All posts by mark.sedgwick1@gmail.com

Cycling, Places, Trail Info

Oregon visitor rides the trails of Hemet

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Oregon business owner, David Gasporra made a recent trip to socal to visit family and friends with his wife Susie. David and Susie are the owners of “About Face and More”, a Portland Oregon based day spa offering skin treatments and massage therapy.

David was interested in a mountain bike ride and contacted Mark Sedgwick, owner of Sedgwick Travel. Mark organized the ride and acted as the guide for the ride. David’s brother, Damon Gasporra also signed up for the ride. Damon works and lives in Orange County.

Mark was able to obtain a demo bike from Casino Bikes in Hemet. Casino Bikes is a full service bike shop carrying Trek, GT, and Cannondale mountain bikes, along with several other models and brands. Casino Bikes owner, Matt Madore is a long time Hemet resident that believes in the community and is involved with the local rider community. Casino Bikes is also a sponsor of the local high school mountain bike teams at Hemet High School and San Jacinto High School.

David’s demo bike was a Trek Top Fuel 8, 29inch wheel, full suspension mountain bike. The Top Fuel 8 was nicely appointed with a high end components, with Fox providing the suspension front and rear. This was quite an upgrade to David’s bike back home and this was David’s first time on a full suspension/29inch wheel bike.

The ride started out through the local citrus groves to a steady uphill grade leading into the open hills above the citrus groves on a perfect single track with a steady climb to an amazing overlook. The trail heads back down through the groves to another quick single track. After another short ride through some citrus groves the ride continued up a single track trail into a serene canyon that climbed slightly up the trail with an E-ticket ride back down the trail. The ride ended after traveling the paved road back through the groves to the original starting point. The ride covered 15.5 miles. Both of the brothers conquered the ride and enjoyed a cold beer along the way.

David was amazed at the riding comfort of the 29inch/full suspension Trek, and would consider owning one in the future.

Contact Casino Bikes at 43906 Florida Ave. in Hemet or via the Web at casinobikes.com if you are interested in purchasing a bike. Casino does offer demo rides for those interested in purchasing a bike. Sedgwick Travel offers free trail ride information and can be contacted via this site or sedgwicktravel.agentstudio.com.20160525_130233(1)FB_IMG_146627226106820160525_133642(1)

Alerts, Trail Info

Snakes are out.

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***Update

The 2016 Spring riding season has riders on the look-out for snakes. Several riders have already encountered Rattlesnakes on Bautista Canyon road and in Simpson Park. Be careful when riding narrow single track routes, where you might not see the snake until you are right up on it.

I went for ride yesterday in Bautista Canyon and saw four snakes in an hour. One was a red Diamondback on the edge of the pavement. Another rider saw a rattlesnake near Lake and Stetson shortly before meeting up with me. I haven’t seen very many snakes the past two years so I’m guessing this will be a bad year, since there have already been so many sightings.

 

Places, Travel Tips

Train Travel

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Train travel in Ireland and Scotland is easy and accessible from most of the cities throughout Ireland and Great Britain.  One thing I have learned is booking your ticket far ahead in advance will save you money. You can buy tickets via the internet at Irish Rail for Ireland and the TrainlineUK for Great Britain. If you wait too long and buy at the station it could be double the price. Which I learned on a recent tour there.

Even better is to consider a Rail Pass. The price will be a little more than the individual tickets on the internet, but you won’t be locked into a date. You can just fill in a date when you decide to use it. The Rail Pass needs to be purchased before you leave home. The pass will be mailed to your home address. You can purchase the pass from your travel agent.

Food
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Daves breadDave’s Killer Bread is from Milwaukie, Oregon and worth giving a try. I purchased some from the Sheridan Fruit Company in Portland. The bread is loaded with all kinds of seeds, depending on which loaf you buy. The bags are color coded to the particular type of bread. The bread is also organic, so how can you go wrong with that. Just adding some fresh butter will be a treat. I ate almost a whole loaf in a week and I don’t eat much bread, but this stuff is hard to pass up. Breakfast with butter and a good cheese is the way to go. Just add a cup of coffee and you have breakfast. I also found it back home at my local grocery store. So give it a try.

Food, Places

Sheridan Fruit Company-Portland Oregon

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On a recent to trip to Portland Oregon I visited a true icon of Portland. The Sheridan Fruit Company is reaching their 100 year anniversary in 2016. The Poleo brothers purchased the company from Founder John Sheridan in 1946 and is still run by the family. Fresh fruit, vegetables, fresh meat and sausage, and an amazing bulk aisle. And don’t forget the deli. I enjoyed a lovely bacon breakfast sandwich from the deli one morning. It was hard to choose from all the yummy offerings. They also have a grill outside cooking up daily specials and other selections. The aisles are full of tempting items from different parts of the globe. Butter from Germany? They have it. Wild Game, yes they have that too.  I was amazed by the sausage counter that offered over 25 varieties, of which all but a few are made in-house. How about a Philly Cheesesteak sausage, sounds yummy doesn’t it. I only wished I lived closer, because this place would be my “go to” store. Sheridan supplies many of the restaurants in the area with their fleet of trucks. Fruit and specialty baskets can be ordered on-line, so look out “Harry and David”. Their friendly staff is always willing to help customers. Sheridan Fruit Company has a website (sheridanfruit.com) and can be found on Face Book. Next time you’re in Portland, or if you live there now, make sure you stop in and show your support of this historic company.

Various Topics

Voodoo Doughnuts

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Do you love doughnuts? I do but I try not to eat them all the time, which is why Voodoo Doughnuts is good for me because I have to travel to Portland in order to enjoy their fantastic doughnuts. They have 5 locations. The popular store to visit in Portland is downtown at 22 SW 3rd Ave. This is where all the buzz is and the lines. Keep in mind they’re open 24/7 except for some holidays. It’s my spot to hit if I fly into town late at night and the lines aren’t so bad.  I’ve also visited the store at 1501 NE Davis.

I didn’t notice any difference in the quality. Both locations make mouth watering fresh treats. I can’t believe how they practically melt in your mouth. I love the bacon maple bar and rasberry filled. But if you really wanna get your calories on,  try the banana fritter with chocolate and peanut butter. It’s huge and delicious. They seem to be coming up with new flavors and toppings all the time.

You see the big pink boxes all over town and even at the airport.  Yes, I’ve taken a dozen home in the past. Don’t forget to get some great coffee from Stumptown to go with your doughnut.

Food, Places

Pearl Bakery in Portland Oregon

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20150920_13491420150920_145634Are looking for some artisan bread? Then head down to 9th and Couch in downtown Portland.

Pearl bakery has all of your bread and pastry needs covered. From French baguettes to German ryes, they have an excellent choice of breads and rolls. How about fig filled cookies or bread pudding? They have it.

The pre-packaged sandwiches will take care of those lunch time needs. Try the eggplant sandwich. Continue reading Pearl Bakery in Portland Oregon →

Food, Places

Little Big Burger

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20150920_134635Just had a burger at little Big Burger on 10th in Portland Oregon. They have more than one location in Portland.

The menu is basic with burgers and fries, soda and beer. They do offer a veggie burger also. All burgers are cooked to order and worth the wait, which isn’t long. The patties are thick and flavorful. You choose your cheese. Now they aren’t big burgers but they will fill you. The burgers are about the size of an In n Out burger but with a thicker patty. The fries are awesome, kinda a cross with In n Out and McDonalds, but with truffle oil. And don’t forget the catchup and fry sauce. They also have a unique selection of beer by the can.

Prices on everything is reasonable. Oh and why not enjoy a root beer float for dessert.

Look them up next time you’re in Portland and feeling a hunger for a yummy little burger and truffle fries.20150920_13314820150920_13455520150920_132629

Deals, Travel Tips, Various Topics

LETS TAKE A TRIP

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Time to start thinking about recharging those batteries. Why not plan a cruise in the Fall or Spring. Interested in cycling or hiking? How about a trip to Ireland or Scotland?

My March 2016 Ireland trip will be a trial run for future trips to the Emerald Isle. I am planning low cost, no frills exploring trips to Ireland and Great Britain. Wouldn’t it be nice to throw on your day pack in the morning, after a wonderful full English breakfast, and start walking or riding your bike to the next B&B. Stopping when you want with plenty of time to make it to your next overnight stop. No worries on the suitcases, because they’ll be waiting for you when you arrive at your next stopping point.

Maybe you want to explore Europe by train. No problem, I can book just the right rail pass and hotels. Just ride the train and take in the view from the window without the worries of driving a car. Europe has a fantastic public transportation system, so why not use it. Here is the USA we rely to much on our cars.

If you don’t want to leave the U.S. then how about a backpacking or camping trip in the Pacific Northwest. I can arrange the right accommodations.

I’ll re-check your reservations for lower prices several times before you start your trip, so you get the best deal. If the price drops I do my best to lower the price.

Live the adventure…

Places

Smith Rock State Park Oregon

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Smith Rock State Park near Terrebonne Oregon is a 20 minute drive east of Highway 97. Easily visited from Bend Oregon as a day trip. This is a another great location that depicts the diversity of this great state.

Stop for a hike or just take in the view. The rock formations are unlike any other in the state. The hiking trails can be strenuous but worth it as you climb above the river for sweeping views. Several of the rock faces are outdoor gyms for the avid rock climbers that visit here daily.

After your hike stop at the little store on the main road for some Huckleberry ice cream. Or stop in at the Terrebonne Depot on Smith Rock road for a bite to eat and a beverage.