BikeFest Sunday....

Today is my favorite day of a 3-day bike ride. Sunday's ride is always more relaxed, more laid-back. It sounds funny to say the route today was "only" 40 miles, but that felt like a walk in the park after yesterday's 102 miles. Katydid and I rode the tandem, and we took it easy, sort of meandering along. We joked and laughed, especially with Winston, who nearly KILLED himself trying to stay ahead of us. When we took a little short-cut off the Riverwalk, we could hear him 100 yards behind us saying, "How did they get in front of me?" Then at the end we took another short-cut through the parking lot (in our defense, it was much more practical than trying to ride the winding switchbacks of the handicap-accessible ramp up from the Riverwalk), we were waiting at Winston's RV for him. He said the sweetest three words I've ever heard from him: "I give up."

Today's ride was partly on the Riverwalk, which I wanted to roll up and bring home with me, and partly on the Army base of Fort Benning. We had to ride through a military checkpoint, and the man whose job it was to check for our wristbands took his assignment VERY seriously. I thought I was going to wreck the tandem just trying to hold up my arm to show my wristband.

It was a fabulous weekend (and the Dawgs won - barely - whew!) of bicycling. I had so much fun catching up with old friends and making a few new ones.

Here are some random pictures from the weekend.

View of the Chattahoochee River, which serves as the border between Georgia and Alabama.

On Fort Benning

Shadow shot of Katydid and me on the tandem

Shadow shot of me from Saturday's century ride, before the 72-95 mile stage when things weren't fun

The power of the water going through the turbine at the dam. The water is released about 5:00 PM, and the kayakers are already lined up to play in the rapids.

Building between the Riverwalk and downtown Columbus. I loved the angle of this shot.

The dam in the background, not long after the water had been released.

This puppy was enjoying a drink - and making a mess - along the Riverwalk.

Not a very good picture of a pink labrador retriever. His owner, who lost his mother to breast cancer, had dyed the dog pink for Breast Cancer Awareness. We later saw a pink giant poodle.

Another shot of the dam with the waters unleashed.

Katydid on the Riverwalk.

Another view of the river from the Riverwalk.

Rozmo on the way back to camp on Friday. I could have used some of that propane (sign in background) to assist me.

The marina where we had a rest stop on Friday.