Why are two crazy ladies riding across the United States?

Seven years ago while I was huffing and puffing to keep up with Ruth's running pace, she asked me if I would run across the USA with her.



You are crazy!" I gasped. "but I will cycle across the states with you."



We started planning the trip that day. We ordered the transcontinental maps from Adventure Cycling Association. Then Ruth's husband got a job in Evian, France, and we put our plans on hold.



Throughout the last seven years, we continued to discuss our trip. Then this last Fall, Bill and Ruth returned to Cincinnati. We looked at our maps again,checked into various cycling groups that are crossing the states this year, and kept pedaling on the back roads of southwestern Ohio.



As we learned the prices and the dates of the organized trips, we realized those trips would not work for us. We finally decided that a spring trip would work, and we decided on the Southern Tier Route. The maps route us through southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and then to our final designation - St. Augustine, Florida.

Throughout the trip we will stay in motels and bed&breakfasts and travel as lightly as possible. We plan to average eighty miles per day, take three rest days, and reach our destination on May 1st.



Our husbands are traveling with us the first two weeks. They will carry our gear for us and will be playing golf or attending spring training baseball games while we are cycling. Hurray for our very supportive husbands!



We will try to update the blog every day. Some nights we may be so tired that the only words we will be able to type are: "We made it!" We may be in a motel without a computer or cell coverage.



We will miss our family and friends along the trip. As St. Patrick's Day is approaching we think of this Irish Blessing:



May the road rise to meet you,



May the wind be always at your back,



May the sun shine warm upon your face,



The rains fall soft upon your fields and



Until we meet again,



May God hold you in the palm of his hand.



To All: Please Take Care! Love, Mary Jo and Ruth



Saturday, April 3, 2010

Day 14, Ft. Hancock, Tx. to Van Horn, Tx. 76 miles

We again started early and had the back country road to ourselves. Along the way we would see a few horses, some cattle, and one herd of goats.
There were no homes or stores, just rolling hills, sand, sage brush and mountains in the distance.
Approaching twenty miles we continued east on a frontage road of I-10. At one point we entered I-10 to go through the mandatory inspection by the border control.
We cycled into the only town on the route, Sierra Blanca, and met the guys for lunch.
We continued pedaling on the frontage road and in the desolate countryside, Ruth and Mary Jo reached 1000 miles-only two thousand more miles to go!
As we were celebrating Evelyn says, "Oh No!" Her front tire was flat. This time the team tackled the flat tire with precision. Within ten minutes the tire was changed and we were on our way. We were able to pump up the tire to one hundred psi with a new light-weight pump that Mary Jo purchased from Adventure Cycling.
During the last ten miles we sped downhill and were greeted by Don in the town of Van Horn, the crossroads of the Texas Mountain Trail.
Tomorrow we head out for Fort Davis and add 20 more miles for a third day in a row to Evelyn's tough training program (50, 70, 90).



Ruth, Mary Jo and Evelyn
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7 comments:

  1. NoraApril 3, 2010 at 4:26 PM

    Happy Easter!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elaine SchneiderApril 3, 2010 at 6:39 PM

    Welcome to the Central Standard Time Zone!!!
    ***Congrats on your FIRST K!!!*** GOOD GOING RUTH AND MARY JO!!! You are 1/3 finished!!!
    elaine and allen

    ReplyDelete
  3. JodeeApril 3, 2010 at 7:08 PM

    I hope you have a Blessed Easter....guess you will be having your own "Sunrise Service". Maybe you can sing some good old Easter hymns as you roll along the open road.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cynthia SmithApril 4, 2010 at 2:40 PM

    Hooray! One thousand miles! Amazing. We were out of town a few days and I was eager to get home and catch back up with you. Hope these flat tires stop!

    ReplyDelete
  5. John B.April 4, 2010 at 3:34 PM

    Happy Easter to you. Cooking for the family here in Seattle, but had to take time out to check on you.

    Is there a pool on who has the next flat tire?

    ReplyDelete
  6. julia kApril 4, 2010 at 3:41 PM

    Happy Easter-- what a glorious way to celebrate. The church was full or people and song, think of you and praying for safe travel. Julia K

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousApril 17, 2010 at 5:43 PM

    Good evening from DeRidder. You are the bomb. I only moved to about 12 miles east of DeRidder today. I thing that puts you about 20 miles ahead of me. Thanks for sharing lunch and your blog. Blessings as you finish the journey.

    John from KC

    ReplyDelete

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