Today our journey took us to Vantage, WA. We were told by riders from previous years that it was one of the most beautiful rides of the whole trip. I'm not sure what the rest of the ride looks like but there were some truly breathtaking views this morning. It started with green, mountainous scenery then we moved onto the other side of the mountains which were more dry and open. There were no crazy inclines like we hit yesterday, although there was one stretch that was 15 miles uphill. However, what goes up must come down and the last 10 of the 72 miles were almost effortless. I'm definitely more of a fan of the downhill part. We stopped for a bathroom break at the Petrified Forest and it's amazing to stand on some of these roads next to fields that continue beyond the horizon and listen and hear nothing at all. It's quite a change from New York City.
As someone who enjoys eating way too much, this is the ideal trip. The American Lung Association CEO told us at our starting ceremony yesterday that as a group of 14 we will consume 2 million calories by the time we reach DC, and I am well on my way. Teams of riders prepare the meals for the group, and we also have a granola bar company sponsoring us so food is plentiful!
It's been fun to see all the little towns along the route. We went through a town this morning with a population of 500, which to me seems pretty tiny. Vantage is also a small town- so small that the town dump is one of the main attractions in the tourist brochure. We are all set up at the campsite and it's only 7 but I'm about ready to pass out. I could get used to this whole eat, bike, eat, bike, eat, eat more, sleep routine we have going on. It is so nice to leave my normal life behind and have nothing else to worry about for the next seven weeks.
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