Yesterday’s ride was not an auspicious way to finish up my trip, but Birmingham was my last tour stop. I hopped on the Amtrak Crescent to Baltimore and 20 hours later, I rode the ½ mile to the light rail station and hopped on the train to Lutherville.
This was the culmination of a couple weeks of planning with our friends Dave & Kathy who were hosting Dana for the weekend, but it didn’t all gel until I was in New Orleans.
Dave picked me up at Lutherville and took me back to their house where we had some wine and waited for Dana. She thought I was with a Warm Showers host in Birmingham, a little ruse that was not unexpected for this trip.
It was a grand surprise and a grand reunion. While we talked and texted every day, I hadn’t seen Dana since St. Louis back on August 22. I had been thinking that I would wrap up by Thanksgiving, but a look a the long range forecast maps showed that unless I was in Southern California again, I was going to be dealing with a lot of rain and even snow as I headed to Tennessee. I missed a few states on this round, but they are not going anywhere.
I’ve had such a great journey seeing folks I know all over the country and meeting new friends along the way. It wouldn’t have been a very different and harder trip without their support and help along the way.
And, it’s not completely over yet. Our friend Charlie is coming to Dave’s and Kathy’s tomorrow for some riding, and I hope to be riding in the snow when I get back to State College, so stay tuned for some more updates.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
What an epic journey, and hopefully the first of many such retirement wanderings : )
We (and State College!) will be thrilled to have you back for a bit.