"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." - Helen Keller

November 30, 2011
 I can't remember exactly when I began dreaming about a bike trip across the US!  It seemed such an extraordinary notion–that I could set off from the Pacific Ocean and bike until I reached the Atlantic!  For months I obsessed staring at a huge wall map of the US dreaming of the many possibilities.  When my son, Jack, said he would take off the summer before beginning to work and do it with me, a little voice in my head said, "Just Do It!!!

So I decided it's probably now or never, and I bought 2 Amtrak one-way tickets  to Portland, Oregon!  Our plan is to leave one week after Jack graduates college on June 3, 2012 from Washington, D.C. with our bikes on board. 

I'm still studying the map! Some days I don't really believe that I am attempting this! But I don't want to one day think, "I SHOULD have done it!"   There are so many places that I can't wait to see.  Once on the west coast, we begin by tracing backwards in Lewis and Clark's footsteps, at the Columbia River Gorge.  Some say the Historic Columbia River Highway is the most beautiful road in the country!  In Oregon we will also visit Wallowa Lake State Park and Hell's Canyon – one person wrote, "Go there and you won't want to leave!"  From there, we head for the mountains and onto Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons National Parks.  Other sites that we plan on seeing include, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, the Badlands National Park, Cedar Point Amusement Park, and Cuyahogo Valley National Park.

Everyone keeps asking, "How do I know that I'll be able to make it?"  I DON'T!!  But I guess that's what makes it a great adventure!  I can't wait for it all to unfold!  We want the trip to count for something special, so we'll be raising funds for Special Olympics of Lancaster County, PA as we bike.  Last night we met with Bob, Lynn, Phil and Cheryl from the Special Olympics and told them about our plans.  I feel fortunate to be able to fund raise for such a great organization. 

I'll be writing about our trip planning these next months.  Once we start to bike, I hope to write about our adventure from the road.  We hope that our friends and family will be part of this grand adventure by following our progress!!!! 

                           Getting Ready!!  Planning the route!