Blog pick...

I like reading blogs from other areas of the country, even other countries of the world. It is a way to keep tabs on what is happening in the world of cycling in other regions. You can notice vast differences as well as great similarities. When the blogger is an adept writer you get to experience regional perspectives and flavors. It is in this spirit that I regularly check into Zeke's Great Smokies 2-Wheeled Adventures. As you might gather from the title Zeke rides and blogs from the mountains of North Carolina, one of the few areas of the country I am yet to visit; in fact I do not believe I have even had any family there since... well since the ancestors move westward in the 1800s. Never-the-less Zeke's writing style draws you into the local scene and allows you to vicariously tag along on rides up Main Street alongside 20" rainbow trout, and up in the mountains amongst the rhododendron and mountain laurel. The blog is more than just a recounting of the days ride, it also provides insight into the region's cycling improvements and advocacy. Give it a look, you will see what I mean.