Coast-to-Coast Via Glasgow

Danielle Cummings and Ted Olds, of Brooklyn, N.Y., are cycling their own version of the American Cycling Association's Northern Tier route. The couple stopped in Glasgow July 10, met some new friends and gained followers for their blog.

Cummings recently completed a master's degree and Olds is set to enter law school in August. Making the most of the time between these events, they are taking their dream vacation, cycling cross-country. Unlike other travelers through the area, they are not riding to raise awareness or funds for any cause. According to their blog, she enjoys simplifying her life and keeping all the necessities to a few small bags fit on a bicycle, while he enjoys the pace of travel, slow enough to take in the surroundings, while still covering a decent distance. The couple believes bike touring is the ultimate form of self-sufficiency, a means of growth on several levels, and an opportunity to meet new people.

Their trip has been filled with ups and downs, literal and figurative, and their time in Valley County was no different.

Nature was particularly cruel, assaulting the cyclists with the area's notorious mosquitoes and winds, while nurture answered with the kindness of local residents. From Saco to Glasgow, the couple met friendly locals, who plied them with conversation and free food. Cummings had high praise for Pay-n-Save in Saco, noting the the meat really earned the acclaim they'd heard.

In Glasgow, they found the Busted Knuckle Brewery and Wi-Fi needed to update their blog, and found themselves entertained by others wanting to visit with them. While there, they met Mike and Tanja Fransen, who explained the low pressure weather system in the Rockies that was creating such exhausting headwinds for the travelers, and treated them to a dinner at Fiesta Mexicana.

Of their time here, Cummings said, "We are meeting the most wonderful people on this trip. Montanans, on the whole, have been particularly kind."

Cummings and Olds continued on their trip the next day, making their way to Nashua, on to North Dakota, and eventually New York. Their blog is updated as time and internet access allow. Follow them and their journey at: panniersandgrannygears.com.