This past Saturday we hopped on the bikes and departed from our cousin Chris’s home only a few blocks off our coastal route and pedaled down to the Mexican border. There was a little emotion but generally, it was more a matter-of-fact activity than the culmination of a monumental journey. … Continue reading
Happy 30th birthday Julie. You are my best friend and I wanted to take this moment to tell you how happy I am to be spending my life with you. Whether it’s a bike trip, a hiking trail, a running path, or the career path, they’re all better because we … Continue reading
I was so, so wrong and it’s time for me to come clean. Many that know me well will likely be surprised to even hear me say this but I cannot go on anymore with my inaccuracies of the past. SoCal is actually really awesome. I can’t and won’t deny … Continue reading
With just three days left of riding, Matt and I spent the evening in Santa Monica with friends on Tuesday. We did 78 miles to get to their home that day, we were feeling great about the ride and about finishing before the weekend, and were loving the weather of … Continue reading
I’m not sure what the Beatles were singing about but today we rode through so much farmland and the strawberry fields were absolutely fabulous. Today was also our biggest day so far, 75 miles, and we still got in at a reasonable 5pm. We had some flatter terrain to thank … Continue reading
Maybe Matt and I should go out and buy a lottery ticket, because the numbers seem to be in our favor right now. We had a crazy Karmic connection in Carmel, California just a couple of days ago that just might go down as one of the best stories of … Continue reading
After my first brick workout of the bike trip and the frantic planning session that was SF, it’s time to tell about one of the exciting plans scheduled for this winter with Julie and my brother Jeff. As the title suggests, there will be marathoning, and lots of it. We … Continue reading
It’s time to recap, regret and rejoice over the content of our diet for the last week spent in San Francisco. In case we haven’t said it enough, we are forever grateful to our friend Jed, who let us stay in his home for the last 9 days. It allowed … Continue reading
We have run into the top hospitality of the bike trip so far and the honor goes to Jed and Jamie. We arrived in San Francisco nine days ago and just now got back on the bikes. We had an amazing stay and it was all made possible by the … Continue reading
It’s essentially the self-imposed diet rules I’ve been living under for the last five weeks and it’s a feeding schedule because it’s become somewhat of a running joke with Jenn and Dave, our cycling friends, because of how much we consume at our dinner meal with them. Julie hasn’t fully … Continue reading
SF has been great to us. We always talk about the food, and yet again, we have loved the dining here and will have a review of all the great places soon. We’ve had a good time with our friends and family. And most importantly for us at this current … Continue reading
We’ve been in San Francisco now for over 5 days and haven’t even touched our bikes. While we were out riding, we’d been struggling a bit with a feeling of aimlessness and lack of purpose that has been wearing on us quite a bit. We went into the biking trip … Continue reading
We’ve been in California for about a week now, after spending 10 days in Oregon, and while there wasn’t a hugely noticeable difference the moment we crossed the states’ borders, it has now become distinctly apparent that we’re not in “Kansas” anymore. We have only been in San Francisco for … Continue reading
This morning we had beautiful sunny weather as we rode into San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a memorable event and it also brought back many memories as we made our way through Marin County with little towns like Sausalito that we’d visited many years before and … Continue reading
Today was it in so many ways. We have had a great trip so far but today was special because I had that rare feeling of ecstatic joy that comes when I truly feel fortunate for so many things, but especially the simple fact that I am alive in such … Continue reading
That title doesn’t really mean anything, I simply needed a title and that was in my head. Here are some of the highlights of the past few days along with some valuable lessons learned… and one interesting connection (only one degree of Kevin Bacon). -Days off are awesome (and a … Continue reading
My last post was about all the wonderful things about this bike trip so far. To be fair and balanced, here are the challenges: 7.) Wind: It’s tough when it blows right in our faces coming off the ocean and downright scary when we have a crosswind when we’re flying … Continue reading
After one week of the Life on a Bike adventure, it is time to list the top nine things I love about this lifestyle. Know that I am heavily influenced by my hiking experiences so much of my love of the biking life comes as a direct comparison to hiking. … Continue reading
I spoke with my mom tonight and she told me how she just got caught up on reading our stories and viewing our photos after being out of town for the weekend. Her comment, and it wasn’t said critically (I’m still taking it that way) is the stories are getting … Continue reading
No, this isn’t a story about UFOs or anything like that, but is about new encounters that were unexpected. Since we are still so new at this biking thing, and doing it long-distance style, each day presents something different. I have come to find that there are road signs I … Continue reading
And we found other bikers, lots of them. In fact, by the time we made it to our camp spot in Nehalem Bay State Park after riding 60 miles today, we encountered nearly a dozen other long distance cyclists fully decked out with big bikes and panniers to carry their … Continue reading
I am not saying hills are a holiday, I am referring to two clearly separate things, both of which were impactful on today’s ride. A third thing, frugality, should also probably be included but didn’t work with the alliterative title. Today we got into the Oregon Coastal Mountains and got … Continue reading
We are one day into our bike trip and have completed 50 miles. We arrived in the small fishing town of Goble, OR on the Columbia River where we’re camped in an RV park 30 yards from the river after leaving Vancouver, WA today headed towards Astoria, OR, the northern … Continue reading
We are getting ready to take off later this week and had the opportunity to learn a lot about bikes as well as experience a unique part of Portland we have never experienced before thanks to our friend David Gunther. We met David through a mutual friend a few weeks … Continue reading
What a whirlwind the past week has been. Last Sunday we drove from DC to Ohio and within 36 hours were on a plane to Portland, OR. Once in Portland, we took public transit to a bike shop Julie had researched and with our backpacks and gear at our sides, … Continue reading
It’s been said that some of the best adventures start with a one-way ticket. At least, that’s what we’re hoping, as I have no idea who said that or what validity it has. These past few weeks since the trail have felt like being a bouncy ball at a Flaming … Continue reading
We are finished with the Appalachian Trail yet here I am, sitting in my tent with Julie, typing a story for Urbyville. We are currently in Manistee National Forest (Michigan) with my Dad, off the side of a trail. We’re doing a four day bike trip through the forest and … Continue reading
