There and Back Again

What a day. If I could sum it up in one word, it would be rollercoaster! It was a fun one though with loops and spins and wind in our hair.

Our plan to get pancakes for breakfast (Thank you Julia Paige for the delicious idea!) was foiled by a squeak in my bottom bracket (pictured below). Ryan helped me open that puppy up and tighten it down with a loaned bolt wrench from the awesome people at General Coffee State Park. Squeak currently averted… But with the late start, sadly, we had to forego the pancakes.

We hit the road around 10am with very sore legs and more wind than we’ve had yet. I found myself feeling empowered and in awe of the beautiful landscape and later near tears as my legs and hunger were yelling at me and the wind was pushing against my best efforts to stay in a high gear.

After a well earned stop at Zaxby’s for a meal, we pedaled into the evening looking for a place to pitch our tent for the night.

Attempts to find an open church didn’t pan out and the forests were going away in place of homes which meant we couldn’t hike off the road to camp. On top of that we were 15 miles away from the next town putting us there well after sunset.

We were starting to worry about finding a spot when a friendly couple working in their yard gave us hearty waves as we road past. We waved and kept riding but quickly concluded it was worth a shot to ask if they would let us camp on their land.

THANK YOU Rex and Pam for being so kind and generous!

We not only got a place to sleep, but a roof over our heads in a really cool old court room about 15x15ft with lights and power outlets. Pam brought us warm chicken noodle soup and we were given free reign of the fresh pecans all over the ground just outside the door AND a generous gift. WHAT?! So kind.

My favorite part was the sweet prayer from Rex (who is a pastor) blessing our journey and providing a needed pause in the day to reflect. Ahhh. A perfect ending to this rollercoaster of a day.

Route info for interested readers:

From General Coffee State Park we took highway 32 towards Douglas. In Douglas we hopped on State Highway 206 to Fitzgerald. From Fitzgerald we got on Highway 107 towards Ashburn. We stopped for the night 15 miles East of Ashburn

Today, Ryan and I biked 71 miles to get to a camp site with showers, and we are both extremely sore but proud to have pedaled ourselves and all our gear so far today!

We saw some GORGEOUS scenery, communed with horses and cows, met more nice people and even got $20 from a generous man at a gas station! It was put towards our $12 camp site tonight. The best thing about this campground? SHOWERS!!!!

Route information for interested readers:

We took bike route 10 from Waynesville (where we slept last night) to Waycross, then up State Highway 1 towards Alma up to Dixie Union. In Dixie Union we took a left onto Bickley Highway. In Bickley we got on Lucy Moore Road up to Nicholls.

Bickley Highway and Lucy Moore Road were the only two lane roads for today, but drivers were very courteous and there was a small shoulder to ride on. Once we hit Nicholls we took a left on to State Road 32 towards Douglas. We are camping at “General Coffee State Park” which is 6 miles before Douglas. The state park is quiet and scenic with a friendly staff.

This morning began with a delicious peanut butter sandwich in the Motel 6 followed by a beautiful bike to the Georgia coastline where we visited the St. Simon’s Lighthouse. Thank you to Missy who was biking by and stopped to kindly take our picture!

There were lots of big beautiful bridges to cross as we started our westbound trip but our favorite was climbing up to the top of the Sidney Lanier Bridge crossing the Brunswick River. It was seriously high up. 480ft to be exact! There were a lot of suicide hotline numbers up there.

We met some very nice and talkative people today, biked around 5 hours and 40 miles, ate as many cookies and as much peanut butter as our hearts desired, and finally bush whacked our way to a camping spot. SUCCESS! Day 1, it’s been fun.

Today we made it to the Georgia coast. Ryan’s dad Jon Wagner was SO kind to drive us and our bikes six hours into Georgia and drop us off at a Motel 6 for the night.

After a six mile walk to Walmart and back due to a flat tire on my bike and faulty pump that needed replaced, we are settled in for the night with a new portable pump, full bellies, and tired legs.

Tomorrow begins the real deal and we are both very ready to hit the road!!! Here goes nothin!!

Friends and family, meet the beautiful American made, 1990 Trek 520. Trek 520, meet my wonderful friends and family.

Ryan and I have spent the last two weeks carefully servicing our vintage road bikes. My steed of steal is almost ready to hit the road!
A few more bolts left to tighten and lots of camping gear left to pack. I can see the light! Counting down to takeoff tomorrow. Jon (Ryan’s very generous dad) is driving us into Georgia to give us a head start on our way to the Atlantic coast.

For interested readers – the work I have done so far on my bike:

• Serviced front and back wheel bearings
• Replaced tires on both wheels
• Replaced rear cassette and upgraded from 13-23 to 12-32 teeth for better hill climbing
• Serviced the bottom bracket
• Serviced the headset (longest and hardest part for me. Also the most gratifying! I found the perfect balance between smooth rotation and tightness with no play back and forth)
• Replaced handlebar stem with a shorter reach quill and higher stem
• Replaced bike seat
• Sanded, cured, and painted rust and scratches
• Replaced all brake and shifting cables
• Replaced handlebar tape
• Serviced chain
• Serviced front and back derailleurs
• Serviced front and back brakes
• SCRUBBED that whole puppy down with degreaser and an old t-shirt
• Installed front rack for panniers (saddle bags)
• Installed panniers

Slowly but surely I am falling deeply in love with this bike. Let’s ride!

Special thanks to Park Tools for your AMAZING tutorial videos.

Biggest thanks to Ryan for encouraging me to keep going on the bike and for helping to steady me when I needed it. And to Sue and Jon Wagner for your hospitality, company, and food! We had such a great time staying with you and love you both so much ❤️

Wow wow wow. Where have the days gone? It has been almost a month since our time in Mississippi, yet it still deserves a post. Unfortunately we forgot to take a picture with our lovely hosts, Trevor and Aubree ❤️

Thankfully, I did get photos of their beautiful little apartment! Aubree was a fantastic decorator and a lot of fun after spending so much time around testosterone rich individuals.

Trevor took us out on a beautiful hike near a lake. Their dog Bailey tagged along and we saw some really cool spiders and old trees. Bailey needed a hand crossing the bridge to the trail:

We ended the day with the best BBQ I’ve ever had from a little shack. Cheap and DELICIOUS! The last leg of our trip was waiting for the next morning and I was feeling worn down so turned in early. Only 8 more hours in the car until some hard earned down time!

A true bachelor pad, Larry and Jonah’s place in Austin, TX had the most laid back vibes I have been around in a while. It was great to spend time with some of Ryan’s oldest friends and I bonded so hard with their dog Oreo who was following me around by the end of our stay. Definitely can see a dog in our future 🐕

Austin Activities:

🔷 Live Music!! What is a visit to Austin without seeing some live music? We went to a hip hop joint and I enjoyed dancing after a looong day in the car.

🔷 Running!! This was how I started the first day there after waking up. I ran 2.6 miles to the Texas grocery giant H.E.B. for oatmeal, obligatory payback beer, and fruit. Running in the Austin heat at noon was much different than my typical mild San Diego runs. WHEW! What a sweaty workout!

🔷 Barton Springs!! Barton Springs pool measures three acres in size, and is fed from underground springs with an average temperature of 68-70 degrees. BRRR!! It was a pretty magical spot.

🔷 Staryn!! Finally getting to meet Ryan’s legendary cousin Starn. An Austin local with a rich and colorful life, Staryn and his girlfriend Missy took us to Uncle Billy’s BBQ and shared many adventure stories with us. Thank you for such a fun time and some seasoned perspective.

🔷 PARTYYY!! Ryan and his friends know how to have a good time. Thank you to all of the boys, Larry, Jonah, Craig, Chris, and Ryan for making me feel like I could let loose with no judgement! My favorite part of the night: wrestling in the front yard. I have legit bruises on both hips and many scrapes on my arms. Worth it.

We got a late start at 3pm for another 11 hour drive to Mississippi, but at this point we are veteran roadsters and took to the highway top down, ready to take on the night.

Thank you Bethany Gray and Derek Wilson for putting us up two nights in your cozy adobe style home in Albuquerque ❤️

What wonderful things happened on this far too brief stop with old friends? LOTS!! Lots of wonderful things that I will list to satisfy your interest:

🔶 ENCHILADAS!! Homemade enchiladas by Bethany. I wish I had taken a photo of the full plate of goodness. We weren’t hungry again for hours and it was glorious

🔶 WEEEEEDS!! We pulled weeds! I would have never imagined my 24 year old self being excited to go to a weed pulling party in a stranger’s backyard, but I was very excited. Thank you Momma for teaching me how to do it right. And thank you to Aria, Shaefer, Shane, and Brigid for trusting us with your backyard’s beauty.

🔶 KICK-BACK!! Thank you to Aria and Shaefer for taking us into your cute and homey abode post weed pulling and providing us with the New Mexico staple food: frito pies! Vegan style in the household 🦔

🔶 KIDS!!!! We got to meet and entertain Bethany’s cute and sweet charges: Leecey (9), Bird (6), and Mercy (1.5). I got my butt kicked playing soccer and scaling the jungle gym with them 🤸‍♀️

🔶 EXERCISE!!! I went for a VERY challenging and rewarding run in the hot high desert. The elevation had a noticeable effect on my breathing ability and the heat was a shock after mild San Diego weather. I’m stronger for it! 💪

🔶 FRONTIER!! If you ever find yourself in Albuquerque, this is where you should eat. They have incredible paintings through the entire giant restaurant and CHEAP delicious food. We had a feast for around $20 for three people.

🔶 POOL!!! Our last outing was enjoying pizza and pool with Bethany and Derek, both of whom are amazing players. Ryan and I got taken to school!

“A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they’re not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they’re not so bad.”

– Arnold H. Glasgow

Im so thankful to have a friend like Bethany. Thank you thank you thank you for making our stay memorable and warm ❤️

After a few grueling days of preparing to move: packing, sorting, tossing, donating, and eating the leftover crackers buried in our cabinets, Ryan and I hit the road September 22nd, 2019 at 3pm as homeless unemployed nomads.

Our steady steed is Ryan’s 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse which he put so much work into fixing up for our trip. The radio and climate control are luxuries that were not able to be fit into the repair schedule so we are making do with windows down and earplugs for the highway noise. This is surprisingly peaceful! I recommend.

Our drive took about 14 hours and we pulled into Albuquerque barely able to keep our eyes open on Sunday morning at 8am. My very good friend Bethany and her boyfriend Derek had a bed waiting for us. It was love at first sight and we were out like a light. Ready for the next couple of days in Albuquerque with fantastic friends!!

Many thanks to Jennifer Harris for helping us move, Heather Beck our property manager who is always so kind and easy to work with, and Brianna Lewis for babysitting my car while we are away and taking literally four crates of non-perishable food off our hands! We love you all and will miss you so much!

Bicycle touring means self-contained cycling trips for pleasure, adventure, and autonomy rather than sport, commuting, or exercise. Touring can range from single-to multi-day trips, even years. Tours may be planned by the participant or organised by a holiday business, a club, or a charity as a fund-raising venture.

Wikipedia

Our trip will be made along the southern tier route. We will begin at the Atlantic and won’t stop until we reach San Diego!

I am planning to purchase a totally new bike from Surly who specializes in touring bicycles, like this beauty here: Bridge Club Surly Touring Bike.

Gear is held by racks on the front and back of the bikes, so all I plan to have on my back is MAYBE a camelback 🙂 and maybe the back flap of a mullet hat to prevent sunburns… and to look cool.

So far my preparation has been rigorous. I have been eating lots of chocolate and butter to stock up energy I will need very soon. It’s hard work, but my future self will surely thank me for the sacrifice.