Category: Biking

Biking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: May 7, 2014

We rented bikes and rode 12 miles along the river bike path and Louisville Riverwalk beginning just east of downtown Louisville and west past several parks and the Belle of Louisville Riverboat. We biked across the Ohio River on the Big Four Pedestrian Bridge (Photo#2) into Indiana and turned around at Van Dyke Park. Great views of the river. West of downtown I climbed a few railroad box cars (Photo#3). Also, west of town is the remaining part of the one mile long L & I Railroad Bridge (also called the Ohio Falls Bridge) built in 1870 (Photo#4). It was the first bridge to cross the Ohio River and the longest iron bridge in the USA at that time. By 1916, three hundred trains crossed daily. Afterwards we had dinner at Joe’s Crab Shack right on the river. I then met some friends and we did a ghost hunting investigation at haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium from 9pm to 4am.

Biking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: May 30, 2010 & May 2012

The Dayton Cycling Club staged their annual bike ride beginning at Brookville. You could ride 33, 50, 67 or 100 miles. In 2012 we peddled the 33 mile route. In 2012 we peddled the 67 mile route northwest on a circular route on bike paths and country roads that wound through the beautiful, peaceful country and small villages eventually returning to Brookville. We biked through a couple covered bridges and saw lots of creative “barn” artwork. The last photo shows the three of us at the beginning of the ride and for some reason, Rosie put her bike helmet on backwards and didn’t notice. We told her a couple miles later. This was my longest ride on my mountain bike and when I was finished, I walked like John Wayne. My butt was sore.

Biking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller

Date: June 11, 2011

The 40^th annual Wright Wride consisted of rides of 25, 40, 64 or 100 miles. We chose the 40 mile route and began at Brookville. We headed southwest on the bike path then through rolling country roads or state roads west to Eaton and then back to Brookville. We viewed or biked across five covered bridges on the way.  Many of the barns had artistic paintings or quilt designs on them.

Biking Team: Rosie Miller

Date: August 2013

Rosie participated in the Dayton Right for Life Bike Ride from the University of Dayton to the University of Notre Dame at South Bend, Indiana. Rosie was the #1 fund raiser for the event. Twenty-four people participated in the 260 mile bike ride over the four day period. The ride took Rosie through many bike trails, back roads, Amish Country and small towns. In the final photo everyone rejoiced at reaching Notre Dame campus (L to R – Bob Huesman, Joyce Wirtz, Nancy, Rosie and the leg of Paul Coudron).

BIKING TEAM: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller 

BIKING DATE: September 22, 2019

After two days of hiking through Arches National Park we rented bikes and biked the Moab Canyon Pathway Trail (Photos #1 & #2) north to the national park entrance and had lunch under a shelter house. This was a difficult uphill pedal on a hot day but fun coasting back. We then biked to the Colorado River and east on Goose Island Trail (Photos#3 – #7 & #11). The bike trail wound 5 miles through the picturesque Grandstaff Canyon next to the waters of the river. On the way back Dave posed by some dinosaurs (Photo#8). Overall, we biked about 20 miles.

Back at our Slickrock Campground site, we cooked out and enjoyed a refreshing beer. Another camper came by pushing two cats in baby stroller. They were part cat, part snow leopard mix (Photo#9). Beautiful cats. The campground cat’s name was Hammy (Photo#10) and was always sleeping on the front registration counter in everybody’s way.  

Expedition Team: Nick Kelly, Jacque Kelly, Holly Elter, Rosie Miller, Dave Miller

Date: June 2020

The advertised 18 mile Rail to Trail was a huge disappointment as the bike trail was only about 1.25 mile long as collapsed train trestles over creeks were yet to be made into trail bridges. Nick coined it best -“Rail Trail Fail”.  Actually, it has great potential but needs a lot of funding and work including a larger parking lot and portajohns. Moonville Tunnel was only a quarter of a mile east from the parking lot with a decent trail.  Outside of the tunnel the bike path turned from smooth to large gravel and ended in a creek. Several large monarch butterflies flew around us and one butterfly landed on Dave’s bike helmet.  It stayed on it for minutes even when dave walked back up the hill to his bike.  He felt the butterfly was Shane saying hi to his family.  Nick led us back along the bike trail to the parking lot and then west.  Less than a quarter mile later a large downed tree blocked the bike trail.  We walked another 50 yards only to find a creek with no bridge over it as the railroad bridge was no longer there.

Expedition Team:  Dave Miller, Rosie Miller                                                                                    Expedition Date:  June 30, 2018

We flew into Anchorage the night before.  Anchorage’s population of 300,00 has 41% of the people in the entire street.  Stayed at the Ramada Inn on East 3rd Street.  Didn’t know it as we slept but Alaska had a 4.4 earthquake.  The next morning for breakfast I had eggs and ate my first reindeer sausage (hope it wasn’t Rudolph).

We rented bicycles in Anchorage and biked the 24 mile Coastal Bike Trail (photos#2-#4) overlooking Cook Inlet.  We came to a park that had a frisbee golf course.  Fairways were tight, weedy and many tree obstacles.

Came to another park, Earthquake Park (Photo#5), that had a display showing lots of photos from the devastating 1964 quake.  Biked past lots of beautiful wild flowers and dangerous mud flats during low tide which created deadly quicksand like mud (Photo#6).  Local bikers told us if you fall face first you will get a “free mud flat glacial facial”.  Beautiful vista views of the bay and distant mountains.

On the way back around mile marker 18,  I snapped a photo of a moose (Photo#7) napping just off the bike trail.  I glad he didn’t get up and charge me, but I did stay a safe distance behind a tree.

In Anchorage, biked to the local street fair market to sample local food and view paintings, crafts and booths.  By coincidence the Blue Angels were performing an air show and the jets zoomed overhead.  The Blue Angels had just performed at Dayton two weeks before.  We listened to a band and met a very old Alaskan native named Laleeana (Photo#9).  Rosie bought some bear spray and hiking poles.

Expedition Team:  Dave Miller, Rosie Miller                                                                                    Expedition Date:   July 7, 2018

Back in Anchorage after 8 days on the road we said goodbye to our international group and G Adventures guide.  We rented bicycles & biked 10 miles of beautiful bike trails along the inlet and several spurs in town.  Then we biked throughout downtown exploring the city. Beautiful flowers had been planted near town square (Photo#2 & #3).  The city of Anchorage plants more than 80,000 flowers in 270 flower beds around town in the summer months.

We had lunch at the famous White Spot Café, an old time 50’s restaurant that served only one sandwich, a super large halibut fish sandwich (Photo#4).  It cost $16 each for the sandwich & fries but it was super delicious.  For dessert, we enjoyed the delicious handcrafted Alaskan ice cream at Wild Scoops.

We explored many shops, saw unique artwork and later ran into some bears and a sasquatch (Photo#5 & #7). Later that afternoon we took a shuttle bus across town to the Anchorage Zoo which was surprisingly small (Photo#8).  

That evening we ate at 49^th State Brewing Company where I tasted my first yak burger (Photo#9).  It was fantastic.  Outside on the terrace we saw the most beautiful sunset at 1:30am at night (Alaska only had a couple hours of darkness this time of year).  I couldn’t stop taking photos of the sunset.

 

Expedition Team:  Rosie Miller, Dave Miller, Nick Kelly, Jacque Kelly & a very young Junior Kelly                                      Expedition Date:   May 2017, July & August 2020

We parked at Carillon Park along the Great Miami Valley Recreational Trail.  We immediately were able to get a photo of Orville, one of two eagles nesting in a tree at the park.  We biked north into Dayton and enjoyed the Metropark Giant Fountain Display in the middle of the Great Miami River.  We biked northeast on a spur we had never been on and ended up at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.  On the way back we passed a shuddered old 1920’s mansion.  We saw several blue herons and cranes along the riverbank.  It was a beautiful day for a 14 mile bike ride.

Nick & Jacque joined us a month later for the same route but we bicycled several more miles farther past WPAFB this time. It was a scenic ride as we ascended several  switchbacks up to the top of Huffman Dam.  We continued on another mile through a tunnel and up the steep hill to the Wright Brothers Memorial at Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center.  Nearby in the park were five native American mounds (Photo#7).  From the hill were great views back down at the dam, of Huffman Prairie and of Wright Patt AFB.

Expedition Team:  Dave Miller       Expedition Date:  October 2018

The new Possum Creek Connector between Moraine’s Deer Meadow Park and Possum Creek Metropark was nearing completion.  As I biked the .7 mile trail I was greeted by a deer who was also checking out the new bike trail.  On the back to Deer Meadow Park a saw a mom and baby ducks on the pond.