Our trip across America has officially begun! We made it safely to St. Helens, OR today, 69 miles from our starting point in Astoria, OR. The day began early at 6am - we loaded our bags onto a truck, grabbed a quick breakfast, and headed out.
Last night, during a 4 hour orientation session, our trip leader Mike tried to impress upon us that crossing America by bicycle is a dangerous undertaking. He discussed safety tips at length, and having done touring trips before, we understood their importance. Little did we know, however, that in the first minute of the first day, we would have such a harrowing experience. Just outside of the motel parking lot, we stopped at a red light, waiting to make a left turn. We were chatting with some fellow riders when we realized that our light had turned green, and we started to ride towards the intersection with Joel in the lead. Suddenly, a car came blazing through his red light at about 40 miles/hr (the driver was talking on a cell phone, of course), nearly missing Joel. Needless to say, it was scary!
Luckily, the day improved from then on. The ride was great, although the weather was gloomy and a bit drizzly. There wasn't much to see along the way, but we did ride through some pretty, forested areas, and the climbing was gradual and easy. And, although we were among the last people to leave the motel this morning, we were among the first five or so to finish! Woohoo! Good to know that we're not the slowest of the bunch. We got to our hotel only a little after noon, relaxed in a coffee shop next door until our room was ready, and now we are clean and ready to nap!
We'll keep on posting to let everyone know that we're still alive and well, and to share any exciting developments/pictures along the way.
3 comments:
omg, SO EXCITING!!! i can't believe i didn't even realize it was across AMERICA until a few days before you left. have tons of fun! and hey, i'm proud of you for being one of the first people to arrive at your first day destination =)
So where are the pix??? we want evidence you're really not just holed up in a spa somewhere! xoxo P and C
you two are nuts...cocoa butter on your butts. kinky! thanks for posting the blog even when you're exhausted. It's really fun to read (and loved those petrified watermelons). Sounds like the tour organizers don't understand your food standards...but it also sounds like you're adapting well. love you both.
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