The Pacific Coast

San Diego Zoo

2010-08-03T14:23:00.000-04:00

Mexican Border/Firing Range

2010-07-25T19:45:00.000-04:00

Last week or so

2010-07-23T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hearst Castle

2010-07-21T01:04:00.000-04:00

A bit of San Fran

2010-07-18T17:05:00.000-04:00

Senior Lesbians

2010-07-16T11:50:00.000-04:00

July 13.
The morning was foggy, something we have gotten used to. We broke down camp and hit the road. The morning was spent riding through strawberry fields, lots and lots of strawberry fields. After about an hour of riding, we hit a bike path. According to the maps, it was going to be almost 20 miles on the path. Awesome! More than half our ride on the bike path was along beach and coastline. Amazing! It brought us through Marina, Sand City, and Seaside, before heading into Monterey. This is where the maps take you off the coast. Now, on the Southern Tier we met a couple who started in San Fran, rode down the San Diego and were headed for Austin. When I mentioned I planned on doing the Pacific Coast, they started telling me all this good info. One of the things I remembered was 17 Mile Drive, in Monterey. So instead of following our maps inland, we kept hugging the coast. Eventually the bike path ended and we got onto Oceanview Dr which turned into Sunset. Then we found 17 Mile Drive. For all you golf enthusiasts, 17 Mile Drive brought us through various coastal golf courses, with the final one being Pebble Beach. It was the best ride so far. And I forgot to mention the sun came out in full force right before we got to Monterey. Gorgeous views, beautiful weather, not much more you can ask for. By the end of our day, we ended up doing 77 miles into Big Sur, which was also awesome. We got to the lodge by 8 and grabbed a few things before we were going to find the hiker/biker sites. As we were getting on our bikes, two self-titled "senior lesbians" started talking to us. They offered us showers in their cabin, and also the two win beds in the spare room! Road magic at its finest. So to end the best day of riding yet, we got real showers and real beds. The end.

2010-07-09T00:09:00.000-04:00

So we've been buzzin' right along, over 1200 miles already. On the 4th of July we stopped riding by 1 and just relaxed the rest of the day. There were very limited services, so we carried beer for like 20 miles; I filled a pannier with ice and the beer kept real cold on one of our hotter days. We rode the Avenue of the Giants and also camped in a state park there. Our string of nice days came to an end though, and we've been riding in some heavy fog and light mist for the past 2 days. We also saw the blue/green bus pass us two days in a row, and then when we got to camp last night, it was parked in the spot next to us. The owners were very nice and asked us over for dinner. It was awesome. They even made us breakfast and coffee this morning. We'll be getting to San Fran tomorrow, and probably a rest day on Saturday.

California!

2010-07-03T22:04:00.000-04:00

(The last two pics are dogs chasing a lure at the dog show)
We crossed into California at the end of our ride on the 1st. Finally! The California coast is the whole reason I wanted to do this ride. All the cyclists I've met, either in bike shops or on the road, have said you have to ride the California coast, and then they start rattling off towns, Big Sur, Monterey, Santa Cruz.... Well, I still have a lot of Northern California to get through, but I am very excited. We are about halfway, 930 miles out of 1,850. We should be in San Francisco in about a week. Tonight, we are in Ferndale. We are staying at the county fairgrounds and there is a dog show going on all weekend. Tomorrow we are going to be riding a short day, hopefully being in camp by 1, giving us time to enjoy the 4th.

Last of Oregon

2010-07-01T23:22:00.000-04:00

The second picture is of sea lions.
The fifth picture says Will you marry me, spelled out in driftwood.

Rogue Brewery!

2010-06-27T21:09:00.000-04:00

Cut the day short, 38 miles. It was beautiful out, but we came across the Rogue Brewery and decided to stop in. We had some burgers and beers, then caught the tour. It was Awesome! Now we are hanging out at South Beach State Park in Newport, OR.

Rest Day

2010-06-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

Cape Meares State Park

2010-06-26T12:19:00.000-04:00

More Oregon!

2010-06-26T12:08:00.000-04:00

The Oregon coast is amazing! In the mornings its been foggy, which is normal here. It makes for some crazy looking shots of the ocean and shore. By the afternoon, it has been clearing up, and the sun has been coming out. We've been averaging about 50 miles a day, and have surpassed 500 miles total already in 10 days of riding. Today we are taking a rest day at Chris's cousins house.

Oregon!

2010-06-23T22:13:00.000-04:00

This morning we crossed into Oregon! By ferry. It was pretty foggy all morning, but cleared up in the afternoon. We rode through some beach towns along the Oregon coast. Tonight we are camping in Cannon Beach.
Yesterday we had sun all day! Lots of hills, nothing too crazy though. Washington is a beautiful state, but all the campgrounds charged for showers. Chris said she saw that when she rode cross country last year, but I never saw it riding the Southern Tier. Hopefully Oregon doesn't charge! (Tonight's was free)

Holy Toledo!

2010-06-21T22:42:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was another drizzly day. We woke up to rain in Elma, WA, and packed up our tents the second it stopped for a minute. We rode to Centralia, WA, only 36 miles, and called it a day. It dried up a bit, and I was able to put on new, much needed brake pads that I've been carrying all week.
This morning we slept in a little. Grabbed a coffee from McDonald's and rode on down the road. We were planning on camping in the Toledo Community Park for free, but it would have only been about 25 miles, so we pushed on to Castle Rock. We stumbled upon Toutle River RV Resort, which wasn't the camping that was listed on our maps, but we checked it out anyways. Turns out the place on our map is across the street somewhere, but as we were talking to the gate attendant, the owner pulled up. He asked if we were on warmshowers, which I am, and says we can camp for free. Sweet! They are also playing Meet the Robinsons tonight, so we are going to check that out too.

Move To Bremerton

2010-06-19T00:21:00.000-04:00

(All pictures from Friday)

Yesterday, we got to ride in the sun! It was a beautiful day. We did 66 miles and stayed in Bremerton, WA, home of MxPx. We had about a half hour ferry ride across to Port Townsend in the morning. We stopped at a Friday market and got some Oregon all beef franks which were delicious. The lady was closing up and ended up also giving us three that were left for free. They ended up being some cajun flavor andouille franks or something, still pretty good.
Today was very gloomy. Rode through lots of wooded areas, under gray skies, in an on and off drizzle/rain. No pics cause my phone was in a ziploc bag all day.

Day 2

2010-06-17T21:27:00.000-04:00

Day 1

2010-06-17T21:17:00.000-04:00

Day 0

2010-06-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

The beginning

2010-06-17T21:09:00.001-04:00

The plane ride to Bellingham, WA went super smoothly. My bike was checked for a $50 oversize fee, and arrived along with me. It had been inspected and they actually did a pretty decent job packing it back up. When I got outside the airport, I decided to just build the bike up and ride the 3 miles to a hotel instead of getting a cab. I relaxed in the room for awhile, got all my gear set up, and watched some tv. On Ace of Cakes, they built up a full size Stanley Cup for a hockey themed wedding. It was awesome.
On Wednesday morning, I decided to take the ride up to the border to meet Chris, my riding partner, instead of just waiting for her in Bellingham. It ended up being about 20+ miles with overcast skies. While waiting for her to cross the border, the skies cleared and the sun came out. We rode another 40 or so miles to Larrabee State Park to camp. As soon as we started eating, a raccoon appeared. We decided not to take food into our tents after Chris told a story of a guy who woke up to a whole in his tent and a raccoon paw feeling around in his tent. Needless to say, our Chili Cheese Fritos were devoured by a very lucky raccoon.
Today we had about 55 miles to Ft. Ebey State Park. It was overcast all day. We rode along cliffs overlooking bays and harbors for most of the day. Even with the cloudy skies, it was beautiful! So far, Washington has been awesome!
It feels good to be back on the road!

MS Coast the Coast!

2010-06-01T17:58:00.000-04:00

Photo: At the finish line with our medals! Chris is on the left and Steve is on the right.

This ride was awesome! Saturday was beautiful weather. Great riding all day with varying scenes from beaches and ocean to the pine barrens. We had dinner at the Tuckerton Seaport, which was delicious. Then I got to hang out with the Vitamin Shoppe team who had rented cabins at a campground. We had a campfire going, ordered some pizzas, had smores, and some beers. Sunday started off very overcast, with rain in the forecast. It held off for most of the day, until the last 20 or so miles, when it started to pour. I ended up riding in a group with 5 others, 3 of us were sporting the Vitamin Shoppe jerseys. We got to the coast guard station in cape may at something like 12:30, and only 2 people had finished before us. It was awesome, even with the rain! We hung out at the coast guard station for a few hours. They had all sorts of barbecue food and drinks. Then we went to a hotel and cleaned ourselves up. Later that night we had an amazing dinner at The Lobster House. Everyone crashed pretty early, after the 170 miles in 2 days. In the morning we grabbed coffees and walked on the boardwalk. Then we grabbed breakfast only a few feet from the sand. Such an awesome weekend! Thanks to all the Vitamin Shoppe guys for making me a part of the team, and especially Mike Provost for hooking everything up!
//Sent from my Blackberry\\
Check out my bike trip @ www.bryansbiketour2010.blogspot.com

MS "Coast the Coast" Bike Ride

2010-05-19T11:27:00.004-04:00

The following was written back in January and posted in my CrazyGuyOnABike Journal.

So the other day, I decided to sign up for another MS Bike Ride. I did one last October in NYC and had a lot of fun. This year I signed up for the Coast the Coast Ride. Here's the link to my donation page. I'll be riding 170 miles over two days, from Monmouth University to Cape May, on May 22/23. I'm thinking I should be in pretty good shape to complete the ride no problem, after carrying around camping gear, clothes, etc, for 3000+ miles.
Anyway, my Aunt Chris is living with MS, so I'll be doing that ride for her, and anyone else that has, or had MS. If you know someone living with MS or someone that had MS, please donate, every little bit helps.
Also, I've read of others having lots of luck with acts of hospitality while riding on the Southern Tier. So I'll be keeping track of all the free nights of camping/housing, free meals, drinks, anything that I would normally have to pay for, and at the end of my ride will be making a donation. So if you can't make a donation yourself, but have a nice big yard I could pitch a tent, or know someone who does, I will make a small donation in your name.
Thanks for the support!

UPDATE(5/19/10): During my trip across the Southern Tier, we experienced so much hospitality and kindness. We had a former triathlete stop us on the side of the road, while he was taking his family on a day trip, to talk to us, give us crackers and apples, and just be awesome. We had a couple buy us a couple beers because it is a dream of theirs to ride across the country. We had numerous people open their homes to us and treat us like family.
This weekend I will be riding in the MS "Coast the Coast" bike ride. I made a donation the other day in the name of everyone along the Southern Tier that offered us any kind of hospitality. Thank you all!

Slideshow

2010-05-06T16:49:00.002-04:00

I've added a slideshow with some of the photos I actually took with a camera. It's located to the right. If you click on the photo, it will bring you to the Picasa Web Album, and also make the photos larger. Most of them are better quality than the original photos I posted during the trip. Some are not. I don't have a steady hand while I'm riding. Also, here's a link to a short video Mike made. It's a slideshow of pictures and video that he shot during the ride, and it has music. Check it out.

After-thoughts

2010-04-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

m sitting on a train, barely a week after finishing my cross-country bike ride. Since arriving in San Diego, I've spent more time in a car than on my bike; I've spent more time in one city than I have since leaving NJ; and by the time I get to Penn Station, I'll have spent more time on a train than I have in all my life. Strange how quickly things change.

Upon reaching the Pacific, we were greeted by a friend that Ryan knew from the Appalachian Trail. We piled our bikes and gear in his car(yes, car, no bike rack) and spent the night with him and his folks. In the morning, we rented a jeep and drove up to Berkeley, CA. We spent 4 nights in the area, only riding about 30 miles. During that time, I met some really awesome people, saw some cool stuff, and went skydiving (Amazing).

I can say with confidence that this was one of the most eye-opening, life-changing experiences of my life. Seeing the country from a bicycle saddle was amazing. It really puts things into perspective. Being able to carry everything you need for 2+ months in 4 relatively small bags makes you realize how little you need to survive, and even 4 bags was superfluous.

I can't say that I was ready for the ride to end, or to leave California, or to come back to NJ, but there are a few things that I need to take care of in the pretty immediate future. Most importantly, I need to make a decision about grad school and let the schools know my plans. I also need to get a tooth looked at that's been hurting on and off since El Paso (a filling fell out). And I need to replace my glasses, which broke in Alabama, the first night of riding with the group. I feel like this may be more of an ellipses in the middle of my adventure rather than a period. It may not be another bike tour, and it may not be for as long, but I'm not ready to stop traveling and seeing the country. I've definitely come to love the adventure/travel lifestyle and this 3,300 mile bike ride was just the beginning. (EDIT: After 4 days on a train, and a full week since finishing the trip, all I can think about is getting back on the bike. I spent months prior to leaving reading journals, doing research, getting ready and constantly thinking about this trip. Not once did it disappoint, and not once did I wish I could be doing something else. Sure, it was hard at times, but that's expected when you spend everyday living on your bike for 2 months with complete strangers. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be doing another tour in the future.)

For everyone whose been following along, Thank you, I hope you enjoyed the ride.
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Day 70: To San Diego, CA

2010-04-12T09:07:00.000-04:00

82 miles (132 km) - Total so far: 3,328 miles (5,356 km)

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Day 69: To Jacumba, CA

2010-04-11T01:41:00.000-04:00

60 miles (97 km) - Total so far: 3,246 miles (5,224 km)

This morning and most of yesterday afternoon were spent riding below sea level. Pretty cool. We had mostly flat roads this morning, but only about the first 20 were smooth. The next 20ish miles were really cracked and bumpy. Slowed us down greatly. Then the last 20 miles were mostly climbing. We gained over 2000 feet. The wind was beating down on us, making the climb much harder than it needed to be. We had planned on making it to Live Oak Springs, but had heard bad things about the camping, so when we came upon lodging in Jacumba, we stopped to check it out. Its a bar/restaurant/spa resort. They have all natural mineral hot springs flowing into their pools and jacuzzi. They have a sauna too. Its pretty awesome. Tomorrow we are going to push for San Diego and the Pacific!
Today we also had another crazyguy run in. Terry found us in Ocotillo and had food and drinks for us. It's great to meet other crazyguys! Thanks again Terry!
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Day 68: To Brawley, CA

2010-04-10T01:12:00.000-04:00

61 miles (98 km) - Total so far: 3,186 miles (5,127 km)
We were expecting today to be lots of nothingness, and that's exactly what it was. The first 20 or so miles were spent riding with little to no shoulder. There were some mountains and the usual scenery. Then the shoulder widened out a bit and in the distance was what looked like white mountains. Sand dunes. It was awesome. About 7 miles were spent riding next to these massive mountains of sand. As we were nearing Glamis, the one town we passed through, a pickup truck pulled onto the shoulder in front of us. He had a bike loaded on the side, so we slowed up next to him. He's done some touring, and has heard stories about Glamis, the same stories we'd heard; the only store in town charges ridiculous prices for everything. He'd also had a friend who they wouldn't let refill their water bottles. Anyway, he pulls out this 3 gallon jug of water and cracks it open. He let us have drinks and fill all our bottles up. It was great.
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Day 67: To Palo Verde, CA!

2010-04-08T17:46:00.000-04:00

84 miles (135 km) - Total so far: 3,125 miles (5,029 km)

CALIFORNIA!
By the time we started riding, the sun was already blazing. We put the sunscreen on and ht the road. It was nice riding all morning. We kept hearing noises on the side of the road, and eventually figured out it was lizards, about 5 inches long. As we'd get close to them, they'd scurry off into the brush. And they really moved. At about mile 50, we crossed the Colorado River, bringing is into California!! Our final state of the Southern Tier. We were very excited about this. We got to Palo Verde around 4:30. Knowing that tomorrow is about 65 miles of nothing, we decided to push an extra 9 miles to the furthest campground. Tomorrow we are headed to Brawley.
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Day 66: To Hope, AZ

2010-04-07T11:06:00.000-04:00

(The 4th picture is a sign that says " your now beyond hope." It was on the back of Hope's welcome sign. Haha)

62 miles (100 km) - Total so far: 3,041 miles (4,894 km)

We started off the day by heading across the street to a small cafe. We ate and had coffee and talked for awhile, and before we knew it, it was 9 o'clock. We got on our bikes and hit the road. It was very nice riding for most of the day. Great weather, great shoulder, and great wind for a change. At times we actually had a bit of a tailwind! Nothing crazy, but anything is better than headwinds. We saw lots of eastbounders today, and the last guy we saw was complaining about the headwinds. Anyway, we made it to Hope, AZ relatively quick. We're at an RV park now, all showered and relaxing. I forgot to mention that leaving Phoenix we started our final map of the Southern Tier! We have less than 300 miles now til we reach San Diego. We'll be in California tomorrow!

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Day 65: To Wickenburg, AZ

2010-04-06T22:59:00.000-04:00

60 miles (97 km) - Total so far: 2,979 miles (4,794 km)

Last night, Blaise's father took us all out to dinner. We went to a Japanese grill and it was delicious! They are a very cool family and were most hospitable. Blaise even made oatmeal with craisins, and had blueberries and strawberries for breakfast. Then he rode almost 30 miles with us out of the city and back onto the route. Riding in the Phoenix area was pretty good. Lots of bike lanes. This morning we rode about 10 miles on a bike path. Once we got back on 60 for the last 30 miles though the wind was picking up and we had a gradual incline all the way into Wickenburg. It was slow riding, but we made it. We had some pizzas for dinner and got some ice cream for dessert. The manager of the rv park were at is letting us sleep in some room by the maintenance garage. Pretty sweet.
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Day 64: To Phoenix, AZ

2010-04-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

94 miles (151 km) - Total so far: 2,919 miles (4,698 km)

Last night while we were hanging out at the Globe Community Center, another cyclist pulled in. It was a fellow crazyguy, Keith. He actually has been following my journal and knew we were going to be camping there. It was cool to meet him. In the morning we all went to a local cafe and had breakfast together before parting ways. Keith is working while he is riding, so he had to stick around for awhile while he had an internet connection. The riding was great, had some climbs and then a nice downhill, with a tunnel and some bridges. There was barely any shoulder on the downhill, which was lame. When we got into Tempe, we met up with our host for the night, Blaise. He rode the last 15 miles with us to his house. He rode his penny farthing, which was awesome. He's actually going to ride from San Fran to Alaska on it.

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Day 63: To Globe, AZ

2010-04-04T22:44:00.000-04:00

77 miles (124 km) - Total so far: 2,825 miles (4,546 km)

The continental breakfast this morning was a great start. It had waffles, eggs, and sausage, as well as the standard stuff. We ate, got our gear together, and were on the road before 8:30. It was a quick pace this morning, about 20mph for the first few hours. We were on the same road all day, 70, so it was just a straight shot, no turns to worry about. We rode through the San Carlos Apache Reservation for about 25 miles. Lots of the same scenery all day. The wind started picking up again in the afternoon making the riding much slower. We got to Globe around 3 and decided not to push any more miles. The wind just takes it out of you. We should be in Phoenix tomorrow afternoon. Then we'll see what's to come.
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Day 62: To Thatcher, AZ

2010-04-03T22:21:00.000-04:00

(Stole the last one from Ryan)

38 miles (61 km) - Total so far: 2,748 miles (4,422 km)

The day started off with a nice climb up through mountains, covered with California Poppies. It was pretty awesome views. Then we started to descend and these huge snow covered peaks came into view. We had about 10 miles of downhill. Before we knew it we were in Safford. We hit the library for a bit, then grabbed some lunch. Chinese buffet. Definitely got our six dollars worth. At lunch, Ryan suggested a hotel, and I'm not one to pass up a real bed, so we are classic it up for the night. Hot continental breakfast in the morning will be nice also. Globe tomorrow, Phoenix on Monday.
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Day 61: To Three Way, AZ

2010-04-02T22:56:00.000-04:00

80 miles (129 km) - Total so far: 2,710 miles (4,361 km)

Last night we decided to get a hotel room, so we were able to start the day off with a continental breakfast. Coffee, oatmeal, toast, bagels, cereal, hard boiled eggs, and fruit always makes for a good start to the day. About 5 miles down the road, we realized it wasn't warming up as quick as usual, so we stopped, at a Continental Divide sign (3rd and final crossing I think), to add some layers. As we were putting on leg warmers, whose voice do we hear? Jeff's. He was a few miles out of Silver City camped out, but had to get to a bike shop, so he was riding the tailwinds back to Silver City. That probably won't be the last we see of him. So we pushed on, fighting chilly winds and a low temperature pretty much all day long. About half way through the day, we saw an Adventure Cycling group riding east, with their support van and road bikes. We climbed for a good chunk of today, but the last 14 miles were pretty much all downhill. We had 3 miles of switchbacks coming out of the Big Lue(?) Mountains, and then just long gradual descents. We still had to pedal to even hit 20 mph though. Tomorrow is a shorter day of about 50 to hit a campground. And once again we changed time, since Arizona doesn't do daylight savings.
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Day 60: To Silver City

2010-04-01T00:41:00.000-04:00

41 miles (66 km) - Total so far: 2,630 miles (4,233 km)

Woke up this morning dreading the climb out of the Gila Wilderness Area. The climbing on the way out was much steeper than what we encountered on the way in. I had to use my granny gear for the first time on the trip, and it made it a pretty easy climb, slow and steady though. I think it took us almost 2 hours to cover the 14 miles to get back to the main road. I'd say an hour and a half for the first 7 miles of very steep grade, then the rest was more downhills. Once we got out of the Gila, we went straight into more climbing for another 15 or so miles. We crossed the Continental Divide again, and just as we saw the sign, we started to see snowflakes. This was also the time we started our descent into Silver City, and the snow turned to a light drizzle as we lost elevation. No pictures today, too much climbing to do. We're not sure what tomorrow will bring. If it's nice, we may end up in Arizona.
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Day 59: To Gila Hot Springs

2010-03-31T00:13:00.000-04:00

32 miles (51 km) - Total so far: 2,589 miles (4,167 km)

So the maps have a 20 mile out and back option to go see the Gila cliff dwellings, and we've it's been recommended that we do it more than once. So we decided to take the trip. The only other thing we heard about this ride was that the climbing is ridiculous. Another tourer said there's like 8% grade, and that most people rent a motel room right before the climb to leave all their gear in. Local cyclists we saw yesterday riding up Emory Pass for fun said that there was a 10% grade on the way out. They also said its called the Gila Monster. They hold an annual road race here called the Tour de Gila, a pro ride which Lance Armstrong has even ridden in. Needless to say we were pretty stoked for it. And the rumors were definitely true. Riding in was pretty sweet, about 7 miles of climbing, then about 7 miles of insane downhill. I pretty much rode my brakes the whole way down, and still was cruising around 30 mph. There were no guardrails, and one side of you was a pretty straight drop down. Crazy. The cliff dwellings were sweet. We camped at this place that had hot springs, so we relaxed in 108 degree natural spring water for like an hour after the ride. Another awesome day.
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Day 58: To Gila National Forest (Sapillo Campground)

2010-03-30T23:44:00.000-04:00

55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 2,557 miles (4,115 km)

Waking up in the Hillsboro campground was freezing. We have been slowly gaining elevation, and last night was the first time we slept outside at such an elevation. We quickly packed up and went to the only cafe in town. After some pancakes and eggs, and a lot of coffee, we were ready to tackle Emory Pass. Thiswas our first day of real climbing. We gained 2000+ feet in about 8 miles of switchbacks. Constant switchbacks, constant climbing. It was amazing. We encountered snow on thw mountainside and some serious views. And then of course, we had the payoff. About 18 miles of mostly downhill switchbacks. Later in the day we had more climbing, not as serious, as we crossed the Continental Divide for the first time. Not a bad day.
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Day 57: To Hillsboro

2010-03-29T18:12:00.000-04:00

87 miles (140 km) - Total so far: 2,502 miles (4,027 km)

Woke up to a great breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. Great way to start the day. We headed to Mesilla to hit the Post Office, then were back on the road around 9:30. It was a beautiful day with not too much wind. We had knocked out 45 miles by lunchtime. After lunch, the riding was a bit slower. We started to slowly gain elevation, and had a headwind. There was some great scenery all day.
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Day 56: Las Cruces Rest Day

2010-03-28T17:35:00.000-04:00

Woke up nice and early this morning. Felt great to sleep in a real bed again. I picked up my book and went into the living room to read and have some coffee. Lee's wife had to catch a flight so she was gone by 5. Lee made us french toast and sauteed apples and bananas, which were delicious. Then we relaxed for awhile. Around noon, we took a trip to the bike shop and Ryan got some new tires. Then we got some lunch. Went back to the house and did some bike maintenance. We're looking to do a long day tomorrow, so the next day, which will be mostly climbing, won't be so bad.
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Day 55: To Las Cruces, NM!

2010-03-27T23:31:00.000-04:00

63 miles (101 km) - Total so far: 2,415 miles (3,887 km)

We started off the day with all intentions of staying in El Paso for another night. We rolled out of the rv park around 8 with a destination of Krispy Kreme, a few miles away. We split a dozen donuts and some coffee. They actually give you a glazed donut off of the conveyor belt before you even order. Amazing. Then we were on our way to Barnes and Noble to pick up some new reading material. Then Best Buy. Then the bike shop to get Ryan new tires. Then we had planned to camp on the west side of El Paso. Only the bike shop didn't have the tires. The guys there were awesome though and called around and found some tires here in Las Cruces. Ryan and I look at each other, then the clock, and decide to just head on down to get the tires. We stop at a gas station for some fuel and we decide to try finding a warmshowers host, and we did. So now its like 12:30 and we start riding the 50 miles to Las Cruces, through El Paso, with no shoulder, and Saturday traffic, and hills, and headwinds. We made it to Las Cruces a little after 5 and our hosts are awesome!! Lee and his wife are just so accommodating. They have spare beds, let us roll our bikes inside, threw our clothes in the washer, gave us showers, and brought us to this awesome restaurant/brewery De La Vega's, named after Zorro. I had their pecan beer, which was very tasty. Pecan's are big down here apparently. We are taking the day off here tomorrow so Ryan can grab the tires and get some mail on Monday in the next town. Signing off from a real bed, with real food in my belly.
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Day 54: To El Paso, Tx

2010-03-26T22:24:00.000-04:00

42 miles (68 km) - Total so far: 2,352 miles (3,785 km)

We got a nice jump on the day this morning, hearing that the winds were going to be picking up in the afternoon. We wanted to make El Paso before it got too windy. The ride all morning was great. There was no shoulder for most of the morning, but we only saw like 10 cars, so it didn't matter. By noon, the winds started. It was a cross wind, which is pretty annoying. We'd be leaning into the wind, then it'd let up for a second causing us to swerve around. It started getting really bad over the last few miles. It started kicking up dust and sand and blowing it all around. Visibility was only a mile or two, and you could no longer see the mountains in the distance. We stopped at the first rv park we could get to and found some shelter. We've been hanging out in the rec room since about 1:30. Winds are supposedly around 35-45 with gusts up to 60 mph. Should be a fun night. Tomorrow we are just heading to the other side of the city. Ryan wants to find a bike shop, and I a bookstore. Then it should be outta this state on Sunday.
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Day 53: To Fort Hancock, Tx

2010-03-25T13:19:00.000-04:00

71 miles (114 km) - Total so far: 2,310 miles (3,718 km)

We stopped to resupply and also grabbed breakfast before heading out for the day. We didn't end up getting on the road til almost 11. Within a few miles we changed time zones. The winds were much tamer than yesterday, even feeling like a tailwind at times. We rode I-10 for the whole day, which was surprisingly pleasant. It had a very wide shoulder, and was nice and smooth. We lost elevation gradually throughout the day. We were pushing 15-20 mph for most of the day with barely any effort. It was awesome. We are sleeping behind a church tonight. Tomorrow we are heading to El Paso.
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Day 52: To Van Horn, Tx

2010-03-24T23:36:00.000-04:00

74 miles (119 km) - Total so far: 2,239 miles (3,603 km)

This morning was a bit of a downer. We left John and his family (who were great hosts and awesome people) by 10, and within the first 2 miles, we were saying good-bye to Mike. I'm beginning to think Ryan and I smell or something. Anyway, Mike headed back to Alpine to catch a train home. Hopefully our paths will cross again, he's a cool dude. After that we rode 118 for most of the day, winding through mountains, with a few climbs, but mostly we lost elevation today. It would have been a very fast day if it wasn't for the 30 or so mph headwinds we were riding against. Nevertheless, the landscapes did not disappoint. Even after we got on the interstate, we still had awesome views. I think we may be doing another long day tomorrow based on our accommodations. Stay tuned.

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Day 51: To McDonald Observatory

2010-03-23T21:41:00.000-04:00

42 miles (68 km) - Total so far: 2,165 miles (3,484 km)

We had a great ride today. It was beautiful out, with beautiful scenery. We met an eastbound rider within 10 miles of heading out. He had a sag wagon and was riding a nice road bike. Then we rode through some nice valleys before we started to climb. The climbing was definitely worth it when we finally got to our destination: the McDonald Observatory. We found a warmshowers host that works there, John. He took us up to the telescopes and gave us a little tour. It was awesome! To say the least. John was just so full of information. We were all very glad we made the decision to head up there.
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Day 50: To Alpine, Tx

2010-03-22T21:26:00.000-04:00

32 miles (51 km) - Total so far: 2,123 miles (3,417 km)

We were on the road by 8 this morning, but only made it about a mile before stopping for some breakfast. We had breakfast burritos and coffee at this little cafe right in town. It was very good. Then Ryan and I took off for Alpine, since Mike wanted to hang around Marathon for another hour or so. The first 20 miles were great, the sun was coming out, the scenery was amazing. Then for the last 10 miles we started fighting a headwind. It was still great riding though. We rolled into Alpine before 1 and were trying to locate the library when this woman pulls over and walks up to us. It turned out to be Alice, the woman we had plans to stay with tonight. She was heading out of town, but told us were her house was and to make ourselves at home. So we went to her house, dropped off our gear, and then found the library and grocery store. We've all just been relaxing the rest of the afternoon, enjoying the beautiful weather. Tomorrow we are headed to the Macdonald Observatory. We're all pretty pumped to check it out, everyone keeps telling us about it.
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Day 49: To Marathon, Tx

2010-03-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 2,091 miles (3,365 km)

We got a slow start this morning, having a real roof over our heads. Slowly we got our gear together, had some waffles and got on the road. It was around 11 by the time we really got going. We rode into headwinds all day long, so the 50 or so miles didn't go as quickly as it could have. We rolled into Marathon looking for La Loma del Chivo, a hostel tha let's cross-country cyclists stay for free. This place is awesome. The dwellings are made of concrete, paper, and pearlite. They have solar panels, a windmill, woodstoves and an organic garden going. All the buildings are super unique and very cool. Plus its free. We hung out down at the Famous Burro, a local restaurant, and had a few drinks to relax after the long day. We have a shorter, 30 mile or so day planned tomorrow to get to Alpine.
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Day 48: Rest Day in Sanderson, Tx

2010-03-20T11:47:00.000-04:00

2 miles (3 km) - Total so far: 2,036 miles (3,277 km)

Last night around midnight, the winds started to pick up viciously. It was throwing our tents around. We didn't get much sleep. And then in the morning it was freezing cold and we even saw some flurries! So we made the decision to take the day off. It remained cold and windy for most of the day. We had made plans to stay with a woman in Alpine in a couple days, and we found out she also has a little house here in Sanderson. She let us use it, so we rode over from the campground and warmed up and relaxed. By 2 o'clock, we were all passed out, napping for about 4 hours. We made some pasta for dinner, had a few beers and some wine, and just hung out. It was a much needed rest. Tomorrow we are supposed to still have some headwinds, but it should be in the 60's at least. We should be in Marathon.
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Day 47: To Sanderson, Tx

2010-03-19T23:40:00.000-04:00

62 miles (100 km) - Total so far: 2,034 miles (3,273 km)

We were up and out of our campsite by 8 this morning. We decided to stop by the Judge Roy Bean visitor center which was on our way out of Langtry. It was a great place. Lots of interesting stuff, and clean bathrooms! Then we hit the last store we'd see for 40 miles. We each had beef bbq sandwiches and some pepsi, for breakfast. They were pretty good, and did a good job of filling us for the 60 miles we had planned. Ryan and I were in Sanderson by 3, which is why I've been wanting to leave early in the morning. It's so much better to get to a town and relax for a few hours in the afternoon as opposed to getting a late start and having to rush to get to town before dark. We had some mexican food, which was delicious. Finally caught up to a father and son who have been a few days ahead of us, and we've been hearing about for awhile. Nice guys. We are heading to Marathon tomorrow, should be about 55 miles or so.
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Day 46: To Langtry, Tx

2010-03-18T19:12:00.000-04:00

62 miles (100 km) - Total so far: 1,972 miles (3,174 km)

We ended up hanging out in the Elks Lodge til after 10, just relaxing, having some beers and pizza. Then we went out back and slept under a pavilion right by a stream. It was pretty great. This morning though was a slow start. Mike was having tire problems, so we didn't leave the elks til after 10. We stopped by a bike shop for a bit and he got some tubes and new tires. Then we headed to Skillets for breakfast. We finally got on the road around 2, but luckily we had a slight tailwind. Made the ride into Langtry nice and easy. We set up camp behind the community center. Then we took a little ride down the road and checked out the canyon that the Rio Grande runs through. As the sun went down, the sky was perfectly clear. Slept without a tent again, and saw the fullest sky of stars I think I've ever seen. There was barely any light pollution at all. It was amazing.
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Day 45: To Del Rio, Tx

2010-03-17T13:01:00.000-04:00

68 miles (109 km) - Total so far: 1,910 miles (3,074 km)

So after we were all setup last night, I see two cyclists standing by the fence of the yard we were camped in. Matt and Page happened to be staying the night also. They had stayed with the sister of the woman we talked to a few nights earlier in Alpine and were told to come by here. They had the hookup from the sister though, they got a little bedroom and access to the house. Matt ended up cooking us all some dinner and we all talked for awhile. They started in San Fran and rode to San Diego before heading east on the Southern Tier. Awesome people. We had planned on leaving around 8, so Matt had a pot of coffee waiting for us by 7:45. By the time we had coffee and breakfast, Matt and Page were getting up, so we hung around and talked some more. Then Mike had to fix a flat, and we didn't end up getting out of there til after 11, I think. We had a long ride to Del Rio where we are camping behind an Elks Lodge.
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Day 44: To Montell

2010-03-16T12:42:00.000-04:00

50 miles (80 km) - Total so far: 1,842 miles (2,964 km)

Coming out of Lost Maples, we had some gradual downhills towards Vanderpool. We stopped at a general store that was at the intersection where we needed to turn. A few minutes later this couple pulls up on bikes. They had rear bags and were out doing a four day loop. Matt and Annie were so into our gear and bikes and just very energetic. It was great. They also told us about all the climbing that was in store for us today. They were right. We had some pretty big climbs, and some nice downhills. One climb was pretty much up and over a mt. Another one was a long gradual climb that snaked around the mt. Anyway, we ended up in Montell, where a lady on warmshowers gave us permission to camp on her lawn.
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Day 43: To Lost Maples

2010-03-15T12:37:00.000-04:00

52 miles (84 km) - Total so far: 1,792 miles (2,884 km)

We left Kerrville by 8:30, hoping to hit a grocery store and get a few miles in before heading to the bike shop, which didn't open til 10. We stocked up our food supply, then we all got some new tubes as well. It was pretty nice riding, hilly, but clear for most of the day. We gained elevation most of the day, which paid off greatly in the end. About 1/4 mile before the campground, there was this monster dropoff, and we just coasted into the campground at like 40 mph. Everything was full, but the had some primitive sites available. The ranger actually let us pitch our tents just outside the overflow parking lot since we were on bikes, and to get to the actual sites, you'd have to hike over a mile in. It started to downpour about 20 minutes after we got everything setup. I think I was asleep by 8, just listening to the thunder and rain.
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Day 42: To Kerrville, Tx

2010-03-15T10:41:00.000-04:00

25 miles (40 km) - Total so far: 1,740 miles (2,800 km)

We had planned on riding about 60 miles again today, but upon waking up, Mike and Ryan both felt like they might be catching the cold that I've been riding with ever since Sara left. We rode to the grocery store to get some breakfast, and I suggested maybe doing a short day, since everyone was feeling a bit under the weather. We had a quick little ride in Kerrville and are camping at the Kerrville-Shiener Park. We got here by 1, dropped all our gear at our site, then rode down by the river for a while. We all ended up jumping into the freezing cold water. It was a nice change from the long days of riding that we're used to.
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Day 41: To Comfort, Tx

2010-03-14T23:29:00.000-04:00

68 miles (109 km) - Total so far: 1,715 miles (2,760 km)

Woke up with frost on the tents. Was not expecting that. Talked with some of the crew at the EMS for a little while before heading on our way. Then we rode hills all day long in the heat. Ryan got a flat early in the day, more of a slow leak. Around mile 50, I had a flat. It sounded like a gunshot. We think I may have pinched the tube when I put it in, and then after riding on it for a week it finally weakened to the point of blowing out. Anyway, we made it to Comfort about 5:30 and rode around for about 45 minutes looking for the firehouse, ems, or police station. No one was at any of the buildings. We found the city park and Ryan called the sheriff's office and finally got a hold of an officer. After talking to his supervisor, we got permission to camp in the park. We all just cowboyed it in this huge gazebo.
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Day 40: To Wimberley, Tx

2010-03-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

48 miles (77 km) - Total so far: 1,647 miles (2,651 km)
Photo 1: Mellow Johnny's, Lance Armstrong's bike shop in Austin. Got the name because people would pronounce Maillot Jaune, which is french for yellow jersey, wrong and it sounded like mellow john, and when Lance started winning the nicknamed him Mellow Johnny.
Photo 2: Juan Pelota Cafe, cafe at Mellow Johnny's. It's name, if you can't figure it out loosely translates to One Ball Cafe. Hahah.

After having pancakes in the rv cafe, we headed back into the city of Austin to visit REI. Mike wanted to pick up a new sleeping bag and pad. We spent like 2 hours there. I wanted to go check out Mellow Johnny's, so we made our way a couple blocks over and proceeded to spend like 2 hours there as well. When we walked in, one of the employees started talking to me cause he saw my loaded bike. He then proceeded to show us around the shop and tell us about all these different bikes that were on display and was just totally cool. We didn't really start riding til about 2, and we still had like 35 miles to do. most of the riding was kind of dull, hills and the same repeating scenery. When we had like 7 miles left, we come up this little hill to see these amazing views. The sun was setting slightly and all you could see were mountains. And then we went down at over 35 mph. We had about 3 nice downhills like this taking us into Wimberley. We stayed in the backyard of the Wimberley EMS. They were such a great group of people, very welcoming. Definitely stop by them if your riding through Wimberley.
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Day 39: To Austin, Tx

2010-03-11T07:30:00.000-05:00

59 miles (95 km) - Total so far: 1,599 miles (2,573 km)

The day started off with about 12 miles of hills through Buescher and Bastrop State Parks. It was great just riding through the woods, climbing and then cruising downhill.

We got into Bastrop around 10 and had some lunch at a deli. Ryan got hold of a warmshowers host in Austin, so we had about 40 more miles for the day. We ended up getting into Austin around 2:30. Our host bailed on us, so we sat around trying to find a new place to stay. Then these dark clouds start rolling in. Campground 10 miles away is our best option, so we book it. We're riding through Austin fully loaded, hauling, and all these girls on singlespeeds keep rippin by us. It was awesome. Haha. We finally setup camp and a fellow named Scott comes over to chat. Turns out he had done the Southern tier a few years back. He went back to his RV and grabbed us all a beer. It was delicious; some hawaiin porter made with kona coffee. That's called roadmagic. Totally turned our night around. We are planning to head back to the city tomorrow to hit an REI and then try to get another 30 miles down the road.
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Day 38: To Buescher State Park

2010-03-10T22:33:00.000-05:00

56 miles (90 km) - Total so far: 1,540 miles (2,478 km)

Last night after dinner, Carol showed us her two Model A's, one from 1930 and a pickup from 1921. They were fully restored and just so cool. Then we headed up to our bunkhouse. It was a loft above a barn. This morning Carol made us waffles and coffee and supplied eggs for us to cook. It was great. We talked for awhile with her. Turns out she built her own house. She took a class to learn how, and actually went home and did it. And she also rides the MS150, which is from Houston to Austin, the one that everyone keeps thinking we're training for.

We took off after packing up our gear and just rode the hills for most of the day. Todd rode with us all day. It was very hot. We decided to camp out in the state park. Tomorrow we should be in Austin.
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Day 37: To Carmine, Tx

2010-03-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 1,531 miles (2,464 km)

This morning I woke up to another flat tire. Nothing was in the tire, but the valve was pulling away from the tube. Put a new tube in and everything seems to be solid now. The day started very cloudy, but warm. After about 10 miles, the skies cleared up and the temperature rose. We rode on a pretty major road almost all day, 290. We stopped for awhile at a little picnic area on the side of 290, with a little stream. It was very relaxing. Then we rode the last 12 miles to our host, Carol's, house. We got here by 3ish and found our quarters for the night. She's got an old barn with a loft on top and a nice balcony with a great view. There are like 6 beds, a bathroom, and kitchen area. It's great. She's also making us a spaghetti dinner. We also met another cyclist who showed up a few minutes before us. Todd started in St. Augustine and is just heading west for awhile, then heading north. He's a cool guy.
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Day 35/36: Hempstead, Tx (Rest days)

2010-03-08T23:05:00.000-05:00

So we spent the last two days at Ryan's Aunt's house. We had planned on taking a rest day Sunday. It started off early, saying goodbye to Sara around 7:00. We are all sad to see her go, but were just as sad seeing her unhappy for most of the trip. Hopefully, she makes the most of her time off from work and enjoys it! A few hours later, Peggy got up and made a wonderful breakfast; pancakes, eggs, bacon, biscuits, and coffee. It was delicious. We relaxed all day, went for a drive around town, and watched some tv. Then she made some chili for dinner. The forecast for Monday was rain, so we decided to stay here for another day off. It didn't end up raining that bad, but the rest was welcomed. We went into town and resupplied, hit the post office and Wal-Mart, and relaxed some more. We got Pizzas when Peggy got home from work. We said our goodbyes already since she leaves for work super early. Getting all our gear together now so we can get a nice early start tomorrow. Heading to Carmine Texas to a warmshowers host, should be about 50 miles.
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Day 34: To Hempstead, Tx

2010-03-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

57 miles (92 km) - Total so far: 1,437 miles (2,313 km)

When we left the campground last night, we saw a bunch of cyclists on the road. Turns out they were on a training ride for an MS150 bike ride. We rode the same route they were going for awhile, and it was definitely some good training, not stop hills. We kept seeing them pass on the other side for the first 10-15 miles. All the people we kept meeting kept asking us if we were also training. We said "no, we're riding to California." They never quite believe you at first.
Anyway we stopped in a cafe for lunch in Anderson. By this time Sara had made the decision to rent a car in Navasota and drive to Ryan's Aunt's house, then drive home in the morning. So we got to Navasota and parted ways for a few hours. We continued riding lots of hills on route 6, which turned out to be like a major highway. We finally got to his Aunt's around 5. She had tons of food and drinks for us, just what we need. She also made a spaghetti dinner. We got showers and space to sleep inside. We're definitely taking a rest day here, and with rain in the forecast, we may end up taking 2.
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Day 33: To Sam Houston National Forest (Stubblefield Campground)

2010-03-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

50 miles (80 km) - Total so far: 1,380 miles (2,221 km)
So we got off to another later start today. Mike woke up to a migraine, so we hung out til he started feeling better. Got on the road by 10. Good riding in the beginning of the day. The last 25 or so miles were not the best though. The road turned into no shoulder, and it was like rocks with a bunch of tar thrown down over it. It was a pretty nice day weather-wise, a little overcast. We had planned on stopping at Cagle Recreation Area to camp, but when we got there, they were full. The ranger said it's the first week of spring break so they filled up quick. We ended up going another 10 miles down the road to get here, Stubblefield Campground. We rode through the towns of Evergreen and Pumpkin today. Cool town names. Anyway, tomorrow we have about 35 miles to Navasota, then we are heading south for 20 miles to Ryan's aunt's in Hempstead.
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Day 32: To Shepherd, Tx

2010-03-04T22:19:00.000-05:00

50 miles (80 km) - Total so far: 1,330 miles (2,140 km)

Woke up with the sun today. Its pretty cool falling asleep and waking up in the fresh air. Not having to pack up a tent in the morning is pretty cool too. I'm just glad its not buggy yet.

Anyway, we headed to the local convenience store to grab some food. They had a grill in the back so we all got some pancakes and coffee. We were on the road by 10. By the time we got rolling, the sun was out and it was heating up. It was great riding again. We made a few stops through the day and ended up in Shepherd, Texas. We are staying in America's Best Value Inn & Suites. We're pretty excited that America's best value inn just happened to be on our route. Hahah. Shower felt good after a few days. Also getting some laundry done. Shootin for another 40+ day tomorrow.
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Day 31: To Kountze, Tx

2010-03-03T21:39:00.000-05:00

40 miles (64 km) - Total so far: 1,280 miles (2,060 km)

We are here in Kountze, Texas, sleeping in a gazebo outside of the public library. We got into Kountze around 4, and after a few requests for a place to pitch a tent, the police directed us across the street to the library. As Ryan would say, "free ninety-nine." Works for us.

The day started of cold. We stayed under a pavilion so our stuff didn't accumulate the same layer of frost as everything else. But when the sun started shining, we started getting dripped on from the roof's condensation.

When we finally got riding, it was great. Slight wind, more wide shoulders, and beautiful skies. We made it to Silsbee before 1. Then we ate at the Taco Bell/KFC combo. We hung out there til around 2 so Sara could take a business call. Then it was back on the road to see where we'd end up. Within a mile, Sara's tire was hissing, so we pulled off and she changed it, I think her second flat of the trip. By this time the winds had picked up, and the 10 miles to Kountze was all we wanted to do.

We went and hung out at the grocery store for awhile, which had a seating area. Now we are all cowboy camping in the gazebo.
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Day 30: To Kirbyville, Tx

2010-03-02T19:48:00.000-05:00

45 miles (72 km) - Total so far: 1,240 miles (1,996 km)

We woke up pretty early, considering we didn't camp last night. We spent the night watching Pawn Stars and American Pickers, for like 6 hours. Anyway, we were packed and on the road by 9, after hitting the continental breakfast of course. It was chilly riding for the first bunch of miles, but it warmed up for the last leg.

Around 1, we made it to the border of Texas. We took a break by the signs and proceeded to take lots of pictures. Its the last state border for quite some time. And they had a cool sign.

We are about 20 miles into Texas now, hanging out at a town park. Its pretty big, and looks like its set up for camping, with electricity and water spigots all over the field. I think they are really out there because they have town garage sales once a month. Anyway, Sara and Ryan rode down by the police station/city hall and got us permission to camp out here for the night. Tomorrow we are headed to Silsbee, maybe further depending how everyone feels.
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Day 28: To Deridder, La

2010-02-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

We woke up bright and early to blue skies and the sun rising up. It was a little weird sleeping at the police station, but free, so awesome. We hit the road after grabbing a bacon, egg and cheese on a biscuit and some coffee. It was smooth riding for most of the day, not too windy, pretty good roads with a shoulder, and pretty flat. The temperature reached into the 60's I think, with no clouds blocking the sun. Just great riding conditions all around. It was about 62 miles to the campground. Panning for a zero day tomorrow, we wanted to grab some beers and relax. So Mike, Ryan and I shot over to Wal-Mart to pick up some supplies and beer. We get to the beer section, and there's a sign "no alcohol sales on sundays." Lame. Deridder doesn't sell liquor on Sundays. So we're just hanging out for the rest of the night. Rain is forecast for tomorrow, so we'll probably all huddle inside the laundry room to avoid going crazy in our tents all day. Then Tuesday should be into Texas.
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Day 27: To Mamou, La

2010-02-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

We took our time getting ready this morning, having planned a 30 mile ride into Mamou. We left the motel by 9:45, heading for the nearest place to get breakfast. Turned out to be a McDonald's, and we were the last ones to get served before they flipped to the lunch menu. Then we stopped by Wal-Mart to try and get Mike some rain pants. Then we were on our way.

It turned out to be beautiful weather wise, but riding wise, not so much. A lot of the day was spent on badly cracked road with no shoulder. And there was a decent wind.

We made it to Mamou and found the campground, more like grass next to a sketch motel. We decided to explore our options elsewhere, a $100 for a hotel room, possibly staying with a hefty cowboy sippin a kamikaze, or finding the police station or firehouse. We talked to the dispatcher at the police station, who called the chief. He gave us permission to camp out back, or if its too wet, stay in the garage. We chose garage.

As we were waiting outside the station, Ryan shows up. He pulled a 70 somethin mile day to catch us. Also, Carol has struck out on her own.

Tomorrow, we plan on heading to Deridder, about 60 miles. Then taking a zero day finally on Monday. Its forecast to rain again Monday, so were hoping one of the campgrounds in Deridder will have some decent accommodations.

Also, today was Sara's birthday. We're going to celebrate in Deridder and on our zero day.
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Day 26: To Opelousas, La

2010-02-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

52 miles (84 km) - Total so far: 1,092 miles (1,757 km)
We woke up and decided to keep moving, even with the rain coming. The city park was just not accommodating enough to spend a full day and another night there. The pavilions would have been great to keep us dry, but there were no showers, and barely bathrooms. So we packed up and got moving. Except Ryan, he decided to take a zero day there and catch up with us soon. Smart move on his part.

We rode for awhile with no rain, but then it slowly started to drizzle. Then come down a little harder. And then harder still. And it was a cold rain, with winds blowing, making us even colder. It ended up raining for about 75% of our ride.

We stopped for coffee in a little market, and were ready to just set up camp inside, but we had to keep moving. Then we stopped for some lunch, everyone ordered coffee with there food, and we still weren't warming up. We ended up getting rooms at a Budget Inn in Opelousas, La instead of setting up in the rain and being miserable.

Tomorrow is still up in the air. Either going to be 25 miles or 50 miles.
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Day 25: To Simmesport, La

2010-02-25T17:17:00.000-05:00

Today was a short day, 32 miles. We woke up to frost on everything once again. I made my way to the warm lobby and found Mike was already in there. Slowly, the rest of the group started to make their way in. We hung around for awhile, waiting for the sun to come out and dry everything up. Then we packed up and were on our way.

The riding was great, barely any wind, mostly flat, straight roads, very quiet, minimal traffic, and the sun was shining. We took a little side road to go check out Zachary Taylor plantation. I guess its a historic site. We made it into Simmesport around 1. We all got some lunch at Family Grill and relaxed. The campsite for the night, the city park, was only 2 miles up the road. Freebie too. We may end up taking a zero day tomorrow, rain is forecast all day, and there are pavilions here we can hang out in, and its free.

Oh, we got a new member as well. Dave, from Houston, has joined us, only for a week or two. He has ridden the Southern Tier before, I think fully and then he did half again. We also got to meet his wife who drove him out to meet us. They actually met up with the group in St. Francisville, before Ryan and I caught back up. Anyway, meeting more great people all the time.

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Day 24: To Morganza, La

2010-02-24T17:16:00.000-05:00

This morning we woke up and were in no real rush to get going, since we had a short day of 35 miles to St. Francisville planned. When I went into the bathroom, I found a bunch of Clif bars and a note "Good luck guys, take your time leaving... Ryan." What a great guy he was, and awesome host, along with Seth.

So we got on the road, in search of a Waffle House. There was one about 6 miles in the direction we were going. Score! When we got there I had an email from Sara saying they were going to be staying in Morganza, La tonight and we should meet them there. Ryan worked the google map, figured about 50 miles from where we were, so that was the new plan.

We road 61 for awhile again, no flats this time. Then we took a whole bunch of numbered roads, like 414, 620, 963, ... I don't really remember. We did cross the Mississippi on this pretty big bridge, but it had no shoulder. As we were crossing I saw a steamboat cruising under the bridge, it was exactly what I wanted to see; I read Life On The Mississippi by Mark Twain during the first leg.

Later on in the ride, we thought we were riding along the Mississippi, but it turned out to be False River, its not even a river. It looked like it was flowing so fast, but apparently it doesn't flow. The wind was blowing so hard that it was getting whitecaps and ripples. They definitely faked me out.

All in all the day was decent. I don't know if it was the 15-20 mph winds coming at us from everywhere except behind, or my muscles being really tight from yesterdays long day, or not being used to the wider tires and the extra weight, or a combo of all, but we just weren't moving faster than 10 or so for most of the day. I think tomorrow has a 35ish mile ride in store for us.
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Day 23: To Baton Rouge

2010-02-23T23:34:00.000-05:00

81 miles (130 km) - Total so far: 954 miles (1,535 km)

We didn't get on the road as early as we had planned, but we were moving pretty good, knowing we had a long day ahead of us. We rode through New Orleans for about 20 miles, then got on 61 for the next 50. Alot of this highway was through swamp land with nothing around. It was pretty uneventful, except when I got my 4th flat in 3 days. We also had a headwind all day. Not cool. We did stop at wal-mart and I got a replacement pair of cargo shorts. Then we kept riding. Around mile 55 I proceeded to get my 5th flat in 3 days. Whatever. I've become a pro at patching tires.

We finally get to our hosts house for the evening around 4:30. Ryan, our host, lives with Seth and his very large black lab named bear. We also met there girlfriends. Everyone was great. They let us get showered and do some laundry. Ryan also went out and picked us up some po boys for dinner. After dinner he brought me by Dave the local bike mechanic to get some new tires. He actually had a set of Schwalbe Marathon Pluses and he threw in some heavy duty tubes too. I should be flat free for the rest of the trip according to Dave. We'll see how that goes. The tires are also a little wider than what came on the bike which is cool. I'm just not going to be goin as fast, and if I really don't get anymore flats, then I'm okay with that.

Tomorrow we are shooting up to St. Francisville to reconnect with the route. Its looking like about 35 miles, but we probably won't leave too early. We should be back with the group by the end of the week.

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Day 22: New Orleans

2010-02-22T23:22:00.000-05:00

24 miles (39 km) - Total so far: 873 miles (1,405 km)

It always feels good waking up and knowing you don't need to take down your tent and pack up all your gear. And today was no different. We relaxed all morning. Chad made us some coffee, some scrambled eggs, and started printing out maps so we could find our way around the city. Awesome. Then Chad heads out to class and Ryan and I continue to do nothing for awhile. When we finally decide to head out, we notice my bike has another flat! This time its the front tire. There was a tiny piece of wire hanging out and caused the air to slowly leak out overnight. I just threw a patch on it as our first stop was to be the bike shop.

Then we start riding. Probably some of the worst riding of the trip. No, definitely the worst. The roads were horrendous, potholes the size of craters, and everything was uneven. The sidewalks weren't any better. On top of that, there was construction everywhere, so lanes were closed. The only bright part was the bike path by city park. It was pristine. We also rode by Tulane U and Loyola. Right by the colleges was Audubon Park. It had a bike lane and running lane wrapping around this lake and a golf course, and all these cool looking really old trees.

When we get to the bike shop, they don't have what I'm looking for. So we turn around and ride through all the crummy conditions to get to another shop. They also don't have what I want, so I just picked up a cpl tubes and tire liners for the time being. Hopefully they will do the trick. When we got back, Chad brought us to the store to resupply and get some dinner as well. Ryan hooked us up with a warmshowers host in Baton Rouge for tomorrow so its looking like a 60+ mile day. Should be able to reconnect with the group the day after.
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Day 21: To New Orleans

2010-02-21T22:53:00.000-05:00

51 miles (82 km) - Total so far: 849 miles (1,366 km)

Today started out pretty early, around 6ish. Ryan and I both started packing up our stuff to get an early jump on the day. About a mile away from where we were camping we stopped at a gas station to get some food. The clerk working the counter was awesome. She saw us pull up and was so into the ride, it was great. We got to talking to her, and she totally saved us. We had planned on taking backroads down to one of the bridges leading into New Orleans. Apparently they don't exist. Most of the roads we had mapped out were dirt, so what we were left with was interstates.

About 20 miles later, on interstate 59, I got my first flat of the trip. The amount of debris on the shoulder of an interstate is much, much worse than the backroads we've been riding on. Anyway, this nail went through my tire, the tube, and into the inner wall of my rim. Pretty crazy. We put a tire boot on the tire and threw a new tube in and got back on the road.

After like 10 more miles, the road had changed into I-10 and we were crossing this bridge. I think part of it was wiped out by Katrina. So were cruising down the road, just pushin. Bam, another flat. This time it looked like a piece of glass. I threw a little patch on it and was good to go. During this stop, Ryan checks his phone and had an e-mail from Meredith, the coworker of Sara whose family we stayed with in Hurley. She was trying to hook us up again! This time with her brother Chad who goes to University of New Orleans, and has a place here. We got his info and gave him a call, and that's where we are staying tonight.

We got here around 1, after grabbin some subway and trying to find his place. Showered up. Then Chad dropped us off at the French Quarter and walked around for a few hours. We checked out the Saint Louis Cathedral, the Mississippi River, Bourbon Street, all the street musicians and artists, and had a few drinks in the streets. Then we met up with Chad and got dinner at Coop's Place. I had seafood gumbo and some seafood jumbalaya. Chad's pre-med and went home to hit the books before meeting us for dinner. Pretty awesome dude, not that I had any doubts after meeting the rest of his family.

Anyway, its biker midnight and we are pretty spent. Might do some more exploring tomorrow. Definitely need to find a bike shop.
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Day 20: To Picayune

2010-02-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

61 miles (98 km) - Total so far: 798 miles (1,284 km)

Not having to pack up a campsite and free breakfast are probably 2 of my favorite things so far on this trip. As of late, we've been getting a lot of these. Thanks again to MGCCC softball.

We were on the road this morning around 9 I believe. It was looking like a pretty nice day, and after the first 2 miles, I think everyone was taking off some layers. Not because of the heat though. It was because of the hills. It seems like we were riding up and down hills all day long, and mostly up. We'd have like 2 big hills with a little level ground in between, then a little downhill. And repeat. They weren't too bad though, just get kind of annoying after awhile.

Anyway, we made it the 31 miles into Poplarville, and met up with Ryan, who had gone an extra 15 miles the night before. Mike and I had some 5 dollar footlongs. Then Ryan and I took off on our own route, headed for New Orleans. I like how Ryan put it,"This could either be the best idea, or worst idea." There's only one way to find out though. With another 60ish mile day tomorrow we should be there. We are hoping to get an early start, afternoon showers are in the forecast.

Mike, Sara, and Carol are staying in Poplarville and continuing on with the ACA route. I think we will be able to meet back up with them in a few days, somewhere around St. Francisville, La.

Oh yea, we tried to camp at this RV park, and while we were waiting for the manager to show up, we went and talked to a couple who've been there for like 6 weeks, Bob and Mary I think. Anyway, this guy was a riot. We sat down and they gave us a beer, and then this guy starts rattling off joke after joke. And raggin on politicians and all this great stuff. Our time had to be cut short though because the sun was starting to set and we were not allowed to camp there. Luckily, almost across the street some guy hooked us up with a spot for 5 bucks each. Solid.

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Day 19: To Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (Perkinston)

2010-02-19T19:47:00.000-05:00

50 miles (80 km) - Total so far: 737 miles (1,186 km)

We got hooked up once again! We're sitting outside in beautiful weather by the softball and baseball fields just relaxing and planning out the next few days. Meredith, who we stayed with in Hurley, has an uncle and cousin who coach the softball team. We even talked with the team for a little while about the trip. They are letting us shower, do laundry, and hookin us up with food from the cafeteria or breakfast. We are also staying in someone's dorm. They seem like a great group of girls, and right now they are 6-0. Good luck with the rest of the season girls!

The rest of the day was great, except for the frost that accumulated on our tents overnight. Andy and Deb provided us with a warm house to consume coffee, biscuits, ham and cheese this morning to get us on the road. It was pretty cloudy but the sun was trying to come out all day. It is finally out now as I type this.

I also had a minor oversight. As I had my eyes on success, I totally missed the turn we were supposed to make. Me and mike ended up going about 5 miles past before we realized it. So we had to double back to catch the route again.

Quote of the day: (while talking to the softball team, we asked if they had any questions) one girl says, and I'm totally paraphrasing, "your from jersey right? Is the jersey shore really like the show?" Haha.
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Day 18: To somewhere between Vancleeve and Latimer

2010-02-18T18:10:00.000-05:00

24 miles (39 km) - Total so far: 687 miles (1,106 km)

This morning went very well. We walked out of the bedroom and I heard the distinct sound of bacon frying, the smell of coffee, and the sight of people cooking in the kitchen. They were preparing us a delicious breakfast of eggs, biscuits, sausage, bacon, coffee, and o.j. We left warm, well-fed, and with smiles on our faces. We also got hooked up by Meredith's brother, who has a friend further down the route. We decided to take a short 24 mile day and make use of the generous offer of Andy and Debbie.

We rode together for most of the day, through back roads with not much shoulder. Mostly swampland. Then, with such short mileage, we stopped in a county park and hung out in the sun for a few hours; had some lunch, looked at maps, tinkered with bikes. It was very relaxing.

We showed up at Andy and Debbie's house with nice open fields to pitch our tents, a shower, water, and some home-made chicken pot. Extra special chicken pot pie, where Andy cooks a beercan chicken, then Debbie makes the pot pie with that. Absolutely delicious!

Tomorrow we are hoping for a longer day, at least 40, depending on where we end up camping.

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Day 17: To Hurley, MS

2010-02-17T07:39:00.000-05:00

55 miles (89 km) - Total so far: 663 miles (1,067 km)

We are all sleeping indoors tonight! Sara has a colleague who is from Hurley and has a lot of family here still. We showed up thinking we'd be making a patch of grass home for the night, but they are allowing us to sleep on the floor. They also made us hot dogs and hamburgers, had chips and cookies, and all sorts of drinks. They are wonderful people.

Other than the awesomeness of tonight, today was rather uneventful. Ryan and I kept a pretty steady pace over 14 mph for almost the whole day, which felt great. Had a few hills and some headwinds but nothing crazy. There was a pretty large bridge right outta the gates this morning. The day warmed up quick and stayed nice for the whole day. Tomorrow sounds like its going to be more of the same.

Oh yea, we also got chased by a bunch of dogs, lots of loose ones in Alabama. This one was making a b line for us, and I slammed on my brakes(we were doing almost 20 mph) and Ryan almost rear ended me. Other than that, the dogs weren't very exciting.

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Day 16: To Dauphin Island, AL

2010-02-16T07:35:00.000-05:00

33 miles (53 km) - Total so far: 608 miles (978 km)

After finally getting our camping situation straightened out last night, we started to feel the cold setting in. Hot cocoa, coffee, and tea were being drank, and then sleeping bags became occupied. It may have been one of the coldest nights so far on this trip. Someone in the bathroom mentioned 26 degrees, and when Jeff checked the weather it said 29. Needless to say, everyone was as bundled up as they could be. The cold nights are not that bad once your in the sleeping bag. It's the cold mornings that are horrible, trying to pack up and get ready to roll. And then the whole morning of biking, all the heat you are generating is just thawing you out, not keeping you warm.

Anyway, we decided to have a short day, about 26 miles, from campground to campground. We left a little later than usual. Then the road we were trying to ride was closed for a Mardi Gras parade. Then we had to wait for the ferry to bring us from Ft. Morgan to Dauphin Island, where we finally set up camp. Luckily, Sara works with someone that has family in Hurley, Ms, so with a 50ish mile day tomorrow, we should be pitching our tents for free once again.

On a side note, I bought a boys xxl fleece for 5 bucks from Wal-Mart. I didn't even know they made xxl for boys. Sweet deal though.

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Day 15: To Gulf State Park, AL

2010-02-15T22:43:00.000-05:00

47 miles (76 km) - Total so far: 575 miles (925 km)

Woke up to the sound of rain yet again. This is not one of the trends I was hoping to endure. Anyway, lots of weather channel watching led us to postponing departure for a while. A bunch of Sara's friends came by to see us off and take pictures. The rain finally passed and we got on the road. It even cleared up and became a beautiful day.

We left Pensacola, getting back on the ACA route. A lot of today was spent riding with views of the water, which I love. We stopped by Sara's work so all her colleague's could see her off as well, then it was back on the road. We came across a bamboo garden, so Ryan, Mike, and I stopped in. The owner was real cool guy, and rode bikes as well. He showed us all these different bamboo plants he had, I think he said there are 306 varieties. Interesting.

Then we pushed on to Perdido Key, and rode along beaches for the rest of the day. We stopped and walked around by the ocean for a bit. Then we rode by Flor-Abama, where the owner gave us a bunch of Bama Bucks, and we got like half price sandwichs. Got a fried shrimp sandwich, very tasty.

So now we're all camped out at Gulf State Park. This place was sold out, we got the "emergency site." 28 bucks, and they let us set up 6 tents. Sweet deal.

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Days 12-14: Pensacola

2010-02-14T22:02:00.000-05:00

31 miles (50 km) - Total so far: 528 miles (850 km)

The past few days have been pretty great. In this span, I've met the rest of the group, who will all be introduced in a future post. They seem like a cool bunch of people. Should make for an excellent trip. I've also spent the past 3 nights at Sara's mother's house, as well as tonight. She is a delightful woman, providing coffee and some sort of breakfast each morning. Today she even bought us all some bbq, and we had a very nice lunch filled with lively conversation. The big departure is scheduled for 8:30ish tomorrow morning. I'm sure that's when picture taking will begin, as this is the official departure for Sara, and some friends are coming to see her off.

Anyway, let me talk a little about the 31 miles... On Thursday we had planned on riding the 60 miles from Destin to Pensacola, by way of a beautiful island. We ended up getting a ride from Sara about half way. When we got in the car, she proceeded to tell us that we were ABOUT to ride through some of the best scenery. I was a little bummed, to miss the scenery and the miles. I didn't want anyone to claim I didn't really ride across the country, but it was nice to get the ride, and I didn't really mind missing a little. Later that night I received an email from John and Lesa, our hosts from Destin. They wanted to meet us on the island, since Lesa had never ridden it and had been wanting to, and so that we could make up our missed miles. This was just perfect. We ended up meeting them on Saturday, about 2 hours late due to Mardi Gras parades, and the weather was wonderful. We rode to the exact spot I got picked up and left no gaps in my ride. Then we just cruised down the rest of the island, with views of the water on both sides, extremely white sand, and the sun shining. It ended up being some of the best riding so far, and also the most fun! John and Lesa are a riot!
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Day 11: To Pensacola

2010-02-11T07:33:00.000-05:00

30 miles (48 km) - Total so far: 497 miles (800 km)

This morning we woke up, nice and warm, and remained that way for quite a bit. We weren't really in any rush to get out on the road. Plus, John and Lesa wanted to take us out for breakfast. And any bike tourer knows, you don't pass up a meal. We went to this nice place called Another Broken Egg Cafe. I liked the name. Haha. The food was delicious, and we had more great conversation over coffee as well. When we got back to the house, we got all our gear together to start our final leg into Pensacola where we'll be meeting with some more riders and making our big departure for the West Coast. John also decided to ride out with us for part of the trip.

So we rode out about 25 miles and stopped for coffee at a McDonalds, right before crossing bridge #3. While we were at McDonalds, I talked to Sara, our host for the next couple days. She's also the one who got the group together to make this voyage. She ended up being able to pick us up and take us and all our gear to her house. This made our planned 60 mile day much shorter. We were perfectly okay taking the ride as it was getting a bit chilly riding.

So we are going to be sleeping at Sara's mom's house. Then heading back to Sara's tomorrow to hang out during the "storm." We'll be in Pensacola until Monday, when we'll be leaving as a group of 6. We also met Ryan who's already biked 1400 miles, from virginia to pensacola. He arrived a cpl days ago and will also be part of the group to start.

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Day 10: To Destin

2010-02-10T23:56:00.000-05:00

53 miles (85 km) - Total so far: 467 miles (752 km)

After updating last night, the wind started to pick up, heavily. I was thinking I might wake up with a tent that had been blown into pieces. When I finally did wake up, the temperature had dropped way down. It was so hard to pack everything up in the freezing cold (I really think it was 32 or less).

We had made plans to stay in Destin for the night, and knew we would be facing winds and cold, so we left rather early. The winds and the cold were both worse than we had expected. I think Carol and the wind were having a power struggle, while I was struggling with the cold. At one point, driving by a big hotel, I saw their digital sign said 9:01, 36F. Was not really that prepared for that. I still managed to enjoy some great beach views as we rode down Front Beach Road/98/30A. Some of these roads have so many different names, its easy to get confused.

After riding down the first island on the beach road and having it take a lot longer than it should have, we ended up getting on 98 away from the beach. It was a bit more direct, cutting out a few miles of riding. After what seemed like forever, we finally found a gas station with a store and grabbed some food to refuel. It finally started warming up when we got back on the road, well after noon. Warm enough to take off my jacket and head cover (balaclava?).

After finally reaching our destination, we were greeted by fellow CrazyGuy and CrazyGal, John and Lesa, our hosts for the night. They are just awesome! Great stories of their own tours, warm showers, laundry, a delicious home cooked Indian dinner, and a nice warm pullout couch(I let Carol have the bed)! They offered to bring us to the store to resupply and the use of any tools to work on the bikes. John also printed out directions to Pensacola where we'll be meeting a few more from the group, routing us the scenic way onto an island instead of just riding 98 the whole way. Amazing night.

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Day 9: To St. Andrews State Park

2010-02-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

34 miles (55 km) - Total so far: 414 miles (666 km)

Woke up to the pitter patter of raindrops on the air conditioner. My first thought, "why is the weather channel always right about rain?" Then I stayed in bed for another 2 hours. At least the motel didn't go to waste. When we finally got packed and ready to roll, it was still coming down.

We ride down 231 for a ways, there's a pretty good shoulder for most of it. Then we get to this part that's under construction, I guess repaving parts of the road leading into Panama City. This part was horrible. The paving companies like to put up signs saying things like "Uneven Lanes" or "Grooved Roads." What they should say is "Touring Cyclists Find A New Route, Cause These Roads Are Gonna Knock All Your Gear, Joints, and Brains Loose." And the rain definitely didn't help any.

When we finally hit Panama City city limit, about 20 miles of rain riding, I notice it starting to slow to a light drizzle. We stop in an IHOP for some breakfast. I drank a full carafe of coffee to warm myself up. That's one good thing about IHOP, they leave a carafe on the table for you. The other good thing is the never ending pancakes. Haha. I had 2 eggs over easy, 2 strips of bacon, home fries, and 2 pancakes. Then another 3. I was gonna go for a third round, but thought I might not want to ride the remaining 15 miles. By the time we came out of there, the sun was starting to peak through.

We cruised over the bridge into Panama City Beach and banged a left. Rode for another few miles before hitting the end of the island and our campground for the evening, St. Andrews State Park. We got a site right on the water this time. Awesome.

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Day 8: To Youngstown

2010-02-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

62 miles (100 km) - Total so far: 380 miles (612 km)

So let me start off by saying today was a failure for pictures.
1. We changed time zones, thought I'd see a sign. Nope.
2. Saw the coolest bike sign that someone drew panniers and racks on, while riding down a hill at 20+.
3. Went over a pretty cool bridge, but it was 2 lanes with no bike lane or shoulder.
So I only have 3 pictures to share.

This morning was absolutely frigid. And the sun was out all day. But last night must have gotten pretty chilly cause we were seeing frost on the grass as we headed out. We stayed on 20 pretty much the whole day, except for the last 6 or so miles when we finally hit 231 to start heading south. 20 was mostly nice riding, decent shoulder, quiet traffic, lots of woods all around. Near the end of it though, shoulder disappeared and traffic increased. We kept almost getting hit by these big logging trucks. Not that much fun. For lunch we went to this great mexican place. Had two enchiladas, a quesadilla, and a beef taco. About 10 miles later, we stop at a general store to get Carol a Coke. Only she doesn't have her wallet anymore. She forgot it at the mexican place. Now Carol was stopping for a Coke because she was getting a little sluggish, so there's no way we're riding the 20 mile round trip to get it. She tries hitchhiking for a bit, but no luck. Its not looking good. Then someone suggests she calls the sheriffs station, so she does. About 20 more minutes of waiting and a cop shows up with said wallet. And that was the excitement for the day.
Right now we're in this cheap motel (read: expensive dump) because the forecast is calling for rain, and if its right, I don't want to pack up a tent in the rain and let it get all nasty inside.

Panama City tomorrow, rain or shine!

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Day 7: To Hall's Landing

2010-02-07T20:06:00.000-05:00

46 miles (74 km) - Total so far: 318 miles (512 km)

I think tonight may be one of the best night's camping so far. Just look at my setup in the picture above.

Anyway, today was pretty solid. It started off kind of early, waking up to freezing cold at about 630. Got all my gear packed and headed over to the main cabin for complimentary breakfast.(This KOA was awesome! Breakfast is not the KOA standard. Each camp is individually owned I believe, but this one was worth it.) 3 homemade waffles, oj, a few cups of coffee and a cinnamon danish. Great way to start the day.

Last night, we made plans to go off route for awhile. We decided to head down to Panama City and ride along the Gulf Coast for a few days before heading into Pensacola to meet a few more riders and reconnect with the Southern Tier. So today we took 27 directly west into Tallahassee instead of dipping down and looping back up into it, cutting out about 15 or so miles. The road was great, lots of hills though.

So we rode through Tallahassee and around the FSU campus. The stadium in the picture is FSU's.

We connected with 20 on the other side of the city and just rode that for awhile. We contemplated camping in the National Forest a little ways down the road for free, but not knowing what kind of accommodations will be coming from now to Panama City, I suggested we stay here for 10 bucks, with showers and restrooms. When we pull up to register, we ask how much(I had previously looked online and it said $10), the guy says free. Sick!
So I'm chilling lake side, just ate some pasta, had a cup of tea, gonna read a bit and watch the sun go down over the lake. Then take a nice warm shower and head to bed. For free. Can't beat a night like tonight, even with the Super Bowl goin on.

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Day 6: To Monticello

2010-02-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

53 miles (85 km) - Total so far: 270 miles (435 km)

Right now, I'm relaxing on a very comfortable couch in a pretty sweet gameroom at KOA Kampgrounds-Tallahassee East. Its so much better than being in a tent for hours on end.
This morning, we were up and on the road by 6:45, had to use my headlight for the first time. The reason so early, we never set up our tents last night. We found a little pavilion and just threw our groundcloths on a picnic table, and used our sleeping pads and bags, so we had very minimal packing to do this morning.
Once the sun started to come out and light the day, we started noticing the very dark clouds hovering ahead of us. This was quite alarming, as it was forecast to be a beautiful day. After a few more miles, I felt a few light drops, so I stopped and threw on my rain jacket. With about a mile left to our destination, the skies just dumped on us. Of course this rain only lasted as long as it took us to get to Archie's, a small cafe/diner. We ate some breakfast and warmed up with some coffee, and went on our way.
For the next couple hours, the sky would not make up its mind. It'd be gray, then be clear, then gray, etc. Very annoying when you're on a bike. Eventually it cleared up and we had blue skies for the rest of the ride.
Along with the mixed up sky, we had crazy headwinds pretty much all day. Throw in lots of rolling hills and I feel like we did about 75 miles. Very spent. Tomorrow we won't be leaving anywhere near as early, as they have complimentary breakfast from 8-10. Plan on taking full advantage of that.

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Day 5: To Suwanee River State Park

2010-02-05T05:44:00.000-05:00

32 miles (51 km) - Total so far: 217 miles (349 km)

So we rose with the rooster this morning to find the rain hadn't come yet. Dry ground meant we were riding somewhere. We were on the road before 8 and the skies were not looking good. Forecast was calling for rain by about noon, so we had a few hours to make it the 30 miles to the park. All along the way was nothing but farms and open fields again. The only gas station we saw had the crummiest convenience store so we couldn't even stock up. We pull up to the ranger station around 11 and talk to the ranger. Nothin around for about 5 miles, and we didn't want to chance get dumped on. As were walking out of the station, we start feeling drips coming down, so we jump on our bikes and start riding. Luckily we asked for a site as close to the facilities as possible, and we just rode through our site right under the bathrooms overhang to wait out the rain. It ended up raining for a few hours pretty hard. We showered and got cleaned up and up walks Roger. He overheard us talking to the ranger about food and said his wife was making some soup and crackers and to come on over to his rv. We ended up with some tomato soup, apple slices, peanut butter and crackers, and some hot cocoa. Really hit the spot. We went back by our stuff to hang out for awhile under the overhang. A few hours pass and Roger comes back with dinner for us, rice and beans, chicken, bread and butter, and a peach cup. The kindness of strangers has just been wonderful so far, I sure hope its like this the whole trip. After hanging out for awhile we met some others who were giving us tips on good places to camp and two ladies that were going kayaking on the Suwanee tmrw. Lots of cool people so far.
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Day 4: To Welborn

2010-02-04T20:29:00.000-05:00

37 miles (60 km) - Total so far: 185 miles (298 km)

We woke up this morning with all intentions of riding about 50 miles to the next campground. We wanted to get going early, with rain in the forecast for late today and tomorrow. This prompted Carol to decide to leave ahead of me, so I wouldn't have to keep waiting for her at turns all day.She wrote down the first few turns and headed out, probably 20 minutes prior to me. I head out and am feeling pretty good, beautiful weather, open roads.

About an hour into the day, still no sign of Carol. Now Carol can ride, but there's no way she's still gonna be out of view after only 20 minute head start and 12 miles down. I reach a campground/convenience store and grab a few snacks and wait. After about 20 minutes, she finally calls. Missed a turn and went 2 miles outta the way. She finally reaches where I am and we start rolling down the road. After another 10 or so miles, she notices her tire goin flat. We stop and fill it, seems to be good. Another buncha miles go by and its gettin low again. She decides she wants to just swap out the tube, so we pull off into this little church parking lot and start working on it. Just as were seating the tire, a man pulls up. We start talkin. Turns out Jack has a pop-up trailer bout 1/2 mile down the road, vs. the campground that's still 10+ miles away.
We chose trailer. We went back to his house and met his wife, Cathy and dog, Bo, and Buster, our alarm clock.

We got to shower, do laundry, even got some dinner, chicken sandwiches, mac n cheese, and soup, with jello n cookies for dessert.
Good times.

We may try for Suwannee River State Park tomorrow if the rain holds out a little, or we may be here in this trailer again.

Life with no restrictions is pretty swell.
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Day 3: To O'Leno State Park

2010-02-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

74 miles (119 km) - Total so far: 148 miles (238 km)

Today was awesome! Woke up this morning bright and early, before the sun was up. It was very chilly. Forecast looked good so we headed out by 8:30 hoping to get here to camp for the night.
We rode from Melrose into Hawthorne, where the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail starts. Man, I wish I knew where some trails like this were in NJ. It was about 16 miles of paved pathway, winding through trees, over creeks. And it was flat, for the first 12 miles. When we started getting to the Gainesville end of the trail it started to get hilly and curvy. The hills weren't to bad, but coming down with the curves was great, I wasn't sure how the fully loaded bike would handle stuff like this but it was solid.
Fact: LTJ is from Gainesville...rock city!
Allen wasn't feeling up to the challenge of what we thought was gonna be 60 or so miles to the campground, so he's stayin in a hostel in Gainesville. Me and Carol kept pressing on. Around mile 40, we stopped and split a brick oven pizza. Amazing. 4 slices each, and we probably coulda had another 4. By now it was about 2, and the campground office closes at 530, and we still had at least 20 miles to go. We start hammering. 34 miles later, we pull in around 5. It probably should have only been about 30, but I'm not good at reading directions. Well, I'm not good at FULLY readding directions.
Me:"we need Santa Fe Drive."
Carol:"ok, that says 441."
Me:"ok, let's keep going."
....2ish miles later..
Me:"umm, I think we needed 441"
Carol:"uh, why?"
Me:"well after it says santa fe drive, it says 441 joins the route."
Hahah, my bad. Maybe I should read ahead a bit.
Anyway, we made it. Real campground, got electricity hookup, showers(felt good), restrooms.
Heard rain for tmrw, so well see what happens.

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Day 2: To Melrose

2010-02-02T19:44:00.000-05:00

18 miles (29 km) - Total so far: 74 miles (119 km)

Right now I am camped out behind a fire station in Melrose. There's an open lot behind the station that one of the firefighters owns, and they let people camp from time to time. 2nd night of free camping=Awesome. The rest of today=Major Fail.
It all started last night, when the skies opened up and it rained until morning. When we all finally got up, some thought it'd be best to try and wait out the rain. This led to about 5 hours of sitting around! Not cool, all of stuff still got just as wet as if we packed up in the rain. So we didn't end up leaving our campsite til 11:40. Then we had a 2-3 mile hike to get outta the woods, pretty much in mud. Thus, only riding 18 miles.
I actually wanted to keep riding to the next stop, another 10-15 miles, but I'm not too bitter since we got free camping. Tomorrow I fully intend to be on the road early and get in another long riding day.
Not many pics today, it felt like I was back in NJ. Lots of woods and farms.

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Day 1: St. Augustine to Etoniah Creek State Park

2010-02-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

56 miles (90 km) - Total so far: 56 miles (90 km)

We headed out around 8 this morning, and decided not to follow the maps, riding on A1A down to route 206 near Crescent Beach instead. We passed through Hastings into East Palatka and got chinese for lunch. My fortune said "The human body was designed to walk, run or stop it wasn't built for coasting." Pretty fitting I thought. I don't plan on coasting this trip.
After lunch we crossed the St Johns river into Palatka on 100. We just kept on riding until we found this state park with some primitive camping. We had to walk about 2 miles through wet sandy road to get to the sites. We set up camp for the first night, had some grub, and I'll probably be asleep before 9.

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Day 0: St. Augustine

2010-01-31T16:20:00.000-05:00

Got to Jacksonville early yesterday morning and picked up Allen from the train station. We drove into St. Augustine to meet Carol and go out to lunch. Allen and Carol are the two people I'll be starting this ride with, both of which I found on-line. Then Allen and I found a hotel to get settled into until we leave tomorrow. I ended up passing out around 8:30 and slept straight until 4, then fell back asleep for another 3 hours. This morning I returned the rental car, then we rode around the city for a while. We also decided to do the ceremonial tire dip today so we can just ride out in the morning. After the tire dip, we had a great spaghetti dinner at one of Carol's friends house. We're watching the Pro Bowl now, probably get to sleep early again. Hoping for an 8 o'clock departure.

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Florida Bound

2010-01-29T16:22:00.000-05:00

So after much debate, I decided to pass on taking a train into Jacksonville. Lots of back and forth, along with last minute issues, and I went with renting a car and driving down myself. I picked up a nice Chrysler Town and Country minivan to make the trip. Gives my bike plenty of room to relax for the next 16 or so hours, before she rides 3000 miles across the country.
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