Ride for the Dominican: Getting to the ride and day 1!

Hitting the road...

Thursday morning September 14 we hit the road. The plan was to leave at 5 a.m.. We got going by 5:30. Close enough!

The goal was Murphy, North Carolina about 813 miles away. We were going to connect with Sharon's parents and start the trip off camping out! We didn't make it. It was sweet to go through ST. Louis but with breaks to stretch and eat etc, we were going to get to our campsite really late so we switched to a closer campsite that was on "our side" of Murphy, North Carolina. We got to the campsite and set up quickly. They had experienced a lot of rain that week from Hurricane Irma. I would experience more of Hurricane Irma's damage in the next couple of days.

It was neat traveling with the whole family. The boys loved staying in the tent. We all loved getting out of the van after that ride! The night was great, even sleeping in the tent. We woke up feeling refreshed and ready to head back west toward the Tennessee, North Carolina border. We found a bar on the Tennessee side and thought it was a great place to get ready to roll.

The bike I rode is a 2004 Litespeed Classic. It was given to me a couple of years ago by a ridiculously generous friend. I walked into my office and there sat this bike... God is good!

I love these guys. The week on the bike would be blessed by random cheering as they drove by in the van. I can't put into words how much energy their cheers would give. My prayer is that they too would catch the vision of using their skills and abilities for the glory of God.

This ride was made easier because Sharon drove the "sag wagon." All my supplies were hauled which means I didn't need panniers or my good ol' Burley Nomad trailer. This lightened my bike up significantly and basically made the first 2 days possible.

A sag wagon is the way to go if you can find someone to drive! It makes getting ready a whole lot faster and easier.

I'm ready to ride!

It is daunting, to say the least, starting off through a state on a bicycle! It makes me feel very little and very insignificant... which for me is a good experience every so often. Scripture compares our life to a vapor, similar to fog, it is here in the morning and gone by afternoon. Have I made an impact?

It's the beginning of unbelievable scenery!

Someone sent me a text at 8:34 a.m. that said, "I prayed for you this morning that you would be in awe of God while you're out in the midst of his amazing creation. Enjoy!" I looked up and saw this. I'd say this prayer was answered!