Reach the Beach

We made it and I couldn't be more proud!!! 100+ miles to the beach and we crossed the finish line together. We got so lucky with the weather and probably had the best year yet, although I think Dad might have been hoping for pouring down rain to get him out of doing the full 100 miles! My Mom took the kids and met us at the finish line. I got tears in my eyes seeing them there supporting us with their sign in hand after riding all day. We started a little after 7am and crossed the finish line around 6pm, which actually worked out in our favor because we had it all to ourselves! They kept telling us we were going to miss the dinner because it closed at 6pm and gave us the option of getting shuttled to the end. Even though it was a tempting option (especially when they called it the "party bus"), we stuck it out. I was really impressed with the whole experience and I can't wait to do it again. The stops were fantastic, the scenery was spectacular (especially the endless fields of clover, I wish I would have stopped to get a picture), there were amazing volunteers cheering us on, and a grand finale with music, announcements, and tons of food! We were all pretty tired that night, but got up the next morning and even managed a walk on the beach since the weather was still beautiful. Brian drove with my parents to Beaverton where our car was parked and then headed back to the beach where we stayed until Monday. I can't believe it's already come and gone. All that preparation, it feels like it went too fast. I hope to make this a tradition in our family. Grammy's already looking forward to riding next year and hopefully the kids will cross that finish line with us someday!