The Beginning

Where does one begin a journey? It begins with an idea, an inspiration, or a spark that motivates one to take that first step. So, if I have to identify that point in time, it was in 1988. One Sunday morning, I was talking to a fellow church member, Mr. Wendell Freeland. He was sharing his experience of riding his bicycle across the Continental United States. I was thinking, "Wow! you mean that is possible?" If you asked me, a feat like would take a year to complete, if at all. But, I discovered that Wendell, at that time a 65 year old retired banker, completed the 4,250 mile trip in 82 days. So at that moment in time, some 26 years ago, I decided, that was a journey which I would dream of completing....someday! Well, someday has come and this summer (2012) the journey will begin. Of course, I had to do a lot of talking to my lovely bride of 31 years. Although I was prepared to take the trek as a self contained tour, my wife would not entertain the idea of me making the journey solo. Consequently, she agreed to join me on the trip as my support aid group (SAG). Since she is not as crazy about bicycling, she will drive and pull a travel trailer ahead of me each day. So, the plan is coming together and the training is underway...