September 5 and 6
All done!! And Sunday night we stayed at a home of a former bike the US for MS rider, then had breakfast at a church. We biked 60 odd miles partially on bike lanes but also an 8 mile stretch on interstate five. Last night we stayed at a beach side campground and buked an easy 30 miles into San Diego.
Looking back at the trip, while I have not always been the most enthusiastic fan of church community rooms, it is amazing how generous people have been with their space and with their time. This has been true of former riders as well as churches. As a Jewish person riding with other Jews, I can’t help noticing that synagogues have not been sites where we have stayed. I don’t know whether this is because they haven’t been asked, but others Have suggested that security concerns as well as other issues would preclude the possibility.
Overall, this has been a great trip. The group raised over $100,000 for MS care, we rode past stunningly beautiful coastline and redwood forests, and the climbs were as challenging as I could’ve possibly imagined. The route has felt more dangerous than I recall from the 2019 northern tier ride. We have been on four-lane highway with no shoulders as well as narrow roads with hairpin turns and logging trucks. I don’t recall much of this on the previous trip. We all survived and I’m grateful for the continued capacity to make this kind of effort as well as the friends I’ve made along the way.
Jeremy Bikes for MS 