On a recent jaunt to North Carolina after a thoroughly enjoyable, but unintentionally scenic tour of the countryside, my friends and I stepped back in time across the porch of Mast General Store.  I love that these nuggets of history are still around a bend on a country road in so many places here in the South.  Locals, tourists, old and young, Nehi and Mountain Dew mingled in the aisles and lolled on the porches in the end-of-summer setting sun.  These places, with their cobbled-together walls, wooden floors proudly wearing the tread millions of footsteps and their shelves piled high with generations of stories are a national treasure.  I love to wander the aisles and rock on the porch, letting the perseverance of the place seep into my bones.  May it take root there and last much longer than the weekend trip.

[slidepress gallery='mast-general-store,-nc']

The 2009 Tour de France ended today.  I love the Tour and watch as much of it as possible every July.  It’s unlike anything else in the sporting world.  There are both team and individual tactics–often seemingly at odds, politics, the self-sacrifice of domestiques, drama and tradition.  There are weeks of grueling speed, weather, altitude and terrain.  I bike regularly and I can’t even comprehend the level every single one of those riders competes at.  They are full of passion, aggression, tenacity and incredible strength and drive.

I remarked to a close friend as I was driving into Chicago last week, that I find the different personalities of cities fascinating.  Chicago is within a few hours of where I grew up, so I’ve been there many times.  As I walked the streets with my camera this time, I ran across the images above.  I love to ride in the countryside, away from the kind of traffic and congestion that IS a city.  But as I looked at the images, the juxtaposition of the Garmin riders with the city made complete sense to me.  They both share speed, aggression, strength and drive.

But they also share a certain grace born of strength.  I saw it in the incredible acceleration of Mark Cavendish as he sprinted to six stage wins.  I tasted it in the phenomenal food at Topolobampo where the flavor of the Barbacoa de Chivo makes my mouth water even now.  I saw it as the Schlecks, Contador and Armstrong practically (seemingly) danced up one of the most legendary killer mountain rides in the sport.  I experienced it in the simple, chic styling of The James Hotel (a place I love).  I have never really thought of “Chicago” and “grace” in the same sentence before but having strolled the brand new Modern Wing at the Art Institute of Chicago on a beautiful summer afternoon and marveled at the breadth of the collection in gorgeous, light-filled rooms, I’m forced to admit that both the city and the Tour riders do share both strength and grace.

Agree? Or not?