Day 24 Salsalito to Half Moon bay 38 miles(1,088 miles)

Canada to Mexico, Day 24: 

We ride 38 miles to Half Moon Bay (1,088 miles total). The bad news is that it was a really slow day. We are back on the coast, so it was really cloudy, foggy, cold, and windy (and not the good tailwind, but the evil headwind). Plus, we had some killer hills, including "Devil's Slide." Again, this name speaks for itself too. It's a steep, winding mountain, but the worst part is that the name "slide" comes from the road sliding from the mountain, because of constant rock slides. Thus,there is absolutely no shoulder. We had to constantly pull over whenever we had a chance and let cars go by, so it was a constant stop and go the whole way. Between that and the headwinds going up the mountain, it felt like we were in slow motion. Pat and I kept saying that we felt like Tim Conway from The Carol Burnett show (Riley had no idea what we were talking about)! The good news is that we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, which was really cool. By "cool," I mean both "neat" and "freezing." More good news is that I am getting so much use out of my new Columbia jacket Pat bought me for this trip. When he bought it for me, I just about died on the price! I am the frugal one and he's the one who likes to spend money on me. I wasn't too happy when I saw how much he spent, but now I am so glad he did it. It's one of the best presents he has gotten me! It is totally wind and rainproof (and we all know how much we have had of both). Plus, there are zippers under the arms I can unzip for ventilation when I'm sweating going up the hills and then zip when I get chilled going down the hills. Also, there are a ton of pockets. Pat calls me "Inspector Gadget," because of all the gadgets I pull out of my pockets. Here's what I had in my coat pockets today: hand sanitizer, Riley's and and my sunglasses (didn't need those today), a pen, sunscreen, Chapstick, Handiwipes, toilet seat covers, my leg wrap, candy bar wrappers, and batteries! Not lying to ya! Not only it is practical, but it's a totally stylish jacket! Thanks Pat, I've never used one thing so much in my life (and no, I'm not a rep for Columbia, but I do love it)! Summary of the day: headwinds, fog, cold, "Devil's Slide," no sun, and no wine are bad; crossing Golden Gate Bridge, my Columbia jacket, and no flats are good!

Day 23 Tomales to Salsalito 46 miles(1,050 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 23: 

We rode 46 miles to Salsalito (1,050 miles total). We are done with our pity party! The bad news is that our day didn't start off too well. Remember the spare tube that the bikers from the hotel had? Well, when we went to put it on this morning, it blew up and shredded to pieces (I don't even want to tell you that story)! So we had to stand by the road and wait for bikers to go through, so we could flag them down and beg for a spare tube (Pat and I both have plenty of spare tubes, but they don't fit Riley's bike, of course). After about an hour, we finally flagged down some bikers. The good news is that they had a spare! Now, we just needed to go 17 miles to the next bike shop. More good news is that we made it! We finally escaped the black hole/Twilight Zone/ Stephen King book/Bermuda Triangle

of flat tires and no bike shops! When fixing Riley's tire, we discovered that a couple punctures were from road debris and a couple of punctures were from some spokes poking through. Just a streak of bad luck, I guess. The rest of the day went well- no major hills and the sun was out (95 degrees- remember that I love that). Also- no flats! Woo hoo! Summary of the day: tires blowing up are bad; the sun, tailwinds, bike shops, bike paths (about 15 miles worth), no flats, a hotel right off the bike path (last room, with complimentary screwdrivers), the smell of jasmine in the air, civilization (finally), lemon drops, and wine are good!

Day 21 and 22 Port Arena to Tomales 75 miles(1,004 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 21 and 22:

We rode 75 miles to Tomales (1,004 miles total). The bad news is that we just can't seem to catch a break! One thing after another goes wrong. Between bike, health, and/or weather issues, it's been hard to make much process. We've only had one day in which we something didn't go wrong (the day we rode 70 miles in Oregon). But other than that, something keeps popping up to slow our progress and it's been pretty frustrating. So, let's see if I can sum up the last two days quickly (although I doubt it). So, yesterday, after we loaded up all the bikes and the bike trailer (which is quite the long process), we are just about ready to take off and we see that Pat has a flat tire. So we had to take everything off, fix that, and then reload everything. That made for a late start. Then, it was foggy, drizzly, and cloudy all day (plus severe headwinds). So we were all pretty sluggish all day. Riley got another flat tire, of course (more on that later). We just didn't make much progress and only rode 30 something miles. We get to our campsite and there is no phone and Internet service. Where's a pay phone when you need one? I had to go to a dinky store and pay the guy to call home really fast. We have been in and out of service for two days. It is very isolated in Northern California and these towns give the term "small town" a whole new name! Then our campsite has no flushing toilets. Of course. The next day (today), we actually got off to an early start (8:00- our best yet). We were making good progress- the sun was out and we had a tailwind. We wanted to go to Badega Bay and hit the bike shop. Pat said that he wanted to tire/rim guard for the bikes. When we got the bikes, the salesman said that we didn't them and they just "bunch up." Pat said that that is the last time he listens to anyone, because we were obviously having problems with the bikes. So we needed to hit the bike shop and get those, plus more tubes and patches. These flat tires are a huge problem. Pat is a bike and be has never encountered so many problems with flat tires. Anyway, we are 3 miles form the bike shop (which is a rare find because of scattered and dinky the towns are). Guess what? Riley gets a flat. We are out of spare tubes and patches, so Pat had to ride to the bike shop while Riley and I waited. More great luck for us- the bike shop shut down! Thankfully, Pat met some bikers who had a spare tube. So he fixes Riley's tire and we have lost all momentum at that point. But there is a tailwind and not major hills, so we are going to try to hit the campsite 40 miles away and try to make up for yesterday's lost time. About 8 miles down the road, Riley gets another flat. So much for making that campsite. Pat manages to take patches off the old tube and put it on the new tube, but we are out of supplies now (trust me, we were well stocked with spare supplies and stocked up whenever we were at a bike shop. Plus, Riley isnt riding over every piece of debris in the road. I don't know what the deal is. I feel like I'm in a Stephen King book or something). By this time, we have lost all momentum and decide to just be done for the day. We go to the next thing we see (a hotel) and there is no vacancy. So we need to ride to the next town that has a hotel, 7 miles away. About 5 miles down the road, Riley has another flat. Something is obviously wrong with his bike, but we need to get to the nearest bike shop, which isn't until San Francisco. We are out of supplies, so we need to walk the bikes about 2 miles to the next town. We didn't care if the hotel was a dive at this point. If they didn't have vacancy, we were just going to pitch our tents in a field. The good news is that the hotel has vacancy and it is really nice! It reminds me of the quaint hotels in Italy! The only bad thing is that they don't have guest laundry and it has been quite some time since we've washed our clothes and we all smell really bad! I mean, really embarrassingly bad! Managed to hand wash some clothes in the tub, which is better than nothing, but not quite the same! Summary of day 21: headwinds, flat tires, fog, drizzle, feeling sluggish, no sun, no wine, Honey Buckets, and no phone service are bad; can't think of anything good that day. Sorry! Summary of day 22: flat tires, trying to find a place for a girl to go to the bathroom while bike riding, walking to hotels, hotels with no vacancy are bad; bikers with spare tubes, hotels with vacancy, the sun, granny gear, and hope for a better tomorrow are good!

Day 20 Fort Bragg to Port Arena 45 miles(921 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 20: 

We rode 45 miles to Port Arena (921 miles total). I would like to thank everyone for your words of encouragement, support, prayers, thoughts, and well wishes! They mean a lot to us and we really appreciate it! I've said it before and I'll say it again that I do feel bad that I haven't been able to respond to everyone's comments. I usually try to make comments to people's post and to respond to comments, but I am in a different world on this trip! It's about all I can do to make an update each night. On a really good day in which I'm not dead tired (which is not very often ), I might have enough energy to push a "like" button. So I do feel bad that I feel out of the loop in Facebook world and I do apologize if I haven't been able to respond to a message or if I missed your birthday, but I promise that once this trip is over, I will be more interactive and use proper Facebook etiquette with responding to comments. But for now, please forgive me and understand. Also, please know how much I appreciate your support and comments. This trip would be so much harder if we didn't have your love and support! So, the bad news for today is that when we were getting breakfast this morning, I met a fellow biker who told us how bad today's ride would be ((lots of up and down hills, coves, switchbacks, etc.). Also, our Bible (aka our book "Biking the West Coast) said that today would be very scenic, but very strenuous and that it would be about the same as yesterday's ride, as far as difficulty goes. To be honest with you, I'm done with the "character building" days! I think I've built enough character! Well, the good news is that the ride really wasn't that bad (either that, or I've built a really high pain tolerance)! Yes, there were lots of hills, switchbacks, and coves, but it makes such a difference when the sun is out! It's amazing what a difference a little vitamin D can do, I'm not getting poured on, and I can actually enjoy the beauty of the California Coast! Summary of the day: flat tires (Riley- our day is just not complete without a flat tire), switchbacks, coves, hills (I will always hate those hills), and slithering snakes in my path are bad; no breakdowns, no "F" bombs, the sun, wine and beer, deodorant, my new rear view mirror on my helmet, a high pain tolerance, and your love and support are good!

Day 19 Leggett to Fort Bragg 46 miles(886 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 19: 

 We rode 46 miles to Fort Bragg ( 886 miles total). Wow, where to start? It might be a long post today, so bear with me. First of all, thanks for your words of encouragement and positive thoughts to get us up that big mountain! The bad news is that it was probably the most miserable day yet. It really wasn't that big climb that was the worst of it all, but all the other elements involved that made for such a crappy day. First of all, as we were packing up to take off for the day, a thunderstorm rolled in. So we had to race to our tents and wait for the thunder and lightning to stop. Once that subsided, just as we packed everything up and were ready to take off, it started to pour. We are talking "Washington downpour." All the Californians told us how "it never rains like this." Well, I see downpours like that all the time, and mentally, I thought I was done with that for a bit. I really thought we left those days behind us, so that kind of mentally set me back. So we start off and it is just pouring on us! We are talking 51 degrees and a downpour! The big climb itself was about 5 and a half miles up and took us about an hour. Mentally, I was prepared for that, but it was everything that followed that threw me for a loop. We had to go down and that was not enjoyable at all! It was freezing and I was chilled to the bone. I've never felt that close to hypothermic! Plus, the roads were really windy and there was no shoulder. There wasn't a lot of traffic, but there were a few cars that were going too fast. There was one 5th wheel and Pat said, "They are going way too fast." Sure enough, about a mile later, he had jackknifed in the middle of the road. So anyway, about a half-way through the day, we finally made it down the mountain and I was exhausted. I just wasn't prepared for the other hill that followed and by that time, my legs were dead. That second mountain mentally set me back. After we got through that, I thought I was in the clear, but it was in and out, up and down, through the coves. I thought it was going to be pretty flat, but it was just one hill after the other. Plus, the weather was just cold, rainy, and crappy. That's when I had a breakdown. The good news is that I had some Gu energy to get me through it, an encouraging son and husband, and a little bit of a rest to get me through the last part of the day. Summary of the day: thunder, lightning, rain, winding roads, no shoulders, never-ending hills, breakdowns, flat tires (Riley- going down the mountain) and F bombs by husband (weather this time) are bad; rain booties (waterproof shoe coverings that keep our feet dry and warm), conquering the "The big climb," friendly drivers who cheer us on, Taco Tuesdays, wine and beer, and the fact that this day is behind us are good!

Day 18 Weott to Leggett 45 miles(841 total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 18: 

We rode 45 miles to Leggett (841 miles total). We are momentarily off the coast, so we are more inland right now and we saw lots of sun today. 88 degrees! Oh yeah- that's the way I like it! Don't worry, we are drinking LOTS of water! The bad news is that tomorrow, we have our biggest mountain of the whole trip- Leggett Mountain, which is 2,200 feet in elevation. It's known as "The Big Climb." The good news is that Riley is feeling lots better today and Pat is fully recovered too. So far, I'm feeling good (besides just being really tired, which is to be expected), so I am hopeful that I will continue to be healthy, safe, and sane (well, I'm not sure about the sane part at this point, but healthy and safe). More good news is that we hit the half-way mark today! Woo hoo! Summary of the day: dread of tomorrow, road kill, chains coming off bikes, and husbands having "F" bombs because of chains off bikes are bad; road construction (in which we have the lanes to ourselves for a few minutes and don't have to worry about traffic), big vehicles that suck us in and pull us along for a few minutes, newfound calf muscles that I didn't know existed, Blistex, biking without a jacket, wine, and having John Anderson pop up on the iPod as I type this (my dad's favorite- love you and miss you Dad) are very very good!

My son Riley age 5

My son Riley age 15

Day 17 Eureka to Weott 47 miles(796 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 17: 

We rode 47 miles to Weott (796 miles total). The bad news is that although Pat is feeling better (still not 100 percent, but definitely lots better), not Riley isn't feeling so hot. He was really tired and sluggish all day, which isn't like him at all. Once we hit the campsite at 5:00, he went right to sleep. I don't know if he is just taking a nap (which he hasn't had since he was two), or if he is out for the night, but I feel so bad for him. I hope I'm not next! The good news is that Pat is feeling better, we saw some sun during the second half of our ride, and we rode through the "Avenue of the Giants" (thank God "giants" means Redwood trees and not hills), which was really serene and beautiful. Also, the landscape was pretty flat today, which made for a very bearable ride. Summary of the day: a sick, tired son is bad; a recovering husband, sun, flat landscapes, Avenue of the Giants, camping in the Redwoods, riding past dairy farms that smell like Enumclaw, and wine are good!

Day 16 Trinidad to Eureka 32 miles(749 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 16: 

We rode 32 miles to Eureka (749 miles total). The bad news is that we had to cut our ride short today, as Pat was feeling under the weather. I blame it on the dang hills we've had, which takes everything out of us. I also blame it on the lack of sun. We haven't really seen the sun since our first few days in Oregon, so it's been about 5 days. Lack of sun=lack of energy and Pat is lacking both. The good news is that hopefully, a short ride today and some rest is just what he needs for him to get back on the bike tomorrow. Summary of the day: broken spokes, people who honk and startle us just to be jerks, no sun, and feeling under the weather are bad; an elk family sighting, rest, flushing toilets, and wine are good!

Day 15 Crescent City to Trinidad 52 miles(717 mile total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 15: 

We rode 52 miles to Trinidad (717 miles total). The Roberts are back on the road! The bad news is that biking through The Redwoods can be very hilly, foggy, and cold! The good news is that biking through The Redwoods is very majestic! Summary of the day: mosquitoes, primitive campgrounds with no bathrooms or water, Honey Buckets, fellow campers who look and act like the people from Deliverance, and tents falling off bikes are bad; drivers who track down bikers with fallen tents and wine are good (not too much though- I do not want to use that Honey Bucket)!

Day 14 Crescent City

Canada to Mexico, Day 14: 

We were stuck in Crescent City for the day :( . The bad news is that Pat's chain needed to be replaced. Since he has a mountain bike, he couldn't take care of it at the bike shop in Bandon. We needed to go to a mountain bike shop, which is in Crescent City. We knew that if we waited for that to be taken care of, we would be leaving late and arriving late again. We had done that two days earlier, and yesterday because of the two flat tires, very steep hills, and really bad headwinds, we were on the bikes for 10 hours and arrived late again. So we were pretty drained yesterday. The good news is that taking the day off was probably a blessing in disguise. My leg was hurting a little, so it gave me a chance to rest and ice it. Plus, Pat got his chain fixed. Also, I was able to catch up on things that I haven't been able to do, like pluck my eyebrows (it's amazing how little things like that give me great pleasure)! Summary of the day: guilt and impatience are bad; sleeping in, ice, rest, reading, naps, plucked eyebrows, having a lunch that consists of something other than candy bars on the side of the road, and wine are good! We'll be back on the road tomorrow!

Day 13 Gold Beach to Crescent City 55 miles(665 total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 13: 

We rode 55 miles to Crescent City (665 miles total). The bad news is that we left Oregon and Pat didn't get a beer biking shirt. He loves microbrews and some of his favorite beers are from Oregon (Rogue and Deschutes). He couldn't wait to get to Oregon so he could finally get a cool beer biking shirt. We looked at the Rogue Brewery, several bike shops, and other places, but couldn't find anything. So he left Oregon with no shirt :(. The good news is that leaving Oregon means we don't have to see all the Oregon Ducks stuff anymore (sorry Tara, Kevin, and Sue). Even better than that, leaving Oregon means we made it to California! (don't worry about us being too hot though- it is 55 degrees and cold!). Summary of the day: fog, flat tires (Riley- twice), headwinds, cold weather, Oregon Ducks (sorry again), and no cool beer biking shirt are bad; fluorescent jackets, flashers on Pat's helmet and trailer, California, and wine are good!

Day 12 Bandon to Gold Beach 56 miles(610 total miles)

Canada to Mexico, Day 12:

Canada to Mexico, Day 12: We rode 56 miles to Gold Beach (610 miles total). The bad news is that we had our first mechanical issue. I was having problems with a couple of my gears and Pat had a broken spoke, so we had to take care of those things. We needed to wait for the local bike shop to open at 10:00 and then we had to wait for everything to be fixed. So we didn't leave until 12:20, which is way later than what we usually do. As a result, we arrived really late today. Dead tired, of course! The good news is that at the bike injuries could have been worse and at least there are no human injuries and that's the most important thing! Summary of the day: bike problems are bad; bike shops, friendly bike mechanics, wine, and safety are good!

Day 11 Reedsport to Bandon 51 miles(554 miles total)

Canada to Mexico, Day 11:

We rode 51 miles to Bandon (554 miles total). The bad news is that I'm just not a camper. I like my bed, heat, and electricity. The whole setting up and taking down the tent is a real chore to me. So, needless to say, tenting and camping is one of my least favorite things about this trip. At other campsites, I kept seeing these big, covered tent/tepee type things that I was really envious of. I asked Pat about them and he said they were called yurts, which I had never heard of before. But you have to book them months in advance and the only way we could ever get one is if there was a cancellation. Well, the good news for today is that we got a yurt! After being on the bike for 8 hours, we pulled into the campsite, not hopeful that we could get one. But we were told that someone had cancelled just a half an hour before! I was so happy! There is heat, space, electricity, and beds! I am one happy camper - literally! Now, with all the time we will save from not having to set up the tents, we will finally have a chance to play our first game of cribbage! Summary of the day: "7 Devil's Road" is bad (the name speaks for itself. Our biking book says that it has the steepest hills on the Oregon Coast); wine, cribbage, and yurts are good! I'll post a picture of our castle, so you can witness true luxury!