In 2001 we hatched a plan to visit South America, poring over guidebooks in our tent during our nights in Virginia and North Carolina. Almost six years later, we finally got around to it, and spent two weeks in Peru and Bolivia, traveling from the sacred valley, across the altiplano to Bolivia, and finally, north along the coast toward northern Peru.

Sunset from Nehalem Bay State Park, our first night out. We started our trip in Astoria, heading south on 101, and spent most nights at one of OR's great state parks- all with hiker/biker sites.

A surrey is a four-person bike. I'm hanging off the front of this one, taking Matt, Allie, and Sarah's picture, but I was pedalling just a moment earlier, honest.

I thought my search and rescue team was going to be deployed to aid the relief effort along the gulf coast, so Sarah and I celebrated our anniversary a week early. This is us toasting with the bottle of wine we brought back from our Baja honeymoon.