Tomorrow I go back to work, so the #transam #nailpolish will have to go, but the memories will be with me forever.

I’ve logged 2,059 miles on this trip. It’s not all the way across the US, but more than half way. My bike, Kip, has an extra 1,000 or so miles thanks to his namesake that rode him while I was away. So, my bike made it all the way across the US!

Life is pretty beautiful and amazing and I’m fortunate for all the new friends in my life. Can’t wait to see you all again real soon.

#biketheusforms

There are no words.  Just sad.  Happy, but mostly sad.  Tonight, we celebrated at a karaoke bar.  Well, most of us did.   Ok, three of us.

The rest went back to the hotel early — typical TransAm 2016 team!!  It’s okay, we closed the place down and then carried Amanda back to the hotel!

I’M SO SAD IT’S OVER!!!!

Today, we rode fast.  I kept up with Mike and Alex and it was strange riding through my own stomping grounds.  I loved sharing these roads with my friends.  Everyone loved Davis, especially Mike P.  He was diggin’ the girls.

Camp offered us a side trip to Berryessa Brewing for some beers and great food.  It was Alex’s birthday so I bought him a lot of beer.  Then we rode back and I continued to drink all night with Sully and Amanda.  Then, I overslept and Kristen had to wake me up at 8am after everyone packed up their tents and gear.    Ahhhh, life on the road.

Carson Pass—- my third encounter with you.  I’m sure there will be more.

Today, we arrived at the Silver Lake campground.  Nothing here.  Dump thrones … no showers, but a nearby resort had a restaurant and gift shop. ..  so, I rented a kayak for an hour and went all over the lake — then met the gang for a very expensive dinner and many glasses of wine.  Hey, it was worth it!!

So, it’s August 3 and the ride is over but I realized I neglected to blog the last few days….  ya know, too much time with friends and being sad about the trip ending.  So here we go….. time to play catch up

What I remember most about our ride to Carson City is not the ride itself, but the post-ride shenanigans.  Only this time, it wasn’t shenanigans, I had a great evening with Debbie!   It was extremely hot when we arrived at the campsite.  I set up my tent and took a shower and then was hanging out at the office with Debbie when she said she was gonna go to the museum to see about a patch.  She’s been collecting patches throughout the ride and sewing them onto her bike bag and had quite the collection going!

I was looking for a sticker that said I survived Hwy 50 so off we went to see the store.  This was the first time Debbie took her bike out after a day of riding for a recreational ride.  AND it was the first time Debbie and I rode together.  We ended up going to five different tourist spots/stores to try to find what we need…. in the end, Debbie found her patch and she GAVE me a sticker she found a few days earlier.  She is so sweet!!   We stopped for dinner #1 at a place that was recommended to her the day before and had some wine and salads…  a great time.  LOVED getting to know Debbie.  When we got back to camp, we grabbed a few riders and went to one more store before meeting the gang for Pho…..    Another great day on the road!!

Here I am in Fallon, NV.  48 miles today, which is the shortest day I’ve ever had with this group.  Still a long day, it was mostly flat except for one little climb at the beginning.  Our rest stop was Sand Mountain, really cool in the middle of nowhere:

Sand Mountain is a Singing sand dune 20 miles (32 km) east of Fallon, Nevada along U.S. Route 50. The dune is two miles long and 600 feet (180 m) high.[2] The sand originates from the ancient Lake Lahontan, that for the most part dried up 9,000 years ago.

So, if you are wondering how we ride when we have a hangover, the answer is you just do.  I was up really late last night and the vans left at 0830 this morning.  So…… I woke up at 0800.  That’s totally not like me.  I had a bomb breakfast at the restaurant (remember it’s literally the only thing in Middlegate Station).  It’s so out there that they don’t even have electricity running to the site.  The bar, motel, homes, are all run from generators.  CRAZY.   So breakfast was eggs, bacon and two giant pancakes.  Started riding around 0915 or so, and it was a slow, painful ride.  Drinking lots and lots of water, I made it over the little mountain and to the first and only rest stop.  Drank more water and decided to take off to the camp for the night, which was only about 25 miles away.  25 flat, boring miles.  So, Kip to the rescue!  Kip is the guy that rode my bike for most of the trip while I was back home working, so my bike is now named Kip after him.  When you ride right behind another rider you take advantage of the drag and they “pull” you since they break the wind and it reduces how hard you have to work.  So, Kip pulled me all the way to Fallon.  It was glorious.  Along the way, we picked up Kristen for awhile, but she decided to back off and then Sully came along and picked us up while we stopped for water.  He pulled for awhile, then Kip took over again and we picked up Shanon, who had a tough day herself with a flat and some general sluggish riding thanks to the drinks last night.  So, off we go, Kip, myself, Sully and Shanon.

Now I’m at a laundromat, waiting for my clothes to dry and wondering what is in store for tonight.  There are casinos in this town!  🙂