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When I embarked on this journey the morning of June 10th, 2017 my mind was swirling with emotions. When I completed my ride on September 19th it was much the same, so many things going through my mind. I was excited that I completed the ride but was also sad that it was over. Here is a recap of this epic adventure of a lifetime!

The Decision to ride...

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Studying the maps the night before my ride began
Riding cross country has been a dream of mine since I was 13. Over the years there would always be an "excuse" why it wasn't the "right time" to do the ride. When I finally made the decision to ride in memory of my brother everything came together fine. My employer allowed me to take a leave of absence and the wheels were in motion (pun intended) to make this dream a reality. The key for me was making the decision to do the ride and not accepting any excuses for why it wasn't the "perfect time". There will never be the "perfect time", you just need to make the commitment to pursue your dreams and DO IT!

The beginning...

The first day leaving Florence, Or. was a wet one! It rained most of the day but about 10 miles into the ride I came up on another cyclist, Ryan who was also riding in memory of a family member (mother) who passed away from cancer. We immediately had a bond that helped carry us through the first part of the journey. Neither of us had ever embarked on anything like this before so it was awesome to have someone to ride with. We rode together on and off for several weeks until we took different routes as we got through Oregon. Thank you Ryan for the comradery which helped set the stage for the remainder of the journey. Look forward to remaining good friends and who knows, maybe we'll see each other on another adventure!
We rode 64 miles that first day to Eugene, Or. in the pouring rain for most of the day. The most frustrating part of the first day was when I arrived in Eugene about 9:00 PM soaking wet, cold and tired. I checked my phone for hotels near me and Google maps (in bicycle mode) took me 16 miles through Eugene to go what was originally 2.9 miles to the hotel!!!! 
Note to self: GMAPS in car mode while in town...

All those mountain passes...

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View from McKenzie Pass Summit
McKenzie Pass in Oregon was the first big test of my ride. With an elevation of 5,325 it would become evident pretty quick if I was in good enough shape to go some 3,600 miles across the country. The never ending switchbacks were a challenge indeed! On more than one occasion I found myself off my bike and walking...it was that moment the mantra for my ride would be "as long as my wheels are moving forward it doesn't matter how fast I'm going". After several agonizing hours I remember the exhilaration I felt as I went through that final turn and there it was...the summit! I made it and knew I was on my way to riding cross country and nothing was going to stop me! 
I enjoyed the 16 mile downhill ride into Sisters, Oregon but did get a touch of frostbite on the tips of my fingers as I only had cycling gloves and it was around 34 degrees at the summit.

weather alerts!

Beginning in Colorado, I was dealing with severe weather alerts all the way through Missouri. Violent thunderstorms, flash floods, high wind warnings...you get the idea. A couple times I even had Sheriff Deputies pull up to me advising me to seek immediate shelter. Pitching a tent in these conditions didn't seem like the best choice at the time so I found myself seeking shelter in hotels far more than I had planned or budgeted for. Most of the time the storms were coming through in the late afternoon. One lesson I learned way too late was to not be so fast to seek shelter (sleeping) but to find someplace to get out of the storm such as a restaurant, store etc. Several times I got hotels only to find that the storm would pass in a couple of hours. 
Still, when your phone is burning up with weather alerts and law enforcement is advising you to seek immediate shelter,  a hotel room felt pretty good.

ACCOMMODATIONS  

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Tent pitched and ready!
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Spoke'n Hostel - Mitchell, Oregon
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Zions Church and Hostel - Hutchinson, Kansas
As discussed above, hotels were part of the accommodations puzzle but several other options proved much more affordable and enjoyable. Pitching my tent and camping was by far my favorite way to get my z's. Other options included:The folks that invited me into their homes through Warm Showers were so generous. Offering a place to pitch my tent in their yard, or a bed, shower, laundry and many even prepared meals or took me out to dinner. Enjoyed some incredible conversations with folks across the country! 
The folks at the Spoke'n Hostel in Mitchell, Oregon were awesome! The facility is beautiful and they make sure everyone feels welcomed and is comfortable. They even drove us to The Painted Hills which was absolutely gorgeous! 
If your bike tour takes you through Mitchell, Oregon do yourself a favor and stop by The Spoke'n Hostel.
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The Painted Hills

Health...

With 2 exceptions I didn't experience any other health issues on the ride. The two exceptions were:
Heat Exhaustion - I was about 2 1/2 miles from Pueblo, Colorado where I was planning to stay with a warm showers host that evening. It was around 102 degrees and I was drinking what I thought was enough water when I became dizzy and couldn't focus on the road. I found a small turn out and sat there for 30 minutes or so and tried again to complete the final 2 1/2 miles but it hadn't got any better. I again sat down and a few minutes later a gentleman (Chris) pulled up in a truck and asked me if I was okay. After a few minutes talking and the approaching thunderstorm, Chris helped me put my bike in his truck and drove me the final 2 miles to Pueblo where I stayed at Ellen's, a warm showers host. Speaking with folks after this incident it was the opinion of most that I wasn't getting enough electrolytes. If I had continued on the final 2.5 miles it may have developed into heat stroke.
The other incident occurred near Asheville, North Carolina. As I was climbing a moderate hill I got a severe cramp in my quads. This continued for most of the day forcing me to stop every couple of miles until the pain subsided. This coupled with remnants from hurricane Irma made taking the next 2 days off an easy choice. I again stayed with a warm showers host (Mark) who was an experienced bicycle tourist who suggested it was likely a potassium deficiency that was causing the cramps. I began eating more bananas which seemed to help and I also learned that drinking pickle juice is a good cure for beating muscle cramps though I never actually tried it.

I didn't have the appetite that many other cyclists seemed to have. There wasn't that urge to eat 3 burritos and 2 rotisserie chickens at the end of the day! This lack of appetite resulted in a total weight loss of 28lbs.

After the first few days my rear end was used to being on the bike and my legs felt great. Aside from the cramps discussed above I had no issues with my legs getting through the ride at all. It should be stated that I was not out to set any land speed records and took my time. I would stop to rest for a few minutes far more in the final 1,000 miles than the first 2,600.

Electronics...

Being the gadget guy I am, I had my share of electronics with me on the tour but found myself using some far less than I would have expected.
I had the Garmin Edge 1000 but used the Strava app on my phone and the ACA maps more than I did the Edge 1000. It was nice to have though when I went off route because on more than one occasion Google Maps took me on some very odd and frustrating routes.

My primary cell phone runs on AT&T and I knew there would be areas that coverage would be spotty so I purchased a prepaid Tracfone running on Verizon and I'm so glad that I did. There were so many instances where I couldn't get signals on my AT&T phone for checking maps, weather etc. It added some weight but I would do it again no question.

Because I was updating my blog while on my ride plus I needed to be available to do some work for my employer, I brought my Chromebook computer. It weighed a little over 2 pounds but didn't seem to bog me down much and was easier than trying to make updates via my cell phone.

I also had a dedicated "Point & Shoot" camera when I started but shipped it home because I found I was using my cell phone camera more often. As they say "the best camera is the one you have with you". 

With 2 cell phones and the Garmin Edge I needed some way of keeping them all charged. While I was able to usually get them charged at restaurants and rest areas but I also carried a portable solar charger which I was typically able to charge my phone(s) two times before needing to recharge it.

The People...

As beautiful as the scenery was the people are what I'll remember the most! The generosity and kindness of so many people towards a total stranger will stay with me for the rest of my life. 
  • People letting me stay in their homes...
  • People buying me meals...
  • People stopping to see if I'm okay...
  • People giving me a ride when I was hurting...
  • People donating money...
  • Coworkers watching my dog, driving me to Oregon, never ending support and encouragement...
  • Other Cyclists sharing their stories and giving encouragement...
The list goes on and on and I will be forever grateful to everyone that helped make this dream a reality!
This adventure has been so incredible, I could continue for many more pages and still wouldn't cover all the lessons, challenges and blessings I experienced. To see my friend Doug and his family after making a route change in Kentucky and going through North Carolina was so special and inspiring. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to do this ride in my brother's memory, to show my son Nick that you can have big dreams and see them come to pass and that anything is possible if you have faith and believe you can! 
Additional details of my ride can be read on my blog.
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The "Dan Tracker" that my employer used to track my ride