Author: Cathy

It’s not only the tires that need to be pumped….sometimes we have to pump our own water when camping. Cold, refreshing spring water (courtesy of Phil) at Wilderness Gateway Campground in Idaho

Today was laundry day for me at camp while the bicyclists rode in from Dillon, MT. We spent Saturday afternoon and evening in Ennis, Montana where we enjoyed amazing views right from our campsites. A visit to Willie’s Distillery allowed us to sample Huckleberry Cream Liquor and Pineapple/Jalapeño infused Moonshine Margaritas.

Sunday morning we went back into town where we had coffee and breakfast provided by a delightful trio of local purveyors. Dillon’s Coffee & Waffles run by the grandson, Kalena’s Tea and Sandwich run by Devon’s Mom, and the Gelato shop run by Grandma. When Devon wasn’t making waffles-on-a-stick he was playing the piano positioned between the shops.

Rolling out headed towards Richland from Baker City. Breathtaking views of the snowcapped mountains on all sides on the ride through Hell’s Canyon (Oregon Scenic Byway).

Hi! Cathy here. For those of you who may not know, I am Phil’s wife and support crew for the big summer adventure. Never thought I’d be living in a van, but here I am, supporting my hubby so he can achieve his awe-inspiring goal of riding his bike from Oregon to Virginia. After many setbacks with the van (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing) we were finally able to get on the road on the night of Thursday June 2, 2022. We are fortunate that our friends at Colorado Adventure Vans could get us back up and running so quickly so that we are only one week behind schedule. As we departed, one friend wished Phil a safe trip, a family member wished us well all around (weather, no more van troubles, safe biking, etc) and another friend said she hopes Phil can “pedal his legs off to get back on schedule”. All the positive vibes from friends and family mean the world to us as Phil embarks on this daunting journey. We drove from Colorado to Wyoming, and spent our first night in the van at a very welcoming truck stop that had everything we needed, including Simpsons pinball. Phil claimed to be too tired to play but I suspect he was just worried he would lose. Friday June 3^rd we drove on to Ontario, OR. We stopped for dinner just before we crossed the border into Oregon and had a (somewhat surprisingly) delicious and authentic Mexican meal at El Compa in Caldwell, Idaho. I happened to notice that just across the street there was a live DJ and NO COVER on Friday nights….so serendipitous that we were there on a Friday. But alas, Phil was “too tired” but I suspect he worried I would show him up on the dance floor. All joking aside, after all the stress from the scheduling setbacks, it was nice to see Phil finally kicking back with a margarita in hand now that it appears the start of his great C2C (sea to sea…..get it?!) adventure is imminent. Cheers!