You might say that this trip started nearly 40 years ago. That's when Matthew was born, and ultimately, this whole trip was his idea. (At least, that's what I'm telling friends who ask "why?")
The idea came to him during our first "organized" (and I use the term loosely) bicycle ride in February of 1994. We had recently purchased new Cannondales, and I thought that this ride named "Stella's Gap" would be a great way to start cycling in Atlanta. That ride is a whole other story, but according to Matthew, that ride got him thinking about doing a long bike ride.
Fast forward to early spring 2004. Matthew's proposal to me is to move (back) to the Pacific Northwest. Both of us have family there, and we spend two weeks there at Christmas every year. In my mind, I knew that we'd end up living there one day, but I had so far been able to postpone leaving my friends in Atlanta.
Matthew's rationale is that he will be able to take his Professional Engineering exam in 2006, and that designation will make him more marketable, wherever we live. I work in technology; you can pretty much do that anywhere. If we're going to move, that would be a good time to make the break.
So, as long as we're going, let's go in style. And for both of us, that means "go by bicycle". At that point in time, the plan for THE BIG TOUR is hatched.
It's now just a couple of weeks before our planned departure from Lawrenceville on April 22. The house is under contract, our employers have been notified, and the storage unit has been rented. The garage sale is set for tomorrow, and the moving boxes have arrived. We've collected our gear, weighed it, and are sorting it into the two B.O.B trailers that we'll pull behind our bicycles. We know the route we'll be taking each day, where we'll stop each night, and how many miles we'll cover each day.
It's almost all over except for the cryin'. Friends are planning a farewell party, one is flying in from Colorado for the event. Another is planning to ride the first two days with us. I'm hoping that there'll be a Boy Scout or two who can give us some tips on camp cooking (maybe there's an potential Eagle Scout looking for his service project). It's all very exciting, and these last few weeks have found us pulling together the details of this long-planned trip. I've also taken to hoarding kleenex.
It has taken these past two years to get everything organized, but mostly it's been a mental exercise. Voluntarily exchanging friends that have become our family, our cushy commute, and our very comfortable house for five months of meeting strangers every day, cycling 50+ miles, and tent-living is one thing. The drop-off on the other end of the trip added to our mental machinations. At first we didn't know where we'd end up, but by the end of 2005 we'd found a place to drop anchor in downtown Portland, OR. Living downtown in a city that is celebrated for it's embrace of alternative transportation will be quite a change from Gwinnett County, Georgia. But there's a lot more adventure in between now and then!
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May your journey be free of incidents.
Canalfest, Head of the Erie, bike ride among 2006 local canal events
The New York State Canal Corporation has released its 2006 calendar of events, a listing family-friendly festivals, events and attractions along the 524-mile canal system.
In Rome, the Canalfest (Aug. 4-6) and the Head of the Erie (Oct. 14-15) are included, as well as a canal bike tour that stops here:
• The annual Canalfest takes place in Bellamy Harbor Park off Mill Street overlooking the Barge Canal. For more information, contact the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce at 337-1700.
• The Erie Canal Rowing Club’s Head of the Erie races include a Sunday, Oct. 15, collegiate race among 10-15 schools from across the state. The day before, high schools, clubs and individuals will compete in another race. It is the 11th annual event. The three-mile race starts near New London, and the finish line is the bridge on South James Street. For more information, contact Erie Canal Rowing Club President Jerry Lacy at 337-9609.
• The Cycling the Erie Canal bicycle tour will ride from July 9-16. Riders in the eight-day, 400-mile, recreational bike tour from Buffalo to Albany, along the canal, stop and camp out in the city for a night. In 2005, the tour drew over 500 riders from nearly every state in the U.S., as well as Canada, Australia and Great Britain.
The Canal Corporation will kick off the season in late April with the Canal Clean Sweep, a coordinated series of cleanup and beautification activities along the Canal and the Canalway Trail.
The canal will open next month.
The Erie Canalway Trail Celebration will be held Saturday, June 3, in conjunction with National Trails Day to celebrate the opening of more than 30 miles of new Canalway trail. With more than 245 miles of trail and access to hundreds of historic sites and attractions, the Erie Canalway Trail is fast becoming one of the nation’s premier cycling destinations.
"The New York State Canal System is an ideal getaway for families, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts," said Canal Corporation Director Carmella R. Mantello. "An easy drive from almost anywhere in the Northeast, the canal offers the perfect combination of land and water-based recreational sites, historical attractions and seasonal events that make it a premier tourism destination for all."
The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York State, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River.
For the complete 2006 calendar of events, call 1-800-4CANAL4 or visit www.canals.state.ny.us check out "Excursions and Vacations" among the links on the left side of the main page.
Eunice
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