A Very Special Day in Portland

The surprise of the day was a visit from Jon who flew up from San Francisco to spend a few hours and wish me well on my journey.

As if that wasn't enough we visited VooDoo Donuts and stocked up on this local favorite and then I was able to arrange for "Lunch on Us" from Veggie Grill in Beaverton OR.  The lunch

was vegan, delicious, plentiful, and free for our BBBRAA group meeting and send off dinner. Thank you Veggie Grill and looking forward to your opening other locations closer to home.

Shake-out Ride

Getting ready for a short ride to check out our bikes (and legs) after their journeys by trains, planes, and automobiles to Portland.

I then spent the day with our family and Ali's friend Michelle. She took Ali, Harvey, Ina, AJ, and I to a berry picking farm. It was really hot and we went in the hotel pool when we got back. This was a great start to what will be a great trip. 

Arrived in Portland Today

Up, up, and away.  The first leg of our journey.  Flying to Portland.

We've arrived, yay! With Nancy, Suzanne, and Nevin, my new best friends.

Exploring downtown Portland and its famous vegan food trucks and visiting Herbivore, what a great store.  Loving this great start to our great adventure.  Being joined by Ali, Harvey, Ina, and AJ for the sendoff weekend made it do much more special. 

My Bags are Packed, Im Ready to Go (Sound Familiar)

Today we spent hours packing the van (okay, watching the van get packed - thanks Julian, Chris, Pete, and Nancy), organizing paperwork and route maps (thanks Mary and the W & S administrative staff), finalizing lodging arrangements (thanks Richard), trying on our new BBBRAA jerseys (thanks Amelia and Tessa), and psychologically and physically getting ready (thanks to all of my supportive family and friends).  This trip wouldn't have been possible without all of you.

My duffel is the one that is open to show my color coordinated, neatly labeled, packing squares.  How long will that organization last with packing and unpacking almost every day for 60 days????

My best bike ever is all settled in and comfy cozy for the long ride to Portland OR

Chris, Mary, and Pete will be driving the van and meeting those of us who are flying 

and our Texas contingent in Portland, OR on Friday, June 28.

America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride

Training for and participating in America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride (AMBBR) was an integral part of my preparation plan for BBBRAA.  However due to the herniated disc that I suffered this spring my training was minimal at best and nonexistent at worse.  Tahoe is a difficult ride under ideal circumstances but without training, for most people it would be impossible.  And so it truly was a miracle that I completed 56 hard and hilly miles of AMBBR around Lake Tahoe on June 2, 2013 riding as part of Team in Training as volunteers for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Together Rob and I raised almost $15,000 this year and the commitment I felt to those who contributed to our fundraising and those who will benefit from the funds raised was what kept me going.  So not to say that I'm a superwoman or anything, but on June 2, 2013, I did achieve something super.  Im not really sure how, other than knowing the reason I was riding gave me the power to keep pedaling forward and the confidence to know Ill be ready to bike across America beginning July 1, 2013.

At the finish, yay me!