On the beautiful Oregon coast, just south of Washington, we launch our journey from the beautiful cool waters of the Pacific Ocean before heading into the state of Washington as we navigate north and east.  Combining two notable geographic features — mountains and ocean — it captivates the mind and challenges us to realize that if we can overcome these mountains, we can overcome other obstacles along the way.  It is a powerful experience.

Day 1 will begin with orientation in Seaside, the place where the Lewis and Clark Trail ended.  As we will familiarize ourselves with other riders and group riding, we will have a short group ride to Astoria, OR to do this.  Relaxing Astoria is a town where the beautiful Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean while the city offers us a glimpse into its rich history.  

Over the course of the week we will have the opportunity to visit and build with our partners in Othello, Washington, along with visiting Yakima and ending in the Spokane Valley.  This journey will keep us close to the Columbia River and offers riders the opportunity to take in the scenery and to enjoy the Pacific Northwest.  

Hello, Segment 2! Once segment riders have arrived, we’ll host our weekly team meeting on Sunday night. We will both recap the week’s ride, and plan for the week ahead.  

It is time to test your climbing legs and set our destination for some amazing sites.  We’ll start the week with a near century to Boundary County, Idaho, where we’ll have our next Fuller Center build day. 

Soon after we’ll hit one of the biggest highlights of this journey — Glacier National Park — with its rich scenery and wildlife.  A landscape carved by glaciers and filled with a Hidden Lake and mountain waterfalls, bring your camera for this experience.  On Friday of this week, we’ll explore the park, have the opportunity to bike its roads or hike some if its 700 miles of trails experiencing its pristine forest. If you’re up for a challenge, cycle into it on your day there — Glacier’s roads have been compared in difficulty to the challenges of the Tour de France.  

We will exit the park along its southern edge, so you have another chance to experience the magnificence of this national treasure, keeping it in your site and our memories for years to come.  

This week will have its climbs, yet will be a week of net elevation descent into the plains.  We will traverse the northern US close to the Canadian border and experience this vast country.  This week will be our lengthiest week of the entire trip, with an average mileage of almost 80 miles per day.  This will an opportunity to truly see how large and expansive the Big Sky Country of Montana really is.

We will arrive in Williston, ND a city where the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers meet after riding near the Missouri River Valley for some time across Montana.     

The land continues to flatten as we make our way southeast towards Fargo. We will cross into Minot, a city full of aviation history along with with open skies.  We will end our week in Fargo, ND.  

Is is a bird?  Is it a plane?  North Dakota is known for aviation — the man-made and the migrating type.  Considered a migrating bird interstate, you may have an opportunity to see avifauna from all over.  Many of those birds stop and often stay at the states numerous lakes and rivers.  This is an opportunity to see your feathered friends you may not experience in other parts of the country.

Segment 5- Meeting up for the first time on the Bike Adventure with our new Fuller Center in Detroit Lakes, we will be excited for our first build days since week two, with a higher frequency of builds in the weeks ahead. You may initially come for the riding, yet helping a family, sharing experiences and stories, and making new friends are why many return.  Detroit Lakes is located in a site known for summer and winter recreation and will be a nice transition as we travel through the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” of Minnesota and the lakes of Wisconsin.

We will end our week in Octonagon, MI along Lake Superior.  

Does anyone want to put their tire in all 5 Great Lakes?  Commencing with the Bike Adventure’s first visit to Lake Superior, this starts a special three-week stretch that will see us visiting all five Great Lakes and concludes just past our visit to Niagara Falls.

This will be one of our higher mileage weeks, but also one with lots of experiences.  Starting on Ontonagon MI on Lake Superior,  we navigate the Upper Peninsula of Michigan as we journey towards the northern most part of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.  Activities will also include a ferry to Mackinac Island on a shorter day, where riders can enjoy a little down time.

Great Lakes are not our only lakes this segment: We will also travel south to ride near the coast lines of Mullett Lake and close to Burt Lake.    

We start of week off with a Bang and end with a Bang!! To start, happy 4th of July!!  This week then journeys down various parts of the North Coast Inland Trail as we approach Lake Erie in Cleveland, OH.  The Trail is part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 30 that we will largely follow from outside of Toledo to Cleveland.  Some of this path will be on paved bicycle trails and some on crushed stone while others will navigate us on roads towards our destination.  

This week ends with the bang of hammers as we volunteer in Aurora, Ohio with local families through the local Fuller Center there. 

We start the journey this week in Ohio, and cross 3 states, including Pennsylvania and New York.  Not only do the states become shorter to cross, our builds continue to become a bit more frequent — a reminder of why this ride impacts so many of us for a lifetime with each family that is touched by you.  

On Monday, no need to put away the work clothes from Saturday as we start our next project in Sharon PA.  Another Bike Adventure first to visit and a partner we look forward to meeting!

“Feel like a pirate,” take in many of our nations treasured areas as we experience what our country has to offer.  Riding along the Lake Erie coast, then “Over” to Niagara Falls before we will navigate to Rochester, NY.  We have the opportunity to put our tires in the last of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario.  Rochester finishes off our week.    

Here come the mountains again!!  The country is not going to allow us to cross easily, but it also represents one of our final pushes as we approach the coast.  These lush forests and glistening lakes will be revealed as we cycle through the area.  We will also ride to Lake Placid for our next build at Saranac Lake.  While we are there, take a little time to explore the city and see the Olympic stadium, Bobsled Track or Ski Jump sites.  If you want something a little more relaxing, consider heading over to Lake Placid for a walk.

Our destination for the week is Burlington VT and the shores of Lake Champlain, a city rich in the arts and culture and a vibrant town to take the day to relax.  This may also be a great time tor riders who want to experience the Adirondacks of Upstate New York.

Segment 10 is finally here!  This is where the journey gains closure for the cycling and the realization of what’s next starts.  All the training miles done, miles journeyed and reflection of how many new friends you’ve made begin to reflect in your mind, it becomes both bittersweet and sentimental.  Here is where the mileage begins to slow down, but also we have the opportunity to serve one more family before completion.  A fitting tribute to our ride in Sebago Lakes, the name we incorporated into this event.

This will be a hilly section as we cross over into some historic areas, crossing the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine then ending in Portland ME as we did on our Port to Port ride.

Our last day will be an easy 12-mile emotional ride on that Saturday.  We plan to gather early as we hit the coast together, stopping to make sure no one is left behind to celebrate this group success.  Soon after, we will begin our path back to our regular lives.  Departures can begin after we arrive that afternoon around 2 p.m. and will continue until Sunday morning when we all must depart.  

This can be a tough point for some and we will offer the opportunity to share memories and reflections of the event.  Many will be impacted by the churches and builds, and its a time to unpack those events and head back to our daily lives.  How will this ride affect your future?  Come find out.  Even though we depart, many of these friends will be joining you for other rides in the future and remain friends for the rest of our lives.