6/20 Happy Summer Solstice, everyone! 🌞Our next adventure will be across Washington on the Palouse to Cascades rail trail. We hope to accomplish that this July. Keep posted with the blog and follow us when we set out on that journey.

6/15 We pulled into the Southworth ferry dock and the guy told us to pedal fast or we’d miss the boat. First time we’ve managed such a quick entrance onto a ferry. Then we climbed the Fauntleroy hill and were home again. Total miles for this trip: 369.5. Total miles so far: about 1,500.

6/15 To avoid another “impassable via bicycle” situation at Gorst, we took the foot ferry to Port Orchard and enjoyed riding the shore south from there. Found another “best playground view ever.” In making a panoramic picture of the Bremerton skyline, I think we captured the TARDIS from Dr. Who.

6/15 We pedaled right through downtown Poulsbo, then headed south. Had a snack at the Brownsville marina, then made our way through a road paving project. The flagger apoke into his radio: “two spandex on the way!” Found the Manette Bridge into downtown Bremerton and ate by the ferry tollbooths.

6/15 Somebody left donuts on the doorstep for our breakfast-Yum! And of course Rick and Christine supplemented that with eggs, bacon, toast and coffee. The Best Hosts Ever! Then we were off towards Bremerton.

6/14 Finally arrived at our friends’ home in Poulsbo, where they had so graciously agreed to let us stay for the night. And they gave us really good wine and a wonderful dinner. Thank you, Rick and Christine!

6/14 We stopped for lunch at a park outside Poulsbo. Paul’s clothes were not so bright so Rhe enhanced her visibility as much as possible.

6/14 The next adventure is crossing the Hood Canal Bridge with tons of traffic. Very happy that they replaced it with wide shoulders for bicycles.

6/14 The intersection of 101 and 20 is where the Olympic Discovery Trail is not yet completed. We need to go up 20 to Eaglemount Rd on a narrow, winding, no-shoulder stretch traveled frequently by heavy trucks from a paper mill in Port Townsend. Our deliverance came with the 10:10 bus!

6/13 The ODT ended abruptly at Discovery Bay, about 50 yards beyond the fallen tree we picked our way through. Shortly after that we arrived at our accommodation for the evening at the Valley View Motel. We have cabin three. With two goats in the yard.

6/13 We also passed the Old Gardiner Community Church, where my Uncle Walt was baptized and his funeral was held. His wife-my father’s sister-attended this church for many years after Walt passed.

6/13 Shortly after Sequim, we stopped at the S’klallam tribe’s deli market with their newest endeavor next door. Speaking of pot shops, the railroad cars that used to be an ice cream store on Discovery Bay have changed their operation, too.

6/13 Sequim has a new nature center with a mural and lovely courtyard at the railway trestle park. Through the town it’s important to watch the sidewalk for ODT (Olympic Discovery Trail) or you might get lost. But don’t keep your head down too much or you’ll miss the eagle in the middle of the road.

6/13 On the way to Sequim, I found a little library to leave my ginormous book I had been carrying. There are several trestles that bend through the treetops on this part of the trail. We ate at the Old Mill Cafe where Rhe had duck salad and Paul had a Kobe burger while a driftwood sentinel watched.

6/13 We have a much easier day today, so we slept late and had oatmeal in the room for breakfast. We finally opened the package of dried mangos and diced them into the oatmeal. Makes a pretty good breakfast if you eat more than one oatmeal packet. My sister sent me a picture of my cat, Vincent.

6/12 After 82.5 miles, we were both ready to eat Chinese and put our feet up! We are both seriously impressed that we rode 158 miles in two days. Whew!

6/12 Columbine flowering in the woods, whimsical benches, and the playground with the best view.

6/12 And the logging operation on the Mary Clark Road. And our lunch spot in the woods on the most beautiful bicycle path in the country, if not the world!

6/12 And the beaver 🦫 at the Beaver, WA, fire station.

6/12 Now we run into the problem of an out-and-back ride. What I’m looking forward to is posting pictures of the things we missed on the way out here. Like “Sasquatch are real” sign at the Sheriff Department Building. I wonder if the same is true about Bigfoots?

6/12 More bike tire dipping photos. Eastward, ho!

6/12 Giant trees picture didn’t upload! And we passed through the Quilleyute Indian Reservation, where I saw a fisherman.

6/12 On the way to and from the coast, we saw giant trees and a 2-wheel cycle camp.

6/12 Another big day! We started out by cycling to the coast and dipping our tires (and toes) in the surf. It took some effort to keep the salt water off the rims. 10 miles down.

6/11 More pictures of the cabin. It was fabulous!

6/11 We were very, very happy when we got to our cabin at the 3Rivers Resort. And twice happy to find a washer and dryer there! We never did see a vampire 🧛‍♀️.

6/11 After Lake Crescent, the path continued until west of Sol Duc River. Then we traveled on Mary Clark Road for 10 miles. Then we were on the 101 Hwy for 11 miles. Ugh. They have a tiny signpost apologizing for the lack of a proper trail to the coast, but that sign has been there a long time.

6/11 We saw lots of deer both in PA and beyond. Then we crossed the Elwha River on the “underbridge”. Rode a nasty stretch of hwy 112 and a rough gravel road to get to the Spruce Railroad Trailhead on the north side of Lake Crescent. Now the path is fabulous! The first tunnel was very dark.

6/11 This is going to be a big day. 75 miles from Port Angeles to the coast. We started out by cycling the waterfront in PA, with all the art to enjoy.

6/10 Washing the bicycles, the ramp at the Riviera, and walking downtown to dinner.

6/10 Having Wi-Fi issues. Let’s try those pictures again . First Sequim art, then PA.

6/10 I noticed my pictures didn’t upload yesterday, probably due to weak WiFi. Let’s try that again! The first two are from Sequim, the rest are in Port Angeles. Including the ramp at the Riviera Motel!

6/10 In PA, we first had to give the bikes the hose so we could take them into the room with us. Then we walked to dinner at the Hook&Line Pub, enjoying the flowers and art of Port Angeles and Sequim. The Riviera Motel had some architectural touches too! The I-beam is from the twin towers in NY.

6/10 The ride from Discovery Bay to PA is a thing of fantasy ballads. The trees, the water, the trail condition should all be sung about, something I can’t do here so I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

6/9 There’s a fire station for sale in Gardiner if anyone is interested. And there is a house with a mural on the bay nearby. The trail suddenly became single track through heavy foliage in a downpour, meaning we got really, really wet. We dried off at the s’klallam tribe deli on Discovery Bay.

6/9 We tried to get out early to miss the traffic on highways 20 and 101. The Olympic Discovery Trail starts in Port Townsend, but then stops before Hwy 101. Anderson Lake Road (with no shoulder) is the only option from where we started. Our plan worked well and we got to the trail before 10:00.

6/10 Woke up to more rain and the restaurant was closed until 10. So we made do with oatmeal for breakfast. Enjoyed the architectural features of the Old Alcohol Plant (the alcohol produced here was for cleaning ships). Liked the thought of the day at the front desk.

6/9 The ride from the ferry to Port Hadlock was wet and marked by heavy traffic. Unlike Kentucky, most of the time there was good shoulder. In Port Gamble we rode on the sidewalk to avoid a no-shoulder stretch. It was lovely to finally arrive at the Old Alcohol Plant in Port Hadlock and dry out.

6/9 Getting off the ferry, where sadly they STILL don’t have food service, we stopped at the GrubHub for lunch. Stig thought we should take home the kitchen appliances for his apartment, but I told him they wouldn’t want us to take their salt and pepper shakers.

6/9 At the Northgate station, we got off the train, took the new pedestrian bridge over I-5, then found the Interurban Trail that led us to Edmonds and then to the Kingston Ferry. We even passed a sculpture park in Shoreline and paused for the snail.

6/9 What a joy to ride in a place with a bicycle infrastructure! We rode the bike trail under the West Seattle Bridge, then up the bus only route to the Sodo Light Rail station. First time to board the train with a bicycle. It went well.

6/9 Stig is very happy to be back on the bike. He was afraid we’d never do it! We decided to leave our touring bikes at home because we aren’t going to camp and we’ll be mostly on pavement. The only problem was that we also left behind the fenders, and after weeks of sun, it’s raining!

6/8 - getting ready to ride again! This time we’re going to the Olympic Peninsula to dip our tires in the Pacific Ocean. But first we have to finish the strawberry rhubarb pie!

5/4 Thank you all for staying in touch with us through this blog and for your support and encouragement along the way. We’ll let you know when we’re ready to start again. It’s been a blast-a life changing experience-and we have learned so much. I hope you have, too.

5/4 We hope to take up the ride again either this fall or next spring. Maybe shorter segments, maybe with better equipment or planning, maybe starting west and going east. Many people say we have ridden the toughest part of the TransAm, so it seems a shame to not finish it.

5/3 On the way back to Cave-in-Rock we explored the Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest. This is an area of sandstone formations that just grows out of the forest. And we checked out Elizabethtown, IL, where we would have ridden next if we had kept going.

5/3 We had a glorious last day of riding. A bald eagle flew with us for a little while. A wild turkey ran in front of our bikes until it realized it had to fly to stay ahead. We biked some beautiful farm roads that turned into gravel for short distances now and then.

5/3 By this morning it is decided. We’ll ride to Harrisburg and get a U-Haul, load the bikes and drive back for one more night in the cabin, then head to St. Louis, where Paul’s cousin, Jean, has agreed to let us stay until we can get the bikes sorted and a flight home.

5/2 We give ourselves a day to think about it and to explore the park. They even have a Lewis and Clark exhibit and a bicycle theme in the town.

5/2 This is a hard post. I have developed saddle sores that are not going away unless I stop riding. Paul’s knee is requiring Ibuprofen every day for pain and swelling. We have family issues and responsibilities. After much discussion with Stig, we decide it’s time to go home.

5/1 And we got to stay in our beautiful cabin with a deck overlooking the Ohio at the Illinois Cave-in-Rock State Park. Just in time to snag some dinner from the restaurant, to Paul’s great relief.

5/1 Marilyn offered us a bed in her cabin if we couldn’t get across the river and she left to get it ready. The wind howled and we waited. We watched barges fight the wind on the river. After 5 hours, the ferry finally started moving in our direction!

5/1 When we got to the ferry loading area, we found nothing but a small shelter and Sani-can. So we sat down to wait. A little later a woman who had passed us earlier came down to keep us company. Her name is Marilyn. She gave us mineral water and we became old friends instantly.

5/1 We pedaled on, hoping the winds would die down so we could get to the cabin we had reserved on the other side of the river. We found an Amish community with a sawmill and a store and spent time getting goodies (fudge, peanut brittle) to eat while we waited for the ferry.

5/1 Today we plan to ride from Marion, KY, to Cave-in-Rock, IL. Our last day in Kentucky! It is only about 10 miles, but it was the only place we could find to sleep! Unfortunately the only way is via ferry, and the road signs told us the ferry was closed due to high winds.

5/1 This morning we found a list of signatures from the very first TransAm ride in 1976 in the United Methodist Church where we stayed last night. I also found some words of instruction and inspiration from John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church.

4/30 It’s time for our mileage update: Monday, 13.6; Tuesday, 36.8; Wednesday, 57.5; Thursday, 0; Friday, 44.4; Saturday, 27.2; Sunday, 43.9. Total miles: 1,197.6. 🚴‍♀️🚴🏼‍♂️ As of 4/30, we have ridden 1,031.7 miles on the TransAm and have completed 24.5% of the ride.

4/30 We were very happy to reach our final destination at the United Methodist Church in Marion. Pastor James let us in and explained the setup. Paul had to listen while James and Rhe discussed the state of the church. This church had bunkbeds made by the Scouts for cyclists!

4/30 In these pictures you can see we had to take refuge behind some grain silos. The rain was thrown sideways so we stayed dry on the south side while the north side was drenched. Also had to take advantage of someone’s carport for another deluge.

4/30 We got up early and left before people started arriving for church. A man stopped us and offered a prayer for us before we left. We needed it because the weather was against us today. Headwinds of 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph, rain, hail made it hard to keep moving forward.

4/29 We stayed at the First Baptist Church in Sebree. It was deluxe accommodations with a full kitchen, shower, private rooms and entertainment.

4/29 More crops and cattle as we pedaled through western Kentucky. We had lunch at a diner in Fordsville the day before, and a market/ sandwich shop in Beech Grove today. These places were full of people and gave us a chance to chat with the locals.

4/29 Olivier and Jack slept in a separate building called the bunkhouse, while Paul and I slept on the couch. In the morning Anjelica took pictures of us all as we left in the rain.

4/28 Paul signed us up on WarmShowers, a website that links bicyclists with people willing to put them up for a night. We stayed with Anjelica and Jo at Utica. Our friend Olivier from Switzerland and Jack from Chicago were there, too. We went to Owensboro for dinner and music.

4/28 It is finally time to move on. We packed up and headed for Utica. Rode through a lot of farmland. The hills today wore me out!

4/27 We made reservations at Rough River Dam for two nights because the weather prediction was that it would 1 1/2 inches all day today starting at noon. Turns out it didn’t start until about 5 and we could have ridden. Oh, well. It was a good rest day.

4/27 Just watched the video shown at the Lincoln Birthplace Visitor Center. Thought you might enjoy watching it, too. ket.org/program/l…

4/26 We arrived at the Rough River State Resort Park at 3:30, having made great time thanks to the time change. We enjoyed visiting with our new friend, Olivier and dining in the resort restaurant.

4/26 We ate our second lunch at a picnic pavilion behind a church. The sign out front said “Love One Another”, but on closer inspection we noticed the words “United Methodist” had been removed from the name on the building. Makes you wonder why.

4/26 Crossed into Breckinridge County and we are in the Central Time Zone. No sign or other indication of the time change, but our map says so and our phones automatically updated the time. Also, we noticed that there is no rhyme or reason to mileposts and Mile 1 is the default.

4/26 Saw a round house in the middle of agriculture land. The roads were rolling hills, but suddenly hit a very steep grade and had to push the bikes. Paul invented a new wrap with a tortilla, peanut butter, cream cheese, and prunes. Stig approved.

4/26 Today is going to be our longest one yet at 56 miles. We started early with a few grumbles from Stig. But the weather cooperated with a light tailwind, warmer temperatures, and sunny skies all day. We ran into our first mosquitoes and admonitions at the river lunch stop.

4/25 We stayed at the Lincoln Lodge across the street. We cooked our dinner on a picnic table at the campsite of the very first TransAm bicycle rider we have met so far. Olivier is from Switzerland and started his journey in New York.

4/25 We enjoyed the Visitors Center and had a heart to heart with Abe himself. Then we walked the grounds for a while.

4/25 We ended the day at the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln near Hodgenville. They have built a large memorial building around the log cabin where the 16th president was born. It is an amazing and peaceful place to visit. The words on the black plaque are carved into the building.

4/25 Now it’s time to buck up and start pedaling. We said goodbye to Loretto with its huge bourbon storage complex As we ride west, cattle are giving way to an agricultural area. I think it’s winter wheat and the silos that hold it that we can see everywhere.

4/25 We had the most marvelous breakfast, made by Pam, our hostess. She made us feel so pampered and welcomed. Rudy and Henry did, too.

4/25 And the quilt squares mark Kentucky Quilt Trails providing guidance to arts and crafts throughout the state. artscouncil.ky.gov/KAC/Vibra… They sure like “trails” around here: Bourbon, Music, Quilts , etc. lots of opportunities for tourists.

4/25 My friend Diane tracked down the answers to my questions about Kentucky. The fences were painted black because the legislature passed a law. evolutiamade.com/latest-pr… Black fences needing paint look better.

4/24 We arrived at 1 pm, lolled on the patio, walked around town, then lolled some more. Rudy the dog and Henry the cat joined us. We had wine and cheese at 5, then walked to the nearby tavern where we had more libations. Paul had his choice of Budweiser in a bottle or a can.

4/24 We are staying at the Hill House Bed and Breakfast. It is a beautiful old house built in the mid 1800’s right in Loretto, KY. It is on The Bourbon Trail and about 2 miles from the Makers Mark Distillery. We also saw these 5 giant black boxes where they store the whiskey.

4/24 In fact, we are suddenly in a Catholic part of Kentucky. In Loretto we found a retirement community of nuns, a St Francis of Assisi day care center, and other such indicators that Baptists are not the only church in town.

4/24 We are so tired from the last two days, and finding a place to sleep has been difficult. So we contacted a Bed and Breakfast about 12 miles from Springfield and they have a a room available! On the way out of town, we saw this beautiful cathedral.

4/23 We should make it clear that we have not ridden 974.21 miles of the TransAm route. Because we ride our bikes everywhere, the mileage includes our trip from Lexington to Berea to get back on the route, our forays to grocery stores and lodging that are not on route, etc.

4/23 Sunday’s mileage update: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, 0 miles waiting for the bicycles to be worked on; Thursday, 4/20, 32.2 miles; Friday, 4/21, 20.5 miles; Saturday, 4/22, 44.4 miles; Sunday, 4/23, 41.5 miles. Total mileage to date: 974.21.

4/23 We mostly rode today on a fairly busy two lane highway with no shoulder. But there were some patches of those lovely one lane roads with no traffic. And we ran into more Lincoln history, including the home where his uncle lived.

4/22 We stopped in Harrodsburg for a grocery run, then ate lunch at a state park dedicated to the pioneering past of the area. The chapel is the church where Abraham Lincoln’s parents were married. The tree was just amazing!

4/22 We had been expecting a fairly easy day of 25 miles. But when we arrived at the Bluegrass Texas Longhorn Ranch bicycle camping, it was on a ridge, cold and windy with no running water and a pit toilet. We opted to ride 16 more miles for a shower and a spot out of the wind.

4/22 Speaking of barns, we have seen many of them with this quilt panel painted on the wall. Some buildings in town have it, too. I think it’s related to the Appalachian arts and crafts focus in Berea. The town pictured is Paint Lick, KY.

4/22 Speaking of fences, I am intrigued by the move from the white fences I remember seeing in the 70’s to the black fences (and barns) that are prevalent today. Not sure why this change happened, but it’s everywhere.

4/22 As we left Berea, we met a gentleman who was a fount of information. He told us to watch for stone walls. These were made by the Irish immigrants from the stones removed from the fields by the slaves clearing the land for agricultural uses. We saw quite a few of them.

4/22 After the rain last night, this started out as a magical day of biking. The route took us on some very small roads through dense foliage which reminded us of Ireland. The rivers and streams were muddy and full with the runoff.

4/22 We decided to treat ourselves to a fancy breakfast at the Historic Boone Tavern in Berea. It was a Saturday but we were all alone in the dining room. I urged Paul to order the grits, but he chickened out and went for the potatoes. The Tavern is associated with the college.

4/21 After lunch the clouds were threatening. We pedaled past the Boone Tavern, raced to the Econolodge, and arrived just before the rain began. We may have to make our dinner in the room here tonight if the rain doesn’t let up! .8 inches predicted….

4/21 On the Road Again! Said goodbye to the apartment and headed to Berea. It felt so strange to pedal with all the weight again, but the brakes work! Berea is a beautiful town known for its arts and the Berea College. We stopped at the Artisan Center of Berea and had lunch.

4/20 Even though Lexington and Richmond are only 20 miles apart, the Kentucky River flows between them and traffic over the bridges sucks. Luckily, we found a one lane bridge with an expanded metal grating deck that had few cars. You can see the road to it from the other side.

4/20 Picked up the bikes. Rhe’s brakes failed because of a bubble in the fluid in both front and rear hydraulics. Hopefully it’s solved by adding more fluid and bleeding them. Our thanks to Broomwagon Bicycle and Cafe. Then we said goodbye to the truck and now we pedal again.

4/19 Today we delivered the bike to the Bike Shop. They think there is something wrong with the hydraulic system and plan to bleed the brakes to fix it. We went back to Richmond and spent the afternoon enjoying our “hometown”. Paul talked to the Big Bee!

4/18 Stopped at the public library for a book sale. Beautiful art there, too. Featuring a pendulum and more horses in the rotunda. We saw other art, too. Including one of the most beautiful hazy IPA’s Paul has ever tasted! It’s refreshing to see so many murals without graffiti.

4/18 We went back to Lexington today to check out another bike shop and to see the sights. The theme in Lexington is horses, and they have the art to prove it, even in the windows of old buildings.

4/17 We found a local Fred Meyer store called Meijers, where we bought tons of groceries. It is fun to cook our own meals in our VRBO apartment, which we have rented for the week. We both feel like we are playing “house.”

4/17 Delivered the van back to U-Haul then walked 2 1/2 miles to pick up the Touro pickup truck we rented. On the way we found a brewery with a wood-fired oven and enjoyed libations and food worthy of a Seattle establishment! Oh, and we passed the Jif peanut butter plant!

4/16 It took two hours to get to Richmond. Not interested in bicycling those hills we drove over (in case you were wondering). We passed the Log Cathedral and stopped at RC Sparks Kentucky Food Store in Booneville and the courthouse in Irvine. Got to Richmond at sunset.

4/16 Paul did return with the van. We secured the bikes, loaded our stuff, and said goodbye to Buckhorn Lake Resort.

4/16 Ah! That makes sense, except for the van we passed that was from Rock Bottom Baptist Church near Booneville. Seems like a “Rock Bottom” would be a “Holler.” I suppose it depends on your perspective.

4/16 What’s the difference between a “holler” (hollow) and a “bottom”? J.D. Vance (“Hillbilly Elegy”) defines “holler” as a valley. We were cycling through what I thought was a holler, but the church was named “Poor Bottom Freewill Baptist Church.” Maybe they are the same thing?

4-16 Before Easter we passed a church who’s reader board announced the Easter sermon was going to be “The Threat of the Donkey.” My mind immediately went to the Shrek Donkey. Paul thought the minister needed to apologize to all the Democrats in the congregation.

4/16 There are a few signs we whizzed by that I didn’t get a picture of but want to share. We passed the high school in Fluvanna County, VA, that touted themselves as the “Fighting Floucos.” Now that’s a mascot I want to see!

4/16 It’s Sunday and time to update our mileage. Last Sunday we had a total of 640.11. Monday: 25.8; Tuesday: 45.8; Wednesday: 41.4; Thursday: 27.8; Friday: 27.0; Saturday: 27.7. Total miles: 835.61. And a week’s total of 15,572 feet of elevation gain on some very steep grades!

4/16 Spent time in the breakfast room trying to find a ride to Lexington to get a U-Haul van to carry the bikes to the nearest bike shop. Jerry Deaton, Jr., was headed that way, so Paul went with him to get the van while Rhe stayed with the bikes and updated the blog.

4/15 The reward was a dinner of fried chicken and catfish sandwich, and an evening spent on our deck looking at the lake and listening to an unidentified bird call.

4/15 To get to our lodging for the night at Buckhorn Lake Resort Park, we went down a huge hill and Rhe’s brakes completely failed. She was afraid she’d end up in the lake or worse, but there was a “runaway truck ramp” at the bottom that saved her and her bicycle.

4/15 We passed a fork in the road to Krypton and decided to miss that opportunity. We had lunch by the side of the road until a man on foot warned us we were in “a bad neighborhood” and to be careful. Someone’s house was destroyed along with the swimming pool.

4/15 The bridge and other devastation we saw along the river was due to the same flood last summer. Notice the garbage can in the tree on this side of the river, the mess in the riverbank, and the chair on the far bank. We saw such debris for two days through several drainages.

4/15 This morning our route took us up a big hill that left us both wheezing. Then we sped down the other side only to find the road was closed due to a bridge washout. The only warning we got that the road was closed was long after we passed the detour. Back up the way we came….

4/14 Rhe started complaining about some bicycle problems-a wheel out of true (meaning it is not round, and it feels egg-shaped); a tire that keeps losing air; and brakes that are not working properly. Paul took some time for bicycle maintenance and Rhe took a nap.

4/14 Arrived in Hazard just before it started to rain. We ditched the bikes at the motel and walked to the Big Blue Smokehouse BBQ place where Paul finally got his beer! Not a small beer, either. They offer them in pints (small) and 32 ounces (regular).

4/14 On our way to Hazard,KY. We traveled through valleys where the flood left debris hanging in the trees. Homes and vehicles were destroyed, and the road was eroded in many places.

4/13 The center was also being used to collect clothing and household goods to distribute to people who lost everything in a devastating flood last year. www.wymt.com/2022/07/2…

4/13 Tonight we stayed in a youth center for the Hindman First Baptist Church. It felt like a real teen hangout, with musical instruments and sound equipment, board games, table tennis and lots of soda and snacks.

4/13 The other thing we have learned about this area is that dry counties still exist. Poor Paul has not been able to find a drop of beer for a few days. He’s even willing to drink a Budweiser if he can find one!

4/13 We are in coal country now. We’ve had to get off the road to allow coal trucks to pass, and you can see coal on the road where it fell off the load. Strip and deep mines abound. We even saw a rock wall near our motel that looked like it had coal in the shale layers.

4/12 The steep climbs and 45 miles nearly did us in. But in Wheelwright, we found a lovely Mexican restaurant where we refreshed ourselves (both with food and a quick rinse off in the restroom) before we set up camp in the city park. Sure wished for a shower that night!

4/12 With a late start and a long way to go, we entered Kentucky and encountered some much smaller and steeper roads.

4/12 The next morning we spent an hour trying to find places to stay the night. Finally we connected with Corey at Hindman Baptist Church who offered us their hostel the next night. Then he contacted the mayor of Wheelwright, who gave us permission to sleep in the city park.

4/11 Now that we’re in a rural area, people are talking to us. A man on an electric bike invited us to dinner. We ate salad on the patio with James, Kim and Jeb. Then we biked a short distance to the Gateway Motel and stayed in a newly remodeled room courtesy of the new owners.

4/11 The Breaks straddles the Virginia/Kentucky border. It is a big canyon, one of the deepest gorges east of the Mississippi. We are also following “The Crooked Road”, a trail of musical talent through Virginia. I don’t think the zip line is operational yet this year.

4/11 Today we’re riding to The Breaks Interstate Park. www.breakspark.com/. We started out on the Redbud Highway. There was a long climb up and short, steep coast down to Council, where we ate lunch in the park.

4/10 After a hard day, it was heavenly to know we had a place to stay in a United Methodist Church with a shower and bathroom and kitchen. Methodists know that Jesus taught us to take care of people who are on the road.

4/10 Today we biked over the Hayter’s Gap pass. We climbed about 2500 feet to a popular hiking area called the Channels. It was a tough but beautiful and rewarding day of cycling. We ate lunch at a takeoff spot for cave exploration.

4/9 Sunday Mileage time: 4/3. 41.4 4/4. 30.8 4/5. 21.8 4/6. 19.3 4/7. Rained out! 4/8. 38.6 4/9. 48.2 Total to date: 640.11

4/9 We were planning to sleep in Meadowview. The church hostel had a picnic pavilion with no water except out of the lawn watering taps, and no place to pee. The convenience store looked like it had closed long ago. Luckily, Abingdon had a motel and was only 5 miles away.

4/9 We got off the trail at Damascus. Just 3 miles from the Tennessee border. But we had to get going to find a place to sleep for the night. They hang weird stuff in trees here, including kudzu. And, as usual, they misspelled my name….

4/9 The Virginia Creeper Trail is a railroad track turned recreational trail. Lots of families cycling on a beautiful Easter afternoon.

4/9 Today was a fantastic ride. We started with a good uphill following the Appalachian Trail. Then a long downhill to the Virginia Creeper Trail. We passed a Lutheran church with a flying buttress architecture!

4/9 Happy Easter! We woke up in Sufi Lodge this morning. I thought I would share some Sufi monk wisdom.

4/8 Finished the evening with the longest game of gin rummy ever, which Rhe won in epic fashion with a gin!

4/8 When we finally arrived in Troutdale, we could not find the B&B where we had reserved a room. Several people tried to help. After an hour-long frantic and cold search, we found it! Should have heeded that warning to “set your GPS before hitting the mountains.”

4/8 We ate lunch on the grounds of a local church that had a Dogwood tree in bloom. Just in time for Easter!

4/8 Went to the Post Office to send home some dead weight items. Our rest day yesterday really gave our legs a boost today. We rode through Jefferson National Forest past almost-bursting Rhododendron bushes, following a beautiful creek. Have no idea what “Mouth of Wilson” is.

4/7 Spent an extra day in Wytheville to let a rainstorm system pass through. It rained all day. Our Ramada Inn was outside town a bit with two steep hills in between. So we lolled in the room watching HBO movies and eating at the Caribbean/Mexican fusion restaurant here. 😋

4/6 Woke up today with a spot on my nose just like Stig’s. Must be the sunburn. We cycled 19.3 miles to Wytheville. Lots to see on the way there.

4/5 It took us three tries to find a motel that was open for travelers. Finally we found Sukhi Mehta, who owns the Fox Mountain Inn and gives a discount to “76ers” (bicyclists on the TransAm). He welcomed us warmly and recommended the Mexican restaurant next door. 👍 to both!

4/5 We’ve decided to take it a little easier for a few days before we start climbing the next big mountains. Today we biked 21.8 miles through the town of Draper. One man owns the town and is making it a tourist destination. Stig loved the coffee menu.

4/4 Our campground hostess dubbed us her new heroes. She told two of her friends about our adventure, and they said just hearing about it made them tired. But she was fired up and promised to follow the blog. Unfortunately we didn’t get pictures of them, and all Paul can remember is the dog is “Toby.”

4/4 We cycled 30.8 miles to Claytor Lake State Park. Paul promised me a Trader Joe’s right at the entrance to the park, and there was a TJ’s there. I got out my grocery bag to go shopping, entered the door, and found Tammy Jo’s restaurant was serving a prime rib special. Oops.

4/4 We hit a few milestones! We’ve pedaled over 500 miles. And we’ve changed maps. Because we are traveling east to west, we started with Map #12. We’ve now made it to Map #11. Each map is broken into 15 smaller sections. We’re still a long way from Seattle.

4/4 I’d like to explain how the terrain has changed since the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is a picture of the elevation profile. Right of Afton (in the Tidewater) you see that most of the hills are rounded at the top. After Vesuvius, in the Great Valley, they are sharp and pointy.

4/3 At the end of the day we hit a hill that we could not pedal over and had to push 80 pounds for half a mile to get over it. Yuck! Thankfully we had dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant where they had ground pepper and Parmesan available.

4/3 Yesterday we did 43 miles with 3,000 feet elevation gain. Today we did 41 miles with 4,000 feet elevation. I should feel stronger, but all I feel is tired. We rode parallel to the Appalachian Trail on the ridge above us. And there were other distractions.

4/3 They were building a new area in the park for seniors to do exercises. I caught the park sign at sunrise. Read it carefully-no bicycles allowed. We just pushed our bikes on in.

4/3 Woke up this morning and there was frost on the inside of the tent fly. We shivered through breakfast of oatmeal, then found a heated coffee shop across the street, where we sat a long time to let it warm up.

4/2 It was a cold day, but warmed up. Paul stripped his leg warmers by the side of the road. It was also a long day. Finally we got to Troutville and the city park where we camped for the night. Skeet helped us get set up and showed us where the showers were.

4/2 Then we did some rolling hills. The pink-flowered trees are called “Redbuds”. They make me happy that we are here before the trees leaf out. We went through Buchanan, which had the most beautiful brick buildings. In the county of Botetourt.

4/2 Today was lots of tiny roads along streams and rivers.

4/2 Yesterday we had high winds. As we were biking from the grocery store to the motel, we heard a loud crack and watched a tree fall. This morning there was lots of debris on the road and we saw this tree down. It’s the same storm that fed the Little Rock tornado.

4/2 I have been bad at listing our mileage this week. Tuesday we rode 16.8 miles; Wednesday to Afton 27.3 miles; Afton to Love Ridge 18.5 miles; Love Ridge to Lexington 36.8 miles; Howard Johnson to Econolodge 14.9 miles. Total for the week 114.3. Total for the trip 440.1.

4/1 We had a great lunch at the Palms Restaurant, where Bennie, Ally and another waitress were awesome and admiring of our adventure. Bennie told me she was afraid of bicycles. My response was she should plan her own adventure. In fact, she has a sister in Seattle….

4/1 Lexington is also home to the Virginia Military Institute, which must have had a surplus of a particularly bad puke green paint.

4/1 Lexington is home to the Washington and Lee University (names for George -a chief benefactor- and Robert E. - president of the college immediately after the Civil War. The Robert E Lee Episcopal Church (renamed “Grace Episcopal Church) is on the campus.

4/1 Because we were so tired after conquering the Blue Ridge Parkway, and because the forecast was for wind gusts of up to 25 mph in our faces, we decided to move across town to the Econolodge and take a reat day in Lexington.

4/1 This morning I went to the edge of Howard Johnson‘a perch and saw the Quality Inn and Days Inn that we could have stayed at without pushing the bikes up that ginormous hill. We made a pact - no more touching the “reserve “ button until Paul has looked at the Expedia site.

3/31 After a two-mile stretch on a busy highway, the final insult of the day appeared. Our Howard Johnson was at the top of a very steep climb. My legs couldn’t do it, so we walked the bikes to the lobby door.

3/31 As we got closer to Lexington, however, the rain got heavier and the hills got steeper. Paul checked his phone and muttered, “holy shit”. The motel I had chosen for the night was 6.4 miles out of town and we were tuckered.

3/31 After lunch just 16 miles to our bed in Lexington. But first we had to “climb two boobs” as it was described to us by a woman in the parking lot on the Parkway. After that we followed the South River along a flat section with only a headwind and light rain to slow us down.

3/31 Going east to west, you also get to stop at Gertie’s for the best hamburger. While we were there, a professional photographer offered to take our portrait. And there were gnomes! The three gnomes are for Sean, Karen, Bob, Jon and Mike.

3/31 Everyone told us the hardest part of the TransAm was getting up to the Parkway. But the way we went (east to west) wasn’t the hardest. It’s the west to east. After you’ve crossed the Cascades, the Rockies, and Kentucky, then you hit the climb from Vesuvius. Ouch!

3/31 We finally hit the turnoff to Vesuvius 14 miles later. Put on our jackets because we knew it would be a chilly downhill. That was a heavy-braking, steep and winding 4 miles! Didn’t have time to stop for a picture. Very, very glad we did not have to climb that monster!

3/31 Well rested and thinking it would be a fairly easy day, we came upon our first taste of reality- we still had a big climb ahead of us.

3/31 If you have the chance, stay at Love 💕 Ridge Mountain Lodging on the Blue Ridge Parkway. They have a campground here, too. But the cabins are well worth the extra money.

3/30 To celebrate, we splurged on a private cabin with lasagna in the freezer, wine and chocolate to go with, and a jacuzzi in the corner. Makes it all worth the hard work we did today!

3/30 We climbed and climbed and climbed all day. The grade wasn’t too bad,though, and the traffic was light. Only 15 cars passed us all day on the Parkway. Gotta say, we picked the best time to do this ride. Got to our high point for the day at Ravens Roost - 3200 feet.

3/30 And after lunch Rhe had a flat tire. Again. Bummer! So happy Paul is along as the bicycle maintenance and repair guy.

3/30 Stig got hungry so we stopped at the Visitor Center at Humpback Rocks, which will not open until Memorial Day! Bathrooms closed, too. 🤨 The last ones to use the picnic table was the 🐿️.

3/30 Now we have a big climb: from 800 ft to 3200 feet. We were both nervous about the challenge, but there was nothing to do but get started. We climbed first to the very north terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

3/30 We left a relic of the pandemic 😷 for our contribution to the Cookie Lady’s House. And Paul fixed the tube. Shoutout to Kelly Marcum, who taught Paul to fix a flat, and who rode with Paul in 1976 on their Trans Europe odyssey.

3/29 Tonight we had a stir fry courtesy of Trader Joe’s. We’ll sleep on the floor at the Cookie Lady’s House. Tomorrow we tackle the route from Afton to Love, which is about halfway along the saddle of the profile below. My knees ache just looking at that climb. Wish us luck.

3/29 There is so much to see here, but I have to call out one item that is special for all those bikers who wish they had ridden with the original group in 1976z

3/29 The Cookie Lady’s House is a museum of items bicyclists have left here since 1976, newspaper articles about cyclists and other topics, and post cards from cyclists who stayed here and wrote to June about their travels. It would take eons to look at and read all this stuff!

3/29 Tonight we are staying at the famous Cookie Lady’s House. June Curry was known as someone who supported bikers on the TransAm trail from the beginning of it all in 1976. She made cookies and invited bicyclists to stay at her house until she died in 2012.

3/29 By now, we were beginning to see mountains ahead. And the terrain changed. We were beckoned by the roadside signs, but pedaled on knowing wine wasn’t the answer to the elevation gain we had to make today.

3/29 We met the owner of the store- wanted to atay and chat he was so interesting. He’d been an NFL referee; he was a civil engineer who worked with GPS technology in its infancy; on and on. But we had miles to make. Less than 5 minutes later, Rhe’s tire went flat!

3/29 They had some great signs hanging behind the counter. I thought this first one was perfect. Then Paul pointed out the one above it….

3/29 It was cold when we started out, but after climbing a few hills, we both started shedding clothes. In White Hall we stopped at the best convenience store ever! I had chicken and dumplings to die for and Paul had a hamburger he adored.

3/29 We said farewell to the Super8! It was a good place to stay while we resolved the bike issue, but we are both happy to be moving on this morning. Paul sends a screenshot showing just how much we have to go on this ride. Time to Pedal, dammit!

3/28 16.8 miles today.

3/28 And finally, I have to say that my attitude has been adjusted positively by some bathroom door graffiti at The Durty Nelly Pub. Maybe I’m reaching here, but it gives me hope.

3/28 Our heroes, Ronnie, Ben, shop dog Sammy, and someone else who we don’t know. Remember them -Endeavor Bicycles. And Surly has been excellent as well, with their advice and willingness to reimburse Paul for the new tires, the different headset, and more.

3/28 When that didn’t work, we attempted to locate it by throwing darts. Apparently that did work, because in the middle of the game, bicycle shop Ben called to say the restaurant next door had the headset! We finished our beers while they installed it.

3/28 They gave us the UPS tracking number and we went to a nearby pub to try to find the package. Here Paul is trying to track it down on his phone.

3/28 After a bit we went back to the bike shop. They had special ordered the headset to be delivered today. But we hadn’t heard anything. Turns out it had been delivered to the wrong place and the guys couldn’t figure out where it was.

3/28 After a lunch from Trader Joe’s, we cycled to a pedestrian mall in downtown Charlottesville. There was a coffee shop that would hold its own in Seattle, and an artist cooperative with a cool bench outside.

3/28 Ready to say goodbye to the Super8!

3/28 Good news! On the test ride this morning with bigger tires, the bike still wobbled, but it was less pronounced and Paul could control it by lifting weight off his handlebars. The new headset arrives this evening, and we plan to be on the TransAm again tomorrow morning.

3/27 At least we had an opportunity to get the clothes clean. And the laundromat was right next door to the Super8!

3/27 Paul got the bigger tires and is anxious to try them out. First thing on Tuesday morning he’s loading up the bike and we’re finding a big hill….

3/27 Paul called the Surly hotline and heard about one other guy who experienced a similar problem. That guy changed to a bigger tire and the problem resolved. They also recommended he change his headset to one designed to dampen wobbles. 🤞

3/27 Paul found an article online about some Italian researchers who were studying bicycle oscillations like what he is experiencing. They suggested it could be stopped by squeezing the top tube with his knees. Huh?!? They also said, “resist as far as possible the temptation to jump off the bicycle, which may appear to be the lesser evil…, try not to fall, and not to hit other vehicles or go off-road” until you can stop the oscillations. Helpful advice, to be sure.

3/26 Total miles this week: 166.7. Total miles for the trip: 325.8. Woo-hoo! 🚴‍♀️

3-26 One last thought about Thomas Jefferson. He asked to be remembered on his tombstone for the three accomplishments he was most proud of. Here they are. I wonder how he would feel about how we have protected or not protected his legacy.

3/26 Today was an excellent reminder that bumps in the road of a great adventure are really opportunities. The trick is to not let your focus on “the goal” get in the way of the journey.

3/26 In the entrance rotunda is a tribute to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Be sure to look closely at the plaque below the elk horns. Jeffers felt the Louisiana Purchase and the surveying party he sent to map it was one of his greatest achievements as president.

3/26 Back to the Super8. Watched Arnie and Jamie Lee in “True Lies”. Had a salad from Trader Joe’s for dinner and worked on readjusting the attitude. Woke up on Sunday and decided to go see Monticello. Wow!

3/25 After lots of hand wringing and talking about options, Paul and I have decided to stay in Charlottesville at least until Tuesday. I took a vdeo of the problem and we’ll see what Surly says on Monday.

3/25 The rain stopped and we started riding. Went down the smae big hill as yesterday and the wobble returned. Stuck in Charlottesville at Mode’s BBQ.

3/25 Of course, that sounds pretty good, and here we sit in our Super 8 waiting for the rain to stop….

3/25 Riding in the rain is a Zen thing. Unless traffic is heavy, it’s just you, the bike, the road, and keep on spinning those wheels.

3/25 We get asked what we do when it rains. We pedal. If it’s a hard rain, we put on our rain jackets. To prevent getting too wet and cold, we have rain pants. Our bikes have fenders, keeping water from squirting off the front rider’s back wheel and into the back rider’s face.

3/25 The weight distribution helped. Paul is also going to lower his handlebars. With these changes, he is ready to continue the ride. It’s a bit damp out today-a Seattle mist-but should clear up soon.

3/24 Another guy came to the shop and turned to You Tube. A guy from Australia posted a video suggesting he had the same issue with a similar bicycle and solved it by redistributing the weight on his bike. So Paul is trying it. Shop dog “Sammy” supervised.

3/24 With an early start, we had hopes of reaching Afton - the first real climb of the trip. But 5 miles out of Charlottesville, Paul’s bicycle wobble returned. Back to the shop and more head-shaking and moaning about what could be wrong. Even a call to the Surly rep.

3/23 Now it’s dark and we have to ride a busy road to our motel. We stayed on the sidewalk. Turned out Rhe had made the reservation for the night before and there was no room at the Inn. Two doors down the Days Inn had a smoking king room. We took it with a can of Febreeze from the front desk.

3/23 Then our real adventure began! As the sun started to set, we cycled through the UVA campus with hundreds of students milling about. Then we found a trail on the map that took us to our motel the back way. The REALLY BACK WAY.

3/23 By the time we got to Charlottesville, Paul’s wobble was pronounced. We found the Surly dealership and Ronnie did some diagnostics. He finally decided the back wheel was out of round. Meanwhile Paul and I had a beer and dinner nearby.

3/23 We had 25 miles to get to Charlottesville, so we took our time. Had the last two and best ever ham and cheese biscuits at the EW Thomas grocery just outside Palmyra. Stopped at Jake’s for lunch and he fired up the grill to make Paul a hamburger. We had company for lunch.

3/23 We had three rooms to ourselves, plus a bathroom with a shower nozzle on the sink and a homemade clothes washer. We were the first cyclists of the year, so Fred had to run to Walmart and get some some food and sports drinks to stock the bicycle pantry.

3/23 Last night we stayed at the United Methodist Church in Palmyra. The minister met us and gave us a tour of the building and explained their “bicycle ministry.” What a great way for the community to help travelers! I’m amazed and humbled at their generosity.

3/22 On the back of the maps is information, including emergency phone numbers, contact people for places to stay, and historical facts about the places we are cycling through. It also shows an elevation profile. I think you can see my concern about the Appalachians coming up!

3/22 Stig tells me it’s time to explain the maps we are using. They are from Adventure Cycling and are amazing. On one side they have the entire trail divided into small maps that take about a day a map. This is the map to Palmyra.

3/22. We rode 32.6 miles through much more rural country today. Left the big mansions and fancy horse farms for smaller homes and lots of woods and agricultural fields. The terrain is getting hillier as we approach the Appalachians. Our legs are getting stronger, but not fast enough.

3/22 Paul’s bike has developed a wobble. When he is riding downhill at a brisk pace, both wheels start to wobble wildly. It’s scary to watch and scarier to ride. We plan to go to a Surly dealer in Charlottesville tomorrow.

3/22 It got down into the 30’s last night and Paul is unhappy with his sleeping bag. He got cold and gave up on sleep at 6 am before the sun came up. Rhe was snug and slept until 7:30. But life goes on and Stig was happy once he had his cup of coffee. Now off to the bakery!

3/21 We set up camp on the grounds of the fire department in Mineral. We had a lovely lawn to spread out on, but we had to stay consolidated so we wouldn’t interfere with the helicopter landing area or the trucks charging for it. No helicopters tonight, thank goodness!

Traffic was light on most roads and drivers mostly courteous. Only one driver got really close to us because s/he was impatient. There are no shoulders on these roads, so no place to move over. This is not a great picture of the road, but you really should notice the street sign.

3/21 We went over three bridges crossing different arms of Lake Anna.

3/21 The terrain just screamed “horses” to me, but we didn’t see any until today. We passed a thoroughbred training center, then an Arabian racehorse breeding farm. I didn’t know we raced Arabians in the USA!

3/21 We first said goodbye to the town triangle in Ashland. My friends and I thought we had a town triangle where I grew up in Olive Branch, Mississippi. But Ashland KNOWS how to do a town triangle! The Town Hall is behind the trees.

3/21 45.9 miles today. That’s a new record! Had to go from Ashland to Mineral, VA, to find a place to camp tonight. It started out cold, but by the end of the day it got up to almost 60 degrees! We spent most of our stops shedding clothes.

3/21 For those of you wondering where Stig rides, he’s in my handlebar bag next to the glasses case and on top of my shopping bag. You will notice the pocket to the left with my handy hanky and the one on the right with a Clif bar.

And these are from the Capital Trail.

And these are from Jamestown:

And just a few more pictures from last week that I should have posted: These are from Williamsburg

I noticed that the picture I posted of the monument in Yorktown where we started this adventure didn’t have us in it, so I’m going to try again.

3/20 This picture includes some performance art by a well-dressed bicyclist with music.

3/20 More art we enjoyed:

3/20 We found some interesting art in Ashland, including a unique little library where Paul found some Vonnegut to read.

3/20 Happy Spring! We had a good rest today, walking around town and enjoying the spring weather. It was cold this morning and will be cold again tonight. But this afternoon was sunny and warm and the spring flowers were brilliant.

I’ve decided Sunday is the day to publish total miles. So far we’ve traveled 159.1 miles. Only 4,122 to go!

3/19 Rode 23.4 miles today, including the stop at Carytown Bicycles in a hopping part of Richmond to replace a broken tire pump, buy some lube, get new gloves for Rhe, plus a little more insulation for the upper body given the unexpected cold temperatures in VA in March.

Before we left Richmond I asked a young woman what they called the houses all connected together, each_ with a unique front. She agreed they were probably called “rowhouses”, but only if they actually shared a wall. I’m getting used to being called “ma’m” around these parts.

Finding Ashland was a challenge for Paul and his new GPS. But I read the map and saw we were following US Bicycle Route 1. So I patiently waited for Paul to figure out the route rather than pointing to the sign in front of him.

3/19 It’s supposed to get to 23 degrees tonight and 28 tomorrow night. So we rode to Ashland VA and got a Quality Inn room for two nights. Not really into waiting for my water bottle to thaw before I can make coffee/tea.

3/19 It was about 32 degrees when we got up and only warmed up to the mid-forties while we were riding. We both wore almost everything we have with us! So we found a Whole Foods for brunch and some supplies.

3/18 Total mileage today was 39.1. Forgot to wish Paul’s brother, Jon, Happy Birthday dude!

After pedaling past many old, brick, two-story buildings with front porches, we found The Diamond Inn across the street from the baseball stadium, and found a delightful Greek Restaurant, Izzy’s, where we shared a bottle of wine.

In Richmond the trail was right along the James River until it headed up into town and past the state capital building, which looks like is either under construction or being renovated.

We ran into a family fishing for catfish on the James River. The gentleman spoke to us in such a strong accent that Paul only caught about half of what he said. Paul also saw his first turtle sunning itself on a river bank.

The trail was heavenly to ride on. Mostly little rolling hills that were not too tough to get over and fun to glide down; wood-planked bridges passing over the swampy parts; fellow cyclists taking advantage of a sunny, warm Saturday to go for a spin. Someone had thoughtfully planted daffodils along the trail.

3/18 Today was all Capital Trail until we hit Richmond, the capital of Virginia. Before we got started, Paul made breakfast in our makeshift campsite. At least the bathrooms and water source were close by!

We were supposed to be out of this campsite by 8am. But it rained last night and everything was wet! Finally leaving at 11…. How did we get all this stuff into the panniers?

For those keeping track, we rode 40.7 miles today. It felt like 60 miles! Sure glad we have about a week to get in shape before we go over the Allegheny Mountains. My legs are tired!

Then onto the Capital Trail from Jamestown to Lewis Lawrence Jr County Park. Our first night in the tent.

We rode to Jamestown on the Colonial Parkway.

Note to self - it might be a good idea to put all the weight you plan to carry on your bike at least once before starting a cross country trip just to make sure your panniers fit your racks. Then make aure the bike shop put them together the same way…

After some trepidation over whether the panniers would fit on the bikes, and lots of waiting around for Paul to get it just right, we finally had everything loaded and said goodbye to the Sleep Inn.

3/17 Happy St Paddy’s Day! The luck ‘o the Irish was with us today.

At the end of the day, Stig said goodbye to his new friends. Now it’s just us and 4,270 miles to go.

We cycled 40.4 miles today. Our friends Sean and Bettina joined us. They helped with navigation, which is a good thing because Paul is still figuring out how his Hammerhead works.

We dipped our tires in the Atlantic Ocean. No where else to go but West now!

3/16 Today we rode the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown. Here we are at the Yorktown Monument, the official start of the TransAm Trail.

3/15 Keeping track of our miles, we rode 15.5 miles today. We tooled around Williamsburg and saw the Colonial part of town. Then rode through the campus of William & Mary College. A beautiful town with lots of history. Glad we started here.

3/15 Still figuring out this blogging thing. Here are more pictures at the bike shop. Bike shop Paul did a great job for us. My wheel was out of true, and Paul’s wheel was out of dish. He fixed both of those issues for us, and we got a water bottle, too! Paul affixed the water bottle cages and Stig is ready to ride!

3/15 In Williamsburg! Our bikes were ready for pick up. “Conte Bike Shop Paul” and Stig enjoyed a moment. 3/15

First food picture of the trip. Breakfast burritos at the airport!!

We got through security with plenty of time to get breakfast. Stig was not happy being upside down for the slog through the airport. But the jacket had no pockets.

Stig thought 3am was much too early to wake up and head to the airport. He was even more disgusted when Rhe remembered she had forgotten her carry-on pannier and we had to turn the car around to go pick it up.

In the end we got it all in the bags and we are ready to get to the airport. Tomorrow we get up at 3am and will be in Williamsburg at 7:46pm that evening. This will probably be our hardest day of the entire trip!

Stig is wondering how on earth we plan to pack all of this stuff!

Stig is showing you our route on the map. It’s the brown line with a green arrow where we plan to start and a red arrow where we plan to finish. We aren’t sure we will stay on the route the entire way. We’ll keep you posted as we go.

We plan to ride from Yorktown, VA to our house in Brien, WA, on the TransAmerica route in brown on this map. If we ride the whole route, it is 4,218 miles. You can follow our progress on this blog. Our buddy, Stig, is going to help us narrate the adventure.

Hello, world. This is Paul and Rhe. We are about one week from starting our cross-country ride. You can follow us here.