Steve Miller/Grampies - Member Profile - CycleBlaze

Member Profile

Steve Miller/Grampies

Journals

Title Ratings
Grampies Go Valencia to Paris: Spring 2024 3042
Grampies Yucatan De Nuevo, Winter 2023 2388
Grampies Cross Europe Germany to Spain Fall 2023 5312
Grampies Iberian Inquisition Spring 2023 3684
Grampies Yucatan Return: Winter 2022 2140
Grampies Go To England and France Fall 2022 9785
Grampies Search for the Meaning of Life Spring 2022 6706
Grampies' Poc Chuc Pursuit Winter 2021 1466
Grampies' World Class Local Tour Fall 2021 825
Travels With Bernie 196
Grampies Fall for the Islands Fall 2019 495
Grampies Grand Willamette Excursion Summer 2019 441
Grampies (re)Discover Saanich Summer 2019 58
Grampies Saltspring Sunrise Summer 2019 146
Grampies Track the Tortes Spring 2019 1630
Rise Again! Fall/Winter 2019 412
Grampies Tour de France Spring 2018 4099
Grampies' Road to Ruins Winter 2018 1115
Grampies Go 50 for 50 Fall 2017 363
Grampies Go Unhinged Summer 2017 31
Grampies Go Lochside (Again) Summer 2017 10
Grampies Go On Their Knees Spring 2017 191
Grampies and the Waddling Dog Summer 2016 2
Grampies Hawaiian Escape Winter 2016 (with brief 2019 update) 5
Grampies Ride Again! Summer 2015 4
Grampies' Grand Adventure Summer 2015 31
Grampies Go to Florida Spring 2015 9
Grampies Go Hawaiian Winter 2014 2
Grampies Go with the Grands Summer 2014 4
Grampies Go By The Books Summer 2014 480
Grampies Go South Spring 2014 128
Grampies Go in Circles Summer 2013 127
Grampies Go Panhandling Summer 2013 0
Grampies Go Coastal Winter 2012 48
Grampies on the Go - Again! Summer 2012 357
Grampies on the Go Summer 2011 129

About

Who We Are and Where We Are From

We are Steve and Dodie Miller, a retired Economist/Statistician and Pediatric Head Nurse from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada. We were born in Montreal, both 72 years ago, and can speak semi- passable French. Over the years we moved westward across the country, even pausing for school in Wisconsin, USA. We have four children, who were born variously in Wisconsin,Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia. We spent many years working and raising the children. Our first attempt at “semi-retirement” was to begin the gradual switch from working in our professional fields to working the fields of our 11 acre farm near Cobble Hill, north of Victoria. We very happily spent 10 to 15 years raising chickens, turkeys and veggies and producing a range of jams, chutneys other preserves, and bread for sale at our local farmers market.

We converted from professionals to farmers, to this! At the Frankfurt airport, 2014
Thanks for this to Christian Laszlo in Irdning, Austria - 2012
Thanks to Emma Taylor for this shot of us at Lansing, UK in June 2012

Where We Cycle

A chance encounter with a "real" touring cyclist while we were day tripping with our bikes in Jasper National Park introduced us to cycle tour blogging and sent us spinning across the continent with Bob trailers. That first trip covered over 7600 km and hooked us on cycle touring. At the East Coast we looked ahead and realized that the next stop was Europe. Since then we have done many long tours around Western Europe, and are planning a new one in 2018.

Looking for somewhere to cycle when not in Europe, we have tried out crossing the US on the Southern Tier, circling Hawaii, circling Florida, and charging down the West Coast as far as Mexico, in Winter. Our latest effort is a tour around the Yucatan peninsula in eastern Mexico.

We are certainly not athletes or heroes, and are always looking for the flattest, safest way to go. This has not always worked out, and from time to time we have run afoul of heat, wind, distance, and traffic:

Cycling wonderland in Austria
The eleven arrows on the left all point to bike routes we could choose!
This is what we look for.



This is what we sometimes run in to. This was just extreme wind and sun in Texas.
This is what sometimes runs into us. This pickup truck in Florida broke and dislocated my shoulder.


What We Cycle and Blog For

One of our greatest loves, and the reason for taking the name "Grampies" are our grandchildren. These blogs are partly an attempt to let them know what we are up to right now, and maybe to give them a record to look back on in future years. At the same time, we hope to involve them directly in the fun of cycle touring. We have so far set off on several short trips with one set or another. We have blogs here for those trips, and have also created short paper books for each child for each trip.

 

Planning a trip with Evelyn, Violet, and Avi
Dodie with Avi and Violet in the "old days". Initially we set out on our bikes to visit them in Montana. They then followed our further adventures via the blogs. Since they were five, we introduced them to cycle touring with us.
Sabrina with Amelia, Evelyn, and latest addition, Joseph
Party time for Joshua with Joseph, Evee, and Amelia in Montreal.
2019 Update - same fun loving group!

What We Blog About

Our main interests are in finding quiet natural places, but equally towns and cities that are rich in history and culture. We love bakeries and food markets, preferably in ancient towns with narrow, pedestrian only streets. We will stop in to most churches, not because we are religious (far from it!) but because they tend to represent the finest in art and architecture in most towns. We are also amused by the quaint myths and beliefs displayed in carving, painting, and reliquaries. We also keep an eye on the general culture and economy of the regions we pass through, and also frequently stumble on places of enormous historical significance - often by accident. Everything we find, we write about!

The domes of Salzburg. Architecture like this is seldom seen in the "new world" where we are from.
The peaceful Kennet and Avon canal in England. We have now cycled dozens of canals across Europe.
The frescoed rathaus in Lindau, Germany.
Every "Eis Cafe" is a treasure.
Churches, like the cathedral in Milan, are usually the pinnacle of architectural and artistic achievement in a town.
And finally, Steve continues to search in vain for "full sized" coffees in Europe.