Hello everyone we finally have a computer again to post with. It's probably a pretty good thing that we didn't post sooner though because Chris and I were both pretty miserable all through New Mexico. After the day in to Roswell we didn't think it could get any tougher but...
Day 19
On day 19 we headed out of Roswell to head towards Carrizozo, New Mexico and it was an incredibly eventful day full of ups and downs, both literally and figuratively. We left Roswell and headed straight up in to the Capitan Mountains. Although Capitan Peak loomed to the north at over 10,000 ft. we only climbed up to just over 7,000 ft. (which was plenty high for us). The climbing was the toughest we had faced yet and the wind didn't get any better. The day had some interesting sites as we passed through Lincoln, New Mexico, which is where Billy the Kid used to hang out. It was a really cool town, although we felt like we stepped back in time when we rode in. We also rode past the spot were Smokey the Bear was found. We didn't know there was an actual Smokey but I guess it was a bear cub that they found clinging to the top of a tree badly burned but still alive after a forest fire. Those were the high points of the day, the lows were the two separate thunder storms that we had to ride through, one of which hit when we were at our highest point (7,017 ft.) and was complete with hail and freezing cold wind. That made the descent out of the mountains a little tricky and we couldn't feel our hands or feet by the time we reached Carrizozo. It was a very interesting 92 miles and we've decided that the cooler the sites we see the more we get punished for it. Oh yeah and I forgot to mention that upon arriving in Carrizozo we found out that the motel had given our room away and all they had left was a room with a king size bed. I slept on top of the covers and Chris slept under them.
Day 20
On the morning of our 77 mile day from Carrizozo to Socorro, New Mexico I was on the phone with Lindsay and I told her that I thought we didn't have much climbing that day. Wow was I wrong. We rode through The Valley of Fires at the start of our ride which was a pretty desolate place and then we proceeded to climb in to the same strong headwind for most of the remainder of the day. I also had some tire/wheel issues that slowed our day down quite a bit with the 4 flats that I had to deal with. There was a light at the end of the tunnel though, Socorro Springs. When we got to Socorro there was a great brewery and restaurant called Socorro Springs that was right next to our hotel so we got some good food and great beer.
Day 21
On Day 21 we had what seemed like a never ending 107 mile journey from Socorro to Quemado, New Mexico. We went through 3 different mountain ranges, the largest of which was the Datil Mountains taking us up to about 8,100 ft. There was a lot more climbing and wind but that's no longer news. We met a group of guys from outside Chicago on Harley's heading to the Grand Canyon. They were really nice and we chatted with them for a while and took some pictures on the kind of bikes we wished we were on at that point in the day (motorized ones). We finally reached Quemado a little after dark to find the key to our room already in the door because the cafe that serves as the motel office was just closing up. We also couldn't get cell phone service anywhere in Quemado and there were no phones in the rooms so we couldn't make our nightly check in phone call to our parents and grandparents. As a result of missing this phone call we got 5:45am wake up from the woman who came to open the cafe saying there were numerous messages for us, some of which were from the state police who my mom & grandma had sent out looking for us. I think the people in Quemado thought we were a little crazy but at least Chris and I know that we are loved and have people worrying about us. Also when we got up in the morning there was a car across the street that had hit an elk in the middle of the night. Elk must be enormous because the car looked like someone had drove it in to a wall at 50 mph.
Sorry and I know we're not all caught up yet but it's been a very eventful week and we got a little distracted last night with my grandpa here in Phoenix with us. Also the disappointing Piston's game kept us up kind of late. We'll get all caught up next time we have a computer and we should be only be 5 days away so we don't have much more to post. Thanks for reading.
Don & Chris
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Days 16, 17 & 18
Alright we finally have a computer to use again so here's the past three days for you.
Day 16
We had a hard time getting to bed the night before because the Red Wings' game was a nail biter and a heart breaker. It was too bad they waited until the third period to start playing. At least we still have the Pistons. Anyways on Day 16 we headed from Haskell to Post, TX. Chris and I really didn't like the Texas roads that day. They seemed like someone just steamrolled gravel and were the bumpiest we've been on yet. I don't think the gps we use to navigate liked them either because it kept turning off on us. We also encountered an incredibly large, and very much alive snake. The total trip distance was about 108 miles, the last 60 of which we went through the middle of nowhere and there wasn't even a gas station to get water at. Chris was out of water and thought he was going to die with about 40 miles left to go. Thankfully the nice woman at the bunkhouse bed & breakfast in Clairemont saved his life and let him fill up his water bottles. I really don't think he would have made it without that. The terrain we rode through was very desolate, but was some of the most beautiful we've seen yet. So desolate that we couldn't find a place to get lunch and when we got to Post we each ate two Subway foot longs.
Day 17
Day 17 was 117.5 miles, but somehow it felt like our easiest day yet. We crossed in to New Mexico today, ending up in Tatum, NM, and we reached our 1500 mile mark. We got off to a late start due to the wild Thunderstorm that was going on when we woke up. Thankfully that broke and we got on the road. At the start of the day we had a big climb up to about 4000ft. and then the rest of the day was pretty much flat as we rode across what a bunch of elderly men sitting at a gas station called the "high plains." As we got in to New Mexico we saw a rather strange sight as there was a giant longhorn (a cow) walking across the middle of US-380 (the road we spent the whole day riding on). It was a crazy sight and I tried to get my camera out to get a pic but by the time I did the longhorn was over rubbing noses with the girl cows across the street over there fence. It was all rather confusing and almost made Chris run me over because he wasn't paying attention to the road. Then we got to the ghost town of Tatum, NM were we got to stay at the lovely Sands Motel (there is a hint of sarcasm there). It was an absolute dump where we slept covered from head to toe and were scared to touch the floor. When we went to check out at around 7 the next morning there was a sign up that said be back at three. I really hope that he got the key because we just slipped it behind the glass. I'm still not sure how you run a motel when you are gone for 8 hours of the day.
Day 18
On day 18 we hurried out of Tatum to head to Roswell, NM. It was supposed to be a short and easy day of only 75 miles. It turned out to be anything but that as we faced the strongest headwind we've seen yet (and probably the strongest I've ever ridden in to). It made the day incredibly frustrating, although Chris got through it by simply laughing at my frustration. We saw more of the usual on the ride, snakes & cows, as well as a lot of antelope. We didn't know that they had antelope in New Mexico. But the real story starts when we got to Roswell. I knew that there was the whole alien crash site deal, but I didn't know it was this big. Even their McDonald's is shaped like a UFO here. We went to go check out the UFO museum but got there just a few minutes after it closed. According to my mom (who has been there for some reason) we didn't miss much at all.
Today we head out of Roswell to Carrizozo, NM to stay at the Rainbow Inn. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it is nicer than the Sands Motel. Oh yeah and I've got great news, Chris doesn't fall over anymore, now he just rides off the road occasionally.
Thanks for reading and we hope to talk to you all again soon.
Don & Chris
Day 16
We had a hard time getting to bed the night before because the Red Wings' game was a nail biter and a heart breaker. It was too bad they waited until the third period to start playing. At least we still have the Pistons. Anyways on Day 16 we headed from Haskell to Post, TX. Chris and I really didn't like the Texas roads that day. They seemed like someone just steamrolled gravel and were the bumpiest we've been on yet. I don't think the gps we use to navigate liked them either because it kept turning off on us. We also encountered an incredibly large, and very much alive snake. The total trip distance was about 108 miles, the last 60 of which we went through the middle of nowhere and there wasn't even a gas station to get water at. Chris was out of water and thought he was going to die with about 40 miles left to go. Thankfully the nice woman at the bunkhouse bed & breakfast in Clairemont saved his life and let him fill up his water bottles. I really don't think he would have made it without that. The terrain we rode through was very desolate, but was some of the most beautiful we've seen yet. So desolate that we couldn't find a place to get lunch and when we got to Post we each ate two Subway foot longs.
Day 17
Day 17 was 117.5 miles, but somehow it felt like our easiest day yet. We crossed in to New Mexico today, ending up in Tatum, NM, and we reached our 1500 mile mark. We got off to a late start due to the wild Thunderstorm that was going on when we woke up. Thankfully that broke and we got on the road. At the start of the day we had a big climb up to about 4000ft. and then the rest of the day was pretty much flat as we rode across what a bunch of elderly men sitting at a gas station called the "high plains." As we got in to New Mexico we saw a rather strange sight as there was a giant longhorn (a cow) walking across the middle of US-380 (the road we spent the whole day riding on). It was a crazy sight and I tried to get my camera out to get a pic but by the time I did the longhorn was over rubbing noses with the girl cows across the street over there fence. It was all rather confusing and almost made Chris run me over because he wasn't paying attention to the road. Then we got to the ghost town of Tatum, NM were we got to stay at the lovely Sands Motel (there is a hint of sarcasm there). It was an absolute dump where we slept covered from head to toe and were scared to touch the floor. When we went to check out at around 7 the next morning there was a sign up that said be back at three. I really hope that he got the key because we just slipped it behind the glass. I'm still not sure how you run a motel when you are gone for 8 hours of the day.
Day 18
On day 18 we hurried out of Tatum to head to Roswell, NM. It was supposed to be a short and easy day of only 75 miles. It turned out to be anything but that as we faced the strongest headwind we've seen yet (and probably the strongest I've ever ridden in to). It made the day incredibly frustrating, although Chris got through it by simply laughing at my frustration. We saw more of the usual on the ride, snakes & cows, as well as a lot of antelope. We didn't know that they had antelope in New Mexico. But the real story starts when we got to Roswell. I knew that there was the whole alien crash site deal, but I didn't know it was this big. Even their McDonald's is shaped like a UFO here. We went to go check out the UFO museum but got there just a few minutes after it closed. According to my mom (who has been there for some reason) we didn't miss much at all.
Today we head out of Roswell to Carrizozo, NM to stay at the Rainbow Inn. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it is nicer than the Sands Motel. Oh yeah and I've got great news, Chris doesn't fall over anymore, now he just rides off the road occasionally.
Thanks for reading and we hope to talk to you all again soon.
Don & Chris
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Days 11-15
Alright everyone, we finally have a computer to post with so we have a lot of catching up to do I'll give a little day by day run down here.
Day 11
On day 11 we rode from Marshall to Mineola, TX. It was a short day at only 82 miles but we reached our 1000 mile mark! We stayed at a bed & breakfast that was incredibly nice and had the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. It was called the Fall Farms Country Inn and if you ever find yourself in the area I would highly recommend it (although I'm not sure most of you ever will). Even everyone we met there was incredibly nice. The Falls (the man & woman who ran and owned the place) actually let us borrow their car to go get food for dinner because all the restaurants were over 5 miles away. Also we met a group of sister's that were also staying there that were incredibly nice and are now actually blog readers. Staying at this romantic little b&b did present one problem though, only one giant bed in the room. We also had a tv room attached to our room so I slept on the pullout in there. We had another surprise when we were out picking up dinner and looked for somewhere to pick up a six-pack to celebrate reaching 1000 miles. It turned out the closest place was about 20 miles away, that was a bit of a shock.
Day 12
On day 12 we left the b&b bright and early to head to Dallas to meet my dad who came down to spend a night with us. On the day that we really wanted to get there early it seemed like everything was against us. Somehow Chris got two flats (our first ones of the trip) and we had a small directions mishap that sent us about 12 miles out of the way. We must have been really excited to get there though because the 96 mile day brought our moving average up to 13.7 miles per hour. It was great to see my dad and we got an incredible dinner at Del Frisco's (a local steakhouse). We also visited a few bars in the area and had a good time that night.
Day 13
We finally had a rest day! We were incredibly lazy and spent most of the day sleeping. I did have to get on the bike for about ten miles to go pick up some much needed parts at a local bike shop, however Chris couldn't come because he managed to get another flat without leaving the hotel room by snapping the valve stem off his tube.
Day 14
On day 14 we left civilization and headed out of Dallas to Jacksboro, TX. The total mileage for the day was just under 100. It was a pretty dreary day and although it only drizzled a bit we didn't really see the sun all day. It made it tough to really be motivated but we still managed to get through the day pretty easily. We felt like we were riding on an interstate for part of the day which was pretty frightening but that didn't last for too long and at least there was a big shoulder. Also we get more and more frightened of snakes every day because somehow the snake roadkill just keeps getting bigger. We also encountered our first live snake but it was just a little guy and not too scary.
Day 15
Today we rode from Jacksboro to Haskell, TX which was just over 100 miles. It felt like the easiest hundred miles we've ridden yet and seemed to fly by. It was nice that we were in the middle of nowhere and cars were very scarce so we could ride side by side and talk almost the entire day. Also we are finally getting in to what Chris and I thought Texas would really be like: hot, windy, flat, kind of deserty and with lots of cacti. We also saw a crazy looking river that I'll put up a picture of when we finally do post pictures. It was so red that it almost didn't look like water.
Sorry that was so long and I'll try to blog more frequently but we can only do it when we have a computer available. Anyways thanks for reading and we now have to go catch the end of the Red Wings game.
Don & Chris
Day 11
On day 11 we rode from Marshall to Mineola, TX. It was a short day at only 82 miles but we reached our 1000 mile mark! We stayed at a bed & breakfast that was incredibly nice and had the best homemade chocolate chip cookies I've ever had. It was called the Fall Farms Country Inn and if you ever find yourself in the area I would highly recommend it (although I'm not sure most of you ever will). Even everyone we met there was incredibly nice. The Falls (the man & woman who ran and owned the place) actually let us borrow their car to go get food for dinner because all the restaurants were over 5 miles away. Also we met a group of sister's that were also staying there that were incredibly nice and are now actually blog readers. Staying at this romantic little b&b did present one problem though, only one giant bed in the room. We also had a tv room attached to our room so I slept on the pullout in there. We had another surprise when we were out picking up dinner and looked for somewhere to pick up a six-pack to celebrate reaching 1000 miles. It turned out the closest place was about 20 miles away, that was a bit of a shock.
Day 12
On day 12 we left the b&b bright and early to head to Dallas to meet my dad who came down to spend a night with us. On the day that we really wanted to get there early it seemed like everything was against us. Somehow Chris got two flats (our first ones of the trip) and we had a small directions mishap that sent us about 12 miles out of the way. We must have been really excited to get there though because the 96 mile day brought our moving average up to 13.7 miles per hour. It was great to see my dad and we got an incredible dinner at Del Frisco's (a local steakhouse). We also visited a few bars in the area and had a good time that night.
Day 13
We finally had a rest day! We were incredibly lazy and spent most of the day sleeping. I did have to get on the bike for about ten miles to go pick up some much needed parts at a local bike shop, however Chris couldn't come because he managed to get another flat without leaving the hotel room by snapping the valve stem off his tube.
Day 14
On day 14 we left civilization and headed out of Dallas to Jacksboro, TX. The total mileage for the day was just under 100. It was a pretty dreary day and although it only drizzled a bit we didn't really see the sun all day. It made it tough to really be motivated but we still managed to get through the day pretty easily. We felt like we were riding on an interstate for part of the day which was pretty frightening but that didn't last for too long and at least there was a big shoulder. Also we get more and more frightened of snakes every day because somehow the snake roadkill just keeps getting bigger. We also encountered our first live snake but it was just a little guy and not too scary.
Day 15
Today we rode from Jacksboro to Haskell, TX which was just over 100 miles. It felt like the easiest hundred miles we've ridden yet and seemed to fly by. It was nice that we were in the middle of nowhere and cars were very scarce so we could ride side by side and talk almost the entire day. Also we are finally getting in to what Chris and I thought Texas would really be like: hot, windy, flat, kind of deserty and with lots of cacti. We also saw a crazy looking river that I'll put up a picture of when we finally do post pictures. It was so red that it almost didn't look like water.
Sorry that was so long and I'll try to blog more frequently but we can only do it when we have a computer available. Anyways thanks for reading and we now have to go catch the end of the Red Wings game.
Don & Chris
Friday, May 18, 2007
Day 10
We're in Texas! We had a long day yesterday of about 115 miles in just over 8 hours of riding. We got in a little after dark last night but other than that it was a pretty uneventful day. Our moving average has gone up to 13.5 mph overall for the whole trip. Today we have a shorter day as we head to a little bed & breakfast place in Mineola, TX and then on Saturday we meet my dad in Dallas for a good dinner and a nice hotel and we're even gonna take a rest day on Sunday. We'll its time to hit the road now, thanks for reading.
Don & Chris
Don & Chris
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Day 9
Today we left Vicksburg and headed in to Louisiana. After 116 miles and 11 hours (8:20 were riding) we made it to Ruston, LA. The morning had its fair share of hang-ups though. First we started heading out of Vicksburg and we had to cross the mighty Mississippi River. It turns out that they are doing construction on the bridge that allows bikes, and we would get arrested if we tried to ride on I-20. This created a little dilemma but after about an hour and a half we ended up getting a ride over with a bridge worker in his pickup truck (I didn't count those three miles in our total for today). Also during that hour and a half of waiting I somehow managed to step on a fire ant hill and get fire ants all over and inside my shoe. My ankle is still red from all the little bites and it took a while to get all the ants off my shoe. Also right after we got over the bridge Chris had his hardest fall yet, but don't worry it was still while stopped. After the eventful morning it was smooth sailing to Ruston. Also we determined that drivers in West Monroe hate cyclists and the area between West Monroe and Ruston looked just like northern Michigan and was absolutely beautiful.
Tomorrow we have another long day ahead of us as we head out of Louisiana and make our way to Marshal, TX. Thanks for reading and we're exhausted so it's bed time.
Don & Chris
Tomorrow we have another long day ahead of us as we head out of Louisiana and make our way to Marshal, TX. Thanks for reading and we're exhausted so it's bed time.
Don & Chris
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Day 8
Today we completed our 3rd state (fourth according to Chris cuz he likes to count South Carolina) and are staying in Vicksburg, MS right on the Mississippi and Louisiana border. That means we have five states left to go. Today was our longest day, just over 110 miles, taking us 8hours. The first 60 miles were probably the most painful so far and then based on some advice from Ryan (Chris's older brother) we tried these little energy things at the gas station called 5 hour energy. Somehow they brought us both back to life and Chris actually smiled for the first time in two days. Not even the massive thunderstorm that we went through could slow us down on our last 50 miles. We arrived soaking wet and with a new feeling of confidence to Vicksburg around 7 tonight. We actually had time to walk down to the river and check out the historic town and get a nice dinner tonight. Tomorrow we've got another day that will be about the same distance as we head to Ruston, LA. At least we get to see a new state and we are both in high spirits after this afternoon.
Also on a side note we just wanted to tell everyone reading this blog that doesn't already know what exactly we are doing. We are riding across the county to raise money for Sarcoma (a soft tissue cancer) research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The ride is in honor of Mary Beth Knox, an incredible person that was lost to this terrible disease only a few months ago. We are collecting donations on a pledge per mile basis, were completing the ride will be three thousand miles. This means that just a penny a mile comes out to $30, and as cliche as it sounds, every penny counts. We will then collect checks made out directly to UMCCC after we complete the ride. To pledge or if you have any questions at all feel free to e-mail me at cummingd@msu.edu or simply leave a comment and I'll be sure to address it.
Thanks,
Don & Chris
Also on a side note we just wanted to tell everyone reading this blog that doesn't already know what exactly we are doing. We are riding across the county to raise money for Sarcoma (a soft tissue cancer) research at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The ride is in honor of Mary Beth Knox, an incredible person that was lost to this terrible disease only a few months ago. We are collecting donations on a pledge per mile basis, were completing the ride will be three thousand miles. This means that just a penny a mile comes out to $30, and as cliche as it sounds, every penny counts. We will then collect checks made out directly to UMCCC after we complete the ride. To pledge or if you have any questions at all feel free to e-mail me at cummingd@msu.edu or simply leave a comment and I'll be sure to address it.
Thanks,
Don & Chris
Monday, May 14, 2007
Days 6 & 7
We finally finished a whole week on the road. Other than the pain the last two day's have been pretty uneventful, but here's a little run down anyways.
Day 6
On our 6th day we left our wonderful room at the embassy sweets to head to Demopolis, AL. Due to our fun night in Montgomery we didn't get on the road until after 11 and that made it a really long day. We were also still hurting from the night before which didn't help at all. We went on a country road for almost an hour that ended up having a bridge out so we had to turn around and find a new way. That brought our total mileage for the day up to about 103 miles and we spent a total of 7hours 42minutes on the bikes. We ended up sprinting for about the last hour to race daylight and make it to the hotel before dark. Unfortunately we had to ride in the dark for a bit but we made it alright and learned we need to get on the road early. And on a side note, never go to Uniontown, AL. It makes downtown Detroit look like a peaceful suburb. We were in and out of there very quickly.
Day 7
Chris really didn't like today. I think it was the first time he stopped talking the entire trip. It was a short day though, only 82 miles in just over 6 hours riding time. We got to the hotel by 5 and plan to get to bed really early tonight. We are still averaging over 13 mph and making good time. Our butts just keep getting worse...we really hope that this pain goes away before California. Chris has also invented two games to keep himself amused. He counts armadillo roadkill (which there is a lot of, they must be terrible at avoiding cars) and he moo's at all the cows we pass to see how many of them he can get to look at us. I think the heat may be starting to get to him.
Well tomorrow we are headed for Vicksburg, MS and it should be a little over a hundred miles so we have a long day ahead of us. Thanks for reading and we'll talk to you all again soon.
Don & Chris
Day 6
On our 6th day we left our wonderful room at the embassy sweets to head to Demopolis, AL. Due to our fun night in Montgomery we didn't get on the road until after 11 and that made it a really long day. We were also still hurting from the night before which didn't help at all. We went on a country road for almost an hour that ended up having a bridge out so we had to turn around and find a new way. That brought our total mileage for the day up to about 103 miles and we spent a total of 7hours 42minutes on the bikes. We ended up sprinting for about the last hour to race daylight and make it to the hotel before dark. Unfortunately we had to ride in the dark for a bit but we made it alright and learned we need to get on the road early. And on a side note, never go to Uniontown, AL. It makes downtown Detroit look like a peaceful suburb. We were in and out of there very quickly.
Day 7
Chris really didn't like today. I think it was the first time he stopped talking the entire trip. It was a short day though, only 82 miles in just over 6 hours riding time. We got to the hotel by 5 and plan to get to bed really early tonight. We are still averaging over 13 mph and making good time. Our butts just keep getting worse...we really hope that this pain goes away before California. Chris has also invented two games to keep himself amused. He counts armadillo roadkill (which there is a lot of, they must be terrible at avoiding cars) and he moo's at all the cows we pass to see how many of them he can get to look at us. I think the heat may be starting to get to him.
Well tomorrow we are headed for Vicksburg, MS and it should be a little over a hundred miles so we have a long day ahead of us. Thanks for reading and we'll talk to you all again soon.
Don & Chris
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Comments
Chris and I also just want to thank everyone for their comments. Its great to hear from all of you and the support means a lot to us.
Good job Ross.
Thanks DeFrain's, congrats on finishing the 1L Sarah, and almost happy birthday to you too Annie.
Kate & Raz,
We really wanted to keep one but we decided that might not be the best idea. But we can pretend we named one of them spot if you would like.
Mom you seem to be doing pretty good at this blog thing so far, we're impressed.
Don & Chris
Good job Ross.
Thanks DeFrain's, congrats on finishing the 1L Sarah, and almost happy birthday to you too Annie.
Kate & Raz,
We really wanted to keep one but we decided that might not be the best idea. But we can pretend we named one of them spot if you would like.
Mom you seem to be doing pretty good at this blog thing so far, we're impressed.
Don & Chris
Day 5
Yesterday we had a 90 mile ride from Columbus, GA to Montgomery, AL. We're just about to get on the road for Demopolis, AL but we had a little bit of fun last night so we are a little slow getting started. My parents put us up in an Embassy Suites which we are incredibly thankful for, and they have free cocktails at happy hour. I'm not sure how that is gonna make us feel today but we definitely had a good time last night. The ride yesterday wasn't too bad but the heat seems to be getting to us a little bit. We rode great for the first 40 miles yesterday and then the next 40 were tough. We seemed to find a burst of energy for the last 10 when we realized we were almost here. We are still averaging over 13 miles an hour, our butts still hurt, and Chris is still managing to fall over while stopped. We'll post again soon.
Don & Chris
Don & Chris
Friday, May 11, 2007
Days 2, 3 & 4
Hey everyone we just got to Columbus, GA and we finally have a hotel with a computer so I guess we'll give you a day by day run down of the last three days.
Day 2
Our ride from Savannah to Vidalia was pretty painful for both Chris and I. It ended up being a total of 87.5 miles, which was a lot more than we originally expected and I'm not sure we were ready for it. The five dogs that chased us (2 pit bulls, 2 rottweilers and a lab) and the pouring rain that soaked all our gear and made everything weigh twice as much definitely didn't make the ride any easier. Oh yeah and there was a pretty terrible headwind coming out of Savannah. The whole ride took us 6hours 42minutes and somehow we managed to average thirteen mph again.
Day 3
On our third day we road from Vidalia to Hawkinsville, GA. We picked up some pepper spray to protect ourselves from the vicious dogs and instead had a very different dog encounter. About half way through our ride we came across a box of puppies that someone dumped on the side of the road. There were six of them and they were absolutely adorable. We gave them all the water we had and a few clif bars and crackers and played with them while we called every humane society, animal control and vet in the area. After about an hour we realized that people in Georgia for some reason don't care about abandoned puppies so we put five of them in the box and strapped it to the rack on the back of my bike. The sixth one was too small to put in with the others so Chris carried it in one of his bags. We rode off with them about 35 miles from any kind of town not exactly sure what we were going to do. About ten miles down the road we waved down a woman delivering mail to ask her if she had any idea what we could do. It turned out that her daughter was a veterinarian a few counties over that does pet adoption so she took the puppies and was taking them there right after she was done with her route. Thankfully everything worked out and I plan to send her a thank you card when we get to California. Other than that the day went well and felt pretty easy. We went about 74 miles and averaged about 13.5 mph. It was a really hot day and we got some pretty funny tan lines.
Day 4
We didn't know that there would be this much climbing in Georgia. Today we rode from Hawkinsville to Columbus, GA, a total of 98.3 miles. Basically it was our first century. We did well though averaging over 13 mph even with the roughly 5000 ft of elevation we faced today. It was a lot of up and down all day long. The whole ride took us 7 and a half hours and was pretty uneventful other than the dreadful heat, although I don't think it's gonna get any cooler any time soon.
Well thanks to everyone who looks at this and is keeping tabs on us along the way. Ross we love you too. Hopefully we'll be able to post again soon.
Don & Chris
Day 2
Our ride from Savannah to Vidalia was pretty painful for both Chris and I. It ended up being a total of 87.5 miles, which was a lot more than we originally expected and I'm not sure we were ready for it. The five dogs that chased us (2 pit bulls, 2 rottweilers and a lab) and the pouring rain that soaked all our gear and made everything weigh twice as much definitely didn't make the ride any easier. Oh yeah and there was a pretty terrible headwind coming out of Savannah. The whole ride took us 6hours 42minutes and somehow we managed to average thirteen mph again.
Day 3
On our third day we road from Vidalia to Hawkinsville, GA. We picked up some pepper spray to protect ourselves from the vicious dogs and instead had a very different dog encounter. About half way through our ride we came across a box of puppies that someone dumped on the side of the road. There were six of them and they were absolutely adorable. We gave them all the water we had and a few clif bars and crackers and played with them while we called every humane society, animal control and vet in the area. After about an hour we realized that people in Georgia for some reason don't care about abandoned puppies so we put five of them in the box and strapped it to the rack on the back of my bike. The sixth one was too small to put in with the others so Chris carried it in one of his bags. We rode off with them about 35 miles from any kind of town not exactly sure what we were going to do. About ten miles down the road we waved down a woman delivering mail to ask her if she had any idea what we could do. It turned out that her daughter was a veterinarian a few counties over that does pet adoption so she took the puppies and was taking them there right after she was done with her route. Thankfully everything worked out and I plan to send her a thank you card when we get to California. Other than that the day went well and felt pretty easy. We went about 74 miles and averaged about 13.5 mph. It was a really hot day and we got some pretty funny tan lines.
Day 4
We didn't know that there would be this much climbing in Georgia. Today we rode from Hawkinsville to Columbus, GA, a total of 98.3 miles. Basically it was our first century. We did well though averaging over 13 mph even with the roughly 5000 ft of elevation we faced today. It was a lot of up and down all day long. The whole ride took us 7 and a half hours and was pretty uneventful other than the dreadful heat, although I don't think it's gonna get any cooler any time soon.
Well thanks to everyone who looks at this and is keeping tabs on us along the way. Ross we love you too. Hopefully we'll be able to post again soon.
Don & Chris
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Day 1
We made it to Savannah! Today was our first day on the road and all in all it wasn't too bad. We spent the first hour working out the kinks and getting used to having all the added weight on the bikes...but although it was eventful it wasn't too bad. I had one of my bags go in to my rear wheel and knock it out of true...and almost knock me off the bike. Chris just fell over once when he was stopped, that was rather entertaining. Also Chris had one of his bags fall off his bike and get run over by a car, atleast it wasn't him. Oh yeah, and our plan was to take a picture at all of the state signs when we got to new states but today the sign was on the side of a busy bridge, and there was a sign right next to it that said no bikes or pedestrians. Needless to say we didn't hang out there to take a pic. Today ended up being 45 miles and we averaged about 13 miles per hour, not too bad for our first day(only our butts are sore).
Tonight we just got a bite to eat in Savannah and walked around the city. It's a really cool city and I'm glad we got a chance to stop here. Tomorrow we're off to the middle of nowhere...Vidalia, GA. It will be a little longer day so we're gonna leave bright and early. Hopefully I'll be able to find a computer to keep you all updated soon.
Donald
Tonight we just got a bite to eat in Savannah and walked around the city. It's a really cool city and I'm glad we got a chance to stop here. Tomorrow we're off to the middle of nowhere...Vidalia, GA. It will be a little longer day so we're gonna leave bright and early. Hopefully I'll be able to find a computer to keep you all updated soon.
Donald
Monday, May 7, 2007
Last Day of Freedom
Well...Chris and I got down to Daufuskie Island, SC today to have a day of R&R before we hit the open road. We've got everything all ready and it looks like this long awaited moment is finally here. We had a small setback last night when Chris almost got arrested...he got pulled over for speeding and didn't have his license on him. The Kentucky police officer was convinced Chris didn't actually have a drivers license and was gonna take him to jail to prove his point. Thankfully Chris showed up in the computer and it all worked out. Tomorrow we have a short day, just heading from here over to Savannah, GA so we can get used to the new bikes and carrying all the gear. We'll be in a hotel then as well so I'll let everyone know how the first day goes. Thanks everybody and wish us luck!
Don & Chris
Don & Chris
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
My First Post
Hey everybody, i'm new to this whole blogging thing so I thought I'd put up my first post so I had an idea what I was doing before we got on the road. Just to give an update, Chris and I will be heading down to South Carolina this Sunday and will rest for a day and then got on the bikes on Tuesday to start our journey. Also I just want to thank everyone for their support already, it means a lot. Thanks to all of you that read this and feel free to comment on anything I put up. It would be great to see what any of you have to say along the way.
Donald
Donald
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