Day 108- The Grand Finale!

WE DID IT!!

Here’s our final progress vlog of the tour, detailing Idaho and Washingron.

On August 18th, 2019, we arrived on the coast of the Salish Sea in Anacortes, Washington after setting out from Bar Harbor, Maine 108 days ago-- how surreal!  This summer we covered 4500 miles, tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain, and every type of weather the continent could throw at us.  How bitter-sweet to be finished!

We raised almost $1000 for YouthCare during the course of this tour, at www.crowdrise.com/CycleForChange2019

Awesome!  Thank you all for helping to make this tour and this fundraiser a success!

Day 101- Big Sky, Montana

On August 11th, day 101 of our Northern Tier bike tour, we crossed out of Montana and into Idaho.  Riding in eastern and central Montana proved to be a real challenge for us. Despite the level terrain, the unending wind against us from the west was brutal, and the ride was made all the more difficult in the 100 degree heat.  Adding to this the focus-demanding, deadly cycling along busy Highway 2, and we found ourselves drained each evening.  

We popped into Alberta briefly to ride into Glacier Natl Park from the north, through Waterton Lakes Natl Park.  WOW! What a spectacular change in landscape, weather, and scenery we found here, with awe-inspiring views around every corner!  The Going-to-the-Sun Road of Glacier NP offered one of the most jaw-dropping alpine descents I could have imagined.  Undoubtedly, we'll be back to this very special place again one day.

Following weeks in the Great Plains, western Montana was refreshingly new-- mountainous, cooler, and green.  This change inspired a new vigor in us as we closed the final gap between us and the Pacific coast.

Onwards!

WE DID IT!!

WE DID IT!!
On August 18th, 2019, we arrived on the coast of the Salish Sea in Anacortes, Washington after setting out from Bar Harbor, Maine 108 days ago-- how surreal!  This summer we covered 4500 miles, tens of thousands of feet of elevation gain, and every type of weather the continent could throw at us.  How bitter-sweet to be finished!  Oh— and we raised almost $1000 for YouthCare along the way, with our fundraiser at: crowdrise.com/CycleForChange2019

This arrival marks the completion of a "triple-crown" of coast-to-coast bicycle touring for me, having now completed:
•Yorktown, VA -> San Francisco, CA in 2016
•Jacksonville, FL -> Los Angeles, CA in 2017
•Bar Harbor, ME -> Anacortes, WA, now!
A grand total of ~12,000 miles (half the circumference of the Earth)! I think I'll settle down now for a while-- if I can...

...the road awaits, and the mountains are calling.

Expect vlogs for Montana, Idaho, and Washington to be posted soon!

Day 77- Windy North Dakota

On July 18th, day 77 of our Northern Tier tour, we headed west out of Medora and crossed into Montana.  Our route in North Dakota boasts the longest straight road in the US, on Highway 46, which cuts through seemingly endless horizons of corn, wheat, and soy.  The dramatic thunder- and windstorms of the Great Plains are totally unique, and intimidatingly powerful.  The westerly wind was relentless, but we were rewarded for our effort when we arrived in the badlands of beautiful Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

It’s now onwards to the Rockies!

Day 68- Friendly Minnesota

On July 9th, day 68 of our Northern Tier bike tour, we crossed the Red River out of Minnesota and into North Dakota.  Minnesota treated us to very agreeable riding right off the bat, as we passed through bike-friendly Minneapolis.  Traveling due northwest across the state, we travelled on almost 200 miles of paved bike trail- wow!  This meant we could move more quickly, more safely, and under more shade than if we were stuck on the typical exposed highway shoulders we're accustomed to.  Minnesota lives up to its moniker, as the land of 10,000 lakes-- we cycled passed hundreds of lakes of all shapes and sizes, dotting the landscape everywhere.  The hills are all but gone now, and we're beginning to experience hints of the powerful and enduring westerly winds of the Great Plains. 
Onwards west!

We're raising funds for YouthCare, a non-profit that makes a significant difference in the lives of homeless youth.  I hope you'll consider making a contribution to the organization at: crowdrise.com/CycleForChange2019

Day 57- Beautiful Wisconsin

On June 28th, day 57 of our bike tour, we crossed the St. Croix River out of Wisconsin and in to Minnesota.  Wisconsin surprised us with it’s abundance of beautiful natural areas, as we spent our days cycling through aspen and pine forest dotted with hundreds of lakes and marshes.  We had a uniquely special evening on an island of the Turtle Flambeau Flowage, after a chance meeting with a stranger.  The rain has continued, and so have the persistent mosquito swarms, but the weather is warming and the bug clouds seem to be thinning.

I hope you’ll consider making a donation for homeless youth, in our honor, at our fundraiser: crowdrise.com/CycleForChange2019

Onwards to Minneapolis, our tour’s halfway mark!

Day 52- Michigan Part 2: Crossing the Upper Peninsula

On June 23, day 52 of our Northern Tier bike tour, we crossed the Brule River into Wisconsin.  Michigan’s Upper Peninsula treated us to beautiful open coastal views as we traveled along the northern shore of Lake Michigan on pleasantly flat roads.  The mosquitoes we found ourselves covered in at every stop were the worst I’ve dealt with in my life- but the warm people and fair weather more than made up for our parasite-based struggle.  Our time was short but sweet in the Upper Peninsula— it’s now onwards to Wisconsin, and the great land of cheese!

We’re raising money for YouthCare, a resource-center dedicated to radically and effectively saving the futures and lives of homeless youth, aged 12-23.  I hope you’ll consider making a donation at: crowdrise.com/CycleForChange2019