Monday, August 4, 2008

Living Local



"Beep-boop-bop-beep," sings Noah from the back of the tandem, calling Dana on his imaginary cell phone.

"Ema's All-Natural Metropolis Market," answers Dana from the back of her tandem bike.

"What's your definition of natural?" questions Noah.

"Local and organic," she responds.
So maybe our living local while traveling is getting noticed. We got Misty Meadows Wild Blackberry Jam outside Bandon (the huge sign on the road said JAM in three-foot-tall letters) to put on our Bandon Bakery sunflower bread. Found Point Arena lemon cuccumbers at an organic market and truly French pastries down the street (at Frankie's Bakery and Ephemera). In Mendecino we ate homemade ice cream (Noah got root beer float and it really did fizz a little in your mouth).

We notice the regional changes. We were getting chocolate milk made by the Humboldt creamery (which we actually rode by, up and over almost, as it was next to a big bridge) and now it is Clover creamery on the milk and yogurt. Some farms even have signs out front stating which creamery their milk goes to. We visited the Loleta cheese factory (unlimited samples, we bought a garden pepper jack), and have stopped at farm stands (one we could smell the strawberries even before we stopped).

Cycling 4 hours a day makes us hungry, so we're sampling local fare and enjoying that northern California has been more cows than cars. (Outside of the Redwoods, I mean.) Besides, we're stretching our bodies to the smell of licorice - wild fennel seems to grow everywhere along the roadside here - so that reminds us to eat well too.

3 comments:

Shady522 said...

Hi Noah, dana, Laural and Tom. It sounds like your having a fantastical trip biking along the healthy green roads to mexico, I bet your really strong and have big muscles. We miss you guys soooooooo soooooo much, keep having fun and eating the wonderpipical yummy food. Dana and Noah, you should start writing entries to. So long dudes!!!!!!!
emily

Roxanne Sailors said...

I really am enjoying both the entries and the video/audio portion. We're buying a house and will be living more centrally when you get back. I'm working on getting Erik to ride his bike to work once we move, but one thing at a time, I suppose. We'll be right on the Railroad trail, so we can bike/walk/run to and from the Walters' still! Take care y'all and enjoy eating local!

wildelg said...

This post made my mouth water! Glad you're having fun and I'm amazed at your progress! I miss you guys and am glad to have this blog as an update. Thanks for letting me live vicariously.

By the way, Sky and Max and I will go on our first overnight bike trip....to Larrabee on Thursday this week. We need to start somewhere if we're going to be biking across the country(ies) like you guys, our new heroes!

Have a great time. Hasta luego!

Lorraine & the gang