WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS

In a strange and almost unbelievable twist, all 31 of us actually made it to SANTA BARBARA!
A short last day, we rode the last 5 miles in one big pack (which served to remind me how unsafe and annoying this is, even though it was fun) and rolled up to East Beach all together, where we were greeted by enthusiastic friends and family screaming, whistling, and holding some of the most enormous signs I have ever seen. We, of course, ignored all of our loved ones, stripped ourselves of our valuables and our bikes and sprinted to the Pacific. We frolicked, played, did one last Jorge-directed cheer, and covered each other with Champagne before we ceremonially dipped our tires in the Pacific and went back to talk to our families.
The days after that have all been a sort of blur. It seems strange not to be sleeping with 30 other people on a floor or getting up at 4 am or eating vast quantities of peanut butter and jelly.
I don't really know how to conclude this entry. A profound parting thought seems appropriate, but after a smmer of riding through America, no easy conclusion is forthcoming. The only thing that I can say is that this summer has been full of surprises. America surprised me. The hilly lushness of the Berkshires, the vastness and beauty of the Southwest, and the utopic coastal views of California revealed how little I know about my own country and that you really don't have to go far to feel like you are lightyears away. Strangers surprised me. Sure, we recieved our fair share of honks and catcalls, but we recieved far more random donations, friendly waves, and invitations to dinner. My fellow riders surprised me. Their strength and positivity and willingness to sacrifice was phenomenal. Mostly, though, I surprised myself. I leave this summer with a new self-confidence. The future seemed scary, with too many things I "should" be doing and a real threat of being unable or unwilling to make it on my own. After this summer, though, it promises to be a real adventure that I will not only be able to handle on my own, but will enjoy in the process.
Anyway. Sorry if that was excessively introspective and thank you all for reading and for your continual support.

- Katie

California Love

Wow. So much has happened since my last blog post that I can do nothing other than list format:
1. Riding from the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas was death, pure and simple. Multiple hundred mile days through the desert at 100 + temperatures? Yikes. The ride into Kingman was especially notable for its hellishness, because as I collapsed, heat exhausted, at the host, a dust storm blew up out of nowhere. Wow. Who knew that happened post-1930s?
2. Las Vegas: A totally surreal experience. None of us were quite prepared for the glitz and glamour, being primarily clad in dirt, athletic gear, and tan lines, but we were prepared for the all you can eat buffet. That buffet will never be the same again. I made a sincere effort to stay out late and enjoy Vegas, but mostly enjoyed sleeping in a real bed. Our build day the next day was cut short because of our general exhaustion and I spent the rest of the day by the pool with a pina colada. Delightful.
3. Riding into California was notable for the rollercoaster on the state line (strange, I know) and for the continued hellishness of the riding. One of our stops (Baker, CA) is known for being the "Gateway to Death Valley" and has a 134 foot thermometer, commemorating the highest temperature recorded in the US! Yay! Let's never bike there again!
4. Today was the beginning of the end. Our last long day (87 miles) was yesterday, and we rode into Valencia, CA after just 35 miles! AND there are now trees, water, and civilization! Wonderful! The only blight on the day so far is that I had my first wipe out. In traffic. I'm fine, just a little banged up, but I was greeted by the enthusiasm of the Valencia Fire Department and thoroughly embarrassed. Oh well. At least I finally have some scars to prove how hard core I am. We plan on spending the rest of our day at Six Flags Magic Mountain, so I should get a move on.
Will write from SANTA BARBARA.

One Pretty Big Hole

Rolling into the Grand Canyon was momentous. We stayed on the South Rim, which is apparently the highly trafficked section, because I honestly have not heard so many different languages being spoken in such a condensed area on any other part of my journey so far. On our first night, we set up camp, watched the sunset over the Canyon, and then roasted marshmallows over the campfire. It was a lovely night and since the sky was clear many of us decided to sleep outside. It was really beautiful and I slept well except for when I periodically woke up panting and had to look inside my sleeping bag for tarantulas. Apparently at one point I sat up in my sleeping bag and started frenzying until my friend Lindsay convinced me that there were no tarantulas on my face. Having no recollection of this, I contest that it ever happened.
The next day, we slept in (until dawn) and went for a short hike into the Canyon. Since we have a habit, at this point, of taking at least 3 liters of water, several snacks, and a change of shoes with us everywhere, we were probably the most (over)prepared hikers on our trail. After some breathtaking views, we trudged back up the side of the Canyon, learning the hard way that walking places actually takes a lot longer, and settled down for second breakfast at the Canyon Cafe.
The rest of the day was spent enjoying such luxuries as napping, reading a NY Times, and playing cards in the tent while it rained.
Overall, a very satisfying Grand Canyon trip.
Oh, and only 10 days until Santa Barbara. Wow.

I Might Have to Move to Flagstaff...

The day off (we were supposed to have a build day, but it was unfortunately cancelled) has been very good to us. After 7 straight days of biking across the Southwest, we were really due for a break, especially since we have been riding at high elevations and with some serious heat. Flagstaff was a great break, in addition to being a fun town. It is bike friendly, full of hippies/young people who like used bookstores and iced chai (read: me), and seems to have planned all of its fun events for when we got here. Last night, Flagstaff welcomed us with an artwalk and an open-air movie in the park. Today has been spent wandering around the town, buying ridiculous outfits for our stay in Las Vegas (OH! WE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT WE ARE STAYING IN THE IMPERIAL PALACE HOTEL AND CASINO IN LAS VEGAS! OH! MY! GOD!). Ahem. Anyway, Flagstaff has been great and the rest of the afternoon will be spent on our behind the scenes tour of Roden Crater. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/25/arts/design/25fink.html?_r=1&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

This NY Times article will give you some idea of how cool this opportunity is.
It's not the first cool thing we've seen in Arizona. Our days have been full of fun adventures, including a trip to the Painted Desert and a trip to Winslow, AZ, a town that seems to have built itself around the fact that it is included in The Eagles' classic "Take it Easy." It has a statue of Don Henley standing on a corner, a mural of a girl (my Lord) in a flatbed Ford, and two rival giftshops that continually blare The Eagles' Greatest Hits. Wow. Our ride tomorrow, however, will take us to the greatest Arizona sight of them all -- The GRAND CANYON!
So, sure, we'll be treking through the desert for a while, but with the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas to look forward to, I feel fairly confident that it will be worth it.

Hello, Grand Canyon State!

So apparently we will actually make it to Santa Barbara. Crossing into Arizona was another solidification of this fact, although the road to Flagstaff has been a long one. The last few days of riding, though difficult, have been some of the most beautiful of the trip. Riding out of Socorro, we passed mountains covered in mist with a rainbow across them. It looked like heaven. Until we started climbing, gaining 4,000 feet of elevation in one day. That particular day felt like we were all going to die on the road, especially when vultures started circling above us (this is not a joke. It was very creepy.). One of the highlights of the last couple of days was going to the Very Large Array, which is a huge field full of radio transmitters (Contact, anyone?), where we all got the dorky satisfaction of learning about black holes and taking pictures next to huge dishes that weigh 230 tons. The next biggest highlight of the last couple of days was Pie Town, NM, a town of 60 people (the elk outnumber the residents 3 to 1) that was apparently a trading post that got its name for the pies made by the niece of the owner. Since then, they have specialized in pies. Since we at Bike and Build specialize in eating pies, we made beautiful music together. I will write once I have learned more about Arizona. All I know about it right now is that it is hot and doesn't observe daylight savings time.

Land of Enchantment

New Mexico has, so far, had quite a lot to offer a weary traveller. A day off in Roswell, for example, allowed me to learn all sorts of exciting new alien facts. For example, did you know that a mysterious code was discovered on the scraps of space ships that landed in Roswell, or that Mayans were actually the first space travellers? Yeah. Just try to challenge any of this information to the UFO Museum staff and you're in for a world of trouble. I also made such valuable purchases as a bumper sticker that says "Ship Happens" and a t-shirt that says "Trust No One."
We rode out of Roswell today into the Sacramento mountain range. A long, continual ascent occupied our time for the first 80 miles, with the reward of a 15 mile downhill. The mountains themselves were beautiful and the riding was perhaps some of the most enjoyable of the trip so far. We also rode through some memorable places, including Lincoln, NM, where Billy the Kid reigned and famously shot the sheriff (AND the deputy). Also of note was Capitan, NM, the home of Smokey the Bear (Apparently he was originally a real bear. Also, apparently there are bears in New Mexico. Yikes. I'm having enough trouble avoiding rattlesnakes.). Capitan celebrates its heritage by having literally everything in the town Smokey the Bear themed. This includes, but is not limited to, a Smokey the Bear Museum and Gift Shop and Smokey's Restaurant and General Store.
We're heading into a long stretch until we hit Flagstaff -- long days, continual ascents, and desert conditions. Certainly I will reach Arizona with the muscles of a Marine, the reflexes of a jungle cat, and the ability to bite the head off a rattlesnake, Survivorman-style. Wish me luck in this endeavor.

I Guess Everything is Bigger Here

So we have just completed a day of building in Amarillo, TX. Texas has been notable for its extreme heat, wind, and extremely large sized (TexaSize) fries and drinks. Even more noteworthy than all of this, however, is "The Big Texan," a restaurant/theme park/tourist trap that we all frequented last night. The Big Texan features a shooting range, waiters in costumes, a huge concrete steer, and the 72 ounce steak challenge. The challenge is to eat 72 ounces of steak (and side dishes) within an hour. The participant in the challenge sits on a stage in front of a huge ticking clock displayed in front of the entire restaurant. After riding 100 miles to get to Amarillo, we were fairly certain that one of our riders had a good chance of victory. The brave participant, Jorge, started to much enthusiasm. We literally filled the restaurant with chanting ("What Time is it?" "Game time!", "Dogs in the house!", etc.). Despite an excellent showing, however, Jorge was only able to complete about 60 ounces. Mind you, this is still an almost inconceivably large amount of meat. And we are very proud of him.
As an addendum, after this story you can probably guess how the vegetarians on the trip have been doing in Texas. As one of our hosts said, "I hope you're not looking for anything light to eat. Because you won't find that in Texas."