Off to the Mainland…Again…

Once again I’m at the airport headed off on another journey. This time, instead of Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa, it’s a relatively simple California, Oregon journey. Well, really it’s a California, Oregon, California journey.
First up is a retreat/camp in Idyllwild Pines somewhere in the hills outside of LA. I’m really not familiar with the area, but I’ve been told I’ll have a lot of fun. I’m stoked about being able to hang out with some really, really good friends. Really. Good. Friends.
In order to get a flight which lands in LA at an appropriate time, which is to say a convenient time for my friends to pick me up, I’m flying HNL-SFO-LAX. It turns out this has a super added benefit. One of my bestest, bestest friends, Barry S. from Idaho is flying in as well and, as he is getting the same ride from the airport that I am, is going to meet me in SFO and is on the same plane to LAX. We’ll get to have brekkie together. Yes!
We’ll both be at the event up in the hills along with my good friends Zoraida and Brian, as well as Joel, and, last but not least, Jen. I’m sure there’ll be others too, but those are the ones I can remember off the top of my head.
After fun packed Labor Day weekend, which includes a color war (my color is Green), I’m going to hop on a train and ride the rails to Eugene, Oregon. Yes, I have a sleeper car. That’s just a pit stop though. I’m dropping off my trusty Bike Friday New World Tourist, purchased in 2008 and ridden hard, for a refit. It needs it. I put about 2000 miles on it so far this year and that’s been an easy year for it. It could definitely use a bit of the spit and polish.
After the drop-off, I head to Brookings. Years ago, 2012 I believe, I wrote on this blog about a trip down the Oregon coast with my good friend Erich. We’re off again, this time picking up where we left off all those years ago, and heading to San Francisco by bicycle. Different bikes, a few extra years, but an even better friendship.
I’ll be writing it up here and a few other places, and including some pictures with any luck.
I’m really looking forward to this trip, even if it is my second bike trip of the year. It turns out I have a lot of friends in a lot of places and darn it all, I’m really grateful for that.
That’s it for this first report, more laterz!