Day 0 - A Night Before

Well, tomorrow we head out on our big adventure. I can't believe that it is finally here. My weekend started two days ago when I picked Stephanie and Kevin up from the airport. Stephanie is a 19 year old from Goldsboro, North Carolina. Kevin is a 51 year old from Michigan City, Indiana. I opened up my home to them to stay with me this weekend before starting the trip tomorrow.

On Saturday we went up to Seattle to see the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade. We saw some naked, body painted, people riding by on bikes, and other crazy stuff. I was telling Stephanie about King County's helmet law. She looked at me like I was crazy. She said, "So its okay to ride around Seattle naked, but you get a ticket for not wearing a helmet? Too funny!!! I just laughed.

Later that night Addy, Em, Stephanie, Kevin, Nick (Em's boyfriend), Jack (a family friend), Akira and I had a BBQ at my house. We had Chicken marinated in teriyaki sauce, pena pasta with sun dried tomatoes, and fresh fruit. The kids roasted marshmallows over my fire pit and made smores.

Today, Kevin, Stephanie, and I went for a 12 mile bike ride to get any kinks out of our bikes before tomorrow, and the only thing that we had to do was lower Stephanie's seat. Then we went up to Seattle and picked up James, another Big Ride Rider at the house where he was staying. I took them to REI to get some last minute things, then we went up in the Space needle. After that we had an orientation meeting, where we got to meet the other Big Riders, and got our Rider #'s (I'm #42). It was good to meet the other riders and the support staff. I sat there and looked around and thought, "these people are all strangers to me, but in 48 days we will be like one big family."

Tomorrow we leave at 7am from the UW Campus. Our first day will be going around the North End of Lake Washington over to Marymoor Park, and then on to East Lake Sammamish. We then climb up to the Issaquah Plateau, and drop down to Fall City, and then go on to North Bend. From North Bend we go over Snoqualmie Pass and down into Easton, where we will spend our first night.

Well that's all for now.. more tomorrow hopefully on DAY #1