Billings, Montana

We love Montana! The weather has made an amazing turn, with light winds or tailwinds every day and lots of sun (maybe a little too much...I got burned big time yesterday). The scenery just keeps getting better, and we'll be able to see the mountains by the end of today. Lots has happened, none of which really relates to the other (except that it has to do with biking) so I'll write about it in the form of a numbered list.

1. Vegan food is good. I'll admit it...we've been bad, bad vegans out here. But hey, it's hard when you need to eat 5,000 calories a day and the only stores around are gas stations or small town food markets! We still check labels, and are as vegan as we can for the most part, but there have been many cheats along the way. Here in Billings we found a health food store and had a hummus/vegan potato salad/cous-cous/soy yogurt lunch, and stocked up on tofu jerkey for the road. Bozeman and Missoula are just a few days down the road, both of which also have vegan food stores, and then theres PORTLAND our vegan mecca. I can't WAIT to start eating real non-junk food!

2. In South Dakota I found a Batman action figure on the side of the road. Here in Montana I found Spiderman. I can only assume Superman isn't far ahead. This is a good omen, I can tell. Now whenever we're stuck in bad weather or going up a big hill I imagine I'm a superhero...it makes things easier :)

3. The world is filled with amazing people. We met a guy biking BACKWARDS across the US on a little BMX bike to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS, homelessness and medical marijuana. He's a really remarkable guy doing a really incredible thing. Check out his website! www.bikingbackwards.us. He took a video clip of me and Dylan that might be somewhere on the site. Annnnnd last night we got into Billings after a very long very hot day and met another biker named Dusty who very graciously offered us a place to stay for the night. We got a good meal, a good shower and a VERY comfortable bed! We can't thank him and his family enough!

4. Hills are remarkable easy without a headwind

5. Biking is a million times more fun to do with nice weather...with all the bad weather we'd had I had forgotten how much I love riding. Now Dylan and I wake up early and get on our bikes as soon as we can.

OK I know I had more things, but now I've forgotten. As you can guess, one has many thoughts when they're just riding a bike hour after hour. I always think about what to say to you, our adoring fans, and the blogs I have in my head are always clever and elaborate. Then I sit down in front of a computer and go blank.

We were chatting with Dusty las night and he said Portland is 850 miles away. Thats via the interstate, So obviously its a little bit farther for us, but still a lot closer than we were a month ago. It his me then that this will all actually come to an end someday. It's strange to think about. We've grown so used to doing this, setting up camp every night, breaking it down in the morning, riding, resting, riding, eating, riding, sleeping and on and on...it'll be wierd when it's over. To sleep indoors every night??? Yikes!

But We're still a few weeks from the end, and theres still much to see and do. We've only had one bottle of Montana beer so far! We need more before we leave! Yellowstone is only a few days away! Bozeman! Missoula! Mountains! Rivers! Oregon!

I swear I'll convince Dylan to write something in here sometime.