Fin.

We awoke at Doheny Beach to a somewhat chilly but clear morning. Mike did a great job of navigating us through San Clemente, which had many, many, many turns through residential streets. The route then took us through dry scrubland along the coast. There was almost no traffic with us since those in cars prefer to zip along at 70 mph on the adjacent freeway. When we reached the military base of Camp Pendleton we had to join the traffic on the I-5 freeway since they no longer allow cyclists to just show up and ride through the base. Happily, the shoulder on the freeway was wide, well-maintained and mostly free of debris. We all enjoyed the extra boost that comes from the tail wind generated by large trucks passing you at high speed. Our mileage for the trip crossed 9000 miles somewhere on the I-5. Eight miles later we exited the freeway safely and began a tedious slog through the built-up and congested cities of Oceanside and Carlsbad.

I think somehow I was expecting a magical final day of riding but it was just like all the others with its ups and downs (both topographic and mental). The final 20 miles took us away from the coast and we began counting down. Less than 20 miles to go. Less than 15 miles to go. Second-to-last town. Third-to-last street. Less than 10 miles to go. Second-to-last street. Final town. Final street.

As we rode down the hill to Mike's parents' house their neighbors cheered us on from the edge of the road. However, the most daunting challenge of the trip remained: the Roddy family driveway. The Roddy family home is on a hill and the grade of the driveway is 25%. Periodically on the tour I had wondered whether I could make it up the hill fully loaded. I shifted into my easiest gear and gave Mike a big head start so if I wiped out I wouldn't take him out too. Here we go, 9037 miles of training just for this hill. And... we made it! Mike's mom Cheri cheered for us as we reached the house. She was spectacularly thoughtful and had a bucket of ice and beers waiting, plus snacks.

Some thanks are needed for the many people that gave us or lent us gear for this trip. Thank you also to everyone who helped us out and especially those who sent encouraging messages either through the blog comments or privately. Next we plan to rest for a while and hopefully reintegrate into regular society smoothly.

We hope you've enjoyed the ride, we certainly did.

By the numbers:

Final day mileage: 60
Total trip mileage: 9,037
Longest day: 90 miles
States: 25
Countries: 2
Highest pass: Washington Pass @ 5,476 feet
Rach's top speed: 38
Mike's top speed: 40-something
Blog posts: 122
Flat tires: Way too many

Things people gave or lent to us:

Rach's front rack lent by Rach Horn
Rach's camp towel from her parents
Rach's bike shorts from her parents
Mike's rear panniers from Dan Rodman
Mike's sleeping bag from his parents
Mike's stabby Opinel knife from Katie
Solar panel gifted from Bikerowave volunteers
Spare battery for charging devices lent by Rach Horn
Camp stove from Thomas
Subway gift cards from the Kendalls
Maps mailed courtesy of Maxwell

Thank you all!

Final stretch of coast

First over the line

This frame first went cross country with Mike, now down the Pacific coast with Mike Sr.

Finished!

Hooray!

Thank you to Cheri for our welcome

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