What I Miss the Most

1. I miss my friends terribly. We had so much together especially during mealtime. During the day, we were pretty much spread apart in distance, but at the end of the day, after we had cleaned ourselves up and had dinner, we could share our adventures of the day. Other times we would have a Hula Hoop contest or play Pictionary on the parking lot surface with chalk. The camaraderie is priceless.

2. I miss Linda's fabulous meals. I know I would have lost much more weight if I didn't stuff myself each night.

3. I miss bicycling everyday and having each day be a new adventure.

Things I Won't Miss

1. Truck and RVs that nearly blow us off the road, especially in the rain.
2. Chip Seal and Bad Roads.
3. Truck tire shreds.
4. Barkings Dogs and Owners not controlling them.
5. Litter on the roadsides. I could pay for my trip if I collected all the cans and bottles for recycling.
6. The nasty odors from Road Kill, lots of road kill...armadillos, birds, cats, dogs, deer, javalinas, possum, rabbits, snakes, squirrels, squnks, and turtles to mention a few.
7. Having to use the Green Room for potty stops (in other words, finding a tree, bush, rock or tall grass to hide behind.)
8. Living out of a suitcase.
9. Doing laundry in the bathroom sink.

Final Count

According to our tour guide we consumed: 50 12-packs of beer, 55 bottles (the large size) of wine, 8 gallons of tequilla, 35 jars of peanut butter, 22 lbs. of M-n-M's, and had 135 flat tires (from 1 to 11).

Of course, I was a good girl and didn't drink the beer or wine since I had trouble sleeping. On second thought, maybe I should had some so I wouldn't worry about the next day's ride.

On My Way Home

As I look out the window of the plane, I can't believe I actually bicycled across the country. It is an incredible amount of miles. The next time you all get in a plane, think of me bicycling my heart out with my short chubby legs to reach each daily destination. Someday I will sit down and try to figure out how much water I drank, how many power bars, bananas, & PBJ's I ate, how much sunscreen I gooped on and how much butt cream I used.

I do know that I had two flats on the entire trip, both on the same day, one in the front and one on the back. One gal made it across without a flat and the record number was tied at 11. We climbed about 76,000 vertical feet and rode almost 3,100 miles.

I haven't time yet to process this trip, what it has meant to me, what I have learned about myself as well as others, what I won't miss about the trip and what I will miss. Let me gather my thoughts and I will post them as soon as I can.

Palatka to St. Augustine, FL - 47 miles

I did it!!! Whoo-hoo. I never rode so fast to get to the fire station on time this morning. Partly due to nervous energy and a great deal to my friends Kathy and Jan for pulling me in. We had to be at the fire station by 10:30 this morning so the St. Augustine police could escort us into town and to the beach...our final destination.

After our tire dipping ceremony, we all had a nice picnic lunch with family and friends. Tonight we will have our final dinner together and tomorrow morning, I will head for home. I can't wait to hop into my own bed.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30TH
Alachua to Palatka, FL - 71 miles
It was a pleasant ride today, nothing out of the ordinary. I can't think of much to say about either towns except that there must be a paper mill in the area because of all the logging trucks that past us by and nearly blow us over. That is one thing I will not miss about this trip.

Perry to Alachua, FL - 83 miles

Today's ride was a good ride. Early in the ride we crossed the Suwanee River. This is the correct spelling. It is not Swannee as in Stephen Foster's song. He changed it because he was afraid people would mispronouce the "u." In fact, he had never even been in the South or even seen the Suwanee River.

For lunch we visited Ichetucknee Springs State Park and had a nice picnic by the clear blue spring water lake.

Wakulla Springs to Perry, FL - 54 miles

Today, I didn't have any of those problems (like heat, humidity, insects)...it just rained all day. Actually, I do not mind riding in the rain. It's the trucks that blast by us that is annoying. When they go by, it's like getting hit with a fire hose. In the last few miles of our ride, it poured. We arrived at the Hampton Inn looking like drowned rats just soaked to the bones. The staff here was so kind to us. They greeted us with towels and served us wine and chocolate covered strawberries before dinner.

I can't believe we have three more days of riding. I am looking forward to coming home.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27TH
Wakulla Springs - REST DAY
I have to confess that the roads here in Florida have been very good. The weather has been hot and humid. I have been getting eaten alive by "noseeums." They are tiny little critters that fly around and bite you like mosquitos except they are hard to see, thus they are called "noseeums." They look like tiny flakes of dandruff.

Quincy to Wakulla Springs, FL - 48 miles

We are now in Wakulla Springs. It is one of the world's largest and deepest fresh water springs. The bowl of the spring cover approximately three acres and the temperature remains a constant 70 degrees year-round. A record peak flow from the spring on April 11, 1973 was measured at 14,325 gallons per second! This sanctuary provides a natural habitat for many wildlife such as alligators, turtles, deer, and birds.

A bit of trivia....in the 40's two Tarzan movies were filmed here, in the 50's Creature from the Black Lagoon, and in the 70's Airport 77 and Joe Panther were filmed here.

Map 7

Marianna to Quincy, FL - 51 days

Today was an easy, breezy and hot ride into Quincy. About half way thru the ride, we rode thru a town called Chattahoochee. This place is about a half a mile from the Georgia border so most of us made a slight detour just so we can say that we crossed another state border. That means another margarita party! We do just about anything for a margarita.

Today we also crossed another time zone. Ugh, that means we move our watches up an hour.

Heard rumors that Demi Moore and Ashton are staying at the Holiday Inn next door.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH
Crestview to Marianna, FL - 90 miles

Did you know that there are hills in Florida? For some they are just bumps in the road. For me they are HILLS! We have crossed many bridges and even they require some climbing...as much as 5% grade or more.

Pensacola to Crestview, FL - 57 miles

We are headed inland and away from the coast. Darn! Today's ride was uneventful on country roads of Florida. We stopped midway to have lunch. I had a blackened grouper po boy sandwich. Here in the South it is "po boy" not "poor boy." The weather here is getting warmer and I'm getting this funny tan. You cannot imagine how rediculous I look in a bathing suit.

Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL - 68 miles

Got an early start this morning to catch a ferry to a long peninsula along Alabama's coast. We rode along miles of white sand beaches, homes and condos. I found my Diva summer beach home! Before long we were in Florida! The whole day and ride was wonderful and the day was sunny and warm. No bad roads, no headwinds, no bad weather here.

Dauphin Island - REST DAY

Spent the day just lying around. I did take a dip in the ocean. I was surprised at how warm the water was. I frigthened myself when I saw out of the corner of my eye this red blob underwater. Turns out it was a scarf someone had lost.

Dinner tonight was fresh grouper. Yummm.

Pascagoula, MS to Dauphin Island, AL - 42 miles

I think I have died and gone to heaven. It is like paradise here. We are in condos on the beach and the weather here is perfect. The condos are situated on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico. What more can I add about today. The ride here was just the right length...a civilized 42 miles. In the photo above I am with two of my friends on one of the many bridges we have crossed along the way. The movie "Forrest Gump" was filmed near here. By the way, we are in Alabama now! Whoo Hoo, it's margarita time.

Wiggins to Pascagoula, MS - 67 miles

I found My Diva Car! Now if only I can put a bike rack on the back, I'll be set.

Today was a nice 67 mile ride. The weather was great, the scenery was great and the road was pretty good too. No humidity, no headwinds and no chip-seal.

Bogalusa, LA to Wiggins, MS - 50 miles

Everyday is an adventure. Today two of our riders were bitten in the leg by some mean dogs. The gal I ride with carries a dog whistle...not a bad idea on those country roads. Yesterday, a bridge was washed out...almost all managed to walk across and others chose not to.

Today we crossed the border into Mississippi. We started this morning with black clouds overhead, but was able to make it in before it started pouring. Lots of headwinds and rolling hills. I thought it was going to be flat from here on end.

St. Francisville to Franklinton to Bogalusa, LA - 127 miles

These rides are killing me.

Map 6

St. Francisville - REST DAY

Today we did a little sight-seeing of St. Francisville. St. Fracisville is located near the Mississippi River which is currently overflowing by 40 to 50 feet and flooded some parts of this region (photo above). Just north of St. Francisville is the infamous Angola State Prison. This town is also well-known because artist-naturalist John James Audubon drew most of his famous bird paintings in this area.

Simmesport to St. Francisville, LA - 53 miles

We crossed the Mississippi River today. The original plan was to take a ferry across the river but the river was to high and flowing too fast and in some places had flooded the roads. So we had to be shuttled to St. Francisville. Some are staying at the St Francisville Inn which is a Bed & Breakfast in town. And some are (including myself) staying in charming cottages at the Butler Greenwoods B & B Plantation (above photo).

St. Francisville has in the past been referred to as "the town two miles long and two yards wide." It was built on the crest of a ridge that slopes on both sides to wooded gullies. It is probable that the village of St. Francisville retained its name from a monastery completed by the Capuchin friars in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

MONDAY, APRIL 14
Opelousas to Simmesport, LA - 65 miles

Today was a tough day...very strong headwinds and very bad roads. The temperature started out around 40 degrees and it never reached 60 degrees in the afternoon.

SUNDAY, APRIL 13
DeRidder to Opelousas, LA - 90 miles

The scenery is mostly of rice fields/crawfish farms. Apparently the crawfish are kept in wire cages in the rice fields. So, now we are in Cajun country. What is Cajun? Cajuns are the descendants of 17th century French Canada's "Acadia" region. They relocated to the Atchafalaya Basin and as the years passed Acadian turned to Cadian and finally Cajun.

Today, many people associate "cajun" with "cooking." This is because of Paul Prudhomme, a celebrated chef from Opelousas.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Kountz, TX to DeRidder, LA - 92 miles

Whoo Hoo!! We are out of Texas, finally! We crossed the Sabine River which is the border for Texas and Louisiana. Guess What? It's Margarita time!

Cleveland to Kountze,TX - 56 miles

Today was a nice relaxing short ride through a thick green forest known as "The Big Thicket." It once covered more than a million acres, with a length of over 100 miles, and a width in some places of nearly 50 miles. There are areas still so thick and brushy with undergrowth as to form a nearly impenetrable jungle. The Big Thicket is neither swamp nor marshland; its soil is dry and rich. It has always served as a handy hiding place for outlaws and smugglers. During the Civil War it became a refuge for service-dodging Texans. The Confederate Army sent squads to look for these men, who became known as "bushwhackers."

Navasota to Cleveland, TX - 73 miles

Sorry, no photos today. My camera remained in a zip lock bag the entire trip because it RAINED all day. At first I didn't mind the rain, but as the day wore on and as I became more soaked, it wasn't fun anymore. We did see some lush green landscape along the route. Much of the ride was through the Sam Houston National Forest which is located just north of Houston.

Map 5

Navasota, TX - Rest Day

Just about nine miles outside of Navasota is one of Texas' most significant historical place, Washington-on-the-Brazos. It is the birthplace of Texas. It is at this location where the declaration of independence from Mexico was signed and the government of the Republic of Texas was created.

Some went to visit this place and it's museum. I went to the local Wal-Mart.

LaGrange to Navasota, TX - 69 miles

Today can be best described as what bicycling is all about. In the morning we had cool weather, nice roads, nice landscape, and gentle breezes to make me feel happy to be riding my bike. Plus the fact that we are out of Texas Hill Country finally makes me even more happy. Today I have climbed my last hill (I hope).

Bastrop to LaGrange, TX - 41 miles

The first part of today's ride was thru Bastrop State Park...a beautiful ride with some very, very steep rollers. The remaining part of the ride was over some lush green country side with more and more wildflowers in bloom. I guess we can thank Lady Bird Johnson for all the colorful flowers along the road. I don't know much about LaGrange except that the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" was filmed here.

Blanco to Bastrop, TX - 94 miles

I guess everyone heads for the hills on weekends because it's a great place to be and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We are on the outskirts of Austin. I guess this is going to be the closest I get to the famous city. I was hoping that Lance might show up and ride with us. I am sure he knows better since the traffic was heavy today. So busy that I couldn't stop for photos. Well, there is always tomorrow. We have a couple more days of hill country.

Kerrville to Blanco, TX - 64 miles, plus 4

Ride today was relaxing and scenic. The weather was perfect and the roads were near perfect for a while. The afternoon got a bit warm....somewhere in the 80's. We passed thru some cute little towns like Waring, Sisterdale, and Comfort. We also passed by many vineyards and wineries. Sure was tempted to go wine tasting but had to refrain since I had many more miles of this Texas Hill Country before reaching my destination. I missed one of my turn-off and therefore added a few bonus miles before getting back on track. I couldn't even blame it on the wine. Blanco is the Lavender capital of Texas. We are starting to see many wildflowers in bloom. I will take a photo when I see more.

Kerrville, TX - Rest Day

Took this day to rest my poor old body. I did manage to clean the Diva who has performed magnificantly. She is truly a wonderful bicycle. I am so proud of her. I don't know I could have done this trip without her.

Also, I would like to acknowledge some dear friends who have also made it possible to do this trip: Patty and Sandy who have taken care of Miss Kitty and my five goldfish, watered my plants and taken in the mail. I would like to thank my husband Rick for all his support and advise before and during this trip. Thanks Ya'All as they say here in Texas.

Vanderpool to Kerrville, TX - 51 miles

Today was windy and cloudy with some drizzle but the scenery was beautiful. One of the gals described the trees as looking like big broccoli. We are also starting to see more ranches with cattle, horses, sheep and goats. About half way to Kerville we stopped in Medina this morning for it's famous apple pie. Yummmmy.

I'm never going to lose weight on this trip. We stop too many times to check out the local restaurants.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
Camp Wood to Vanderpool, TX - 39 miles
The population of Vanderpool is 20. Today, it was 52 with the group from Woman Tours in town. However, we did have very nice lodging for the night at Foxfire Cabins. An ideal place for peace and quiet in a mountain setting.

I saw a red cardinal for the first time in my life! That was exciting.

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008
Bracketville to Camp Wood - 49 miles
We are now in Texas Hill Country and landscape has changed tremendously! There are green trees and rivers with water in them (above photo) and wild flowers. I stayed in a lovely decorated c0ttage filled with quilts! The population of Camp Wood is 822.

Del Rio to Bracketville, TX - 42 miles

A little headwind, more chip-seal, heat and humidity today. We arrived at Fort Clark Springs which used to be a calvery base until WWII. After a day of riding in the heat it was refreshing to have a dip in the pool which is filled with natural spring water. The temperature of the water remains 68 degrees all year long.

Map 4

Sanderson to Del Rio, TX - 111

Headwinds and chip-seal!!! That's all I have to say about today.

Marathon to Sanderson, TX - 54 miles

This morning started out foggy and overcast. Then the sun came out to turn into a beautiful day. We are now in Sanderson, the Cactus Capital of Texas. The population is 861 and the elevation is just below 3,000 ft. That's it.

Fort Davis to Marathon, TX - 60 miles

Marathon, population 455, is the "Gateway to Big Bend National Park." In the 1920's it served as a railroad shipping point for livestock and silver and mercury from mines in the south. Marathon also is the only US factory for natural rubber made from the desert plant guayule. Someone said that it got it's name because it reminded someone of Greece. I think person was hallucinating.

We are staying at the Gage Hotel and it is truly an oasis in the high desert (4,000 ft.). It is like a luxury hotel and beautifully decorated. See my new friend (above photo) It will be hard to leave in the morning. By the way, because of the elevation it has been very cold in the mornings and very windy in the afternoons. We had gusts up to 30 miles again, then it tapered off, but the winds seem to come from every direction. Sometimes it comes from the North, other times from the East, or then again from the West, and sometimes from the South. March is a windy month here is Texas.

THURSDAY, MARCH 27
Fort Davis -Rest Day
I spent a couple of hours in the town of Fort Davis, population 1,050, elevation 5,000 ft. Fort Davis was named after Secretary of War Jefferson Davis. The garrison was established in 1854 to protect the Overland Trail between St. Louis and California.

For you astronomers, the McDonald Observatory is a few miles from Fort Davis. The Observatory's jewel is the 432 inch Hobby-Eberly Telescope, one of the world's largest.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26
Van Horn to Ft. Davis, TX - 90 miles
Everyone agreed that today was the toughest day so far because of the climbing and some 10% grades. Many confessed they had to walk up parts of it because it was so steep.

We stayed at the Indian Lodge, a nice retreat in the mile-high mountain slopes of West Texas. It was built in the 1930's and modeled after southwestern Indian pueblos and has adobe walls more than 18 inches thick.

Fort Hancock to Van Horn, TX - 74 miles

Well, we rode 74 miles today and we are still in the middle of nowhere. The scenery hasn't changed much...still desert. It was a long hot ride but we had some nice tailwinds to help us ride into town. Don't know much about this place except that "Lonesome Dove" and "Dead Man's Walk" were filmed here.

The above photo is one of my riding buddies. This is Katie from Maryland and her Bike Friday.

We did go over 1,000 miles today and we crossed into "Central" time zone. Ugh, I feel like we have lost many hours that could be well spent sleeping...kind of like Daylight Savings Time.

El Paso to Fort Hancock, TX - 47 miles

A nice relaxing ride to Fort Hancock along the Mission Trail. About half-way we stopped at a very small town called Tornillo for lunch. Great little family owned restaurant called La Calesa with great food at very reasonable prices. I don't know much about Fort Hancock except to say that it is in the middle of nowhere. Sorry, no pictures today. I forgot my battery and charger in my motel room in El Paso. Luckily, the van hadn't left El Paso because they had grocery shopping to do and was able to pick it up for me.

Map 3

Las Cruces, NM to El Paso, TX - 67 miles

Yahoo! We are now in the Lone Star State! So, we had our "crossing the border" margarita party! We won't be having another party for three weeks when we ride into Louisiana. Judy from North Carolina on my right and Michelle from Maryland on my left. Oh, by the way, Happy Easter everyone. We sure got a lot of looks as we rode down the road with our bunny ears on our helmets.

Kingston to Las Cruces, NM - 88 miles

It was a nice mostly downhill ride with a few climbs here and there. We rode thru many small communities such as Hillsboro, Arrey, Derry, Garfield, Salem, Hatch and Radium Springs. Hatch is known for growing red chili peppers. We crossed the Rio Grande twice along the route.

Yesterday, March 21st, was the most painful day of all. One lady described it as harder than the "Climb to Kaiser." At one point we crossed Emory Pass (above photo)which is 8,228 ft. in elevation. Then dropped down to the small community of Kingston which is roughly at 6,000 ft. The population of Kingston is 20! However, Kingston was a booming silver mining town in the 1880's. Because we were in such a remote, I did not have cell service or internet service, therefore, no post.

The day before, March 20th, was a rest day in Silver City. I was fortunate enough to be invited to have lunch at a beautiful new home of a local quilter. What a treat....great food, great view, great studio, and beautiful art quilts through out the house.

Lordsburg to Silver City, NM - 47 miles

"Painful" is the only word I could use to describe this day. We just climbed and climbed forever!!! Someone said that our total climb was 3,700 ft. Silver City is at an elevation of over 6,000 ft. At mile 25 we crossed the Continental Divide. Phyllis from Boston is on my right and Pat from Vermont is on my left. Whoo Hoo! but am I tired. I was so tired that I tried to wash my hair with body lotion. It took me a while to figure it out since I wasn't getting any suds after adding more on my hair. Those darn bottles all look the same. Things could have been worse...I could have brushed my teeth with Bengay.

I am glad tomorrow is a Rest Day. My body is screaming "No More."

Safford, AZ to Lordsburg, NM - 75 miles

Whoo Hoo, we crossed another border. We are now in New Mexico! And you all know what that means....margaritas! Todays ride was a straight shot to Lordsburg on Highway 70. We are at 4,300 ft. elevation and the total climb for today was 2,500 ft.

Globe to Safford, AZ - 83 miles

What started out to be a questionable day turned out to be a beautiful day. At 7:30 this morning it was cold (37 degrees) and sprinkling. But in a few hours, the sun came out and by mid-afternoon it was 57 degrees. Best of all, we had a great tailwind to push us into town. Some of the small communities that we passed thru on our route today were Bylas, Fort Thomas, Pima, and Thatcher. In Pima I found a cute little quilt shop but couldn't buy anything since I don't have any room on my bike. Darn.

Also, Pima is known for it's cotton. It's not as nice as Egyptian cotton but most of the Pima cotton is grown in the Southwest because of the climate is similar to Egypt.

Many of the other ladies in this group are also doing blogs and if you are interested in reading what they have to say about this trip and see their photos, go to http://www.womantours.com/ and scroll down to the bottom of the page to "Blogs."

Apache Junction to Globe, AZ - 56 miles

Rain is in the forecast so we all geared up for rain and it did sprinkle a little. Today is a climbing day...back up to 4,000 feet again. At mile 30 we were stopped by the State Police and were told we couldn't go further. Ah, gee, too bad. It was snowing up ahead and cars might not be able to see us on the road. The last 26 miles we all rode into Globe in the van.

Phoenix to Apache Junction, AZ - 53 miles

Today was like a short version of Tour de Phoenix. We rode through the city, then to the outskirts of Scottsdale, Mesa to Apache Junction. From our hotel, we have a view of Superstition Mountain (above photo) where the legend of the Lost Dutchman Mine is hidden. Jacob Walz was actually German, not Dutch claimed to have discovered a fabulous gold mine in the 1870's. To this day it remains a secret.

Map 2

Wickenburg to Phoenix, AZ - 67 miles

We made it to Phoenix! Another metric century! Whoo Hoo. It's hard to believe we have ridden 429 miles so far. We have had great weather...a little on the warm side...83 degrees and that wicked desert wind picks up in the afternoon...up to 23 miles per hour (according to the TV).

Dinner was fabulous as it is every night. We were warned that we should not expect to loose weight on the trip and I am beginning to believe it.

Salome to Wickenberg - 57 miles

March 12 - No cell phone or internet connection day
Blythe, CA to Salome, AZ - 64 miles
Another metric down! Whoo-hoo!
Upon leaving Blythe, we rode 4 miles to the Colorado River (photo above) crossing which is also the border crossing. We are now in Arizona! Then we started climbing to the 2,000 feet level and rode through places like Quartzite, Brenda and Hope. At the end of the day we all celebrated our first border crossing with a margarita party! I can't wait for a next border crossing.

Today we rode 57 miles to Wickenburg, the Dude Ranch Capital of the World. Wish I had the energy to check out the local dudes, but I am too tired and smell like Bengay. I should buy stock in the company and some in Advil, too. I think those two things are going to get me thru this trip.

The scenery is beautiful and weather has been perfect these past few days. People who know me know I like cows and like to moo to them on my bike rides. These guys (photo above) came over to the fence to greet me. Aren't they too cute? Reminds me of the movie "City Slickers."

Blythe, CA - Rest Day

Today is bike cleaning day and laundry day. We are now one mile from the Colorado River and near the Arizona/California border! Whoo-hoo.

Yesterday was a rough, tough day but saw some different scenery...from desert to sand dunes (they must have filmed Lawrence of Arabia here) to the lovely Chocolate Mountain ranges. We started very early because of the distance..89 miles. The first 40 miles were the hardest because of the fierce headwinds. I have never experienced riding in such strong winds before. At the lunch stop I decided to SAG (as many of us did) the next 29 miles only because of the rolling hills and NO bike lane! If you had to pull over, you were in dirt or sand and with as many big trucks on the road, I choose not to ride. I could have done the final 20 miles because the wind had died down but I was too comfortable in the SAG van and decided not to bike in.

Jacumba to Brawley - 66.5 miles

Yesterday was a small chain ring day and today was a big chain ring day. Well, for part of it. We started out with a 5.5 climb, then a 10 mile decent of 3,000 feet! The rest of the ride was mostly flat but horrible headwinds. Then a few miles before we reached Brawley we were below sea level. The photo above is of Holly Sugar plant and there is a marker in blue on the first silo showing the sea level. Some of the towns we rode through were Seely, El Centro and Imperial.

Alpine to Jacumba - 45 miles

Today was a hard day...lots of climbing. I think my average speed was between 3 and 4 miles per hour. We climbed to 4,000 ft, and had some nice downhills to make up for all the climbing. The scenery was very beautiful and the winds were very strong and the weather was a lot cooler today which helped in climbing. Some of the towns that we rode through today were Pine Valley, Buckman Springs, and Live Oak Springs. When we arrived at Jacumba the mineral hot springs were waiting for me. What a nice treat. The above photo is the entrance to our Hot Springs Motel with Michelle our tour guide standing in front.

San Diego to Alpine - 35 miles

To officially start our journey, we rode to the beach and dipped our back tires in the Pacific Ocean. It was a beautiful day today...got a little too warm in the afternoon....85 degrees...not good for all the climbing we did. We are at 2,000 ft and tomorrow will be more climbing. We are in a town called "Alpine." That should have been a clue to me that we are climbing. One of the gals said the the climbs were 8% grades. I can say one thing, it was kind of nice not having my bicycling coaches yelling at me to pedal, pedal, pedal.

Dinner tonight was talapia, broccoli, boiled potatoes and salad. Absolutely delicious.

Two Divas!

Today was orientation day and meet the group...30 strong! Whoo-hoo. Looks like there will be two divas on this trip. The other Diva is from Texas. The rest of the group come from all over the country...Montana, Massachusetts, Florida, Oregon, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, Vermont, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Washington, Indiana, Tennessee, California, and Shanghi, China. Just by the brief introductions, I think we are going to have a lot of fun.

Kanreki

Toshiiwai is a Japanese rite of passage celebrated at various ages to pray for long life. This tradition was brought to Japan from China, and originally was celebrated once every ten years beginning when one turned 40. Since the 16th century, toshiiwai has come to celebrate beginning when one turns 60 (Kanreki), and subsequently at ages 70 (koki), 80 (sanju), 88 (beiju), 90 (sotsujo), and 99 (hakuju). The Japanese characters in the kanreki literally mean "return" and "calendar." The traditional calendar, which was based on the Chinese calendar, was organized on 60-year cycles. The cycle of life returns to its starting point in 60 years, and as such, kanreki celebrates that point in a man's life when his personal calendar has returned to the calendar sign under which he was born. (This information was provided by the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii)

So, being of Japanese decent and 60 years old, I view this trip as a beginning of a new adventure to a new life cycle.

Map 1

Here is a map showing our route from San Diego, CA to Tempe, AZ

Preface

I would like to preface my journaling by saying that I was a Home Economics major in college and not an English major. My grammar and spelling may not be the best or I may be just too pooped at the end of the day to even care, so please bare with me.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog spot. Soon I will begin my journey across America on my bicycle. I call my bicycle "The Diva". She has an all carbon fiber frame made by Orbea and is the most comfortable bicycle I have ever ridden. Every Orbea bicycle is born in the heart of the Pyrenees in northern Spain. This region, known as Euskadi in the Basque landguage and Pais Vasco in Spanish. This is a land where cycling is a way of life.
Together, The Diva and I will begin our adventure on March 7th from San Diego, California and travel across the country to St. Augustine, Florida. It will take us 58 days and the total mileage is 3,098 miles.