in the morning. It did get cloudy after noon, which helped hold down the heat somewhat. I got sleep last night, and did a much better job of stopping for food and drink today.

Along the way, I met a young man who had all of his worldly possessions with him. He even had his dog behind his bike in a trailer. He said they were ultimately headed for South America. He had just started out from Cleveland and was becoming familiar with the pains-in-different-places part of adventure cycling. I shared some suggestions on seat adjustment he could try and then wished them well. 

The first 40 miles of this route have some type of rest stop every 10 miles or so. Then it gets very limited until downtown Columbus. The last 10 miles into Columbus are “interesting”. Part of it is on-road bike lane. Part of it has homeless encampments in the woods, etc. I didn’t feel unsafe, but there was at least one rider headed the other way who was very uncomfortable.

I stopped at Jimmy John’s downtown for a late lunch. Then rode on to north Columbus. North of downtown the route follows Interstate 670 with multiple crossovers. Be aware that these intersections can be dangerous on a Friday afternoon. I encountered a pickup driver who was convinced that 10 seconds of his life was more important than the entire rest of my life.

My intent was to get to Westerville, but there weren’t any hotel options available, so I stayed at the Hampton Inn in north Columbus. It adds six miles to tomorrow’s journey. For dinner I went to BJ’s Restaurant. It was the opposite of last night. The service was good but the food was disappointing. Not recommended.

Columbus to Millersburg

Day 8: 81 miles. 1,700 feet of elevation gain. More great weather. It was cool in the morning and then sunny and warm in the afternoon. Fortunately, most of today’s trail was in the shade.

Today was a long day. The further east you get in Ohio, the harder it is to find lodging of any type, especially hotels. Millersburg has a few, so that was the destination. This part of the OTET is less used, but still very well maintained. It was essentially 30 miles gradual uphill, 30 miles gradual downhill, 5 miles up, and then 16 down or flat.

I didn’t meet a lot of people on the trail today. There was a couple at one of the trailheads and a few more cyclists along the way. I continued to see almost as many trikes and recumbents as I did regular cycles. What was new today after Mount Vernon was a significant Amish presence. I saw some horse and buggy combinations, but by far they were mostly riding cargo e-bikes. Dozens and dozens of them.

Also interestingly, the trail has separate designated sides for horses and bikes. And as I approached Millersburg, the surface changed. The bike side was smooth and the horse side was crushed gravel. That was really interesting to see, but it certainly makes sense in terms of protecting the surface. It’s probably easier on horse hoofs as well.

For lunch I stopped at Dave’s Cosmic Subs in Mount Vernon. It was very good. Dinner was at East of Chicago Pizza in Millersburg. Service was outstanding and the food was good. The hotel for the evening is the Holiday Inn Express. The manager there is very good.

Millersburg to Atwood Lake Park

Day 9: 45 miles. 3,100 feet of elevation gain. Weather was still good. Humid in the morning, cloudy and not as hot as it could have been in the afternoon. Millersburg is the point where the OTET heads north and I headed east.

I considered at least four different ways to get to Pittsburgh from the OTET. There is a USBR 50 that heads east from Westerville. For some reason, none of the routing apps I use thought that was a good option. Google wanted me to do shoulders on high-speed roads. I’ve done that and I don’t enjoy it. Ride With GPS takes a very rural approach and I decided to go with that.

Today was very low traffic, particularly the first 30 miles or so. But boy howdy did the hills make up for it. There were at least seven significant climbs today, each with 200 feet plus in elevation gain. The slope was also challenging. I think I walked up the steepest part of four hills. I can sustain 7% to 8%. I can manage 9% to 10% for short periods. Today’s hills were hitting 14% to 15%. Just get off and push.

Today was Sunday. And in this community, it meant everyone was at church. It was neat to see all of the horses and buggies lined up outside the Amish gatherings. And the ones who weren’t there were at the Mennonite church down the road. I stopped there to get water and got a smile from one of the ushers. Another 10 miles down the road I stopped at another church and got more water and blessings as well. There are advantages to Sunday morning rides.

I stopped for lunch at Subway in Dover. This evening is camping at Atwood Lake Park. The lake is very much a boating destination. There appeared to be at least a hundred boats in the marina. The campground has 600 spaces. The first 100+ are pretty well spread out and more primitive. The other 500 are typical RV spaces and pretty close together. It’s a nice campground and has Wi-Fi. The only caution is that a lot of the primitive sites are not level. I had an early dinner at the camp store and then went swimming in the lake.

Atwood Lake Park to Collier

Day 10: 61 miles, 3,600 feet of elevation gain. Weather was hot and humid. This was my toughest day of adventure cycling so far. The first few miles were climbing out of the lake area. Then maybe 20 miles on Route 212. Route 212 is relatively high traffic and not bike friendly. I thought I would say that part was the worst. It wasn’t. There was more to come.

The second part of the route is about 15 miles on a nice bike trail. I stopped at the Jewett Family Diner for breakfast, and it was very good. After that I followed USBR 50 for a while. That was relatively low traffic and seemed fine. But somewhere Ride with GPS turned off USBR 50 and took me into the middle of nowhere. I ended up on some gravel power line maintenance road. Then that got flooded and I got to wade through foot-deep swamp water. Then climb / push the bike up two 500-foot elevation gain roads, one gravel, one paved. The downhill in the middle had to be walked for part of the way because it was too steep to break safely.

After I got to Wellsburg, I crossed over the Ohio River into West Virginia. That had a nice bike path, for a while. Then it was shoulder. Then it was 55 MPH and no shoulder. Sigh. Eventually I turned off WV 2 to climb / push up another 500-foot elevation gain hill for lodging.

Here’s where the day got better. Mike and April McCann are WarmShowers hosts. There is no camping and very little other lodging in this part of West Virginia, so they are a popular cyclist stopover destination. And rightly so. They welcomed me into their family for the evening, and we went to a relative’s house for a pizza and ice cream celebration for a family member.

I had a warm shower, dinner, and got to camp comfortably in the back yard garden. And I must have been tired. There were storms overnight, but I only woke up long enough to close the rain fly flaps and then went back to sleep. The birds didn’t even wake me at dawn.

Collier to Pittsburgh

Day 11: 42 miles, 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The weather cleared long enough for me to pack up and have breakfast. April made eggs and potatoes. Then we said our goodbyes. The rain started just as I was getting onto the road. Leaving their house is an easy ride, straight down. And it wasn’t too wet, so I had traction for breaking.

The Panhandle Trail through West Virginia to almost Pittsburgh is very nice. Most of it is paved. Some of it toward the Pittsburgh end is limestone / two track. But the rain was light enough that I didn’t need a jacket and the ride was good. Until I stopped for a snack.

During the gravel adventure yesterday, the back tire went almost flat. I pumped it up and it held until morning. I pumped it up again this morning and it held but looked a little low. So, I took the cap off to add air and the valve stem came out. Instant flat that broke the bead on the tubeless tire. I knew it was done, so I took it off and put in a tube instead. That worked. 30 minutes later I was on the trail again.

Getting into Pittsburgh is roads. Not bike friendly roads. But at least they aren’t high speed roads. I wasn’t in the mood to trust Ride with GPS today, so I followed Google. That was an adventure. It was ultimately a good route, but it took me down a street that turned into little more than a foot path through well overgrown vegetation. Along the way there were two major (200+ feet elevation gain, 15% maximum grade) climbs to walk / push up. Somewhere in there the sky broke open and I was drenched. The good news is I was cooler and I didn’t lose traction or get run over.

Anyway, I made it safely into Pittsburgh and came out at Point Park at the Three Rivers confluence. It’s a beautiful area. Pittsburgh downtown is very bike friendly. I talked to some locals and then at their suggestion headed to Mike’s Beer Bar across the street from Pirates Stadium for dinner. Then I headed to the train station for the ride home.

Pittsburgh to Palatine

Day 12: 3 miles. The train was delayed two hours due to trees down across the tracks somewhere further east. We got on about 2:30 a.m. I’ve mentioned it in previous blogs, but many Amtrak trains have roll on bike service you can reserve for $20. You are the first to board because you have to get your bike to the baggage car and then get yourself on board. You lift your bike up to them, no panniers allowed, and they rack it for the journey. Then you pick the bike up at the baggage car at your destination stop.

This is my first trip getting a roomette sleeper and traveling first class. The roomette layout is interesting. It took a while to figure out what was most comfortable. The upper bunk is about six inches wider, so I ended up there. I think I got about four hours of sleep. Not bad under the circumstances.

Then I went for breakfast and had scrambled eggs and potatoes. I sat with a man who is a college literature professor. It turns out that he has found long train rides to be both an inspiration for his own writing and a perfect opportunity to do the writing. He has also written fiction about academic affairs from the perspective of a moderate / liberal educator working in a conservative patriarchal college. After breakfast he headed off to finish this trip’s chapter.

While I was at breakfast, the conductor / attendant converted my room from bed to seating. I was able to enjoy a private window view the rest of the way to Chicago while finishing up my own writing. Then a short train ride back to Palatine and ride three miles home.

Epilogue

12 days, 690 miles, four miles of elevation gain. Looking back, Indiana seems quiet, tame, and secluded. Except for any specific parts noted above, I enjoyed the Indiana portion. I wouldn’t repeat the 20 miles into Cincinnati. But I would absolutely repeat my great dinner there.

The OTET is one of the nicest bike trails I’ve been on. It reminded me of Day 2 in Minnesota south of Fargo and Day 3 in Michigan. It’s better than the Katy Trail or the GAP from a standpoint of being relatively flat, paved, and well-maintained. The views aren’t as good as those trails, but Day 1 on the OTET in particular is very nice.

I wouldn’t repeat the last two days in Ohio. There has to be a better route, and Ohio needs to do a much better job of marking it, marketing it, and protecting cyclists. Assuming a safe route can be found, I would absolutely stay with the McCanns again. They are wonderful people.

The West Virginia to Pittsburgh part is fine. The two climbs to get into or out of Pittsburgh aren’t fun, but otherwise it’s a nice ride.

I have now connected Fargo, ND, to Washington, DC. And I’ve checked off Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia border to border. 17 states done. Panhandles count, because I’m the one who’s doing the counting!

Black Hills

The Adventure Cycling Association offers a 7-day Black Hills, South Dakota tour that starts and ends in Rapid City and includes Deadwood, Hill City, Hot Springs, Wind Cave National Park, and Custer State Park. There's a meetup day and six riding days. This is my third ACA tour and second inn-to-inn tour with them. We have two leaders, John and Denny, and 12 participants.

Palatine to Rapid City

Day -1. We drove from Palatine to Mitchell, SD. We arrived just after the Corn Palace closed. The Corn Palace seems like it might be worth a stop if it's convenient. We had dinner at the restaurant next door. It was very good. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, which was also very good.

Day 0: We drove through Badlands National Park. There's not a lot of food near the east entrance, so we planned ahead and stopped at Subway in Kadoka and brought lunch with us. We saw antelope, bison, and lots of prairie dogs. Highly recommended.

Then we stopped in Wall, SD. If you've never been there, it's probably worth seeing once. Very much a tourist trap, but also a very diverse collection of gifts and souvenirs. We enjoyed the pictures and paintings in one of the art stores.

We met up with our fellow riders and two tour leaders at 4 p.m. at the Comfort Inn in Rapid City. After introductions, a safety meeting, a map meeting, and lunch preparation for the next day, we left for the Firehouse Brewing Company for dinner. That was very good, and the hotel was also good. 

Rapid City to Deadwood

Day 1: 48 miles, 4,200 feet of elevation gain. Everyone rides at their own pace. I got out early to make sure I had time to get to Deadwood before the afternoon rain started. That was a theme we followed throughout the week. Only the last two days didn't include a threat of afternoon thunderstorms.

Probably the most challenging traffic experience of the entire trip was the first couple of miles down to the center of Rapid City during the morning rush. There was a sidewalk available, but it was almost all downhill, so I just took my lane and went for it. Once you get to the park downtown, it's all bike trails up and out of town, and then back roads most of the way up to Deadwood.

It's mostly uphill all day, with occasional flat or downhill sections. I saw a lot of deer and one wild turkey. It's important to either carry extra water or a water filter. The first water I found was the stream at Steamboat Picnic Area around mile 21. There is a convenience store about 3.5 miles later in Nemo. After that, the only other stop before Deadwood is around mile 40. So carry extra water and stop where you can.

Weather can be very unpredictable. We got lucky and had a great week. Two weeks before our arrival they had a six-inch snowstorm. There was a small pile of snow still left beside the road north of Nemo.

The last 10 miles of the day are on Highway 385. It has a good shoulder, but is a high speed highway. It also has a 2-mile 6% climb. Coming from Illinois and after a full day of climbing, that was definitely a challenge. Fortunately, the last five miles are downhill and the last couple of miles into Deadwood are on the Mickelson Trail.

There are a lot of little shops and bars in Deadwood. We stopped in at Tootsies for a good microbrew experience. We stayed downtown at the Holiday Inn Express. I wasn't impressed. It's an older hotel, quite noisy, and the beds were well worn. The schedule for every evening is lunch preparations at 5 p.m., map meeting at 5:30, dinner at 6 p.m., and back in our rooms by 8 p.m. For dinner we walked to Legends Steakhouse and it was good.

Deadwood to Hill City

Day 2: 49 miles, 2,900 feet of elevation gain. The ride today is all on the Mickelson Trail. Effectively, it's only two hills. The first one is 15 miles, followed by 20 miles of downhill. The second hill is six miles, followed by eight miles of downhill. It's pretty much 3% grade either up or down all day.

That said, the Mickelson Trail is gorgeous. There are beautiful views all along the trail, and a nice, peaceful experience even when you don't have a view. There is also water and a pit toilet available at almost every trailhead, so there's plenty of water available on this part of the tour.

The only wildlife I saw today was a small snake on the trail and one hummingbird who dive bombed me while I was having a snack. They did warn us to watch for rattlesnakes everywhere off trail, but I didn't see any except perhaps one that was roadkill on the last day.

We stayed at the Best Western. It's a nice, big hotel with a grocery store nearby. We got in early and enjoyed the hot tub before our lunch preparation and map meeting. Dinner was at Mangiamo Wood Fired Pizza. The pizza was good, and they handled our large group very well.

Hill City to Hot Springs

Day 3: 58 miles, 1,900 feet of elevation gain. Our second day on the Mickelson Trail. It started with a 10-mile climb and then was mostly downhill after that. On the way up the hill, you can see the back side of Crazy Horse Monument. Just after the top of the hill is the monument and park entrance. Online I read that there is no benefit to going into the park unless you pay for the bus ride over to the monument itself. Otherwise, the views are just as good from the bike path or a side road just south of there.

The ride south on the Mickelson Trail goes from high in the Black Hills at Deadwood, peaking around 6,200 feet, down to rolling prairie around 4,000 feet toward the end. The official route for the day turns off the Mickelson Trail at Pringle and heads down to Hot Springs on gravel roads. They said the first two miles were very rough gravel. The rest of the road was better, but also very much a roller coaster with steep climbs. There was no water after Pringle, so fill up if you follow this path.

I chose an alternate route. I wanted to experience more of the Mickelson Trail and the transition from hills to rolling prairie. So I rode 17 miles further down the trail to Minnekahta and then east on Route 18 to Hot Springs. This route is longer, but it has more water, more flat / downhill sections, and the last 12 miles are paved with a good shoulder. And, fortunately for today, it also had a strong tailwind. I averaged 20 miles an hour for that last 12 miles. If the conditions are good, I highly recommend this alternate route. It would not be good if you don't have enough water, have strong headwinds, or any thunderstorms. There is nowhere to hide for almost the entire section.

Today had unusual animal encounters. A lone prairie dog ran across the trail right in front of me on a downhill, and as I was progressing down through the rolling prairie section I came across a cow in the middle of the trail. I looked up and said, "I don't think you're supposed to be here." Apparently, the cow agreed. It looked up and immediately turned and ran toward the fence and the other cows inside their pasture.

The hotel for the evening was the Hot Springs Hills Inn. It's a typical older motel, common on ACA inn-to-inn tours. It was my least favorite stay of the entire trip. The mattress needed to be replaced and the amenities were fair at best with just a continental breakfast. Dinner was at Whiskey River Bar and Grill and was very good.

Hot Springs to Custer State Park

Day 4: 45 miles, 4,000 feet of elevation gain. Today was effectively a 25-mile climb, a 15-mile descent, and then a 5-mile climb at the end. We started up Highway 385 in a light mist. Not quite enough for a rain jacket, but enough that my glasses were wet. The rain ended as we entered Wind Cave National Park. After the long climb, we descended into Custer State Park.

This was a big animal viewing day. I saw a coyote on Highway 385, and then bison, antelope, and prairie dogs in Wind Cave. There were rabbits, deer, mules, and more bison in Custer State Park. The bison encounters can be scary on a bicycle. Three of us passed one just 10 feet or so off the side of the road. We waited for a car to pass first, and then gave as wide a berth as possible.

One of my favorite animal experiences of the trip was riding solo or lead along both park roads and hearing the prairie dogs alert to my presence. They would stand up and bark, and sometimes fall over backwards telling all of their friends about the scary bike rider approaching.

On the other hand, Denny, one of our tour leaders, got surrounded by two groups of bison. Fortunately for her, there was a pickup truck in the group with her that allowed her to get in the back of the truck and be ferried to safety. Another rider had a bison running toward him that turned away because of a car horn. The park rangers said the bison were particularly ornery this year. They also told us the bison don't mind bicycles, but they really don't like motorcycles, and to be extra careful whenever motorcycles go by.

There were only two good places to get water today. Both parks have a visitor's center with bathrooms and water available. The Bison Center in Custer State Park includes a little museum and store with food and beverages as well. Carry extra water and fill up when you get the chance.

The hotel for the evening was the State Game Lodge. It was the best hotel of the trip, very modern while maintaining a rustic lodge look and feel. Dinner was just okay due to a tour bus having stopped there and the restaurant being a little under staffed for the bus tour and hotel guests combined.

Custer State Park to Hill City

Day 5: 31 miles, 3,600 feet of elevation gain. There were two route options available today, plus a side trip to Mt. Rushmore. I took the Iron Mountain Road. It's a 12-mile climb, but very much worth the effort. There are beautiful views of Mt. Rushmore along the way, as well as three road pigtails where the road descends below itself as an alternative to a switchback.

The hills today are the steepest of the trip. This was a challenge both uphill and downhill. One of our members had under-inflated tires and the bead on the front tire broke on a fast downhill turn. He crashed and got scrapes on both elbows. He realized after the adrenaline rush wore off that he also hurt his wrist and a few miles later he had to end his trip.

There were only two water opportunities today, one just after leaving Custer State Park and one in Keystone. It's worth carrying extra water again today, particularly if it's going to be a hot climb. We stopped for lunch at the top of Iron Mountain and then descended into Keystone. There are nice shops and food opportunities in Keystone before the climb back up to Hill City. I chose not to take the side trip up to Mount Rushmore. I've seen it before and I already had enough climbing for the day.

The hotel for the evening was a return to the Best Western. Dinner was at the Alpine Inn. It's a very good traditional German restaurant and very reasonably priced. But there are only two options on the dinner menu: beef filet and spaetzle. Both are good.

Hill City to Rapid City

Day 6: 25 miles, 1,300 feet of elevation gain. Our last day. We had breakfast and said our goodbyes. The ride was mostly downhill, but with four climbs, the last one long and steep. Crosswinds were a problem. I actually got knocked over by the wind on the final climb. Others said they walked for a while to avoid the same fate.

We were fortunate that this part of the trip fell on a Saturday morning. Traffic was very light. There were shoulders or bike paths most of the way. But in multiple locations wherever there is a guardrail, they put the guardrail in the shoulder rather than beside the shoulder, leaving insufficient space for a bicycle. I recommend riding this part early in the day as much as possible.

Epilogue

6 days, 257 miles, and more than 3 miles of elevation gain. This was my most extensive climbing trip so far, and my highest riding altitude at above 6,200 feet. I enjoyed the Mickelson Trail. I liked Wind Cave and Custer State Park even better. And the views on and from Iron Mountain are spectacular.

If I were designing the trip myself, I would consider skipping Rapid City. The ride up to Deadwood is a good warmup for the week to come. The ride down is just road cycling with a few hills to deal with. But neither of those days compare to the beautiful views of the four days in between. Instead, I would make Hill City the central point and build the Needles highway into the trip.

From my experience, Adventure Cycling Association trips have been very consistent. The leaders are great and the other participants are wonderful, highly experienced riders. The food is very good, and the accommodations are mostly average. I'd like to see them charge a little more and select better hotels.

I should have trained for hills a bit more than I did. I was pretty done by the time I got to Deadwood on Day 1 and the lodge on Day 4. The other days didn't seem quite so bad. Iron Mountain is a real challenge, but it's a shorter day and a lot of beautiful downhill in the middle.

The bike was good. I had one flat tire due to the tubeless tape in the front wheel coming loose. The gearing is good to about 8%. After that, I have to do switchbacks to maintain uphill progress. I think this setup will be fine for most road trips. I probably need to drop the gearing by one or two gears if I ever decide to do the Great Divide or other mountain bike routes.

Everglades and Florida Keys

The Adventure Cycling Association offers a 10-day Florida Keys trip that goes from Ft. Myers across the Everglades and then down to Key West. There's the meetup day, seven riding days, and two layover days. It ends with a ferry ride back up to Ft. Myers.

Sanibel Island

Day 1: 20 miles, 400 feet of elevation gain. We met up the first day at the Hampton Inn in Ft Myers. It's a fine hotel, but quite expensive. The tour covers the first night if you sleep with a roommate, but they don't cover the last night and we return quite late in the evening.

I arrived early, happened to meet the two guides and one other participant, and then went for a ride to Sanibel Island. The Ft. Myers area has a good combination of bike trails, shoulders, bike lanes, and the occasional shared lane. I didn't have any real problems with traffic today. You just need to keep in mind that the bike trail may only be on one side of the road and you may have to cross over from time to time when it switches sides.

I saw a number of bikes riding over to the island. Drivers seeing bikes on the road isn't a surprise to them here. But the cars also don't move over at all. If you're in a shoulder bike lane, that's your space, no matter how narrow it may be. Cars are supposed to give you three feet of clearance. I only remember one or two cars out of a hundred moving over to ensure I had that space. It didn't feel unsafe, but there wasn't a lot of room for error.

There is a nice beach at the south end of Sanibel Island. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my crocs with me, so I just walked over to the lighthouse vs. walking out on the beach. There was plenty of bike parking available if you want to ride over and spend some time at the beach. Along the way, I saw many small lizards and one osprey.

After my ride, I met our leaders, Tony and Brielle, and fellow riders. This is a pretty extreme adventure cycling group. At least two participants have been riding long distances for more than 50 years. Everyone has done at least one or two multi-week tours. Several have done full cross-country tours and one has done the entire east coast already. It seems like a great group and everyone is very friendly. It should be a good trip.

Ft. Myers to Naples

Day 2: 42 miles, 800 feet of elevation gain. We got up, had hotel breakfast, and then left at 9 a.m. to avoid some heavy local traffic. I started out with an almost-flat front tire and had to turn back to access a full-size tire pump. I've never had problems with this tire before, but somehow it got a slow leak yesterday or overnight.

The morning ride was good, with mostly bike lanes and shoulders. I stopped on one of the bridges for pictures and saw a sea turtle and six sting rays in the water below. As I was riding, I realized I didn't have enough sun screen for the full trip and made a quick side trip to Walgreens. I want to avoid sunburn on this trip. Then I stopped for lunch at a beach north of Naples. Brielle caught up with me durning lunch, so I was last at that point.

The afternoon ride wasn't as pleasant as the morning ride. It was a hot day, with the temperature around 90. I had to stop for water three times. There is no bike infrastructure in Naples, just three lanes of traffic in each direction. Fortunately, there was a sidewalk the whole way.

I got to the KOA campground and set up my tent. Five sites for fourteen tents, with gravel pads and limited grass. KOA seems very nice for RVs. Not as good for tent camping. The evening schedule is snacks at 5 p.m., dinner at 6 p.m., map meeting at 7 p.m., and turn in around 8 p.m. Dinner was salmon and rice and broccoli with apple pie for dessert.

Multiple people didn’t inflate their sleep pad until 7:30 and had difficulties. Always test your equipment before going on an adventure ride.

Naples to Ochopee

Day 3: 61 miles, 600 feet of elevation gain. I slept okay, off and on. I awoke at 6:15 with footsteps in the gravel outside my tent. Tents were too close together, but 6:15 was time to get moving anyway. I packed up everything and went to breakfast around 7:30. We left at 8. The entire day was on the Tamiami Trail. It started as a bike path, then a bike lane, then a shoulder.

I found Florida traffic not particularly accommodating to bicycles. Less than 10% of vehicles moved over. It wasn’t ever really unsafe, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Today was alligator day. We saw them throughout the day. My favorite was at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, a nice nature preserve. My second favorite was the Oasis Visitor Center for gator views.

We took a side trip down to Everglades City. There was a strong headwind going in, but a nice tailwind for the ride back out. Everglades City has a nice new park facility. Otherwise the town was eerily quiet. I’m sure that changes when spring break hits.

Wind today was mostly over our right shoulder. Temperature was good through the Everglades. Then we hit more of a savannah area and it got hot, showing 90+ degrees on the GPS. Interestingly, for most of the Everglades, the GPS showed us at or below sea level.

Dinner was spaghetti and meat sauce. Then we had our map meeting and turned in.

Ochopee to Miami

Day 4: 50 miles, 300 feet of elevation gain. We didn't sleep very well. The campground was pretty close to the main highway and we started hearing trucks going by at 4 a.m.

Today was a short day. We went 16 miles and then met the van for shuttle service through an 18 mile construction zone. That left just 16 miles to the next campground. Along the way I stopped at a fruit stand and got one banana. The owner looked at me and told me to take it, no charge!

The afternoon was alternating rain and sun. It rained while we were in the van. Then it stopped. It started again with thunder about 15 minutes after I got to the campground. I got my tent set up just in time. Camping was much better here, with a grassy field and plenty of space.

After the rain stopped, I went to the main office and found Carl and Joe enjoying a beer out front. I picked up a 12-pack of Coronitas to share and went back to the pavilion area. It continued alternating rain and sun every 45 minutes or so until after our map meeting, but we enjoyed beer and stories throughout the late afternoon. Dinner was fettuccini Alfredo and veggies. It was very good.

Miami to Key Largo

Day 5: 39 miles, 400 feet of elevation gain. The ride today felt safer. The first part was mostly bike trail and bike lane. Then we turned onto Route 1. It’s busy traffic wise, but it has a nice wide shoulder. Once we got to Key Largo it was bike path again.

There are convenience stores before Route 1 and a variety of options in Key Largo. But there are no services during the 20 miles down Route 1. I got a flat tire about 4 miles down Route 1. I have a tubeless setup, but it wouldn’t seal the quarter-inch gash, so I had to put in a tube.

The campground itself is a mixture. The facilities are nice. But the space is very cramped, all gravel, and very noisy. Dinner this evening was taco salad. It was okay, but could have benefited from more protein. Because today was Pi Day (3.14), we had key lime pie for dessert. Then we turned in.

Pennecamp State Park

Day 6: 8 miles, 200 feet of elevation gain. We didn't sleep very well. The night was very warm / humid with an overnight low of 75 degrees. It was Saturday night, so our neighbors didn't turn in until late. There were also marauding raccoons knocking bikes over in the middle of the night. I heard a crash and looked out to find myself eye-to-eye with a raccoon scampering up the tree next to my tent. Fortunately I had put all of my food in the locked trailer.

Today is a layover day. We went to Pennecamp State Park to kayak and swim. I kayaked for almost two hours. And at least 30 minutes longer than my body wanted to. The mangroves were very pretty. I saw some fish and one anhinga, a black water bird. Then I went swimming just long enough to say I did. It was cool but not unpleasant. The rinse off shower later was colder. Then I checked out the aquarium at the visitors' center and rode back to camp.

At camp I did laundry and made sure everything was packed up and ready to go in the morning. Tomorrow is our longest ride and I want to leave early.

Key Largo to Big Pine Key

Day 7: 70 miles, 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Today was our long day. I got up early, packed up my tent, had breakfast, and made a big sandwich for lunch. I set out at 7:30 to beat the heat. Several parts of the ride had a nice bike path separate from the highway. But the bike path frequently switched sides, leaving you to play Frogger to get across to safety again. And several times the bike path ended without warning, sometimes in the middle of a bridge.

I finally got back into my long-day rhythm from last summer's ride around Lake Michigan. I stopped at a convenience store every 15 miles or so for a drink (orange juice, lemonade, Gatorade) and 500+ calories. My favorite go-to is Snickers with peanut butter. One of those will power me for at least an hour.

There were several nice places to stop and enjoy the view. In particular, I recommend stopping on the right just before the Seven Mile Bridge. The bridge itself is tough. Three-foot shoulder and concrete barrier with no room for traffic to move over. And lots of debris. I stopped at one point to clear about 100 feet of broken glass. I also stopped at a park just after the bridge on the left to calm down and cool down. The rest of the ride was okay.

Everyone made it safely. We had chili and rice for dinner. Then we prepared for heavy storms predicted overnight.

Big Pine Key to Stock Island

Day 8: 33 miles, 500 feet of elevation gain. We got soaked overnight. Thunderstorms for most of the night. Two members of our group got flooded out of their tents and had to sleep in the van. A third had water in his tent but was able to ignore it. The weather today was very different than yesterday. Cool, overcast, with a strong north wind and occasional light rain.

After breakfast, I took a short detour to see some Key Deer. They are much smaller than most deer breeds. The family on the right allowed me to take their picture.

The ride down to Stock Island (just short of Key West) is mostly shoulder on Route 1. Occasionally there was a nice trail through the wetlands. And frequently that trail had ponded water on it. But there were some good spots.

There was something about the route today that was hard on tires. About half the group had a flat tire along the way. I thought I was okay, but after dinner I noticed my rear tire was flat.

It was my turn to make dinner, along with Joe. Joe made pesto pasta and I made tuna steaks. We had St. Patrick's Day cupcakes and strawberry cheesecake for dessert.

Stock Island to Key West

Day 9: 16 miles, 300 feet of elevation gain. I decided to experiment with fixing the flat tire. I had always thought Gorilla Tape could work to fix a flat. I think it can, but it needs to be dry. My tape no longer was, so that didn't work. Strike 1. So I took out my spare tube and noticed it had a hole in it from the valve stem (not stored correctly). Strike 2. So I got a patch kit from one of the tour leaders and tried to patch it. Put it on and "hiss". Strike 3.

Eventually I was able to borrow a small tube from someone else. I think it was a 28 mm or maybe a 32 mm and my tires are 42 mm. But it worked for the day. Once I started riding, my first destination was We Cycle. They had tubes, both to replace the one I borrowed and also the size I needed. So I picked up two, but ultimately didn't need either one.

I rode counter-clockwise around Key West. There's not much on the north side. On the west side I rode up to Sunset Pier and had a celebratory beer. Then I went to Fort Zachary Taylor and kept working my way down to the actual western most point of Key West. Practically speaking, that is also the southernmost point that civilians are allowed to access. The true southernmost point is inside a naval base.

After the point, I went to the Key West Buoy. The line was long, so I cheated and took a picture with the buoy in the background rather than just in front of it. Then I continued around the island, stopped at a couple of beaches for the view and a snack and then headed back to camp.

Dinner was our only official restaurant visit on the ride. We went to the Hogfish Bar and Grill. It was excellent. I had the mixed seafood grill with veggies. Highly recommended.

Key West

Day 10: 0 miles, 0 feet of elevation gain. Today was an explore-on-foot day. We loaded the bikes up on the van for their road trip back to Ft. Myers. Then Tony dropped us off in Key West to explore for the day.

I went to the light house, the butterfly conservation center, and the Mile 0 sign. I also had a lobster roll at a little walk-up restaurant. I saw Dave across the street and he and I spent the afternoon walking down Duval Street and enjoying beer, shrimp, and mahi mahi at Fogarty's. Then we went over to the marina and watched 8-10 large tarpons being fed and walked past Jimmy Buffet's recording studio along the waterfront. Then we headed to the dock and saw two manatees dining under our ferry boat.

We all took the 5:30 ferry back to Ft. Myers. The ferry is a high-speed catamaran design and cruised at about 35 miles an hour. We were headed into 25 MPH headwinds, making for a very rough crossing. About 15-20 passengers were seasick. If you start to get queasy, head for the back of the upper deck and go outside. We arrived in Ft. Myers around 10 p.m. to take down our bikes and say our goodbyes. 

I haven't elaborated on the people on the ride yet. Everyone was very nice. Several personalities stood out. Bob is 84 years old, and he passed me on the long ride from Key Largo to Big Pine Key. He packed everything he could into the experience, including snorkeling, deep sea fishing, and kayaking. Carl is in his early 70s. It turns out Carl and I both did the Tour de Nebraska and RAGBRAI at the same time in 2023. We don't remember seeing each other, but our experiences were very similar. And Dave and I met up several times along the way, including spending the afternoon together in Key West today.

Our leaders were Tony and Brielle. Both have multiple cross country tour experience. Tony seems like he's met everyone in adventure cycling, including John and Mira (the dog) in Banff. Brielle is impressively nice to be around. No matter what's happening, she is focused on how you are doing and anything that might be necessary to help improve your ride experience. If you have a chance to ride with either of these fine leaders, take advantage of the opportunity.

Epilogue

9 days, 336 miles, 3,700 feet of elevation gain, three flat tires. This was a Type 2 fun trip. I enjoyed some of it at the time (type 1 fun). There were several beautiful views, many of which are pictured here. Most of the trip was more of, "I'm glad I did it (type 2 fun)". The shoulder riding on Route 41 and Route 1 isn't much fun, and the bike paths on Route 1 are labeled so poorly that you never know whether it's going to go through or drop you out having to play Frogger to get back to the other side of the road. And there were definitely Type 3 moments (I survived and can now brag about it), including changing tire tubes on the side of Route 1, successfully getting to the end of the Seven Mile Bridge, and surviving the thunderstorms.

In terms of riding with ACA, my experience on this van-supported trip was similar to last year's inn-to-inn adventure. The people are very nice. The leaders are great! The accommodations are just okay. We would have benefitted from an extra campsite at almost every campground, and most campgrounds had no power hookups in the tent camping areas. But the food was very good and the food budget was large enough that there was plenty for everyone at every meal, including desserts.

There are advantages to riding solo. When I lead my own adventure, I sleep until daylight and ride later into the afternoon. I also stop a bit more often along the way. But for rides where it's not really safe to ride or sleep alone (some western states) or where having van support is a real advantage (epic adventures), riding with ACA is a nice alternative. And being able to share stories with and be inspired by such a great group of experienced riders is a wonderful bonus.