Well, I'm going to start doing some catching up on this blog! I have had a lot of people ask me when I'm going to get my stories on here so they can follow along, so I'm going to try to be better at that.
I'll be grouping the first part of my trip together into a few posts, and then hopefully I can start writing day to day! Enjoy :)
The Beginning-Getting Ready
Getting ready for the trip was definitely not a walk in the park. It took a lot more planning and packing then I ever thought possible! I finally got all of my gear together and had a pretty good idea of how it was all going to fit together. My mom kept telling me to take all of my gear and go for a test ride, but because of my busy schedule and over-confidence, I didn't get around to it. (Oops. That will bite me in the butt later!)
I was planning on bringing my dog, Scout, with me to "Protect me and keep me company."
(Picture of Scout)
I had read a lot of other blogs about cyclists who had brought their dogs on long-distance tours, so I didn't think it would be a problem. I bought a used kids trailer, destroyed it, then reconstructed it into something my dog would be comfortable in.
(Before and after pictures of trailer)
I bought most of my gear used on Amazon.com, and usually steered clear of name brands and expensive products. I figured I could make do with "good enough."
I bought my tent from Walmart for under $30, my sleeping bag for $30, and I planned on using some of my comfortable running shoes.
San Francisco
We packed up the van with all the gear and children. My mom and a few of the younger siblings planned to take me to San Francisco and make a vacation out of it, while following me for the first week or so to make sure I got a handle on the whole "biking across America" thing.
(Picture of the van packed up)
(picture of the house) Saying goodbye to the ol' house
We spent some time in San Francisco enjoying the big city before the drop off.
(pictures of San Francisco with Captions)
when it finally came time for the drop off, we stopped at the designated park to get everything situated and get me on my way. It was the first time I had tried putting all of my gear together (I know, I know. Bad call.) I got the trailer hooked up, the dog situated, and all of the gear on the bike. It turned out to be too much weight. I tried riding it up a small hill, and the chain kept slipping in the lowest gear due to the amount of weight. Frustrated, we decided to regroup and figure out a solution the following day.
We had to say goodbye to Scout and the trailer, and a lot of the heavier food and unnecessary gear I had planned to keep in the trailer.
Finally, with a much lighter load, I was off!
(picture of me and my gear)
It was a short ride to the campground I was to meet my family at. I was a little wobbly on the bike, trying to get used to all the weight. I really should have listened to my wise and all-knowing mother when she told me to take it for a ride back home.
The next few days I continued to get a hang of the cycling while meeting my family along the way in campgrounds. Unfortunately, my phone died, so I don't have a lot of pictures from California.
The ride was gorgeous! My route took me through Vineyards and Orchards, along rivers, and through the most beautiful parts of California.
What a perfect, somewhat rough start to an amazing adventure! :)
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