Day 1 - Travel to Austin, Texas and Rock for the Roses

Our travels to Texas were multi-faceted. Paul packed up his van and hauled all of our equipment to Austin for us, allowing the rest of us to fly to Austin. Originally George was planning to ride along with Paul, but got involved in After-Prom with the high school and won't be joining us until late on Sunday evening. Paul loaded five bikes in the back of the van (John was staying only for the Ride for the Roses) and headed off to Austin. John, Sean, and I got on a plane and flew down to join him.

When we arrived in Austin it was sunny and 89* - perfect weather in my opinion. Of course most of us weren't used to sweating that much just walking to the car. We arrived downtown and registered for the event and headed on to the the Rock for the Roses.

Friday's goal was to make it to Austin and take in the scene. The Rock for the Roses is a concert featuring bands both local to Austin and national. This year the event included national headliners "Cake" and "Stone Temple Pilots". The concert is set up on the shores of the Colorado River, which runs through the center of downtown Austin. The event is very well organized and well attended within Austin and the surrounding region.

Tomorrow will bring the annual Run for the Roses, in which a portion of our group plans to participate. The rest of us will sit on the street corner and laugh as they deplete the energy they will need for the rest of the week. It will also bring the PowerBar Sport Expo featuring booths and displays from many areas, including cancer research, cancer survivorship, and of course bicycle manufacturers. On Sunday the riding will start, so this will be our last day to get acclimated to the temperatures and rested up for the ride ahead.