Show yer fruit.
#26
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I have seldom seen many produce stands while on tour that others seem to never be far from. People often write about relying on them. I guess it just depends on where you tour and on what kind of roads.
While it might have been tough to buy one day quantities I prefer, some fresh produce would have often been enough of a treat to make me willing to carry more. Alas I recall only two times on the entire Trans America where we bought some fresh produce by the roadside other than in a store, once in a stand and once off of a truck. On other tours I remember similarly sparse pickings wrt produce stands. On the ST for example the only thing I remember was at either end there were some places selling mostly large boxes of citrus. These were common at either end, but the vast majority of the trip was brown sagebrush with not much in the way of towns let alone produce.
Perhaps there were more stands on some of my trips and I just don't remember some of them now, but they certainly weren't a daily occurrence on any of my tours. Many times it would have been a real treat to have some fresh fruits or vegetables.
I do remember that before I moved to Tallahassee I rode past two or three on just about any day ride where I headed out into the country from my suburban home (Maryland).
While it might have been tough to buy one day quantities I prefer, some fresh produce would have often been enough of a treat to make me willing to carry more. Alas I recall only two times on the entire Trans America where we bought some fresh produce by the roadside other than in a store, once in a stand and once off of a truck. On other tours I remember similarly sparse pickings wrt produce stands. On the ST for example the only thing I remember was at either end there were some places selling mostly large boxes of citrus. These were common at either end, but the vast majority of the trip was brown sagebrush with not much in the way of towns let alone produce.
Perhaps there were more stands on some of my trips and I just don't remember some of them now, but they certainly weren't a daily occurrence on any of my tours. Many times it would have been a real treat to have some fresh fruits or vegetables.
I do remember that before I moved to Tallahassee I rode past two or three on just about any day ride where I headed out into the country from my suburban home (Maryland).
#27
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#28
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Your basic Red Seedless Table Grapes, and a kick-butt bicycle bell, from an antique store I visited this morning. This bell is LOUD. 😁
#30
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S. Jersey has decent number of produce stands. It is, after all, the "Garden State."
This place is on one of my long weekend getaway routes:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4631...7i13312!8i6656
It also has a bakery. Got the most delicious pistachio muffin fresh from the oven this spring. One fall I duct taped a pie to my front rack platform to take home. There is no produce source near the place where I camp so I usually stop there and pick up a zucchini, shallots and/or tomatoes that become part of dinner.
This place is on one of my long weekend getaway routes:
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4631...7i13312!8i6656
It also has a bakery. Got the most delicious pistachio muffin fresh from the oven this spring. One fall I duct taped a pie to my front rack platform to take home. There is no produce source near the place where I camp so I usually stop there and pick up a zucchini, shallots and/or tomatoes that become part of dinner.
Last edited by indyfabz; 09-16-19 at 08:06 AM.
#31
Senior Member
Now that is something I do have fond memories of at stops when on tour, bakeries! There weren't enough of them to suit me, but there were a few good ones. I remember a Mennonite bakery in Rawlins WY that was amazing. When I drove through there a few years later I was heart broken to find an empty lot where the bakery used to stand. I almost cried. The sticky buns were to die for. Other items were amazing too.
It is funny how often when we talk about somewhere on the Trans America, or the Sierra Cascades, or where ever it comes down to "that was where that had those great tacos or ribs, or gumbo, or whatever". Or "that is where we bought a bottle of wine and cooked whatever". Wasn't that the town that had that great bakery. The references wind up being what or where we ate more often than not.
It is funny how often when we talk about somewhere on the Trans America, or the Sierra Cascades, or where ever it comes down to "that was where that had those great tacos or ribs, or gumbo, or whatever". Or "that is where we bought a bottle of wine and cooked whatever". Wasn't that the town that had that great bakery. The references wind up being what or where we ate more often than not.
Last edited by staehpj1; 09-16-19 at 03:38 PM.
#32
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I didn't make it to the place with grapes today, so settled for a big ole can of Mandarin oranges. Poor me, but they were actually pretty good. 😁
#33
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I guess my favourites were the pineapple stands as I toured around Ishigaki! Nothing like a freshly harvested and sliced pineapple to set you up for the next leg of your tour (usually to the next pineapple stand)
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I love fresh pineapples, but they just have too much of that acidy thing going on, for my tummy. 🥺 It's a lot like tomato sauce, I love it, but it doesn't love me. 😋
I got more grapes this morning, the green ones WITH seeds this time, and they're delicious. 👍 Grapes are perfect for touring in or near the desert. You just keep the bag open, inside your handlebar bag, and munch a few if you even start to feel thirsty. 😎 It doesn't replace water or other drinks, but you need far less drink breaks, so "might" make better mileage. 🤔
I got more grapes this morning, the green ones WITH seeds this time, and they're delicious. 👍 Grapes are perfect for touring in or near the desert. You just keep the bag open, inside your handlebar bag, and munch a few if you even start to feel thirsty. 😎 It doesn't replace water or other drinks, but you need far less drink breaks, so "might" make better mileage. 🤔
#35
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touring here in hainan, and southern china, we gots plenty of fruitses! and it seems there's always something being harvested.
we gots pineapples and coconuts and mangos and papayas and durians and jackfruitses and custard apples and bananers and lychee fruitses.......
there's always roadside stands outside any village, along with the farmer's markets in the center of town.
they even got rest stops set up for travelers. some dude will sell coconuts by the roadside, and rent hammocks by the hour.
we gots pineapples and coconuts and mangos and papayas and durians and jackfruitses and custard apples and bananers and lychee fruitses.......
there's always roadside stands outside any village, along with the farmer's markets in the center of town.
they even got rest stops set up for travelers. some dude will sell coconuts by the roadside, and rent hammocks by the hour.
Last edited by saddlesores; 09-21-19 at 04:27 AM.
#36
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#37
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These particular grapes, called green seedless table grapes, are really crisp when you bite them. Not crunchy, lol, but they do make a sound like that. 😁 Some are huge, like a half-dollar, and they're de-licious. 👍
I haven't tried one yet, but I also got nectarines, which should be yummy too. 🙂
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Lest there be any doubters, California strawberries are the best!!! 😍 I admit, these 3 are the biggest in this particular crate, but they're all good fer eatin'. 😁