Solo tour

[MomOnBike]

I'm really doing it - riding from Seattle to Lincoln, that is. I'm sitting in a library of a town I'd never heard of until last night typing this.

I'm trying to keep up a journal, if you want to follow, it's at:

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/S2L

It's hot, I'm not in the shape I should be in for this, but durn it all, I'm doing it. So far, it's fun.

[Tri Girl]

YAY!!! Glad you're out there living your dream! Enjoy every experience (even the difficult ones). Will be following you on CGOAB!
Happy miles to you!! :)

edit: LOVE the rules on page 4. Hilarious (and great ones to live by). :)

[hebe]

Wow, great blog and pictures! I was laughing at "The Rules" too :) Have a wonderful trip, I look forward to reading more about your days.

[Melalvai]

That's amazing. I hope to do something like that one day.

[emily_in_nc]

It's hot, I'm not in the shape I should be in for this, but durn it all, I'm doing it. So far, it's fun.

Just read your entire journal so far and love it! Will be following along with you. Love that you are brave enough to do it solo, and love that you are riding a recumbent (is there a motor on that?! :D:D:D)

Very cool -- congrats on doing this!

[thekarens]

Great story and pics! Thanks so much for sharing!

[Possegal]

very awesome. Can't wait to read more as you continue on!

[sashadieken]

Wanda, you are my hero!! Hope you are having a wonderful day today, but you have such a great outlook on life and such a positive attitude, how could your day be anything but wonderful!

[bmccasland]

Wow! You go girl! :D

I've spent some quality time in Toppenish - dubs itself a mural capitol.

[Sky King]

Sounding Great, keep it up. I know that hill outside of Prosser, ugh. You are in for some rolling, rolling hills in the next few days with plenty of wheat.

[Slowspoke]

You go girl! You are an inspiration!

[tulip]

That is just great! Go Wanda and William!

[Suze]

Very fun to read about your trip. And whoosh, time flies ... feels like yesterday was May when I learned of your plan and suddenly, you're well underway!! It's great you're riding it, having fun, and taking the time to post. I look forward to catching up with the rest of your posts this evening. Just now I'm off to work.

[Penny4]

I'm enjoying your posts also, keep up the good work!

Oh, and I am now addicted to the crazyguyonabike site and found several other folks' stories that I am following, what a great site!

[Chicken Little]

WoooHOOO, you rock! Keep em coming!

[Jo-n-NY]

Wanda, I am wishing much luck on this fantastic ride. You are doing what many us just sit back and think about and solo no less. I am enjoying reading your journal. Keep it up!!!

[missjean]

So....you say you're drawn to the Devil's Tower? Any close encounters of the third kind that you want to tell us about?

(someone had to say it!;))

What a great trip! I would love to do something like that someday.

[velohobbit]

Wanda (and William and Bennet): Great journal on CGOB, great dream trip. Your attitude encourages me to lighten up already! Best wishes as you pedal on.

[Sky King]

Glad you chose to rent the van and drive through yellowstone, to bad you couldn't take more time and really see the park though. FYI,you drove right by the house I grew up in as you went through the entrance in Gardiner :)
I think your trip may be flying along now

[smittykitty]

Totally LOVING your blog! Thank you for sharing.

And my DH really likes you too! I read to him about all your beer/bar stops! You're his kinda rider. You (& Williams) know how to stop and enjoy a beer!

You are Totally AWESOME!!!!! What a tuff cookie.

[out_spokin']

So glad I hit up the touring section - a great read and inspiring! Keep the rubber side down...:cool:

[NadiaMac]

Great blog and amazing journey! I look forward to hearing more as you make your way across the country!

[mzone]

I can't believe it's over! I have greatly enjoyed reading about your trip, and have started thinking about doing my own someday.

[MomOnBike]

(Blushing)

Thanks, guys. It was quite some trip.

By the end, Bennet's poor little face got pretty darned dirty, and her smile was a little strained, but we made it.

Just a few random thoughts on my tour, and touring generally:

1) Yes, it is a long trip, but you don't do it all at once. You just get on your bike and pedal. Then tomorrow you do the same thing. Easy, really.

2) No matter where you go there are hills and headwinds. You don't have to love them, you just have to deal with them. I will probably never learn to love hills, but I got over some pretty challenging grades.

3) On a similar note, after I got home, I realized that I had chosen just about the hilliest route possible for that trip. No wonder I was getting tired of climbing toward the end.

4) I never thought of this as a particularly brave thing to do. OK, sometimes the traffic was more than was comfortable, but my mother's fears of strangers doing unspeakable things were wildly overwrought. I was constantly amazed at how nice strangers were to this tired, crabby, smelly person who just rode up on a weird bike. Those strangers made the tour the amazing journey that it was.

5) Keeping a journal is hard work. I joked after my last tour that writing up the trip is as hard as the trip itself. It wasn't really a joke, it is the absolute truth. Still, journaling is worth doing. I worked hard for those memories. I certainly don't want to forget them.

6) The same goes for pictures. I didn't take enough. It's not possible to take enough.

7) I had a lot of people say that they could never do that. OK, don't. This was my dream. I'm not forcing it on you, but if you do want to do it, just, you know, do it. It really isn't that hard. If your dream takes you somewhere else, I think you should do that.

8) And finally (until I think of something else, of course), I really couldn't have done this without my poor put-upon husband's help. He was my home support crew, sending supplies, coordinating rental vans, and finally riding the last three days with me. Yeah, I may have seemed alone, but I had a lot of help. That help, BTW, includes all my online buddies - you guys, in other words. Sometimes I could feel your good wishes helping me up the sides of mountains. (I wouldn't have minded if you had pushed a little harder, though.)


I'm working on adding pictures on Crazy Guy. It will take me a while, but I do think I got some good ones. It takes a while to sort through them. Be patient.

[bmccasland]

MoB - glad you had a fun ride. Sorry about not pulling you all those hills. ;)

[goldfinch]

I just read the entire journal and enjoyed it and the pictures. It makes me think that I could do something similar. Congratulations on the great trip.

[smittykitty]

I totally enjoyed reading about your ride. I found myself thinking about you while out riding.

Thanks for sharing.