After it was all said and done, I traveled 5,173 miles through 14 states in 13 days.  We started and ended the trip in tropical storms, but those were our only two rain days, and the weather between those two storms was wonderful.  We had worried about finding fuel and lodging because of Hurricane Katrina, but had no problems.  The major effect of the hurricane we saw was that people were collecting donations for the survivors EVERYWHERE.

The trip cost me less than $1,000.  We ate well and stayed in comfortable hotels.  Gas prices ranged from $2.47 to $3.22 for regular.

We felt lucky to have hit the Colorado color change right on the head, and to have had such wonderful weather.  Three days after we left South Dakota, snow was falling.

After having done a couple of "themed" bike tours (Lewis and Clark, and Civil War Battlefields), it was a nice change to approach this trip as a blank slate.  Just pick a direction and see what happens.  If there was anything we were looking for on this trip, it was roads...twisty roads, scenic roads, hilly roads.  If a road looked fun, or was labeled "Scenic", or "Closed in Winter" on the maps, we took it.  In doing so, we saw some stunning country and had a grand time.

And, yes, Lana was VERY surprised to see me home a day early!

 

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