mntbikedude

This summer my 13 year old son and I began an unsupported bike trip beginning in Victoria BC. At the time we had no official ending date or location. Just that we would ride untill it stopped being fun. Early on my son started telling people we were riding to Mexico. And as we were then some 1600 plus miles away it seemed well quite impossible.

But mile by mile, challenge by challenge we ended having the summer of our lives.And indeed we ended up in Mexico. For me it was not only a great adventure but hanging out all summer with my son was so incredible. Mark was at the perfect age, where he could physically handle the trip but he is still young enough to think it was cool to hang out with dad.

He rode in the drafting position most of the way, and I loved to hear him just talk, all day. Stuff like hey dad did you know that....... sometimes he would just ride up along side me look over and say I love you dad. For the last 10 days of the trip we stopped putting up the tents. We slept under redwoods, under palm trees, under star filled skys, and we could hear the ocean as we would drift off to sleep.

We had no near misses or accidents, not a day of rain, no illness or injury. What we did have was 45 days of days I wish I could relive again and again. We biked all kinds of conditions, from nice highways with ample shoulders, to much of highway 1 with little or no shoulder, we biked some off road and even was routed onto the Ventura Freeway.

Along the way we met many awesome people and cyclist all the down the coast were willing to go the extra mile literaly to lead us thru some of the more challenging sections of the major cities. Such as San Fransisco and LA. We started to refer to them as our guardian angels.

Anyway I have posted our pictures in some albums at this address https://bikethewestcoast.spaces.live.com/ click on photos and then there are 6 or 7 groups of photos. If you are in a hurry one of my favorites is the folder titled Central California the lost coast. I'm still working on it so check back from time to time as we add things.

Old Hammer Boy

Great photos. Congratulations. Earlier this summer I took a much shorter tour with a young German boy who spent the summer with us. We rode across Iowa unsupported, and really got to know eachother and earned eachother's respect. I can certainly relate. You're a lucky man to have such a relationship with your son. He'll never forget...

avatarworf

Sounds like you had a fantastic trip! My husband and I are starting something very similiar, a trip with no set planes, distances or even an end destination. Will definitely check out your photos

wahoonc

(that's root beer BTW ) I think it is great you and your son had such a grand time. Too many dads (and moms) don't spend any or enough time with their children. I took mine camping every month from the time they were 5 and 6 until high school. They still remember stuff from those trips. Our children are our future and we really don't want to depend on society to raise them for us

Aaron

Lolly Pop

What a wonderful experience for both you and your son!

Brian Sorrell

You are an inspiration sir. My wife and I completed our first small tour over the weekend and there will be more to come! Your story makes me think that when we have a 13 year old, he'll (or she'll) be on a similar trip with me. Your son is a lucky kid and you're a model dad. If you ever roll through SoCal again, I'll be the first to buy you a

Bekologist

mtnbikedude, you ROCK!

coolest dad your 13 year old is ever going to have. right on. sounds like you both had a fantastic summer.

wow. cool.