Why did the bear cross the road?

To make Patricia stop, while pedaling up hill. Yes, one of the highlights of my trip was spotting a black bear. At first I didn't know what I was seeing as he climbed over a low stone wall, and then as he stretched I thought "Bear!"

Per bicycling protocol I stopped my bike to avoid getting any closer and watched as he crossed the road, disappearing into the woods on the other side. He didn't pay me any attention, but I still waited a couple of minutes to make sure that he didn't have any friends around. When Stacey caught up and saw I was stopped on a steep climb (always a bad sign) she asked "Is anything wrong?"

"Bear!" I informed her. Then I stood on the pedals and managed to get my bike moving again, so we were together as we passed the spot where I had seen him, but there were no further bear sightings.

This year's bike trip was in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia, where we started off biking in horse country and then climbed into the mountains, including biking Skyline Drive. We had a great time--out of all the bike tour companies that we've traveled with, Carolina Tailwinds is our favorite. Greg and Anne think of everything. The routes are well-planned, we stay at great places, and there's an abundant supply of great food (including two lunches on a strenuous travel day). Greg and Anne are both the tour guides and owners of the company, and their dedication to making sure their guests have a good time shows through.

( More bike stuff here )

Now, I'm back home with piles of laundry to do and a busy week at work ahead of me. Fun!