Last Minute Chores
Today, we finally got to see Shannon, which was wonderful. We spent much of the day doing chores that needed to be done before we leave. At one point, we took a detour and explored Ocean Beach (aka OB) town and beach, which is only a 10 minute walk from Shannon’s house. It is an eclectic town with lots of unique shops. We walked out to the fishing pier and along the surf. The air and water temperatures were chilly. I am sure we will be missing those beautiful temperatures in a couple days.
We spent the afternoon organizing all the apps we will be using for the trip. We have route planning apps for directions, a group text for communication, and tracking apps so we know where everyone is at any given time. Shannon even has a satellite phone if we lose mobile phone connectivity. If only the apps could pedal for us :).
We also had a route planning discussion. Essentially, we have two options: (1) a southern route that hugs the Mexico border and the southern coast of the US after Texas and (2) a route in the middle of the country that goes through Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, etc. The first option is flat but very hot (i.e. excessive heat warnings hot) and the second option is much cooler but climbs the Rocky Mountains. We decided to go with option 2 because we have less options to beat the heat, and we can always drive over the mountains if necessary.
We had a nice pasta dinner at Shannon’s home with her friends. It was great spending time with them. As we prepare for tomorrow, I would say we are all feeling equal measures of excitement and trepidation. I suspect we will not sleep a lot tonight. Thanks for reading.
