The Final Stretch... Savannah Georgia Here We Come!

  Oh what a journey it has been! We have seen our Alligator, we have seen our Rattle Snake, we have had mosquito bites, chigger bites, a spider, ant, and a even tick bite, we've had a few scratches and a few bumps and bruises, heat rashes and a few crashes. There have experienced many highs and many lows as we each pedaled onward, committed to ourselves, each other, and to our dream of seeing America! Team Awesome is now about to finish that goal we started 84 days ago as we are 200 miles from Savannah and will end the bicycle portion of our journey on Tybee Island off the Georgia coast.

  This will be a quick entry as we are headed down to the beach at our campground, The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak Florida. We have been here a couple of days and are enjoying a nice diversity of people, nature, a little music, and some fine amenities (showers, bathrooms, a swimming pool, restaurant, beautiful campground with a coffee colored river that runs through it!) Tonight at sunset we will watch hundreds of thousands of bats take off for their nightly meal run. If we are lucky we will make it out in the morning without having to dry our tents as we were pummeled by a rain storm last night and awoke to a warm damp that has stayed with us all day. 

   On a personal level I find myself feeling bittersweet upon returning home. I miss my Natasha, regularly seeing friends and very much miss the amazing and awesome selection of organic and fresh and wholesome food that is available daily in our hometown of Eugene Oregon! I will miss the road because in a way it has become my home. We have essentially been nomads for three months and have been welcome and safe and generally embraced each day of our ride. It has been tough, but it has so been worth it! I have become stronger and more confident and it is my hope that Our Great American Bike Ride is the first of many challenges that I will now say yes to! 

   Again I would like to Thank everyone who have helped us along the way! A special shout out goes to  Dave and Vicki Clouse our landlords, our neighbors and our friends who made it possible for us to free our obligations as they cared for our Elton (our cat) and looked after our home in our absence. We have had terrific support from friends and family, your encouragement and excitement have inspired me and gave me strength at times when I thought I had none left. So THANKS all of you AWESOME people!

Our original route did not include Florida, once again I am so happy we were all flexible and made it up as we went along!

Our first official squatting in the backyard of a beach house on the coast of Alabama

Yes, that is Dave in the Ice refer. About the best idea of the day!

Our Gulf Coast wonderland! AWESOME, SPECTACULAR, AMAZING!

Symbiosis! We think the birds clean the Cattle...?

Our Alabama Ferry

We must use assistance over large waterways.

Dane Randall was our AWESOME host in Ft. Walton Florida. We stayed an extra night to enjoy  a visit to Crab Island in Destin, rest up, do laundry, and eat some terrific gulf coast shrimp and craw fish. Thanks Dane, we appreciated your hospitality and  your home!

Thanks Momma B! Our special hotel treat courtesy of Dave's mom in Pensacola Florida.

Another beautiful lake at our campground.

This one speaks for itself!

I want to know if I can get college credit for "Speaking in Tongues" ?

Perfection!

Welcome to Awesomeness people!

Dinner at our Boat Ramp campsite

This little gem of  a spring was a perfect rest stop on our Fathers Day ride.

That's right, there's our alligator, 100 feet from where we camped that night!

The eastern time zone. Wow we have come a long way!

We crossed many bridges!

Dave spotted this pigmy rattler on the side of the rode outside Tallahassee.

Mohamed brought us water and icee pops after he found us on his road doing a tire change.  Beautiful family, beautiful people!

Dave enjoying the coffee color river at SOSMP... absolutely fabulous!

Team Awesome enjoying ever more beautiful people and amazing places!

 All my best ~ Michelle

Team Awesome Loves You!