Upcoming Programs
In January 2025 I joined a cycling tour of western Cuba organized by Bicycle Breeze, a Canadian tour company. For eleven days 20 US and Canadian riders, about two-thirds from the Pacific NW, and our Cuban and American guides traveled by bike and bus from Matanzas in the east to Vinales and Pinar del Rio in the west, experiencing and learning about the history, people, culture, geography, (and potholes) of this island nation so close and yet so far from the US. We rode coastal roads and more mountainous interior routes. Road surfaces were often very challenging, as were some extreme grades. We could rarely let loose on descents because those roads were also pitted with potholes in expected and unpredictable places. Occasionally we’d be on the main national highway where the surfaces were better, and the relatively light car and truck traffic was a welcome respite everywhere compared to the US. History and political iconography were very present in many places, but so were art and music. And rum and cigars were never far away. Returning to Miami three days before Trump’s inauguration gave us a lot of food for thought, and the future remains very uncertain. I have many more details and photos to share so please join me Sunday April 27 at the Eugene Garden Club for a GEARs sponsored program.
The March 2021, April 2021 and June 2021 Educational are available on the GEARs Programs page.