My wife says I'm happiest when I'm outside going some place. She's right. Over the last two years I spent my available time hiking on the Appalachian Trial, covering the southern states from Springer Mountain in Georgia to mid Virginia.
But I felt I was due for a change of pace and maybe a bike ride would be the ticket. I've done several short tours and one long one, but I've been itching for a tour that would span several month. I knew I'd do an extended tour some day if either I won a lottery or retired, whichever came first. Well it happened ... I retired. :)
With the sub freezing temperatures outside, and me underfoot all the time, It wasn't hard to convince Julia I needed to hit the road. And the sooner the better.
So, the plan so far is to ride Adventure Cycling's Southern Tier route from San Diego CA to St. Augustine FL, a distance of 4940 km (3070 mi). I'll be rolling through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, a small part of Georgia and then norther Florida.
I'll be taking my time and may go off route for some sightseeing here and there, but I'll stick with the established route for the most part. I plan to camp as much as possible, using a trap when there are no suitable trees around for my hammock. And will be riding my eight year old Rivendell Atlantis.
Then what? If time and resources permit, and enthusiasm has not waned, I'll turn north and follow the Atlantic Coast route.
If you have the time, I welcome you along for the journey. I'll update here as often as possible.
Cheers ...
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| On the Appalachian Trail in GA, 2013 |
