Day 6: July 2, 2005 We were pleasantly surprised to see so many friends here at the NorthWest Tandem Rally—we always do but it is still a surprise each time. Bob and Lois Weist from Sacramento, Bev and Ron Armstrong from Iowa, Rhoda Peacher and Dan Watson from Tigard, Oregon, Jack and Susan Goertz from Alabama, and of course Rick and Vicki Thompson from South Dakota. And then of course we met so many new tandemers and we will get to know some of them better tomorrow at the Rally Banquet Dinner at the Old Mill.
Rick and Vicki Thompson
Bob and Lois Weast Bev and Ron Armstrong Rhoda Peacher and DanWatson
The mass start was pretty awesome and my photos cannot even begin to show how large it actually was. It was a beautiful sunny day and just cool enough to be great riding.
The routes were wonderful with such gorgeous views.
After the ride we stopped at the Bella Tazza Caffe (coffee house) for a really good cup of coffee and an apricot bar and while there this guy strikes up a conversation because of our tandem bike—his name is Mike Gray and he looks so familiar so after about half an hour of talking I finally ask him where he has lived in the past and it turns out he lived in Albuquerque when we did and was actually active in the Chili Pedalers Tandem club and sold tandems there for a time. Small world!
Then after we got back to our room and I was in the shower we got a phone call from my hometown in Nebraska where my 50th high school reunion is in progress and I wrapped in a towel and had to stand outside on the front porch to get a good signal so I could talk to a bunch of my old school chums! Now that was a really neat experience and I thank them for being so thoughtful! I should also be thankful that Dennis did not get the camera out to preserve that memory! If it had been him you know I would have--but then he would not have gone out like that we can all be sure!
The Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social was another big gathering and another chance to meet and greet and then we enjoyed another wonderful dinner with Rick and Vicki at the Blue Fish. And that was also after a visit to a local distillery for some local gin and vodka—martinis of real quality! I cannot remember the name of that quaint little place (It was the Bendistillery). This city is full of breweries and distilleries—all connected to pubs, bars and eateries! Really makes us wish we could be here longer but we must leave on Monday.
I am really glad to get the website caught up to date and hope I do not have to let it get so far behind again. I really think we will have at least a phone in our room every night from now on! But who knows??? It has been such fun getting emails from so many who have looked in at our website. It has been busy here in Bend but from now on we will be really on our own and will look forward to news from all of you.