Hello!
We are all continuing to enjoy the southwest. We are doing a great deal of climbing, but it is getting a bit easier each day!
We are quickly realizing there is only a little bit of time left. We have traveled such a long way together, we have almost perfected the whole process!
Look forward to sharing more details with you soon!
Our group crossed the state line of Texas, early this afternoon! We all agree that it is really starting to sink in how far we have traveled!
This morning was expescially challenging, as we biked in pouring down rain for around 4 hours! The afternoon was mainly cloudy, so we all dried off soon enough.
Our past week has been exciting. We made our way through Louisiana, and it has definitely been our favorite state. Everyone was incredibly encouraging and supportive of our mission!
We are heading into a very long stretch of biking. I hope to keep the positive attitudes among the group, and keep spreading the word about the need for affordable housing!
Right now, we all are staying at a past rider’s home. Great showers, comfy furniture, and homemade food make all of us happy! Many are interested in watching the Tour de France at night, as much of it makes more sense to us after these past few weeks!
As always, the time I am spending with the fellow riders is fun and just unique at all parts of the day!
Much love to all! Will keep in touch!
We are currently in New Orleans working with the Episcopal disaster relief organizations. We have been biking to our work sites, which has provided a cool perspective of the city! We have all enjoyed spending more time together in this unique place! We have amazing accomodations, as the Trinity episcopal church has been taking wonderful care of our group! Resting now for another build day tomorrow, then we return to our cycling adventure on Tuesday morning!
Thanks so much to all of those who are tracking my trip!
We just finished our first week!
We started off in Jacksonville. We spent one day working on a Beaches Habitat site, where I painted floor boards and worked in the gardens. The next day, Friday, we worked on riding our bikes together as a group. There were several people from the Beaches Habitat in Jacksonville that lead us through a bike ride around the city. We were treated very well by our hosts, with great meals and accommodations!
The biking began on Saturday, with a wheel dip in the Atlantic Ocean. We were then escorted out of the city by the police! I have to say, we all thought this was pretty sweet. The rest of the day certainly challenged us. We ended up biking 76 miles. Our ride was delayed significantly, however, by a strong thunderstorm. We all found safe cover for a bit, and were able to make it to the campsite by 5:30pm.
We biked 75 miles on Sunday and Monday, as well. We stayed at a great campsite on Sunday night. It was called the Stephen Foster park, in honor of the writer of the song called, “Suwannee River.” One of our chore teams made a great dinner, and we were able to enjoy s’mores later in the night! My favorite part was taking the rain cover off our tents, so that we could see the stars from our sleeping bags!
I really enjoyed spending time in Monticello, FL on Monday evening. We were really spoiled by the church members that hosted us for the evening. They made us a marvelous dinner, a few late night snacks, and breakfast for the morning! It is a small town located in Jefferson County…thus it had VIRGNIA roots with a connection to the one and only Thomas Jefferson!
The heat really challenged me on Tuesday. We biked around 65 miles. The morning was beautiful with a journey down a canopy road. Along the way, I noticed a road called Kiawah Dr.! Later in the morning we biked along a highway, US 100, which requires much hydration! I finished by around 3pm. Thus, the rest of the day we rested. One of the projects I enjoyed was working on our trailer, trying to make it a bit more organized! Every week, a group of people have a different chore. So, this week my group had trailer. Meaning we packed everyone’s bag in the morning and afternoon!
Wednesday consisted of a quick trip to Marianna. This can be attested by finishing our 55 miles by NOON. We later realized we changed time zones, so that may have been a factor!? My riding group found a fun place to swim for a bit once we reached the city. It was definitely refreshing, and it reminded me of my days spend in the Greenbrier River at Alleghany!
Our hosts here have being providing us with great food and company! Today, we have a day off to recover and rejuvenate!
It is very clear to me that this experience is everything I expected and more. All of us are relaxed and just enjoying the journey! You can get a better idea of all of our different personalities on the trip through the daily journals at bikeandbuild.org!
As I sign off, know that I am feeling great and I am incredibly grateful to be part of this organization!
I am doing very well here in Richmond! Just finished moving out of Charlottesville for the summer, and I could not be more excited my adventure! I have my new Giant bike well put together and it works wonderfully! My dad and I went out on a ride this afternoon to Ashland. It was fun to get back on the roads of Richmond!
More updates to come…
Welcome to my Bike and Build BLOG!
You will be able to track my adventures from this point on regarding my amazingly awesome Bike and Build trip this summer!
