BLIX E-BIKES

STEHEKIN WASHINGTON CAMPING IN OUR BOAT

What if you had an idea to camp in your 19 foot boat, drive 55 miles on Lake Chelan to reach your destination of Stehekin. Only way to get to Stehekin is by a Ferry, your personal boat or I guess swim. A very isolated but magical location well worth the journey.

Stehekin is located at the head of Lake Chelan, there are no roads connecting this tiny community of 75 permanent residents. A fifty mile scenic journey in which you can reach Stehekin only by foot, horseback, your own boat or by passenger ferry boat. We opted to use our own 19 foot boat and boated the fifty miles exploring the shoreline as we traveled. The panorama of stark steep mountains took your breath away. The beauty of this country left us speechless. It actually only took less than 3 hrs to reach our destination and well worth it. A fee of $5.00 a day to dock your boat was a good deal as we were also camping on our boat. Cheap Digs with a view to remember. Fortunately we brought our Blix foldable electric bikes to explore with. Bikes are available to rent or you can bring your own highly recommend for exploring.

First Stop :

The Stehekin Pastry Company and log cabins are located two miles up the Stehekin Valley Road from the boat landing where the Ferries let off passengers. The bakery was built in 1989 and has a homey rustic feel besides the aroma of home baked goods and killer coffee and espresso. Delicious Cinnamon rolls the size of a small dinner plate for $2.25, pastries, cookies, ice cream, I could go on and on. The selections are varied depending on the day you visit, we visited everyday for 6 days, need I say more. The bakery is very considerate of those with special dietary concerns ( low carb and gluten free) are also very delicious. Their from scratch soups, sandwiches and quiches are also delicious with people coming from a far just for the goodness. As we headed back towards the boat dock one more stop a mere mile from the bakery was mandatory. Karl’s Garden!!!

Second stop:

Another hidden gem called THE GARDEN. Owned and fully operated by KARL a BAREFOOTED ORGANIC GARDENER.

Karl is amazing with a fairyland entryway into his garden lined by gorgeous flowers as big as your hand. You immediately feel transformed to another land with the aromas of flowers, goats he raises for yogurt and cheese, to the bees buzzing everywhere which help with his honey harvest. OK lets start with the goats: He raises them for making the most incredible creamy Chevre cheese (plain or herbed) or homemade yogurt flavored with his incredible honey he harvests on site. He uses the goat poop to fertilize his gardens which appears to be on steroids. Everything is on steroids I think even the bees were bigger . His garden is seasonal with homemade cosmetics, holistic medicine to some of his own bakery goods. A bit about Karl, he owned a Organic bakery called the honey hole located in Wenatchee years ago. Get him talking and you can learn some fascinating garden and baking tips. We left with our bike bags overflowing with giant beets, kale, fresh honey, chevre and fresh made goat yogurt. I myself was in organic heaven, Jeff wasn’t to far behind..

Stay Tuned for part Two of our Stehekin Adventures CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND

NOTE: We visited Stehekin in early August 2019 beautiful time of year for perfect weather.

Gilbert Ray Campground Arizona

Sometimes on our snow bird explorations we find a hidden gem and Gilbert Ray Campground ticks all of the boxes.

Bordering Saguaro National Park and a mier mile from Old Tucson Movie Studio Theme Park is Tucson Mountain Park which included in that park is Gilbert Ray Campground. Located 13 miles from Tucson, Gilbert Ray has 130 RV sites with individual electric hook-ups and 5 designated tent sites.. Water is available and a RV dump station. NO shower facilities. RESERVATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTED.

The fees are $20.00 a night and a maximum stay of 7 days only. The trick to getting a spot as this is a very popular campground with no reservations accepted is to get there early in the morning, I’d say 7am, yes I said 7 am is best. Its worth it as you will definitely want to stay longer as there is so much to see and do in the surrounding area.

Some of the sites are pretty small, but as you check in they ask the size of your RV and select an appropriate size site for you. No favoritism here you get what they choose.

Tucson Mountain Park has a lot of maintained trails and vista pullouts for spectacular views of the Sonoran desert with plenty of pullouts for vehicles. This particular year was abundant with rainfall and the cactus were blooming profusely. In all of the years we have explored the desert we have never seen so much beauty.

Next Stop The Channel Islands Please Join Us On Our Journey

JUST AROUND THE BEND JEFF AND LIZ

LAKE MEAD AND BOULDER CITY ARIZONA AND NEVADA

Boulder City was not what we expected. I thought dry, hot desert, nothing to explore, BORING, well that was not the case. I didn’t realize that a mire 4 miles from Boulder City was Hoover Dam and the expansion bridge which went across The Colorado river was incredible. After the Highway bypass was finished the cities staff went to work revitalizing the town and they did a great job. New bike paths, parks, and a nostalgic downtown with original neon signs. Boulder is one of the few Nevada cities that gambling and prostitution is illegal. This puts a relaxed persona on the town. There was a art and wine tour with live music downtown when we were visiting in February. The park on the way down to Lake Mead has resident Mountain Sheep hanging out in the park for great photo opportunities. We stayed 2 nights at the Elks Lodge RV park with Full hookups for members only. We moved over to Boulder Campground which is part of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area ran by the National Park Service.The very scenic sites were 10 dollars a night for senior pass holders and 20 dollars for young folks. There is 2 more campgrounds on the Nevada side and more on the Arizona side of the Lake. There is also some dispersed sites on the lake for free BLM camping. A plus to the campground is a 38 mile paved bike loop which goes along the lake, up towards Henderson and loops back to Boulder City. We had fun in the city and the Hoover dam was fascinating. We were reminded of the Selma Hayek movie Fools Rush In. Boulder won our hearts with great people and a fun nostalgic town. We will be back.

Until our next Adventure CHEERS FROM JEFF AND lIZ AT JUSTAROUNDTHEBEND.BLOG

You are probably wondering where are these Nomads headed to next – Well its to DEAD HORSE RANCH STATE PARK SEE YOU THERE!!!!

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Blix Electric Bikes 100 Mile Update

It’s been a busy last two months of camping, fishing and riding our Blix Electric Bikes. We have both ridden our bikes a little over 100 miles and going strong. I cannot say one negative comment about these bikes, from the comfort, user friendly design to the incredible balance they provide. We have been riding them to the grocery store, to Starbucks -fun and exploring every trail in and around Bend, Oregon. Wait until we get back on the RV road, we will be dangerous.

So let’s discuss Pros: Well designed with super comfort

Upgraded LITHIUM Battery with a 55 mile range

Well built spring loaded luggage rack

Foldability for storage – even fits in the back of our 4 runner

Headlight and rear light powered by lithium battery

Power assist and changing gears user friendly

CONS: Possibly the 38 pound weight for some could be a disadvantage – I personally believe the weight helps with the performance and balance of this bike.

Put this bike on your Christmas, bucket list and hopefully you will be able to have as much fun as we are having on these amazing designed electric bikes.

Until Next Time Cheers From Just Around The Bend ♥♥♥♥♥

OKRA Universal Bike Mount

This little gadget is a universal bike / motorcycle mount for most Smartphones. It has saved me from many crashing incidents on my bike and helped with taking pictures and videos hands free. Single handed operation, fits all 6 inch phones and rotates 360 degrees. I have a very special feature on my phone which makes it totally hands free by speaking cheese, cheers or shoot. This enables me to be super safe while being able to snap pictures or record videos without taking my hands from the handle bars. Easy directions for placement on your handle bars included and quickly unmounts for fast removal. Includes silicone bands which holds your chosen device firmly in place for added security. It’s not just for phones as we have been placing our Garmin GPS in it for easy Geocaching along the trail. I ordered mine thru Amazon with free shipping for $14.99. It would make a great gift for any bicycle/motorcycle enthusiast.

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CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND♥♥♥♥♥

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BLIX ELECTRIC BIKES

Good Day to all who follow my blog and a big THANK YOU.

This year I turn 67 years young and my wonderful husband decided to surprise me with an electric bike for my birthday. In the recent years I have done a lot of research on electric bikes, interviewed people who either own one for pleasure or commute to work on a daily basis on electric bikes. On a recent trip to Vancouver, BC, I was overwhelmed at how popular electric bikes were for commuting to work. That’s where I saw my first BLIX Electric Bike in action. I’m only 5 feet tall and my husband is 5″ 8″ , in my researching I felt we required something that fit us and would also fold up nicely for our RVing travels. The Blix Vika+ met all of our criteria, including an option for upgrading the panasonic 36 volt, 620 wh lithium battery which extended our range from 35 to 55 miles.

Total weight of bike – 49 pounds

Recommended total max weight is 220 lbs (rider and cargo)

Accessories included:

LCD Display water resistant

Heavy duty rear rack

Front and rear LED lights

Battery Charger

Fenders

Option for Travel bag $69.00

Extra fuses

PROS:

The bike is very stylish with a classic design

Stability

Very fun to ride

Blix E-Bike has to be the most user friendly and well thought out Swedish design, with Beautiful, Smart, Easy, Practical and Reliable technology. The panasonic Lithium-ion battery is located under the saddle, locks in place which allows for a low center of gravity for better stability when cycling.

We went for a short night ride in the neighborhood and the headlight did a pretty good job of iluminating the street and the rear tail light is very bright so you can be seen by night traffic. The lights are powered by the battery so will last as long as you are charged.

The process to fold this bike down has to be so easy, it’s just what we were looking for. We modified the folding process by adding some small pieces of swimming pool noodles in strategic places so when you fold it up there is no damage to the beautiful paint and decals. See pictures.

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The other really nice surprise was when folded these bikes fit perfectly in the back of our classic 2000, 4runner. When we are on the road Rving they fit perfectly inside our 25ft travel trailer or plenty of room in the back of the truck. When folded up it forms a cube, 34 inches long, by 27 inches high and 20 inches deep. Super compact. See pictures.

Blix E-Bikes

Lights On

Folded Up-Very Compact

Leather Seat

Back Of The Car

Fits perfectly without folding

Handlebars-Leather Grips

CONS:

To soon to give any cons if any, the one thing I have noticed is the seat is a little hard after a 15 mile ride. That could be because I am not used to riding that far , so time will tell. Otherwise so far nothing to report. I will give it several months of riding and enjoyment and review again.

WARNING: I did have a little mishap my fault entirely. You have to be very cautious of the accelerator knob when standing next to the bike. Its located by the readout unit on the left side. The switch sticks up a bit and if you accidentally move it the bike will take off and take you with it. The bike accelerates very quickly and has a lot of torque. I rubbed the switch by accident and was ran over and knocked down by my own bicycle. If the bike is turned on it is ON even if the peddle assist is on zero. Be very cautious of that switch if you are not mounted on the bike. The bummer is I scratched my paint and scraped the seat up ,so much for brand new.

When we were in Campbell River on Vancouver Island BC there was a free foot ferry over to Quadra Island. The Island is one of the larger Gulf Islands and has many a country roads that beckon to be explored. April Point Resort rented electric bikes but the 3 hour time would not have been enough to experience the beauty of Quadra Island. Had we had our Blik Vika + with us with the 55 mile range we probably would spend 2 days exploring the island and meeting the super friendly Canadian People.

I could go on and on about how wonderful and fun this bike is but instead we are going to take off and go for a morning ride. See you on the trail.

CHEERS FROM JUST AROUND THE BEND ♥♥♥♥♥

A big Thank You to Marc and Renge’ for their expert help and customer service at Backcountry Recumbent Cycles located in Tumalo, Oregon.

Backcountry Recumbent Cycles

Mark

Renge’

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