Nice park across street-sit on park bench-watch people of all ages on bikes-many parents pushing babies in strollers or have kids in baskets on front of bikes. Cafés, bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants line the streets. People sit outside enjoying food and conversation-no loud music necessary like in Texas. Many people smoke and are out walking their dogs.

Go to bike shop and take a 3 hrs guided tour of the city. Need to practice for tomorrow.

We left JILL, our new pet sitter, to take care of Harley and Libby. How fortunate we are to have someone so amazing stay at our house while we are gone. Our good friend BECKY took us to the airport. We left at 4pm-arrived in FRANKFURT GERMANY at 8:30 am-non stop. Watched 2 movies-Elton John was good. Took expensive taxi to HOTEL MAINGAU.

We left early-did not get to play pickleball because it was raining. Will have to do that on our next visit. Happy to be home & see HARLEY & LIBBY. Not sure about them because JOHN, our pet sitter, did a fantastic job taking care of them & our house. It’s still hard to believe that someone would take care of your pets & house for free. It makes going on adventures so much easier. THANK YOU, JOHN.

MAY 12 & 13 (FRIDAY & SATURDAY) WILLIS IS CLOSE TO HOUSTON

We leave my new best friend RENEE-DAN had gone out for a run, so we didn’t get to say goodbye. It was our 1st experience staying in someone’s house when they were there-it was a good experience. Now ARMAND is driving in RAIN. We have been so fortunate to have had good weather every day. Stop at TX border-feels great to be back in TEXAS. Arrive in Willis (town outside Houston) around 3:00.

MARTA & ERICH have a beautiful house on a lake-with a dock, pontoon boat, jet skis & kayaks. Feel like we are at a resort. We have been friends for over 30 years-our daughters played on the Westwood Tennis team & graduated from HS together. They are also the only couple who ever went out to eat w/us. We sit by the lake & go out to eat Mexican food & talk about our families. RAIN that night-RAIN Sat morning. Still go play golf at MARGARITAVILLE GOLF COURSE-just a little drizzle. Have final dinner together by the water. Fantastic visit & hope we get to come back & try PICKLEBALL next time. It was raining Sunday morning. Finally, back home after 25 days. JOHN has taken fantastic care of of HARLEY & LIBBY. IT FEELS GREAT TO BE HOME-unpack & wash clothes.

MARTA & ERICH AT MEXICAN RESTAURANT W/SPARKY

ERICH & MARTA W/SPARKY & ARTHUR

ARTHUR & SPARKY WANT TO COME BACK WHEN ITS NOT RAINING THEY ALSO WANT TO THANK MARTA & ERICH FOR LETTING US STAY WITH THEM.

MAY 11, THURSDAY

Wake up to RENEE the cat purring on my head. ARMAND left the door open to our room. Drive to FONTAINEBLEAU STATE PARK where WHITNEY & MOLLY have their airstream.

BIKE AROUND 40 miles on the TAMMANY TRACE. Stop several times, including lunch at a Thai Restaurant. This is the farthest I have biked in a long time. At 20 miles on a flat, shaded trail, I think of the people in our family that have run a marathon. If ARMAND, NATHAN, JENNIFER, JESSICA, JOHN (IRONMAN) & my true inspiration TERA who ran 2 marathons & a 1/2 marathon in between in 1 month-maybe I can keep biking. I make it to the water-now hear thunder-MOLLY says it’s time to go home. After getting to the park, we get our 1st real rain. Go back to our house, take shower, go to bed with RENEE. Later we go back to the park so MOLLY can feed us 1 more time. WHITNEY mentions again how disappointed his daughter ALIX is going to be when we don’t show up for her wedding.

LAST MEAL BY MOLLY. THEY GO BACK TO LAFAYETTE TOMORROW. WE GO AND VISIT ERICH & MARTA IN HOUSTON.

Armand left room at 6 am to go read. I got up to finish yesterday’s blog. Left Paradise around 10-took 1 more picture of SPARKY & ARTHUR at the slots. Have no desire to play.

We rented a room in a house & WHITNEY & MOLLY are coming from Lafayette in their airstream. Another adventure because of them.

At the park, I met ANNA & WANDA. 2 women with their own “little, adorable” RV’s who belong to a women’s camping group-very impressive-especially the trucks they drive.

Ready for our bike ride-ARMAND has flat-get in car to go to bike shop. MOLLY & I walk to coast. Then drive back to camp-eat lunch by MOLLY-ride away for 17-mile bike ride on the trace. One of the easiest, prettiest rides I’ve done.

another wonderful meal by MOLLY

HOUSE CAT, ARTHUR & SPARKY WANT TTO HELP WRITE THIS BLOG

Left PEGGY’S at 7:30 because she was playing tennis at 8. It was so nice to see her & keep our families connected. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

We stopped at MCDONALD’S for breakfast-something that we never do. We are eating outside, when someone has a heart attack inside. EMS & firetruck 🚒 come. Probably will not stop for breakfast again.

I actually help ARMAND with the driving today. We were going to stop at DAUPHIN ISLAND because it was one of the stops on our CROSS COUNTRY TOUR. Didn’t work out-ARMAND suggested a casino instead of one of our usual “cheap” motels. OK.

SPARKY & ARTHUR ALMOST RODE AWAY ON A MOTORCYCLE IN MS

BEAUTIFUL WOOD CARVINGS AT MISSISSIPPI REST STOP

Drove to the PALACE CASINO RESORT in BILOXI, MS. Great choice. Went to all you can eat buffet & stuffed ourselves. ARMAND had 3 desserts!!!!! Then went to pool-ONLY ones there. Then went to the casino. ARMAND lost $20 in a few minutes-I lost $10 but it took me longer. Don’t think we will gamble until next year when we come back. I LOVE IT HERE.

view from our 9th story window

Up early to pack, clean up our wonderful house and say goodbye to MARTHA & JIM. They left to visit a friend. I think they were glad they came & I know ARMAND was happy to play golf so many times with JIM. We went to play pickleball 1 more time. People are so nice-played for 1 1/2 hours. CAN’T WAIT TO COME NEXT YEAR.

Arrived at my cousin PEGGY’S house around noon. Our mothers were sisters from Wisconsin. My mom had 6 kids-PEGGY is #4 of 8. Lunch was ready & then went to play golf at 1:30. We were the ONLY ones on the course except for the LOCUSTS & 4 BIRDS. A very MEMORABLE ADVENTURE. Came back & sat by the pool as PEGGY prepared a wonderful dinner for us. We really appreciate being able to stay with friends & family who are such wonderful hosts. YES-I DO FEEL LIKE A SLUG AT TIMES-knowing that if people come to visit us, they can expect NO FOOD because I don’t cook. Maybe I can improve.

THANK YOU SO MUCH PEGGY. CAN WE COME BACK NEXT YEAR??????

Since this is the reason for the trip, I’m going to end our trip with THE BIKER BABE REUNION. I’ve selected random pictures of our BIKER BABE REUNION 2023 AT THE VILLAGES IN FLORIDA. It was so wonderful to share memories of a life changing experience for me and I think everyone who was on that ride in 2002! LYNN, ANNE, GEORGIA & the other women who couldn’t make it but are always with us in spirit: FRAN, CHLOE, JEAN, DONNA, JANE, FRANCES, JANET, CAROL. We are going back to THE VILLAGES next MAY IN 2024. I would like to invite YOU to THE VILLAGES for an off-year BIKER BABE REUNION. LOVE, KAREN FROM TEXAS

Started the day by going to CVS. Don’t have COVID but probably fighting the flu. We left for The Villages before ANNE. On the road, get a text. A truck has backed into ANNE at Subway & broken her bike rack & smashed her $5,000 electric bike. Not a good start for either one of us going to our 20th BIKER BABE REUNION. At least our house rental in The Villages is really nice-we even have a pool & back up to the golf course. After getting groceries at Publix, ANNE is at the house waiting for us. At least she wasn’t hurt. Tues, ARMAND plays golf while ANNE & I play duplicate bridge. Go to the Spanish Springs Square that night to listen to music.

ARMAND GOING TO PLAY GOLF

ANNE & I ENJOYING ICE CREAM ON THE SQUARE THERE IS FREE LIVE MUSIC 7 DAYS A WEEK FROM 5-9