Thread Drift

[shootingstar]

That is very true, Emily. Even though I live in a normal suburb, it happens to be the place where the Revolutionary War started. Between April and November, sometimes December, we are inundated with tourists in our town center. I particularly dislike the huge tour buses idling by the town green. There have been a few times when DH and I have been sitting on the porch of the Colonial Inn, in our bike clothes, after a long ride, enjoying a beer or glass of wine. We have had people on the buses staring, pointing, and taking our picture! Thankfully, I spend more time in our "other" town center, West Concord, which is artsy and down to earth, and rarely gets any tourists.

I have a close friend where she and her parents/sibling used to live beside the famous CAnadian Underground Railway site for black slaves ...later named Uncle Tom's Cabin. It's in Canada, not the U.S. Lots of buses..from the U.S., etc. Her town of 2,000 is only 30 km. or less from the U.S. border.

And probably some cycling groups. I understand one of the cycling organizations has a ride that visits the underground railway major sites and other stuff related to black history.

[Crankin]

Yes, we are inundated with cyclists, too. Not tour groups, but big groups from cycling clubs. I don't know how this started, except that we actually have a town center with restaurants, public restrooms, and it's pretty. We're about 20 miles west of Boston, so it's the place people from the city ride to.
When I moved to this town, 10 years ago, I only moved 9 miles east. I noticed the difference immediately, in that I no longer enjoyed riding after work, when I was teaching, due to traffic. On the weekends, it's just too full of other riders. If I am doing a shorter local ride on a weekend day, I head to west Concord, where there are not so many cyclists. Last year, we moved our annual AMC New Member's ride, which DH and I lead, to the town where I used to live.
I know it's good for the economy, but I avoid the tourists as much as I can.

[Catrin]

Interesting discussion on tourists. I do enjoy being one but there is also the impact of living in an area that attracts this curious species. When I visit home (East Tennessee) there are a few places I would love to visit but haven't seen in years due to the traffic from all of the tourists who also want to go there.

[Pax]

I'm learning the seasons here, there are three: tourist, snow bird, and locals... so far I'm LOVING locals season (Oct-Dec and March-May). The rest of the time its gridlock from the tourists (Summer) and simply awful drivers and long lines at restaurants and grocery stores due to snow birds (Winter). And when I say awful drivers I mean truly utterly should no longer have a license type drivers.

[shootingstar]

I'm learning the seasons here, there are three: tourist, snow bird, and locals... so far I'm LOVING locals season (Oct-Dec and March-May). The rest of the time its gridlock from the tourists (Summer) and simply awful drivers and long lines at restaurants and grocery stores due to snow birds (Winter). And when I say awful drivers I mean truly utterly should no longer have a license type drivers.

Suck in all the energy there, Pax during local season!

There's a running joke where I am that a sign of a true Calgarian: they show tourists Banff, instead of our own city. Banff is the town, national park + Rocky Mtns., 150 km. north of us. Clearly many big prairie cities that are landlocked aren't the same draw. However I live near a local site which can be where locals would take visitors... a bike-ped bridge. In non-winter seasons, the bike-ped path gets very crowded near our end. Yes, the city has installed a bike counter within the last 2 yrs. ...to measure traffic.

There is a run/marathon nearly every weekend when it's not icy/snowy. Last weekend, unfortunately I didn't have my camera when I biked: There was a run with joggers all wearing Santa Claus' outfits.

I had a work colleague who lived year round in heart of cottage country, with lakes, resorts, etc. about 200 km. north of Toronto. I was intrigued that her family chose a cottage...in Quebec..which is a bit of a drive for a family with children. Distance would be well over 500 km. southeast. (They wouldn't fly, no local airport.) But that was their way of avoiding local tourists.

[Trek420]

I understand one of the cycling organizations has a ride that visits the underground railway major sites and other stuff related to black history.

This https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...railroad-ugrr/

I've always wanted to ride this. I believe the bicycle is the perfect speed to really feel something of what an escape from slavery into freedom could be like. I imagine riding for days and miles and suddenly over a hill, the route says "you have reached the Mason-Dixon Line. Freedom!" Let's get a group together.

I'll probably be here more often. The crazy condo neighbor is crazy, I'm about to get my very own personal restraining order for her. We're considering keeping this condo, renting it out, and getting something else, elsewhere .... I don't want to. I love my cozy, walkable, bike able condo. We're about to get a cycling inn nearby. Just about to get two light rail stations nearby, the place keeps getting better and better. It's called a restraining order because WE don't have to move.

But, she tried to hit me with her SUV so .... First steps are legal action.

[ny biker]

This https://www.adventurecycling.org/rou...railroad-ugrr/

I've always wanted to ride this. I believe the bicycle is the perfect speed to really feel something of what an escape from slavery into freedom could be like. I imagine riding for days and miles and suddenly over a hill, the route says "you have reached the Mason-Dixon Line. Freedom!" Let's get a group together.

I'll probably be here more often. The crazy condo neighbor is crazy, I'm about to get my very own personal restraining order for her. We're considering keeping this condo, renting it out, and getting something else, elsewhere .... I don't want to. I love my cozy, walkable, bike able condo. We're about to get a cycling inn nearby. Just about to get two light rail stations nearby, the place keeps getting better and better. It's called a restraining order because WE don't have to move.

But, she tried to hit me with her SUV so .... First steps are legal action.

Jeezy peezy. Good luck with this, I hope you're able to find a way to reign her in.

[wnyrider]

[QUOTE=Trek420;708958]This [url]... Let's get a group together. QUOTE]

Did you actually mean to express interest in planning to get a trip together for the ugrr, or did I misread that? If it was yes-- I would be interested. You could work out an awful lot of that "neighbor stress" on that ride!

[rebeccaC]

+1 I’d be in for something like a ride from the national underground railroad freedom center in Cincinnati (with a side trip to harriet beecher stowe’s house) to owen sound, ontario, the final terminal of the underground railroad and in time for their 154th emancipation festival. Could be a good few days of fun, riding, sights, conversations and purpose.

.......oh...and maybe i could get cadbury to sponsor it

But, she tried to hit me with her SUV so .... First steps are legal action.

Sorry to read it’s escalated to that!! Legal action for sure!! Does your area have mental health resources that could help her and maybe give you some strategies to help in your dealing with her?

[emily_in_nc]

Re. tourists and living in tourist towns, we've now done this twice (Ambergris Caye, Belize and now Playa del Carmen, Mexico). While we enjoy being tourists ourselves when we visit different areas, we don't enjoy living where we are outnumbered by them. Perhaps one day we'll learn?!

[shootingstar]

+1 I’d be in for something like a ride from the national underground railroad freedom center in Cincinnati (with a side trip to harriet beecher stowe’s house) to owen sound, ontario, the final terminal of the underground railroad and in time for their 154th emancipation festival. Could be a good few days of fun, riding, sights, conversations and purpose.

.......oh...and maybe i could get cadbury to sponsor it

Sorry to read it’s escalated to that!! Legal action for sure!! Does your area have mental health resources that could help her and maybe give you some strategies to help in your dealing with her?

Trek, that's awful that she wanted to run you down in her car. Best of luck of new home location (temporary). Wonder how she will learn..

About 20 km.or less from, the Josiah Henson's cabin (Uncle Tom's Cabin which was actually a compound of buildings. Yup, he was hardworking..) is town of Buxon, Ontario with small museum display of the black intellegensia in this area while Civil War was raging away. https://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com...n-communities/

[Trek420]

Perhaps one day we'll learn?!

"That's it. We're moving to Sonoma! Oops.

[ny biker]

So I have a nice wool winter coat that I got years ago from LL Bean. It's knee-length, very versatile. Last winter I decided it's starting to look worn, so I want to get a new knee-length coat for every day use. My plan was to get a new down coat, and keep the wool coat for semi-dressy situations when down seems too casual. I have a long down coat (almost ankle-length) that is great on really cold days, so I figured something similar in knee-length would be good for days that are cold but not super-cold.

A month or so ago I bought one of those "lightweight packable" down coats. Have any of you worn one of these coats? It fit well, I got it on sale, thought it would be great. I wore it once on a day when the high temp was in the low 40s. And I was cold! It was okay when I was in direct sun, but in the shade I was not comfortable. When I got in my car and put my arm on the armrest, I could feel the cold coming through the coat.

I have since returned that coat and bought a puffier one. We've been having such wonderful warm weather lately that I haven't had a chance to try it out -- I'm going to test it today. It's not super puffy, though -- it seems hard to find old-school down coats in the length I want. I really hope the latest one I bought works out. I got it for a great price from Land's End. If it's not warm enough I think I will have to try something more expensive like North Face or Colombia.

Other people seem to be happy with thin packable down coats. I'm sort of mystified by this. Maybe there's a psychological aspect -- I'm so used to warm coat=heavy coat that something light and thin just seems wrong. But I have a Pearl Izumi jacket cycling that is very thin yet insanely warm, so I know that such a thing is possible.

[Crankin]

DH bought us both Mountain Hardware packable down jackets last year, before we went to the Methow Valley. Mine is fantastic. I have never felt cold in it. Of course, on freezing days, I am wearing wool underneath. I wear it all of the time.
I had a knee length down coat (it's supposed to be 3/4 length on a normal non-short person!) from EMS. I bought it 3 -4 years ago and from the day I bought it, the feathers were coming out of the coat. I had also tried on the North Face one when I bought it, and even though both were on sale, I ended up cheaping out. I got so sick of it, that when we arrived in Seattle to go to the Methow Valley trip last February, we went to the North Face store, where I bought the North Face one. It was discounted, but still expensive. What a difference. It is a bulkier than the packable jacket, but not as bulky as the EMS coat. No feathers sticking out and it fits much better.
I dislike ankle length coats, so I get the knee length, to cover my rear and I am fine, even up in Vermont or NH where it is freezing. If I have to wear a skirt, I have wool tights for those occasions. I do have a very nice J. Crew 3/4 length wool coat with Thinsulate, but I rarely wear it anymore, unless i am getting very dressed up. And here in Boston, it would be OK to wear a down coat to a formal occasion!
I find Mountain Hardware to be an excellent brand, that actually fits me in an X small, that isn't a petite. The sleeves are not too long. Plus, you can get them on web sites like Back Country or STP at a steep discount.

[rebeccaC]

Look for a coat with high fill, 800-900, premium goose down for max warmth and compressibility but also made with a waterproof shell for the best possible combination without looking puffy. It’ll be more expensive than a synthetic fill one but the combination of warmth and dryness works best for me. I have an outdoor research floodlight jacket that works extremely well for cross country skiing/snowshoeing/winter climbing. It has a good cut for me and looks good even just as a cold city jacket. I saw a nice northface waterproof long coat that has a goose down liner that can be taken out which would be good for the city too. I don’t remember the name of it though. I do have a northface summit base layer that works well with the o.r. jacket too. I use a jil sanders double breasted long wool coat when visiting or working in cold cities.....even the cold lake michigan winds coming into downtown chicago won't affect me much with it on.