Adventure Cycling Association

There are lots of cool nonprofit organizations out there, but one of my favorites is the Adventure Cycling Association.  Founded in 1973 and based in Missoula, Montana, its mission is to inspire and empower people to travel by bicycle.  They're preaching to the choir whenever I receive their newsletter or fundraising requests.  

But their most recent holiday appeal really hit home.  The letter started, "Bike tour in Iceland. Check."  

I thought, "Hey, I've done that!"  

It then read, "Pedal across Japan. Check."  

I said out loud, "I've done that too!"

It then read, "Ride North America with my kids?  Thank goodness for Adventure Cycling!"

I suddenly realized they were talking about my family!  My kids and I visited Adventure Cycling's headquarters this summer while riding 1,700 miles of the Lewis & Clark Trail.  We stayed in the home of their Tours Director, Arlen Hall (a remarkably kind and generous person), and made a bunch of new friends.  Their Executive Director, Jim Sayer, and his daughter Samantha even pedaled alongside us for a few hours, as we rode out of Missoula.  I gave them a written summary of our adventure, including quotes about how we were using Adventure Cycling's route maps.  You can see those quotes in the letter below along with photos from our visit.  

If you've ever imagined how cool it would be to go on a cycling trip (it's my favorite way to travel), Adventure Cycling has everything you need to take action -- organized tours, maps, expert advice, and an excellent magazine with stories from other cyclists.  Here's a link to become a member for 1/2 price: https://www.adventurecycling.org/membership/holiday-gift-membership/