Frederick, MD to Laurel, MD      Easy Day 18..  No Drama    45 Miles.. 

I woke this morning and was in no rush to get on the road. Due to the short distance, leaving at or before 7 in the morning wouldn't have made much sense as I would just be waiting to check in to the next hotel. So for the first time on the trip, I took my time at breakfast, caught up on the news and started sorting through my email. My brother in law Nick had driven in from Annapolis to be my SAG support for the day. He arrived at 8:30 and we chatted for a while to catch up on the latest. Seeing him was great and it began to click that I was very close to the finish line.

The first 10 miles or so was a bit hilly, but after that it seemed like I was flying. The wind was at my back and I did the last 15 miles at an average speed of over 20 mph. The Days Inn in Laurel was much nicer than the one in Frederick. Nick and I had lunch and then he headed out for the day, leaving me to take a nap.

Within a minute of putting my head on the pillow, I was surprised at a sharp knock on the door. I thought it was Nick, but when I looked through the peephole, what I saw put a smile on my face from ear to ear. JoAnn had driven in with Josie to welcome me back to Maryland. I was totally surprised but very happy to see them. I only got to spend a couple hours with them so it was a bit of a tease, but I know that after tomorrow, they’ll be stuck with me every day. I was a bit bummed that Josephine didn’t seem to remember me at first. Later, she warmed up, but seeing her trying to figure me out was a bit uncomfortable. I made a note that there should be no more long trips without her. My brother in laws (Nick, Duffy and Brian) came up for a nice dinner and I was back in the room by 9:30pm.  

Tomorrow, I will bike a short distance from Laurel to Davidsonville. If there are no issues, I should arrive at my house at around 6pm. I can’t wait to get home! 

Not many pictures from the road but some great ones of JoAnn, Josephine and Nick (my brother from another): 

Not anything like Northern Frederick or Pennsylvania, but a few challenging climbs  

After almost 1500 miles of biking, I stepped on my glasses while leaving a convenience store today in Maryland. Fortunately, I had a spare set. I got my money's worth out of these. 

My brother in law Nick. SAG extraordinaire, giving me last minute tips for the course. 

I will miss wearing those snug form fitting shorts every day. 

Was happy to see this sign today! ... 

... But much happier to see JoAnn and Josephine.  

She's thinking, 'Who is this bald strange smelly man?' 

Napping with Josie. 

Thanks for all of your support. Tomorrow, I will cross the finish line.