Introduction - We plan to ride Route 66 (with some modifications)

A family wedding in Wisconsin was a destination for us in early October, and we decided to cycle a portion of the way back to the West Coast. We figured that by cycling south we might catch some good weather for a fall cycling tour across states we have not previously explored. In addition, some friends were in transition and could stay in our house during our time away, so that angle was covered.

The result was that we packed up our Bike Friday travel tandem and took it with us on Southwest Airlines to Wisconsin. We decided to ride Route 66, but also to make a side trip to visit Jean's brother and family south of St. Louis.

We have flown before with our tandem disassembled and packed in a hard shell case. This was the first time the TSA had flagged it as "SUSP" (suspicious?) and left a note inside that it had been examined. Fortunately, everything seemed to be in order and undamaged:

The wedding in Wisconsin was a wonderful gathering of family from all over the US. We wish Alison and Brandon only the best in their future together! If they can be as creative and industrious in a solving whatever comes up in their new life as they were in welcoming us all to their celebration, we are sure they will find great satisfaction as a couple and will be successful in weathering any storms that come up.

So now, onward to some days of cycling...