as journaled by Brittany

27 miles

9:32

We are still busy little bees getting ready to embark on our great adventure. I have been sent to drop off some mail at a post box and decided to use the time to begin the day’s journal.

We hope to leave in the next hour so – lets’ hope all goes well and we are soon underway!

14:05

Departure (yeah, yeah.  Bit more than an hour)

14:17

Yes, you read the time right.  Not 15 minutes out and we’re already pulled over for a maintenance break. We have brakes rubbing agains the wheels of three different bikes.

Holy cow!  There’s an ant on me.  Okay, better now. Ants and other bugs will always be creepy when they’re crawling over you like you’re some kind of jungle gym, okay?

Stop laughing at me!

Elise’s/Cora’s timeshare bike now has a Burley attached to the back. We were packing up the bikes this morning and, because all of our friends are extremely awesome and generous, we have an extra borrowed burley lying around on top of the four we were already planning on using.

Them Mommy comes to the sudden realization that, hang on, the girls also have a bike.  And so now Elise and Cora get to carry a bunch of really, really light stuff in the burley and we get more space if we need it.

Lydia! Why do I have siblings who think they’re the height of hilarity?  She just dropped an ant on the journal!

And poor David just got bit by one.  THIS IS WHY, GUYS!

14:40

Barely got underway again before the tire on my burley blew.  I’m starting to get the feeling this is going to be a long first day.

But, hey, at least we have snacks!

15:26

For once a stop we were actually planning on making.  Elise and I are watching the bikes while Daddy and Joshua get Joshua’s bike looked at and Mommy and Lydia go get some groceries.

16:32

Bathroom and water break at a Micky D’s.  It’s a bit late for Caleb (6), unfortunately – he ended up going by a tree earlier (and we were kinda at a busy intersection at the time…Awkward)

We’re almost halfway there by this point.  Which, after two hours of travel, isn’t bad at all, especially if you take in the time we’ve spent parked and/or fixing things.  If we just get started earlier tomorrow we should have plenty of time to set up camp.

19:50

Arrival

22:18

Staying the night at a friend of the family.  The last night eating dinner on plates instead of mess kits and sleeping in real beds for a while, so I’m planning on enjoying it.

Bike Configurations

Jeff – tandem w/ Cora/Elise, trailer bike w/ Caleb, Burley

Angela – bike, trailer bike w/ Lydia, Burley

Brittany – bike, Burley

Joshua – bike, seat w/ David, Burley

Elise/Cora – bike w/ Burley or tandem (switching on and off)