The journey began way back on May 17 when the duo set out from Vancouver, Canada on what they call the Kicking the States expedition. They estimated that it would take about three months to wrap up the challenge, averaging about 30 miles (48 km) per day on their way to the finish line in Tijuana, Mexico. They stuck fairly close to that schedule, finishing just ahead of schedule, by reaching the end of the journey earlier this week.
Bex wrote about the entire journey on a blog that can be found here. Here stories from the road are both fun to read and offer a glimpse into their lives while on the road. Traversing the U.S. by kick-scooter may not be as impressively big of an accomplishment as some of the other adventures we cover here on The Adventure Blog, but it was still a tremendous undertaking and a reminder that you can find adventure just about anywhere if you truly go looking.
Kicking the States wasn't just about the adventure however. Gil and Bex also used the expedition as a fund raiser to collect money to assist a school in Tanzania too. The couple set a goal of bringing in $10,000 and are more than 80% to that goal. The money will go towards building a new classroom that could dramatically change the lives of young people in Africa.
Congratulations to Gil and Bex for finishing up this long journey. It couldn't have been easy riding kick scooters for all of those miles and now that its done, they probably won't want to see another scooter for the rest of their lives. The journey looks like it was rewarding one however and I certainly can appreciate the good cause. Now, they turn their attention to some much needed rest, including a visit to Disney Land, before heading home to catch up with friends and family.
Read more about their experiences here.