Blake Bikes Baja

Dana Point, California to San Quinton, Mexico... 264 miles

I haven't had much contact with Blake since he's left, but he's been good about trying once a day to keep me posted. He has pictures but has not been able to send them, hopefully soon! 

On Wednesday Blake rode to Ensenada and found an RV park to camp at. He was able to call that night. It was 6pm and he was getting to sleep... He said it was a rougher day then he planned because there were some hills. "But it's fun going up then going down, going up then going down," he said. 

I hate riding up hill. Blake has always seen further and said "if you go up then you must go down, and that's my favorite." I feel like that's how Blake views life. He is really good at looking beyond the difficult moment, or the season we are in and knowing that there's a future, a change coming. Life is so much about riding up those difficult hills and then rejoicing when you can soar down them. I would like to work on thinking more like Blake during those up hills; that working hard for your reward IS the reward and pushing through, past what you THOUGHT your limit was, will only make you stronger. And then you can be grateful for those few seconds of downhill when the wind is in your hair and you are flying, knowing you worked hard for it! 

On Thursday it was raining so Blake stopped early in St. Thomas for a hotel. He called from a gas station because there was no service or wifi. He said he was good and that he was eating well (happened upon a juice bar) and to make sure to tell his parents where he was. 

Yesterday I only got one text from him saying he was in San Quinton and he missed me (❤️.) 

My girlfriends ask if I'm worried and scared... Of course I am. But I have FAITH in the unknown and the unseen. I have faith that Blake is going through every experience that's intended for him. Talking to my bestie who's husband is going to go through 3 months of hard military training in a different state at the same time she is going to have their first son... Well I'm SUPER THANKFUL for my situation and I'm so BLESSED to be surrounded by other women who are strong in their independence and in their relationships! 

No pictures yet but I'm sure when they come in they will be great! Did anyone follow Blake while he rode from Monument, Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico in the summer of 2011? 

                                    Dream Big, Ride Far

             

Blake Bikes Baja

My Big Dreamer,

You rode away on your trusty Cannondale today with your bags full and a smile on your face. I know that we were both holding back the tears of saying goodbye. They came pouring out once you were around the corner. I got ready for work, worked, and came home thinking of you every minute. You know I am only sad because I hate missing you, my best friend. But it's just a "vacation" right? That's what we kept telling eachother so the word "goodbye" wouldn't actually be said.

I am so PROUD of you! I am proud of the dreams you have and the determination to actually get out there and do them. You are so inspiring to not only me but everyone around you and even those who don't know you (the ones I get to brag about you to.) I admire your courage to be able to leave your comfort zone. I look up to your strength to take your body to it's limits. I appreciate your trust in me to let you go on your journey. You have always made me want to be a better version of myself, and this trip that you are taking is challanging me to keep pushing my own limits, as you push yours.

I hope that you find everything you are looking for. I hope that you get quiet enough to listen to your inner workings. I hope that you see things that twist your view of the world upside down. I hope that your tires keep spinning and your legs keep pushing. I hope that you won't miss me or your family because you are in such an amazing place. I hope that you find lots and lots of fresh fruits and veggies! I hope that you forgive yourself for eating too much rice and beans and guacamole. I hope that you get as many miles as you can in every day. I hope that you get to hang out enough to appreciate where you are at. I hope that you and I will see the same sunsets over the same ocean.

I'm lucky that I know who you are when you are on the road, with just your bike, clothes, and camping gear. I know how happy it makes you. I know how there are no words to describe the peace and simplicity of that white line on asphalt and I'm so happy that you are strong enough to say that you wanted that again, and in our neighboring country no less. Viva Mexico!

Thank you for being my Big Dreamer and Riding Far! Can't wait to see you in Cabo, at the end of your grand adventure!! Merry Christmas and Happy New year, my love.




I was thinking during the last few weeks that Blake couldn't go one month after our three month adventure in Colorado before he started thinking up another one. I know that Mexico has been heavy on his heart and I am so proud of him for finding this season now to listen to himself and take this journey. Blake's been enjoying his time off of work, but that in no way means he hasn't been working hard. He's been doing yoga, biking in Laguna, running on the beach, and focusing on good nutrition in order to prepare for what he's about to put his body through on this trip. He's been reading and researching bike routes through Baja and making good enough arguments to help me become comfortable with this trip as well, which was hard work. I had been asking him if he was ready to tell his parents what he was doing, and I think it took a few weeks to get there, but once he did I could tell he felt a little less weight off his shoulders. {Thanks for being so supportive, Shawn and Mary! I know that he wouldn't be able to do this with a peaceful mind without you guys.}

Yesterday we set our intentions on celebrating one anothers' strength in going forward in this dream. We had a great run on the beach, watching the sun rise. Then we took our blanket back to the beach, played in the sand, and watched the sun go down. It was the most incredible sunset I have ever seen, the vibrancy of the colors were made just for us.

Blake left our home in Dana Point, CA this morning at 9am. He packed up, had a juice, and said "see you in three weeks!" as he rode his bike down the street. He got on the train in San Clemente and got off right before the border to ride across it himself. He then took the Tijuana trolly into Rosarito and is safe at a hotel right now. Tomorrow he says he plans on waking up early and heading to Ensenada.

Dream Big, Ride Far

Oregon Coast

July 19th - 22nd

Pavement, tall trees, foggy mornings, laundromats, wet tent, cold bathrooms, road signs, dirt, pastries, fresh air, quiet days, vibrant green hillsides, not enough clothes, too many clothes, packing, unpacking, phone calls home, maps, strangers, motel rooms, sleeping bags, quarters, gas stations, pictures, small conversations, laughs, waves, wind, rain, fruit, beaches, coffee, water, music, tourists, bicycles, RV's, white line on the road, bridges, construction, smells, raccoons, breakfasts, phone chargers.

Strange: adj.

1. unusual, extraordinary, or curious; odd

2. situating, belonging, or from outside of one's ownlocality

3. outside of one's previous experience

4. unaccustomed to or inexperienced in; unaquainted

Let's recap: I'm a typical mid-twenties midwestern girl, traveling 10 miles per hour on a moped with my life strapped down by bungee cords following a dreadlock bicyclist lover down the west coast of the United States for an unknown destination at an unknown point in time.

I was living the strange.


Pacific City to Florence to Bandon, Oregon...171 miles

Heading into Newport, Oregon we were looking for a bike shop to get Blake some fenders. We found Bike Newport. It was the best shop we went into on the whole coast. They supplied a shower for Blake and then fixed up his bike. I remember this shop because they were down-to-earth and friendly. Also because they were the first to say they've seen thousands of tourists travel Highway 101 and we were the first to do it the way we were; 1 bicyclist, 1 moped rider...strange. That's ok, it was the strange that worked for us.

We rode through Newport to a large campsite in South Beach (my journal says "Long Beach" but I chalk that up to camping & riding errors.) It was a neighborhood of campers. I was cracking up at the lots all around us, just like housing developments...but take off the shell of the house and replace it with a tent, talk about "airing your laundry" if you get what I'm saying. We stayed two days at this campsite resting. We went running down a trail to the beach one of the nights. It was so magical: dark trees growing overhead, rolling hills of sand, loud crashing waves, and a far off lighting storm over the ocean. We got pulled over by the Po. When I say "we" I mean both of us on one of our jaunts into town on the Black Pearl living in our own world...They don't seem to like that very much. We also ended up finding Rogue Brewery here in South Beach. We were the only ones sitting on the back deck when the owner and some empolyees and old timer regulars joined us. I remember blending in with them as they conversed about business, last night's bar fight, and so on. It reminded me of hanging out at Blake's parent's restaurant drinking a beer.

Pearl had a birthday during these few days in Oregon. 1001 miles under her belt! She's a bada**!

I was so in love with listening to my music or audiobook, chillin' on the moped behind Blake, watching everything go by slowly. The weather changed, the colors changed, the hills changed, the people changed, the roads changed.

In Bandon we were hanging out at another laundromat and made a friend with this guy and his sweet little dog. He used to tour back in the '70's with his son. I could see the memories flood into his eyes as he tried his best to explain his trips. I recognize it now because I'm sure I get that look when I try to explain my adventures to people. Everyone has thier own story...I learned this coming down the coast, that's for sure! Anyone we talked to would have their memories flood back to them and they'd light up recalling thier past adventures.

Everyone has had thier fare share of strange. I think it's exciting! Strange can break down your thinking, change what you've been programmed to think, alter your reality. Strange things and events and people are good. "Unusual, extraordinary, curious" are amazing words to add to your story.

I love this picture above! These seagulls were chilling on this roof over our hotel room (that was actually a time portal to the '60's with it's grass carpet, wood panal walls and cigerette air freshner.) All night we heard thier little feet patter above. THEN this pelican came to join the party, he had a heavier step. I think this was when I fell in love with pelicans...to me they are the great, old, wise yogis of the sea.

Thanks for reading!! Hope you enjoy my strange & that you are enjoying your strange. 

I believe this way of thinking will take you down a path to Dream Big, Ride Far!! 

Fog and Beaches

July 15th - 17th

We left Astoria and followed the coast. There were many more beaches to check out during this stretch. But the beaches weren't what I've been used to visiting Florida, California, or Hawaii. There were no palm trees, tiki stands, skateboarders, boardshorts or bikinis. The mood was different. I loved it. Even though we were sitting on the beach and the sun was out, we were bundled and cuddling together. The waves would creep so far up the beach that it created this mirror-like flooring for what seamed like miles before the ocean even started. The fog would roll in sometimes, depending on where we were and the time of day. The fog was comforting. It's like it held you.

From Astoria to Kelly's Marina was a 46.5 mile ride. We made it a short day because we stopped off at Cannon Beach, OR. Have you been? You should so go! It's an incredible little town and beach. The sand felt like corduroy with every step we took. You could even hear it. We layed in the sun and soaked up the rays. Haystack Rock is an experience of it's own. Yes, there are many boulders off the northern coast to admire, but for some reason, this rock is... gorgeous. It's a photogenic piece of nature.

From there we took off and stopped at a marina for the night. Kelly's was an experience. I have not hung out around marina's so it was almost a fishy smelling Disneyland {is there a difference, truly?} to me. There were tubs of crabs and fish and oysters...right where you can grab them! There was a little store, an area to charge our phones, an awesome fire pit {we made oatmeal and drank hot tea by the fire as the sun was going down} We slept in our tent this night. I remember all the squashed slugs in the grass...they were unavoidable.

From the Marina we rode 41.5 miles into Pacific City. One of the {many} cool things about traveling the way we did, and having an open schedule, was the allowance to stop at these beaches and bakeries any time we wanted. Our schedule was made pretty much hour to hour. We hardly set up where we would even be staying for the night, but just hoped we'd end up somewhere. It worked out the majority of the time!

Anyways, riding to Pacific City we got DUMPED on by heavy, ocean rain! We tried stopping several times under trees or bushes, but it kept raining and we needed to get somewhere before the night came. With the rain and the fog it was hard to see ahead even 20 feet! The next bends were mysterious. The next town was unknown. Just when we were soaked through and through we rode into Pacific City and grabbed a room at a motel. We layed out our clothes and dried them with the room heater as best we could and went hunting for food. Everything was closed so we grabbed things at a grocery store and Blake made a motel room feast!

Ok...somewhere in there I have a night missing. At one point, I don't even remember where, we had stopped by a hostel for the night. They were packed full so we set up the tent in their backyard. Two things I remember about this is the little Asian lady who ran the hostel was so funny and cute and little and bossy. The other was that this was the point in time we were trying to plan going into Portland. It would have been a full day in, a full day there, and a full day back to the coast. On top of that all the hostels and motels were booked up for I think a bike race that weekend. We had to scratch the idea of going to see Portland. The owner of the hostel told us "once you've seen one large city, you've seen them all"... This helped us not worry too much about missing the chance to check it out. Welp...let's move on.

I have to mention Tillamook, OR. There is nothing, and I mean nothing in this town. Except for the dairy factory. So, from now on, we buy Tillamook butter. Nothing like supporting the places you've been. {I'm also pretty sure we stopped at a bakery.}

Thanks for reading about our adventure! Sorry it gets a little jumbled...imagine our brains DURING these days. Let me know what you guys think by commenting on this blog, or on my FB post of this feed.

No matter where you're at in life or in the world...Dream Big and Ride Far! {And document those amazing journey's}