Hello, cyclists and pedestrians, and yes, drivers (unless you drive an RV. In which case, please get off my elbow)! That should cover all of you that read this blog, unless anyone commutes on a pogo stick. In which case, I want photos.
So, I'm at a public library in the Arcata, CA region of the world, kicking it around in my padded bike shorts looking like a bad-ass (per usual). We've put somewhere just over 650 miles on the bikes thus far, which has gone (touch wood) without a hitch. Well, some minor chain slippage and brake issues, as well as a few adjustments of various natures -- but no flats, major breakdowns, or even serious bodily injuries! Except for one morning, luckily on an off day, when I was awoken by a very odd twinge in my upper back that led to symptoms reminiscent of a pinched nerve (not that I've had one, but from what I've heard anyway). A few days and 2 trips to the chiropractor later, it basically cleared up, but I'm looking forward to a little more healing this weekend.
Because this weekend, which starts tomorrow, Jon and I rent a car and drive it down to San Francisco. From there, I catch a ride with some awesome friends (including WT Kirschner) to the Gathering in Sacramento, the big martial arts seminar I attend every year except last year (I was in Uzbekistan). I'm going to reconnect with my martial arts family, share stories and hot tub time, and get some healing arts practitioners to work on me a bunch. Not to mention learn a ton, work out the leg muscles in a different way, and relax off the bike for more than 24 hours. It's probably going to be a little weird.
Post SF, Jon and I plan to bike down the coast of CA to LA, and then to take a train across some mountains to Flagstaff, AZ. We plan to reunite with one of my friends from my semester abroad in Tze, which is going to be amazing, and do a weekend driving tour of the Grand Canyon, Zion Nat'l park, and anything else we see along the way. The route beyond Flagstaff is as-yet-to-be-determined, but it will involve some biking and some public transport over any particularly large bumps in the terrain. Because you see, friends, I'm on my bike because I think this is fun. Whenever it stops being fun, I don't want to do it anymore. Following the path of reason, going up hill for anything more than about 2 miles (at a relatively decent grade) stops being fun. Therefore, why not take a train or something to preserve that feeling of funness for as long as possible? I've got nothing to prove by going over big mountains on my own two-wheeled machine. And yes, to close this subject, I may be the laziest person whose ever tried to ride a bike across the USA. I've already dealt with that fact. I leave it up to you to interpret the rest of my posts with such knowledge at hand.
So, what else? Well, we keep meeting really cool bikers on the road -- its amazing how many people set off and try to bike long distances. We met this couple who are biking from Alaska to Argentina -- which is a little crazy -- expecting to take somewhere around 18 months. I want to do that trip, too, but I'd prefer to do it with motor-assistance. I keep eating minute amounts of bike grease, since it pretty much gets everywhere anytime you touch anything on your bike besides your handlebars (and now, even if you touch those, because you kinda have to once you touch anything else if you expect to keep riding). I hope it's non-toxic. Finally, we had this great dinner last night, because we ran into a little event called "Tastes of Trinidad" (thats a town in CA, not the little country) and got to sample multiple wines and restaurant fares for only $10. It was convienently located at the visitor's center of the park we were staying at (Patrick's Point State Park), and so we couldn't resist. Much better than the cous-cous chili beef-stick dinner we were planning. (By the way: does anyone else think that "cous cous" sounds like some exotic, perhaps extinct, bird, similar to the dodo? I do.)
Okay, I'm done here. Hope you find this mildly entertaining, though I suppose if you didn't, you wouldn't still be reading by now. And please, on the comments, let me know what sort of news you'd like to know from this bike trip -- play by play of each mile? Where we camp between riding? Stories of the people we meet? I'll try to mix it up, but I'd love opinions.
Yours,
Jess
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