We woke up a bit before 7 at our Sparta hotel, the girls were cold already. Katie borrowed Laura's air mattress even though she only used the top third.

We had a nice breakfast at Country Kitchen in Sparta and hit the road. The waitress suggested a shortcut that would entail a dirt path down steep slope, and picking our bikes up over a fence. We took the long cut.

I got up this morning and got all of my things ready to go. I got my camelback ready and I look inside and found a wasp nest inside. Thanks dad for getting it out.

Today we started out with a party before we left. We left at about one. It was hard saying goodbye with everyone giving hugs and saying goodbye to us. We would like to thank mom and dad for the party. I hugged everybody and here is me and my grandpa saying goodbye.

Flag: Chuck's new Flag I am all set to go! Check out my new flag, Amanda made it for me! It is hard to see how shiny it really is in the image.

A long time ago Chris said he wanted to ride bike down the mississippi, so I asked when he planned to do it and if I could come with. I hadn't been on any multi-day bike trips before, so this was all new to me. Finally Chris picked a date, and the planning began. We went to the Hostel Shoppe and I ordered a trike. That same weekend we went on a short 2 day bike trip from Hustler to Norwalk (about 30 miles) on upright bicycles. That was when I knew for sure i never wanted to ride an upright again, and that I had made a good choice in ordering my trike! To bad I didn't have it for that trip!

Today Laura, Katie, and I gave our bikes a thorough cleaning and tune-up. Laura had a good time removing the 'goo-balls' from the cassette on her bike. Everything is cleaned, lubed, and ready to roll. Chuck's bike will get it's makeover tomorrow, Roger's was done earlier in the week.

Hello from Pittsville. It's great to hear your out on another ride this one sounds awesome, ride safe and have fun. It was great meeting you last year, and were looking forward to seeing you again. Sometime after you dip your tires in the gulf you all have a lunch on the house in Pittsville, or maybe we can deliver to New Lisbon. Take care Baum's Mercantile

I am 15 years old and I first learned how to ride bike when I was 7 years old. A week later I went on my first 100 mile bike trip. My brother Chris has inspired me the most through this. I'll never forget all of our trips we had together and I can't wait to expierence what lies ahead. All together I have rode over 1,000 miles with Chris and Laura. After my accident (getting hit by a dump truck) I wondered when I would get back up again and find my strength to ride again. Through all these years of biking I found it has became my passion. I just love the feeling of accomplishment. Now this is the chance I have to take to fufill that dream and know I've done it. Making it to New Orleans has been my goal to achieve.

Everyone has begun packing, and nerves are setting in.I know this because my phone keeps ringing, and my emails are piling up.

We have a very organized spreadsheet showing what each person is responsible for.....however the last minute jitters question every decision....

How many pairs of socks do I need? 3 pairs? 4 pairs? 3.5 pairs in case I lose a sock? Every decision comes with a weight and bulk consequence. How often do I want to do laundry?

Today was a special day for us. A few miles into the day Taters hit her 1000'th touring mile. There are not too many 14-year olds who tour, and even less that would continue after her cycling accident.

To celebrate, we stopped for a snack at The Uncommon Ground in Medford. Amazing food. Great people. If you die before trying some of their deserts, you have not lived.

Several years ago I would hear Chris talking about taking the bike trip from home to the Gulf of Mexico. I thought he was just talking. Over time I found out he really had this goal.

Here is my fairly standard packing list. Am I missing something?

CLOTHES
** 1 railrider shirt
** 1 railrider pants
1 short sleeve shirt
1 t-shirt
PJs
2 pairs shorts/swimming-trunks
3 pairs socks
3 underwear
biking shoes
walking shoes (sometimes sandals)
**Bandanna
Baseball cap
*rain jacket
Balaclava / gloves

CAMPING
**Tent (3 lbs) (trying new cheapo $20 tent instead of hammock)
Sleeping pad, Blanket, & Inflatable Pillow
Stove/Fuel (chuck has it)
Pot/Pan, Mess kit & silverware (Laura has it)
Enough food for a full day in an emergency.
pocket knife & Scissors (chuck has it)
**mini travel towel

ELECTRONICS
Camera / Charger / Batteries / Extra Memory
Laptop / Charger (huge, need a netbook)