After being “home” for a few weeks and getting settled, we finally were able to get our first bike ride in. A nice 12 mile trip that lasted about an hour or so around the neighborhood and park was pretty nice. I pedaled at a comfortable pace to enjoy the view, I’m not really in a hurry so I don’t feel I need to exhaust myself…yet. Houses around here are really nice but my favorite is going past all the vineyards found almost everywhere. I like the branches and looking in the distance as you pass by them, how perfectly lined up they are!

I stopped to take a few pictures, something I plan on doing often during the actual trip. Speaking of the “actual” trip, we decided not to go all the way to Virginia in order to make it to Ryan’s cousin’s wedding in July. So we’re going to try to get to as far as we can and get back a few days before the wedding. We hope to make it to at least Kansas or Kentucky? I doubt we’ll make it that far, time crunch!

We’ve been spending a lot of our time working on our sites, buying stuff for the trip, but not much biking ;( we’re planning on getting a few rides with our weight to practice and figure out what to get rid of,  how it feels, yadda yadda.  We also have a few maintenance videos to watch such as changing tubes, tires, chains, etc. Looking forward to that. So, we’re looking at leaving May first! Woohooo!!! It’s weird thinking we’re actually doing this, it’s VERY close.

The route we’re taking is called the TransAmerica Trail: Established in 1976. Since then, thousands of cyclists have pedaled and pedaled to get to the other side of the country. Pretty cool history. One of the things I’m really looking forward to is meeting the “Cookie Lady“. Her name is June Curry and hosts hundreds of cyclists that ride the TransAm route year round. She started back in 76′ and continues to do so today at 88 yrs old.

She has a “Bike House” where people can crash and shower, eat, rest…whatever. Memorabilia surrounds the walls of this little house that goes back since the route was established, so cyclists from all over the world have left all kinds of stuff–she’s even kept a guest book. So we really want to meet her before she passes, cause she’s getting up there. Wish more people would be as kind :)

(Shortl mp3 about the Cookie Lady)

So, let the training begin!

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