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



Sunday, April 11, 2010

Day 22, Wimberley to Austin, Texas, 47 miles

Today was a day of wrong turns (bonus miles.) We started after a fabulous breakfast of blueberry pancakes.
We rode in a drizzle all morning.
After an hour we made a wrong turn and realized that we were riding into the small town of Driftwood instead of Buda. With our maps and trusty smart phones we were able to navigate an alternate route and soon we were approaching Austin.
We followed the First Ave. South into Austin and soon we reached our hotel or what we thought was our hotel. The Garden Hilton was actually one block away from the Convention Hilton.
We took long hot soothing showers to wash away all the grime and grease on our bodies.
After revitalizing ourselves, we walked to Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop, owned by Lance Armstrong. Ruth bought another rear light and because her rear tire is losing air everynight, she had a new tube put in her rear tire. Mary Jo had her chain cleaned and lubed and more air in the tires and all was done for free. Thank-you Lance Armstrong!
We are heading out for celebatory drinks and dinner. Tonight is Evelyn's last night. We will truly miss Evelyn. She has kept us focused on safe riding and we will miss her exclamations of "Oh Noooo!" when another of the many hills came into sight.

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle." - Ernest Hemingway

Stay turned for the Hill Country Sweepstakes. Ruth, Evelyn, and Mary Jo
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6 comments:

  1. UnknownApril 11, 2010 at 4:19 PM

    Congratulations on making it to Austin! I hope you enjoy a fabulous rest day, and I hope the tailwinds outnumber the headwinds in the days to come!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MaxannaApril 11, 2010 at 5:22 PM

    What a wonderful day! Even with the drizzle. And I do know you're going to miss Evelyn. Enjoy Austin- and know this loyal fan is anxiously awaiting the next installment of this most exciting series!

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  3. AnonymousApril 11, 2010 at 8:35 PM

    Enjoy the rest day! Hopefully the weather will improve.
    Dan

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jon MorleyApril 13, 2010 at 4:54 PM

    Thank god for smart phones!

    ReplyDelete
  5. HiHoOhioApril 13, 2010 at 6:11 PM

    You are so close to my home I can feel it!!!! Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousApril 16, 2010 at 6:57 AM

    Following you is so much fun! We had an LLCPAC meeting this week--we missed your wisdom. Keep on truckin' on! Marty

    ReplyDelete

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