We started the day with excellent massages arranged by Camilla. After getting Maja a new front tire yesterday, I was thinking I may need new ones, too, so while Maja was getting her treatment I took my bike to Omer and Bob’s to have them take a look. Over the last few days I had the feeling that my tires were at the very least under inflated and seemed as though I was struggling up the hills and couldn’t even catch Maja on the downhills, usually, because of my weight advantage, where I can shine. The mechanic looked at the tires and said they were still in good shape and didn’t need replacing. I asked him to inflate them using the shop’s pump and gauge to check that the tires were inflated to the recommended 65 psi. I had been topping them up periodically with my travel pump and gauge to that pressure since Montana. I was very surprised when he checked and each tire was only up to 30 psi!!! No wonder I thought I was fighting against my tires. The new pump/gauge I bought in Minnesota is worthless. I hope proper inflation will help me on the hills.

After all this excitement we drove to Marchester for our scheduled tour of the Zimmerman house, the last Wright building we will visit on our cross country ride. Wright designed this Usonian house for his clients, Dr. Isadore and Lucille Zimmerman, in 1950. When built the house was often ridiculed by the neighbors since it didn’t fit the style of the other houses but the Zimmerman’s said it was the best money they ever spent. They left the house to the Currier Museum that undertook major renovations and now curates the house.

The house is similar to the other Usonian houses we have seen but is a later refinement of Wright’s design – L shape open plan, radiant heating, natural ventilation and blending of interior and exterior spaces. Visitors are not allowed to take pictures on the inside so follow up with this web site for photos of the house.

I’ll add to this entry in a few days with more details.