So, I have a week of vacation time to use up before 3/31. It was carried over from last year and I hate to lose it. I also hate to spend it at home in a nondescript, easily forgettable fashion like I usually do. My interest of late is long distance bike rides. The beginning of the year is a crappy time to ride. It’s freaking cold, snowy, and leafless throughout most of the country. Most early trips are held in April. I did find one from Adventure Cycling in March. And I signed up.
I’m pretty excited. It’s like my first real vacation. You know where you are gone from home about the length of time of the vacation time from work and you leave town to do a particular activity.
The dates are March 14(Sat)-20(Fri) leaving from Tucson, AZ and riding around the desert to the small towns, including Tombstone. It’s about 50 miles/day with a rest day in the middle with 40+ other riders. Accommodations are a patch of grass and tent+sleeping bag. Meals are provided and baggage is carried by motor vehicle. This is the link.
Google says it’s 12 hr away. All the way through New Mexico to the southern tip of AZ. El Paso is closer. Austin is closer. Still it’s just within my driving limit of 1 days car ride. I don’t need to pack a bike box, folding bike, or hotel. Though, a hotel on the last day might be nice instead of driving through the night. The big green Bianchi fox (Volpe) can fit in the trunk with the seats down. It will probably be just me. Jessica is busy and I don’t think anyone else would be interested, but I’ll ask anyway. Chris n Staci do the camping thing, but a week can be a long time.
This pushes my Seattle to Portland training plans up. If I can do 50 mi/day in March I can certainly do 100 mi/day in July. I also get experience riding with people. The training in February and March for the ride will kind of be catch as can. It hasn’t really snowed or rained so far and that means we’ll get it latter.