Biking near the Bay

I treated myself to a weekend away with some of my girlfriends from Cumberland. We met on the eastern shore of Cambridge, Maryland for an annual event, 'The Wild Goose Chase'. Organized by the womens' biking company, Terry, it's a fun-filled weekend of ....

....drinking,

kayaking,

and of course, biking. I was like a little kid, riding her bike for the first time. I hadn't been on my bike for nearly 2 months (!) because of my stupid knee stuff and wasn't sure if I'd even be able to go far, but I made it 45 miles, hubba bubba, no trubba! It is exceptionally flat out there though, so that helped a lot. Thanks Kate, Denise and Sue for taking a leisurely pace and riding with me the whole way.

 

The route takes us through the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, a  25,000 acre haven of wetlands, marsh and a habitat for the bald eagle.

This event is actually a fundraiser for the refuge, helping to maintain the trails, roadways and wetlands of this beautiful area.

 Back at the Goosechase headquarters, one could browse or buy Terry gear, including jerseys, shorts, bike seats, jackets, gloves, and bikes, all encompassed under a huge tent.

 Many pit stops were along the way, including the Bucktown Village Store, where Harriet Tubman made news and the home base of Blackwater Pedal and Paddle, our guides for the kayaking tour.

 

I met some new women, reconnected with some others and had a fabulous time with these 17 women from Cumberland. I really needed this restorative weekend. 

(thanks to Amy and Donna for some of the photos)