I'd Like to Use a Lifeline - Can I Phone a Friend?The day's ride started great! Cool air, sunny day, tailwind, flat road through farm land. The smells in farm country (hay, alfalfa, even the cattle feed lot) brought back lots of memories of growing up on the family farm in South Dakota.After about 15 miles the landscape changed dramatically as the Imperial Valley ended and I rode into the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. These dunes look just like they came o...

The first few days of riding has been an adventure with both ups and downs - figuratively and literally.Leaving San Diego at Ocean Beach, my route started pleasant and easy on bike paths and lanes for most of the first day. But the first physical challenge was the mountains between San Diego's beaches and the inland desert that stretches all the way to Phoenix. The route goes from near sea level to 4000 ft in about a 20 mile stretch. I broke the elevation gain in...

The Big Trip- After years of thinking about this trip and almost a year of planning and training, I'm finally at the start of my cross-country bicycle trip! In some ways it's hard to believe it's finally here. In other ways, it seems like it has taken forever to get here and I just want to get started. I have no idea how long it will take. I only have one deadline. My niece, Sian, is getting married in South Dakota on July 11th and I don't want to miss that. My ...