Here’s what I did to get ready to hit the road:
- Friday – Volunteered for Bike to Work Day in the rain
- Saturday – Road to and from and during DC Bike Ride in the rain (45 miles). Watched 2 baseball games
- Sunday – Road to Vienna VA to return Bike to Work Day materials (47 miles). Watched baseball game. Went to concert (Brandi Carlile) at The Anthem in DC.
- Pulled together everything I’m bring on the tour. Put it in panniers and rode The Mule 1 mile to see if I distributed the weight properly. Mowed the lawn that had made use of a week of rain. Watched my last baseball game at home. (I’d love to go to the ballpark but there’s just no way.)
It weighs a ton. (I am bringing a second water bottle by the way.)
I also kept track of the problems with the C & O Canal towpath. Sort summary: mucho mas. Came up with a workaround to get me beyond the damage and the quagmire. Printed out some routing information that I will need. Did some last minute banking. Obsessively checked the weather forecast for tomorrow. (Rain. Thunderstorms. Typical DC area summer weather.)
So there you have it. Time to put up or shut up. Tomorrow I roll.
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
Have an awesome trip.
I am so excited for you!! I hope you have a blast and a half!
Anxiety levels through the roof. I need to get rolling!
May you find the hills flatter than you expect and tailwinds to push you through every adversity.
Bonne route! Take lots of photos to pique our envy!
Good luck my friend, have a wonderful and safe trip.looking forward to following your adventures.
That looks serious, the mule is gonna earn its name, bon voyage!