Trip Prep

 Lots of prep for this trip..... We had to book a place for Braun with Cate...$2,350- ouch.

Decide a route and make reservations. We added in a few days boondocking to try it out but mostly we are in KOA campgrounds.  The RV Parky app is so helpful.  

The komo on the back of the RV is to store our bikes out of site. If you are staying one night you pay in advance, if more than one night you only pay the first night as a reservation. So mostly all reservations are paid.

We aren't wholly in the RV. The La Mesa Cycle club is leading a bikeride from Washington DC up the C&O towpath and thru the Great Allegheny Passage. 

It is 330 miles to Pittsburgh, but then we are coming about half way back to pick up the RV. We will stay in hotels while on the bike trip and have to fit anything we bring into panniers. There is a driver to take luggage, but only one way, and we have to take all our stuff back to the start. One of the guys that used to live in San Diego moved to Cumberland Maryland and has graciously allowed us to park our RV in his back yard during the trip. If it weren't for the bike portion, we would be able to bring Braun with us.

So this is our planned itinerary: Leave SD on the 9th of May, drop Braun with Cate and a whole lot of money, food, Greenies, beef treats, Crate, Bed, and a blanket. Then drive as far as Yuma for a free night at Yuma Lakes.

Then we have a pretty long haul, with one night stops in Tucson AZ, Las Cruces NM, Pecos TX, Abilene TX, Mt Pleasant TX, Memphis TN, Cookeville TN, Wytheville VA, and finally stopping in Cumberland MD to leave the RV and take up the bikes. We will take the train to Arlington VA and make our way to our base of operations at the hotel, The Inns of Virginia in Arlington.

We have 3 days before the bike trip starts, so we can go see Washington DC. We bought a 2-day Hop On Hop Off bus tour, and Paul has been making lists of things to see. We tried to contact Sarah Jacobs, our congresswoman, to get White House tour tickets and Library of Congress, but we have not heard from her. Her website has a link to get tickets to the Library of Congress 30 days before you go, so that is another little detail I will have to do in the coming weeks.

I made two notebooks for the trip so we don't have to lug everything on our bike trip.

Then on the 25th we will start our bike trip west. The first day is 55 miles, stopping in Brunswick MD at the Travelodge. Day 2 is 45 miles, stopping in Williamsport MD at the Red Roof Inn. Day 3 is 57 miles, stopping in Paw Paw WV, staying in a cabin with a bunkhouse. Day 4 is 28 miles to Cumberland MD, staying at the Ramada Inn. Day 5 is 44 miles to Rockwood PA, staying at the Rockwood Trail House. Day 6 is 47 miles to Connellsville PA, staying at the Comfort Inn. Day 7 is 57 miles to Holiday Inn Express in Pittsburgh, PA. We are staying 2 nights, so we have a rest, laundry, and time to explore Pittsburgh a little. Then we start our way back. Day 1 is 57 miles back to Connellsville's Comfort Inn. Day 2 will be 57 miles to Meyersdale and Yoder's Guest House. Day 3 will be the final 33 miles to Cumberland and our RV.

From here, Mikey told us about an 18 mile loop on a now closed section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike we can stop and do on our way to Lancaster, PA, which is in Amish country. We are going on a tour in Amish country. Then we pass thru Hershey PA, where we plan to take the chocolate tour (of course!). Then its up to Niagara Falls and another tour. After the tour, we plan to ride our bikes up to Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada. (Gotta remember to bring passports for this one!)

From here, we will take the RV into Canada and traverse a small part of Ontario the border crossing back into Michigan, then on to Mackinaw Island. We are planning to take the bikes over on the ferry and ride around. After Mackinac Island, it will be onward we go to visit Mary and Tony Haas in Andover MN. Next we head over to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. In Custer, South Dakota, we are going to try to get tickets to the Jewel Cave National Monument. Then on to Devils Tower WY.  Next on to Paul's sisters in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction. Finally, then meander home thru Las Vegas, and pick up Braun on the way home.    

All in All, a monumental trip!

We got our Covid shots updated, Paul's foot surgery is almost healed, and have to remember passports, travel cards, and Lil Braun (stuffed doggie)

, so he can be Bud's proxy! We bought our leased Leaf, renewed nursing license, renewed registration on the RV and Leaf. Fixed safe in the RV (the batteries die sometimes). We had a chance to see both sets of kids and grandkids before we left

, and have a potluck with our friends.

Paul ordered new keen tennis shoes for the trip... Amazon sent him

Fail!  So we had to go up to REI to get some.

On one of our training rides Paul's rear brake caliper broke. Luckily Mike had some tiny zip ties to hook us together to finish the ride. We took the bike in but they had to order the part (no over night available) so he has a 50% chance of it coming in. The bike shop says if necessary the zip tie fix should last for the trip and we can have the part put on when we come back. 

      Yea!    The part came in, bike fixed. I cooked and stocked the fridge. Made quinoa pudding, no tuna salad, apple bean breakfast, and baked apples.