Day 6.....0 miles!

Today was our first rest day.....it was nice not to have to get on the bike. Although truth be told, I did miss it a little. I was a little restless. I guess I've gotten accustomed to all the new scenery....all things new, every day. But, also truth be told, my butt could use a day off, so I relaxed.....shopped, sat in the hot tub, and made a few calls.


I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some photos of what our daily routine entails and the support vehicles we have. Woman Tours has a 15 passenger van that can carry just about as many bikes and pulls a trailer that holds the kitchen and the luggage....here's the set up.....

Yes, the trailer really has a kitchen here it is!

Yes, this really is a kitchen, and wow the meals that come out of it are fabulous! It' s pretty much gormet all the way...fresh, wholesome and healthly just a way a girl needs to eat for riding 89 miles in a day.....

Well, tomorrow will come soon enough as we cross the border into Arizona........

Day 5..........long ride

Today's ride was 89 miles. I've never ridden that far in one day before. Ouch! That seat is really tiny.....

It was a beautiful southern Californina day.....blue sky, blazing sun, first the fertile imperial valley with fields stretching as far as the eye could see, with the chocolate mountains in the background.

The view then turned to the sand dues....big beautiful sand dunes.....the rolling hills....I love those....flying down the hill, seeing how far you can get up the other side, then down again...it was great.....

Then back down to the fertile farming town of Blythe, again with agricultural fields as far as you can see, again with mountains in the background. The best part is FLAT.....

Tomorrow is a day off.....so a day of rest.....

Day 4........rain, rain, rain.....

As I awoke this morning to the sound of rain on the roof (at least my bed and room were dry, many of my trip mates had water dripping not only in their rooms but on their beds)......... and wondered....will it ever stop...well the answer to the question is NO!! It rained all day, every inch and every mile....and wow..the dirt! The bike so so dirty, I was dirty, it all had to go in the washer when I got it. My rain gear did a great job, and I was toasty dry on top....with no rain pants, below the waist was a different story. Thanks to a gift from my sister at Christmas, my hands were toasty warm......

But, here is the really good news for the day.....we had a 22 mile flat stretch with a tail wind....wheeeeeeeeee........it was fun....if everyday could have the terain of today with no rain....that would be something. We are in the Imperial Valley of California very beautiful agricultural area, and yes, the agricultural aromas that go with it....we saw fields and fields of green stuff...(I was going to fast to see what it was) and then we came upon sheep!

Well, it feels good to be warm and dry........looking forward to a sunny day tomorrow, finally! Hope my shoes dry out!

Day 3....and again can you say climbing?

Wow, what a day! We left Alpine and first up was 8 miles almost straight up....then a little down hill then lots more up hill....we climbed from 2,000 ft. to over 3,500 feet. There was wind, there was rain, there was fog, and it was COLD.....

The scenery has been just beautiful....and I'm learning that biking can be lots of fun if you don't push, push, push, all the time. It's been very liberating to stop for a cup of coffee, or a piece of pie....or just to catch your breath. See the thing is, you can push yourself really hard, but when you get into the hotel, dinner still is served at 5:30 or 6:00 so why hurry?

I also learned today, that things go much better when your front brakes are aligned properly and not rubbing....

So, we're only at day three, but I think this will be the adventure of a lifetime....

Day 2.....can you say climbing?

Wow, what a day, we started off by riding to the pacific ocean from our hotel and dipped our tires in the water......friends and family came to say good-bye...and we were off!

It was a strange sensation, just riding a bike, and knowing that your destination is 3,100 miles away. I have never riden with cue sheets before, I've always been a follower....well, after 3 miles, we were lost.....ouch! That was a bit scary....but several of us put our heads to gether and got back on track and I suddenly found myself paying much more attention to the roads.....

It was a short day of riding, but the last 7 or so miles were a steep incline. There is a reason the name of the town is Alpine.....

Here are pics from the start at the beach....looking forward to tomorrow...another day on the road....

It's almost time......

We had our first ride meeting today, we got to meet all the other crazy people....the ones who have decided to ride from San Diego to St. Augustine.....

I think it's finally hit me, what am I doing here? Who's bright idea was this? Well at least the other women seem great, a really fun bunch...but seriously 3,100 miles on a bike....what was I thinking.

I am so nervous for tomorrow....can I make it with the rest of the pack to the starting line? We need to ride 3 miles to the beach so we can dip our tires....then we head out or should I say up...it's a 2,000 ft. climb in elevation tomorrow.....

On the eve of this fabulous adventure, I declare myself ready, and so it will be....It was so great to have my dad, my niece and her kids, my riding buddy my sister, and of course the one and only ever supportive husband.......stay posted, hopefully I'll get a photo of the start tomorrow and get to post it for all to see......

Packing......checking the bike......getting nervous

Well, today's the day to head to San Diego....Paul and I decided to go over a day early for a bit of R&R.....

I'm ready to just get on the road already....this waiting is killing me a bit. The packing is challenging too....we're held to 50 lbs...One suitcase....so I'll be seeing alot of the SAME clothes over and over again.....

The send-off party was great, I'm trying my had a posting some photos...one of me pontificating from a chair...and one of the fabulous bike that will carry me across the country......thanks to Jim Jochim for the photos....