I am writing this years after the trip . . . in 2023. Since this was my first blog, I never really "finished" it and always meant to go back and do so. Well, over the last few weeks, I pretty much did that but also realized that by doing so, I rekindled so many memories that I realized it would never be "finished" because there is always something to add!

But I decided I should add a "Reflections" page, something I have done on my other blogs fairly routinely. But first, some silly stats:

1. Miles Biked: 3,472 miles.
2. Feet Climbed: 98,536 feet. Wow, that's more than 18-1/2 miles! And yes, the hillier terrain was definitely up north. We climbed 18,866 feet on the Southern Leg and 79,670 feet on the Northern Leg, a ratio greater than 4:1.
3. States Visited: 14 states. In order of appearance: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
4. Provinces Visited: 2 provinces, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
5. Countries Visited: 2 countries, U.S. and Canada.
6. Ferry Trips Taken: 10 total, six on the Southern Leg (seven if you count the ferry to Ft Sumter, but that trip was sans bike) and four on the Northern Leg (but could have been five if we had been able to catch the one into Canada).
7. Room 7s Stayed In: 2 Room 7s, both in Bates-rated motels.
8. Nights in Bates-rated Motels: One too many, well, nine in total, four nights in the south and five nights in the north . . . but we survived every one. What qualifies as a Bates Motel? I don't know. It's very subjective, and I mostly let Happy decide . . .
9. Nights tent camping, in KOA Cabins (indoor camping), with Warmshowers hosts (which is sort of like indoor camping): Tent Camping: 7 nights, KOA Cabin Camping: 2 nights, Warmshowers Hosts: 2 nights (we didn't really try that hard).
10. Islands Crossed: 88 by my count. But what's an island?
11. Bike Shops Visited: 12 by my count, and here they are:
    • Backcountry Cowboy Outfitters, Islamorada, FL
    • Alan's Bicycle Center, Vero Beach, FL
    • The Bike Shop, Ormond Beach, FL
    • Perry Rubber Bike Shop, Savannah, GA
    • Home Depot, Jacksonville, NC (seriously)
    • Beaufort Bicycles, Beaufort, NC
    • Freshbikes, Arlington, VA
    • Atlantic Cyclery, Atlantic Highlands, NJ
    • Benidorm Bikes and Snowboards, Canton, CT
    • CK Bikes, Harvard, MA
    • Center Street Cycles, Brunswick, ME
    • Valley Stove and Cycle, Kentville, NS
12. Flat Tires: Only one (1), and it happened right outside Brigette and Laura's house somewhere in Connecticut (although I'm sure I had a near miss before I rolled into Atlantic Highlands, NJ and replaced my rear tire).
13. Other Bike Problems: see "Bike Shops Visited." Mostly drivetrain issues, but also new tires and failed screws on Happy's Bike Friday rear pannier rack