Newport Beach, CA: Hold Day 1

Okay the fix is in and tentative plans are being made.   First the pictures:

1. This is the main pool (one of three) that surround me at the moment.
2. Dick and Marcia, my marvelous host and hostess.   They have really helped me organize and get the tentative plans in place
3. This is part of  Arroyo Park behind our (see now it is part mine) condo.   Gorgeous walking trails.
4. This is call a Newport Beach bike.   It doesn’t make good distance but it is air conditioned and I have had no traffic problems to date (I also rode it for .0001 seconds).
5.  Wanted you to get a sense of the suffering I am going through at the moment.  The look on my face is a “grimace”.
6. Most important my ticket.   I am very much the Amtrack novice.   I started at a $230, 30 hour, 5 transfer (bus/train/bus) trip to Denver Colorado and ended up with a $108 ticket, 16 hour, no transfer trip to Albuquerque – thanks Uncle Dick!   Will be leaving at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night arriving in Albuquerque at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday with Miracle Go riding in the baggage car (she has her own ticket).

My trip to the West Coast has been wonderful in so many ways.    The benefits include gathering donations for the Pelotonia, meeting many new and terrific friends, feeling good about making the and of course the new knowledge of much of the country.

As stated I am going to take the train to Albuquerque and then continue by bike on a northern route.  The funny thing is I will be going through Vaughn, NM that I bypassed on my southern route.   Why the train:

1. Never rode the Amtrak and with their safety record this might be the most dangerous part of the trip
2. Made it through the desert once and it was all the “desert fun” I need in this lifetime
3. Most importantly I miss my wife Jill and Shupe the wonder dog (it’s a wonder that I like a dog that is no bigger than a large rat
4. Almost as important is getting back a little early to create/increase communication channels to collect more donations.   I will speak to any group about my trip for transportation costs (if any are involved) and a donation to the Pelotonia.   Let me know if you have any ideas!

Tomorrow morning I will put the general travel plan together which seems to change inter and intraday.   At least I will have an idea.   Miracle Go will be going to the bike shop in the hopes that she will be back to her youthful self.

Getting excited because in two days, we ride!