Well folks, it has been a slow couple of weeks here on the Philtrons Pedal South, but worry not – the excitement is beginning again! After two full weeks off the bicycles, we finally started riding again today. Tomorrow we will cross the border into Mexico. We are so excited to speak Spanish for the next year! Just to get you back in the groove, I will write a quick note about the last two weeks.
Daisy all ready for her defense.
A dramatic sunset back in Pennsylvania
We spent a full week back on the east coast so that I (Daisy) could officially complete requirements for my Ph.D., and defend my dissertation. We spent time with family and friends, got our teeth cleaned, and really enjoyed the small town feel of State College, PA in the early fall. After this trip is over (what?! this trip will end someday? ) we plan to get jobs back here. Thank you so much to Jason B. for hosting me for three days, and to Nidhi and Shweta for hosting us both for three days.
The Phils on Mission beach.
Heading out into the surf.
Once back in San Diego, my parents met us for a fun-filled five days on the beach. They rented a little beach bungalow, and we were true tourists. We visited historic Old Town San Diego, made the trek to Palomar Observatory, spent a day at SeaWorld, and body boarded in the surf. It was an amazing time, and we are glad that they could fly down and share this time with us. Instead of telling too many stories, I include photos.
At first I was scared, but then I loved it!
We loved body boarding.
200 inch telescope. Oh my!
Jason approaches the giant observatory
Daisy’s parents enter SeaWorld
Notice these tan lines.
Today we got back on the road. Finally! We spent the whole morning running errands before picking up our bicycles from the repair shop. We usually do our own maintenance, but the bikes needed their complete drivetrains replaced: front and back gears, and chains. This is enough work that it was worth us to pay $30 to get everything installed without us spending tons of time on it. The guys at the bicycle shop were great, and helped us with some electrical work on our power generating hubs too. We now have the ability to charge via USB while we ride.
A busy day riding across San Diego. This city is very full of infrastructure.
We spent all afternoon riding across town (30 miles) to our host’s house. It was busy, urban riding in hot conditions (90 degrees today!). Somehow, we remained comfortable despite the heat. Our hosts are wonderful – they made us guacamole burgers and shared many stories with us. They have done some travelling in the Baja Peninsula and gave us many hints that we are sure to use as we head south. Tomorrow! With any luck, we’ll be in Ensenada in a few days and we can post for the first time from Mexico
Can you guess which of these is the new bottle?
Adios, vaya con Dios!
Impressive tan lines, Doctors Philtron!
Love all the photos, esp the tan lines and the body boarding! Too cute! Be safe. Can’t wait to read about the adventures in Mexico! Hugs, Millie
Holy cow! I wouldn’t think you’d need full drivetrain replacement already, unless, maybe you haven’t been replacing your chains at all so far…
We replaced the chains, but we’ve already put over 6,000 fully loaded miles on the bikes. Also, we wanted to replace everything before we hit Mexico. The parts will be a lot harder to find from here on out!
Congrats on your defense!
I didn’t think about the desire for fresh parts heading into Mexico & parts south; that makes sense – plus, my guess is your “full time travel 6K” has been a bit harder on the drivetrain than normal miles. At home, you can clean it up and relube after a dirty or dusty ride; seems like it’d be a lot harder to manage that on the road.
I’m really enjoying your blog! I found it via Reddit a few months ago, and look forward to new posts very much. Good riding!