Building on my bicycle ride across America in 2017/8, I plan to celebrate my 70th birthday by biking from Key West, Florida, to Bay Harbor, Maine.  This is a distance of 2,200 miles.

Because of how much the U.S. Coast Guard and her people mean to me and my family, I’m using this ride to raise funds for Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA).  CGMA is the official relief society of the Coast Guard.  CGMA provides a way to extend compassion to one another in times of need.

Training is complete. I’ll fly to Key West with my bicycle in February to begin Phase I of the ride to Jacksonville.  Phase II is from Jacksonville to Washington, DC.  Phase III is from DC to Maine.  I hope to be done by the time I celebrate my birthday in July.

This will be the first time that I will check my bike as baggage on the plane. I’ve carefully packed it in a foam-lined soft case. My anxiety about damage from baggage handling will ease once I’ve received and assembled my bike at the airport.