The train ride to Eugene was one of my favorite parts of the trip! Traveling by train is such a change to the "hurry-up-and-get-there" mentality of car and plane travel. Sitting in the lounge car watching the country go by, we saw three bald eagles soaring and diving over a huge lake in Oregon. We talked to people and heard their stories. One group was traveling to visit cousins, and had taken the train frequently. They knew all the landmarks, and could tell us exactly where we were from their GPS (which they never traveled without). There were couples with small children, reminding me of the trips our family used to take to Iowa to visit our relatives. There was an older man and his grown son, several groups of women, and many older gentlemen traveling alone. Everyone had their own stories.
The most common comment I get when people see our bike is something about how I don't have to pedal. I also get asked about how I handle the lack of control, with Rob doing all the steering, shifting, and braking. We both pedal, and both coast at the same time. Yes, I can feel when he is working harder than I am, but he can also feel when I am working harder than him - which does happen from time to time. Without a tandem, I would be left at the bottom of the hills, or always feeling like I am holding Rob back. We are in this together - connected at the pedals and seats, you could say. There isn't anyone I would rather give up control to than my husband. I trust him implicitly. I get to sit back, watch the scenery, take pictures, give him an occasional pinch (just to let him know I'm still there), and rub his shoulders when they get tense from all the traffic or braking.
For me, this was the most physically challenging thing I have ever done in my life! I have never been one who enjoys exercising just for the fun of it. I much prefer to be out doing things - hiking, biking, kayaking, etc. There were days when I just wanted to quit. Rob pulled me through those times.
One of my favorite days on the road was also one of the most challenging. It was the first day Doug rode with us. Climbing the Crescent City Hills was difficult, but the sense of accomplishment when we made it to the top was fabulous! I don't remember all the parts of the day, but I do remember the river valley we rode through with the bridge guarded by the two golden bears. The best part was the last five miles, downhill through the redwoods. There was no traffic - only one or two cars passed us; we rode side by side with Doug through this magical canopy of redwoods. That isn't to say our seats weren't hurting, and we weren't exhausted! But the quiet of the forest, and the trees so tall you couldn't see the tops without craning your neck was the perfect ending to a long, hard ride.
At the end, I did want to quit. Our ride on Thursday was so difficult. I want to know when a "hill" becomes a "mountain"! The narratives in the book never said anything about mountains! The climb on that day was so long and strenuous. The ride down the other side was when the brakes burned up. Our legs were shot. The next day was short, but we ended up pushing the bike up hills we would have easily ridden two days earlier. Rob said I asked the B & B if there were any hills to get there - I had a plan all worked out of how we could lock the bike up and call a taxi if she had said anything other than the road was flat. And I was ready to have Kendal come get us the next morning. I'm glad I didn't! The ride into Sausalito was relatively easy, and beautiful. We rode through a state park that I would love to go back to. The thousands of people in pink walking for breast cancer awareness in Sausalito and across the bridge were an inspiration. As we rode by them, I could read signs on their backs saying they were walking in memory of their mother, or wife, or sister. Others had lists of names of people - some three or four columns long. I was in my pink riding shirt, so we got cheered on with the walkers!
Seeing Kendal waiting for us was a wonderful sight! When she told us the hill we had to climb to get to the bridge was steep, I again, was ready to call it quits. My cheerleader, Rob, said we could do it, and we did! Riding across the bridge was so exhilarating! The sun was shining, the pink walkers were on one side, the bikers on the other. I clicked pictures all along the bridge as we rode. And, Kendal was waiting for us on the other side, ready to cheer us on, and take us home.
So, what I learned from this trip...
- with enough stops, I can climb any mountain
- it may not be a pretty sight, but together, we can do anything
I get asked if I would do it again, or when are we planning our next trip. The answers to those will have to wait a while. I have missed being on the road since we got home, but I'm not ready to go out and do it again right now. Maybe we'll start off slow and just do some day rides or weekend bike camping.
Thanks for all your support and interest in our ride!
Evelyn
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