Pete and I have successfully traveled across the United States from the Atlantic to Pacific under bike power alone. Late Friday December 18th we rolled into San Diego and booked a room in the local youth hostel. The last leg of the trip took its toll on our bodies and we were ready to be done and anticipating some excellent rest in Southern California.

Saturday morning we woke up and biked to Ocean Point Beach. It was ironic that the first beach we happened upon was filled with dogs. Dog beach is the local canine hang out. With our shaggy beards and wet camping smell we probably fit right in. Excitedly, we hauled our bikes over the sand dunes and touched the front wheel to the salt water. Under most circumstances I would never get my bike near salt or sand. This was a special occasion. Our bikes and bodies touched the Atlantic exactly 48 days prior. This included rest days. Without our stops in San Diego, San Antonio, Las Cruces, and Van Horn our biking days totaled 40 days. We had managed to travel a very respectable 80 miles a day to cover the total 3200 miles. Although the last week of our trip traveled through several mountains, we managed 90 plus miles a day for the duration.

Although our bodies and minds had acclimated to the long hours and strenuous miles, ever day was still a challenge. By the end, we were certainly ready to be done. On Friday night, we descended out of the hills and into the suburbs of San Diego. The map wasn’t clear, it was after dark, and we were tired. We made a wrong turn ended up in a wilderness park instead of on a paved bike path and spent 45 minutes mountain biking around trails and getting lost in river beds. It was amazing our inability to simply turn around. We were so exhausted and mildly amused that we kept up our search to find the elusive path. Finally we turned around and made our way back to the road. In a safe environment, we had found out how easy it is to make the wrong decision when utterly exhausted.

On our travels we encountered several cyclists on similar trips. Each individual was unique in their quest to bike across the country and what aspect of the trip was most important. Pete and I felt that first and foremost we wanted to be efficient and timely in our trip. We saw amazing landscapes, had great experiences, and rode across the country but we did it quickly. Our encounters with other cyclists were brief but the conversations and experiences seemed to reveal a glimpse into their trip. What we noticed most was how light we were traveling. All other riders have front panniers and much more gear. Riding into San Diego we met a cyclist named Dave Holmes who started in Argentina and had been traveling a year to reach San Diego. His trip seemed amazing and his travels much farther ranging. We shared stories for a while and we passed off our Adventure Cycling maps to be used on another trip.

Another factor of our trip was the inability to predict the landscape and factors that would affect our ride from day to day. Each night we would discuss the next day’s itinerary and look at expected mileage, weather and elevation change. Although we tried our best to judge the level of challenges that we would face, it seemed impossible. We had easy 100 mile days and incredibly hard 60 mile days. When the wind was blowing hard in our face we couldn’t break 10 miles an hour. When it was at our back we could cruise easily at 20 miles an hour. Another fascinating factor was the ability to go abruptly from extreme physical pain and cold to a comfortable environment. On our second to last night we ascended 4000 feet after a 50 mile day. Riding through a smile hill town called Jacumba, we noticed a sign for a hot spring spa and hotel. We treated ourselves to a night inside after a weeks worth of camping. We went from a brutally hard day to eating a hamburger and drinking beers in a warm hotel in a matter of minutes. Civilization sure makes life easy.

Finally, we met some of the most generous and kind people as we traveled across the country. Everyone can lose faith in humanity. I have certainly had experiences that made me question the morality and values that are at the core of our society. This trip has reaffirmed my faith in people, even strangers and their ability to be kind. We were welcomed into several homes in New Orleans. Pete’s sister and her family housed us for 3 days in San Antonio. They even fed us an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. My girlfriend’s uncle and wife welcomed us into their home in Las Cruces. They wined and dined us. They brought us to the White Sands State Park and told us amazing stories of their lives. A kind couple in Langtry, Texas allowed us to stay in their RV to escape a particularly cold and rainy night. We experienced amazing acts of kindness from strangers. A gentlemen in New Mexico insisted we take $20 from him to buy a warm meal for ourselves. A kind couple that owned an internet café sent us on our way with bottles of water and several hearty granola bars. We certainly would have had a much more challenging and lonely trip without the help of all these people and more. Of course, our families and loved ones have supported our silly desire to ride across the country. Thank you to everyone who made this trip possible. Who knows what’s next? Maybe a sailing trip around the world? Stay tuned for the next adventure and subsequent blog. Thanks for following…

Done.