Sonoma county is a large part of California’s wine country, so the ride today was filled with gorgeous fruiting vineyards. We even got to grab some grapes off the vines as we left our stayover this morning! It was a beautiful 72 miles, and though the temperatures climbed we stayed cool with a decent wind and the idea of a pool waiting in Healdsburg!

We felt pretty good about having a shorter ride, so the pace wasn’t lacking by any means. But the road had other plans— despite it being relatively smooth and debris-free (especially compared to other states) we still managed to get 12 flats total! That put a bit of a delay in everyone’s arrival, but sometimes that’s just what happens when you ride dozens of miles every day for two and a half months.

Before heading to our stayover, we spent the rest of the afternoon in Deb’s backyard, where we were so graciously welcomed with food, drinks, and a pool! We also learned of a group of first graders ehre in Healdsburg that are currently being taught geography, and are inspired by our trip across the U.S.! Though we couldn’t meet them, it was wonderful to hear that they have been following our journey from state to state and are feeling encouraged by our mission to help others.

It was a perfect and fun afternoon, and we are in great spirits at the stayover. Only two more days until we cross the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco… can you believe it?! The next two days are very short rides, and are otherwise jam-packed with things to do (for fun and preparation) before landing in Crissy field. Tomorrow is going to be an absolute blast and I will be very busy— 50% chance I get to update the blog in detail, most likely it will be a simple summary. But everything will be continuously updated as I sort through the past few month’s worth of photos! Eep!

— Marielle