Mission Accomplished!

After Mike's short 56.6 mile ride today, he rode up to the Atlantic Ocean in Yorktown, Virginia and dipped his front tire in the water signifying the end of the journey...

It's been an incredible trip for both of us...9 States, 49 Riding Days, 6 rest/weather days, 4 flat tires, 2 chains, a total of 3,379.12 miles and more special moments than we can count.

Here are a few highlights from our journey across America:

California:



Arizona:



Utah:



Colorado:



Kansas:




Missouri:



Tornado Clean Up:


Illinois:



Kentucky:





Virginia:





Thanks for keeping up wih us!

To view more images from our journey, visit www.focalinstincts.com. Also, watch for upcoming items from the new "Truly Bovine" collection!

We're going to the beach!

Mike is ready for a swim and it's only 54 miles to the beach!


Today he rode 85.5 miles which seemed like a ride through the park for him. He finished up and we were checked into our hotel by 2:00 p.m.

It wasn't a surprise to us to wake up to rain again today and I'm sure it's not a surprise to anyone who has followed along. We came upon Lake Anna and the fog on the lake was awesome.



The skies opened up for us later in the morning. We rode through many historic sights where significant battles in the Civil War were fought. I ran into one man at one of the sites and he said, he had wanted to visit this area since he was a boy and it'd taken him 50 years to get here. He seemed quite moved by it all.




We both have some mixed emotions about the ride ending. We are both ready to be done, but also sad that it's coming to an end.

We had so much fun with the blog every day. We appreciate all of the supportive emails and phone calls we've received from friends and family as we've made our way.


A message to my husband...
Mike, I am so thankful that I was able to share this experience with you, a man who I love and that I am inspired by every day. This journey has brought us closer than I ever thought possible,and has me wondering what's next?.

You've also reminded me to slow down, worry less and take things as hey come (even if it's a tornado). To be true to myself and to do what I love.

My vision in life is to do what I love and make a difference in the lives of others. Everyday you help me to move towards this vision and remind me that I make a difference in your life.

Congratulations Honey! I'm so proud of you! (I love you more than peanut butter!)

Kat

In th rain...AGAIN!

Mike and I decided to take yesterday off. I couldn't figure out why I was so tired (and cranky) and Mike reminded me we had been on the road for 10 days straight. I had to review the blog to even remember those 10 days.

Anyway, we both felt renewed today and ready to tackle the last 3 days of this journey.

It started raining yesterday afternoon and rained all night. And when we woke this morning, it was still raining. Mike is so determined at this point, I think he'd ride through anything to get to the coast. We started out in extremely thick fog and it continued to rain on and off throughout the day.


In spite of the weather, he rode a total of 84 miles today leaving us with less than 150 miles to go. When Mike arrived at our designated meeting point, he was not just wet, he was sopping wet. His bike clothes are still drying 4 hours later!


The terrain today was very pleasant, rolling hills with more downhill than uphill and except for our short ride through Charleston, we had most of the roads to ourselves.


We passed several other riders today headed west. We met a couple who flew out from England last week and headed to Oregon.


We also met with Sally Kuchl, wife and riding support for Bob Kuchl, and her friend Margaret Gutgesell. Sally and Bob are from Rochester, New York. Sally made the big ride in the past and now it is her turn to support her husband as he makes the big ride. Bob is riding to raise money for a grass roots charity. You can learn more and follow their blog at www.bikegourneyofsolutions.blogspot.com.


Mike also met up with Bruce Pesch who has recently started his journey across the country, you can follow along with Bruce at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/ktnxbai.

Unfortunately there were no cows today, but I did manage to find a turtle to save and we happened to ride by the home of James Monroe (the 5th president of the United States), so the day wasn't a total loss.

The last big climb!

Today's ride included the last big climb of the journey. Today Mike climbed the dreaded "Vesuvius" which is about 1,800 ft. elevation gain in under 3 miles.


Mike and I met at 10:30 a.m. just before the climb. After a snack he said, "meet me at the top!" I arrived at the top at 11:10 a.m. and it was steep and windy. I parked, opened my book (since it was raining) and expected to see mike in 45 minutes to an hour. I looked up at 11:35 and there he was! He said that he felt the steeps through the Ozarks were much worse!


The rest of the ride today was very pleasant, we saw several cyclists coming from the east and struggling with Vesuvius, it is their first climb of their journey and many were walking their bikes (just wait till they get to the Rockies).


Much of our ride was along the Blue Ridge Parkway which is very lush and green. We noticed many Harley riders along this route as Memorial Day is a big day to take the Harley's out. There were also many families and groups out picnicking (even in the rain) for the Holiday weekend.

We also went through Lexington, Virginia today. Their Main street was decorated and ready for tomorrow's Memorial Day festivities. Mike said he wished the parade was today so he could ride through and wave (yes, that is when I rolled my eyes in case you were wondering).


OK, so I not only have the cow of the day, I have the sheep of the day as well.