Milestone Day...Coast to Coast

Today is Saturday, May 17 and I'm a little behind in keeping up on blog.   Riding everyday is exhausting and at night I fall into bed!  I've found a cure for insomnia....get up early, don't think about anything but riding and ride all day.  Works like a charm!  On this trip I'm sleeping better than we have in a long time.  I'm sure soaking up the local culture with an evening cocktail is relaxing us too! 

Every day that goes by I  can't believe we're doing this trip.  It's amazing that we are on this adventure and I'm feeling more grateful everyday. Right now I'm in Catawaba Valley, Virginia a truly peaceful and beautiful place.  We're staying at Marian & Dan McConnell's home on 34 acres of gorgeous land, near the Appalachian Trail and "McAfee's Knob".  The centerpiece of their property is "Murder Hole Cave" and yes, you read right...Murder Hole Cave; it's just down the way from their home but that will be a story for later.  You will love it!

Randy's out riding with our host Dan; Marian is at a gem, mineral and jewelry show selling her book about Murder Hole Cave  and I'm visiting with Marian's mother, Tillie and catching up on my writing and reflecting on our Coast to Coast journey.   

Coast to Coast...Randy's crazy idea

Coast to Coast is what Randy wanted to do and I thought he was nuts. Riding from Salt Lake City to San Diego was adding several miles and days to our trip and I wasn't enthusiastic about his suggestion but I reluctantly agreed.  In retrospect it was a great idea that allowed us the opportunity see our California friends and create memories that we'll never forget.  (Don't tell Randy but he was right again) 

A couple of weeks earlier we were in San Diego and on Wednesday, May 7, we left Apalachicola, Florida  early in the morning and had a fabulous ride along the Gulf of Mexico Coast.  The water was so blue and warm and we felt like we were in a picture postcard.  

After a gorgeous ride up through Tallahassee, we arrived on Jekyll Island, Georgia late in the afternoon.  We were excited because not only was the Island charming and gorgeous,  we had ridden from the Pacific Coast to the Atlantic and that very morning were on the Gulf of Mexico. 

We immediately walked out to the Atlantic and as always, the ocean was remarkable.  We were very hot from a long day  and the refreshing ocean breeze was perfect. 

Right at that moment, it hit us; this was one of our goals...coast to coast!  We accomplished milestone together and today was a day that we will not ever forget.  Frankly, seeing the ocean and knowing how far we had come not only on our bikes but with the changes in our lives, we were overwhelmed with the vastness of what we were seeing and feeling. 

In two short weeks we had seen the Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and now the Atlantic!  All spectacular in their own way.   The ever changing ocean is a reminder that our adventure is about us and the opportunity we've been given to redefine our lives.   For us, Jekyll Island is a magical place that brought even more perspective to the purpose of our journey.