Richard's Writings

Like many travelers, I like to keep a travel journal to memorialize key events, sights, people and places, here is some of what I wrote:

2017 France Trip Journal

3-20-17 We're packed and essentially ready to go. We went to bed early last night and then up at 12:30 am. The alarm was set for 1:00, but the excitement and anticipation of the trip got us up and going. Left the house at 2:00 am. One of our topics of discussion is our concern about Jewel, our 17 year old doggy.....not doing well, I hope she is there to greet us on our arrival. Sent a text to Mikala, she and Travis are watching Jewel for us. Drove down 101, over the Golden Gate, down 19th avenue to I-380 to I-280, to El Camino Real and then to the Best Western El Rancho where we caught a shuttle to SFO. We’re doing a reverse park and fly.

Our flight on Air Canada to Montreal left at 8:15 am. 8:48 and we’re in the air over central California, lots of surface water can be seen, evidence of a very wet and rainy winter, kind of cloudy. It's a four hour flight to Montreal. I have a window seat over the wing, right behind the emergency exit rows. April is in the middle sear. The plane is full. We decided to split the flight up with a stop in Montreal, stretch our legs and take a break, that’s the idea.

From Montreal we will board another flight to Lyon France. Arrival in France there is scheduled for sometime early tomorrow morning.

3-21-16 Flew all night from Montreal, on an airbus A330, over the Atlantic Ocean, Ireland, the English Channel, and are now over central France. Just about to begin our descent into Lyon, looks cloudy outside the plane window. The flight from Montreal to Lyon is about 7 hours. Plane about 3/4 full. Watched two movies, did manage to get some sleep, not great though. We're both sore and several  joints are swollen, April’s hands and fingers, my feet and ankles. We arrive and walk directly down to the baggage claim, a short passport check, nothing compared to Canada, a group of heavily armed police/soldier style security walk through the small crowd, looking young, stern and serious. They glide silently through the small crowd waiting for bags, purposely observing us, in their bulky green flak jackets, holding their AK’s at the ready.....and then they’re gone. Our bags arrive, we gather them up and head up to hail a taxi, load up, and head for the Sofitel Hotel in Lyon at mid-morning. 25 minutes, down the freeway, through the City traffic and about 60 Euro’s later we arrive at the hotel. The Hotel lobby is modern and pleasant, the staff eager to assist. Our room is ready even though we’re early, it’s on the first floor and soon we’re in, time to relax a little, before welcome reception this evening.  After a short rest, we go out for a walk, to orient ourselves.

So I have learned that Lyon's known history goes back to 43 BC. A Roman fort that was established at the confluence of the Rhone and the Saone rivers. It was the starting point of the Roman road system and became the capital of Gaul.Roman influence is seen in its architecture, lots of arches, remnants of stone walls, and and other archetectural features. There was evidently much commercial trading done in Lyon and it has long been a place where merchants came to sell their goods. Illustrates how important river and road transportation has been in the development of human settlement. In the late 1400's Lyon became an important center for printing, with lots of books published in many languages. The first 'moving picture' was shot in Lyon.

The City of Lyon suffered greatly in World War ll with  4,000 area residents killed and 7,500 residents sent to Nazi concentration camps. The infamous and notoriously brutal Butcher of Lyon - Krause Barbie did some bad stuff.

3-21-16 - The Sofitel Hotel is located on Quai Docteur Gailleton, on a peninsula between the River Rhone on the south and the River Saone on the north. After some rest we went out for a walk to get familiar with the area. I initially went out on my own crossing over the two bridges and down along the River, while April got a haircut. And then we went together for a stroll over to the Place Bellecour, the central Plaza and gathering area, with a car parking below and playgrounds along the west side along with some vendors and small shops. This evening we went back to Place Bellecour to the Lyon Tourist office for the initial Signature Travel Group get together, a social hour and a presentation about the Lyon area. It is known for its food and wine. A very well known chef Paul Bocuse hails from Lyon and they are very proud of him. We met some of our fellow travel agency owners and enjoyed some of great food and wine. Then it was back to the hotel as it started to rain, for a Signature hosted dinner in the Sofitel’s 5^th  floor restaurant, sat next to several owners and next to Signature Executive Vice President Ignacio Maza and got to know him a little better and the others as well. Drank a lot of wine including a berry wine that wasn’t great.

3-22-17 - The next day we went for a group walking tour around the area near the Hotel, and retraced some of the same steps that I explored yesterday. Over the Rhone and back on two different bridges, and then to Place Bellecour. After the organized tour ended, off on our own, we walked down the Rue De Republique, a pedestrian boulevard with lots of shopping and cafes.  Mostly observing people and taking in the surroundings, we found ourselves walking through a courtyard of blooming trees to a small restaurant sidewalk café, where we asked if we could sit and get a couple of cups of coffee, which were served at a sidewalk table.

March 23, 2017 Our day started with a bus tour of Lyon, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the second largest City in France. We snaked our way through some serious traffic and narrow roads on a drive up to the top of Fourviere Hill. The Basilica of Notre Dame is up there and we did a short tour of that church and then went out into the cool and somewhat blustery weather and looked over the City of Lyon. I got a few interesting photos with my Nikon, the rooftops are a good photo subject. After leaving the hill, we drove down into Vieux Lyon and did an interesting walk through some of the gated alleys that you dont see from the road, but are open to the public if the big wooden doors are unlocked. Its a thing to go around and explore these hidden alleys.

This photo is taken inside a secluded public alley, which you can explore behind big closed, but unlocked, wooden doors. It was a fun and kind of exciting thing to do.

June 27, 2016 8:47 AM. It’s hard to tell if people are reading this Blog. I assume there are a few people that land here or periodically check it out. I’ve actually been writing a personal journal for about 20 years, and I do a lot of writing/dictation as part of my business – Richard Knoll Consulting.

I enjoy writing and view it as a creative outlet, a vital part of my profession/business, and a psychological outlet. In 1976 – 1978 when I was in college at Eastern Washington University, I wrote letters to my parents periodically to let him know what I was doing. I didn’t use the phone very much then, and I sometimes still avoid using it at times. So I wrote my mom and dad letters to let them know how I was doing, when I might go home, and to keep in touch. My mom Glenna, kept those letters and before she died, made sure that she got them back to me. She enjoyed them and I’m so thankful that she had the insight to hold onto him and then give them back to me. So writing/dictation and verbalizing stuff is good for me and enjoyable.

I often think about writing and updating my blog, but because of other things going on, particularly professional writing responsibilities, I don’t get as much time as I would like to do what I consider to be personal writing. My time for writing over the last couple of months has been consumed by work projects. I’ve had several:

·         The Piercy Project in Northern Mendocino County involved representing a large landowner in the pursuit of a Major Use Permit for a small forest products processing facility and included preparation of a written project work description, writing of Major Use Permit Findings, and several other aspects of the project. The major use permit is a land entitlement application required by the Mendocino County zoning ordinance and is submitted to the Mendocino County Planning Department.

·         The Shady Acres Project in the city of Clearlake involves the preparation of a land use analysis and property investigation report for a foreign a half acre mobile home park and campground on Cache Creek.

·         The Lovison Winery and Tasting Room project involved working with the property owner to make a request to the County of Lake Community Development Department for modification of an existing Minor Use Permit for a wine tasting room to add the operation of a small winery.

·         The Owens Family General Plan Amendment and Zone Change Application in Middletown has been in process for several months. Working closely with the property owner, I prepared the land-use applications for the General Plan Amendment and Zone Change request involving three lots on the west side of Middletown just north of the fire station. The proposed amendment/zone change would change the property from low density residential to high density residential. The Lake County Planning Commission will consider the request at a public hearing in July 2016. For this project I prepared the application forms, the General Plan Amendment and Zone Change description and justification statements, the official rezoning map, site photos, and related background graphics and other supporting documents.

·         The Highway 20/29 eminent domain case involved the provision of expert witness input and data to a local attorney representing a property owner in a California eminent domain proceeding.

·         I’m currently talking with a married couple who have property and want to develop a home site and who have indicated they would like some professional planning service assistance.

All of these work projects require a fair amount of writing. Frankly, the way I do most of it is through the use of Dragon voice recognition dictation software. I am good at dictation. When I worked for the city of Lakeport I learned how to utilize a tape recorder/cassette tapes in the production of staff reports, correspondence, memos, and all of the other written documents that had to be produced. I would sit in my office, close the door and dictate using a handheld tape recorder. I would give those cassette tapes to my administrative assistant/secretary for word processing/typing. She would work on them, give the typed version back to me, and I would hand edit and then return the paper copy back to her. We would go through this back and forth sometimes as many as eight or 10 times depending on what the document was and the complexity of the project. These would be staff reports and CEQA Initial Studies that would be at times 30 – 50 pages long.

And now I am producing some reports and documents that are of a similar size but for the most part are in the 8 to 10 page long range. The difference now is that I’m doing all of the production work including the writing (dictation) and all of the word processing, editing, and finalizing of the documents. I’m a one-man show, but I like it that way, believe me.

So if you’re out there reading my blog and you find something that you find interesting, enlightening, stupid, funny, or whatever…….hey, let me know. Or if you have a thought or suggestion, you can just email me at the Hotmail address. And most importantly if you need a very experienced, grounded, professional land planner, somebody who’s been on both sides of the counter, in terms of dealing with and working on city and or county planning applications and permits, by all means give me a call, text me, or send me an email.

richardk2255@hotmail.com

707-349-0639

Thursday, April 29, 2016 10:15 AM. Puerto Vallarta Mexico, seems to be a favorite for many US travelers. Located on the west coast of Mexico on the Bay of Banderas, it has a population of about 325,000 people. The climate is tropical, sunny and very pleasant in the winter. The rainy season goes from late June to early October. The Sierra Madre Mountains seem to protect the region from the many big storms and hurricanes that start out in the Pacific and they form a really nice backdrop to the area. It's one of the things that April likes the best, the mountains rising out of the sea.

The local economy is tourism-based. Air service to the airport is excellent with numerous major carriers flying in and out of there. Carnival, NCL, Holland, Princess, and several other cruise companies sail in an out of the port of Puerto Vallarta offering many day trip sight seeing excursion opportunities. Getting around the area is easy with a good system of buses and taxis. I've been there two years in a row and have been satisfied with the taxi services. There is a lot to see in Puerto Vallarta including the downtown area, the Pino Suarez, the Zona Romantica, the Los Muertos Pier, the Malecon, the harbor area, and so much more.

Lots of good restaurants, including quality vegan spots like Salud are available. Cell phone service is decent, entertainment and cultural opportunities and options abound. Local markets take place almost daily. There are good medical facilities and emergency services.

We noticed on a recent trip that Puerto Vallarta seems to be a favorite for three or four day long weekend trips from the bay area south.

Check it out.

Monday, April 25, 2016 8:50 AM. Getting ready to travel can be hectic, and I don't usually don't get the opportunity to reflect on what makes travel rewarding for me personally....the people that you meet and the friends or family that you reunite with....but a recent trip brought the point home.

April and I just got back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We left last Wednesday and spent four days at the Melia Vacation Club in the Marina District. It was a nice 3 1/2 hour flight from SFO to Puerto Vallarta, we got there about 2 PM.

We met Rosie - the Melia Hostess and discussed the facilities and services available there, she was super pleasant, very knowledgeable, and made us feel at home. After getting settled in our room, we walked around the grounds, sat down in lounge chairs by the pool, had a couple of drinks, and took in the surroundings including the nice pool, lush grounds, the family and kid friendly atmosphere, all situated on a beautiful oceanfront site.

That night we saw our friends Larry and Gail from Ohio, who we try to meet up with every two years or so. The last time we vacationed together was Maui in 2014. They had arrived a couple of days earlier and spent the day on a dolphin and snorkeling adventure which was fun to hear about, along with the other news and happenings in their lives. Meeting our friends in unique destinations brings an added dimension to travel and to our lives.

Thursday was a beach and pool day....just what the doctor ordered. It was early when we got up, we had some breakfast at the hotel buffet, which by the way includes an omelette making station with great fresh onions, peppers, cheese along with some great hot green sauces that were to die for, although I'm still sweating on my forehead. April and I went down to the beach, walked over to the Mayan Palace, met up with the rest of the group, Chris who lives in Puerto Vallarta and Kathy who resides in in California's Central Valley. The common denominator is that we all met and lived in the small northern California town of Lakeport in the late 1980's-early 90's. The rest of the day was filled with tequila, margaritas, beer, sun, sand, poolside chairs, the beautiful clear water pool, lots of catching up, sunblock and sunburn, poolside snacks, and good cheer.

On Friday, we rendezvoued with Larry and Gail at the Mayan Palace, a beautiful resort facility that has a stunning front entry and hotel lobby that you just have to see. I'm sure if you Google it there are lots of pictures.... I'll tease you with that. From there we went over to pick up Chris and Kathy and took a cab down to the old town area and strolled the River market. I bought some Mexican trinkets, a clay sun with an iguana rising out of it, a metal turtle, a metal palm tree, and some bracelets. Most of it is for the Lakeport Travel Centers window display. A riverfront restaurant provided a great place to have lunch and of course more tequila. That night we met Chris, husband John, and Kathy for drinks at the lighthouse which towers above the nicely developed Marina area and the Peurto Vallarta airport. Then it was off to a great dinner and a warm evening stroll back to the hotel.

Check back in for more details of our recent trip to Mexico........including a tour of the Peuto Vallarta Marriot Hotel, a PV wedding, the Malecon, and a conversation with a very nice man, an artesan by the name of Sylvestre.


Sunday, February 28, 2016 5:54 AM. It was thirty years ago, in January of 1986, when April and I moved from Central Oregon to Lakeport, California. We had been living in a little house on the banks of the Deschutes River, south of Sunriver with our baby Kellan, April was pregnant with Mikala. It had been a cold, snowy winter down on River Forest Lane. In the summer and fall we loved living on the river, we sat in the sun and fished for trout right off the dock. But things had changed at my job in Sunriver. So we loaded everything we owned in a Ryder rental truck and headed south on Highway 97. Our maroon Dodge van was on a dolly trailer attached to the back. Going down hills, I recall that the truck backfired, a lot, like a canon going off. It took us a full day to get to Lakeport. We tried to get a room at the Skylark Motel, they didn't allow dogs, and we had our Yorkie, Puddles. Rain was coming down when we finally got settled into our room at what was then Clear Lake Inn. Dark skies and heavy rain persisted for days as I started my new job as the City of Lakeport Planning Director. At 31 years old, I was ready for the job, I had a degree in Urban and Regional Planning and past experience working as a planner for both a City and County and as Coordinator of the SROA.

My first day on the job was Tuesday, February 4, 1986, the first entry on my To Do list was to "Review the Rick Moore apartment proposal....". So for the next 26 years and 10 months I worked at the City of Lakeport, and yes I wrote a To Do list everyday, and recorded appointments in my calendar, then a bit later, began writing journal entries. Every one of those To Do lists, those notes and writings are downstairs, stored in a couple of boxes......waiting......it's an interesting historical source of notations on the tribulations of a small town planner. for a young person thinking about going into the planning profession, there is much wisdom and a lot of juicy stuff in those documents. Someday I'm going to organize it and pen my memoir.

The central theme of this time in my life is not all about the job and all the tasks and work stuff. It's really about a partnership, a love story with my wife April. Without her, I would have gone nuts, I would not have done well without her, achieved success. April always helped me take the high road, in the face of adversity. In fact, I did go through a short period of high anxiety, and of course she was there. As you go through life, pick your partners well.

Sunday, November 29, 2015 6:16 AM. We played music over at my friend and former co worker Janel Chapman's house yesterday afternoon. Janel is dying of cancer. There was a large group of her friends there, she enjoyed the music, I sat on the cajon, close to her, I could see it in her eyes, along with the toll the illness has taken. It was an amazing experience for me personally, as we performed an accustic set of songs at the foot of her bed. Surrounded by the people who love her, the group feeling was celebratory, it was her 57th birthday. everybody was sharing the love, you could feel it. When Janel and I worked together at the City of Lakeport, we always had a City Hall birthday celebration together in the breakroom, with Karen and Mike too, and cake and ice cream. There was chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream yesterday. She'll be in that cosmic stream of light on her way to heaven soon. God bless you Janel.

Kellan and girlfriend Ri, and Mikala and boyfriend Travis were together here for Thanksgiving afternoon. A milestone for April and I. Kell and I had a first time happening, and one that I hope will become kind of a regular event. We did a 17 mile road bike ride on Friday morning morning, with closely similar Specialized Roubaix bikes and matching cycling clothes. The latter part was not planned...we looked like the Red Jacket Cycling Club. The early-mid morning ride was excellant, we even did a pace line as we cycled out north Lakeshore Boulevard and down Highway 29  to the turn around at Bridge Arbor. It is a amazing to me, and very nice,  that as adults we play catch with the football and baseball, and that we cycle together. I am looking forward to lots more fun times playing together, it's a linkage to my youth and a connection with my children, and it's never the wrong time or too late to have some fun with your kids..

Monday, November 2, 2015 8:45 AM. We all have a personal truth……it’s imprinted in our mind and it generates the life we live. I heard something like this from Dr. Phil.

Here's my  little modified spin on it.

This personal truth was initially generated when we were kids. Most of us knew it, although we were too little to be able to verbalize or comprehend it in an adult way. This truth came from some deep chromosomal, pre-existing instinct and was then shaped from the environment in which we lived and from the way we presently live. I don’t think this concept is breaking any new ground in the field of psychology. When you get older, and if you have an open mind, it all begins to make sense. It’s called wisdom.

Adult human beings tend to stray away or hide their personal truths. The truth might be embarrassing or cause shame or won’t fit into society’s ideals of what we should be. I know this happens to me.

The challenge, the task, is to stay in touch with your personal truth and control it, modify it, in a way that allows you to be comfortable with yourself. Nobody’s figured out a way to go back in time to change what has been done. Yeah it affects us but you can’t change the past. As you move on, have an open mind, figure out what you don’t like, and modify the behaviors that causes you embarrassment or shame.

Generate the life you want to lead.

Thursday, October 22, 2015. My wife April and I own The Travel Centers, two retail travel stores located on S. Main St. in the Shoreline Shopping Center in Lakeport and on East Perkins St. across from the Pear Tree Shopping Center in Ukiah. We have owned the business for almost 10 years. April is the heart and soul of the business operation with her pleasant personality, good humor, great looks, and keen sales skills. It's important in the travel business, like any business, to know and understand your product. That means that we have to travel and be familiar with as many destinations and travel providers as possible. April and I have been fortunate enough to be able to do just that. In fact she is currently on a NCL Norwegian Caribbean Cruise out of Miami with our daughter, her friend and her Mom.
Reminds me, of October 2010 when April and I did a 12 day sailing in the Mediterranean Sea on the Crystal Serenity. This cruise along with the Baltic Sea cruise that we did in 2014 is at the top of my personal list of best travel experiences. We started the October 2010 trip on a flight from SFO (the Giants were in the World Series) to Munich and then to Athens where we boarded the ship. We were able to cram in a day and night of sightseeing in Athens. We got to the Esperia Hotel after midnight and then went out and were able to see the changing of the guard at the Parliament building along with some other stuff. The next day we walked around to the National Gardens, the Temple of Zeus, and then up to the Acropolis – amazing. We walked down through the Plaka and had a cup of coffee at a great place to sit and watched people walk by.
The 2010 Crystal Serenity cruise included port of calls in Ashdod Israel, Alexandria Egypt, Valetta Malta, Catania Sicily, Naples Italy, and Rome Italy. I wrote the following stuff about different aspects of the trip in my personal journal:
"Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8 AM. We are on board the Crystal Serenity, in State Room 10005. It's a very nice cabin with the king bed, dark wood trim, cabinets, and doors. We have a very nice large veranda, with a great view of the sea. This cabin is very close to the forward portion of the ship essentially below the bridge. We spent yesterday in Athens up early and walking around...
Friday, October 22, 2010 6:30 AM. We are now in Ashdod Israel, having arrived in port yesterday, very early, it's a busy area. We took an all day tour of Jerusalem yesterday which was very interesting. First stop was at a war memorial with tanks and artillery and then it was on to the city. Very crowded, lots of traffic."

I'm not into organized religion now, however I grew up in the Catholic faith, church every Sunday and had several years of Catechism. Being in Jerusalem brought the stories, the Bible and descriptions of Jesus, to life for me, in a physical way. More to follow........

Friday, October 2, 2015. This past summer has been both exciting and heartbreaking. Our trip to London was awesome and one of the best ever experiences. While we were there we learned about the first of three wild land fires to hit Lake County, the 70,000 acre Rocky Fire raged east of Clearlake and made the BBC evening news. That fire was extreme, consuming 20,000 acres of oak and mixed woodland in just 4 hours and burning through the the entire 27,000 acre Cache Creek Wilderness and destroying numerous homes. Then came the Jerusalem Fire which burned 26,000 acres on the south side of the Rocky Fire. And then on September 12, 2015 the Valley Fire began and tore through the Cobb Mountain, Middletown, and Hidden Valley Lake areas with an almost unprecedented force. The 76,000 acre Valley Fire was a killer and a destroyer of houses, property, infrastructure and vegetation. Over 1,900 structures were burned up, 1,250 of them houses. Score of lives have been impacted and will likely never be the same.

The community has come together, there have been countless donations of money, personal goods, food and other resources. Both the State and the US government have declared the area a disaster zone, opening up Federal and State fiancial resources.

I want to mention one small example of people helping others during a time of need, a friend of mine, Lance Butcher has along with others in the North Bay has organized a bike give away program for kids who lost everything including thier bikes in this devastating fire event. Used and refurbished bikes from the Monkey Wrench in Santa Rosa have been donated and delivered to Lakeport. A group of guys got together, cleaned, repaired, inflated and paired the donated bikes, which will be passed out to the kids on Saturday during the annual Konocti Challenge ride. A small act among so much compassion and help from others. Events like these destroy, but they also bring out the best in us.

There is still a need for donations....a couple of recommendations, North Coast Opportunities has partnered with Redwood Credit Union for a disaster donation program and the Amercian Red Cross is always a good bet for donating to people and communities in need.

 Saturday, August 1, 2015 was an awesome day! I woke up at about 5:30 AM after a good nights rest in our room at the historic and photogenic St. Ermins Hotel on Caxton Street in London England. Technically it's located in the City of Westminster. The city of London is only about one square mile in land area, although the greater London area population is about 9 million.
There are several coffee shops near the hotel, and as I did every morning, I walked over to Victoria Street for two hazelnut latte's, and took them back to the room.
We generally don't rent a car on trips like this, preferring instead to stay downtown and walk, use a taxi, or take transit. I'll cycle around too, if I have a bike. In London, just remember to look left first, when crossing the street, that concept took me a while to process, I had two close calls!
At 10 AM we walked to a nearby shop and I got some new Nike running shoes. Then it was off to St. James Park and the Brompton registration. Race day directions were marginal, so we were not sure what the drill was. Over to the far side of the park, as we walked, we were amazed, the Prudential Ride London – Saturday Freecycle was underway, and thousands of people on bikes were cycling the streets of central London.
At the foot of Marlborough Street we found the Brompton tent, and realized that I should've brought my bike, so a quick decision was made for me to go retrieve it from the hotel, back through the crowd, to the room, I brought it down, set it up and rode it down the Birdcage Walk, joining in with 25,000 other people on bikes, all cycling around Nelson's Column and Trafalgar Square at Charring Cross. It was awesome, all manner of people on all manner of bikes, pedaling, enjoying the bright sunny sky and warm summer temperatures. It was a good vibe all around.
Back on to The Mall, to the spot where April was waiting for me. We stand in the line and eventually get to the registration table. As we waited I chatted with Newton from New York, who was racing also. Dressed in shorts, pink socks with a spiffy blue pinstripe suit jacket, white shirt and blue tie Newton indicated that he had done some Brompton racing in the past. We chatted about prior races, a few of the nice bikes that he had seen, and the scavenger hunt that he was going to do next.
Finally I got registered and my info packet, we found a spot for the bike. As we had some time, we decided to walk around, bought a couple of sandwiches from Pret A Manger and then went over to St. James Park to eat them.
After relaxing for a bit we decided to head back to the hotel, so I could get ready to rumble....umm, get ready to race.
Back at the room I put on my tan mountain bike shorts, a tan short sleeve dress shirt and tie, blue argyle socks, and my brown blazer… I look pretty sharp.
Time to go back and set up for the race. Everyone in the Brompton infield seemed a little unsure of what the protocol was, at least those of us in group D, the slowy's. But in time it was figured out and soon I was standing at the Le Mans style starting area with my bike folded down and sitting in the assigned stall across the street. As we staged before the start of the race and waited, I made small talk with some people around me including a guy from Japan and a woman from Germany.
All 575 racers were seeded in four groups A through D (fastest to the slowest, based on previous times). I was in the last group racer number D509.
At 1700 hrs. it was time, the Union Jack flag is dropped, the race begins, group A is off, then group B and C, and then finally group D…… Off we run across the street to the bike, up comes the seatpost, out pivots the rear wheel, I struggle with tightening the top tube and the handlebar hinges, and as a result, I'm one of the last ones out on the race course.
I've got ground to make up, I pedal hard and fast down the street – The Mall, headed straight towards Buckingham Palace, in front of the screaming crowd, everyone cheering me on, I say to myself, "catch them Richard, catch them Pennywise". My legs pedal furiously, trying to gain speed.......Before I make it three quarters of a way around the first lap, I'm lapped by a pack of 10 to 12 racers in the A group. They flashed by me, going ridiculously fast. I finish one lap, then another, and another, feeling good each time I pass the starting line area. I look for and find my best fan in the crowd, April is there cheering, photographing me, what a glorious feeling,  the adoring crowd cheering me on to victory…… I'm lapped again by the A pack and soon the race is over. The first group has finished the eight laps (10 miles). It's a criterium , when somebody wins the race, it's all over. All of the racers are corralled into a fenced off street area. I get six strong laps in the time that it took the A group pack to finish eight. I was really just starting to feel good and could have easily done all eight laps. Damn that was fun! Over too fast though.
But now it's time to party a little. We head back to the Brompton race zone, pass the woman's pro racers who were getting ready to ride the next event. The bike transponder is removed, we line up for free beer, gin and tonic's, what a great day with my number one fan at my side. I feel great. A glorious race.

July 28, 2015 - 8:00 am

I'm physically ready for the Brompton World Championships Bike Race (BWC) in London this Saturday. There is a nice app available - the free #mapmyrun, it's what I use to track my bike rides on the iPhone. On Sunday and Monday, it logged 44 miles at an average speed of 13.5 mph on the road bike. I feel strong and fit at 60 years old. My goals for the BWC are to avoid collisions, stay upright, go as fast as I can, do my best, meet some people, and have some fun. Here's my race uniform.

#MyBrompton

April and I are flying out of SFO tomorrow night and get into Heathrow on Thursday morning. We're staying at the St. Ermins Hotel on Caxton Street, which is very close to the BWC Race course and Scotland Yard.

I have to give my wife April Knoll some love, she is a great travel agent, the travel arragements for this trip were done by her through our business - The Travel Centers www.thetravelcenters.net 

We're almost packed, including Pennywise in it's own special suitcase. After the BWC on Saturday we're going to do the London tourist thing and celebrate our 30th year of marriage (September 1985)....April is wonderful! We brought 3-day London passes through #travelbound, a #signaturetravelnetwork preferred vendor.....the pass gets us into a bunch of must see London tourist sites.

More later on all the fun.

July 19, 2015 - 8:00 am

It's been a busy month, with big changes at The Travel Centers in Ukiah, our new employee Amye Broschat is a welcome addition and both April and I think she is doing great! April has been driving to Ukiah several times a week to work with and train Amye, which has meant more time in the Lakeport office for me. Summer is music performance time, and the LC Diamonds have been busy performing at events like the KXBX Lakeport Friday Night Concert Series. We played last friday night to one of the biggest crowds of the year, it was awesome.

Next week we're flying out of SFO to London for a week. The Brompton World Championships are on Saturday August 1st. I feel like I'm in decent shape and prepared for the race. Over the last two months I have cycled over 300 miles, mostly on my road bike, and that's not counting the commute miles.

I love this bike.....so fast and smooth....it's a black beauty.

On July 12th, my workout was to cycle over to the Kelseyville Farmers Market at Steele Wines for some organic fruit and vegetables. It was a good ride although my rear tire flatted on the way back and I had to stop and fix it at the Lakeport Jack in the Box. I get a lot of flats for some reason. Used the small Specialized Road Flex frame mounted air pump for the first time, took me a bit of time to figure out how it worked, but like a lot of Specialized stuff, it's genius, the air head nozzle screws directly onto the Presta tire tube valve and makes it easy. When I left the City of Lakeport, instead of a gold watch I got a GoPro camera, been trying to use it this past couple of weeks....very frustrating, problems seem to revolve around the SD card compatibility.

Going up to Eureka this week for a couple of days to house and dog sit for Kellan. He has some training in Chico. I hope to get a few training rides in while I'm there.

June 19, 2015 8:00 am

It's an amazing, beautiful morning in Northern California, the kind of morning that you want to capture, put in a bottle and save for the next rainy day.  Cool/moderate temperature, clear and sunny sky, calm, and depending where you live, quiet. It's awesome. The afternoon will warm up into the 90's and the breeze will kick in, that's ok too.

I have to go into the Lakeport office this afternoon and sit in for April, as she is going to drive over and work in the Ukiah office. At least I don't have to do the 8-5 routine anymore. Michelle, our longtime employee in Ukiah is moving on to a new job and this is her last day. We'll miss her but we understand that it's a good move for her. Amye, our new Travel Consultant there has been with us for a couple of weeks and is doing great.

Thinking about a workout this morning on my road bike. It would be nice to be able to get in a good 15 to 20 mile ride, especially on a nice morning like this.

The following is a press release that I prepared earlier in the week about the Brompton World Championships Bike Race in London this summer. Sent it to the Editor of the Lake County News, and Elizabeth siad she was interested in running the story. Also prepared a map of the race course.

June 17, 2015

Press Release – Richard Knoll – 707-349-0639

Lakeport Man to Race in London

Avid cyclist and longtime Lakeport resident Richard Knoll, has been selected to race in the 10^TH Brompton World Championships this summer in London.

A part of the Prudential Ride London Grand Prix Bike Event, the 10 mile Brompton World Championships final will take place on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 5 PM and follow a fast 1.3 mile loop around Central London’s St. James Park.

Knoll said that, “575 bike racers from around the world will do eight laps in a criterium style race, on a course that starts on The Mall, to Horse Guards Road and Birdcage Walk, and then finishes directly facing Buckingham Palace. Pretty amazing location, for me it's an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an experience that I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of.”

So, what is a Brompton Bike?  Knoll chuckles and answers that, “A Brompton is a foldable bicycle used by many people who commute to work or travel. I understand that it was originally called a subway bike. The Brompton foldable bike is manufactured in West London and is England’s largest bicycle manufacturer.  It’s named after the Brompton Oratory in London.”

Knoll indicates, “All Bromptons have a similar design, but there are lots of different colors and components. Mine is black with tiny 16” wheels, a really long seat post, a straight white handlebar with brake levers and a thumb shifter for the three internal hub gears,”

“At 6’1”, 220 pounds, it’s a funny thing…watching me ride around town on my Brompton, which by the way is named ‘Pennywise’, but I love it. It’s a fun bike to ride”

“This is a serious bike race, but what makes it fun, other than it being in London, is that the bike racers cannot wear any tight fitting Lycra. Most men wear dress slacks or shorts, a button-down shirt and tie, a cool blazer, dress socks and shoes. And the women racers often wear skirts, a blouse and blazer, and flats. Basically it’s about racing in street clothes, what you would wear to work."

Follow Richard as he trains and travels to London for the Brompton World Championships. Check out the Richard Knoll Consulting website blog at www.rkplans.com  or The Travel Centers website at www.thetravelcenters.net   www.brompton.com

www.lakeconews.com

2015 Brompton World Championships Race Course

London, England - August 1, 2015

May 26, 2015  - 12:41 PM.

I’m getting back into my cycling regiment after crashing my bike on May 15. My road rash is healed up, but my shoulder is still a little sore and stiff. This morning I rode 26 ½ miles at an average speed of just under 13 mph. It feels good to have a good ride and to be back in a training mode again.

The Brompton World Championships Bike Race in London is about 65 days away. I feel like I am in pretty good condition, but the crash set me back physically and mentally.

I wrote the following on 5-9-15, a day after crashing my brand new road bike……

Injuries can happen at any age, when you least expect them. As a 60 year old boomer, I don’t heal as fast as I used to. There is a correlation between how active you are and the potential for injury. I have always said that I would prefer to have sore muscles from working out than from laying around.

I was injured yesterday afternoon, on a bicycle ride. I was finishing up a 24 miler on my brand new Specialized Roubaix road bike and decided to take a spin through downtown Lakeport and head home. I was east bound on Clearlake Avenue at North Main, rounded the right hand corner to south bound Main Street at a fairly high speed, and my front tire rolled off the rim. I was down hard and fast on the asphalt. A helpless feeling of going down and sliding, no control, my right shoulder, elbow, knee, leg, and helmet covered head all hitting the street at about the same time - hard. There was the sound of the bike hitting and sliding. I was initially stunned, down on the street surface, tangled on my bike, I picked myself up slowly and rolled over, not sure if I was seriously hurt or not. I sat there for a few seconds, trying to make sense of what just happened? A guy got out of a car that had stopped behind me and came up to see if I was ok, he helped me up and moved my bike out of the street and onto the sidewalk. I thanked him for his help and asked what happened? He said that I went down in the turn. Other cars stopped, I heard a lady yell from across Main Street, “are you alright?” I get up and limp over to the side walk. The guy who helped me gets into his car and is gone.

There is a small traffic jam as cars on both Clearlake Avenue and North Main stopped to look. I tell the lady across the street that my tire blew out and I went down. She asks if I want a ride. I ponder and then finally say “no”, that I live close by and will just walk home. “Thanks anyway!”

The mile long walk home is a bit of a blur….I call and tell April that I crashed.

My new bike is messed up, the handlebar is cockeyed, and something is wrong with the left brake handle-gear shifter. Unbelievable, I haven’t crashed in years and I have taken that corner a hundred times and never had a problem -“damn gravity!”

The right side of my body took the brunt of the crash, and I can feel burning on the lower right leg, knee, hip and elbow. I can hardly lift my right arm, which concerns me, it seems to be getting more painful and I decide to call my Doctor, she isn’t in, but the nurse gets ahold of her and she orders an x-ray. Nothing broken, road rash and sore, but I’m in one piece, could have been worse……..Just get back on the bike and quit complaining!

BROMPTON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BIKE RACE IN LONDON, ENGLAND

May 13, 2015

I'm excited……I've been selected to ride in the 10th Brompton World Championships on August 1, 2015 in London, England.

It is truly an honor to have been picked to race in this event which is part of the Prudential Ride London Grand Prix Bike Races held in Central London at St. James Park. The 10 mile race will take place on Saturday, August 1, 2015 at 5 PM and follow a fast 1.3 mile loop around St. James Park. The race follows a stunning route, starting on The Mall, and heads towards Buckingham Palace, Birdcage Walk, Horse Guards and then back on The Mall, with the finish facing Buckingham Palace directly. Pretty amazing location and for me it's an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and experience that I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of.

What makes this race intriguing, other than it being in London is that the bike racers dress in a typical fusty and stodgy English manner.  Bromptoneers are in general a funny and priggish group of bike riders, #mybrompton #bromptonmafia.

A Brompton is a foldable bicycle preferred by many people who commute. I understand that it was originally called a subway bike. Most men who ride these bikes to work are in dress clothes, slacks or dress shorts, a button-down shirt and tie, a cool blazer, dress socks and shoes. And the ladies often wear skirts, a blouse and blazer, and flats. With this look in mind, think about 575 Brompton World Championship racers all wearing this kind of get up, riding their asses off around the criterium style course next to Buckingham Palace. Should be a sight to see! I’m still working on what to wear and depending on the weather, it will likely be slacks or shorts, a blazer and tie, and a new pair of argyle socks.

I hope to represent Northern California in the race and do well. I also would like to try and help educate the growing number of baby boomers out there about the benefits of staying in shape and being healthy in your retirement years. I take it seriously, but I also love the flair of this event and intend to savor the fun and crazy part about being a Bromptoneer in London on August 1^st. Stay tuned in here for updates.

April and I have started to make some of the travel arrangements. It’s great to own a travel business –The Travel Centers in Lakeport and Ukiah - and to have a wife who is a travel expert. www.thetravelcenters.net

April 18, 2015 - 6:41 am. 

My Brompton has a name.

Most of us learned to ride a bicycle when we were young. I don’t remember actually learning to ride, or who it was who showed me how. I suppose it was my Mom or Dad, but I have older siblings and it could have been one of them. I do know that I have always enjoyed riding a bike and have kept it up over the years. There were a few years in High School and College when I didn’t ride much, because I was too cool and lazy. In the last 35 years I have pedaled thousands of miles.

Too many well used bikes rest in the back shed and need some attention. Several bikes wait in the garage for their turn. It could be worse, I tell my wife, I could be a bass fisherman.

Cycling is a passion, it’s fun, it’s exercise, it’s social, and for some, like me, it’s an opportunity to be in a solitary state of mind, to think through a problem or sort out the stress of the day.

My Mom and Dad used to be snowbirds, and would make the annual trek from Eastern Washington to Mesa, Arizona pulling their travel trailer or 5th wheel, where they would stay for several winter months like thousands of others. They each had a Dahon foldable bike that would pivot down and store nicely for the trip and then open back up for a great way to get around. I have ended up with one of those bikes and cherish it as a connection to my folks. It’s also a fun bike to ride, and is lovingly called the clown bike, after the tiny bikes in the circus parades.

About three years ago, I decided that we needed another foldable, and after doing research on the best brands, I found a used Brompton foldable on Craig’s List. The Brompton foldable bike is manufactured in west London and is England’s largest bicycle manufacturer. It’s named after the Brompton Oratory. Andrew Ritchie created the Brompton design and started building them in the 1980's.

All Bromptons have a similar design, but there are lots of different colors and components. Mine is black, with a curved upper frame, 16” wheels, a really long seat post, a straight white handlebar with brake levers and a thumb shifter. it is a three speed. It’s a funny thing, watching me ride at 6’1” and 220 pounds, but I love it.

We have traveled by air with my Brompton, twice to Hawaii. Check out my blog entry at www.thetravelcenters.net for more on traveling with a foldable bike.

And by the way, my Brompton has a name, Pennywise…….

3-31-15 8:55 am. I just finished developing my first and only website, www.rkplans.com  It went up last week and I am pretty happy with it. Thanks to Mark Rudiger at Lake County Websites in Middletown for helping me design and set up my website. I have for years written personal journal entries, sometimes handwritten in store bought journals, other times scribbled on sticky notes or in tablets, or typed on my IPad.  My entries have ranged from the mundane - this is what I did yesterday……to descriptions about places we’ve been or travel experiences we’ve had……to deep, painful and therapeutic stuff about work stress and personal issues in my life. I’m calling this blog Richard’s Writings or maybe Richard’s Ramblings. We’ll see what sticks. I’m going to continue the journal entry style. It’s my style, I’m comfortable with it. I’m going to write what I’m interested in and involved with, just like I always have...... Kellan, my son, and I went down to Puerto Vallarta in early March, just a few weeks ago. We flew out of Santa Rosa to LA and then to Puerto Vallarta and stayed at the Hotel Los Arcos, an old, traditional Mexican 4 story hotel in the historic cobblestoned street area of Puerto Vallarta. We had a nice time, the first time that he and I have travelled alone together, as adult father and son. There are numerous journal entries of the trip on the IPad. Kellan took two years of Spanish in high school and is semi fluent, and communicated well with the locals. He also found a great little restaurant close by called Salud that fit his vegan style, has great tasting food and smoothies, and isnt expensive. We ate there several times. A journal entry from that trip: 7:38 am on Sunday March 8, 2015.  I slept well last night, up early and then down to the corner OXXO store for coffee and creamer, 15 pesos. There is a haze in the air this morning, calm and warm.  Yesterday, I took a taxi to the Los Mangos Bibliotheca and went to some sessions at the Puerto Vallarta Writers Group Annual Writers Conference, one on writing memoirs and one on working with agents and publishers. There were also sessions on using prose to bring characters alive, the art of dialogue, overcoming obstacles, how to take your reader captive, and how to use Twitter to write memoirs. Afterwards I took a taxi cab back to the hotel, and the cab broke down, so I helped the driver push it out of the travel lane. Must have been a funny thing to watch, me pushing and the cab driver jumping back in to try and jump start it. Thankfully we were close to the hotel, so I walked the last block. I ran into Kellan in the elevator and we went down to a Mercado in the little square north of the hotel and got some lunch. I had three chicken tacos and some guacamole that was excellent. A trio of guys was playing guitars and a violin under a canopy, they played flamenco style, but were all over the place with their song selection, think Greek music, an excellent group, Kellan really dug them. The other day, we walked along the river Cuale pathway and talked with a store vendor, learned about a music store a few blocks away, found Sonidorana Music and spent some time there shopping. Kellan is just like all guitar players I know, always wanting to buy another guitar, he was looking at the nylon string ones...he snapped a pic of me sitting out front of the store for my great places to sit book. Later, we went down to the ocean front promenade and found a stool at the bar at Langostino's, facing west toward the sea and drank several beers and Kellan had a shot of tequila.....He took a great panoramic photo from where we sat.