A brief description of our daily route:
August 24 – Machias, ME to West Quoddy, ME
We rode 36 miles today to make it to the eastern most point in the United States, our final destination of the trip. Our ride began with a short distance on the Sunrise trail before turning off at East Machias and heading toward Cutler. At Cutler, we passed the Naval Station, which is an array of antenna that’s used in the Atlantic for communications with submarines.
After Passing through Cutler, the wind was at our backs and it seemed like no time at all before we were at the lighthouse in West Quoddy. There to greet us were Nick’s parents and we were surprised by his Aunt and Uncle,Mark and Mary, who drove out from Indiana to see us finish!
West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, eastern most point in the U.S.
Taking a short hike from the lighthouse, we were able to make it to the Atlantic Ocean where we dipped our front tires in the water to finish the trip.
The stairs were a bit of a challenge and it would have been a lot harder if we left the bikes loaded.
Dipping our front tires in the Atlantic, the water was very cold.
This is the end of our trip, we will be staying on Campobello Island, NB with Nick’s family for the next couple days. We will have a few more blog posts to wrap up the trip, so look back for those in the coming days. Thanks to all who have been following us on this adventure, we both are incredibly grateful for your prayers and encouragement along this journey.
August 23 – Rest day in Machias, ME
August 22 – Ellsworth, ME to Machias, ME
We biked a total of 63 miles to make it to Machias. We started from our campsite in Ellsworth and rode to the Down East Sunrise Trail.
This is a rail to trail that is part of the East Coast Greenway. Although the gravel made riding a bit difficult, the railroad grade and not having to deal with traffic made the ride quite enjoyable.
Once we reached Machias, we grabbed some provisions at the local grocery store and headed to our lodging for the night. We will be staying in Machias for the next two nights and taking a zero day tomorrow. Although we have under 40 miles to our final destination, due to the inclement weather and coordinating our pick-up, we will be waiting to finish the trip until Thursday.
August 21 – Waldoboro, ME to Forest Ridge Campground outside of Ellsworth, ME
We rode a bit further today than we originally anticipated, biking over 75 miles to a campground just outside of Ellsworth. We were dropped off outside Moody’s Diner to start the day where we had been picked up prior to the rest day we had been treated to by Nick’s parents. The ride took us along the coast of Maine, which we can once again confirm is not flat. We did get to cross over the Penobscot Bridge, a very beautiful bridge that had a generous shoulder for cyclists.
Tomorrow we will deviate from the Northern Tier, as it swings south and east to its ending in Bar Harbor. We will continue on for two extra days of riding toward Lubec to dip our tires into the Atlantic at the eastern most point in the 48.
August 20 – Rest Day in Camden, ME
August 19 – Lewiston, ME to Waldoboro, ME
We rode 68 miles today to make it to Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro, ME. After a wonderful stay with our hosts John and Kathleen in Lewiston, we made our way southeast to Brunswick. From Brunswick we made our way to Bath where we crossed a bridge overlooking the Bath Iron Works shipyard.
The rest of the day we were riding through the coastline of Maine. We can confirm that Maine is not a flat state. Not at all. We were going to stop at Daramiscotta, but decided to push on to Moody’s Diner in Waldoboro. There we met Nicks parents, Jim and Janet, who are treating us to a rest day in Camden, ME. After eating a wonderful dinner, they packed our bikes and gear and drove us up to a cabin where we will be staying for the next two nights.
Tomorrow we will rest our legs after 5 days of climbing through the mountains and the rolling hills.
August 18 – Fryeburg, ME to Lewiston, ME
Forgot to hit the record button after a small break in the middle of the day, but the darker blue line is what we took so you can follow that if interested in our route.
Today was a day of riding in the rain. We rode 62 miles to our Warm Showers host in Lewiston. Although it was raining, it was not a thunderstorm and we were able to push through to our destination. Along the route we have seen many funny signs, and we had to stop and take a picture with this one.
Tomorrow we hope for better weather as we push east to get our first glimpse of the Atlantic.
August 17 – Wildwood Campground, NH to Canal Bridge Campground outside of Fryeburg, ME
Ignore the line jutting across the mountains in the middle of our ride. Apparently the GPS was having problems with the signal.
Today we hit two major mile stones in the trip: we rode over our final mountain pass and we entered our 14th/final state! We rode a total of 60 miles today, starting out with a brief climb over Kinsmans Notch before dropping into Lincoln, NH for breakfast. At Kinsman Notch, the Northern Tier crosses the Appalachian Trail. We stopped to take a picture and ran into two through hikers, only to be known by their trail names Happy and The Austrian.
Happy in front and The Austrian behind
After our breakfast in Lincoln, we started our 2000’+ climb in the White Mountains over Kancamagus Pass (yes it is as fun to say as it is to spell). We were quite excited for our last pass of the trip.
After that it was mostly a fast downhill into Conway, NH before pushing on into Maine.
Although we are out of the mountains, Maine is no flat state, as we have plenty of rollers ahead of us. Tomorrow we hope to make it to Lewiston before the rain moves into the area Friday afternoon/evening.
August 16 – South Royalton, VT to Wildwood Campground in Wildwood, NH
Today we rode 60 miles to make it to our 13th state, New Hampshire. We started and ended the ride today with climbs. Our starting climb was out of Sharon, VT and once again the grade was incredibly steep. While on the climb a passing car rolled down their window and yelled “Nick!” It was our friend Leah’s (from Ohio) mom and sister. Leah had just let them know that morning we would be passing through the area which is where her sister lives. It just turned out we were at an intersection at the same time as they were and Leah’s mom recognized Nick and called him over. We both feel incredibly blessed by preordained appointments, such as this one, that we don’t know of in advance.
Nick and Leah’s sister Kaylie
We hit two detours on the route, one in Vermont and the other after crossing the Connecticut river into New Hampshire. Both detours took us on dirt/gravel roads, but thankfully both being fairly short.
Gravel road detour
Nick traveling through a covered bridge on the route in New Hampshire along the Connecticut River
We totaled over 3600 feet in climbing, our second day in a row of 3000+ feet of climbing. Tomorrow we will climb once again over the Kancamangus Pass and then descend into our 14th and final state of the trip.
August 15 – Ticonderoga, NY to South Royalton, VT
We rode just over 71 miles today and made it to our 12th state. From Ticonderoga we took a ferry across Lake Champlain to Vermont where we began our first day of climbing through the New England states.
We were warned about the route in the Northeast, as they apparently did not know of the concept of a switchback and just went up and over the mountains when the built the roads. We saw a sign today with a 12% grade climbing over Middlebury Gap, the steepest we have seen thus far on the trip. Thankfully we had a Whoopie Pie to get us up and over those steep climbs.
Tomorrow we will leave Vermont behind and enter New Hampshire for some more climbing and hopefully some more Whoopie Pies.
August 14 – Rest day in Ticonderoga
We rode no miles today and have now mapped out our entire route to Lubec, ME. Tomorrow we start our trek across Vermont and New Hampshire in three days.
August 13 – Paradox, NY to Ticonderoga, NY
This morning we got an early start to ride a short 15 miles to Ticonderoga. The ride had a couple hundred foot climb before descending 900 feet into the valley just south of Lake Champlain. We decided that it would be smart to rest our legs before tackling the Green Mountains of Vermont and the White Mountains of New Hampshire, so we will be staying here in Ticonderoga for the next two nights as we rest our legs and plan our route through our final three states of the trip.
August 12 – Raquette Lake NY to Paradox Pond Campground outside Paradox, NY
After getting breakfast at the pub we stayed above in Raquette Lake, we got an early start knowing we had a good day of climbing ahead of us. We rode north east to Long lake, before heading east through the Adirondack Mountains, passing through a few small towns like Newcomb and Blue Ridge. In all, we rode 73 miles and climbed close to 3000 feet. A good day, especially since there were no mechanical failures on either of our bikes. Tomorrow we will be traveling a very short distance to Ticonderoga where we will be spending Sunday and Monday to rest our legs and plan our route through Vermont and New Hampshire.
August 11 – Boonville, NY to Raquette Lake, NY
Today we made it 48 miles, about 20 miles short of our original plan to get to Long Lake. We were leaving Inlet, a small lake community sitting on the edge of one of the number lakes (Forth Lake) that are a part of the Fulton Chain Lakes. As we began to climb away from the town, Spencer’s rear derailleur cable snapped. This caused his bike to shift into its top gear as they were pedaling uphill (not fun). Turns out we really are being blessed on this trip, as we had literally just left the Pedals and Petals bike shop/flower shop in Inlet and were no more than a quarter mile from its front door.
The owner of the shop was a bit surprised to see us back, but graciously took Spencer’s bike down to the shop and immediately began working on it. Turns out there is a reason why most touring bikes do not have STI shifters like Spencer’s bike, because when they break, they are quite difficult to fix, even for a simple cable replacement. But the shop mechanical and the owner got it replaced and we were on our way for under $40. It was incredible how much of a blessing it was to have that type of breakdown happen in such a close proximity to a bike shop, and to once again have a bike shop give priority to us as they did. All things do have a silver lining; since we were unable to ride as far today as anticipated, we ended up making it to Raquette Lake where we found lodging above the town pub for quite a bargain, and it sits right on the edge of Racquette Lake.
The room for the night will keep us out of the inclement weather moving into the area. As for tomorrow, we are not sure how far we will make it, as more weather is predicted to move into the area.
August 10 – Selkirk Shores State Park to Stysh’s Brown Barn Campground outside of Boonville, NY
We rode 57 miles today to end up at our campsite outside of Boonville, NY. The start of the day was a climb away from Lake Ontario through many of the small towns of upstate New York. It was interesting to watch how quickly the farmland gave way to forest as the terrain became to steep to farm. After the initial ascent, the remaining topography was ups and downs until the end of the ride, where we had a very nice downhill into Boonville. We arrived ahead of schedule, allowing us to grab an early dinner at a local pizza shop before heading to camp. Upon arriving at the campground, we were greeted by the campground owner Dan Stysh. He was very enthusiastic about our stay and entertained many of our questions about the area we are biking through. True to its name, the campground was owned by Dan’s father and used to be a working farm, and there is a brown barn.
Tomorrow we will continue our climb through New York towards Vermont.
August 9 – Sodus Point, NY to Selkirk Shores State Park outside Pulaski, NY
We rode 64 miles today to make it to our campsite for the night. Well, Nick rode 64, Spencer rode 66 as he left a bag at the restaurant we stopped at for lunch and did not realize it wasn’t there until a little over a mile down the road. We definitely are into the hills, as the majority of the ride was either going up or down. Tomorrow we will turn east and our climb through the mountains of New England will begin.
August 8 – Brockport, NY to South Shores RV Park west of Sodus Point, NY
We rode 77 miles to make it to our campsite outside of Sodus Point, NY. We continued on the Erie Canalway Trail for the first 45 miles of our ride. We grabbed lunch in Palmyra before turning north toward our third and final Great Lake of the trip. The last 30 miles of the trip was a preview to what we will be getting into over the next couple weeks, as we are leaving the flat country behind and moving back into hills/mountains. We arrived at our campsite to a very hospitable host and a wonderful place to stay. 
Sunset over Lake Ontario from the campground
Tomorrow we will once again head north and spend our second day and last day riding along Lake Ontario before we turn east toward the mountains.
August 7 – Holley, NY to Brockport, NY
A short 6 miles to the hotel in Brockport for a rest day. Tomorrow we will be back on the Erie Canalway Trail headed east before turning north and making our way towards Lake Ontario.
August 6 – Niagara Falls, ON to Holley, NY
We rode just over 70 miles today to make it to a campsite outside Holley, NY. The ride started out with a quick stop at the falls before heading north to the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. 
Our timing has not always been that great on this trip (e.g. getting caught in the rain two days ago), but today our timing could not have been better. As we were getting ready to cross the bridge, we noticed a group of cyclists waiting to cross. We asked what was going on, and they informed us that there was a century ride that started out in Buffalo, NY that morning. Riders were just getting to the bridge to cross back to the US and they had an entire lane blocked off for the cyclists! We asked if it was OK if we rode along and they had no problem with us crossing with them back to the US. 
The entire bridge was lined with cars waiting to go through customs and we bypassed them all, probably saving us an hour or more of waiting in line. After crossing the bridge we parted ways with the other cyclists and rode through the countryside of New York until the city of Lockport, where we joined the Erie Canal trail, a crushed stone trail that follows the Erie Canal. 
It was very nice being off of roads and once again on a well maintained trail. We arrived at the campsite for tonight and it is quite unique, as it has docks that boats can pull up to and dock for the night. We talked to one boater and it is common to take trips along the Erie Canal, stopping for the night at locations along the way like this.
Tomorrow we have a very short ride (7 miles) to Brockport, NY where we will take a “zero” day and rest.
August 5 – Dunkirk, NY to Niagara Falls, ON
Today we rode around 73 miles to make it to Niagara Falls. The wind today was quite strong and mostly at our backs the first half of the ride. Once we made it to Buffalo, NY we were on bike paths through the majority of the city. We made a slight route correction after taking a wrong turn to get on the Peace Bridge to Canada.
Nick on the Peace Bridge overlooking downtown Buffalo.
We had heard that Canadians were very polite and courteous, and we got to experience this even before we were in the country. As we crossed the bridge we met George at the gate leading to the Canadian side. He biked ahead and as we came down the bridge, he was waiting for us and rode with us about three miles to make sure we found our way.
Nick and George outside of Niagara Falls.
We wound our way up the Niagara River until we made it to the great Falls, where the sun was hitting the mist and making one of the brightest rainbows either of us had ever seen.
Tomorrow we will return the the United States where we will take a rest day after 7 days of riding.
August 4 – Erie, PA to Dunkirk, NY
Today was a short 47 mile day as we tried to get to our destination before the storms caught us from a front moving through the area. We were not quite fast enough. When we were 5 miles from the hotel we had booked in Dunkirk, Nick got a flat tire. 
Front edge of the storm moving overhead
Nick trying to fill his flat in hopes he could nurse it the remaining 5 miles into town. His tire went flat immediately after filling it, so the process began to change the tire in the storm.
And then the rain came. Thankfully Dennis, a Good Samaritan who lived across the street from where we stopped, saw us and let us change the flat in his driveway. He then offered us a towel and we took shelter in his shed until there was a small break in the weather. With the break in the rain, we quickly loaded up the bikes and we were on our way. We rolled into the hotel just as more rain moved into the area. We did make it to our 11th state and will now be traveling across the Empire State for the next week or two. Tomorrow we will try to make it to the Niagra area to camp.
August 3 – Perry, OH to Erie, PA
We rode just about 78 miles to make it to the east side of Erie, PA. We left Spencer’s home state behind and are now making our way through the a small portion of the Keystone State.
Nick giving a thumbs up to our 10th state.
Early in the ride, Spencer noticed the spokes were ripping out of his back wheel.
One of many spokes pulling out of Spencer’s rear wheel
Dan is the awesome bike shop mechanic at John Adam’s Bike Shop that replaced Spencer’s rear wheel.
This meant a stop to John Adams Bike Shop in Erie, PA. The shop got his bike right in, replaced his wheel, and had us back on the road in less than two hours. Their customer service and giving us priority was amazing and really appreciated. Once back on the road, we were racing a storm moving into the area. We made it to our destination on the east side of town just before the deluge hit.
Tomorrow we will once again have our eye on the sky as a cold front is predicted to bring storms through the area mid-day. Our plan is to ride for half the day and rest the other half as the storms move through.
August 2 – Findlay State Park to Perry Township Park outside Perry, OH
We rode one of our biggest mileage days of the trip, traveling just under 92 miles to make it to our campsite outside Perry, OH. On the ride, we joined back up with the official Northern Tier route, taking us along the shores of Lake Erie and through downtown Cleveland.
We will most likely leave the Buckeye state behind tomorrow as we head for Erie, PA, but we will be watching the weather for the next two days as a cold front passes through the region.
August 1 – Waldo, OH to Findley State Park southwest of Cleveland.
We did a few more miles than expected today, riding just under 89 miles to Findlay State Park (nowhere near Findley, OH for those familiar with Ohio). The ride took us through many of Ohio’s small towns and rural roads, some in better shape than others. One thing is for sure, Ohio grows a lot of corn. Tomorrow we will rejoin with the official Northern Tier route and hopefully make it to the east side of Cleveland.
July 31 – Columbus, OH to Waldo, OH
After a wonderful stay with Spencer’s family in Columbus, we rode a nice 47 miles today to Waldo to stay with Spencer’s parents. The ride out of Columbus started on heavily traveled roads, so we decided to ride a few miles further west to hit bike paths through Dublin, OH. We made our way north and saw the suburbs give way to farmland the further we rode from Columbus. We made a stop in Prospect, OH to see Spencer’s Grandpa and Grandma. From Prospect, it was a short ride to Spencer’s parent’s house, where we were once again treated to a great meal and great conversation. Tomorrow we will head northeast towards Cleveland, leaving central Ohio behind.
July 30 – Rest day in Columbus, OH
July 29 – Beavercreek, OH to Columbus, OH
We once again were on rail-to-trail for the majority of out 61 mile ride to Columbus today. The trail system is part of the Ohio to Erie trail that connects Cincinnati to Cleveland.
We also again were battling a headwind much of the day, but the tree cover over the trail was a good screen for much of the ride. We do want to give a shout out to the restaurant One Bistro. They are nonprofit restaurant with two locations, one in Miamisburg and one in Xenia. We stopped in Miamisburg for lunch on the 28th and then had breakfast at the location in Xenia this morning. They have an awesome mission and amazing food. If you are in either area, we highly recommend checking either location out.
Tomorrow we will take a zero day in Columbus and spend it with Spencer’s family.
July 28 – Oxford, OH to Beavercreek County Park, Beavercreek, OH
We rode 61 miles to make it to Beavercreek Community Park directly off of the Creekside Bicycle Trail. We left Oxford this morning, both of us feeling like we were once again leaving a place that feels like home (thanks Glenn and Cathy and Brian and Jackie for the hospitality). Our friends Brian and Steve saw us off this morning, and Steve even rode with us to the edge of town before he headed in to work.
Our route took us through rolling hills of south eastern Ohio before joining up with the Great Miami River Trail, a paved bike trail that ran all the way up to Dayton. Even with a headwind for the majority of the day, riding on that trail was great. Tomorrow we will ride another 60 miles to Columbus where we will visit and stay with Spencer’s family.
July 27 – Rest day in Oxford.
July 26 – Dunreith, IN to Oxford, OH
We rode around 53 miles to make it to Oxford, OH. Today we were joined by Nick’s friend, Tim, on the ride. It was great to have another rider along for the trip to Oxford as it made the miles go by very quickly with the great conversation. 
Nick and Tim after the ride to Oxford.
The route through Indiana had a few hills, but the beautiful weather made the hills seem pretty small. As we entered Spencer’s home state of Ohio, we both feel appreciative of these Midwestern states and the wonderful people who inhabit them. Tomorrow we will take another rest day to visit with friends and family in Oxford.
July 25 – Indianapolis, IN to Dunreith, IN
Googlemaps for this map, forgot to hit record.
We rode a short day of 45 miles to the Flamingo Motel in Dunreith, IN. On our way out of Indianapolis we stopped once again at The Mug for lunch in Greenfield, IN. We stopped on our way out to the West Coast in May and the food is still great as we make our way to the East Coast.
Nick with the Indiana special, deep fried tenderloin sandwich today.
Nick with the tenderloin sandwich back in May at the start of the trip.
Tomorrow we will make it to our 9th state of the trip as we head to Oxford, Ohio to visit with friends and family.
July 24 – Rest day in Indianapolis
Meeting with Nick’s friends and their children at Graeter’s Ice Cream in Indianapolis.
July 23 – Peru, IN to Indianapolis, IN
Today we rode 86 miles to make it to our destination Jeremy and Sara’s house, Nick’s friends. They graciously opened up their home to let us stay here to take a zero day and visit with friends during the stay. Our ride started out continuing on a wonderful rail to trail from Peru to Kokomo. While on the trail, we met Jay, a former school teacher who was out for a morning ride. It was nice to have a conversation with Jay as we climbed the slight uphill out of Peru.
Riding with Jay on the Nickel Plate rail to trail outside of Peru, IN
The rail to trail ended in Kokomo where we met up with our first guest rider of the trip, Nick’s friend Josh. Josh rode with us all the way to Noblesville before heading back to his car. Having an extra rider to spend the day with made the miles go by quickly.
Tomorrow we will spend the day in Indianapolis visiting with friends and resting our legs.
July 22 – Winamac, IN to Peru, IN
Today we had a short day, riding just over 43 miles to stay with Nick’s aunt and uncle, Mark and Mary, north of Peru, IN. Once again we are being treated to amazing hospitality and wonderful conversation. They even took us in town and treated us to ice cream at East End Double Dip Dairy Bar.
Nick outside his grandma’s favorite place to get ice cream in Peru, IN
The ice cream was an appetizer to a wonderful dinner with Nick’s family. We continue to be humbled by the generosity and hospitality we are shown and the manner in which people open up their lives and their homes To us on this trip. Tomorrow we will have a longer ride to Indianapolis where we will take a zero day to visit with Nick’s friends and family.
July 21 – Warren State Park, MI to Winamac, IN
Today we left Michigan behind and made it to the Hoosier state.
Nick basking in the sunshine after crossing the border into his home state
We rode over 71 miles to make it Winamac, IN where we are being hosted by Tom and Jane, Nick’s aunt and uncle. The ride started out a bit hilly, but quickly flattened out as we made our way south. We were once again welcomed back to the Midwest with hot and humid weather and we both were very grateful to be welcomed in to Tom and Jane’s air conditioned home once we made it to Winamac. Their hospitality has been wonderful and something we are incredibly thankful for. Tomorrow we will have a shorter ride to Peru, IN, where we will stay with Nick’s other aunt and uncle.
July 20 – Holland, MI to Warren State Park outside of Bridgman, MI
We awoke this morning to a storm system moving off the lake and dropping a considerable amount of rain. Thankfully it moved through the area quickly and we were able to be on the road by 10am. Our ride once again followed the US 35 bike route, taking us through many coastal towns along Lake Michigan. Just outside of Saugatuck we met Nate who was riding all the way around Lake Michigan, a trip he said would take him around three weeks. We are finally starting to feel a little bit like we are truly back home, as the temperatures today were in the mid 80s with VERY high humidity. In all we rode just over 77 miles to make it to our campsite. We will leave Michigan behind tomorrow and move on to our 8th state, the Hoosier State.
July 19: Rest day in Holland, MI
July 18: Grand Haven, MI to Holland, MI
We rode just under 30 miles today to make it to Holland, MI. Most of the ride was on paved trail, so it was not only a short ride, but also a very enjoyable one. Tomorrow we will be taking a rest day here in Holland to give the legs a break.
July 17: Ludington, MI to PJ Hoffmaster State Park outside of Grand Haven, MI
We rode over 67 miles today from Mason County Campground to PJ Hoffmaster State Park. The weather today was beautiful, being partly cloudy and with a high temperature in the low 70s, something we know will not last as we work our way south through Indiana and Ohio. The first part of the day took us through the apple and cherry orchards of western Michigan, before we met up with US bicycle route 35 in Hart, MI and followed this route for the remainder of the day.
The majority of the route was a paved rail-to-trail covered with a canopy of trees making it a very enjoyable ride.
The final part of the day took us through Muskegon before cutting south to the state park. Tomorrow we have a short 30 mile day planned to Holland, MI where we will take a zero day on Wednesday (July 19), a much needed rest as we have not taken a break since Blaine, MN.
July 16: Neenah, WI to Ludington, MI
We got an early start from Neenah today in order to catch the S.S. Badger at 2:00 pm from Manitowoc, WI to Ludington, MI. Our ride was a little over 48 miles, so we made it with time to spare. It took about 4 hours to cross the lake, and when we arrived in Ludington, we found ourselves back in the eastern time zone.
We had a short 6 mile ride to a campground outside Ludington where we set up camp and ate a late dinner. We look forward to our ride along the lake tomorrow.
July 15: Stevens Point, WI to Neenah, WI
We rode over 73 miles to make it to Neenah where we were hosted by Cathy and Pat, Nick’s good friend Sarah’s parents. The first half of our ride was on the Tomorrow River Trail, a rail to trail consisting of crushed limestone running from Stevens Point to Manawa.
We weaved our way south east from Manawa through the small towns and farmland of eastern Wisconsin before arriving in Neenah. The welcome and hospitality we were shown by Cathy and Pat was absolutely incredible. Not only were we given a warm shower and a bed, but we were treated to an unbelievable dinner and breakfast. They truly made us feel at home. They even taught Spencer the card game of Cribbage. Tomorrow we will make our 50 mile ride to Manitowoc, WI and take the ferry across to Ludington, MI, entering our 7th state of the trip.
July 14: Greenwood, WI to Stevens Point, WI
Today we rode 64 miles to Stevens Point, WI. Our ride today continued with the rolling hills in the morning, flattening out as we approached the Wisconsin River upon which Stevens Point is located. Tonight we are being hosted by Wes, the cyclist we met in North Cascades National Park (see earlier post). Wes is actually not in town, but his roommate, Justin, graciously agreed to take us in. We were able to grab dinner with Justin and he fielded our questions about Stevens Point and the paper industry, as both him and Wes work in paper. Tomorrow we are off to Neenah, our final stop in Wisconsin before heading across the lake to our 7th state.
July 13: Menomonie, WI to Greenwood, WI
We rode just under 80 miles today to a county campground in Greenwood, WI. Our route took us through many of Wisconsin’s small towns and farming country. The temperature today was probably one of the best we have had the entire trip, as it did not get above 70 and remained overcast for the majority of the day. After today’s ride, we confirmed we are definitely not in the plains, as the terrain has gone from flat to rolling hills.
Tomorrow we hope for another beautiful day of riding as we try and to make it to Stevens Point, WI.
July 12: Blaine, MN to Twin Springs Resort Campground outside Menomonie, WI
Today we rode 87 miles to the Campground outside Menomonie, WI. We are now traveling across our 6th state after leaving Minnesota.
One thing we will both take away from our time in the Twin Cities was how many bike paths they have set up all across the cities and their suburbs. We were on bike path for the first 20-30 miles of our ride today! All you other midwestern cities should take note. Once we entered Wisconsin we left the official Northern Tier route and are cutting across the state to take the ferry across Lake Michigan. Wisconsin has wonderful maps of its roadways that have allowed us to pick our route based on shoulder, traffic level, and pavement type. (Thanks Ron for telling us about these). We hope to make it across the state in 4-5 days depending on weather and road conditions, so here’s to some tailwinds to get us across Wisconsin.
July 10-11: Blaine, MN rest at Nick’s sisters
A big thanks you to Nick’s sister Kristen for hosting us the last two days. She opened up her home, fed us, and gave us a place to rest our legs. Her hospitality was one that made us feel like her home was ours, andto that we are very grateful. We were also able to explore the twin cities in our stay and see one of Nick’s friends (thanks Brendon for the awesome lunch and conversation). We both agree Minneapolis and St. Paul are two very cool midwestern cities with lots of history and character. We will be back on the road on July 12th where we will deviate from the Northern Tier official route and head east across Wisconsin to Lake Michigan to catch a ferry into Michigan.
July 9: St. Cloud, MN to Blaine, MN
We started out in St. Cloud riding through the rain. We went to bed thinking we could beat the rain, as it was predicted to hit in the late afternoon for the area only to wake up to a changed forecast and rain. Thankfully, it was a light rain that only lasted the first hour and a half of the ride. Our 64 mile ride to Blaine took us along the Mississippi River Trail (MRT), a bike path that starts from the headwaters of the Mississippi and goes all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. The route is mostly on roadways, but sections were on bike path and the trail passed through many of the small towns in Minnesota following the mighty river.
Along the way, we passed over a dozen other cyclists headed westbound on the MRT. We flagged down two of the riders who explained they were with a group of cyclists headed to Seattle from New York. It was kind of neat seeing the large a group riding together all the way across the country. On the last part of our ride we crossed over the Mississippi, and like the continental divide, we both felt a sense of relief after crossing as we knew we were one step closer to home being on the eastern side of the river.
We arrived in Blaine, MN at Nick’s sister’s place where we will stay for the next two days while our bikes are tuned up in a local shop. It has been an incredible treat to have her open up her home, feed us amazing food, and provide us with beds as we recuperate and prepared for the next leg of the trip.
July 8: Chippewa Campground to St. Cloud, MN
Today we rode just under 84 miles to make it to St. Cloud. We continued on the rail-to-trail and were able to take it all the way to St. Joseph, which was less than 10 miles from our final destination. The trail was relatively flat, with trees creating a canopy in some locations and open fields or wetlands in others. It really is quite an amazing trail with all of it being paved. 
Probably the most amazing part was how many people were using the trail system. We never went more than a mile or two without seeing at least one other person. Some of the time there were so many people on the trail we would have to wait to pass another slower cyclists. Tonight we are being hosted by Scott and Jen through Warm Showers. They fed us dinner and are allowing us to stay in their basement for the night. After two long days on bike, their hospitality has been amazing. Tomorrow we hope to travel the 62 miles to Blaine, MN to stay with Nick’s sister.
July 7: Moorhead, MN to Chippewa Campground outside of Brandon, MN
We finally got a tailwind today and it made all the difference. We had planned to ride just over 70 miles to Dalton, MN but were able to ride over 20 extra miles to a campground outside of Brandon, MN. The odometer read 94 miles for the ride today. We thought about taking a few extra back roads to hit the century mark, but our appetites got the best of us and we settled on an ice cream cone in Brandon instead. The last third of our ride today was completed on the Central Lakes Trail, a Rail-to-Trail bike path that is paved and connects with the Lake Wobegon trail. All together we will be on bike path for over 100 miles! Tomorrow we will complete the trail and hopefully have another favorable wind to help us get to Saint Cloud, MN.
A view from the shore just below our campsite at Chippewa Campground
July 6: Rest day in Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN
Although today was a rest day, we did cross the Red River into Minnesota to get to our hotel for the night. Tomorrow we will start venturing across our fourth state of the trip.
July 5: Enderlin, ND to Fargo, ND
We rode 56 miles to make it to Fargo on the border of North Dakota and Minnesota and (literally we are camping on the Red River which serves as the border between the two states). Although it was hot, it was one of our best riding days because it was FLAT. We battled a slight headwind during the middle part of our ride, but as we approached Fargo, the wind shifted and was actually at our back for the last leg into the city. Two things worth mentioning about our ride today as well: 1.) We both noticed how dark the soil was around this area. Turns out this used to be an ancient lake, giving the soil its dark, rich color. 2.). We stopped at Paramount Sports for a new link for Nick’s bike chain. The customer service they showed us, even though he was only spending $2, was amazing. We even got a picture with JC, the employee who helped us out.
So if you are ever in Fargo and need a bike shop, make sure to hit these guys up, they were great.
July 4: Gackle, ND to Enderlin, ND
We made our camp in Enderlin tonight after riding about 78 miles from the Honey Hub. We have finally arrived in the plains, with miles and miles of flat road, a welcome change from the ups and downs of eastern Montana and western North Dakota. We ventured off the route today for lunch in Litchville, ND where we were pleasantly surprised to find the Tasty Treat (not to be confused with the Tasty Freeze) open on the holiday. We struck up conversation with two couples also enjoying tasty treats outside the drive-in. They were retired from farming and were very interested in our trip. We were interested in what they used to grow/raise on their farms, so it was good conversation. When we went up to order, they came up and gave us $20 to cover our meal! It was such a blessing and really unexpected.
Chuck, Anne, Gary, and Michelle
Tomorrow we will bike to Fargo, the largest metro area in North Dakota. There we will take our first rest day since Glasgow, MT. Happy 4th of July!
July 3: Napoleon, ND to Gackle, ND
We had a nice, short day biking 38 miles to make it to Gackle, ND. Here there is a hostel for bike tourists called the Honey Hub. 
Jason and Ginny host the hostel in the summer while running a pretty large bee/honey operation in ND. The hostel is a separate space attached to their house equipped with a washer/dryer, bathroom and shower, microwave, and two beds. It is also in walking distance of the Tastee Freeze (we have already been twice). What more could two cycling tourists ask for? Tomorrow we finally make it to the plains and get a bit of a break from the hills as we will try and ride to Enderlin, ND.
July 2: Bismark, ND to Napoleon, ND
We continued on through the hills/rollers of North Dakota to arrive at a city park in Napolean where we have set up camp for the night. The headwind made riding slow going, but relatively mild compared to previous winds we have faced. Tomorrow will be a shorter mileage day, as we are only planning to bike to Gackle, ND. The low miles will be a nice break, as our legs are becoming weary from the consecutive days of riding.
July 1: Hebron, ND to Bismark, ND
We rode about 65 miles to make it to the state capitol of North Dakota. We rode in after a day of rolling hills and variable wind. The wind was in our favor the first half of the day, but swung around and was in our face for the second half. We did make a stop in New Salem, ND, where they claim to have the world’s largest Holstein.
We chose to enjoy the sight from a distance, as the cow was up on a pretty steep hill. Tomorrow looks like a day of riding into a headwind as we hope to reach Napolean, ND.
June 30: Medora, ND to Hebron, ND
We rode 78 miles today to make it to a city park in Hebron, ND. Not only that, but we also made it to the central time zone, affirming we are getting close to the Midwest. On our route, we stopped by Theodore Roosevelt National Park and snapped a few pictures. 
The hills flattened out the second half of the day, but it looks like more rollers tomorrow as we ride to the state capitol.
June 29: Glendive, MT to Medora, ND
Today we rode 66 miles to make it to Medora, ND just outside Theordore Roosevelt National Park. We finally made it out of Montana, and although it is a beautiful state with great people, we are happy to put it in our review mirrors. Montana did have the last laugh as it delt one last blow and flattened Spencer’s back tire, giving a grand total of 5 flat tires for the state between the two of us. Nonetheless, we made it across the border and are now starting our trek across our third state. Here’s to tailwinds all the way across North Dakota!
June 28: Vida, MT to Glendive, MT
We rode 78 miles to Glendive for our last full day in Montana. The state wanted to leave a memorable impression, as we rode for just under 8 hours (on bike time) into a headwind that would not relent. We then got caught in a thunderstorm for about an hour an a half.
We thankfully were able to find shelter on the porch of an abandoned house.
We are quite sore and are hoping for a more favorable wind for our ride into North Dakota tomorrow.
June 27: Glasgow, MT to Vida, MT
We rode 77 miles today from Glasgow to Vida. We are starting to get back into a bit of hills, but the fresh legs held up well on the climbs today. The highlight of the day was our hosts in Vida, Carol and Ted. They have invited us into their home and showed us true Eastern Montana hospitality. It has seriously been an incredible blessing with great conversation tonight.
June 26: Rest day Glasgow, MT
June 25: Malta, MT to Glasgow, MT
Another 72 miles in the books and we have made it to Glasgow, MT. Rode through the town of Saco, which our Campground host told us is the mosquito capitol of Montana. We agree. Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.
June 24: Chinook, MT to Malta, MT
We rode a total of 74 miles today to make it from Chinook to Malta, MT. We discovered a few things on this leg: 1. Google Maps are not always correct (Spencer took a detour which ended up being a road not completely connected, resulting in a 2 mile backtrack) and 2. Montana has mosquitoes… a lot of them. We will be trying to make our way to Glasgow tomorrow and taking a rest day on Monday to hopefully avoid a minature heat wave moving through the area.
June 23rd: Chester, MT to Chinook, MT
Today we put in our biggest miles of the trip, riding just over 84 miles to Chinook, MT. The wind was not nearly as strong today, making the riding much more enjoyable. At the end of the ride we treated ourselves to a tasty treat from the hometown ice cream shop, The Creamrey.
June 22nd: Cut Bank, MT to Chester, MT
We biked just over 69 miles today to arrive at the city park where we are camping in Chester, MT. We had grand plans today of hitting our first century day. These were foiled by two flat tires within the first two miles of biking (both on Nick’s bike) and a North crosswind at around 20-25 mph. We have both learned that a consistent crosswind is almost as inhibiting to progress as a headwind. Maybe this wind will turn west overnight, but the forecast is for more of the same for the next couple of days, so that first century ride of the trip may just have to wait. The change in topography has been quite drastic, as we can see for MILES. Our estimation of distances has become fairly inaccurate, as we continue to think things are much closer than they actually are. This can really take the wind out of your sails, even with a 25 mph sustained gale.
June 21th: Devil Creek Campground to Cut Bank, MT
We rode just over 67 miles today to make it to a campground in Cut Bank, MT. It was an 8 mile uphill to start the day, where we made it over the continental divide. Here is Nick pointing out the continental divide.
Both Nick and I acknowledged how good it feels to be on the eastern side of the divide, although we will miss the beauty of the mountains. We had a wonderful tail wind past East Glacier, making the mile markers seem to come and go at an alarming pace. We were able to keep over 20 mph on the flats. Hopefully we have the same favorable wind tomorrow, because we are nothing but due east for the next couple days of riding.
June 20th: Columbia Falls, MT to Devil Creek Campground near Marias Pass
On this solstice of 2017, we rode just over 59 miles from Columbia Falls to a campground about 8 miles shy of Marias Pass, the final pass to make it over the continental divide. We had some on and off rain today, and took shelter under a porch of a cafe that was closed. As we waited for the rain to subside the owner, Randy, came out and gave us some great advice for places to stay tonight. If you are ever on highway 2 in betweenWest Glacier and East Glacier, I recommend give his place a try, it’s called Glacier Haven Inn. Tomorrow we will traverse the last 900 feet to the pass and then head down towards the Mississippi.
June 19th: Whitefish, MT to Columbia Falls, MT
It felt good to be back in the saddle today, even if it was only for a little under 12 miles. Tomorrow we will begin the climb over the continental divide.
June 10-18: A Short Break
We are taking an abbreviated break from the road to explore Glacier National Park, and Nick is flying back to the Midwest to attend a wedding. We will be back on the road on the June 19th. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of the portions of the park we explored thus far:
June 9: Whitefish Lake Campground to Kalispell, MT
We rode a short 16 miles today from Whitfish to Kalispell, MT. Even though it was our shortest mileage day of the trip, Nick ended up with our first flat tire.
Flat was fixed with one of the spare tubes we carry and we were able to get back on the road in no time. From Kalispell, we will be taking a few days break from the the Northern Tier to explore Glacier National Park.
June 8: Rexford Bench Campground to Whitefish Lake Campground outside of Whitefish, MT
We rode a total of 66 miles today to make it to Whitefish, MT. We rode into town and ate dinner. A mountain resort town, with skiing in the winter and on the footstep of Glacier National Park, bringing people in for the summer months. We are a day ahead of schedule, so we may get more time to explore Glacier National Park than we originally planned. Not a bad way to spend some 0 days.
June 7: Dunn Creek Campground to Rexford Bench Campground in Rexford, MT
We rode just shy of 50 miles today to make it to Rexford Bench Campground in Rexford, MT. We pushed about 15 miles further than we anticipated, as we felt pretty good on the ride today. Not sure how we will feel tomorrow, but we may push ahead to Whitefish, MT a day early.
June 6: Bad Medicine Campground to Dunn Creek Campground.
We biked over 52 miles from Bad Medicine Campground to Dunn Creek Campground about 20 miles outside of Libby, MT. The route today was relatively flat, allowing us to do a little hiking at Kootenai Falls.
The next couple days are planned to be lower mileage due to some large elevation changes along the route. We both thought it better to take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
June 5: Sandpoint, ID to Bad Medicine Campground outside Troy, MT
Our stay in Idaho ended today, as we rode just over 64 miles from Sandpoint, ID to Bad Medicine Campground off of route 56 in Montana. Beautiful campground surrounded by mountains next to a small lake.
Bad Medicine Campground, MT
June 4: Rest day in Sandpoint, ID
June 3: Panhandle Campground to Sandpoint, ID
We rode just shy of 70 miles today to make it from our campsite in Panhandle Campground outside Cusick, WA to Sandpoint, ID. Started the morning off with a beautiful ride along the Pend Oreille River. We left Washington about halfway through our ride. Here is Nick being welcomed to Idaho:
The second half of the ride had a few ups and downs, but ended with over a mile long bridge (with an awesome bike lane) over Lake Pend Oreille into Sandpoint, ID.
June 2: Bacon Bike Hostel to Panhandle Campground outside of Cusick, WA
Today we rode a little over 57 miles from the wonderful bike hostel outside Colville, WA to Panhandle Campground on the banks of the Pend Oreille River. Very peaceful campground with only one other site occupied… by a couple on a tandem bicycle heading across the US! There names are David and Bridget and we have been tracking with them ever since Colonial Campground in North Cascades National Park. Really nice couple, and much stronger cyclists than us. Tomorrow we will ride to Sandpoint, ID, where we will take a much needed 0 day. Both of our legs are feeling the effects of the climbs from this past week. We will be sad to leave Washington behind, its beauty and the hospitality of its people have been amazing; for the states to come, the bar has been set rather high.
June 1: Republic, WA to Bacon Bike Hostel outside of Colville, WA via Sherman Pass.
We biked just over 63 miles today from Republic to a bike hostel just outside Colville. The bike hostel is pretty awesome and has a really cool mission. Check it out here. Sherman Pass was pretty slow going on our second day of the climbing, but we made up time on the 20 mile downhill into Kettle Falls. Here we are at the pass.
We ended up riding to the bike hostel, and although the last 4 miles had a 700 ft climb, the hot shower, bed, and awesome Washington hospitality made it worth it. Bonus is Ron and Mary are here with us as well!
May 31: Tonasket, WA to Republic, WA via Wauconda Pass
We rode a little over 41 miles today to make it from Tonasket to Republic. This was the first of two days of climbing before we descend down in Kettle Falls. The scenery and people here is Washington continue to be amazing. Our legs are feeling pretty good after the 3600+ foot climb over the pass. We will hopefully tackle Sherman Pass tomorrow, which roughly has the same elevation gain that we did today. Also, the GPS did not kick on for the first 5 miles of the trip, so if you look closely at the map, you may think we hitched a ride up HWY 20 the first bit from Tonasket, but I assure you we rode the entire route.
May 30: Okanogan,WA to Tonasket, WA
A nice short 31 miles today. We ended our ride around 12:30 pm to stay out of the 94 degree heat and also let our legs rest for the next two days of climbing. Bonus is that we stopped for lunch at Shannon’s Place and out on the patio of the restaurant is none other than Shannon herself! She asks where we are riding from and tells us to camp in the side yard of the restaurant, which has water and a bathroom. She has been taking in riders for over 30 years and has hosted over 5000 riders. The pie and milkshake confirmed our choice of camping for tonight!
May 29: Winthrop, WA to Okanogan, WA via 153/Old HWY 97
We rode over 72 miles today to make it to Okanogan, WA. The ACA route was closed over Loup Loup Pass on HWY 20. We detoured on hwy 153 down through Pateros to pick up Old HWY 97 to connect back to 20. I am sure that means nothing to those unfamiliar with Washington’s highways, but we learned that the east side of the Cascades are filled with orchards, and are also very warm and dry.
May 28: Colonial Creek Campground to Winthrop,WA via Rainy/Washington Pass
We rode over 66 miles today, with 34 of that being a climb over the Cascades. I must say, for two flatlanders, we did all right. The first pass we crossed was Rainy Pass, at an elevation around 4600 ft. After that, a two mile downhill before climbing back out to an elevation of 5477 ft to cross Washington Pass. After that it was 15 miles of downhill toward Mazama, WA. We decided to push through and ride another 10 miles against a headwind to make it to Winthrop, where we ate dinner and found a hotel room to get cleaned up and do some laundry.
May 27: Rest Day at Colonial Creek Campground
May 26: Rasor State Park to Colonial Creek Campground
We rode just under 53 miles today from Rasor State Park following the Skagit River for the majority of the ride. The Cascades are absolutely gorgeous and the last 12 we began our climb toward Washington Pass. We arrived at Colonial Campground around 5:00 pm to find they were completely full, but were incredibly blessed (on a holiday weekend) by the fact they have one campsite specifically for bike tourist that was vacant. Shortly after our arrival we were joined by another biker (Wes) who is sharing the site for the night. Tomorrow we are taking a rest day before the big climb over the pass.
May 25: Fort Ebey State Park to Rasor State Park via Decption Pass.
We logged a little over 63 miles today and feel pretty good. We got our earliest start yet from Fort Ebey State Park (8:30 which is still not that early) and made our way up route 20 through Desecption Pass. Once over the pass we met up with the official ACA Northern Tier Bike Route (the red line on the map) and followed it all the way to Rasor State Park. While biking, we met two other couples riding the same route today! One is an older couple from New Zealand and then other is a couple from Minnesota. Turns out we all are also staying at the hiker/biker campsites right next to one another. It is so fun hearing others stories and getting to know the people as we have been on our journey. Looking foreard to those we will meet next.
May 24: Sequim Bay State Park to Fort Ebey State Park via the Port Townsend-Whitbey Island Ferry
A 40 mile ride today from Sequim State Park to Fort Ebey State Park on Whidbey Island. We debated on swimming our bikes across to the island, but decided on catching the ferry instead. Once on the island, we made a quick stop at a local grocery store for supplies and then off to Fort Ebey State Park. Although the map had told us to stay on the main road, we took a detour on some mountain biking trails that were rather tame, cutting down on our overall trip by a couple miles.
May 23: Salt Creek County Park Campground to Sequim Bay State Park via the Olympic Discovery Trail
A very nice 43 miles today. Most the riding was completed on the Olympic Discovery Trail, that when completed, will run almost entirely across the Olympic Pennisula. We did not plan on staying at Sequim State Park, but as we were pondering which campground to stay at, a friendly walker named Bill stopped and told us about a campground specifically for cyclists that was located directly off the trail. After questioning him about the route past the campground (he told us it was quite hilly), Sequim State Park camping became our choice for lodging tonight.
May 22: Clallam Bay to Salt Creek County Park Campground
We picked up where we left off yesterday at Clallam Bay and made our way down Highway 112 until we came to Salt Creek Campground, covering about 38 miles. The ride was beautiful, skirting along the coastline and then back up into the mountains. We did over 2500 ft in elevation change on the ride, but thanks to Nick’s dad still driving the saggin’ waggon, I would say we both did quite well. Our fearless driver leaves tomorrow, so we will have full loads for tomorrow’s ride.
May 21: Cape Flattery to Clallam Bay via Hobuck Beach
A nice 31 miles start to our journey. Starting at Cape Flattery we went to Hobuck Beach, where our cabin is located, to dip our rear tired in the Pacific. We continued on through Neah Bay and ended in Clallam, WA. We took advantage of Nick’s dad here with us and were able to catch a ride back in the saggin’ waggon to the cabin at Hobuck Beach.
A Slight Detour 