Day 20 – Shelton to Woodbridge, miles 629 – 644

On the second to last morning of our bougie bike tour we woke overlooking a misty Housatonic River after spending another cozy night on a friend’s lawn. Steven continued to impress us with his cooking skills by making a breakfast of apple, banana, & maple syrup oatmeal. Meanwhile his father treated our coffee drinkers to homemade cappuccinos. Another terrific breakfast to add to our future recipe book!

Knowing we had a short ride from Shelton to Woodbridge, we hit the road for a 15 mile ride with two exciting stops. The first stop was at our friend Elyse’s home. We arrived at noon after scaling a fairly large hill in fairly high heat. Although we did not travel very far, I definitely sweat up a storm to get there.

At the Estra home, we met her mother, father, and younger sister. They prepared us a delicious lunch of hotdogs, burgers, a Mexican salsa/salad and spring salad with purple cauliflower. They also made us gluten free chocolate cupcakes which were soo moist and tasty. Again, more yummy things to add to our ever increasing recipe book!

As we enjoyed our lunch and caught up with our friend, I somehow ended up sprawling out on her lawn and falling asleep. I think the summer heat really tuckered me out. I slept like a baby and woke up ready to conquer the last couple of miles. (Unfortunately not captured).

After a few hours at the Estras, we took our photo, got our signatures, and headed out to Sarah’s home just a few minutes away. We passed through Sarah’s high school and quickly pulled into her drive. Her mom, sister and family friends came out to welcome our arrival.

Sarah gave us a tour her home, yurt and outdoor amphitheater. We then, in true Lady Biker Gang fashion, traded our bike shorts for swimsuits and rounded out our afternoon in her pool. As the day turned to evening, another biker enjoyed a poolside nap.

Talia’s parents (and our avid fans) came to Sarah’s to help us celebrate the last night of our trip. Sarah’s parents prepared a terrific meal of apple & BBQ’d chicken, quinoa salad and kugel. Everything was delicious.

This trip has truly been a once in a lifetime experience. And although our version has been vastly different than the coast 2 coast trips of previous years, our COVID friendly compromise gave us exactly what we needed amidst the social isolation — despite some initial disappointment. It’s strange to think what our journey would have been like had 2020 unfolded differently. To compare the two styles seems impossible. I’m incredibly proud of the mileage and accomplishment we made. I hope one day I can earn membership in the transcontinental American biking club.

Sweet dreams from the yurt,

Kelly