What I learned and where I went

Overall, I had an incredible experience biking across the country, and there's nothing I would change about it.

There is an interactive version of this map at the end of this post

Things that changed about me:

- I learned how to be comfortable and happy alone
- I got a whole lot stronger
- I became more comfortable being around and approaching strangers


Things I learned:

- There are a lot of touring cyclists
- Cars will be cars
- There are incredibly nice people all over the country
- There are only a few creeps, but they are out there, and handy pepper spray is a very good idea
- The US is beautiful, and there were incredible things I saw that I'd never even heard of before
- I'm really, really bad at sending postcards


My favorite days of riding (in chronological order):

- The rail trail in Minnesota: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/06/a-century.html 
- Following the Lochsa river after Lolo pass: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-wilderness-of-idaho.html
- Going over Mackenzie Pass: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-last-and-greatest-of-passes.html
- The final approach into San Francisco: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/san-francisco.html


My least favorite days of riding:

- Highway 2 in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
- Everything along the coast


My favorite sights:

- The Badlands: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/06/medora-montana-and-wish-to-sink-into.html
- Mackenzie Pass: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-last-and-greatest-of-passes.html
- My first sight of the ocean: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-pacific.html
- The Golden Gate Bridge: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/san-francisco.html


My favorite cities:

- Traverse City: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/05/traverse-city.html
- Eugene: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-cities-of-oregon.html
- Portland: https://tashastrails.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-cities-of-oregon.html


Some numbers:

Days total: 72
Riding days: 59
Rest days: 13
Average distance on riding days: 71.7 miles