Post by Charles
Well. This is it. After months of planning my departure is imminent. As I write this I’m sitting outside The Taproom (Lancaster, PA) on a Sunday evening. It’s a relaxing ending to what has been a beautiful day.
Yesterday I spent the day visiting all our old haunts and saying goodbye to friends, merchants and owners of them. I don’t consider myself overly emotional but I will admit there were times I had a lump in my throat. I excuse myself because it has been 20 years we’ve been living here, and this is what I know.
I know that we will be seeing lots of great towns and cities, both in the ride across the US and afterwards when my wife and I start our new adventure abroad. However, there is something truly special about Lancaster. If you’ve never visited, you need to. It’s like traveling to a mini NYC. The food, the entertainment, the history, the blended cultures, and so much more makes it amazing. (I pity the tourists that only visit the tourist traps, the outlets and the Amish farms. They don’t know what they’re missing).
Thursday after work I start a 25 hour car ride West. I’m pulling a Uhaul with some thing’s I’m taking to family in Colorado and will be driving into the night. However I’m not the stupid kid I used to be. When I get tired I’ll pull over for a nap.
I’m hoping I can make it to Pueblo by midnight Friday. If I can, that means that I get to spend 3 full days with my wife (you can see my incentive). Tuesday morning, very early, I leave the Flex and take the rental she’s been using to Denver, to catch my flight to Portland.
I should be in Portland by 0930 AM, about the same time my dad is flying in. Then it’s off to RecumbentPDX where I pick up what I’ll be sitting on for the next 3500 miles. After getting that fitted and doing a shakedown ride it’s back to a hotel for a good nights sleep.
Wednesday after any remaining things we need to get done, were driving to Astoria where we’ll ride out to the ocean to dip our tires in the Pacific. Then it’s back to a hotel for another good sleep before leaving on the 4th.